Refragmentz: Souls of Memory

Chapter 11- Oath Under Sun

The oath ceremony was held the next morning in the courtyard of the Radiant Temple. A huge white sun was carved into the stone floor, and hundreds of knights stood in lines around it, all of them staring at Vexa with cold eyes. I stood beside her, and I could feel her shoulder shaking a little against my arm.

"Do not look at them," I said quietly. "Look at me."

"I am not afraid," she said that with her chin raised. "I am only... cold."

The Grand Master walked to the center of the white sun, holding a long silver staff. He called Vexa's name, and she walked forward slowly and knelt on the stone. It must have been hard for the Crimson Executioner to kneel in front of the people she had fought for years.

"Vexa of the Left Wing," the Grand Master said, and his voice echoed across the courtyard. "Do you swear, before the white sun, that you will not raise your hand against the innocent people of this land?"

"I swear," Vexa said. Her voice was steady, though I could hear the effort in it.

"Do you swear that you will remain by the side of Chase Ardent, and that his judgment shall guide your hands?"

She hesitated for only a second. "I swear," she said again, a little softer.

The Grand Master touched the tip of his staff to her wrist. A golden mark in the shape of a small sun appeared on her skin and then faded into a pale line. "If you break this oath, the mark will burn you," he said. "And your guardian will answer for it."

"I understand," Vexa said.

The ceremony ended, and the knights slowly left the courtyard. I helped Vexa stand up, and I noticed that her hand was cold. She pulled it away quickly, as if she did not want me to notice.

As we walked toward the temple doors, Duke Marren was waiting for us with two guards behind him. He looked at Vexa as if she was something that he had found under his shoe.

"Enjoy your little moment, boy," he said. "The Grand Master may be soft, but the council is not. One day that creature will make a mistake, and I will be there to see it."

"Then I hope you will be watching from a long distance, Your Grace," I said calmly. "Because if you ever touch her, I will not be so polite."

His face turned red, and he left without another word. Vexa looked at me with wide eyes.

After the ceremony, the Grand Master called us to the tower. This time, Hale, Elara, and a young knight named Pip were already there, standing around a large map that was spread over the table. Pip saluted me so quickly that he almost hit himself in the face.

"Chase Ardent," the Grand Master said. "I have a task for you. It is not an order, but I think it is the only way to find the answers that you want."

He pointed to the north of the map, to a region of mountains and frozen valleys. "Three of our border forts have gone silent in the last two months. We sent scouts, but none of them returned. The few who did said that the demon army is gathering there, and that the Demon Lord Zarath is performing some kind of ritual."

"A ritual?" Hale said, frowning. "What kind of ritual?"

"I do not know. That is why I need someone to find out." The Grand Master looked at me. "A large army would only provoke a war, but a small group might slip through. You have a demon commander who knows the land, and you have a skill that I cannot explain. I think you are the best choice that we have."

"I will go," I said without thinking. If Zarath was gathering something in the north, and if Elara's dreams were pointing there too, then I did not have a reason to refuse.

"I am coming as well," Elara said suddenly. Everyone turned to her. She was holding her staff tightly with both hands. "My dreams always point north, Grand Master. If there are others like me out there, I need to find them."

"Elara, you are the Order's greatest treasure," the Grand Master said, and for the first time, I heard worry in his voice. "If something happens to you..."

"I have lived in this temple for thirteen years," she said softly, "and I have never known who I am. Please let me find out."

The Grand Master looked at her for a long time. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well. But Commander Hale will go with you, and he will not leave your side."

"With pleasure, Your Holiness," Hale said, and he bowed.

That afternoon, I went to the training yard behind the temple. I wanted to know exactly how strong I was now, since I had three Resonance buffs, even though one of them was only a faint feeling. With Vexa and Elara standing a few steps away from me, I opened my status window.

[Name: Chase Ardent]

[Class: Knight (Hero's Record restored)]

[Level: 9]

HP: 310/310 MP: 12/12

Body Str-21 (84) Dex-18 (72) Agi-17 (68) Vit-19 (76)

[Heartbound Resonance: 300%]

"Eighty-four strength," I muttered. "It is still not much, even with the buff."

That evening, I found Vexa and Elara sitting at opposite ends of a stone bench in the garden, with an awkward silence between them. Elara was holding a small white hairpin in her hand, and she was looking at it as if she did not know what to do.

"I... I wanted to give this to you," she said at last, holding it out to Vexa. "I do not know why. I felt that I should."

Vexa stared at the hairpin and did not take it. "I do not need a gift from you."

"I know." Elara lowered her hand. "I am sorry if I make you uncomfortable."

"Do not apologize." Vexa looked away. "I do not know what I am feeling right now. That is the problem."

I sat down between them and said nothing. I think both of them needed to say these things to someone, even if it was not me.

After a while, Elara looked up at the night sky and said softly, "Chase, I dreamed again last night. But this time it was different."

"Different how?"

"Someone else was calling my name," she whispered. "Not you. Someone far away... and she sounded very angry."