[The crowd echoes a deafening silence.]
[A shockwave of essence lashes out towards the mass.]
Ser Dornath Valegrim had stepped in at the perfect moment, sparing the young dragon's life.
As Egan looks up towards his savior, his savior looks back. Ser's intensity increased, staring daggers not towards him, but towards Hadrian, who had stumbled back a bit from the clash. The shockwave of essence released from the clash forced Egan further into the stone slab, his wrists cracking under the pressure—Fissures in the stage quake out, lining the wood with cracks. The shockwave produced by the display of power also sent the crowd into shock. Most of them stayed silent, too stunned by both awe and fear.
For the Guildmaster had revealed an astonishing revelation.
The man they have been wishing death upon since last night.
Had been deemed innocent by a man with the title of Ser.
***
The shackles that were once binding the young dragon were shattered, his frame being free once again. With a stretch of his neck, he looks up, still laying his head on the pedestal. He tried getting up, tired from the heavy shackles binding him, and sore from the constant pressure of chains.
But before he could,
"Now," Hadrian demanded.
In an instant, armored guards surrounded Egan, pointing their blades at him. Egan was shocked, his eyes glaring even more towards Hadrian. He still had the words Hadrian whispered in his ear playing on repeat in his head. It infuriated him even more. He is going to make this man pay, Duke or not. For right now, Egan only views this man as an enemy, nothing more.
For the presence that radiates off him.
Is one he despises.
With a blast, Ser releases a wave of essence from his body, paralyzing the guards in fear. The mere outwards pressure of this man made the air around them feel tighter. It was intense, and Ser knew it.
"What do you think you're doing, Dornath?" Hadrian scoffs, inching closer to the Guildmaster.
"You shall address me as Ser, Hadrian."
"I have no obligation to do so. And shall not stand for this insolence! You are letting a monster free!" Hadrian tried to speak up in an attempt to woo the crowd.
The attempt failed.
"Like I have stated… This man is not the one who wreaked havoc on our town."
"My… Town." Hadrian scoffs, cutting him off.
"This town may be yours in name… But nothing more."
Hadrian begins to raise his voice again, shouting at the guards to keep their stances ready to face Egan. The young dragon didn't flinch, for he was still stunned by Ser's attempts at a pardon. He is both impressed by his boldness and scared of his persistence. The guard's blades begin to inch closer, almost touching the chin of the young dragon.
"What more do I need?! My last name blesses these people with a city to inhabit, and you dare say this town isn't any more than an inheritance?! Hadrian scoffs, waving his hand in front of Ser's face, now looking towards the crowd.
The whispers in town begin to gather loudly, the voices being slightly muffled but still audible to the people on stage. With a shout, the chatter ceases.
"You shall address the Valegrim family head with respect, boy."
"I have no right to show you any respect! This is my city, you merely reside in it. My jurisdiction! Here, I have the power. I have the rule. You, are just merely a man." Hadrian yelled, getting right into the face of the Guildmaster.
Ser was cold and unemotional. His face radiated a sense of calm. With a glance, he looks over at Egan once more, and Egan looks back. Their eyes met for a split second, yet Egan knew that Ser...
Was in control.
Looking over at Hadrian, however, sent a chill down his spine. His face wasn't red with anger, but instead, a twisted smile radiated from him, as though, in some sick twisted way, he was enjoying this. He was still emanating anger, but only for the disrespect toward him. He felt no anger towards the halt of Egan's execution. The essence Egan could read off him was frightening.
A man who cares so little for those around him has no right to rule a city.
"I have known you since you were merely a child! You are a boy playing a man's game, and you are no man!" Ser remarks, looking down at Hadrian, his towering figure gazing down at him.
The crowd began to whisper to each other yet again. Was this a play or an execution? Was the Guildmaster really on the side of the monster? The crowd kept thinking the same thing, being torn between the one who stopped the tyrant they all grew to hate… Or the Guildmaster they all grew to love.
'Who should we believe?'
"Age has nothing to do with this! Your seniority in such a minor thing only proves your senile nature! Old man, you are the boy here."
"You are merely a child fitting the role of a monarch, Hadrian. This town has never recognized you, they only fear you… And that is no way to be a Duke."
"I am a king! And you shall address me as such!" Hadrian shouted, waving his hand once more. The crowd was still silent, gazing at the pair in awe.
Ser looks down towards Hadrian, noticing the twisted smile plastered on his face, along with the bloodlust pouring off of him.
With a sigh.
"A king's worth is not determined by what they own, or how much power they possess. It is determined by how he treats those he has power over."
"And you, Hadrian,
Are no king."
***
-A little earlier-
[The running of footsteps muffled by chants are echoing beneath Sarah]
The young mage was frantic, she hadn't seen anyone besides Liz since last night. She can't get that twisted look off of Hadrian's face. That taunting look of victory. A victory he shouldn't have won.
She was running rampant throughout the crowd, bumping and dashing into and around people. She wanted to get to Egan, and she knew from the rumors in town where he would be.
'They finally caught the guy who blew up the city! Can you believe it?'
'Really who was he?'
'I don't know, some horned freak. The guy whose scream shook the whole town
'Apparently, the Duke was the one who stopped him, go figure.'
'Think they're gonna execute him?'
'Absolutely.'
Sarah was panicking, for she blamed herself in part. She knew something was wrong with Egan when he looked at her that way in front of the orphanage. She knew something was wrong. But she did nothing. She simply let it happen. For a split moment, deep within her soul, she felt fear. For a brief instant, she was scared of Egan. She began to cry, getting closer and closer to the stage…
"Sarah!"
"Hm?"
Waving her hand running from behind her, was Liz, who was carrying a large coat in her arms. Upon reaching Sarah, who had stopped to turn around, Liz gave her a big hug after realizing she was shedding tears. The sudden jolt shocked the young mage, but soon after she accepted the embrace.
"What are you-"
"We need to find Olivia!" Liz yelled, trying to get her words louder than the crowd's cheers.
"But I-"
"Come on! We got split up after the disaster. She isn't Ser, she can't be left alone, especially after finding out how the Fire Emblems pick off their targets."
Wiping her eyes and getting yanked from Liz who was forcing her to follow her, her face began gazing forward with intensity. She knew Egan would be alright, as scared as she was, she believed he would be okay.
"O-Okay!"
***
Running through the crowd, the swarm of people began getting denser and denser. They were getting closer to the stage; the growing intensity of the people's chants began getting louder. They were never going to find her in this mess. So, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, she leaps over Liz, letting go of her hand in the process. She tried to control her senses, focusing on high essence density in the area.
Focus.
Focus.
Resonate.
Without meaning to she began to use resonance, her figure glowing for a split moment, the bright flash getting attention from both the crowd and Egan. The payout was well worth the reward, for in an instant,
"There!"
In front of her a little way ahead, she could see the black hair of someone familiar. Her large circular glasses poked out from behind her head, along with some of her freckles shining in the light from the side of her cheek.
"Olivia!"
With a quick spin, Olivia turned to face Sarah, who was gesturing the same way Liz gestured to her. With an open mouth and shocked expression, she embraces Sarah.
"They have Sir. Egan! They can't do this to him, he's innocent!" Olivia cries, furious and upset at witnessing Egan's head getting slammed into the slab.
"Don't worry… I don't think anything will happen to our little horned freak."
"Hm?"
Hadrian began to give his grand speech, the crowd getting louder as each breath exits the Duke's mouth. It was infuriating.
Loud steps ring out, one after another.
Each one silencing the crowd just a tiny bit.
His presence sends waves of submission to all who hear his approach.
Ser Dornath Valegrim had made his grand entrance.
Olivia and Sarah are stunned at the performance, the waves of essence brushing against the pair, silencing their fear. The clash of two Influential powerhouses etches a pattern of intensity into the very atmosphere in which they breath.
It was breathtaking.
"But… Why is the Duke backing off?" Olivia asked, still curious as to why isn't just ignoring the intruder and continuing with the execution.
"You don't know? I thought a die-hard fangirl like you would understand Hadrian's hesitation. He may be a Duke and an adventurer… But that's nothing compared to our Ser."
"Hm?" Both Sarah and Olivia remark, looking over at Liz, eyes radiating with curiosity.
"For our Guildmaster… Is Ser. Dornath Valegrim, Family head of the House of Valegrim, second only to the King—One of the 9 Sovereigns of Terranova—
And CEO of Rampart Adventurer's Guild"