Zero kept his eye on the old man as they walked down to the lower areas of the slums, Zero could see disease ravaged men and woman litter the walkways. Zero felt sick as he saw the body of a child burning in a pile of bodies.
The old man stopped and turned to Zero, "This is the advisors doing." Zero threw up as the old man spoke, falling to his knees as if his strength was taken from him. "The whole city used to be beautiful. Until he came and caused the nobles to turn their backs on the people. As well as the soldiers of this once prosperous land."
Zero wiped his mouth as he tried to regain his bearing. "You mean that Gold Heart was a nice place?"
The old man nodded, "It ended about sixteen years ago when the old advisor was murdered."
The words struck Zero as if a knife was cutting him open from the man's words. Swallowing his fear, "Who was the last advisor?"
The old man looked at the castle in the distance. "A fox animilian with the last name Foxtail." Zero's heart sank as he heard that his father was the last advisor to the King. The old man walked up to him, handing him note. "you seem shocked at that little tidbit, but no matter what, take this and find me again after you find all of the notes, young man."
Zero took the note as he stood up. "You said something about me finding my courage because you—" Zero noticed the man was gone before he finished, he looked at the note. "Great, now I have to find all of these if I'm going to get an answer."
Zero opened the note to find that a depiction of a cat with two tails on it. Zero looked around, seeing if it was nearby when he overheard some men talking about a shop called the Twin-Tail was not far. He looked down one of the roadways seeing the same symbol on the sign as the note. Zero ran over to the shop, looking around for the next note, as a young woman walked out.
"Need any help looking for something, sir?" Zero froze as she asks him.
Zero turned to her, "Well, I'm looking for a note that's like this one." Handing her the note.
The woman smiled at him. "Oh, he's behind this." Taking the note from Zero. "Well, in the little note, so as a heads up, the notes are either a piece of paper or a person found at the location." Zero felt he landed on a trap as she spoke. "I'm guessing you want the hint then for your next clue?"
Zero stared at her. "Yes, please, madam."
The woman smiled irritably. "Well, here it goes." She closed her eyes, remembering the words. "Search for the symbol of fire deep within the walls scared by courage."
Zero pounders on the words when it hit him. A story his mother said about his father, Zero rushed off past her, "Thank you, miss; I know where to go!"
The woman waved at him as he took off. "I wonder if he's—Nah, he can't be can he?"
Zero made his way the spot where the woman's note said as he looked at the rubble of an old building. Burned and weathered by an incident twenty years ago. Zero stared at the building, remembering what his mother said about his father rushing headfirst, saving her and the others within the church when a rogue mage attacked it.
He could feel the air stirred with the courage of his father's deeds of that day as he stood there. Zero walked imaging the fire and the screaming people as if he was there; sweat dripped down his face. Feeling, hearing and seeing his father callout from the ashes as he took every step, wishing his sister was here to experience this with him. He found himself unable to stop shaking in the fear left behind in the walls of those who didn't make it.
Zero fell to his knees as tears slipped down his cheek. "Why am I so afraid of this place? What is—" Zero looked down at his hands, "No, I am afraid of not being as good as my father. I'm not courageous enough to stand up for what's right and to have the courage to act like my father." His tears streamed down faster in his frustration. "Why did I have to be the Ren-Ky of Courage? When I'm nothing than a joke, a cowered the hides. I don't deserve to be one of the chosen warriors!"
a hand touched Zero's shoulder, 'you are my son.' Zero turned around to see no one there. 'you just have to believe in yourself, and you will find that you were always courageous. You protected your sister. You save lives back in Summerwind. I could not be any prouder to have called you, my son.' Zero stood up, looking for the voice. 'I named you Zero because I saw that fire of courage burning deep within and that you would one day do things, I was too afraid of doing. So, have faith in yourself, and you can be the courage that your friends need.' Zero turned to the chapel's stained glass window seeing that his father was staring at him. Smiling with tears, streaming down his ghostly body, as Zero tried not to burst out crying at him to not lose sight of his father's face. 'take care of yourself, son.' He pointed at Zero's feet. Zero looked at his feet, seeing the note he came searching for. Looking back up, his father was gone, unable to hold his overwhelming sadness and joy. Zero broke down, letting out all of his pain.
The old man watched for a distance, surprised that Zero's father spoke to him. Zero wiped his tears, knowing what his father said was true. Finding his courage, he smiled at the spot he saw his father, punched the air as if he was fist-bumping him with his father.
"I will father, thank you." Zero's eyes red from crying as he knelt to grab the note. He opened it, revealing a photo of the house Lovell and Lance had fallen through and a young girl with a man holding a baby in his arms. On the backside, he notices the names Alli and Kyle written on it. The last name faded to where it was unreadable; Zero saw some slightly faded words on the top part.
/Courage I'd found not earned, for we will always fight to survive and break our shackles of our past. /
Zero turned the photo back over, noticing that the man in the picture was the old man, as he saw that the young girl wore a stone similar to the old man's, but in a green colouring in the photo. The old man walked up to Zero, placing his hand on his shoulder. "That photo is of my brave wife and son long before that man destroyed my family by sending my son to the Faremin and placing my wife in hiding."
"So, the current advisor destroys families at whim and turns the land to ash before the people's eyes without them even knowing it. Placing their trust—" Zero turned the man as he school his head.
The man stared into Zero's eyes. "Those who had opposed him are either dead or taken away, and those who want to do something are too afraid to fight back. Fearing that they will be next. So, they head here or are brought here by force."
Zero looked at the photo of the man's family. "The folk around here living constant fear and the one higher up are blinded by fear to see the truth."
The man nodded, "My wife might look young but was the last Ren-Ky of freedom before being tricked into joining the Faremin over two million years ago, before cursing herself to finding the next Ren-Ky of wind."
Zero remembered how Luna called Lance the Ren-Ky of the winds of freedom. Zero smiled, "One of my friends is the Ren-Ky of freedom, and my sister is the Ren-Ky of knowledge." He looked at his hand, "Another is the strength, as well as another one, is the kindness even though she's scary at times, and the one I see as an older brother is the balance, but he feels more like hope than the balance I think."
The old man felt a warmth within Zero's words. "You, young man, have the courage to stand up and fight where they cannot, the courage to feel fear as it truly is, but you also have the courage to be there when they need you the most. You don't need to be strong to fight to have courage; you face the fear head-on."
Zero went to thank the man for a blast of lightning tore between them. Before Zero could move again another blasted right at him, Zero felt it was too late to run when the old man rushed in front, taking the attack head-on. Zero watched as the old man fell before him, severely wounded before him.
Zero's eyes widened. "Oldman!" his words echoed as he noticed a hooded figure run away.
Zero went to go after the hooded figure, but the old man grabbed his pants before he could leave. He held up the stone pendant he was wearing to Zero. "Take this; it's the Ren-Ky jewel that will allow you to access the weapons of your heart." Zero looked at where the culprit went before kneeling down and grabbing the jewel. The man clasped his hand on Zeros. "This one is one of the Flames of Courage use it well young man and never forget what true courage is…" the life slipped from the old man's eyes.
Zero pulled the jewel close to his heart. "If I do haunt me, old man."
He ran off in the direction of the culprit who killed the old man. Zero moved swiftly up to the rooftops, searching for the man. As he examined, he noticed the man heading to the far side of the slums. Zero gripped the jewel, before giving chase. The man looked back to see if he was followed, seeing Zero jumping from roof to roof. The man panicked as he ran away, Zero was hot on his trail when the man ducks down the river bank. Zero looked up and down the river seeing a sewer system. He knew that the man might make his way they're trying to lose him.
The man tried to move the bars as Zero grabbed him, pinning him to the sewer wall. "Who sent you!?"
The man cringed as he pointed behind him. Zero turned around to see a fist flying at him. He dodged as the fist barely missed him killing the man he had caught. Zero rolled out of the way as the man smiled at him. "Well, it seems your fast, little fox."
Zero gritted his teeth at the man's tall stature. "Who are you and what do you—" Zero notice the amber coloured jewelled pendant. "You're the thief sent by the advisor."
The man smiled as he tilted his head at Zero as an evil grin stretched across his face. "Well, you seem to know too much." Moving his body to face Zero, he could feel an ominous presence coming from the man. "I think you should die here and know!" the man charged towards Zero.
Zero dodged as he felt the man graze him with something. "Dam it!"
Zero ran down the edge of the river to the main road within the slums, and the man stood up, licking his fists. Zero knew he was in trouble as he pushed people out of the way. The man walked calmly down as if he knew where Zero was going to end up. Zero stopped as he grabbed the jewel the old man gave him, he closed his eyes, finding his courage to stand and fight the man. The gem glowed as he let go of a sword and shield appeared in his hands.
"Found you little fox!" Zero turned to see the man charged at him. Zero steeled himself as he raised the shield blocking his attack. "What the—"
Before the man could react to Zero's sudden change, Zero's blade swung from bellow, grazing his eye. He noticed a flame deep within Zero's eyes as he looked at him. The man jumped back, covering his eye as Zero ready himself for his next strike. The man stunned at what he saw, growled as his hands turned into draconic ones.
Zero realized he was against a dracoman braced himself as the man charged at him, Zero blocking with his shield, lifting the dragoman's attack into the air as his sword came crashing down, cutting off his arm. The dracoman screamed in pain as he swung around, stopping short at the man's neck. The man felt fear as Zero stared at him.
"You will tell me everything that the advisor is planning to do once he obscures the throne for the Faremin," Zero demanded.
The man froze at the word Faremin. "W-wait, you mean that he is working for the Faremin!" Zero nodded at him. "No, he said that if that man I framed was put in jail that we would be safe and that if anyone who would try and stop him, I was to kill!"
Zero removed the blade from his neck, and the weapons disappeared as the man gripped his head. "You used to be a soldier, I guess?"
The man looked at him. "Yes, before it became illegal of anyone that was non-human to be a part of them." The man stopped for a moment, realizing what was going on.
Zero sighed. "You realized that this all started when my father was murdered, didn't you?"
The man looked at Zero, "Wait, your Captain Foxtails, son?!" Zero nodded. "Then that means—"
"Everything that the current advisor says is a lie. The King has commissioned my friends, and I are to clear the man you framed as well as expose the advisor for what he really is." Zero extended his hand at the man. "So, will you help us, or will you live like a dead man? Your choice?"
The man stared at Zero's hand, grabbing it. "I will help, young master Foxtail."
Zero smiled as he walked by the man. "Alright then, stay out of sight until we send word. I am not guaranteeing that you will not be punished after this is all over."
The man turned to him, bowing at him. "I know, and I appreciate what you are doing for us, where you have the courage to face him and us—"
Zero stopped. "Well, I am the Ren-Ky of the Flames of Courage, after all. One Lady Lunatica's chosen warriors."
The man looked up at him as the sun gleaned over Zero, the man began to tear up as Zero turned and walked away. Zero stretching his shoulders as he headed back to the inn, hoping to see Lovell and Lance safely back long before him.