Just like everyone was in shock over the most recent events, the winner of the Grand Tourney were reeling from the effects of the Grand Tourney Finals. Yet the reason why they were struggling to come to terms with what had happened was because they knew more than the average man. They knew the finer details, information hidden in heaps of sand so mountainous that hills looked minuscule next to them. And these people were the original members of the Orange Team – Black Hand, Vital Orange who was the team's captain, Orange Ivy and the recently recovered Orange Monk. They had isolated themselves from the unoriginal members of the Grand Tourney, and were talking about very private information. Apart from these four, there was no one else in the room. They were currently discussing the appearance of one man. This man was the reason for their cautious behavior, and the reason for their whispers even though they were behind closed doors.
"He appeared…Ivor…did you see the expression of the man known for his merciless hand?" Orange Ivy shivered slightly and asked. Her expression was akin to that of a woman who had seen a ghost, for she was pale faced and cold like one with a severely incapacitating fever.
"I did. Although I knew that the twins were important to him, I assumed it was for some money scheming agenda. After all, that man is known for his greed and selfish hand." Vital Orange narrowed his eyes and said. He was much more composed than Orange Ivy. And though he was wary and to be honest a little fearful, he was a Predator of The Citadel – mankind's greatest hope. It was going to take more than Ivor's reaction to leave him trembling in fear like Orange Ivy.
"I thought the same. But it seems we were wrong." Black Hand was probably the most relaxed person here. Although when he met Ivor the first time he revealed a pathetic image to the man, displaying the behavior of someone afraid of the one known as Ivor the Insane, he wasn't truly afraid of Ivor. That was just good acting. He needed to create such an impression because Ivor didn't know at the time that he was a descendant of the Black Dragon. And descendants of the Black Dragon didn't fear Ivor. They were only wary of him. Their pride in their ancestor wouldn't allow them to harbor such fear.
"So you're saying that the twins you allowed to stay here are Elementals?" Orange Monk who had been away for treatment opened his mouth and spoke for the first time since the meeting began. This meeting had been going on for about an hour, and all Orange Monk did was to listen. After all, he had been kept in the dark since he was receiving treatment and unable to meet the team. Only Orange Ivy had been coming to see him, and she didn't tell him anything. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but it wasn't the best plan to share secrets in a hospital that belonged to your enemy.
"Yes," Vital Orange nodded his head. "When they came here the first time we thought that Ivor had some other agenda by being so nice to them. We didn't think for one minute that they were Elementals. And from his reaction to Lam's injury, the twins surely aren't regular Elementals. They must have very high statuses amongst the people of their race." Vital Orange explained.
"It was because Lam fought for us for free that the idea of him being an Elemental never even crossed my mind," Black Hand shook his head wryly and said. Orange Ivy and Vital Orange nodded their heads in agreement. With how greedy Ivor was, he would have surely charged them for the twins' aid. But since those two were obviously unordinary, Ivor wouldn't have allowed them to participate at all. And from how they appeared in this place for the first time it didn't seem like he was planning to. Rather it was Mane who had made the suggestion.
"What about the other one; the one who was actually meant to replace me?" Orange Monk snapped his fingers and asked, trying to remember the name he had so inconveniently forgotten.
"Mane?" Orange Ivy asked, and the recently recovered Thrasher nodded his head and replied, "Yes, that's the one."
"What about Mane?" Black Hand asked.
"Is he an Elemental too? After all, if those around him are Elementals then it should be safe to assume that he is one. For if it eats like a duck, quacks like a duck and waddles with other ducks, then it must surely be a duck." Orange Monk finished.
"He isn't an Elemental," Black Hand shook his head and said. Vital Orange didn't think to seem so either. As for Orange Ivy, she wasn't so sure.
"And why do you say that?" Orange Monk asked, a serene expression that didn't match the gravity of the issue etched on his face.
"We fought with him. Kind of like a mock duel. He fought bare handed – without any weapons; just with his bodily strength." Black Hand started.
"And he won," Vital Orange finished.
"I see," Orange Monk nodded his head in understanding, seemingly satisfied with the answer he had been given.
"That's it?" Orange Ivy asked, clearly exasperated. How could that be the reason they were ruling Mane out as an Elemental?
"Yes. That's it. Elementals were weak physically. They need to use their elements or that strange energy they store within themselves coupled with weapons and several techniques. Lam uses a sword, but when it comes to pure physical strength he is comparable to an Animal Hunter. Mane on the other hand…" Black Hand's explanation trailed off there.
"That boy is a beast even without his inner energy," Vital Orange continued. Both didn't seem to know that they were also energy practitioners, but their energy was stored in their muscles and bones and was called outer energy. And that Mane used that exact same outer energy to deal with them.
"Besides, during our duel I happened to catch an interesting confrontation," Black Hand suddenly stated.
"What did you see?" it was clear that Vital Orange was left in the dark in this, because he was the one who asked this question, and he was clearly eager to know the answer.
"Mane was staring at Ivor the entire time, and Ivor was the same. Although he was fighting us he seemed to be keeping an eye on Ivor. I'm certain that he didn't reveal an awful lot because he didn't dare to do so with Ivor watching. He doesn't trust the man" Black Hand revealed what he saw on the day of their duel. This was something he noticed. Every time Mane's aura spiked, it was directed at Ivor. That was strange to Black Hand, mainly because one would have expected that Mane would be focusing on them and not a bystander. So he took notice of it and came to a conclusion: neither trusted the other. Not Ivor and certainly not Mane. Both were only cordial because of the twins!
"I cannot believe that we tried to recruit Elementals," Vital Orange smiled bitterly and said.
"Even worse we gave them valuable treasures as gifts," Orange Ivy added. Her expression was bitter because she knew that they would get punished for making such a wrong call. The others had ugly expressions as well. Well, everyone except Black Hand.
"It isn't entirely a failure," Black Hand comforted.
"What do you mean Master," Orange Ivy asked.
"Well, the twins don't seem to know their heritage. Those two are very naïve and cannot even lie. They haven't been trying to deceive us. If they were, I would have known." Black Snake stated. The others nodded in response to his words. The man was a Snake and was better at deception than most. If indeed the twins were acting he would have been able to see through it.
"It is Mane who seems to be keeping so many secrets, and doesn't tell the truth most of the time," if Mane were to be listening in on their conversation he would be stunned. He thought he had gotten away with his stalling tactics and lies but Black Hand wasn't deceived. A Snake would never fall for the schemes of a teenager whose main talent lay with the sword.
"If the twins didn't know who they were, how were we supposed to know?" Black Hand stated. The others smiled wryly. Although all this was true, it wouldn't stop their punishment from coming. At best, it would only reduce it.
"The reason why I said it is not a complete failure isn't because of this," Black Hand clarified. His words had the others focusing their gazes on him with hope.
"I'm referring to Mane. We can still recruit him." Black Hand stated, and the expressions of Vital Orange and Orange Ivy lit up. However, they turned dull soon after.
"Why would he join us? He is clearly friends with the twins. And they are close." Vital Orange argued and Orange Ivy nodded her head. Those were her thoughts exactly.
"But he is also enemies with Ivor. And they are distrustful of each other." Black Hand countered, and the eyes of the doubtful duo lit up in hope. Black Hand was right. And that meant that if they could recruit a talent like Mane then they would rack up merit, and not punishment. What would be awaiting their return wouldn't be a bed of nails, but a rosy plantation of sweet rewards.
"I don't know why the Dragon Lord decided to work with that man anyway. We wouldn't be in this mess if we had just hired an actual Information Merchant to find us a replacement. I don't believe that Ivor is the best after all." Orange Ivy stated with a sullen expression. She was really finding it difficult to understand why The Citadel's Lord would choose to work with their enemy of all people. Ivor was a good Information Broker, but he wasn't the best. That wasn't his focus after all. It was just a front to glean more information off those he kept an eye on. Besides, The Citadel was in touch with several excellent Information Brokers, so why did the Dragon Lord pick Ivor. Why was Ivor the Tattler – no, Ivor the Insane – tasked with this.
"Is the Grand Tourney truly so important?" Orange Ivy asked again, compounding her questions and heaping them onto the head of her Master.
"That is classified," Black Hand replied, causing Orange Ivy's expression to become uglier.
"But there is something I can answer – your first question," Black Hand added, and Orange Ivy's eyes lit up. Vital Orange was eager to hear the answer as well for he was also wondering why the Dragon Lord chose to work with Ivor. As for Orange Monk, he was still very serene. It was almost as if he didn't care about what was happening.
"Our Oracle received a text – a prophecy," Black Hand stated, and the expressions of the three, including Orange Monk, changed. Oracles were highly regarded in every city, and they seldom received visions or prophecies. But when they did, they weren't to be taken lightly, no matter how funny these visions or prophecies sounded.
"I still remember her words: The Deceiver shall bring you a King, a King in commoner's clothes. His background will be humbling, and his appearance deceiving for one as noble as he. The King shall be brought to your doorstep, a diamond in the rough; one whose maturity is of mind only. Yet your treatment of him shall determine where you shall stand when he comes into himself. He shall be swallowed by the depths, deceived by those he loves. But he will not die. For Sheol wouldn't be able to keep him. And from it he shall rise as the Harbinger of Chaos!"
"Initially we thought this prophecy was to be fulfilled by a man who had survived the belly of a Resurrection Cat. But that man is an Ancient. And he cannot possibly be our King. When we were about to give up the Oracle saw a new vision. In the vision Ivor appeared, and the cord of destiny was wound around him. We knew then that he was the Deceiver the prophecy spoke of." Black Hand finished, giving the others time to digest this old information that was new to them.
"And that's why you hired him," Orange Monk was the first to digest everything fully. Black Hand nodded his head. If they had their way they wouldn't work with the Tattler. Alas, they weren't always going to get their way.
"So how do we get into the King's good books?" Orange Ivy who had just recovered asked as well. She didn't dare call Mane by his name anymore.
"We must be there for him. We don't know how he would fall into the darkness, but we must be there to help in any way that we can."
"And how do we do that? He wouldn't exactly allow us to follow him wherever he goes." Orange Monk stated.
"Apparently Lam isn't waking up, and he needs some special help in order to," Black Hand spoke.
"How do you know this?" Orange Monk narrowed his eyes and asked. This wasn't information that they could get from Mane or Ivor.
"Lily told Ivy. Once again proof that she has no idea who she really is." Black Hand replied. Orange Ivy and Lily were the only women here, so when Mane was off and about dealing with the Number 3's interrogation, a broken and helpless Lily had confided in Orange Ivy. Naturally, Orange Ivy relayed what she learned to her Master.
"What are you saying?" Vital Orange asked.
"We must go with him."