Chapter 134:
Manifestation of Mana
With Holland's rescue underway, Camille's palace was finalizing the plans for the palace invasion. Eva spent much of her time with Adora and Maeir finishing the battle plans before they were relayed to the captains. The trek to the palace had already been organized, and the supplies had been arranged, all that was left was Angeline's portion, one that Clarence and Silas were helping complete.
Unbeknownst to Malcolm, there was still an ace hidden in Eva's sleeve, one that could nearly guarantee the takeover of the palace if executed perfectly.
After countless days of knitting the scarf accessories and assisting the battle arrangements, Angeline came to the breakfast table early one morning with a new mission for the human-elven pair. "Do you two have a moment? I have something that I need tested." Angeline asked with a testy smile, her motives ambiguous as she stared at the two men with a large smile, appearing innocent. "It shouldn't take too long. Come on." She nudged them with her words, waving her hand as she stepped through the door, motioning them to follow.
"What is she up to?" Clarence asked Silas, feeling perplexed by her unreadable smile.
Silas shook his head. "Whatever it is, it must be important. Come on." Silas shrugged, neatly arranging their cleared plates before they stood up from the table, following Angeline, who had already started to hurry ahead of them, skipping as if she were stepping on clouds. Her pace was still slow enough for Silas and Clarence to walk behind her, their expressions remaining perplexed.
The pair was led outside, towards the training ground near the edge of the mountainous woods. There were numerous pairs of wooden dummies, practice swords and other weapons, as well as worn sets of armor. They were placed neatly, as if they had been recently used, and placed on tables to the side, clearing the dirt circle in the middle for scrimmages between soldiers.
"Remember those scarves we were making? I want you to test them out for me." Angeline said as the pair approached, staring at the table full of the plainly-colored, short scarves littering the wooden table.
Silas and Clarence both grabbed one at random, placing it around their neck with interest. Silas's fingers brushed against the scarf as he adjusted his collar to accommodate the fabric scarf, exposing his white neck to the young, energetic man next to him, causing the prince's face to flush red as his gaze lingered, causing Angeline to admonish him before explaining the function of the scarves.
"Now that you're wearing it properly… pour your body's mana into your hands and touch the scarf." Angeline said to Silas, watching him with careful eyes. "Make sure to do it slowly. Don't force it."
Silas followed her words, infusing his mana into his hands before the mana began to slowly drain from his body and into the garment. However, he did not feel fatigued as the mana left. Rather, it felt as if it were being placed into a container, keeping it close to his side and remaining as a secondary power supply.
"This-" Silas said, watching as the scarf began to glow around him, the golden threads bathed in a glimmery gold light, like fireflies. His fingers touched the warm fabric, feeling traces of his own mana enter the garment. "-it's a mana collector." His eyes widened as he stared towards Angeline, whose smile only widened as she stared at the brilliant scarf.
"This is our ticket to winning the war." Angeline stated, holding a scarf in her own hands, infusing mana into the garment just as Silas had. "You remember my village was slaughtered by the Yursinean guards in the Highland mountains. The reason why was our village's inherited skill." She wrapped the scarf around her neck, smiling as the object rested around her neck. "The knitted material I weaved allows for the fabric to hold mana. Holding mana like this drains the mana slower than it would through an elf's body directly due to direct contact. Like this, mana exhaustion is less of a worry. If you run low of mana, you can have it directly replaced with another mana garment."
The scarf was beyond anything the two men could have expected. They had spent a large part of their time assisting Adora to help the troops and provide the palace layout, but it was only now that they had discovered the largest piece of the puzzle, the puzzle that would win them the war.
"Now that you both understand, I need you to do something." Angeline patted the scarf on her head as Silas and Clarence stared forward with interested gazes. "I want you both to fight."
Silas raised a brow, "Fight? Is it to test the scarves?"
"Of course." Angeline nodded with an affirmative hum, "You need to fight properly. Attempt to drain your mana from the scarf rather than your body directly. You may find it will feel a little different at first, but you'll acclimate to it faster this way."
"But I'm a human. The scarf won't work on me." Clarence said with a frown, staring at the garment Angeline had given him.
With a wave of her hand, Angeline said, "That doesn't matter. I just need to test them."
Silas and Clarence stared at each other, feeling strange to be standing on the battlefield again. Neither had the desire to fight, even if it was just a test, but with the blazing gaze of Angeline's, the pair was led to grab their wooden swords.
"Are you ready?" Silas asked as he received a wooden stick from Clarence, his gaze falling on the prince's frowning expression.
Clarence nodded his head, "Just try not to hit me too hard." He laughed, attempting to diffuse some of his stress, but it only made Silas irritable, his grip on his sword strengthening. Staring at the other man's hand, Clarence fell silent once again.
Swords in hand, Silas and Clarence walked to the middle of the dirt training ground, holding their swords up in the air as the tips crossed paths, before they thrust their swords to the side, following dueling protocol of the Yursear Kingdom as Angeline stood to the side, her hands in front of her chest as she cheered, marking the start of the awkward battle.
The pair stepped around the field, nearly circling each other as their hearts thudded in their chests, reminding them of the numerous times in the past when they had fought, wishing to kill each other then. Strangely, that ferocious sense of revenge and vengeance had gradually burned out, leaving another fierce feeling in its place, one neither man could describe.
Moving first, Silas thrusted his sword forward, channeling the mana between his body and the scarf, lightening his movements as he added mana to his feet. The wooden sword was heavy, but in his hands, the sword danced like a dove, causing Clarence to quickly lift his sword to deflect the fluttering movements.
He's gotten faster. Clarence thought with a hum, throwing back Silas's sword as he stepped forward, moving on the offensive to put pressure on Silas. Taking the challenge, Silas only pushed forward, the two men stood toe to toe, their eyes fixed on the other as their swords were thrusted forward, slammed together at the center.
"How does the scarf feel, Silas?" Angeline asked tentatively as the pair bounced back, slowly circling around the dirt once again to find an opening.
Answering with a hasty hum as he lifted his sword, blocking a vertical blow from Clarence, Silas yelled back, "Impressive! My mana is draining at a slower rate, and it's more effective."
Moving her gaze to Clarence, Angeline smiled, watching as the garments worn on the mens' necks began to glow with a hazy, sparkling glow, nearly impossible to see. Beads of light danced in the air around them, and the scent of mana in the air soon became overwhelming.
The fighting pair was unaware of this change. They continued to cross paths, throwing heavy strikes towards each other, burning off the steam that they had accumulated at the palace, waiting for the final battle to attack Malcolm.
Their bodies moved closer, like an intimate dance. The dancing balls of mana, drifting like fireflies. It brought a romantic image to the single viewer present, making her heart feel a strange sense of warmth. As she stared on, knowing what was to come, she felt a laugh drift from her lips. Truly made for each other. Her words carried a note of sarcasm.
Under the bright light above, the air remained tense. The more the pair fought, the more unstable the ground underneath their feet became. The dirt appeared dry under their feet, but the beads of sweat from their bodies began to wet the ground, causing the moisture to create enough mud to disrupt their battle. After a repeated thrust towards Clarence's chest, Silas slid his foot forward, attempting to use the force to his advantage, but instead, his balance was disrupted and his foot slid between Clarence's open legs.
"Fuck!" Silas yelled, biting his lip with a curse as his ankles wrapped around Clarence's in a crude manner as he attempted to stabilize himself.
Watching his beloved fall, Clarence quickly threw aside his sword and opened his arms to catch Silas, but as Silas's legs wrapped around his, he only fell forward. Unceremoniously, the two men fell forward, landing on the ground with an impactful thump.
Silas had fallen on Clarence, his face slamming into Clarence's chest with a heavy thud and rolled slightly, landing Clarence over him, trapping him in his limbs like an iron cage. Their legs were tangled, as if they were attempting to hold down the other, but there was no pressure holding them down to the ground, only the weight of their bodies, and their panted breaths causing their chests to thud against each other with a strange, intimate air that made Silas pause for a moment, the tips of his ears flushing lightly.
He feels warm. Strangely, Silas felt Clarence's embrace was warm, and the strange hug made him want to stay that way a little longer, craving the sense of touch from another.
Clarence, laying on Silas, their noses nearly touching, only stared towards Silas with an embarrassed expression, his eyes unable to look away from the beautiful elf underneath him. Unknowingly, he wanted to lower his lips and kiss the other man, but his body could only imagine the thought before a heavy hand pushed at his chest with a flustered shove.
"Get off." Silas said with an irritated tone, pushing at Clarence's shoulder. Clarence, however, was struck by the nice scent around Silas, and before he could brush another nosefull, he was pushed to the ground. Silas stood up, patting the dust off of his clothes as he threw his sword to the side. "Can you stand?"
"Y-yeah." Awkwardly, Clarence took Silas's outstretched hand and lifted himself up off of the ground, the edge of his eyes flushed red in embarrassment. The two men stood in silence for a moment, their hands held together, before they separated again, leaving Angeline to let out a small, regrettable sigh.
Before she could feel too depressed, she stared at the scarf on the prince's neck and soon pointed at it with a dazzling light in her eyes, her previous disappointment all but extinguished. "Clarence, your scarf, it's glowing!" It was time for the true show to start.
"Huh, but I didn't touch it." Silas said, raising a brow. He had only touched the man's hand after all.
Watching the interesting display, Angeline walked towards Clarence. Carefully, she raised her hand and patted the scarf with a heavy look of anticipation before she removed her hand, leaving everyone to fall silent.
Clarence stared at the scarf in confusion. The places where Angeline touched it glowed, and as Clarence wore the scarf, it continued to slowly channel the glowing hue until the entire scarf turned a similarly golden color, much like Silas's. The more his hand brushed against the glowing surface, the brighter the garment became, and a feeling of heat passed through his hand and into the fabric, causing him to pull back his hand in confusion, staring at his reddened palm.
"Only elves can manifest mana in these scarves." Angeline said directly, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at Clarence with an all-knowing smirk.
Clarence pointed at the garment, "But you touched it first." He frowned, stared at the knitted garment with confusion. "It must have reacted from the mana you put in it."
"All I did was flatten the scarf. That mana isn't mine, Clarence." Angeline stated directly, causing a cold chill to trail down Clarence's spine.
Silas stared at the scarf, his eyes slightly widening as he watched the mana circulate within the fabric, the mana glowed bright, much like the scarf on his own neck, and gathered where Clarence's skin touched the garment. Wisps of the mana trailed around his skin like clouds, and Silas did not have to wait for Angeline's explanation before he said, "Clarence."
Clarence froze, listening to Silas with a gaze full of confusion, unaware of the words that would be said next. "What is it?"
"You-" Silas stared forward, his gaze level, but his heart thudded in his chest, his words nearly trembling as they left his lips. "You're an elf."
…
"What are you doing in this palace, Theo?" Holland asked, his body barely strong enough to support his weight. He held onto the wall, his matted hair sore and his bare skin covered in various marks, dirt, and dried blood. He felt disgusting.
Theo reached into his cloak and threw a fabric item to Holland. The item was a cloak made of thick, soft fabric. While the quality was not the best, it was enough to make Holland happy to have his body covered in something, especially something that would keep him warm. "Put that on first. We'll talk as I get you out of here." Theo paused as Holland carefully put on his cloak, careful to avoid his matted, sore head full of hair. "And take a tonic for now. I can't say we'll make it out of here without a fight."
Holland opened his hand expectantly towards the younger man. "It's the least you can do for your big brother." He smiled, his pointed tooth particularly noticeable as he smiled widely, laughing in a teasing tone.
Theo lifted his hand and threw the tonic to Holland, his face littered with a heavy frown. "Quit joking around and drink that. Besides, we're not related, Holland."
Using his mouth, Holland opened the cork of the bottle and threw back the contents into his mouth. "That's not what you used to call me when you were little." He continued to tease, knowing of the other man's poor attitude. Theo only fell more impatient until Holland said again, "Why are you here? It's a dangerous place for people like us to be here." His voice was low as he walked through the hidden path in the wall, his hands rested against either side of the narrow path to support his weakened body.
Theo frowned. "There's someone I need to protect here."
"Someone important to you? I'd love to meet them." Holland teased, curious for more information, but Theo was unwilling to divulge more.
"I help you escape now, and you help me smuggle them out of the palace." He said directly, playing on Holland's need for help with a heavy hand. While the two had a heavy past, there were no ties that made them obligated to help each other. If either was to help the other, it would be for a price. "I'll send you a letter after this mess is over. Read over it carefully when you receive it. It will tell you all you need to know."
"I'll help you. Just make sure I make it out of this palace alive." Holland said directly. "I have no problem helping an old friend."
Listening to his words, Theo guided Holland carefully through the palace sidewalls. The previously abandoned paths had become his playground, and the rats that scuttled through the walls ignored the man as if he were one of their own, nearly making Holland squirm at the sheer size of the fattened rats.
"Large, aren't they?" Theo whispered, shrugging.
Holland smirked, "Fed like the Yursinean nobility."
The two men did not walk long before they encountered a thinly-covered portion of the wall, emitting a beam of light from behind the flimsy bookshelf covering the front of the door and the tapestry behind it. Holland stared over Theo's shoulder, watching as he pulled aside the tapestry with practiced movements and motioned him forward as he quietly moved the bookshelf, disturbing the thick clouds of dust with little care.
"In here." Theo whispered.
Entering the hidden side room, Theo quietly raised his hand, gesturing to a servant that had stood by a small table in the room, his face flushed, as if he had been drinking. "This room is one of the many storage rooms in the palace. Most of the servants have forgotten about it. Only old staff come here occasionally on their breaks to avoid being called back to their shifts."
"Then why are we here?" Holland whispered a retort.
Theo smiled, "To get you some clothes." The pair stared at the drunk soldier, one's expression full of irritation, the other full of amusement.
Using a loose rock from the wall, Holland stepped around Theo with silent movements, his face dark and ferocious. The drunk servant, drinking from a glass bottle, felt a chill run down his spine, but he continued to drink, thinking it was just a passing breeze. Just as the drunken servant felt a presence behind him, Holland had already raised the large rock in his hand, his eyes glowing. He lifted the rock and slammed it down, hitting the man until he fell silent, splattering blood against the table and the floor with a sickening squelch.
Once the man fell still, Holland smiled, throwing the bloodied rock aside as he scavenged the older man's clothes from his figure. "He's a little fat, but the size should be doable." He muttered, stripping the corpse of its last worldly belongings, as if he were dressing a doll. Theo could only turn away as Holland dressed himself, using the fabric belt to tighten the simple tunic and pants.
The shirt was noticeably loose, and the pants sat just above his ankle, but wearing real clothes again nearly brought tears to Holland's eyes. After dressing, the pair lifted the corpse and placed him inside a large barrel inside the unused storage room, closing the lid with a heavy thud, their expressions lightening as the traces of blood were covered by the dusty, darkened rug resting in the room. The bloodied table was covered with another dusty sheet, allowing them enough time to hide the evidence before their presence was discovered.
Wearing the new clothes, Holland felt a strange sense of happiness only clothes could provide. While he was still injured, he made good pace, allowing them to move towards the farthest edge of the palace wall, facing the north eastern edge. Here, there was a small crack in the wall of the palace defense, allowing careful intruders like Theo to use it to their advantage.
The edge of the wall was not tall, and Holland was able to carefully scale down until his feet hit the ground. As he landed, he surveyed his surroundings before staring at a bucket of clean rainwater with glitter in his eyes.
"Hell yes!" Before Theo could say another word, Holland had already stumbled over and splashed water on his face and arms, washing the dirt off him the best he could with his own two hands. The grime was thick, but his darkened complexion was still visible under the stubborn layers of dirt. With the little time he had left, Holland moved to the side and grabbed a sizable dead stick from the ground, his eyes moving over it before he rested it in his hand, using it to help support his weight.
"Thank you, Theo. I should be able to make it from here." Holland said with a wave of his free hand, his body much steadier with the support of the stick.
"Where is the rest of your team?" Theo asked, his body partially covered by the hidden wall, his gaze fixed on Holland's injured figure. "You couldn't have gotten this far on your own."
Holland used the stick he had found to step forward, pulling the cloak over his freshly-washed face. "They were most likely going to scout the outer perimeter first. If I keep heading in his direction, they should find me soon enough. Besides-" Holland smiled, the expression on his face much darker than before. "If I find another one of those damn Yursinean soldiers, there will be no corpse to find after I'm done with them."
Silence fell between the pair, the bloodlust lurking around Holland's figure. Theo could only warm him again to keep his sights on the mission at hand. "Don't forget your promise, Holland." Theo stared forward, the pressure from his figure nearly suffocating.
Holland stared at the young man, thinking how much he had grown up. "Of course. There is not much time, but I can do that much at least." He lifted his stick, patting the ground before he said, "Alright. I'm heading back. May the heaven's treat you well, Theodore."
Holding back his words, Theo stared as Holland hurried under the cover of the forest, moving much too fast for an injured man. It's a wonder he hasn't died yet. He thought, watching the bushes with narrowed eyes until the other man's shadow disappeared, his expression falling dark as he pondered the promise between them.
It's been nearly ten years since we last saw each other. Can I still trust him like this? Theo stared at his hands, clenching his fists as the smiling face of Alywin entered his thoughts.
The man he had loved began to slowly wither away, all due to the scum that had tried to covet him using the power of the throne. Theo felt that he would do anything to keep him safe, even if it meant giving his own life. He could not bear to see him cry again. That's why he had to stay, long enough to protect Alywin, and long enough to smuggle him out of the palace.
Soon isn't soon enough. He thought back to Holland's promise, and a small trace of hope, nearly fleeting, made him turn away, closing the door to the path and closing out the light of the outside, returning him back to the darkness where he came.
…
__________________
This was only edited by me, so apologies for any errors or weird flow. But, hoo boy, I was rubbing my hands together for this week's chapter :D We touched on this part way back when around the 100 chapter mark with Malcolm and Clare's heritage. We'll be touching on it more soon, I promise. Either way, Clarence, you're an elf (sorry, so much meme potential here lol). Glad to touch on Holland, and if you're worried about Alywin, Hunny and I have some plans for that. Malcolm has not suffered quite enough.
Exciting news on my store, though! Very recently I had an interview with the local newspaper about my store, and I had my first art print accepted for a feature in my local museum, so publicity! Ngl, it's pretty daunting. I'm a hermit ahaha
Thanks all for reading and continuing to enjoy YMtK~ :D Chugging so close to that ending, and then to our happy sweet after story! And to the many Bi readings reading, thank you for your lovely messages! My bi friends are YMtK fans too ;u; y'all are precious, thank you!