Galen jolted awake on the merciless, icy ground, shivering as he felt the dampness of blood soaking his clothes. As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, he caught sight of the mage, watching him cautiously from a stone's throw away. Her fragile features were drawn tight with apprehension, her eyes flicking back and forth as if anticipating danger. Above them, a waning crescent moon lingered in the sky, casting sinister shadows that danced across the landscape, while the sun's early rays stretched out, reaching towards them and hinting at the day ahead. The mingling of light and shadow intensified the already palpable tension between the two.
Springing to his feet, Galen's hand shot to his left arm, assessing the damage. "Oh, thank the demigods it's still there!" Thorne boomed, his voice reverberating inside their conjoined consciousness. Galen scarcely had time to savor the reprieve before being startled by Thorne's cacophonous outburst.
"Right, we have our arm, now keep your trap shut so I can piece together what's happening here," Galen snapped back at Thorne, before refocusing on his surroundings. He carefully eavesdropped on Varence's discussion with the mage.
"I assure you, it's alright! You saved him, after all, Althea," Varence implored, attempting to reassure the young mage.
"That man battered my face, and you're defying our kingdom for reasons unknown. You can understand my reluctance to trust either of you. But the fact that your mission involves vanquishing my father has piqued my interest," Althea replied, her voice laced with sorrow and fatigue.
Galen shifted his weight, wincing at the lingering pain. "Why the hell did you save us, girl?"
Althea locked her gaze onto Galen, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse me?" she retorted, her tone icy.
Galen stood up straight, his expression defiant. "I said, why did you save us, bitch? What possible motive could the enemy have for assisting us?"
"If you're going to be difficult like this, I don't think I'm going to fully heal you," Althea threatened, crossing her arms with an air of indignation.
"Fine, I didn't ask for your help, nor do I need it," Galen spat out angrily, brushing dirt from his trousers as the morning light grew stronger.
"Woah, hold on, Galen... or Thorne!" Varence interjected, attempting to defuse the brewing storm. "Though... I'm not too sure who it is exactly right now," he confessed, pausing to gather his thoughts before addressing Althea.
"He's a complex individual, so please excuse his rudeness. Perhaps I should do the talking," Varence reasoned, striving to mediate and clarify the tense atmosphere.
"Brilliant work, Varence, exposing my secret," Galen muttered, his voice steeped in sarcasm as he inwardly seethed at Thorne for divulging their secret to Varence in the first place.
"Alright, we can talk. Althea, is it?" Galen said, offering her a conciliatory smile as he rose from the ground.
"Yes... First of all, why do you wish to eliminate my father?" Althea demanded, her eyes narrowing.
"Well, why do you want to kill your father?" Galen shot back, maintaining intense eye contact, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he found the subject strangely amusing.
"It's rather complicated, as it's both personal and political," Althea replied, her tone measured. "Your turn."
Galen exhaled, conceding that he owed this enigmatic woman an explanation for the debt he found himself in.
"Our mission, assigned by my kingdom, requires it. You don't need to know anything else beyond that," Galen stated flatly.
"Now, there's a question that's been gnawing at me, and I need to address it. Are you, by any chance, a divine mage? That would explain why you were such a feeble opponent during our first encounter. I suspect that Varence used his power to completely conceal your abilities when you attacked the wind mage, who was overly reliant on his talisman for information, rather than being vigilant of his surroundings," Galen expounded with remarkable precision.
"It's good to know that you're clever. I can use someone like you for my objective. I can confirm your suspicions. Varence wouldn't stop insisting that we had to save you after we dealt with Kander.
"Varence also emphasized not killing you as a safety precaution," Galen added with a playful wink in Varence's direction.
"I said that?" Varence mumbled to himself, barely audible.
Althea's cheeks flushed slightly at the thought. "Varence did?" She looked at Varence, who met her gaze, recalling him as somewhat of a craven character.
"Y-yeah, sort of..." Varence chuckled nervously, attempting to alleviate the tension.
Althea refocused her attention on Galen, her expression a fusion of surprise and curiosity. "Interesting. I do appreciate him for prioritizing me and my abilities," she admitted, her tone softening.
"Why do you want to kill the king?" Varence inquired gently, his eyes fixed on Althea.
Althea sighed, her shoulders slumping as she realized she could no longer sidestep the question. "Zarex violated me," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, and her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "My father not only knew about his intentions but allowed it to happen, claiming that Zarex's work was vital for the kingdom." She swallowed hard, clenching her fists in anger. "My reputation was shattered, and I was branded a harlot." Her gaze turned distant as if reliving the painful memories. "If that isn't reason enough, my father is a despicable man who employs slavers like Zarex to do his bidding, enabling corruption to fester in this kingdom." She looked back at Galen and Varence, her eyes burning with determination. "You've likely witnessed innocent people being sacrificed to the crystal."
Varence stared at her, wide-eyed with shock, but before he could utter a word, Galen interjected. "To be perfectly candid, I don't care much for this tale. We share the same objective, and that's sufficient for me. So, thank you for saving me, and enough with the nonsense. Let's go take down your father already. Where is that damned fool?" Galen urged, his voice tinged with impatience.
"You're welcome, I suppose. Unfortunately, he retreated some time ago through an underground passage. He's taken refuge in Varence's village and will be fortifying his position heavily. I hope you have the power of a nation at your disposal, but considering you were bested by Zarex, I have my doubts," Althea replied, her tone skeptical.
Galen's anger flared momentarily, his fists clenching and teeth grinding, but he quickly composed himself. "I underestimated my opponent; it occurs to the best of us sometimes. It won't happen again, as my power rivals that of a demigod," he declared confidently.
"That must make Zarex a god then, considering he defeated you so effortlessly," Althea retorted, pushing Galen's patience to its limit.
"Do you want to kill your father or not?" Galen asked, barely keeping his anger in check, recognizing the value of having a divine mage on their side.
"In private, she might think Zarex is a god, considering what transpired between them," Galen remarked to Thorne within the sanctuary of their shared mind.
"Whoa, Galen! That's actually a bit amusing, but don't say that aloud, please. You'll jeopardize everything," Thorne cautioned, stifling a half-hearted chuckle.
"Obviously, I know that! Otherwise, I would've said it aloud already to that insufferable mage I can't wait to be rid of," Galen retorted to Thorne.
After a few moments of contemplation, Althea finally spoke up. "I think I can trust you... is it Galen or Thorne right now?"
"Galen, at your service. Where can we rest and remain hidden for now? I'm not familiar with this kingdom," Galen said hastily, eager to move past the awkward conversation.
"We're heading underground to meet up with the resistance group and formulate a plan. I personally established this organization, and you can trust its members, as I've handpicked each one based on their unwavering loyalty to me," Althea explained, guiding them away from the ill-fated courtyard that tugged at her heart, reminiscing the splendor it once possessed.
As they traversed the city, chaos unfolded around them. With the military ranks thinned and few guards remaining to enforce order, buildings were engulfed in flames, looters pillaged at will, and acts of violence and murder were committed in broad daylight. The once-vibrant city had deteriorated into a dystopian hellscape of destruction and despair.
"Should we try to save any of these people?" Varence asked as they maneuvered to avoid potential confrontations.
Althea gazed at Varence, her eyes twinkling. "You're so kind, Varence. I never knew you had such a gentle soul. When our group from the Kingsguard tutored you, I honestly thought you were no different from the others," Althea confessed.
Galen interjected, "Fool, both of us are out of mana, and this divine mage can only manage a few elemental abilities. These people brought this upon themselves with their own degenerate behavior," he argued coldly.
"I hope this Thorne character isn't as terrible as you, or this alliance won't last long," Althea remarked, disgusted by Galen's comment.
"Alright, I'm getting irritated myself. If I sense you're on the verge of ruining this, I'll seize control. This is our chance for recovery," Thorne snapped, anger edging his voice.
"I'm just speaking my mind! Fine, I'll try to act normal," Galen conceded begrudgingly.
Assuming the role of Thorne, Galen declared, "As Thorne, I have now become a force for good, leaving behind the malevolent persona once known as 'Galen,'" his words resonating with conviction.
"No! Why would you do that?" Thorne objected angrily.
"I don't know how to be normal unless I'm pretending to be you," Galen replied, smirking.
Althea and Varence regarded Galen skeptically. "Your eyes usually roll back in your head when you switch. That's what I've noticed," Varence observed, puzzled.
"Ah, fear not! I can transition effortlessly when we're not engaged in battle," Galen responded with exuberance. "And might I add, Althea, you are truly captivating," he expressed ardently.
"Great, this Thorne guy is just as weird and creepy as Galen," Althea muttered, clearly repulsed.
Galen swiftly approached Varence and embraced him warmly. "Varence, I'm overjoyed to see you emerge unscathed!"
"Uh... thanks, Thorne?" Varence responded sheepishly.
"I hate you so much right now," Thorne mumbled as if a bitter taste lingered on his tongue.