The Complexity of Magic | Ryden

War on the Horizon | Chapter Nine

In the morning, Ryan reported his findings to the King, leaving out how sympathetic he felt.

"How would you describe this Brendon character?" The King inquired.

"Sire?" Ryan asked, confused as to what he meant.

"Clearly he is our biggest threat," the King explained, rolling his eyes. Ryan had already told him that Brendon was the strongest, which was clear not only by Brendon's admission but also Dallon's behavior. Why else would he stick around if Brendon wasn't powerful? "So what is he like?"

It was such a simple question, but Ryan had nothing to say that he would want to hear. How would he be able to tell him that Brendon really is no harm, especially with Dallon around?

"He is an idiot," Ryan decided to say, forcing his voice to be cold and detached. "He was the one who welcomed me with open arms. A mistake, I am sure."

The King hummed, showing he was interested. "What are his capabilities, magic wise? Could a small group of knights take him out?"

Ryan nearly froze at the mention of killing him.  "I have no way to know the extent of his power," he enunciated slowly. "None of the wizards showed off that much, and I only saw Brendon use magic one time."

The King stared at him expectantly, so Ryan shared what he had saw. "He made a coffee table appear out of nowhere," he spoke, almost laughing at the King's face. He looked disappointed that it really wasn't helpful information, and almost disgusted with what Brendon had chosen to do with his magic.

"You have done well, Sir Ryan," The King praised him, smiling. It seemed out of character for him to act like that towards Ryan, but Ryan wasn't going to complain. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? He had went on this mission because he wanted his King to acknowledge him and realize that he wasn't useless, that he was as good as any other knight. But why did Ryan feel so empty?

"Sire, what will we do, then, knowing they will attack?" Ryan questioned, knowing the answer before the words exited his mouth.

The King's smile disappeared, a scowl replacing it instead. This was a more familiar look. "We prepare for war," he said, and the simple sentence struck fear in his heart. "The knights must train, the medics must gather materials, and the citizens must stay out of the way."

Ryan envied the King for his ability to take charge. It seemed like he was prepared for anything, even an unforeseeable circumstance like this.

Ryan bowed to him before leaving, heading back to his home. The next few days were going to be tiring.

---

The wizards had finally set up camp, happy about the new site. Litraxia was only about a day's trek away from it, much to Dallon's delight. It was clear to him that the time to take revenge was near.

Brendon, however, wasn't feeling that way. He was feeling numb, staring into the bonfire Pete had constructed. He was aware of what would come soon, and he wasn't ready. It was what he was born for. His mother and father gave their lives to see Litraxia's demise, and yet, Brendon couldn't imagine taking a part in it's destruction.

"What are our plans?" Pete asked, looking at Dallon specifically. He was fairly loyal to him, because he too wanted revenge.

"Well, considering that Ryan surely would've told the King everything, we must attack soon," Dallon responded instantly. He had been thinking about this as they journeyed to this campsite. "It's not what we had planned, but we can't let them have too much time to prepare."

"What does that matter?" Pete questioned. "Brendon can wipe them out easily."

Brendon stiffened, beginning to pay attention to their conversation. "That is true," Dallon acknowledged. "But Brendon might not want to. Do you, Brendon?"

"Not particularly," he answered, biting his lip. He wondered what it was like for Ryan, if the kingdom were now working hard to be ready to fight them.

"Why?" Patrick suddenly spoke, looking confused. "What's causing your hesitation?"

Patrick was someone Brendon considered a friend. He had always been suspicious of Dallon, and Pete was too close to him. Patrick, however, didn't seem to always take Dallon's side and seemed genuinely nice. This made Brendon feel able to vocalize his struggle.

"I don't know. I guess I just feel like there could be another way to solve this," Brendon answered, staring at his lap. "Maybe if we show we are peaceful, the King can change his mind on us?"

Dallon laughed hysterically at that, Pete and Patrick joining in a moment after. "Bren, our kind has given him that chance for twenty years," Patrick reminded him. "It's no longer an option to be peaceful. We must fight for our right to exist."

Brendon nodded hesitantly. That did make sense, but there was still a part of him that didn't believe bloodshed was the answer. Dallon stepped closer to him, a sympathetic look on his face. "It's all Ryan's fault for making you so conflicted," he hissed.

"No," Brendon shook his head fiercely. While he may have contributed, Ryan didn't create the entire thing. This was what Brendon had always thought.

"He showed you kindness, but it was all an act," Dallon spoke, his voice sickeningly sick as he got closer to him, and placed a hand onto his cheek. It wasn't reassuring like he intended. Instead, it made Brendon furious.

"Your kindness is an act too, you piece of shit!" Brendon raged at him, slapping his hand away. Involuntarily, his magic reacted to his anger, radiating off of him. It didn't hurt the others around him, but it was pure energy. It was a simple stunt that none of the others could perform.

At this moment, Pete and Patrick left in order to continue setting up the tent. Dallon stayed, however, and his eyes turned gold as he stared at the energy. Brendon always managed to impress him, but it would be wasted if he couldn't do this right... He stopped using his magic and faced Brendon again. "What will it take to convince you that I care?"

"Honesty," Brendon stated, gritting his teeth. "You keep acting like I don't know what you want me for! I know why I'm here, why you saved me and took me with you."

"Can't it just be a mixture of both?" Dallon questioned, and only then did it seem like he was truly frustrated. He seemed so defensive.

"No," Brendon said weakly, his voice cracking. This reminded him too much of Ryan, of how he didn't want to believe he cared. And Ryan didn't care, so his instincts were obviously right. "I am a weapon, and nobody can care for me beyond that."

"That's not true." Dallon's voice had the volume of a whisper, but he sounded confident. "It's not the only reason you're around. I care about you, but I also just want peace and happiness for our kind. Can't you see that? Can't you understand why I want you to help me in this war?"

Brendon's shoulders slumped as he calmed down, which caused his magic to fade away. That was something he could understand. They had all been right earlier. There was no hope for change if they didn't force it. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be." Dallon brought him into a hug, leaning down slightly. "Everything will be okay..."

And for once, Brendon did trust him.