What Comes Next

⭑ · · ᯓ 𐃈 ᯓ · · ⭑

“You see, the reason why Kite and I came here first was to clear our names,” Felix explained. “I’m sure you know this by now, but we just broke out of prison, and it wasn’t a pretty sight when we left…”

“Yes, I gathered that from the restraints and the dismally pale state of your complexion.” The King noted. “My messengers have already informed me what became of Blackwater Prison, lest you worry about that.”

“Please understand, though, brother. It wasn’t our intention to—“

“—Consider your ledger wiped clean.”

“Wait… huh?”

Dante waved for his scribe to draft up the official release. Kite’s mouth hung open. Meanwhile, Felix leaned forward as if he were going to whisper.

“You’re… not even going to ask what happened?”

“There is nothing to be gained by dwelling on the past.” Dante shrugged, chuckling to himself. “And, dare you ask, I am also hereby expunging the criminal record of your friend there as well, by official royal decree. Even down to the last stolen coin.”

So he knew about that…

“I don’t really know what to say…”

Felix had expected his brother to vouch for them, of course, but with a layer of bureaucracy and protocol attached. At least a reprimand for all the destroyed property and lost life—which he himself hadn’t caused, but even so. However, Dante entertained and granted his request without a second thought.

I wonder if this is an abuse of power, somehow…?

“We can reserve thanks for later.” Dante folded his hands together, studying Felix for a moment. He looked intrigued about something. “Tell me this, instead… How much do you remember?”

Felix thought about it for a moment. There were any number of ways he could answer the question, but rather than list them all out, he decided to summarize just the most important bits.

“I remember life growing up on the farm, my birth father passing away, and my mother raising us two siblings on her own.” He began. “Then, I remember Dynas finding me, studying at the Studium, making friends, dreaming of becoming a knight, and finally… Nothing. Except for my prison cell."

“Truly, nothing at all?” Dante asked as his brother nodded. “How fascinating… No, that’s not quite the right word. Harrowing seems a more appropriate description.”

“That’s one way of putting it, for sure.” Felix forced a smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “It wasn’t until after I got out that I learned what had happened to father… My deepest condolences...”

Dante appeared lost in thought after listening to Felix explain. Felix’s revelation came as a great surprise, but one could hardly tell, looking at the Archmage King’s composed features and listening to how he spoke.

“Yes, he lived a long and fruitful life. But a light as brilliant as his would evoke sadness when it finally dimmed, no matter the age.” He said, restrained after taking a breath. “I know, however, that he loved you dearly, brother. He was ever proud of the man you had become… as am I.”

“…Thank you, Dante.” Felix nodded. “And, of these things he was proud of me for…”

“Mhm. I take it, I don’t need to explain that you’re the Hero that defeated the Mad God and ended the Hundred-Year-War, now do I?”

“No, the statue of me outside the castle gates and the fancy plaque did the trick.” Felix chuckled dryly. “Though, I didn’t become the sort of man to insist his face be plastered over every inch of the square, did I?”

That, rather than defeating some cosmic evil with an axe and a dream, would be the hardest for Felix to believe.

“Oh, heavens no.” It was Dante who now stifled a laugh. “I had to drag you kicking and screaming to the sculptor to have your likeness recreated as faithfully as possible. It was quite a chore.”

“Was it now?” Felix smirked.

“Yes, it was you who insisted the materials and artisans be put to use on more important projects, like the restoration of the outer settlements.” Dante’s smile faded for a second. “Father would’ve agreed with you, I’m certain.”

It certainly sounded like something he’d have wanted. Besides strength, Felix was struggling to identify many differences between how the young man he remembered and the Hero Dante described would have thought.

Felix looked down at his hands, wearing an unreadable expression.

“Is something the matter, brother?”

“…Then why?” Felix started quietly. “If I was still that same man…”

He raised his eyes to meet Dante’s.

”Why did I end up behind bars?”

“…”

The King sighed deeply, interrupting a slight lull in the conversation.

“Truthfully, I wondered when you’d ask that question,” Dante admitted. “Still, this is not a story for prying ears...”

Dante rang a small bell by his side.

“Leave us.” He said out loud. “I request to be alone with my brother and his companion. We have an important matter to discuss.”

At his command, the room cleared immediately. Both knights and servants rushed out of sight as if their jobs hinged on them doing so. When it was just the three of them remaining, Dante spoke.

“To understand why you chose that fate… you must first understand the man who made that choice.” He said as Felix looked on, confused. “And to do that, we must take a trip to the past…”

10.2

Dante cast his light magic on a door, and the dial in the center reacted to his touch. The triangular stone rotated with a scraping sound until it pointed directly upwards, towards a depiction of the Most High, whom the royal family swore loyalty to.

With a final click, the door opened to reveal a secret passageway that cut through the walls of the palace.

“Come with me.”

Felix and Kite followed Dante into the corridor, which he lit up with another clap of his hands as all the light crystals shone their way through. Rather than the usual decadence they had grown used to, the hall was filled with memorabilia. Weapons, war trophies, trinkets, and artists' depictions of great warriors.

“Welcome to the Hall of Heroes,” Dante spoke with a slight echo behind them. “Where the fallen and forgotten remain enshrined in memory. A memory maintained by the royal family for generations now.”

Felix slowly scanned every piece of equipment, scratching his chin. There were swords and shields, and the badges of seasoned military officers. He could even point out a few from books he’d read, veterans of the Hundred-Year-War against the Mad God’s armies.

“Hey, Felix, isn’t that…” Kite pointed at something up ahead.

At the very end of the hall stood a shining set of armor on a stand. It was reminiscent of the castle knights, but it was far more ornate, with blackened steel instead of silver. A purple jewel sat in the center of the breastplate that reminded Felix of his axe.

“This is…” Felix placed his hand on it instinctively, feeling the cool texture. “Yes, there’s no doubt.”

This was mine, once upon a time.

All it took to convince him was a feeling. There was also an armet helmet with a blue feather, and above that sat a mural on the wall. A piece depicting him and three others. Felix squinted to make out their features.

“Look closely. These are the people that stood beside you.” Dante explained. “For ten long years you fought to reach the Mad God in his inner sanctum. Do you recognize them?”

His eyes widened as he processed the features of two old companions.

“Yeah, is that… Victor? And Prim?!” Felix scoffed, a nostalgic smile coming to him.

A shield-bearing young paladin with fiery red hair, and a short catfolk mage who looked more feline than human. She wore robes all-too-big for her frame, and carried a long staff. He counted them amongst his best friends in the capital back then, the ‘oddballs’ they were all called.

“You’re telling me I teamed up with my old buddies from the Studium, and we went off on a journey to kill a god? It sounds pretty…”

“Ridiculous?”

“Yeah, to be honest…”

It's almost too crazy to believe.

“Except, you did,” Dante answered flatly. “And you came back victorious in spite of overwhelming odds.”

Even Kite looked somewhat impressed as she silently studied the mural, her gaze focused on Felix in particular.

“But then who’s this other woman with us?” Felix pointed, asking.

There was a beautiful elf maiden that he didn’t recognize, one with mint green hair and deep purple eyes. In the painting, her expression was serious, but she looked upon Felix with warmth the artist had gone to great lengths to depict.

Kite elbowed Felix in the ribs, catching him staring a bit too long for her liking. But by the time he’d looked back, she feigned ignorance, turning to look at something else.

“She was chosen by the elves of Crestalis as their champion, and joined your party before setting out on the journey.” Dante ran a hand through his hair. “Interesting… you remember Victor and Prim, but not her? That’s telling.”

“I suppose so.” Felix looked back to his brother. “Where are they all now?”

“Victor Redgrave is under my employ as a commander of the Royal Knights of Aberdeen, though he is away at the moment.” The King explained. “I haven’t the foggiest idea where the other two have gone, but they were insistent that they continue to operate independently, and I had no reason to stop them. They are not citizens of the kingdom.”

“I see… I guess they’ve earned that much, after saving the world.” Felix nodded with a thought. “Victor still serves you, Prim and the elf are free to come and go as they please, and yet…”

“And yet?”

“Why was I alone made to forget it all?” Felix looped back. “I think I understand a bit more of the man I once was, but that hasn’t answered my question about the here and now. Why I found myself in that cell, and why years of my life are just… gone.”

There was a moment of silence between them as Felix looked away, his arms at his sides. Kite looked at Felix and then back at Dante, growing tired of his riddles.

“Your brother is asking you for an answer, Your Majesty, if you’ll forgive the interruption,” Kite said. “I’ve avoided butting in this whole time because it’s not my business, but you owe him that much at least if you call yourself family. You’re answering every question except the one he asked.”

“Kite, that’s a little…”

“No, Felix, she’s absolutely right.” Dante nodded thoughtfully. “I—no—the kingdom owes you that much for your life of service.”

Felix gulped as a sharp look settled in the eyes of the King.

“Father… never saw the end of the campaign against the Mad God, passing peacefully before you’d struck the final blow,” Dante said, his hand coming to rest on Felix’s shoulder. “The aftermath of the war was to be my responsibility as next in line for the throne, and my curse…”

“Your curse?”

“Indeed.” He said. “Tell me, when the strongest warrior in all the world runs out of enemies to defeat, what conclusion might our adversaries reach about the Hero’s place in the next conflict?”

Felix’s expression darkened.

“…That whoever controlled the Hero would win.”

“Exactly.” Dante removed his hand from Felix’s shoulder, patting him twice on the back as he did.

It was something that Felix hadn’t considered. In a perfect world, good deeds would always be rewarded with positive outcomes. However, human nature wasn’t so simple. Conflicts arose all the time, and it didn’t take a world-unifying evil like the Mad God to start one.

“A council of world leaders met to discuss the future of these lands, with a representative from every nation in attendance.” Dante continued, putting his back to the others. “Some wanted limits on when and how you could be deployed, while others suggested, unthinkably… that you be disposed of permanently.”

“You mean…?”

“To protect the peace, or their own interests perhaps, the very people you saved suggested killing you so that you couldn’t become a problem later.” Dante closed his eyes. “Allies and adversaries both.”

“…After everything?” Felix whispered, hints of sadness in his voice.

Fear and lack of understanding could drive otherwise decent people into some desperate decisions.

“They threatened war against the Human Magic Kingdom, and I was prepared to call their bluff, but you…” Dante looked up, a twinkle in his eye. “You made a choice for the good of us all, dear brother.”

“I did…?” Felix asked. “And what sort of choice was that?”

“You stood valiantly in front of every nation, and presented the solution.” Dante gestured to Felix’s armor. “You would gladly surrender your weapon, your title, and even your memories to keep the peace you had fought so hard to achieve. In other words, you’d sacrifice everything you had.”

“Everything…”

“And what was your role in all this?” Kite asked, her arms crossed. “It’s not hard to believe this well-meaning idiot would jump to a conclusion like that, but why didn’t you try to stop him?”

“As much as it killed me inside… I agreed with Felix’s opinion on the matter.” Dante smiled bitterly. “And I wanted to respect his decision, as his brother, but to prevent war from breaking out after we’d only just begun to rebuild.”

Kite pursed her lips, electing not to speak further.

“…”

Felix, too, was at a loss for words.

“Your former companion, Prim, administered the spell, using her destruction magic to erase your memories. But only at your insistence.” Dante continued. “I had you locked away. I told the people you’d made a sacrifice for the kingdom, but that was it. That was everything I said, and I let their imaginations fill in the rest.”

“I see now.”

“What I didn’t account for was that you’d come to reunite with that axe so soon, and make your way here with half your memories intact.” Dante smiled, exasperated. “Tell me, where in the world did you find it?”

“A prison guard had it and tried to slice us up, but Felix was a lot faster,” Kite answered before looking in on her friend with concern. “Hey, buddy, are you alright?”

Felix laughed, not quite sure how else to react.

“I believe most of it, I mean, I guess I have no choice but to. However…” Felix’s eyes burned with determination, and just a hint of regret. “There’s one thing I can’t quite accept.”

“What’s that?” Kite asked as Dante looked on.

“It’s not just conquests and adventures I’ve forgotten, after all.” Felix began, shifting his gaze to the King. “It's been years of my life with my mother and sister, watching her grow up, and eighty percent of the time I’ve known Dynas. I can’t imagine I’d willingly let all of that disappear. Was there really no other way?”

Dante frowned for a moment before shaking his head.

“Yes, brother. There was no other way.”

“Then tell me, at least, what’s happened to my family in my absence?” Felix asked. “Please tell me they’re safe, and I’m willing to accept all of this and just… move on.”

“I feel as though we’ve had the same conversation before.” Dante’s expression lightened up. “But as per our agreement, a contingent of guards was stationed in your little hamlet. The dangers on the western frontier remain, remnants of the Mad God’s forces, but I swear on my honor that no harm has come to your family.”

“You can personally guarantee it?” Felix asked again to be sure. “You’ve gone to visit them?”

“I… have.”

Kite narrowed her gaze.

“Yes, in fact, I just saw a fresh batch of supplies to your farm myself not that long ago.” Dante grinned. “Did you know your sister is with child?”

“My sister…” Felix mouthed the words. “Really?!”

Dante confirmed, and a laugh escaped Felix before he could stop it.

“You hear that, Kite? I’m gonna be an uncle!”

For the first time since they’d entered the Hall of Heroes, Dante smiled without holding anything back.

“You are.”

He gestured toward the passage.

“Come. We should return to the throne room before the servants convince themselves I’ve been assassinated.”

The tension eased into a bit of laughter as the three retraced their steps through the corridor. Felix found himself looking once more at the armor he’d once worn on the way out. With a faint smile, he continued on.

When the stone door finally opened and the three stepped back into the throne room, servants and knights straightened immediately at the sight of their King’s return, some wearing panicked expressions.

“I apologize for keeping everyone waiting.”

. . .

My sister is really having a child! I’m gonna have a nephew, or perhaps a niece… Or maybe she’s already given birth?

“This is all so exciting.” Felix regained a bit of the color he’d lost as they came to stand where they had before. “Now that we’ve negotiated our freedom, I can get back to them.”

“Does that mean what I think it means, pal?” Kite asked.

“It does.” Felix nodded, grinning softly.

“What’s this?” Dante asked from his throne, one leg crossed over the other. “You seem lighter all of a sudden. What has inspired such a positive change in your mood, brother? I’d have thought all this information would leave you feeling ambivalent, and here you are with a smile.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Kite laughed. “Nothing keeps Felix in the dumps for more than a minute. As weird as it sounds, the guy could flip anything into a positive.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true. But what was it you said before, Dante?” Felix asked with a hopeful look. “That we shouldn’t dwell on the past? That got me thinking about the future, and what I want to do next…”

Felix suddenly bowed his head deeply as if asking for a big favor.

“In the past, I served this kingdom faithfully as a knight, and I completed my mission as a Hero.” Without looking up, he continued to speak. “There’s only one thing that I want. It may be selfish of me, but I’d ask regardless.”

“If your heart is settled, I’d like to hear it.”

Felix smiled bigger than he had all day.

“I want to go home.”