Book 3: Chapter 9.2: Fracture at the Station Part II


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    Fortunately it doesnt take me long to reach the station. But one thing about the trip does bother me a little.


    I nce behind me as I run straight into the vast station to find ze still following me.


    Why is he here?


    Im in too much of a hurry to stop and question him though, instead rushing straight into the building and pausing for a moment to raise the sensitivity of my ears again and listen for Arthurs voice. And after a few seconds of searching, during which my tail catches up to me and stops, I hear his voiceing from a ce only several dozen meters down, inside of the car.


    And hes cussing. Which isnt a good sign.


    I open my eyes before immediately running in his direction, ignoring the man who is <em>still </em>following me. Which is getting creepy at this point.


    Doesnt he have somewhere else to be right now? Or did he follow because he knew I was going to a ss II Fracture?


    Actually, didnt he say something about a duel before? I wasnt really paying much attention to that part.


    <strong>I think he mentioned his father wanting him to challenge you to a duel when youre strong enough, </strong>Tarments as I run towards Arthurs voice as fast as I can.


    Ridiculous. But not something Im against.


    Im always up for a battle.


    <strong>You really are a battle junky, </strong>Tar mutters, sounding just as tense as I am despite this conversation.


    At some point though I stop hearing Arthurs voice. Which cant be a good sign. So I start using blood sacrifice even more to increase my speed, still with ze following right next to me, keeping up with his much higher level.


    This time when he sees me sending him a weird look though, he finally exins himself, I still need to get your contact information for that duel.


    Oh. That makes sense. I guess.


    Doesnt matter right now though as I continue running straight towards where I heard Arthurs voice before, only stopping when I reach the outside of the car hes in and narrow my eyes, not finding anyone but a single person inside of it. Someone who smells human and sounds as light as one considering the very faint shifting sounds theyre making.


    At the same time, theres a fomorian who seems to be breaking through the entrance to the train. So I dont wait for it to finish, instead rushing in and smashing the train door inwards with my own transformed fist, leaving a massive dent in it that I follow up with several more punches, sending the rather durable door flying inwards after the tenth strike to smash the fomorian who was hitting it. The creature is then crushed by the weight of the now destroyed door, yet still alive somehow.


    I ignore it though as I step into the train, briefly pausing to stomp on its face once, my foot sinking partway in before I continue on to the door to the car, which is heavily damaged. So I pull my fist back, only for ze to stop me by saying, Wait.


    I nce at him to find him holding some sort of key card.


    He has a key? Why would he have a key?


    <strong>Well, hes Reds son, </strong>Tar says as if that exins it all.


    And it kind of does in a way. Since the children of the Knights, even if there are only two public  now probably three thanks to zes blurting out who I am in front of a camera  are all treated basically as royalty in a lot of ces.


    ze walks up to the door and swipes the key card on it, making it open. And I dont waste any time walking through and then all the way to the end where I focus on a corner before frowning.


    Arthur? I mutter, slightly confused why Im not seeing anything but am hearing a heartbeat and some very slight shifting noises. Not to mention smelling a faint human scent.


    Scarlet? I hear his voice after a second, then a wall of shadows suddenly vanishes to reveal the man who is currently as pale as a sheet with literal eyes made out of shadows. Oh thank the stars


    I stare at him for a few seconds, and he stares back for just as long. Then ze walks into the room and sees us, only to suddenly ask, Wait, arent you the guy whos supposedly dating one of her former team members?


    That has both me and Arthur turning to stare at ze.


    No one says anything for a few seconds before he realizes that were waiting for him to exin why he knows that and says, My father had me look into you, so of course Id know about your former teammates.


    I stare at him for a few more seconds despite getting my answer, then I simply dere, Youre weird, and turn back to Arthur while ignoring zes scoff to ask Arthur, So youre a Guardian now?


    He nods his head as he finally stands up, briefly sending a slightly creeped out nce towards ze before he asks, And who is this?


    Just someone whos been following me around for a while now, I answer him with a dismissive shrug before asking, So whats your magic?


    Arthur turns back to me and smirks slightly as he answers, Shadowborne magic.


    Oh? I mutter, startled a little at that. Then I hear ze stating, Thats a rare one. And Im pretty sure its the same one Uncle ck has.


    I nce at ze before asking, Uncle?


    ze nods and says, Yeah. ck and Red are close in a way, so ck visited a lot while I was a kid.


    Interesting. Im starting to wonder if ck just likes kids considering how he actually briefly brought up the idea of adopting me before he blew that idea away just as quickly as he brought it up.


    Not that Im a kid though, considering Im neen. So any adoption at this point would just be figurative and for social benefit.


    Wait, so Arthur has the same magic as ck? Thats cool. Would also exin why he was contracted if he had that sort of potential.


    Makes me wonder why he wasnt contracted back when Belle was though.


    I turn back to Arthur to find him looking pleasantly surprised by that fact.


    Then a fae suddenly appears in front of us before it bows towards the tanuki currently lying on my shoulder, stating, Greetings, Tenth Prince Tarankar.


    Tar responds rather briefly, <strong>You may rise.</strong>


    Silence passes as I stare at the fae for several seconds, and out of the corner of my eye, I find ze looking between the fae and my ears a few times.


    Then I cant help but turn to Arthur and ask, So whys your fae in the form of a wolf?