The Mark Of Rebirth

Cordellia’s eyes widened in surprise, her initial frustration giving way to shock and disbelief. “The sword is… conversing with you?” she whispered, the weight of her words hanging in the air.

Nanik’s expression shifted, his curiosity deepening into intrigue as he studied the gleaming weapon in Kaelith’s hands. “Interesting,” he mused, his voice thoughtful. “It seems we’re dealing with a relic that possesses its own consciousness.”

Kaelith nodded, feeling a newfound sense of confidence now that he had voiced what the sword had said. “It doesn’t want me to give it to you, Cordellia. It says you’re not ready to wield it yet.”

Cordellia blinked, the revelation leaving her momentarily speechless. She stared at the sword, her eyes reflecting a deep reverence mixed with a tinge of sadness. “Not ready…” she murmured, the words echoing in her mind as if she were grappling with an unseen truth.

Before she could dwell further, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted the moment. Tokei and Farthington rounded the corner, both slightly out of breath as they skidded to a halt in the hallway. Their eyes widened at the sight before them—Kaelith holding the sword, Cordellia slumped against the wall, and Nanik standing between them with a thoughtful expression.

Tokei broke the silence. “What in the world is going on here?” she asked, her eyes scanning the scene with a mix of confusion and concern.

Farthington, taking in the chaotic scene, muttered under his breath, “My word… I wonder whose paycheck this is coming out of…?”

Nanik was the first to respond, his tone casual, almost as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Oh, it’s nothing much. I was simply trying to dislodge this sword from a section of the wall.” He remarked as he pointed to the sword that Kaelith was holding onto.

‘Once again, I’m reminded of how not normal Nanik is…’ I thought, my mind already shifting to the task at hand. Since the place wasn’t going up in flames, I decided it was as good a time as any to bring up my request. ‘Well, since the building is still standing, I might as well ask him about leaving for a personal trip to Cielmouth.’

Sighing a breath of relief, I let my body relax, standing more comfortably. “In that case, there was something I wanted to talk to you about privately,” I said, my words directed at Nanik.

“Let me guess, you want me to let you go to Cielmouth for a personal trip?”

I blinked, surprised at his accuracy. “Well, that is what I was going to ask you.” I leaned in closer, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Did you really have to say that out loud?”

“Since we’re going to go together it shouldn’t matter.”

With my teeth clenched in frustration from Nanik’s sudden comment, I respond, “What do you mean it doesn’t matter?! Also, why would anyone be coming with me!”

Speaking out loud now so that the rest of the people in the room could hear, Nanik announced, “Tokei, me, and let's see… Farthington will be going to Cielmouth. Kaelith you’ll stay here with Cordellia. It was cordellia right?”

Nanik’s declaration hung in the air, and I could feel my frustration rising. “What do you mean we’re going together? I never agreed to that!” I shot him a sharp look, but he seemed unbothered by my reaction.

Farthington raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest, simply adjusting his stance as if preparing for the unexpected journey. Kaelith, on the other hand, looked a bit uneasy, though he gave Cordellia a quick glance, silently acknowledging his responsibility to keep an eye on her.

Cordellia stood up straighter, her reptilian eyes narrowing as she processed the current situation. "..."

Still fuming, I finally sighed, knowing that arguing with Nanik would get me nowhere. "Fine," I muttered, "but next time, can you at least consult me before making decisions like that?"

In the time leading up to our departure, I found myself sitting across from Nanik and Farthington in the dimly lit meeting room. The weight of what I was about to share pressed heavily on my chest, my thoughts spinning as I carefully laid out the situation. The faint hum of the air vents and the soft flickering of the overhead lights filled the silence as I began to speak.

Taking a deep breath, I looked both of them in the eyes. “I’m looking for someone—someone Important,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. “The only lead I have so far is a man named Jason Berth. He’s a mercenary, and I’ve managed to track him to Cielmouth. I also know that he is somehow related to the person I am looking for. That’s all I have to go on.” My words hung in the air, laden with a mixture of hope and anxiety that I couldn’t quite shake.

Nanik sat back in his chair, arms folded over his chest, listening with an expression that was as unreadable as ever. Farthington’s usual carefree demeanor persisted as he casually slid a copy of his book on the table as if he were going to pop it open at any moment. He seemed to just be going with whatever happened around him as long as gets his sweet sweet compensation.

I paused, trying to gauge their reactions, but neither of them spoke. So I continued, my voice gaining strength. “This isn’t just a curiosity or some passing whim. This lead—Jason Berth—is the closest thing I’ve had to answer in a long time. I need to find him. I need to know…”

My voice trailed off, and for a moment, the room felt suffocating. The weight of their silence pressed down on me, leaving me with a burning question that had been nagging at me ever since Nanik had casually volunteered to join this personal mission.

I finally broke the silence, turning my gaze to Nanik with a mix of curiosity and frustration. “Anyway, that’s that. Now, I’ve got a question for you, Nanik,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral but failing to hide the edge in my voice. “Why are you coming along—and why bring Farthington with you? This is my mission, not yours.”

There was an unspoken challenge in my words, a demand for transparency. I needed to understand his motivations because this journey meant more to me than just another mission. It was personal.

Nanik’s sudden shift in tone caught me off guard. The atmosphere in the room had darkened for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on all of us, only for him to break the tension in the most Nanik way possible.

“I’m coming along… because why not!” he declared, a broad grin spreading across his face.

“Huh?” The sound escaped me before I could stop it. I blinked in confusion, trying to process the whiplash of his response. I took a breath, trying to keep my frustration in check. “Nanik, this isn’t a game,” I said slowly, my voice measured. “This is personal for me. I need to know why you’re really coming along. What’s your reason?”

Nanik’s grin softened into something more sincere, though the playful glint in his eyes never quite disappeared. “Tokei, I understand how important this is to you,” he said, his tone more serious now, though still carrying that infuriating lightness. “But just because it’s personal doesn’t mean you should face it alone, don’t forget I’m basically your father. Besides, you know how unpredictable things can get out there. Having some backup might not be such a bad idea, don’t you think?”

I stared at him for a moment, his words hanging in the air. A part of me knew he was right—Cielmouth wasn’t exactly the safest place, and having Nanik and Farthington along would undoubtedly make the journey less risky. But another part of me, the stubborn, fiercely independent part, bristled at the thought of needing anyone’s help. This was my mission, my past I was chasing, and I didn’t want anyone else getting in the way.

But maybe… maybe I needed to let go of that pride. Just a little.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I processed everything. “Fine,” I muttered, “You can come. But don’t expect me to let you take over. This is still my mission.”

Nanik chuckled, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk. “Alright, just know I’ll step in if I sense anything amiss.”

Farthington, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up, his voice cutting through the air with unrestrained confidence. “If you’re quite done, we still have yet to discuss the most important topic here… How much pay am I gonna get for this?”

There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation or humility in his tone. His focus on compensation was so typical of Farthington that it almost felt like a relief—a reminder that even in the middle of something deeply personal, there were constants you could count on, like Farthington’s relentless pursuit of profit.

A soft smile began to tug at the corners of my mouth, and I instinctively covered it with my hand, trying to hide the small bit of warmth that the moment brought me. As much as I wanted to pretend this journey was a solitary mission, the presence of these two—Nanik with his unpredictable ways and Farthington with his single-mindedness—added a strange comfort.

I let out a quiet breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease ever so slightly. "Alright then," I said, standing up from the chair. "Let’s get things moving. We've got a journey ahead of us, and we’re not getting anywhere just sitting around."