Devourer Class

Galahad and Brett were sweating profusely by the time they made into the inner parts of the city. They were slouched with their hands on their knees, trying to steady the heavy breathing.

Brett then finally dropped the lantern, the metal work had collapsed onto itself from the heat of Flame Hammer. It was a partially melted glob of metal by the time he stopped, it was useless now.

"I am sorry about your lantern, I'll try and see about buying replacement material." Galahad wheezed.

"Don't worry about it." Brett said and stood up straight, "It can't be good for you to be running around like that. Is there a reason why something was trying to kill you? Or did you finally piss off the monsters that live in the forest?"

"If there was a reason, I don't know it. As for the monster, that would be the lone female elf who might live deep in the forest."

"The what?!?" Brett was shocked. He never knew that someone besides bandits were living out in the forest, let alone a rarity such as an elf.

"Why is- hold on, what did you do to piss off an elf?"

"I don't know," Galahad held up his bag, showing the arrow still sticking out. "She started firing before we could exchange our Karmic runes."

Brett chuckled and shook his head at his foolish older brother, "You nearly got killed twice in one week and you still have room to joke, just what the f.u.c.k goes on in your head?"

"Well asides from constantly reliving the unrelenting fear and terror of the past few days, food also keeps popping up in my mind." As if on cue, his stomach growl was audible enough for Brett to hear.

"Why is it I want to punch you every time you open your mouth?" Brett began walking away with the exhausted Galahad in tow.

The two brothers walked under the streetlamps to find themselves a decent meal. Galahad had gotten a few odd looks at his bag that had scorch marks across it, and now it had an arrow in it.

*****

Half an hour later, Galahad was sitting in a back corner booth at the Mowers with two glasses of dark ale on the table. He stared off into space while waiting for his brother to finish his call outside to their parents. They agreed to leave them out of loop of Galahad nearly dying once again.

By the time Brett came back to the booth, half of Galahad's refilled ale was gone. He sat down and tried to flag down the waitress, then Galahad silently slid the other ale to his brother and leaned back into the booth with a very tired expression.

Brett was shocked at Galahad's gesture, his brother never bought him any alcohol, even when he begged right after Galahad's Karmic Plate status was updated to a.d.u.l.t. The Galahad he was looking at didn't seem like his old carefree yet partially responsible brother who always made it possible to lighten the mood.

'What really happened to him down in the dungeon?' Brett thought.

Galahad glanced his eyes over to the hesitant Brett, then rolled them. "I didn't poison it, start drinking. You're gonna want it after I tell you everything."

Brett's eyes grew wide at his statement, he didn't even have a chance to ask, Galahad already planned to tell him what was really happening with him.

The waitress suddenly was over and she placed two plates of honey coated cut ham sandwiches with a side of roasted veggies.

"Oh I'm sorry, we didn't order our food yet." Brett told the waitress.

"I know, its from the kitchen; they know what he and his team did for the Count's daughter." She glanced at Galahad who was staring into space again.

"T-Thank you." Brett was surprised at their generosity. He didn't get a chance to ask what exactly they knew, because she had quickly turned away and went to wait other tables.

Suddenly Galahad's eyes clicked into focus. "Before I start, what did you say to mum and dad?" Galahad asked.

"Oh" Brett had already forgotten he had just made the call. "I just said that I ran into you on your way back from the forest, and we are getting some food before heading home. I didn't mention the near death by Elven fury; I figured that was best left unsaid."

"Yeah . . . hmmphf," Galahad shut his eyes and let out a little drunk chuckle, "I always pictured my reunion with her to be a little less mortifying."

"You knew her?!?" Brett was shocked at the thought of his brother knowing an elf from outside of Teramore. "What didn't you ever tell me?"

'Although, knowing him could explain why she wanted to kill him, anyone might want to if they spoke with his type of personality for too long.'

"No no, I don't truly." Galahad corrected, "I saw her by the pond years ago, but that's not important. I just need somebody to hear this before I do something too crazy. And if you'll respond, please do so quietly."

Brett realized he had raised his voice to nearly a shout when asking about the elf, he nodded silently with the ale in hand.

Galahad then told the whole story about the dark crystals and the Spriggan's black orb detonating in his hand. He talked about feeling some kind of suspicion towards the guild agents who questioned him as they terminated his contract. Brett only listened the entire time, only sipping at the ale until it disappeared by the end of the story.

At the end, Galahad was rubbing his flushed face with nothing else to say. His brother had so many questions, but didn't know where to start.

Suddenly the swinging doors to the tavern were opened and Brett didn't get his chance to ask. Stepping inside was Evelyn and Derek Ralenta, Trista's parents. Galahad hadn't seen them in a while, but he had heard them both speak at the memorial.

Evelyn scanned the room and immediately spotted Galahad from across the tables, her face soured and she walked over very quickly. Her husband following from behind and trying not to lose his glasses.

A broad shouldered man eating was about to stand up and tell her off for rudely bumping against his table, but he sat back down when he saw her expression. That was a screaming match he was sure to lose.

Galahad didn't see her coming until she right at the booth, when he looked up her looming figure he was not processing what was happening quick enough.

Evelyn proceeded to slap him hard across the scarred side of his face. Galahad's face winced from the hit, the strong ale he drank would have subdued the pain, but her hand opened up several scabs on the inside of his burned neck and face.

Brett was wide eyed and shocked, he occasionally saw Trista's mother around the city, but he never saw her act so angrily towards anyone. Galahad turned his head back to reveal blood leaking out below his left eye, looking like a red teardrop.

She began shouting, "How dare you! You sit here and drink like the piece of shit you are, meanwhile my little girl is laying dead in that f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell pit. You can't even get it through your head that she is dead because of YOU."

Galahad did not seem to react at her rage at all, he grabbed a napkin to dab the blood off his face. Evelyn took it as in insult, she clearly wanted a fight from the man she blame for her daughter's death. She was trying to make him act out as the monster she imagined him to be.

"Do you not even realize how your selfishness to take her down there for years was what did these. I could have had her safely here in my arms, I can't. Because. It's. All. Your. Fault." She spat the last few words at him with a seething rage.

Evelyn then looked around the room with disgust, she walked out while her husband stayed behind.

Derek stepped up to the table, "You'll have to excuse her, she is just hurting right. I hope you can understand." His voice was tired and sad. He clearly felt the same loss, yet he acted how he truly felt. He was sad and knew exactly where the blame should be placed.

This was the first thing Galahad reacted to, he turned to Trista's father with a look of sever annoyance.

"You still haven't told her, have you?" He asked calmly. The calmness he expressed was now waning thin. Proof was in the angry stress squeezing Galahad was performing on his empty glass.

"No, I can imagine you understand why I haven't told her yet."

As Galahad stood up, his bandaged hand eventually squeezed too hard and the glass shattered with a loud pop.

"F.U.C.K!!" Shouted Galahad, he looked down at his now bloody fingers, then he looked back at Trista's father. ". . . I am not your goddamn scapegoat anymore, tell your wife the truth. Come on Brett, were leaving."

Even through the pain, Galahad's voice was far too calm and decisive when he gave his command. Brett maneuvered out of the booth and followed behind him.

Just as they were about to step through the swinging doors, Galahad turned back and spoke to Trista's father one more time.

"I'll tell you this; she's not the only one hurting, and I don't have the strength for handling everyone else's pain right now." He raised up his bloody and bandaged finger to pointed at him. "So. Handle. It. Yourself." Then the two brothers walked out.

Now the only sign of the discussion was the broken glass and blood trail Galahad had left on his way out.

The tavern had gone silent back when Evelyn had slapped Galahad, they all clearly heard what he said before leaving and began murmuring about what he said.

"What is he a scapegoat for?"

"Did you see how bad the burns were on his neck?"

"What did he mean by the truth?"

"Nobody else see the arrow sticking out of the kid's bag?"

By the time Derek stepped outside with his head hung low, the whole tavern was loudly chattering amongst themselves about what just occurred.

*****

When Galahad and Brett walked home through the night, neither of them spoke about the incident in the bar. Galahad just cleaned out and replaced the bandages wrapped around his hand while walking.

Once Galahad finished dropping the Fruta Oils on his palm wraps, He noticed Brett's concerned look from the side.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace Brett." He said without looking away from his arm.

After a moment of contemplation, Brett asked, "Are you okay?"

"Define 'okay,' because I'm pretty sure I still have some glass shards in my index finger." Galahad said with a joking smile.

Brett was not letting him off easy, "You know what I mean by that, I saw the way you talked to Trista's dad. How do you feel after seeing those crystals? You lost your friends down there. Even just feeling the pain of that black orb thing detonating would break some people, I am sure of that.

Why is it you just act like it was not bigger than it really is? You need to start recovery and not do anything crazy, like you said to me in the bar."

Brett knew he was pushing his luck when he said those things, this was the first time his older brother ever opened up about anything. He could clearly see his brother was hurting both inside and out. He saw how Galahad didn't stop Evelyn for blaming him because he blamed himself as well. As for the topic of the 'scapegoat' he didn't even understand that issue.

Galahad's face went dark, he lost the joking smile and his tone sounded cold enough to give off frost. "I already told you the reasons I'm not upset. Those crystals were preserved humans. My friends are trapped down there, inside those crystals. I just need to get them out."

"But why you? I mean there is an entire guild infrastructure meant to act on these kinds of issues. Surely you could tell them and they'll rescue everyone."

"That's what I thought at first." Galahad brought his finger up to his temple and tapped at it. "Then I started thinking when I was strapped to the bed. How the hell did this enormous cavern with hundreds of people trapped inside go unnoticed? The Spriggan said the plan had been operating for years, it doesn't make any sense. Surely a survivor or guild member would have made contact to the kingdom, but no one ever said a word about it.

I think the kingdom is either hiding the truth, or they are connected to it. I don't want to know which one it is, but I don't care. I will regain my magic skills and do whatever I need to in order to save them."

"Okay, but that doesn't help you fix the problem. How exactly do you plan on rescuing them? How do you even plan finding them? Or defeating the monsters on your own? You're not even a combat magician, you deal boosts and buff skills."

"I haven't figured everything out yet, but I promise you I'll figure something out soon enough. Let's just go home and I'll have a plan ready to tell you in the morning."