flame-nova

[flame-nova]

Chapter 9: Traitor

When I woke up, Vox was long gone. Beside me on the nightstand was a small note. I picked it up, it was from Vox.

"Thanks for letting me sleep with you last night. I know from today on, your job will be tough, and seeing me will possibly make it harder and more painful for you so I left without saying good morning. I'm sorry, but when your job is accomplished, we'll spend as much time as you want together to make it up for your hard work you did for the kingdom. Wish you luck and much love, Vox"

I smiled at his neat handwriting. Seeing his words felt as if I saw him in person, and it made me longing to see him already. As badly as I want to, I know I can't. I have an important job after all, and I can't fail them. Especially not to her majesty.

I left to ready myself for the day. Judging the direction of the sun, I calculated that it must be near lunch. To avoid running into the others, I decided to get a quick brunch in town. However, what happened next was beyond my imagination. No, more like an astonishment.

I sat down with my sandwich at a nearby shop. Just as I was about to take a bite, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I was annoyed and turned my head around to see who it was that interrupted my brunch time until my mouth almost unhinged from my chin.

The person was none other than my uncle Bert, the very relative that was planning to betray the kingdom. I was just wondering how to approach him this morning, who would've thought the fish decided to bite the hook himself?

"Berwick!" He boomed as he slapped my back so hard that my sandwich nearly flew out of my hands. "What a surprise to see you here! How was life as the Templar? Did you enjoy it?"

I glared at him. I should've expected him to be the one who plotted treason. As long as I remember, he had always been leaching off of my family, whether it's money, food, or a place to live. Of course, mother tolerated it and allowed him to be like this. He was someone who would please and even to the point of bribery if it means that he will be the one benefited from it. Though this time, I suspected it to be something darker, which was my job to find out and shatter them of their plans. Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile. "Ah, long time no see uncle Bert. Life as a Templar was hard." I lied. "They don't really like me there and I often don't feel like I'm a part of them....."

That, of course, is not true in the slightest. I do enjoy being around the others, but in order to find out what the enemy is up to, it's best to disguise to better blend with them. Besides, it's why I'm acting like a double agent after all. However, the downside of it is that I'll have to be careful not to leak anything her majesty is planning, and in the same time reporting back to her anything I noticed to be strange.

"Ah, so it sounds like you don't enjoy being around them. " He shook his head, sympathy displayed all over his face. But I know it all toi well to be an act. True to my prediction, he then leaned in close, his fowl breath blew me in the face. " Then how about this?" He said, a dark smile appeared at the corner of his lips. " Join me in rebelling against the Queen, and I'll let my boss know that you're my nephew, who's the most powerful fire mage in all of Granadia, to give you the glory you deserve after years of being looked down by demons. How does that sound? "

His voice was dipped in venom, every single word coming out of his mouth made my skin crawl. However, I had to fake my enthusiasm so he doesn't notice anything.

"Sure!" I smiled naively. "What benefits would I get?"

"You'll see. After dusk, meet me here and I'll take you to see the boss. "

With that, he put a piece of paper in my hand before strolling away. I wanted to stop him but something made me look at the map. To which I did and I almost gasped out loud.

That was the place where they sealed the ancient demon that had once caused chaos in the land. Was my uncle's boss planning on awakening the terror that once plaged the land? This is a new that must be reported to the Queen at once. I put the piece of paper in my pocket and walked in the direction of the castle, my sandwich long forgotten as it sat behind on the table, untouched.

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"What!?" Queen Juno slapped the table and stood up. "Is it really true?"

I nodded, eyebrows knitted together in anxiousness. "My uncle told me to meet him there after dusk and I won't know anything until they fill me in with whatever they're planning on. "

The Queen's expression was solemn. " Then make sure you take every word in. Use spells if you must, but don't miss anything. We need all the information we can in order to come up with a plan to counter them. "

I nodded. The Queen sat back down and pinched the bridge of her nose. " Thank you for the update Berwick. You may now go, but make sure no one sees you. And please make sure you're not followed by anyone suspicious. This is a top-secret mission and I cannot manage to have you being spotted with us, understood?"

I nodded and took a bow before leaving the meeting room. My thought was a mess and I was extremely nervous. All of a sudden I didn't know if being a double agent is a good idea, but since I already promised the Queen to do this to the best of my ability, then I will give it all I have. Besides, Vox is waiting for me. I can't give up now.

I straightened my back a little. Yeah, I guess time to be a little serious.

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Author's Note

Sorry for the very late update! I just found this account and I'm so thankful that I'm able to come back and continue this story 😭 a lot has happened and let me just say I'm looking forward to the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it too and I'll see you in next chapter!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 8: Approaching Threat

While my secret crush for Vox had been resolved, the problem with the Testament remained pending. Time was running short, and her majesty looked paler day by day. We as the Templars of course felt worried for the future of Granadia, but we were hopeless as we were unsure of what to do.

"We gotta think of something. Isn't there other books on stuff like that Berwick?" After pacing to and fro in the lobby of the headquarter, Riviera had finally stopped and turned to me for help. I gave her a helpless look. I've been going through the whole entire library in the past two days, staying up late and reading every single book I could find on the topic "Cursed Blood". But I had reaped nothing.

Vox came over and placed a gentle hand over my cheek. "You didn't even sleep in the past two days? No wonder why you seemed out of it lately.... You need to take care of yourself, Berwick.... You even got bags under your eyes."

He looked distressed. I smiled tiredly at him and placed a hand over his. "Don't worry. I'm usually a night owl. It's not like you don't know that. I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not the current top priority. At least I'm not on the verge of dying. Her majesty is the one we really should focus on. Time's running out."

Duke, who had been standing next to the book shelf and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest spoke. "If our mage can't even find a single solution to this, we may have to be realistic and accept the possibility that there may not be hopes for Queen Juno. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone have to break it to you."

"Don't you have some kind of gratitude toward her majesty?! How dare you say such a thing!" Riviera said, charging up to him angrily and was about to land a hard punch to his dark face if Thetis didn't step in on time.

"Riviera, calm down. Getting mad isn't going to get us anywhere. I'm sure there are other way out. We just need to think harder. C'mon, let's go to the library to see if we can cover anything Berwick missed. He needed a break after all."

With that, Thetis escorted Riviera out of the headquarter. I smiled gratefully at him as I watched the two of them disappear behind the door. It was just me, Vox and a very silent Duke left.

"I think you should go for a nap." Vox said as he took a seat next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder to pull me in his warm chest. I closed my eyes, thankful for the gesture but I was not quite ready to hit the hay like that. "We can explain the reason of your absence."

I shook my head. "No. I can work more. I'm not that tired."

It was a lie. I was indeed very tired. But of course I didn't want to worry Vox and had wished that I get to spend some time with him before I call it a day. Surprisingly, Duke seemed to know what I was thinking about as he urged Vox to take the day off to be with me.

Vox started to object, but Duke reminded him how much I needed his support right now as a boyfriend consider how the research in the past had been series of dead ends. He figured that I may need some encouragement from Vox. I marveled at Duke's high EQ. In the same time, I wondered why he chose to stay single.

While I was in my own thoughts, I heard Vox calling my name. I responded absentmindedly only to hear a small sigh from him. "You're out of it again. Are you sure you're not tired?"

"Vox," I begin. The lack of sleep had finally caught up to me as I snapped at him crabbily. "Stop worrying over something small like this. I'm not a baby, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need assistance but thank you for the thought."

The minute the words came out of my mouth, I saw hurt flashed across Vox's face like a lightning, but it soon disappeared and he had changed to his signature calm smile. "Sorry about that. What would you like to do then?"

"Just leave me alone."

Feeling disappointed in myself and the thought that I had hurt Vox clouded my better judgement. I left a emotionless farewell before leaving the headquarter, ignoring Vox's attempt to stop me.

I wandered around, letting my feet take me to whenever I end up. Before I knew it, I was at the spot where Vox first confessed to me. The hill stood over a high place, overlooking the whole entire kingdom of Granadia. My eyes were wide with surprise and marvel as I never expected the place to be so beautiful during day time as it was during night time. I found a good shady spot and sat down with my knees pulled close to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs as I kept my eyes nailed to the scenery in front of me. But I wasn't there for long until I heard a voice behind me. One that I was way too familiar with.

"Care if I join you?"

I made no reply. The demon still made his way over to me, sat behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I know you wanted to be left alone. But I just wanted you to know that I care about you. And yes, there's that fear of losing you again. But I'll try better and not treat you like a baby. Will you forgive me?"

His voice soft against my ear, instantly calming me down. My shoulders relaxed as I let go of my knees and leaned backwards, against his shoulder. "And I have to apologize for snapping at you like that. I was exhausted and I couldn't think straight. I'm sorry."

He only wrapped his arms tighter around me as he buried his nose in my neck, breathing in my scent. "Don't worry. I'm not angry. I know."

I smiled softly and closed my eyes. Sleep finally caught up to me as my eyelids felt heavy. "I'm going to take a nap like this if you don't mind."

Vox responded with a muffled sound. I snuggled against him, tossed and turned my body until I found a comfortable spot in his arms before letting myself drift away into Dreamland.

It was late afternoon when I woke up. First thing I saw was a pair of strong arms around me. I smiled and looked up to see Vox sleeping peacefully leaned against the tree behind him. A few strands of his cerulean hair was in his face. I reached out a hand and brushed it away as I admired his handsome features. I was told that I had always looked feminine with my waist length hair and my delicate face. I didn't mind that. I was never offended by their comments. I took pride in being "beautiful", as they called it. I giggled, I remembered a time where demons mistakening me for a girl. I was 10 at the time.

"What's so funny?"

I pulled myself back from memory lane to see a very amused Vox looking at me with a teasing smile on his face. I blushed. "Oh, I was just looking at you and remembered a time where demons thought I was a girl. It was a long time ago of course."

Vox reached out a hand to play with my long hair before bringing a strand to his lips and kissed it. "Not going to lie, you are good-looking, and you do possess features like that of a young demon in her early 20s."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not the first one who told me that. Surprisingly, I don't take offense to being called 'beautiful'. I just got used to the teasing I suppose....."

I trailed off. Suddenly became aware with the fact that my family will probably not accept this relationship and will most likely not give their blessing if we do get married someday. Subconsciously, I felt a hand on my cheek. I pulled my train of memories back to the man in front of me.

"What's wrong, Berwick? You seemed troubled all of a sudden."

"What if my family don't agree with this relationship?" I begin, sounding separate. "I love you, and I cannot feel the same way toward any other demons. I had always and will always love you. It's impossible for me to deny my feelings of you...."

Vox gently kissed my forehead. "Berwick, my beloved. Don't worry about the future. Let's enjoy the present and let life do its thing. Life is like a current. If you swim upstream, you'll soon be tired and out of stamina. But if you learned to go with the flow, you'll be fine."

I nodded and closed my eyes, thankful that I had found such a caring and thoughtful boyfriend. Sure, he may not be romantic, but his love is silent. Only reserved for me. It made me feel special.

I smiled only to feel a pair of lips against mine. I returned the kiss and felt Vox's arms around me tighten. I moved a hand to his cheek and caressed it. He pulled away and held my hand to his. His amber eyes locked in gaze with mine. All of a sudden I felt emotional.

"Vox..... " I begin, but I had nothing to say. He only smiled and assured me with his own tender, gentle ways.

"Mhm. I'm here."

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It was dinner time when we made our way back to the castle. Thetis had cooked us quite a feast. Vox and I were the last to arrive as Duke was sitting at his usual seat waiting for Thetis to serve him while Riviera had already digged away at her own portion. Queen Juno was there as well, but she seemed lost in thought as she stared at the white tablecloth. I took a seat next to Vox and waited for Thetis to come to us with our plates of food.

Dinner was very good thanks to Thetis' hobby of culinary. However, Queen Juno didn't touch her food. Not even one bite. We all looked at each other wondering if she was okay until Vox gathered up his courage to speak. He was a dear friend to Queen Juno and she trusted him so it only made sense that he would be the one to pop the question.

"Ahem," he coughed. "Your highness, you seemed like you had lost an appetite today. Was Thetis' cooking not good enough to satisfy you?"

"Oh no!" She looked up and waved her hands in a frantic motion. "It's not him. In fact, it's very delicious. Thank you for the meal Thetis."

Thetis nodded but Vox didn't seemed happy that she had redirected his question. He didn't give up and tried again.

"You seemed troubled your highness. We are your knights and I believe you do owe us an explanation. Why do you seem so down?"

The Queen pushed away her food and stood up. Looking at all of us in the eyes, her crimson orbs dimmed in sadness. "I found out that all of you are trying to search for a way to cure me of the Cursed Blood. I am thankful, really. But I don't want to work you guys further and put the duty of protecting Granadia behind. I was just told by one of our soldiers patrolling the borders that someone in Granadia was trying to plot treason against us."

Then, her majesty's gaze turned to me. I had a sinking feeling inside. I kept telling myself that it was going to be fine, but reality proved me wrong.

"And apparently, the traitor is closer to your family, Berwick. I know it's hard to deal with old trauma with your own flesh and blood, but may I ask your hand in assisting us by acting as a double agent and infiltrate the enemy's database as a spy?" Her eyes pleading as they were filled with desperation. "I know I'm asking a lot. But it's the smallest way you can help me feel better aside of your effort to find a cure for the Cursed Blood."

Despite my own feelings, I placed my right hand over my heart. My eyes aflame with determination. "I swore on my heart that I will protect Granadia with all my life. If you need me, I will be right by your side without hesitation."

Her majesty smiled. Turning to Vox, she warned him solemnly. "And during this time, Vox. I need you to stay away from Berwick publicly as much as you possibly can. We don't want the plan being spoiled by letting Berwick being spotted with the captain of the Juno Templars. It will be very disadvantageous to our side."

Vox was about to object, but I squeezed his hand from under the table and mentioned for him to stay quiet. He nodded with a gravely expression. We were soon dismissed from the table. Riviera and Thetis went to take a walk in the woods. Duke hurried away to fill in for the night shift. Her majesty was called to deal with an important matter of the court. It was just me and Vox left sitting in the room. Servants were coming in to clean and collect the dirty dishes.

Vox still seemed to be stuck in his own train of thoughts. I didn't want to bother him so I told him that I'll be in my room if he needed me before leaving for my bed chamber.

I changed into my night clothes and was brushing out my tangled hair until I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to see a distraunt Vox standing outside. I let him in and as soon as I locked the door behind me, he wrapped me up in a tight hug. I hugged him back.

"What's wrong?" I asked, voice muffled in his chest. "You seemed awfully insecure tonight."

"I just don't want to lose you again." He replied. "Especially this time. Who knows how powerful our enemy is? Besides, if anything were to happen to you, I won't be there on time to save you like the last time."

I smiled and squeezed him in reassurance. "Don't worry. Consider my family is close to the traitor, he won't lay a hand on me unless he wanted to be burned to ashes. I think you forgot that your boyfriend here is the most powerful mage in all of Granadia."

I pulled back and grinned at him. My efforts of comforting him was not in vain as I saw a small smile escaping the corners of his mouth. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" He asked.

"Of course."

He left and came back shortly after a while with his own night clothes. Picking me up bridal styled, he laid me on the bed, switched out the light and snuggled me close to his chest.

My bed was facing the window and outside, the sky was clear and I could see Ursa Minor smiling brightly over us, its tail pointing at the north. I turned to see Vox sound asleep. I smiled. He forgot to say good night before he passed out. Maybe the day had been long, but I was thankful that I had someone so loving and protective like him as a boyfriend. I just hoped I could stay with him forever like this and never leave his side.

I gave his lips a small peck, tucked the blanket under his chin and snuggled into his chest. Smiling, I drifted off to sleep.

"Good night Vox, my beloved. See you in Dreamland."

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Author's Note

Done!!! Sorry for the late chapter update. I had fights with my own boyfriend and we almost came to a point of breaking up. So yeah, in the midst of my sadness, I didn't feel like writing so that's why I haven't been updating in the past two days. Sorry about that.

I decided to write my own experience into this because again, not all relationship are perfect and just because the partner don't say they love you doesn't mean they don't love you. You just haven't realized how they love you from your own point of view. That's all.

I don't want to rant on more on the topic of love because I could write a novel on such matter so yeah, let's move on lol. Hope you guys liked the little plot twist I added in this chapter. And next chapter will go back to the main plot, which is the canon side of the story. I hope you all are excited for that. I know I'm excited to write it!

I'm so thankful that you guys are still reading this up to this point. Really encouraged me to write more contents on this matter. Thank you all for your supports.

Special shout out to my good friend Flare-chan. I won't mention who she is for the sake of her confidentiality since I don't have her permission to reveal her identity. If you're reading this Flare-chan, thank you for being there supporting me through my pain and simp Berwick with me. It was fun and I dedicate this chapter for you. Thank you for everything and hugs to you!

Next chapter is on the way!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 7: Tender Feelings

"Berwick! Come here!" A voice called out to me. I put down the book I was reading and followed the source of the voice. It was a child with a tattered blue garb. To my annoyance, his face was blacked out. I looked at what he was pointing at and saw what seemed to be a doll made in my image. He handed it to me. I couldn't see the expression on his face, but I could tell that he was smiling.

This doll seemed so familiar..... But how?

Then it struck me. In my room, I had a doll sitting on my bookshelf that looked exactly like this one I'm holding. I never bothered to figure out how I got it. I just knew that it was always there as long as I could remember.

When I looked up, the child was gone. I had so many questions. Why did he gave me a doll that looked like me? How does he know my name? Have we met?

The familiar headache was returning. I hissed in pain as darkness once again consumed me.

".....Wick, Berwick!"

"Hmm...?" I groaned and opened my eyes. A blur of blue was calling out to me.

Blue? Wait, the child in my dream wore blue too.

Or rather, was it a forgotten memory?

I blinked away the blurriness and sat up. I was not in my room and Vox was next to me with a worried expression.

"You really scared me for a second there Berwick." He sighed. "Does this happen often? You were tossing around a lot."

I stared at him in confusion. That's when it struck me. Vox confessed to me and asked if I still remember him. I passed out before I had the chance to say anything.

I looked down at the blanket covering me as I wrinkled my eyebrows. "No, it's never happened before. I don't know why I passed out but I do remember that I had a really bad headache when you asked if I still remember you. What do you mean? Had we met before?"

I looked at him curiously. I had questions.

Vox avoided my gaze, he looked crestfallen. "Nevermind, it's nothing. Sorry if I acted strange. You looked like you could use some rest, so just sleep in my bed and I'll be resting on the couch. Call me if you need me."

He stood up, ready to leave. But I grabbed his sleeve.

"Vox. Don't avoid me. Tell me, why don't I have memories of you when we were kids? Did something happen? Talk to me."

He bit his lips. He was awfully quiet.

"Vox."

"You and I used to be playmates." He began. "We were inseparable."

"And then what happened?"

He sat next to me, but he still refused to look at me in the eyes. "When we were 8, we were playing under an oak tree. Your magic went out of hand and had burned a huge branch. It was going to fall on me, but you pushed me out of the way and it struck you on the head instead. I was scared. I screamed for your parents. Thankfully, your mom was a botanic and she was able to save your life. But then, when you came to, you had no memories of me. To make matters worse, your family became extremely angry at me and moved away. From then on, I lost touch with you."

His hands were clenched in fists and they were shaking.

"When I got older, I thought of you often and after I found you, I was overjoyed. But the guilt still returned, haunted me in my sleep as I remembered how you were barely breathing when I was crying. You held my hand and tried to reassure me, but you were slipping away. Thankfully your mom came in time.... Or I would lose you forever."

By this time, he was sobbing.

Vox, the captain of the Juno Templars, the Stealth Patriot, was crying helplessly like an infant.

I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him from behind.

"I may have no memories of you, but it doesn't mean we can't start over. Let me get to know you better, alright?"

I buried my head in his back. He smelled like fresh water on a spring day. I don't know if the description makes sense, but his scent calmed me down.

"About that confession..... I have similar feelings for you. I was too scared to confess. I was afraid that my family would disown me for falling in love with someone the same gender as me. Sorry if I kept you wait. I love you."

I felt Vox turned around and wrapped his arms securely around me. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. He planted a gentle kiss on my head.

"I won't let you be hurt again. That's why I became stronger, so I won't be so incompetent to protect you." Vox's voice was tender. He kissed my head again. I hugged him tighter as my own insecurity begin to take over.

"Don't leave me."

"Never again."

We stayed in each other's arms till morning. At last, I pulled away.

"Now, will we tell this to the others?" I asked, resting my forehead on Vox's. He gently brushed away a strand of my hair. "Yeah. Probably going to shock them a lot but we can't keep it hidden forever."

I nodded. He does have a point. Smiling, I held his hand. He locked fingers with me and brought our linked hands to his lips. He seemed so gentle and careful that for a moment, I thought that I was in a dream. However, the temperature of his lips felt real.

"I love you Vox."

"I have loved you since."

Later that day, news of me and Vox being together dropped on the others like a bomb. Duke was rather calm and looked like as if he knew that we'd end up together. Knowing him and Vox being close friends, I had expected as much.

However, Riviera and Thetis' reaction was quite precious.

"This whole time I had thought that Vox liked Queen Juno since he was always by her side, but man, I didn't know you guys were childhood friends." Riviera commented with hands on her waist. Thetis was rather speechless. Understandable since he was still new and haven't interacted with us much to know us personally.

"So when's the wedding?" Duke joked. My face flushed red, but Vox only held my hand and gave me a reassuring squeeze. I relaxed and smiled at him. I still couldn't believe that I was with Vox as his boyfriend. It was like a dream come true.

Suddenly, the door to the headquarter opened and in came the Queen. She had a mischievous smile on her face as she approached me and Vox. "Finally, it's about time."

Now it was my turn to be surprised. How did she know that I had liked Vox and most importantly, who told her?

I saw a proud grin on Vox's face and immediately I knew who the culprit was. But I was happy.

"Yeah, Vox confessed last night." I scratched the back of my head with my free hand. Thetis and Riviera bombarded me and Vox with questions. He however, held our linked hands and ran out of the door with me behind him. He had a silly grin on his face and so was I. The two of course won't leave us alone and had chased us down the hall. Vox pulled me to a corner.

Vox's breath was ragged. His face was very close to mine and I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. He was attractive even with the beads of sweat on his forehead. I reached a hand out to wipe it away for him, but he caught my hand in his and locked our other fingers together before capturing my lips in a kiss. I returned the kiss and we stayed like that for a while before he broke away unwillingly because I was gasping for air.

He smiled and stroked my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

"You're the brightest star in my sky, Berwick."

"And you're the calm waters of my heart, Vox."

His eyes were tender, he pulled me close and rested his forehead on mine.

"What was our childhood like?"

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around my waist. "When we first met, you were under an oak tree reading a book that's always way too big for your size. I remember you always sit by yourself and you were always so quiet. I felt bad that you had no one you could play with so I approached you. I think I was your very first friend."

"You still are." I said. "But this time, you're the love of my life."

The arms around me only tightened itself more.

"You were always so sickly. We would always chat over the window of your bedroom since your parents didn't want me to be around you too much. But we managed." He chuckled. I smiled and snuggled into his chest. He was so warm.

"If I'm the star, you're the sun. No, not just any sun. You're my sunshine. You even smell like one." I giggled. His calm chuckle rumbled in his chest as I listened with my eyes closed.

His hand went to stroke my hair as he planted a kiss on my head. I felt secure and safe in his arms.

"There you two are! You can't run now!" A voice interrupted our tender moment. Uh oh. We were caught.

This time, Vox didn't run. He let go of me and let out a lighthearted laugh. "Alright alright. What do you want to know? Let's go talk in the headquarter shall we? Berwick and I had been standing here for a while and I know my sore legs need a break."

Thetis crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You better spill the tea and no more funny business because I know I'm interested with the story between you and Berwick."

Riviera nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I've been fighting alongside of you for so long and I've never heard of you talk about Berwick. You had a lot to explain, Captain."

I felt Vox's hand reaching for mine as I linked our fingers together. I stayed quiet as Vox ranted away on his way back with Riviera and Thetis by our sides. I may not remember much about him, but the feelings stayed true. I may have forgotten those precious moments, but we can make more now that we're together. And this time, I don't plan on forgetting anything.

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Author's Note

Done! Hope y'all liked the cute chapter :3

I have no idea why but I realized that I had written the relationship between Berwick and Vox similar to that of my long distance relationship with my boyfriend. He likes to give me little kisses here and there and is a very clingy guy. I guess I really wrote myself as Berwick here as somehow, I can relate to him more often than not.

Relationships are bittersweet and of course, lovey dovey moments like this will not always happen. But one thing you can keep in mind is that no matter what, whether it be a romantic relationship or any kind of relationship, the other person love you. So if you're currently fighting with that special someone or a loved one, please take the time to apologize to each other and get better. After all, you don't treasure what you have until you lose it.

Don't mean to give a life lesson here but I know from experience that it's the best thing you can do to mend a broken relationship. Hope I don't sound like your mom lol

Next chapter is on the way!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 6: Emitted Memories

It was early afternoon when I was summoned by the other Templars for a meeting. I was sitting in my room reading a spellbook when a servant came to knock on the door.

"Yes?" I looked up. The door opened to reveal the head of a maid. "Captain Vox wishes to see you in the headquarter sir Berwick."

"I'll be there soon."

"What is it?" I asked as I shut the door from behind me. I turned around to see everyone in the room. Even Thetis, the new member.

"I heard about everything." Thetis said. "And I want to pitch in and help. Not sure how I could but I'm going to try the best I can."

I nodded and thanked him. "So, are we going to go now and ask for the crest?" I asked Vox.

"Yeah. But we don't have a plan. What if she says no?"

The room was dead silent.

"Then we're going to convince her." I said. "Somehow."

Thetis sighed. "You're way too impulsive Berwick. It's not a matter of 'I'll see if she'll say yes' type of thing. It's more like whether she will allow us to help her."

"To be honest, how would we know if we don't even try asking?" Riviera objected. "We haven't even tried yet. You're overthinking Thetis."

"I can't believe that I'm agreeing with Riviera on this, but I do have to say, if we don't try, we don't know." I rubbed my temple.

Vox had been quiet the whole time. So was Duke. Thetis, Rivera and I were at it for quite a while before things got a little heated.

"Alright alright, that's enough." Vox stood up from his place from where he was sitting. "Let's try asking. If her majesty says no, we will think about something else. How about that?"

It was not exactly what Thetis wanted to hear, but since the captain made up his mind, he could only remain silent.

We left the headquarter and went down the hall leading to the throne room. But the possibilities of her being there was slim as she was never someone that could stay in the same room for too long. She was always bustling around.

Finally, we found her in Princess Leone's room looking at a bouquet of dying flowers. I frowned. This phenomenon had been going on ever since last year. I remembered noticing a large amount of flowers dying by the riverbank where I used to gather magic stones for class. When we approached, her majesty turned around and smiled.

"Oh hello, what brought all of you here?"

Everyone's gaze fell on me. I sighed. It was my idea to ask in the first place after all. "We have something we must discuss with you, perhaps in private." I explained, eyeing the young Princess occasionally, who was at the moment standing next to her elder sister with a curious and worried expression. The idea of her sister dying would be too much for her to bear and I didn't want to be the one breaking her heart. Even though I may not like her, I'm not cold-blooded.

"Oh sure, where would you like to go?"

We ended up in one of the private meeting rooms in the castle. I told her about that day I saw her curse taking effect and how we wanted to help her. I showed her the book I found in the library and explained to her that we wanted to look for a way to cure her. And to do that, we needed the crests.

"No, I'm sorry." She rejected, her expression solemn. "Do you have any ideas of how much destruction this one single crest can do if it was to fall to the wrong hand? Besides, I can't believe that you allowed Berwick to talk you into this Vox. I thought you knew better than that."

"Your highness," Vox begin. "This has nothing to do with Berwick and whether he convinced me to agreeing with him. You gave me a second life, and I'm forever indebted. This is just one of the small ways where I can return the favor back to you. Will you accept my proposal and for this once listen to our advice?"

"Queen Juno," Riviera looked at her majesty, eyes filled with sadness. "You had given me a purpose in life. I used to wander aimlessly in bars getting drunk and gamble my life away on a daily basis, wasting my money and not knowing what I wanted to do. You took me in and look where it got me now. I'm a Juno Templar. I work as a knight to protect this kingdom and you. If you're gone, what will be our purpose then?"

"I've already decided to pass the throne down to Leone." Queen Juno said calmly. "I think she'll make a wonderful queen in my stead."

I was indignant. "While we have no doubt of Princess Leone being a good queen, she is still but a child. You're her sister for crying out loud. If you're gone, she's going to be the most heartbroken of us all. Besides, do you really wish to see your sister being weighed down by all those duties she had to attend to without ever being trained to do so? Please, you don't have to listen to us if you don't want to. But do this for your sister's sake. She needs you."

She sighed. "I do have the Dagger of Testament."

Duke smiled. "That's good news."

"Yes, but I had passed it down to Leone. The Blood was breaking out in her, and I knew what I had to. As much as I didn't want to leave her, there can only be one person carrying the dagger....."

Everyone fell silent.

"But..... That's why we could make it..... Right?" I asked. I looked to her majesty trying to see if there was more we could do. She only shook her head sadly.

"I'm afraid not..... As talented as our weapon forgers are, the process of making the dagger is long and tedious. Not to mention that it required heat hotter than the sun.... "

"But my flame is hotter than the sun right? You've seen it yourself!" I cried. "It's not impossible. It may take time, but it's not impossible!"

"Beriwick, calm down." Thetis placed a hand on my shoulder. "There's gotta be something we can do."

I bit my lips. My hands clenched to fists as I looked at the ground. Is it really hopeless at this point? How much longer do we have with the Queen before she will die?

No, I mustn't. I can't give up. There have to be another way out.

I felt a gentle hand holding mine. I looked up and was immediately met with a pair of calm amber eyes.

"Let's go guys. Our discussion here is over." Duke said, shooting everyone out.

"But we're not done talking here!" Riviera objected angrily. "What happened to talk until we convince her?"

"We never agreed on that." Thetis said as he held the door open for everyone. "Vox said to ask. And if it doesn't work, then we'll think of something else."

Riviera's head hung. My heart sunk as the door shut with a dull sound, drowning our hopes. We went back to the headquarter, nobody said anything. The walk was silent.

Riviera said something about going on for a walk. Thetis offered to accompany her. Duke said that he was having a small headache and needed to go rest. They departed and left me alone with Vox.

"You seemed awfully determined about this."

I looked at him, his cerulean hair bounced along as he walked.

"Yeah. She's done a lot for this kingdom. And..... She gave me Fomalhaut. She went as far as finding out my hobby of astronomy and had the staff made specifically for me and was stylized so it resembled the stars. How could I not repay her for her kindness? Isn't there something we can do?"

"I have a spot to take you to."

I was stumped. "Are you listening to me? We have to find a way to help her majesty-"

"Are you free tonight?" He turned his head, his amber eyes gentle with emotions.

"Yeah, why?"

"I have a place to take you tonight. I was wondering if you're free. I know you're worried about her majesty, but I'm sure the place can clear your head and help you think better."

I smiled a little. "Sure. What time?"

--------------------------------------------------

Night slowly crept up on the small kingdom of Granadia. The evening wind was quite chilling. I was thankful that I remembered to grab a coat on my way out. The night was clear, a perfect one for stargazing.

I waited behind the castle as Vox instructed. Soon after, I saw a tall figure running toward me.

"You're late." I commented.

"Sorry, sorry. I was caught up in something. How long have you been waiting?" He panted, out of breath. He looked like he had been running.

"Not too long. Maybe 2 or 3 minutes before you." I said, wrapping the coat around me tighter.

"Let's get going, shall we?" He asked, steam smoke came out of his mouth.

"Sure."

Vox let me to a clearing with a small hill. He sat on the grass and patted the spot next to him. I got down nervously. We were too close.

"This is the spot I usually sneak off to whenever something's bothering me."

He looked at the night sky, the moonlight casted a soft glow around him, making him seemed almost divine.

"But.... Why me?" I asked curiously. "I mean, this is your special place isn't it?"

He smiled, his eyes still on the sky. "That's because those stars reminded me of you. It'll be mean of me to keep this place a secret from you."

I blushed and turned my attention to the skies. The stars were bright, but my mind was on the blue-haired demon next to me.

"Do you..... "

He looked at me.

"Do you see Queen Juno as more than a friend? I mean..... Never mind." A painful feeling pulled on my heart. What am I saying? I should be thankful that I even got this close to him by luck. I shouldn't dream anything beyond that.

He was silent. His eyes finally torn away from the skies and they were now focused on me.

"I only have respect for her. My heart belongs to someone else."

My heart sank. I knew it. I can never be with him.

I refused to look at him. I was afraid that if I did, my eyes will betray me and my feeling would be made known to him. I was happy, I told myself. Just being his friend that he can confide in is enough. I'm not asking for more. It's not possible between us. My family would probably even disown me for falling in love with someone the same gender as me. It is a forbidden sin.

I felt a hand on mine. It's the second time Vox had touched my hand today. I looked at him to see his eyes tender.

"Berwick, is my heart not enough for you? When will you realize that the person I truly love is you? Do you still remember me?"

My pupils dilated, my heart beat rapidly at his words. Was this..... A confession? What does he mean if I still remember him? Had we met before?

Suddenly, my head began to hurt. I rubbed my temple and let out a hiss. Vox seemed concerned. I tried to tell him that I was fine, but the throbbing continued and pretty soon, I felt my body gave out as darkness began to take over me. The last thing I remembered was his voice calling out to me.

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Author's Note

Welp. The mission for crest failed. Everyone was disappointed. Not to mention that this sudden confession from Vox had quite overwhelmed our poor Berwick. Man, things sure got stressful.

I decided to add a little plot twist here since GS do own the copyright of the KoB arc. Wanna know what happened to Berwick? Well, wait for the next chapter and you'll find out UwU

I know, I suck for keeping you wait XD

[flame-nova]

Chapter 5: Thetis

By the time I woke up, I almost didn't remember where I was. When my feet touched the floor did I realize that this was not a dream. I really was a Juno Templar and that I was sleeping in the castle, in the chamber designated for me.

I got dressed, washed up and tidied up my sleeping area before I went down to the dining hall to get something to eat. It was not hard to follow my nose to the smell of fluffy pancakes and sizzling bacon in the air. I was soon joined with Vox, who was also an early riser. After about 10 minutes, Duke appeared and sat next to us. Riviera was the last. She almost missed breakfast.

By the time she made her way to the table where we were at, Duke and Vox were chatting over a cup of coffee. I sipped on my tea while quietly listened to their conversation. Riviera made a loud noise as she plopped down next to Duke. My attention turned to her.

"Late as usual." Duke commented without turning his head around.

"Hey, a girl needs her beauty sleep you know? Of course you wouldn't. You're a guy." She rolled her eyes before taking a big bite out of the pancake.

I chuckled. Maybe it isn't so bad having friends after all. I could get used to this.

"So, about the plan." Vox said as he set the coffee down and crossed his fingers in front of him. "It'll have to be delayed as I forgot that today we'll have a completion ceremony. The last member of the Juno Templars had been announced and we were told to be present for the occasion."

I almost spit my tea out. "Already? That's so fast. I mean, I've only been the new member for a day and already we have everybody needed?"

Vox nodded. "The new guy will be a tank. We all have a job here to do as a Templar. My job as the captain is to oversee the whole operation and to report to my supervisor. In this case, her majesty. I also act as your main attacker."

Gesturing to Riviera, Vox continued. "And Riviera is crucial if we wanted to nuke a battle. Due to her poor stamina, she has a limited amount of time to end a fight. Long and boisterous battle will be very disadvantageous to her."

"And I," Duke took over. "Will be the breaker of the team. My broadsword can break through the enemy's core and shatter their shield, thus make them weak to our advantage."

"And you," Vox begin, looking at me. "Will be our main support and sub attack. Your flame magic is the second most powerful thing next to my water vortex. Once Magia Drive is in effect, you're unstoppable. Since you're a mage, you know a lot of magic spells and encantations that could help either heal us, or give us a push so our arts can be strengthened. Plus, most of your attacks are ranged so it's easier for you to evade enemy attacks, so you're also very important in our group."

I nodded, understanding where he was getting at. "And the shield guy will be our tank. He'll be the one to negate most damages so we can focus on our own tasks."

"Exactly. So balance is very important." Vox concluded.

"So when's the ceremony going to start?" Riviera asked with food still in her mouth.

"Should be soon. Also, swallow your food before you talk Riviera. You'll chock." Vox shook his head, an unnoticeable curve formed at the corner of his mouth.

"I know, I know. Thanks dad." Riviera retorted with a smile. "Let's go get ready shall we?"

I nodded and finished my cup of tea. Duke and Vox were already on their feet. Riviera stuffed the last bits of bacon in her mouth before leaving.

---------------------------------------

A few hours after, I was dressed in my best garb. I entered the arena where the ceremony would take place. I held Fomalhaut proudly on my left hand and stepped through the arch. I was once again the first one there. A servant guided me to the special row of seats reserved specifically for the Juno Templars. I sat down, gently placed Fomalhaut by my side and waited for the others to arrive.

The next one showing up was Duke. He carried his broadsword on his shoulder as he strode his way over to me. "Looking good young man." He commented. I thanked him and smiled. I was in a good mood.

Riviera was next. She was in a rather revealing outfit that showed off the size of her bust. I looked away. I didn't want to stare and make it seem like I was a creep. Especially seeing those axes of hers. I don't want to ever think about messing with them.

Last, not least. Vox appeared in his usual attire. Only this time, he had his beloved blade strapped next to him around his waist. He took a seat next to me and grinned. I grinned back. Today was going to be exciting and I can finally show the world how much I can do. I was going to let them see that I was not the grandson of the flame mage. But rather, Berwick The Crimson Marksman.

The other Templars chatted casually for a while. I looked around and saw more and more demons started filling in. Pretty soon, there were no vacant seats left. Then, a deafening sound pierced through the air. Everyone quieted down as the kingdom crier announced Queen Juno's entrance. A boring speech was said and with the clang of the bell, the ceremony commenced.

"First and foremost of it all, let's give it up for the captain, The Stealth Patriot, Vox of the Juno Templars!"

As soon as Vox stood up to wave at the audiences, the crowd went wild with cheers. I looked on with amusement. That was quite a reaction alright.

"Next one up, we have the vice captain, The Tower of Courage, Duke of the Juno Templars!"

More cheers sounded, but they were not as enthusiastic as when Vox was announced. Ouch.

"Then, we have the fierce, fearless and courageous, The Brutal War Axe Riviera of the Juno Templars!"

A deafening sound of whistles were heard. Most of them were guys. Of course, why am I not surprised. Riviera was a woman with a great body. Many guys in town had talked about how she was their ideal girlfriend type. However, Most guys were too afraid to date her. Probably because she was too scary for them. I chuckled at the thought.

"Last, but not the least, let's give a warm welcome to our new, young rising star of Granadia, The Crimson Marksman Berwick!"

Before the crowd had a chance to cheer for me as they did with the others, I shushed them. Standing up, I extended a hand. Fire begin to form around the tip of my index finger. With a wave of my arm, a fire Phoenix was created. It flew around the arena, gave a loud cry before disappearing into specks of dying embers. The demons were silent. I smiled, knowing the little surprise that I had prepared worked like a charm. I ended the act with a bow.

The crowd was loving it. They went insane for it.

Beside me, Vox jabbed me in the rib with the end of his elbow. "You just had to do that, don't you?"

I saw a playful twinkle in his eyes though his expression remained calm. I only grinned at him.

"Showoff." Duke rolled his eyes, but the corner of his lips betrayed him as I saw a small smile escaping.

Riviera only shook her head. The only one who didn't try to mask the pure amusement on her face.

Soon, the crowd quieted down. The announcer then introduced the demon that will be joining us shortly.

"And now, the moment you all had been waiting for. The new recruit of the Juno Templars, The Unmovable Shield, Thetis of Granadia!"

The crowd cheered, whistles could be heard among the few demons that was sitting next to me. I guessed that it was probably his family members.

I wondered if my family would be proud of me for choosing to be a Juno Templar instead of carrying on the family legacy.

"Don't be silly." I slapped my face to remind myself. "I'm my own person. I don't have to carry on the family destiny if I don't want to. I am proud of being a fire mage. But I will not let that define me. For I am Berwick, The Crimson Marksman."

While I was distracted, I didn't notice that there was a fierce battle going on below us. The crowd was silent with nervousness. I was wondering why they were not making a peep until I saw it as well.

The new recruit was having a hard time dealing with the dragon that was in the arena. It looked like the heavy armors he was wearing was weighing him down, making him pant in weariness. The sweat on his forehead was glistening under the sun.

Suddenly, the dragon raised his head in the air. He gave a loud roar and charged a beam of icy ray toward the new recruit. The heaviness of the shield had finally burdened him as he was a minute later to dodge. He was grazed and soon, his flesh appeared to be frost bitten. The dragon trodged closer and Thetis looked like he doesn't have much stamina left.

Seeing how dangerous the situation was, without thinking, I grabbed Fomalhaut and dashed toward the center of the battlefield, ignoring everyone's gasps and murmurs.

"Flame Nova!" I shouted. A pillar of fire rose in front of me. I directed it toward the dragon. He wasn't harmed, but he was caught off guard. I rushed over to the wounded new recruit and used the momentum to pull him out of the dangerous area. He was quite heavy due to the amount of armory he had equipped.

"Are you okay?" I kneeled before him. He nodded his thanks and breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing his prey slip away from under his nose, the dragon was enraged. He stretched out his wings and shattered the chains that had been keeping him in bound. I realized that it could get really dangerous, so I shouted to Duke to start escort the crowd out of the exit. He nodded. I then turned my attention back to the dragon. He was now right above me. There was nothing Riviera or Vox could do since they had more of a melee attack style. I was the only one who could reach the dragon with my fire.

I bit my lips. Fire against water was not so advantageous. Sure, his ice won't do much to me, but he also had a water element within him to which could easily put out my flame. And once my flame is gone, I could no longer ride the wind and reach him.

I looked to Queen Juno. There could be only one solution left. She seemed to read my mind and gave a nod of approval. I smirked. This all ends here.

"Our pledge to our ruler, the call of justice running deep into our crimson blood, Magia Drive!"

Suddenly, I felt power surge through me. The flame around me broke out. The aura of my fire magic overflowed, surrounding me in dark red embers.

"Today will be the day that you regret that you had ever been born, for you will perish under the wrath of my Crimson Judgement. Ex Procyon Blast!"

I cried and jumped up. The updraft created by my magic flames sent me into mid air. I pointed Fomalhaut at the dragon as a blast of fire shot out from the tip. The ice dragon roared in pain, and pretty soon, he disappeared under the hunger of my flame.

The effect of my magic wore off as I landed on my feet. The dragon had perished.

Clap

Clap clap

More claps were heard. I looked around to see Vox and Riviera making their way toward me. Duke smiled proudly from the far end of the arena. Queen Juno nodded her approval. Even Thetis was quite impressed.

"Wow, that was lit Berwick. No pun intended but you really saved my butt back there." He laughed, his red rimmed glasses shined under the hot, midday sun.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "I'm sure I was pretty impulsive though."

"Had you not jumped out of your seat on time, we might've lost a new recruit." Vox interjected. "So your misconduct was forgiven."

"But this'll be the only time though." Her majesty approached us. "Unless something like this happened again."

The near death experience was soon drowned out by our laughters.

----------------------------------------------

Author's Note

I SUCKED SO MUCH AT WRITING FIGHTING SCENES AHHHH! It took everything out of me to not sound repetitive but I guess I'm too rusty in this area. Writing too much romance be like lol

I know, Berwick doesn't have any healing abilities in game. But again, like I said, this is a fan fiction. It only makes sense to have someone Who's mastered the art of magic in order to use a healing spell. To do that, Berwick is the best guy for the job.

Thanks for reading!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 4: The Cursed Blood

Books

Reminded me of a certain turquoise haired demon who used to pester me whenever I wanted time alone. Now that I graduated from the sorcerer academy, I couldn't help but thinking wistfully upon the memories I spend there as a student.

They had a library similar to the one I'm in right now. But this was Granadia's biggest library. The amount of documents found here was enough to cover half of the history of Granadia. My eyes quickly glanced over the sections. I was not here for relaxing reading like so many other demons were here to do. I was here with a purpose.

Finally, my eyes landed on a section that titled "ancient copendium". I figured that I could probably find some clues here as to why Queen Juno acted strange. My finger trailed over to the column of books on the shelf, my mouth moving, silently reading the titles of each book. Finally, I stopped at an ancient looking book titled "Curses of the Old". I was pleased. I took the book out of the shelf and I was about to walk away with it until I ran into someone. I fell and the book dropped on the floor with a "thud".

I raised my eyes angrily, about to snap at the person for not being mindful of their surroundings before I was met with a pair of calm, amber eyes. It was Vox.

"Oh I'm sorry Berwick." He bend over and offered me a hand to help me up. "I didn't think I'd run into you here."

I laughed quietly. "Neither do I."

I took his extended hand and pulled myself back up. Vox handed me the book and read the title with a raised eyebrow. " 'Curses of the Old?' What are you up to?"

Consider he also saw Queen Juno being out of control, I told him of my plans.

"Hmm..... Maybe we could figure something out together." He agreed. I nodded and took him to the reading area. We sat side by side and begin to look over the content of the book. My eyes stopped at a section specifically addressed to "Cursed Blood".

"Hold on." I told Vox. "That day when her majesty was going out of control, I saw red substance under her feet. I could only guess that may be her blood. This 'Cursed Blood' article may be able to help us figure out the problem."

Vox nodded, his eyes on me. I turned to the correct page as I begin to read aloud.

"The Cursed Blood was a phenomenon that was passed down from the royal family centuries ago, more commonly seen on female members. The cause of it was that the blood flowing in the royal family was also that of the Titans, thus granting them with an immense amount of power. However, loss of control could result in a destruction so great that it would cause the doom of the world."

The atmosphere was dead silent as both me and Vox sat lost in our own thoughts.

Isn't there any way to save Queen Juno?

"Wait- there's more." My eyes sparked with hope as I continued to read.

"However, there is a way to which that can keep the curse contained. It was the Dagger of Testament. A short sword masterfully crafted in a massive kiln by the Ancients. It is made of an impossible metal, said to need heat millions of times stronger than the sun to forge. The blade itself also bears three high-ranking Crests layered over each other. This lets it synergize with the powers of its owner, making it much more than a mere dagger."

"Maybe we can find a way to forge this blade so that she can live!" Vox stood up. I nodded. I'm confident that the heat coming from my flame magic is hotter than the sun. We just needed to find the three high ranking crests in order to forge the blade. And to do that, we'd have to ask her majesty to give us the crests.

"But how will we get the crests?" I asked. "The Queen is the keeper of the crests after all. We won't be able to ask for the crest without raising suspicion. Besides, knowing her, she won't allow us to do such a thing for her. She would rather suffer than accepting our aid."

Vox seemed to be deep in thought." You do have a point. But the only way for us to possibly get our hands on the crests was through her majesty. So whether it's a good idea or not, we might have to try our lucks."

"What about the others? Should we let Riviera and Duke in on the secret? I mean, it's our job as the Knights of Blood right? Protecting the kingdom includes protecting the Queen so in my opinion, we should tell them. Besides, we might just convince her successfully since there are more of us."

He nodded."You're right. Let's get going. Time's a wasting."

We returned to the castle grounds. Behind the closed doors of the headquarter, Vox and I took turns sharing what we saw earlier that day. I showed them the book and explained to them what we had to do.

"I didn't know that she was going through such a painful curse....." Riviera's face fell. Sadness swimmed in her eyes. Duke nodded. "But don't worry. I'm 100% agreeing with your ideas and you have my aid."

"Yeah. We need her majesty. She had done so much for us. It's about time we return the favor. It's only the best we could do." Riviera stood up. But Duke stopped her in her tracks."Hold up, it's late and her majesty had probably already retired to her chambers. We can try tomorrow instead."

"That's true. Well, you guys have a good night. I have to head back to my cabin and move my stuff over." I said. "I haven't had the time since I was busy all day.

"You need a hand?" Vox offered. "I mean, consider that it's dark out there and I don't want what happened to the night before happen to you again."

"Sure."

We walked in silence. After a while, I decided to break the ice."So, how did you find out where I live? I mean, I couldn't have ended up in my own cabin right after I passed out."

Vox scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, thing is, I don't. I had to ask around and thankfully, you're quite well known and a few people does know who you are and your cabin's location. That's how I found your place."

"Huh, I'm quite famous you say?"

He chuckled."Of course. You came from a long family line of fire mages. It's not a surprise that quite a few people knows you."

I smiled bitterly. "Have you ever felt the pressure of carrying the family name on your shoulder? Because you're simply the next one in line to take the baton? I didn't have my own purpose and didn't even know what I wanted to do in life until I saw you guys sparring. That gave me a new meaning to life. I wanted to become a Juno Templar. Simple as that."

Vox lowered his head. "Nope. Can't relate at all. My parents died when I was a kid. I lived as a mercenary and met Duke. The two of us relied on each other to live until one day our mission failed. We almost died if it wasn't for her majesty. I owe her big time and that's why I agreed to help lift her curse. I'm forever indebted to her."

I was suddenly filled with sympathy and sorrow for Vox. "And that's why you swore on your life to protect Granadia." I concluded.

He nodded. The night was dark. I couldn't see the expression on his face. The two of us fell into awkward silence again.

I looked at the sky, the night was clear and I could see a lot of stars shining down on us.

"Look, that's Cancer." I pointed to one constellation. "In the Greek mythology, the giant crab was created by goddess Hera to kill the hero Hercules. But Hercules killed it instead. To commemorate for what the crab did, Hera threw it to the sky and allowed it to become a constellation."

"And that over there," I continued, pointing to another constellation. "Is Virgo. She was supposed to represent the daughter of the grain and harvest goddess. The daughter's name was Persephone. Her famous story of the pomegranate should explain why the constellation was there to remember her." I chuckled.

"Wow," Vox looked at the sky, his amber eyes gleamed as he marveled at the beauty of the night. I chatted and shared more of my knowledge of the stars with him. Before I knew it, we were in front of my cabin.

"Thanks for accompanying me and listening to my rant of the stars Vox." I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "I just love astronomy."

Vox only chuckled."Of course I know that. You really opened my eyes on the stars though. Always thought that the stars were beautiful, but I've never felt so breath taken by them. You're a good teacher. Engaging and entertaining."

I blushed."Thanks. Now, I'll be back. Just going to grab things I'll be needing for tonight. I'll come back for the rest tomorrow."

He nodded and stood outside waiting for me. I quickly gathered my clothes for tomorrow and some hygiene products before locking the door behind me. We laughed, talked and got to know each other better that night. But Vox had no idea that I had developed some kind of feelings for him. I will probably keep it to myself. Only the stars will know.

-------------------------------------------

Author's Note

Like Berwick, I did a lot of research on this chapter. From Juno's curse to the constellations. Thankfully, I knew a little about constellations and Greek mythology since I was in 7th grade (as an elective class) so the knowledge helped me a ton.

I also logged on GS specifically and rewatched the CG scenes from the Copendium so that my memories can be jogged. It was a lot of work writing this chapter and I've been trying my best to stay in canon as much as possible. I apologize if incorrect information had been inserted. Please feel free to correct me of any errors I've made. Thank you for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Oh also, before I go, I want to thank the unknown reader who had followed me all through. I don't know who you are, but I'm thankful that you're reading the series. Really appreciate it. It gives me the motivation to keep the stories coming. Thank you!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 3: Fomalhaut, the Brightest Star

The three of us made our way to the castle. Inside the palace, I was marveled by everything I saw. The soft velvet curtain hung by the windows, the carpet crunched under our feet as we walked. At times, I could make out smells of fresh bakery in the air. Servants rushed past us, curtsying to the Queen before leaving hurriedly. Everything was new to me as I let my eyes wandered around. So this was what it was like living in a castle? That's way too luxurious than my humble little cabin in the woods.

At last, we stopped in front of a door with detailed carving on the doorframes.

"This is the Knights of Blood's headquarter." The Queen explained. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Knights of Blood? Isn't it supposed to be Juno Templers?"

She smiled. "The crest's power came from a drop of blood of the royal family. You had sworn on the blood to protect the kingdom, thus you're Knights of Blood."

"Ohhh I see." I nodded. "So this is where we will remain at our time of being as the Knight?"

"Yep!" She chirped. "Why don't you go inside? I'm sure the others are waiting to meet you."

I pushed the door open. It welcomed my intrusion with a loud protest of creak. Inside, Duke and Riviera sat across from each other. They seemed to be locked in a game of chess. The girl groaned as she ran her hand through her long, lush green hair. She was losing.

Duke lifted his violet eyes and noticed our presence. He stood up and bowed to the Queen before speaking. "It looks like we have a new member."

I was a little intimidated. I had a reason to be. Duke stood towering over us with a fierce expression on his face. A look from him could kill. Vox seemed to read my mind as he laughed and explained. "Oh don't worry, he may look all scary, but he's actually a big softie."

Duke frowned. "Oh c'mon Vox. You don't have to call me out like that."

"Captain's right you know?" The only girl of the group, Riviera came up from behind him. "Who's the little guy?"

"I'm not little! I'm Berwick, The Crimson Marksman." I introduced proudly. But everyone started laughing.

"What?" I asked, clearly confused.

"Oh you're adorable." Riviera said before pinching my cheek. I was very displeased and I made it apparent. No one ever, not even my own family, had ever pinched my cheek like that.

Duke smiled. "Quit teasing him Riviera, don't you see he doesn't seemed too happy about it?"

Vox's face was calm, but I saw a small twinkle dancing in his eyes. He was definitely amused. "He may look all small and puny," he began. "But Berwick's power was no joke. Queen Juno and myself had the honor of witnessing some of it ourselves."

Both Duke and Riviera seemed impressed. I shot Vox a grateful glance. I guess I could say that I was accepted into their small circle as the new member.

"Oh and Berwick," Queen Juno spoke, getting my attention. "I have something for you. Would you mind follow me?"

I was curious. What was she up to now?

She seemed hard to read. Definitely a lot of secrets about her that I don't know of. I may have to do a little research later once I get a chance to.

I followed her down the hall. She let me to the kingdom's armory and told me to wait for her outside. I did as I was told, wondering why I was here before she came out with a staff laying in her arms.

It looked like it was made of a special red wood found in the forest here in Granadia. There was a piece of metal attached to a sphere on the tip of the staff. Spikes framed the metal piece, and around the sphere, small bits of stars orbited around it with magic. The staff gave off a gleam under the soft sunlight of afternoon.

"Is that..... For me?" I asked in disbelief. "It's..... It's beautiful."

Queen Juno smiled. "I had the best armor maker in the kingdom to forge a weapon that is suitable for someone who uses fire magic and adores astronomy. I can see that you love it already."

I took the staff from her. It was not heavy. The metal piece and sphere made it seem like it was hard to carry around with me, but it surprisingly felt right in my hand. Just the comfortable size.

"Fomalhaut." I said. The Queen tilted her head.

"Oh, it's a star of the first magnitude and the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus." I smiled. "My first impression of the staff was that it gave off a bright shine, not to mention that the design reminded me of astronomy. So I named it Fomalhaut."

"Fomalhaut..... " She nodded. "I like the sound of it."

I ran a finger along the polished wooden body of Fomalhaut. She was beautiful. But consider that the staff was made of wood, a worry came in mind. "Won't she catch on fire though?" I asked. "I mean, she's made of wood...."

Queen Juno giggled. "Getting attached already? I'm glad you love the staff. Don't worry, rest assured. The wood was special. One of a kind in fact. No fire had ever been able to burn through the core of it so you can use it to your heart's content."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I thanked the Queen with the sincerity of my heart. No wonder why the demons loved her so much. She was a considerate ruler. She went as far as trying to figure out my hobby before having a weapon made specifically for me. I was touched and I vowed to take good care of Fomalhaut.

I remembered a spell that I learned in the magic academy specifically for storing things. I was unsure if I could try that on Fomalhaut so I used a small rock as a test object. I chanted the spell, the rock dissolved in fire sparks. When I used the summoning spell again, the rock appeared in the same way it disappeared. I was pleased. I could now take Fomalhaut with me wherever I go.

My next object was to go to the library to see if I can find any resources on the condition that Queen Juno was dealing with. I didn't want her to perish as she was a good queen. I can see how those around her would suffer in pain once she passes. I cannot let that happen. I must find a way to stop it before it gets out of hand. With that, I started my journey to the library in hopes to search for a solution to cure the Queen.

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Author's Note

Thank you for taking your time to read this chapter! Again, this will not completely follow the canon story established from GS as I wanted happy endings for everyone. There will be angst, but I will not kill any characters just to cause pain. After all, I love Knights of the Blood arc and I sure hope GS have more lores for KoB.

Berwick finally got his Fomalhaut and Arc Ignite!!! Yay! I know, I probably made Berwick a bit OP here, but hey, he's the main character (and my favorite unit besides Vox) so I think a little main character armor wouldn't hurt.

That's basically it! Thank you again for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 2: The Crimson Marksman

When I came to, I was in my room. I stared at the ceiling wondering what had happened the night before. I remembered that I was in the forest fighting some monsters who were trying to sneak up on me. I recalled running out of strength due to overusing my arts. Then it struck me. Someone had saved me before I was torn to pieces. And that person was none other than Vox.

I sat up suddenly. If he brought me home, how does he know where I live? I mean, I lived alone. I barely talk to anyone and not a lot of people know where I live. How would he know?

I glanced at the weather outside. It was quite sunny and from the direction of the shadows being casted, I knew that it was already noon time. I swiftly brushed my hair (it was a hassle consider I had long hair) and dashed out of the door. On my way to the riverbank, I stopped by the bakery to get something to fill my stomach before resume on my hurried mission. I didn't want to miss the chance to talk to Vox and to become one of the Templers.

While running with the bread in my mouth, I wondered why my mind was so set on becoming a Juno Templer. Maybe protecting Granadia was one of the reasons. But there had to be more than one. Could it be my newly discovered admiration for Vox?

Finally, I arrived at my destination. I was out of breath as I stopped for a break. However, I wasted no time in trying to find the place I was lurking yesterday. To my relief, I didn't forget.

I snuck behind the bush again, but to my surprise, I did not see the other Templers. But rather, her majesty Queen Juno. She seemed to be in some kind of trance as dark aura surrounded her. She gave a pained cry, more darkness emitted from her. Sharp thorns suddenly began to poke out from the ground. My hand flew to my mouth as I stiffled a gasp. I must be quiet. Because I was witnessing something that no one was supposed to see.

"Queen Juno!" A familiar voice rang from a different part of the bush. I turned my gaze to see Vox rushing to her side with an worried expression. "What is the meaning of this?"

Her majesty only smiled softly and shook her head. She signaled for him to stand as far away as possible lest she hurt him. Vox stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.

After what seemed like an eternity, the thorns began to disappear and the eerie aura was slowly dissolving. Below her gown, a pile of red and sticky substance could be seen.

"Queen Juno....." Vox trailed off. Her majesty turned her face to him, her smile was sad and gentle. "I'm afraid that I don't have long to live......"

Vox was about to say something until she noticed my presence and called me out. "Whoever that's hiding behind that bush, you may come out now."

I jolted. I wasn't sure if I should. But I thought better of it and made my presence known. "I apologize for eavesdropping your highness." I bowed my head low, keeping my eyes on the ground. I heard her footsteps coming closer until she was in front of me. I closed my eyes. I was sure that I was going to be in trouble for snooping around like I did. But instead, I felt a soft but strong touch on my shoulder.

"If my memory served me right, you're Berwick right?"

My head shot up. I stared at her stupendously. How did she know?

A small curve played at the corner of her mouth as she continued. "Your grandfather had told me a lot about you. What would you say working under me? I heard that you're very gifted with fire magic."

I was once again stumped. The ruler of Granadia, the Queen herself, asked me, a nobody, to work under her name as one of the Juno Templers. It was way too much information for my mind to process.

"Well?" She asked, a twinkle played in her eyes. "I.... I'm honored to!" I had finally managed to find my voice somehow.

She let out a giggle. Then her expression solemn. "But here comes the hard part. You must display the strength of your power. I want to see the burn of your flames myself. Not just your grandfather's boast of you."

I smirked. She had no idea of what she was asking for. "Your highness, please watch at a safe distance. I do not want to scorch that expensive gown of yours."

I turned around, took a deep breath and summoned all of my strength. I was going to show her my true power today. I will prove to her that I, Berwick, will be the next Juno Templer.

"Flame Nova!" I cried. A giant pillar of flame vortex shot up into the sky. The temperature around me began to rise. The wind caused by the tornado of fire pulled on my cape. My hair tousled in the warm breeze.

Slowly, the flames died out, leaving only a few lingering embers waiting to be reignited again. I turned around and smiled proudly. "And I hope you enjoyed my performance."

Her majesty clapped her hand in delight. Behind her, Vox nodded in approval.

"From today on, you're one of the Juno Templers. Welcome aboard Berwick."

I felt the grin on my face grew wider.

"Follow me. We need to get you situated and comfortable with the others." Queen Juno said as she turned to leave. Vox and I looked at each other and trodged behind her.

"As you already met, this is Vox. The very first member of the Juno Templers. He was known for his lightning speed." The Queen begin. "He's also the captain of the Juno Templers. So if you have anything you need or you're not sure of the way around the palace, you're free to go to him for help."

Vox smiled calmly. "I was quite impressed with your performance back there Berwick. You're pretty powerful for a young demon."

I blushed. "I was born with this much potential. I mean, I almost gave my mother a fourth degree burn if she didn't know any healing magic."

I managed to make them laugh and forget the incident of the Queen being out of control back there. To which I was relieved of because I planned to do some background research on my own later.

"Oh and before I forget- here. Now that you're a Juno Templer, I think it's necessary to entrust you with this." The Queen said before pulling something out and placed it in my hand. It was a small crest the color of flame. I looked at her confused. "Is this a symbol of my status?"

"This, is the Crest. The Crest of Granadia." The Queen explained solemnly. "Each Juno Templers bore it proudly. It can grand anyone with an immense amount of power. If it fell to the wrong hands, it will become a destruction beyond restoration."

My gaze fell to the small crest on my hand. It seemed bizarre to me that something so harmless could do so much damage. Could it really be that destructive?

"Your highness, I'd like to try its power." I proposed. The Queen looked at me incredulously. "Right now-?" She asked. I nodded.

"Very well." She sighed and cave in. "Vox, tell him how to activate the crest." He nodded.

"First of all, do you swear on your life to defend Granadia with all costs?" Vox's voice was filled with authority and power. I did not back down and answered him with an equal confidence. "I swear on my life that no matter what, I will defend Granadia regardless of how much it costs me. Even if it's my own life."

Vox nodded, he was pleased. Then, he instructed. "After you're ready, repeat after me."

I clipped the crest on my cape and signaled to Vox. The test of power had begun.

"Our pledge to our ruler, the call of justice running deep into our crimson blood, Magia Drive!"

"Our pledge to our ruler, the call of justice running deep into our crimson blood, Magia Drive!" I repeated.

Suddenly, I feel a new surge of power cruising through my veins. Fire begin to form around me, to the point where I was being lifted off into the air as more and more flame begin to gather around. At last, at the motion of my hand, a giant blast of fire tornado vortexed around me, swallowing up everything in its path. I stayed in midair for quite a while before the effect of the crest completely wore off. I landed gracefully on my feet and marveled at the damage my flame had done.

Vox and the Queen seemed speechless when I turned to them. I didn't understand why it was so impressive for them until Vox explained to me that not everyone could master the use of the crest so easily like I did.

"You truly are a genius like your grandfather claimed you to be. You're The Crimson Marksman of Granadia!" Queen Juno commented.

The Crimson Marksman? I think I like the sound of that.

I, am Berwick. The Crimson Marksman of Granadia.

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Author's Note

Welp. Another chapter completed! Hope you guys liked it so far!

I know what I wrote does not really match what the CG cutscenes originally was, but I never intended for it to go that way. I wanted to add my own twists to it as I wanted to write about Berwick's life before and during his life as a whole. I like to write things from the first person's point of view and I think it helps my readers understand the character better

The reason why I didn't include Fomalhaut in it is because I want to make it special. Like, something Juno gave him. I want Juno to leave an unforgettable impression on Berwick, so that's why he doesn't have his Fomalhaut yet.

Anyways, that's basically it. Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

[flame-nova]

Chapter 1: Beginning

My name is Berwick. I came from a family of powerful demons. My father was a respected scientist, my mother was a well-known botanic, and my grandfather was a fearsome fire mage. When I was born, it seemed that I had inherited the ability of my grandfather as I almost gave my mother a fourth degree burn if she didn't know anything about healing magic

Growing up, I was seen as a monster. Demons the same age as me didn't want to hang around me. Because I had a bad temper. If I lose control of it, I'd burn them alive. My family saw it as a gift, but I view it as a curse. Knowing that my power could harm those around me, I spend my days as a loner. But in result of that, I became socially awkward and quiet.

My grandfather was especially proud of me. At the age of 7, I was send to the most expensive academy in Granadia to learn how to control my fire magic. There, I met Rosetta, a mage who was equally good at magic, but she was talented in water magic. In contrast to mine. She was also quite the bookworm, always had her nose buried in a book and she was often the class representative. She was the only one who was willing to talk to me and approach me. I don't know why, but she particularly enjoyed teasing me, to which I find irritating.

There was also another girl at the academy to which I had a vague memory of. I think her name was Leone and she was said to be the princess of Granadia, the next in line of the throne. But to me, she didn't seem all that special. She was shy, very timid and said sorry a lot. She also annoyed me to a certain degree but not as much as Rosetta does.

I graduated from the academy when I was in my early twenties. I was quite young and arrogant, always confident in my own power. I would often look down on those who couldn't surpass me. On the outside, I was that one brat that everyone disliked. But no one knew how lonely I was deep down.

Everything changed after the day I met him.

It all started on a normal day. As usual, I would often leave and go to a secluded area to practice my fire magic. I even named one of my arts Flame Nova. While I was at the academy, I took an interest to astronomy and it fascinated me of how elegant their names were. So ideas came and I named the art Flame Nova. I was having trouble with one of the arts I was studying until I heard noises coming from the far distance. I was curious of what it was, so I snuck over. I made sure that no one could spot me before I peeked out to see what the ruckus was about.

By the riverbank, I saw a group of 3 fighting against each other. One of them was a girl. They had weapons in hand and the sounds I heard was the clang of the blades. They seemed to be sparring as they were careful not to hurt each other. I was amazed by the power they displayed in swordplay but none was as fast and graceful as one. He stood out so much for me to the point I couldn't move my eyes off of him. He had ocean blue hair, his amber eyes focused on the demon before him as he tried to parry the other demon's attack.

"Quick Draw: Brilliant Blade!" He cried as streams of water formed around him. My eyes opened wide as I saw his wounds and scratches were slowly healing as he dashed toward the other demon. He seemed to be caught off guard as he stumbled backward. Without warning, the water demon unarmed him.

"Man, your art is as powerful as ever Vox." The defeated demon wiped his brow as he laughed. "That was a tough battle for me to be put up against."

"You'll get better Duke." Vox said as he went to pick up Duke's boulder breaker and handed it over to him. He thanked Vox and left to take a break.

"Hey captain, duel me!" The girl pipped up, standing from the rock she had been sitting on. In her hands were two axes. "Riviera, you should really train on your stamina before you duel me you know?" Vox shook his head helplessly. Looks like stamina had been this girl's weakness. To which I can relate since I also have poor stamina.

"Besides," I heard Vox again. "Queen Juno may need you two at her palace. I believe she had something planned for you and Duke to do. You don't want to keep her wait."

Duke and Riviera nodded before taking off. I was about to leave as well, but something made me stop in my track. The water demon picked up his blade, got in a fighting stance and waved his sword in the air. No wonder why he was so strong, he continues to train himself even when training time was over. I marveled with admiration. He truly was fitting to be the captain of the Juno Templers.

That was when a wild thought popped in my head. I want to join the Juno Templers. I want to be part of the special guards that protect this kingdom. I know I was capable of it. My fire magic was exceeding that of my grandfather's.

I was going to come out of my hiding place, but I noticed that it was getting late and I should probably head back home now. I sighed with disappointment. Hopefully I'll get to talk to him tomorrow if they do come by again. I stood up, snuck away from my hiding place as quiet as I was able to and left the riverbank. On the way home, the path was dark and it was getting hard to see. I ignited a small flame on the tip of my index finger as a mean of light source for me to get a better idea of where I was going. A few feet away from me up ahead, I saw some eyes glowing in refection of the light. I groaned. Looks like I'll have to kill some monsters before I can enjoy my peace and quiet again.

I took a deep breath and kneeled on the floor. Small swirls of flame begin form around me. I waited for the monsters to approach before I unleashed my art.

"Flame Nova!" I yelled. A pillar of fire tornado rose up in front of me and soon, the monsters screamed before the flame swallowed their demise.

Since Flame Nova takes time to charge, I had to use small magic attacks in between. By the time Flame Nova was ready again, I unleashed another powerful blow on the monsters.

However, more of them appeared and my poor stamina was starting to slow me down. Pretty soon, I had no strength left to use another Flame Nova. As more and more monsters closing in on me, my life flashed before my mind. Was I going to die here? Heh, of course I am. I was born alone, and I will die in the same way.

I closed my eyes, waiting for my fate. But it didn't come to me. It never did. Instead, I heard a male's voice yell "Quick Draw: Brilliant Blade!" Before I fade into unconsciousness.

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Author's Note

Hey hey hey! Thanks for reading this to the end! I really appreciate it!!!

Okay, so you might have noticed that Thetis was not in here. Well, I was told that he joined the Juno Templers after Berwick so I don't know. I haven't been a GS player for that long. I joined during the Shaman King crossover and Berwick was my first KoB unit. He had been super helpful to me and I grew attached to him. So yeah, you can see now why my name is Flame Nova XD

Also a few minor diffences. You might think it's strange that Berwick knows Leone and Rosetta before he became a Templer. I've heard older players say that they used to be in the same magic school learning magic together. I don't know if this is a fan canon, but I honestly think it makes sense.

Anyways, I think that's all I have to say. If you have any questions or anything you'd like to add, you're welcome to comment in the comment section. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed chapter 1 so far!!

[flame-nova]

Well I guess I should put something here as my first post huh-? Well, nice to meet you! I'm Nova and I play the game Grand Summoners. I especially love Knights of Blood arc and my fan fic is based on that. It'll be filled with actions, daily lives, main story plot and a ton of ship fluff. I also post mostly KoB stuff so if you like that, feel free to chat me up! If you want, you can also add me on Discord. My ID is 🔥┆Flame Nova`~ ★#8344 if you want to friend me!

I'll be posting the chapters of the story below so you'll be able to get access to them. Thanks for visiting my page and nice to meet you all!

Click here to see my Instagram highlights about the original Knights of Blood saga!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9