A few days later, after fully recovering, Malkari met Anarkia while she was working in the tavern, a smile coming to his face as he saw her.
"Hey, Anarkia..." He said casually.
"Greetings, menki."
"Heh...name's Malkari...I know we've met on occasion here before, and at yesterday's incident..."
"You're okay, right?" She asked him, worried about his wounds.
"If you hadn't done what you did, I don't think I could've made it out of that mess..." After Malkari said this, Anarkia began to smile at him. "It was quite unexpected, really...I didn't want things to end that day. I don't think I can thank you enough for that."
"You're welcome..."
Malkari fell asleep next to the fireplace as it was raining outside. After waking up, he ran out of the tavern, Anarkia being distracted with work. He met Yanlora again in the Plaza, and told her of what happened the other day.
"Your friends aren't very cooperative...instead of simply telling me where you were, they fought...was a pretty bloody battle, too bad you weren't in it." Malkari said to her right away, a fake frown on his face.
"Hmm...I heard of it." She said, not really that worried.
"Here, I'll put it bluntly. You have two choices, we end this now, or have a little fun..." He said to her out of nowhere, already trying to get into a fight.
"Well.. I think my choice is depending on what time will bring...even if it's short time..." After Yanlora said this, a woman nearby, Morila, who was a member of The Outlaws, drew her swords and was about to help Malkari with killing Yanlora. She called the guards on them, and Malkari once again had to teleport away to escape them. Being angered now, he returned to the tavern, and saw Anarkia once more, a smile coming to his face when he saw her.
"That Yanlora's an annoying one..." He said. "Oh well, savor the moment I suppose..." He began to laugh. Anarkia laughed along with him, making Malkari sure that she was actually on Xeonart's side. She introduced him to one of her friends, and they greeted eachother casually. Later, another Enkidukai woman walked into the tavern, distracting Anarkia's friend with simple talk. Anarkia sat next to the fireplace, as Malkari sat on the bench and looked down at her, trying to talk to her about her past, which she would not tell him of. Instead, she changed the subject, and asked Malkari about himself. He told her of the markings on her body, and she was a little confused, but accepted it. She started to itch her neck, and with Malkari asking if she was alright, she told him that it was just a simple scratch. Malkari smiled, and reached over to scratch her neck for her, she became more relaxed and layed against Malkari's leg. He moved into a massage, and she was purring as he comforted her. She looked as though she'd had a rough past, so he stopped asking her about memories that might have been disturbing, and began to tell her something else as he now had his full focus on giving her the massage.
"Perhaps...there may be memories that we become happy when thinking about, we just need to form them..." He told her, understanding that they both had memories they did not wish to bring up. Anarkia smiled, but was seemingly distracted by something else. A strange Enkidukai girl had just walked into the tavern, and began to flirt with someone inside, the impression being that she wanted to make Malkari jealous, or at least that's what he figured. He and Anarkia walked up to a tavern balcony, and Malkari knew right away that this girl would make him happy...she was very beautiful, and very kind, despite what people said about her and how they treated her. They kissed, and moved into more...Malkari was completely lost, not caring anymore about any of his problems, and only focusing on Anarkia. He tried to hide his eyes, which were colored red after he accepted the anti-existance's power, but she said that they were unique, and she liked them...so he showed them to her, and they moved from kissing, to something more...
Malkari awoke, Anarkia was apperantly asleep somewhere else, so he moved out of the room that he was staying in after his night with Anarkia, and walked outside back into the main Plaza, not soon after seeing Anumesa sitting outside of the Temple of Laanx. She walked inside, and he followed her, not sure why she was in such a place. He found out that she was under Xeonart's control from a Seal of Vengeance that was burned onto her skin, and she was hiding there trying to get away from Xeonart. Malkari took up a sense of responsibility, and tried to get Anumesa to come back to Xeonart, but she screamed and ran. After getting back outside, Malkari drew his blades, and gave her a choice of serving Xeonart, or these would be her last seconds of life...Anarkia had said something by mistake in the tavern last night, that she "loved Xeonart," which Malkari figured meant that she just liked how he was living and wanted to serve him. He felt that it was more reason to capture Anumesa, he didn't want Anarkia to make anymore enemies than she had after healing him in the battle and being so nice to Xeonart. Anumesa screamed for help in the middle of the Plaza, and Velh and Nixe came to help her. Noriin, was sneaking up on Malkari, ready to pounce on him. All at once, Malkari was shot, tackled, and stabbed by all three of them, and ended up on the ground nearly dead already. Anumesa sat and watched, feeling safe now that they'd come to help her. Malkari tried to get up, only to be stabbed once more, but managed to avoid Nixe as she charged at him.
He smacked the ground hard, and something strange began to happen to him...his eyes changed color, from red back to the blue they had before, and his mouth forced open, something coming out of him...the scars that disappeared from his body after adorning the anti-existance's power reappeared, and he shrieked in pain as all of this was happening to him at once. The shadow of the anti-existance began to pulsate on the ground not far from Malkari, and after he'd regained his consciousness, Velh began to ask him what was going on. Noriin, however, was dying to kill him, but Anumesa stopped her and said that he may have been like she was, under control...but really, Malkari was not. He had simply lost his power, that power that Xeonart said had potential, and gave him reason to live...Malkari started to cry after he awoke from near-death, and told the story of what happened to him. Velh began to understand it all, that he was "marked from birth," with so much happening to him in his short time being alive. Malkari said that he tried to protect, but people still died, and he tried to destroy, but failed at that also, now losing his powers and not having accomplished anything...he had no reason left to live, and lifted his sword to his neck, ready to end his own life, but Anumesa and Velh stopped him from doing it, and he curled up with his head buried in his hands, crying...there was nothing he could do right, and it seemed like he had no further reason to live...so why? Why were these people trying to keep him alive?
Just then, someone from the Kingdom came to help out. Goleus, who was labeled a "trickster" by everyone there, began to talk. He had an amazing magical ability, and shielded himself, ready to fight against Velh, Noriin, and Nixe. After shielding, he used the Seal of Vengeance that was burned onto Anumesa's arm to control her into helping him. Anumesa began to attack Velh, being driven back by many slashes and such. While also, Goleus was fighting trying to keep his shield up and send rock-hard fists to attack everyone. The anti-existance's shadow pulsated harder, and began to form into a physical body...being cast out of Malkari not by magic, but injury, it could not come out in a physical body...and it also could not come out when it was simply a memory, which is why it kept trying to take control of Malkari until he finally accepted its power. It was now able to escape, and with Goleus distracting everyone from destroying it, it threatened to end all of their lives if it could complete its growth. Malkari, still on the ground bleeding, crawled over to Nixe, who was aiming a magical attack at Goleus while he was fighting, and asked her to instead aim her attack at the creature on the ground. Without second thought she destroyed it, knowing that it was the cause of Malkari's strange powers, but could not charge another attack at Goleus, so she layed back on the ground, not able to do anything but watch. Malkari tried to stand, but not to help Goleus, instead to destroy him. He realized now that choosing Xeonart's path meant more suffering, and he didn't want that...with the anti-existance gone, his father's mind came fully into view, and he never desired such a path. However, Malkari could not stand, and instead coughed up much more blood as he fell to the ground in pain.
In a desperation attempt after much fighting, and after he'd knocked Velh out and he was lying on the ground, Goleus wanted to destroy Velh with one final magical attack. Using his own Seal of Vengeance, he charged an enormous ball of dark energy, and threw it at Velh's motionless body. Noriin jumped in the way and took the blast, screaming out in pain as it dispersed from directly hitting Noriin, and her eyes shot off a strange light, then she went dim...Noriin's life had ended there, and she was dead, lying next to the unconscious Velh. The only person able to fight now, was Nixe, but Roberet had come soon after hearing Noriin's scream, and helped try to immobolize Goleus before he could escape. Nixe charged at Goleus in rage, ripping out his throat, and eventually ending his life as well. This battle caused much pain and suffering in the short time it happened, Noriin and Goleus losing their lives, Malkari losing much blood, Nixe injured beyond belief and only fighting with rage now, and Velh unconscious after taking such a heavy thrashing from Goleus' magic. Malkari was able to stand now, his wounds still not fully healed, but his bleeding had slightly stopped, and he was not coughing as badly as he was before. Roberet carried Velh to the tavern, and that was the last Malkari saw of them both that day. Nixe, being the only person left in the area besides Malkari, called him to talk to her. Malkari shrugged and followed her, and she told him that he had potential, much like Xeonart did...she said that she would be able to show him a way he could make his father proud of him, and he accepted her offer with a grin on his face. This is what he wanted...a reason to live that would at least make him happy, or in the very least, his father. She said that she would wait a few days before training him, since they were both still recovering from their wounds, so they went their separate ways.
Malkari met with Lolitra a few days later in the Plaza...he'd remembered after seeing her, that his father once made a promise to Lolitra's sister, that he would protect her from the person that was hunting her down...sadly, that promise was broken, and he wanted to applogize to Lolitra for that. Not getting much time after revealing himself in the Plaza, Malkari was confronted by Yanlora, who was angered at him. Malkari said that he no longer was going to hunt her down, but she started to yell, saying that he said once that "her head was his" as he put it, but he shrugged it off. After Xeonart's name was mentioned, Lolitra went into a panic, and Marqsaynt helped her out when she crashed to the ground. Malkari could not turn his attention to her, though, as Yanlora was drawing her swords and getting ready to end Malkari's life. He simply said to get on with it, he had no more reason to live having failed so many times at what he wanted...he completely forgot about Nixe telling him that she would help him. Yanlora was about to do it, but Lolitra stopped her...she was not sure why. Malkari began to tell of what happened to Noriin, and the reason why he had left the Kingdom, also saying that Goleus was killed, and Velh was probably going to be a nervous wreck after hearing about her death. Yanlora thought it couldn't be true, but it was...Lolitra, however, began to ask Malkari if Xeonart knew he left...Xeonart had not been around lately, so he simply said that Xeonart would only know he's gone, if he saw his change in appearance after losing the anti-existance's power. She said that she could make Malkari into an agent...and let him redeem for what he'd done by spying on Xeonart and giving them information. Malkari didn't agree, but he did write down a list of the names of people from the Kingdom he'd met since he joined, and gave away small amounts of information.
Anarkia walked up to the crowd, wondering what was going on, not noticing Malkari's change in appearance right away, as when she came, Malkari hid his face and began to cover his scars. After being questioned so much, he was able to get away from the crowd, and was able to talk to Anarkia...she was saddened after she saw Malkari. But, she was not saddened by his appearance, she was saddened that his Symbol of Vengeance was no longer on his clothing...she knew right away that he left Xeonart. Malkari realized that what Anarkia said earlier, was the truth...Anarkia loved Xeonart, not him...and tears slowly grew in his eyes as they talked. He told her of the battle, and what happened...all because of Xeonart. People were hurt and confused, and he'd nearly lost his life, all because Xeonart would sacrifice anyone and anything to get his way. He wanted to convince Anarkia that he would always be there for her, and love her, and try to keep her from suffering...if she kept after Xeonart, she would possibly face the same fate as Anumesa, being nothing but a lifeless doll for Xeonart to use at his disposal. She did not wish to believe it, and asked to be alone to make a decision...Malkari respected it, and moved away from her. Soon after, someone yelled out Malkari's name. He stopped, and realized that it was Velh. Velh was running after him angrily, with his knives drawn, and began to point them at Malkari. He asked about what happened to Noriin, and Malkari simply said that she was dead...and wished a curse upon those that did not tell Velh sooner. Velh had a friend there, also saying that it couldn't be true, and Velh was ready to kill Malkari thinking that he was simply playing a game with him.
Yanlora approached the forming crowd, and stopped Velh...it took a while, but he finally backed down and put away his knives, and sat on the nearby step with many friends trying to comfort him because of his loss. Anarkia walked back up to Malkari, who was simply standing and watching after relaying the message of Noriin's death, and she asked Malkari to come with her...without hesitation, she left with her, and they climbed a stairway and jumped onto the roof of a house. Malkari was not sure what was going on, but right away, Anarkia turned around and kissed Malkari, holding it out for a very long time and putting much meening into it. Malkari was still not sure why she was doing this, but he held onto her tight and closed his eyes, losing himself in the kiss. After a few minutes, she tore herself away from him...
"Malkari...I love Xeonart..."
"I'm sorry I put you through an emotional time...if this is what you want, then I'll respect your decision..." Malkari said to her, knowing that he should not have made her choose between him and Xeonart. Lately after telling her why he stopped serving Xeonart, she'd been very depressed, and was ignoring him when they met a few times before Velh's encounter with him. "Please, be happy, Anarkia..." He said as his final words, then jumped from the rooftop without letting her speak anymore, knowing that he could not protect Anarkia from the danger that would come from her loving Xeonart...He knew now, that the only thing he had left to live for, was Nixe's promise, which he still did not understand...yet, he also knew, that he may never be happy, that he must always suffer no matter what he does...he could not protect, he could not destroy, he could not have the one he loved, and he could never redeem himself completely for letting so many people down before...whatever would happen in the future, Malkari no longer wished to deal with, but he knows he must, and now embraces the suffering. After his last encounter with Anarkia, he started to wear a strange Demon Mask, which has a blood tear on the side of it, revealing that he will always continue to suffer, and will have a neverending pain...
Best Wishes, Malkari...Son of Mitaki, Former Minion of Xeonart, Child of Suffering...
