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The BloodVaine EpicChapter 9: Forgiven
Reno, Aros, and Luxus sat in the cold stone chamber. Its walls were bare, and a maple desk sat neatly in the middle of the room. The door silently opened, and in walked the pale figure of Bjarn. He looked thirty years older than his natural age, and he had a stubble. He was not the well kept, noble Bjarn Reno had first met all that time ago, but a frightened, troubled Bjarn.
“Bjarn…” Reno muttered.
“Aros, can you take Luxus to feed the horses please?” Bjarn asked, ignoring Reno.
Aros nodded, and without a word Luxus and Aros exited the chamber.
“Bjarn…”
Reno couldn’t think of any words to say. His mind was blank, and he then thought of the last time he had seen Bjarn. It was the night of Dale’s death.
Bjarn stared at Reno with eyes that chilled the wanderer to the bone. Graygon stared at Reno with equal coldness. Alex had also left to go with Luxus and Aros, and so Reno was alone, facing people he thought were friends.
“Bjarn...Graygon...what is wrong...?” Reno hesitated, and then the memories came flooding back. Shainya...Dale...kiss...attack...flash...wizard...sword...blood...screams...
“Oh...shifty-brick…” Reno whispered, “You think...I...killed...no...but...I…”
“Reno Regga, I want to truth, and by Chodan, if I think you are lying to me, I will kill you.” snarled Bjarn, his voice ice, “Did you, or did you not kill Dale with this blade?”
Bjarn drew out Reno’s bloodied sword from a cupboard and wielded it in front of Reno’s face.
At that very moment, Shainya, followed by Rosa, Aros, Alex and Luxus entered the room. Graygon said, “No, get out…” but Shainya cut him off.
“I saw Aros and so I knew this scum was here!” she snarled at the whole stunned room, “I will KILL him!!”
Shainya grabbed Reno’s sword from Bjarn’s grasp and charged and Reno. No one had time to stop her…save one.
“Stop.” said a voice.
The voice was unmistakably....Dale’s. He was there...in the room...with Bjarn, Graygon, Reno, Shainya, Rosa, Aros, Alex and Luxus...but he was transparent.
“Stop, Shainya…” Dale said again.
Shainya screamed and dropped the sword. Luxus whimpered, Aros and Alex paled. Bjarn swore and Graygon reached for his daggers, but Rosa remained calm.
“Dale, you are dead.” she stated matter-of-factly.
Dale stared at Rosa. “Yes, I am dead, but not complete…”
“Not many dead people come backs as ghosts...why are you one?” asked Rosa. She seemed the only on able to speak, everyone else had been struck dumb.
“It is this sword.…” Dale pointed to the blade still bloodstained on the floor, “My spirit is trapped within the sword, for when a person is killed by a wizard of ill intent…the victim is cursed to be incomplete...forever…”
“But..…” Graygon said, gaining back his voice, “...Reno is not...a wizard…”
“No…” murmured Dale sadly, “I was killed by Majisto...someone who works for Lord Void…”
The confusion was almost tangible.
“Reno...didn’t…”
“But…”
“Lord Void...?”
“I don't understand.…”
Bjarn could not take it in. Reno...? He had not killed Dale...but he...he had seen the sword with his own eyes...but.........he had never actually seen Reno plunge the sword into Dale...so...
“I’m sorry…” whispered Bjarn. Graygon nodded, mute. Rosa said nothing. Shainya was still on the floor, sobbing over and over “But...no...Reno...Dale…”
Bjarn believed. Graygon believed. Aros, Luxus and Alex had always believed. Rosa did not. Shainya was not sure...but Dale was there, and he had never lied to her...
“Shainya…” whispered Dale, “Reno is innocent…”
Dale vanished. Ages passed.
“I’m sorry Reno…” whispered Shainya.
Reno said nothing. He felt joy welling up inside him....his friends knew the truth...Shainya had forgiven him.
The ice had been broken. Reno was no longer hunted, Shainya no longer hated, and Bjarn and Graygon were free of doubts. Only Rosa still glared, but Reno did not care. His friends, his true friends believed him, and that was good enough for him. So what if the rest of Dametreos still insisted he was a killer? Shainya believed him.
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