Dark Secret: Convergence of Spirits

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Introduction
The morning sun slowly rose over the hills of the Norvino Kingdom as the birds began their wondrous music, making many of the citizens slowly arise from their well placed naps as some began their morning routines for the new day. At the castle of the royal family, Kristel Solus, was seen slowly rising from her covers as she stretched her arms upward and rubbed her eyes, "Good morning princess" One of the maids said as she walked up to go wash her face in the mirror with some water.

"Good morning Anki, is there any word on today's agenda?" She asked as there was a knock on the door.

James Fitzgibbon walked, not waiting for any indication for it being alright to enter. "Hey there, Princess! How are you doing?" He said casually.

"You're very lucky I wasn't naked, else I would've made sure that the next thing you see would be my blades stabbing your eyes out" She said glaring at him as the maid bowed before walking out of the room, "What's up, didn't peg you for getting up this early either" Kristel said moving towards her mirror as she began brushing her hair.

"Geez, no need to be so moody." James said as he sat in a nearby chair, leaning back. "Anyways, I wanted to come and tell you that your mom wanted us to go and scout the area once again. Make sure that everything is alright." He said as he reached behind him, grabbing a small leather book. "Oh? What is this little book right here?"

"A book of ancient myths, I used to love reading it when I was a little girl, it was amazing how many different kinds of stories were in the book, but it's been years since I touched it" She said stepping into her shower as she locked the door and began to fill her tub while undressing. "You can look through it, just try not to rip it or anything, it's really important to me..." She said going into the bath and relaxing.

"Kay. Thanks, although I thought that this was your diary or something" He said as began to open up the book and began to the read the stange myth-filled book. "Although, if you had said diary, where would you probably hide it?"

"That'd be under the "I'd sooner rip out my own hair than tell you" drawer, and you better not be looking through my stuff" She said sinking deeper into the water as she knew that some secrets in her diary were related to James, and it'd literally make her cry if he ever found out about them.

James, who was just about to open one of her draws to her desk, stopped as he thought about the consequences that would befall on him if he did this. Being beaten up was not that scary but being being beaten up by an enraged princess taught to use a sword in a way that still baffles him was a big deal. He let out a brief shudder and slowly moved his hand from the desk draw.

"Aside from bothering me this early in the morning, did you make the rounds with everyone else? I'm sure mom would want them all to be on high alert" She said adding shampoo to her hair as she slowly massaged her scalp and leaned back as she allowed the warm water to ease her stress.

"Yeah, I made sure that everyone else are in ther areas that they need to be in. Granted your mom threaten to kill me if I didn't come and get you" He said as he continued to read the book. "Are you finished yet? I don't want your mom to barge in here and make this awkward." James continued to go through the book, finding out it was two lovers, who had both contracted an unknown disease that was apparently incurable. Despite this, they each go their own way to find a cure for the other, doing everything they could, only to find out that there is none, which they both admit to before they die after professing their love to each other. It was a sad and touching tale honestly, making James wish that something like this never fall onto anyone.

"It would only be awkward if I had to change in my own room with you in it too, lucky for me I always have clothes in my washroom" She said putting on her clothes as she came out with the towel on her head and her attire before heading to her closet to get her armor to put on.

"True, or do you want me to see you without your clothes?" James pondered, as slight smirk on his face, unknowingly having a blush on his face as he thought about such a situation. The pervert was growing in this one, it was.

His pondering was interrupted when a boot hit him square in the face, causing a bit of a nosebleed as he fell down to the ground, "Next time keep your dirty thoughts to yourself" She said in her armor as she went to put on the boot she threw before walking out of the room, leaving behind a bleeding James.

"I regret nothing, you insane woman. Who throws a boot at a person when they are thinking, anyways?" James said, as he pinched his nose as he tried to spot the bleeding.

"Oh quit it you big baby, come on" She said grabbing his hand after returning to help him back up as she sat him down at her desk, grabbing some ointment and rubbing it on his nose, "You know how I get when people irritate me" She said putting on a bandage as she got closer to his face by accident, making her face burn a bit as she nervously put the ointment back in it's place.

James pouted as she put the bandages on his face, said bandages covering his blush that developed due to Kristel being so close to him. "Yeah, I know but still why a boot? Couldn't you use a magazine or something softer."

"Then maybe next time you'll remember to keep your big mouth shut" She said getting up and helping James to his feet, "Come on, we better go check in to make sure we got our assignments" She said as Kristel and James began their walk towards the main chamber of the queen, hoping to see what he had planned for them.

They eventually arrived in the throne room to see Aivenna Solus was sitting on her throne, reading a magazine apparently not noticing that James and Kristel were in front of her. James let out a loud cough in a attempt to get her attention.

"Oh good morning you two.... Should I even ask why James has his face wrapped up?" Aivenna said looking especially at her daughter who motioned him to be crazy as James glared at her.

"Your daughter though it would be a good idea to hit in the face with a boot!" James said, screaming the last part as he pointed at Kristel in a dramatic manner.

"Says the guy who was thinking dirty thoughts!" She said as the two pressed their foreheads together, struggling back and forth as if they were trying to be the victor in the struggle.

"Ah young love, takes me back to the days when I met your Father" Aivenna said chuckiling as both of them looked back at the queen, both with a deep red blush on their faces as they turned away from each other, hoping the other did not see the other's blush.

"Yeah, like I would fall in love with a violent tomboy like her" James stuttered out as he pictured the image of Kristel in a wedding dress within his mind.

"Better than falling in love with dorky pervert like you" She tried to get out as well, but felt the image of him carrying her across the threshold, which caused her to shake her head. "So, where are we going to go to investigate?"

"The runic and business district, people seem to have been seeing some shadows in the area, some claim that people have disappeared only to reappear with deep cuts on them" The queen said with a serious tone as the two realized that this was a serous issue.

"Do we know exactly why they are being attacked?" James questioned, rubbing his chin in thought. "Could it be they are searching for a rare item or something of the sorts?"

"It's unknown, the people don't remember what they were asked, and the rest can't speak, so I need for you two to explore this.... Be careful, I rather not lose two of my knights to whatever this is..." She told them with a worried tone as Kristel and James bowed before leaving the room and going to the arsenal to grab their weapons.

"So, what's the plan, princess?" James asked in curiosity as he picked up his sword and held it at his side. "Are we gonna use bait or something, or perhaps asks the locals if they remember anything?"

"Best not to draw unecessary attention in the middle of the day, for the moment we scout out the location, give us a chance to make sure we get the layabout of the land before we try to do anything" She said grabbing both of her blades along with her Helm of leadership before putting it on.

"Well, when you put it like that it certainly sounds simple enough." He said as he grabbed Loywenaid and stuffed it into his pocket, making sure it would not fall out. "But knowing your luck, something will go terribly wrong."

"Oh come on, you can't count the last few times, how was I suppose to know you can't cook in the middle of a forest without it attracting werewolves?" Kristel said glaring as the two exited the armory and headed towards the other exit to their destination while continuing their conversation.

"Oh, I don't know mabye the face that you're friends with an actual werewolf might have something to do with that." James said as he poked her in the face. "You can be so ditzy at time for such a hardened warrior."

"Oh me ditzy, I seem to recall you at one point being unable to even lift that heavy armor of your's, now who was it that taught you the trick? Oh right, it was the Ditzy girl" She said with a smug look on her face as she imagined James growling as they soon entered the next district before the one they were sent to protect.

"Don't have to be some mean about it" He said, childishly pouting as he turned his head away from her, feeling slightly embarrassed at the recollection of the memory.

"Well it's not like I'm doing it on purpose you big baby" She said elbowing him before chuckling, looking over to some of the areas as she realized that she and James hadn't gotten anything to eat yet, "Hey, how bout we stop by the ramen shop close by? It's said to have the morning ramen that can pretty much revive anyone in the mornings" She said with large sparking eyes as she was shown to be slightly drooling.

James could only stare at her in slight bewilderment. "Are you serious? Do you know what your mom will do if we aren't patrolling the area?" James said as he left out a shudder. A mad queen was an bad queen. The things that she could do to a person were unspeakable. Water should not be in certain places, especially there!

"Come on, I already have a fix on it, sent some guys to keep me posted for now, and I am sensing their whereabouts so even the lightest twitch will be felt by me" She said quickly moving to the ramen cart as the man greeted them both and began to make his morning ramen.

"Alright, we will get the ramen but if we get caught, I'm blaming this all on you" He said as he leaned against the cart, staring off into space for a brief moment.

"Relax, I always do this, and not once have I gotten caught" Kristel said teasing James as she was given a glass of orange juice and slowly drank it down, "So, any word from home?" She said looking over to him turn his attention to the large orange juice that was placed in front of him.

James took a large gulp of his orange juice, letting out a small burp. "Not really. Haven't heard anything in a while. I hope everything is going alright down there." He said in a worried tone which he tried to mask.

"Don't worry, the queen made sure she'd send some guards from time to time to check up on everyone Knight's closest people, and I'm sure they're happy to know that your safe too" She said smiling as their bowls were ready and placed in front of them. Kristel thanked for the food as she began to slurp the noodles, sighing as she found them so tasty.

"You eat like a savage beast for one that is taught to act all royal-like" James commented as he gave a small prayer and began to eat his noddles at a slower pace, making sure to savor the flavor of the noddles.

"You kidding? I only ever did those lessons to make sure mom would stop hounding me about being more lady-like, but as Leader of the knights, it's not exactly like I need to be more lady like" She said ordering another bowl after she roughly finished her first one.