Deathworld Commando: Reborn - Chapter 159: What Kind Of Omen?

I stealthily looked to Sylvia to gauge her reaction, but she didn’t appear fazed at the mention of someone having the last name of Talgan. Perhaps she was acting because it would all but confirm people’s theories. Even though nobody had mentioned Talgan to Sylvia’s face, I’m sure it was something that was in the back of everyone’s mind.

And it was something we didn’t need to be confirmed. And this Malachi might just be a bigger problem. Is he…the Red Prince? He could bring both chaotic and tumultuous times with just his existence, let alone his actions.

Sylvia let out a small sigh as Malachi looked our way. I was half expecting him to rush over and make a big scene, but the Beastmen stood tall with his shoulders wide as he smiled out at everyone. Perhaps taking that as his introduction Professor Garrison cleared his throat to grab everyone’s attention.

“Don’t let Malachi’s royal title fool you. He is not here on nepotism but has proven himself to be an exemplary student in his own regard. Although he doesn’t have any wonderous achievements, he boasts an academic prowess that would quickly put him into the top ten of this school. His combat skills are nothing to scoff at either, as he managed to best a teacher who was a retired Amethyst adventurer. Which means he can give most of you a proper fight,” Professor Garrison explained.

Everyone stayed quiet for some time in awkward silence. There was no round of applause, and everyone seemed hesitant to do so. This made sense, considering Malachi was not only a Vampire but used the last name of Talgan. Everyone, regardless of their age, what religion they followed, or where they grew up, knows the story of Talgan, The Bloody Emperor.

And unlike Sylvia, who had a year to warm up to people and even put herself in danger to save the lives of hundreds of people. Malachi had none of that. He appeared just as he was, a dangerous Vampire bearing the name of a villain known throughout the world. So it wasn’t a surprise that his reception was lukewarm at best.

I’m surprised some people aren’t freaking out more. Maybe Sylvia has managed to break down some of the stigmas around Vampires.

Professor Garrison glared at the class. “This is the part where you clap for him.”

The class gave a half-hearted applause, but Malachi looked unbothered by the whole ordeal. Instead, he kept his warm, professional smile that showed off his pearly white teeth and long fangs, which were more prominent than Sylvia’s, maybe on account of him being a Beastmen.

“Thank you, everyone. I understand that many of you may harbor some… distrust for me purely based on my appearance. But I assure you, I have no desire to hurt any of you. As you have all learned from another of my kind…” he said, trailing off as he smiled at Sylvia. “Not all of us are evil incarnate as some make us out to be. It’s the same way not all Humans, Beastmen, or Elves are righteous. I hope that you will keep that in mind and, at the very least, give me a chance to prove myself,” Malachi announced with a bow and in his smooth, deep voice.

At that, a few more people clapped with some genuine enthusiasm, but it died down as Malachi went to take his seat. I thought he was going to come directly to us, but much to my surprise, he continued on to the back of the class to take a seat by himself. But even with his sunglasses on, I could feel his gaze as he walked past our aisle.

So…was he going to be trouble? He appeared to be a genuine fellow, but I couldn’t ignore the signs or the Moon Mother’s warning. If Malachi was the Red Prince and the Moon Mother was to be trusted, he may be dangerous.

And I may need to get rid of him not just for myself but for Sylvia’s safety as well. I suppose I should ask Lin for help. Gathering information on him should be our top priority.

—

Classes ended shortly after. Professor Garrison talked about random miscellaneous things like our training schedule for the next few months, which was heavy on the physical side compared to last year.

And our other teachers came in for a brief moment to welcome us back and all the usual stuff, like how they hoped we studied over the break. It was all the same and wasn’t anything that needed too much attention. Most of the students here in Class Onward would probably try out for a tournament slot, and most teachers understood that. If they went and started assigning a heavy workload, it wouldn’t sit well with the students.

Padraic and Cerila both had class in another building, so I bid them farewell. I hadn’t taken any extra classes this semester as I saw no reason to do so. Instead, I would be busy after, and I would take care of Mila while Sylvia attended her swordsmanship and cooking classes.

I also had to drop Mila off to Grandpa so she could have some lessons of her own.

However, as we were walking out, we were stopped by a voice. “Avoiding me already? I even waited til after class, but can I borrow some of your time, please?” Malachi asked from behind us.

Sylvia let out an annoyed grunt and furrowed her brows. She turned on her heels and glared at him. “What do you want?”

Malachi put up his hands and shrank back a little. “Wow, wow…there is no need to be so hostile, My Lady. Is it a crime to speak to you?”

“No, but I can already tell you are going to be annoying, so just tell me what you want so I can tell you to go away,” Sylvia hissed.

Malachi shook his head and frowned. “I’m afraid I have thousands of questions that I would like answers to. But can I at least start by exchanging names?”

Sylvia looked down her nose at him, well, up at him, since Malachi was taller than her. “Not really interested. Can you just spit it out already? I’m trying to say goodbye and go to my next class.”

Malachi raised an eyebrow, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes, he looked to me for help, but I decided to stay out of this conversation for the time being. As long as Malachi didn’t attempt anything drastic, I wouldn’t interfere for Sylvia and Mila’s sake.

If I tried to defend Sylvia vehemently or protect her from a seemingly simple and innocent conversation in public, it might cause more problems than it was worth. I had already told Lin to gather information as she didn’t know who Malachi was.

But if Malachi did get aggressive. I’d turn him into ash, along with the entire hallway.

Malachi sighed in defeat and put his hands to his side. He stepped closer and gently grabbed Sylvia by the hand. “As someone as beaut—”

Whatever Malachi was going to say was abruptly interrupted by Sylvia putting her opposite hand against his cheek. Malachi looked surprised as I watched as the veins in Sylvaia’s neck bulged, and her shoulder muscles grew. Then, she freed her hand from Malachi and whipped around with blinding speed, smacking Malachi’s head in between her hands.

His black sunglasses were bent, and he was knocked to the floor. Sylvia put a foot on his chest and glared down at him. “First of all, there is only one man in this world that gets to touch me, and you are not him. The next time you put your hands on me, I’ll kill you. And don’t think for a second that your station matters even a little to me since we are on even footing at this school. And don’t ask me about where I’m from or if I’ll join you. Because the answer is no, and I don’t give a damn about your home.”

I held Mila close and watched as a red streak leaked blood from Malachi’s cheek, only to heal quickly. “Noted…” he groaned.

Sylvia took her foot off his chest. “At least you understand your position.” Sylvia turned on her heels, and I followed behind her. “Are you going to say something about how I shouldn’t have acted rashly?” she asked after we separated ourselves from the growing crowd.

“Not at all. I think you were well within your right to smack him. I’m just happy you didn’t pulverize his head,” I told her honestly.

Sylvia snorted. “Of course, I wouldn’t do that. Mila was watching.” Sylvia stopped and looked apologetically at Mila, but much to my surprise, Mila didn’t seem all that bothered by the interaction.

Maybe because she recognized that Malachi touched Sylvia? Or was it because Malachi didn’t even fight back? I’m not sure, but this is a good time for a teaching lesson.

“Mila, when somebody touches you, and you don’t want them to. You can defend yourself, okay? Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal, if you don’t like it, then you can warn them or even get them away from you,” I told her.

Mila nodded her head as she looked at Sylvia. “Okay, I understand.”

Well, that was easy. Shouldn’t she have more questions? Or did I just do that good of a job explaining it? Am I finally growing as a father?

I looked at Sylvia with a grin. “By the way, who is the only man in this world that gets to touch you?” I teased.

Her head snapped to me, her ears red. She looked around at the other people frantically. “You—you know what I meant! Just shut up! Gah!”

I chuckled to myself at her adorable reaction, but there was something else I noticed. “His blood…you tasted it, right?” I asked in a low voice. Sylvia nodded. “And, are you related?”

She shook her head. “Not even a little bit, well, about as much as you are to the first Dark Elf that ever lived.”

“So, not at all. Is that a good thing?” I asked hesitantly.

I wasn’t sure if Sylvia finding more family was a positive or negative thing for her. On the one hand, learning that she had distant relatives that were still alive may be good news. But on the other hand…

“I’d say so. I have no intention of trying to be something I’m not. I don’t care about Nul or even the other Vampires, for that matter. Going off to some distant land I don’t even recognize would be the worst thing in my life. Besides…my family is right here in front of me,” she said firmly as she smiled at Mila and me.

I smiled back at her. It felt good hearing her say that with such conviction. Maybe a part of me was afraid that Sylvia would just up and leave all of a sudden. Was that how she felt about me and my goal of returning home?

I think I’m starting to understand her concerns a bit more now.

Mila ran over and hugged Sylvia’s side. It seemed that she also enjoyed hearing that. Sylvia looked surprised, but she gently rubbed Mila’s ears with a motherly smile.

Well, things could have gone worse.

—

“Oh my, you just look so handsome and dashing today, Sir Kaladin,” Ciki said as she appraised my outfit.

“I appreciate that, but Kaladin will do just fine, Ciki. And thank you for taking the time to do my family’s hair tonight,” I told her as I dipped my chin in a nod.

Ciki was the Dragonkin hairdresser that we had gotten acquainted with during our time in Lumianr’s capital. She was an odd person, considering Dragonkin didn’t have even a single strand of hair on their scaley body.

Not to mention that Dragonkin were vehemently opposed to the cold and even found it disadvantageous to their health. Yet Ciki, with her uniform snow-white scales, didn’t appear to be bothered by the cold, which was also an oddity because all the Dragonkin I’ve seen had shades to their scales. Perhaps it was due to her heritage? Maybe an ice-like Dragon or something?

Regardless, Ciki was a kind woman. She treated Mila like a long lost friend and was responsible for cutting her hair. Ciki even went as far as to supply Mila with hair products to help hasten her hair’s growth, which undoubtedly helped.

“It’s not a problem, Dear. Please don’t worry about it. After all, this brand new Dragonheart Foundation you are running is paying me,” she said with a toothy grin.

“That’s true,” I said with a chuckle.

Tonight was the night that the school held a banquet of sorts to wrap up the first day of classes and usher in spring and the new school year. Last year Sylvia and I didn’t attend it as we saw no reason to, but now things were different. Sylvia was about to give her first speech to the public as the foundation’s president.

There was some pitter-patter of feet, and Mila rushed out from behind a curtain and hugged me. She looked adorable in her red and black dress. The three of us would be matching tonight on account of the occasion. Mila and I would also join Sylvia on the stage.

Padraic and Cerila came out next. Both of them sporting black and gold outfits, respectively. Padraic looked sharp in his suit, and it was a nice change of pace to see Cerila in a darker dress than what she was used to. Of course, it didn’t need to be said, but she looked stunning in anything, regardless of the color.

Honestly, I think black looks better on her than I expected. It makes her hair and skin seem really bright. Or was that Ciki’s doing?

“I must say I’ve done a good job even though it was last minute for you two,” Ciki commented to herself.

I signed.

Cerila and Padraic both signed back a thanks as they eyed me up and down. “You clean up better than I thought,” Padraic mused.

“Thanks? I guess?” I muttered.

Padraic chuckled to himself. Our eyes met, and Cerila started signing. Cerila signed with a soft smile.

I thanked her and made sure to pay my compliments back. She blushed slightly, but we were interrupted by another guest. Lin raised an eyebrow at us, but we waved her to join us.

We were backstage at the banquet hall; Sylvia, Mila, and I hadn’t shown up to the party yet while the others were coming back here to see us. Lin strode forward in a simple yet eloquent black and silver dress. I got the feeling this event was leaning more toward the modest side, considering everyone’s attire wasn’t nearly as extravagant as the award ceremony.

Her usual ponytail was gone, and she let her dirty blonde hair bounce off her shoulders in tight curls. Padraic let out a long whistle, and Lin glared at him but quickly signed a greeting to Cerila. “I thought we had a deal,” she snapped at Padraic.

“Ah, that’s right…I can’t even say you look pretty, though?” he asked defensively.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” she said before looking at me and handing me an envelope. “This is for you. It’s all the information I could get on short notice.”

I nodded and whisked the envelope away into my storage ring. “Can I get a quick rundown?”

Lin shrugged and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me. “Basically, it’s as he said. Malachi Talgan is the crown prince of the Principality of Nul and is set to rule after his father. His record as far as a ruler and noble goes seems to be nothing special. His family isn’t all too powerful in the region, and they haven’t done anything noteworthy other than survive for a few hundred years. It’s also like his position isn’t anything special,” she explained.

“What do you mean by that? He’s a crown prince to a nation, right?” I questioned.

“Yeah, him and like a hundred other Vampires. There are plenty of small dukedoms, fallen empires, kingdoms, and principalities that have Nul in their name or use the family name of Talgan. They are a dime a dozen, Malachi’s country included. They basically rise and fall like the tides. If you blink, those types of places will disappear or be swallowed up by a war, only to be replaced by a neighbor or a new country,” she told me.

“So, he’s a red herring then…or is there more to it?” I muttered.

“I wouldn’t completely disregard him. My information may be old and outdated. We don’t keep constant tabs on the northern region of Amoth as it’s just one big war, so having agents there is a waste of time, resources, and money. The Vampires rarely venture out, and the few diplomats that do cross the ocean to meet with us are few and far between. They beg for support or recognition as a nation, and we turn them down. It’s just not worth it to get involved over there.” Lin looked at the curtain with a serious gaze. “But as I said, I wouldn’t count Malachi out entirely. There’s something to be said about a Vampire that still possesses that much of a strong vampiric bloodline, and his principality has survived for a long time. I’ll continue to investigate further.”

“I understand. Thank you, Lin,” I told her.

She turned around and flashed me a smile. “Sure thing, Kal. And I also added some more information in there. I think you may want to check it out. It concerns that adventurer team you saved a few months back.”

“Got it, thanks again,” Lin waved goodbye to everyone but made sure to give Mila a hug before leaving.

Padraic and Cerila questioned me about my conversation with Lin while Ciki had gone off to help Sylvia, and I told the two of them what Lin had told me. Of course, I just said she used her noble ties to find information for me. Keeping Lin’s family line of work a secret was important, and it wasn’t something I could just tell people, as Lin hadn’t permitted me to release that information.

Although I did tell Sylvia… Lin wasn’t mad at me, or at least that’s what she told me…I apologized because I felt terrible, though…

“Worried about a potential rival, huh? I get—hey, don’t glare at me like that…I didn’t even get to finish the joke,” Padraic whined.

Cerila elbowed him in the shoulder, and he gave her a hurt expression, but I just chuckled. I wasn’t actually mad at Padraic. I just did it to mess with him. I wasn’t worried about Malachi stealing Sylvia or anything silly like that, especially after her determined statement today.

And the fact that she pummeled him in public. But since we didn’t have a run-in with the campus security or the guards, I guess all is well. Maybe Malachi is taking it on the chin, literally.

After a few more minutes of talking amongst ourselves and a few more elbows to Padraic’s shoulders, Sylvia parted the curtain and walked out. Unlike us peasants, Sylvia was dressed to the nines tonight. Her red and gold dress was smooth like silk and was adorned with precious bits of white gemstones along the hems.

Her purple and black hair was tied into intricate buns leaving just a little bit to rest on her pale neck. Sylvia even had a large necklace with a fist-sized ruby gemstone resting on her chest, a gift from Queen Maxwell. She bashfully looked away from us and mumbled some things to herself.

“I knew this was too much…” she muttered.

“It’s not that. I just feel like I’m wearing the wrong thing,” Padraic said back as he rubbed his recently trimmed beard.

“Really?” Sylvia said.

“I agree. I think it’s befitting the occasion. You look beautiful, Sylvia,” I told her.

She smiled and watched Cerila sign next to me. Cerila flashed what appeared to be a genuine smile as well.

Sylvia looked confused as she paid extra attention to the hand signs, but she awkwardly scratched her cheek.

Sylvia’s sign-back was awkward and stiff. The grammar wasn’t impressive, but it was the first sentence I had seen her sign to Cerila.

“A day of surprises,” Padraic murmured. “Now then, we shall see you three later. Have fun with your little speech or whatever. Come on, follow me, yes,” Padraic said, dragging Cerila out with him.

“Bye, bye,” Mila said as she waved them away.

Now, it was just us three in the back room, but that wasn’t any time for us to rest or talk. Finally, a familiar attendant came back. He watched us behind his glasses and nodded a single time.

“You all look good this evening. Please come with me,” JD said, turning around and walking quickly.

“Are we late or something?” Sylvia asked a bit nervously.

“Not at all. We are on schedule, and I intend to remain that way for the duration of the night,” he responded quickly. JD motioned to a giant curtain where voices were rolling in. “Just a few steps away, please go to the podium and present as we practiced,” he said to Sylvia.

“Yes…just wait for the sign. I got it,” Sylvia said more to herself than to JD.

“Good,” he said with a nod. He turned his attention to Mila and me but just grinned. “You two, smile and wave to the crowd and stand pretty as a statue. I trust in your abilities.”

“Of course.”

“Okay, Mister.”

JD gave us one final nod and disappeared back the way he came. We stood around in silence for a few moments, and I could tell Sylvia was a bit nervous, which I found surprising. I should probably encourage her.

“Nervous? It’s just a speech amongst peers,” I told her.

She looked over her shoulder and seemed somewhat annoyed with me. “It’s a lot more than that, and you know it. If I mess this up, I might ruin the reputation of the foundation before it even begins. Not to mention our plans of changing the image of Vampires.”

I wanted to comment about her slapping the daylights out of a Vampire prince but decided against it…

“That is true. But I don’t think it’s anything to be worked up over. You are going to do great,” I told her as I grabbed her by the hand.

Sylvia looked surprised, but it faded as we interlocked fingers. She rested her head on my chest, and I wanted to stroke her soft hair but decided against it because I didn’t want to ruin it. So I just opted to hold her tight, and Mila, feeling left out, joined in.

“With you two here, I can do anything. I was born for this,” she said into my chest, her words muffled.

I felt a rush to my heart, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was precious moments like these that made everything worth it.

Sylvia stepped back, her face and ears slightly flushed, and took a deep breath in and out, psyching herself up. She turned to face the curtain as Bowen’s voice silenced the crowd. She bounced her shoulders up and down while nodding.

“All right, this is nothing…I’ve practiced in front of bigger crowds. Mom trained me for moments just like this,” Sylvia said quietly.

I smiled at her, and at that moment, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. That was our cue, and together with our hands held, Sylvia led the way through the curtains.

The lights were bright as they illuminated us. The crowd was shrouded in darkness, but the size of the gathering was immense, and so were their stares. Hundreds of students were present here tonight, as well as staff and influential figures that were directly involved with Forward University. Even King and Queen Maxwell would be making an appearance tonight.

Sylvia strode forward, her posture immaculate, and she radiated an aura of beauty and nobility even more blinding than usual. Sometimes I forgot that she was a noble as this side of her only came out on rare accusations these days. I just see Sylvia as Sylvia, not as Sylvia Talgan. But whenever Sylvia put all her effort into it, she looked and played the part perfectly, and it left nothing to the imagination.

I felt a tiny hand forcefully grip my thigh and found Mila looking afraid. I’m sure all of this attention was just too much for her, but she did say she wanted to be up here with us despite me nearly pleading with her to stay behind. She vehemently begged to come on stage with us despite being constantly told what she would have to go through.

I scooped her up as we waved to the crowd. “Mila, just smile and wave while looking just above the crowd. You don’t have to look at a single person,” I whispered to her.

Mila tightened her grip around my neck and let out a small whimper but did as I told her. She smiled a bit awkwardly, but she was so adorable it didn’t matter. So many people waved at her and called out how cute she was. There were also a few comments about my looks, but I just ignored them. Naturally, Sylvia was getting the bulk of the compliments.

Sylvia scanned the crowd, and once all voices had quieted down, she launched straight into her speech. “I would like to welcome all of you to a new year here at Forward University. For those of you who do not know me, I am Sylvia, the new president of the Dragonheart Foundation and your peer here at this school. But before I get into that, I would like to thank Headmaster Taurus for preparing this event for us. And an even bigger thanks to all of you for attending tonight’s banquet and allowing me to speak in the place of the student body president, which has been the tradition for years.”

Well, to be fair, there currently isn’t an active student body president, so somebody had to fill the role. Queen Maxwell’s reach extends to Forward University, but Bowen acknowledged the plan in the end.

Sylvia curtsied to the crowd with elegance befitting her noble image. Her beautiful, soft voice carried across the entire hall and warmed my ears and I’m sure those of any who heard her speak.

“I understand that this last year has been challenging for all of us. We’ve faced many hardships together, yet we have overcome all of them with the help of many tremendous people and our unwillingness to submit to life’s unfairness,” she said as she looked back at me slightly. “And to that, let us all congratulate each other.”

Without missing a beat, the gathering of people clapped furiously at Sylvia’s call for celebration. Many students whooped and hollered, and even a few audibly shouted Sylvia’s name. I even heard mine come out of a few months, so I just nodded my head to no one in particular.

“Speaking of life’s unfairness and the hardships of many young children around the world, the Dragonheart Foundation has been founded to ease the burdens of these orphans. We have made it our goal to support these less-than-fortunate children in every way possible, from warm food and home all the way to an education and a future career path. The Dragonheart Foundation also vows to not only assist those here in Luminar but to extend our care to children across Illyrcium. And one day, we swear to reach the children even in the furthest parts of Amoth. Our ambition and desire to secure a happy future for these children knows no bounds and has no borders,” Sylvia said to the crowd with a bit more fervor.

This is a double-pronged statement. Do people understand what she said? The more clever ones will, I’m sure.

She let the crowd mumble to themselves before looking back at me and pointing. “The Dragonheart Foundation will be the same thing to these children as the Dragonslayer is to us, a beacon of hope for a prosperous future. A future with safety for our families and us. For a prosperous future, one filled with nothing but life’s joys while we all but toss away misfortune and sorrow, to never allow it to creep into our lives. This is the goal of the Dragonheart Foundation. And this is my promise to all of you and to all of those children in need out there.”

Sylvia bowed to the crowd, and I followed suit. The room exploded into a deafening roar of applause. I gritted my teeth at the sheer volume, as it was just a few notches short of painful. Mila covered her little ears and let out a tiny whine, and the crowd slowly started to quiet down as Bowen urged everyone to think of the Beastmen and Elves in the room.

Sylvia stood next to me, and I winked at her. “That was the best speech I ever heard,” I told her as I waved to everyone.

“Just how many speeches have you listened to exactly?” she asked from the corner of her mouth as she smiled and waved.

“More than you care to know…”

“What a wonderful speech from your peer and the president of the Dragonheart Foundation. Everyone, please give another light round of applause to our very own Sylvia,” Bowen said as he stepped to the side with a short bow.

The crowd followed suit, and Bowen took control of the event. Our time was over, but we were to stay on the stage until he finished his very quick brief of the rest of the evening’s events.

“Everyone is free to dance and enjoy the food. Please do keep drinking in—mod—”

Bowen glared out into the crowd at a ruckus as someone parted the students from the back. “Move, damn it! I saw him get out of the way,” a high-pitched voice bellowed.

Is that…no…no way. How did he even get in here?

“All of you, just get out of the way! Dwarf in motion! Part! Part down the middle!” the familiar voice squealed.

The crowd split down the middle into a path and let a short yet stout Dwarf through. His head and face sparkled from the light, entirely devoid of even a single strand of hair. He wore the most simple shirt and pants a person could find and was utterly at odds with the event and those around him.

He strode right up to the stage, hoisted himself up, and quickly stood back up. He looked at Bowen, raised his eyebrows in surprise but gave him a friendly nod nonetheless, which Bowen was too baffled to even respond to. Then, he walked right up to me, close enough that I could reach out and touch him.

He looked me up and down a few times. “You got bigger since the last time I saw you, Kaladin.”

“Yeah, I guess I have, Squeaks.”