Shattered Sanity

(Northwatch Grounds, Northern Forest Outskirts)

Gary looked down at the helpless Riven lying beneath him, his burning fist raised above his head as he prepared to finally knock him unconscious.

”This is it.... Dawnriver.”

Gary muttered, ready to put Riven to sleep, when suddenly—

”GARY, NO!”

A shout came from somewhere afar, as Gary’s fist stopped.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Cyrus approaching through the pouring rain, while the other Second Years began restraining the remaining members of Riven’s crew behind him.

”You don’t want to knock Dawnriver unconscious.”

Cyrus said, as he gestured towards Riven lying in the mud.

”If you do that, he’ll miss the humiliating moment when we march him through House Aureate’s castle alongside the rest of his crew before throwing all six of them into jail.

This is your victorious moment, Gary. You don’t want to let him off easy by knocking him unconscious before he gets to experience the best part.”

Cyrus suggested, as Gary remained silent.

The flames surrounding his fist gradually disappeared as he looked down into Riven’s half-open green eyes, with pity and hatred mixing strangely within his expression.

On one hand, the warrior within Gary wanted to finish the fight properly, as there was something deeply satisfying about the thought of landing one final punch and watching Riven finally lose consciousness beneath him that kept tempting him to finish it.

However, then there was another part in him, one that wanted to see Riven humiliated more than defeated, that agreed with what Cyrus said.

Afterall, Riven had not just defeated him back in the arena, he had humiliated him.

And so, knocking him unconscious here meant that the revenge would remain half complete at best.

”I guess you get to stay awake after all,” Gary muttered, as he released Riven’s robes and shoved him backwards into the mud.

Riven landed heavily on his back before rolling onto his side, while Gary rose to his feet and looked towards Cyrus who nodded in approval at his choice.

”You show a noble’s restraint, Ironveil. That’s admirable.”

Cyrus muttered, before glancing around towards the three injured Aureate First Years who were standing not too far away.

”You, go find some rope. We need to tie up Dawnriver here.”

Cyrus ordered, as the three students immediately scrambled to gather whatever they could use.

Riven barely heard them.

His head was still spinning from Gary’s punches, while blood continued flowing from his broken nose and mixing with the rainwater running across his lips.

Everything hurt.

His face throbbed.

His stomach cramped every time he tried taking a deep breath.

Yet through the dizziness, his gaze eventually settled upon Sky-Cleaver lying only a few feet away from him.

’I need to fight....’

Riven thought, as his fingers dug into the mud.

’I can’t let the Dawnriver name be dragged through the mud like this.’

He forced himself onto one elbow.

Pain immediately travelled through his body, although Riven ignored it as he dragged himself towards Sky-Cleaver and stretched one trembling hand towards its shaft.

His fingers reached it.

Riven grabbed the weapon.

Then a boot came down.

THUD!

Gary planted his foot directly against Sky-Cleaver’s shaft, pinning the ancient halberd firmly against the ground before Riven could lift it.

”Give it up, Dawnriver. It’s over,” Gary muttered, as he looked down at him without removing his foot. ”If you try getting back up, I’ll only have to knock you down again. Just stay where you are until they bring the rope.”

Riven tightened his grip.

He pulled once.

Sky-Cleaver didn’t move.

Cyrus watched the pathetic attempt from nearby before releasing a quiet scoff.

”What a pathetic showing,” Cyrus muttered, as his eyes travelled across Riven’s bloodied face. ”And to think everyone walked away from that exhibition believing you were somehow Gary’s equal.”

Riven’s fingers stopped pulling.

”I guess this was the actual gap between the two of you all along,” Cyrus continued, as he glanced towards Gary. ”If only everyone in that arena had known what you really had in store once the tricks stopped working.”

Those words hurt more than any of Gary’s punches.

Riven could tolerate the broken nose.

He could tolerate being beaten.

He could even tolerate being dragged through House Aureate’s castle as a prisoner.

However, as he lay helplessly in the mud with Gary’s boot pinning Sky-Cleaver beneath him, only one thought continued repeating inside his mind.

The Dawnriver name was being dragged through the mud alongside him.

—----------

(Meanwhile, Mary’s POV)

Hidden behind the large boulder, Mary had watched the entire fight unfold from beginning to end, unable to do anything as the situation deteriorated far faster than she had expected.

She had seen Riven charge towards Gary using [Lightning Step], only for [Light Flash] to blind him before Gary brutally knocked him into the ground, while his companions fared no better against the five Second Years surrounding them.

And now, barely minutes after the fighting began, Riven lay bloodied in the mud with Gary standing over him, while the rest of his crew had already been defeated and the Aureate students were searching for rope to bind them.

Mary bit her lip as she remained hidden behind the boulder, seriously considering whether she should interfere before Riven lost whatever small opportunity he still possessed to escape.

’If Cyrus wasn’t there, I could still try something, but against both him and Gary, I stand no chance.’

Mary thought, as although she could have tried to create some kind of distraction and catch Gary by surprise to perhaps then save Riven, she could not do the same with Cyrus around.

’If I interfere now, they’re just going to capture me as well....’

Mary thought, as her fingers tightened against the wet stone while she reluctantly accepted that there was nothing she could accomplish alone against so many stronger opponents.

’I’m sorry, Riven.... I don’t think I can help you right now.’

Mary concluded, as she gave one final glance around the edge of the boulder before slowly pulling herself back into cover.

Cedric needed to know what had happened, and if Mary could return to House Argent without being discovered, perhaps they could organize some kind of rescue before Aureate transported Riven and the others too far away.

’I guess that’s the only way for me to save him now....’

With that thought in mind, Mary closed her eyes briefly before turning away from the boulder, preparing to slip back towards House Argent while the Aureate students remained occupied with their prisoners.

However, she had barely taken a step when every hair across her arms suddenly stood upright, while a strange tingling sensation travelled across her skin and caused her entire body to stiffen.

’What the....’

Mary wondered, as she instinctively stopped moving and looked around, only for the entire Northwatch Grounds to suddenly become unnaturally bright.

KRAKOOOOOM!

A colossal bolt of lightning tore down from the darkened sky, forcing Mary to throw herself against the boulder as it struck the ground not far behind her with enough force to shake the earth beneath her feet.

BOOOOOOM!

Mary’s eyes widened as the deafening explosion rolled across the Northwatch Grounds.

And then, everything went silent.