The hearth at the center of the inn's main hall blazed brightly, filling the building with heat and warming the bodies of those gathered around it. The building was filled with noise and motion. Farmers done with a hard days work in the frigid fields traded bawdy tales with off duty soldiers over tankards of strong mead. A bard with some skill with the lute raised the spirits of all with his ballads of love, war, and adventure. More than a few of the barmaids seemed to be charmed by his roguish demeanor if the blush on their cheeks was of any accurate indication.
One barmaid in particular had to dance out of the path of grabby hands as she made her way to one of the tables. Expertly balancing two large tankards filled to the brim with honey wine and a massive plate of steaming meat, she missed not one step along her path. In one swift motion, the food and drink was deposited before the two seated individuals at the table in the corner of the hall.
"'Ere ye go. Fresh off the spit, that is. Can I get you two anythin' else?" inquired the woman with an ease that spoke of years asking such a question. She placed her hands on her hips and gave a broad smile.
The taller of the two, a woman, shook her head while pulling down the thick fur hood of the cloak she wore. "We shall be fine. However if you would keep an eye out for this man, we would greatly appreciate it." From the depth of her cloak, the woman withdrew a small parchment and two gold coins.
While the shorter of the two tore into a drumstick, the barmaid took the offered coin while taking a good look at the person portrayed on the parchment. "Sure thing, miss. If I see him, I'll point him your way. Who should I say is lookin' for him?"
"You may tell him that his escorts from the capital await him," answered the woman with a nod. The barmaid gave a confirmation and bade the two of them a good evening before returning to her duties.
"Signum, you really think he'll be able to make it here in one piece? The guy is a supposed to be a scholar after all," questioned the shorter of the two, a younger girl with a head of long, fire red hair pulled into a pair of long braids that disappeared into the thick cloak she wore.
Signum gave no immediate response, choosing instead to take a healthy bite of the succulent roast chicken before her. The meat was well seasoned and had been seared over the fire to lock away the juices. It was certainly some of the best food she'd had on the journey thus far. Swallowing the mouthful of fowl, she finally replied, "This was the location he requested to meet his escorts at. It is doubtful that he would choose a path that he would be unable to manage himself. Do not worry yourself, Vita."
Vita gave a very unladylike grunt in response. "Still don't know why I had to tag along. I'm not even an official Knight. I'm supposed to work the forge, not babysit bookworms," she grumbled while tearing another chunk of meat off the bone.
"It was Lady Hayate's request and you know that neither of us would ever consider turning her down," explained the pink haired woman as though it were a fact of the world. In a way, to them it was. Close friendships aside, one did not take the words of the succeeding Imperial Arch-Mage lightly.
The redhead took a long draw from her mead before fixing Signum with a bland look. "I know that. I just..."
"...Do not feel conformable leaving her be for such a long time. I am well aware of that. Do you not trust in father's ability to protect her?" queried Signum.
"Why the hell wouldn't I trust the old man, sis? I'd just feel better if I were the one doing it," retorted Vita hotly. It was no small secret that Vita took Lady Hayate's safety quite seriously. They were thick as thieves.
The elder of the two sisters nodded in understanding before draining some of her own tankard. "If it will make you feel better, then feel free to take out your frustrations on our charge when he arrives. i would request that you leave him relatively intact so that it does not impede the journey, however."
That remark managed to get a laugh out of Vita. Her elder sister's sense of humor was certainly unusual and often fell flat, but occasionally Signum managed something that was genuinely funny. At the very least it managed to return some cheer to the redhead's demeanor.
Still, both knew that Lady Hayate would be in good hands with their father watching out for her. General of the central armies of the Belkan Empire: Zafira Wolkenstein von Belka. He had risen up through the ranks at great speed. From a lowly foot-soldier, he had captured the eye of the former Empress, the current Sankt Kaiser Olivie Segbrech's mother, for his skill and honor and been elevated to the peerage before his thirteenth summer. By his seventeenth, he was preparing to take up the duties of a Captain and was leading the first Wolkenritter division. That was also the same year that he wed the woman who would become Signum and later Vita's mother.
Erika Wolkenstein would never have the chance to see her husband be promoted to the rank of General as she passed away not even a day after giving birth to Vita. Zafira had been twenty-five at the time and Signum a lass of only six. He would finally be granted the title of General upon reaching his third decade, adding the 'von Belka' to the family name.
"Your food is gonna get cold," commented Vita, effectively breaking Signum from her musing about their father's past.
The evening wore on and after a time, only the truly drunken rabble remained in the inn with the two. They would likely wind up asleep on the benches as a snowstorm had blown in. While not profitable, the innkeeper was not so heartless as to let the fools freeze to death by forcing the addled men onto the street in such harsh weather.
There had been no sight of the scholar that Signum and Vita were to meet with and the latter had by now fallen into a light sleep with her head on the wooden table. Their first servings of mead had long since run dry and the second was on its way out.
A loud roar of wind and the following banging of a heavy wooden door garnered the attention of the still conscious and awoke many of those who had dozed off in the hall. The figure who had just entered was covered in snow and it seemed that not even his heavy cloak had done a good enough job of keeping out the cold as it rushed over to the hearth, seeking warmth. Long blonde hair spilled out of the hood of the cloak as it was pulled back. While many of the patrons returned to their own business, the barmaid approached the new arrival.
"Can I get ye anythin'?" she asked, trying to get a better look at the man as she did so.
"S-something warm to eat and a b-bed, if you don't mind," he replied with a bit of a stutter. Ignored were the close looks given to him by the barmaid.
She didn't respond for a few moments. "Alright then. By the by, two misses asked me to tell ya that 'your escorts from the capital await you'." The official sounding words seemed off when coming from a barmaid, but the oddity was paid no heed. She gestured to the table where Signum and Vita sat, eliciting a look of gratitude from the man.
"Thank you ma'am. I appreciate it," he replied before standing and making his way to the ladies' table while hauling a large cloth satchel.
Signum stood to greet him as he approached, having been watching him since his arrival. It was always good practice to be aware of one's surroundings, and this individual's entrance was too obvious not to keep track of. She was certain that this was the man they were waiting for.
"Dame Signum Wolkenstein, I presume?" inquired the blonde man while removing a medallion from the folds of his robes. Upon it was the seal of the Akasha Lexicanum, more commonly known as the Infinity Library. The four black gems in the medallion glowed green for a moment, a sign of authenticity and that the person holding the item was indeed the proper owner.
Having seen the glow of the jewels, Signum shifted her cloak to display the Belkan seal embossed upon the breast of her armor. "You presume correctly, Sir Yuuno Scrya." Signum's answer was accentuated with a formal bow that he returned, a few bits of unmelted snow falling to the ground as he did so. She then gestured for him to take a seat next to her.
He did so after returning the medallion to its hiding place. Yuuno slumped in the seat and nearly let his head fall upon the wooden surface. A mug of mead and a plate of warm food appeared in front of him courtesy of the helpful barmaid. He gave a nod of thanks before speaking to Signum. "Sorry about arriving late, I ran into some trouble on the road."
The pinkette gave a questioning look to the young man. "Go on."
"I ran into some bandits." He paused to take a bite of the roasted rabbit on the plate given to him. "I was lucky that it was the Black Wind, or I'd be dead. They let me go after taking most of my coin."
"Lucky indeed..." Scrya's good fortune had let him be mugged by one of the more reputable bandit gangs in the Empire. The Black Wind was small, but well known as being merciful when possible and being led by a youth of considerable beauty. Still, the fact that he had been assaulted was of concern. "You are unharmed, correct?"
Yuuno nodded. "I'm fine. Their leader wouldn't let them put a scratch on me so long as I cooperated. Very surreal, if I may say so." As if noticing for the first time, he gestured to the still dozing Vita. "Your partner, I'm guessing."
Signum nodded. "Vita Wolkenstein, my younger sister." She shook the redhead's shoulder enough to wake her.
"Hnnng?" came the unintelligible reply as Vita sat up. She sounded more tired than she looked, though that likely had something to do with the two empty tankards nearby.
"Vita, Sir Yuuno Scrya has arrived," informed the pinkette.
Yuuno extended his hand to Vita, who stared at it blearily for a moment before shooting a tired glare at the young man. "What the hell took you so long?" The blonde took on a sheepish look and pulled his hand back wordlessly.
Noting that nothing of value would likely be contributed by any parties at this late hour, Signum broke the silence, "Perhaps it would be best if we retired to our quarters for the evening. We shall set out in the morning for Belkanstern." Then turning to Yuuno, she asked, "Were you able to secure lodgings, Sir Scrya?"
He shook his head. "I asked the barmaid for a bed, but she never got back to me about it. Considering how late it is, I'm not too hopeful." He pushed aside the now empty plate and finished off the mug of mead. "...If you wouldn't mind, I'd prefer it if you would address me as Yuuno. I'd rather not draw attention."
"Very well, ...Yuuno," replied Signum with a slight pause, as though trying out the name. She was one who referred to only her family by their first name. However upon recalling the unfortunate weight of the Scrya name, she was willing to make an exception. Vita simply raised an eyebrow at the scene. The pinkette was about to speak, when the barmaid returned to take away the collection of plates and empty drink containers.
"Pardon me, miss?" started Yuuno before being abruptly cut off by the woman.
"If its about yer room, we've got one left. Its right next to yer friends' room too. Ya lucked out there, sir! " she proclaimed with a smile before holding out both hands, one open and one closed. Realizing that she wanted payment for the room and board, the blonde reached for his already thin moneybag. "It'll be ten sovereigns, sir. That's including your food and drink."
Yuuno paled slightly as he began digging through the leather pouch. He eventually secured ten of the golden coins and placed them in the woman's waiting hand. Her hand shut around the pile of gold and the other opened to reveal a key with a wooden block tied to it with a number burned onto it. As she left with the now collected dinnerware, the blonde upturned the pouch and only a few stray pebbles fell from it onto the table. "I think they took more than I thought..."
"You think?" commented Vita with a sarcastic tone as she stood. "This going to be an issue?" Money for supplies was not something one wanted to be short on.
"Shouldn't be... The Black Wind left me with most of my supplies when I said where I was going." That got a blank look from the redhead as Yuuno patted the satchel at his feet.
"...Oh. Er, sorry," she admitted after a few moments, not having been awake for his explanation to Signum. An embarrassed look adorned her features as she spoke.
Yuuno waved it off. "Don't worry, at least I'm alive, right?"
"All is well then," interjected Signum as she stood, her armor clanking slightly as she did so. "We shall see you at first light then, Yuuno."
"First light then. Good night you two, and it was a pleasure to meet you both. I entrust myself to your care," he spoke formally.
From there they dispersed to their respective rooms. Yuuno surrendered to sleep almost immediately while Vita helped Signum remove her armor. The metal plates were not the most comfortable items to sleep in. Not minutes after finishing their task, the redhead was curled up under the thick furs atop her bed and sound asleep.
Signum remained awake for some time, staring up at the wooden ceiling of the inn. Her thoughts mired on the mission assigned to Vita and herself. It was a simple escort task of standard, low security fare. They were to travel north and rendezvous with the their escort target at the Frozen Pine Inn located in a nondescript mountain village. It was their escort target that had given both of them pause.
A Scrya.
Scrya were not only rare, but also looked upon with very little favor by many in the Empire. The still poorly understood, but aptly named, Scrya Incident had rendered a large portion of the southern region of the Empire an uninhabitable wasteland. It had led to food shortages, lack of raw materials, and killed everyone in the area. This included nearly every known member of the Scrya clan. Once a prominent clan in numerous magical and academic fields, the events of fifteen years ago had left only a precious few alive. Many who were not caught in the blast were hunted down in fear of a repeat incident.
It was an illogical fear, and one that took intervention from the Sankt Kaiser to prevent genocide. There were now fewer than a dozen known members of the clan still alive and nearly all were recluses. It was information that Signum had recalled when Yuuno requested that she not use his last name.
Signum would have dwelled on the matter further, but sleep crept into her mind and claimed her not moments later.
For Vita, the dawn came far too early. It was more a matter of her dislike of mornings in general rather than any kind of desire to remain asleep. Still, the crow of the cock was not to be ignored and she forced herself up. The biting cold that had seeped into the room made the redhead pull the warm furs around her more tightly with a curse.
She turned her head to the side and saw Signum strapping on her armor. Vita idly noticed a few dents in the greaves that she'd have to hammer out when she next had the chance. Her elder sister had likely been awake and getting ready for a while before that damnable bird began making its awful racket. The immense self discipline that SIgnum carried herself with in nearly everything she did was something that Vita admired and would admit to no one else beyond her father.
Finally removing herself from the warmth of the bed, Vita slipped on her cold, armor-clad leather boots and greeted Signum, "Mornin', sis." A yawn escaped her lips after speaking.
"Good morning, Vita. Did you sleep well?" inquired Signum as she tightened the last of the leather straps that held her breastplate in place. It was more time consuming to armor oneself, impossible with certain types of platemail, but the pinkette had opted to not force her sister to rise in the dark as she had.
"Better than that patch of dirt from yesterday," she replied grumpily. A logging accident had forced the two to take a detour that had led to their sleeping outside the night before last. Signum was more accustomed to it, but the redhead had not been fond of the experience.
"I will agree to that." Signum kneeled down to inspect the arrows stored within her quiver and to make certain that the fletching and shaft of each projectile was still in proper condition. The cold had a tendency to warp wood and feather to nearly the same degree as the heat of summer. "What do you think of our charge?" she inquired after examining a few of the arrows.
Vita had been in the process of donning the harness that she carried Graf Eisen in when the question came. "What do I think?" she paused to think. Beyond the knowledge of what the Scrya name carried, she hadn't really gotten a good measure of the man from what little interaction she'd had with him last night. That she was already half asleep during said interaction probably hadn't helped. "Eh, so long as he's useful and keeps his mitts to himself, I don't have a problem with him. Though if he steps outta line, I'm gonna make sure he knows it."
"You are not going to vent your frustrations on him for being late, then?" queried the pinkette with a small grin.
"Nah, not after he said he was mugged. That's a valid excuse in my book for being late." With nary a grunt of effort, Vita placed her weapon in its harness. Graf Eisen was a warhammer of considerable mass that the average soldier would be hard pressed to use effectively. She had crafted the weapon specifically for her own use and then had it enchanted to increase its durability. The chain of broken weapons Vita had left in the path to forging Graf Eisen was a long one. "How about you? Any thoughts on the bookworm?"
"He seems to be a decent man thus far, if rather unfortunate," Signum admitted while drawing her blade. Laevatein was a rather unique piece of work that Vita had crafted for her some summers ago as a gift. Favoring one edge over the other and adorned with runes along the entire length of the blade, it was a slashing sword that called up flames to match the searing heat in which it had been forged. Finding all well with her preferred weapon, Signum sheathed it and fixed the sheath to her side.
"That's it?" questioned Vita. She would have asked for more of a response, but a knock at the door interrupted her.
"It's Yuuno, may I come in?" called the man from beyond the wooden door.
The sisters nodded to each other before Vita responded. "Come on in and shut the door behind ya."
Yuuno did so and both parties were finally able to get a good look at one another. To the sisters, Yuuno did not exactly fit their image of the stereotypical scholar. Thick, dark woolen pants and shirt beneath a nondescript tabard dyed tan with a dark green border. From a leather belt hung a noticeably empty coin purse along with a few other pouches. His boots and gloves were well worn and it looked as though the metal plate on one of the gloves was ready to snap in twain. The appearance was completed by the hooded fur cloak that was fastened about his shoulders.
In one hand was a hempen rope that led over the shoulder to the large satchel that carried the remainder of his supplies and other accoutrements. It too, looked like it had seen better days.
Most obvious about Signum's state of dress was the armor that she wore. A full breastplate with gorget that seemed to have been custom-made, if Yuuno's limited knowledge of armor was any indication. Though she lacked spaulders or pauldrons, her forearms and hands were clad in matching metal. Fixed to a belt on her hip was a modified cuirass that seemed to be arranged for greater mobility. From what he could tell, Signum wore no chainmail beneath the plate, but rather a combination of leather and wool cloth. Greaves led to metal plated boots to complete the armor.
She cut quite an imposing figure that was further enhanced by the long blade at her side and the daggers strapped across her chest and inner thigh. At the moment, she was in the process of stringing a longbow crafted from a dark wood. The ease of which she went about the task spoke of a great deal of expertise with the weapon.
The leather brigandine that Vita was clad in had been dyed a red color that was a few shades darker than her hair. It was rather form-fitting and did a poor job of hiding her generous curves in comparison to Signum's concealing metal armor. Beyond that, she wore cloth with fur lining. The only parts of her body that bore any kind of metalwork defense were her forearms, hands, and feet. Said armor was forged in a nearly identical style as Signum's own.
Strapped to the young woman's back was a warhammer that looked far too large and heavy to be wielded by someone of Vita's stature. However she seemed to have no trouble moving about as normal with the weapon on her person. Much like Signum, the redhead wore a pair of daggers in the same manner as her sister.
"May I assume that they took your blade as well, or do you not carry one?" inquired Signum after a time, taking note of the lack of weaponry on Yuuno's person.
"They took my staff and my sword," He replied with a dismayed look, "Not much I could do about it at the time. They got the drop on me before I could cast anything." The sword was of little concern, considering how rarely it was ever used, but that staff was not something he could easily replace.
Vita sighed irritably and removed the dagger and sheath that rested across her chest. She tossed it to the scholar, who caught it with a bit of fumbling. "I'll loan you that one. Lose it or damage it and I'm taking it out of your hide."
"Thank you, Dame Vita," spoke Yuuno with a slight awkwardness.
"Call me Vita. I'm a blacksmith, not a Knight. And besides, it'll be weird if you call us formally and we don't do the same to you." Vita stated plainly nearly the moment the title left Yuuno's lips.
Signum voiced her request as well, "Likewise, I would have you refer to me as Signum while we travel. While this mission is not secretive, it would appear unusual to many." Finding her bow to be optimally strung, the pinkette placed it on her bed and then latched the quiver of arrows to her side opposite Laevatein.
"Geez, Signum, you look ready for war," commented Vita blandly.
"I intend to hunt while we travel. A rabbit or two will make for decent rations." Signum stated this while donning her own cloak. It would force her to carry the bow in hand, but the weapon would be far more easily readied for action.
By now, Vita had put on her own cloak and slung a bag over he shoulders. "You just don't want to forage again." There was a teasing grin on her face.
Signum did not respond to the tease, but the tinge of pink on her cheeks indicated that Vita had indeed spoken the truth. She was rather skilled at foraging, but she much preferred to hunt something than dig around for edible mushrooms, herbs, and berries. "In any event, are you ready to set out Yuuno? If all goes well, we should reach the village of Dawnleaf by nightfall."
Yuuno blinked at being brought back into the conversation, Vita's dagger now affixed to his side. "Er, yes. Yeah, I'm ready," he replied somewhat dumbly.
"Then let's get going," declared the redhead, to which Yuuno and Signum nodded in agreement.
The snowstorm from the previous night had left the landscape painted a frigid white that the village farmers were forced to dig through so that they could tend to their sturdy winter crops.
Having left the village behind some time ago, the trio trudged along the snow covered trail down the mountain. The cold powder gave way beneath their footsteps with soft crunching sounds. Signum had taken point with her bow in hand and hawk-like eyes keeping watch for any movement. Vita guarded the rear while chewing on a sliver of jerky. Yuuno was stuck between the two females. Every so often he would pick up an errant stone, twig, or other object that was exposed or had been kicked up by animal tracks or Signum's footsteps. Each object would be examined as they walked and either stowed away or tossed aside.
It didn't take long for Vita to bring up the unusual actions. "Yuuno, what the hell are you doing?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, breaking the silence that had settled on the group.
"Gathering some reagents," was the simple reply as he examined a small pine cone.
"Reagents? You planning on brewing up something when we stop or going through some kind of ritual?" queried Vita with some confusion. She didn't see the need for any rituals, nor did she think they would have the time. The same went for potions and salves. There was also the fact that, even with her limited knowledge of the subject, Vita was fairly certain that medicines did not consist of random rocks picked up on the roadside.
Tossing the pine cone to the side, Yuuno replied, "Some of my magic requires reagents to work properly. I didn't have the money or time to properly restock back there. If I had, then I wouldn't have been able to pay my tab or let us leave on time."
"I've never heard of non-ritual magic that takes reagents before. Besides, if you can use junk you find on the ground, why waste money?" Vita wasn't really much into the realm of magecraft, but it was better than letting the silence drag on.
"Its a matter of quality, actually," he stated while looking back over his free shoulder at Vita, "Higher quality components are needed for stronger spells or more favorable results. Its that or use an absurd amount of low quality components for the same effect. You can make a better sword with better metal, right? Same idea. I'd rather have low quality spells than none at all."
"Huh... That makes sense, when you put it that way." Not exactly eager for the conversation to die out, Vita pressed on. "So... What kind of magic is that anyway? The kind that needs reagents and stuff." As she asked, the redhead moved closer to the scholar so that he wouldn't have to speak as loudly.
Signum remained silent and vigilant, but was curious as well. A sliver of her attention went to the conversation behind her.
Yuuno's expression took on a look that would have been odd to any who saw it, but since he had turned to face forward again, none did. "Its Scrya magic. I would be very surprised if you knew much, if anything, about how it works," he admitted. The magic of the Scrya clan was not widely practiced or taught outside of the clan. It had practically vanished on that day fifteen years ago and in the events that followed.
Vita gave a huff in response, "I'm a blacksmith, bookworm. Magic isn't something I'm exactly well versed in." She resisted the urge to start chewing on another sliver of dried meat before continuing. "So? What can it do? Rain fire from the sky? Command the undead? Or turn lead into gold?"
Her examples came across as a little sarcastic, but Yuuno paid it no heed. "You're not too far off with that last one, actually." Vita blinked but said nothing as the scholar continued. "Interacting with and manipulating the physical world is what it does. Alterations, transmutations, even transformations. I could turn you into a bear or a bobcat if I wanted. At least give you the ears and tail."
Vita seemed suitably disturbed by his explanation as she brought a hand to her ear, making certain that they were just as fleshy and hairless as when she'd woken up. Finding that nothing had changed, she glared at the scholar. A biting remark was on the tip of her tongue.
"Please refrain from doing so, Yuuno. My sister is rather fond of her current set," interjected Signum before Vita could say anything. Her tone was amused, but still caused the scholar to shrink back somewhat.
As he was about apologize, the Knight drew an arrow and notched it in one swift motion. Her posture straightened and the string was pulled back in a full draw. A sharp twang preceded the release of the deadly shaft. Not a moment later there was the meaty sound of the arrow striking flesh. Signum wordlessly marched into the snow covered bushes, causing much of what remained to fall with her motions.
"What'd ya hit?" called out Vita as she motioned Yuuno to follow quickly.
Signum emerged holding the impaled form of a rabbit by the ears, its snow white fur staining red around the entrance and exit wounds of the arrow. Unfortunately the shaft seemed to have snapped at some point after striking its victim and was unsalvageable. The arrowhead was saved however, and Signum stowed it away in a small pouch. "An early lunch," was the simple reply. "We may eat as we walk."
Yuuno looked a little green at the idea of eating the raw meat. Vita took notice and elbowed him good naturally, "What? You've never eaten a fresh kill before? C'mon, bookworm, be a man! Show some spirit. Don't tell me that you're a milk-drinker."
"I think you've been drinking too much of it," he finally shot back blandly while pointing at her chest. Signum ignored their banter as she drained the blood from the unfortunate rabbit, creating a trail of red snow as they got moving again. The bow was now strung across her chest, with the wood upon her back.
Vita's eyes widened slightly at his return barb before smacking him on the shoulder. "See, ya do have some brass, bookworm," she sated somewhat crudely while continuing to use the nickname, grinning the entire time.
Yuuno winced and rubbed the arm she'd struck. He would have attempted some form of retort, but Signum intervened, "If you wish to continue, that is your decision. It shall simply mean more food for myself."
The scholar and the blacksmith ceased their interaction and turned to Signum, who held out a few bloody strips of meat without ever turning to them or pausing in her step. Both finally noticed the trail of fur and cast off parts that were inedible that had been rapidly added to the blood on the snow. The blonde blinked as he tried to process just how quickly Signum had prepared their meal.
"...You should see her when she's really hungry," whispered Vita to Yuuno before approaching her elder sister to secure rations, lest they be devoured by the pinkette.
Rank was broken as Yuuno began walking alongside Signum as well, staring at the bloody cut of meat in his hand. He'd never eaten something like this before at the Infinity Library, but seeing Vita and Signum readily devouring the rabbit made him decide to just go with it. Taking a hefty bite, the scholar found it to be an interesting taste. It was cold, wet, and rather gamy, but good all the same. "This is pretty good, I'll admit," he stated after finishing his portion. He wiped his face with the palm of his glove, leaving a bloody smear behind.
Signum only nodded as she continued slicing away at the small corpse in her hand, occasionally pausing to hand an edible strip to one of two two individuals walking alongside her or to pop one into her own mouth.
Soon there was only the bones left of the animal and three satisfied bellies. Yuuno took the bones that could be rendered into soup and stored them away safely in his pack. If the weather went afoul and they needed to make camp, they would be most valuable. All three had made use of the snow to remove what blood they could from their hands and Signum to clean the dagger she'd used to butcher the rabbit.
"That was pretty amazing, Signum," commented the man after a bit.
"Pardon?" A quizzical look graced her features, not quite certain what she'd done that was impressive to her charge.
"The rabbit. I've never seen anyone prepare food so efficiently like that before." The few times he'd visited the kitchens of the library, there was hardly anyone there or it had been a scene of barely contained chaos. Not to mention that the cooks all had space to work on. He recalled nearly being trampled once when he was just a small boy.
"Ah. The preparation of food on the move is something taught to all Knights." She remained stoic, but scratched at her cheek with her now clean gauntlet in what could have been a sign of slight embarrassment. "I am simply... more proficient than most," she admitted.
"That you hate waiting to eat has nothing to do with it?" quipped the younger sister, eyeing Signum out of the corner of her vision.
The tallest of the trio did not dignify that with a response, choosing to ignore the redhead instead. Vita smirked in victory as Signum posed a question to the only male present, "Yuuno, might I inquire to what exactly you will be instructing Lady Hayate?" She knew that he was summoned to teach, likely involving magic, but had not been given any further detail.
Yuuno scratched his chin thoughtfully before replying. "I'll be teaching her mostly magical theory and how to properly identify and deal with Lost Logia. If I feel she's up to it, then I'll teach her some actual spells."
Signum arched an eyebrow. "I do not intend to belittle your intelligence, Yuuno. But you seem rather young to be a candidate for instructing the future Arch-Mage on the subject of Lost Logia." Managing and often sealing acquired Lost Logia were one of the primary duties of the Arch-Mage and a great deal of care went into the job. It was not something that could be taken lightly. In all honesty, she had been expecting Yuuno to be an older man and not the youth in the picture she had been given after receiving her orders.
He shook his head as they continued to trudge down the path. "Its alright... I've been involved with the subject since I could properly read, so that gives me enough qualification to warrant some of the Kaiser's attention. I'm certain you can figure out the rest of the reason." The last part was stated in such a way that Signum felt pursuing it would not be the wisest course of action.
"May I ask you then, exactly how many years that would be?" inquired the Knight. It was the safer question of the two she could ask, and Vita agreed silently.
"Thirteen of study and research. I'll be seeing my eighteenth before the end of this coming Spring," Yuuno answered honestly.
Vita turned an appraising eye upon the man while Signum responded, "That is quite a long time. I would have hoped you to have more experience, but this is acceptable."
The blonde scratched the back of his head, not entirely certain how to respond to that. "Well, I'll do everything I can to make sure she learns what I have to teach her." To which Signum gave a nod of approval.
The conversation seemed to die off after that and the three walked in relative silence. The only sounds of the frozen surroundings being the crunch of snow beneath their boots and the occasional scampering of winder wildlife. Trees were still plentiful as they made their way down the mountain trail, and would be until they started coming closer to Dawnleaf. High above, the winter sun continued its efforts to warm the frigid lands.
Small signs of civilization began to appear after a few more hours of marching. The occasional road marker or cast off wagon wheel buried in snow let the party know that they were making good time. They'd only had to make a few stops in their travel thus far to refill their empty water skins at a brook that ran close to the trail and also to answer nature's call. An action that Yuuno found exceptionally embarrassing.
However things began to take a turn for the worse when Signum suddenly stopped advancing and held her arm out, forcing Yuuno and Vita to halt. A gentle breeze had begun to blow. The silence was broken only by the sound of the Knight sniffing the air. It brought a look of confusion to Yuuno's face and understanding to Vita's, who immediately maneuvered herself to face the rear and sandwich the scholar between herself and Signum.
Her hand began moving towards the shaft of Graf Eisen that jutted out from beneath her cloak. "What do you think?" Vita whispered loud enough only for her sister and Yuuno to hear.
"Rot. Death. Bandits or trolls. I am unable to get a good sense of their positioning," she answered in a hard voice while reaching for Laevatein's leather wrapped handle with her right hand. "Yuuno, stay between us and do not attempt anything foolhardy." Her tone became harder, laced strongly with the power of a commander's order.
Yuuno wanted to protest, but the Knight's tone mixed with the sound of weapons being drawn to quash that desire. All he could do was draw the dagger that Vita had given him while dropping his satchel. The weapon felt unusual in his hands, clumsy and unfamiliar.
All went silent for a few moments more, only to be broken by the harsh cracking sound of a crossbow unleashing its payload. The bolt's deadly trajectory carried it towards Signum's head. It was only her reflexes that save her from being slain at the onset of battle. She twisted her head sharply to the side, saving herself from a lethal blow but suffering a long jagged gash running the length of her left cheekbone and just below it. The momentum behind the projectile forced Signum's body to turn with her head, and sent a spray of blood across the snow in the process.
Signum swore in pain while her attacker did the same in frustration. However the Knight did not falter from her position and immediately turned to face forward once more. Her charge and her sister would have voiced concern for her safety, but distraction could prove lethal here.
The unknown assailants seemed to have abandoned the element of surprise as they left their concealment and made their presence known. There were eight of them, all clad in patchwork leather and metal armor and covered in dried blood, dirt, and all manner of filth. The scent of dead bodies and unwashed flesh began to reach the less sensitive noses of Vita and Yuuno, whose faces scrunched up in disgust.
"Well now..." started one of the assailants, brandishing a longsword in Signum's direction that had seen better days. His voice was rough and oily. "Get a closer look and yer a broad. Good thing Roid didn't kill ya. Cold is fine, but I prefer 'em warm..." he trailed off with a vile leer directed at the Knight.
Another of the unclean, a woman by the looks of her and wielding a blade in far better condition than the one belonging to the man who had just taunted Signum. "We'll let you choose. Pleasure before death or death before pleasure." As she spoke, the group began tightening their circle around the trio.
"Not much of a choice there, bitch," retorted Vita, tightening her grip on the warhammer she held. "How about option three? The one where I see how far I can send your heads flying."
"Too bad then, girly. The lads'll be enjoying you for a looong time," sneered a third brigand. "Me, I want the boy. He looks mighty fine and virile." Yuuno's face paled as that horribly warped expression landed on him.
"Sorry, he's ours," the redhead shot back before the tension reached its breaking point. From there, the marauders made their move with a maddened battle cry.
Two of the eight charged the wounded Signum with axes drawn and the desire to see blood that was not their own was reflected in their eyes. The Knight met them violently as she body checked the first before he could even begin bringing down his weapon. There was a flash of steel and a bloody red arc was drawn through the air, trailing viscera and entrails. With that, the first death of many more to come had been written by Laveatein's razor edge. The blade had carved a fatal path through the second assailant's belly as he tried to capitalize on Signum's movements. He dropped the the ground screaming in pain while trying to pile his intestines back into the gaping cavity before perishing moments later.
The body checked brigand had been staggered by the fierce blow and fell to the ground, landing on his back. Before he could stand, the screaming of his ally filled his ears and the whirling form of Signum's body filled his eyes. There was no mercy in the Knight's movements as she brought her blade around full circle. No scream of terror left the man's throat as it was no longer receiving air. The second body collapsed bonelessly into the snow as the severed head landed next to it.
Signum made to move back to Yuuno's side, but the vile man who had spoken first was on her more quickly than she could retreat. A flash of sparks erupted as Laevatein met the blackened blade. "You've got spunk, lady. I like that," he taunted, not seeming to care that she had just dispatched two of his allies.
While the Knight exchanged blows with her assailant, Vita was keeping three of the four remaining marauders at bay. The fifth had met a very messy and painful end when Graf Eisen had impacted with her midsection. When the blow had connected, it crushed the already abused armor into the woman's body and pulped her internal organs, violently forcing blood and tissue to erupt from the mouth and nose.
No one had dared chance getting caught in the redhead's sphere of death after that. Having two of their number cut down with such brutal efficiency and a third turned into a bloody mess, the brigands' had started playing it more safe than before. They had shifted to a strategy that involved darting in and out of the blacksmith's range, trying for a wound rather than a kill. Unfortunately, this had the effect of pulling Vita's attention more towards her immediate threats than Yuuno's protection.
This left one target not being checked and it decided to go after the weakest link of the three. Yuuno made a delicious looking target for the brigand, looking around almost helplessly with a fumbling grip on the dagger in hand. He hadn't even realized that Vita had been pulled further away from his back as Signum fought on in front of his eyes.
It wasn't that the scholar lacked combat experience. He'd learned enough to defend himself along the road and had successfully done so more than a few times. But he'd never dealt with a situation like this before, where killing your assailant was the only option available. In previous encounters, he'd been able to subdue his attackers without slaying them. Yuuno was out of his element here, and it showed plainly on his face.
A guttural battle cry came from the blonde's left as the brigand charged him into the opening that had been made available to him. The dagger that Vita had loaned to Yuuno was hastily brought up to defend its wielder against the mace being brought down with incredible force. Mass and momentum tore the short blade from the scholar's hands as he shouted in surprise and fear. It landed some distance away, far out of reach.
Fight and flight are responses that every living being has the option of choosing when their life is in mortal peril. Fear clouded Yuuno's mind and he turned to flee in terror with the grinning and crazed brigand hot on his trail, spouting taunts and expletives.
"Yuuno, wait!" hollered Vita when she realized what was happening, to no avail. She would have given chase, but her own attackers made that nearly impossible. Graf Eisen's metal shaft blocked an axe blow aimed to remove an arm with a harsh clanging sound. The man's leering face was far too close to hers as he tried to keep the warhammer pinned so that his allies could attempt a crippling strike.
It would fail miserably against the redhead's titanic strength. She pushed him back sharply, enough to allow her to smash her forehead into his own. The dazed and foolish foe never saw his end coming as Vita's mighty hammer descended like a meteor onto his head and crushed it like a grape, splattering blood, bone, and brain matter everywhere. Now her enemies numbered two and they seemed torn between taking revenge and fleeing for their miserable lives.
Yuuno ran. He ran like never before. Thoughts of attack never crossing his mind. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he didn't want to be killed either. Adrenaline made the conflict raging within him all the worse.
Eventually, the scenery began to blur in the scholar's terrified eyes and he missed a step. He came crashing down into the snow and gouged a short trail as his body slid through the frigid powder. Yuuno coughed violently as he tried to lift himself up with shaky limbs.
"Caught ya~" came sickening voice from behind. Yuuno turned his head to see his attacker's boot become larger and larger in his vision. The kick tossed the blonde onto his back and made his world spin. "Now what should I do with you... Yer kinda pretty for a dude. What a waste."
"G-get back," demanded Yuuno feebly, eliciting a laugh from the brigand. With panicked movements, the scholar tried to shuffle backwards. His heart constricted in terror when his back connected with a tree.
The foul man ignored Yuuno's pleas and leered at him, "Now why would I do that, blondie?" With that, he lunged.
It was a move of desperation that saved Yuuno's life. His perception of time seemed to slow down as the adrenaline in his veins peaked. The cold air felt even more frigid. The ground was so very hard, even with the snow acting as a cushion. Snow? Snow was water, wasn't it? Water could protect him. Water had protected him before. He would die without its aid.
As the brigand came ever closer, Yuuno gasped a handful of the cold winter snow and hurled it at his attacker. Power gathered in his belly and flowed through his body. His lips parted and from his throat came words of an ancient dialect, shouted in desperation, "OKA WAHL SPAAN!" Power flowed through his voice and into the reagent he had hurled.
There was no problem with the magic fueling the spell that Yuuno had cast, rather his skills with defensive spellwork were quite impressive. The problem lay with the reagent. Had it been pure water, a large shield of the clear fluid would have come to life and the blonde's attacker would have likely rendered himself unconscious from impacting an immovable object at high speed. But snow is frozen water, ice, and that did not react properly with the magic.
The snow's crystalline flakes exploded outward, creating not a solid barrier of water, but a deadly latticework shield of razor edged blades that jutted out in all directions. They grew outwards to impale the brigand upon their frigid edges as he advanced to his doom, unable to stop his momentum. That same momentum carried him through the blade wall, his body filled with bloody lances.
His perforated form collapsed next Yuuno's body, some of the ice propping him up and leaving the pain-stricken and horrified face of the brigand turned in the scholar's direction. Shock and horror was written upon the face of the living. Blood pooled as it flowed from the corpse and stained both the snow and Yuuno's clothing deep red. The realization of what he had just done began to sink in and the scholar's pupils shrank in terror.
A scream ripped through the trees and reached the ears of the combatants. Signum's opponent merely grinned, "Looks like one o' my men is having a good time with yer boy."
Signum let a growl pass her lips as Laevatein crashed against the nameless blade her opponent wielded. She'd no idea why such a worn and tarnished sword had not shattered after a few exchanges against her own. The foe who brandished it was also far beyond the level of skill that one would expect. Though the blood loss from the wound upon her face was not helping matters.
Sparks flew from another meeting of steel and the Knight's frustration grew. She needed to end this now. Needed to slay this fiend. Needed to complete her duty to Lady Hayate. If Yuuno was dead, then Signum had failed in her mission and it was not something that she would tolerate.
Her chance to turn this bout away from the stalemate it had become and into her favor finally came when the battle came closer to the corpses of the first two slain brigands. After Laevatein separated from the opposing longsword, Signum kicked backwards, propelling herself away from the man. Her path carried her within reach of the second foe she'd slain. A sharp kick sent a spray of snow and the severed head flying at the opponent who had been giving her such difficulty.
Whatever trick the brigand had been expecting, it was not the flying severed head of his ally. It came quickly enough that he was forced to cut it away with his sword. That gave Signum the opening she needed. The pink haired Knight lunged and the sickening sound of flesh parting beneath Laevatein's razor rang out.
"You... bitch..." spoke the man in obvious pain as blood dribbled from his mouth. Signum's sword had pierced through the leather holding two metal plates together and secured her victory. It did not secure the man's death, however, as he struggled to raise his weapon in an effort to take the Knight with him to the afterlife.
She said nothing, flooding her sword with magic instead. The runes inscribed upon Laevatein flared to life and glowed a deadly red. A pained scream was cut off violently as the brigand's throat was filled with searing flame. Fire erupted from multiple orifices and wounds as Signum's blade poured blazing death into his body. Not more than a few moments later, she withdrew her sword from the now smoldering corpse and turned her attention to the remaining assailants.
The brutal display had taken the remaining fight out of the last two who had been continuing their attempts on Vita's life. As one leapt back to avoid being crushed beneath the redhead's hammer, the other took the opportunity to do what would have been wise after seeing what their targets were capable of. She turned and ran for her life only to be rewarded with a dagger in the back courtesy of Signum's extended arm. Her death rattle lasted only moments.
Vita ensured that there would be no survivors amongst those who had assailed her as she charged the last enemy before her. The man had nowhere to run and put up his sword in an effort to defend himself. The blade proved to be useless against the mass and speed of Graf Eisen. There was a meaty crunch and a tearing sound preceding the messy decapitation of the last target. His crushed head bounced off of a nearby tree and landed amongst the winter bushes.
Wasting no time to watch the body fall to the ground, Vita made great haste in the direction that Yuuno had been chased. Signum was close behind.
The scene they came upon did not immediately fill them with relief. Yuuno was propped against a tree, staring blankly ahead and not moving. Blood surrounded both him and the perforated body at his side. It was only the lack of any visible wounds that gave them hope.
Signum was on one knee next to Yuuno in a flash, checking him for signs of life and injury while Vita hauled the corpse out of the way. The Knight sighed in relief as her charge showed no signs of significant injury and was very much alive. She patted his cheek lightly whilst calling his name, "Yuuno. Yuuno, the battle is over. You are safe now." As she spoke Laevatein was returned to its sheath.
Yuuno's face slowly turned towards Signum and then to Vita, who had taken a knee on his other side. "C'mon, wake up, bookworm. No one's gonna hurt you."
Both sisters had to move back when the scholar sat up suddenly, horror written all over his face. "...I killed him," he finally said in a haunted voice, "I killed someone." The blonde's lungs started drawing in air with short, rapid breaths that brought a look of alarm to Vita's countenance.
"I think he's gonna blow!" warned the redhead as Yuuno staggered forward on hands and knees before emptying the contents of his stomach a violent heave. Signum approached his hunched form and placed a steel clad hand on the man's back, causing him to flinch before another wave of nausea hit. She then grasped his hair so that it would not fall into the mess that was forming in the snow.
"You have never taken a life before, have you, Yuuno?" asked Signum, receiving a shake of the head that confirmed her suspicion.
Vita kept her distance, knowing that Signum was better suited for this kind of thing. For her sister, being a Knight had meant seeing and dealing a lot of death on the battlefield. It was an uncommon sight for a new recruit to start losing their senses after their first kill, but hardly rare. However those recruits were Knights, trained for battle and all that it entailed. Yuuno was no such person.
Whenever a recruit fell to this state, it was often shouting at and physically striking the recruit until they returned to their senses, explaining the reality of their situation in the process. It worked for a soldier, at the very least. Signum herself had nearly suffered the same means of returning to reality after her first kill, but held her reaction in check. It was quite a feat in the Knight's opinion. When she had returned home, Zafira had explained things to her plainly and without sugar.
She would do the same fore her charge. When the heaving finally stopped, Signum grasped Yuuno's shoulders and forced him to face her. His eyes were bleary and red while thin trails of bile ran from the corners of his mouth. "Listen to me Yuuno," she commanded, looking him straight in the eyes, "You have killed a man. However, he would have killed you had you not done so. He made his choices in his life and you should not regret having defended your own."
Vita recalled what Signum was saying, having heard it from her as well. Zafira had not been present to speak with her after the first time she had taken a life and if fell into Signum's hands to explain things. She had done so, conveying the same blunt words of her father. Though the redhead had at least managed to keep her food down in her situation.
"LIfe is not cheap, but do not devalue your own or those of your companions in the face of death. Do you understand what I am saying?" she finished bluntly. Signum did not expect him to suddenly spring up, stating that everything was fine, but it should at least give her charge a frame of reference in dealing with what he had done.
It took a while for Yuuno to eventually nod, "I... understand, Signum..." His reply was slow and gravelly.
"Are you able to stand?" she asked while standing up herself, extending a hand to Yuuno. He took it and Signum pulled him to his feet. The blonde wobbled a bit on weak knees, but did not collapse. Signum nodded in approval and released the man's hand.
Vita chose that moment enter the scene and gave Yuuno a rough pat on the back, "So, you ready to ge- Kaiser!" she exclaimed suddenly upon fully seeing Signum's visage, "Signum, your face! The bags. We've got some bandages and stuff." They'd known Signum had been hit by something, but not what, nor how severe it had been. In Vita's haste to ensure the safety of the man they were both charged with guarding, she hadn't fully processed her sister's wound, nor gotten a really good look at that side of her face.
Signum seemed to realize this as well as she touched the side of her face. It was a jagged gash a few inches long and had bled profusely, as any head wound was wont to do. The cold and adrenaline reduced what was likely a great deal of pain to a dull throb. She would have said something in agreement, but Yuuno stepped in.
Though still feeling shaky, Yuuno wouldn't let Signum's condition remain. They had saved his life, even though it was their duty to do so, and he would do what he could. Unless treated properly, deep wounds could become easily infected and lead to far worse problems. "I'll... I'll take care of that," he spoke, trying his best to sound strong, "It will hurt though..."
He removed one of his gloves before reaching over to Signum's face and running a finger over the clotting wound, forcing it to remain open. She hissed in response to the sudden increase in pain. "What're you doing?!" exclaimed Vita, ready to deck the man for his action.
"Healing her," stated Yuuno evenly, preventing the redhead from interrupting him. Signum only gave the man a sharp look. With her blood on his hand, the blonde concentrated on it and let the magic within him flow. The Knight's red life fluid pulled away from his hand and coalesced into a small sphere that turned darker and darker shades of crimson as the power flowed into it. Yuuno then placed the orb against Signum's wound and spoke, "Sos Wahl Slen."
The sphere seemed to turn completely black before melting into Signum's cheek. She felt a sharp, burning pain, but was unable to give in to her body's natural reaction to pull away. Then, just like that, it was over. The pain was gone and when Yuuno pulled his hand away from her face, she felt only the cold mountain air.
"...It will still leave a scar, but it won't be as bad." Yuuno stepped back as he spoke, letting Vita examine her sister's face.
"Wow... He really fixed you up good," Vita stated with a bit of wonder. The blood remained, but the once severe looking tear in her sister's face had been closed up and only a jagged line of healthy pink flesh remained.
Signum touched the now closed wound with a gauntlet encased hand and felt the cool smoothness of metal. It was no healing magic she'd ever come across before. Perhaps this was the magic of the Scrya then? Still, it was effective, if not painful. "...My thanks, Yuuno," she said before the lightheadedness of blood loss returned, causing her armored body to sway slightly.
Vita held her sister up by placing Signum's arm over he shoulder and forcing the Knight to lean on the redhead. "I don't think we'll be getting to Dawnleaf before nightfall. We'd better make camp somewhere and rest up," she stated while looking at the state of the party. She was the best off out of the three and could probably make it to the village in time, but Signum had lost a lost of blood and Yuuno wasn't in any decent emotional condition.
"I apologize..." murmured Signum, feeling quite vexed with her situation.
They made tracks back to the sight of the ambush and collected their belongings. Yuuno ended up carrying both his and the Wolkenstein sisters' satchels as Vita had her hands full with Signum. He came across the dagger that the redhead had loaned him. It was dented slightly, but in overall good condition and not damaged enough to prevent it from fitting back into the sheath. The scholar said nothing of its condition and quietly sheathed the weapon.
From there the three began making headway towards Dawnleaf once more, keeping their eyes peeled for a decent area to stop and rest. Up above, the sky began to darken, hearkening the arrival of another storm of snow.