Berserk
They had sparred the night before, together in the few free hours they had during the long days of the warrior's life.
"Ah, you are getting stronger, Vanessa," Forde had commented, droplets of sweat flying, after he managed to block one of her attacks.
"Or you are being lazier than usual," she retorted, as she slid her training lance towards Forde. He dodged, before attempting a hit on his partner. And he somehow managed to softly contact on her abdomen. At this, she only mumbled, "Fine, you win."
It had been already an hour of training with him. Both where tired, even if they wouldn't admit it. Vanessa quickly placed her lance on a wooden case where they were kept, and she turned on her heels to go and rest. She was thinking going back to the camp, wishing to take a shower and enjoy a warm, small meal. While daydreaming of this, she almost ignored Forde's protests.
"What do you mean, 'lazy'?"
She rolled her eyes after listening to her comrade's words, and she told him to hurry, or someone else was going to eat his share of the food. Forde sprinted until he caught up to her. From there,they walked together towards the large tent that served as a kitchen, with occasional comments on their practice and a few compliments from Forde. Vanessa was too serious to take those as true.
...Even if she tried to "loosen up" with him.
Lately, Vanessa had found herself fantasizing about her comrade. About love, about that day she found him on the floor, snoring. But this was war, not a silly game of love. But still, her steeled mindset was weakened when it came to Forde and what he meant to her. He was a comrade, he was a friend, he was... he was...
That jerk that fell asleep on the battlefield.
Early morning, and they were already marching. Onwards to Emperor Vigarde's castle, maybe not to return again.
"Don't go sleeping around, Forde," Vanessa teased, maybe in a moment where she shouldn't have. But her friendship with Forde was open to such comments. In fact, he was the only one with whom she could fool around. To some extent, of course. Her discipline was nowhere like Forde's (almost non-existent) discipline.
In a while, the company had arrived to the gates of Grado's castle. A little battled ensued, to silence the guards. As soon as that was finished, Everybody took their weapons as they hid by some trees close to the stone building.
Prince Ephraim then came and explained the details of the castle. He spoke with a little nervousness showing off, probably because he hadn't visited Grado's Castle in quite a while. How could he be sure? And yet, the prince kept on presenting some strategies he had thought of the night before.
The plan consisted in separating in two groups, one to the left wing of the castle, and the other, to the right wing's chambers. The prince began separating his men into two groups.
"...And that leaves Forde, Natasha, Joshua, and Vanessa. You go to the right wing. I will join with you before long."
Joshua was specially glad in hearing how he was going to be near Natasha, his beloved cleric. Natasha said nothing, as always. It seemed that Joshua annoyed her, but she preferred to remain silent.
On the other hand, Forde was quite jolly to have his trusted partner, Vanessa with him. Mostly because it was only her that kept him awake and in a good mood.
And in they went...
The castle of Grado was huge, and had an air of elegance. But it seemed somewhat off. Cracks on a wall, cobwebs on the corners, and dust over some paintings that hung on the stone walls. Dirty, lowly and sad. After all, what was one to expect from the headquarters of a demented ruler?
Joshua took the lead of the four-soldier squad. They overtook one, two, three guards in a short while. But they didn't notice the dark magic user that hid, with a staff that prompted its victim to run mad and destroy everything in sight.
And before long, Joshua noticed something weird. Forde was nowhere to be seen. Natasha also remarked on the absence of Vanessa.
Joshua grunted and told the cleric that they had to go back a few steps to find them, Maybe they needed help. Maybe they had some wounds. Maybe Forde had goofed off. Nope, they were nowhere to be seen.
A piercing, harsh shriek of a female was all they heard.
She had no idea of Forde's state when she patted him on the shoulder, with the intention to lead an ambush on a soldier. Vanessa then regretted having even approached the red cavalier.
As Forde turned, she noticed a weird hue in his eyes. A distorted smile. Disheveled hair. Irregular breathes. Blood splattered here and there on his armor. Forde had fallen to a Berserk staff. And that was when she shouted, helpless as the cavalier overtook her and her pegasus, and in a rushed thrust from his lance, he pierced her abdomen, on the same spot as the day before. Except that this time, it was a strong and critical hit. A painful groan escaped from her lips. A stinging pain seized her body.
She felt nimble as her blood oozed out, staining her attacker's red armor with a darker shade of red. Amid the pain and in her final moments, she managed to mumble a weak "I love you", one which Forde would never know of. He left in search of yet another victim, leaving Vanessa to die in solitude, with a blurred sight of that red-clad man that stole her life.
It was really late when Forde realized what he had done.