Bloodslick
by the Legendary Armor
She looked as though she were an angel gone mad.
The blade of the Holy Guard captain cleaved another bandit in half, crimson coloring her light blue hair a disgusting shade of red. Filthy hands gripping rusty axes were reaching towards the noble, but she cut them all away with a sickening, deadly grace. Her face showed no emotion besides a hint of determination, all her characteristic serenity gone from her pale blue eyes.
Not far behind her, another captain with choppy brunette locks cut the throat of another renegade, clearing the area. Turning to aid her partner, she paused and could only stare for a moment before rushing to her side. Later she would reflect on that battle, unable to sleep, unable to forget--the image of sweet Sigrun covered in blood and grime, killing the filthy miscreants in her way with a grace both merciless and divine... her fair skin covered in crimson, the red shining on her beautiful white armor, covered head to toe like a hellish murderer.
...Sigrun was anything but a hellish murderer.
Tanith's mind was full of moments, and it was so easy to recall how gentle the other captain was. Her sweet voice, her kind words... her very appearance bespoke someone you could trust with all your deepest fears. Oh, she remembered so much. Even her touch was so gentle, so trusting...
Yet she could muster the willpower to bathe in the blood of evils, to push all that kindness and affection away. Tanith knew Sigrun detested the taking of lives, detested the very sight of blood; she was almost certain it haunted the blue-haired captain's sleep. The slight air of melancholy around her for days afterwards that she tried so hard to hide... She might fool everyone else, but not Tanith. Never Tanith.
The brunette walked quietly along the garden pathway where Sigrun stood at the marble railing, gazing into the endless midnight sky. Standing close to the woman, Sigrun looked up as Tanith hesitantly put an arm around her slim waist. Her expression was sad, but she smiled softly, the moonlight illuminating her pale lips.
"When we fight, Tanith... sometimes I fear I may be a monster. Do you think..." She paused, closing her eyes, and drew closer to the taller woman. "Do you think Ashera disapproves of the killing I do?"
Tanith shook her head, reaching her hand out to gently touch Sigrun's face, her movements inexperienced but still affectionate. "If anything, Ashera weeps and cherishes you every time you take someone's life." Dark eyes met pale ones, and the melancholy captain smiled softly.
"Tanith, you're... much kinder than all of Begnion realizes." She placed a hand on her shoulder, looking up into her eyes with eternal adoration.
Tanith shook her head. Stars twinkled in the velvet sky, filling her with a mixture of guilt and regret. "No, I'm not. You... you simply make me wish I was a better person..."
...So that I might be worthy of your love.
(end)