Originally posted on AO3 as a Yuletide gift for AceQueenKing.
One week after the end of the Wars of Succession
"...so you and another man I've hired will be protecting my son, Tir. I don't ever want someone taking him ever again, and for that I need trained fighters, professional guards. That's why I hired you, Cleo," General McDohl said without looking back as he strode through the halls of the palace, Cleo a few steps behind.
"Yes, sir," she replied. It had only been a few weeks since the war ended and she was looking forward to getting out of the barracks and into a real house, with real food and a real bed. Guarding the General's son was a sight better than combing through forests and mountains hunting down men who refused to admit they'd lost. She'd miss her own unit, but that was a small price to pay for a roof over her head and regular meals.
"Good. I know you won't let me down."
They reached the gates of the palace and were soon engulfed in the noise and bustle of Gregminster proper. The city was rapidly rebuilding after the long war, with nearly every building under repair and the streets full of men carrying tools and materials. Gold was the new fashion; Cleo saw more than one building with freshly painted golden edging, and the ones that couldn't afford the paint at least had bright yellow flowers on prominent display. Gregminster was always quick to adapt to a new ruler.
General McDohl led her to a large house in the middle of the city, close to the main square, but far enough away that it had missed most of the fighting. The windows were boarded up and the left side bore massive scorch marks, but it was still whole and standing. It would be a fine residence for a general, once it was cleaned up.
The inside was the same as the outside. The entry hall was well made, and like most things, would look better when the furnishings came out of storage. The lack of mud and soot tracked across the floor surprised Cleo. Someone was very dedicated to cleaning.
Especially with a young boy, one of whom came barrelling down the hall and right into General McDohl's waist. "Father! You're back! Welcome home!"
"Young Master, please! No running in the house!" A young man, about Cleo's age if she guessed right, came running after the boy. He stopped dead on seeing General McDohl and bowed low, muttering apologies as he did. The young man's words were somewhat slurred, probably thanks to the wraps that held a bandage tight against his cheek. Poor man could barely move his jaw, but that didn't seem to stop him from trying.
"That enough, Gremio. Don't strain yourself, you probably shouldn't even be up yet." General McDohl shifted his attention to his son and started to gently push him off - something a bit like removing an octopus. "But he's right, Tir. A general's son should behave and not go racing around like a wild horse."
At that Tir relented and stepped back, displeasure all over his face. General McDohl nodded in approval. "That's right. Now look here, I've got someone for you to meet," he said, and Cleo took the clue to step forward. "This is Cleo. She served under me in the war, and now she and Pahn will be protecting you to make sure no enemies can take you again. Understand?"
Tir gave Cleo a deeply doubtful look. She crouched low, careful of her back where the wounds from Kwaba still hadn't healed, and gave him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Hello there. So you're Tir McDohl? I'm very pleased to meet you."
Tir - or really, the Young Master - continued to look doubtful. Cleo's smile got a bit strained. "I'm here to protect you. So if anything happens, I'll be right there! You don't have to be scared anymore, all right?"
"I'm not scared!" The Young Master burst out. "I'm training hard, and next time I'll be ready! I'll see the bad guys coming, and I'll whack them! And they'll run away and never come back and Gremio will be fine!"
Cleo couldn't help it, she giggled a little. He just looked so very serious about it, standing there straight and tall, for all his full height barely reached his father's stomach. Even General McDohl was hiding a smile.
"You're the General's son and no mistake," she said, her smile natural again. "Why don't you show me how you've been training? I might be able to teach you something myself."
The Young Master blinked at that, and gave General McDohl a sidelong glance, as if he was asking permission. The general nodded his approval. "That sounds like a very good idea, I'd like to see how you've been progressing as well."
Approval granted, the Young Master grinned at them both and was off again, Gremio's protests gone unheeded. "Young Master! That boy... Then, Master Teo, Miss Cleo, I'll just go make some tea-"
"Gremio," General McDohl interrupted, "just rest. We'll handle this." He followed the Young Master, and Cleo straightened up and followed him, giving Gremio a smile and a whispered 'just Cleo' as she passed.
This could work out.
On the night it all began
Everything had gone wrong.
Cleo stood watch by the stair, one hand on her sword and the other held ready to cast from the Fire Rune. It wasn't likely Kraze would track them here, Ted would delay them and the rain would hide their trail, but she couldn't convince herself a squad of Imperial Guards wouldn't come crashing up the stairs any second. It all felt so surreal, as if any moment now it would be revealed to be some sort of massive prank. How had it all come to this?
Why had Pahn brought Kraze to Ted like that? He had said it was loyalty to Master Teo, and Cleo could understand that. Master Teo had always been a good and generous man, and she was honoured to serve under him. But turning in Ted...Master Teo had always taken care of the boy like he was a second son. Cleo was sure he wouldn't want to see Ted dragged back to face - whatever he was so afraid of.
At least, she was fairly sure.
It was under orders of Court Magician Windy, which was as good as the orders of the Emperor these days.
Cleo shook her head. Ted had been so hurt and afraid. She could still see him sprawled out in the entryway, hands clutched around him to staunch the bloodflow and face pale. How long had he been lying there cold and alone, while they sat around the dinner table laughing? Helping Ted had been the right thing to do. Of that, at least, she had no doubts. If Master Teo disagreed, he could punish her as he saw fit.
And Pahn...
She'd handle that when it came up again. Right now the Young Master needed her to keep a level head and a steady arm, no matter what happened. Gremio was brave and loyal, true, but Master Teo had hired her because he needed a professional to guard his son. Cleo refused to let him down.
Something landed on her head and she jumped, throwing out a sharp elbow before she saw it was just Gremio behind her and pulled back at the last second.
"Gremio! Don't scare me like that!" Cleo stepped back and trod on something soft, a look down confirmed it to be a towel. That was probably what Gremio had put on her head, and Cleo had to hide a flush of embarrassment as she leaned down to pick it up. Some professional, attacking a friend that had just wanted to help.
"I-it's no problem, I shouldn't have snuck up on you." For all he said it wasn't a problem Gremio still sounded a bit shaken, but that could just as easily be from the rest of the night. "I'm glad you're watching out for Young Master, Cleo, really."
"Speaking of Young Master, how is he?" Cleo rubbed the water out her hair while she talked. It felt good to finally start drying off, she had felt like a drowned rat ever since leaving the mansion.
Gremio glanced back to the one bed in the room, where the Young Master was curled up around his right hand. "He fell asleep as soon as he got into bed. Probably would've fallen asleep in wet clothes if I'd let him. As if he wanted to catch cold!"
"It's been a long night for him, Gremio. For all of us. I bet he just didn't care anymore." Cleo was close to that point herself. When they were safe from pursuit she planned to sleep for as many hours as she could get away with.
"He should care. Oh, he never wants to take care of himself, just wants to run around at all hours or go out hunting in the forest and then come back covered in scrapes...he'll drive me to an early grave one day, I know it."
Cleo laughed. "If he did you'd just keep following him around as a ghost, begging him to wear his cloak when it's cold."
That made Gremio smile, if only for a bit. Soon his face sobered again. "Cleo...do you think that rune Ted gave the Young Master...that it's really Soul Eater?"
Cleo paused to consider while she tried to dry her legs under her armour without taking it off. It certainly was an unusual Rune... She finished and hung the towel on the railing. "I don't know. It seems hard to believe, that Ted had a True Rune this entire time. But I've studied Runes, and that wasn't an ordinary Darkness Rune."
"If it was, Windy wouldn't want it so badly."
"Right. And the power that destroyed the Queen Ant...I can't say if that was something only Soul Eater could do or not." She sighed. "There's not a lot we know about True Runes."
Gremio turned his gaze back to Young Master, who was still sleeping peacefully. "Do you know anything about Soul Eater itself?"
"It's said to govern life and death. Other than that...immense power, unmovable by normal means, may possibly have a will of it's own. It's the same for all the True Runes." If the Young Master really did have Soul Eater now...rain and Imperial Guards wouldn't be the end of it, not by a long shot. True Runes were where words like 'destiny' and 'world-changing' got thrown around. They were rare - and dangerous.
Cleo shook her head. None of those thoughts were useful right now. As a soldier she needed to concentrate on her next objective, which was to get Young Master safely out of Gregminster. Right now the biggest danger was Kraze finding them again, and they needed to stay alert. "Anyway, we can worry about that later. Gremio, you get some sleep. I'll take first watch. We'll switch in a few hours, all right?" Cleo asked.
Gremio nodded. "Should I make some tea for you, while you're up?"
Just like Gremio, Cleo thought, and smiled. "Don't worry about it, I'll be all right. Just get some rest."
After a bit more fussing he did, leaning against the bed so no one could get to the Young Master without going through him first. Cleo settled herself back at the stair, watching through the night and trying not to think too hard about what it all meant.
On the way to Rockland, at the behest of Odessa Silverburg
"Cleo, you all right?" The Young Master approached after the battle, looking concerned - but also distracted, like had had been ever since they had arrived at Lenankamp and met the Liberation Army.
Cleo wiped the last smears of rabbit blood and fur off her blade and slipped it back into its scabbard. She winced a bit as she shifted her weight, one of the rabbit's hatchets had hit true, but she shrugged off the pain with practised ease. They'd be back in Rockland soon enough, she could wait to get patched up. She faced the Young Master and gave him a cheerful smile. "Don't worry, Young Master, it's just a couple scratches. What about you?"
"Huh? Oh, Gremio already wrapped it up. He didn't need to, it barely even hurt." He waved his arm in demonstration, the cut already covered with a neat bandage. After putting it back down he continued, more hesitant. "But I really wanted to ask...are you all right with all this?"
"All this? Do you mean rescuing those bandits? It is our fault, after all. A great man admits to and fixes his mistakes. Remember that, Young Master."
"I understand that, that's why I agreed. I never expected them to be executed for that, it's just not right." The Young Master paused again, spinning his staff in a practised idle motion. When he spoke again it was more to the staff than to Cleo. "I just...I don't know. I like Odessa, but everyone wants me to join the Liberation Army. We're Imperial Soldiers, aren't we? But we're hunted by the Empire..." He looked at her with what was almost a pleading expression.
Cleo had a sense she knew what was coming, and headed it off at the pass. "That's for you to choose, Young Master. Whatever you decide to do, Gremio and I will follow."
"That's all?"
"What, you were hoping I'd pick for you? Sorry, but this is something you have to handle on your own." Cleo softened the words with an affectionate look and a clap to the Young Master's shoulder, which made him squirm and jump away. "I do like Odessa, though. She's a woman who believes in her ideals. It's inspiring to meet someone like that."
The Young Master stopped twirling his staff and rested the end on the ground. He looked at Cleo, face set. "So...you're ready to turn against the Empire?"
"...I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with the idea. I admit that. But I've seen a lot these past few days." Ted, Kraze, the easily bribed guards at the very gates of Gregminster, what Grady had done...Cleo still felt personally loyal to Master Teo, on some level, but the Empire itself seemed more distant by the day and the Young Master was right there next to her. It was much easier to believe in the boy she'd known for years now than an Emperor who couldn't even keep corruption out of his own palace. Cleo knew the Young Master was a good-hearted young man, someone she wouldn't mind following even if she didn't quite believe in any grand cause.
Odessa believed in every word she said, along with the men behind her.
That felt like it meant something too. The Empire only seemed to believe in greed these days. The heady days of the Succession War drifted further and further away the farther they got from Gregminster.
She realised she'd be drifting off in her own thoughts and locked eyes with the Young Master again, and this time her words were light. "Besides, if we're going to be hunted by the Empire, then it might as well be for a damn good reason! Right?"
A look of surprise crossed the Young Master's face, but it soon relaxed into an honest smile. "Yeah... I guess that's right." He scratched under under his bandanna. "I'll think about it some more. Gremio sure won't be happy if we end up becoming rebels."
Cleo had the feeling the Young Master had already decided his path and just had to admit it, but she kept quiet about it. He'd figure it out himself, in time. For now she just stretched and orientated herself towards Rockland. "He might not be happy, but he'll come around. It's Gremio, after all. Now, come on! We have a mission to accomplish, and we won't finish it standing around in a field!"
After recruiting General Lepant
"To the Liberation Army!"
General Lepant raised his glass and the rest of the table followed suit. "To the Liberation Army!"
Cleo knocked back her sake with a bit more vigour than strictly necessary and set the cup down with a small clink. The entire castle was in a good mood today, with gaining two valuable new allies and their loyal men, a daring rescue from a corrupt Imperial (who paid for his treachery with his life, a most satisfying end), and for the members of the McDohl household, the return of a sorely missed friend. A friend who was currently scarfing down his grilled fish like he hadn't eaten in days - which meant he'd skipped lunch.
A final gulp polished off the fish, which Pahn washed down with more sake. "Excellent! You really out-did yourself this time, Gremio. I'll tell you, what I missed most serving under Kraze was all the good food!"
He had to shout to be heard over Viktor bragging about how he had single-handedly fought through a dozen robotic guards - or two dozen, or three, the number kept going up, Juppo desperately defending his work, Lepant's continued toasts, and Tai Ho challenging everyone at the table to chichirorin after dinner. Gremio leaned over and Cleo thought she heard him not taking credit for the fish - it was Antonio who had made it and Yam Koo who caught it, but Pahn didn't seem to notice either way. He just grabbed more bread and a hunk of roast rabbit and set back to spattering as much sauce around as possible.
"Can't believe I missed you, Pahn. I must've forgotten your table manners right after you left, it's the only explanation," Cleo said, nibbling on bread soaked with fish sauce. It really was delicious.
"Huh! So you did miss me," he replied.
"What, you didn't miss me? I'm hurt, Pahn, I really am." Cleo tossed her head in mock-seriousness, then ruined it with a grin. Pahn just rolled his eyes, and across the table Eileen stifled laughter at their antics. Cleo raised her cup to her and drank it down before continuing. "I was a little worried, about what would happen if the Imperials really caught up with us, or if we found some huge monster...I wasn't sure if we could rely on Viktor, and Gremio's all right but he's not a professional soldier like us. It would've been nice to have a reliable arm next to me." She swirled the remaining sake around her cup, then added with a sly grin, "...of course, now we have General Lepant and Lady Eileen, so perhaps I don't need to worry any more anyway."
"Hey! I'll have you know-" Pahn snapped, then broke off when he saw Cleo's laughter. "That's not a funny joke," he mumbled.
"Don't worry Pahn," Eileen leaned forward and said, "I'm sure the Liberation Army will find some use for you. There's always a need for a strong arm."
"Yeah, you can help Rock carry things to the vault!" Cleo laughed, then raised a hand to block Pahn's elbow from her shoulder. "I'm joking, joking. Master Tir won't abandon you just after you came back, you know he won't. I won't let him either, not after Gremio and I had to remind him to let you back in."
"Thanks for that," Pahn said gruffly as he lowered his elbow. "He just ran out like that...I'd thought he'd forgotten about me, but he just expected me to follow along naturally."
"Haha, that's Master Tir for you. Maybe he's getting used to being a leader," Cleo said and grabbed the last bit of rabbit before Viktor could finish it all off. "Well...anyway, I did miss you. And I'm glad to have you back, Pahn."
"Yeah...glad to be back." Pahn scratched nervously under his headband before drowning any embarrassment in more food.
Cleo chuckled a little at the sight and bit into her rabbit, finding it roasted to perfection. Around them the party continued with more drinking and food, with no one to notice when their leader slipped out the door.
A month after the defeat of Kwanda Rosman
Pull back...aim...release.
The arrow flew across the yard and hit the target two finger-widths short of the centre. Cleo squinted at it, then sighed and picked up another arrow from the set at her feet. After just a few months of minor skirmishes she was already getting rusty. Focusing once more on the target, she pulled back and aimed.
This one hit at the very edge of centre. It was better, but still not enough. Cleo picked up another arrow and put it on the bow. Two more shots and she'd have to go collect the others.
"Oh! You're quite good, for a human!"
The arrow flew true and hit the centre's edge once again. Cleo frowned at it for a second before smoothing her face out and turning to Sylvina, with Kirkis right behind her.
"Sylvina, please...just say that she's quite good," Kirkis said, his face covered with an apologetic look.
"Well, everyone does know that elves are the best with bows...and I'm a bit out of practice," Cleo said, covering her irritation. Sylvina meant well, and she was charming, but two months of living with humans wasn't enough to curb her thoughtless tongue.
The girl in question just smiled, as bright as the lake at noon. "Of course us elves are the best! ...but humans can get close, if they try. Come on Kirkis, let's practice!" So saying, Sylvina ran off to another target.
"Ah, Miss Cleo is also skilled with the sword and runes, so..." Kirkis trailed off when it became obvious Sylvina was completely absorbed in her own shooting practice. "Sorry about that," he said to Cleo. "She's trying, but...well, you know."
"It's all right. She can be sweet, when she thinks of it," Cleo replied. She picked up her second to last arrow and put it on the bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."
"Just one thing, please! Do you know where Commander Tir is, right now?"
"Hm? No, I don't. Haven't seen him all day...all week, really." Master Tir spent all his time worrying about the Liberation Army now, and Cleo had been forced to listen to Gremio complain about how he wasn't taking care of himself more than once. It did seem like quite a burden to put on a young man like Master Tir, but he seemed to be bearing up under it so far - as expected as the son of General Teo. Cleo scratched at her cheek and tried to think up a better answer. "If I had to hazard a guess, he'd be with Mathiu and General Lepant, but with that boy you can never say for sure."
"Oh...you two seemed to know each other well, so I was hoping...but it's not that important," Kirkis had the look of a man who desperately wanted something, but knew it was selfish to ask for it. Sylvina called to him, and he looked about ready to join her.
"Is it anything I can help with?" Cleo asked, not really expecting a good answer. If it was something she could do then there was no reason to go all the way to Master Tir.
"No, sorry...I'll just be going now! Thank you anyway!" Kirkis turned and ran to the edge of the yard, where he started throwing targets in the air for Sylvina to practice on. Cleo watched them for a bit, noticing how Sylvina hit every target dead-on without any seeming effort, even the one that got caught by the wind and nearly flew out over the lake. Sighing, Cleo turned back to her own practice.
The last two arrows hit the target, if not the centre. Cleo walked over and started gathering her bolts, careful to stay away from the elves - not that she expected either of them to miss that badly. Better to be cautious than dead.
Once she'd gathered all the arrows, she started practising again, and was still unable to get as close to the centre. Now that she had starting thinking about it, neither she nor Pahn nor even Gremio had much to do with Master Tir these days. It was to be expected, of course, there was a major difference between running quick errands for the empire and leading an army - she'd barely seen General Teo back in the Succession War either. But...it was odd, to realise one day that the boy she'd watched grow up had barely said three words to her since they rescued Lady Eileen.
Pathetic, Cleo scolded herself. Both clinging to the past and even worse, letting it affect her performance. This wasn't how a soldier should behave. Master Tir - no, he was Commander Tir now and she needed to recognize that - Commander Tir was growing up. He'd become a fine man. It was only natural for birds to leave the nest when they were ready to fly.
Still, she had expected to have more time being the Empire's errand boys before watching Commander Tir lead an army.
Cleo shook her head and focused herself on the target. There was no use in thinking of the past. Commander Tir had grown up, and as long as he needed her she would stay under his command.
The arrow hit the target a handspan off of centre.
It was just...sometimes she missed the simplicity of the McDohl household.
The evening after the first battle with General Teo McDohl
The lake breeze blew by, ruffling Cleo's hair as it passed. Sea birds called overhead, their squawks mixing in with the creak of ropes and the beat of the waves. The sun was already over halfway below the horizon and the water was dark, only illuminated by the small glow of the Liberation Army's lanterns.
Tai Ho had brought his boat in over an hour ago, saying that General Teo's forces had already swept into Kaku and it was too dangerous to wait there any longer. Since then, Commander Tir had forbidden all travel to and from Kaku. It was just too dangerous to allow anyone to walk into the jaws of the enemy, or to allow the enemy to gain a foothold at Toran Castle.
She'd had dinner out here, on the docks. Viktor had brought it, and they'd eaten together without a word.
"Still waiting, huh?"
Cleo turned her head to see Camille behind her, then looked back over the water. "Yeah, guess I am. It's useless by now, but...I'm staying until the sun goes down. It's the least I can do."
Camille made a non-committal noise and sat down against the bollard. Cleo had to step away from her legs when she spread out. "Come on, siddown," she said, waving at the spot in front of her. "Standing or sitting, the result's the same. Might as well be comfortable."
"I've stood on guard longer than this," Cleo protested, but lowered herself to the dock anyway. Camille was right, it wouldn't make a difference either way. Sighing, she leaned back and looked up at the sky. The Golden Star was already out, brightly gleaming in the night. It was said it had shone brightest when Barbarossa stormed Gregminster and put an end to the Wars of Succession, its blessing granting them victory in that final battle. Cleo couldn't remember. Where she had been, the smoke was too thick to see the sky.
"Here." Cleo was jerked from her thoughts to find a bottle of sake in her face. "Drink up, it'll make you feel better," Camille said, shaking the bottle.
"Thanks," Cleo replied as she took the bottle. By habit she looked around for a cup, then caught herself with a bitter laugh. Life with the McDohls had really spoiled her, it seemed. She threw it back in one long gulp, resisting the urge to cough as it burned its way down her throat. It was cheaper than she was used to drinking now too.
The sake settled in her and she handed the bottle back to Camille, who took a swig herself. "Well, this is nostalgic," Cleo said. "Waiting for someone to come back, drinking cheap liquor... Were you in the Wars of Succession?"
"For awhile." Camille set the bottle to the side and stretched her back. "Eventually my entire squad got wiped out except for me and our arrogant prick of a captain who ran the second the enemy showed up. I decided if there wasn't anyone in the world who'd look out for me I'd just have to look out for myself, so I left and became a bounty hunter. The Liberation Army's the first time since then I've taken orders from anyone."
"Which side were you on?"
"Does it matter?"
"I suppose not." Cleo looked out towards the sunset. "I was under General Teo. I signed up when I was sixteen and didn't have anywhere else to go. Back then...he was a good man who always looked after his troops." She paused and looked at her hands for a moment. "He...probably still does. He'd always fight hard to make sure we had enough to eat and time to recover after being wounded. He never wasted time on futile attacks either. He would carefully consider the terrain and both side's troops before deciding on the most effective strategy possible. He's not going to be an easy man to defeat."
"Have any of them been easy to defeat? We lost to Milich the first time too, but we damn well got him in the end, didn't we?" Camille straightened up and glared at Cleo, her eyes burning in the twilight. "Commander Tir and Strategist Mathiu are both thinking about it, they'll figure something out sooner or later. And then-!" She slammed her fist into her open palm, and that was all that needed to be said.
"That's right," Cleo said, and couldn't work up a smile to go with it. They had gotten General Milich in the end; Camille had dealt the final blow herself. They'd all watched his head roll across the balcony. They'd avenged Gremio, and now...
"I just...it's not that we're facing General Teo, I knew that would happen someday," Cleo said. "But somehow I never thought he'd go at us like that." Enough to kill. She'd tried to fight her way to Commander Tir when she saw his unit getting overrun, only to be cut off by another cavalry charge and forced to hang back or be trampled. She'd spent the rest of the battle back to back with Valeria, with only the Soul Eater's dark flashes to know that Commander Tir was still alive. And then Pahn had stayed back to guarantee their escape... "It sounds silly to say it like that, but after seven years of serving under him, that he could fight us, fight his own son like that...heh, and after I told you what a great general he was earlier."
"You hoped he'd hold back and he didn't. That's life. Now it's our job not to hold back against him." Camille took another swig of sake and held the bottle out to Cleo again. Cleo took it gratefully.
"I guess a part of me was still loyal to him, even after I turned against the Empire. That's all." The sake burned just as much the second time. "Me, Pahn, and Gremio, we were all part of his household. It's hard to throw that off." She set the bottle down next to her with a small thud and straightened her back. The last sliver of the sun was just slipping below the horizon. "But General Teo's made his decision. And so have I."
"That's the spirit." Camille leaned forward and gave Cleo a hearty punch to the shoulder. Cleo started away, only to be checked by Camille's hand. Her face was just barely visible in the gloom, but Cleo could almost feel her intense gaze. "I know what it's like to lose all your friends. It's hard. But we'll avenge Pahn, just like we avenged Gremio. Just like, you hear?"
Cleo summoned up a pained smile and clapped her hand over Camille's. "Just like," she repeated.
After defeating Neclord
Neclord's castle was eerily silent as they made their way back to the entrance. The monsters had fallen into dust or fled at their master's defeat, but no one was willing to let their guard down now. Every twitching curtain or flickering candle was another jump, another blade halfway drawn. Every time it was a false alarm...but that didn't mean the next one would be.
It was almost as slow and exhausting as the previous journey to the top, and the quiet knowledge that all of them were worn-out from the battle with Neclord himself didn't help. Everyone's arm was heavy, every Rune was dull and nearly empty of magic. Commander Tir was in front with Ronnie Bell, with Hix and Sarah following on either side of Tengaar. Cleo and Viktor brought up the rear, keeping an eye behind them on the off-chance of an attack from behind.
"There!" Commander Tir's voice rang out as he pointed his staff towards a stairway. "That's the last stair. We're almost out of here!"
"At last," Cleo mumbled. She took an extra long look behind them as the others piled down to the first floor and saw nothing but the same grey stone walls and blood-red carpets she'd been looking at the entire day. "I doubt anything's going to jump out at us now, not with the Warrior's Villagers right there. We can relax a little."
"I won't relax until I'm out of here," Viktor growled in reply. "I know I split Neclord right down the middle, I know he's dead...but I still can't put my sword away until I can see the sun again."
Cleo nodded in understanding as they headed down the stairs together. "I can't blame you for that," she said, then paused. "So, do you feel better now?"
"Of course I do!" Viktor snorted. "Bastard's dead. He'll never threaten another innocent village, never destroy any one else. And I did it with my own two hands!" His hands clenched around the Star Dragon Sword in emphasis, then loosened again. "Sure, it doesn't bring anyone back. My parents, my aunt, Daisy and Rolf...they're all gone forever. But no one else will join them, and that's all you can do in this world."
"Good." She hadn't really been worried about him, but it was nice to hear, all the same.
"You know how it is. You were there when Gremio died...and Pahn." Viktor scratched at his nose and finished awkwardly. "...Pahn might be a little different, though."
"...that's pretty astute, coming from you."
"Tch. I know what it's like to bury someone you fought under; doesn't change if they ended up on the wrong side. But you keep fighting."
"That's true." They fell into silence after that, the only sound in the castle the party's footsteps echoing around the front hall.
But you keep fighting Viktor was right, but... After General Teo had died, Cleo had wanted to keep fighting. Fighting made sense. The arc of a sword, the power of a Rune, the cries of the enemy - such things didn't change, no matter the person or the cause. She could lose herself in battle and not have to think about lofty things like the Empire or loyalty. She could tell everyone else she just wanted to keep protecting Commander Tir after everything that had happened, but really, really - she had just wanted to pretend for a little bit. That she was fighting alongside Commander Tir again like nothing had changed. Even if Gremio and Pahn were gone, even if Commander Tir grew more distant by the day. As long as she could match the staff strikes to her sword thrusts, it felt just similar enough to how it had been.
But there was always an odd sense of unease now. Not exactly in battle, not in how Commander Tir spoke, not in how they walked or talked or ate, but there was something, something Cleo couldn't quite name. Fighting was the same as it always was, even facing down the monstrous undead, but...
But that time had passed. He wasn't the Young Master anymore, he was Commander Tir of the Liberation Army, with a True Rune on his hand and a destiny in his stars. Cleo wasn't a bodyguard hired by General Teo to protect his son, she was just another rebel.
And...Pahn and Gremio were dead.
It couldn't be the same without them. That time was past. She'd keep fighting, but the storm in her heart that had forced her to wash her sword in the blood of the undead was calming, leaving behind a strange exhaustion. She'd keep protecting Commander Tir until the end of the war, as she'd sworn to do, but the joy of battle was beyond her now, and she couldn't see it coming back.
A day after defeating General Sonya Shulen
Cleo stepped up to the cell with hesitation. The woman inside raised her head long enough to see who was in front of her, then turned away. Her armour was ripped and torn and her hair still damp, though someone had taken the consideration to get her a warm blanket that was now carelessly piled on the floor.
Looking at her now, scraggly and exhausted, it was easy for Cleo to see how close in age they actually were.
She waited by the bars, trying to think of something to say. They'd dragged the former General out of her fortress and put her down here, with Commander Tir expressing the hope they could talk her around like General Kasim. The only problem was that no one seemed exactly sure of how that would happen. Creature comforts had been shrugged off, everyone from Viktor and Qlon to General Kasim ignored. Cleo was sure she wouldn't have any luck either. But...
General Teo had always spoken of her in such glowing terms. "A fine general." "No greater naval commander." "A worthy successor to her mother." Cleo was sure General Teo would've liked her to join Commander Tir in the Liberation Army. She owed it to him to at least try.
"General, er, Lady Sonya..."
A glare filled with naked hatred was her only reply. Any words of reconciliation died on her tongue, with nothing to take their place. The Liberation Army had executed three of the five great generals, including General Teo. What was Cleo supposed to say to bring around the last?
In the end she lowered her head and walked away, plea still unspoken.
One week after the end of the Gate Rune Wars
The castle halls were quiet at night, with little other than the wind to pass through them. Cleo walked through them without really paying attention, sidestepping piles of rubble and debris and scuffing scorch marks on the floor. She had been at loose ends ever since the final battle at Gregminster a week ago. The last time she'd helped take the capital General Teo had immediately found work for her in protecting his son, a week after the Wars of Succession she had been drinking tea with Gremio and watching young Commander Tir practice his staff in the yard. This time, no one seemed to know what they wanted to do - least of all herself.
Generals Lepant and Kasim had both offered to take her in to the new Republican Army, the merging of the former Liberation and Imperial armies into one, but she'd turned them down. Two wars in a decade were enough. She'd stayed next to Commander Tir for a few days to watch his back, but he now had an entire squad of elite soldiers to act as his personal guard. The presence of a childhood bodyguard wouldn't make a difference one way or another.
But if not a soldier and not a bodyguard, what was she supposed to do now?
She arrived at one of the side doors and stopped to rest awhile. Some enterprising gardener was taking the general remodelling to surround the castle with grass and flowers, though right now their efforts amounted to a few furrows of fresh dirt inbetween the outer walls and the castle proper. There wasn't much of a moon in the sky, only a few torches provided occasional light. Sighing, Cleo rubbed at her eyes. She knew she should get to bed, nothing good came of staying up all night for no reason. But the restlessness that had forced her to roam the castle at night showed no signs of abating, even in the wee hours.
A shadow darted across flower rows, and Cleo dashed off in pursuit before she could think. "Hey! You! Stop right there, or I'll attack!"
The shadow - a human figure, shorter than Cleo, in a long cloak and hood - stopped raised its hands. It also had a long pole, Cleo noticed as she caught up with Rage rune at the ready, and was babbling something quick and quiet. "Wait, wait Cleo calm down, it's just me!"
"Comman- President?" Cleo narrowed her eyes and looked closely at the figure's face, finding a boy with a familiar, if sheepish, smile. She lowered her hand and let the energies in the rune disperse, determination replaced with aggravation. "What are you doing out here at this hour? I nearly burned you!"
"Well..." Commander Tir cast his eyes to the side the way he always did when he was looking for an excuse. "I was talking a nighttime walk, of course. It was so stuffy in those old imperial bedrooms, I had to get out and find some fresh air."
Cleo crossed her arms. Really, he was the Commander who led the Liberation Army to victory and the first President of the Toran Republic, he could at least lie better. "Is that so? And for a nighttime walk you need your staff and a full traveling pack?"
He resettled the offending pack on his back with a small chuckle. "A-heh. Nothing gets past you, does it?" He dropped his eyes to the ground and paused, hands twisting on his staff. When he looked up again, his face had the same clear determination as when he led troops into battle. "I'm leaving, Cleo. For good."
"What?! Why?" It seemed absurd. After all the struggle to get here, he wanted to skip off after a week in office? Cleo resisted the urge to shake him and told herself there had to be a reason. Commander Tir wasn't the kind of man to just up and abandon all his followers on a whim.
"Think about it. You met Ted in the past, just like I did. He lived nearly unchanging for 300 years by the power of Soul Eater, didn't he? Now...now I'll live just as long."
"Right...but what does that have to do with leaving?"
"Come on, you must've been at all those meetings where Warren and Apple went on about the benefits of a Republic. The people have a voice in government, providing a bulwark against corruption - and there's a regular turnover in leadership, so the government can change according to the needs of the time." Commander Tir spread his arms. "I'm the hero of the Liberation Army, the one who walked up to Golden Emperor Barbarosa and personally cast him down. The first president, who instituted this wonderful system we have now. Who would vote against me? General Lepant? Warren? You?" Cleo shook her head. She'd sworn her loyalty to Commander Tir years ago, of course she'd follow him. He gave her a small, tight smile in return. "So...what's the difference between an immortal president and an eternal emperor?"
Warren or General Lepant might've been able to give a good answer to that, but Cleo couldn't think of one. She also couldn't see the problem. She'd been living under an emperor her entire life, and it had only become a problem in the past decade, with corruption and two harsh wars nearly right after each other. Commander Tir was a good, steady leader - but...so had Emperor Barbarosa, seven years ago. That was the thought that made her bite her lip on the protest that had nearly tumbled out. Instead, she spoke carefully. "Is that your only reason?"
Commander Tir shook his head. "No, not just that. Soul Eater...it's in the name. Ted said it, at the end - that it caused many wars and devoured countless souls. It's possible - no, I know it caused this war so it could feed. Eventually, it will hunger again. If I'm here..."
"...The Toran Republic will suffer even more wars, all because of you." That Cleo could understand. This land had seen too much war already. She sighed. "All right then. Give me a few minutes to pack."
"What?" Commander Tir blinked at her before catching on. "No! You're not coming with me!"
"Why not? Gremio and General Teo both would have my head if I just let you run off on your own. Besides, it might be fun." Already she was feeling a bit better. Another journey would be tiring, but it was something to do. Soul Eater causing wars was...worrisome, but she was sure they would think of something.
"Cleo...do you remember when my father died? The flash of light, and Soul Eater gaining power? It's not just war...it wants the souls of those close to its master more than anything. It already took Odessa, Gremio, father, and Ted..." The determination was back in his eyes as he looked straight at her and spoke without hesitation. "I won't let you follow me. I won't let anyone else I care about get eaten."
"...I see." There was no arguing with him when he was like that, and wasn't as if Cleo was particularly looking forward to dying. Especially not if it involved having her soul eaten. And...Master Tir didn't need her anymore. He hadn't in years. There was a bit of wistfulness in her heart at the lost chance, but she knew it was just longing for a past that could never return. "Then, take care of yourself."
Master Tir gave her a smile, the closest she'd seen him happy in years. "I will. You can stay in the old mansion while I'm away, if you want. Someone should."
"I'll take you up on that." Looking after the old mansion for awhile wasn't a bad fate. A roof over her head, a warm bed, regular meals, no more fighting for her life. Not a bad fate at all. It wasn't as exciting, but she felt herself warming to the idea a bit, and impulsively leaned forward to give Master Tir a firm hug. "Be sure to come back sometimes."
"I will, I will!" Master Tir bore the embrace for a few seconds before squirming free like a worm off a hook. He was still a boy, after all, Cleo thought with some fondness as she stepped back.
"Goodbye," Cleo said, with Master Tir following suit before waving a farewell and scrambling up the old wall. Kasumi must've been teaching him a few tricks in the off-hours. Cleo stood below and watched him leap safely from the very top, and heard the soft thump of his landing on the other side, then waited a bit longer before turning back inside. She felt tired, all of a sudden.