Howdy! Thanks for coming back to read my second chapter! I'm struggling a bit to stay in character and having issues with chapter 8 at the moment. Anyways, a little more development and we get to delve into Night's past! Oh, and a little forewarning: I don't go into detail but if you're sensitive, it gets a little violent.
~~~Full Disclaimer: I do NOT own Attack on Titan or any of it's characters. All OC's are mine and mine alone. Enjoy!~~~
Chapter 2: A Strange Dream
You were so tired when you reached the door to your house. 'Am I even going to be able to make it up the steps before I pass out?' You turned the knob and began ascending the steps to your room. 'Loegres can manage everything for the next few days. I really need to rest.' You finally make it to your room and fall to your knees before you can get to your bed. 'No! Not again!' You manage to crawl to the bed before using what little strength you had to pull yourself into bed. You barely managed to get the sheet over your left leg before you fell into a deep sleep.
Your dreams that night involved a certain raven-haired male. You didn't understand why, but you accepted it. You try to reach out to him, but he gets farther away the closer you got. Your words are nothing more than total silence. He doesn't hear you. Suddenly, a voice catches your attention. "You need to become stronger. Even then, you'll need to find your Zephyr, my child. I shall bestow your first gift of many. Take heed: these nights will become restless as your body accepts your new powers."
You discern the voice is neither male nor female. You try to answer, but you're still unable to speak. You manage a nod before sadly looking at the white space around you. 'So, this is what it means to become a seraph…' You were told upon your awakening you'd be the herald of a new dawn in this realm. You weren't given much more information before the people who brought you into being were mercilessly slaughtered. You only managed to survive because the attackers weren't smart enough to check for phony walls. You shudder at the memory.
"Nightengale! You need to follow me, quickly!" Screams could be heard in the distance. You were led into your shrine by your guardian, Ninian. "Nini, what's happening? Why are those men hurting the maidens? Did we do something wrong," you managed to get out between sharp intakes of breath.
"You are considered forbidden. People fear you for what you can do. Others would seek to use you for their own gain. Now, enough idle chatter. Through here. You need to stay as quiet as you possibly can. You'll be rescued tomorrow when the coast is clear. No matter what, do not leave or make a sound."
She slid the wall into place and you were met with the stale smell of wood and moisture, not a good combination. Fear gripped you heart as you heard shouting get closer to where you are. "Remember, not a peep no matter what you hear," she whispered before clicking the wall back into place. Your body started to shake, but you managed to calm yourself before you heard a loud slam.
"Where is it? You know exactly where it is, now spill before I cut you open!" Your eyes widen. 'He sounds really scary.' "I won't be giving you any information. Besides, you're far too late. She's already been moved to a new location. And I won't be telling you anytime soon."
The following hours were spent with you hearing Ninian's screams of agony as she was tortured, then disposed of when she didn't say anything about where you were. Your tears were flowing, but you wouldn't even sniffle, your promise to your guardian being clung tightly to your chest.
As you began to grow drowsy, the wall was beginning to move. You started to panic but you remained silent. 'Please, go away!' The wall was removed and you were met with harsh rays of light. As you blinked your eyes open, a handsome young boy with black hair and crimson eyes was smiling down at you.
"Good morning, young mistress. I will be looking after you from now on. My name is Loegres. Don't worry. I won't let anything hurt you. You're safe. It's ok to cry, now." And so, you cried and wept and clung to his shirt like it was the one thing keeping you alive.
That was only a few years ago. Since then, you've developed a frailty when you push yourself too hard. It gets worse when you overexert yourself for longer periods of time. Loegres said it was your body preparing you to receive blessings. Now, you would be going through more taxing matters. You could only hope it wouldn't be too painful.
As you began to open your eyes, you noticed the darkness had begun to settle from another day. You lifted your head. 'Dizzy…' you thought. You tried to use your voice but nothing came out. Panic began to settle in as you pinched yourself to make sure you weren't dreaming. You weren't. 'Oh, no. How am I going to call Loegres? Is he even around? How long have I been out? This is a disaster!'
You pushed your legs around to try to hop off the bed. Success. And fail. You managed to get off the bed before your legs struggled to keep you up and buckled beneath you. You barely registered your stomach growling with the sound of blood pumping though your ears. Suddenly, your door was thrust open and you saw a pale face framed by curtains of black hair in the moonlight. You mouthed "Loe-gres…" before you descended into the darkness again. You were vaguely aware of being carried somewhere.
As you blinked your eyes to the harsh rays of the sun, you were surprised when you heard the voice of your aide come from above you. "Nightengale." You blinked until you could make out his face. Why was he above you like that? You felt around. 'Grass? What am I laying on?' You froze. You were laying in his lap. He gave you a cheeky smile and you could see the mischief playing behind those crimson orbs of his.
"Well, the princess has finally awakened. Did you get enough beauty sleep? Don't mind me. It isn't as if I had you on top of me all night. I should manage just fine so long as the princess has had enough sleep." You mouthed a quick "fuck you" before he smirked again. "Maybe in a few years, but you're only 15. You shouldn't be having naughty thoughts like that. It's bad posture." You threw him a dirty look as he teased you. He laughed a bit noticing your glare and apologizing for poking fun at you.
He finally helped you up before handing you a small loaf of bread and an apple. "So, tell me what's going on before I start getting worried." Your senior of 3 or so years handed you a piece of parchment and charcoal and watched as you began to eat the bread. You wrote about the dream you had and how you were going to have more nights like that in the future. "Ah, so it's begun then. I figured as much with the fever you were sporting, but I wanted to be sure you weren't actually sick. That'd be…bad." You smiled at him and shook your head signaling you were ok. You just wanted to ensure everything went smoothly at the farm.
"Please, you needn't worry about a thing. I've already had the workers plant beans and sow the fields with the food that started turning. The soil is currently being replenished its loss of nutrients from the bountiful harvest it gave us. Our profit has gone up 11% and there is more food we can donate to the families in the underground. Also, I've started a new strain of tea. Hopefully, you find it to your liking. That being said, I paid the workers for their service for a full month."
He offered you a small smile. "I know your intentions and I'll carry them out as you see fit, my lady. I only ask you let me accompany you tonight. You're more fragile than usual having received your first blessing. I'd hate to see something happen to you down there."
You shook your head. You needed him here. You wrote out what you wanted to do with the remainder of the crop. 'Body Products?' was written on the paper. "Unfortunately, we lack a few things before we could actually start making things like shampoo and body lotion. I do know a person who could help us obtain said products. If you trust me with this, I could draw up a contract to barter for these. Also, we could do herbal baths with the excessive salt and herbs we have." You nodded and wrote out, 'Pickling Vegetables?' Loegres smiled at that. "That's a great idea. And we could spice the apples for the upcoming winter. "
You agreed to his suggestions and smiled before picking yourself back up. You summoned your strength and went to the house to fetch the water jugs. "The food is already set out and the herbs are fresh. If you aren't back by evening, I might have to go on a killing spree to find you." You smiled and nodded in his direction before getting everything together.
You made your way down that path again noticing the boy from a few days ago ahead of you. You smiled. 'Levi…' He saw you coming down and moved to grab the basket and help you down. "Tch. Seriously, you need to be more careful. Take my arm." He looked away as he held out his arm. You managed a silent giggle at how awkward he was. It was cute. 'Wait, cute?' You shook it out of your head and took his arm as you two made it down to the square together.
After you handed out your provisions, Farlan approached you. "You haven't spoken a word. You ok, Night?" You nodded and pointed to your throat before looking to the ground sadly. "Woah, you lost your voice? Tell me you'll get that sweet honey ba-oof!" He was cut off with a quick slap to the back of the head by Levi.
"She isn't feeling well. Don't overwhelm her. Be happy she actually made it out in one piece, you dirty bastard. Tch!" You smiled and giggled silently again. You could get used to Levi. He was definitely colorful but stirred something in your chest. The feeling was new and you loved it. "Alright, if we're done, I'm gonna lead her back to the entrance. She's been swaying about and she's burning up. She can't be here for much longer."
Isabel and Farlan exchanged a glance before looking at Levi and smiling. "Ok, buddy. Make sure you get her back nice and safe. We'll hold down the fort." Farlan smirked at Levi before adding, "Don't get too close to my future wife, now!" Isabel laughed. "Be careful and come back safe. Thanks again!" She turned and joined her companions.
As Levi led you back to the entrance, he looked in your direction before asking if you were going to be ok. You nodded at him and managed to keep up with his pace. He didn't look convinced, but led you back to the opening regardless. As you waved goodbye to your escort, you realized Isabel didn't cough even once while you were down there. You smiled before swaying on the spot and your vision became cloudy. You didn't even have time to think before you hit the ground.
~~~Uh-oh looks like Loegres is going on a killing spree, hehe. So, what crazy blessing do you think she managed to obtain? You can make your suggestions, but you'll have to wait before you find out! Sorry to leave you off with a cliffhanger like that, but that's kinda my schtick. As always, healthy criticism is very much appreciated. See you all next time, meow!~~~
XOXO ~ Nightengale