Chapter III: Resolve
As the morning sun hung in the sky, a woman strolled through the forest, dry leaves and branches crunching with each step she took. She approached the river—calm and serene—glistening from the sun's light. She sat near the river, staring at its tranquil waters. A soothing breeze blew, the tree branches swaying back and forth in rhythm. Autumn leaves left their places on the branches, some slowly falling to the ground while others landed upon the water's surface.
She ran her hand through her shoulder-length black hair, pushing it away. A single braid fell to the side of her face as she placed her blades on her lap and picked at the tiny rocks around her. She threw some into the river, disrupting the peaceful waters for just a moment. The woman searched around her surroundings, awed with what nature had to present.
Much time passed and she massaged her neck, which was beginning to ache. She grabbed her elbow blades as she stood and stretched her arms over her head. Time to head back to the camp, she thought. The woman took another look around the area when she caught sight of something down the river. What was that, she wondered. As she walked to the mysterious object, she realized it was a man, lying unconscious on the shore.
He laid face down, his body soaked from the river. He was a young man and it appeared that he had been through many battles due to the scars and wounds on him. His blond hair—tinted with blood—was matted against his forehead and the side of his face.
She inched closer to the body and knelt next to him. She set her blades next to her and carefully turned him onto his back. She noticed the half broken arrow in his right shoulder. Leaning forward, she heard the soft yet ragged breathing coming from the man. Grabbing the arrow, she attentively pulled it out. The man groaned, but didn't wake as she pulled the rest of it out. She inspected the arrowhead and sniffed it, cringing when a strong scent burned her nose and trachea. "Poison," she whispered. The woman gritted her teeth, clenching the broken arrow in her fist. "Scott." She leaned forward to observe the man's blood-stained face. She pushed strands of hair away to reveal a gash upon his temple. "I have to take him back to the camp."
Grabbing her weapons, she attached them to her hips before leaning down and wrapped an arm around his torso. She placed one of his arms around her shoulders and lifted him up.
But things were not going the way she planned. It was difficult for her to keep the stranger from falling. This is going to take a while, she thought. As she walked, she spotted a man walking in her direction. He was short in height and thin, but not scrawny. He had blond, disheveled hair in contrast with his bright, brown eyes. His clothing was torn and tainted, and bandages were visible on his arms. At last, he had met with the woman, fidgeting with his hands. "A-Ali! There you are! Why, everyone is waiting back a-at the camp. Christophe s-sent me to search for you," the man stuttered, rubbing his knuckles together. His gaze fell to the man Ali held. "Uh...who is this?"
"Butters, this man needs treatment. He was shot by one of Scott's poison arrows," Ali replied, somewhat out of breath.
"W-Where did you find him?"
"At the river."
"Uh...w-what's his condition now?"
"I don't know how bad it is at this point."
"Oh, w-well, okay. Maybe Bebe can treat his wounds." He turned and started walking back to the camp, but was stopped when Ali called for him.
"Butters?"
He turned to face her. "Y-Yeah?"
"A little help?" she asked, motioning to the stranger she barely managed to keep up.
"Oh! Golly, Ali, y-you should have asked."
She glared at him, but let it go. She helped the foreigner onto his back, careful not to make things worse for the man.
"Aw, gee, h-he sure is kinda heavy," Butters commented, hooking his hands under the stranger's knees. He took a step forward, but stopped when he felt a strong force going through him. Clenching his eyes shut and falling onto his knees, he felt a wave of emotions flowing around him.
Anger, sadness, pain, hopelessness, revenge, and the strong will to fight. This was what he felt, but these weren't his own feelings, but those of the stranger on his back. He could see into the man's heart, his emotions overwhelming him, suffocating him. Never had he experienced such a strong force before. But underneath all the emotions he felt in this man's heart, Butters could feel he was a good man with an unshakable resolve.
He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Butters? Are you okay? Did you feel something?" Ali asked, concerned.
Butters turned to the girl. "Y-Yeah. I sure felt something, a-all right. Aw gee, I thought the barriers I put up were affective. But then again, I haven't felt such strong feelings before."
"What did you feel?"
"Why, a-a lot of things, but I can tell he's a nice fella."
"Do you need some help?"
He shook his head. "No. Why I-I'll just make my barriers stronger." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, mentally placing stronger barriers to block out the feelings from the foreigner's heart. When the sea of feelings minimized, Butters gripped onto the foreigner and lifted him up. He sent a nod to Ali to signal that he was ready before the two began their walk back to their camp.
It didn't take long before they arrived at their destination, which was a camp in a part of the forest. They walked to the camp's heart, they passed people dueling with wooden swords while others created weapons such as swords, spears, bows, and arrows. Men sat outside their tents, bandages wrapped around their wounds. A group of people danced around the fire and musicians played their melodies with their instruments. Both Ali and Butters went into one of the larger tents.
A woman with long, curly blond hair knelt in front of a brunette-haired man, wrapping bandages around his arm. Behind her stood a blond-haired man wearing a torn hat. He held a box of remedies, his back slightly hunched and a figure of debility.
There you go, Clyde," the woman said, smiling warmly at the man as she finished wrapping his arm with the bandages.
"Thanks, Bebe," said Clyde, returning the smile. He stood up, dusted himself off, and headed to the exit, bowing before Ali as he passed by her.
Bebe placed the bottle back into the box the man carried and turned her attention to Ali while Butters went to the makeshift bed with Ali following suit. "What's going on?" Bebe inquired.
"This man needs treatment, Bebe," Ali said. "I found him by the river." She glanced down at the stranger. "He was shot by a poisoned arrow."
"Oh dear, that is awful," said the man standing behind Bebe.
The blond-haired woman inspected the pale stranger, sweat and blood on his face, and his breathing ragged. "I may still have an antidote to fight off the poison. Pip, can you retrieve an antidote?"
"Right-o." He searched in the box, examining each bottle. Finding nothing, Pip set the box down on the table and grabbed the chest beneath. Upon opening it, he was greeted with a variety of bottled remedies. He grabbed a vial holding a green liquid, closed, the chest, and handed it to Bebe.
Bebe set the container to her side and carefully removed the outsider's tunic, revealing tinge of purple on his right shoulder, arm, and a part of his chest. She noticed a deep wound on his side. It looked like it was treated, but the wound had opened again. She would have to treat that as well. There was something that caught her attention. On his right shoulder, there were strange markings. For reasons unknown, it made her feel uneasy.
Ali noticed how uncomfortable Bebe was. "Is something the matter?" she asked, concerned.
This broke Bebe from her reverie. "Yes, I-I'm fine," she said. She was still a bit shaken up, but still continued with her work. She took the antidote and poured it onto the stranger's wound where she received a pained groan from him.
"How is he?" Ali asked.
"He'll be fine. The poison has not done any severe damage yet. He would have died by the end of the day if not treated."
Another man entered the tent. He was a tall man, with ruffled black hair, his bangs falling over apathetic brown eyes. His gaze came onto Ali and approached her. "Ali, we are waiting for you," he said as he bowed before her. "We need to discuss a plan if we are to intercept Trent's forces.
"I'll be out in a bit, Craig." Bowing once more, he turned and exited the tent. "Bebe, Pip, keep watch of the outsider."
"Yes, Ali," Bebe said with a nod.
Ali left the tent, followed by Butters, and joined with Craig. She turned to Butters. "Thank you for your help. You may return to your post now."
"Oh, o-okay. Y-Yes ma'am." With that, he left.
Craig led Ali to another tent, larger than the others scattered throughout the camp. They entered, and three people gathered around a table—two men and one woman. As they approached them, one of them glanced up. He had unkempt brown hair and hard eyes stared straight at Ali. The other two looked up as well. "I'm sorry for making you wait," Ali announced. "So what's the plan?"
His eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry. Kenny blinked a few times, taking in the unfamiliar territory. I'm still alive, he thought. He was sure that he would meet his death after his encounter with Scott. Today was not his fate to die, and for that he was thankful. There's still a lot he had to do. He looked around and his gaze came onto a woman's chest. His eyes widened. Maybe fate finally treated him kindly for once. If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up yet. He stared at her breasts with half-closed eyes, infatuated with their presence, yet slightly irritated as her clothing prevented him from seeing them completely. As he was about to reach for them, the woman moved away and stared down at him.
"Oh, you're awake," the woman said, grinning down at him.
Kenny gazed at her, his mind now clear. "W-Where am I?" he asked, voice hoarse.
"You're in a camp located in the outskirts of the Pastiar Forest. Don't worry, you're in good hands now. I'm Bebe and this is Pip, she said, motioning to the small man behind her. She turned back to him. "And you are...?"
"Kenny," he said in a weak voice. Slowly, he began to pull himself into a sitting position, but they urged him back down on the bed.
"Don't get up. What you need is rest, especially with the antidote still taking effect."
"Antidote?"
"Yes, from the poison arrow. Ali and Butters brought you here and told me everything."
"Who?" he asked, confused.
"Oh, Butters is a member of the rebels and Ali is one the leaders here," Pip explained. "They are currently having a meeting as we speak. Once you have regained your strength, you may speak with them if you wish. Rest right now." Kenny nodded and exhaled. He groaned and placed a hand on his bandaged head to calm the ache.
"We'll have food brought to you later," said Bebe with a soft voice. Kenny nodded, but immediately regretted the action as he felt a more intense ache in his head. Gradually, the pain in his head lessened. It wasn't long before he succumbed back to the land of unconsciousness.
The heavens were crying, its tears filled the land. Drums of thunder echoed in the sky and lightning flashed for an instant. For that split moment, a small figure sat against the wall at the end of an alley. His porcelain skin was covered with cuts and bruises, his blond hair matted against his neck and forehead, his azure eyes staring at his feet, but not paying attention to them.
With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood from his nose and lips. He winced when he grabbed his side, where he had been kicked multiple times. His body hurt all over and at the same time, he was hungry. He had stolen a loaf of bread from a group of noble children and this was the price he paid for his actions. A figure approached him and he looked up to see who it was.
"Hey, are you okay?" the boy asked him. He was close to his age, with hair the color of a raven's feathers, and blue eyes a greater shade than his own. Studying the boy, he noticed he was wearing clothes, more beautiful compared to his. The fabric was made of silk with gold embroideries that decorated the hem and sleeves. His trousers were an ivory color, the ends tucked in shin-high black boots. In one hand, he held an umbrella to shelter himself from the rain while he offered his other hand. "Here, let me help you."
He glared at the boy and slapped his hand away. "I don't need your pity, especially from you rich folk," he snapped, turning his gaze away from him. The other looked hurt at his words, but ignored it.
He pushed against the wall to use as leverage and bring himself to a standing position. He cried out as pain coursed through his body once more. He fell back, landing on his bottom.
"You're hurt. You need help." The boy offered his hand once more.
"Why are you willing to help a stray dog like me?" he asked,looking at the other skeptically.
"I can't just leave an injured person out in the rain like this. I'd feel guilty if I didn't do anything."
"Huh, you're not like those other rich kids."
"Hell, I hate those other kids. They're all such arrogant bastards."
"You know what? I like you. The name's Kenny," he said, taking the boy's hand.
The boy smiled. "I'm Stan."
Kenny stirred. He looked through half-closed eyes and pressed a hand on his head. Bebe and Pip were not present at the moment. It was dark, the only light coming from the the lit oil lamp on a table. Next to the lamp lay Kenny's tunic, a platter of food, and an old mug. He sat up with a groan and ran a hand through his messy hair, thinking about the dream he just had. "Eleven years since that day," he whispered to himself.
His stomach growled, and Kenny pushed the thoughts of his childhood in the back of his mind. Standing on shaky legs, he wobbled to the table. With hands gripping the sides of the table, he steadied himself from falling. It took several seconds before he regained his composure. On the platter was a loaf of bread, an apple, and two pieces of white meat. He grabbed the tray and mug, and took it back to the bed. He downed his food, his stomach feeling satisfied to have been filled. It had been almost a day or two since he last ate after all. Once through, he placed his plate and mug back onto the table. Grabbing his tunic, he held it in front of him. He searched through his tunic, looking for Cerus' journal.
Nothing.
He glanced down at the stool and found nothing. He began to panic. Where was the journal? He searched around the table and beneath it. He looked under the makeshift bed as well. Still, he turned up empty handed. "Shit, where the hell is it?"
Ali sat on the ground, her back pressed against the log. "Alex," she whispered to herself. She clenched her fist. "I'll find you and put an end to Trent." The sounds of shuffling behind her pulled her from her thoughts and readied her elbow blades. It was late in the night and everyone was asleep but her. She turned to the source, eyes falling on the blond foreigner, who was just coming out of the tent.
Kenny froze in place, watching the woman. He wasn't sure what to do and didn't want to do anything to provoke her. He watched as she loosened her grip from her weapons and turned back to the campfire. Slowly, Kenny walked to the campfire and sat on a log across from her. An awkward silence passed as they both watched the lively pyre.
Finally, Ali made an attempt to lift the tension created between herself and the stranger. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Kenny tore his gaze from the fire and looked up at her. He cleared his throat. "I'm feeling better," he replied, shifting his position.
"That's good to hear. What's your name?"
"Kenny, and you are..."
"Ali."
"So you're Ali. Bebe told me that you and another person brought me here. Thank you."
"It was nothing." She sighed, relaxing as the uneasiness diminished. She scooted over in order to get a better view of Kenny so she could look at him and not at flames when they're talking. "So where are you from?" she asked.
Kenny stared ahead. Biting his bottom lip, he thought to himself. Ali's lips parted, about to say something and change the subject when Kenny started. "I was originally from Senella, but the city was destroyed a long time ago by Scott and his gang. I was a child when this happened."
"What about your family? What happened to them?"
He clenched his fist. "I...I was an orphan. I don't know who my father was and my mother..." he trailed off, averting his gaze to anything other than Ali.
She sensed his discomfort. "It's okay. You don't have to continue."
Kenny nodded, grateful she didn't push him. "Besides, the only ones I would call family would be my best friend, Stan, and my tutor Cerus."
Ali looked surprised. "You were an apprentice of Cerus?"
"Yeah, I was."
"That must be quite an experience, being an apprentice for a great wizard."
"Yeah. Cerus...he took care of us. He was the first person I can remember caring for me, besides Stan. He was the only father figure in my life. Trent was also an apprentice when we first came to the castle and we looked up to him as a wizard and an older brother. But...one day, Cerus found out that Trent wanted to take over Lasai and get rid of the king. And for this, Trent was exiled." Kenny looked down as he played with a branch. "Stan and I felt betrayed, he lost our respect. And now..." His expression changed, from anger to depression. He looked over at Ali, with a look of apology. "I'm sorry, but I can't continue."
Ali consented. "I understand."
"Thanks." Silence fell upon them again. Kenny played with the branch, making random patterns. "Say Ali, when you and your friend brought me here, did I by any chance, have a journal with me?"
Ali furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "I don't believe so."
Kenny cursed under his breath. "Shit. It probably fell out of my tunic."
"Why do you ask?"
"It's...it's a journal Cerus gave to me. He said that there's something in the journal that I need to know, but I still don't understand what he meant."
"Try asking Bebe and Pip about it since they're the ones who treated you, and if I do come across something, I'll let you know."
"Thanks." Kenny looked around the camp and listened to the crickets with their night songs. "So...tell me more about this legion. Bebe told me a little about it."
"Well, we're a group of rebels made to put an end to Trent. Our last battle was in Ruki and we managed to fight his men off. Unfortunately, we took heavy damage and we lost a lot of troops. A lot of us are still recovering from that last battle and the legion is wearing thin. We need more people who are willing to fight."
Kenny snapped the branch in half. "Damn it! How far must he go!" His voice increased in volume. "Just how many lives does he have to destroy?"
Ali looked away, not sure what to say. When she turned back to him, she still wasn't sure what to do or say. "That's why we're here. Even though we don't know what Trent's plans are, we will do everything in our power to stop him."
"Have you seen his power?"
"Yes. We have seen what Trent is capable of. He is a powerful force, but if no one is going to be there to stop him, then who will?"
She's right, he thought. If no one stands up to Trent, then there would be nothing left. Everyone would be forced to bow down to Trent as he takes over Zira. I would never serve that son of a bitch, he thought. His train of thought was interrupted as Ali stood and stretched. She glanced up at the sky, decorated with luminous starts and listened to the crickets' chirp.
"I don't know what your plans are, but I suggest getting yourself some sleep. I'm going to get some rest, for there's a lot that needs to be done before we depart from here. Good night."
Just as she walked to her tent, Kenny called out to her. "Ali..." The woman stopped and turned to him. "I want to join the legion and help you stop Trent."
"Are you sure about this? There will be many dangers ahead."
"I know. Trent captured my friend. I made a promise to him."
"This is not a game, Kenny."
"I know that, I'm being serious. I want to rescue Stan, and avenge Cerus for his death. He fought Trent to protect us, and for that, he died by his blade. And Stan stayed behind so that I could escape. They believe in me, I can't let their efforts go in vain. And like you said, your army is getting thin. I'm willing to fight, I'm prepared to face whatever challenges that lie ahead."
"Alright. You may join us."
"Thank you."
"It's late now. Rest for the night, soldier. I don't want you oversleeping and slacking off or I'll come kick your ass." She grinned, soft and teasing. "Meet me in the morning and I will give you some equipment. Good night." With that said, she disappeared into her tent.
Kenny sighed and glanced around the bivouac. The once lively campfire gradually diminished. He started walking back to the tent where he slept. Before entering, he gazed up at the heavens. No matter what happens, no matter how long it took, he was going to fight.
