Alright, alright, alright! Well here we are again with the next chapter of From Soldier to Hero! Here's the thing about me. When I write stories, I write them with the intention of killing off characters at different points. Life is in no way shape or form fair for any of us. We must each fight and struggle to make our way through life, and my stories aren't exactly for the faint of heart. This particular story isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows every step of the way. The characters in them will have to fight tooth and nail for survival as they do in the canon story, but I don't pull any punches here.
I understand that isn't for everyone and I understand that will make people drop this story on the spot. But this is how I prefer to write my stories. For those that stick with this story I thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I hope you all enjoy the wild ride I have planned with this. But I can say for absolute certain that this story WILL have an ending that I already have planned out. I just have to get to that point. So time for some reviewer shout outs!
Adis: Heh. Here's the thing about that. I never actually stated that she was dead. I left it vague on purpose, but you'll be finding out in this chapter if she's actually dead or not. But the point of introducing Zevela in this manner was to show that everyone is mortal and can die at any second. Also life isn't very fair and won't care what you want in the end, so you have to struggle and fight for it. You aren't entitled to live just because you're here. Harsh I know, but that's just a fact that a ton of people seem to forget.
Ascandas: You'll be finding out this chapter if she did or didn't die. Read on and find out!
VGBlackwing: While that is an interesting idea, I can't say that I will do that type of crossover story. I don't know the character Erron Black well enough to feel comfortable with doing that. I have to know the character I'm using as I feel like I would want to do an accurate portrayal of their personality and responses within a different setting.
Boomburst128: Exactly. To a little girl that's a slave and been through what's she's been through it makes sense that she would rather die than fight in the waves. Not everyone is like Raphtalia to where they can just grin and bear it like that. Also the King is far more of an asshole because he's the one that implemented that law rather than Beloukas. He's just doing a business despite how scummy it is. You have to remember that the Queen was the one that sent Beloukas to Naofumi in the first place to help him.
Hitman101: You're most welcome cool cat! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D
Marco794: Weeeelllll. You'll have to read and find out if she lives, but I will agree that Tyrus needs this.
ILiekFishes: You make good points about Tyrus demanding a refund if she died on the spot in front of Beloukas. And you're also right about Tyrus returning her, but think about it this way for a second. He could get another slave sure, but from what he's seen of them, in his opinion they have low potential to become strong enough. He could set them free but then what? He's making an investment for the future that he needs a good payout for. He doesn't have that many options to go off of and a lot of time to work with. He's making the best of a bad hand he had been dealt.
Cj1of4: Different world. Different rules. Tyrus doesn't have the option or time to fight against an entire kingdom and save them on top of surviving the waves alone. He's only one man and it would be impossible for him to do everything on his own. A slave that is given the chance to have their freedom will fight much harder than someone simply seeking glory.
OberonHK96: You'll have to read to find out! Hehe. Maybe she will live or maybe she will die. Who knows?
Disclaimer: If I owned it I wouldn't put it here. Do I really need to put this down every time? I want to stop writing this damn disclaimer that I don't own Rising of the Shield Hero, but I do own my own original characters.
XxXxX
From Soldier to Hero
Chapter 10: Partners?
The second that Zevela fell over in pain, Tyrus was next to her in a flash as she was breathing heavily. He knew that he didn't have time to really ask questions as he could tell that she had finally succumb to her injuries. It had caused her body to go into shock as her eyes were dilating and she was convulsing in his grasp now. "I'm not going to let you die. Not like this." He muttered as he picked the young fox girl up now.
He spared the short man a quick glance as he stood up with the young girl in his hands. "We're done here, Beloukas. I need to get this girl medical attention right now!" With that he ran towards the exit kicking up the dirt behind him upon his exit. Tyrus knew there were two places he could go, but he chose a safer bet that would yield a better result for what he needed at the moment. A few tense minutes of running with the convulsing girl in his hands through the busy streets of the capital lead Tyrus to his intended destination.
Slamming into the door and having it swing wide open; Tyrus looked around frantically and spotted the person he desperately needed to see. He was slightly relieved to see the old and shocked face of the apothecary, Brenham, looking at him as if the young man had grown a second head. "What in the devil?! Tyrus?! What is going on boy?! What's your god damn problem that you have to nearly take off the door to my shop?!" The man was filled with questions and alarm that his shop had been barged into in such a manner.
Tyrus was breathing hard but he couldn't relax just yet. He needed to save the girl that was crying in pain and shaking furiously. "Brenham! I'll explain later, but first I need you to save this girls' life! She's gone into shock from past injuries and her body is breaking down on her! Please! I need your help! I'll pay you anything!" Tyrus pleaded with the old grouch as he rushed up to his counter and gently set her down for the man to inspect.
Brenham grunted and went wide eyed as he saw the girl up close now. She was an absolute mess as she was covered in scars from head to toe, much in the same way the young man that was carrying her was. The only different was that her scars looked far newer and her body was so thin that you could see her bones just below the skin. "Bring her to the back and put her on the bed. Go get that old witch here too, because my potions can only do so much on their own and work over time. Her magic will be more useful for healing her immediate injuries. She doesn't have long to live though from the looks of things."
Tyrus picked Zevela up without a word and ran behind the counter and opened the door and saw the bed. Placing the young girl that was whimpering in pain as her breathing was shallow and erratic; he noticed that her injuries were starting to bleed now. "Fuck. Don't you dare die on me here, Zevela. I promised you freedom and I'm going to make good on that. Nobody else will die on my watch ever again if I have a say in it." He muttered as he spared the young girl a single look before turning to go find Matilde. As he exited the shop and saw Brenham enter the door behind his counter, he bit his lip hoping that the old man would be able to help her.
He put that out of his mind for the second as he made his way through the streets again passing by people in a mad dash to get to the witch's magic shop. Tyrus was there in minutes and he opened the door, walking in this time rather than throwing it open. As he walked in he noticed the woman was reading one of her spell books, but looked up once she heard her bell to her shop ring out. She went wide eyed at seeing the young man she had met the previous day return to her shop so soon. But before she could say anything he had already started speaking.
"Good, you're here! I need your help immediately, Matilde! I have a young Demi-Human that's on the verge of death with me. She's at Brenham's shop currently receiving medical attention, but he told me to come get you to help as well because your magic can help save her life. Her body has gone into shock from all of her injuries she's sustained and doesn't have much longer to live. Please, I need your help! I'll pay you absolutely anything you want!" Tyrus explained quickly as he was panting heavily pleading to the older woman now hoping that she would help him.
Matilde gasped slightly before nodding and grabbing some of her things. She looked at the younger man with her violet eyes for a moment then shook her head. "My word, not even a hello from you or a how I'm doing? You definitely owe me an explanation for this later, young man, but for now we have someone to save. I'll take you up on that offer about payment after we save this demi-human." She gave the young man a sly smile as she exited her shop quickly and went with him back to Brenham's shop.
Once they were back at the apothecary's shop Brenham came from the back and nodded at the two of them and waved them to the back of his shop. "What in God's name has happened to this girl, lad? She's been through hell and back. She has contusions and sickness on top of her scars. She's so malnourished that she's literally skin and bones! Matilde, I need you to cast your magic on her so she can start recovering some of her health while I force these potions down her throat to give her a better chance at living. Lad, hold her down because she's jumping too much and I don't want to waste my potions!"
They both nodded and got to work immediately on doing as they were told by holding the girl down and casting healing magic on her. Tyrus watched the old man uncork two bottles that were filled with two different liquids and force it into Zevela's mouth and massaged her throat to make her swallow it. The girl coughed several times as she still struggled against Tyrus's firm grip on her body. The green glow around her body was working to seal up her external bleeding wounds while the potions were working to heal her internal bleeding at the same time.
"Come on, Zevela. You can't die on me here. I refuse to let anyone else die on me ever again." Tyrus muttered as the girl still thrashed in his grip, as he noticed her starting to sweat now. "Brenham! Can you bring her a cold rag?! I think she's breaking out in a fever now! Her external bleeding has stopped, but I don't know about her internal bleeding. Matilde, you're doing a great job please keep it up." He grunted as he still kept his grip on her but moved one of his hands to check her pulse now. It was still somewhat erratic but it was a lot better than before when he had checked it before leaving Beloukas's tent.
Matilde had cast several more spells on the young demi-human girl trying to speed up her recovery and to get her out of critical condition as soon as possible, but she wasn't a cleric so she was stuck to using low tiers of weak healing magic. This entire process of keeping this girl from dying was starting to drain her of her magical energy, but she wouldn't just stop until she knew this girl was safe or dead. "How did this even happen? I've never seen someone like this before. This is awful!" She huffed out as she had just finished casting a chant for a fast heal spell for the seventh time since they had started.
"I'll tell you everything once she's stable. But for now we need to keep her from slipping further into shock or a heart attack. Her bleeding has stopped at least for now." Tyrus muttered to the old witch in response as he checked her pulse then her forehead. He noted that she was heating up and was sweating more and more by the second now. He noticed that Brenham had come back soon with a bucket of water and some rags as well cup. The old man took the rag and wet it up and dried it out then placed it on the girls' forehead. He then took the cup and filled it with the cold water from the bucket and placed it to the girls' lips then forced her to drink it slowly bit by bit. "This should help with her fever, but I don't know if she's going to make it lad. How did this girl get like this and where did you even find her in the first place?" The old apothecary finally had to ask as he forced another potion into the girls' mouth now.
Tyrus sighed as he checked her pulse once again and found that it was getting more and more stable. Her fever was running, but she wasn't in immediate danger of slipping into cardiac arrest anymore. It seems that her body had stopped bleeding as well, but he needed to get the girl food to deal with how she was nothing but skin and bones. He turned to the two oldest people in the room and started telling them everything that led up to this current moment. By the time he was done, he could see the looks of anger and shock on both of their faces, but he didn't know if they were angry with him.
Matilde sighed as she frowned heavily at Tyrus after hearing the young man out. She shook her head slowly but kept her gaze squarely on him with the frown. "I'm not angry at you for resorting to what you had to do. I knew those rumors about the Shield Hero raping a girl were too outlandish to believe at first, but I gave it some thought and wasn't sure if it was true. But hearing it from you as you were practically there… It's hard to believe that the princess would set up a hero like this."
Brenham grunted as he watched the girl on his bed. "It's hard to really believe, but if it weren't true you wouldn't have busted down my door like you did screaming for help. You're going to be paying for the door if it's broken by the way. But buying a slave is hard to accept even it is legal here in Melromarc. But you seem as if you care about her considering the way you kept saying you weren't going to let her die." Brenham gave an exasperated sigh as he shook his head while looking at the girl. "This is too much drama for me at my age. Well at any rate, this young lass here is stable for the time being. She's running a fever now but she's through the worst of it."
Tyrus sighed at that and smiled brightly at both of the older people. "Thank you so much for all your help. I'm indebted to you both more than you could possibly know. But now, I have to wait until she wakes up then we will be out of your hair. I'll be sure to fix that door for you, Brenham. I can't possibly ask anything more of you two than you already have done for me as of now, and I will do everything I can to make it up to you both." Tyrus said with pure sincerity and relief in his voice as he looked at the little fox girl that was sleeping much more steadily in the bed next to him now.
Matilde let out a sigh and shook her head for a moment. She then let out her airy laugh and waved her hand off. "Don't worry about it, dear. It's nice to see that you have a good heart and you're willing to go so far to help someone in need. You can bring her to my shop and I will keep watch over her there. I know you have to get yourself ready for the waves that are to come, so you can go out and level up, but make sure to come back to check on the young girl here."
Tyrus looked on at the old pudgy lady with wide eyes at that. "I… I… Thank you, Matilde. I hate to impose on you anymore than I already have. I owe you so much and I will make good on it one way or another. But it's just as you've said that I need to get ready for the waves. It's still early in the day so I'll take you up on that offer right now. Hopefully Zevela will wake up soon so we can get her properly treated and get her strength up." With that said Tyrus walked over to the girl and picked her tiny body up in his arms carefully and started to walk towards the exit to the shop.
The old witch started to follow along behind him but was stopped by the apothecary with a withered look on his face that showed off his age. "That boy is something else huh? Who else would really go out of there way like that to save a slave's life? Not any that I've ever come across that's for sure. I think he has the makings of a fine hero, but he's rough around the edges with that attitude of his. Though, from all the rumors surrounding him about threatening the king and princess, I imagine that there is still something to him that we don't know. I'd keep my eye on him just in case." The man huffed with a tired smirk on his face having remembered his first run-in with the brash young man.
Matilde looked at the man with the same smirk as she gave off an airy laugh once again while waving her hand dismissively. "The key word there is rumors you old goat. There might be some truth to them in some regards, but it's as you've said. He's a good boy and he has the qualities of a good hero about him. While I can't say I'm particularly fond of him using a slave, I can understand his reasoning for doing so. He doesn't have many options available to him after everything that's happened. The most we can really do is hope for the best for them both and help in any way we can. After all, we need him to beat back the waves for us old folks." With that said, Matilde turned and followed the young soldier out of the shop.
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After a short walk back to Matilde's shop and placing the young demi-human in a bed in the back, Tyrus had entrusted the care of the young girl to the witch while he was gone. With the near death episode over, he noted that he was further behind everyone else in levels and time was shortening down on him. Until Zevela had woken up, he had to go it alone and grind out their levels faster and harder for the both of them until she could join him proper.
So with gun in hand, being that he had the bow transformed into one of its gun forms, he went out into the fields solo for the time being. It was roughly early afternoon and he had a lot of ground to cover. So he found himself running through the open grassy fields aiming his gun at any creature that was foolish enough to get in his path. Gunshot after gunshot rang out in the open field as balloon after balloon was popped over and over. He noted that the amount of experience he was receiving for each one had increased from one to about fifteen.
At first he was in awe about this but he came to the conclusion that without the other heroes around, the amount of experience he received wasn't being penalized anymore. This was good news for him, as he could quickly level himself and Zevela up this way. Tyrus also noted that Zevela was getting experience as well despite her not being near him, but rather because she was in his party. Though she was receiving less than he was, it still helped that the girl would receive experience. That also gave him the thought to test how far the effective range was and how much she could receive.
Within the hour of being in the open field alone, Tyrus had earned enough experience to level up to three and Zevela had gotten enough experience to get to level two. The man wanted to go further and get even more as he was feeling good, but he couldn't stray too far away because he had to get back to the magic shop to make sure that Zevela was alright. Though he decided that he would keep going for a little while longer and just farm off the balloons. So with his plan in mind, he took aim at the balloons and started shooting them left, right, and center. Getting the popping noise he had become accustomed to hearing, but he noticed that the experience was starting to lower with his increased level.
To him that was fine at least for the moment as he would make it up by switching guns as he had increased the current one's mastery level and noticed that the stats were being applied directly to his overall stats as well. This caused him to grin as he was going to use everything he could to his advantage to become as strong as possible. He had also noticed that he had been getting tons of items from those balloons, though they weren't of great quality. From the games he had played in the past, he knew that starting monsters didn't usually drop good items, but in vast quantities they would be good selling material.
He had also taken the time to absorb the monsters he had killed and fully unlocked the orange bow to use. As much as Tyrus didn't want to, he knew he would have to set aside time to fully master how to use the bow to its fullest potential. He knew his guns would only carry him so far on their own and while he couldn't use his combat knife that was in one of the compartments of his body armor, he could still use his martial arts for close range combat should the need arise. Maybe he could teach Zevela how to use a knife instead? She did look like she was a close range type of fighter from the way she tried to attack with her claws.
He stopped in his mindless and systematic killing of balloon after balloon to really think about the girl. He had noted that another two hours had passed and he was now level four and Zevela had risen to level three. He wanted to keep going, but he figured that three hours was enough time for now to stop and take a break to go check in on the girl. He still had to try and get her to really go along with him into the waves. He could tell that she truly didn't want to, but he needed strong fighters on his side that had the will and capability to push past their limits.
"Wait that's not how this is going to work at all. I can't think of that girl as a soldier like myself or anyone else I've come across in the past. She wants no part in this fight, but I can't exactly let her go now because of how weak she truly is right now. If I let her go she'll just be captured again or killed. I'd rather have her with me so I can protect her, but if she won't join me then I'll just train her up and let her go…" The military man sighed to himself and shook his head as he made his way back to the capital town and headed through the merchant street.
He noticed that he was getting stares of disgust and fear from the people he was being forced to protect, as it seemed that the false rumors were spreading in full force now. He only frowned and ignored them as he made his way to the magic shop to find the witch nowhere to be found. Tyrus found it out so he called out for the old lady. "Hey Matilde I'm back!" At first he didn't receive a reply for a moment only to have the door behind the counter burst open to reveal a frantic looking witch.
"Tyrus! Thank goodness you're back! Get in here immediately!" The woman shouted in her unusual tone of urgency as she rushed back in to the other room a second later. This of course left Tyrus completely confused and alarmed as he rushed to the back and through the door himself. What he saw left him in complete shock as he hadn't expected to see Zevela sitting up with a heavy scowl on her face as she was looking around the room that she currently was finding herself in.
"Z-Zevela! You're awake!" Came the relieved voice of the black soldier but he was completely surprised that she was awake so soon after having her body go into shock like that. He had expected the malnourished girl to be asleep for at least another day at minimum. "I'm so glad that you're up so soon. We can get you something to eat and get you some actual clothes as well." He tried to give the girl a bright smile in hopes that she would return it, but he knew better from their previous interaction that she wasn't having any of it.
Zevela proved this immediately by locking her only eye with him and started growling at him with the same heavy scowl that Tyrus had come to accept at this point. "Yes, I'm awake. Why did you save me despite telling you I'd rather die than fight the waves?" She noted that the old woman was looking at her with a shocked expression about how this girl could still be so rude despite having her life saved. The fox demi-human didn't care about this in the slightest however as she only sneered at the woman before turning her attention back to her new owner. "Well? Do you plan on forcing me to fight and die for you?"
Tyrus sighed and shook his head ignoring how rude this girl was being, but it wasn't unwarranted as he had seen slaves that had been broken in the past become untrusting of anyone. Most however were happy to be free of the slavery they were forced into, but technically this girl wasn't free as she still had the seal on her which brought her under his control should he use it. "No. I don't plan on forcing you to fight and die for me. I told you before and I'll tell you again that you and I are partners. I will set you free just like I promised but stop and think about it for one second, Zevela."
She narrowed her one good eye at him as her tail stiffened behind her at this as she let out a hiss at him. "Think about what?! If you were going to keep your promise and give me my freedom, then do it now! Remove the seal on me and let me go!" She shouted at him though it was straining her voice to do so. She was hungry, tired, and still in pain but at least she wasn't dead. Wait a second, that's right. She wasn't dead. This human had saved her life instead of leaving her to die. "Partners… You used this word again, human…"
"That's right. I did. It's like I told you before. I won't let any harm come to you while you're with me. You will gain your freedom and you have it now. But it's like the slave trader said before, any slave caught without the seal on them or their owner nearby will be executed on the spot. As much as I would love to let you go, you would be too weak to defend yourself as you are right now. Plus, where would you go and what would you do on your own? Do you have any sort of family?" Tyrus asked now trying to get the girl to see reason now.
That seemed to have caused the fox girl to stop in her tracks and give them both a strange look. She bit her lip and sighed then slowly shook her head looking down at the bed she was sitting on. "Not anymore." Zevela muttered out in a bitter tone as she gripped the sheets of the bed now. "Partners huh? I don't want to walk into those living hells… I would be better off dead." She muttered to herself before looking back up to the man that had purchased her. "Will I truly be free?" She knew she really didn't have much choice in the matter as this man could have forced her into doing anything he wanted her to do because of the slave seal. But he was going to great lengths to treat her as a person and he had went through all of this to save her life as well.
Tyrus nodded without a second thought. "Of course Zevela. You have my word that so long as I'm alive I'll do everything within my power to make sure that no harm comes to you and that you will gain your freedom. I'll make you strong enough so that you can walk under the sun without anyone being able to put a scratch on you. I know you don't want to deal with the waves, and I wish I didn't have to, but I really need your help however. But, if I can't get you to join me, then I'll let you go. But give me a fair chance here, partner." Tyrus said with a smile on his face as he looked her dead in the eye.
Zevela looked at the strange man in front of her and before she could say anything else, her stomach made a loud noise answering for her. She let out a gasp and blushed heavily looking away in embarrassment now. She held her stomach as she could hear some laughter coming from the man and the old lady in the room now. "D-Don't laugh at me damn it! I'll kill you! Uggh!" She shouted while still blushing but before she could make good on that threat her stomach rumbled again in protest for the need for food.
Tyrus stopped laughing and held up his hands defensively and nodded at her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But let's get you something to eat and some actual clothes. Can you stand and walk on your own or do you need help?" He asked with genuine concern in his voice as he tried to move closer to the girl to see if she needed help walking. He was surprised as she threw the sheets off her body and jumped off the bed with a defiant scowl on her face. But he let out a sigh as he saw her instantly fall over to the floor. "Ok, so you need some help. You don't have to act so tough all the time. It's a good thing that you feel you don't need help, but that's what a partner is for. To help you when things get rough and you can't handle it on your own."
The girl looked up from her new spot on the floor as she let out a low growl. She allowed herself to be picked up by this much bigger man with a slight growl in her voice but didn't do much more than that. She huffed and looked away from him as her stomach growled once more which caused her to blush even harder than before. "F-Fine! I get it! Can we just get something to eat now… please?" Zevela relented finally as she could feel the hunger pains catching up to her ten times over now. She hated everything about this and wanted to just die, but this was apparently her new life. She would never admit it, but this human was treating her far better than anyone has in her entire life. Even if she was being used to fight for him, it was better than everything she had been through over the past several years.
Tyrus nodded to her as he stood up while carrying the young girl in his arms now, and looked over to the old witch with a small smile on his face. "Thanks again Matilde. I'll be sure to be back later to pay you for everything you and Brenham have done for me." He watched her wave him off dismissively as she went about to leaving the room to go back to the front of her shop now.
"Aha. Don't worry about it, dear. You just go get that young lass something to eat now. You have much bigger problems to worry about that this old witch. Just come back when you have the chance to do so. I'll teach you both about magic later when you're ready." The old witch let out an airy laugh once again as she watched her new favorite customer leave her shop now.
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Tyrus could hear the girl growl while she looked at him with her single eye sitting across from him as they were waiting on their food. He knew that Zevela wasn't happy about any of the things that were happening to her and if he really could let her go free he would. But as things turned out he couldn't do so easily without a whole host of problems following along with that. He had taken the time to explain this in full to the white fox girl that was wearing a perpetual scowl on her face now.
The odd pair had gotten many glares and odd looks as they had entered the restaurant that had banned demi-humans from entering. The sign was posted for everyone to see right on the entrance, but because Tyrus didn't understand the language yet, he didn't know this. But one of the waiters that had come to take his order tried to discretely tell him of this. This however caused the muscled soldier to fix him with the coldest glare he could which promised nothing but pure pain if he didn't wisely drop the subject and take their orders.
"Zevela… I've told you again and again that I simply can't let you go as you are right now. I don't know how many times you want me to say it, because we're doing nothing but going around in circles with this conversation you know? You and I will be partners, and I will make you strong enough so that you won't have to worry about anyone harming you anymore." He said in an exasperated tone of voice as he waited on his food. He then thought about it and decided that he would make an attempt to get to know the girl a little better. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself? What happened to your family?"
Zevela for her part kept her scowl up and she knew that everything he told her made nothing but sense, but she wasn't going to just accept it. She truly felt that she would rather be better off dead than dealing with any of this right now. "Hmph! I know that you bastard. You should have just left me to die. I still refuse to fight in the waves and die for you. If you aren't going to give me my freedom here and now, then your words are completely hollow." But she blinked only once as she heard the question from him about her family. "My family? Why would you want to know about that? That shouldn't matter to bastard that bought a slave right?"
Zevela wasn't shy in the slightest and she proved that she was quite intelligent in her own right. Although she was a native of this world and still being only a child, she seemed to have been far more experienced than she should have. This was absolutely a mystery to Tyrus that he felt he needed to figure out about this girl if he was going to get her to work with him eventually. He couldn't exactly talk as he had his own secret that he was keeping from her about his death at the hands of Briggs. He would be returning after these waves were done and choking the life out of him before he died again.
"Well, it would be nice to get to know more about you. You're not shy in the slightest and you're pretty damn smart. A lot smarter than a lot of the people around here, yet you're a child. It's rather odd if you ask me. Maybe you were from sort of noble family huh?" He asked trying to peg the girl just as their food had finally arrived. Tyrus noted that Zevela's tail stiffened up just as their food had arrived, and she slightly narrowed her eye at him. To him it seemed as if she were gearing up for some sort of retort but her stomach growled heavily in their stare off and it gave way to a blush on her face instead.
"Don't you dare laugh at me again or I will be jump over this table and gouge your eyes out, bastard." Zevela growled out as she started eating the food in front of her in silence now. She watched her new owner in silence to see if he would laugh at her again because she would definitely carry out her threat despite the slave seal placed on her. She may be forced to fight with him as his so called partner but she didn't have to like it in the slightest right now. But she was pleasantly surprised as the man hadn't laughed at her again like she thought he would.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to make that mistake again, Zevela. Just enjoy your meal. After this we will be getting you out of those tattered rags and into something more decent to wear and getting you situated with some proper gear that you can use to fight with. And please, don't attack me with it ok? Even if I set the slave seal restrictions to as low as possible, it wouldn't do for us to be fighting each other right now. We need to focus on getting stronger as soon as possible together. I did get you to level three already while you were out of it, but having you with me to fight will get us stronger far faster than me going solo." Tyrus was doing his level best to keep his cool around this young girl, but she could still work his nerves just like anyone else. It was starting to show as he was becoming a little more direct with her than before, but he let out a sigh and shook his head to let it go.
The girl blinked a few times as his attitude seemed to turn serious despite how kind he was being before. She felt that she may have been pushing her luck a little too far and she decided that she would stop antagonizing the man that held her life in his hands. As she started eating, Zevela had contemplated how her life was possibly starting to turn around now after everything that's happened to her so far. She could say that she was actually fairly lucky unlike a lot of others in her position. In retrospect she was grateful to this man that was actually giving her food and that had actually saved her life. It was conflicting for her that she had been saved and given food compared to every previous owner that had only beat her and scarred her body. Maybe she could actually take a chance on this human, but time would tell for that.
The meal was shared in a contemplative silence between the both of them as Tyrus thought about their next move and Zevela thought about how she would actually get her freedom and this man that owned her now. Tyrus had finished his cheap meal and looked at the girl with a tired smile now. "Alright Zevela, now that we've finished our meal it's time to get you out of those rags you're wearing and into something a little better to wear."
Zevela had finished her meal and was feeling much better with some good food and medicine in her stomach now. But she wasn't ready to trust this guy anytime soon yet. She remained silent with a scowl on her face again, but merely nodded her head, refusing to say anything to him. She noticed the man in front of her only smile despite her refusing to say anything to him. She watched him get up and started walking towards the exit without another word and she reluctantly got up and followed behind him with an annoyed growl in response.
XxXxX
The next hour was spent inside of Elhart's weapon shop as he met the young fox demi-human and he had to say that the girl was worse for wear. He had seen how badly dressed the girl was and how she was heavily scarred. Though he noticed how she was looking at him with an intense anger that promised nothing but pain despite her diminutive size. He had looked over at the younger man and shook his head at him.
"This girl looks like death, kid. I still can't believe that you and shield boy went and bought slaves. Well I suppose you want to get her equipped just as the other one did huh? Well I don't have much as this isn't a clothes shop you know, but I can offer some stuff I have. You would be better off going to see that young tailor girl, Tammy instead then come back here for weapons and actual armor."
Tyrus nodded at this and looked over at the girl that was staring at the weapons now then back to the blacksmith. "Yeah you're right about that actually, but we should at least get her a weapon and armor to start with. We'll deal with fashion later when we have more time and money. I'd imagine something light and easy to maneuver in that won't hinder her speed. I'm going to have to train her to fight with a weapon and how to fight, but it won't be impossible."
They both turned to the girl only to notice that she had disappeared from her spot. This drew alarmed gasps from the both soldier and blacksmith as they started looking for her. They started calling out her name but got no response in return from her. Tyrus was starting to freak out on the inside but kept his cool on the outside as he continued to look for the girl. 'Shit! Did Zevela make a break for it?! Where the hell did that girl go?! We would have noticed her walking out of the door because of the bell. I need to find her and fast! I knew she was smart, but she's still just a little girl!'
After a few minutes of searching and calling for the girl she finally came out from one of the dressing rooms with her now trademark scowl on her face. But she was wearing a set of clothes that somehow fit her tiny twig like frame. She was sporting a white sleeveless shirt and black pants with black boots. Her white tail was out and waving behind her at a slow pace as she stared at the two larger men with nothing but annoyance for having been interrupted. She had black gloves on that were studded at the knuckles like Tyrus's and they were cut at the fingers revealing her still dull claws.
She also had a white sash around her waist that helped hold her pants in place. The fox demi-human had even removed the old bandages and replaced it for a wrap around her head at a diagonal angle that slightly messed up her long unkempt white hair, but she didn't seem to care in the slightest about that. What was most surprising, however, was that at her hip she had on a belt that held multiple daggers inside of multiple sheaths.
"Will you two bastards stop shouting my name? I can hear you two just fine you know. I'm missing an eye, not my ears. Hearing you two hairless apes shout like that actually hurts because my hearing is sharper than you humans." She huffed out in agitation as the two older men stared at the tiny girl speechless now. As she started walking towards them both she growled at them but let out a cough quickly after which caused her to frown.
"Z-Zevela? What the hell is with the outfit and the weapon? And who the hell are you calling a hairless ape, you tiny midget!" Tyrus retorted back instantly his insult back without thinking which got the sharp eye of the girl on him instantly and a growl from her. Despite her being a little girl and seeing that she was still skin, bones, and full of scars he could say that she was actually intelligent enough to know how to operate without direct control. It had thrown him off guard slightly as he had expected this from the young girl.
Zevela felt the need to roll her one good eye as she sighed at the man. "I didn't think you were actually this stupid, but I'll need to reevaluate that. The reason for this outfit and weapon should be obvious enough on its own. You're forcing me to fight for my freedom and this is what I'm comfortable with right now." She crossed her arms and then sneered at him with a growl. "I dare you to call me a midget again and you will be missing your head from your shoulders, slave seal be damned. I will end your life; you cock sure sack of shit." She left her threat hanging in the air seeing if her new owner would actually attempt to harm her and prove that she couldn't trust him.
Elhart decided to intervene before things turned violent as he could see Tyrus actually about to rise to her threat as he was gearing up to say something. He placed his hand on the man's shoulder and kept a firm grip on it. "Alright, alright you two. That's enough of that. She's gotten herself out of those rags and apparently she's good to go with a weapon as she picked it out herself. I'm not sure exactly how this little girl knows how to fight but whatever. You'll need to pay for her items here and now and get out of here. You don't have the time to stand around arguing with each other as you need to get stronger for the waves. For everything she's gotten, it's going to run you about 25 silver."
Tyrus for his part merely nodded while staring the girl down before a grin spread over his face. "Heh… Zevela, you remind me of a friend that was very near and dear to me. I'll say that much. You two act so much alike that it's actually a little scary to think about. But Elhart's right, we can't be at each other's throats like this. Let's get out of here. Oh, and before I forget how much longer will it be till mine and Naofumi's orders are done?" Tyrus asked as he took out the money and handing it over to the bald man without issue.
Elhart counted the money out as he noticed that the girl was still staring at the two of them, but had a slightly shocked face as the man didn't seem to take her bait. He let out a hum in thought and shrugged his shoulders. "Give me about two weeks. I'll have them both done before the wave starts since you both paid on the same day ahead and you gave me the blueprints for them as well. It shouldn't be too much trouble since I don't have anything else to focus on currently. Now get going."
Tyrus nodded and started to walk out of the shop followed behind by a hesitant Zevela who could only stare at the man that owned her life currently. Tyrus had one more place to go before they could start training. He needed to do something about Zevela's missing eye and that wrap would only last so long, so he decided to go see the tailor about making her an eyepatch for it. Zevela for her part simply remained silent refusing to say anything else again which would serve as her main way of getting under the soldiers' skin and provoke him.
The pair had gotten to the tailor's shop and Tyrus had gone about telling Tammy everything that had happened thus far. To his surprise the girl was more understanding of his situation than he had anticipated from her as she gave nothing but the brightest smile to the girl that stared at her as if she were an alien. Zevela had wondered how a girl like Tammy could be so hyper and positive despite being told such a depressing tale like that, but she chalked it up to humans being completely weird.
Tyrus had told Tammy what he wanted done in getting an eyepatch for Zevela to which the fox demi-human did a double take at that. It wasn't the first time that she had found herself in disbelief that anyone would go this far for her. She merely scowled without saying a word as the tailor waved her hand and set about getting the measurements to make the eyepatch. Zevela stared at the girl that was getting close to her and taking more measurements than needed and growled at her now. "Are you done yet, weirdo?" She asked in a very curt tone after having had enough of this girl being so close to her.
Tammy just let out a laugh and nodded as she backed away. "Just getting your measurements for anything else you may need in the future! Just wait a moment and I'll have this done in a snap!" The glasses wearing blonde said with a bit of a chipper tone as she quickly went off to get her task done.
Zevela raised an eyebrow at that and turned to her owner with the scowl on her face again. "Why are you doing all of this? Just tell me right here and now you dark skinned bastard. What's your end game huh? Why go through all of this for a mere slave that you're just going to force to fight for you in that death trap called the waves huh? Why waste the money and time on me like this?" She growled out having finally had enough of what she assumed was false caring for her actual wellbeing.
Tyrus shook his head at her accusations and sighed slightly. "I'll say that I do have an end game in mind. But you won't need to worry about that actually. It won't involve you or anyone else that gets mixed up with me in the future. You'll be a free girl just as soon as I feel you're strong enough to take care of yourself. If you're that adamant about going away, then I'll set you free. No tricks, no lies, nothing. It's irrelevant to our current situation but just know that we're partners now and I'll honor our deal even if it kills me."
Zevela narrowed her eyes and was about to say more but the other girl came back soon after and presented her the eyepatch. Zevela looked at it in silence and then took it without a word. She turned to find a mirror and began taking off the wraps on her head then replaced it with the black eyepatch that, had a white crescent moon in the center of it. Zevela stared at herself in silence and felt her lips twist upwards slightly into a smile for the first time in a very long time. But it quickly disappeared as she turned back to the man that held her life in his hands.
"Fine. You get one chance… Partner."
XxXxX
And scene! So yeah! Zevela lives! And she's giving our boy Tyrus here one chance and one chance only to show that she can trust him! Oh boy this is gonna be a wild ride for sure. There is much more to Zevela that meets the eye and you'll be seeing what I have in store for her later on. She's a smart cookie that doesn't reveal too much than what's needed. She's obviously not shy or scared to challenge anyone, but will that be a good thing? Only time will tell!
I hope you all are enjoying this so far. I did say this would be a slow burn and I was hoping I would actually have gotten more action in than this but with the way I normally write, it takes time to build up. But we'll get there eventually! I'm glad that everyone is sticking with this so far. Please leave a review if you like!
Tyrus Owens' Theme: Boots to the Ground by JT Music
Zevelas' Theme: Armed and Ready by Jeff Williams
Ciao for now everyone!