Order 7: Respite and Reminisce
Lyn's POV: "ugh…what happened to me, I feel like I just woke up after getting drunk." Prying my sore eyes open, I looked around. I was in what was apparently three tents lashed into one large tent. Blinking to get me eyes used to the bright sunlight streaming in, I see that there are three other sleeping occupants in the tent. One is Negi, who was bandaged around the chest and neck. Another is Evangeline A.K. McDowell, who to my immense satisfaction, seemed to have her entire torso wrapped in bandages, lastly is a girl who I don't know, who is in a condition similar to Evangeline's.
"Oh, so your awake!" I quickly snap my head toward the sound. A girl in an obnoxious pink outfit with a weird looking hat was peering intently at me. She seemed to be x-raying me. "Who are you?" I asked pulling the sheets up tighter over my frame. Oh, my name is Ako, I'm the class' physician in training." She answered cheerily. Oh, a nurse I thought idly, no threat there.
"Alright! Open up!" Ako yipped right next to my ear, causing me to jump out of my skin. "WHAT!?" I yelped, thoroughly startled. "I need to check your temperature. Don't worry this won't take more than a minute!" "Oh…OK." I mumbled yawning, only to find a long thin object being thrust into my mouth. "Mwat gar joo gooing!" I warbled flailing about try to pull myself free. "Hold still silly, I'm just taking your temperature!" Ako laughed.
*GASP* Turning I saw Ayaka Yukihiro staring at me in shock. Turning away, she muttered as she left "She'll seduce him with that motherly figure!" Upon hearing that, I grabbed the thermometer out of Ako's hand and hurled it at Ayaka. "Who are you calling a succubus, you pedophile!" I yelled as the thermometer got her right between the eyes. "HOW DARE YOU!" She yelled back as her face reddened.
"Ahahah! Your as red as a beet!" I crowed, as her face became livid with rage. "WHY YOU – "Linchou! Enough! If you are not here to visit with the patients then please leave!" Ako intoned as she forced me back into a seated position and brought out another thermometer. "Hmmm… 98.4, looks like you'll be staying another day in here, for now just get some rest. You've had enough excitement for today." With that, she turned on her heel and turned to check on of all people who could wake up at this hour… Evangeline.
Glowering, I lay back down and turned my back toward Ako. And tried to get some sleep. "Lyn" *sigh* "What Dark Evangel?" I asked twisting around. "What brought on that attack yesterday, well other than Negi getting hit?" She whispered staring intently at me. "Why should I tell you?" I hissed, defensive. Again I turned my back to her and hunkered down trying to get some sleep. "Please, Lyn" with another sigh I turned backed toward her and propped myself up on the pillows. "Well, you might as well make yourself comfortable, since this will be a long tale."
"When I was still human, I lived in the same small border town as my parents, and as a result took care of them as they grew older. Life was harsh and it was always difficult just to keep food on the table, but I managed to keep us fed, by taking on small part time jobs as a farmhand, or town-guard, along with acting as a messenger between towns."
"When I turned sixteen, I noticed that I could see things that others couldn't. More than once, I thought I saw people where there weren't any. The people of the village and my parents tried to keep it quiet, and I was thoroughly warned not to let outsiders know of my "power" you could say. However, word got out and soldiers came in search of me. The townsfolk hatched a lie to ward off the soldiers and they told those men that I had long left by caravan across the border."
"This kept the soldiers away for awhile, however, they must of realized it eventually and they returned and publicly executed the people responsible. They didn't just kill the adults who created the lie, but they killed their entire families and their children too! They then gave the town three days to hand me over or else they would come back for more. It was decided, that the town would quietly smuggle me out in the dead of the night along with my parents."
"The plan was set into action the night of the second day and all was well, until a patrol came by and found us. My parents fought to protect me, but they were slaughtered like…like animals! It was there that I first drew blood, there that I first killed; I killed the soldiers in a furious rage. Intent on making the soldiers pay for the pain and suffering they had caused, I returned to town, where I witnessed an utter bloodbath…"
" When I reached the town, I saw that the soldiers had made good of their promise of death if I hadn't been turned over to them. They were already running through the streets slaughtering the same innocent civilians they were sworn to protect! My blood boiled and I saw red then, I saw red. Driven by anger, I charged, hewing the necks of anyone foolish enough to get in the way. I reached a particularly virulent horseback rider and knocked from his steed, before lopping off his head. Turning, I charged down the street directly towards the captain."
"I would have reached him, if it wasn't for a well-placed spear to the shoulder of my horse, sending my reeling off the terrified animal. The soldiers surrounded me and I was forced to fight my way through them. I didn't make it out unscathed though; taking cuts to the stomach and chest during the fight. I still strove onward though and managed to battle the captain, however, he overpowered me and stabbed me in the thigh and cut me across the face, leaving me temporarily blinded, before ordering my capture."
"I was then placed unconscious in the city jail to await my own execution, along with the other four survivors. I awoke to my cellmate a man of around forty, trying to quite literally force himself on me in my sleep, I fended him off, and before I was to strike him down, he revealed that it was he who had sold me and my parents off to the soldiers in return for being able to do what he wanted with me before my execution. I split his skull off the cold hard floor and was quickly placed in a new cell alone and under tighter security than the others and I was informed that I was to die by guillotine, and have my severed head mounted on a stake outside the jail walls. My charge(s): Heresy and witchcraft."
I paused to take in a breath and then continued; "I would have met said humiliating end if it wasn't for the fact that my incarceration didn't occur at the same time that the duke who controlled the region, hadn't been conducting his yearly patrol around the city. He heard about me and decided that he should go see what all the fuss was about for himself. I still remember it to this day; he was so kind and so understanding of my plight. His unfailing belief in my innocence restored my faith in humanity, in essence it restored my will to live."
"The very next day, I was taken from my cell and brought outside for unknown reasons. It had turned out, that the duke had signed for my release, and was waiting outside to take me in, basically as an adoptive daughter. For the first time in days, I felt like the world had been righted and that everything would end well for once."
*Sigh* "So ends my tale for now. There is more too it but that will have to wait for another day." I said.
"But you still haven't answered my question." Evangeline replied her face showing what actually looked like concern, even remorse.
"Eh… what do you mean?" I asked staring at her in confusion.
"What I meant was that you didn't actually answer my original question: What brought on that attack yesterday?" She stated stressing the last few words.
"Oh… well… you see its than when my parents and I were attacked they took fatal blows that were meant for me, also when I reached town again, one of the things that really set me off was that the soldiers would sink as low as to kill innocent children." I answered morosely.
Turning onto my side I closed my eyes and started to drift off to sleep. "Lyn?" Evangeline whispered.
"What is it Eva oops I mean Evangeline?" I asked, turning toward her again.
"I'm sorry for what I did yesterday, and well…I'm not sure how to state this but well…erm…that is… thank you for… well um, answering my questions." She blurted, a slight hesitant smile playing across her face as she waited, quietly for my reply.
I almost smiled at that, almost. "Your welcome." I answered before turning away and drifting off to sleep.