Entry 11: He found out

This is another longer one, prepare for lots of exposition finally explaining Leon's past, as well as a bit of the 4th Holy War.


Well didn't last long. It's been three days since I wrote last. We've just settled into the new status quo and the new training schedules. After patrol, Ledah, Leon, Kazé, and Chris went off to spar before breakfast. Since I wasn't needed I decided to help Fia out in the kitchen. When I told her this, she looked like she'd just been hit in the head with a club. She asked if I was a good cook.

"Pretty good" I lied. I'm a great chef, just about Fia's level if not a little higher. I don't usually demonstrate my culinary skills away from home but I figured we could do with a really solid meal today. Needless to say, Fia was quite impressed when I'd finished. This whole thing lead to a funny scene when everyone gathered and asked what she'd done differently to make breakfast taste so much better. When she pointed at me and said I'd cooked this morning, man the looks on their faces. I laughed so hard I nearly fell over. After breakfast, Serene and Leon went off to the Grove of Repose to be alone. Chris and I wandered off so I could ask him a few things. First he told me he's read the diary and he understood why Sieght was so distant and that she loved him very much. Then the awkward part. I asked him what he thought about Cierra. I didn't expect him to laugh that I was even considering asking him. He said if it made things easier for me that he didn't mind. Kazé was right again I suppose. So we had a hug before I sensed a Greater Demon incoming. It was heading for Leon so I figured it was Scath. Chris and I booked it but once again Leon and Serene had to fight him off for a few minutes. When we got there I saw Leon had picked up Jack's Diviner. I couldn't stop him from using the thing. It's a familial diviner so Jack and Leon are the only ones who can use it. Scath figured out the relation immediately and shared it with Leon. He didn't believe it at first but Scath started pulling memories that only Jack would know. Leon lost his will to fight right there, I had to jump in to keep Scath from beheading him. Serene was at my heels, prompting Scath to try and impale her. She avoided it while I smacked him in the head with the shaft of the Longinus. She was about to ruin his day when Leon made her stop. I tried to convince him that Jack wasn't in there anymore but he wouldn't have it. He was going to save his brother. At this point he and Serene had already sustained some injuries, non life threatening, but it was enough to slow them down. When 4 of us started slinging our weight around and, thanks to Chris and I, we started winning. Unfortunately we had the complication of taking him alive, which made things more difficult than they needed to be. When Scath was getting close to losing Zvysok showed up and bailed Scath out. He didn't fight either, just retreated. He must have been under someone's orders because that wasn't his style at all.

It didn't really matter, just meant we could treat injuries all the sooner. I went to check on Leon. He asked me how I knew his brother's name without him ever telling me. He looked pissed. I told him I knew his dad which set him off. Started yelling that I was always hiding things from him, which is true, and that I must have known about Scath, which I did. He asked why I didn't tell him and I told him the truth. I told him I was worried that that knowledge would cloud his judgement and let Scath do what he did this time without me around to save his ass. If I'd gotten there a minute later Scath would have killed Leon, no doubt in my mind. He still didn't like it, asked what else I was hiding before he started getting dizzy from blood loss. We got him and Serene back home and treated. I decided to leave them under Fia's care before Leon could question me more. Cierra followed me home and closed the door behind her. I didn't say anything, just sat and rubbed my temples. She asked if I was ok.

I told her no, that I felt like shit and that I'd destroyed part of our group dynamic. I know Leon's mad right now, but this is one of those things that changes everything. With all the things I'm hiding. I doubt anybody will be able to trust me anymore. She asked why I was keeping things from them. Told her there were a lot of reasons. For one there are just some things about me and Asgard they just don't need to know. Second, there are a few things they don't WANT to know, like how terrifyingly powerful the Origin is. If I told them that they'd lose all hope and give up here, dooming us all. Lastly, there are just things I'm not comfortable sharing, like my sacrifice and how I got a lot of my scars.

She replied with the standard 'You don't have to take all the burden yourself' thing. I said stop and that I'd heard it all before. I appreciated the thought though. She nodded and apologized for some reason before Kazé got in. He told me Leon and Serene were recovering fine, faster than expected even. That was something I needed to hear, took a bit of the edge off. He also told me that I should defiantly attend dinner. I'd been planning to do so anyway, I need to talk to Leon about a few things. Kazé went up to his room and grabbed his Diviner for training with Ledah and Ein then left. Cierra sat down next to me and very, very, gingerly put a hand on my shoulder. When I turned to look at her she immediately retracted her hand. All I could do was chuckle and shake my head. She asked about my last lover, since I never talk about her ever. I figured it was a good time to start opening up to everyone. Here's the abridged version.

Seight was a very gentle and kind soul. She did what she had to in her missions and when she got home she'd always run up and hug Kazé/Me/Nardi/All of the above. She'd be tired and always wanted a cup of hot tea with cream. I'd have it ready for her on the table in the living area even before she got home. She'd put up her Diviner and take a big gulp of tea before going to take a bath. After an hour or so she'd come downstairs with her blue hair always short and messy. She'd have changed into something more comfortable by then and play with Nardi some. Then she'd watch Kazé and I train, telling us both how strong we were. After that I'd go to the library and record what I'd experienced that day and she'd read with me. Then we'd tuck Nardi in and go to bed ourselves. She was just a joyful person. The only times that joy was gone were the days of the 3rd Holy War. I think I've already gone over how horrible that war was. Sieght was strong through it all though. I'm glad she decided to settle for me, especially after all those people I could never save.

Cierra couldn't stop smiling. When I asked why, she said she was glad I was finally opening up to her. I guess, to her, this meant I was willing to give her the chance to get closer to me. It dawned on me then that I'd been treating everyone more like comrades in arms than friends. This needs to change.

We talked for a bit longer before heading over to Ein's. I got a few cross looks from Leon and Serene when I sat down. Again, he asked what I was keeping from them.

"Lots of things" Was my attempt at telling the truth. Leon didn't like that, but before he started I told him we needed to talk after dinner. Kazé and them got in right about then and we ate.

When I finally took Leon outside I told him to brace himself. I had a tale to tell. Leon's father, Alex, and I met during a routine clear of Heaven's Gate. There were quite a few dragons that trip because of the then recent 4th Holy War. That war involved basically every sentient being but Angels turning against Asgard due to our questionable leadership. The demons and humans got quite far into Heaven's gate and tore the place up even more, setting up several hives in the process. We managed to get them all eventually but then Riviera happened and Demons started pouring in from there. Anyway, because the hives hadn't been completely cleared out it was more dangerous than normal but we handled it. He'd told me about his sons so I decided to go with him to his house after we finished up. Ancient One visits were getting to be a big deal at this point so he agreed. He said it would be a bit of a mess since Leon had just been born. I told him it was alright, Chris had been born less than 100 years before so I knew what it was like. He had a modest place, introduced me to Jack who was barely a teen and his wife Erica. It was a nice family.

After that Alex and I started taking more missions together, got to know each other better. I started helping around his place when I could, started bringing members of my family when they were available. I met Jack's little girlfriend Sarah who seemed a little sickly, but I didn't look into it. I should have. I probably could have saved everyone if I had. She passed away due to some highly malignant something that we caught way too late. I'm not sure what it was exactly. I'd been teaching Jack how to use healing magic so when she died he went way off the deep end, trying to figure out ways to use that magic to bring her back to live. Alex didn't know what to do since Jack had basically shut down, researching anything that he could get his hands on. It didn't help when he got Grim Angel status and clearance to restricted research. Jack's element was Ice at first, his Diviner a scythe by the name of Sephian. He found something that seemed like it would bring her back after a few months of digging through the Archives. He started a ritual at her house while I was over with Alex. We'd been talking for 20 minutes before a huge explosion of darkness almost blew the entire neighborhood away. I'd sensed it coming two seconds early and managed to put enough of a barrier up to at least save Alex's house. Leon, now a small child, ran into the remains of the room with his mother. I told all three of them to run, that a Greater Demon had somehow made it's way into Asgard. When it showed up seeking to devour us we saw it was Jack's body. We were stunned. I couldn't even draw my Diviner and Alex could barely manage standing. We tried to reach out to Jack, but the freshly awakened Scath was way too strong to be thrown off with words alone. We didn't fight, we got savaged. I put up minimal defense and knocked Alex out of the way a few times. He tried one last time. Hugged his son, and got torn apart for his trouble. I tried to heal him after knocking Scath out with a spell. Alex spoke to me with the last breaths he could muster.

He told me to watch after his sons, to help them grow up, and to help his wife as much as she needed. He made me swear to never tell Leon what happened to him until he was ready, he didn't want Leon to hate his brother. Alex wasn't sure if Jack was still in there somewhere but he said Leon would know what to do when the time came.

After Alex passed I let Scath get away and went to tend to everyone else. I continued to watch their family from a distance, making sure everything was alright. Checking in every now and then. Eventually we wound up here, on a mission to tie up this loose end.

Leon wasn't mad anymore, anger having been replaced with more shock. He thanked me and went back inside to be with Serene. I followed and found that the atmosphere had changed. Kazé told me that he'd told the group about my lying habits. I never directly lie, I omit things, leave out chunks that would hurt the mission or those I work with. He also said that if they ask I'd probably tell them everything they wanted to know, which is exactly right.

Anyway, dinner was over and we headed home, resolved. The air had been cleared and the path ahead was visible. It took a little work but the group is tighter than ever. And I'm willing to bet something's about to test us. I'll write when something happens.

-Ø-


Again I'm trying to explain as much as possible while not overloading exposition. I don't know if it's working but hopefully Ancient Memories is starting to piece itself together as a complete story instead of a bunch of references to things only I know about.