Chapter 46: Leila's Tale – Acolyte
Leila and Devin slipped out into the night hand in hand, minding their steps in the dark. As soon as they stepped off the staircase, they discarded their shoes and took to the forest garden barefoot. The moonlight provided all they needed to navigate, both having exceptional vision in the dark and feeling at complete peace with nature.
No words were needed between them as minutes stretched by. They walked along the garden paths and into the open woods, with the small lake open before them.
"It's a lovely evening, isn't it?" Leila commented as they watched an owl flutter by.
"It is. I feel much better out here. I never got along with the other nobility much. I've always preferred being around commoners. Nobles are far too…how to put it…?"
"Too concerned with appearances to know how to live." Leila replied, all too familiar with the way it went. Second Earth and its own upper-class behaved much the same.
Devin turned and glanced down at her, searching her face. "Exactly. Why is it that – rather, why are you the only one who understands that? I've…never met another girl like you, Leila. I'm so grateful to have you in my life now…"
"I will not blush, I will not blush…oh shit I'm blushing!" Leila thought to herself as Devin stepped closer to her, his gaze fixed on her face.
"Leila…I feel something for you that I have never felt for any other. In these past weeks, we've grown closer than most. So I hope that you do not get upset with me for this."
Before she could ask what he was talking about, Devin had bent down slightly, tilted her chin up gently, and pressed his lips to hers.
It was everything her sister had ever claimed it would be, Leila mused. For a first kiss, it was pretty damned amazing. It was warm, soft, and sweet, very tender and very intimate. The shock of the whole thing would sink in slowly, she was sure, but for now, her mind and heart were both alight with a flurry of thoughts and sensations.
When Devin pulled away, Leila noticed that he was blushing something fierce.
"Well, you haven't slapped me yet. That's a good sign, right?" he joked, gauging her reaction. He looked away, waiting for a reply.
She hugged him. "Yeah, that's a good sign."
Devin grinned, hugging her tightly. "So…will you do me the honor of accepting my offer of courtship?"
Her mouth flew before her brain caught up with her. "Yes!" she nearly squeaked. Immediately afterwards, she realized one major issue with this acceptance.
She was a Traveler. And while she was Aravillian by birth, she spent more of her time on Second Earth now than anywhere else. With the variation in time passage and various other factors, there was no way that she could promise Devin anything.
The conflict must have shown on her face, for moments later, Devin looked concerned. "Is something wrong? If you don't want to, then I understand…"
"No! That's not it at all! I mean…there's…" she trailed off, knowing that she was about to break all kinds of rules about mixing territories.
But a whisper through her mind gave her an idea. There was an exception about who could know what. Her hand fluttered to the chain around her neck, which held the two rings her father had asked her to guard.
"Devin…we should sit down. I have quite a story to tell you, and you may not believe me, but it's the truth, and you have a right to hear it."
He nodded, wondering what she could be getting ready to tell him. They sat down on the grassy riverbank, feet trailing into the water.
"Just know – no matter how farfetched your story is, I will believe you. You've given me no reason to not trust you completely."
Leila smiled wryly. "We'll see about that in a little while. So…I guess this story starts with my sister and I. You see…I'm Aravillian, but I don't live in Aravil anymore. I was taken from Aravil and raised in another place called Earth, by a man named Press…"
About an hour later, Leila gave a heavy sigh and lay back in the grass. "So now you know everything…why the others seem so out of place, why I looked so troubled…"
Devin seemed unfazed by what he had heard, face holding amazement more than disbelief. "So that's why you're here then…because this Saint Dane character – Chase's father – is causing all this trouble and trying to control Halla. That fits…strangely enough, it seems almost natural. I should be falling over in shock, yet…I'm not."
She smiled. "I'm just glad you don't think I'm crazy. That helps things. It would be really hard to protect you and your dad from the goons he keeps sending for you if you had us all locked up for insanity."
"Wait a minute…the assassination attempts…Saint Dane is behind them? He's the one whose been trying to kill my father and I?" Devin asked with cold eyes.
Again, a slip of the tongue bit her in the behind. "I think so. That's why all of us were here in the first place, because we thought he may have been behind the attempts on you. Just…please don't let your temper get the better of you. We've had that issue come up before…" she warned, thinking of Spader, Chase, Bobby, and even herself.
Devin's eyes lost a bit of their edge. "I understand. And you're right - he must have once been a good man. He had a wife and child – and he believes that your father betrayed him. After all, people say that even Cameron Renai started as one of the best Red Dragons the nation had ever seen, and had been an honest and kind man."
At this, Leila snorted derisively. "Cameron Renai? The biggest traitor to our country in history? I doubt it. Good men don't just abandon their country to fight for the Rebellion."
Every Aravillian knew the story of Cameron Renai – he was used as an example on Aravil almost as often as the boogie man was used to frighten children on Second Earth. Once a Captain in the Red Dragon Guard, he had been caught spying and passing information to the Gradol Rebellion, an insurgent organization not unlike the Demon/Witch Hunters. The Gradol Rebels believed that the Red Dragons ran the country unfairly and that they were oppressing the people through the use of threats and force.
However, rather than protest and take their issue to the courts, the Rebels used acts of terrorism and violence to seize power for themselves. For an honored Red Dragon Guardsman to betray his lifelong friends and fellow guards was the ultimate insult. Upon being discovered, he fled punishment and sought refuge with the Rebels. After the decisive battle between the Rebels and the Red Dragons, he was captured, humiliated, and publicly executed. His body was left for an entire day to be used as an example.
"He may well have had his reasons for betrayal, just like Chase's father. Or at least that is what my father insists whenever he is mentioned by someone. I am sorry about my anger towards Saint Dane…just…my father is all I have left. We are the sole members of our clan remaining. Without him, I would be nothing. I cannot bear the thought."
"Trust me…I understand." Leila grimly replied. "I lost my father about a year ago, and I'm still living with that pain every single day."
They were silent a moment. Eventually, Devin spoke.
"I am honored that you trusted me enough to confide in me. But you said that normal people aren't supposed to know about Halla and all of this – why tell me?"
This was it. The make or break moment. She tugged the necklace she wore over her head, unclipped it, and removed one of the rings before putting it back on. "This ring was given to me by my dad. He asked me to guard over it. I've told you the role that a Traveler's Acolyte plays in the battle for Halla – this ring belongs to my Acolyte."
He stared at the small silver ring in her hand in wonder. It glittered slightly in the moonlight. "Are you saying that I – "
"Devin – I trust you so much. And I – I think I love you." She confessed, inexplicable courage guiding her forward. "Will you be my Acolyte, and help me in the fight?"
At a loss for words, he nodded, all smiles. She handed him the ring, which he placed on his left hand carefully, as though afraid it would break. The moment the ring slid into place, the stone in the center blazed to life. Light erupted from it, and the musical notes from the flume rides echoed out into the night. It was over quickly, but was no less impressive.
"I'm…I'm honored..." Devin whispered.
"And I would be honored to be yours." She whispered back, all hesitance gone. "Just…I'll be gone for long stretches of time. And I'm not sure what will happen once the war is over. I may be gone for months at a time even, with the way time passes between the lands. Are you certain you want to go through that?"
He took her hands in his, shaking his head as he chuckled. "Leila – I would wait till the end of my days and beyond for you. As long as you live, and as long as you are happy, then my happiness is assured. I swear to you, I can endure any storm for you."
Now her blush could no longer be hidden, even by the darkness around them. "If I'm redder than Eliwood's hair, then we have a serious issue here…" she thought, once more making reference to the Fire Emblem series. It was a long-running joke between her and her sister, and it seemed that it had taken a special hold in their hearts.
Devin enfolded her in his arms, hugging her close once more. She gratefully slid into the embrace, feeling safe with him. They fell into another peaceful silence for several minutes, enjoying the relative peace of the night.
A shrill scream erupted into the night air, breaking the silence.
Both teens whipped around and looked back up at the manor in the distance. Another scream came from that direction, this time followed by the sound of breaking glass.
"My father! The assassins must be striking again!" Devin cried, leaping to his feet and pulling Leila up with him. "We have to get back and help!"
She nodded, and set off at a run behind him.
