Fire from the torch illuminates stony walls, the cold wind that rushes through the room forces the flame to a small flame, barely hanging onto itself before it reignites. It's a surprisingly hardy thing, and the way it moves is a good enough distraction from the scratching of quill onto paper. The room's filled with the stench of ink and ash, odds are that the captain here's been writing for quite a while.
He flicks his wrist, quill tip dragging across paper with a flourish before dipping it into his inkwell. It looks as if he scans over the thing before pushing it to the side, grabbing another bit of paper from an oversized stack. Being forced to wait for this bastard to finish his shit is boring as hell, the worst part is this goddamn chair.
"You should get some new chairs, this feels like ass." I comment aloud, both myself and the chair leaning backwards. The chair shakes and shudders beneath me, the tips of my gloved fingers hanging onto the table to stabilize. It's rather difficult to have this balance on its hind legs, but at least it's a time waster. The bastard here's wasting my time, he's probably wanted me here for a reason after all. I have no idea what they did with this bloody chair, but it feels terrible, like tiny swords digging into my ass.
'I'm more than aware that you're a bit of a dunce, but even you know that egging the captain on isn't the brightest idea, especially when he's in arms reach.'
I know, I'd rather be anywhere else is all. He's probably doing this to spite me, so I'll spite him in turn.
'Why do you hate him so much, anyways?'
Aren't you in my mind, can't you feel what I feel?
'Sometimes even that isn't enough to understand you, dumbass.'
I don't hate him, I just have a rather intense dislike of the man. The fact that he'd use my friend as a way to 'test' me is more than enough of a reason to be wary, at the very least.
"I'd apologise for the slight delay here, but I believe that you wouldn't accept it." His gravelly voice almost catches me off guard, my body leaning forward to slam the chairs legs against stone, chin resting in a palm of mine.
"I could pretend to care, if that'd make you feel better." God knows that this bastard here knows plenty about pretending. He's still wearing that helmet, he expression masked by cold steel. Must be pretty useful to him, when the need arises.
"I've called upon you to ask for your… services, for a rather specific task. It's not too different from what we've done before, though not nearly as long." He speaks further, ignoring the honest offer of mine.
"I figured that." Seriously, what else would he need me for anyways? "Why the hell would I be needed, though?"
"Because you've a personal interest in it, of that I'm sure." I hum to myself, furrowing my brow as I stare at the captain. Gerome was doing something with the guard, Lucy said as much not too long ago, so then...
"I assume that this has something to do with what happened at Wreathwood?" I ask, an eyebrow raising. He nods, the tips of my fingers tapping against my cheek, something to sooth the jostling of my heart. I thought that it'd take a lot longer than that for Gerome to find something. "Alright, let's hear it then."
"Your task is to protect Gerome while others play their part in the plan, as a bodyguard should things go awry." I wait a moment, lips pursed together, silence reigning the room. Is he uh, not going to elaborate any further, or? Right, of course he isn't, he's just expecting me to follow orders, isn't he?
"I'm going to need more than that, Cappy. I'm not exactly excited to jump headfirst into this."
'Not excited- thats something you do all the fucking time!'
As amusing as it is to mess with the ghost, I ignore his screeching as best I can, even as a snicker threatens to slip past my lips. The captain's silent for a while longer, body straight and stiff, his hands laid atop one another.
"Further knowledge is not required for the task."
"But it is something I want to know." Gods do I want to smack this bastard of a man, and it's difficult to smother the boiling blood in my veins. But I have to appeal to him in some way, don't I? "After all, wouldn't more information about it make me more willing to cooperate?"
The captain remains stoic, and I can feel his stare boreing into my skull. My glare remains unyielding,leaning forward ever so slightly. I might not be able to see his yes from here, but that won't stop me from trying.
"...you will be accompanying Gerome to a location within the town to secure a 'deal' with an unknown group. They've been more than willing to have an open discussion with us despite the incident, and such honesty and willingness to cooperate is unusual to say the least. Due to this, I've suspicions that it may or may not be a lure." He elaborates, at long last. I hum to myself, fingers tapping against the wooden desk.
"So, you want to use me as a safety net, on the off chance that something goes wrong?"
"More or less." Something about that answer seems too quick, too short to be the full answer.
"There's a bit more to this, isn't there? Care to share?" I push and prod, keeping my tone as level as I can, no matter the urge to yell at him. The captains silent for a while longer, shadows cast by flame dancing across his face.
"I've little proof to bring forth to prove such a thought, but I've an inkling that your presence might bring a unique reaction from them." I pause for a moment, the gears in my skull grinding against one another, a heated huff spewing from my chest.
"You want to use me as bait, don't you? On the off chance that something else might happen?" My jaw clenches, fury igniting in my chest. The captain doesn't answer, not even a nod, but his silence is more than enough. I jab a finger towards his chest, hand trembling as the rage builds.
I changed my mind, I loathe this man.
'Don't do anything that you'll regret, Zeke, I'd rather not be stuck paying for your mistakes.'
A heated snort forces its way through my nose, I can feel my face contorting into a sneer.
"You're a real fucking piece of work, you know that?" The words come out in a snarl, retracting my shaking hand, curling in into a fist and holding it in my lap. Jesus christ, I want to sock this man in the jaw, at least that'd get a reaction of some kind out of him.
"I do what I believe is right, and this is a cost I'm willing to pay. You asked, I answered."
"You could've told me without forcing me to pry into it, you shit."
"I did not think it vital to your role, so I did not tell." I resist the urge to scoff, pinching the bridge of my nose instead. Just breathe, in and out, one, two, three.
"Why do you think that I might make something happen just because I'm there to begin with, anyways?"
"Word can travel rather quickly in some circles, if these are the same group of people that you fought before, then their superiors ought to have received word about who stopped them. Someone like you would be rather easy to remember after all, and to identify." I can't help but snort a little. Ain't that the truth, can't imagine that there's many basitins that're off that island, if any at all.
"Fair enough. I have a couple of questions I wanna ask, if you're willing to answer them cappy."
"Within reason." Gods, I do hate the way he speaks, at least try to put some life into it.
'I personally think that he holds it well, and there's merit in it. A leader can't afford to falter when it's needed, unless he wants his underlings to suffer for his mistake.'
"What about Vector? He's alone at the moment, what if something happens to him?"
"I currently have guards dispatched to keep an eye on him, I've faith in my men to succeed in their task." Tsk, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Odds are that he has eyes out watching for me too. It sounds like something he'd do.
"What about Edward, then? I thought that we'd both be put on this together, seeing as, you know…" I trail off at the end.. I don't think we've actually known each other for that long, but I guess it's easy to attach to someone when you don't know many people. The captains silent for a moment, then two, a silence that lingers for far too long. He breaks the looming silence with a soft sigh, reaching up and dragging the helmet off of his skull. It hits the desk with a dull thud, his hand resting atop it.
"You picked quite the time to tell Edward about my little test, didn't you?" His voice sounds so tired, so lethargic, the crows feet that line his eyes seem to wrinkle ever further as he hunches over. The smile on his face looks equally tired, almost strained.
"I sure hope you didn't expect me to keep my mouth shut." I quip, matching his star with a raised brow. I'll give no quarter to this man, no matter how tired he may seem. To my surprise, he chuckles, the edges of his lips twitching upwards. It's a slight motion, and it falls as quickly as it arrived, but I saw it.
"On the contrary, I expected you to tell him sooner than this." His hand moves from the helmet back on top of another, lax and unmoving. "Why is it that you decided to tell him today, though?"
"I had to tell him eventually, just not when it'd come at the cost of our time together." I respond with a shrug, leaning back into the chair again. It's still uncomfortable as shit, ugh.
"And that seems like something you value quite a bit. I've given you the opportunity to spend more time with him, have you given that any thought?"
"There's a chance, I suppose." I still haven't made a complete decision on it just yet, but I can safely assume that it'd be a real damn low chance.
"I see." It's a short reply, and his smile turns sad, although it's just for a second. "Very well, I can't force you to accept it, just keep it in mind for the future. To answer your question, though, the initial plan was to have the two of you accompany him."
"Something tells me that he wasn't too happy with you using his personal information as a bait." I pipe up, it's a safe assumption to make. His nod is something I take little pleasure in, but it's something I expected.
"Needless to say, that part of the plan was quickly dashed. He's taking some time off, away from myself specifically." Some pride wells up in my chest as he finishes, although faint, I know he must love his uncle, but I'm more glad that he decided to take it to him instead of letting it lie. I imagine that he's fucking pissed, with wounded pride and heart alike. "I'm more than willing to compensate you for the danger of the job, should you wis-"
"No." I cut him off, the old man abruptly clamming his jaw shut. "I refuse to even hear the offer, I won't take your money, and you can take that sack of cash and shove it down your throat."
A hot huff blows its way through my nose, fingers digging into my legs. It's amazing how this bastard manages to push the right buttons to piss me off. The thought of taking cash for this makes my skin crawl.
'Tch, stubborn bastard. Odds are that cash would come in handy later.'
Maybe, maybe not, but I'll stand by this choice, even if it bites me in the ass- why is the bastard laughing? My ears twitch as his laughter echoes throughout the room, a deep guffawing that bangs against my ear drums.
"Ah, forgive me for that, you just remind me of a certain someone is all." His laughter dies down after a while, though his smile still remains, one that doesn't look nearly as strained. "But, surely you can understand why I do what I do in some way, can't you? Holding out some information for the better can lead to… more favourable results on occasion, sometimes people need a little push, sometimes a shove. In the end, everything I do, I do because I believe it to be the right choice."
I sigh to myself, running a hand through my hair, kneading the back of my neck. I still don't like the bastard, or what he does, but… ich, I guess so.
"I'm still not happy with you."
"I'm aware, I've earned ire from quite a few people, and rightfully so in most cases."
"Don't you worry about pushing Edward away if you keep pushing and nudging him around like this, or using him to affect others?" His face turns grim as he nods, but it faces soon after, replaced with a tired stare.
"I'm aware, very very aware. Should he truly wish to leave, then I'll have no choice to accept it. I've my duties as a captain and my men trust me until the end, but forcing someone to stay would just leave the potential of our link weakening, and I can't let that happen."
"You must spend a lot of time thinking as a captain, then."
"I do because I must, even if I wish to spend more time as an uncle. Maybe some time in the future, should I be given the chance…" He trails off, eyes darkening as he looks into the wood. It's an uncomfortable sight, but he seems to shake it off soon enough. His hand grips the helmet, hesitating for a second before donning the piece of metal. His back straightens, whatever remains visible of his face turning cold and stoney. Back to the captain, then. "Enough of that. The meeting's tonight, Gerome ought to be waiting outside, don't hesitate.
"Alright alright, I'm going." I mutter to the man, wooden legs grinding against stone as I shove myself backwards, turning away from him and approaching the door. The sound of that quill tip scratching against paper fills the room instead, the captain not uttering a single word as I leave.
I should've expected it, really.
I let out a soft sigh as the door clatters shut behind me, hand running up and down my face before shaking my head. God that was draining, I don't even know where I'm going, other than to meet up with Gerome.
'Maybe you should've asked that rather than asking about your friend.'
Maybe, maybe not, but it was worth it in the end. To me at least.
A chill seems to emanate off of the stone walls that surround me, a shudder crawling up my spine, the cips of my claws clacking against the ground below. Stupid fucking barracks, stupid captain, stupid… stupid a lot of things.
'I'd rather you not lose your head while we're out, Zeke. At least extend some caution when approaching a situation filled with unknowns.'
I know, I know. I'll have you there to help me though, right?
'Much to my displeasure.'
My lips twitch upwards, a soft snicker dying in my throat. I'm sure it'll be fine in the end.
'Don't jinx yourself.'
The sound of a door clicking shut brings me out of my thoughts, ears standing upright as my eyes flicker over to the source. He's a familiar sight, blonde hair dangling over his face, head hanging low. He shuffles about with a slouch, clad in plain clothes with a sword strapped to his side. I uh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's here, but I thought he left a bit ago. God knows that I certainly would've.
"Hey." I call out to him, giving him a small wave as he twists around. His eyes light up for a second, his back straightening upright ever so slightly. "I did say that I'd probably see you soon."
"Heh, I guess you did. I didn't think it'd be this soon." My lips twist into a small frown as he speaks, his voice low and hoarse, it almost sounds strained from overuse. Was there a shouting match between the two of them or something? I'd be pretty mad too, in all honesty. "I assume that you're going along with the captain's plan then?"
"Mhm." I finally approach the man, matching his stare with a soft smile, even if it feels a bit forced. He seems to almost flinch at that, his lips dipping into a soft frown as his eyes look down and away.
"...Sorry, I really should be there to help, bu-"
"Don't worry about it, honestly." I cut off the man with a dismissive wave, the hand curling into a fist that jabs into his arm, softly of course. "I can handle myself just fine, I'm sure it'll be just fine. Focus on yourself for now, you don't look at the top of your game."
"I suppose, guess I should practise what I preach, huh?" He laughs afterwards, a hollow and mirthless one. "I really wouldn't be of much use if I was distracted by myself in the middle of a fight, but what about you? Are you going to be… you know, alright?"
"Hey, don't worry about me. No chance to know how it'll go until it happens, right?" I give him the warmest smile I can muster. He snorts, a hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose for a moment before letting go. He's smiling at least, and that's better than nothing.
"Alright, I trust you enough for this. Are you ready to go though?"
"Yup!" I reply with a cheerful enough tone, my hands digging into my cloak pockets, the mana crystal hidden within rolling between my fingers. I got enough magic left to get a few spells out, probably, and I have my fists, just in case anything goes wrong. So why does Edward have such a concerned look on his face?
"...am I forgetting something?" His hand returns to his face with a vengeance, gripping the bridge of his nose with renewed vigor, an aggravated sounding snort escapes it. What is he on about, what am I forgetting?
'Your sword, you dense mother fucker.'
My swor- oooooh.
"Oh yeah, I didn't think I'd need it, so I didn't bring it." I say with a shrug, an awkward smile creeping onto my face. God dammit, that's gonna be a hassle, isn't it? Could I double back to Annas to grab it, would I have enough time for that? The captain said that the meeting was tonight, but he didn't say when exactly. But if Gerome's preparing to go now, doesn't that mean that it's happening soon?
Maybe I should actually carry my sword around when I leave instead of leaving it around, even when I don't think I need it.
'No, you don't say? God, you're a bloody dolt, you know that?'
Bah, fuck it, I don't need it, probably anyways.
"Here" His voice brings me back, as does the feeling of something cold pressing to my chest. I look downwards, the pommel digging into me, his hold on the sheath tightening ever further as he jabs once more. "You'll be needing this, just bring it back when you're done."
You lucky son of a bitch, this batards far too nice to you, honestly. Should've whacked you up the head with that.'
I give a short nod before reaching up, taking it from his hands. It feels light in my grasp, though I don't know if that's because it is light, or that I'm used to heavier.
"Isn't this important to you?" God's I hate how meek my voice sounds, even to me. My face burns as I twist and turn the sword in my hands, running one over the hilt. I'll have to get used to this, at least for tonight.
"It is, but I want to be away from it, just for a while. I trust you with it, just don't break it." He speaks with a grin, a teasing glint in his eyes. At least it's replaced the sad look in it, even for a moment. I roll my eyes, holding it to my side. I'll strap the belt on later.
"Here I thought that you'd have some faith in its stability."
"Of course I do, it's something I have great pride in, I just have little faith in you not throwing it into a wall, or someone else."
"I've done that once, maybe twice at the most."
"The fact that you've done it at all worries me." It's nice to have some back and forth between the dude, that cocky little smile on his face appearing once more. Better than before, much better, it suits him, and it makes my heart just that little bit warmer. "Again, just bring it back when you're done. Probably in the morning, I'd like an excuse to meet up again."
Awh, Edward…
"Alright, come here buddy."
"What? Don't fucking tou- hey!" The man shrieks as my arm wraps around his shoulders, forcing him close into a one armed hug and into my chest, the man thrashing around in my grip. It's hard to give him a noogie while holding a sword in the same hand, but I give it my best shot anyways. "You're gonna hit me with that!"
"Stop squirming and let me hug you, and it won't be an issue."
"Let me out and I'll stop squirming."
"Hm.." I trail off with a hum, the man still struggling within my grasp. He eventually manages to slip out after struggling for a while longer, his hand moving to rub the top of his head, a small smile still on his face.
"You're a pain in the ass, Fuzz."
'Tell me about it.'
We share a small chuckle between each other, it's a brief but warm feeling one.
"I gotta be going, I'll see you tomorrow." He says, squeezing my shoulder as he passes by. Warmth blossoms from his touch, warmth I adore.
"You don't need to have a reason to see me, you know." I call out to him.
"I know." He waves dismissively, but doesnt turn back, his head held high and back straightened. There's a pep in his step.
'We better get going, don't wanna keep the old man waiting.'
You just can't let me have a moment, can you?
'Someone in here's gotta have their head on straight.'
I shake my head and turn away, a shiver running up my spine as the warmth fades. It's sad to see it go.
It takes a while to navigate through the stone halls of the barracks, but I finally step out of it, the chill of the wind mashing against my face. I miss the warmth already, I wanna go back to Anna's and sleep, or at least be with the kid.
'We have a job to do, something that you signed us up for.'
I know, I know.
"Young Zeke! Is good to be goings with friend, for company and protection! Are you ready to go?" That hearty voice of Geromes brings me back into reality, turning looking over the man as I step down the stairs. There's that grin of his, warm and from ear to ear, still wearing those plain brown clothes of his. A brown sack dangles from his belt, the sound of something metallic clinking inside. Coins, then? Maybe the captain plans to buy them off.
"Yeah, ready when you are. Where are we going anyways?" I ask as I fiddle with the belt, looping it around my waist and tightening it. It feels weird, just a little bit too tight, but I can manage it for now. Geromes cough grabs my attention, looking up to see a hand rubbing the back of his neck, his smile turning hesitant and awkward.
I feel like I'm not gonna like this.
….
A concocted stench of dust and decay forces itself through my nose, revulsion washing over my senses like a tidal wave, stomaching the urge to gag, as well as the bile that builds up in my throat. There's something inside the walls too, scratching and gnawing at the wood before skittering away with shrieks and screeches. The only sources of light we have in this god forsaken room is the dying gaze of the sun that peeks in through a window, though even that's fleeting at best.
They really couldn't have found a better place to have this, could they?
'This part of town is more or less abandoned, less of a chance that people might see whatever deals are going on, especially less than moral ones.'
The room we reside in for now is a dilapidated pile of garbage, dust lining the floor from wall to wall, caking the remains of chairs and tables. Cobwebs and the spiders that live there dangle in the corner of the ceiling. I have no idea what this place was meant to be, maybe an extended living room, a place to host a dinner? Whatever it might've been, it doesn't seem to have been used by anyone for a rather long time.
"Ich, how long do we have to wait here?" I hiss to the merchant, hands rubbing up and down my arms, to brush away the cold and filth that surrounds me. It helps a little, more so the chill than the filth, I want to get out of here as soon as possible.
"Should not be long, patience is virtue young Zeke!" He answers cheerfully, hands clasped behind his head, the chair he sits on creaking underneath him. The coin purse rests atop the table beside him, just within arms reach. How he manages to keep a positive face in this place is beyond me, as well as how he's at all comfortable with trusting anything in here. The very house looks as if it's on the verge of falling apart.
'He's probably been through worse conditions than this.'
Mn, I suppose so. I sigh to myself, arms dropping to my side, rolling a hand over the hilt of Edwards sword. At least I have this little gift to pass the time. It slips out of its sheath with little effort, borderline sliding out of the prison, holding it up to eye view to look over the blade.
It's a standard looking broadsword, not too different from the ones that the rest of the guards use, the blade itself thicker at the base before tapering off at the tip of it. Despite that, it looks remarkably well maintained, shining even in the low light that fills the room, and I can feel the grooves of his grip in the handle itself. How long has he had this thing, then? Would it have been months, years? It would be closer to years, right? He's probably been in the guard for a while
And he trusts me with it, me! A sense of glee flutters in my chest, lips twitching up into a soft smile.
'You're as weird as ever.'
And you're a mood killer, you know that? I roll my eyes and put it back into its rightful place, keeping a hand on the pommel at least. The way it presses into my palm feels comforting, at least.
A shiver runs up my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, the urge to lurch forward rising in my chest. I can feel myself shaking as I resist it though, swallowing down the building spittle in my throat.
Something's wrong, I can feel it digging and wriggling in my bones. Something about all this is rather… unnatural.
'I felt it too, stay alert, we can't afford to panic.'
I nod to the silent voice, hand sliding down to grip the hilt of the blade to squeeze it tightly, sweat beading on my forehead. The pressure in my chest and skull builds and builds, discomfort freely squirming inside my gut.
The door flings open, a figure stepping forth into the room with a stiff gait, clad in a ragged cloak, bits and pieces of it barely hanging onto itself. It looks as if it's a stiff breeze from falling apart. The cloak that obscures his face shrouds it in black.
And so the pressure inside builds, and the thing looking at me sure doesn't help.
"Oy, is good to be seeing you! Was safe traveling, da?" Gerome calls out, voice polite and joyful. The figure doesn't move, they don't even make an attempt to look towards the merchant, and I can feel it's sight burning a hole into my chest.
My grip tightens. There's no time to hesitate, or to panic.
"Little, knight." A low, quiet voice comes from the man. It's soft, deep, breezy… and entirely emotionless.
I can feel the blood drain from my face, he knows.
He lunges forwards, the glimmer of steel appearing for a second, a blade hidden within the rags of his cloak. I barely manage to bring Edwards sword up to protect me from the strike, gritting my teeth, pushing myself back into the man. Steel grinds against steel for a moment, but I manage to push him off of me, flinging his sword upwards.
I swing the sword towards his face, barely missing, the tip of it cutting into the edge of his hood and nothing more.
"Run!" I bark to Gerome, keeping my sight on the figure. I don't hear him reply, but I can certainly hear his steps, the wooden floorboards creaking underneath him. The figure stands upright, his sword stiffly held to his side with a tight grip.
It's a strange looking thing, the grey metal bent and twisting and odd angles, as if forcefully bent out of shape. The edges still look sharp enough to cut and hew, so it's worth keeping it away from me. I bend my knees and hold the sword out to my side, readying myself for a fight, spare hand twitching towards my pockets. I still have some magic left, should I need it.
"You don't have to do this." I don't know why, but I call out to him anyways, just to try to get something out of him. He doesn't respond, predictably enough, raising the tip of his blade towards me instead. No matter how unnerved I may be, I won't back down.
I can't afford to lose.
Authors note: Sorry that this one took so long to come out, too. I've recently gotten work, and that's taken priority over most things. That being said, I still do want to at least try to get these chapters out on time.
Hopefully anyways, I won't make a promise.