Edna decided to spend the rest of the walk to the north within Eizen, except to quell hellions. Night hadn't quite fallen by the time they finally reached the stone wall and metal doors carved with elaborate patterns that separated the hot, dry south from the frozen north.
"Here we are!" Zaveid announced, and Edna emerged.
"I thought you said the wall was a seraphic arte," Eizen remarked.
"It is," Zaveid shrugged, walking up to the doors in the wall. There were no immediately apparent means of opening it, and Edna watched closely - Sorey had seen this barrier during his journey, but they had never crossed it.
As instructed, Zaveid knocked against the metal gate three times, and suddenly the patterned filigree glowed brighter than the midday sun. Edna could feel the barrier tearing a split in itself as the doors slowly swung open towards them, admitting a blast of cold.
"Hurry through!" Zaveid urged, dashing through the opening.
Edna took shelter in Eizen's chest as the Shepherd and his Squire crossed the threshold. Almost instantly, the doors slammed shut behind them, the barrier of mana sealing closed once more, leaving them in a world that felt like the polar opposite of the Zaphgott Moor. Through Eizen's skin, it didn't feel quite as cold as Edna had been expecting, but it was frosty, the damp kind of frosty it got during a freezing rain just before winter. Though there were plants here, they were almost as gray as the sky - the hardy type of plant that grew with very little warmth and light.
"Ugh." Zaveid hugged himself, shivering, then quickly retreated within Eizen. I did not miss this place, he remarked to his comrades. I'd hoped I would never even have to come this far north again after I found a Unicorn Horn.
It's your own fault for not wearing a shirt, Edna pointed out.
I have an oath to keep! the wind seraph exclaimed defensively.
"I didn't know you could get cold, uncle Zaveid," Eizen said, frowning.
"Well, of course he can!" Sadie said, and her tone wasn't biting for once. "If he believes he would be cold, then he certainly would be. The mind controls the body, right?"
There was a brief beat of silence, and then Zaveid burst out laughing, Edna joining him. When Eizen turned to look at Sadie, Edna saw the way she blushed.
"I…I'm sorry," she stammered. "What did I say wrong?"
We aren't laughing because you said something wrong, Edna told her; we're laughing because you said something right for once.
Our little Sadie's growing up, Zaveid chuckled. I'm impressed, babe. Yes, that's exactly what the problem is - I believe I'd be cold up here, so I am. Well done. Of course, I can't freeze to death unless I believe I can, which I don't - freezing takes flesh - but low temperatures are still unpleasant.
This final anecdote was probably lost on Sadie as she looked away from the vessel Zaveid was housed in demurely, clearly delighted by the praise. Next step, Edna thought to herself, get her to understand that a seraph's compliments don't mean more than a human's. She felt her baby brother's smile and silently added, And after that, we teach her that people whose parents used to be hellions can still be good people and to quit with this "hellion-spawn" nonsense. For even though Sadie hadn't actually used the term since Edna had commanded her not to, it was obvious the Squire still thought it.
"Come on," Eizen finally said, turning away from the barrier to look out on the dull gray landscape, "we'll want to get to a town soon if we don't find the Fire Angel right away. Maybe someone there knows where to look for her."
I'm not familiar with this area, Edna informed him, and she smirked. You'll have to ask Zaveid to lead the way.
I can give directions just fine from in here, thanks, Zaveid grumbled. As for getting to a town…well… Waves of sheepishness came from the wind seraph's home in Eizen's chest. There ain't…exactly a nearby town, he admitted. Hellawes is closest, but that's a sea route; if we're going by land, we won't find much until Meirchio.
Meirchio?! Edna exclaimed. That's as far north as it's possible to go!
Not quite, Zaveid said, it's further south than Mt. Killaraus, the volcano…but…yeah, it's pretty far north. With my power, it's about a day's walk.
We should have stopped for the night in Lohgrin, Edna groaned.
"No, it's okay," Eizen insisted firmly. "We'll go as long as we can, heading to Meirchio. Maybe if we seem like exhausted, lost travelers, the Fire Angel will come to us."
We will be exhausted, lost travelers, Edna pointed out grumpily, but Eizen was already walking, Sadie following behind.
Before too long, they were met with an unpleasant surprise: hellions. For some reason, Edna had almost expected an area sealed off by seraphic artes to not have any hellions, but of course, Niko was corrupting the whole world, she could always go around the barrier if she really wanted to. Emerging to fight was unpleasant - Edna was no stranger to cold winters on top of Rayfalke Spiritcrest, but her dress was intended for warmer climates, and that knowledge alone made her more susceptible to the chill.
Making this trek even worse was the fact that the chill only grew stronger the longer they trudged north, the stars above watching them with what Edna almost interpreted as amusement, until they were surrounded by solid ice and snow. From within, she could feel Eizen pushing through his weariness with an iron resolve she could only assume he'd learned from his father, but when he started to slip on the slick ground - just before dawn - she emerged and summoned walls of stone to pen him and his Squire in.
"Enough," she said flatly. "You're both getting some sleep. Now."
"Big sis," Eizen started to protest.
"Now," she repeated firmly.
"Thank you, Lady Edna," Sadie sighed gratefully, already dropping to her knees on the frozen earth.
As Edna finished setting up their shelter, Eizen reluctantly pulled out their sleeping bags. Both humans slept fitfully, even shielded from the daylight; Edna couldn't do the same trick she'd done in Westronbolt Gorge, since it was the water that kept the ground firm, not the earth. We need a water seraph, she thought to herself. Even if the Fire Angel joins us, we still won't have what we need to stop Niko. But where will we find one…?
Just past noon, they emerged and pressed on. Now that they were in the true frozen north, the frigid wind whipped the humans' clothes and hair; whenever Edna had to emerge to help fight hellions, the wicked breeze seemed to tear into her very skin, even more brutal than Rayfalke Spiritcrest in the winter. For hours, they walked through a world of ice, a land gripped by eternal winter, the gusts that made the snow dance piercing through every gap in Eizen's outfit.
Can't you make these winds leave us alone? Edna eventually demanded of Zaveid as dusk started to fall again. It'll still be cold, but we'd be happier without it blasting us all the time.
I can try, Zaveid replied, and he fell into silent concentration. Though the wind still stirred the snow, it suddenly seemed to go around them, nudged just slightly to either side, granting some relief. This is hard, Zaveid ground out. Constant control over the elements ain't easy, even for a seraph…
"It's okay, uncle," Eizen told him. "We can manage. Besides, if we're controlling the climate, the Fire Angel might not come to us."
Good point, Zaveid agreed, and he stopped doing whatever he'd been doing immediately.
Eizen glanced at Sadie, and Edna was equally curious. There was a slight unease to the Squire's expression, but nothing compared to how upset she might have been only a week ago to learn that a seraph's power was limited. She really is learning, Edna commented to Eizen and Zaveid, keeping her words from Sadie.
She's learning fast, Zaveid agreed. Maybe she's always known the truth, deep down, and we're just helping her accept it. His tone took a nasty edge as he added, At this rate, I'll be able to make a move before too long. Better hurry up, kiddo, or I'll steal her from ya.
Desperately wishing they were both manifested so she could stab him, Edna jabbed him from within as best she could and demanded, What happened to the men's code of honor you tried to invoke with Isan?
Codes of honor don't apply to a scoundrel like me, babe, Zaveid replied proudly, barely wincing at her attack. Well, not if the situation involves a pretty lady. As soon as Sadie accepts that she's allowed to say no to me, she's fair game unless she's already taken. And even then… He chuckled wickedly.
I really hope we find the Fire Angel soon, Edna grumbled. Maybe she'll be able to keep you under control.
I'm more hoping she'll keep me distracted, Zaveid remarked nastily.
Zaveid, please, Eizen thought at their Prime Lord. Just…leave Sadie be, okay? I'm really glad she's starting to open up, but don't push her.
I won't push anything, Zaveid stated. Not until she's ready. But she will be someday, and if you don't seize the opportunity when it arises, I will.
I swear I'll stab you if you do, Edna told him. I will stab you in the face, multiple times, until you're so disfigured no woman will ever want to even look at you again even if they do have low standards.
Whoa, hey, don't you think that's overdoing it a little? Zaveid exclaimed. Didn't think you were so protective of Sadie…
It wasn't Sadie Edna was protective of, it was Eizen, but before she could comment as much, Eizen rounded a snowy hill to reveal the sight of a wall surrounding a town.
"Is that Meirchio?" Eizen asked out loud.
Must be, Edna remarked.
Yup, sure is, Zaveid confirmed. Just a little northeast of here is the lifespring, Mt. Killaraus, where most of the continent's flamestone is mined; this town was built to help the people who came up here to gather such a valuable resource endure the cold. No one would live here otherwise…
"Mt. Killaraus," Eizen said softly, looking into the far distance; on the horizon, the massive, fire-spewing mountain was only just visible. "That's…where my mother went to wake the Great Lords, sending the whole land into upheaval - the only reason we were able to walk here now." He sighed heavily. "At least it was only the land that was thrown into chaos, and not the people living on it. Some might hate her for it, but things could have been much worse if Innominat's Suppression hadn't been stopped."
Silence met his reminiscence; Sadie said nothing. When Eizen glanced back at the Squire, Edna thought she only looked conflicted, rather than outright hateful. That was bold of you, baby brother, she remarked to Eizen privately. She might have snapped at you again.
Yeah, he thought, his response hidden from their comrades as well. But we shouldn't lie to her, and…I don't know, it just felt right to mention. I think she'll be okay before long.
That'd be nice, Edna muttered.
There were guards stationed at the entrance to Meirchio, of course, but they seemed oddly passive, and Edna wondered just how much time Niko had spent on this area. In any case, Eizen and Sadie weren't stopped from entering, and soon they were in the snowbound streets of the northern town. Not many people were out and about, and those who were seemed hurried, but it was hard to tell whether that was because of the Lord of Calamity or just the cold temperature.
The Lord of the Land is still okay here, it seems, Zaveid remarked. Maybe we should ask him if he can sense the Fire Angel somewhere within his domain before we turn in for the night.
Wouldn't it make more sense to wait until morning? Edna asked pointedly. By then, she could be somewhere else entirely.
Yeah… Zaveid chuckled, and Edna was immediately on guard. But I think we should talk to the Lord of the Land before we go to bed anyway. He'll be happy to meet our Shepherd.
"It's getting late, uncle Zaveid," Eizen said, "and we had a rough time getting here. I'm exhausted, and I could use a warm bed. We'll meet with the Lord of the Land tomorrow."
Suit yourself, Zaveid snickered. The inn's a little ways down this path, just look for the sign. But I really think you should reconsider.
What's with the local Lord of the Land being so important? Edna asked.
Oh, you'll find out, Zaveid replied wickedly. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.
Is this revenge for me not telling you about the Minotauros when you asked? Edna glowered at him, shielding the question from the humans as they walked through the snowbound city.
Oh, no, not at all, the wind seraph answered, and Edna genuinely couldn't tell if his tone was sarcastic or not. Nothing nasty's waiting for us, it's just a nice little surprise that I think our boy will appreciate. Who knows? Maybe he'll even be happy to finally meet you, too.
"Finally"? Edna repeated.
A nasty chuckle was the only response Zaveid gave, and when they reached the inn and both seraphim emerged for food and sleep, Edna couldn't help eyeing Zaveid warily. He smirked at her but said nothing.
~o~
In the morning, Edna was more than a little eager to head for the Meirchio Sanctuary and find out what Zaveid was up to. Neither Eizen nor Sadie seemed nearly as intrigued, though, and Edna was baffled at the slow, nonchalant pace of her vessel's footsteps as they emerged into the cold. He didn't even go for the Sanctuary right away, stopping instead at a shop to get more medicine - mercifully, the storekeeper had just gotten a supply of grape gels, which they immediately bought out, along with apple gels and peach gels, though Eizen warned them all that the grape gels were going to be for emergencies. Then, at last, they headed for the building that housed the Lord of the Land.
Inside, the Sanctuary was almost empty. Along the far wall, there was the usual altar, and on it stood a normin…with a big top hat that covered most of his face.
"No way!" Edna exclaimed, emerging into the cold room to observe the little creature with her own eyes. Confirming that Eizen wasn't seeing things, she turned to the wind seraph who had also manifested to watch what would happen next. "Zaveid, is this-?"
"Told ya," Zaveid chuckled as Eizen all but lunged forward. "He'll be happy to meet us."
"Hello there!" squeaked the purple normin in a grating voice. "You must be travelers. What brings you here?"
"Are you…Bienfu?" Eizen gasped as Sadie and his seraphim joined him in front of the altar.
"That's me!" the normin said proudly, putting his stubby hands on his hips and lifting his round little chin. "Guardian seraph Bienfu, at your service!"
"But you're…a normin, right?" Sadie asked. "I didn't realize normin could be Lords of the Land."
"The fifty dog normin can't be Lords of the Land," Bienfu told her, "but us cat normin are special. We get to do all the things regular seraphim can do."
"Why, though?" Sadie asked.
"No one knows," Zaveid answered for the annoying little creature. "There are fifty dog normin, and they all basically exist to lend their powers to greater seraphim, but then you get the occasional cat normin, who are normin, but wield the powers of greater seraphim as well."
"We are greater seraphim," Bienfu corrected. "Or at least, I am. I've been the Lord of the Land for the frozen north for centuries. Go on, ask me anything!"
"Do you remember my parents?" Eizen asked.
Bienfu blinked. "Uh…"
"My parents are Velvet and Rokurou Rangetsu-Crowe," Eizen explained quickly. "My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe, and…and you knew my namesake too, right? They were all friends with the witch you were allied with, Magilou. Right?"
The purple normin blinked several times, his half-hidden face blank. Then, he folded his little arms. "Is this a joke?" he asked Zaveid. "One of those illusory artes you can cast now?"
"Nope!" Zaveid grinned. "This here's really the son of Velvet and Rokurou. Didn't I tell ya when I came by here a few years back? The seal holding Innominat is broken, and Velvet and Rokurou are human now, married and with three kids to boot. Eizen's one of 'em."
"And the Lord of Calamity is another," Eizen added softly. "You know there's a new Lord of Calamity, right, Bienfu?"
"Uh…yeah," Bienfu replied slowly. "Yeah, I know about the Lord of Calamity. This one's powerful. She's Velvet and Rokurou's daughter?"
"Yes," Eizen nodded. "And I'm the Shepherd now."
"The Shepherd?" Bienfu gasped, hopping in place. "Well, why didn't you say so?! This is an honor. Shepherds don't normally come up here!"
"Neither do Lords of Calamity, I'm guessing," Edna muttered.
"Wow…Velvet and Rokurou's son, the Shepherd," Bienfu said with a wistful smile. "I wish Miss Magilou had lived to see this. She would have been so happy for both of them. I'm happy to meet you, uh…what was your name again?"
"Eizen," Eizen repeated. "After Edna's older brother, another friend of yours."
"Oh yeah, I remember him too!" Bienfu exclaimed. "The Reaper, right? He wasn't so big and bad, not even when he was being super-scary."
"How well did you know my brother?" Edna couldn't help asking.
"Your brother?" Bienfu asked, apparently only just noticing her. "Oh…Oh hey, you're his little sister, aren'tcha? Edna, right? He always talked about how sweet and delicate you were…"
Edna scowled, glaring at the little normin with all her wrath.
"Aaaah! Why are you glaring at me?" Bienfu wailed, suddenly teary-eyed. "This is scarier than Miss Magilou! Bieeeeeeen!"
His crying was unbearable. "Sheesh, I'm sorry," Edna grumbled, looking away.
"Bienfu," Eizen said, clearly trying to get the conversation back on the track they needed it to be, "it's so nice to meet you, but we aren't just here for a pleasant visit, we need your help. Have you ever heard of something called the Fire Angel?"
"Oh, yes!" Bienfu exclaimed, hopping again, his tears vanishing in an instant. "I know all about her! I've never met her since I have to stay here and maintain the blessing, but she's powerful! Is that why you came here?"
"Yes," Eizen answered. "My sister turned the previous Prime Lord, Lailah, into a dragon, and now we need to find a fire seraph who can help us if we're going to stop her. We were hoping the Fire Angel would be willing to lend us her help."
"Wait, so who's the Prime Lord?" Bienfu asked.
"That'd be me," Zaveid answered, his proud pose with his hands on his hips actually kind of mirroring the one Bienfu kept taking. "Say, while we're on the subject, what's your element, there, Bienfu?"
"I happen to be a fire seraph, myself," Bienfu replied.
"I thought void normin didn't have ties to any element," Edna remarked.
"Void normin? Void normin?!" Bienfu squeaked furiously. "Only dog normin can be void normin! Us cat normin are special! We all get elements, just like any other greater seraphim!"
"Jeez, sorry," Edna muttered. "I just assumed based on your color that you were a void normin. I don't understand the whole dog normin/cat normin deal, and I'm used to dog normin."
"It's a shame you're not a water seraph," Eizen interjected, serious as ever; "we need one of those, too. But if you could tell us where to look for the Fire Angel, we'd be very grateful for your help."
Bienfu thought for a minute. "I can feel her within my domain," he declared at last. "She's not close, though; she's really far to the east, and a little south."
Edna couldn't contain a sigh of relief - at least they didn't have to go even further away from the direction they'd come from.
"She's on the move," Bienfu went on, his eyes distant. "You'd better hurry up if you want to catch her, she doesn't stay in one place for long. Still, she never goes anywhere that isn't frozen; at this rate, she'll be swinging back this way by nightfall. You'd probably have the best luck if you go straight south and then stop to wait for her."
"Thank you, Bienfu," Eizen said with a slight bow. "I…I'm glad to meet another old friend of my parents. Maybe, after this is all over, I'll tell them where you are and the three of you can catch up."
"I'd like that," Bienfu said happily. "A nice big family reunion. I've been Lord of the Land since Miss Magilou died, at her command, and it gets lonely here sometimes, even now that everyone can see me. Hey," he suddenly said, understanding lighting in his eyes, "did that happen because Velvet's back?"
"Yes," Eizen told him; "Maotelus consumed what was left of Innominat after my father broke the seal my mother made."
"Velvet always has to cause trouble for the world, doesn't she?" Bienfu chuckled. "Ah well. Like everything else she ever did, I'm sure it'll be for the best in the end, if it's not already. A world where humans and seraphim coexist peacefully can't really happen if humans and seraphim can't interact."
"Amen to that!" Zaveid said. "Well, we gotta get going. Nice to see you again, Bienfu!"
"Yeah, nice to meet you…" Edna smirked. "Fuchie Cass."
Bienfu turned to Edna, his eyes wide under his hat. "No one," he said softly, "has called me by that name…in so long…" Suddenly, he lunged forward and hugged Edna's leg with surprising force. "Bieeeeeeeeeeen!" he wailed. "Bieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!"
"Uh…" Edna stared at the hysterical little creature spewing tears all over her boots. "I'm…sorry?"
"I think those are happy tears, big sis," Eizen said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh." Edna stared a bit longer, then prodded the purple normin with her umbrella. "Can you let go? We have to find the Fire Angel."
"I'm sorry," Bienfu sniffled, finally releasing her. "It's just…no one has called me that in so long…and I've missed that name so much…"
"You still wear the hat," Edna pointed out. "You could tell other people to call you by that name if you wanted."
"That's too many names," Bienfu said. "My true name is Normin Breyve, you know. I was only Fuchie Cass when I served Miss Magilou. But I'll always wear this hat."
"What does Fuchie Cass mean, Lady Edna?" Sadie inquired.
"It means 'cute hat'," Edna replied. "Even if the one who gave him the name would tell you it means 'thing'."
"Yeah, Magilou was even more tempestuous than our dear Edna here," Zaveid said. "Honestly, I wish I'd gotten to know her better." His tone took on that husky edge Edna hated. "A girl that wild in all other aspects of life would have been-"
"Shut up," Edna scowled, jabbing the wind seraph with her umbrella, anticipating what he was going to say. "Not in front of Bienfu."
The cat normin in question climbed back up onto his altar. "I'll be here if you need me," he told them; "Miss Magilou's final command was that I stay here, so I will. But I hope you find the Fire Angel on your first try. Good luck!"
"Thank you, Bienfu," Eizen repeated, and he turned to go. "Come on, everyone."
Edna retreated to rest within Eizen, and Zaveid did the same. Then they were outside, braving the cold again in search of a fire seraph who would join them.
~o~
Cold and wind, snow and hellions; as far as Edna could tell, that was all there was to find here in the frozen north. Why any seraph would choose to spend all their time here was beyond her; she was glad she at least had a vessel to shelter inside, and that her vessel wore a Shepherd's cloak. Fighting kept her somewhat warm, though she didn't stay manifested a moment longer than she needed to as they headed back south, veering slightly east this time. Hours passed, and they found nothing.
Shortly past noon, Eizen stopped.
"What are you doing?" Sadie asked him, hugging herself against the whipping winds.
"Bienfu said we should stop and wait for the Fire Angel," Eizen reminded her. Then, much to Edna's alarm, the Shepherd removed the gauntlet on his right hand, then pulled off his cloak, followed by his tunic, leaving his chest bared to the elements.
"What the hell?" Zaveid exclaimed, emerging with Edna as the frigid temperatures assaulted their vessel. "What do you think you're doing?"
Shuddering, Edna placed her umbrella firmly between herself and the icy wind, her little Phoenix plushie flailing in the air.
"My father always said that cold weather training is great for endurance," Eizen replied, actually sitting down cross-legged in the snow and closing his eyes. "He trained up here for centuries. I want to see if my discipline is as strong as he always taught me to be."
"So what, you're just gonna freeze to death?!" Zaveid exclaimed, but Eizen was already cupping his hands in front of his naval, falling into a meditative state that Edna knew Zaveid couldn't penetrate.
"How inconsiderate," Edna remarked. "As our vessel, our resistance to the cold depends on him, but he's not even thinking of that."
She reached down and grabbed his tunic from the snowdrift he'd tossed his garments into, wrapping herself in the remnants of warmth from his human body heat. After a moment, Zaveid came over and grabbed the black-and-red cloak, covering his bare chest with the thick, silky garment.
"You okay, Sadie?" Zaveid asked their other companion.
"I think I'm better off than you two are, Lord Zaveid," she replied. "I'm sorry he's neglecting your needs like this, it's incredibly disrespectful of him. I would offer myself to keep you warm, but of course, I'm not your vessel."
Edna readied her umbrella to strike Zaveid, already anticipating what kind of remark he could make about that, but before he could even speak, a roaring sound caught their attention. They all turned in the direction of the noise, a little ways off to the left of the direction they'd been walking, and saw a torrent of fire blazing towards them like a river. Soon, they were surrounded by a ring of crackling flames, and the chill in the air began to subside.
"The Fire Angel," Sadie gasped. "She's here! Hey, um, Fire Angel! Please, come forth, we need to speak with you!"
As Zaveid and Edna huddled over the warm fire, Eizen emerged from his trance and stood up. "Fire Angel, are you there?!" he called, adding his voice to Sadie's. "We've been looking for you! Please come to us, we need your help!"
The two humans kept calling, and Edna glared at them for sounding so pathetic - no self-respecting seraph would answer to that kind of begging. Heat sank into her seraphic body, and soon she was able to unwrap Eizen's tunic and toss it at him. Zaveid did the same with the cloak, and Eizen donned them both, then strapped on his gauntlet, still calling for the Fire Angel.
Nothing happened for a good few minutes; there was no sign to indicate that the one who had sent the fire was even still around. Eizen and Sadie stopped calling out, and the four comrades looked between each other.
"Now what?" Eizen asked.
Edna had no response; no one else seemed to, either. Then, over the crackle of the flames, a new sound emerged from the frigid wasteland: footsteps, crunching through the snow.
Eizen gasped, and everyone turned to see a figure emerge from the snow blowing beyond the ring of flames…the figure of a pretty young woman. She wore a red tank top that left her midriff exposed, a red skirt that came halfway down her thigh, brown leggings, and knee-high leather boots that looked sturdy despite being light. Her hands and forearms were sheathed in leather gauntlets, which were lightly padded and strapped along her upper arms and across the top of her chest to hold their place. The woman's eyes were a vibrant green, like a new bud on a branch in spring, and her hair was the same bright scarlet as Edna's namesake, long enough to reach her waist and tied in a neat, tight braid; below the braid's tie, the hair turned white, and not with snow.
A fire seraph.
"Are you…the Fire Angel?" Eizen asked the woman as she entered the circle of warmth.
"You sure are hot enough to be one," Zaveid added with a smirk, giving her a slow, appreciative once-over.
The seraph blinked, eyeing Zaveid strangely, then rolled her eyes exasperatedly before pointedly turning her attention away from the wind seraph and aiming a pleasant smile at Eizen. "If that's what they call me," she replied cheerfully. "My name's Sahra. What was it you needed my help with, besides not freezing to death?"
"Sahra," Eizen greeted with a slight bow. "My name's Eizen; I am the Shepherd. This is Sadie, my Squire, and Zaveid and Edna. We came to the north because we heard about your power and are greatly in need of a fire seraph if we are to fight the Lord of Calamity. Would you be willing to join us?"
Sahra's bright green eyes darkened slightly, her smile faltering as she looked across their group. "Don't you already have a fire seraph?" she asked guardedly.
"The last fire seraph to serve the Shepherds, Lailah, was turned into a dragon by the current Lord of Calamity," Eizen explained. "The Lord of Calamity who plagues this world now is…powerful, frighteningly so. Have you seen two dragons flying around, carrying hellions on their backs? The one who rides the white-horned dragon is the Lord of Calamity. Dragons obey her, and most seraphim are too scared to fight back."
"Guess that explains the malevolent domain I've felt when those two are around," Sahra mused, pulling her braid over her left shoulder so she could fiddle with it thoughtfully. "A powerful one, too. But…I thought that, in order to be a Shepherd, you needed a Prime Lord, and that the Prime Lord was always a fire seraph."
"Traditionally, the Prime Lord is a fire seraph, but they don't have to be," Zaveid explained. "The flames of purification aren't actually a fire-based power, and any seraph can take the job if they're willing."
"So then…who is your Prime Lord?" Sahra asked.
Zaveid smirked and spread his hands. "None other than yours truly," he boasted. "No other seraph was brave enough to take the job."
"You?" Sahra exclaimed, raising her scarlet eyebrows at the wind seraph. "You're the Prime Lord?!"
"That's me, baby!" he grinned.
She stared for a minute, then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as though this was the funniest joke she'd ever heard. "Haha, good one!" she managed through her mirth, and she turned to Eizen. "No, but seriously, who's your Prime Lord?"
"Zaveid is my Prime Lord," Eizen replied, confused.
"Oh, come on!" she chortled. "Zaveid, a Prime Lord? There's no way."
"It…It's true," Sadie piped up, if hesitantly. "The Great Lord of Lords, Maotelus, entrusted Lord Zaveid with the flames of purification."
"He really did," Edna added. "Of course, Zaveid was the only volunteer, so, you know…"
"He volunteered?" Sahra repeated, blinking at Edna. "This guy? Really?"
"So you're one of those seraphim," Zaveid chuckled, folding his arms. "Heh…Surprised you're not living it up in Elysia with the rest of 'em."
"Huh?" Eizen asked, turning to his uncle in confusion.
Zaveid gave a lopsided smile. "Let's just say I have a rep among seraphim," he informed his nephew; this was news to Edna, though she supposed she really shouldn't have been surprised. "And not a nice one."
"And you don't even care, do you?" Sahra remarked pointedly.
Grinning, Zaveid put his hands on his hips. "Nope!" he replied. "Not a bit!"
"I…see," Eizen said slowly before turning back to Sahra. "Listen, Sahra…we really need your help. Please, whatever your issue with Zaveid is, is there a chance you could set it aside? Please? Without a fire seraph, we can't stop the Lord of Calamity, and no one else is willing."
Sahra met Eizen's eyes for a long time…then finally nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "You really must be desperate, and helping people is what I do. I'll…" She grimaced, but turned to Zaveid. "I'll be your Sub Lord," she sighed distastefully.
"Much obliged," Zaveid smirked, and he extended his hand for Sahra to take. She did so resignedly, and he stepped closer to her and took her other hand, then closed his eyes, ignoring the way she recoiled at his touch. "O ye born of unquavering incandescence," he intoned, "here let our pact be forged, that my tetherless freedom may be as thy purification! Shouldst thou accept this burden, speak aloud your true name."
Sahra scowled at this; clearly, she didn't want to tell Zaveid something so personal as her true name. Mercifully, though, she didn't protest. "Vuswos Kakwa," she declared instead.
Mana swept through the air, binding Sahra to the pact, and she took her place in Eizen's chest. A moment later, she emerged again, and turned to face her new allies with a smile. "Well, this makes us comrades," she said. "I have to admit, I've always kind of wondered what it would be like to work with a Shepherd. No sense getting worked up over what a scummy Prime Lord we have, right?"
"Zaveid's not so bad once you get used to him," Eizen said. "Right, guys?"
"True enough," Edna shrugged.
"Anyway, thank you for joining us," Eizen went on. "We're glad to have you."
Their new Sub Lord turned her eyes on Sadie. "You're a Squire, right?" she asked cheerfully.
"Y-Yes," Sadie replied, bowing her head. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Sahra. I vow to do my best to be worthy of fighting at your side."
"Whoa, what's with all this formal crap?" Sahra laughed.
"She's like that," Edna informed Sahra. "You're a seraph, so she thinks she has to be formal with you; she was raised to worship us without question."
"Well, don't," Sahra told Sadie. "It's okay, really. Just call me Sahra."
Sadie closed her eyes and turned her head.
"Don't bother," Edna advised. "We've been trying to talk some sense into her the whole journey." She turned back to Eizen. "Speaking of which, now that we have who we came for, can we get out of here? We need to head for the Fire Trial, and I'm tired of the cold."
Without waiting for a response, Edna retreated to rest within her baby brother. Zaveid followed suit, and then Sahra did too; after sharing this vessel with only Zaveid for so long, it was weird to suddenly have a new presence joining them, burning just below Eizen's sternum.
So this is what it's like to have a vessel, Sahra remarked. Huh…Neat. I could get used to this.
Please do, Edna commented as Eizen finally started walking for the border between Zaphgott Moor and the frozen north. You'll probably be with us for a while. And-
Before she could say anything more, a small pack of wolf hellions assaulted them. Zaveid, Edna, and Sahra all emerged, and Sahra drew her weapons, which Edna had only glimpsed briefly: a pair of short swords crossed over the small of her back, the kind that would be wind-based instead of fire-based due to their small size and the swiftness of movement they required, appropriate for a fire seraph. Twirling her daggers, the fire seraph took a stance that Edna was so familiar with, it didn't occur to her to think it was weird. Eizen, however, did notice, and stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw Sahra charge into battle. Edna noticed her baby brother hesitate, and one glance at his shocked face made her do a double-take at the fire seraph dancing with her blades in that unmistakeable way. Zaveid was the next to notice his family holding back, and one look between Eizen and Edna and Sahra sent him into a similar state of shock. With only Sahra fighting alongside her, Sadie turned to her other allies and blinked, puzzled by the looks on their faces.
Luckily, Sahra was more than powerful enough to take all the hellions down on her own. When the wolves had been purified and fled from the flaming daggers, she twirled and sheathed them in one swift motion, then turned back to her new comrades, only to discover everyone staring at her with wide eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Sahra," Eizen breathed, "where did you learn that technique?"
"Huh?" The fire seraph blinked.
"Your fighting style," Eizen pressed, taking a step forward. "Where did you learn it?"
"Oh. That's, uh…" She brushed her braid over her left shoulder and fiddled with it uncomfortably. "That's kind of complicated…"
"We have time," Eizen insisted. "Please, please tell me, how is it that you know the Rangetsu style?"
At this, Sahra gasped and flinched away from her Shepherd. "How do you know it's called the Rangetsu style?" she asked.
"Don't answer a question with another question, babe," Zaveid piped up, his tone stern. "And we asked you first."
Sahra looked between everyone, then sighed. "Okay then," she relented. "Well, you see, I've been a fire seraph for centuries, but a long time ago, I actually used to be a human. I'm not the same person I was back then, and I don't remember everything, but one thing I didn't lose when I was reborn was the teachings of my master, the last great swordsman of his kind…a man named Rokurou Rangetsu."
It was Eizen's turn to gasp and recoil, and Edna and Zaveid did the same.
"In my human life, I devoted myself entirely to his teachings, to the way of the sword," she went on. "My whole life was dedicated to him, and even reborn as someone new, that could never be taken from me."
"The way…of the sword," Eizen repeated breathlessly.
"Yes," Sahra nodded. "Rejoice when your blade finds its mark. Seethe-"
"Seethe when it doesn't," Eizen picked up. "Die when one finds you. That's all there is to it."
The reborn seraph blinked in shock.
"The way of the sword is a simple one," Eizen went on, reciting some of his uncle Shigure's last words, his eyes distant. "That's what makes it so much fun."
"Y…Yes, that's right," Sahra confirmed, tilting her head in confusion. "How do you know that?"
"I know because…" Eizen trailed off, hesitant. He looked down at his left hand, at the symbol embroidered on the back of the black fingerless glove in striking crimson: his parents' colors. Edna remembered, again, how he had vowed never to lose sight of where he had come from, and he'd always readily told anyone the story of his family after he'd learned it, including those who looked down on him and called him hellion-spawn…but for some reason, it seemed like he was suddenly having a hard time telling the truth to a seraph who appeared to think fondly of his father.
"I…" Eizen turned back to his fire seraph. "I know, because Rokurou Rangetsu…your master…is my father."
"What?" Sahra blinked, then shook her head, smiling. "No, you must be mistaken," she told Eizen; "Master Rokurou died long before I was even reborn, and that was centuries ago."
Edna winced. That's right, he faked his death, she remembered. This isn't gonna end well…
"He didn't die," Eizen stated. "He…he faked his death, so his students wouldn't suspect the truth about him: that he was a hellion."
"Wh-?"
"He embraced his malevolence long before he started taking on students," Eizen went on, almost tripping over the words now, "even before the Rangetsu clan fell apart, and it kept him alive, but he knew that if he didn't do something, everyone he was teaching the ways of our ancestors to would suspect something was wrong. He couldn't let the Rangetsu style be remembered as the techniques of a monster - as the last living member of House Rangetsu at the time, it was up to him to ensure his family would be remembered with honor. So, he faked his death, let everyone think he had died an honorable death in battle, and went into hiding."
"You're wrong!" Sahra exclaimed. "Master Rokurou wouldn't abandon us like that! And…And I was the one who identified his body! I would know his clothes anywhere, that mop of messy black hair-"
"He swapped clothes with someone in the fight who looked a little bit like him," Eizen explained, his tone gentling, "and he shaved his head and stuck his hair on the corpse. He had to make sure you thought he was dead. It…was all he could do. But he's alive, Sahra, and about eighteen years ago, he was purified and blessed by Maotelus to have a human body, so he could live a human life as though his centuries as a hellion never happened…him and my mother."
"No…" Sahra shook her head again, almost manically. "No, no, there must be a mistake…you can't be thinking of my master…"
"Didn't you think it was weird that he never seemed to age?" Edna asked pointedly.
The fire seraph gasped. "Didn't…age?" she breathed, her bright green eyes going distant. "He didn't…Yes, I remember that, he…"
"That's why," Edna said.
Tears welled in Sahra's eyes; she looked truly upset, and Edna was confused.
"What's the matter, babe?" Zaveid asked, echoing Edna's sentiment. "If you were so devoted to him, anyone'd think you'd be happy to know he's still alive."
Sahra bowed her head. "I…I gave everything for him," she said, her voice soft and choked. "Every waking moment of my human life was dedicated to my master. I subjected myself to his strict teachings, I left my family's raddishbell farm in the care of my worthless brother…Master Rokurou said he could see the spark of a true swordswoman in me, and I looked up to him, idolized him…he was more of a father to me than my own father. I wanted…to be a master of the Rangetsu style, just like him, greatsword and short swords alike, I lived his ways every day. Then…then he died, and I…I was left with nothing but memories." She shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "I was so devastated. Master Rokurou was the finest swordsman on the continent, no one could ever hope to match him in a fair fight; and he died to some nobody in some petty skirmish, from an underhanded blow to the back of the head? It was an outrage."
"Sahra," Eizen said softly.
Her fists clenched. "I didn't want anything like that to ever happen again," she went on, her voice rising, if no less pained. "So, I started searching everywhere for people like me, people who had that innate spark, that passion that would make them worthy of the Rangetsu style, and I taught them all, hoping to build an army beholden to no nation, one that would be able to end any battle before it even began, so no other great warrior would fall meaninglessly in the chaos of war. From the moment I confirmed Master Rokurou's death, I devoted myself to honoring his memory, and making sure others would do so, too. Even after I died, and was reborn as a fire seraph from the lifespring in the far northern reaches of the continent, I sought out my guild, the Windriders, and watched over them from afar."
"Hold on!" Edna spoke up, aghast. "You founded the Windriders?!"
"Yes," Sahra replied, lifting her head. "It was my tribute to Master Rokurou, to forever honor his legacy, and ensure no one else would die like him."
"Um…Lady Sahra," Sadie spoke up timidly. "I'm not sure if you know, but…the Windriders' guild…"
"Is no more," Sahra finished, her eyes sparking. "Yes, I'm well aware that they were disbanded…and worse, that they then reformed as a group of assassins." She spat the word like a curse. "I knew my master would have abhorred his ways being used for such underhanded aims - the heirs to his ancestors' techniques, a bunch of backstabbing murderers for hire?! It was a disgrace! The Rangetsu style is meant for those who fight with honor, not thugs who stab their opponents in the back without letting them put up a fight!"
"But the Scattered Bones do have honor-" Sadie began.
"I was so ashamed!" Sahra went on, and the tears were starting to track down her face. "Oh, how furious my master must have been, or so I thought! I thought I felt his eyes on me every day, I thought I would never live down what my tribute to him had turned into! As soon as the Scattered Bones formed from the remnants of what I had tried so hard to build, I exiled myself here, to the frozen north, committed to using my fire powers to save lives, in hopes it might atone for all the dishonorable death my efforts would cause. I gave up all desires of the flesh - food, sleep, companionship! Every single night, whenever I took a rest to gaze at the stars and wonder about this world's mysteries, I always spared a moment to pray to my deceased master, a prayer that his soul might find it within himself to forgive me! I gave everything for him - in both my human life and my new life as a seraph, everything I've ever done, every moment of my existence, all of it was to honor his memory, his legacy! And now you're telling me…?!" She stepped forward and shrieked. "You're telling me he was never dead?!"
"Sahra…I'm sorry," Eizen said timidly. "My dad, he…he only did what he thought was right, the best way he knew to honor our bloodline."
"You're telling me he's alive?!" Sahra shouted. "You're telling me he…he…HE ABANDONED ME?!"
"Lady Sahra, please calm down!" Sadie exclaimed, stepping forward. "With such rage, you might start to generate malevolence!"
"Nah, we don't need to worry about that," Zaveid informed Sadie. "She has Eizen as a pure vessel, it would take a lot more than this amount of righteous anger to make her turn. That said…there are a few things we do need to worry about."
"Like what'll happen when we have to fight him in our quest to stop Niko," Edna agreed.
"Fight…?" Sahra blinked and turned to Edna.
"Sahra…the Lord of Calamity is…well, she's my sister," Eizen told the distraught fire seraph. "And when she became the Lord of Calamity, she corrupted my father. We're going to have to face him and purify him, as part of our journey together."
"Fight him…" Sahra whispered, and her expression hardened dangerously. "I always dreamed…that maybe one day, I would best him in a fight…"
"Well, now you'll get that chance," Zaveid shrugged, cracking an easygoing grin. "That's something to be happy about, right?"
"He let me think he was dead," Sahra went on distantly, as though she hadn't heard her Prime Lord. "He tricked me, so I would think he was dead. It wasn't true when he made me believe it…" Alarmingly, her expression hardened, and she growled, "And now, I can make it true."
"Wait, Sahra, calm down!" Eizen exclaimed. "We're not going to kill my father, we're just going to purify him so he can go home! Listen…" The Shepherd stepped forward and put a hand on his Sub Lord's arm. Sahra jerked in surprise and looked up to meet his golden gaze. "When my father was a hellion, he lacked most of his human emotions," Eizen explained to her. "He was a yaksha, a spirit of war; bloodlust and honor were the only things that mattered to him. He wouldn't have been capable of considering how his students would feel about him being dead, or how they'd react, all he could think about was making sure the Rangetsu name wouldn't be tarnished. But that's…that's not really my father. My father is so much more than that. Had he been human, the human who is my father, he would have thought twice about tricking you. Please, Sahra…malevolence twisted him into something he's not, and now it's done so again. But my father is a good man who wouldn't have just left you like that, I swear."
Another tear leaked out of Sahra's eye; she didn't respond.
"Listen, babe," Zaveid sighed at last, "the story of our Shepherd's family is a long and complicated one. How about we all head south, and on the way, Edna and I will explain everything to you. Hell, you'd have a right to know even if you didn't have some old ties to Rokurou."
"Agreed," Edna spoke up. "Now that you're part of this mess, you should understand why it's happening. Let's talk while we get out of all this ice."
A long, heavy minute passed; the only sound was the chill winds of the north whipping around them. At last, Sahra nodded.
"Okay," she conceded. "I'll hear what you have to say."
And she retreated to rest within her new vessel, her Prime Lord and fellow Sub Lord following suit.
~o~
The trek back to Zaphgott Moor was uneventful after that; between battles against hellions, Edna and Zaveid had a private conversation with Sahra explaining everything that had led to the Rangetsu-Crowe family, shielded from the humans they travelled with. Edna had to fill in the parts Zaveid's oath kept him from saying - anything to do with Maotelus, or the malak who would become Maotelus - so she ended up telling most of the parts that involved Rokurou and Velvet, with Zaveid filling in anecdotes about the world as a whole in past Ages, things Edna had been too isolated to know firsthand. Sahra seemed too upset to even scoff at Zaveid, despite her expressed disgust towards him; in fact, she hardly said anything, only occasionally asking simple questions. Mostly, she just listened, confused emotions emanating from her spot in Eizen's chest.
Not long after nightfall, they made it back to the barrier between the north and the south, and Zaveid emerged to open the door so they could pile back onto the sandy moors with relief. Even after sunset, it was so much warmer here than it was in the frozen north, and all three seraphim emerged to feel the after-heat.
"It's so warm here," Sahra said wonderingly, spreading her arms. "I haven't been south of the border in over five hundred years, I forgot what it was like to not have to use my inner fire to resist the cold."
"Let's get to Lohgrin, since it's not too far," Eizen suggested. "We can eat and rest before we head for the Great Camelot Bridge tomorrow."
"You guys can eat and rest," Sahra shrugged as they started trekking through the sand. "I don't do that."
"Don't…what?" Eizen asked.
"I haven't eaten or slept since I went north," Sahra said cheerfully. "Seraphim don't need to do either, after all, so why should I? Better to keep all my attention on watching over the frozen wastes for lost travelers…or you guys, now that I'm your Sub Lord."
Edna glanced at Sadie, and sure enough, the girl's brown eyes were wide as she stared at the seraph who actually didn't bother with trappings of the flesh, despite having been human once.
"Well…the rest of us need it," Eizen said slowly. "Or, at least, Sadie and I do, and-"
"Yeah, no, I get it! It's no problem," Sahra assured him, cutting him off with a wave of her hand. She returned to rest within her vessel, and Edna and Zaveid followed; shielding her words from the humans, Sahra asked, Where were we?
The return of Maotelus, Edna answered, and the story picked up again.
By the time they reached Lohgrin, the story was almost told, with only the rise of the current Lord of Calamity left to explain, and Eizen and Sadie were able to assist with that much as they finished the tale over a meal of sautéed cactus - the only food the citizens of Lohgrin could spare.
"I see," Sahra sighed, her place at the table clear, as she'd requested. "I…I guess I could have known a lot more of that, if I hadn't been up north all this time, away from everyone…"
"Doing good deeds," Zaveid pointed out with a flirty smile. "I'm sure everyone you rescued as the Fire Angel is glad."
Sahra gave him a look, then sighed. "Yeah," she agreed, "I guess."
"Are you going to be okay, Sahra?" Eizen asked.
"I'm fine!" she assured him, her face splitting into a smile. "I just have to sort it all out, but I'll be fine by tomorrow. Hey, you guys get some sleep, and I'll relieve whoever's on guard duty so they can sleep too, okay?"
"You'll have to talk to Alken about that," Zaveid told Sahra.
"Okay, I'll do that now," the fire seraph said brightly, and she stood and trotted away to find the Lord of the Land.
"Well…she's interesting," Edna remarked dully. "Kind of reminds me of Rokurou, actually…"
"Yeah." Of all people, it was Zaveid who frowned slightly. "Not so sure what her ties to him are gonna mean when we have to eventually fight him…He did what he thought was right, but it left wounds that still hurt even after her rebirth." He shook his head, and Edna knew what he was going to say before he said it: "Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes…"
"No point wishing about things we can't change," Edna pointed out. "Let's just focus on what we can do."
Zaveid laughed, recognizing his own words. "Damn straight," he conceded, and he stood up and stretched. "Let's get to the inn. They don't have beds here, but they have some space in their tents; sleeping bags and our vessel should do the job well enough."
"Tomorrow, we head straight for the Igraine Shrine," Edna stated, setting aside her plate, and she and Zaveid came to rest within Eizen as both humans made for the makeshift inn of the village in the ruins.
o~X~o
Sadie tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, unable to keep her eyes closed. In truth, she hadn't slept well the previous two nights, either, not even when she'd gotten a proper bed in Meirchio after their long, hard trek north, though she'd pretended to for Lady Edna's sake. Golden eyes flashed behind her eyelids every time she tried to relax, eyes that gazed at her with adoration and respect…the way Eizen had looked at her when she'd talked Ivy down haunted her. And now there was something else to keep her awake, too - Lady Sahra was what she'd always imagined a seraph to be like, never eating or sleeping, always helping humans; and yet she herself had been human once, unlike Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna, who acted far more human.
After what felt like hours, Sadie sighed resignedly and sat up, wriggling her way out of her sleeping bag as quietly as she could so as not to disturb anyone. Luckily, she had her own section of the tent, as Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna were resting within their vessel for the night. Brushing out her curls with her fingers, she grabbed her battleax and pulled on her boots, but left the rest of her armor behind as she crept outside.
The moon was bright and full overhead, almost drowning out the twinkling stars in the clear desert sky. Sadie looked around, and saw people huddled together under blankets, most of them asleep but some of them clearly not. Tiptoeing around the fearful citizens of Lohgrin, Sadie cautiously made her way to the gates and pushed them open slowly, careful not to make a sound.
Outside, a light to the right of the stairs told Sadie immediately where Lady Sahra was standing guard. She headed in the indicated direction, and soon saw Lady Sahra sitting on a rock, flames dancing between her fingers and illuminating her face. As soon as Sadie set one foot in the sand, the fire seraph turned around, hands going to the knives she kept crossed over the small of her back.
"Oh, Sadie, it's you," Lady Sahra said, relaxing almost immediately. "Can't sleep?"
"No, Lady Sahra," Sadie answered honestly. "May I…join you?"
"Of course!" Lady Sahra said cheerfully, beckoning her over. "I haven't had company in centuries."
"Centuries," Sadie repeated, kneeling down in the sand beside Lady Sahra's perch. "You've been alone all this time, just…just helping whomever you could?"
"Uh-huh," Lady Sahra replied, casually conjuring a little fireball in her hand and tossing it up and down, her eyes on the moving flames.
"May I ask…why?" Sadie asked, and immediately felt stupid. "I mean, not all seraphim choose to be so devoted to the people," she explained hurriedly; "I always thought they were, but Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain what she thought of the two seraphim she'd traveled with without coming across as insulting.
But Lady Sahra laughed, as though she understood exactly what Sadie was getting at. "Hey, seraphim are people too," she said, and Sadie winced internally. "We don't have to help people. I just…wanted to repent, for my part in founding the Scattered Bones."
"The Scattered Bones were founded on honor and integrity," Sadie recalled out loud. "Aside from a few rogues in the group acting against orders, they're said to have turned down contracts as often as they accepted them, thanks to the eyes they had in every settlement on the continent."
"Doesn't matter if they dressed it up with all kinds of fancy words and ideals," Lady Sahra grumbled; "at the end of the day, they're still murderers." She sighed again, heavily this time. "When I was reborn as a seraph…I remembered who I had been, I remembered my human life, but all my memories felt - and still feel - like they belong to someone else. I see things so differently now…but even so, I still feel that sense of honor Master Rokurou taught me. It's still part of me."
"What our parents - or, or parent figures, I guess - teach us is ingrained into who we are," Sadie said softly. "They shape us, teach us who to be…"
"You sound sad," Sahra remarked, tilting her head. "Is something your parents taught you bothering you?"
Sadie closed her eyes. "Not…really," she said. "I mean, it's more…well…" She shifted in the sand, glancing up at the fire seraph again. Confess to the seraphim, she thought, hearing her mother's voice. "It's more…I guess…" She shook her head, trying to puzzle out what she wanted to say without talking about Eizen. "I guess I can't stop thinking about Sorey and Lord Mikleo."
"Sorey and Mikleo?" Sahra repeated thoughtfully. "Edna and Zaveid told me about them…a Shepherd and a Sub Lord - the Shepherd who saved Maotelus. And…they were together, right? A couple?"
"Yes," Sadie agreed, and she couldn't entirely keep a wistful sigh out of her voice. "It was beautiful, what they had. As a little girl, I always dreamed of meeting and loving a man who would look at me the way they looked at each other."
"And did you find one?"
The question cut straight to the heart of the matter, as though Sahra understood exactly what the problem was, and Sadie winced. Again, she saw those golden eyes gazing at her. Hellion-spawn eyes, she reminded herself adamantly. "No," she answered, "I gave up on that dream years ago when I was introduced to my fiancé. My parents never look at each other that way either; I can only assume that love between a man and a woman cannot be as pure and true as love between two men."
"That's a bunch of crap," Lady Sahra stated. "Of course men and women can love each other like that. I'm sorry your parents don't, that's really sad…but wait, you have a fiancé? Why are you marrying him?"
"Sir Leybon is of royal blood," Sadie stated, "fiftieth in line for the throne. Our union will bring great honor to my family."
"Fiftieth?" Lady Sahra laughed. "Who cares about fiftieth?"
"He is of royal blood," Sadie repeated. "My parents worked long and hard to arrange such auspicious prospects for me, and I am honored to be his betrothed."
"So you're in an arranged marriage?" Lady Sahra questioned.
"Y-Yes," Sadie stammered, blushing, "but please, don't get the wrong idea. I am entirely willing to marry him, so it doesn't violate the law."
"Law?" Sahra asked, blinking in surprise.
"In Hyland…there's a law against arranged marriages," Sadie explained, flushing slightly, though of course she couldn't withhold the truth from a holy seraph. "It was set in place by Rose, the Prime Squire of legend…but, since I'm agreeing to it, my union with Sir Leybon doesn't fall under that law."
"Rose," Sahra repeated softly, her normally-cheerfully expression darkening. "Zaveid and Edna told me about her…she's the one who desecrated Master Rokurou's teachings to turn the Windriders into the Scattered Bones."
"Yes," Sadie nodded, slightly nervous by the change in the fire seraph's demeanor.
"I didn't hear anything about her being a politician."
"Well, she wasn't," Sadie explained. "Her close ally, Princess Alisha, the Light of Hyland, was the politician. But Rose went to a lot of effort to enact a law against arranged marriages; it's the only political action she ever took, at least as far as historians know."
"After all she did, all she was, she went out of her way to put a law like that in place?" Sahra asked, tilting her head. "But…only someone who truly cares about what's right would work so hard to outlaw arranged marriages."
"What's right?" Sadie repeated, surprised.
"Of course," Sahra shrugged. "Arranged marriages rarely end well - most of the time, one of the people involved treats the other like…property, a thing, not a person to be respected and loved. Love doesn't happen in arranged marriages very often." The seraph's gaze turned on Sadie once more, sharp and probing, and her bright green irises suddenly seemed to catch the moonlight in just such a way that they almost glowed for a moment. "Tell me something, Sadie," she said: "How does Sir Leybon treat you?"
Again, Sadie found herself unprepared for the incredibly direct question, and the response she wanted to give - that Sir Leybon was a gentleman and treated her well - caught on her tongue as Lady Sahra's flashing gaze pierced her. "He treats me…like an object," she heard herself confess instead, shocked at the words coming out of her mouth, though they were true. "A possession. A decoration. He hates that I've been trained in combat, says it's unladylike for a woman to fight and that he doesn't want a wife with callouses and battle scars." Shaking her head, Sadie desperately tried to regain her sense of duty, the commitment she had to her betrothed. "He…is most likely furious to know I became a Squire and chose to take this journey; I can only hope my parents have convinced him not to call the wedding off."
"Why would you hope that?" Lady Sahra asked. "Come on, Sadie, he sounds like he'd treat you like trash, like he already does; you deserve better than a jerk like him."
"Our union will bring great honor to my family," Sadie recited. For a moment, she considered telling the whole truth, the story of her family's disgrace that the marriage was meant to rectify, but the shame of what had happened to her sister burned her throat before she could get the words out.
"That's not a good reason to marry someone," Lady Sahra stated. "You should find a guy who…well, who looks at you like you said Sorey and Mikleo looked at each other. Someone who respects you and believes in you, someone who loves you."
Again, the image of Eizen's golden eyes flashed behind Sadie's eyelids as she blinked. Though she tried to fight it down, Lady Sahra's eyes seemed to glow once more, and she found herself speaking without meaning to. "Maybe I have," she said, "but I don't want him."
"Who?"
"Eizen." Sadie ground out the name with as much contempt as she could muster - which, appallingly, wasn't nearly as much as she had once had. "He's hellion-spawn, his parents are ancient monsters - someone like him can't possibly know love."
"Then why are you thinking of him?" Lady Sahra smirked. Were her eyes actually flashing with light?
Sadie fidgeted, but again found that she was unable to lie to herself in the presence of this bright-eyed fire seraph. "We rescued a girl a couple of days ago," she explained; "she was corrupted by the Lord of Calamity, and I talked her down. When I did, Eizen…" She shook her head. "He looked at me like…like he admired me. Like he wanted to know everything about me and would respect whatever he learned. And I…I can't stop thinking about it." Her fists clenched. "But he's hellion-spawn! His blood is tainted and corrupt, his family are wretches! The Lord of Calamity is his sister! I could never stoop so low as to associate with a family like his!"
"From what Zaveid explained to me during our walk down here today, that's not really fair," Lady Sahra remarked. "But even if it was…what does it matter what kind of family he comes from? He seems like a good guy to me, regardless of what his parents and sister might be like. Family isn't everything, you know - or at least, blood family isn't everything. I mean, look at me," she shrugged. "As a human, I had a family, yet I thought of Master Rokurou as family even more so than them. And seraphim don't really have family, not blood family, but it sounds like Edna and Zaveid are part of the family you keep calling corrupt. We all forge our own paths in life, Sadie; none of us are defined by who we have blood ties to. And while I don't rely on instinct now as much as I did in my human life, my gut says Eizen is a good guy. I mean, he did become the Shepherd."
"He cheated," Sadie stated. "Apparently, some long-dead souls helped him draw the Sacred Blade, according to his own account, and that of the Lord of the Land in Pendrago."
"Really?" Lady Sahra asked, and she fiddled with her braid. "Huh…Well, I mean, if there are dead souls who came back to the living world just to help him, they must have had reasons to believe in him. Maybe that's more a testament to how worthy he is to be the Shepherd, not a matter of him cheating. It's not like he asked for the help, did he?"
"No," Sadie admitted. "But…but my parents always taught me-"
"Your parents don't know everything," Lady Sahra told her; "no one does. Trust me, I wish I knew everything." Her head tilted back, her eyes going to the heavens above them. "I've been patrolling the frozen north for centuries," she said, her tone taking on a wistful air, "but sometimes I sit down to rest for a little while. Whenever I do, I look up at the stars and I think, they've been watching this world since the beginning, they've seen everything we petty mortals have done throughout all the Ages…and even they might not have the answers to all of life's questions. Sometimes I wish I could talk to them, and ask them what they know. What are seraphim? What are humans? Why are some humans reborn as seraphim? Why can any human be purified if they're willing, but dragons don't have that choice? Why is malevolence a curse on this world?"
"The curse of malevolence is a known story, though," Sadie said.
"Huh?"
Quickly, Sadie went over the story the Great Lord Maotelus had shared with the world after the dawn of the Age of Calamity made him visible to all, of the schism between the seraphim of the Heavenly Realm and those who descended to earth. Lady Sahra listened attentively, but she frowned and toyed with her braid when Sadie was done.
"But…according to that story, malevolence has been around for a long time, since even before that happened," she mused. "It didn't make things mutate into monsters before the curse was cast, but it still existed, enough to poison seraphim and make them sick…and even die, you said? I mean, I guess that explains why seraphim can't be purified once they turn into dragons, if they'd be dead at that point if not for the curse…but it doesn't explain where seraphim come from, what we are, or why humans can turn into seraphim when they're the source of all the malevolence that poisons seraphim in the first place." She shook her head. "I've been trying to puzzle it out for a long time, but I don't think anyone really knows why this world works the way it does. Even having gone through the process of being reborn, I don't know anything about why or how it happened."
"Do you remember being reborn?" Sadie asked, suddenly curious.
"Sort of," Lady Sahra replied. "I hear that humans reborn as seraphim aren't supposed to keep their memories, but there are some things I remember. I remember my parents' raddishbell farm in Stonebury, my useless older brother who couldn't tell a chicken from a swan, my parents' hopes for the future of the farm riding on me, and…abandoning them all, to dedicate myself entirely to Master Rokurou's teachings, because he alone saw the spark in me, the spark that made me feel like I wasn't meant to be a farmer. I remember his death the most vividly, or…" She scowled. "I remember being made to believe he was dead the most vividly, and I remember flashes of the rest of my life, assembling the Windriders' guild, an army beholden to no one but ourselves. I'm pretty sure I died peacefully, I don't remember an ending of pain…but as soon as I died, then I felt pain, burning, white-hot pain, like I was on fire - I thought I was in hell. I was surrounded by some sort of thick, gooey liquid that was burning me alive, and I swam to the surface, only to emerge and realize I'd just pulled myself out of a pool of lava. Later, I realized I was in Mt. Killaraus, but…things were hazy for me. I still remembered these few things, but they didn't really feel like my memories anymore. As a human, I lived on instinct, more than reason, as Master Rokurou taught me, but after emerging from the volcano, I couldn't stop asking questions I'd never thought of before - couldn't stop seeking answers, wanting answers, in ways the human whose memories I'd inherited never had. I was confused, and I wandered around for a while in the frozen wastelands, trying to figure out what had happened, trying to understand what was in my head. Then I ran into someone else who was stumbling around in the cold - they looked like they were delirious, in danger of passing out and freezing to death, and I wanted to help them. I wished I could give them some of the warmth that I felt, and the next thing I knew, I was conjuring flames. The guy couldn't see me, but he could see my fire, and that was when I understood: I was a fire seraph now. In that moment, I realized my true name - I guess that's just a thing that happens when a seraph comes of age: Vuswos Kakwa, Sahra of Inner Truth. Once I understood what I was, I headed south, to watch over the Windriders I'd left behind, and see if I could learn more about…"
During this long reminiscence, Sadie's eyelids had grown heavy, though she fought to stay alert. As soon as Lady Sahra glanced over at her, the fire seraph cut off her words and laughed.
"Sorry," Lady Sahra said, "I didn't mean to put you to sleep."
"No, no," Sadie tried to insist, "please, Lady Sahra, I…" A yawn cut her off.
"Go to bed," Lady Sahra chuckled. "We have a long journey ahead of us if we're going all the way to the Igraine Shrine, and we want to get there as fast as we can. You're human, and humans need sleep, I know that much."
"Thank you, Lady Sahra," Sadie said, pushing herself to unsteady feet.
"No, thank you!" Lady Sahra told her brightly. "It's nice to talk to someone other than myself for a change. And hey, if you ever want to talk again, I never sleep. Feel free to bother me whenever you like, okay?"
"Thank you," Sadie repeated, bowing. "You honor me."
"Aw, quit with the formal crap," Lady Sahra laughed, but unlike Lady Edna, she didn't press the issue. "Good night. Sleep well."
"Good night, Lady Sahra," Sadie told the fire seraph, and she turned and left under the watchful gaze of the stars.
Back in her sleeping bag, though she felt herself quickly drifting off to sleep, Sadie also found herself even more confused than before. Golden eyes haunted her pre-dreams. She had hated those eyes growing up, how he always stared at her with longing and desire…or at least, she had told herself she hated those looks, after she'd informed her parents of the situation and they'd both thrown a fit to know that the son of the ancient monsters was after their daughter. But had she really hated the attention? And now, he looked at her differently, as if he didn't just want her but wanted to understand her. All throughout the journey, it had been the seraphim who had been sharp with her, but he'd always jumped to her defense, always thinking of what would make her comfortable, of what she might want. No one had ever treated her like that before, like she could just be herself and didn't have to change who she was.
As Lord Zaveid would say, it's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes, she thought as she surrendered to sleep at last. Why is the only person who's ever believed in me the one guy my age I have no choice but to hate for being hellion-spawn?
Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of fire behind two crossed daggers] "Flames on the Wind" - Proof that you've joined forces with a new ally, one who happens to hold strong ties to your family from long ago. But will her past life prove to be a blessing, or a curse?
