Darkness in the Twilight
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By Psycho Ferret and LunarCrystal
Fort Castelo
With all the activity that was taking place at the palace, twice as much was happening at the Schezar estate. Celena was in a state of disarray as she looked for something suitable to wear to her brother's knighting - not so much concerned about Millerna's coronation that they were required to attend, as respected members of the court.
Elden surprised them with a visit somewhere during mid-week, having admitted that he was only a little embarrassed to start training so soon after the loss of his arm. Elden had been right, Celena thought, Allen and he certainly did make an odd pair out in the field when they practiced - or tried to. Elden's grip on his sword did not last for very long lengths of time, and Allen needed to concentrate on the sounds of Elden's footsteps and movements which was nearly impossible above the din of the breeze. Though at that point, Celena decided she should help them.
Elden continued to assume that Celena was Allen's wife, disregarding how alike they looked. But neither of the siblings bothered to correct him. It wasn't the truth, but in a way it wasn't necessarily a lie. Just a secret they liked to keep to themselves.
The coronation came with a large ceremony to conclude it, but she was not nearly as excited for the crown placed Millerna's head as she was for the sword that would grace her brother's shoulder in the following day. Mid-day after the coronation, and there was just as much activity as there was a week ago at the palace. Celena watched Allen during the ride in the carriage, and noted how he carried himself with more dignity. He wore his uniform again on that day, and she could not stop her fingers running over the canvas at his chest, tracing around the gold braids and buttons.
"You look so beautiful," she said to him wistfully.
Allen smiled proudly over at her, clasping her hand to his chest. "Certainly nowhere near as wonderful as you." His body thrummed with his excitement.
He slipped carefully out of the carriage, helping her out as well. He'd rehearsed this over and over in his mind, remembering how it had been before. He felt the same way.
The fanfare was out, the other knights watching as he and Elden both took their places. More than willing to accept them back, injured as they were. Brothers in arms, all of them.
The procession was so lovely. Elden leading Allen with his remaining arm, the empty sleeve at his right side neatly pinned. Allen had his head held so very high, so proud he looked taller than he already was. Celena could only watch from the side, her heart beating so hard in her chest, she thought it would burst.
Though the procession was supposed to be traditional, the knight's keeping their silence and saluting with their swords raised, there were many of them that simply could not stop themselves from shouting out in congratulations. All the Knights Caeli were choked up, some had tears they refused to wipe away.
"Hail, Sir Allen!" said one, stricken with emotion, his blade held solidly in the air. "Hail, Sir Elden!"
"To arms, brothers!" cried the eldest knight, looking on as they walked by them like a proud father, "Our comrades have returned! To honor! To glory! To Chivalry!" The emotion in the grand hall would fill a thousand halls, and sink a thousand ships by their honor for each other alone.
Allen felt himself getting choked up at the way they were accepted back, his hand clasping Elden's arm tightly. They truly were brothers all of them. He was silent throughout the knighting, though oh! How much he wanted to join them in their cries!
There was no contempt there among them, all of them as kind as they had been before. Fathers, brothers, teachers, all of them. And here they were, accepting them back.
The day went by in a blur, his joy, his excitement falling off him in waves. He was a knight... he could remember crying, tears slipping over his pale cheeks, gloved hands shaking as he lifted them to wipe away his tears. Gods... what more could he ask for?
Night fall came all too soon. There were no more candles in Allen's room, as he had little need for them. With the excitement of the whole day wearing down on him, Celena imagined he would have gone straight to bed, to be ready to receive orders in the morning. What ever came, she would be there next to him.
She assumed he might have still been asleep, and simply wanted to surprise him when he woke up in the morning and letting him discover her huddled tight next to his lean body. She slipped into his chamber silently, wearing nothing but her cotton nightgown, and slid gently into his bed.
Allen slept silently, scatterings of golden locks smattered across the soft, white pillows. The sunlight streamed across them, but did not wake him from his darkness, curled up lightly on his side, resting. But soon enough, he flickered unseeing eyes open and shifted, pausing at the warmth at his back. He blinked, then smiled softly sighing a little. He could stay a little longer.
Gaddes. He had to find Gaddes, surprise him. He flew out with Celena on a chartered airship from the capital. It was a massive ship, and it towed the Crusade behind it as his little skiff's levistones floated idly. Wearing his pristine uniform once more, he often stood on a terrace of the ship, long blonde hair free against the air. Beautiful, noble, knightly.
The ride to the Fort Castelo from the airship dock was quick and simple, uneventful. Allen shushed those outside. He didn't want to alert Gaddes to his presence too soon. One of the others there led him through what had been rebuilt, navigating carefully towards where Gaddes worked. Allen simply beamed... but bit it back. If only he could see the shock on his friend's face when he told him.
There had been murmurs of great surprise, gossiping among the men as Allen was led passed them, recognizing the fluttering blonde locks as he strode passed them and wondering if their former commander was really back. All of them poked their heads out of the various rooms they worked in, stopping their hammering and plastering, just to get a glimpse of the Knight's backside. They looked at each other in wonderment and went back to work quickly. They would find out soon enough.
Meanwhile, Gaddes worked on repairing a wall that had falling inward. Planks were just being set into the floor and mortar was applied to the stones of the walls. The soldier was covered in alabaster dust, like many of the rest of them who worked to bring their fort back up. He was hammering nails into the planks of the floor when Kio came into the disheveled room, following closely by Allen.
The nails that Gaddes had in his mouth dropped to the half-finished floor, unheeded, the hammer poised in mid-motion. His jaw literally dropped at the sight of him, total loss for words as he stared - here was his captain returned, pristine and refined as he had been the very first day the young noble came to the post of Fort Castelo.
"I pray you're all working quickly enough, eh? Because as soon as this gets done, we're back on duty." Allen flashed a bit of his old roguish grin, cocking his head to the side slightly. Oh, he was back... confident, full of pride and honor, just as before. Only... more so. The vibrancy that followed him beat harder within him, his energy renewed.
The young commander inclined his head slightly to his friend, whom he was sad he could not see. "Well?"
For many long, painful moment, Gaddes simply could not reply. There was a heavy drumming in his chest, much like the hammer he'd been using to repair the floor. He could not help but stare at the refined figure in front of him, before moving quickly and embracing the man before Allen could get any warning.
"By Jechia - and I've never prayed a day in my life, I thank the gods." and this coming from a man who was rarely so formal in words.
Allen laughed softly, hugging Gaddes back. "You don't know how good it feels to be back here, to be back in this uniform, my friend. It feels like forever and a day since I've been a part of this."
"But - boss, how did they accept you back?" he asked, bewildered as he pulled away and contented himself in simply grasping the man's arms. He'd gotten dust on Allen's uniform, and lightly thought it better he was blind to it, if just for that.
"The king has passed away and Millerna has taken up the throne. The ranks had not been filled... and she took both myself and Sir Elden back. Oh, by Jechia... the ceremony, Gaddes... I've never felt so welcomed. By the end, we were all crying. It was... oh, words cannot describe it. It was amazing." Allen shook his head slightly, that smile on his lips.
"Does this mean you'll bossing us around again, boss?" That was Riden, with his high voice that always sounded strangely sardonic but full of humor. He'd come from one of the rooms he was working in and snuck up behind Allen, peeking around the tall figure.
Allen turned his head slightly towards him, smirking. "Better believe it. You're going to be doing my slave work all over again." The blonde grinned, his high spirits returned. It would be like old times, for the most part.
But Riden noticed that odd something about his commander's gaze. The stiffness of his head - the little guy was never really one for tact. His eyebrow arched dramatically, mouth down turned in a half frown. "What happened to the boss?" he chirped, as if asking the time of day, "He ain't lookin' at anythin' . . ."
Kio, who led Allen to the room, hit Riden over the head, making the little guy yelp and rub the offending crown. "He's blind, idiot." Gaddes could only groan.
"You heard about the riot, certainly, outside the palace gates?" It was almost nonchalant, the way he spoke of it. It still hurt to think of, but he'd forced himself to move past it. It was something he would have to deal with, after all. "It happened then. There was nothing we could do, really. I was fortunate that my sight was all I lost."
"Whoa, boss. . ." said the untactful Riden, "How're you supposed to fight like that?"
Kio hit him again. "Can't you shut up?"
Allen grinned a little, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword. He'd certainly gotten a lot better at it since Gaddes had last seen him. "Shall we see, eh?" The blonde just grinned, good naturedly, of course.
There was an uproar of cheers, that came from more than just three men in the room Allen stood in. The whole of the soldiers who worked in the hallway joined in on the hurrahs, some already making quick runs outside to get a good seat. Their commander had come back, and he was going to put on a show - they always liked to watch the Knight's sparring sessions. He just was that damn good.
Gaddes, shirtless from working on repairs, grabbed his sword with a large grin and they were ushered out into the dirt courtyard. Celena had been chatted up by one of the soldiers outside, and as Allen passed her, she quickly excused herself and ran to his side.
"What's going on?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm going to reassure them, Celena, don't worry." Allen laughed a bit, shaking his head, walking outside. Once there, he drew his sword, standing at a ready with the sword tip down. His fighting style had changed dramatically to fit his new handicap, and it worked out for the better. It was still showy, of course, but faster and more efficient.
Light on his feet, the blonde waited, the sword glinting in the sunlight. All of this... this was familiar to him.
"Alright!" Gaddes said, psyching himself up. The others gathered on the sides, waiting in great anticipation, already taking bets, whispering to each other, "Boss is blind now . . . he's gonna fight anyway . . . holy Jechia, blind? . . . yeah, think he'll win? . . . Are you nuts? He could beat us with his eyes closed before . . ."
Allen's second in command made a show of scratching his head bashfully, unsheathing the sword and dramatically tossing it aside.
"You ready, boss?" He grinned.
"When am I not?" Allen grinned right back, completely still for a moment before he crouched down and lurched forward suddenly, bringing the rapier blade up. An easy attack to parry, of course, but he was doing what he'd trained himself to do, get a feel for the land and the way his opponent worked. Of course, he knew Gaddes well enough to gauge it, but the land around him had changed slightly, especially now that he couldn't see it.
Unlike when he'd trained with Gaddes back at the manor, the movements were as they had been before the blindness... smooth, graceful and easy. It was like nothing was different, despite the dramatic change in style. More foot work, more quick light strikes.
Gaddes blocked again, moving back and pivoting around Allen, "Yikes." he muttered, moving again to parry yet another blow. He kept having to take steps backward, as the clashing against his sword were not the prolonged sliding and parry, but quick blocks and hits - making the blades continuously sing in a timpani of steel.
The sounds of the metal staccato made Celena's heart race, and she watching with growing excitement as her brother gauged Gaddes' attacks, parrying them as if he could see them before they happened. He'd gained a new level of hearing since his affliction, she noted. More than once, she was tempted to grab a sword from a soldier's belt next to her and rush into the fray.
Gaddes stopped their swordplay for a moment, to gain breath. His chest was heaving, and he was not easily winded by such activities as simple sparring. "You crazy son of a bitch," he muttered between breaths, "I think you - might be better at this than you were before. . . sacred serpents!"
Allen hopped back a few steps and grinned a bit. "Riden, you sure now?" The blonde laughed a bit. "Every day, Gaddes, every day. Elden and I recently started up aiding one another--you should see it... ah, what a pair we make. He my eyes and I his sword." Allen shook his head, still grinning. "It might be because you're not used to fighting me like this. My style changed, as I'm sure you noticed. I would have been better off changing to this style in the first place, eh?"
Gaddes let out a huff of laughter, straightening and stretching, readying himself for another bout with the sword, "Elden, you say? The poor bloke who lost his arm?"
Allen nodded a bit. "He's been brought back as well, and just as honored and accepted as I." Allen smirked, readying himself the sword tip once more directed to the ground, the long coat of his uniform swaying softly as he stilled. "We've pledged to give aid to one another when we so need it."
"You should call on it now, Allen!" quipped Celena playfully, surprising his sword with a swift and harmless hit with her own. The men around them laughed at how silly she looked - wearing a light riding dress and carrying a sword.
Gaddes grinned and moved behind Allen. Celena stood in front of him, almost posing with a hand arrogantly on her hip and her sword tip down to the ground, head held high like her brother's.
Allen grinned and hopped out of the middle of them. Those times Celena had trained with Elden and he came back. "Gloves, yes?" Never without gloves, never to spoil her soft hands.
"Mmm, maybe," she mused, bringing her sword up in a quick motion.
Allen shifted, batting her blade away with his own. "Oh, come now, don't spoil your hands." Allen grinned a little, crouching down slightly, listening.
"You're such a fop." she accused, while at the same time, Gaddes took steps toward them and lifted his blade.
Allen grinned, pushing himself forward and grabbing her about the waist, careful to pull his attack enough to not slam his shoulder into her, his arms around her breaking what might have been a hard fall, sliding across the ground a few inches before he hopped to his feet, kicking her sword out of her reach.
"Oof!" She said from the ground, "That wasn't very nice." But Gaddes did not stop his attack, and quickly moved forward with his blade held up.
Allen skittered out of her reach, just in case, hopping lightly over her, righting the blade in his hand to a better hold with a quick flick of his wrist. He smacked Gaddes' blade aside and brought his around at a sharp diagonal strike from the right, never minding the dust from his early gymnastics that coated his uniform. That could be taken care of later.
The quickness of Allen's movement's surprised even Gaddes, for the soldier was used to watching a man's gaze. Allen had no gaze, and thus when his face did not turn toward his attack and still batted his blade away, it came as somewhat of a shock - especially when almost in a blur, Allen poised his blade just at Gaddes' neck, the tip just barely grazing the skin.
The soldier dropped his blade, grinning nervously. "You win, boss."
Allen inclined his head slightly, the sword sliding carefully into its sheath at his side. "I certainly hope that was enough of an assurance for all of you, eh? I'm back. So you know what that means. Get working!" The blonde grinned a little, waving a gloved hand at them, then proceeding to begin brushing the dust from his uniform.
"Hi, back. I'm front." said Celena sardonically from the ground, bringing her knees close to her chest and letting her skirts untangled themselves. "What? Are you just going to leave me here on the ground, you roguish bastard?"
Allen laughed, turning towards her voice and offering a hand. "Why, I thought you'd gotten yourself up by now. I mean, you were part of the fight and all."
"I won't even begin to explain it to you." She took his hand and he lifted her quickly to her feet, almost making her hop up. "You'll need some sort of stick to walk outside. You know you can't keep from using it all the time. We'd have to peel you from the walls you bump into."
"I'll be fine, especially around here. Likely, it'll be built up the same way it was before, so I'll know the layout. I spent much of my life here...this is where I feel at home."
"Fine, but out of the walls, take heed. I do not want you getting lost or hurt. You might be good with a sword, but accidents - obviously - still happen." she gripped his arm warningly, as if she were afraid to let him loose on his own.
Allen smiled, patting her hand softly. "Don't worry so much, I'll be fine. After all, you, Gaddes and the others are here, as well."
Gently, she placed his hand to her upper arm and began to lead them inside the fort. "Will we have rooms here?" she asked.
"Of course. We will live here." Allen nodded slightly. "They probably have the barracks already set up, considering they've been here awhile and they'd need some place to sleep."
"We'll have separate rooms, no doubt. Otherwise, I suppose it would look odd to them." she said bashfully, leading them up the steps to a part of the fort that was already finished and smelled of recently dried plaster and laid mortar.
"It would be best, yes... though close to one another." He walked quietly alongside of her, long hair swaying softly at his back. It felt good to be back out here, after so long of being away.
Celena laughed, still leading them down unfamiliar halls. "I don't know where we're going."
"Mm, I haven't been paying much attention. However... there should be a bit of a hallway to the left a little farther on. Barracks are there."
"Well, then, you lead." she said delightedly, removing his hand from her arm and stepping back.
Allen glanced sightlessly over at her. "Neh, you always have to do this, don't you?" The blonde shook his head slightly, stepping to the left side and walking trailing his fingers against the left wall, one hand outstretched slightly before him so he wouldn't run into a wall at the end of the hallway.
Celena, though odd as it might sound, was always fascinated when she watched him navigate on his own. Always with a grin on her face so wide, it sometimes seemed as roguish as her brother's. In a way, it was like she was teasing him . . . and just as he would make fun of her height as a child, well, why couldn't she have her pokes too?
"How else could I blackmail you later? Maybe one day I won't tell you about a puddle you might be ready to fall right into, sopping wet, only to have to deal with explanations . . . " she chuckled viciously.
"Oh, and you'd do it, too, wouldn't you?" Allen grinned a little, sliding his hand carefully around the corner, light brushes of his fingertips against the wood of the building. "Down this hallway, if I recall correctly..."
Celena followed him obediently, of course, having no choice. She really had no idea in what part of this fort they were now - and it seemed amazing to her that he would remember it's layout from so long ago, even before he had been able to see it again.
"Steps, Allen." she would warn, and hated doing it. It was the one thing he had trouble with, and he was so stubborn that he refused to use any kind of aid. One of these days, he would trip horribly and break his leg, she feared.
Allen nodded slightly, making his way carefully up the steps, tapping one foot carefully against the back of the step to gauge its distance. It was a good thing he'd gotten so used to walking up them, considering how many the fort and his own home had.
"Stop worrying so much," he murmured softly, once hand still brushing softly against the wall.
"I'll stop worrying the day you don't risk breaking your neck," she returned lividly. Her footfalls were gentler than his own, softer upon the stone steps as he led her up the stairs and too the barracks wing.
"All of us risk doing such a thing, Celena. I'll be fine, especially here. Gaddes and the others are here." Allen shrugged slightly, a faint smile on his lips.
When he reached the doors, he murmured a count as he passed them, stopping at the fifth and tugging it open.
Celena looked inside passed her brother. "These must have been your quarters." she said, "It's almost as large as your bedchambers back home." She stepped into the empty room and looked around, noting that it had already been furnished with simple chest of drawers and a bed with a cotton filled mattress that was large enough for two people.
"It was." Allen nodded slightly, leaning lightly against the doorframe. "Though likely far less fancy then it had been. I expect they didn't think me coming back."
The blonde smiled a little. Yes... everything felt familiar here...
"There's a spectacular amount of riches in here, Allen," she lied, grinning to herself. "The Asturian crest hangs on the wall, and there's even a porcelain water basin on this Maplewood chest of drawers. And a marvelous bed."
"Why do I have the inclination not to believe you?" Allen grinned right back, nudging her slightly. "You never could lie very well." Though he expected there were some niceties there that weren't in the other rooms. This one was larger, after all.
"Alright, I've been found - there's a spectacularly plain bed and armoire. The rest just fills with echoes. I'm sure you could tell." she seethed playfully, taking his arm and turning him around. "And my room? You must assign me a room, captain."
"Well... if I recall, then the room to my right should be free." He took a step back and turned, guiding her towards it and pushing open the door. He relented a bit ago that if she was to do anything of work around here... likely, she's had to set aside her skirts. A pity. While he couldn't see her, he knew she looked wonderful anyhow.
Celena let out a short 'huh' . . . "It's wonderfully plain." she laughed.