I laid on my stomach as a servant boy placed cool wet clothes on my back while Sol poked and prodded my scar. "It kind of looks like a rose flower on a thorny branch." She said as I looked at the great sword, the enchanted runes glittering in the candle light. "Congrats on the promotion to Second Class Junior Magic Knight."
Looked at her as she smiled. "Not just a little recruit anymore, a Diamond Mage, two Diamond Generals, a dungeon and a invasion under your belt." She smiled as she dismissed the servant boy. "We have the day off tomorrow, why don't I take you somewhere to do something with this." Her finger nail tapped the scar.
"Do what about it? It's a scar, it isn't like we can just replace the skin there." I said as I rolled over pulling down the tunic.
"You'll see." She gave me a hug and left the room, "Sleep well."
I rolled over in the bed and pulled the sheets over me. I looked at the letter paper on my desk. 'I'll write home tomorrow.'
Chapter 28: A Look Back
I walked beside Sol through the city, the grave diggers and holy men carting the zombie remains out to the gates, there had been civilian casualties, their bodies being carried by family members to their churches throughout the city. "I've always hated funerals." I said as a child no older then five tried in vain to wake up his father. "Anyone who died in Hage, we would be responsible for their rights of burial."
Sol just nodded. "It's always a shame when someone passes, but when that life is taken from them unjustly... that is why we are Magic knights. To ensure the safety of these people." She looked at me with a smile. "They know they will be safe when they see us."
I nodded as we left the attacked section of the city where the invasion hadn't reached as I thought of the report, Yuno had captured a Witch as well as the mage that Julius had captured, we held two members of the Eye of The Midnight Sun. Terrorists with a still unknown goal, but I thought back to Sally, the one member we had a face and name too. It was a lead to locating the rest of this cult like group. I had heard from the guards that the two had been so far uncooperative, claimimg that their leader will rebirth the world.
I was in deep thought when Sol stopped me in front of a shop as my tail wrapped around my waist. "Now this may be a bit outside your comfort zone, but trust me." The hanging side read in stylized lettering 'The Knight's Tattoo'. "Old friend of mine runs the shop, I reached out to her to book you a session."
I was basically wheeled into the shop where a woman with short green hair was dipping a porcupine quill into what was clearly marked as whiskey and rubbing the liquid off with a cloth. "Sol, just on time, unlike the last time you came here. So this is your little girlfriend?" She had her ears pierced, her tan skin was covered in delicate and intricate images of all colors and shades. I could make out boats, flowers, weapons, writing, runes.
"Yes, this is the new recruit I told you about." She pushed me forward.
"I-I'm Helen of Hage Village, Second Class Junior Magic Knight, and member of the Blue Rose Knights."
"No, wrong." She said as she got off her stand as she stood nearly a full foot taller then me. "You are Helen, a Hero of the Clover Kingdom." She gripped my shoulder with a smile, her canines were longer and thinner then they should be. "I'm Luna Cellia." Her dark ruby eyes glinted in the... lamp light. I looked around the room, no windows. "I used to be a member of the Black Bulls." She pointed at the magic knight robe that hung from the ceiling along with others of designs I hadn't seen before. "Trophies, from the Diamond and Spade mages I have defeated in combat."
"You were a magic knight? Why did you leave?" I asked as I walked further into the shop.
"It was just a temporary job for me." She waved it off. "And like I could keep living in that place, I lost three bedrooms while I was there. Now let's get you on the table." She picked my up and put me face down on a padded segmented table before I could object.
"Hey!" I protested.
"Off with the dress." She said as she got jars of inks ready with a array of quills.
"What!?" I was beet red in the face.
"I can't work on your back if there is this between me and your skin." She said as I looked at Sol.
"I'll make it up to you." Sol said as she slunk towards the door. "You'll be here for the rest of the day, so I've got time to go get some stuff." And the chocolate skinned magic knight was out the door before I could protest.
I reluctantly helped Luna pull the garment over my head. "Don't worry about anyone coming in that door, I only work on magic knights. I wouldn't want to waste my magic inks on the common citizen."
"Magic inks?" I asked as her grimoire floated over with a subtle white green glow.
"Expensive stuff. Works well with my magic ability Perfection." She said as she cleaned the skin on my back with a whiskey soaked cloth. "The whiskey is a perfect cleaner, because the alcohol kills infections, and trust me, a infected tattoo is worse then this scar you have." She started to draw around my scar. "Now, I'm just sketching out the general idea for the image."
While I listened and talked with her, the initial apprehension that I had was quickly fading away, almost like she knew the exact perfect things to say to have me relax. As I eased up on the table she would explain each step as this was my first piece. Her fingers would pull and push my skin as she sketched around the scar. As the minutes turned to an hour, then two, my mind went back to where all this started.
Home.
The battle with Revchi, the six long months of training and working that took up so much of our time. The weeks on the road to the magic Knight exam, the anxiety of the exam. Charlotte choosing to accept me into her squadron. Sol having fast become my closest friend since arriving here. My first mission and the... events that happened.
"Alright, there will be a slight pain, but just hold on." Luna said as she grabbed a large quill. "I'm doing the base line work now." She said as I nodded, but I still thought of the Silver Fox. The horror of what he had done to so may and tried to do to me. I shivered as the first prick in my back went through my skin. then the second, and third and she kept on going as I laid as still as I could.
The dungeon was what came to mind next, the battle with the two Shining Generals, the pod with the same symbol as my Grimoire. The hours dripped by slowly as Luna started to softly hum and tune. My mind turned to Asta, Yuno, Luck, Noelle, Mimosa, Klaus and Sol, we had that adventure together.
Then my thoughts turned to yesterday, and the attack of Rades, Sally and the Eye of the Midnight Sun and their goal in attacking the Clover Kingdom and Captain Fuegoleon.
'Back straight and head up! You are a Magic Knight, act like it! Conserve your Mana, your attacks are wasteful. Use only what you need to to defeat your adversary.'
Leopold came to my mind next, 'Helen will you be my rival? Can we be friends?'
'Helen! Like I would have any feelings for this insect!'
'I see. That explains a lot.'
The hours started to pass faster, I couldn't tell what time it was due to the lack of natural light, the flickering of candles and lamps cast shadows in the far corners or from the various objects kept around the shop floor. I could see a set of daggers under the counter, a full suite of armor in pieces strewn haphazardly around the shop. From the corner of my eye I could see her swap colors of ink, by now my back had gone numb from the thousands of punctures, the door opened as Sol walked in with bags of stuff, but immediately I could smell fresh fruit.
Luna let out a sigh of exhaustion as she stood up and washed my back one last time. "That... was too long. I haven't done a piece that large in one sitting for a while." I sat up with one arm covering myself for my sake as Luna handed me a mirror.
"It's perfect." I said as I looked at the artwork on my back the image reflected off a mirror on the wall. The phantom of a image that had been the scar and been brought out to the fullest, the petals almost looked like they were falling off my skin, the thorn branch looked like it was growing out of my skin, the main rose was beautiful, the actual scar tissue had been used as highlights and was still clearly visible, the point of the tattoo wasn't to hide it, but enhance it.
"Well, looks like that went well." Sol said as she gave me tap on the shoulder. "Here, I bought you a new dress. I know the one you lost yesterday was important to you." I took the garment and went into the back room and changed into it, the front and sides were modest, but the back was open enough that I could see the entire tattoo. The blue cloth flowed like water as I felt it. It wasn't a simple sundress that I normally wore, this was made to bring out my figure in a slight but modest way.
I stepped out and hugged Sol tight. "Thank you."
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