Chapter -98: Cecilia of the...
Two weeks go by like a breeze, and the Knight has adjusted to a new routine in this unfamiliar land.
They made their bed every night at the edge of the city away from anyone else. There was dirt and bits of gravel, rough but nothing compared to the frozen splinters of their floorboards back home.
They kept the armor propped up against a nearby tree and then laid the swords and lance by their side while they slept. Nobody attacked, but that meant nothing in uncertain times.
They received a few visitors. Wandering eyes from the native children mostly. They were young and carefree, sterile from the taint of war.
It was...unnerving at first to see so much happiness coming from their small faces. The Knight lowered their guard briefly in their presence, and showed them what ice and snow was like. But they never spoke a word, even when the children were in awe of their appearance.
They had never seen anyone like them before.
The ones born female in this Tribe remained defined as such, but there was a lack of depravity in the way they were handled by their male counterparts.
The women and men were both bundled in similar clothes, and they were there for their children together. There was so much laughter in the air the Knight could've sworn it was caused by a contagion.
The warmth of their happiness was the barrier that the Knight refused to approach, and thus chose to keep making the outdoors their home.
Ezekiel made good on his promise and his presence was scarce. He only showed up to check and see if they were doing ok, mostly in regards to food.
The people of this land survived off of something called a "farm" where they raised flightless birds and fattened bovines to provide themselves with meat, eggs and milk. Only recently had they started growing fruits and vegetables.
The Knight stuck to what they knew and tried to hunt the local wildlife, though there were very few. She waited every morning for the birds to take flight through the sky and then tried to skewer them with needle thin icicles.
But the birds were very agile with their four-winged flight, and the Knight could never land their mark.
Their adamant ways couldn't hold up under their hunger pains, and thus they would occasionally accept a meal delivered to them by Ezekiel.
They thanked them with a nod, and then ate the meal alone.
It was very good food, because the meat had been cleaned of fur, fat and other gangly parts. The texture of the eggs was similar to how they cooked them, but the flavor was beyond the scope of what their tongue could handle.
Every time they took a bite of those eggs was opening themselves up to vulnerability of attack, but they wouldn't stop eating them.
Their mouth usually wound up coated in egg crumbs.
The rest of the day was spent getting in whatever practice they could get. Push-ups, sit-ups, and weapon attacks. There was less enthusiasm in their efforts though.
They managed to gain a small audience while they trained. They distracted themselves with a brief glance their way, and flashed them a tiny smile unconsciously.
The children especially found the way they moved "pretty".
But there was none of that intent behind their attacks. They slashed quickly to leave no chance for the enemy to counter. They thrusted fast to guarantee the lance would pierce it's mark.
The way the children talked about them, it was like their way of fighting was a dance. If it was...it was a dance of blood.
This continued on some more until the Knight found this had become their status quo, but the question of what they wanted to do next had never left their mind...
One day, they awoke at the crest of sunrise and looked out over the horizon, as the tinted sunlight greeted the lands below.
It's light was like the glow of magma, warm and orange, and a sight that the Knight hadn't experienced before coming up here.
They would compromise on their smile for this moment and accept it as a part of who they were, because only the truly cold-hearted would hate this sight...
While they worked on their morning stretches they tensed up at the sound of footsteps behind them, leading to a direct question of, "Is there something you need?"
The person was obviously Lostrom Galleo, the leader of this Tribe. He was a portly man who lacked the stature to command respect, yet was beloved by his people all the same.
It was their second time meeting since the day they arrived, but now he came with a request.
"I'm just here to deliver a message, or rather, a complaint from some of our people." He addressed calmly, though there was a subtle shakiness to his voice.
The Knight gleamed over their shoulder and the man told them, "They do not appreciate how you keep trying to hunt their birds out of the sky."
The Knight turned around and crossed their arms, "Their birds?"
"Birds are considered pets," When Lostrom's words left the Knight's expression adrift, they added, "Companions. Friends."
The Knight then closed their eyes and remarked, "Ah, so they're like the mounts of our soldiers."
"So you understand?" Lostrom said in a relieved tone.
The Knight opened their eyes partway and remarked, "You're lacking in wildlife to hunt. If the birds are off-limits, do you have any alternatives?"
"I'm afraid we're not that kind of people," Lostrom said with a meager sigh, "But...there is another way you can get food for yourself."
The Knight raised a brow.
"On the east side of the village, there's a long bridge extending to our farm lands. There you can get milk, eggs, and whatever vegetables you desire."
"What must I do in return?" The Knight wondered.
"Nothing," Lostrom said with a jolly chuckle, "Food shortages are hardly an issue for us these days. And it's the least I can do for a guest."
The Knight's stance softened just a little and with a humble nod they remarked, "Then I'll make my way over there."
"If you hurry, you should run into Darnia. He'll show you to get what you need." With that, Lostrom left on his merry way.
"...Darnia." The Knight remarked. They were the father of Sarajin Stratos, and also the man who had ferried them up here.
The Knight closed their eyes to think, then decided to make their way to the farm, which took them into the village for the first time.
They were hardly a stranger to these people by now, but they weren't a friend either. They kept themselves out of arm's reach and just went about their business.
They crossed the bridge and made their way to a domed, grassy green landscape where large, black and white herbivores wandered around. A few were brown.
There were a few buildings built out of stone, acting for the cows like what the stables did for the mounts back in Cryofloe.
But there were also smaller buildings with fences around them, where the flightless birds that laid eggs lived and ate seed thrown at them by a middle-aged man with graying hair and a poncho.
The Knight went straight for them and quickly learned that there was more to him than meets the eye.
"Finally decided to leave your perch, eh?" The man said in a nonchalant tone, with the Knight still a few feet behind him.
The Knight stopped and winced, having done their best to be silent.
The man, Darnia Stratos, finished dispersing the seed for the noisy birds and then turned around. He carried a far different presence without the scythe in his hands, looking more akin to the everyday worker.
He had a tired face and a clear loss of youth in his skin, but nevertheless had a small but noticeable smile between his wrinkled cheeks.
When the two looked each other directly in the eyes the Knight felt they were in the presence of a lost legend...and thus narrowed their eyes, hardly believing that this was the same man who had a hand in raising that optimistic fool.
After this exchange of looks, Darnia gained a more neutral expression and then nodded, cutting right to the point.
"How familiar are you with farm animals?" He said while walking past the Knight.
"This is my first time among any." The Knight said in a humble tone.
"So you're here to learn then." Darnia replied.
"There's no need to coddle me like a child. You'll find I'm a quick learner." The Knight said, trailing the man from behind.
"Good," Darnia said with a brief, hearty chuckle, "Then follow me."
He took them to one of the cows and got on his knees, pulling out a metal bucket he had tucked underneath his poncho and putting it underneath the creature's udders.
The Knight stood idly by and watched Darnia grab the teets and start tugging them gently. The creamy liquid squirted out into the bucket, while the bovine mooed in contentment.
"Seems simple enough." The Knight remarked.
"It's all about being gentle. Stress prevents the milk from coming out," Darnia diverted a hand to rub the side of the cow, "And makes the meat taste worse."
The Knight narrowed their eyes and crossed their arms, fiddling their fingertips atop them, "I'm surprised you kill your animals. Everything I could learn about this place told me you're pacifists."
"That doesn't make us vegetarians." Darnia jokes.
"I suppose..." The Knight mumbled, slowly sinking into themselves with a growing sense of tension in the air.
Darnia kept working hard until this bucket was full, then moved on to another one.
"..." The Knight sighed through their nostrils, stricken by a want to say something, only to be met with the near unapproachable opponent of whom they wished to say it to.
"So," The first word was spoken, and thus there was no going back, "You...Are Sarajin's father."
Darnia paused momentarily and then pinched the udders a little tighter moving forward as his tone gained a little weariness, "Yes, I am."
The Knight hummed, prompting Darnia to make the provocative inquiry of, "I take it you are familiar with him?"
"Only in that he's an idealistic fool." The Knight retorted bluntly.
The air went cold for a couple seconds, putting goosebumps on the Knight's skin as Darnia glanced over his shoulder and whispered, "Ah."
That vague and undefined "Ah" left the Knight desperate to address the man with a slight, feverish pitch, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"How familiar are you with him exactly?" Darnia replied in a playful manner.
"We've only met a few times," The Knight retorted, curving into a blunt and outright hostile tone of voice, "But that's more than enough for anyone to recognize that he's insane, and the dream he's after is impossible."
"Ah." Went Darnia again.
The Knight glared, uttering a cold, "What?"
Darnia kept smiling and upon finishing the second bucket, readied a third one, never looking away from his job, "I heard that you're a warrior from Cryofloe. Given the way things are down there, it is very impressive that you found the strength to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the men."
The Knight squirmed and then clenched their arms tighter against their body, remarking in a proud and defiant manner, "It's not as though it was easy. I had to challenge my body every day, pushing my limits beyond what was expected of me."
"But you succeeded, didn't you." Darnia said with pronounced praise.
"..." The Knight loosened up just a little before replying, "Of course. There was too much at stake for me to fail, no matter how thin the odds were."
"Could you say they were...'impossible' odds?" Darnia's wily smile made the Knight freeze up and let out a disgruntled hum.
Darnia glanced across from his shoulder and following a chuckle said, "For my son, the word 'impossible' may as well not exist."
The Knight snapped back with, "There is a major difference between him and I!"
"Oh? Do tell." Darnia said with a smile.
"He is..." The Knight bit their tongue and let out a "Hmph!" before continuing, "He is ignorant to the ways of the world. The Tribes have been at war for eons! Empty words and vague promises won't bring about change now. The only way to survive in this world is to be strong enough to beat it!"
"Maybe," Darnia muttered, "But you'd be hard-pressed to get Sarajin to see things your way."
"It doesn't matter what he thinks. One person cannot change the world."
"..." Darnia finished on his last bucket and then rested his hands on his knees. As the cow walked away, satisfied, he gave a weak smile and chuckled.
"I've watched my son grow-up a lot over these last seven years. At first...I was afraid. Afraid that he would become just like me."
"But no matter how hard he would be knocked down, he would get back up and keep trying. Because to him, changing the world isn't just a dream, it's a cause he wholeheartedly believes in."
"He's trained incredibly hard to master the elements under his command so he can help bridge the gap between the Tribes. And now he's ventured off into the starry skies, something no one on this planet has ever FATHOMED being possible, all in pursuit of the slight hope that he can reverse the Rot."
As Darnia's tone turned sad, he brought his little speech to a close with a sigh.
The Knight was left with an irritated look on their face, one aimed more at themselves than anything.
They then glanced aside before saying aloud, "All the effort in the world makes no difference if no one is willing to change."
She then smugly looked aside at Darnia and asked him, "After all these years can you seriously look me in the eyes and tell me that your son's made a difference in ANYONE'S life?"
Darnia turned to face her and without hesitation whispered, "You're looking at one."
The Knight's eyes widened and Darnia stood up, gesturing their hand at them, "I cannot force you to change your mind regarding my son, but I wanted you to understand that there's more weight behind his words and actions than you think there is."
The Knight narrowed their glare halfway and muttered, "Do YOU believe in his mission?"
"Mmm, I support him as a father, but I don't necessarily believe that he'll succeed," Darnia admitted, "Humans are...complicated and a problem not easily solved. But if he does succeed, wouldn't that be for the best for all of us?"
He then took his filled buckets and went along his merry way.
"Darnia Stratos," The Knight addressed respectfully, waiting until he peered over his shoulder to say, "...I've learned a lot from you today."
The man smiled and then walked away, leaving the Knight to stand alone and remark to themselves, "Change the world..."
The Knight made a bucket out of ice and got some milk of their own from another healthy cow. Their fingers were cold and made the cow antsy at first, but it got used over time.
At least this way the Knight now had something to fill their stomach when it groaned.
Thus weeks started to turn into months, with the Knight learning from Darnia on how to collect eggs from the flightless birds they now learned were called "chickens".
They continued their training with a bit more of a weightlessness to their movements, and the crowd continued to grow.
The kids were excited to come and see them work-out and the Knight's smile continued to grow by millimeters in their presence.
They felt it was harmless to say "Hello" at the very least as they passed through the village.
One time, a little girl with fair, freckled skin approached the Knight and gave them a small object made of yarn. According to them it was meant to resemble a snowflake, but they couldn't get it to look right.
Still, the Knight took the gift and patted the girl on the head silently with a smile.
Before they knew it, they were allowing Ezekiel to stick around a little longer to talk while they ate. They were conversations of very few sentences, but it kept the Knight at ease.
Every morning they would wake up and look at their armor, which hadn't moved from that spot since they arrived.
The birds were starting to go inside through the top or use the arms as a napping spot. When the Knight approached, they flew away.
Then, the Knight would create a reflective surface out of ice where the helm was, and look at themselves. The feeling was as hollow and empty as the armor itself now...
"Change the world..." Those three words gnawed away at them as they slept.
How...have they changed the world?
By becoming stronger? No, that was all for the sake of saving themselves.
Why did they want to save themselves? Because it was do or die. Become strong, or be weak, and a slave to the whims of lustful eyes.
And why would that have been so bad? …
No.
Even when the Knight's heart was that of unbreakable steel, loyal to their own cause, there was one thing they knew for certain...The treatment of their people was wrong.
The men get to have their way with the women, and their leader has his way with all their lives.
Peace without bloodshed was a fool's ideal...but that did not excuse how deplorable Cryofloe was.
And the more time that the Knight thought about it, the more their heart swelled with rage.
Three months after they had arrived in this floating, the Knight was slowly closing in on a critical realization, but lacked the motivation to reach the conclusion.
Because one set of words still floated along inside their head from the day they first arrived here. That of the man, Ezekiel Gaia, "Cause the two of us...We're kindred spirits."
Words that hadn't been elaborated upon since...until today, when the Knight chose to remain ignorant no longer.
At the crack of dawn they forgoed their usual exercise and marched straight through the village to where the man was housed.
They passed by Darnia along the way and greeted him, then made it over to his family's home.
They barged right into the front door and upon doing so, watched an aging middle-aged woman jump out of the corner of her kitchen in shock.
She had a plate and wash cloth in her hand and was pale-skinned, with graying auburn hair and a silky, demure smile.
The Knight paused completely still and looked at this woman as she made her way through the living room with her hand on her chest and barely a look of worry on her face.
"Oh, it's just you. You scared me," The lady said, her frail voice nevertheless trying to sound mightier than her body suggested it could be, "This is a rare treat. Did you come to join us for breakfast today?"
The Knight jumbled their words and then shook their head to try and speak straight, "I-I'm here to see Ezekiel. Is he here still?"
"That slumbering bear is snoring away in Sarajin's old room upstairs," The lady gestured her hand up that way, "Take the door on the left."
The Knight nodded and then began to make their way up the stairs. Halfway through they stopped and looked down at the woman as they were humming their way back to the kitchen.
The woman paused and glanced out of the corner of her eyes with a weak, beaming smile, "Is something the matter?"
The Knight could only think of their own mother, equally frail to this one in their final years. But whereas theirs gave in, this one was fighting, and it seemed not even the reaper would be able to sow this one's soul...
"You are...Sarajin's mother, correct?" The Knight said timidly.
"Please, call me 'Misty'." The lady smiled, and the Knight's heart started beating faster.
"...Yes, I will." The Knight hastily retreated to the top of the stairs and after pausing to catch their breath, entered the left room through the cloth door.
There the Knight found Ezekiel sprawled out atop a bed and mattress with the sheet covering his bottom half and his mouth wide open, letting out an irritatingly gravelly snore.
"Ezekiel." The Knight said aloud.
The man sprung awake and kicked the sheets right off, grunting and grumbling as they sat upright, their heart beating out of their chest.
Ezekiel glanced aside at them in an offended way and muttered, "G-Good grief how early is it...? Can't a man get a lil' extra rest?"
The Knight rested their hand against the door frame and glared at Ezekiel, "How much of the day have you been wasting on sleep?"
"Ay, I've been out there puttin' my skills to good use," Ezekiel hastily defended himself, "This bed's just so darn comfy! Layin' on this could put an Argent Heaver to sleep!"
The Knight pushed off the wall and crossed their arms, "There's something I need to ask you."
Ezekiel rubbed the back of his head and yawned, "Can't I get a few more minutes?"
The Knight raised their brows coldly and Ezekiel shivered, then waved his hand their way and said, "Alright, alright, fiiine..."
Ezekiel fell back against the head of the bed and plopped his hands atop his legs, "Whaddya need, Cecilia?"
The Knight closed their eyes and groaned internally for a few seconds, "Why did you say we are kindred spirits?"
There was dead silence in the air, and Ezekiel lowered his head looking more tired than he already did. Then he let out a long sigh and leaned back, brushing his hand out towards the Knight.
"Ya ever hear about what happened to my dear ol' pop?" He said in a melancholic tone.
"I heard he died protecting his village from an earthquake."
"...In our Tribe we have a time-honored tradition with our Titan. Every ten years they send one of their spawn, a Tremorlord, to challenge the leader at the time and ensure their strength is up to their standards."
"My pop's turn was comin' around and he was all set and ready to go, and I was there to watch at his behest."
"...Except he weren't in the best of shape, and we knew it. Had been too busy toilin' away, tryin' to prepare his people for when Ophelia finally kicked the bucket."
"He mounted a stance of defiance against the oncoming Tremorlord with a smile on his face and a fire lit in his heart."
"But when the wormy bugger came tearing through the land, my pop couldn't hold 'em off. His body was givin' in."
"I cried out to him but...it was too late."
"He was going to die no matter what, so he chose to make it worth his while and threw every last bit of strength he had into one final punch to kill the worm and ensure his people could safely prosper for another ten years."
"...The people mourned a hero. I mourned my dear ol' pop."
Ezekiel raised his hand and squeezed his fist before his face, "It was at that moment I started to wake up and see just how...stupid all this was."
"We are fighting for what? A chance to mine more stones to build more tools to mine more metals to build more weapons to fight more battles. Over and over and over again."
"And with him gone, who'd be next in line to live up to ol' Johnathan Gaia, the selfless savior?" Ezekiel pointed at his chest.
"And it scared the HELL outta me." He said, his eyes slowly widening as he spoke.
He then swung his hand out and shouted, "I got dreams of me own! I don't wanna die young!"
"...So I gave up leadership to me mum and focused my efforts towards helping Sarajin achieve unity between the other Tribes. Cause if I gotta live this life, I'm at least gonna make somethin' out of it."
The Knight was left humming to themselves by the time the man was through. They then closed their eyes and thought, "So he's another person Sarajin changed for the better..."
They opened their eyes part way and started looking in Ezekiel's general direction, pressing their fingertips into their elbows.
"...Maybe we are closer than I wanted to admit, Ezekiel Gaia." The Knight said, catching the man by surprise.
They then looked aside and muttered under their breath, "My mother...She was an unimpressive woman. Colrez bedded her simply because he could. But to her, she clung to that day like she had been graced by god."
"And it tore her up on the inside. She was crazy, and showed me a reflection of what my fate could one day be."
"And I hated it. I hated her. She was a weak, pathetic woman that taught me nothing except the cold harsh reality of our world."
"She died. Alone, and unloved. And I buried her under the floorboards of our sham of a house."
"...All this time I thought I was becoming strong only to leave my mark on history, and defy my destined fate as trash easily discarded. But deep down I had been infected with the idealism I loathed so much."
"I had envisioned a world where the expectations set by the patriarchy could be overturned and men and women could stand on equal ground."
The Knight scoffed bitterly towards themselves, "What a fool I was. Their depravity has grown out of control and the contempt towards their lives is bound to get them all killed one day."
"Everything the Arctic Knight accomplished was in service to this insanity, and by wearing that helm I shielded myself from the truth."
There was long silence to give them both a chance to breathe and collect their thoughts. And it ended with Ezekiel looking towards the Knight with a kindly gesture as they wondered, "So? Are ya just gonna give up?"
The Knight squeezed their fingertips into their skin and faced Ezekiel straight-on with a glare, "No."
"Well..." Ezekiel rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "Then where do we go from 'ere?"
"..." The Knight looked the other way and whispered, "I don't know."
"We could wait until Sarajin gets back?"
"You have no guarantee he will be back," The Knight spun around and glared harder, "Do you have no pride in your own strength, Ezekiel Gaia? It's like you said a while back...We have voices that want to be heard, but how can anyone hear us if we don't take the initiative?"
Ezekiel puckered his lips and rubbed his chin, while the Knight shouted at him, "If we hesitate now then Colrez and people like him will continue to get their way with nobody to stop them!"
"I know, I know..." Ezekiel held his hands out, then threw a gesture as he remarked, "It ain't that I don't wanna make a move it's just. Well..."
He closed his eyes and smiled forcefully, "It ain't gonna be a pleasant road for us' all I'm sayin'."
"What are you suggesting?" The Knight remarked.
"...It's time we go visit me mum." Ezekiel said, hanging his head to let out a long, agonizing sigh.
All throughout this conversation Misty had been leaning beside the door and listening in. With it seeming to be at an endpoint, she pulled away with a quiet hum and whispered to herself as he walked off, "Perhaps it's time for me to take a little initiative of my own..."
A little while later after the Knight and Ezekiel had their fill of food and gathered their strength and wits, they approached Darnia with a request to take them back to Oreore.
The Knight reclaimed their armor from the nesting birds and brought it along on their back.
One trip along the wind later, Darnia dropped them off a safe distance away from the ravine, and Ezekiel faced him to say farewell.
"Thanks again for the hospitality, Darnia. And tell Misty I'd love to have her home cooking again anytime."
"..." Darnia's weary gaze met Ezekiel, and with a terse nod he said, "I will. Are you sure you do not want me to stick around a little while?"
"No," Ezekiel remarked, "Ya've done enough for us as is. Just be sure to send Sarajin my way when he gets back."
"I will," Darnia then faced the Knight and said, "I wish we could've talked more."
"Perhaps another time, Darnia Stratos."
Darnia nodded again and then took flight straight back towards his home.
With one last sigh to pep himself up, Ezekiel followed the Knight in turning to face the ravine, where he then muttered, "Home sweet home..."
His smile trembled into a worried scowl, "I hope..."
They made their way over to the ravine and the usual pair of miners were on guard for strangers. When Ezekiel came into view they sprung up with wide eyes.
One was reaching for their horn when Ezekiel threw his hand up and shouted, "Whoa! At ease, men!"
The guard stayed their hand for a moment when Ezekiel put his hand on their shoulder and whispered, "We're just here to speak with me mum."
Ezekiel smiled and pointed into the ravine, "She home?"
"Y-Yes." The guard stuttered, unable to look away from the Knight.
Ezekiel glanced back at them then towards the guard, "Don't worry. They ain't bringin' any trouble with 'em this time."
Ezekiel gave them a pat and then the guards allowed them free passage into the ravine.
There wasn't a problem of resistance so much as hostility in the air. But it was pointless to engage the aggressors with anything but equal looks and the two just walked a straight line to the Gaia household.
Ezekiel stood at the door and pressed his fists on his hips, looking up with a sigh, "Well...'ere goes nuthin'."
Two loud knocks on the door and Lianne came to answer it forcefully.
Her immediate response was a look of surprise followed by the most intense hostility of them all, aimed at them both.
Lianne's hand crushed part of the door in their grasp as she muttered, "Why are DEY here...?"
"Mum-"
"No no no! Get out! I don't want nuthin' to do with a child who's consortin' with the enemy!" Lianne was prepared to slam the door in his face but Ezekiel thrust his palm out and the door shattered on impact.
Lianne stood there with a look of abject shock and even the Knight found themselves paying attention when Ezekiel glared back with a firm, and serious glare.
"No mum," He said, still maintaining an air of respect, "No more runnin'...We need to talk."
Lianne gawked and then closed her mouth with a cross look in her eyes. Following a hefty huff and puff through their nostrils, they pulled back into the house and marched for the living room.
Ezekiel then stepped inside and gestured his hands out for the Knight. The Knight took the lead, dragging their armor across the floor as they made their way to the table where the family would usually eat.
Lianne sat on one end, the Knight at the other, and Ezekiel sandwiched between them.
Lianne's face was crinkling up more and more as they glared at the Knight. The Knight kept still and collected at a first glance, but was fiddling their fingers together beneath the table.
Ezekiel looked at them both, the tension so thick it made the dog whimper behind cover.
"Ahem...right then..."
Ezekiel was about to start when his mum spoke up bluntly, "Why ya keep tormentin' us ya damn Knight? What'd the fine people of Oreore ever do to you?"
The Knight answered without hesitation, "You were never anything to me but a means to an end."
Ezekiel squeezed his fist and threw it down beside him while hissing in a subtle, worried way.
Lianne's brows slanted hard, but not before the Knight had something more to say.
Placing their hands together atop the table, they closed their eyes and said, "But...circumstances have changed."
"Have they now?!" Lianne shouted in disbelief, standing and slamming their hands down on the table.
The Knight trembled, but remained calm by taking a deep breath and looking to Ezekiel for the affirmative nod to keep going.
The Knight then looked Lianne straight in the eyes with their determination refined like the finest steel, "I wish to live among the people of Oreore."
Lianne spat up a "Pah!" and then threw her head around, ultimately gesturing bluntly at the Knight as she told them, "Oh that's just perfect! Sure! Let's just throw out the past and start anew, who cares about a few threats or stolen gems, ya?!"
She then placed her hands upon her chest and remarked, "While we're at it, I might as well up and surrender leadership to ya!"
She smashed her hands down upon the table leaned out towards the Knight, growling bluntly into their face, "Ye outta yer damn mind, ya arrogant hussy?!"
"I don't want ya...anywhere near my people. Yer lucky I even let you sit in me home!"
The Knight opened their eyes and nodded, "You're right. The Arctic Knight of Black Winter has committed too many sins that they must repent for."
Once Lianne had pulled back onto her seat, the Knight sprung into action and threw their armor down on top of the table, making it crack.
Lianne and Ezekiel's hearts skipped a beat, and for a moment left them unaware of the Knight drawing both their blades in hand and standing up.
The Knight stared at their reflection in the armor with contempt and then swung their blades over their heads. Then, in the blink of an eye they plunged their blades deep into the chest with a ferocious roar, penetrating through to the other side.
The Knight then panted heavily as Lianne watched on, speechless.
The Knight released their grip on the blades and waved their hand down at the penetrated armor, stating with clear and authoritative intent, "The Arctic Knight has been slain. I hope you will accept their corpse as a gesture of good will, Lianne Gaia."
Lianne looked at the stranger standing at their seat with their brows raised curiously, "...Then to whom do I owe my thanks to?"
? grabbed their lance and planted it in the ground, resting their arms between the handle and their chin as they looked towards Lianne with a sincere smile of gratitude, "You can call me...Cecilia. You will find I am no enemy of Oreore, nor ally to Cryofloe."
"Just a wandering warrior, with plenty of experience and knowledge to give to the right cause."
Lianne pressed her arms under her chest and closed her eyes to think, briefly bringing them open to ask, "And what cause may that be?"
"To put an end to this bullshit war. And I know now that to play my part," Cecilia's eyes narrowed with a fire growing inside of them, "I am going to kill Colrez Frost."
"..." Lianne closed her eyes back up and Ezekiel grumbled with worry at her silence.
Cecilia tried to alleviate any of her remaining concerns by saying with absolute sincerity, "If I still need to earn your trust, then feel free to work me to the bone until I do. But I see no other place in this world I'd rather be right now, then with the proud men and women of Oreore."
Lianne poked one eye open towards her son and asked him bluntly, "Well boy, whaddya think of all this?"
"...The way I see it," Ezekiel glanced at Cecilia from the corner of his eyes and pointed his smile at her, "If she understands the importance of hard work and diligence, then she's already just as much of a man of stone as any one of us."
"In that case, I'll leave her under yer care," Lianne made sure to punctuate her remark by pointing out, "But if she steps out of line, no mercy. Understood?"
"Heh, I ain't gonna let that happen ya know." Ezekiel said with a chuckle.
Lianne reached out and punched him in the shoulder, "Ya dumb boy..."
Then with a tiny smile she whispered fondly, "...It's good to have ya home."
Ezekiel nodded and rubbed his arm, "I'm gonna try a lil' harder from now on, alright?"
"Ya better. We've fallen behind in yer absence!" With one last hearty remark, Lianne's attitude seemed to be back to being more at ease.
Ezekiel and Cecilia then left the house, with her putting her swords and lance onto her back for now.
The two began making their way down the stairs, with Ezekiel finally letting the sweat loose as he breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"Good lord, I thought we were gonna be crushed to pebbles!"
"You may be strong, Ezekiel, but now I understand who the dangerous one in your family is." Cecilia said, following up with a light chuckle.
"Heh, ya..." Ezekiel nervously rubbed the back of his head.
Cecilia stopped halfway down the stairs and crossed her arms under her chest, stuck in a contemplative mood.
Ezekiel paused and made a kindly gesture to say, "All's well that ends well, ya?"
"I suppose. But there is one answer I've yet to figure out..."
"Oh?"
Cecilia turned to look his way and with a tiny smile, raised her hand and brushed the side of her hair before crossing it back under her chest, "What does it mean to 'Marry' someone?"
"O-Oh, right, that..." Ezekiel flicked his finger out and shyly took a step back with a fitting grin. He then started rubbing the back of his head faster.
"Don't think nuthin' of it, m-my heart was just fired up in the heat of the moment."
"No, I want to know," Cecilia pressured him with her sincere look of child-like intrigue, "It sounded like a big deal to you."
"..." Ezekiel smiled like a puppy dog and relented in a matter of seconds, "Haaa..."
He crossed his arms and said, "When ya find someone ya love very, very much, then ya make a vow to them on an altar, to spend the rest of their lives together...'Til death do we part."
"...So it's a bond of eternal love?" Cecilia said.
Ezekiel shook his head rapidly and insisted, "A-Again, don't think too much about it."
Cecilia turned away and for a brief moment, Ezekiel could have sworn he saw her blush.
"...I never did say 'No' back then, remember?"
"Eh?" Ezekiel gawked.
She peered over her shoulder and her smile got a little wider that day. Ezekiel blushed in turn, with him scratching the side of his face and chuckling like a nervous teenager.
"Maybe we oughta slow our horses a bit." He whispered.
"...True, who knows if the rest of your people will even accept me as one of their own."
"Cecilia..."
The ground trembled heavily close by and the two sharply faced forward to find part of the ravine wall had been blown off incorrectly, and now a massive boulder was careening straight down towards an observing child.
Cecilia slanted her brows and sprinted straight towards the child on a sheet of ice. She got directly beneath the boulder and stabbed her lance into the ground, creating a towering series of ice spears around the two of them that held the boulder in mid-air while Ezekiel jumped through the air and shoulder tackled it to a safer location on the ground.
Cecilia's heart raced as they hung over the child and looked as their face went from fearful to in awe.
Cecilia broke into a cold sweat and tried to smile, but found it harder than she could've believed.
With the kid safe and sound, she shattered the ice and stood up, planting the lance on her back.
The kid's mother came running up in a panic and scooped them off the ground.
Cecilia couldn't hear their little talk as she was too enamored by the love and concern the mother showed their child.
The mother then turned their attention towards her and mouthed silently, "Thank you..."
Cecilia smiled and closed her eyes, her heart still racing in her chest, "...You're welcome."
Ezekiel then patted her on the shoulder and chuckled, gesturing to the child returned safely as he remarked, "Ya know...I think ya'll fit in just fine."
Cecilia grabbed her arm and felt her body at ease, because for the first time ever...she felt comfortable being who she was, in a place she truly belonged...
Next Time: The Eyes of the Stranger