Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none
Rating: K+
Word Count: 6,368
Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.
Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves
Note: This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.
Class Notes:
Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen
Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter
Doppelgänger
Chapter 03: Mind and Body
Rage Hearts
A couple of dark elves were stationed when the El Search Party arrived at the outpost with heavy eyelids. The dark elf elder must have instructed them to stay behind if they were still in the process of evacuating the village. White masks obscured their faces, but their sharpened knives and bows positioned for an ambush made it clear they weren't letting their guard down.
The sentry guardians let them cram under a tent for shelter from the rain. Black clouds clustered together in an erratic array, thunder striking against Rage's eardrums as rain overflowed the undergrowth. Lightning flashed in irregular intervals as he and his friends waited in painful silence.
Packing that morning was less than a hassle. Apsara only forgot to retrieve her spare weapons once and it took less than three trips to pack Chevalier's elaborate tea set customized from Lanox. Being a soldier himself, he didn't own a lot of possessions. He spent most of the morning making sure nothing was left behind and that everyone was present and accounted for. They were waiting for Aether and Crusader when one of the dark elves spoke.
"Your party number seems to increase every time we meet."
"I'm sorry?" Perplexed by what the dark elf meant, Rage did a mental headcount. There were nine of them, which was three short because Knight was gone and they were still waiting for two party members to rejoin. Did the dark elf mistaken?
"No, there are nine of us," Apsara waved her finger in the air to recount their team members.
The dark elf didn't falter from her statement, "I saw humans in the forest last night. Elder Edith told us not to attack on her command, but if you are hiding more humans..."
"We're not," Rage said. "If there were more of us, we would have told you."
"How many people were there?" Code: Esencia asked.
"At least a dozen," the other dark elf replied. "They were in smaller groups as you were."
"Sorry for the wait," Aether stepped under the tent. Her staff raised above her head to form a magical barrier shielding her from the rain. In contrast to the El Search Party, Aether remained dry aside from a few wrinkles that needed to be ironed out. "It took longer than I thought to get here with the sudden rain."
"We'll be outside if you humans need us," the dark elf said. Her comrade nodded to the party and excuse themselves from the tent.
The dark elves have left the El Search Party with new information that must have been baffling for them because Daybringer had ceased talking to Bluhen, who had a sullen expression but nodded when she stopped to explain something. Empire, Ishtar, and Chevalier discussed among themselves on the implications of potential human allies. Esencia and Bringer were silent on the affair, deep in their thoughts and had nothing to contribute to the conversation.
There at least a dozen humans beside them! Rage was shocked by the number. They haven't had new members join the El Search Party since Chevalier and Ishtar, who arrived as a pair in Lanox. Regardless, with strict policies to outsiders, it was unlikely for humans to settle in Varnimyr without the dark elves' notice. Who were those strangers and what were the chances of coming into contact with them? With their luck, very likely.
"What's going on? Everyone's quiet," Aether frowned.
"Sorry, Aisha. I could hardly sleep last night." Apsara wiped her eyes to dust away a tear, "It was hard to."
"Sorry about the late letter," Aether chuckled. "Didn't want you to worry for not saying where we were."
"Where's Chung?" Rage noted the absence of the young man.
The mage stuttered, "He's occupied at the moment. Don't worry, he'll be here soon!"
Aether smiled, but her brows visibly twitching at an intensity that left little of her answer to be believed. Sitting between Rage and Apsara, she had her hands over the helm of her skirt, picking at a loose piece of thread she found. Worry and discomfort were apparent in how she crossed her legs with restlessness.
"What did you want to tell us?" Empire sat next to the mage.
Aether hummed, "There's a trail leading to clues that might tell us what happened to Elsword. You must have seen the forest before you arrived."
It was unlike anything they have seen before. Unevenly burned and charred, the trees were stripped bare of their bark and collapsed at the slightest human contact. The smell of smoke was still fresh in Rage's mind. Parts of it were still burning from yesterday when Bluhen found the battle site until the downpour started. It was no ordinary fire. The burn marks stopped abruptly midway through the woods and the destructive path it laid in ruins was too well calculated to be of natural occurrence.
Albeit the clumsiness and likely lack of control over their magic, Rage could see the power in what was leftover from how through the fire was. He had doubts they would find anything of use from the remnants of the burned down forest. Broken bottles and discarded glass jars told the mercenary the damage was likely caused by another human. An arsonist in the Demon Realm? The magic humans used for magic was different than the blue fire Ishtar and Chevalier used in battle. Not as destructive as demon fire, but just as unpredictable and difficult to control without proper training.
"There were footprints, but as you may guess, most of it was gone by the time we found them." Aether said, "Human footprints mixed with-"
"Corrupted Elrianode monsters," Bluhen finished, long eyelashes brushing over green pupils. "Elsword wanted to assess the cause of the sudden spike in the presence of El. I agreed to go with him to ensure his safety, but we were split apart when we saw the monsters."
That was new information for the El Search Party.
Bringer's scowl grew deeper, uttering incohesive words that were less than savory. Apsara looked at Empire with concern as the red knight's shoulders stiffened at the mention of her brother, clamping her gloved hands into tight fists. Quiet chatter spouted between some of the team members, words of hushed worry and fear.
Esencia wasn't as transparent in her emotions, but the sadness in her eyes was apparent. The Nasod queen placed her weight on Remy and Moby, patting them with gentleness unlike one of a Nasod.
"That idiot," Aether growled. Red flashed across the mage's features, a mixture of anger and regret, even guilt from how hard she gripped her staff if that was any indication. "He could have waited for us to help him with the investigation. Why does he think he has to deal with everything by himself?"
Knight would have taken their concern with a bashful laugh. Flustered but with an appreciative smile before covering his embarrassment with an apology, leaving one to wonder if the man was aware of the effect he had on others.
He was not the most intelligent of the bunch, but his impressive stamina and strive to move forward was admirable. That was what made Knight approachable and likable because he wasn't threatening. Rare naivety for someone his age, yet it was his strength to explains why he had supportive friends willing to stay by his ideals.
"Um… The dark elves said they saw humans." Apsara decided to change the topic to break the silence, "What does that mean? I thought we were the only ones. Did you see them, Aisha?"
The mage shook her head.
"It's not improbable," Ishtar said, the former demon monarch idly flicking her tail. "It would be naive to think we were the first outsiders the dark elves have met. Demons have invaded the human world before, so it's not unlikely the same has happened in reverse."
"Is it an invasion if there are only twelve of them?" Chevalier mused.
"Humans are capable even in small numbers," Esencia stated.
That's why humans won the Nasod War, Rage thought. Humans do not have half the abilities demons, but their adaptability and tenacity made up for it, as he had found out when he met the El Search Party. No one else was as foolish or stubborn as the children that were willing to put their lives on the line to rescue a bizarre cyborg experiment.
"Should we warn the dark elves?" Daybreaker asked.
"We don't know what kind of people they are," Apsara argued. "We should watch them first before we do anything. They could be new allies!"
"Or they can be new enemies," Bringer drawled. "But still, not a bad idea."
"I sense their El," Bluhen said. "But they share the same wavelength as us. They have better control over it than the demons do."
"What you described sounds like the shadows we fought in the Hall of El." Aether crossed her arms.
The shadows' physical appearances, movements, even their voices mirrored their real counterparts. They were manifestations of the El, whispering sweet promises and luring them into a false sense of security. It was a good thing none of them caved in because the El Search Party could have disbanded from missing members.
Daybreaker crossed examined the purple-haired woman with the eyes of a medic, taking note of the lack of open wounds or injuries. It didn't appear that Aether partook in a recent fight. "You seem to be in good health, but what about Chung? Are the potions for him?"
"I guess you can say that," Aether rubbed her forehead. "He'll be here soon enough, hahaha…"
Her nervous and forced laughter left more questions than answers. She was going to leave red marks on her forehead if she kept rubbing it.
The mage mumbled, "What's taking him so long?"
Rage narrowed his eyes. Aether was an intelligent young woman, but hiding information from the group was not what the mercenary appreciated if they were discussing the health of a fellow team member. Opening his mouth, he was ready to interrogate her before Empire interjected.
"We can wait for Chung, but you need to be honest with us if he doesn't come in fifteen minutes." Empire warned Aether, "I understand if he wants you to lie to spare our feelings, but we don't have the time to play these charades."
"Right…" Aether's eyes averted.
"Did you find the remains?" Bringer ignored the leers Bluhen was sending him. "We found the loser's scabbard. Did you call this meeting to tell us what we already know?"
It was strange his scabbard was the only thing remaining. Where did Knight's greatsword go? His scabbard was identified closer to their campsite than where Rage thought the battle between their former leader and the monsters took place. The ones Bluhen fought must have been the last of them because they did not come across any on their way to the resting station to reunite with their teammates. Those beings held no inhibition or motivation of their own unless controlled by a Henir cultist.
"Remains?" Aether gawked at the brawler, "What are you talking about?"
"Ow, let go!" A familiar voice whined from outside the tent.
A male voice exclaimed, "You're going to reopen your wounds if you walk like that!"
"Your grip is going to reopen them!" They huffed, "When did you get this strong? Easy on the hand holding!"
The voices grew louder in a cacophony.
Drenched from the rain was a young man emerging into the tent. He wore an unbuttoned thin white jacket with red lining on the edges and belts, which was also soaked from the inconvenient weather. Metallic pieces plated over his thighs for reasons Rage couldn't understand. What were those plates supposed to protect? Red runes etched over his bare tanned skin on his arms and lower stomach, revealing more runes carved into his palms when he opened them.
Behind him was Crusader. The ponytailed man had an umbrella over his head with a medical kit in hand. Destroyer was strapped to his back and one arm interlocked around the other. His determination was visible as Crusader tugged his elbow inward and pulling them towards the center to Aether's fire to warm up.
"If you don't stay still, those scars will become permanent." Crusader chastised.
"What's another scar to add to the many?" He shrugged, "It's not like we have a healer or anything."
"We have Ain."
"Since when does Ain heal?"
Aether groaned.
Long tangled hair tied into a lower ponytail, bangs pulled back by a black headband that did little to keep his fringe out of his eyes. Eyes the color of fire matched his hair. Rage gawked at his choice of clothes. What was he wearing? Those plates weren't going to protect him from anything unless the demons wanted to attack his thighs.
"Why are you all so serious?" The man let out a nervous chuckle at his new audience, "You all look like someone just died."
Empire stepped forward, eyes glazed over him. Arms across the newcomer's shoulders, she croaked at the familiar face.
"Elsword?"
Devi
The sun warmed the frigid forest undergrowth with tenderness. Devi smelled smoke coming from the fire Abysser kept alive throughout the night, waking up in hourly shifts to rekindle the dying light. It was a commitment she admired from a distance, not wanting to bother the demon in his morning ritual. Pots and pans clattered in the background as Abysser gathered ingredients he had stocked in Elrianode in preparation for breakfast.
Marigold glowed in the lower portion to indigo and maroon where the horizon was, a mild portion of the sky in what Devi assumed was what mornings were like in the Demon Realm. In contrast to the numerous moons rotating on their axis, the lonesome sun dipped past the hills. The forest's chatter dismissed from activity as Devi examined her fingernails, curling them tight in anticipation with quivered lips.
She promised she would follow Flame.
Despite the inconvenience she had brought to the El Search Party because of Ran's actions, Flame waited for her. What started as routine sparring sessions blossomed into more. They talked about their brothers, their hometowns, the food and people they saw, and the wonders they experienced on their journeys. Although the red knight wasn't the brightest and sometimes needed things to be explained, her presence was candlelight when Devi was in a dark place.
Resting her head on her bag, Flame remained exhausted and woozy from last night fight, restless in sleep. Red strands fluttered past her face as she slept on her side, arms tucked into her body. Her chest rose with each passing breath, unaware of Devi sitting close by on a fallen log and watching over her.
The Rune Master meant the world to Flame. Devi understood the feeling of losing a close family member after finally catching a glimpse of them even for a short period of time. Raised in the army and asked to lead at a young age, Flame admitted that her happiest moment wasn't reuniting with her father, but seeing Rune again and joining his band of oddballs in Velder. Devi couldn't forget the rage and panic Flame had when she almost lost her brother to the El.
It was unfair to despise the boy for playing martyr out of the selfless belief that it would restore the El and everything would be fine and dandy. If that was his idea of justice, Devi could respect that, but placing his life in danger shortly after affected her more than she had expected herself to be.
Rune could have chosen not to listen to her story after she had blocked them from attacking her brother. No one was forcing him to accept Devi into the El Search Party or provide her the resources to strengthen her spear. Kindness seemed to run in the family because Rune never judged her for her decision to pursue power over more noble goals
"It sounds important to you, so I trust you." He said when Devi gave him a quizzical eye.
Missing him? Eun asked.
Only because he brings her pain, Devi replied. She could hear the doubt in the fox spirit's thoughts but knew better than to probe further.
If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have met Flame or the other party members, who were just as accepting. It was the kind of trust that could easily be taken advantage of by others.
Devi smelled the eggs and steamed rice. She considered offering a hand and helping Abysser set the table, but arrangements were already made with plates and bowls ready, utensils lined up and ready to feed five people.
There's only five of us, Eun reminded her.
Six if we count you, Devi held a blank expression on that line of thought. They were seven people short with Rune's whereabouts unknown. Flame was insistent on regrouping with the rest of their friends. When Devi woke up for her shift, Abysser passed a message that Dominator had found a way to reach them over their communication devices. They were going to leave after breakfast.
Flame moved. Stretching her limbs, she reached for her bag to retrieve a hairbrush to untangle her hair and rolled to the side to greet Devi.
"Mornin'" Her girlfriend yawned. "Did you sleep well?"
Smiling at her, Devi shook her head. "You know I can't sleep through the night as well as you can."
Which was true, because the Demon Realm wasn't free from crickets. Their loud chirps made the forest come alive and left Devi lying in cold sweat from moving in her sleep. Summers in Demon Realm couldn't escape insects either, it seemed.
"What's on your mind?" Flame teased, "You look like Eun just told you Elsword ate the last steak."
"I didn't know he could eat that much!" Devi fumed, feeling her cheeks flush red and stuttered. "You should get ready for breakfast. We're leaving after to meet up with the others."
"You heard from them?" Flame was impressed. "That was quick!"
Devi thought about the effort Dominator must have put into making their means of communication functional despite Dark El tempering with it. His fascination with Nasods wasn't something she understood nor did she care for, but if it helped them on their journey and made things more convenient, then she wasn't going to complain. It wouldn't surprise her if the scientist pulled an all-nighter.
"Why stop when you can make more improvements?" Dominator would have puffed his chest with pride.
Breakfast was a quiet affair with humble food and bread rationed among party members to last them for at least a few days for their upcoming expedition. With only five mouths to feed, although that would soon bump back to eleven, it didn't take long to wash the dishes and clean up afterward. It felt like they were camping outside Atlas Station again, surrounded by a foreign environment and little known information to what was in their future.
It started raining when they finished packing. Water droplets pelted them as Devi clenched her gown to the side to avoid getting it wet, grumbling to herself with dismay. It felt like years since their last experienced proper rainfall, which was when they stopped at Atlas Station. Clouds cluttered and darkened without warning, releasing a downpour over their group as they searched for higher ground to avoid the overflowing river.
"Where did you say we were meeting them again?" Flame pressed her forehead against her palm, rubbing her eyes.
"I told them where we were," Phantom said. "Hopefully they can find out through this rain."
Phantom had a baby blue umbrella over his head and a matching scarf. Equally blue eyes locked into Devi's, still shorter than the older woman even with the added centimeters from his armor. Gray clouds reflecting off his pupils, difficult to read and unpredictable as the way he fought the Hamel demons on their first meeting.
The other half of their group contacted him when Phantom was on patrol duty for the night. From then, the message was passed down the rest of their small group with Devi being the last to tell Flame.
"What are you going to do once we find Elsword?" Phantom asked.
"The same as before," Devi flashed a sharp-fanged smile. "Ran is still out there and those demons won't slaughter themselves."
Phantom didn't flinch at the half threat, but the disapproval was clear. If he was requesting for a different answer this time, then the guardian of Hamel was in for a disappointment.
Devi let out a humorless laugh. Her brother was still a high priority on her list and taking down the demons that brought him to his fate was her answer. She wasn't going to pretend it wasn't a selfish act. It was personal and had little to no involvement with the grander scheme of the El or those involved with it. Ran was but a mere pawn to the demons that wished to invade Elrios and use their resources.
Strange how life played its pieces into place. She was on the same side as the man who wanted to take down her brother despite the risks that may jeopardize their relations.
"I hope you understand what it means if you can't make him change his mind," Phantom chose his words with care.
"I know," Devi gripped her hands around her umbrella. They would have to take him down, a thought that had her clenched her teeth on the possibility. "I see them."
She made out the outlines of Oz's hat and Dominator's drones residing behind the scientist, their shadows obscuring the other half of the El Search Party emerging from the storm. They regrouped under the trees, laying their weapons and possessions against the tree trunks. Most of them wore raincoats that went down to their knees with matching umbrellas.
"I hope there was no trouble getting here," Phantom said. "Did you come across any demons?"
"Not as many as I thought there would be." Anemos was apologetic, "Sorry for the wait!"
"Let's not do this again," Oz wiped her brow. "This place is big enough as is when we're together."
Devi agreed. They had wasted a day searching for each other and avoiding bringing attention to themselves because of their unceremonious entrance into a new world. Too many detours like in Elrios. They could be searching for answers on the Dark El, but time was running out.
"Any signs or clues to where Elsword is?" Abysser asked.
Richter leaned closer to where Anemos was and averted his gaze when addressed by the demon. Long strands of hair combed over his eyes. The priest stood still under the tree, rain trickling down his pale neck as he engaged in a locked staring contest with Abysser.
Abysser was the first to blink.
"We didn't find anything, but there are tents nearby." Abysser took the lack of response from Richter and the others for a no. "I think we'll have luck if we ask the residents living here."
"I see."
Displeasure appeared on Richter's face not unlike her own, just as irritated on the suggestion of cooperating with demons. They have a poor track record with demons outside of Timoria and Abysser, although that was to be expected with their reputation for giving demons trouble.
"Eve, is there a way you can search for Elsword?" Flame asked.
Gazing at her with sympathy, Ultimate said. "Remy and Moby can run a scan, but it will take time. They need time to analyze."
"Thank you," Flame was appreciative. "I guess that brings us back to square one on finding Elsword."
"Unless we run into ourselves," Blade mumbled.
"What?" Devi stared at the mercenary with intent, waiting for Blade to say he was joking. Okay, the old man was as likely to start joking when Dominator would stop gushing over ancient codes.
"I...may have brought us into the wrong Demon Realm and we might run into ourselves," Dominator admitted with a sheepish grin.
Devi groaned, "Is that going to give us problems?"
There were correct Demon Realms now? Devi covered her face with a gloved hand and choked on her saliva. There were only so many times she could handle dimension-hopping. First, there was Elysion, then Elrianode, she guessed Demon Realm was another to add to the list.
"If they're anything like us, they might be helpful in finding the brat," Dominator mused. "Assuming they don't see us as a threat."
How reassuring, Eun yawned.
Not if we take them down first, Devi thought.
"Wrong Demon Realm or not, we still need a starting point to find Elsword." Blade said, "I think Ciel is right in asking around. We can learn more about the Demon Realm and where we are."
"We can do that after the rain stops," Flame stared at the gray skies. "I doubt we'll find anyone in this weather."
Devi gazed at the sky too. It was the kind of weather for her and brother to sit around the fire for a cup of tea after dinner. She was always careful not to add too many tea leaves after the one time she forgot and used all of them in one sitting. Ran wouldn't stop laughing about it afterward, but it didn't make her feel bad because he offered to make a new pot of tea. If they were in a different Demon Realm, did that mean this Ran wasn't the one she grew up with? Devi didn't know what to think of that.
Alternatives of themselves. What were they like? Would her counterpart be nothing but a shadow of herself like those manifestations in the Hall of El? Or would the look-alike be a mirror image for Devi to notice the visible flaws until she had enough and lose her mind? If there was another Flame, would they still get along? Devi laid her head down and sighed. She had enough of this dimension bullshit.
Knight Emperor
"Who are you?" Knight stared at the sleeping figure. A trap set by demons? What were they doing here?
That couldn't be a civilian. They shared his face. Not an exact copy because they wore their hair like they left a late-night party and had questionable clothes, but that wasn't the point! How could that be possible? They felt too real to be an imitation like the shadows he had fought in the Temple of Trials.
"Ugh, my head hurts." They stood up, wobbling with their hand over their head. "Woah, did I hit my head that hard? I see two of me!"
"You're telling me," Knight crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, studying his look alike. The red markings reminded him of the runes he studied when he still bothered going to school before picking up a sword. Well, they couldn't both call themselves Elsword, so his counterpart was going to be named Rune. Wait, he was getting distracted... "Why are you here?"
"Better question," Rune laughed. "Why are you here?"
"I don't have time for this," Knight groaned at the question flipped on its head and back to himself. "Earthquakes are going on and we still don't know anything about the Dark El. I need to get back to my friends and-"
"Wow, you're searching for answers on that too?" That perked Rune's attention, "I guess you really are me!"
Knight wasn't as keen on being associated with his counterpart. Past experiences with similar entities were unpleasant and often ended in brawls. Would that happen again with this one? Knight closed his eyes. He was still exhausted from the fight.
"Hey, don't space out on me. Are you okay?"
Knight jerked his head forward to the sound of rattling, his mind paused on the present and went to autopilot. Twisting his body, Knight threw himself in front of his counterpart and blocked a set of sharp teeth with his sword, shoving his counterpart to the ground with his free hand and away from the attacker. Knight opened his mouth to scream at Rune to leave, but nothing came out. He could feel the demon breathing down on him as it pinned him.
The demon attacked.
Water dripped from the high ceiling, echoing within the walls of the enclosure with no interruptions. The ground was damp and had a mossy smell to the gravel beneath Knight's boots. He woke up to the sight of a sharp point of a crystal growing from the ceiling, pointing down to where he laid. Knight held his breath and pulled himself away before he could hurt himself from wanting to touch the crystal to see if it was as tough as his greatsword.
Fluorescent light radiated from crystals on the sides of the walls in pink, orange, blue, and purple, some as tall as a human adult. Some of the crystals sprouted from the ceiling and the ground up, forming an effective wall and blocking possible exits. Smaller rocks were placed strategically in the corners of the confinement. Shelves carved into the walls behind him with nothing but dust to greet Knight.
Where was he? Peeking through the gaps between the crystallized wall, repeated formations of crystals and boulders expanded with no end in sight. He was inside a cavern. A metallic smell stuck to the walls, one that Knight was well accustomed to by now. It smelled like blood.
Was this the Shadow Driller's hideout? Knight turned around frantically in search for the demon that brought him here. It resembled the Shadow Snipers invading Hamel almost two years ago, but it looked stronger. Thorns protruded over its head and orange scales plated over its spine and limbs, standing on hind legs and claws reached out for him. It was easily taller than him by at least one to two heads. What was Knight supposed to do if there were more of them?
He needed to leave.
The Emperor Knight reached for his greatsword from the sheath on his back, feeling for his weapon and moving his arm back further when there was nothing. His blood turned into ice. The absence of his weapon was apparent.
He failed to keep his promise to his friends and got himself caught in a sticky situation. How long would it take for the El Search Party to figure out where he was? Knight himself didn't know how far he was from his friends. He didn't remember seeing a cave or a cavern close to their campsite.
Where did he drop his sword? It was by his side when Knight fought off the Elrianode monsters and found Rune, who was nowhere to be found.
A hollow feeling rose from his chest. Did Rune understand his intention and escape while Knight fought the Shadow Driller as a distraction? Or did Rune stay behind to fight and get caught as a prisoner?
His counterpart was less fazed by Knight's existence than vice versa, but he didn't seem to have bad intentions if his first response was to talk things out instead of attack. That was a change in pace for Knight after dealing with demons who felt more obliged to slice him in half rather than hold a conversation.
Rune said something about researching the Dark El. It sounded similar to the resolve Knight made with his friends after they pulled him out of the El's influence. Determination mirrored back when Knight looked at his alternative, purpose and responsibility weighing on the shoulders of an eighteen-year-old with battle scars. Those scars looked worse than his, making Knight gain sudden self-conscious over his body. If it wasn't for Bluhen, would he be similar to his other self? They had minute differences, but their mind and body were the same.
If Rune existed, then did the rest of the El Search Party exist as well? Knight tried to imagine meeting Aether or Bluhen's alternatives, but the image of them wearing clothes as meager as Rune wasn't something he was going to forget. Did it matter if they were different? They would still be his friends.
This was something Bringer would have enjoyed discussing because the brawler held a fascination for alternative dimensions and the like. Knight was sure he would explain how people like Rune were possible when they held more free will than any of the shadows they have encountered before. Until he could break his way out and find his friends, he was on his own.
Lifting his head, Knight was greeted by a pale face.
"Aaah!" Knight knocked his head against the wall, covering his head in pain. Hitting his head on a stone wall was a bad idea.
The small figure giggled, their face was well hidden by the hood they wore adorned with cat ears. A child? Not as tiny as Ishtar, they stood up to his shoulder in a one-piece suit and a jacket hoodie zipped up. Thin chains extended from their tailcoat with sharpened ends, matching the magenta-colored gloves they wore. The child's clothes held no wrinkles, the insides of their hood patterned in purple diamonds and they weren't sweating like Knight was. A recent captive?
Knight apologized and rubbed his head. "I didn't know you were in there. Sorry if I bothered you."
Were they always there? They looked so small with the layer of clothes on them. Assuming the silence for shyness, Knight didn't push on the child and offered an encouraging smile. He had to stay strong. The child didn't need to see him in distress or panic that he had no idea where they were. That's what Empire did when they were children because she wanted him to believe in her. He would do the same for the new child.
"You don't happen to know how to get out of here, do you?" Knight asked.
No response, not even nodding or shaking their head for any indication they heard him. They were holding something. The child held up a leather bag that was easily half of their weight, prompting Knight to accept it.
"You want me to open it?" Knight forgot to tell the child that it was his bag. How did they take it without his notice? Was he surprised to see another human being that he had let his guard down?
Knight emptied the bag and laid the contents side by side, gesturing the child to sit next to him. Snow fruits, desert sweet potatoes, and bulky carrots were bred to be sturdy vegetables, but he felt guilty when he saw how much were bruised. Expired tickets and flyers from COBO services came out of the back pockets, colors and lettering faded away and smelled like Sander Jerky. A leather sack held hundreds of millions of gold coins Knight had been saving to upgrade armor and weapons. Spices for food and fragment powder for crafting them into El Tear fragments were organized by color and type.
Initially organized into smaller compartments courtesy to Bringer, who complained about his habits for tossing everything together in the bag, well… Old habits are hard to break and Knight was back to square one. Elixirs, potions, crafting material, accessories, clothes, certificates, scrolls, and stamps cluttered his bag.
The child glared at the growing pile of trash.
"I know it's a lot," Knight was embarrassed. "There's nothing to do here, I guess now is a good time to start organizing."
He was never going to hear the end of this if Aether or Bringer found out that he forgot to keep his stuff clean. With two people, it was still a Herculean task sort out the trash and know what to keep. It was tempting to hold on to everything, but Knight felt a pair of eyes dig into the back of his neck when he suggested keeping the old coins the town alchemists no longer accepted for crafting services (1). Couldn't a guy get a little nostalgic?
"That's the last of it!" Knight smiled when they finished cleaning. "You didn't have to help me, but thanks!"
The child ignored him, turning their head away from the knight. The disappointment was apparent at the mess he was making. Knight laughed nervously when he saw where they were looking. Kept in a flask the color of the wind El, he made out the cursive writing on a label "Blessed Giant Hand Potion" (2).
Next to it laid a greatsword Knight didn't remember owning. Bulkier in appearance, the crossguard was more circular than what he was used to and the hilt had red belts attached. The blade itself was as wide as his head but thinner at the point. When Knight tested the greatsword, he was shocked that it was lighter than it looked. At closer inspection, he recognized the symbols on the hilt and blade to be runes he couldn't understand. Was this Rune's sword? What was it doing here and how did he pick it up without knowing? But still, this was good to have something to defend himself when they make their breakout.
"You think this will work?" Knight asked. What a dumb question, he thought, but he missed having someone to talk to despite their conversations being one-sided.
Knight sweated when the child smiled at him full of sharp teeth. They were going to break out with sheer force. That could work.
"I'll take that as a yes." Knight chuckled, "Stay close to me."
He choked on the breath-taking hold the child had, wrapping their arms in a binding hug around the waist. Knight gently tapped on their gloved hands to let go. The child loosened their grip, backing away and giving him room in preparation for their escape.
Feeling his hand over the crystallized wall, Knight snapped his eyes tight, concentrating on the spot with the weakest support. Unbottled elixir in hand, his lungs were on fire like he had inhaled sugar into his nostrils. His hands enlarged and Knight breathed.
One, two, three!
"Hyaaaah!" Knight charged.
Notes:
Old coins (1) - Once upon a time, Elsword had Secret Dungeon coins and separate crafting material for each Secret Dungeon set.
"Blessed Giant Hand Potion" (2) - An elixir that causes the character hands and weapon to become bigger and have an increase in damage boost.
