A/N: I got two chapters down this week, and I'm not interested in making the buffer larger than it already is, so here you go.
HE IS THE EDGELORD
HIS WORLD IS SO BLEAK
HE IS THE EDGELORD
HE WILL NEVER CONFORM
Edgelord opening theme - David Schmoll
I awaken early, as usual. I really would rather that I didn't do so following the events of yesterday, but old habits die hard. I open my eyes, getting ready to lie in bed for a time.
Ah. So I'm still here.
Awakening on Terra was the final thing on my 'this is not a dream' checklist. Seeing the oak roof over my head instead of my apartment's metal or the spun glass of the library I had fallen asleep in previously finally confirmed the hypothesis I had assumed was true for the past eighteen hours. I stretch my arms over my head as my central nervous system rouses my body, feeling the buzzing lethargy retreat from my limbs as the vehicle of my mind comes online. Waking up before I am fully rested usually results in this sort of process, and I patiently wait for the ten to fifteen minutes that it usually takes. Only a few minutes into the easing, however, there is a firm knocking at my door.
"Hello?" I call out, my voicebox still not quite ready for operations. The knocking stops, and I hear a voice.
"It's Leanna. Are you about ready?"
I rub my eyes. Well then, a procedural wakeup isn't an option. Blinking at the feeble rays of light outside, I sit up, jamming into a mode I like to call 'hard boot'. Utilizing active time to bring myself from a restful state takes longer, but even during my wakeup I can do things. I thought I was early, but I am apparently late, so this is the way to go. I withdraw from the covers, and give my response.
"No, but give me a minute or so and I will be." I shift out of my Earth clothes and start putting on the armour, the various straps more clumsily coming into place. "Incidentally, what time is it?"
"It's dawn. We need to get a move on if we want to make good time." She states this cheerfully, as though it is normal to get up at this time. Guess I'll need to work on military timescales for a little while.
As my sleep-addled mind continues preparations in the background, I pick out a small blue blob on the floor. I give the pango a quizzical look.
"What are you doing on the floor, buddy? Weren't you sleeping on the bed?" I ask. Then, almost as soon as I do, I realize the most likely answer. The pango wiggles and shoots me an accusatory look, confirming my suspicions.
"Poi p-poi poi!" he squeaks, clearly miffed at my sudden motions this morning. I glance at the slight indentation on my pillow and back at the blue mass on the floor. I give him a look of apology.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock you off!" I say this louder than is probably necessary.
He looks cautiously at me, then hops onto the bed and up onto my head, settling in with a satisfied squeak. He then nips at my hair and jiggles happily.
I hope that means he's forgiven me.
After finalizing my getup, I return the few things I own to their places in my pack. With everything ready, I push open the door and nearly reenact my original meeting with Leanna. Fortunately, we both notice, and I check my velocity before a collision occurs.
"Whoa!" I do not attempt to contain my startled cry.
"Are you ready to go, then?" Leanna acts almost as if that near-disaster never happened.
"I have everything ready, and I'll be awake in about thirty minutes. I'm as ready as possible." I respond.
Leanna nods, then leads the way out of the inn before I can ask about breakfast.
I follow her through the town as we head north. It's a lot quieter than when we first arrived as the town, like myself, gradually begins to wake up. We don't run into too many people on the street, and the shops aren't open yet, though I can see many already preparing for their day. As I look beyond the village, I see the creeping rays of sunrise, and note that we'll probably have a clear line of sight once we leave the village. I am excited to see the dawn without black cloud cover. Right as we reach the edge of town, however, a guard stops us.
He is wearing a chain-mail shirt reinforced by solid metal plates in important areas, and wears a simple helmet. He carries a spear and has a shortsword at his belt. Despite the differences in equipment, however, I notice that he carries himself in a manner similar to that of Coalition law-enforcement or soldiers. Some things do not change between time periods or universes. I stand a little straighter as he addresses us.
"There has been heightened bandit activity reported on these roads."
I frown.
"Resource Acquisition Request hasn't gone through yet, huh?" This is a fairly small settlement. It is reasonable that they wouldn't have the manpower to deploy a strike team.
The guard looks at me funny, but seems to understand what I'm trying to say.
"Yes. We've sent word to Raven Pass, but responses are largely tentative. It's likely that nothing will get done until things get worse." He seems irritated at his lack of power over the situation. Leanna's brows crease.
"Are the roads closed, then?" she asks.
"No, but until we get a better grip on things we're advising that everyone stays in town."
"Well, we can't stay."
"Where are you headed?" the guard inquires.
"Illumia." I respond quickly. The guard notices the sigil on Leanna's manipulator and looks back up.
"You're a Mage-Knight?"
She nods.
As the guard then turns his focus to me, I stand alert. He will be able to notice the weapon at my belt, and few experienced soldiers would try to make it obvious. I merely attempt to exude an aura of military discipline, something I've learned from the various parade actions I've been on. Apparently having judged us as combat-capable, he nods gruffly and moves out of the way.
"Just be careful out there."
"Thank you," Leanna responds, "and good luck with the bandits."
She motions forward, and the two of us proceed out of the town. Looking to my left, I see the rising sun, dazzling light pouring forth.
"It's beautiful…" I murmur. Leanna catches it, and looks over questioningly.
"Yes. You have seen sunrises before, haven't you?"
"A few times. Never this clearly. Back on Earth, the sunrise has to fight to pierce the cloud cover. You might remember from when I was trying to prove I was dreaming."
She looks shocked, and as she processes I look back at Meadowhill village. The quaint town continues its slow ascent into life, and I can see the first groups of people begin to move about. I then refocus on Leanna.
"Is there something you'd like to ask?"
"How can your world be cloudy all the time? Is it just always about to rain?"
"Earth's clouds are composed primarily of ash and soot, like the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. So it has been for seventy years, although human efforts have begun the long process of clearing the upper atmosphere. It's just one of the many things They did to us, and we did to them. We do still get rainclouds, though."
Leanna is obviously still curious, but falls silent.
Our trek along the path is peaceful. The forest gradually awakens with birdsong and the scuttling of woodland animals. I look and listen in wonder at the world about us, taking in the scents, sounds, and sights. Morning dew sparkles on the grassy fields on one side, slowly burning away in the newborn sunlight. At every rustle in the leaves, my head darts about, hoping to locate the culprit. A few times I spot creatures, some of which look analogous to Earth fauna, some of which do not. Up in the skies, clouds spin about, and every now and again avians fly through it. I spot a curious animal up there, not fitting into the spectra of birds, and try to point it out, but it is gone when Leanna looks.
"You probably saw a Wyvern," she explained, "they're reptiles with a wingspan about the width of your chest. There's a group of mages who think that creatures related to the modern Wyvern were the ancestors of birds."
"You mean like a dragon?" I ask.
"No, dragons are fairy tales, people making up a bigger wyvern and stacking on a whole bunch of magic. Wyverns are almost nothing like them. I'm even told that they make good pets."
As Leanna surveys the landscape, she seems unfazed. It makes sense: this is normal for her. Her senses do seem open, however, watching for some sign of those bandits we were warned about.
All of a sudden, she freezes, and I halt abruptly as soon as I notice.
"What is it? Is-" I am cut off before I can finish.
"Shh!" I fall silent, waiting for her to tell me what is going on. As I do, I feel as though something is at the edge of my hearing. I can't quite pick it out, but it puts me on edge. When Leanna speaks again, her voice is a whisper.
"Did you hear that?"
"Almost…" I strain my ears, listening for anything out of place. Then, I hear voices among the trees.
"Bandits?" I ask in a similarly low tone.
There is a small report, like that of small arms fire, followed by a strangled scream. A flock of birds is scared into flight by the noise. I reach for my rifle, only to remember that it isn't there, but quickly switch the motion, resting my hand upon the hilt of my new blade. For whatever reason, the weapon feels comforting, like an old friend.
"That sounded like an AY-32."
"Or a discharger! Someone might be in danger!" Leanna offers.
Her previous caution abandoned, Leanna sprints towards the sound and I follow at her heels. How she manages this sort of alacrity in unpowered armour, I cannot tell. As we approach, the two of us take cover behind trees. A man in a leather trenchcoat is surrounded by five bandits, with a sixth lying on the ground, his body wracked with pain. There is a second crack, and his agony is ended. I wince.
The image of their fallen comrade settling into the scene, the other bandits draw their weapons. Three of them wield a variety of bladed weapons while two of them point strange-looking firearms. The trenchcoated man doesn't stir, his violet pistol still pointed at the fallen highwayman. His dark hair falls over his eyes and I can't see his face. One of the vagrants growls.
"You won't get away from us this time!"
"Take him out!" another yells, and they prepare to swarm him.
In a smooth motion, the man produces another weapon of the same persuasion, but it clicks, and he discards it with a frown. The others converge upon him. I don't know what the trenchcoat's deal is, but I do know that those are criminals, parasites upon society. Leanna, seeming to come to the same conclusion, sets her jaw.
"Stay here!" she says. As soon as the words fall from her lips, she races out from the trees. Despite her helm's attempt at containment, her hair whips behind her, trailing in a graceful arc. She is moving almost as quickly as I normally do in powered armour. It is as if the air about her wants her to move forward, pushing her along and offering no resistance.
One of the bandits with a gun notices her, letting out a cry and taking aim. As his finger closes over the trigger, a gust of air blows the weapon to the side, barely missing one of his fellows. And then Leanna is upon him, sword twirling inwards with deadly force as she strikes the vagrant with the flat of her blade, knocking the wind out of him. With a flicker of motion, she switches her grip, and dispatches her opponent with the next strike. One of the others looks at his fallen ally in surprise.
"A Mage-Knight?"
"She must be with him!"
"Or she's after the bounty! Kill her, we can't afford any witnesses!"
The mysterious man fires a hail of purple blasts at the bandits, catching one of them in the chest. I recognize the sound of his weapons from earlier. Leanna steps inside the guard of another of the highwaymen, her blade clashing with his.
Much as the two appear quite skilled, they are still outnumbered, and the element of surprise is gone. I look down at the weapon dangling at my belt.
Before I can think, my sword licks from its sheath, leaping with surprising eagerness into my hands as I begin to advance into battle, ignoring Leanna's command.
What are you doing? You can't fight, one side of my mind says, if you go in there without training, you will be defeated at best as soon as you engage.
It is the sworn duty of an officer such as yourself to cleanse the Earth of this variety of filth. Even if that means death. You can't not fight.
I am a soldier of humanity. Of the Sol Coalition. And wherever there is corruption to fight, enemies to eliminate, or suffering to remedy, I am to be ready. This does not change simply because I am on a different world, with a different humanity.
One of the bandits turns to face me, and it seems as though he notices something in the way I hold my sword, because he smiles. He steps forward, falling into a stance from which he can meet my charge.
Steady… I hear at the back of my mind. My leather shoes pound against the ground like clockwork automatons, closing the distance between us.
Slash to your right. Now!
The voice startles me, but I heed its direction. My blade collides with the shortsword of my foe in a clumsy parry. Clumsy, but effective.
Good enough. Now, foot to the right, riposte!
Trusting it to be correct again, I shift my left foot to the right and-
No! Your other foot. I should've clarified!
-brought my sword point first towards his chest. My stance is uneven, and the flailing strike is easily countered.
Up! NOW!
I changed into a preferable position as my sword came up to guard against the incoming overhead slash. My reaction was just fast enough, as his weapon caught against the crossguard of mine.
Left back, disarm him.
I sweep my sword around in a great arc, dragging his weapon along with it. He manages to dislodge his shortsword from the move before it is complete.
Riposte! Correctly this time!
I shift both legs forward in a lunge, stepping inside his guard and elbowing him in the chest.
Good. Now finish him. Further forward, then reverse strike.
My blade twirls in a violent sweep as I step past the brigand, slicing across his back. My eyes dart about for more opponents, but there are none. Leanna breathes heavily as she surveys the cluster of bodies surrounding her. She glances at me and the stranger who's still standing.
"Is anyone hurt?" she asks.
I do a gentle pat down of myself to make sure. There are a few bruises, and my arms are still shaking from the impacts, but I seem to be in one piece.
"Nothing notable."
Leanna nods, and begins to fidget with her manipulator. I look around again. Suddenly, Leanna's words echo in my mind and I look down to the bandit at my feet. Blood, red and hot, has begun to pool on the earth. I retch at the sight, crouching down to inspect the damage. It doesn't seem too bad, I didn't hit any arteries, it just looks like he's dazed. Suddenly, there is a flash of violet light and his body convulses. I look up in horror at the trenchcoated man standing above me.
"WHAT IN THE MARSHAL'S NAME WAS THAT?"
"He was still alive, and if we left him he'd continue doing the same thing he was doing."
I rose up to face him. He stands only slightly shorter than myself, but the grim expression upon his face doesn't waver.
"Why would we leave him?" I asked harshly.
"What else could we have done?"
"Simple. Bound him, and delivered this brigand to the local authorities. That way they'd be properly processed for their actions."
The man in front of me rolled his eyes.
"He killed others. He tried to kill me. That's all I need to know."
Noticing that I would be able to get nowhere, I slumped, anger at him bleeding into anger at myself.
"But it isn't. He was one of us. A human. And you killed him…" my voice wavered as I realized something.
"I killed him."
I hung my head, taking a step back, and began to pore over the dead bandit, searching for something I hoped I wouldn't find. Leanna put a hand on my shoulder.
"I killed a human." I said. "I've never done that before, in all my years as a soldier. I've terminated machines for the good of all mankind, but never a fellow sapient."
Small tears began to pool in my eyes as I found a small portrait. It was drawn in a style I didn't recognize, but the contents were unmistakable. A younger version of the man lying on the ground with an arm around a sister or childhood friend. Below them, in big, crude letters, was a simple message.
Never forget.
"He was someone. He might not have chosen to be here at all. He had a life…"
Leanna finally spoke up.
"You had to. If you didn't, we would've. They tried to kill him."
"Yes, but who is he?" I look up at the man in the trenchcoat. He remains silent as he inspects his weapons.
As I look him over with greater scrutiny, I realise that although his fierce scowl makes him seem tough, he doesn't actually look that much older than me. His hair is rather unkempt, and seems to have a habit of falling in front of his eyes. I wonder briefly why he doesn't cut it off, as that would impede marksmanship. As he pushes the dark strands away, I notice a long yet thin scar cross one eye.
Coupled with the trenchcoat, he might have the most unironically edgy look that I have ever seen.
Once he is satisfied, he tucks the guns back into his belt and stands to his feet. Then, he nods at us.
"Thanks."
He then turns away. Leanna calls out.
"Wait!"
He pauses, waiting for her to state the reason for this.
"Where are you headed?" she asks.
"Why?"
My spartan 'if' sense is tingling.
"There might be more bandits around. We should group up if we're going to the same place. Safety in numbers."
Leanna presents clean and ordered logic, but I am still wary of going anywhere with this man. He studies us in a stony silence. Then his gaze flicks to the gauntlet on Leanna's left hand and he relaxes slightly.
"Where are you going?"
"The two of us are headed for Illumia."
"Me too. You're from the Mage Guild?"
Leanna nods affirmation.
"Yes. I'm Leanna."
He looks over at me.
"And your inexperienced companion over here is…?"
"Alasdair." I pause. "Leanna, I am not certain we can trust someone who… takes lives so casually."
"Alasdair," she says slowly, "how would two people sleeping in a dangerous location, one of whom is not using a weapon he is trained with, go?"
I think for a second.
"Not well. How close are we to our destination?"
"A few days, including a stopover at Raven Pass."
I grit my teeth. Without good combat or stellar observation skills, I'd basically be asking Leanna to take multiple consecutive nights worth of watch.
I look back at the man. He relaxed when he saw Leanna's emblem, which likely means that he trusts us more due to it. As long as we don't interfere with whatever he is doing, and remain useful, we can probably trust him to watch our backs at least.
I release a deep breath.
"Right, then. What's your name?"
"Zack."
"Poi poi!"
All of us glance at the little blue pango who seemingly popped out of nowhere. My face, a distilled frown for the past few minutes, breaks into a smile.
"And this would be our little friend."
"I see." Zack says. I proceed to scoop up the pango and place him on my shoulder.
The pango blinks at Zack, who stares him down. He wobbles uncertainly on my shoulder.
"...poi?"
Zack's unblinking stare never wavers, so the pango jumps into my pack for safety. I guess I left it open this morning.
"If the introductions are over, let's get moving."
Zack waits for us to collect our things, and so we quickly ensure that everything is accounted for. Leanna approaches me.
"I thought you didn't know how to fight with a sword."
I regard the bloodstained weapon still in my hand. On an impulse, I spin it in a complete circle. The stains wick off of the blade as though they were never there. Leanna's eyes widen.
"That… shouldn't have worked."
"The reason I told you that I didn't know how to wield a blade in combat," I explained, "is because I don't. My intention was to draw the attention of one so that you and Zack would have an easier time defeating the others. I hadn't actually expected to win without help."
I returned the weapon to its sheath. Leanna shook her head.
"Let's talk about this later. We shouldn't keep Zack waiting."
I nod in agreement.
Leanna and I lead the way, the pango peering out from the confines of my backpack, while Zack hangs a few steps behind us. Looking at Leanna's manipulator again, a memory tugs at my thoughts.
"Leanna, I saw you during the fight. How were you able to move so quickly? Is that actually powered armour?"
"I don't know what 'powered armour' is, but I cast wind magic to assist and redirect my movements."
"Oh, so what sort of stuff? Making your armour lighter, removing air resistance, that kind of thing?"
"Yeah, small adjustments usually. Shifting the draft to move me forward or using a breeze to lift me during jumps. I could do more, but that was a more conservative setting. I didn't need the kind of effects I would use for, say, fighting another mage."
"By the Marshals, that sounds awesome! Imagine what that could do to a soldier in powered armour!"
She grins.
"The next time you're lagging behind, I'll use my wind to give you a little boost."
"That would be properly amazing."
I imagine myself running with the wind in a most literal sense. Leanna seems pleased by my reaction.
"By the way, who are these marshals you keep mentioning?"
"Oh, they're ruling figures back home. They are the representative leaders of the various commissariats, the military brass, and the various department heads. From them is appointed a High Marshal, who functions somewhat like a king, but each of the Marshals is equal when it comes to actual decision-making."
She blinks.
"So Earth is governed by a group of noble houses and not a king?"
"No and no. The position of Sectator-Governor is an elective one, with a public election or 'choosing' undertaken by the people of the commissariat they are going to govern. It lasts for five years. The Generals, Admirals, and Department Executives handle merit-based promotions internally, and all are expected to serve their duties as well as attend council meetings. By utilizing a mixture of talent-drawn and popular individuals, the Marshals collectively form the mind of the state, with the goal of aligning as closely as is possible to the true national interest."
A look of surprise lights her face.
"It is an inelegant system at times, but it has shown itself to be highly adaptable and decisive in the face of danger while still keeping the flexibility of Golden Age populist republics."
"A world without kings or queens…" Leanna mutters to herself. "How does the position of… 'Sectator-Governer' work?"
"Well, a number of candidates decide to run, placing themselves at the forefront of various issues and making promises. 'Elect me and I will do x' or some such. To avoid widespread lobbying and corruption, political parties must register for nonprofit status, which means that no-one is allowed to make money from them. These rules are enforced, if not always, often enough that most people abide by them. Then, after a few months where these candidates compete via debates, advertisements, and promises, the population votes. Every person may vote for one of the candidates over the course of several days, and at the end these votes are counted up. The person with the most votes is elected, and begins serving as Sectator-Governer."
Looking at the pensive expression on Leanna's face, I suddenly wonder if I just started the idea of representative democracy. A slow smile spreads across my face.
"Are there any limitations on who is allowed to vote?"
"There are age restrictions, ending at the age of 17. There are also a few segments of the population that cannot, with disenfranchisement being considered a mid-level criminal punishment. For when you've done something quite wrong, but not quite wrong enough to merit prison. Other than that, there is nothing."
The look on her face tells me that I've also started the idea of universal suffrage. I won't be here for very long, so I'd better share as many of Earth's good ideas as I can. Maybe Golden Age-style true democracy will work for Terra. It worked for Earth until everything fell apart.
Suddenly, my mind jumped to another Earth thing. Guns. Or rather, I thought it was an Earth thing until earlier today.
"So, what type of weapon is Zack using? I've seen similar types of things back home, but they threw metal projectiles. Those things look like energy blasts."
"You mean his discharger?"
"'Discharger'?"
I hear a sound behind us, and look over to see Zack with a raised eyebrow.
"Did you hit your head or something?"
Leanna looks a little uncomfortable, but there really isn't a recourse. The sooner I ask these kinds of questions, the easier it will be to pretend that I know what is going on.
"He's… not exactly from around here…"
I have already decided to limit the number of people who knew the truth about where I am from to essentials, as convincing random people that I'm not crazy will take a lot of effort. It took a chair for Leanna to be convinced that there was merit to what I was saying, and she was already thinking in terms of weird events to explain my situation. It is good that she had independently reached the same conclusion.
Zack crosses his arms in response to Leanna's incomplete answer.
"I see."
There is a pause.
"So, a discharger?"
"It's a weapon that uses crystal spheres to project elemental energy. While there are many ways in which dischargers do this, the most common is as a self-contained projectile."
"So it is a gun. No wonder it sounded like an AY-32."
"Maybe?"
I forgot. Leanna also doesn't know what I'm talking about.
"Back home, there is a type of weapon which does similar things. We use electromagnetism to throw bits of metal faster than the eye can track. The spheres in a discharger perform a function similar to that of a magazine."
I shrug.
"I guess, no matter where they are, humans will find a way to shoot things."
Leanna looks uncertain.
"Electrum-what?"
"Okay, you know what a compass is, right?"
"Yes."
"We use the thing that causes a compass to point north to fire bullets. We do a lot more with it, as it is one of the main ways Earth has to impart a force remotely. Think of it kind of like our way of…" I gesture at her manipulator, hoping that she will get it but Zack won't be paying enough attention to notice that I just said my home doesn't have magic.
She nods, understanding lighting her face.
"I see."
"At any rate, I think I understand now, too. Thanks."
Leanna smiles. I feel Zack's suspicious gaze on me, but his expression is hard to read.
I really ought to confirm something.
"So, Zack knew you were in the Mage Guild. Does that have anything to do with the symbol on your gauntlet?" It's the only distinguishing thing that I can think of. The sigil is comprised of a shield surrounded by a circle separated into four components. Each segment has its own properties, and the emphasized one on Leanna's manipulator is wavy and fluid. Set above that is a helm of stars.
"Yes. He saw my emblem." She then lifts her arm and points to the symbol in question.
"So, what exactly does the Mage Guild do?"
"We investigate any kind of magical anomaly. The Mage Guild in Havengarde is actually headquartered in Illumia."
"So, like a combination of a police force, scientific division, and university?"
Leanna furrows her brow.
"You're still using words I don't understand. 'Police'? 'Scientific'?"
"For the first, like law enforcement. Going out, solving mysteries, catching miscreants. Science is a methodology for finding out about the world, and I think the best way to explain it is that it's Earth's word for magic."
She ponders things for a bit.
"Yeah, it is a little like that."
That really helps me make sense of things, like how both the guard and Zack were more at ease when they saw Leanna's emblem.
I feel a biting ice in my chest as I remember what happened not thirty minutes ago. I try to be as nonchalant and normal as possible. Leanna still notices that something is wrong.
"What is it?" she asks.
I take a deep breath.
"It's just that it seems like the guard was telling the truth. There are some bandits on this road."
"Yeah…" She trails off. There's something in her voice. Maybe she doesn't completely agree with what I said.
"Something the matter with what I said?"
"It's just…" she pauses.
"Well, for bandits, they were pretty well equipped."
She stares hard at Zack, but he doesn't react.
"What does that mean? Are they not bandits?"
Leanna continues to look at Zack.
"I'm not sure…"
"They were bandits." Zack breaks in.
She looks very sharply at Zack, obviously caught off guard.
"Sure…" Leanna did not sound too convinced.
The subject drops. I try to piece together a line of reasoning, but I just swing back around to the fact that I had killed one of them. My chest tightens.
I need to take my mind off of this for a little while.
I look about frantically, searching for something to do. Finally, the bag on my back shifts slightly, and I know.
"You know, little guy, if you're going to be following us around everywhere, you're going to need a name."
The pango pokes his head out of my pack, and looks at me with interest. I pluck him out and carry him in front of myself, allowing a proper muse. The pango wiggles happily.
"Let's see… Cerulean? Nah, too fancy. Jello? Maybe not…"
As I go through name after name, Leanna notices and giggles. She then joins in.
"How about Blue?"
"I feel like that is a little plain. This pango should have a KINGLY name, worthy of respect! Like Edmond!"
"No, we can't give him a human name…" she ponders for a moment, then lights up. "Oh, well then, what about Forest?"
"Sufficiently goofy, yet still serious. Also carries connotations on how he helped us meet."
We both laugh.
"Are you okay with your name being Forest, little guy?"
The pango all but bounces with joy in my arms.
"Poi poi!"
"The pango has spoken," Leanna exclaims dramatically, "and so, henceforth, his name is Forest."
The two of us burst out laughing again. Forest hops onto my head with a grin.
Things die down, and as Leanna's expression turns sombre from her earlier mirth, I feel as though she was also thankful for the distraction. It is clear that something is on her mind, but I don't press the issue. The pango -Forest- nuzzles into my hair and tries to rest. Zack continues to trail behind, remaining on heightened alert.
There are few other interruptions over the day's journey. As the sun begins to set finally, my legs have been burning for hours. Guess I really should be in better shape for potential conflicts.
A/N: Yay! More balancing challenges, of all varieties!
First off, it is stated in the original story that MC picks up swordplay extremely quickly, but this is never explained, except perhaps as the interference of the elementals. I always liked the Empathic Weapon category of magic item: it feels better to me than just something that aimbots for you or cuts harder or something. Hence, Alasdair's accelerated training will be the result of a weapon which chooses based on [REDACTED]. I intend to explain things, don't worry.
Additionally, I had a hard time reconciling the fact that people die with the overall tone of the original story. A medieval society (or a pseudo-medieval one) would worry less about the lives of enemies as a matter of practicality: you can't be weeping over the deaths of those bastards who are raiding your crops, after all. On the other hand, we have someone who grew up in a society that MILITANTLY advocates for value and superiority of human life, and that of life in general. I do hope that this works, as I haven't experienced loss all that much and am mostly playing by ear.
Also, THE PANGO HAS A NAME! MARSHALS BE PRAISED!