Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA. It's college, you know? Anyway, here is the next chapter, Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 3:
Erza
I'd left the other survivors days ago. After the attack, an Edolas soldier found me and dragged me away from Simon's rotting body. He had brought me to join the other survivors and I'd spent a full day recovering and thinking. Finally, I'd resolved to travel to the citadel and join the army. I hadn't told anyone my plan and I'd left the survivors with the other soldiers who promised to escort them to the nearby villages where their relatives stayed.
I didn't have any relatives that could help me now. All I had was the memory of the two people that accepted me for all my flaws and all my mishaps and who were very dead, thanks to the black knights.
I hadn't shed a single tear since that night. I refused to let myself. I knew that if I started, I might never stop. All I wanted was retribution. I wanted a guarantee that their deaths weren't in vain. I wanted to make sure that the black knights suffered for what they did.
So I was going to join the army. I was going to fight in the war and I was going to kill as many black knights as I could. I wasn't going to let them get away with taking my family from me. I would walk through the gates of hell itself if it meant I could get them back.
I'd been traveling for a few days, and my pack, which had somehow ended up with me even though I had no recollection of taking it with me, had sustained me for the whole trip. I was now out of food, but that was okay because as I rounded another tree, I could see the huge tower in the distance, telling me I had reached my destination.
The citadel was easily distinguishable by two prominent walls. The city that surrounded the fortress was protected by a large stone wall and the castle itself was wrapped inside of an even taller wall, protecting both the citizens from the outside and keeping the citizens outside of the castle. I'd never been to the Royal City myself, but I'd heard of its beauty and majesty. As I approached the huge gates, I could understand why people felt so safe here. The walls seemed impenetrable and I felt safe just walked towards it.
As I made it to the huge metal gates, the guard at the drawbridge stood to attention. He was clad in silver armor and I couldn't help but wonder how that armor would fit on me once I joined the army.
"What business do you have in the Royal City?" The guard asked. I straightened my back and puffed out my chest.
"I'm here to prove my worth to the crown and join the army ranks." The guard's mouth tightened as he looked over my form. His eyes narrowed on the sword at my side.
"What makes you think you have worth to the crown?" He questioned harshly. I smirked slightly and drew my sword. The guard stepped back uncomfortably.
"I forged this sword myself. I am completely adept at using it and could demonstrate on you if you so desire." The guard flinched, but still eyed me suspiciously.
"That won't be necessary." He said grimly. He grabbed the lever next to him and yanked it down, opening the drawbridge and the gate and giving me access to the city. I sheathed my sword and stared up at the city in awe as I made my way across the drawbridge and into the Royal City.
The streets were flooded with people. The city was full of life as I walked down the huge pathway. The path was made of cobblestone and there were shops and kiosks on either side of me, selling various things. I smiled as the merchants called to me, asking me to buy jewelry or clothes or even vases for any flowers I might receive. There was a flower shop a little ways down and the merchant there offered me a rose, which I took gratefully. The people bustling down the street were very friendly, excusing themselves as thy pushed by me, and giving me friendly hellos. I was shocked at the life of this city.
For as long as I could remember, I'd always been faced with famine and drought that kept people from being happy. Misery followed wherever I was and I had to train myself to see the good where there was none to keep myself from falling into desperation. Here, there was no sign of sadness. Even the peasants and those who barely had enough on their table where happy. People helped each other here. People cared for each other. It was something I never experienced before.
Finally, I reached what looked like an inn. As I made my way inside, I saw some burly looking men at the bar, flirting with the waitress, who was smiling suggestively, coaxing them to buy more drinks. I made my way to the front desk and pulled out some cash. The land lady walked up to greet me.
"Hello! Are you new in town? Welcome, welcome! Would you like a room?" She spoke fast and I only had time to nod before she was already handing me a key. "First night is on the house! Your room is on the first floor, third door to the right. I hope you enjoy your stay!" Then she was gone and I was forced to stare wide-eyed after her, startled that she'd given me a room so easily. What if I'd been a Caelum spy?
I shook my head, and turned toward the stairs. I made my way to the first floor and walked to the room she had indicated. Unlocking the door, I stepped inside and smiled at the quaint little room with a small bed and a bathroom just off to the side. It looked very much like the room I had left behind in Rosemary, and it calmed me a bit, knowing that the people here did not have it any better than I did at home.
I looked out the window and sighed slightly at the view of the street. i should have moved here sooner. Maybe if I had convinced Simon and Kagura to come with me, we never would have been in Rosemary when Caelum attacked. We could have avoided the massacre altogether. They would all still be alive and happy and I wouldn't be alone, in a tiny room.
I felt my lips begin to tremble as thoughts of what could have been threatened to take over my already fragile mind. I shook my head and threw my pack on the bed to distract myself. I had to get out of this room that already had too many memories.
It was still early in the day. I could get out and perhaps enlist for the army right now. If I had been in my right mind, I would have waited a day to be in complete form. But I needed a distraction. Something to keep my mind off the impending grief and depression that I had repressed down as far as it would go.
So that's how I found myself tucking my key inside my brassiere and re-securing the sword around my waist before leaving the room and locking the door.
When I returned to the bar area of the inn, I noticed the same kind woman behind the bar, serving some young men who, to be honest, looked too young and small to be drinking at this time of day. She noticed me and smiled broadly, waving me over. I walked over to the bar, trying to ignore the glances and stares I was getting from around the bar.
"Was the room to your liking, miss?" The lady asked, pulling a glass out from under the bar. I nodded and smiled as she poured some liquid in the glass and pushed it toward me. "First drink is on the house. Was there anything else I could help you with?"
"Yes, thank you. Could you please direct me to the enlistment office?" I asked, pulling the drink toward me. I could tell it was some kind of hard alcohol inside and I did need a bit of loosening up, so I didn't feel all that guilty when I took a small sip.
"The Royal Army enlistment office? Of course! It's by the West Citadel gate, next to the stables. You can't miss it." The woman said, swiping my glass away when I'd finished. I nodded and expressed my thanks, turning to leave.
As I made my way to the door, I heard her call from behind.
"I hope you find your knight, dear! He's a lucky man!" I turned around, but the woman was already gone.
I slowly pushed the door open, trying not to overthink her words. She thought I was going to check up on someone already in the army. My knight, the person I loved and who was fighting for me. As much as I wanted it to be true, I didn't have a knight anymore. Mine had been killed protecting me. And as much as I knew that he would always be there with me, all I wanted was to bring justice on those who put us in that situation.
As the woman suggested, the trek to the West Gate was not taxing at all. It was an easy route and the enlistment office was pretty well labeled, with a huge Edolas banner over a large stone building and several purple tents behind it. Soldiers walked in and out of the building and the Citadel Gate, and everyone seemed to be carrying some kind of weapon, whether they were in armor or not.
I took a breath and made my way inside, ignoring the strange looks from the soldiers around me. I walked confidently to the large round table in the middle of the stone building. There were three soldiers standing over the table, pointing at a large map of Edolas and surrounding countries.
As I approached, my eyes zeroed in on Rosemary Village on the northern border. There was a large figurine of a black rook placed on top. A village destroyed and taken by the Black Country. I wanted to be angry, but all I felt was grief, so I pulled my eyes away from the map and blinked the stinging tears away. I took a breath and cleared my throat, causing the soldiers to look up at me.
"Good day," I began. "My name is Erza Scarlett and I would like to enlist in the Edolas Royal Army." I saluted and put my hand on the hilt of my sword. One of the soldiers straightened his back and gave me a condescending look.
"Come again?" He asked disbelievingly. I took another breath and continued.
"I may not look like much, because of my gender or my stature, but I assure you, I am very adept at fighting. I am one of the survivors of Rosemary Village. I was their blacksmith. I forged and repaired weapons and armor of all kind and I have no love for Caelum. Allow me to prove my skills and my devotion and you will not be disappointed. I will not fail."
The soldier's expression did not change as he lifted his chin and pushed his cape away from his chest, revealing the royal seal on his breastplate. He was one of the Prince Jellal's personal guards. I felt extrememly intimidated as he narrowed his eyes at me.
"I'm sorry, we do not enlist females in the army. You may enlist as a nurse or a kitchen hand, but we do not allow women to fight. It is far too dangerous." He said, not sounding very apologetic at all.
The intimidation and fear slowly disappeared when his words registered in my head. I felt my eyes narrow and my chest tighten.
"Why don't you enlist women? I'm sure that there are many others like me who want to fight for their country as well." The other soldiers glanced up, but none of them said anything as their leader rolled his eyes as though he were talking to a child.
"It is too dangerous. You could die." He said tersely, as though it was something completely obvious and natural.
"So could you! If we are willing to take that risk, as you are, then there should be nothing preventing women to join. We have a right to fight as you do." I retorted, feeling my cheeks burn.
"I am sorry. This is the law kept for generations. We cannot let a woman fight on the battlefield. It would be a disgrace to society." He emphasized the final sentence and I felt my fists clench and my jaw tighten.
"You are a disgrace to society if you still believe that. I am a woman and I survived. I went through hell and back to be here and I lost too much just to be turned away when I need this the most. You are ruining the life I managed to preserve during that massacre."
"No, sweetheart, I'm saving your sorry life. You should be thanking me. Now get out of here. We can't have any civilian wreaking havoc in the Enlistment Building." With that, he flipped his cape back over his shoulder and turned back to his soldiers, as though I no longer existed.
I stared after him, gaping, my mouth slightly open. How could he say those things to me? Was this really the end of my journey already? Just because I was a woman meant I couldn't fight? Would he change his mind if I beat a soldier in single combat?
I barely registered as my body automatically turned around and walked out the door, embarrassment and humiliation shuddering through my body. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I had been hoping for, but that wasn't it. The anger I'd felt had melted away, replaced with shame and embarrassment. I probably looked ridiculous, trying to enlist in the army when none of them thought a woman could do anything other than cook or clean.
As the shame clouded my head, grief and depression began to take over. Now I really had absolutely nothing to my name. Simon and Kagura were dead and I couldn't avenge them. I had nowhere left to go, nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide. I was truly alone in the world and there was nothing I could do to fix it. There was nothing I could do to continue living. There wasn't any point anymore.
I continued to wander around the streets of the Royal City, not really caring if I was getting myself lost or the fact that it had started to get dark. I barely paid attention when I decided to enter a bar. I didn't even register when I sat down on the stool and ordered myself the strongest drink they had.
All I could think about was distraction. Distraction, or forgetting, or just letting myself get lost. It was the only way I could think to cope. The only way I could think to survive.
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