Chapter 3

Rejection and Change

Deliverance Hideout

It was an oddly silent day for Python, who was testing his new bowstring's tautness. The usual moanings of Terrors that roam the graveyard turned hideout was absent this morning. Perhaps it's because they were used to the still living knights housed within, or perhaps they simply grew tired of it. Python didn't care. A moment of peace and quiet wasn't something he was going to argue with.

That is until he heard faint rustling coming from the entrance. At first he brushed it off as mere wind, but the sounds grew louder and louder. Footsteps. Cursing under his breath, the archer quickly hid in the room closest to him and notched an arrow. If it was the enemy, he'd at least take a few out and warn the others before falling. Lazy he may be off the battlefield, but he still knew a soldier's priorities.

Greeeat, the one time I get peace and quiet is the day the enemy shows up. Lucky me.

The footsteps-there were definitely multiple of them-were getting closer. He peeked out of the room to get a decent look, but the dimly lit hallway made it difficult. He could vaguely make out the shape of humans. Quietly, he drew his arrow and-

"Python? I know you're here." A familiar voice called out. Python instantly loosened his bow and cracked a smile. Maybe his day wasn't ruined after all.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lukas." He said casually. "Almost thought you didn't make it? And I've seen you brought some company."

"Indeed." Lukas said, not lowering his posture one bit, which earned a slight scoff from Python. Ever the adherer of formality. "Sad to say, I was unable to recruit Sir Mycen, but I did bring his grandson, along with several of his companions that have also trained under Mycen. I can vouch for their worth"

On that cue, Alm and the others stepped forward and presented themselves to him. The green-haired youth spoke first. "I am Alm, and though I may not carry the experience my grandfather does, I swear to uphold his honor and fight with all I have."

"I can definitely see why you've impressed Lukas, formal talk and all that." He said, chuckling. "But you're free to talk however you like to me. Name's Python. Our leader Clive is waiting for you down below." He said, pointing at the seemingly endless darkness that protruded from the hallway.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaa!"

Huh. Talk about timing. Maybe they have something against me.

"Uhh, what was that?" Alm asked, naturally confused.

"Terrors" Python answered with a shrug. "They roam the halls of these graveyards."

"What? You have things like that in your hideout?" Tobin said out loud.

"Well, they were here first, and if we kill them more will just come forth so…" He replied and handed a torch to Alm. "They won't bother you unless you're right in front of them, so it's best if you just avoid them. Have fun, kiddos."

And with those parting words, the group ventured into the depths of the catacombs, the blue haired guard waving them goodbye before turning back. He could hear more moaning from the Terrors again, and hoped the group makes it to Clive without trouble. Wouldn't be good for morale if the newbies become Terror food before being formally inducted.

Gray and Tobin were walked about the hallway silently, with Kliff providing the trio with light from a fire spell. The three offered to watch their flank in case any Terrors roamed about, and it gave the time for them to talk of things anyways. It was much easier to pass the time that way, even if Kliff insisted that it was an annoyance.

Up ahead, not that far away was the rest of them. Clair was currently right beside Alm, chatting with him openly. They couldn't hear all the words of their conversation, but occasionally a sentence or two could be heard on their ears, and they could hear the noblewoman giggle more than once.

"Seems like they're having a fun conversation." Tobin remarked dryly. "I doubt Faye would be happy about that."

"Speak for yourself." Kliff remarked softly, trying his best not to be heard by anyone but the three of them. He pointed in the direction of Gray, who was quietly sulking as he heard more and more of his friend and the woman he liked enjoying each other's company.

The three shared an awkward silence as they heard more of the conversation. It seemed like Silque and Faye were also talking, and the two conversations were muddling each other. Gray was actually thankful for the interruption, much as he liked hearing her voice.

"Man, this place gives me the creeps." Gray commented, trying to steer the conversation away somewhere else. "I hope the entire hideout isn't like this, or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

The two nodded in agreement as they turned right into another hallway, hearing more and more of those moaning noises. They actually passed by a few of the Terrors before, and surprised even themselves by not screaming at the mere sight of them.

Twisted, horrid creatures of rotten flesh and black bones, the few they've encountered tried to jump at them, baring their teeth and claws. Thankfully while there were frightening, they were also slow, so they were able to mostly avoid or kill what Terrors they've come across. Still, the mere thought of these monstrosities hiding in the darkness still set them on edge.

"Look." Alm said suddenly. "I see a bright light. We're here."

They indeed saw a bright light straight ahead and several figures as well. They quickly ran towards it and saw that it was a Shrine of Mila, just like the one that they rescued Silque from. A blonde man in blue armor stepped forward. He had a fair face with a calm smile, and he greeted them eagerly.

"Hold. This place is a Shrine of Mila. You will find safety here. I presume one of you is Alm?"

"Yes, I am him." Alm said. "I am here to join the Deliverance, and fight to liberate Zofia."

"Ah, it is good to finally meet Sir Mycen's grandson." The man said. "I am Clive, leader of the Deliverance that fights against Desaix's tyranny. I gladly welcome you into our ranks."

Gray made an audible gasp as he revealed his name. Of course he likely knew who he was based on his looks, but seeing and, hopefully, fighting for the man told only to him in grandiose tales was another thing entirely. It was definitely a cathartic feeling.

Tobin nudged him on the shouldered and whispered. "Uhh...do you know him?"

Gray grumbled, broken out of his awe-filled reverie. He was tempted to shout out loud, but that would only embarrass him in front of so many people, Clive most of all. So he simply settled for a whisper. "I'm surprised you didn't know. That's Sir Clive, captain of the knights of Zofia. He's been in over a hundred battles and has distinguished himself in almost all of them. Even newborns know his name, Tobin."

"Okay, okay. I guess I should have known him." The archer replied, raising his hands defensively.

Unbeknownst to them, the last comment was loud enough to attract the attention of several people, who either looked at them with a stare or lightly chuckled. Clive, however, was unphased. "Come on in and rest. We have much to discuss, especially with you, Alm."

As the group unpacked their things and prepared to settle down in the new hideout, Gray looked around. There were men all around them, sharpening their weapons, conversing, some doing menial tasks while others do nothing at all. Despite that, there were still far less men than he was expecting. He caught a glance of a familiar figure, Fernand. They locked eyes for a bit, with him merely giving his usual frown towards Gray. The villager simply looked elsewhere.

In a separate chamber than the one that housed Mila's Shrine, Alm was invited by Clive to join the council room with the other Deliverance members. He noted Lukas and Clair were also present, along with Fernand who, as usual, gave a scowl towards him. Clive was last to enter the room, with a green-haired soldier accompanying him.

"Now then..." Clive began. "I'm sure you're all wondering about the state of the Deliverance. And as Forsyth has told me, it doesn't look good. The men's morale is starting to sink, and it's only going to sink further if we continue to linger here."

"Hmph." Fernand said rudely. "Tis what happens when you fill our ranks with baseborn curs, Clive."

"Blood has nothing to do with it." Clive responded calmly. The two friends, if they could even be considered that at this point, have had too many fights to count over the past weeks. He wasn't in the mood for another. "They feel as though the Deliverance has lost meaning. We haven't made progress and it's starting to dishearten the men."

"So what are you suggesting?" Lukas asked, voicing the question that everyone had on their mind.

Clive's response was a simple tap on the map spread out on the table before them, landing on Zofia Castle. "I suggest we take back the capital, and drive out Desaix once and for all."

His idea was met by surprise from all of them. He simply smiled. A leader must never look worried. "It isn't that far from here, and I'm told by what few spies we have left that the nephew of King Rudolf is going to be there. If we capture him, it'll only add more leverage against Rigel."

"Still, to assault such a heavily fortified castle is no easy task." Lukas warned. "I assume you have a plan, Sir Clive?"

"At the moment? No." He said bluntly "That's why I called you all here, to discuss how we're going to do this. Timing, positioning, and roles, that all must be settled before we leave this room. Do I have an agreement from all of you?"

"Um..." Alm said, a bit nervous.

"What is it, Alm? Speak frankly." Clive said, giving him a warm smile.

"I'm not sure why I'm here. I just got here and well...I'm sure that there are much better men that you can confide in, Sir Clive."

Inwardly, Clive took a deep breath and sighed. This was going to be difficult, but it had to be done. "Actually, there is a reason why you're here Alm. Let me explain."

Tobin was in the "storeroom" of the hideout, which was just a nearby chamber of graves filled with weapons. Tobin could only assume the people that once resided within those graves have risen as Terrors. Not a comfortable thought as he continued his give assignment.

He took a shiver at the mere thought of those things, and actually checked to see if any were behind him more than once. He moved over to the next grave, which was filled with bows and arrows, and quickly took them out to count them one by one. A meticulous and tedious task to be sure, but a necessary one nonetheless.

"Tobin?"

That echoing voice nearly made him jump as he quickly turned around and looked at who called out his name. The torchlight made her seem eerie and mysterious, but he recognized Faye.

"Need some help?" His friend asked. There was a frown on her face, and she was obviously troubled. Perhaps she needed to get something off her mind.

"Yeah..." He said, looking back at the grave full of arrows before moving to the last one, which was sealed shut. "Man, it's so dark in here, even with the torch. I really hope I didn't miscount. Help me push this?"

Faye approached him and started placing her hands on the lid, and Tobin did the same. They pushed together, and with a lot of effort managed to push it off the grave, revealing spears, knives, swords and axes.

Tobin quietly took count of each and every one before writing it down on parchment. He wasn't highly learned like a scholar, but Mycen at least taught him the basics of mathematics when he was young; always reminding the children that strategy and numbers was as important as courage and swordsmanship.

"So..." Tobin said as he pointed at the last weapon, scribbling. "Mind telling me what's on your mind?"

Faye just sighed. "It's nothing."

"When you sigh and say it's nothing, it's pretty obvious that it isn't, you know." He replied, putting the parchment away on his satchel. He turned to face her. "We've known each other for years, Faye. You can trust me."

She looked at him a giggled a bit. "I know. It's not like Alm's the only friend in my life, you know. It's just." Her face grew grim once more. "We're seeing Alm less and less now. The moment we joined, Sir Clive just took him away somewhere else. I wonder...if we'll stop seeing him altogether."

"Yeah, I feel the same way honestly." Tobin said. "He's the grandson of a famous knight. Even when we played together, I always knew he was destined for something greater than us."

"You're not making me feel better, you know." She replied in an even sadder tone.

"Ah." Tobin screamed out. "S-sorry, but there really isn't any way I could have said it. He really is destined for something greater than us. But he's still our Alm, right? I'm sure he won't forget us."

"Yeah..." Faye said, though she remained unconvinced. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, I...guess."

"Hey, even if Alm isn't there for you, I'm still here." Tobin said, giving her his best smile. "Just come talk to me if you ever need it, even if I'm not exactly the best at conversations."

That made Faye giggle again, and she gave him a happier smile this time. "Thanks, Tobin. I'm glad you and the others are here with me."

They both nodded to each other and head back to the hideout proper, as they were both heading in, they were surprised by Fernand. He didn't even spare them a glance as he walked out of the hideout spear in hand, pure fury writ on his face.

"What's his deal?" Tobin groaned out before Gray approached them. "Hey, Gray. So, what caused him to leave in such a hurry?"

"Beats me. Not like I care about that jerk." He replied. "Sir Clive said that he had something big to announce, so he asked me to call you guys. Must be something big."

The trio headed to Mila's shrine, where Clive was standing before the rest of the Deliverance, Alm was beside him and despite his calm demeanour, he was all sorts of anxious.

Merciful Mila, please let me be doing the right thing.

"I'm sure all of you are wondering why I've called you here. For weeks now, we've been pushed back and suppressed by Desaix's men, forced into hiding. For that, I thank each and every one of you for enduring the same hardships as your fellow man, noble or common."

The audience grew silent as he continued his speech. Clive announced that they would be attacking Castle Zofia before the next full moon, a decision which led to a unanimous cheer from the soldiers.

"And that's not all. Recently, I've come to realize that my shortcomings are preventing this Deliverance from truly being the best that it can be, and that perhaps it's time for a new leader. One that has both commoner and nobility in his character, one that can truly lead this Deliverance to new heights."

On that queue, Alm stepped forward. Clive continued. "I've decided to pass on the mantle of leadership to Alm, grandson of Sir Mycen. He may be a youth, but I have confidence that he will truly lead us to glory."

The reaction was met with shocked, with several soldiers audibly gasping. There was a murmur building up within the ranks. Most of it was surprise, some of it was genuine curiosity and optimism. A small fraction voiced doubt and resentment.

"Sir Mycen's grandson? What happened to Sir Mycen himself?" "A boy leading us, has Clive lost his mind?" "I hear he lives in some village, how can he say that he has nobility in his character?"

As for his friends, they were shocked more than any of them. They knew Alm would rise far in the Deliverance, but to become its leader? And so soon?

"Um…" Alm said, and the crowd grew silent. "I know this is unexpected for all of you. Truth be told, when Clive brought up the proposal to me, it was unexpected to me as well. I have no experience in leadership, but I promise, I will fight with every inch of my body to see Zofia liberated, and I can only hope that I grow into a leader worthy of your respect."

The murmurs continued, though several cheers went up in favor of Alm as well. With a few parting words from Clive, the soldiers disbanded to continue to do their tasks, with the Ram villagers looking at each other, the question in their minds obvious.

If Alm is the leader, what becomes of us then?

Evening dawned on the hideout as the light shining down turned from white to a radiant orange. Several campfires were already drawn out and raw food was being distributed for being cooked. Gray was among those gathering food in what was essentially the mess hall, an empty alcove where a shoddy looking table held raw meats and vegetables.

The alcove was surprisingly empty, though that could be because he was one of the last to get food. He looked over a spotted Clair gathering food as well, though she looked at the raw food as if it were diseased-ridden, gently handling it with two fingers as she placed it onto a tray she held.

"Hey, Clair." Gray called out.

Clair turned around to face him, a look of slight annoyance on her face. "Salutations, Gray. What a shame, I thought you were Alm for a second."

Ouch, way to twist the knife. Gray though as he went forward and picked the allotted amount of food for his group. He could just leave, but a certain someone was compelling him to stay.

"So, uh...Why exactly did Fernand run off like that? He seemed really mad." Gray asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

That however, only made her anger more apparent. "He and my brother had some...disagreements .That is all I will say on the matter, now if you'll excuse me, the lady has some important duties to attend to."

"Wait, Clair." Gray called out as she walked away. "I..."

"Gray." Clair said, not even turning around to face him. "What is it that you desire from me?"

"Um, your friendship..." He responded, though even he knew it sounded weak.

"Is that all? The lady can't help but think you're lying." She responded, back still turned towards her.

"Alright, you want the truth?" Gray said, knowing that if he answered this now, it would only lead to hurt for him. "I know it may seem like I'm insane but...I'm in love with you."

There was tension in the air as Clair tried to process that answer. She was thankful no one else was here to witness this. "You are right about one thing, Gray, you have gone mad. How could you claim you love me when you've barely known me?"

"I don't know." Gray said desperately. And he truly didn't how he had come to love her, but he knew he did nonetheless. "I just never felt this way before, with any other girl. I..."

Clair soft, tired sigh instantly made him silence. "Let me spell this out for you, Gray. You are NOT in love with me; you simply wish to have me like some prize to be won. You don't know a single thing about me yet you lavish me with superficial praise thinking it would woo me like some gushing princess."

Every word cut him deeper and deeper, and he could refute none of it. It even surprised him that he could respond at all. "But...that's not how I feel at all..."

"Yes, poor you." Clair said sarcastically. "And have you no considerations towards my feelings, and not just yours? The man I find worthy of my hand is one who knows me before he loves me. Now, never speak to me again."

And with those cruel parting words, Clair left Gray, who felt rather numb after the brutal and admittedly completely deserving lecture. They have only met for a couple of days, and all he did was pester her without end. What right did he have at her affections?

None, none at all. He reminded himself. Recalling that he had friends waiting for him, he quickly took the rest of his food and hurried out. Hopefully he could hide how bad his mood has turned.

The hope of his sorrow going unnoticed also turned out to be futile as well, as they began eating by the campfire Gray noticed that the Ram Villagers were glancing at him as they ate and talk in their little corner of the hideout, the rest of the soldiers paying them no mind. He tried his best to fit in and converse as normal, but he supposed his tone gave it away.

"Hey, everything alright there?" Tobin asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Gray responded half-heartedly. "Just...thinking about things, you know? Anyways, you guys were saying?"

The other three stared at him with looks of concerned, which only made him annoyed. Faye decided to continue the discussion they had.

"Alm is with Sir Clive, planning the assault on Castle Zofia. No doubt as leader of the Deliverance that he'd choose seasoned knights to serve as his personal unit." Faye muttered depressingly.

The implications of that were left hanging in the air, leaving the friends rather glum. They could still hear their friend's words, announcing himself as leader of the Deliverance. That left so many questions for them to ask, questions that sadly did not have an answer.

One thing was certain though, things have definitely changed.

"Hey kiddos." A voice called out. The villagers turned around to see that it was Python, smiling and waving at them. "I figured I'd check up on you lot, see how the newcomers are doing."

"Oh, we're doing well, Sir Python." Faye said. "Um...shouldn't you be with Sir Clive, planning the assault?"

"Oh, that? Nah, strategy isn't really my thing." The archer replied nonchalantly. "Besides, I hear Clive and the other nobles are celebrating our new leader. He's a friend of yours, right?"

The four nodded. "Hmm, surprised you guys weren't invited. Then again, nobles rarely invite the people who make their food in the first place, being all high and mighty and all that. Clive's alright though, as is his sister, even if she can be a bit of a brat sometimes. Rumor has it she has a thing for your friend over that."

"Great." Gray whispered sarcastically, enough so that no one heard it but him.

"Well anyways, glad to see you're fitting in." Python finished as he turned around and started walking away. "My stomach is killing me so I'll be going now. Do me a favour and try not to tell anyone what I said about nobles. Be seeing you guys."

With him leaving, the Ram Villagers looked at each other in slight confusion before continuing to eat, discussing other matters with each other. Still, the talk was sparse as everyone had their own thoughts to digest with.

Once the food was done, Gray and Kliff took all the plates and went to wash them, leaving Faye and Tobin alone by the fire. The two stayed silent, Faye looking rather miserable as she tried to get her thoughts in order.

"Um...Faye..." Tobin said softly. "Are you...going to be alright?"

Faye nodded quietly, looking into the fire with a blank stare. She simply sighed and continued to stare at it, pondering about the future.

Things have definitely changed.

And that concludes chapter 3. Feel free to leave any feedback in the comments. In the next chapter, we change to a new point of view before finally beginning our assault on Castle Zofia. Till then -ArcanaHermit