Author's Note: You may have noticed a significant uptick in writing quality in the last chapter. That is because every developed chapter is now being processed by a beta! (But still also ultimately being finalized by me so it won't be perfect; that's my fault, sorry.)
A round of applause for Paragon of Awesomeness for making sure my quality doesn't go down the crapper when exams come! I really appreciate it.
Chapter 5 – Masked.
"So, what's your deal?"
Edna's voice broke the dull repetitive rhythm of the group's footsteps on dirt. Velvet blinked, turning towards the seraph staring up at her with her ever-present stoic expression carved on her face. "What?"
"You." With a slight twirl of the umbrella resting on her left shoulder, Edna elaborated. "Nobody's said anything about why there's another human coming along with us who isn't Sorey's squire." She raised an eyebrow pointedly. "Who can see seraphim, for that matter."
"Oh, that's right!"
Sorey fell into step alongside the two women plonking a fist in his palm. "Edna, we haven't introduced you two!" He realized.
"You haven't." She blandly affirmed.
High in the sky the sun shone, basking the surrounding rolling green hills and accompanying the Shepherd's group as they headed due south back towards Griflet Bridge. The pouring showers that had tormented the area had largely moved on, leaving only a few stray dark clouds occasionally peppering patches of land with a gentle sprinkle. The air was crisp and fresh, and told of new beginnings.
Grinning sheepishly, Sorey gestured to Velvet for Edna's benefit. "Well then, Edna, meet Velvet." He introduced. "She's been travelling with us for the time being."
"You don't say."
"Yeah." Completely immune to the seraph's inflectionless tone, Sorey continued explaining, "She's from a village up near Lakehaven Heights, and was born resonant. She's coming with us because she's been looking for her cousin."
"…Born resonant, huh?" Tilting her head curiously, Edna met Velvet's eyes. "Then where's your cousin?" She prompted.
Velvet shrugged. "No idea." She admitted. "All I can tell for sure is that he's nowhere near here."
"So you figured that it would be a good idea to use the Shepherd as protection in your travels as you looked for him." She hummed thoughtfully. "Not a bad idea."
Velvet's eyebrow rose. "I suppose you could say that." She allowed unaffectedly.
Surprisingly, Sorey rallied in her defense. "It's nothing like that, Edna, really." He promised, shaking his head. "Velvet's been nothing but helpful to us in our travels. She's been teaching Lailah how to cook, giving us all useful tips to make our travels easier, and she even helps us quell hellions!"
He gave Velvet an apologetic look, scratching the back of his head. "If anything, it's us who are using her." He admitted sheepishly.
A wet summer breeze blew through the air, disturbing the grass on both sides of the partially dry dirt road upon which they travelled. Mikleo and Lailah were exchanging idle conversation as they walked at the same pace in front of them, leading the group onward. Behind them, the looming figure of Spiritcrest had all but receded behind the horizon.
"…If you say so." Edna conceded to Sorey's words after a pause, her eyes carefully flitting between the eyes of the Shepherd and Velvet.
She twirled her umbrella behind her perfunctorily. "As far as humans go," she supposed, "you don't seem too bad."
Velvet gave her a look. "I'll take that as a complement."
"You should." The orange doll on Edna's umbrella twirled around as she spun it once more. "Ordinary humans are idiots who only care about themselves."
"So," Sorey asked curiously, "does that mean that you care about others then, Edna?"
He balked at the narrowed eyes he received in response. "I'll pretend you didn't just ask me that." She growled.
Gulping, Sorey nodded wordlessly, a confused expression clear on his face.
Amused, Velvet pointed out, "First Sorey, and now me." She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't have a bit of an unfair bias towards humanity?"
Edna gave her a dry look in response. "The only reason I consider you two humans to even be remotely bearable is because you're both extraordinarily weird. That's all."
"Weird?" Sorey blinked. "Are the two of us really that unique?"
Velvet gave him a look. "That's… a pretty accurate observation, actually."
With a satisfied smirk, Edna closed her umbrella and let it dangle in her grip as she walked. "Fighting with monsters that nobody else can see? Chatting with spirits dwelling inside of one's head? Sounds like a pair of cuckoo lunatics to me."
"You're one to talk."
Mikleo's words were defensive as he fell into step alongside them, his eyebrow raised pointedly in the earth seraph's direction. "What sort of seraph walks around with an umbrella even when it's not going to rain?"
"The same sort that would walk around with that dumb-looking face." Edna shot back easily with a smirk.
"W-what?" Mikleo sputtered, his eye twitching. "That doesn't make any sense at all!"
"Neither does your face."
"If you're going to insult someone, at least make it a coherent one." Mikleo huffed, sticking his nose up into the air.
"Okay then, Meebo." Edna opened her umbrella once more with a dry smirk. "If you're going to make snacks, at least make them edible."
"W-why you-!"
Mikleo floundered helplessly for a moment before gathering his wits, glaring angrily down at the insufferable little seraph. "…Mistakes are a necessary ingredient of becoming proficient in something." He growled lowly. "You can't just expect me to be perfect right off the bat!"
"Hm." She hummed, twirling her umbrella. "A convenient excuse." She commented off-handedly.
"It's not an excuse!"
Sorey scratched his cheek sheepishly as the two seraphim devolved once more into a bout of bickering. He gave Velvet a grin. "Next to those two, I'd say we're pretty normal by comparison."
Velvet rolled her eyes, waving a hand in the air. "Can't argue with you there."
"My, just look at them go!"
Lailah had a playful finger on her chin as she fell into step alongside Sorey opposite to Velvet, her eyes on the two seraphim exchanging verbal blows in front of them. "It's certainly gotten much more lively around here; that much is certain." She commented to the Shepherd.
Sorey gave the fire seraph a grin. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone push Mikleo's buttons so well before." He commented. "Edna seems like quite the person."
"Indeed." She bobbed her head. "Edna does seem to be having quite a lot of fun as well. I'm glad that you managed to convince her to leave Spiritcrest, Sorey. She can be quite stubborn."
Sorey nodded seriously. "Yeah." He intoned. "I'm glad as well."
The sun continued to glow high up in the sky as the group continued to make their way through the vast plains, the various conversations populating the air around them.
Velvet's eyes were on Sorey, her lips pursed.
"…Sorey," she prompted, causing his head to turn to her.
"Did you really mean it?" She inquired. "When you said you'd try and find a way to save Edna's brother?" Her mind thought back to the words that he'd said back in Spiritcrest; the ones that had so unwittingly convinced Edna into joining his group.
Sorey's expression was firm. "I meant every word."
Velvet put a hand on her hip, her eyes digging into Sorey's. "…Saying you'll do something is one thing." She pointed out, waving her other hand in the air. "Doing it is a different story." Her eyebrows narrowed. "…Anybody can make promises they can't keep."
Her skepticism was plain to both of them.
Sorey's face was sober as he lifted up his left hand wearing the ornamented white glove emblazoned with the Shepherd's emblem and clenched it into a determined fist. "…I will find a way to save Eizen." He promised softly. "Regardless of how long it might take, and how hard it might be, I refuse to believe that purifying a dragon is an impossible task. That once a seraph becomes a dragon, they are doomed to that fate forever."
Unconsciously, his eyes wandered forward, to fall on Mikleo's form. "…I just don't want to live in a world like that." He muttered as an afterthought.
Velvet studied him acutely as they walked. "…And so," she summarized, "you'll do everything you can to reshape the world into a place you do want to live in."
"…I suppose." Sorey nodded.
Velvet glanced away, deep in thought. Oh, how that exact sentiment had nearly ruined the lives of all whom had lived in this world long ago.
"But…" His head tilted upward, towards the partially cloudy blue sky, as he continued. "It all seems a little overwhelming at times, I'll admit." He let out a self-deprecating grin. "Like I've bitten off a little too much."
At his side Lailah nodded slowly. "Such a feeling is natural, Sorey." She assured softly. As Sorey's gaze fell down to meet her own, she urged, "Remember the purpose of our journey."
"To learn more of the world, right?" Velvet answered, also meeting the Shepherd's eyes with a thoughtful look. "If that's so, you should take your time." She suggested with a shrug. "I seriously doubt a person who only recently learned what money is would be able to change the world in an instant."
Sorey laughed, habitually scratching the back of his neck. "I guess Mikleo told you all about that, huh?"
Lailah held Velvet's eyes for a moment before returning her gaze to Sorey. "…She's right, Sorey." Her lips upturned into a soft, encouraging smile. "Make your own way in the world and decide what you think is best. That is all one can really do, in the end. As I said, the answers you seek are those you must discover for yourself." Her eyes were distant.
"…Answers of my own." Sorey mumbled pensively. "And only then will I be able to make a stand against the Lord of Calamity, huh?"
Velvet and Lailah were both silent.
After a pause, Sorey abruptly nodded, unconsciously squaring his shoulders and standing up straighter. "…Got it." He confirmed firmly. "Thanks, guys, for the encouragement." He gave both women a grateful look.
Velvet merely inclined her head in response, that thoughtful expression still present on her face.
Their steps continued onward through the dirt. Overhead, a stray storm cloud had made its way over, causing a light drizzle to waft lazily in the air. The land all around the group became momentarily eclipsed in a soft shadow as the cloud obscured the sunlight from the heavens.
"Stop calling me that!"
"Do you make it a habit of always telling people around you what to do, Meebo?"
Mikleo's eye twitched. "I do when they annoy me!" He yelled.
"Such a bully." Edna's smirk was almost fanged.
Velvet shut her eyes and massaged her temple with her left hand. "At this rate, every hellion for kilometers around will be charging over here if only to stop this racket." She growled irritably.
Laughing nervously, Sorey stepped in before Mikleo fell for another one of Edna's taunts. "Come on, guys." He urged impassionedly. "Knock it off."
"Yes," Lailah agreed wisely, "both of you, please do calm yourselves."
Mikleo visibly contained himself with a deep breath, shaking his head. "…She started it." He muttered sourly, glaring hatefully at the smug earth seraph.
Edna just gave him a vindictive grin in response, twirling her umbrella in the sprinkling rain.
A blessed calm fell as the group moved on, walking together through the fluttering droplets of rainwater gliding through the air. Up ahead in the distance through the fog, the familiar features of the Griflet River were slowly coming into view.
"Up ahead! Hellions!"
Mikleo's alarm call put everyone instantly on guard, adrenaline instantly pumping through their veins at the abrupt introduction of mortal danger amidst the tedium of travel. Hands fell on weapons as the group zeroed in on a pack of octopus hellions lazily encroaching upon the path at the crest of a hill ahead.
Sorey glanced back and quickly asserted the statuses of his group members before giving them all a nod. "I'm counting on you all." His gaze fell on the newest member of the group. "Edna, follow our lead, and be careful." He urged.
At Velvet's side, Edna nodded, closing her umbrella and exposing herself to the sprinkling rain.
"Alright guys, let's do this!" With Sorey's call, the group drew their weapons and charged up the hill towards the hellions. Within moments, the pack of octopi registered the invading humans and turned towards them, aggressively raising their spiked tentacles in response.
BANG!
With the might of a giant, a massive chunk of land sprouted violently from underneath one of the five hellions, sending the monster hurtling high up into the foggy air, its tentacles twirling helplessly behind it. With a loud splat, the hellion landed harshly on the ground, tumbling around with flailing limbs.
Not to be outdone, Mikleo shook his head and turned away from Edna's form, instead focusing on finishing his own arte. With a yell, he swept his free hand outward towards the hellions.
All of a sudden, a branch of innocent sprinkling rain merged together into a sharp, unnatural spear of water and hurtled downward through the air to slam into one of the hellions in an explosion of liquid force, slamming it flat onto the ground.
"Not bad for a Meebo." Was Edna's comment as she waved her umbrella, finalizing a low-power arte to harry one of the other hellions. "A Meebo with an element advantage." She snarked.
Mikleo grunted in irritation, digging his boots into the mud and running forward to fight the hellions at a closer range. "I told you to stop calling me that!"
Sorey gave him a helpless grin briefly over his shoulder as he charged forward and met the first octopus hellion head-on, dodging the monster's tentacles. "I think you might just have to get used to it, Mikleo." He grunted, rolling to the side and avoiding the tentacles flying over his head before getting to his feet and slashing to the side, smoothly slicing through the slimy skin and eliciting a squeal of agony from the hellion.
"That's what I'm afraid of!" Siding to a stop, Mikleo took the initiative and used his staff to club the head of the hellion Sorey had just struck. He leapt back with a grunt, dodging the retaliatory attack. "Lailah!" He called over to the fire seraph. "You sure there aren't any other earth seraphim nearby that we could ask for help instead of her?"
"I'm very sorry to disappoint, but unfortunately that is in fact the case." Lailah's grin said she wasn't very sorry at all as she flicked her wrist, finalizing her arte and causing one of the other hellions to burst into flames. "Velvet!" She prompted.
"Right here!" Acrobatically leaping through the air, Velvet dodged the attack of another hellion and charged up to the one that Lailah had set on fire before she fell into a cartwheel. The hidden blade inside her boot jerked out and carved a clear gash across the stunned hellion's skin. Recovering her footing, the woman leapt backward in a backflip with her arm outstretched, letting her extended gauntlet blade slash an additional wound in the body of the scorched octopus hellion in the process, leaving it fully disabled.
"Nice one!" Sorey commented, himself slashing outward and slicing his sword through the slimy skin of the octopus hellion he and Mikleo were engaging. A brilliant flash of blue preceded the casting of the sacred flame upon the wounded hellion, relegating the monster into the form of a wounded jackrabbit that immediately began to scuttle away from the chaos as quickly as it could manage.
Edna glanced briefly over at the purified rabbit before returning her attention back to the other four hellions. "Lailah!" She called. "Take the one in the back. I've got the closer one."
"Right!" With a nod, Lailah stepped up firmly alongside Edna. Together, the two seraphim raised their weapons of choice and concentrated, focusing their efforts on the distant hellion.
Meanwhile, Velvet jerked her hand, gesturing for Sorey to come to her. Nodding, the Shepherd broke into a run through the rain towards her and the fallen hellion beside Velvet. The other three hellions instantly converged upon him, their tentacles seeking to tear his clothes and rend his flesh apart.
SPLASH!
A barrage of water fell alongside him as he ran, wreaking havoc amongst the octopi and giving him leeway to arrive at Velvet's side with his sword drawn. He absently gave Mikleo a nod of thanks before turning to the fallen hellion and precisely waving his sword, purifying the monster.
Unnoticed by him, Velvet had instinctively shied away from the burst of flame, her very being reviling the heat of the purifying fire.
Shaking her head, the disguised therion moved hastily away from the Shepherd as he worked and instead pushed herself into a run towards the casting seraphim who were being defended by only Mikleo as the remaining three hellions encroached upon their position.
"Gah!" Mikleo grunted as he stumbled backwards, his boots digging in the mud as he clumsily regained his balance while keeping both hands on his staff. "Guys! Hurry up!" He yelled urgently over his shoulder.
"Quiet." Edna's face was scrunched in concentration. "Almost done."
By her side, Lailah's eyes shot open, brimming with power. "Alright!" She cried, raising a casting page in her hand. Edna's umbrella lifted in tandem as the two seraphim finalized their arte.
"NOW!" They yelled, their hair whipping around their bodies as the mana billowed with the initiation of their artes.
BANG!
CRACK!
The ground shook for miles around as an explosion and an earthquake erupted at the same time. The hellions squealed in agony as they were cast bodily in different directions, tumbling away with rocks embedded in their charred skin. The moist, foggy air momentarily became flooded with the scent of burning fish and of lingering dust.
Gasping for breath, Edna and Lailah stumbled away from the results of their artes, their hands on their knees. Edna coughed, waving her right hand in front of her face as she wafted the thick dust enshrouding her away.
Her eyes widened when she registered a tentacled silhouette directly in front of her. She let out a cry of alarm.
"EDNA!"
Velvet shouted as she lunged forward, tackling the seraph and sending them both tumbling out of the way of the hellion's attack. Right before they hit the ground, she twisted her body and let her left shoulder take the brunt of the impact, her black coat gliding through the mud as she cradled Edna protectively.
Not missing a beat, Mikleo ran up to the fallen women and finished his arte with a yell, casting a flying spike of ice to slam into the side of the hellion's head and distracting it.
Sorey, now armatized with Lailah, charged in, using his great sword to bash the monster away from his friends. With a roar, the Shepherd charged after the hellion's form, continuing the fight.
"You guys alright?" Mikleo asked worriedly as Velvet and Edna untangled themselves on the ground, absently keeping track of Sorey and Lailah's progress as they mopped up the rest of the hellions.
"We're fine." Velvet assured, pushing herself back onto her feet and extending a hand to Edna.
"That was stupid." Edna berated herself as she let Velvet pull herself up, haughtily brushing the mud off her legs and clothes.
She gave Velvet a deeply grateful look. "…Thanks for that." She gave a slight incline of her head in appreciation.
Velvet nodded, idly examining her mud-drenched clothing and bandages. "It's nothing." She jerked her head to the side. "It's Mikleo you should be thanking for distracting the hellion."
The sour look that Edna gave her in response made the therion smirk.
With a sigh, Edna turned to Mikleo reluctantly. "I guess I should thank you for that as well." Suddenly, her lips curved upward. "…Meebo." She finished wryly.
Mikleo facepalmed. "Don't make me regret helping you." He muttered sourly.
Together, the three of them turned and watched as Sorey dispelled his armatization and purified the last of the fallen hellions with a shaky sword.
"Whew!" He exhaled, turning to the rest of them as the last of the purified jackrabbits scurried off into the field. "That battle was tough!" He glanced at Edna and Velvet's mud-soaked forms in particular with worry in his eyes. "You guys alright?"
"We're fine." Edna reassured.
She glanced over at Velvet and her mud-soaked arm. "Your bandages might need replacing, though." She raised an eyebrow at the therion. "Then again, I'm not so sure why you're even wearing them at all in the first place when you can clearly use your arm regardless."
Velvet was about to answer when she registered the looks on Mikleo and Sorey's faces.
She blinked. "…What?"
The two exchanged hesitant glances before Mikleo let out a halting confession. "W-well," he stammered, "I figured early on that we shouldn't bring up your arm because you'd probably… not take it too well." Heat was crawling up the back of his neck. "S-sorry, we probably should've told Edna beforehand, so she wouldn't've asked." He mumbled respectfully.
Velvet blinked at him incredulously. "…You were really that worried about how I'd feel about it?"
Sorey grinned cheekily, explaining, "Mikleo felt kinda guilty about all his assumptions about you in the beginning when we first met." He said with a shrug. "I think it was just his way of apologizing for it. It's a very Mikleo thing to do."
"Sorey…!" Mikleo growled out of the side of his mouth, furiously embarrassed. In response, Sorey just raised both hands in surrender, a wry grin on his face.
"…I see."
Shaking her head, Velvet addressed the topic at hand. "In any case, you don't have to worry about that." She waved the bandaged arm in question. "It's a sort of disease." She explained. "I have full use of my arm, but the appearance is rather off-putting to some, so I keep it covered."
At their wide-eyed looks, she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. It's not contagious… Much." She added with a dry smirk.
Edna dryly shouldered her opened umbrella, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the once-more horrified expressions Sorey and Mikleo were wearing. "She's kidding." She drawled. "Idiots."
"Ahah." Sorey chuckled, scratching his nose. "Got it."
Mikleo's face had gone red. "…So…" he mumbled, "you mean to say you didn't care at all about us mentioning your arm from the start?"
Velvet shrugged, a hand on her hip. "Not one bit." She confirmed.
"Moron." Edna goaded with a satisfied smirk on her face, her umbrella shadowing her face. "What, was it some kind of idiot guy thing to assume that all girls are fragile flowers?"
Mikleo just let out a sigh in response, rubbing his temples.
Taking pity on the poor water seraph, Velvet shrugged. "I suppose the thought is what matters." She gave him a nod. "I appreciate it, for what it's worth."
Mikleo's spine seemed to straighten sharply with the expression of her gratitude.
"Y-you're welcome." He returned haltingly, turning around and putting his back to them. "Anyways, we should get going. We're almost at the bridge." He mumbled hastily, walking off.
The rest of the group exchanged glances before shrugging and following in the seraph's footsteps.
Edna was right, Velvet reflected as she walked. They were just one big band of weirdos, the lot of them.
What a familiar feeling.
High up in the sky, the stray storm cloud began to move on with the wind, leaving the land once more exposed to the brightness of the sun.
"Wait a minute." Mikleo asked incredulously. "You're going to do this right away?"
Edna bounced the tip of her closed umbrella on the ground. "Don't you know what the humans will think of you?" She gestured over her shoulder at the bustling Griflet Bridge Camp framed in the golden light of the sunset. "What will happen if you demonstrate power that transcends their simple understanding right here, right now, in front of them all?"
Velvet glanced over her shoulder at all the humans in question. With the torrential rainfall having finally stopped shortly before the group had returned back to the bridge, a flurry of activity had ignited in the makeshift settlement. Yells and shouts echoed throughout the camp as merchants and builders worked together to move waterlogged building materials though deep tracts of mud. Everyone had been whipped into a flurry of activity devoted towards rebuilding the structure and towards hastening their return home to where their sick families still awaited them, along with the precious medicine they carried.
By her side, Sorey also watched the people in the camp, his jaw set. At his back, the rushing waters of the Griflet River continued to roar.
"…I know." He muttered under his breath, answering Edna's question. "I know how they'll act. Regardless," he turned to face the seraph, "it's for everyone's sake that I get this done as soon as possible… so that they don't waste time pouring effort into building foundations that we'll be constructing for them."
"You do have a point…" Lailah held a hand to her chest in worry. "Yet what of you, Sorey?"
Sorey shook his head, facing her firmly. "Don't worry about me." He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be fine."
"…Suit yourself." Edna shrugged apathetically. "Maybe you like being treated like a monster."
Velvet was silent.
Mikleo nodded, meeting Sorey's eyes seriously. "It's your call. I'll go find Alisha then. The three of you should cross the river as soon as possible once the deed is done."
Sorey nodded.
As Mikleo left, the Shepherd turned to face the task at hand. Before him, the vast expanse of the Griflet River awaited, its surging currents still fierce and strong despite the lack of rain.
"…Edna." He prompted. "Can I count on your help?"
The seraph tilted her head apathetically, the ribbons on her outfit fluttering in the breeze. "The Shepherd has the ability to command the seraphim at will, isn't that right?" She pointed out. "I'm your Sub Lord. Do whatever you want."
It was incredible how quickly Sorey turned around to face her, pure disgust on his face.
"No way." He almost growled, uncharacteristically firm in his demeanor. "You are not a tool for me to use, nor are any of the other seraphim. If you don't want to help, I'll find another way."
He shook his head impassionedly. "My dream is for humans and seraphim to coexist." He stated. "Manipulating seraphim is not what I'd call a peaceful coexistence. On the contrary, I find the very idea despicable."
At Edna's side, Lailah explained, "Sorey was brought up alongside seraphim. In fact, Mikleo has been his childhood friend ever since his birth." Her words were logical and pointed. "Naturally, he'd revile such underhanded manipulation of other simply to achieve one's personal goals, having been brought up this way."
Velvet didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that the seraph was looking directly at her.
Edna let out a mildly impressed huff, shifting on her feet and letting the tip of her unopened umbrella drop to the cobblestones of the broken bridge below. "Humans and seraphim, huh?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Then what about hellions?" She asked.
The rushing of the bridge filled the silence.
Sorey blinked in confusion. "Hellions? What about them?"
Edna shrugged, opening her umbrella and resting it upon her left shoulder. "Nothing." She dismissed casually, looking vaguely off into the distance. "Just a random thought."
The Shepherd's confusion was interrupted by a far-off cry. "Sorey!"
The group turned as one to face Princess Alisha as she jogged up to them urgently, Mikleo at her heels. "Is what Mikleo says true?" She implored as she came to a halt, catching her breath. "Have you found a way to repair the bridge using your powers?"
Sorey shook his head. "Not mine." He gestured to the newest member of the group. "Edna here's going to help us out using herpowers. She's an earth seraph, so if anyone can do this, it's her."
Alisha abruptly registered Edna's presence with surprise, horror creeping into her expression. "O-oh! Forgive my manners, Seraph Edna." She hunched forward into a sincere bow. "I deeply regret my transgression."
Edna's expression didn't change. "Yeah, you ought to."
Her free arm fell to her side as she eyed the woman disapprovingly. "And we're already on a first name basis even though we just met?" Almost habitually, her gloved right hand reached up and grabbed the orange doll hanging from her umbrella. "You're awfully rude, you know that?" She accused.
Alisha shook her head sorrowfully. "Please forgive me…"
Seeing where this was going, Velvet decided to take pity on the poor princess before Edna could torment her any further. "As Sorey was saying," she drawled, smirking at Edna's pout at being denied her fun, "'Seraph Edna' here will be using her powers to construct a foundation for the new bridge before we cross ourselves."
Getting over her shame, Alisha blinked as Velvet's words sunk in. She glanced back at Sorey and Edna in amazement. "The Shepherd can do that?"
"Do you doubt my powers?" Edna raised an indignant eyebrow.
Instantly cowed, Alisha bowed her head once more. "No, Madam Seraph… I apologize for my impudence."
Edna's smile was fanged. "If you're sorry, then do the normincarena as penance."
Alisha blinked, raising a questioning finger. "The nor… What now?"
"You don't know it?" Edna's inflectionless voice somehow managed to sound both deeply disappointed and apathetic at the same time. "How disrespectful."
The princess flinched. "Please forgive me…!"
"If you're sorry, then-"
Chuckling, Sorey prudently interrupted the redundant conversation. "Okay, that's enough." He berated lightly, a wry grin on his face.
Within moments however, the smile slid off his face as the sight of all the humans desperately working to return to their sick families across the river faced him once more. Any sign of humor instantly vanished, leaving behind a young man struggling to fill the boots of the Shepherd.
One doing absolutely everything in his power to do what he thought was right.
Alisha instantly caught onto the serious atmosphere, her right arm bending to grasp onto her left instinctively. "Wait a second, Sorey." She turned to the Shepherd. "You don't actually mean to use your powers right at this moment in front of all these people…?"
Edna waved a nonchalant hand. "He wants to make sure the other humans don't spend resources and time working on something he's making himself." She explained.
Sorey nodded. "Yeah." He confirmed. "I've decided it's the best way to help everyone."
"…If you're sure, then I won't doubt your decision." Alisha conceded.
Velvet silently spectated the interactions taking place, keenly studying Sorey's stout demeanor and resolute determination.
She was impressed.
"Well, I guess then we'd better get started." With that, Sorey turned on his heel and trotted up to the edge of the bridge, Edna at his side. "Alisha, Velvet, if any of the people come near, tell them to stay back." He called over his shoulder.
Velvet gave Sorey a slow, encouraging nod in return. "…Good luck." She wished.
Sorey nodded back, before taking a deep breath and turning to Edna. "Ready?" He prompted.
Edna closed her umbrella with a soft thunk. "Let's just hurry up and get this over with." She raised an eyebrow. "Your goal is to help the humans as quickly as possible, right?"
"…Right." With growing resolution in his eyes, the Shepherd turned to face the trial before him and raised a hand high in the air.
"Hephsin Yulind!"
A bright glow overtook the young man's form as he armatized with the earth seraph. Two massive fists of mana-infused rock floated at his sides, mimicking the movements of his arms. Bright, angelic white clashed with the fiery orange of the accents of his outfit as well as the brilliant unnatural hue of his eyes.
It was a sight that was a hauntingly familiar to Velvet. Just as the sight of Mikleo's Water Armatus had, it reminded her of a distant time when she had fought against now-ancient enemies. Enemies that had willingly sacrificed their own lives in a desperate, heroic attempt to best the ultimate enemy of their time. The one monster whose existence alone meant the suffering of countless others.
Herself.
With a rough shake of her head, she forced herself to focus on what was happening in the present rather than the past.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Within seconds, the world had devolved into one ruled by chaos and anger. The ground below her feet shook with the unmatched ferocity of an earthquake while the waters behind her splashed violently upward as jagged shards of earth forced their ways brutally through the surface. The very river itself shook and undulated with the disruptions that caused waves to form and crash harshly against the riverbank, sending water flying high into the sky.
Her gaze turned to Sorey, whom was hunched over and continually slamming his armatized fists into the earth before him, all the while forcing more and more slabs of rock to rise up into the air. Sweat streamed down his forehead as he pushed himself harder and harder, his teeth gritted hard in concentrated effort.
"Wh-what's going on?!"
Velvet turned sharply to the astonished jabbering of people before her. She and Alisha exchanged glances before facing the mixed group of soldiers, builders, and Marlinders staring at the Shepherd's form in pure, unbridled disbelief.
Behind her, the tremors continued as Sorey worked.
"People of Hyland, please!" Alisha's voice was shill and high in an attempt to override the crashing bursts of rock and water behind her. She glanced briefly behind her with wide eyes at Sorey's actions before she forced herself to focus instead on the people in front of her. "Stay back!" She cried, waving a hand. "The Shepherd is currently constructing a foundation to aid in the Griflet Bridge reconstruction effort!"
"Th-the Shepherd?!"
"He's the Shepherd?"
"My gods! He's raising boulders with nothing but his own fists!"
"T-that's c-crazy!"
"How is this even possible?!"
Velvet snuck an eye over her shoulder at Sorey as he continued to slam his fists into the ground. He could hear all of it. Every word, she knew. Every single word was like a dagger to his heart; another stark reminder of how he was different. Unnatural.
How, despite his human heritage, he was as alien to the people of this world as the seraphim were.
The shuddering of earth continued over the disbelieving muttering and jabbering of the masses. More and more people were coming to gather before the foot of the bridge; all of them collectively awestruck by the demonstration of powers beyond their imaginations. A complete contradiction to everything they had once believed their world to be.
Velvet let out a huff and turned away from the gawking crowds, having had enough.
She'd seen it all before. Despite how long it had been, it would seem that the fragile nature of humans would always be the same.
Regardless of the land nor age, the fear and revulsion of those whom are different would always exist.
Slowly, she made her way up the broken arc of the bridge over to the Shepherd as he slammed his fist on the ground one last time, heaving for breath. Behind her, the rampant murmuring and squabbling of the masses began to grow even louder in the absence of the earth-shaking blows. Standing on shaking knees, Sorey dispelled the Armatus. Edna reappeared alongside the other seraphim at the base of the bridge, similarly exhausted.
Velvet was there to catch Sorey's lone form before he toppled over into the river, steadying him with a firm grip.
"Idiot." She berated quietly under her breath as she let go of him, letting him stand on his own. "You overdid it." She accused.
"Hah… I guess I did." Sorey breathed, shaking the stars out of his head and wiping the sweat off his forehead.
The two of them stared out at the result of the Shepherd's Miracle; jagged boulders haphazardly erected from the riverbed and jutting out a few meters up from the raging waters. They would provide a solid foundation to allow for the rapid construction of a new bridge; one capable of sustaining the weight of aid wagons laden with medicine. With his efforts, he'd saved the people over a month's worth of hard work in digging foundations in the river. With his efforts, he'd helped to save their families as well.
Sorey's eyes inevitably drifted to the people in question whom he'd helped. All of them; every single one; looked back directly at him, their eyes filled with the exact emotions he'd expected to see.
Shock. Disbelief. Awe. Denial. Fear. Terror.
A terrible shiver ran up his spine as he stood there before them all. There was nothing in this world that would've prepared him for that moment, he reflected idly. Nothing that would've prepared him for the revelation. Even Alisha, his squire, had seemed perturbed by his actions.
All of them. They all looked at him as if he were something… different to them.
Inhuman, even.
All but her.
His gaze drifted to Velvet, a strange look in his eyes as he stared inquisitively at the lone, unaffected woman standing before him, a sea of fearful people directly behind her.
Interpreting his look, the woman raised a single eyebrow in response.
"If you think I'm going to act all scared of you as well," she remarked dispassionately, "I'm afraid you're setting yourself up for disappointment."
Sorey blinked.
And then, ever so slowly, a hint of the Shepherd's normal self began to seep back once more into his frozen body. With jerky, halting movements, he scratched the back of his neck out of habit, forcing his eyes away from those of the people. "…Yeah, suppose so, huh?" He agreed with a humorless chuckle.
As the seraphim began to walk up to the base of the bridge towards the two of them in the aftermath of the event, Velvet felt something come over her. The gawking people; Sorey's deeply disturbed expression; all of it drove her to open her mouth right then.
"You know," Velvet mumbled under her breath, "you should feel relieved right now."
Sorey nodded. "I am." He agreed. "Now the Marlinders will be able to build the bridge in much less time than before."
"That's not what I meant."
He blinked.
Velvet shook her head, waving a dismissive hand as the seraphim of the group approached them. "…Never mind."
"Well, that went well." Edna's voice was dry and laced with fatigue as she walked up to them alongside the other two seraphim.
Lailah glanced worriedly over her shoulder. "…Yet it would seem that none of the people are willing to continue construction with us in the way."
Sorey let out a breath, standing up straight. "That's understandable." He acknowledged.
Mikleo gestured over his shoulder. "Alisha is busy trying to calm down the masses. From the looks of things, even the local garrison was stirred up by what you just did."
"Then we should get going as soon as possible before the humans all reach peak freak-out." Edna summarized, turning to Mikleo. "Meebo. You ready?"
He nodded. "Once Alisha comes, I'll be ready to transport us across."
"Hold on a second." Sorey's jaw was firm as he took a step forward, down the bridge towards the people. "Before we go, I need to find Neif to get the medicine."
Velvet's voice was soft.
"…Are you sure you're ready for that?"
Sorey nodded firmly, not turning around. "What's important… are the people of Marlind. That's all." He reaffirmed.
It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
And with that, the Shepherd began a slow, measured pace down towards the flock of frightened sheep. Behind, the wolf watched him go over his shoulder, an intrigued glint in her eyes.
The freshly raised array of rocky outcroppings jutting out from the surface of the Griflet River would remain there for centuries after that day; a testament to the almighty Shepherd's powers.
Proof of his inhumanity.
"Agh!"
Sorey let out a yelp as he was deposited roughly onto the ground, rolling over himself in the dirt before coming to a rough halt. Blinking rapidly, the first thing he registered was the dampness of the dirt under his palms. The familiar howling of rushing water told him that he was directly beside the Griflet River. Pushing the disorientation aside with a vigorous mental effort, the Shepherd forced himself to recall what had happened as the world around him slowly stopped spinning.
The group had crossed the river with the help of Mikleo's artes along with Neif's medicine and had made some progress towards Marlind before setting camp for the night. After a light dinner, they had all fallen asleep in a safe campsite tucked away from the main road.
And then he'd been kidnapped in his sleep.
The Shepherd let out a huff exasperation, finding the ground under his feet and standing up straight, staring up into the sky.
Idly, he noted that no stars were visible; they'd been obscured by a thick blanket of malevolence. For the Shepherd was standing directly in the midst of a terrifyingly powerful hellion's domain.
His cloak rattled on his back as the howling gales of the domain whipped it left and right in erratic patterns like a pitiable flag in a hurricane. Flakes of concentrated malevolence were everywhere, constantly swirling around him like a swarm of flies on a corpse. An otherworldly hum rumbled outward from beneath his feet, rivaling the rumbling of the river beside him. The ceremonial sword hanging from his hip felt like a useless paperweight in the face of such a display of pure, inherent power.
"Y'know," Sorey began lightly, idly dusting the dirt off his cloak as he turned around, "if you wanted me to meet you away from the others like this, all you had to do was ask."
He angled his chin downward and met the fierce red eyes of the familiar hellion standing across from him parallel to the river. The Shepherd raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms and facing the masked hellion fully.
"…You don't have to keep up this façade, really." He reasoned. "I know you have motives regarding me." He shook his head. "And honestly, that's fine. I really have no problem helping you get what you want from me."
To his surprise, the hellion actually reacted to his words.
With almost hesitant movements, the monster tilted its head in a clear, wordless inquiry. Forcing himself past the shock of conversing with a hellion whom he could apparently reason with, Sorey tried to think of the best way to communicate his intentions.
He abruptly chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "…That must sound pretty bad to you, coming from a Shepherd, huh?" He muttered, shaking his head wryly. "I guess… it's just a hunch I had about you."
He gave the hellion a lopsided, honest nod. "I've only recently been coming to terms with how strange and wondrous this world can be." He explained softly. "Seraphim… shepherds… dragons… All of them. Legends whose validity I've confirmed through no more than the means of my own two eyes. And… I had a thought the other night." He took a gentle step forward, gesturing towards the hellion.
"Why should hellions be any different?"
His eyes were honest as he gazed at the emotionless masked monster before him. "…Your actions so far speak louder than anything you could've possibly said to me."
He thought back to everything he knew about it. It's lack of murderous intent. It's distinctly intelligent movements. It's actions in following him in particular.
"…And in the end," Sorey continued slowly, "there was only one reason I could come up with to explain them." He shifted on his feet, his eyes narrowing.
"You… you want to… teach me, don't you?" He asked softly. "You want to teach me… how to fight…?"
It sounded so absurd. Sorey knew that if he had brought it up with the others, they'd dismiss the idea in an instant, then berate him for even entertaining the idea in the first place. Mikleo in particular. And they would be right to do so. There was absolutely no good reason for him to believe in such an outrageous conclusion. And yet, something deep inside Sorey told him otherwise. His instincts told him that this hellion… this hellion was different, somehow. That this hellion was following him for a reason. A reason bereft of malice.
He crossed his arms firmly and faced off against the hellion, awaiting its response.
The rushing of the Griflet River permeated the cold, chilly night air in the silence that followed. All around them, the hellion's extraordinarily powerful domain continued to swirl in the darkness; a silent spectator to the encounter between light and dark.
And then slowly, almost hesitantly, the monster gave a nearly imperceptible nod of confirmation.
"Ah! I knew it!"
Sorey's face broke into a wide, satisfied smile at the realization that he'd been right. He stepped forward, decisively popping his right fist on his left palm. "Then that settles it." He declared firmly.
With a wave, he gestured at his surroundings. "From now on, I'll try to come out at night whenever I can find a chance to slip away from everyone else and meet up with you." He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Or whatever works for you, really. Just do something to let me know one way or another, and I'll come whenever I get the chance." He promised.
He grinned weakly. "I hope you'll take it easier on me from now on, though." He wished half-heartedly. "With all this travelling we've been doing, the lack of sleep might raise some questions from the others." He let out a wry shrug. "But now that I think of it, you're so strong that you'll probably beat the snot out of me regardless of whether you're going easy or not." He chuckled. "I guess it can't be helped." It might've been his imagination, but it honestly looked as if the eyes of the hellion were almost disbelieving at his words.
He blinked, abruptly remembering something.
With measured, fearless steps, the Shepherd calmly trotted up to the motionless hellion emitting thick, overwhelmingly powerful waves of malevolence. He ignored his instincts that were screaming at him to run away from such corruption, and instead forced himself to come to a stop a mere arm's reach away from it.
And, without further delay, he raised his empty right hand and offered it to the evil creature.
"We should start over." He proposed gently, smiling honestly at the stoic mask before him. "I'm Sorey the Shepherd. Nice to meet you."
All around them, the malevolence continued to swirl.
The hellion remained as still as a statue, but his proffered hand didn't waver. "I really don't understand your motives at all." Sorey admitted openly. "I honestly can't fathom why you're following me, or why you feel the need to try and teach me how to fight of all things. I mean, for one, you're a hellion; beings who, from my experience, don't tend to be very pleasant."
He shrugged. "But from the looks of things," he figured, "you don't mean me or any of my friends any harm." He gave a small yet earnest smile. "So, if that's the case, I'm happy to help you with whatever you need." He held the gaze of the malicious red eyes firmly. "I promise I'll do everything I can to keep this up. Does that sound alright to you?"
His hand continued to hover in the space between the two of them, unwavering and determined. A symbol of friendship freely offered by the world's savior to a monster.
It just felt like the right thing to do.
Then, without warning, the hellion tensed its legs and leapt inhumanly high into the air, vanishing amidst the darkness brought about by its own domain.
Sorey blinked in surprise, his offered hand falling to his side as he glanced left and right, vainly seeking for a hint of the hellion that had disappeared into thin air. All around him, the remnants of the powerful monster's domain began to dissipate; ribbons of malevolence slowly fading out of existence.
In the tranquil, malevolence-free night, a quiet smile softly appeared on his face.
"I guess I'll take that as a yes." He remarked, scratching the back of his head habitually. "I guess if he's following me," he supposed, "there's no need to really rush anything."
He abruptly let out a sigh, looking around his surroundings in the aftermath of the encounter, his thoughts shifting away from the enigmatic hellion and to his current situation. "…Now the real question is," he mumbled under his breath, "just where the heck am I?" Shaking his head helplessly, he pulled out his copy of the Celestial Record and began the tedious process of determining his location from the rough maps and sketches he'd been working on.
Far away, from a distant tree line, Velvet watched with crossed arms as the Shepherd eventually decided on a direction and began walking, snapping his copy of the Celestial Record shut.
Her right index finger tapped her left bicep in irregular, agitated intervals.
"…Naïve idiot." She muttered under her breath, utterly in disbelief at how trusting the moron had been with her after she'd attacked both him and even his friends. What kind of person would trust a monster like her? Especially when said person's only prior experiences with other monsters had all lead to violence? That sort of idiotic fairy-tale optimism of his would get him killed one day; there was no doubt about that.
She blinked when she belatedly realized that, despite herself, a small, amused smirk had crept onto her face.
She let out a disbelieving scoff and shook her head, forcing her thoughts back on track.
With one last shake of her head and a firm mental reminder of her goals, Velvet gathered herself and took off into the night where she proceeded to doggedly follow Sorey's tracks as he made his way back to camp, intending to slip silently back into the group before he returned; with Lailah's help, naturally.
In the dead silence of the night that followed, the Griflet River flowed at a loud but measured pace in stark contrast to the raging currents that had been caused by the pouring rain. Its deep, obscure waters ran endlessly into the night, moving ceaselessly onward towards distant lands.
Massive thanks to Paragon of Awesomeness for betaing this chapter!