Chapter 11 - Steel.
He couldn't sleep. Counting the number of individual planks of wood in the darkened ceiling wasn't helping, nor was the constant readjusting of his pillow. It apparently didn't matter the fact that his entire body was still sore and exhausted from the battle earlier in the night, nor that he'd finished applying gels and bandages to his various injuries a few hours ago.
He was simply too preoccupied by what had happened.
With a grunt, Sorey sat up in his bed, ruefully rubbing his tired eyes. The muffled sound of crickets chirping outside the inn of Marlind continued to ring in the silence as he made his way out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. He lingered for a second in the darkened hallway, his eyes drifting slowly towards the doors of the others' rooms.
Then the moment passed. Shaking his head to himself, Sorey turned his body away and instead headed outside, braving the aging night. It felt like he had wandered for an eternity through the desolate streets of town with nothing but the crickets for company before he inadvertently found himself entering the park at the heart of Marlind. All alone, the Shepherd maintained his thoughtful pace as he trotted through the empty grass fields, idly appreciating the brilliance of the naturally formed patterns embellishing the vibrant bark of the Great Tree before him.
He spent some more time there, sitting on one of the thicker roots of the massive tree a little way up from the ground and letting his mind catch up with itself in silence.
"That tree's pretty old, you know."
Edna didn't spare him a glance as she approached, training her eyes high up towards the towering tree valiantly enshrouding the town. Her pale translucent umbrella seemed to glow ethereally in the moonlight as she twirled it on her shoulder.
"Edna!" Sorey blinked. "What are you doing up this early?" He asked as she came to a halt below his perch.
She raised an eyebrow up at him. "Don't ask questions that you won't answer in turn." She reprimanded.
Sorey winced. "...I-I guess that's fair." He conceded meekly.
The earth seraph let out a soft hmph in response, disapproval clear on her face.
Looking to divert the topic anywhere else, the Shepherd glanced up towards the darkened sky. "The Celestial Record says that the Great Tree of Marlind is a few thousand years old, at least." He recited by heart, squinting through the darkness to make out the vague outline of the expansive canopy above.
"That's like, stupid vague." Edna pointed out disdainfully, delicately placing her oversized boots upon the bark of the tree as she climbed up to where Sorey was. "Can't that all-knowing book of yours give a definitive answer for once?"
The Shepherd shook his head. "Well, there's only so much information that scattered old legends and spotty ancient records can provide, especially given just how vast the span of time it's trying to account for." he reasoned. "Figuring out history is like a puzzle, where you're only given a few pieces of a thousand and told to somehow replicate the entire image. Some things just aren't possible to find definitive answers for." His eyes seemed to gleam with familiar passion as he spoke.
Edna knelt down easily behind Sorey on the root, hugging her knees with an idle huff. "So, the only thing that really knows the full truth behind the tree's story is the tree itself, then." She commented. "Nobody else."
"I guess you could say that, yeah." Sorey nodded, appreciating the interpretation. He ran his gloved fingers over the glossy skin of the root he sat upon. "Still, imagine all of the things we could learn if the tree could talk to us!" He exclaimed. "Entire lost chapters of history – recovered in an instant!"
"You sure you would even want that?" Edna asked, smirking. "You might discover that the world really isn't as simple as you think it is."
"All the better." Sorey returned determinedly, leaning back on his hands and staring up into the sky. "Wisdom doesn't come easily, as they say. This tree might be regarded as a beacon unto the fruit of knowledge, but that doesn't mean that harvesting it should be as easy as plucking fruit from a tree."
"Spoken like a true Sorey." She remarked dryly. "Your optimism never fails to astound."
Sorey chuckled good-naturedly in response, grinning at the seraph. "I guess that's just who I am."
"For now." Edna added shortly, kicking her feet out and letting them dangle over the curvature of the roots. "On the other hand… I wonder who you'll be at the end of all of this?"
A thoughtful silence followed in the wake of her words.
All around them, the world was steadily brightening as a new dawn fast approached, signaling the end of an eventful night. In the distance, the occupants of the houses bordering the edge of the park began to stir, waking up for another day of work. In the distance, an early-rising dog began to bark.
Sorey winced as one of the bandaged wounds under his clothes stung him in protest as he shifted in his seat. He gingerly and discreetly laid back in a fashion that allowed him the least possible discomfort given his injuries while still keeping them hidden from Edna. With the renewed pain of his injuries stinging his body, his mind inevitably returned to dwelling upon the events from earlier in the night.
About the masked hellion.
He had never been able to make heads nor tails of that clawed hellion since the day they had first met. And all of that mystery had deepened even more over the past night.
"SOREY…!"
Once more he heard his name, yelled in anxiety and concern through the warped and distorted voice of a hellion that had wanted to train him in the ways of battle. It was capable of speech. And it had the capacity to care about someone else's well-being. It cared about him.
He ran a hand through his hair in befuddlement.
Ultimately, he just couldn't fathom why. Why was it doing this? Why did it care about him? Why had it protected him, even going so far as to injure itself to save him? For that matter, how could a hellion even be so… different? The gaping lack of motives and unknown goals of his enigmatic acquaintance elicited so much mystery and confusion in him that it made his head hurt.
"…Edna?" He asked abruptly. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You just did, doofus." Edna raised an eyebrow at him. "Stop stalling and ask already." She snipped.
"Right." Sorey smiled softly at the sharp Edna-like retort before letting the smile fade.
"When we met you back at Rayfalke," he began, dully noting the tensing of the Seraph's back at his words, "you mentioned that your bother no longer recognized you." He turned to face Edna fully, cross-crossing his legs underneath him.
"Does that mean that he recognized you before? Even as a dragon?" He asked urgently.
After a pregnant pause, she responded. "…Yeah. My brother did recognize me, even as a dragon." she confirmed softly. "Barely."
"So then, did you ever…" Sorey fumbled for words, "…interact with him? Talk with him, even? Back then?"
She gave him a look.
"Why do you ask? Curious as to whether or not you can reason him down from gobbling you up in one bite?" She scoffed disdainfully, kicking her dangling legs in the air. "If so, I'd say you're even more optimistic that I first thought. Not to mention stupid."
Sorey shook his head. "N-no, it's not that." He refuted soberly. "I'm fully aware as to the state Eizen is in right now. I saw more than enough proof of that back at the mountain." He shifted in his seat. "I was just wondering about… hellions in general, I guess." He admitted haltingly.
A stray breeze blew, disturbing Edna's hair as she looked away. "…Is that so." She muttered.
A pause.
"Eizen never spoke." She began.
"I was certain he wasn't physically able to… But I'm also sure he wouldn't have even if he could." Edna absently fiddled with her boots; her eyes distant. "But he did listen."
Sorey blinked.
She pushed a stay strand of golden hair out of her eyes as she elaborated, "It wasn't much, but I could tell it was my brother underneath it all." She sighed, shaking her head. "I watched over him as best I could. If any idiot humans strayed close enough to the mountain, I would try my best to force my brother to stay put until they left." She shrugged softly. "And he actually did… once in a while. Things like that."
"…So," Sorey rubbed his chin in deep thought, "that means that seraphim have the ability to retain shreds of their personality even after turning into a dragon?"
Edna sighed, repetitively squeezing the normin doll attached to her umbrella as she engulfed herself in memories.
"Some days were worse than others." She continued softly. "Some days he'd barely be able to hold himself back from ripping me into ribbons. Others he'd be docile enough that I could go and sit right next to his head and talk with him." She paused and corrected herself, "Well, talk at him, I mean."
Sorey's eyes were soft.
"What did you talk about?" He asked gently.
Edna looked away, staring at the grass below. "…Old memories, for the most part. Things that I hoped would trigger something in his awareness."
She sighed. "Oh, but how I hoped some random thing would work." She muttered sourly. "Some stupid memory of him cooking things for me or of us playing silly games when we lived together. I tried talking about as many things as I could remember. Anything that might've somehow… brought my brother back." Her voice trembled briefly.
"Edna…"
She harshly shook her head, discreetly wiping her eyes with her arm before turning back to him, her blasé expression once more firmly plastered onto her face. "…Obviously, it didn't work. You saw how he was. He completely lost all traces of who he was by the time you showed up." She sighed. "It was a lost cause in the first place."
Sorey nodded slowly in response.
"…Nevertheless," he noted, "it's truly amazing that a hellion could even have that much awareness leftover from when he was a seraph to begin with." He shook his head. "From what I've understood about hellions, I'd have thought that once someone turns into a hellion, that person would then become a complete and total monster without a shred of awareness whatsoever." He shifted in his seat. "At least, that's what Mikleo and the others told me..." He trailed off.
Edna gave him a calculating look in the wake of his statement.
"So." She cocked her head at him. "What's the reason behind this sudden interest in hellions?"
Sorey flinched.
"A-ah! No reason, really." He grinned nervously. "Just… trying to understand what I'm up against, that's all." He scratched his cheek. "A-also, I remember reading a book back in Elysia that the best thing a person can do to prepare for battle is by reading up on one's enemy." He nodded hastily. "That's all I'm doing."
"…Hmph." She slowly got to her feet, dusting the stray leaves off her dress.
"It's going to be a long journey for you." Her umbrella squealed slightly as she opened it once more and laid it on her shoulder with a twirl. "You've got a lot to learn."
Sorey blinked a few times at the statement.
He eventually found his voice, a soft smile forming on his lips. "…I'm sure I do." He breathed to himself as he turned away from her. The two stayed like that for a while, watching as the sun slowly began to creep up above the distant horizon. A lone Shepherd and one of his seraphim, poised upon the fringes of uncertainty.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell began to toll.
Sorey exchanged a glance with Edna, warily getting to his feet as the faint sound grew steadily more frantic, its ringing echoing throughout the waking town.
"What's that?" He asked guardedly, his eyes scanning the town for any signs of discord.
Edna shrugged. "Sounds like more trouble." She observed in resignation.
"Then we should get going." Squaring his tired shoulders and steadying his wandering mind once more, Shepherd Sorey placed his hand on the pommel of his sword and began to climb down the root. Edna close behind, mimicking his footsteps.
Velvet huffed, plunging her human arm into the small creek and retracting it quickly, splashing the cupped water onto her dirty face and neck, uncaring of how freezing cold the water was. She repeated the motion, thoroughly scrubbing any trace of the hazardous mishap she'd committed earlier in the night off her face. Droplets of fouled, dirtied water trailed down and dripped off her chin as she worked, glinting in the moonlight.
Satisfied that she'd cleaned enough of the dirt off judging by her reflection off the surface of the creek, she hunched backwards and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. The sound of the flowing of the tiny creek she was kneeling beside meshed with the crying of crickets and the rustling of the leaves of nearby trees in the wind. In the distance, the city of Marlind stood, solemnly in the dead of night.
Suddenly, the therion drew her arm back and slammed her fist into the dirt, sending loose rocks and pebbles flying. She seized upon the sensation of pain in her knuckles due to the strike and let the feeling ground her chaotic brain as much as possible. "Damn!" She snarled.
"Whoa! Easy there, moody."
Velvet sighed, turning to face Zaveid's stupid grinning face as he trotted over to her from the tree line, his bare chest gleaming in the fading moonlight.
"…What do you want, Zaveid?" She growled back, her voice at a dangerously low level. Yet despite herself, she found her muscles untensing for the first time since the battle in his presence.
Zaveid coyly sauntered over to the kneeling woman with his hands on his hips. "Now now," he berated patiently, "is that any for the Lord of Calamity to greet her loyal minion?"
Velvet flicked dirt off her hand and used it to sweep a few stray strands of raven hair behind her ear in annoyance. "I can't think of a single reason why any evil being would want to have you as a servant."
"Nonsense!" Zaveid returned, coming to a halt beside her by the water's edge. "Such a gorgeous, vicious monster such as yourself just has to have a fittingly attractive co-conspirator in her ranks. Everyone knows hot babes need hot hunks by their side."
He put two hands on his hips. "So then, won't you choose me to be your husband, your calamityness?" He drawled mischievously.
She gave him a glare that promised death in return.
"…I'll show you the real meaning of vicious if you don't shut up right now." She growled warningly.
Grinning easily, Zaveid plopped down on the grass besides her with another easy reply ready. "But of course." he allowed graciously. "Your wish is my command."
Velvet couldn't help but roll her eyes in response. "No wonder you get under Lailah's skin so easily." she observed under her breath.
Shaking her head, the therion turned away and began scrubbing stray specks of hellion blood that had managed to find their way past her disguise and onto her clothing in the battle. She eventually gave up and ripped her whole ragged coat off, dunking it entirely into the cold water and squeezing it harshly to rinse the blood away.
Zaveid watched her with a keen eye, idly toying with the long flowing straps of leather hanging from his wrists as she worked. The splashing of the water filled the silence as the blood seeped out of the hellion's clothing, corrupting the pure liquid with plumes of deep, dark red.
"So, what's up?" He asked after a little while. "Shepherd finally driven you mad?" He guessed. "Too much naïve do-gooder attitude for even you to handle?"
Velvet sighed, halting in her work.
She stared down at the soaking wet black coat bunched up in her hands for a moment as she contemplated his question. "It's not that." She muttered, slowly resuming her work with distant eyes.
"Then what?" Zaveid pressed the issue, sitting up from his slouched position and thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "Far as I know," he pointed out, "beating innocent dirt into a pulp like that isn't usually an indicator of everything bein' fine and dandy."
She pulled the jacket out of the water, twisting it and squeezing it as dry as possible with a grim expression. The last few droplets of clean water splattered noisily into the chuckling stream in the silence.
"I suppose you could say that I've been getting a little too… involved." She muttered reluctantly, her mind flashing back to that unfortunate slip earlier in the night. "I've come insufferably close to breaking my cover more than once these past few days. It's damned annoying."
Her fists clenched over the bunched-up fabric in her hands. "…I just need to distance myself more from my work." She concluded lowly. "That's all."
A wry, knowing grin slowly spread across Zaveid's face at her words.
"Ah…" He exhaled at length. "…I see."
He abruptly slid to his feet; his hands intertwined behind his neck as he trotted about around her. "Ya know," he began, "I used to think that Eizen's creed was just about the dumbest thing I'd ever heard." He remarked, his boots clinking on the grass.
Velvet raised an eyebrow at the abrupt shift in topic.
"Living just to live," Zaveid continued at length, "on his own terms regardless of everything else…" He scoffed, waving a hand in the air. "What about all the lives that he was ruining by living on his own terms? It just didn't make any kind of sense. How selfish could one person get?"
He hooked his thumbs on his belt, facing away and staring out at the city of Marlind in the distance. "…At least that's what I thought at the time." His long mane of silver hair rippled softly in the night breeze. After a pause, he prompted, "You remember, what it was like between the two of us?"
"I do." She agreed neutrally, watching him carefully. "It was… irritating to say the least. Like having two giant boulders be repeatedly smashed against each other."
He glanced over his shoulder at her. "But look at me now." he grinned.
"…Your point?"
He quickly spun around on his heel to face her, waving a hand in the air. "All I'm sayin', sweetheart, is that the same thing might happen to you." He gave her a careless grin. "If I were you, I'd be careful about Sorey's little naïve do-gooder attitude rubbin' off on you." he suggested casually. "That's all."
"But that's just the opinion of one humble rock-brained dumbass… naturally." he demurred.
She glanced away in the wake of his words, an unreadable expression on her face.
The sky around the two continued to brighten in the silence that followed. In the distance, signs of life could be seen in the town of Marlind as the population slowly began to stir. The last of the present crickets began to let their songs fade, giving way to the entrance of a new day.
"…By the way," Zaveid broke the silence once more, spinning on his feet and facing her with a hand on his hip, "Leo sends his regards."
Velvet blinked twice. "You found him?"
"Yeah." Zaveid confirmed, jerking a thumb over his shoulder as she got to her feet. "I ran into him and his mutt by chance in Pendrago." He chuckled nostalgically. "Just like the old days."
In answer to her unspoken question, he elaborated, "So don't you go worrying about him, Velvet. He and I had a bit of a chat." he explained. "Turns out after he'd separated from you, the army ended up finding him and bringing him back to Rolance. He's been there ever since and looked pretty cozy over there last I saw of him." He raised both hands in a shrug and shook his head. "When I told him about what you've been up to, he shrugged and said that he'd stay put, and that you ought to do what you have to."
"…Well, that's good to hear." Velvet breathed. "That's one less thing to worry about." She gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thank you for helping find him, Zaveid."
He grinned back. "Bet you're happy to have me as your minion now, huh?" He shrugged, shaking his head. "'Sides, I gave you my word. And if Zaveid the Whirlwind says he'll do something, you damn well better know he'll do it!"
"So it would seem." Velvet huffed in amusement, looking off to the side with a hand on her hip. She let out a long, drawn-out sigh and shook her head in defeat. "…I suppose I have to concede that you do make a rather half-decent minion." She remarked with a light smile.
"Half-decent?!" Zaveid's eyes bulged in horror.
He shook his head, regaining his composure. "Velvet-dear," he drawled, "you are quite the hard sell, ain't ya? Well, all the better, I say."
He put his hands on his belt and thrust his hips forward. "I love girls who play hard to get." He purred suggestively.
Velvet shot him an amused look in return. "Try me. You're free to do whatever you want." She shrugged, waving her bandaged hand in the air. "Although," she added dangerously, "as for what the consequences might be, I make no promises..."
"Well now you got me all proper riled up!" Zaveid beamed. "Looks like I'll just have to make you fall for me, Velvet Crowe, one way or another." He proclaimed, wiggling his eyebrows salaciously.
The woman in question let out a huff of amusement in response, bending down and picking up her drenched black coat. "Yeah. Good luck with that." She flapped the damp fabric harshly a few times before sliding it on to cover her bare arms. "So, what now?" She asked after a moment, raising her eyebrow. "Wherewill you go?"
"Wherever the wind's blowin', Velvet dear." He answered solemnly, his eyes rising up as he turned his body towards the distant brightening horizon. "You know me. Zaveid the Whirlwind never stays in one place." He shrugged. "That's just not who I am."
Steel boots scrunched in the dewy grass behind him as they approached. He glanced over as Velvet came to a halt beside him, her arms crossed as she stared out into the same horizon. "I guess you and I have that much in common." She noted dryly.
A pause. Zaveid's lips drew into a thin line. "…Listen, Velvet."
She turned at his tone of voice. He met her gaze carefully. "We never got to know each other too well back in the day…" he conceded, "but I'd like to think I'm a good people reader, myself." He shifted on his feet.
"So I think you should listen when I'm tellin' you that I'm… a little worried about you these days." He crossed his arms seriously. "More than a little if I'm being completely honest."
She gave him a look, flexing her bandaged hand. "I can handle myself just fine."
"From hellions, seraphim, and humans, yeah, I certainly know better than to doubt you on that; hell, I've got firsthand knowledge in that respect." He waved a hand with a laugh. "I sure as hell wouldn't ever want to be on the business end of that nasty oversized claw of yours. Being eaten alive while squeezed to death? Nah, count me out." He abruptly took a step forward, holding her gaze carefully.
"But thatwasn't what I was talking about."
In the distance, the sun continued to rise, sending long, sweeping shadows across the landscape. The distant city of Marlind was beginning to stir as the early morning birds began to sing their collective songs.
Velvet was silent, her expression hard.
The wind seraph looked away distantly. "Just… try to learn a thing or two from what happened to Eizen, would you?" He fiddled with the leather straps on his wrists. "I'd hate to see another buddy of mine fall victim to their own convictions.
"Just… something to keep in mind. That's all."
She glanced to her side, over towards the creek slowly babbling away in the silence that followed. Her jaw stiffened. "…You're probably not as much of a people reader as you think," she gave him a hard look, "if you failed to recognize that I already lost myself a long, long time ago."
A grotesque, noisy squelch resounded into the crisp, morning air, followed by a condensed burst of malevolence that expelled out from Velvet's left arm. Zaveid instinctively took a couple steps back, holding a protective arm up to shield his face as the putrid malevolence dissipated into the air around the therion. Velvet lifted her extended daemon claw up into the air, blocking the incoming rays of sunlight and casting a cool shadow across her grim expression.
"I'm called the Lord of Calamity for a reason." She pointed out coolly, examining the back of her claw. "I will do what I have to in order to achieve my goals." The wounds inflicted upon her by Sorey and Mikleo in their first encounter had all but vanished from her pulsating skin, she was pleased to see.
She turned and locked onto his gaze with her own fiery eyes. "That has not changed and that will never change." Her words were laden with finality. "That's just not who I am."
Silence rang out following her statement.
A soft sigh rang out from behind her. Zaveid shrugged helplessly, trotting back up to her side. "Alright alright… point made." He conceded benignly. "Calamity to the core. You got it, your evilness." He swept one leg back and bent forward in an exaggerated bow, his long hair falling past his face and sweeping the grass below.
She rolled her eyes. "We're on the same page, then." With another squelch, her claw disappeared once more into the bandages on her left arm.
"Ah… but I do pity ole Shep down there." Zaveid groaned, casually stretching his limber arms in the air with while eyeing the town down the cliff in the distance. "He hasn't the faintest idea as to the crazy stuff going on right underneath his nose, does he? Geez."
Velvet shrugged. "The less he knows, the better." Her eyes hardened as she thought back to the night before.
"It'll be all that much simpler..." She muttered under her breath. Behind her back, Zaveid looked on with a hard expression.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell began to toll.
The two of them exchanged a glance as the tolling coming from Marlind grew more and more frantic.
"Hm. New dawn new day, huh?" Zaveid supposed seriously.
Velvet nodded, glancing down briefly at her body to ensure all the blood from last night had been sufficiently removed. Once she had done that, she gave the seraph standing next to her a grateful look.
"…Thanks for all your help, Zaveid." She dipped her chin in acknowledgement.
Zaveid answered with a grin. "Anything for an old friend." His grin grew feral. "…And a smokin' hot one at that, if I ever do say so!" He gave her a salacious wink and a wave. "Ciao!"
She gave him another nod in return. And then the two beings burst into action, with Velvet leaping straight off the cliff, angling towards Marlind while Zaveid dashed off in the opposite direction with the aid of his artes. The bells continued to toll in the distance, the sound heralding the coming of a new dawn.
The bubbling creek continued to flow calmly in the morning sun.
"The empire…! The Rolance Empire is attacking!"
Sorey grunted as he slid through the crowd amassed before the open gates of Marlind, his seraphim close by. Panicked faces of bystanders flashed before him as he made his way to the front of the crowd, apologizing and wincing all the while.
"No!" A middle-aged woman put her hands up to her horrified face. "My son's at that front line!"
"Damn!" A merchant stomped his foot angrily. "And here I thought the fools would give it a rest."
"Mommy?" A little girl clutching a stuffed teddy bear cranked her neck upwards towards her mother. "Does this mean we won't get to see papa anymore?"
"Hmph!" Another man shook his head furiously. "They never learn their lesson. But our boys'll show 'em, mark my words!"
The agitation and underlying charged energy shimmered through the crowd as Sorey made his way to the forefront. There wasn't a single soul who wasn't affected by the news. Horror, excitement, anticipation, eagerness for battle, fear, hatred; the charged emotions seemed to swirl around, turning the surrounding air itself into an oppressive cauldron, overtaking the brightness of the morning.
And this was just the beginning.
Over all of the clamor, the alarm bells continued to ring, alerting the entirety of town to the encroaching storm.
Sorey finally managed to squeeze past the last of the crowd, arriving at the entranceway at the front of town. He absently registered that Velvet had too arrived, pushing her way through the crowd to arrive nearby at the same time. They exchanged a quick glance of acknowledgement before facing the scene.
Blood gushed out of the soldier's wounds. His armor had been ripped off haphazardly and strewn about the dirt as the resident healers tried their best to save the life of the man leaning awkwardly on the frame of the open gate. The crowd formed a half circle around the dying soldier, murmuring in horror at the scene. Sorey's eyes were wide as he took it all in at the edge of the crowd.
"Hey, you! Get back!"
Instinctively, Sorey wrenched his sword out of its sheath to guard against the spear threatening to prod him backwards. Steel met steel as their weapons collided awkwardly, ringing out noisily despite the clamor of the crowd.
The town guardsman who had initiated contact jerked back in surprise, hastily regaining his footing in preparation for a fight. "Y-you-!" He seethed angrily.
"Jack! Relax!"
All eyes turned to the captain of the guards providing crowd control to protect the injured soldier. The man, whom Sorey recognized from a few nights before, nodded in his direction. "That's the Shepherd you're facing, son. Let him through."
The change in the guard's demeanor was instantaneous.
He near dropped the spear right on the spot, his eyes wide in shock. "A-ah! Shepherd Sorey. M-my deepest apologies." He bowed deeply. "I'm eternally grateful to the work that you've done for all of us." He shook his head helplessly. "Without your help… my grandmother would've… would've…"
After a moment's hesitation, Sorey graced the man with a soft smile and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, while simultaneously sheathing his sword. "No worries." He promised lightly. "I'm just happy I could help."
And with that, he and Velvet exchanged a nod and walked through the ranks of the guards towards the injured guard. Murmurs from the surrounding spectators rose in volume as the people registered the presence of a legend in their midst.
The savior of Marlind, in the flesh.
A familiar old man kneeled beside the injured soldier alongside the working healers who glanced upon their approach. "Oh, Sorey!" Neif's smile was beyond welcoming. "I heard about all you've done for Marlind. Words cannot express my gratitude for all of your help, dear Shepherd."
Sorey nodded in acknowledgement as he kneeled down as well. "What's going on, Neif?" He asked urgently. "What's this about Rolance?"
Before Neif could answer, a coughing fit drew their attention.
The soldier, nothing more than a young blonde teenager wearing bloodied cotton clothes, hacked out blood onto the dirt next to him before blearily blinking his eyes. "S…Shepherd...?" He moaned, utterly lost.
The healers glanced at him. At their looks, Sorey swallowed and edged forward carefully, kneeling next to the man and carefully resting a hand on his shoulder. "My name is Sorey." He decided to say.
"Shepherd Sorey… I've… heard about you." Another coughing fit. Sorey was alarmed to feel the raggedness of the man's breathing through his hand on his shoulder. "I… The name's Adam. I'm… honored to have met you." He breathed haltingly.
"Hey, take it easy!" Sorey urged, briefly casting a glance over his shoulder and meeting Velvet's narrowed eyes as she stood behind him. "…You're hurt really bad." He pointed out, running his eyes over his hastily bandaged chest and leg.
A burst of green otherworldly light that only Sorey and Velvet could see flashed out, announcing the appearance of Lailah as she knelt down opposite Sorey.
After a moment, Lailah shook her head soberly, her long hair swaying with the action. "It would seem that he took two arrows to the chest and the calf." She threaded her fingers. "I'm… afraid he doesn't have much time left." She whispered. "Not if he keeps on going like this."
Sorey's jaw stiffened.
Adam coughed once more, hacking blood into an offered cloth from one of the medics. He groaned, letting his head fall back to rest against the stone frame behind him. "Shepherd… if you don't mind… please… bring me my horse."
Neif looked aghast. "Young sir! Your wounds…! You cannot possibly expect to reach the capital in your condition-"
"There's no time!" The soldier abruptly yelled out before seizing in agony as his injured muscles cramped. He scrunched his eyes and let out a howl of pain, clenching his fists. At his side, the medics scrambled to help mitigate the trauma as best they could, holding him down as tremors racked his body.
Gasping for breath, Adam's pained eyes once more rose to meet the Shepherd's. "Sorey… please, listen." He gasped. "If I don't get this message to Ladylake in time… We won't get backup. My brothers are out there fighting, at this very instant." He winced as another shiver of agony ran up his spine.
With a massive effort, wrenched his arm from the ground to seize the Shepherd's shoulder in turn, inadvertently staining it with his own blood. "P-please!" He sputtered with wide eyes. "I'm begging you! They'll all die! Slaughtered like animals by those damned dogs of Rolance…!" He choked.
Neif quickly helped guide the teen's body back to lean against the wall as his energy ran out. "Son, I'm telling you." The old man stressed urgently. "If we let you go now, you'll die within the hour." His eyes turned soft. "We've a garrison in town. Let them take it from here. They'll organize and send out a messenger as quickly as possible within a few hours. Rest now. You've done all you ca-"
"No!" The teen howled back. "That won't work! You don't understand!"
He clenched his jaw, looking away with tears forming in his eyes. "The garrison will take too long! And besides, I'm… I'm not a coward! This was my job, and I'm doing it if it's the last thing I do!" His eyes latched onto Sorey's once more. "Shepherd, please!" He begged.
Neif breathed out forcefully from his nose, shaking his head in frustration. "Adam…!"
Another flash of green lit up the world.
Mikleo glanced around briefly before crossing his arms. "…What will you do?" He asked quietly.
Edna joined him in another flash of green, twirling her umbrella idly as she took a cursory glance out the gates. "He's dying, but all he can think of is his fellow soldiers fighting at the front line." She analyzed. "He thinks he'll be remembered as a coward if he doesn't accomplish his final mission." She rolled her eyes, showing off her own feelings regarding such foolishness.
"Such is the dedication and learned duty of a true soldier." Lailah murmured softly. "Such is the basis of the trait of heroism valued so highly by humans…"
The morning smelled of fresh grassy dew and of blood mixed with medicine. Behind them all, the crowd of Marlinders continued to whisper and murmur, coming to terms with the latest turn of life-changing events. Amidst the vortex of whirling emotions and chaos, the Shepherd knelt, quietly considering his options. Velvet watched on quietly with her arms crossed. Her still-wet black coat rippled in the morning breeze. Her eyes were as the wolf's, carefully studying the integrity of the flock.
The Shepherd abruptly looked up; determination etched in his features. He carefully met Adam's hopeful, pained eyes.
"I'm… sorry, Adam." He intoned. "I can't let you throw your life away."
The shock in the soldier's eyes soon turned to anger.
"…S-so, you don't get it either!" He snarled, blood clogging his throat and forcing him into another violent coughing fit. "…I should've expected as much! Damn poser!" Adam growled. "L-Let me do my duty to my brothers, damn it all!" He howled in equal parts rage and anguish.
Sorey's hard expression didn't change. "I'm sorry." he said simply.
He glanced over his shoulder at Lailah expectantly. In turn, the fire seraph slowly nodded in acceptance, agreeing to carry out his unspoken orders. With a sober expression, she lifted her left hand up in a casting figure over Adam's unseeing eyes.
"Spirit Cage." Lailah whispered.
The low-powered seraphic arte seeped into the air, urged by the powerful seraph's will. Flowing mana surrounded the injured soldier, rippling with a rainbow of colors. A low otherworldly hum filled the air, drowning out the protests of the soldier as the effects of the arte settled in.
Adam abruptly crumbled limply against the wall mid-sentence, his eyes rolling back into the back of his head.
A hush fell upon the crowd.
The healers, Neif, the guards, the spectators; all of them had watched how the Shepherd had denied the young man, only for him to fall inexplicably unconscious within seconds of his declaration.
Velvet watched on; her lips pressed in a firm line.
Ignoring the confused hushed whispers of the crowd behind him, Sorey glanced to his side. "Mikleo. Heal his wounds, please." he requested softly.
"Right away." Mikleo nodded, materializing his staff and kneeling besides Sorey, raising his hands over the wound on the man's chest first. "…I think I'll be able to stabilize him enough to save his life." He noted as he worked. "Provided he doesn't push himself too hard…"
Sorey nodded wordlessly in response.
He raised his eyes to meet Neif's wide eyes. "Neif, please have the garrison send out a rider to the capital as soon as possible to notify them of this." He glanced down at Adam's unconscious form. "Tell them to be as fast as they can. The lives of the men on the front lines depend on it."
The old man found his voice. "R-right! I shall!" He cleared this throat harshly, getting to his feet. "I thank you once more, Shepherd." He nodded once more before turning and jogging off, huffing and panting.
"It's done."
Behind them, Mikleo stood up, letting his staff vanish into the air. When they turned to him, he elaborated, "He'll survive, given a few weeks of rest, I think." His brow furrowed. "…But I don't think he'll ever forgive you for what you did to his honor." he grimly pointed out.
Edna shrugged, twirling her umbrella. "Figures how saving someone's life is worse than letting them run off and die of blood loss and exhaustion." She sighed in frustration. "Idiots. A whole pack of idiots."
Standing beside Edna, Velvet quietly ran her eyes over the unconscious body of the youthful soldier, her lips drawn in a thin line.
"Let us be on our way." Lailah suggested softly. "I don't think the healers will work on him with Sorey nearby."
Sorey glanced to the side. Sure enough, the group of healers had taken to giving him a wide berth, nervously glancing between the miraculously healed body of the soldier and the Shepherd with shaky hands. The murmuring of the crowd had not stopped; on the contrary, it seemed to have only increased in volume as the people began to once more recognize that they were witnessing the otherworldly power of the Shepherd.
"…Right." Sorey mumbled. He glanced briefly at Velvet before squaring his shoulders. "Let's go."
The dark red shade of human blood staining his shoulder clashed horribly with the bright, elegant, flowing patterns of his ceremonial Shepherd's cloak. He turned his back onto the crowd and began to walk away, with Velvet and the rest of the seraphim at his back.
The murmuring of the people only increased in the wake of his absence.
"Respectfully, Mister Shepherd, that sorta horse-crap should be thrown where it belongs." Lucas crossed his muscular arms harshly, shaking his head. "The battlefield is where we earn our living. While I appreciate the sentiment, fact of the matter is there ain't nothing more profitable for us Woodsmen than getting ourselves stuck knee-deep in blood and muck."
The sun was high in the sky as Lucas, Sorey, and Velvet walked urgently through the bustling pathways through the tent camp of the Woodsmen outside the walls of Marlind. Men yelled and metal clanged as the mercenaries ran around, preparing themselves for war. Other people dressed in normal clothes trotted about as well; teams of local townsfolk aiding the mercenaries in their work.
"Say," the head mercenary grinned, glancing over his shoulder at Sorey, "if you're so worried about us, then why don't you join us? I'm sure the great Shepherd would be a great boon to the war effort."
Sorey glanced discreetly over his shoulder at Lailah following Lucas's words.
The fire seraph shook her head with a sober expression. "As I said, the camp the Shepherd extends his help to will surely be victorious. Were you to enter the war, there's no telling how warped all of it could become."
Sorey nodded, his expression grim. "I'm afraid I can't do that." He answered Lucas.
Lucas nodded easily, turning his head forward again. "I thought as much. You're much too good-natured for something as rough as war." He waved his hand in the air in farewell. "In any case, I'd stop trying to convince me if I were you, Shepherd. Us war dogs will do anything for a bone. It's all we're good at." With that, he left.
Sorey clenched his teeth, letting Lucas stroll off into the depths of the camp. The rest of the group came to a halt alongside him in the central area of the Woodsmen's camp.
Velvet crossed her arms in the wake of Lucas's words. "That's about how I thought it would go." She watched Lucas tromp off through the mud with pursed lips. "There really wasn't all that much hope for you to convince him not to fight in the first place." she calmly pointed out.
Lailah nodded somberly. "Much like the young soldier by the gate," she observed, "it would seem that the Woodsmen too have their own values that they live and die by."
"Meaning, the sword." Mikleo shook his head in frustration. "Ugh. …Can't they all see that they're going to be used as nothing more but meat shields in the war?" He sighed. "They're well-meaning people. The idea of them being sent to die in this war is just… disturbing, to say the least."
Velvet shrugged, her hard eyes scanning the surrounding camp. "Well, what else would you have them all do?" She asked rhetorically. "Sit around and gather dust like books on a shelf while their families go hungry?"
"Of course not!" Mikleo shot back heatedly. "I'd just want them to do something… else! Something that doesn't equate to an untimely death for them!"
"They live to fight." Velvet waved her bandaged hand dismissively. "That's how they chose to live, and now it's all they know." She turned and met Sorey's conflicted expression. "You might be worried about them, but ultimately it's their choice whether they risk their lives doing what they want to do." She shook her head, her words stern. "That's how they've chosen to live and how they've chosen to die, and that's all there is to it."
Sorey sighed, slowly running a hand through his hair in response. "…It's just all so senseless." He muttered helplessly.
Edna crossed her legs while twirling her umbrella. "That's the nature of war." She shrugged. "War knows neither justice nor malice. On the battlefield, there are only the survivors and the casualties. That's simply how it is." She waved a hand in the air. "And unlike that soldier back there, these humans are all fit and ready to fight. There's really no point in trying to stop them from doing what they can and will do."
Sorey just shook his head again, wordlessly looking around camp as war preparations continued.
"I am Commander General Landon of the Hyland Army. I was told the Shepherd was present?"
Heads turned as the loud, commanding voice rang through the camp. Hooves and boots squelched loudly in the muddy camp trails as a massive armored warhorse trotted through, flanked by half a dozen weary-looking Hyland knights. Woodsmen mercenaries and Marlinders alike stood at attention as they went by, quickly giving way to the burly men.
Lucas, standing tall and proud, strolled up to the men with a raised eyebrow as they neared Sorey and the others. He put his hands on his belt as the men came to a stop before them. "Was under the impression that war had just broken out." The leader of the Woodsmen remarked loudly. "What brings you down to seek the Shepherd in our lowly camp with so many troops, General Landon?" He nodded his head with due respect at the mounted man.
The extravagantly clad general atop the black warhorse barely spared the man a glance before his eyes came to a rest upon Sorey. His single eye narrowed. "…You. You're the Shepherd?" He demanded, sparing Velvet a quick sharp glance before returning to Sorey.
The Shepherd answered with a slow nod. "That's me."
The general seemed to sneer for a second before returning his face into a neutral expression. "Then I am in the right place." He rolled his shoulder in a lazy gesture.
In response to the man's prompt, one of the many soldiers clad from heel to toe in steel accented with blue uniforms stepped primly forward and unrolled an official scroll with the seal of the Hyland royal family on the back for all to see. All around, the mixed group of mercenaries and working civilians fell into a hush as the soldier cleared his throat in preparation for the formal declaration.
"…On suspicion of using the Shepherd to foment discord against the state, as well as assisting the Rolance Empire with its invasion, the Kingdom of Hyland formally announces an official investigation and subsequent interrogation of Alisha Diphda, Princess of Hyland."
The camp was silent. Wide-eyed mercenaries and townsfolk exchanged incredulous glances. Whispers already began to spread amongst the people as the news was quickly repeated to those outside of the crowd.
"…That's… that's utter nonsense…!" Sorey seethed under his breath.
The general had not taken his eyes off of Sorey. He seemed to note the Shepherd's clenched fists and narrowed eyebrows with a distinct amount of pleasure. "…It is not an arrest, Shepherd." General Landon assuaged easily, idly readjusting the gauntlet straps on his wrists. "Merely an investigation into her recent actions, many of which are undeniably suspicious in nature."
Edna deadpanned. "Well, this certainly stinks to high heaven." She muttered. By her side, Lailah had her hands interlaced in front of her dress, concern clear on her expression.
The general continued, "But… if the Shepherd-"
"-If the Shepherd does as he is told, the Kingdom of Hyland promises to let their hostage go in exchange, is that right?" Velvet's sharp, harsh words cut through the silence and stirred the spectators into a frenzy of whispers. By the general's side, the soldiers too shuffled around in their armor, glancing at each other with unreadable expressions underneath their metal helmets.
Landon himself turned to glare down his nose at the raggedly clothed woman with sheer disdain. "…And who might you be?" he growled.
"The Shepherd's advisor." she snarled back. "Velvet." She shifted on her feet, putting a hand on her hip and defiantly meeting the general's glare. Disdain towards the general keenly radiated from her in all respects; disdain at such an arrogant insect of a man demanding the Shepherd's aid in such a way.
"Hmph. Well then, Velvet." Landon let out a huff, shaking his head. "As it would seem that we have resorted to being blunt, I shall respond in kind..."
He shifted in his saddle, sneering down at the insolent woman in turn. "It goes without saying that I would be more than happy to act upon your concerns, provided the likes of you could produce even a shred of evidence to support such ridiculous claims." He shook his head slowly. "Yet regardless, I shall not pretend that the Hyland Army would not greatly benefit from the addition of a… Shepherd in its ranks." He let out an amused chuckle at some inside joke.
Abruptly, he jerked a hand in the air above his head and sucked in a deep breath.
"This is WAR, need I remind you?!" He roared, his call resounding across the entire camp. People all around flinched at his undeniably commanding bellow as he addressed the spectators of villagers and mercenaries directly.
He continued loudly, "The last thing I would want to see is our great and prosperous nation wholly desolated by those dogs of Rolance catching us off guard!" His arm fell down to cut horizontally around himself. "Look around you!" He ordered harshly. "This town, which I see is so well and fair, even after all of this plague talk… Torn to shreds! Your home! I would never in a millennium dream of seeing it razed to the ground under the fires of war! I imagine everyone here feels the same… or am I mistaken?!" He bellowed.
The discomfort of the crowd grew palatably with his statement. Whispers whirled around Sorey and Velvet; whispers acknowledging the reality and validity behind his words. It was clear that the people did feel keenly to the general's goal, regardless of the means he was using to achieve it.
By Velvet's side, Sorey's jaw tightened.
Landon's grin was that of the one who knew he held all the cards as he returned his gaze upon the focus of his speech. He raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Now then. What say you, Shepherd Sorey?" He asked with a sneer, openly mocking the title of the boy standing before him.
"Will you fight for the people you claim to love?" He leaned in maliciously. "Or… dare I say… is your title as Shepherd truly a mere façade, as many say it is? I do hope this is not the case."
"Why you…!" Mikleo's fury was palatable. He turned to Sorey urgently. "The timing of this is no coincidence." The seraph pointed out lowly. "Think about it. War only broke out a day or so ago. That messenger from the front only got here this morning. There was no way any correspondence made it from the capital to the battlefield in that time."
Sorey stared heatedly at the floor. "…That means that they've had this planned and ready for a while now." the Shepherd concluded softly.
"Yeah." Mikleo shook his head, once more glaring at the general's sneering face. "Damnit!" he snarled.
Edna sighed, rolling her umbrella on her shoulder. "We probably don't have a choice." She glanced off to the side. "If Alisha were to die at their hands…" She trailed off, looking Sorey in the eye.
A quiet silence fell in the wake of the implications of that statement.
Velvet glared up at the mounted general, her eyes hard and cold. Thoughts and calculations whirled through her head in an instant. Eventually, she came to a conclusion. "So," she drew his attention, "you're just asking the Shepherd to help you win the war. That's it?" She asked, pointedly raising an eyebrow.
The general nodded graciously at the Shepherd's advisor. "Naturally." He confirmed. "That is my simple, humble request to the good Shepherd." He bowed his body slightly in reverence towards Sorey. "Given the victory of Hyland, all doubts against Princess Alisha shall be dispelled and she will be released with nothing more said on the matter."
Velvet nodded, glancing sharply at Sorey. "…It's your decision, Shepherd." She said simply.
He gave her a soft nod in return before meeting the general's eyes. He took a step forward and stood up straight, defiantly holding his chin up towards the mounted man. "Then you have my word." he declared. "I shall uphold my end of the agreement."
The rest of the crowd shifted and murmured once more at his words. A certain degree of relief permeated the townsfolk as well. They would be saved! With the Shepherd at their backs, the army of Hyland would be unstoppable!
Lailah quietly listened to the whispers of the surrounding people anxiously, threading her fingers in front of her dress in concern. "…" She let out an anxious breath, glancing at Sorey in deep concern.
General Landon gave a pleased nod in response to the Shepherd's words. "Good. So then, Shepherd, I shall await you on the battlefield." He glanced around him, remembering the presence of the spectators. "As for all of you," He addressed them all, "do not fret. With the Shepherd at our side, the armies of Rolance have no chance against our combined holy might!" Grinning, he jerked the reins to turn his horse around, his accompanying knights following suit.
As the clanking of boots and clopping of hooves in mud faded and the surrounding mercenaries and townsfolk slowly resumed their work, the members of the group exchanged worried glances.
Velvet turned away from them all as they began to discuss possible plans for minimizing the impacts of the impending conflict, instead turning her eyes up into the sky. It would seem that the first real trial of the Shepherd was soon to begin.
…And that her tool would soon either become a keener, stronger blade than ever… or simply break like brittle, untempered steel. She nodded to herself with a cold, determined expression.
It would seem that all was still going according to plan.
In the distance, dark storm clouds were brewing, encroaching upon the clear skies above the town of Marlind.
Massive thanks to Paragon of Awesomeness for betaing this chapter!