Chapter 17: Reunions

Mikleo kept running to Rayfalke ignoring his shepherd calling after him. He blocked out his surroundings with only worry taking over his mind. When he got to Rayfalke he found a body on the trail causing him to stop.

"Mikleo what the hell has gotten into you?" Rose asked, she then turned to also see the dead body. "Well … that's unsettling." Edna came out of her body and walked up to the corpse.

"Hm … looks like some poor sap managed to get themself killed." She said prodding the body.

"She's here." Mikleo said in a low quiet voice.

"What was that?" Rose asked. Mikleo didn't answer but instead ran up the mountain. "Mikleo!"

"Rose, let's leave the Meebo be for now and bury the body." Said Edna.

"… All right." Said Rose gritting her teeth. After burying the corpse Edna went back in her body and she started running after Mikleo. She eventually caught up to him as they passed the area where they first met him and headed towards the summit. They herd another cracking sound, Mikleo gave a small gasp and started running ahead, Rose ran after him shouting his name again. When they got to the summit they saw a large silvery pale blue dragon engaged in battle with a woman with long white hair and red tips, holding a strange looking weapon and another seraph dressed in black, with white hair and green tips.

"Son of a bitch." Rose muttered. "Dezel?!" He snapped his head.

"Rose?!" He shouted back. "What are-" but before he could finish he dragon whacked him aside with its claw sending him flying into a boulder.

"Dezel!" Rose shouted running over to him.

"Bahamut! Stop!" Mikleo shouted.

"Mikleo get out of here!" The woman shouted. Mikleo ignored her and got closer to the dragon.

"Bahamut please, I'm all right, I'm right here!" He said trying to soothe the dragon. However the dragon merely lowered his head and snarled at the seraph and gave him a look that, to everyone but Mikleo, said: 'I am superior to you, don't you try to coddle me insect.' "Please there's no need to fight anyone. I'll make sure these people won't come back." The dragon then roared in his face nearly deafening him and everyone else in the area.

"Mikleo, get out of here!" The woman repeated.

"Bahamut please no more!" Mikleo begged. "I found someone that can help you turn back. You-" Before Mikleo could finish Bahamut swatted him straight into a boulder.

"Mikleo!" Rose shouted.

"Bahamut…?" Mikleo said under his breath. 'Do you not know my voice anymore? Are you really gone?' Bahamut then slammed his tail against the seraph then unleased an ice breath attack on everyone.

"We need to get out of here." Said Rose.

"I agree." Said the woman. "I can barely do anything about Bahamut, even with something that can help me combat malevolence."

"Lailah …" Said Dezel.

"It'll be fine. As long as Mikleo keeps his oath Bahamut will stay at Rayfalke." She said.

"That's nice and all but we have a seraph up close and personal with a dragon. We can't get anywhere without him." Said Edna.

"Luzrov Rulay." Said Rose and in an instant she was armatized with him. "Now we run." The three sprinted off the summit as Bahamut unleashed another ice breath just on their heels. When they got far enough away Rose deactivated the armatus and Edna came out of her body shortly after.

"Well that could've been better but it also could've been a lot worse." Said Edna then turning to Mikleo. "And what the hell were you thinking Meebo? That dragon would've killed you if Rose hadn't called you over." Mikleo didn't reply, he looked over to her then looked back to the ground. "You idiot." She sighed giving him a light tap with her umbrella.

"Mikleo, we will purify him I promise." Said Rose.

"… kay." Said Mikleo. It was quiet for a long and awkward while.

"Dezel is this your friend you've been talking about?" Lailah asked trying to change the mood. "Oh and Edna it's so good to see you again!"

"… Yeah … it's good to see you too I guess. You haven't changed much, except what are you doing with that asshole's weapon?" Edna asked.

"Lovely weather today isn't it?" Said Lailah.

"She does that a lot." Said Dezel. "I think it has something to do with an oath which for the record I thought was and still is a load of crap."

"Is it because Rose told us that you took an oath once and it completely blew up in your face?" Edna asked.

"You told her that?" Dezel growled.

"Technically them, since Sergei and Mikleo were also there." Said Rose. "And this is what you've been doing for the last few weeks?"

"Well at least I've been productive." Dezel huffed.

"Doing what? Trying to pry answers?"

"I've been training so I can keep up with you!" Dezel snapped. "I just want to be able to try to keep you out of trouble like how I used to."

"I missed you too Dezel." Said Rose. "But seriously we're not children anymore. Talk to me if you're feeling insecure over something and I'll try to restrain myself from doing anything stupid."

"Key word being 'try.'" Said Edna.

"You didn't slap me yet." Said Dezel. Rose gave him a smug grin and patted his cheek.

"There." She said.

"So this the friend that you fuss over Dezel?" Lailah asked.

"Yes." Said Rose bluntly.

"I don't fuss over her." Dezel muttered simultaneously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Shepherd, I'm Lailah." Lailah introduced herself.

"Rose." Said Rose. "Lailah you said that you can combat malevolence … how exactly?" Lailah pulled out the strange weapon, with a grim look on her face.

"It is a terrible weapon that cuts off the flow of malevolence from something or someone." She replied.

"Huh." Said Rose.

"However it doesn't purify hellions, it ends up killing them." She said.

"So why do you have it, you don't look like you enjoy having this weapon?" Rose asked. Lailah fell silent.

"It has something to do with Eizen and Zavied doesn't it?" Edna asked.

"That's a very shiny rock." She said avoiding the question once again.

"If I ask about them you're not gonna answer are you?" Edna growled.

"That rock is pretty, in fact it rocks." She said. Dezel coughed.

"How the hell did you put up with this?" Asked Edna pointing her umbrella towards Lailah.

"With many awkward silences." Said Dezel.

"All that aside it seems that you really don't have that much to worry about Dezel." She said, the then turns to Rose. "You're growing into a fine Shepherd." Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" She said.

"Yes, in fact at this point I'm sure the S.H.I.T.S. are proud of you, even though most of them are probably dead."

"… Thanks?" Said Rose. She then walks over to Mikleo.

"Are you okay?" He doesn't answer, just turns away from her. She puts her hand on his shoulder. "Listen, if taking care of Bahamut becomes too much for you, come get me okay?"

"Do whatever you want." He said quietly. Lailah, gave a small gasp as her hand returned to her side.

"We must be on our way." Said Lailah.

"Lailah!" Dezel called out. "I think I'm going to stay with Rose. It's been weeks and we have a lot to catch up on." She smiled.

"Oh all right. I hope we meet again." She said leaving the group.

"Good to have you back Dezel." She said patting him on the back. "So, you wanna be Edna's sublord?"

"Eh, I don't have a vessel, so why not." He said.

"Great! Though you're not gonna armatize with me unless we find some special artifact." Said Rose.

"Does that really matter?" Dezel asked.

"It will. Isn't that right, Mikleo?" Rose asked.

"… Yeah." Mikleo sighed.

"Regardless, I'm doing it." He said.

"Give me your hand." Said Edna. Dezel lent her his hand. "Oh sacred winds … something or other … blah blah blah … give us your true name."

"Do I have to if she knows it?" Dezel asked.

"Oh my god …" Muttered Edna raising her eyebrows. "Uh … I don't think so ..." She turned to Rose. "Do you really know what it is?"

"I've been with him for all my life, of course I know. It's Lukeim Yurlin." Dezel then turned into a light and rematerialized a second later. Edna looked at them completely dumbfounded while seemingly experiencing some sort of revelation.

"Okay, let's go." Said Dezel. The Seraphim went back into Rose's body and she continued down the mountain. That is until one of the Scattered Bone's assassin's jumped out in front of her.

"Gah! What are you doing here?" She exclaimed.

"They say a Shepherd appears just before a disaster." They said. "I'm just taking care of the problem before it gets out of hand.

"Uh huh." Said Dezel then leaving Rose's body and rematerializing next to her. "You know for someone that was hunky dory about helping Rose before you sure change your mind quick."

"Dezel what are you getting at?" Rose asked.

"Also, if that really was your goal you had plenty of opportunities to kill her during the last few weeks. Hell, she may have come to you a few times." Said Dezel, the assassin drew their blade. "I know you can see and hear me. What are you really doing here Sorey?"

Dezel's back after for about ten goddamn chapters. He also returned with a Lailah! As for why the hell Lailah has Sigfried I'm not telling for like another twenty chapters. Also I know I said I would update more often a few weeks ago but I kind of got sick and then it was hell week and finals. But I swear that I will try to update a bit more now I'm on break.