Welcome to chapter four! This fic isn't getting a lot of attention, but I still want to write it out and see what happens down the road XD
Many thanks to Glaceon Mage for their review!
And also to Rapis-Razuri for her beta work!
Dragonsong
Chapter IV – New Horizons
Roy sighed heavily as he walked down the frozen paths of Panacea, glancing around as the citizens went about their daily tasks. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched two children run by, giggling in delight. It had been quite a long time since he'd last heard children laugh so merrily. Lilina was doing a good job with leading these people, no doubt about it.
She was born to lead. Now if only he could convince her…
He stopped outside her tent and inhaled deeply before calling, "Lilina? Are you there?"
"Not quite, but I'm right here."
He whirled around to find her standing behind him with a smile on her face and a basket of linens in her hands. "Looking for me?"
He felt a lump rise in his throat as he took in her grown up appearance once again. He wasn't used to her looking so… womanly. He remembered an adorable, spirited girl of fifteen, not this beautiful, confident, poised woman. He could barely believe she was only eighteen.
Reaching up, he scratched his head and said, "I was. Do you have a minute to talk?"
She nodded, smile still present, and moved to walk past him towards her tent. "Come inside. We can talk in here."
He was grateful for the privacy. He wasn't sure how much she had disclosed to the people about their involvement in the war and he wanted to be able to speak freely without worry. She pulled the flap to her tent open and let him follow, gesturing vaguely towards the cushions on the ground for him to sit. Doing as she silently requested, he looked up at her as she set down her basket and settled across from him. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
He turned to glance at the floor and started, "It's time I head back to Etruria."
Her face paled slightly as she turned away, clearly not expecting that. "I… see… You have been here four days now."
He sighed and shifted his position to get more comfortable. "I set out to find more people to help our cause, so there's no specific deadline for me to return, but…"
Her gaze shifted to meet his once more. "But…?"
Inhaling deeply, he ran a hand through his red hair and said, "I was hoping you would come back with me."
She froze, her expression instantly becoming unreadable. It disturbed him more than he wanted to admit that he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Not only were they best friends all their lives, but he had been applauded as an expert at reading the thoughts of negotiators. Her eyes fell to the ground as she ran her fingers over the soil. "I… I can't."
He felt his heart drop as he looked down. "I… thought you might say that. You're needed here."
She nodded, then slowly shifted to stand. "I am, but…"
He watched as she moved over toward a makeshift table with a few cloaks piled on top. She hesitated a moment, then pushed the fabrics aside and lifted the red- and gold-bound book from underneath. His eyes widened as he realized what it was, quickly trying to think of something he could say.
She walked over and shifted to kneel on the cushion, then held the book towards him. "Here, take Forblaze. Surely there are mages in your ranks who can control it. I'm sure it'll find much better use fighting in your battles than it will collecting dust here."
He shook his head and reached out, holding her hands and closing them around the binding. "Lilina, I entrusted that tome to you and you alone. As the new bearer of the Sword of Seals, it was my choice to do so."
She sighed with exasperation. "Roy, don't be stupid. This is a peaceful settlement and the most I've needed to protect the villagers is an Elfire tome. Forblaze is just wasting space here. Take it. It'll serve you in the battles against the Demon Dragon."
He pursed his lips. "I can't. If you want it to go with me, then you'll have to come, too."
"My place is here, Roy. I can't leave these people alone."
He snorted derisively. "You have dragons here, Lilina. Surely they can protect this village."
"They came here because they didn't want to fight. I won't force them any more than I'd force a farmer."
"Fine." He held his hands up in surrender. "But I'm sure they'd be all right without you. Lilina, we need you."
He really wanted to say 'I need you,' but he knew he couldn't. She hadn't said a word after his confession a few nights ago, leaving him to wonder if he had dreamt the whole thing. Either that, or she had known about his feelings all along and chose to ignore them as she always had. He wanted to believe that she wasn't that heartless and just didn't know what to say.
She sighed and stood, walking past him to pull the flap of her tent back and peer outside. A long moment of silence passed before she whispered, "Roy?"
He shifted to stand and moved to join her by the entrance and asked, "Yeah?"
She breathed in a sharp inhale, then paused before saying, "…Panacea isn't the only reason I want to stay."
He cocked his head as he turned to look at her, confused. What did she mean by that? "I don't follow."
She was silent again for a long moment before finally whispering something under her breath. He couldn't catch it, so he asked, "What did you say, Lilina?" It sounded like…
"I said I'm scared." She drew back from the tent flap and turned to face him, eyes watering with frustrated tears. "I lost my father to this war, my home, my people… I almost lost you, too. I just… I can't do it again!"
He felt a weight settle in his stomach as he slowly moved closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Lilina. I should have known."
She shook her head before settling her forehead against the crook of his neck. "I'm just too scared that I'll lose my mother—and you—if I go back…"
He bit down on his lip, knowing the next thing he said could either backfire or soothe her. "…Hiding isn't going to change anything. You can only keep from losing the ones you care about if you stand up and fight to protect them yourself. Shutting yourself away in this village won't keep people from dying."
A hiccup bubbled from her throat as she threw her arms around his shoulders, sobbing into his shirt. "R-Roy, I… I'm so, so scared…"
He pulled her closer and settled his head against her hair, breathing in her scent for a moment. "I know why I fight. I fight to protect the ones I care about and to save those who can't fight for themselves. I fight to bring about a safe world for them one day. I fight because there's nothing else I'm good for."
She stayed silent in his arms for a long moment, calming down from her outburst. He didn't mind holding her. He just wished he could do it more often, good and bad times. Finally, she drew away from him and wiped her eyes, turning to look at the tome left on the cushion.
Finally, she nodded. "I'll fight. But only if I stay with you."
He offered a slight smile. "No arguments there."
…
"Matron, are you truly leaving?"
She faced the gathering of villagers with a weak smile and a leather bag slung over her shoulder. Roy stood behind her, arms crossed and the Sword of Seals strapped to his back once again. Inhaling once, she said, "I have to go. I must join the fight against the Demon Dragon and end its tyranny once and for all. I'll return when the battle is over. You all have my word."
As the people started to call out their complaints, Roy raised his voice to sound over them and said, "I've been mapping my route through Ilia. I've marked this point on the map so she'll be able to return without any trouble. I promise you, I'll take good care of her and make sure she comes back."
She smiled as brightly as she could and continued, "I'd like to leave Eafya in charge, if there aren't any complaints. I realize she's only been here a few weeks, but she's proven herself as a member of the community and has tact enough to lead efficiently."
"But…" Fennick, a man standing towards the front, started, "She's a… You know… A dragon."
Lilina nodded. "I realize that. I specifically chose a member of the wyrmfolk to lead. Humans gather in the safety of other humans. Dragons are, innately, a much prouder species. Therefore, other dragons are more likely to gather if they're following the guidance of one of their kind. Humans are more compatible. They will go where there is safety."
Fennick's wife, Ava, nodded once. "Very well, Matron. If you think it a good selection, then we shall not argue."
She touched a finger to her lips as she observed the unhappy looks of the human villagers present, then said, "A compromise, perhaps? Would it work better for you if I leave two leaders behind? Eafya and a human?" Scanning the crowds, she gestured towards a man and waved him forward. "Darm, perhaps you would like to help lead? A human and a dragon, side by side."
The people slowly started to mumble amongst themselves for a moment as Darm moved to the front. "Very well, Matron. I accept the position and await your return. May Elimine watch over you both."
Lilina nodded as she reached out took one of Darm's hands and one of Eafya's. "And over all of you, as well."
Roy walked over and set his hand on her shoulder. "We should be going…"
"Yes," she murmured. "Fear not, everyone. I'll be back before long!"
…
Lilina walked behind her best friend, trudging through snow and doing her best to keep up. It had been a long time since she'd joined a march and she wasn't used to walking so much through rough terrain. Roy moved along at a much quicker pace, leaving her to stumble through his larger footprints.
He paused a few paces ahead and glanced back to see her holding onto a tree for support as she tried to step over a larger edge. Giving a slight chuckle, he asked, "What's taking so long?"
She sighed and shot him a flat look, then held hand out for him to help her. "Some of us haven't been on a long trek in three years."
He walked back and reached for her hand, then paused mid-step. Freezing, he quickly touched a finger to his lips and moved his other hand back to touch the hilt of his sword. She halted and, as quietly as she could, reached in her bag for her Elfire tome. She wasn't sure what Roy heard, but she trusted his judgment.
In the distance, a mighty roar sounded through the forest, followed by the crash of trees falling. She gasped, wondering what it was, but fearing she already knew the answer. Slowly, Roy stepped away from her and slid the Sword of Seals from its sheath, stepping slowly through the snow towards the sound. She opened her mouth to stop him, but snapped it closed when he held his hand up towards her.
Before her eyes, a live dragon in its natural form crashed through the brush, releasing a mighty roar into the sky. It looked down towards them, causing Roy to grit his teeth and mutter, "Another War Dragon… What's your kind doing this far north?"
It released another screech as the young man shifted the sword in his hands, summoning the sacred flames sealed within to ripple down the blade. Without glancing back, he called over his shoulder towards her, "If you aren't going to fight, then run!" Turning swiftly, he swung the sword and launched the fire off the tip.
Lilina watched as it collided with the War Dragon and nodded once, reaching in her bag for the tome of Forblaze. She wanted to help, but, somehow, after living with dragons for three years, she couldn't think of them the same way again. Biting her lip, she knew the best thing she could do in this situation was leave and give Roy the room he needed to fight. She could watch from a distance if he needed help, and explain her reasons after the battle.
Walking backwards, she kept the dragon in sight until she was behind a tree, then quickly turned and ran. The frozen snow gave way under her weight, causing her to drop down further than she expected. Her foot caught as she tumbled forward and felt something hard hit against her head, then everything faded to black.
Uh-oh, what's going to happen to Lilina? Will Roy get to her before anything happens? You know I can't say anything ^^; Anyway, I hope yu enjoyed it!
Please review!
-Valk