13: Reunion
"Come on Louise! Pick up the pace! The city's not getting up and walking towards you!"
"Shut up! I'm not used to carrying all this stuff for so long!"
Siesta was at least 20 feet ahead of me, and still hadn't broken a sweat, despite her baggage being three times as much as I was carrying, while I was practically crawling. Siesta and I had just arrived on Albion a week ago and were currently hiking towards Saxe-Gotha. We were hiking because we had packed to much stuff for a horse to carry so we had to rough it. I was near death from it, but Siesta kept marching on. I silently curse her country upbringing for her inhuman strength.
"Quit your complaining. We're here!"
I perk up immediately. I rush over to her and look at the sight in front of me. Saxe-Gotha, where Saito held back 70,000 to protect me and allow to army to retreat. It's fairly early, so there aren't a lot of people walking around, but there are enough to ask around.
*Scene Break*
The sun was starting to set, and we didn't have anything. No one we asked had seen Saito, or even heard of him. We decided to call it a night and head back to the inn we were going to stay at when I saw something near the forest.
That something was a familiar shade of blue. I rushed over to investigate and my heart nearly stoped. What I saw was Saito's parka on a stone. A stone that looks an awful lot like...
"A grave stone." Siesta says. There are some words written on the stone but I don't bother to read them. I pick up Saito's parka and examine it. It's not a duplicate. It's definitely his parka. I hug the parka close to me, and I close my eyes. I hear footsteps, so I assume that Siesta gave me a minute to myself.
The parka close to me, I start crying again. I don't even care who sees, all my emotions just flood out at that instant. I try to stop the tears, but they keep coming.
"Excuse me, are you lost?" I hear a voice say.
I turn to towards the voice and my jaw almost drops. She has long blonde hair that comes out from under her large hat. She's a bit tall and rather slim except for THEM. Her bust can't be natural, there's no way.
"Are you lost?" She asks again.
"N-no. I'm just looking for a place to stay, I guess." I really don't know what I'm looking for at this point.
"Well, have some room at the orphanage I run, would you like to stay there for a night? Your maid friend told me you'd be here, she's going to stay there for a bit."
Something about her seems familiar to me. I nod my head. "Sure. You mind if I just go for a little walk around the forest? It's been a long day and I need to think."
She nods like she understands, before turning around and heading into the forest. I take my own path, deeper into the forest, no destination planned, I just need to walk for a bit and clear my head.
*Scene Break*
After a while of aimlessly wandering through the forest, I reach a clearing. I sit down in the approximate middle of the clearing and think about the position I'm in. Before I can even begin to think about anything, I hear obviously evil laughter and stand up, alert.
"Ah, honorable void mage, how do you do?" asks a female voice from somewhere in the trees.
"W-what? Who are you? How do you know about the void?" I find myself wishing Saito were here, he'd probably know.
I see a women walk out from behind some trees.
"Names aren't important right now, call me Myoznitnirn. As for how I now about your void magic, it's because like that boy you had once, I too am a void familiar!" to prove her point she lifts up her bangs, and I see Saito's ruins sketched across her forehead.
I try not to gasp, another void user and familiar? If Saito was Gandalfar and had control over weaponry, what could Myoznitnirn possibly have?
"Since you don't have your familiar to translate this information," It takes all my willpower not to break down at that remark, "I'll tell you. As Myoznitnirn, the mind of god, I have control over all magical artifacts, despite not being a mage!"
I gasp. To prove her point, she snaps her fingers and a swarm of alviss appear out of nowhere. They all swarm me. I pull out my wand and cast rapid explosions to try and fend off the swarm.
"Saito..." I mutter to myself, wishing he was here to help me. Give it up! He's dead! You saw the grave. There's no one left to help you! Then something snaps. Saying nothing I raise my wand, and begin the incantation,
"In the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers! Following my fate, summon a familiar!" I aim at the ground, and the summoning gate appears. He'll come. I know he will, because he said he'd protect me.
The gate starts to ripple, and someone steps out of the gate.
"Saito..." I mutter to myself, my eyes beginning to water.
He looks around and surveys the situation. He looks at the women dressed in purple. "Myoznitnirn?" he asks.
"Ah, Gandalfar! You're alive after all! Such an honor to be recognized."
Saito shakes his head, "Sorry, I'm not Gandalfar."
This statement confuses me, but I realize what he means, and several things suddenly make sense. He shows Myoz his left hand, now clean of runes, and she looks disappointed.
"Such a shame, and I thought this was going to be fun. Oh well. Alviss, attack!"
Saito readies his sword, but I'm quicker, after I got over the shock of seeing Saito, I began silently chanting dispel. As soon as Myoz finishes talking, I release the spell, and all of the alviss fall down, the magic gone. I made sure to hit her with the blast so anything she was carrying is now useless. She stares at me, stunned that I had thought of something so devious, before turning and running away.
Saito looks at me, "Where'd you come up with a strategy like that?"
I shrug, "I guess you're rubbing off on me."
He laughs, "I guess I am. Now let's head back to Tifa's orphanage."
*Scene Break*
After we got back to the hut and Saito and I reformed the contract, we all exchanged Stories about what we were doing here. Saito woke up here after the battle, thanks to Tiffania, the girl who offered to let my stay at the orphanage, healing him after she found him dead in the woods using a ring her mother gave to her. He explained how he had to stay here for a while to rest, recover, and protect the orphanage from any robbers.
Agnis, the princess's captain of the gun squad, was sent out to find Saito, dead or alive. She hadn't expected to find him in the first town she visited, so she had some free time. She used that time to train Saito at swordplay, now that he wasn't Gandalfar.
I explained that Siesta and I had come to find Saito and bring him back. After introductions were over, Saito and I explained that another familiar of void attacked me, and Saito came in and saved me. They were all shocked at the existence of another void mage.
Saito held up a hand, signaling that we should all silence ourselves for a moment, and turned to Tiffania. "Tiffania, before we go on, don't you think we should at least tell them what you are?"
Tiffania pales, looks terrified and quickly shakes her head. "No! What if they get scared of me and hate me." I want to just give her a hug and tell her everything's going to be okay, but I resist the urge.
"I don't intend to hate anyone who shows no malice, and you haven't shown any," says Agnis.
"Yeah! You helped Saito, so you can't be bad!" says Siesta.
I nod in agreement, "If Saito trusts you, then so do I."
Tiffania gives a shy smile and removes her hat, revealing long, pointy ears.
I try to suppress my surprise. "You're an elf?"
"Half, my mother was and elf, my father was human." She looks like she's scared that we'll hate her now that we know she's an elf. I don't blame her; elf/human relations have never been the best.
Than Saito cuts in, "Also, just to let everyone present know, Tiffania doesn't know any ancient magic, She knows one spell," He turns to me, "and it's a void spell."
"What? So Tiffania's a-"
"Important character to the plot? Yes. Tiffania is a void mage. One time, some bandits tried to rob the orphanage. I hadn't recovered to a point where I could be of much use, and Agnis hadn't showed up yet. Tiffania used a spell to wipe them of their memories and send them off."
There was complete silence. Tiffania was not a person who liked having all the attention, but she nodded, confirming the story. She looked like she was trying to disappear.
Eventually, Agnis stood up. "Well, it's been a long day, so I think I'll go get some sleep." Her tone of voice sounded like she was trying to indicate something to everyone. She turned, grabbed Saito's sword, and left the room.
Siesta stood up next, "R-right! I'll go see if their's anything I can use for breakfast tomorrow!" she ran out like a bullet. Tiffania just looked around embarrassed and left the room.
Saito sits down next to me on the bed and I realized what they wanted, they want to give me and Saito a minute alone. As soon as I realized this, I looked at Saito, and then I started to cry.
PAK!
Saito just stares at me and rubs the spot on his cheek where I just slapped him.
"Why do you always make me worry like this?" I ask as I grab onto him and sob into his chest. He puts his arms around me and gives me a reassuring pat on the head.
"D-d-do you what I w-was going through? I th-th-thought I'd never see you again!"
"I know Louise," he tells me gently, "I'm sorry." He may not be as gentle as in my dreams, but it was more than enough for me.
"I kept waking up and you were always missing! On the ship, at the academy, in my room…" A wave of tears comes over me again, and I can't form words anymore.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry."
I continue sobbing into his chest. "Don't leave me ever again. You make me worry too much," I tell him.
"I won't Louise. Not now, not ever."
I smile, and a feeling comes over me. Without realizing it, I press my lips to his. He seems shocked at first, but gives in. All strength leaves my body as I collapse against him, pushing him onto the bed. We stay like that for a little longer, and I roll off him to his right. I look at him again, and my mind is made up.
"S-s-s-saito?" My mind almost can't believe what I'm going to say.
"Yes Louise?"
"I-I-it's rather h-hot out, d-don't you t-think?" My face is a furious shade of red, and Saito's isn't that far behind.
"I-I guess it is rather hot, yeah."
"W-well, w-would you m-mind helping me out of these c-clothes and into to something n-nicer?" I feel like I'm about to faint, but I muscle through.
Saito looks at me, confused, but then he realizes what I'm really asking, and his face becomes even redder than mine.
"A-are you sure? T-this isn't some kind of trick?"
I shake my head, and he starts undoing my shirt buttons. Each button that comes off, my face is redder, and redder. He finally undoes the last button and looks at me, asking for permission. I'm about to nod my head, but I don't know if I should. Is it all right to got through with this? I-I guess we're technically married.
I look at him, and nod my head. He removes my shirt and starts to kiss me again. Weird, didn't I have a dream like this? I put my arms to his chest... and I push him away.
"I-I'm sorry. I c-can't do this. I'm not ready." I honestly feel a little disappointed with myself. I finally manage to get this far, and I chicken out.
Saito nods like he understands, and hands me my shirt, which I put on as quickly as I can. Embarrassed, I lie down on the bed and try to sleep. Saito does the same, and is asleep in minutes. I scoot closer and put an arm around him.
I may not have gotten that far, but I think I can live with this. I'm more than happy enough just like this.
Within minutes, I'm asleep, happy that I have Saito here, and that he won't be leaving me.