Chapter 2 – Family Excursion
The sun peeked over the horizon, bringing the new morning to purge away darkness. The creeping the land was replaced with a magnificent sea of crimson and brown. The maple were heralds to the arrival of autumn. Clouds scattered and leaves rustled as the chilly wind blew past, carrying pungent smell of earth and dry leaves.
War approached with every passing moment, but Berserker had no fear, only fierce determination to succeed in his labor, the thirteenth and the first that he had chosen for himself. Imbued with a sense of purpose, the guilt that lingered in his mind was purged along side darkness.
It had been years since his mind was blessed with such a daylight clarity.
The girl was waking up, but she didn't notice the change within him. Few would, if any.
"Berserker...?"
She gave him a questioning glance for the hand he laid upon her, but he only smiled in response. An honest smile without any particular meaning.
Except nostalgia
Endless green stretched across the meadow to the distant rolling hills. The pale violet of lavender and fresh yellow of dandelions scattered in small bushes, enriching the landscape with a touch of spring. An ancient forest loomed beyond the field.
Sheep huddled close as they grazed. Children gathered around him, frolicking in their usual cheerful way. A few were his own. The rest were gradually attracted to this place of high views and gentle breezes and, of course, to him.
The sight of Heracles plowing through the battlefield might've sent grown men to their knees, begging for their lives, but until duty came calling he was a peaceful man and a shepherd. Along this hills and tree, he was the children's favorite.
Always had been.
His feats had earned him immediate admiration from the boys. The girls were more reluctant, but some did warm up after seeing past his intimidating shell. Now they gathered around him and listened to his stories.
Heracles was not troubled by their attention. On the contrary, he was quite satisfied. Better to be with them than the adults who could easily invoke his wrath with their deceits and hypocrisies. For a man whose temper can prove deadly, the arrangement was only for the best.
Those carefree days were spent amidst the laughter of children and the faint scent of spring flowers.
Nostalgia bloomed. Being beside Ilyasviel filled him with the yearning for that peaceful time, that brief period where his life wasn't plagued with anguish, but soon it was time for dreams to subside and for reality to set in.
The sweetness of spring was long gone, leaving him to weather the cold dry wind that lost the sprightly taste. Autumn was no time to frolic in a meadow. It was the time of preparation to brace for the harsh winter that would soon arrive.
Heracles wasn't laying down on that peaceful meadow of home. Here, Heracles was a warrior soon to be locked in a deadly skirmish with foes that remained hidden and ready to strike from every unobserved corner.
It was a pressing concern, for his lady seemed to be unaware of the danger. For her sake, he had to remain vigilant.
I suppose it is too soon to be calling her a Lady. Berserker chuckled, seeing the said girl in an unruly state.
The wind tousled Ilya's pale hair as she leaned out an open window. Her small frame swayed and her night gown fluttered, as if a strong gust would carry her away. Her gaze trailed longingly from the forest toward the city in the distance.
"Such a nice weather…Maybe I should go out for a bit."
"No, you mustn't."
Berserker was prepared for Sella's harsh refusal. He had become somewhat acquainted with them over the past few days. Her strictness was a voice of control, a trait that only seemed to be bested by her compassion for Ilya.
Apparently, the girl herself failed to understand this.
"Come on, just a half a day outside…"
"Pardon me for saying, but it's already bad enough that you pulled that disappearing act a few days ago."
"Please, mistress, we do not wish for any harm to befall you."
The maids were determined to go against Ilya's wish, but their eyes showed genuine worry, a motherly touch to their usual stoic demeanor.
"Don't let them be harmed. Please protect them…"
The desperate plea continued to ring, the parting words of his wife before he'd set out for the hill.
Far behind him, the small village was in an uproar. Torches and lamps were gathered in the town center at her behest. The people awoken from their well-deserved slumber.
His son and daughter had yet to return from the forest long after the veil of the night had descended. Heracles knew this vast mountain range by heart and how darkness could transform the serene retreat into a deadly snare for all those who carelessly enter.
Guilt…
The feeling pricked his mind.
They children have been safely tucked in bed by this time of the night
If only he hadn't voiced his support for their bragging… if only he hadn't remained silent as they rushed off to explore the land that expanded before very their eyes.
It was a mistake to cheer them on while their scrawny arms were too fragile to stand up against any danger that lurked in this forest. A parent's first and foremost duty was to keep their children safe.
He alone had to bear the responsibility of allowing them to wander in the wilderness.
He alone was to blame for this grave mistake.
Berserker found no fault with the maids' judgment.
The danger of allowing Ilya to indulge in this small leisure was apparent, impossible to deny. The Holy Grail War was still a few days away, but a good hunter starts their game early.
There was much to be done after a successful summoning ritual. Surveying the area and its people, fortifying up defense perimeters, and gathering the information about the other six, all these would beckon the other Masters, or at least their familiars, to the streets during this early stage.
With the Einzbern's connections, they had the luxury of being spared from these chores. It was a fool's choice to venture back into that hornet nest, all the more when Ilya would be going along.
"Berserker?" .
"I share their opinion. In here, you would be safest."
A frown grew on the girl's face, but Berserker did not respond. His mind had to be steeled to ignore her displeasure. Otherwise, he would have taken her in his arms and marched to the city in that instant.
It was his duty to ensure that the girl could be kept safe, even if it meant going against her wishes. After completing the twelve prior labors, he was intent on seeing his final labor through.
He would keep Ilya safe. He swore to himself, to his pride as a Heroic Spirit, and to his pride as a father. All that dared to raise an arm against her were destined to perish by his hands.
Dead bodies scattered across the forest ground. For the beasts foolish enough to bare their fangs against those he treasured, it was only a fair retribution to be mauled by his bare hands.
Heracles' entry was not a second too late. Without him to separate the tangling pair, the wolves would have gorged their fill of human flesh. The boy underneath was the most fortunate to have been spared. Sighs of relief beckoned the younger of the two out of her hiding place in the bush. Tears washed down her face both in fear and relief.
Her brother had chosen to sacrifice himself to the wolves' claws and fangs, so that she could remain in hiding.
An admirable decision, but a foolish one nonetheless.
Now that Heracles had found them both, anger welled from the back of his mind, but a more powerful emotion was relief. For him, there was no greater joy in that moment than to find them unharmed. All the anger was blown away with whispers of apology and tearstains.
A single droplet of children's tears was far more effective in bending Heracles' ironclad will than any gold or weapons.
He had already forgiven them.
Berserker needed no reminder of his weakness. He was a family man and doting father at heart. While fearsome and ruthless toward the enemy, he was compassionate and tolerant toward the weak and helpless. It was unavoidable that a conflicting emotion should arise soon after.
He longed to spoil her. There was only so much time before they would be dragged into the tumult of war and violence. From the bottom of his heart, he wished that she could enjoy every bit of the little freedom she had left.
A dilemma forced Berserker to watch the scene unfold in silence.
"But I…I…" Tears brimmed the corner of Ilya's eyes. "I just want to take a look outside. It's my first time to be out of the castle…"
"…Mistress." The maids were unable to find any words of consolation. It was impossible to convey their feelings of empathy when their young mistress was so filled with disappointment.
"I don't care anymore!" Throwing a tantrum as any child would, Ilya returned to the cover of her bed, shunning away the outside world with the layer of woolen blanket.
Trampling through the blanket of foliage, Heracles retraced his steps home with both children carried on his back.
They were exhausted, nestling their weary heads against his back and yawning slightly. The time to admonish them would come, but they had experienced much over the course of a day, far too much for a child to handle. It was a time for their rest.
"Come with us…Next time…come with us…" the eldest murmured wearily. "...We'll go until the end of that forest…"
"Leave it for later, lad. You've stepped far beyond your bounds tonight." Heracles was full of pride, despite his words of rebuke.
The boy truly was the son of Heracles. Young as he was, chivalry and courage seemed to have come naturally. Even a pack of wolves was rather lacking to induce fear into his heart.
"Do you wish to see what is beyond the forest?" Heracles asked and the boy answered with any hesitation.
Between them, a promise was made. It was one of a new venture into the forest, but this time with the Hero of Thebes himself to shield them from harm.
The boy was apparently satisfied to have secured his father's support and sleep enveloped him soon after.
During their peaceful trek home, never once had Heracles anticipated that tragedy was just looming over the horizon. Death caught them within the safe haven of their own home, using his hands as medium to carry out its gruesome task.
And the promise was left unfulfilled.
"I will accompany Ilya. No harm will befall her." Cutting in between Ilya and the maids, Berserker stood up and spoke with a certain sense of finality.
"Berserker…" The girl was all too predictable. A wide smile adorned her face as soon as she poked her little head out of the blanket. "See? See? Berserker said so!"
Sella questioned him with her eyes and Leysritt was still trying to grasp the sudden turn of events, but Berserker remained resolute. In his mind, a conclusion had been reached.
"I… understand, if that your wish. Please be careful and return safely." The maids remained reluctant, but eventually yielded. Who were they to dare go against the will of Heracles?
"The matter is decided then." Feeling that a mountain was lifted from his shoulders, Berserker offered his right hand to the girl, still half-hidden under her blanket. She accepted it with her own, frail and tiny, and allowed the giant to lift her onto his shoulder.
The wooden bed creaked under Heracles' weight as he leaned down and spread the blanket over his daughter.
Being stranded amidst the darkness, the beasts, and the solitude of the mountain was more than her young heart could endure. Fear pursued her into the safe haven of her bedroom, lurking behind every dark corner and fluttering curtain.
"Sleep…There is no harm to befall you," Heracles whispered and remained at her bedside like a steadfast sentinel.
"…Thank you." Secured by her father's strong presence, the girl showed him her full smile.
Her childish innocence softened Heracles' hard stare. This joyful expression was what he lived for, the encouragement he needed to brave through the new day.
All that he did was just for the sake of this smile.
As a father, he would be ashamed to let tears and frowns ruin her face. A success of a Servant held no meaning against the failure of a parent.
Her life…
Her smile…
He would protect them all with a strength and fervor to rival that of Ares himself.
The opportunity to see the girl being so joyous was a rare thing to come by while she remained trapped in the castle of winter and thus it was time to lay these worries at rest.
"Let's go! Let's explore the city!"
"Lead on."
Her joyful gait brought a smile to him, but harsh life and sorrow had locked his facial expression into an eternal frown, unable to be changed by his whim. When he smiled, the line of his lips would just waver so slightly that most except those who were closest to him would've missed it.
"Berserker?" Apparently, Ilya was keen enough. "You seem to be…happy…"
"…I am."
"Did something good happen? Tell me!"
"Pay no heed about me. All you have to worry about is to enjoy this day to your fullest..."
"Berserker…"
Berserker could feel Ilya fidgeting slightly on his shoulder. The movement struck him as peculiar but, before he could ask what was wrong, she leaned down, placed her lips next to his ear, and whispered softly.
"…Thank you."
Her words reassured Berserker. He had made the right choice.
Although he still had to remain vigilant for the eventual bloodbath, it was foolish to ignore all the simple pleasures that this day had to offer. Never before had Berserker noticed that the scent of dry leaves and damp earth, while not entirely pleasant like the spring flowers, could in its own way be invigorating all the same.
With Ilya on his shoulder and contentment in his heart, the void inside was no more.
At long last, his promise could be fulfilled.
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