Scars of War

Chapter 4

Soul Turned to Ash

Ash woke up in the middle of the night and looked around.
"Where... am I?" she held her head and inspected her surroundings.

She was back in the hotel she started in, but why?

That answer was found sleeping on a nearby recliner.

Fernando snored lightly and kept his large body in such a small area very effectively. Initially, Ash was shocked to see this man asleep such a short distance away from her and looked under her covers.

"I still have my clothes on..." she mumbled and sighed in relief. However, her hostility stood firm as she started to question why she was even here in the first place.

Especially with this pig.

Ash felt a cold sensation on her head and found out she had a wet towel on her forehead when she inspected it. She also saw that the pillow next to her had bits of rosemary placed on it.
"What in the-"

"They relieve tension."

Ash turned to see Fernando had one eye opened and looking straight at her.

"You couldn't sleep so I did everything I could to help you find relaxation." Fernando fully woke up and stretched his arms.
"Though I think I failed because..." he squinted at a nearby clock, "It's 3 in the morning."

Ash grunted.
"I did not need your help." she crossed her arms and threw the wet towel at him. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."

Fernando grinned.
"You wouldn't have told me that during what you were going through..." he responded and stood up. "My lady, please let me help you." he placed his hand on his chest.

"You will never know what I go through..."

"Not if you don't tell me." Fernando smirked.

A slap flew across his face.

"I deserved that." the knight sighed and rubbed his cheek.

"You're a weak man who doesn't know anything!" Ash gnashed her teeth at him.
Her soul was being ripped apart from the inside and she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Her pain was coming back; the ghosts of her past were gnawing at her mind and heart.

Fernando grinned and grabbed her shoulder.
"It will be ok, señorita..." he placed his hand on his chest again and looked at her with endearing eyes.

Ash wanted to punch him so badly, but deep inside she couldn't.
For some reason, her anger was subsiding and her pain was numbing.

Fernando saw that her complexion was going back to neutral and let out a soft laugh.
"I told you these work." he held a twig of rosemary close to her nose.

Ash grunted.
She gave a quick whiff and let out a small nod of approval. "You are not wrong... First time you do not lie." she said.

Fernando rolled his eyes.
"I have shown you my armor and my standard. I have told you my rank, my legion, and my name. What more do you need, my lady?" he asked coyly as he stood up and poured her a glass of water.

"You are a playboy, not a soldier." Ash murmured and looked at the glass in front of her.

"You are correct on that first part, but wrong on the other." Fernando chuckled and looked at her. "Some water for you, my lady?" he asked.

Ash snatched the glass and drank it in one go.

"You shouldn't do that-"

"You're not my mother," Ash growled and slammed the glass on the night stand.

"I'm just saying." Fernando shrugged his shoulders, "When you drink water too fast you-"

Ash's eyes opened and she looked at the bathroom. The woman pushed the knight aside and bolted to the room before it was too late.

Fernando sighed and looked at the bed dreamily.
"That recliner was a pain..." he murmured and instinctively moved towards the mattress.
"Ah si..." he moaned in pleasure as he sprawled all over every square inch of comfort.

Ash came out a few moments later to see Fernando snoring away on the bed.

"Pig." she crossed her arms and walked over to the foot of the bed.

However, her sights caught sight of a more important matter.
Fernando's armor.

Ash walked and grabbed the chestplate.
"Solarium..." she lightly tapped the metal components and inspected every inch of its surface. "Hand forged... crucible technique..."

Then the big reveal.
On the neck of the chestplate was the inscription LEGIO HELIOS.

Ash's eyes opened in surprise as she saw the hand carved letters on the metal.
"Impossible, that's just... This is genuine- He probably plundered it from a dead soldier..." she dismissed the new information with a shake of her head.

Fernando snored.

Ash grunted and grabbed another vital clue to her problem.
The knight's lance.

"Same material... but gilded and..." Ash gasped. "Carbon etching.. This is... From Sun Spire." she murmured and held it aloft.
"Around 10 stone..." she weighed it.

Fernando rolled over to face her fully.

"How can he come across such a fine weapon?" Ash growled as she saw the red crystals inside, "These are pristine... without blemish and finely crafted. No way they would have survived in such condition if he had just taken them from battle."

The woman set down the lance and turned to face Fernando, who was scratching his cheek in his sleep.
"Who are you?" she asked quietly as she reached for his collar.

The last piece of evidence she needed was under his shirt.
If she could just... get under it.

No use.

Fernando's eyes opened to Ash reaching down his chest.
"Uh... Hola." he looked at her.

Ash pulled away her hand and set it behind her. "It wasn't what you think!" she yelled angrily and balled her other hand up.

Fernando sat up and chuckled.
"My lady, please... I know what went on." he waved his hand, "This sexiness was just too much for you to withstand."
He wiggled his eyebrows, "Witness these muscles."

The knight flexed his pecs and his biceps to impress her.

Only to receive a punch to his face.

"Pig." Ash grunted and picked him up by his shirt, "Now get off my bed before I break more of you!" she threatened.

Fernando slowly removed her hands from his body and stepped away.
"Very well, my lady." he walked towards the recliner, "I am here to serve you. It was very ungentlemanly of me to remove you from your bed." he smiled and sat down.

Ash crossed her arms and got on her bed.
"Don't even think of joining me." she glared at him with eyes of molten fury.

"But my lady, that's the best part of the night."

An audible punch scared away the owl that was perched outside of the room's balcony.

0000000

The morning light broke through the open window and struck Ash's face with such gentleness that it removed any negative appearance about her.
Sure she had a rough and apathetic face, but even that was given beauty by the graceful morning.

"Hmmm..." Ash murmured and shook her head.
"What?" she looked around and saw that, to her surprise, she was alone in her room.

Neither Fernando nor his armor was in the room.

"What the-" Ash saw that her armor was still with her. "At least he's not a thief... but he may have taken another thing!" she removed her blanket.

She still had her clothes on.

Ash sighed and got off the bed.
"Where could he have gone. I'm not finished yet." she growled and cracked her knuckles.

WOW! Thank you for the reviews my friends!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter!