Hiii! Back with the new chapter!
As I said before, this is a short story. So... I'm thinking that it'll probably end around chapter 10... I'm debating whether or not I should write in Ara's perspective since... well... she's... not alive in this story(Neither is Elesis). I'm leaning towards no. That would make Chung, Eve, and Aisha left to write. (A little note: it'll be in that order as well since I decided Aisha will be last)
Okay, okay, gonna tackle Things To Do On a Rainy Day next (Though I only update that one when I have an idea of what to do next)
Guest reviews:
Lol - Thanks, I'll try... to do my best with the updates. By the way, I like that guest name :)
Sorry for any grammar mistakes/misspellings.
Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword.
Raven was propped up against the bed frame with a sleeping Rena sitting by the bedside. He gently stroke her silky smooth lime-blonde hair so as to not wake her up. From what he had learned, the elf was a light sleeper. But giving the circumstances, Raven could understand the need to be alert at all times, even in a state of rest.
He frowned. The last time he had ever lowered his guard was...
Raven stand by King Marcus's side as he looked over a few parchments. Aisha and Noah being right next to Queen Lila since she was being instructed to do some things for them.
"Please make sure they get these," Lila requested, handing some diplomatic forms over to Noah. "since you're in command of the Magic Defense Division, Noah, get those forms signed by the magicians."
"Yes Mother." The elder purplette replied. Just as she was about to reach for the articles, the door swung open, revealing Edan strolling in.
"Edan, you're bac-" Noah stopped the greeting when she saw him covered in blood. His uniform was stained heavily with blood, as if the red was permanently stained on there; his sword was un-sheath, blood trickling dorm the end and making a slim trail on the floor.
"Whoa!" Aisha commented. "What happened to you? I thought it was just a little look around in Feita."
He still remembered those eyes of Edan's that were hidden under his cap; golden orbs that lacked their usual life. In other words, they were dull and void of emotions. He knew something was wrong right then and there, but he didn't anticipate Edan to attack them suddenly like that. And in the moment of delayed awareness of Edan's killing intent, two lives were lost.
"FATHER! MOTHER!" Noah shrieked as Edan's sword impaled Marcus and sliced Lila across the chest. Blood was send flying and splattered against the walls, curtains, and floor.
Raven stood wide-eyed in that moment when the attack was carried out. He felt as if time slowed down the moment the sword withdraw and left the two bodies to fall dully to the floor.
"... Blood..." Edan murmured, his figure trembling. He then turned his attention to Aisha, who was as paled and appalled at the situation as anyone would, and pulled his sword to his side. "... Thirsty... Must... kill..."
When Edan made his move, Raven finally snapped out of his faze and moved into protect Aisha from becoming the victim of death.
There was a clash of metal and Raven grit his teeth. "Edan! What do you think you're doing?!"
Edan shifted his head slightly so that one eye was shown under the peak of his cap. The raven haired male was meet with the dull, yet bloodthirsty gaze his superior.
Raven push the colonel away with a upsurge of strength.
He had never seen Edan like or act like that before. Both him and Noah tried to talk sense into him but his only replies were of his blade. It was during that horrifying event that changed everyone that was involved.
"Edan!" Noah called desperately as her axe-like staff cashed with the bloodthirsty blade user. "It's me, Noah! Don't you remember me?!"
He returned with silence and knocked loose Noah's grip on her staff. He was about to swing down at the purplette when Raven had intercepted.
"Noah, I don't think he's going to snap out of it anytime soon."
"But he-" She snapped when Edan suddenly changed targets back to Aisha. The Dimension Witch stood still, unable to process what was going on, which made her the perfect sitting duck.
"AISHA!" Noah shouted, lunging for the staff that rested on the floor and chanted a quick teleporting spell to warp herself in front of her younger sister. She only had mere seconds before Edan's blade strike but she got there in time. Only, Edan weaved around her weapon of choice and aimed directly at her side.
Quick-witted, she casted a Mana Shield just being the blade contact the armor that she currently wore, lessening the damage but it still cut through.
Raven came back in again to get into the defensive. Without orders from Noah or Aisha, he couldn't do anything other than to protect the two. Edan was his comrade, which made it difficult for Raven to become offensive against him. That and the fact that Edan was superior in skill.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Noah forcing herself back up while clutching her side wound. "Edan... is this how it is? ... You got close to me... just to betray me and take away everything important from me?"
Again, Edan switched targets, going back to Noah.
The bangs that once hid her lilac eyes blew apart by a gust of icy wind.
The first time Raven saw it, he couldn't believe it. Those eyes of Noah's that once held warm then became as cold as ice. It was what had earned her the title Ice Princess... or Ice Queen now.
The man grit his teeth in frustration. Even though they got serious halfway through the fight and managed to lead Edan out of the castle, he still escaped. For the second time, someone closed to him betrayed his and everyone else's trusts. That was the second time he witness the death of people who he considered to be close with.
That wounds that he gained from that fight scarred into his chest, reminding him of how he had failed, yet again, to protect anyone with his powers.
"... Seris." He muttered. He was never over her death. Because it was his fault to begin with. He didn't have his guard up that time, thinking that nothing would happen. He hadn't expect his best friend to betray him like that.
His gaze trailed to Rena's sleeping face and sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I really am blind..."
From how he had acted, Raven had always saw Rena as Seris. Her appearance, her laughter, her gentleness was all the qualities that his former fiance have. It was something that made him tried to stay clear of Rena, because she reminded him of that day where he lost everything.
Rena never seemed to give up on him though. She tried to approach him with every chance that she got.
"Hiya Raven!" Rena greeted on one of her trips to Velder. "How are you?"
The raven haired male gave a nod in response and tried to walk away.
"W-wait! Where are you going?" The elf quickly asked, catching up and matching his pace.
...
"C'mon Raven, at least try to keep a conversation up."
Silence.
...
"Hey Raven, want to spar?"
The Veteran Commander blinked, looking the female elf over. "You... what?"
Rena pouted at the nonplussed man. "C'mon, don't look at me like that. Just because I'm a woman doesn't necessarily mean I don't go into combat. I can be pretty good with a sword too y'know."
...
"Why won't you just give me my peace and quiet back?" Raven sighed in exasperation.
"I don't like seeing you alone." Rena defended back with her arms folded. "Can't you let me in just a little? I want to be your friend."
"I..." He stopped himself and averted his gaze. "... but you're too much like her."
The elf sighed and rested a hand on her hip. "Just give me a chance. Like I said, I don't like seeing you alone."
He gave her a chance and ever since that decision, he had came to like her - as a friend. He didn't want to go any further than that kind of relationship. Besides, his heart belonged to Seris, yet he found it bemusing why it had started to beat for Rena. Sure they were similar but Raven found many differences. While Seris's hair was blonde, Rena's hair was more green than blonde, to be more specific, it was actually lime-blonde. Rena's laugh had more of a soothing tone to it, as if she was the voice of nature itself. And then there was the scent -
Raven stopped thinking and sighed. There were so many things that he regretted and this was one of them. He never got to know Rena until now... but it was too late. He had so little time and he didn't know what to do about it.
Rena had tried so hard to get him to open himself to her, which worked, seeing how it was right now. But he regretted that he had tried to pushed her away. He was blind to the fact that Rena had been there when he needed her, whether he had noticed or not. She was there to keep him company, like now.
He looked back at Rena's face. "Sorry to have you worried about me." He said softly and lean back, closing his eyes. If only he hadn't overused his arms. If only the war never even started. If only Elsword hadn't been...
Speaking of which, the Ruben King had been quiet for quite a while now. It was unnerving.
From what he had gathered, he was on a blood path to find revenge. He had seen him on the battlefield as well during the war. His eyes were filled with a strong bloodlust that Raven didn't even recognize him anymore.
Aisha seemed heavily affected by it.
"Aisha?" Raven called after the Velder Princess who had returned from visiting Ruben. "How was the trip?"
The purplette seemed out of it and it took Raven a clap of her shoulder to snapper her out of her daze. "Aisha, are you okay?"
"H-huh?" Said princess looked over her shoulder, meeting Raven's concerned gaze. "O-oh, hi Raven. I-I'm fine."
Like hell he would believe her with those hopeless eyes of hers. "What happened?"
"N-nothing..." Aisha answered, edging away. "Shouldn't you be resting? You're wounds from... that..."
Raven knew she didn't want to remember that event and so, he answered her question without her having to finish her sentence. "I'm fine. I'm a soldier of Velder. I can stay resting for too long. I have to be on alert for any potential dangers."
"... you -" The purplette stopped herself and leaned against the wall, squatting down. "I-it's... about Elsword... H-he's... gone..."
The Veteran Commander was taken aback at the knews. "What?!"
Aisha shook her head. "No... he's not dead... but he's changed... I just - it's just that - I found out -" Her thoughts were a complete mess andshe didn't know how to turn her thoughts into words.
Raven crouched down and patted her shoulder. "Sorry Aisha. I didn't mean to force you to say anything that you don't feel comfortable saying."
The princess shook her head again as tears started to appear and her body quivered. "R-Raven... E-Elesis... s-she's... s-she's d-dead..."
The Commander froze. Now that was nigh impossible. He knew that Elesis was a remarkable swordswoman who took on magic as well. There was no way that...
"S-she was killed," Aisha continued, looking to the floor. "By... by... her own husband!"
"W-what..?" Raven staggered. It was one thing to hear a death but another to hear that someone was killed by a loved one. It was... just like what happened with Edan... and Alex. It was as if fate had it planned out that they would suffer through similar tragedies.
Aisha hugged herself. "I wish... I wish I could have been there to help him... I wish I could have be of help... to prevent something like that happening. I was useless... I stood there when Edan did it and I - I just... First you, then me, and now Elsword. Why, Raven? Why is this happening to all of us?!"
He never got around to answer that question nor could he still provide the answer. Rena visited a couple of times after that. She said that it was to visit Aisha and Noah but she had always ended up talking to him. But he already knew that Rena was just trying to get her mind off of what was happening. And frankly, he enjoyed her company - not that he admitted.
Raven let out a chuckle, opening his eyes. "Strange how you would prefer speaking your mind to me than any others."
"... That's because I can relax around you." came Rena's sleepy voice. Raven snapped his head back to the elf and gave her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?"
The Night Watcher yawned but remained in her sleeping position. "I'm a light sleeper remember? And that was mean, Raven."
The ebony individual blinked innocently. "Pardon?"
"You told me to close my eyes but you knew I could fall asleep right after, didn't you?" She pouted, cutely was what Raven saw.
He laughed. "You're upset over that? It's good to be up and about but you still have to sleep sometime soon, or it wouldn't be good to your health."
"Like you're one to say." Rena shot back. "I told you countless time to not over do it but you still do."
The Veteran Commander fell silent. "... sorry."
The elf sighed and sat straight. "Geez, I came here to talk to you and you put me to sleep." She then pause before continuing. "But thanks for watching over me Rav."
Raven blinked and averted his gaze with a tinge of pink dusting his tan cheeks. "You would have done the same."
"Hey," The Night Watcher started, grabbing his hand in hers. "when you get better, how about we go around Velder and just talk about things?"
"..." Raven looked into Rena's emerald eyes. There were still some hope left in it compared to his. She knew his fate but she hasn't given up. Raven sighed. "I'll try."
"No, you will." Rena corrected adamantly.
He laughed, raising his hands up in defeat. "Right, right. I will." He then winced at the pain that shot through his Nasod arm when he moved.
"Keke, still painful eh?" came an amusing, insanely familiar tone.
The two looked over to the door to see Add, Yin, and Yang.
"Auntie Rena!" Yin chirped, skittering over to the elf and tackled her into a hug, surprising her.
"Oof! Hey there Yin!" The elf greeted with a small smile and stroke the young girl's hair. "How are you?"
"Great!" Yin piped back. "Auntie Aisha gave us a visit so it was great!"
The Night Watcher faltered and so did Raven. "A-Aisha?"
"She visited." The Diabolic Esper provided. "The wandering time-space manipulating Princess came to visit us."
Raven tried to get up, only to grimace and fall back. "Where is she?"
He needed to see if she was alright. Ever since Add told Rena and him what Aisha was doing to her life when she tried to help him, he and Rena decided that it was best that she stop. And since then, they didn't know where she went.
Add shrugged. "Flew away."
The other two adults deflated. Rena continued to stroke Yin's hair while she was sitting on her lag. "At least... she's alive..."
The Veteran Commander gazed at the elf, seeing the solemn look that has been there for years now. He didn't know exactly when but he started noticing Rena's change about five years ago. She would smile less and her optimism deteriorated.
Other than the few times that he saw her smiles when she was with him, Raven rarely seen that side of Rena anymore. It was as if it was lost somewhere during that time.
He really misses it.
"We need to find her." He said, trying to get up again. Rena put Yin down and stopped him. "Don't Raven! You need to rest!"
"It's dangerous for Aisha to wander around alone," The ebony soldier argued. "and aren't you worried about her as well? It'll be one less thing for you to stress about if we find her."
Rena stopped, gawking at the Veteran Commander in surprise. "I..."
Raven looked up to the Diabolic Esper. "Do you have any clues?"
Add cackled. "You think, I, who have built so many machines and manipulated time and space, can find a witch who could do the latter like she was breathing air?"
"..." The soldier waited.
"That's not even a challenge." The albino male finished.
The elf snapped her head up to the white haired engineer, giving him a look. "Then why didn't you find her sooner and tell us?"
He shrugged in reply. "I didn't find the point in that."
"Add..." Raven said dangerously.
Said person raised his hands up in defeat, then walked out. "Fine fine. It'll take a while for the process of tracking down time magic though."
"Daddy!" Yin chased after her father. "I wanna help!"
"Yin, don't!" Yang called after his twin. "You're going to ruin it!"
Rena couldn't help but allow herself a giggle at the twins. "Yang knows his sister too well."
"... You laughed." Raven commented before through his legs to the side to get up. Rena look up at him and blinked.
"Huh?"
"Do you remember when I told you to ask yourself where your presence will affect the most?" He asked suddenly, forcing himself up and crack his neck around.
"... Yeah."
"You just being here with me is enough to make me smile." Raven cast her a meek smile. "So I want you to smile, and laugh like the Rena that I knew before. Will you do that for me?"
Rena flushed and couldn't look Raven in the eyes. "I..." She then calm herself and looked up, challenging him with a smile. "If you promise me that you'll stay alive for as long as possible."
The Veteran Commander paused for a moment before answer. "Deal."
There was so much he didn't do and more he couldn't. He regretted the fact the he couldn't protect anyone, regretted the fact that pushed Rena away. And most of all, he'll regret the time when he will break that promise.
... And he also regrets that the author didn't write enough on him, jk XD
Yay~! I got some Reven! Yeah... short since I... don't know what to write. I think I used up my creative juice for Add's perspective... oh and the plot's moving along smoothly!
On the side note, I got my EM to lv80 on the day of the NA update *^* (Yeah, update's been slow because I went back to playing Elsword)