So, here we are. I hope this sequence of events tie you all over.
Real important note, that I need your response because this will flesh out what I want to do for the War Game. Pick Isaac or Irene. Simple, pick only one. Some can guess, but it actually determines what I write for the Game.
As always:
"Speaking"
Individual thoughts/Mindscape talk with the twins
*Ability/Spell*
...
Isaac had left Welf's forge with a smile on his face, but it quickly turned into a frown.
At this present point, he was booking it to the southern end of Orario. Irene's words rang throughout his head. Apparently, I trodded too close to Freya Familia's home on accident. I was looking for a decent shop and they took exception to that and now they are- Her words were cut off by a mental scream of pain.
Isaac was pushing it. Of course, it was Freya Familia. A look over at Babel, glaring at the tower, knowing Freya was up there, probably looking at him. Why can't she just leave them alone? Pushing off the rooftop, he landed in the middle of the street. It wasn't crowded, but those that were on the street exclaimed in surprise. "Watch it!" "Take it easy, kid!" The voice of pedestrians and other adventurers fell on deaf ears. His sister was in danger, and just when they got out of danger too.
Life goes on, Isaac thought.
He ran to a street corner, settling on one knee, and extended his hearing out, shutting off everything except it. He remained crouched on the ground for a few seconds before he heard the faint sound of a voice. One that pissed him the hell off. He shot up like a bullet, almost leaving a cartoonish smoking figure behind. It was fast. He just had to hope that it wasn't too late.
Otherwise, he'd be an only child.
First, she was running, then someone was in front of her, then she was on the street, and now she was pinned against the wall, an arm over her throat and a hand crushing and bruising her wrist. Her other arm was pinned behind her back to the wall as well; therefore, she had no leeway to escape. Not that she could, the level difference was palpable, just grating against her skin like it was cheese. Her eyes couldn't focus with the lack of oxygen entering her system. All she could see was the blurriness of blue lapis. She was able to stand, but they pushed their whole body against her. They didn't seem to get any sexual satisfaction. No.
This was with an intent to kill.
"You know, we don't appreciate scum like you coming onto our turf," the mixture of bass and alto identified this as anyone but Ottar. Yay, narrowed it down by one person. "Seriously, we should've grabbed you instead, and watch as Harpe lose his shit, have him descend into madness." The gleam in his eyes sharpened, "But he had to go and survive, what a pity."
Drool dribbled off Irene's mouth, her struggles fading. When she got ambushed, she didn't even have time to draw a dagger. She looked over her shoulder for a second. She wouldn't have been prepared even if he gave her time to do so. Then, a knee collided with her stomach, forcing out even more precious air from her lungs. Her vision was swimming in a sea of darkness, the light fading from her eyes as tears fell down her visage.
"Oh well, Lady Freya said nothing about putting you in your place," he said.
Suddenly, the pressure was released and she fell to her knees, coughing, sucking in very much needed breaths of air. "Get your fucking hands off my sister, you bastard!"
Isaac… Irene thought before darkness enveloped her.
"Ah, so you made it, and fast too," the Cat Person in front of Isaac said, holding the knife without a care in the world.
"Allen, you piece of shit. It wasn't enough to throw me down to the thirty-eighth, now you have to attack my sister, what kinda person does that?!" Isaac kept his voice down, but he was furious.
"Our Lady is obsessing over you and it makes me sick, I don't know what she sees in either of you!"
This made Isaac pause, "What makes you think we want her obsession?"
That apparently was the wrong thing to say as Allen's eyes dilated and he launched himself at Isaac. Allen pushed Isaac into the closest wall, snarling at him, "You dare disregard our Lady's love! You are not worthy of her attention!"
The statement was hypocritical. Shouldn't he be happy that he's not wanting his Goddess's love and affection? Or does that make her want them even more? Through grit teeth, and a losing battle, "At least we agree on something."
Allen proceeded to knee Isaac in the stomach, once… twice… thrice, making him keel over before grabbing him by the chin and punched him hard across the jaw multiple times, definitely able to dislocate or break it. With each knee to the stomach, bones gave way, but the adrenaline in Isaac's system made him temporarily forget the pain. Stars flooded Isaac's vision as blood flew from his mouth as he flew far across the alleyway into a wall.
He tumbled a few times before landing on his side, blood leaking out of his mouth. Right now, Isaac only wanted to get Irene out of here, and himself. His aversion to blood was kicking in, and he felt himself shake. No, don't make me… please...
"Still, he should have just let me kill you, so then I could have watched her suffer." Then, a very prominent Cheshire grin sprouted on Allen's face. The knife was still in his hand.
The knife was still in his hand. Isaac hazily figured it out as Allen turned to Irene's unconscious body. On a whim, Isaac summoned his one and only magic spell.
*Fissure!*
Even though his speech was impaired, the magic still worked and understood its user. The rocks sprouted from nothing and launched towards the vice-captain of Freya Familia. Allen turned and easily smashed, punched, and kicked them all out of the air. "That the best you got, Harpe?"
He was out of his league. Isaac knew this. He knew and still chose to pursue this foolhardy objective. Isaac wasn't close enough to stop him, but that punch made him burn. His fear was morphing into something else. A skill was activating, two of them actually. His body responded to the change, flooding him with adrenaline, the need to fight, the need to protect all that he holds precious. If Freya was watching, his soul would be a beacon in the night, shining through the thickest of fog. It felt warm like it was encouraging him to fight. To save his sister. His eyes clouded with rage, anger, and bloodlust. The skill boost felt like someone took a simple enchantment spell and multiplied the effect by ten times. His injuries, while present, faded from his mind as adrenaline flourished in Harpe's body.
Allen laughed, "Looks like Aspis might have her life shortened." Instead of using Isaac's throwing knife, he threw that aside before pulling out a much longer, serrated knife before he plunged it into her stomach, missing her vital organs, making Irene whimper in pain despite being unconscious. A pool was beginning to form, small, but it wouldn't stop.
In one second, he was on the ground holding his chest, the next, he was in Allen's face. Vana Freya recoiled in genuine surprise. The punch Harpe levied against Allen's armor stood no chance. The Cat Person flew backward, hitting the ground once. Twice and rolled into a crouch, "How is that possible? You should have stayed on the ground!" The knife wasn't removed, good. Harpe's eyes hardened as he looked at his opponent…
Spitting out blood, his own armor in need of repair, he glared at Allen, his intent reaching a fever pitch, "You stabbed my sister. You stabbed her… y̯̣̺̝͆̅̒̑ò̡u̜͑'̝̩̃̿r̳̓e̦̞̪̲̾̊̒́ ḓ̫̾͝e̮̣͕̔͋̚ad̥̞̉͠ me̢̱̊̐ȃ̲͙͐͐͟t̹̫̱̙͐̌͌͆͒͢." It sounded as if he had a lisp, but the words still took effect.
Harpe took three steps forward when a greatsword slammed into the ground in front of both opponents, "Stop."
One word and it was from the King. One should expect to listen. Harpe, however, rode the high of his Last Rites skill and Tsuinzubatorukurai—which doubled his current status and increased his basic abilities by two full ranks respectfully. That boost from the latter skill was then affected by Last Rites increasing his power even more, effectively making him on par or even better than Allen. Harpe grabbed the sword and basically said 'Fuck the hierarchy' squeezing it, making splintering cracks appear. To Harpe, he could break this like it was a toothpick, leaving the hilt as the only thing intact.
"Leave us alone," Harpe's voice faded into Isaac's voice, but it still carried the dark tone and lisp, but he couldn't feel the pain, not when his sister's life was on the line. Ottar felt it. This boy felt more powerful than normal. The Boaz wondered how it was possible. Could it have been a skill or spell? Or was someone influencing him?
Isaac, now out of his blood-lusting state, gently scooped up his knife, sheathing it back with the others before gently, and shakily, cradling his sister's unconscious form before limping into the shadows of the backstreets of Orario. He needed to move and fast. His whispers reached the two, "Please don't go, without you, what am I?" Irene's blood slowly dripped off his hand and onto the ground. The lisp remained, but his words were clear.
The boy was more worried about his sister than he was himself. Selfless, but foolish.
Meanwhile, Ottar glared at Allen, "You should not have pursued. She was not doing anything to warrant this."
"You don't know that," Allen grunted, wiping the blood from his chin. Internally, the punch that he received was one of the best ones he's gotten. The smallest of slivers of respect went to Isaac for that. When he ranks up, Allen looks forward to facing him again. The punishment he knows he will receive will be worth it.
"I do," Ottar said, stepping forward, letting his figure and glare show Allen who was in charge. "Our Lady ordered us to keep them alive and to not harm them. She has a plan that will take time. For now, stand down." This order was given as soon as they left the Dungeon two days ago. Ottar turned his gaze to the darkened alleyway, looking at the dripping blood trail being left behind, "Now, Isaac, what was that display?"
Airmid Teasanare of Dian Cecht Familia is a Doctor, often praised for her work. Her name does get shortened to Amid at points, but she doesn't care, as she treats everyone the same way. It's rumored that she can hold support for a frontline of over fifty or so adventurers all by herself. To add on, she doesn't have the Mage development ability, making her that much more desirable to have to support your team. The calm demeanor paired with her silver hair and purple eyes made her quite the adorable woman. Dea Saint, her alias, was given to her because of her healing magic and its properties. Not even Nine Hell could come close and she admits it. Amid's healing is sought-after in Orario, often people coming in to be healed knowing that she can get them back to a perfectly healthy state.
While her facial expressions are equated to an elaborate doll, much like the Sword Princess, the Head Doctor only gets upset when a patient hurts themselves while in rehabilitation. If they hurt themselves, then it takes longer to heal, and the longer it takes to heal, the more they have to stay here out of the action they seek so often. A never-ending cycle full of idiots.
She was currently rummaging through her supplies, so that way she can provide a list to Lord Dian Cecht later in the week. Their pharmacy was located on Northwest Main Street, around a three-minute walk from the Guild.
Amid heard the door open, and a murmur, "You'll be fine, alright sis?" the voice was on the verge of breaking, but they themselves didn't sound good.
"Mister Isaac, stop, let me carry her, please!" Amid knew that voice was familiar, and it became apparent as she rounded the corner from the back.
There stood Lefiya Viridis, pleading with someone carrying another. The male looked horrible, his breathing was strained, his face was swelling, and then Amid's eyes fell to the girl in his arms.
The girl's hair was disheveled, and what looked like tinges of red stuck to her scalp. The biggest outlier was the knife currently embedded in her side, the dripping blood was hard to discern if it was from a wound on his hand or the stab wound. Amid bet on the latter. "This way, please." Amid held out her hands, "Please put her in my arms." The male's hands tensed, his vision narrowed on her. "You entered my clinic and you are not leaving until I treat you," Amid ordered.
Lefiya looked on at Amid, seeing the serious nature of Dea Saint emerge, "M-Mister Isaac, just hand her over, then we can worry about you."
"I-" Isaac began but coughed, blood dripped from his mouth. Amid was quick to swipe the unconscious girl from his arms while Lefiya guided him to a nearby bed. "Nuhh!" Isaac reached, his breathing ragged. The effect of his skill had worn off, but his injuries were critical. His jaw looked unhinged. Amid could guess that was painful, hopefully not broken, but most of his ribs were broken and at worst, a punctured lung. She needed to get both of them under control.
"What happened?" Amid needed the details. Her treatment couldn't begin until she had some semblance of what was going on. The marks around her neck were a telling sign, whoever did this had the intention to end her life, something that irritated the Saint greatly.
Lefiya spoke in Isaac's place, "Freya Familia attacked. They were going shopping, at least that was their plan, in the southern district. Th-There were shops that seemed interesting, but they misinterpreted it as trespassing yet she was at least a few hundred meders from their home." The auburn-haired elf ran into them outside and had to pry the story from him, lisp, and all.
"Set him down and come help me," Amid ordered. "This needs to come out now, and there will be a lot of blood. Martha!"
At the sound of that name, a chienthrope entered the room, not at all shocked at what laid before her. This was pretty common, "Yes, Captain?"
Martha was around 5'3", her face well-rounded, hints of dimples on her cheeks. She wore a standard robe of that in the Dian Cecht Familia, their emblem front and center. An emblem that depicted an orb and herb. Her bright citrus irises and her matching hair made her look adorable, her ears only added to that factor. Lefiya found herself giving her a once over, on-premise alone. Definitely cute, but it was Miss Ais that she admired.
Martha noticed and winked at the elf, before her face adopted a serious demeanor, "Which familia are they…" she paused, "Captain, they are from Dia Familia. These are Harpe and Aspis, the Titans." She withheld her grimace at Isaac's face. It was swelling, meaning he took a few solid punches to the jaw.
Amid gazed up from Irene for a moment, "Send Bernadette to their home to fetch Lady Dia. She'll want to know. Now, prepare my tools and get the medicines on standby. We need to do this carefully."
"Why can't we just take out the knife and close the wound?" Lefiya asked, ignorant to most things about healing magic and medical expertise. Lady Riveria knows that healing magic and basic medical training are important, but they were battle mages first, medics second.
"If we take this knife out without proper care, she could die from blood loss. The back of her head is bleeding, meaning someone slammed her head into a hard surface, most likely brick or stone. Coupled with the wound and her being unconscious, she is in much more critical condition than Harpe."
The room became silent enough to hear a pin drop. Lefiya's face was construed in horror. "I need to get Lady Riveria!"
With that, Lefiya rushed out of the room, full-tilt sprinting to Twilight Manor to find her mentor.
"Martha, set his jaw, then let's get to work."
"Understood."
The two women got to work, their expressions determined. Their lives rested in their hands.
Lefiya burst through the gates of Twilight Manor shouting, "Lady Riveria?!" Most of the familia members thought Thousand Elf finally lost it.
"What is it, Lefiya?" Riveria happened to be close by, troubled that her charge was frantic.
Out of breath, hunching over, "It's the twins… th-they're hurt. Freya Familia."
Riveria almost lost her composure right there. What could they have possibly done in mere hours? "Where are they?" The book she was clutching showed her white knuckles. Familia members in the immediate area shied away, feeling the difference. Those that didn't consist of Raul, Anakitty, and Cruz. They are aware that the Vlahos twins have a kinship with the High Elf.
Lefiya sucked in a deep breath, "Lord Dian Cecht's. Amid is treating them."
Riveria gently put down her book, turned to Lefiya, putting her hands on her pupil's shoulders, "Explain on the way. But answer me honestly, who has it worse?" She was hoping it wasn't who she thought.
"Irene. She's unconscious with a head injury and she's been stabbed. Isaac has broken ribs, his breathing was hoarse, coughing blood." The imagery was a little gruesome for the naive elf, but she was holding it together because Riveria was there. The two left the Manor with haste. Riveria wants to know specifically who dared harm her Godchildren. Sofia gave her a job, and she was going to accomplish it. "They were by Folkvangr but she was looking for shops. They want to get something for Lady Dia. Isaac said it was someone named Allen who attacked Irene. As for their fight, he didn't tell me any concrete details," Lefiya said all in one breath, panting to keep up with Riveria.
"That problem child," Riveria muttered under her breath. Part of her was glad he ran to his sister's defense, but she could imagine the self-guilt that he was putting on his shoulders. "Anything else?"
Lefiya shook her head instead of speaking to conserve the oxygen she needed.
"Riveria!"
Both turned to see Dia and who Lefiya assumed to be Bernadette. "Lady Dia."
"What happened?"
"I'm finding this out myself, and I am going to lecture them about it." On the side, Lefiya gulped, knowing how severe Riveria's lectures were.
"They are so… ugh!" Dia exclaimed, clearly frustrated.
"Right this way," Bernadette said, leading the group inside. Each one noticed the blood trail leading inside, and judging how it went straight down a street and curved right, this was recent.
Only moments later would a crowd start to form.
Dia was at home, waiting for them to return, so when she heard a knock, she got excited. It was quickly dashed when someone unfamiliar was at her door, "Hello, Lady Dia, my name is Bernadette, with Dian Cecht Familia. Recently, your children limped into our clinic and I've been requested to bring you to them."
The petite Goddess inspected this person, while yes, she was wearing a Dian Cecht robe, she stared into her eyes, looking for any lie. Not that she would be lying, but it was something to check for. Bernadette is human with hair that descended down to her waist, woven into a tri-braid. The color was that of a light cyan, contrasted by her magenta irises, a small scar rested on her cheek that was close to her mouth.
"What happened?"
Bernadette looked away, regretful, "I apologize, but my Captain sent me out immediately so I have no relevant information for you. If you would please come with me?" When she looked back, Dia was nowhere to be found.
"Are you coming?" Dia shouted, having made it to the gate. "Move, or I'll leave you behind!"
Fast forward to the point where they met Riveria and Lefiya.
The group of four entered the clinic where they were greeted to a sight most wish to unsee. Amid was currently fiddling with some suture tools, while Martha was constantly cleaning up the blood. A small puddle was under their feet, but they would clean it later. Their lives were more important than cleanliness.
Just before they arrived, They had taken care and wrapped her head in a bandage, but Amid confirmed that she has a concussion.
As for the knife, it had to be removed swiftly, and carefully, but the blood squirts were another problem. Amid and Martha's pristine robes clothes were stained with Irene's blood, not in large spots, but more like polka-dots. "Clean."
The rag in Martha's hand gently prodded at Irene's exposed side. Amid continued with intense concentration, ignoring the scars visible on Irene's body. Martha noticed their guests and gestured for them to wait, as much as they didn't want to, they had to. "Take it out, I need to be fast, precise." The knife that was embedded in Irene's side was most of the way out, but it was dual-serrated, meaning if taken out too fast, it could cut the stitches that Amid had already done, reopening the wound and could result in the loss of life.
Isaac was watching with a keen and concerned eye, as much as he could be while breathing hoarsely. His jaw was only dislocated, but it still hurt like hell. Eating was off the table until he healed. His chest felt like he became a bongo drum. With the number of times he was hit by a level six Allen, the damage itself should have critically wounded him, basically making him have an early retirement but he was fine enough. Probably.
His hand reached out to his sister, but it was a mere hair's breadth away from touching. That distance was the only thing between him and reassurance. Tears leaked out of his eyes. He felt slow, sluggish like he should have been faster. The guilt building inside of him. Wasn't it the elder sibling's job to care for and protect the younger sibling? It didn't matter that she was only six minutes younger, she got injured because he wasn't there fast enough. Maybe he could've done something else. Damn it! He cursed mentally, neither knowing nor caring if Irene heard him.
Before he could let his guilt overtake his rationality, his other hand was gently grabbed, making him pause and slowly look over—avoiding whiplash—to see the crying face of Dia. Her tears intensified as she saw the condition of her children. She opened her mouth to speak, Amid cut her off, having already noticed, "Please do not touch my patients, Lady Dia. Bernadette, please conduct an examination of…"
"Isaac."
"Mister Isaac, I will join you momentarily." Martha only had time to set his jaw and make him comfortable, his other injuries were still untreated. After all, Amid is only one person, and Irene's wound was a two-person job. "Martha, when we are done, please go clean yourself up," Dea Saint said, finally getting the knife all the way out and she immediately finished the final suture with ease. Amid then gently did a final examination before greeting her guests, "Goddess Dia, both are alive, and thankfully they got here in time. I will need time to fully heal them, and since this is a life or death situation, I will waive the fee. Lord Dian Cecht will have to talk to me about it."
Martha and Bernadette both paused and gazed at each other before shivering once. Amid only waived the cost because of the situation. They get plenty of valis for selling their medicine and trade deals.
"Thank you, Amid," Dia said, not worried about it, the fee would have been easy. As long as her children were alive, she would do anything for them.
However, that didn't mean she was happy about this ordeal.
"Not a problem, as a Doctor of the people, I help when needed or called upon," Amid let out a rare smile, as small as it was. The expression was gone a moment later, "Now, Miss Riveria, I hate to do this, but I need all of you to step outside, long enough for me to examine him. I do need to strip them both to get the full extent of their injuries. However, I have one final question, Miss Viridis?" Everyone took that at face value, Amid was not one for those activities. She was serious about her job.
"Yes?" Lefiya asked, slightly red in the face because of the words 'strip them'.
"How far did he say he carried her again?" Her eyes were on Isaac, who was half-lucid, but it was slowly drowning out.
"From almost the most southern end of Orario…" Lefiya's voice came out weaker as the distance registered in the room. Riveria lost most of her calm composure as she sent a scathing glare at Isaac, who unconsciously shivered. Amid seemed unaffected, except the tensing of her clasped hands.
"Come again?" Amid said, taking a step forward towards Lefiya. Then another, and the distance subsequently became smaller and smaller as she approached the young elf. "Did he travel a distance that shouldn't have been possible in his current condition?"
"Y-Yes?"
Amid turned and said softly, "Such fortitude."
This certainly raised eyebrows, but no one mentioned it further.
The trio of two elves and one Goddess stepped outside and well, once they left the door. They were greeted by Tione, Tiona, Ais—presumably brought about by Tiona—Bell, Hestia, Welf, Lili, and most surprisingly but not unexpected, Mikoto. Completely unexpected was Ryuu, in her Hostess of Fertility attire. When asked, she told Mia that there was a rumor of seeing Harpe carrying Aspis through the city. A blood trail going as almost as far as the southern wall. This was her first guess as to where they'd gone.
The general consensus was, '"""""""What happened?"""""""" Only Ryuu didn't speak, but she did see a peek of Isaac and she understood how bad it was. Her clasped hands expressed the same emotion but for an entirely different reason.
She was angry.
But that word did not even come close to describe the blazing wildfire in her soul.
Amid had exited the room and calmly approached Dia, "Lady Dia?"
"Yes, how are they?"
Amid put her hands on Dia's shoulder, "How are they alive?
Dia was thoroughly confused, "What?"
Amid pulled back, regaining her professional demeanor, "Mr. Vlahos managed to have all of his ribs either bruised, broken, or fractured, his jaw dislocated to the point of it breaking, his lungs are fine, no signs of it being punctured. He was carrying Miss Vlahos in a bridal carry all the way here while she had a concussion, a stab wound, being unconscious, and not to mention a fractured wrist. The first two factors alone should have been reason to call for help, but he got to my clinic. Him also being on South street makes that distance covering three-quarters of Orario. I would like to know how he did not collapse at any point sooner. These feats alone are impossible. I have seen people die in my clinic with fewer fatal injuries." Amid was ashamed to admit it, but people have died in her time as a healer. The infections or the wounds were just too severe and they were too late. She keeps a record of them to remember to visit their graves and offer a prayer.
Everyone present paled at the fact he managed to do all that. Mikoto was the one who seemed the most worried. Her heart felt heavy, and she questioned why she felt this way, and so soon. Falling in love was a possibility, but how hard has he fallen? "Can we see them?"
"Answer my question, please, Lady Dia," Amid said, her violet eyes begging for an answer, ignoring Mikoto's question.
Shockingly, Dia smiled but it was a sad one, "His desire to save his sister. Isaac will do anything to save Irene, even potentially give up his own life. A flaw in his character, but it's one I've accepted. The two of them are close, closer than most spouses usually are—minus things spouses usually do—but that's because they went through the same thing. Amid, he survived because he needed to. He had to. I know it may not be the answer you're looking for, but that is the answer I can give you."
Amid sighed, closing her eyes, "You may enter, but please refrain from touching them. I have given them a slow-activating potion that should stir their innate healing. As such, they will be unconscious for the time being. I expect a few days' rest will suffice in getting them to heal, and I will say this if they attempt to do anything when they need to rest…" Dea Saint let that statement trail off. "Martha, Bernadette, please come with me."
On the small bright side, the clinic was cleaned up, making it look like they weren't just bleeding all over the floor. The same cannot be said for outside.
Amid's two assistants left the room with her and everyone else slowly crowded in. "Lili wonders what happened," the young Prum said.
The Amazon twins expressed something similar, while Ais found her gaze not on the Vlahos twins, but Bell. Maybe she could finally have a conversation.
"Well, it looks like we need some better news," Welf said. "I already told Isaac, but I did level up, so when they are up and at 'em, we can celebrate. For now, with your permission Lady Dia. May I take their gear back to my forge to begin repairs?"
"Have you become their personal smith?" Dia question, having sat in between her children's beds. Their chests were rising and falling in sync, a small detail that made Dia feel slightly better.
"I am, Isaac came to me directly asking about it and not because of those, but because he said he trusts me. I don't know what I did to get it, but all I needed was Irene's approval. I won't be getting that anytime in the next day, but I will be doing what I can to help," Welf said, not at all perturbed at the group's reaction.
"Then, you have my blessing to take care of their equipment, but their armor is a special case. Be very careful," Dia gave Welf permission.
"What's so special about their armor?" Bell asked, who then scratched behind his neck as everyone looked at them.
"They received it from a blacksmith far outside of Orario, pulled me aside, and asked me if they were related to her, embedded the armor with a special property, similar to Durandal, but not quite," Dia said with a small fond smile. "My two children have been through an ordeal most would not have survived, and I'll be damned if they go now." Only Riveria picked up on the true implication of that statement and withheld her reaction. That is a steep price to pay.
"Then I will take the utmost care of it," Welf responded resolutely. The heart of a smith showed in his statement.
Riviera and Ais stood in the back, spectating, but Ais turned towards the High Elf, "You're worried, aren't you?"
The High Elf glanced at Ais, the daughter she raised since she was seven, "Yes, those two are my Godchildren. It pains me to see them injured like this, but we cannot do much against the Freya Familia, who knows what she'll do when she hears about this."
Ais was surprised by the easy admission, but Riveria felt relief from admitting it aloud, not that anyone else heard her. Her golden eyes traveled to Bell again, who had Tiona wrapped around his arm, asking him questions, to which he was trying to keep his embarrassment down, and failing. She felt awkward being here.
As for Mikoto, she settled herself right at Isaac's unoccupied side, gently reaching out her hand. Dia took notice and subtly turned herself to face Irene, whose face was serene, but a smile was not present. Mikoto whispered, "What are you doing to my heart? Why does it hurt to see you like this?" She didn't understand, and she only wanted to understand.
Isaac didn't respond. Not that he could, but he heard her voice which interrupted his breathing. It resumed a moment later. Well, that proves his ears work.
Ryuu did not like seeing anyone of her kin like this. It fueled a feeling she long thought buried when her previous familia died. Her sense of justice was always a piece of her character and this was something that she couldn't ignore, but she could do nothing about. She didn't have the right information. No one saw the altercation, so there was no accurate info to go on.
"What the absolute hell?!" Welf shouted.
Everyone got up to look to see a crowd. They were all silent, which was creepy in it of itself, but they weren't worried about the smith. They were all looking at the blood trail, decently sized, enough to warrant stepping around it. Riveria gently pulled Tione aside, "Please go find where the trail ends, then report to Finn, understood?"
Tione brightened at the mention of her Captain, "Sure thing!" then she was gone. Tiona looked to Riveria and eventually gestured for her to follow.
Soon after, most everyone departed, except for Riveria and Mikoto. Ryuu had to head back to the Hostess. Ais and Lefiya headed back to Twilight Manor. Bell, Welf, and Lili all grabbed the twin's gear before heading to Welf's forge. Dia was never planning on leaving, so she stayed right in her spot. The only one who could tell her to leave was Amid. Dian Cecht would understand that her attachment to her children was something that couldn't be easily explained. The beef between him and Miach was one point of contention.
Ignoring that for now, Dia finally turned to Mikoto, "You know, I have never seen him truly smile like that before."
"Hm?" Mikoto finally turned her attention away from Isaac's swollen jaw, which had gone down from when she first saw it.
"When he smiles, it is never like the ones he gives other people. Irene and I, and now including you and Riveria, are the only ones who get a genuine smile from him," Dia said, getting the High Elf to raise an eyebrow. "My point, no one outside of us sees a genuine smile from Isaac Vlahos. He saves that for people he trusts and allows into his heart. I can't say much more on the matter, as I am violating my children's privacy."
"Were there points in their lives that they were happy? Before you arrived in Orario?" The Far Eastern girl was definitely trying to piece him together.
Dia smiled, "The happiest I've ever seen them is when they are with one another. Not a day goes by where they aren't checking in on one another. Honestly, you might find him overbearing, but he means well. So, Mikoto, expect it when he courts you, because the day you tell him not to bother checking in every day, he'll follow it, but you'll find yourself missing it."
"I assume you know that feeling, Lady Dia?" Mikoto asked, now engrossed in conversation. Riveria sat by with Irene, gently holding her hand. The High Elf did not know this and found this information to be invaluable because Sofia was the same way. They inherited more than just the magic and skill, they inherited parts of her. Needless to say, their parents had a massive stake in this too.
"Once, I gently asked him to stop four years ago, and it only took three days before I asked him to continue," Dia laughed. "Now, I just have to wait for Irene to find someone if Isaac will let her, overprotective brother he is." Mikoto laughed saying that sounds like him. Riveria smiled and shook her head before departing herself, as much as she wanted to stay here, she had other duties to attend and a Captain to explain the situation to.
Amid was spectating from the back, not interrupting but observing. The rumors were true, Harpe did indeed court someone. If that was news now, Amid wonders how many men she will have to treat because someone attempted to court Aspis and Harpe sent them here.
The point: Business is business, as long as there are no deaths.
...
Remember, pick only one of them, and give me a reason why. Don't worry if you already responded, but I'm curious to see your motivations to your choice. I haven't written the War Game, but there are changes based on who you pick. I have hopes for one of them because I envisioned it, but I can write both.
Thank you.