Under A Wing

by Krosrodes

This is a story about a man who had everything. Yet as time went on, his life slowly began to shatter until he had nothing left. His days were numbered, and when his life came to an end, he got a second chance to fix his mistakes in a world filled with strife and war. Whether he wanted to become a better version of himself or not was up to him. (OC-insert)

8. Chapter 8 - Awoken

Steel and wood clashed in a relentless battle. Wood chips and glowing sparks that flew from each confrontation quickly fell into the shallow lake, disappearing from sight. A stomp sent ripples across the water, and idle beads of sweat poured down the gloves holding the large blade.

The axe came crashing down, aiming for Vlad's shoulder. The strike that had made him freeze once was now nothing more than another attack to parry. Holding the sword up, the shaft of the axe went into the edge, and with a swift slash, the wooden weapon was cut in half with a loud snap.

Vlad realigned the tip of the sword, aiming straight against the puppet. With a grunt, the blade pierced through its conjured flesh as blue wisps poured from the wound. Twisting the sword, he yanked the weapon away, cutting across the soldier's body before it inevitably fizzled out like a dying campfire.

Vlad let out a sigh and his shoulders sagged from exhaustion. Three slow claps reached his ears, making him turn his head.

"Very good, Vladimir," Sigurd said, floating beside him. "You're improving extremely quickly."

Vlad knelt down, trying to catch his breath while using his sword for support. "You know this is more thanks to the ring than anything else."

"Yes, but the Emblem ring can only do so much. There is merit to Lumera's words," the knight stated. "Not to mention you're prone to selling yourself short."

"I guess," Vlad admitted while leaving the embedded sword on the ground. He stretched his back and was rewarded with a satisfying crack. "There are some perks to having a young body with a wary mind. Gives a whole new meaning to teaching an old dog new tricks."

Sigurd hummed and crossed his arms. "I've been meaning to ask about that. You've been somewhat tight-lipped."

Vlad groaned. "It is as I said, just as literal as it can get. How that happened is beyond me."

"Wait, then…" Sigurd touched his chin before a chuckle escaped his lips. "It's entirely possible you could be my senior."

"Don't even. The idea that an image from the past of all things is younger than me certainly doesn't make me want to laugh."

"I jest, I jest," he said with his hands up with a small smile. "Anyway, do you wish to continue?"

Vlad shook his head. "No, we've been at it for quite some time now. These past few days have been nothing more than making this big sword usable in my hands. I'd be glad to take a break."

The knight nodded. "Very well."

Sigurd instantly disappeared in a flash, and Vlad still couldn't help but jolt in place. It was still hard for him to get used to the fact that his companion was always by his side. Being able to immediately appear or leave just didn't sit well with him.

With a sigh, he left the arena and aimed for the kitchen of the cafeteria. There wasn't anything like a fridge or something to grab a cold one, or a winery and have a glass. All Vlad could find were shelves filled to the brim with tea herbs and snacks. There was nothing that could count as a regular meal.

Where does the food I had come from then?

He noticed a door leading deeper inside the cafeteria and peeked inside. He couldn't see anything, but once he took his first step, the place lit up on its own, revealing a huge supply room filled to the brim with large sacks and hanging meat.

"Although, there's a lot of it for just one person. Way too much, in fact."

"Vladimir?"

His breath hitched before he turned around. "Ah, Lumera. I was… trying to find something to eat."

She blinked, and a chuckle escaped her lips. "You can just ask me, and I'll make something."

"I know," Vlad said, idly glancing back at the supply room. "I was just surprised that I couldn't find anything in the drawers." He pointed at the sacks of food. "But why do you keep so much?"

"Because most of it isn't for me," she explained. Taking just a few steps aside, she tapped the billboard in front of her, hanging right beside the doors. "I keep track of how much of it is left, and which places need help."

Vlad peered from the entrance before walking behind Lumera. A map was sprawled over the billboard, with many pins holding a paper or two that pointed to a specific place. This was the first time Vlad saw the geography of Elyos, and to say he was baffled was an understatement.

"Is this entire continent just one large outer circle with a single island in the middle?" he asked.

"It is small at first glance, but transport between each of the four territories can be difficult at times," Lumera said before tapping on the centre island. "We're close to this place here, but high enough that nobody could feasibly reach us."

"Unless they could fly," Vlad remarked, and she nodded.

"Yes, but again, this place is protected. You have nothing to worry about," she assured, interlocking her hands. "Now, how about a quick meal, hmm?"

"Yeah, I could get behind that."

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

The dish wasn't anything spectacular. Vlad could even say it was rather bare bones, but the fact he had somebody who would make a meal for him—and said meal being not a dry hunk of meat—was definitely appreciated.

It reminded him how terrible his cooking skills were.

Taking one last bite, Vlad carefully swallowed the food before gently folding his utensils over the plate. Once he drank some water out of a glass and wiped his lips with a handkerchief, he let out a satisfied sigh.

A small chuckle escaped Lumera's lips, who was sitting in front of Vlad, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's just interesting seeing you handle your food," she said before taking a sip from her cup. "I still haven't gotten used to the fact your appearance is as deceiving as your mannerisms."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "I thought we'd gotten past that."

"We will, eventually. Besides, it's been a few days at best after all."

"Right, just a few days," Vlad remarked as he leaned his head on his hand. "Honestly, it still feels like I've been here for less than an hour."

He glanced at the stairs leading to the upper floor of the cafeteria with a large set of doors as the main point of interest. "What's up there anyway?"

"Oh," she exclaimed and a smile formed on her features. "That's Alear's room and she is sleeping right now."

"Sleeping?" Vlad turned to her with a narrowed look. "You're telling me she's been asleep since we got here?"

Her eyebrows shot up confusingly. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because that isn't sleeping. That's being in a coma. I know that much after being in one myself."

"Oh no, that is completely normal for our kind," she said breathlessly. "We regain energy by sleeping. If anything, eating is nothing more than a mere formality, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good meal."

"Wait, then why was Alear hungry when I found her?"

Her shoulders sagged. "She was probably running on fumes at that point. Regular food just doesn't give us what we need, unlike a long rest."

Vlad hummed before leaning forward. "And she's been searching for the Emblem Rings for how long?"

Lumera let out a sigh. "It took me several weeks to find her again when we escaped Gradlon, but I'm happy she is back now."

"Gradlon?" he parroted before huffing. "That doesn't sound like a nice place. Where is it anyway?"

"It surrounds the center island, and there's no way to pass through it. It is Sombron's home after all, and the place is as enigmatic as he is." She took a deep breath, switching her gaze to the fountain in the middle of the plaza with a pained look. "One place is as hot as the core of a volcano while another is colder than the harshest winter nights."

Her fingers went white from her tight grip on the cup. "It's a hell on earth that keeps a watchful eye over my homeland."

Vlad's head lowered, looking down at his own feet before his hand came into view. The ring's gem gleamed a pleasant light, making him sigh. "I wished I had the same kind of motivation you have."

Her eyes shot up. "What?"

"When I think about it, I have no ties to this world, no place to call home, and only a faint glimmer of hope that I could return where I belong," he clicked his tongue. "Yes, I said I would help you raise Alear, but it still feels like it's nothing more than repaying your kindness."

A groan escaped his lips before he facepalmed. "Or I'm just overthinking this again."

Lumera let out a small chuckle. "Yes, you tend to do that quite often."

"It's a habit at this point," he remarked. "Running a company just made me paranoid about every decision I made."

She tapped her cheek. "Like a mercenary group?"

He shook his head. "No, it had nothing to do with fighting. At least not in the literal sense. Competition was everywhere, and making a mark on the market was extremely difficult. Keeping that mark large was what made it stressful."

"But I led my company through it all anyway, and made many contacts, to the point we became the competition," his eyelids closed halfway. "Naturally, I wanted somebody to inherit the glory, but you already know what happened next."

She carefully nodded. "Yes, I do."

"And now, all of it is gone," Vlad's voice cracked. "I should feel free, and make a new life with this opportunity, but I can't stop clinging to what was before."

"So basically, you're conflicted," she said, and it made him pause. Blinking once, he rubbed the back of his neck.

"At least somebody can sum up my rant," he remarked. "But yes, it's just that."

Lumera hummed and touched her chin in thought before she sighed. "That's an answer you have to discover. After all, nobody knows you better than yourself."

With a huff, he stood up from his seat and stretched his limbs, a set of loud pops rewarding his efforts. "I think I've taken up plenty of your time. I'll go check on Alear."

A smile spread across her lips. "Alright, but don't expect her to wake up with just a small shake."

He nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Without any kind of farewells, Vlad left Lumera to her charges before he aimed up towards the second floor of the building, and quickly found himself in front of the doors leading into Alear's room. He leaned his ear on top of the wooden surface but heard nothing from the other side. He pried the doors open as carefully as possible and let himself in.

Only to see a single bed with its occupant's face smushed against the floor.

Vlad gazed at Alear with a flat look. Again, his expectations were somehow always shattered.

"And this is supposed to be an evil dragon," he remarked with a sigh before kneeling down in front of her. The bed sheets were haphazardly discarded while the lower half of her body was still on top of the soft mattress, entangled with the bed curtain. Drool ran down her cheek, but no sound came out of her hanging mouth. She also still had her armor on.

Despite the state Alear was in, she was soundly sleeping like a log.

Vlad exasperatedly shook his head before freeing her from the curtain and gently placing her back on the bed. Once he found the bedsheets, he sprawled them out with a swish before lowering them on top of her. She tilted her head away before hugging the pillow with her entire body, all while still sleeping.

A hum escaped Vlad's lips, and he sat down beside her. His hand instinctively hovered over her head before he jerked his arm away. He shook his head, and a frown formed on his face.

You're not her.

He stood up and aimed for the doors before grabbing the handle, but once he was about to open his way out, he heard a groan from behind him.

"...No," Alear grumbled, and Vlad turned around, only to see her still asleep inside her bed. "No, I'm not… a defect."

Vlad blinked while Alear started to fiddle around. He took a deep breath, and let go of the handle before moving a chair next to her bed. Sitting down in front of her, he interlocked his hands and leaned forward, waiting.

She suddenly winced, clenching the pillow even tighter than before. "It hurts… I'll do better, I swear."

Vlad's shoulders sagged, and he eventually decided to wake her up. He shook her lightly, something that would usually do the trick, but Alear didn't stir. In fact, it almost felt like she was falling even more into her dreams.

"Alear," Vlad said while his hand was on her shoulder. "Come on, wake up."

He felt her body jolt. She raised her head from the cavern that was her pillow, and her blurry crimson eyes lazily opened up.

"Vlad?" Alear exclaimed.

His upper lip twitched up ever so slightly. "Good afternoon, you sleepyhead."

"Uh?" She sat up, grabbing the beat sheet before rubbing her eyes. "How long was I…?"

"A few days," he answered. "I came to check on you, and you started talking in your sleep. You were having a nightmare?"

She turned her head away. "Yes, I did."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

"No, I don't."

"I—" Vlad stopped, his mouth wide open and ready to speak, but nothing came out. He let out a groan and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, when somebody offers you an ear, it's better to take the opportunity sooner rather than later. Keeping things to yourself is fine, but when you bottle up stuff like this, you should make sure it won't affect those around you when you burst."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you giving me a lecture after I just woke up?"

"You prompted the lecture yourself," Vlad countered before a sigh escaped his lips. "But if you're giving me that sort of attitude, then you should be wide awake, right?"

The slight glare he got from Alear didn't go unnoticed. Eventually, she nodded. "Yeah, I should be fine."

"Good." Vlad stood up from his seat, and set the chair back next to the table with a single drawer. "Then make yourself a little presentable. Brush your teeth, take a shower, comb your hair, all that kind of stuff."

She raised an eyebrow. "What are you, my butler?"

He paused, and he should have felt annoyed by that remark, but couldn't help but put a hand on his chin, humming in the process.

"I'd prefer 'caretaker', but if that's how you see it, then sure, I'm your butler from now on," he said before turning to Alear with a frown. "But don't expect me to do everything for you. Being reliant on yourself is important as well."

She stared at him with her mouth agape. "Did… Mother agree to this?"

"She, in fact, did," Vlad affirmed. "Actually, it was her idea in the first place. I wasn't keen on doing it at first, but then it sort of clicked."

"'Clicked'?" she parroted. "What do you mean by that?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "That isn't important at the moment. It will be once you set aside your pride, so we can talk together without being at each other's throats."

A frown formed on her face. "You're saying that as if it could happen with a snap of a finger."

"It could," he said. "Once you get yourself together, meet me in the arena."

"And why?"

He tilted his head back at Alear. "For a spar of course. A friend of mine told me a good way to bond with someone is to cross blades. I'll see how true his words are."

Grabbing the handle of the doors, he opened his way outside while giving Alear a simple wave. "See you soon."

"W-wait—"

With a thud, Vlad closed the doors behind him and a sigh escaped his lips.

"I feel like you could have handled it a little better."

Vlad jolted in place before he tilted his head to the side and spotted Sigurd floating next to him with crossed arms.

A frown formed on Vlad's lips. "I told you not to do that."

"I'll make myself known next time, but again, you know you could do better."

"She is a weird case," Vlad said, gazing at the doors next to him. "I need to build mutual trust and respect between us. If she is still going to put up a shield every time we speak, somebody has to make the first step. And I'm damn sure she isn't going to be the one to do so."

Sigurd's shoulders sagged. "I see what you mean. Still, putting her heritage aside, she's still a child."

Vlad nodded. "Yes, she is. And like all children, she wants attention. It's just that her way of seeking it contradicts her behaviour." A huff escaped his lips. "To be honest, I don't even want to know what kind of upbringing she had for her to act like this."

"From what I heard, it wasn't pretty. Sombron is a cruel father."

"I can imagine," Vlad said before looking up at the glass ceiling pierced by the sun. He breathed through his nose, closing his eyes in the process. Not like I was any better.

A thought occurred to him, making him turn back to Sigurd. "By the way, are you sure it will work?"

He gave Vlad a perplexed look before his eye snapped open. "Oh, right. Yes, I can't count how many times a quick serious spar revealed so much about someone."

"And you think I can win?" Vlad asked with a raised eyebrow, but Sigurd shook his head.

"You know as well as I do that this isn't about winning."

"Yes, I know, but will Alear?"

The knight hummed in thought. "Well, if you weren't so frank about it, then…"

"Yeah, I wouldn't rule out the thought of her going more all out than necessary. Since the first thing I need to teach her is patience of all things."

"Then I'll shoot right back. Do you think you can do it?"

Vlad's lips pursed, and he crossed his arms. "I'm going to rely on your help. A lot."

A slight smirk formed on Sigurd's features. "I thought you'd never ask."

---

AN: Another chapter done. I honestly don't have anything special to add, so I just hope you've enjoyed this one.

A thank you to Cavik for beta reading this chapter, as well as the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server. If you want to join the community, here is the link: u89gs745fn

Thank you for reading today's chapter.

God's speed.