My arm trembles with a barely contained rage as I glare at the woman, everything and everyone else feels like it's fading away, every part of my body screams and begs to run her through, to tear her apart for holding a poor keidran like this. What's stopping you, Zeke? There's no Edward here to hold you back from cutting her open, why don't you do it?
I grit my teeth as a jolt of pain throbs throbs in my skull, hissing and holding my head in a hand as I stumble, still trying to keep my sword tip levelled to her chest. Edward, where is he? What was Valerie doing with the girl? That's besides the point though, Zeke, come on you beast of a thing, either bite down the anger or let it loose you fucking waste of fur!
"You have one chance, Valerie, to explain yourself. Or I will hold myself to what I said and tear you apart." I hiss through my teeth, dropping my arm to my side, though my grip still remains true on the hilt. Good going Zekey, you pulled back that beastly nature of yours before you managed to turn the room as red as your sight, I bet Edward would be so proud.
"B-by the fucking gods, I don't got a clue why you'd get so uppity bout a keidran. Put the sword away, stay far away from me and I'll explain, kay?" Valerie manages to stammer out, some sort of callous pride blooms in my chest as she stutters, fear still behind her eyes even as she puts on a more . You really are a beast Zeke, you'll crack sooner or later if you don't find a way to handle it.
"You've my attention, don't waste it." I reply flatly as I sheath my sword. The rage mist in my mind clears further every second, the intense concentration on that woman fading, like a switch suddenly unblurring the rest of the room. Claude seems concerned and confused, mostly confused, but still unnerved. Gerome looks concerned too, a hand jittery as he looks between Valerie and myself, with the other clutching at his pouch, the mana crystal one. Was he planning on using that on me? Would he do that to me? Would he fight against me when I try to take down and remove the filth that is a keidran slave owner? Is, wait, no, what's going on? My head throbs with pain again, clutching at it and groaning, shaking my head. No, Geromes a friend isn't he? He wouldn't wanna hurt me, would he? Not for the wrong reason anyway. That wrath, was that me? Did I scare them all so much that they'd turn on me? Fuck, there'll be time for self pity cause of your newest fuck up Zeke, pay attention to the chick.
"That little girl right there is the last 'gift' that I received from some templar bigwig a while ago to deliver. Kinda forgot she was there to be honest, put the care on Claude to look after her while we still have her. I guess a certain someone thought that a box would be a good place to put her." She explains, finishing it off with a glare towards Claudes way. The man chuckles awkwardly in return, scratching at one of his bulky arms. Why do I feel so nauseated, so confused? I try to swallow the frog in my throat, but it's a grossly large lump. Why does my chest tighten to such an intense degree?
"What do you mean by 'gift'?" I quickly ask her, crossing my arms to hide the encroaching trembling, is that from rage, from fear? Why are you such a fucking mess Zeke?
"The fuck do you think a gift is? She's a pretty fucking poor gift so I guess I can see the confusion, I dunno what she'd have been used for. Keidran used to be a cargo of mine to deliver after all, never bothered to ask why, I just liked the pay. Everyone did before our last job went to shit," She grumbles in a slurred voice as she throws her head back again, grimacing and letting out a noise of displeasure as she shakes her flask upside down, a few meagre droplets dripping from the emptiness. "Pfeh, now I need more booze, damn the masks."
The hair on the back of my neck bristles, it shouldn't surprise me that she peddled keidran slaves, but it still rubs me the wrong way. There's a more pressing concern, worry jabbing into my chest.
"What happened? To the templar you were meant to deliver her to, the one who sent you?" The pounding in my chest only beats faster and faster, my fingers twitching under my arms. Thankfully the other two don't seem to wanna pipe up with anything, Gerome looks far less agitated, his hands by his side though his stance's still wary. Claude still looks confused, but less tense.
"Yeesh, you really wanna push for that dontcha? I mean, I guess I can out of the bottom of my heart help you. I am a benevolent captain after all, even if you did threaten to kill me, it'll just be water under the bridge and all, not the first time that's happened either. The man seemed pretty unwilling to give out his name, but he did say to give her over to someone named Ashford, I think it was Ashford." She answers, scratching at her face in thought as she looks to the ceiling. Everything feels so cold, the blood in my veins freezing as that name plows through my mind.
Master Ashford, a high ranking Templar who likely had a soft heart to those around him, the care in his eyes for anything was unmistakable, his manor and area used to house himself and his owned slaves who he likely cared for more than anyone else would've in that down. A Templar who was accused of treason. A man that I've pushed to his demise by my hands, relishing the pain I brought onto him in his final moments before he was torn away from his home.
By god, the guilt in my chest really starts to ignite itself now, a shadow whisper flooding through my mind as I struggle to bite back the stinging in my eyes. Dear fucking god, I fucked over Valerie so immensely without even realising it, who else have I done the same to, how many more would I have done if I were not soul swapped? Or at least, if my past self would've perished in the fire. Tsk, are you still still going to stew in those thoughts Zeke? The call of it is strong and yanks at my mind, but I'm not the same person that I was that long ago, am I? Even if I'm a colossal fucking mistake that's made plenty of other mistakes, I will do my god damned best, even if I detest myself so. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep sigh, soothing myself as best as I can before focusing my attention back onto Valerie.
"What happened in your last job then, the one where you had to 'deliver' the girl? If you don't mind answering, of course." I politely ask her, dropping my arms to my side. She raises an eyebrow, but doesn't seem to react otherwise.
"Mn, long story short, instead of meeting Ashford there, we ran into some Templars instead. Something something accusations of some fuck, didn't care to listen, the few I brought including myself managed to get out of there with minimal injuries, but a crew member felt obligated to drag the keidran along." She replies softly, the slur isn't entirely there any more, her liver must wanna kill her. I give a soft nod before turning to kneel before the keidran in the room, the poor girl still quivering in the wooden crate. I lower my heart to her height, not too close to her, frowning as she continues to stare into the crate and away from me. Poor little girl, how old is she? What's she been through? How much did I frighten this small soul?
"Hey, little missy, I won't hurt you, I promise." I coo softly to her, sitting cross legged with my hands in my lap. Don't appear large, don't appear intimidating, don't move around too suddenly. My heart sinks as she continues to shiver like a leaf in the wind, her looking up to my for a quick moment before darting away, still watering and staining her cheeks wet with residual tears, as the familiar mixed pang of guilt singing through my chest. She's a fox right? Foxes are kind of like cats as far as I know, they are cat-ish enough right?
I slowly raise my hand to the girls head, ever so slowly nudging myself closer to her. She still refuses to look anywhere close to me, I don't think she realises that I'm on the verge of patting her. I gently plant my hand on the top of her short light brown hair, grimacing internally as I feel the grease and muck in her hair, I can almost feel it sticking to my hand, it's terribly gross but I grit my teeth through it. She stiffens suddenly with her breathing stopping as abruptly, my ears twitching as I hear a faint whimper from her. I rub her head and hair despite the ickiness carefully, scratching lightly behind her ears as I try to hum a soothing little tone, I don't exactly know what I'm doing, but she's basically a kid right? Cat kid thing, kids like happy little things right? God, I feel so out of my depth, but I need to help this little girl in some way, she's tugging at my heart dammit.
Despite how lackluster my attempts feel to myself, it does seem to catch the girls attention, looking up and staring into my eyes with her glowing golden ones. She seems so lost, so confused, a foggy look behind her eyes despite how waterlogged it looks. The sniffling and whimpering stops eventually as I continue to caress her head and ears, her breathing steadily slowing. She reaches up and weakly grips at my arm, pushing her head into my hand with a final sniffle. She doesn't seem sad, but she doesn't seem entirely happy either, just content, her lips twitching upwards occasionally while I continue to pet her. She's so small, despite the grime in her hair I can imagine it being soft as silk, she looks so god damned fragile too. The way she almost aggressively pushes herself into my hand makes my heart sink. How long has she been so alone to become so attached to the random affection of a stranger? Her eyes droop as she yawns, nuzzling into my hand a final time before leaning backwards, her eyes closing with a smile on her face. I blink as I stare at the fox, hand still outstretched as she nods off into a sudden sleep.
That went far far better than I expected, good going Zeke. I give the girl a quick pat before standing upright again, wincing as my legs crack, probably shouldn't have sat like that, but at least the girl seems alright. I don't think the crate's going to feel comfortable to sleep in, but loathe as I am to think it, she's probably used to it. Hell, for all I know, she could be used to far worse places to sleep. Oh, oh wait I'm still in a room with people.
I turn and face the audience, smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of my neck. Gerome at least seems happy in a way, as does Claude, his grin splitting his face.. Valerie seems, both interested and amused, dragging one of her nails around in a circle on her desk.
"Uh, sorry about all of, well, everything that happened because of me really today with how I've been acting to you three. Especially to you Valerie, you really didn't deserve to be treated like that by me. I was angry, pretty fucking angry, but it still wasn't right of me to do so, I hope you understand and forgive me for it." I give the three a small polite bow as I apologise to her, the guilt in my chest feels at least a little bit alleviated from it, though I grind my foot into the ground to distract myself from the awkwardness. Honestly, it'd be kind of jarring for someone to see an about-face like that, from irate to civil.
"Fffffuck, apology accepted I guess? You're a weird fucker fuzzy boy, not exactly sure if I want you near me still, but I'll take it. I guess I'm a forgiving and benevolent captain." She seems to accept the apology with a shrug and a half hearted half smirk on her face. Gods, I do feel awful because of it, and I know she doesn't exactly trust me completely, and rightfully so. You did act like a savage, Zeke.
"Oi, young Zeke was seeming pretty unlike self today, but Gerome is glad you're more you! Don't be scaring us like that again, da?" I give Gerome a sad smile and a mocking salute of a hand, his grin back on his face and hands away from the pouch with the mana crystals in it. The room's silent for a few moments, my eyes trailing over Gerome, who stands there with a still grinning face. He seems to finally notice the staring, from others as well as myself.
"Huh?" He blurts out in confusion, scratching at his head as I cough into my hand awkwardly.
"Well, uh, I did kind of extend the apology to everyone, that includes you too Claude." I explain to the slow man who puts on a confused face. I sigh to myself and rub at the side of my head, the dense man eventually seems to get it, blinking rapidly as his grin returns.
"Oh! You never apologised to me before boss, sorry! You've been worse so it's okay, you're a lot tamer than what I remember." It's strange to hear the giant chirp as happily as he does, but if he's accepting the apology then I'll take it. I give the man a smile as I clasp my hands behind my back, thoughts running through my head. I have money to spare right? And I'll get more when we get Gerome and Vector back…
"Miss Valerie, I'd like to propose an offer to you." I speak out to her after I clear my throat, straightening my back, the lady humming in surprise with a rise of her eyebrow, fingers tapping against her table.
"Oh? And what offer is that, fuzzy boy?" She replies almost coyly, her lips curling in a smirk. She already knows what that offer is, I'll bet.
"Well, we both know that passing this little lady off to Ashford isn't going to happen in any reasonable time, and I'm not exactly well versed in the whole deal, I'd like to buy the girl off of you." I declare my offer with a finality in my tone, keeping direct eye contact with the lady. Geromes face drops to one of confusion, his mouth gaping open and closed for a few moments.
"I- Zeke, what are you doing?" He hisses unpleasantly, I can already tell he's not very on board with this idea immediately, I can't imagine why.
"I know what I'm doing, Gerome, or maybe I don't and I have no idea on what's actually going on, but I'm determined to make this choice through thick and thin. And I'm going to yell at you later, we can get all of our bad air and mood out when we do that, okay?" I stick out my tongue to the man afterwards, I do feel a little bad about grinning so smugly to him afterwards, but I do hope he knows I don't mean any of that maliciously.
"Oy.." He mutters under his breath, a hand rubbing at his temple in return. The snickering of Valerie pulls both of our attention back to her, a coy and charming smile on her face as she sighs wistfully.
"Ah, now this is the Zeke I like, be more like this would ya? And while I normally wouldn't even entertain the idea of selling a product to someone that isn't the intended target, I don't think this is exactly a normal situation. I'm also still pissed over the Templars getting involved for whatever reason, they probably wanted to just to fuck with us for kicks, buncha pricks." She hisses the last part of that with disdain, a scowl on her face. I chuckle lightly, hiding it with a small cough as her eyes dart upwards to glare.
"Right, right. Now, what, is the process for something like this? I uh, can't exactly say I'm familiar with it." I question her as I rub at the back of my neck, trying to ignore Geromes continued simmering as best as I can, wincing internally. Shit, maybe he's more torn up about this than I expected. Then again, he did say that he doesn't work with people who trade and sell keidran, and here we are. Maybe it's just a hypocritical thing because he knows her more, or better, it's a common theme here it seems.
"Eh, there should be paperwork for her laying about somewhere in here, I can rummage around for it after we talk about the pricing. Simple signage and all, just be sure to keep it on you at all times, especially in towns, I've heard that some Templars are preeeetty pushy about it. Now, what is your price range dear~?" She both explains and retorts with a question of her own, resting her head on her hands with half lidded eyes and a soft smile. She's actually very pretty now that I look at her, in a rugged pirate captain type of way, it suits her after all. Focus Zeke, don't be distracted, why do you think she'd turn on the charm when we're discussing pricing? I hum to myself as I continue to examine her face, her lip twitching upwards. She might be a pirate, but money is useful for everyone isn't it? And she lost her ship because of gambling it away, she could be low on cash, wouldn't she want to scheme around for more money? Perhaps she could buy the ship back? Hm...
"I think it'd be more fair to learn about what the price of her as she currently is rather than ask about my price range. It's quite an odd question to ask about too, Miss Valerie, don't you think?" I fire back as I cross my arms, raising an eyebrow to the lady. There's an entertained gleam in her eye as she continues to smirk, a light hearted giggle coming from her chest.
"Awh, why would you think that Zekey? I'm just trying to sell a product, nothing more nothing less, don't you know its a fantastic idea to learn about the person you're trying to sell things to?"
"I'm just not entirely sure that you don't have other motives for asking is all, Miss Valerie. I'd say no offence, but a lady like you would be thick skinned enough to not let something that like put you off, hm?"
"Aw, you flatterer! I don't quite swing the way you do, you're too furry after all, but I'll take that as an extraordinary complement from a man like you, at least the way you are currently anyways. You flip personality harder than a keidran gettin nothing through heat week. No offence, but you seem thick skinned enough to not let that put you off, right hun~?" I snicker internally as my lips twitch upwards, attempting to hide it by covering it a hand and masking it with a thoughtful scratching. Valerie giggles some more, an oddly delighted smile on her face as she looks over me, I'd be more surprised if she didn't see through that. This is oddly fun, entertaining in a way, though something inside me still puts me off of trusting her completely about this. Also, heat week? If it's anything like animals from home, I can already assume what that's like, the girl doesn't seem like she's old enough for it to matter.
Then again, I don't know anything about keidrans, or their biology, or the girls age for fucks sake, maybe I should ask Eric about it all. He'd be very knowledgeable about it, and I'll bet my life on that. I think I kind of like this lady a fair bit more, still don't like the whole trading keidran thing, but there's worse. I know there could be worse.
"Jokes aside, I don't exactly have any coins on me currently, so we could always put this off until later today. Then again, I do want to get this girl some clothes, and food, and other things like a god damned bath, I might need to read up on some things too, perhaps we can reach a conclusion?" I offer again, lingering on with a question as I stare into her eyes. Her eyebrows shoot up slightly as she chuckles under her breath, an amused half smirk on her face.
"Let me guess, you want me to give you the girl now so you can pay her off later today, or even tomorrow?" She deadpans, I give a faux loud gasp and a theatrical clutching of my chest, eyes widening with a grin on my face.
"I didn't realise that you were telepathic, miss Valerie! What other secrets do you have up your sleeve?" She titters as she continues to look with half lidded eyes, though I can imagine her thoughts stewing behind her mind, maybe the offer is something she'd actually accept?
"Hah! This lady needs her secrets, can't let everyone know everything that I'm doing after all. I'm afraid I can't allow that though fuzzy boy, trust and such is such a difficult thing to form after all, and I scarcely trust someone in my line of work." I grimace internally, I can't say that I'm surprised, but I am disappointed. Actually, how much is a slave here? Loathe as I am to admit it, I don't imagine that there's too much cost to them, with how much they treat them like dirt, it sours my mind to think of those thoughts, but maybe I could use that to my advantage? I don't use much coin anyways, and I should have the cash to spare, so maybe...
"I'll give you two gold pieces if you allow it, I swear on my own heart that I shan't betray your trust, and if you find myself to have been deceitful you can sick Claude on my ass no holds barred." I don't think that terminology makes sense here, but the cash offer definitely seems to have caught her attention, her eyes widening in what's before she quickly recomposses herself, humming in thought. Her poker face broke, I think I got through to her! Gerome seems as surprised as she does, though he doesn't break face, his jaw still tense as he looks between us two. I guess he is watching a slave trade deal between a friend and an acquaintance, I sure hope he considers me a friend after this.
"Well shit, you drive a bit of a hard offer fuzzy boy, and normally I wouldn't question the coin, but how do you even have such an amount?" She asks skeptically, an eyebrow raised. I wave my hand dismissively and shrug.
"It's a part of a temporary job with some guardsmen, but that's neither here nor there, do we have a deal Valerie?" I trail off at the end again, letting the question hang in the air. The air is tense for a few moments before she sighs and rubs at her skull.
"Fine, you've twisted my arm, but if you take my trust for granted, you'll find yourself on the pointy end of my sword, understand?" I cheer on the inside, though I don't hide the small fist pump I do, Valerie rolling her eyes. Score! I feel like I fucked that up somehow, but if it works then it works!
"Crystal clear, of course! Shall we do the paperwork now or later?" I quickly ask her, a bubble of unease and apprehension in my chest. God, do you have any idea what the fuck you're doing Zeke? You're buying a slave, are you any better than the people you loathe? I bite down on my cheek, what's the alternative for her? To leave her with these people? Not to put them down, even mentally, but Claude seems not fully capable of caring for what's likely a child, and to Valerie she's just a product. I sure hope this is the right decision, for us both.
"The old man here seems itching to leave, so it could be best to leave it for later. Can you escort them out Claude? I need to find more alcohol to deal with the nonsense." Her saying Claudes' name seems to bring him back into the conversation, the man was kind of zoning out half way through our discussion after all, shaking his head and rightening his slack face.
"Huh? Oh! Sure thing lady boss." He chirps cheerfully as he quickly makes his way out of the tent, a brief hand gesture to follow him is blurred, but I can at least appreciate the thought of it. Gerome is quiet as he follows the friendly giant, I can see him side eyeing myself and the girl before he dips out, the flap folding behind him. Right, gotta get the girl, don't forget her Zeke.
I kneel next to the crate, the girl's still snoozing away happily with a soft and small smile on her face. I can't stop a sad smile forming on my face as I look over her sleeping form. Is it weird to feel sorry like this for her? She's just a kid, I don't believe an adult should be forced through a life like what she's probably used to, let alone a fucking child. I wrap my arms around the lanky girl and try to softly pull her from her ruined crate, she's not large by any means, but she's almost tall and lanky, it's awkward to hold her up. Fuck, how am I meant to hold this girl? Throwing her over my shoulder would be simple and easy, but I don't trust her ragged pants to hold itself together. I stop as she suddenly starts to mumble sleepily, the girl rubbing her face against my chest. Oh my fucking lord, I can feel my heart melting, shes so cute. My lips twitch upwards as I loop an arm behind her knees and hold her upwards, I think this counts as bridal style? Regardless, the girl doesn't seem too disturbed, though she still mumbles in her sleep, rubbing her knotted and sticky hair against my shirt.
Her fur colouration for the most part seems to be randomly splattered around her as I look down, examining a bit closely. Her chest is a pure white with a small tuft of fur on it, though her stomach is blotted with a mix of white and brown, though her thin lanky legs are a plain brown from tip to feet. The girls' breath hitches and her ears twitch, a small frown on her face as she whimpers. My heart tugs for her, a frown forming on my face as I learn down and nudge at her forehead with my own, pressing against it lightly. Foxes are basically cats right? I think this works. It seems to be working with how her whimpering dies down, and while she doesnt smile, she seems more at peace. I wonder, how does a child dream?
Right, stop looking at the girl, there's people waiting for you. I pull myself away from the girl and shake my head clear, turning to face Valerie with a determined look.
"I don't know if you care for her too much, but I'll do my best for her. And I'll pay as soon as I can, you can trust me on that." Whatever response she has is lost on me as I twist away and rush myself out of the tent, thoughts running through my head wildly. Doing your best for a stranger, for a child, of a race that isn't your own? That's a fucking tall order Zeke. I'll have to try though, who else would? Gerome might've wanted to help her, but she'd still be hidden without me. I have to try, despite how much my nerves rage against me.
I look around as I leave the tend, the fresh air rushing over my face once more, after being in a stuffy place like the tent it's a welcome relief. The two seem to be waiting up for me near the exit, and I quickly make my way towards them, trying to not bounce the sleeping fox in my arms around too much as I jog. She needs a good sleep after all, I wonder if Eric would mind if she slept in my room? I could always sleep elsewhere.
"Oi, all done young Zeke?" Gerome questions as Claude leads the way into the brush, I hold the girl close to my chest as I dip low to whatever branches and other nature bits may be spiking out. She's still snoring deeply into my chest, a very deep sleep, I won't dare disturb it.
"Yeah, I think that's about everything, sure I need to go back there, but still. Now, what did you want to talk about Gerome?"
"You are knowing that I… incredibly dislike the choice that you be making, can not stop you, but still." Gerome speaks slowly, cautiously, his hands fiddling with themselves. Is he acting like this because of me? Now I just feel worse, fuck.
"Yeah, I'm well aware of what you think of it, and I don't know what to think of it myself, I detest slave owners that much is true, but I can't even imagine trying to treat a girl like this any less than I would another child. Besides, if I don't take her in then who else would? I feel obligated to help her, Gerome, am I to leave her there? Even if I'm not the best choice, I imagine myself to be better than Valerie or Claude, no offence." It's a bit of a long winded answer, but I manage to speak low to the two of them, still occasionally looking over the girl to check on her. Don't disturb her Zeke.
"It's okay boss! I'm no good with kids, and keidrans are weird, they're like cats aren't they?" I do snicker a little as Claude pipes up with his reply. They are kind of like cats, as are tiger keidran, if they're like their respective races from back home anyways.
"Besides, what about you, Gerome? You were touting about how much you detested Eric for being a slave master and how you refused to work with him because of it, but here you are, friends with a lady who's a pirate and someone who sells keidran, a double whammy to boot! What the fuck's up with that?" I try to keep my voice low and even tempered, but I can't stop the scoffing entirely. Gerome rubs at the back of his neck awkwardly, a small frown on his face.
"Is difficult question to answer, is very long answer too. Put simply, Valerie is someones I knew a long time ago, did not think she'd be doings this, am very confused still. She is not bad bad persons, just very Valerie, you understand da?" I sigh internally, the mental picture of Edward popping into my mind. I know that all too well.
"Mn, I do actually. I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if I went after you for it myself, you know how Edward is. Actually, quick question Claude, how did you meet Valerie? It's just kind of convenient that I happen to run into you, seeing as you know who I am, forgive my wariness though." The leaves and whatnot seems to be lessening in their density, we have been walking for a little while, are we close to the exit?
"It's okay boss! Lady boss is someone who helped me a lot! You kind of disappeared for a while, and I ran into her one day, I helped her a bit and she took me in, gave me stuff to do, taught me to read! Shes a very good lady boss." His eyes light up as he speaks about her, a grin splitting his dopey face. It's endearing in a way, the way he talks is so innocent sounding, so genuine. I like him.
"I see… What did I make you do then, Claude? When I was your boss I mean." I verbally prod at the man, as loathe as I am to hear about what I've done with another person in the past, there's the tingling of curiosity.
"Uuhhh, you mostly told me to carry stuff, like crates of stuff to help around one of those big towers. You did have trouble catching a keidran person, though, and you were very happy when I got her! Why did you hate them so much though? You never talked bout yourself." A small frown forms on my face, both at the question and the mention of catching a keidran. Why does that sound so familiar? Maybe it was in that journal, I should try to read the thing when I get the chance.
"I cant say I know what my thoughts were back then Claude, at least back then. I'm not like how I was then though, not even close." I don't hold the remorse in my throat back, even as I yelp from a branch smacking me in the face, pay attention Zeke. Perhaps it's not best to be dwelling on the past.
"Boss is very different! Still kind of angry, but I like new boss." He keeps his upbeat attitude and tone, cheek splitting grin still on his face. The conversation dies down soon after, the sounds of snapping wood beneath our feet and the birds chirping away fill the air. I look down to the girl, a small smile on her face as she continues to snooze. You'll have a better bed to sleep soon, I promise you that kid.
"Alright, this is the exit! I'd love to stay around, but I hafta go and help Valerie with some stuff." Claude finally declares as we push ourselves into the light, back onto the dirt path to Wreathwood. I look down to the port town, the nerves in my chest flaring up once more. Gods, I am not enjoying the thought of meeting up with Edward again, but I won't stray away from it.
"It's okay Claude, thank you for your help, be sure to take care of yourself. And Valerie too, can't forget her."
"Okay boss, will do! Lady boss'll be fine, she just likes booze a bit much." And with that, the giant disappears into the brush, obscured from view. It's almost sad to see the jovial man leave, he's as friendly as Gerome makes himself out to be, but more childlike.
"So, what is young Zeke planning on doings?" Gerome suddenly asks as we make our way to the town, breaking the small silence. I hum to myself, looking down to the girl and to the town.
"I'm gonna go back to Erics, try to help this young fox here out a bit, get her clothes and wash her up, get her food, all that stuff. Well, I might get Kathrin to wash her, I can't say I'm quite comfortable with it for obvious reasons."
"Oy, at least you are not like others, far from it, am glad for that! Keidrans don't be needing clothes, but it is nice to be thinking of it for her!"
"Naturally, she's as human as the rest of us." I feel a sense of, something in my chest, a mix of pride and apprehension. It'll be a very small difference to take care of a single soul, but it's better than nothing. The conversation quietens down as we reach the bridge, stepping over it and into the city, the bustling and smell of the sea assaulting my senses once again. As welcoming the smell is, I'm glad we're leaving again tomorrow.
"Hey Gerome, where's Vector? I haven't seen him around for a while, and he's normally stuck at the hip with you." I quickly question the man, my blood freezing for a brief moment as the fox squirms in my chest, releasing a held breath as she goes mostly limp once again.
"Oi, he was feeling less than good today, him not liking Valerie very much doesn't be helping either. Am not sure where he is, hoping he's keeping out of trouble." I give the man a small nod, his lips turning into a worried frown.
"I don't want to jinx us, but I'd like to hope he's doing just fine. I'm going up to Erics though, I'll see you midday tomorrow as planned, alright?" Gerome grunts in response with a polite smile on his face, giving a small wave goodbye before making his way off to, wherever he's going, I don't know what he's actually doing. I sigh to myself and shake my head, clear your thoughts Zeke, focus. I turn and make my way up to Erics, keep the kid steady. At least no one seems to be paying much attention
..
A few swift and light kicks against the door act as an impromptu form of knocking, and it swings open after a few seconds, Kathrins head peeking behind the gap.
"Oh? Mister Zeke! It's a pleasure to see you again, where were you?" Her head tilts in confusion, though there's a small smile on her face. Of which is wiped away and replaced with a small frown as she looks down to the bundled fox, still smothering her face into my cloak. I cough awkwardly and nudge my head forwards, she seems to get the gesture, moving backwards as I make my way into the house, nudging the door shut behind me with a foot.
"Good morn-, er, afternoon, good afternoon miss Kathrin. I've been a little bit busy today, and I might require your help with getting this little girl all fixed up later, she just needs a warm bed to sleep in for now. I'm giving her my current bed to sleep in for now, so there's no issue there, but would you mind helping her out when she wakes up? I don't want her to be so worried when she wakes up and such after all." I breath in a small gasp of air as I finish that explanation, god, trying to say all of that breathlessly was a mistake. Kathrins' head remains tilted, though she does nod.
"I'd love to help her! But, where did she come from? What's her name?" I blink and shake my head, don't get distracted Zeke, even if she's cute. Bite through the nerves too, you fucker.
"Well, uh, it's a long story. Actually that's a lie, its a very short story. I bought her and I'm filling out the paperwork tomorrow morning, I just didn't want to leave her to sleep in a wooden crate. Thanks for your help though miss Kathrin, I gotta get this girl into somewhere soft before she wakes up." I quickly brush past Kathrin and skitter upstairs, door by door by door, here's my room. I kneel down slightly and jiggle with the knob, it takes a bit, but I manage to push my way into the room. It's left exactly as when I left, though with an added shine to bits of it. Must've been Kathrin that did it, thanks lady.
I make my way to the bed and gently slide the sleeping kid into it, wincing a little as she stirs, at least she doesn't rouse from her sudden nap. I smile lightly as I brush my hand through her hair, even though it's unkempt. She smiles in her sleep, rustling slightly and into the warmth of the blanket and bed. I hold my hand on her head for a moment longer, giving it another soft rub before turning away. I'll leave her to sleep, she deserves it. Sweet dreams kid.
I softly shut the door behind me and let out a relieved sigh, brushing myself down. Mission accomplished Zeke, got the kid back safely. I mumble under my breath as I make my way down the stairs, stewing in my thoughts. How much money do I have left? I have a single gold coin after I pay for the girl, that sounds like a fair bit of money from what I know, judging from how Valerie reacted to two of them, would that be enough for clothes for a kid? Hell, I don't have more than the clothes on my back, maybe I should get my own, but then again, keidran don't really wear clothes. Like Kathrin, though I don't think Kathrins the best example to use for the girl, eaugh. Shit, I need to think of a name for her too, unless she already has one.
"Zeke, it's a pleasure to see you well once again." A voice yanks me from my thoughts, the man chuckling as I yelp loudly. I breath in gasps of air to recover myself and glare at him, growing and crossing my arms.
"It's a pleasure to see you too Eric, would've liked the warning before you scared the shit outta me. Sorry about disappearing for a bit, things, ah, happened." I say awkwardly as I look away, coughing into my hand. That's one way to say you got fucking zapped, Zeke.
"So I've heard, Edward did come to inform us of what occurred, it's fantastic to see you on your feet again. Although, is there an issue between you two? He was less than pleased, last we spoke anyhow." He both answers and questions calmly, a polite smile on his face. I hum to myself and grimace, I shouldn't be surprised he came back here after we last spoke.
"That's one way to put it. I said, well, less than smart things this morning and we haven't been on speaking terms since, that's the short of it anyways." Eric hums to himself, lifting a cup to his lips and sipping. Wait, where'd the fucking tea come from? I'd imagine Kathrin made it, but still, I want tea now.
"Hm, I see. As curious as I am, I won't pry into the reason why, but I do wonder what you're planning to do. I know neither of you very well, but you don't seem the type to leave him for it." I can't help but bristle at the mere thought of it, Eric probably doesn't mean it maliciously, but it rubs me the wrong way.
"Hell no! It was a dumb mistake, that's all it was, and even if he's still mad at me, I don't want to be mad at him or myself for it any more. I want to find him, and apologise, do you know where he is?" I need to find him, I really need to, I want to resolve this mess that I've made.
"Last I heard of, he was heading down to the docks, though I don't know why." Wreathwood docks? Bingo. I give Eric a nod, determination stewing in my chest as I give him a tight squeeze on his shoulder before darting towards the door, giving a quick wave to Kathrin as she pops her head into the room.
"Okay, thanks Eric, I'll be back later. Thank you again Kathrin!" I yell aloud as I shut the door behind me, running downhill towards the town. There's an uncomfortable feeling stirring in my chest as I make my way towards the docks, why am I worried? Is it because of meeting Edward again, or something else? I purse my lips as I rush past the crowd, brushing and pushing past them.
I reach the docks soon enough, there isn't many people here, I squint my eyes and look over the heads of everyone. No one reacts to me, and there certainly isn't any Edward, maybe he's moved on? Where would he go then? I hum to myself and walk around the area, my frown deepening further and further. No Edward, but there's something wrong, something's terribly wrong it thrums inside of my chest. Okay Zeke, lets focus, Edward likes Templars right? Maybe he's closer to the tower?
I grimace and hurriedly walk towards the tower, Jesus Christ, my head already hurts just thinking about the damn thing, eaugh. The nerves in my chest jump and jolt the more time I waste, I go from walking to running, straining my muscles. Something's wrong, something happened. Am I overreacting? Am I just being stupid? I need to find out, and soon. My ears twitch as something pulls me out of my thoughts, sniffing at the air. There's something in the air here, its smothered underneath the smell of the sea, but there's something, and it's a clue. It smells coppery and tangy, I can almost feel it pinging against my nose as I follow the trail. I feel like a shittier version of a police dog, but following my guts helped me before and I'll do it again. The trail brings me just shy of the docks, upwards and away from the tower, the closer I get the stronger it smells. It smells like coins, or iron, just metal, but why does it attract me so?
The beating of the heart in my chest ignites with a renewed fervour, realisation flooding my mind. I know that smell, and I know it all too well. I bite down on my jaw and throw myself onto the trail, move faster faster Zeke! The trail's still fresh, we can save him. My breathing becomes more and more strained, the familiar headache coming back, pounding against my skull. It hurts, it hurts but I have to focus, I can't lose myself, not like this. Grit your teeth Zeke.
My ears twitch, the sound of clanging of metal on metal rings in the air. So close, so close! Move faster! My ears pound with the rushing of my blood as I turn the corner, almost slipping on the stone in my haste. There's a small group of four surrounding two figures far ahead of myself, my sight wavers and they seem blurred. The group seems like commoner rabble, clothed in brown strips, clutched in their hands are wooden maces and other metallic objects. One is collapsed against the wall, clad in a black cloak, while the others in plain clothes, breathing heavily and kneeling. Blonde, he's blonde, that's Edward! Vector too? What're they doing here?
My muscles tense as I jump into action, they're in danger dammit, get your ass in gear! My breath is heavy on my chest as I sprint as fast as I can to them, don't you dare fucking touch them you bastards! A growl grows in my chest as everything blurs, you have to go faster, faster faster dammit! My head throbs in pain, my muscles scream, almost feeling like they're twisting as I force my legs to move. Closing in, closer and closer, everything looks so blurry still, they haven't taken notice just yet.
A feral snarl from my throat is what catches their attention, already a few paces away from the group, one of them twisting around to face me. His face is a mix of confusion and shock, which quickly crumples as I mash a fist into his face, the man rigidly flies off of his feet and onto the cobblestone beneath us, the only sounds I can hear is the throbbing of blood in my ear drums and the mans groaning, twisting against the ground. I shakily move myself in front of Edward, a sneer on my face as I draw my blade, holding it to my side as I jab a digit towards the rest of the group.
"I may not know what's going on, but you aren't laying another finger on these two," I shout to them gutturally, the pounding in my skull screams for release. I breath heavily as my eyes shift between the remaining three, the one on the floor remaining limp, I think he's out of the fight for now. "Now, get your friend and get the fuck out."
The three look between each other, sharing a few words in a language I can't understand, not too different from the one Gerome and Vector speak. One of them sneers and jabs his metal rod towards me, something seeping from the tip of it and leaking down onto the stone. Poison or something? I shift my eyes and look down to Edward, blood dripping from his skull and he seems hurt, but the determined look on his face and a nod makes me think that he'll be okay. If he has been poisoned then he needs to get it checked out.
I feel the veins in my head throb as I growl again, the pain in my skull ignites itself again and again and again while the three push forward, moving myself back and away from them. I can't get a fucking break in one of these fucking towns, not for a fucking day can I? I fucking hate it, I fucking hate it all! These fucking MUTTS need to go to hell. I need to get away from this, I need them to get away from me! There's something in my head, I can feel it wiggling and turning inside of me, I can hear it begging for a release.
Let it out, Zeke, you fucking waste!
"I said get!" The tingling in my skull reaches a new peak as I throw out my spare hand to them, my vision turns a translucent blue, the group flashing a bright blue before they're tossed away, shrieking as they crumple over each other, the skull of one of them smacking against the ground with a solid thunk, laying still afterwards. My arms tremor and twitches as I look over the prone bodies of the group, the voices in the back of my head dying down and eventually subsiding while it tingles. My breath is heavy on my chest, throat feels almost raw as I sheath my sword, letting my arms limply hang by my sides. The two remaining men shake and whisper harshly, their eyes lighting up with something behind it as they drag their friends away, shouting. As much as I want to go after them, there's other things to attend to.
I let out a shuddering sigh, a sudden fatigue running itself through my body, there's a tingling in my limbs as I kneel next to Edward, a hand gripping his shoulder.
"Eddy, buddy, are you okay? Where're you hurt?" I hastily ask him, my eyes looking over his kneeling form. There's no blood anywhere else, just the open wound on his forehead, dripping down his face and staining his hair. Vector stirs and looks upwards, the way he moves seems alright, though his hands do jitter. He seems shaken up.
"Z-zeke, didn't think I'd be so glad to see you." He weakly croaks, a deep throated coughing fit following suit. He heaves as I pat as his back, keeping a firm hold on the man, giving him a smile as he looks up.
"What are friends for, Eddy boy? Here, let me help you walk, I'll bring you to the Templars to get you checked up." I wrap my arm underneath his and throw it over my neck, pulling him onto his unsteady feet. This is quite the role reversal, and some part of me is glad for it, I'm tired of being the one that needs to be dragged around. I gaze down to Vector, the man eventually rising to his feet, giving him a firm look.
"You follow me, okay? I don't give a shit what you think of Templars, I need to get Edward help and I don't want you to wander off, understand?" He doesn't respond quickly by any means, at least not verbally, but he does eventually give me a nod. It's a begrudging nod, but I'll take it over nothing at all, I don't want this fucker to walk into more trouble.
I shift Edward around a little on my shoulder, making sure the man's steady before making my way to the tower. If Lucy was randomly here, then I'd ask for her help, but they're already so close. If he is poisoned then I need to get him some medical attention somehow.
"Z-zeke…" He croaks once again as his feet drag against the stone, his boots clacking occasionally on it.
"I'll get you help Edward, I promise you that." I assure the man with resolution in my chest as I look down to him, nodding faintly.
"That's n-not it, what was th-"
"Listen Eddy, I know exactly what that was, and I don't want to think about it too much, I want to get you to safety first, okay?" I cut the man off with a frown, almost begging the man. He's silent for a few moments before he gives a shuddering sigh, nodding. I look around quickly, Vector's still following us, thank god, if he gives us the slip I'd be fucking pissed.
I can stop Edward from talking, but I can't stop my thoughts, it stirs around in my head as I look down to the path. I, god, that rush of power flooding in my veins and through my arm and mind felt delicious, so wonderfully untamed but so unnatural. I'm not meant to be able to do that, I shouldn't be able to do anything like that for fucks sake. Just another thing to add to the pile of what's wrong with me. I smile lightly as I look down to my best friend, clutching at him as he hangs in my arms. I might be a shit basitin, but I'm a good friend, right Edward? I'll just, take it as it comes, I'll use whatever the fuck that was to the best of my abilities to help my friends.
Authors note: Hey, remember how I said that there was gonna be a small hiatus because of family shit? Yeah, I wanted to start to write a bit of a chapter before I left. This turned into this full fledged monster of a chapter, I guess I can go fuck myself.
The next chapter will be delayed for sure though, hopefully this is a nice enough read. Also, the rating for this story is gonna go up to M because I'm 90% sure that I'm pushing the T rating a bit too much for my liking
Also, character profile for Lucy, finally.
Lucy Loane
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Class: Scholar
Species: Human
Languages: Multi-lingual
A curious and abnormally blunt scholar with a penchant for cleric work, along with an interest for pain. Not inherently malicious, though often puts her clients off with her nonchalant attitude towards pain and wounds. She takes delight in her dark jokes despite others' responses to it.