Chapter 11: Wyverns

"… anyway, I've been wanting to try making something for you guys. My master always said that I wasn't a very good cook, but I want you to tell me what you think. How does that sound?" Abel asked. But of course, there was no reply. Everybody- even Raine- seemed unusually quiet throughout most of the day, forcing Abel to carry conversations on his own.

The Princess Louvia II had dropped anchor in a small town on the coast of Ermis, in desperate need of supplies. As the ship was loaded up, Abel and the others decided to explore the port, though in the end, there wasn't much to see: merely a handful of circular buildings standing on stilts with cone-shaped thatch roofs, connected by raised wooden walkways. There was nothing else- no Fighter's Guild branch, no church, not even an inn. So, Abel decided they should turn back.

The ship was readily visible even before they came to the dock. Though it was the only ship in port, Abel almost did it recognize the new Princess Louvia , with its black wooden body, white trim, and two masts. "Well, there's the ship," he said. Let's see if Captain Baird is finished loading the supplies." He walked towards the brow, but something compelled him to stop and look back after a few steps

The others weren't following him. Lailah, Holly, Raine, Seth… even Niel. They all remained exactly where they stood.

"Hey," Abel called. "Is something wrong?"

A few moments passed before Lailah responded. "Abel… the others and I have been talking, and… we think it would be best if we all went our separate ways from here."

The priestess's words seem to pierce through Abel as if they were a lance made of ice. "W-Wh-What?" he stammered.

"Until we reached Lescatie, I didn't realize what a Hero was really capable of," Holly said. "But now that I have… I feel like my services would be more useful to a Hero who actually has a chance of beating the Overlord. We all feel the same way."

Abel tried to remain firm. "But… the whole point of this journey is for me to become strong enough to fight the Overlord! I understand if you don't trust me, but you should trust Bacchus!"

Raine folded her arms over her chest, unconvinced. "The world can't afford to wait that long, Blue. And Bacchus is the god of wine. How strong do you think she can make you, really?"

Abel sank to his knees, unable to believe what he was hearing. Granted, the fear that this day would come was always there, clawing at the back of his every thought, but to actually see it realized… "Seth," he began. "What about what the Archbishop said?"

Seth crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to look Abel's way. "When I became the Ghost, I swore that I would keep the people of the Farm safe. But I can't protect anyone if I'm dead," the thief replied. "There are too many people depending on me for me to put my trust in someone as weak and unreliable as you."

Again, Seth's words pieced Abel like an icy spear. He turned to the last of his companions. "Niel… even you?"

"I've already asked Lord Ilias to be reassigned. And as of this morning, my request has been approved. I'm sorry Abel, but no longer under any obligation to assist you."

The angel's words of encouragement before they left Lescatie echoed in his ears. Her promise that she would keep him safe. "Then… everything you said about protecting me from Cardinal Szandor… they were all just lies, then?"

Niel… didn't answer.

So, that was it then.

Hot tears began streaming down Abel's face. But they weren't tears of sorrow. A flame seemed to burn inside his chest, and he glared at his former companions. "You know," he began, voice shaking in rage. "I saw this coming. I knew this was going to happen. But I thought… I really thought, that you were different. But… you're all the same." Abel finally rose to his feet, still glaring, some small part of him hoping that the women across from him might burst into flames if he hated them intensely enough. "…get out of my sight. I knew I couldn't rely on you. On any of you."

If his words wounded any of them, it didn't show, as each turn, and began walking away. Abel continued to glare at their backs. He knew. He knew that this would happen. That in this world, he had no allies, no friends, no one would support him. Yet he foolishly held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, this time would be different.

But in the end, they were just like master Rachel, like Zechariah, like everyone in Seles- merely waiting for him to lower his guard so they could stick a knife in his back.

…At least the bandit that nearly killed him had looked him in the eye as he did the deed.

Abel turned back to the ship, only to find himself face-to-face with a woman standing directly behind him, and he stumbled back. It was a face he knew well: Brown eyes, thin lips, narrow nose, bangs tucked behind her ear to expose a forehead lined with many wrinkles. "And just where have you been, young man?" Master Rachel asked, her normally shrill voice so low the question came out as a beastial growl.

Abel stammered, all the anger in his heart evaporating in an instant. "Master!? But, how-" How did she manage to find him? How had she even gotten here? But before he could compose himself, Master Rachel reach back, and slapped Abel across the face. He stumbled; his heel caught on a loose board, and he fell, hitting the wooden walkway hard.

His master then reached down and grabbed Abel by the collar, lifting him with surprising ease. "You have no idea just how much hurting you've earned yourself, young man." Rachel lifted her hand to slap him again.

Abel flinched. But the hit never came. When he opened his eyes, he said he found himself laying down in a dark room. Taking several breaths to calm himself, Abel remembered where he was: the bunk room of the Princess Louvia II, surrounded by the snores and faint breathing of his companions and the ship's crew.

Abel let out a breath, staring up at the darkness. A nightmare. It had been quite a while since he last had one. For the past few nights, when Abel awoke, he discovered that Holly had made her way into his bed, but on this night, his bed had received no additional visitors. Abel had to admit, after what he'd experienced, her presence would have been a welcome relief.

A strange fluttering then filled Abel's stomach at the thought. As he rolled onto his side and shut his eyes- not that it made much difference in the darkened bunkroom- the last thing he wondered to himself before drifting into sleep was, Wanting to share a bed with a girl? …what am I thinking?

The Princess Louvia II was making good headway, and Cinquedea predicted that should conditions remain unchanged, they would arrive in Aglis in roughly two weeks. However, even with Prince Roland asking, Lescatie had little to spare in terms of supplies, so the ship would need to make a port call in Fueno, a town on a small island just off the southern coast of Ermis, halfway between Lescatie and Aglis. There, Captain Baird could resupply, before sailing on to their final destination.

After dawn, and an hour of flying practice, Abel descended to the crew's mess, the hold of the new ship no longer large enough to accommodate any leisure activities. The others were already waiting for him, and once the cards were dealt to him and Niel, he asked, "So what's Fueno like, Raine?"

"I dunno," she replied bluntly.

Abel looked at her, taken aback by her response. "You- what do you mean you don't know?"

Raine glanced at Abel. "What do you want me to tell you, Blue? I've never been there."

"But… you said you've traveled all over, haven't you?"

"Well yeah, I have, but I wasn't on vacation, you know," the witch replied. "I was searching for elemental spirits. And a quiet resort town wasn't exactly high on my list of potential places to find one."

Abel's typical source of information was dry. But, someone was ready to take up the slack in her stead. "Fueno was originally built by Cybele, back when they still controlled that region," Seth said. Her brow was furrowed as she looked at the cards in her hand, as if struggling to understand their meaning. "There's lots of natural hot springs on the island where it was built, so it's famous for its bathhouses." She finally laid down a card- a red 2- before realizing everyone was looking at her with puzzled expressions. She sighed. "…Vargo brought me there once to meet a potential suitor a few years ago. He went there all the time for business, actually."

Abel tilted his head, still hung up on something Seth had said. "Hot… springs?"

"They're exactly what they sound like, Blue: fountains of hot water that come up from under the ground. We gotta get you reading more books." Raine rubbed her chin. "Huh… although now that I think about it, there could be some kind of spirit tied to the springs there…"

All of a sudden, Seth doubled over in her seat, clutching her stomach, face rapidly turning a greyish color. "Already?" Raine asked. Your motion sickness must be especially bad."

"Hang on." Abs held up his hand. "Remedium." The thief was bathed in a golden light- after a moment, she sat up, her pallor quickly fading. "Better?"

Seth nodded. "…much better."

"You shouldn't use that spell so casually, you know," Lailah suddenly said. She had declined to join their game, instead using her free time to inspect her armor.

"Why's that?" Holly asked.

"Yeah, things are a lot more fun now that Madame can join us," Raine added, earning herself a glare from Seth. "And I'm sure she wouldn't want to spend all day laying in bed."

"Be that as it may," Niel began, "using recovery magic on minor ailments can cause a resistance to build up in certain people. The spell will become less effective, and eventually, it won't work at all."

As she looked over one of her gauntlets, Lailah added, "This voyage shouldn't last long enough for Seth to build up a resistance, so you can keep using that spell on her. But once we reach Fueno, we should stick to medicines from an apothecary."

Abel hadn't even considered that his spells could become less effective. He wondered, was there a specific number before that happened? And how long would it take to reach it? Would all of this spells be affected, or merely those that-

"Hey Blue, if you keep stalling you're gonna have to draw," Raine suddenly said.

Right. The game. He laid out a card depicting a red queen.

"Wait, what does that one do?" Seth asked.

"Reverses the order of everyone's turn," the witch replied. "So you're up again, Madame."

Despite the number of cards in her hand, it seemed Seth didn't have either a red, or a queen. So, grumbling, she drew a card. And then another.

"…Captain, if you don't mind my asking, just who is Princess Louvia?" Roland asked. "I consider myself well-versed in history, but this name is unfamiliar to me."

"Ya wouldn't be ta first to ask that, lad. And ya won't find the name Louvia in any history book, mostly 'cause she don't exist. I used ta have a novel 'bout a princess who was lost at sea and washed up on the shore of another kingdom. Her real name was Louvia, and since I couldn't think of a better name, that's what I went with…"

According to Captain Baird, today was the day they would arrive in Fueno. Abel and the others woke early that morning, and had all gathered at the bow, hoping to be the first to catch sight of the city, but so far, there had been nothing but fog and ocean.

To pass the time, Abel decided to strike up a conversation. "Hey, Lailah!" he called over the wind whipping past the bow. "You said you're from Ermis, right? Is Fueno part of that country?"

"I think so!" the priestess called back. "But I don't know for sure! I'm from much further north, so I can't really tell you anything about the southern kingdoms!"

"Kingdoms? I thought Ermis was an empire!"

"It is! But it's divided up into a bunch of smaller kingdoms that all pledge their allegiance to the Emperor! Every kingdom is basically its own independent nation!"

Before Lailah could elaborate further, Raine leaned over the railing, pointing to something straight ahead. "Hey look, there it is!" The fog was finally beginning to lift, and up ahead, land could be seen.

From the boat, Fueno was a small town, even smaller than Lescatie, but the irregular buildings and streets that flowed around them like stone rivers made it feel far less artificial in the previous port. About the only thing the structures had in common with one another with a white plastered walls and sloped roofs made of orange tiles. In fact, the buildings reminded Abel very much of…

"Vargo was inspired to build his villa in the old Cybelian style after visiting Fueno," Seth said, as if she were reading his thoughts. "It's one of the only places in the world where the Empire's original architecture is well-persevered, so the locals work hard to take good care of it."

The ship came alongside a pier shortly afterward. After the mooring lines were tied, and the brow was lowered, Abel and his companions disembarked. As they stepped onto the pier, Raine said, "I wonder if there's any monsters to hunt here. I feel like it's been a while, and I don't wanna get rusty."

"It's possible," Roland replied. "Though there shouldn't be any major monster migrations through this region at this time of year. If nothing else, there should be slimes- any decently sized city has a colony or two in its sewers." He looked back at the boat. "But I'm afraid you'll have to find that out for yourselves."

"You… not come, with us, Prince?" Holly asked haltingly.

"I have elected to assist the captain in procuring supplies," the prince replied. "It's only fair I do my part after imposing-"

"You there!" an icy voice called. Striding down the dock toward the group was a woman with short, straight, pink-colored hair and square-framed glasses, wearing a white button shirt with long sleeves, black shorts that stopped just above her knees, and a belt with a long, slightly curved sword hanging from it. Her eyes were hidden behind the reflection in the lenses of her glasses, but Abel could still feel the woman's gaze on him. "Your name is Abel, correct?"

Raine stepped forward, gripping the handle of her baton. "Who's asking?"

The woman didn't reply. She merely drew her sword, and pointed the blade at Abel. "I challenge you to a duel."

…A duel? Of course, he'd heard about them in stories, but Abel thought it was merely an exaggeration. He didn't truly think that people went around challenging each other to duels. And did she truly want to fight him, here and now?

"I…" Abel began. "…I don't want to fight you."

The pink-haired woman tilted her head slightly, grip tightening on her sword hilt. "You would refuse so readily? Have you no pride as a Hero?"

Raine cut in. "Hey, he gave you his answer. If you can't accept it, that's a 'you' problem. And the Church considered pride to be a sin anyway."

With her free hand, the woman removed her glasses, revealing a pair of dark purple eyes set into a furious glare, and hung them from the collar of her shirt. "Fine. If you won't draw your sort of your own volition, then I'll simply force your hand." The woman drew back her sword, gripping it with both hands, and… vanished. She then instantly appeared in front of Abel, sword already arcing toward him. The fury in her eyes told him that she had every intention of striking Abel with a killing blow.

Abel focused, and the wings on his back flared to life, pushing him back and outside the woman's reach. After a moment of fumbling, he hastily drew his sword, seeing Lailah and Raine ready their own weapons in the corner of his vision. "No," he said firmly. "If she wants to fight me, then I'll fight."

The woman's glare didn't lose even a hint of its initial ferocity. "So you have some fire in you after all. But I'll snuff it out all the same." She disappeared again, this time reappearing behind Abel. He turned, raising his sword to block her overhead swing. There was a tremendous clang as their swords met, and Abel's arm shook from the impact. But there was no time to recover, as the woman swung again, this time from the upper left. Abel blocked this blow as well, but just barely. She pushed him back, striking at him again and again- Abel blocked each, but only just, and he had no time to counter. How was she so fast? And so strong? And the way she disappeared… it reminded him of the duel between Cavall and Shavran. Did that mean this woman was a Hero as well?

Finally, the woman pulled back. Abel pursued her, trying to take the offensive, but as he neared, she struck first. She seemed… to split into three: one came at him with an overhead swing, the second with a horizontal, and the last with an upward swing from below. He was too shocked to react, to block even a single one of the woman's strikes. So all three hit, her blade biting into his right shoulder, his right upper arm, and his left side, just above his waist. Pain surged through Abel's body, and he stumbled, and collapsed to his hands and knees, sword falling from his hands. Blood rapidly pooled on the boards beneath him as he struggled to breathe.

What… what had just happened? Had the woman really split into three? Or had she moved so quickly that he couldn't track her movements?

Abel suddenly felt something cold touch his chin. It lifted his chin upward, forcing him to look up- the woman looked down at him, using the blunt side of her sword to turn his head toward her. "Is this truly all you're capable of?" she asked. "You disgrace the title of Hero."

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BITCH!" Lailah charged the woman, thrusting her spear at her. But the woman stepped aside, catching the spear's shaft with one hand- the boards under her feet cracked as the force of Lailah's thrust traveled through her. The priestess trembled with rage, teeth gritted, while the woman stood completely motionless.

Then, another woman's voice called out, with the hardness and coldness of steel, "That's enough, Charlotte."

The pink-haired woman stepped back, releasing Lailah's spear, But the priestess stood her ground in front of Abel, pointing her weapon at her. Abel followed the new voice to its source, and in an instant, every muscle in his body seized. Walking down the dock toward them was…

…Master Rachel.

Abel could only stare, completely frozen. He didn't move. He didn't even dare to breathe. He was certain that with even the slightest movement, his master's rage would fall on him immediately. Her attire was strange: a battered grey breastplate over a blue tunic, a black skirt, and worn dark brown boots, but he's seen her face a thousand times: Brown eyes, thin lips, narrow nose, bangs tucked behind her ear to expose her forehead

Master Rachel approached the pink-haired woman. "Charlotte, I specifically instructed our unit that I was the one who would make contact with the subject first."

Abel's mouth fell open. This woman… she had her face… but it was not Master Rachel. Her voice was completely different- his master's was shrill, like metal scraping against stone, but this woman's voice was deeper, somehow both firm and gentle to his ear. Her hair too was different, upon closer inspection. This woman's hair hung freely, stopping midway down her back- Master Rachel preferred to keep hers in a tight bun- and had a reddish hue, while his master's was the color of freshly turned soil. Even so, her face… Abel couldn't help but feel his chest tighten as he looked at it.

Lailah turned her spear toward the newcomer. "Who the hell are you two?"

"Please, lower your weapon," Master Rachel's lookalike said. "I have no intention of harming Abel."

"Yeah, not hearing any names," Raine replied. Abel glanced back- the witch's right hand was raised, the circle inscribed in her palm glowing red.

Master Rachel's lookalike rested a hand against her breastplate. "My name is Shirley Brell, Commander of Crusader Special Operations Unit, Wyvern Company. This is my second-in-command, Charlotte Meltrose."

"Wyvern Company?" Raine finally lowered her hand. "Wait, you two are Wyverns?"

Abel struggled to picture Lailah's smile as he put a hand against his chest- but he managed, the white light he summoned banishing his wounds. Rising to his feet, he asked, "What are you talking about, Raine?" He'd only ever heard of wyverns once before, in one of Leah's stories to Mordecai- but that story made them sound like smaller, weaker dragons. And the two women standing before him most certainly weren't dragons. …At least not in appearance.

Roland stepped around Raine and the others, placing himself between Abel and the two women. "Wyvern Company is one of the Crusaders' special operations units, dedicated to solving unusual crises or the extermination of exceptionally powerful monsters," he explained. "But what brings you here, Commander Brell?"

Master Ra- Shirley Brell suddenly stiffened when Roland addressed her. "Our unit was previously investigating reports of unusual activity in the marshlands between Ermis and Mavors, Lord Roland. But not long ago, we received a message directly from the Praetor herself, instructing us to make contact with a Hero named Abel, and assess his abilities in battle."

Assess Abel's abilities? Now everything made sense. Szandor must have been behind this. Perhaps the Cardinal was hoping the disparity in strength between Abel and this "Wyvern Company" would discourage him from continuing his quest. Or possibly that in their assessment, he would wind up dead by accident.

The pink-haired woman- Charlotte- finally sheathed her blade, turning her back to Abel. "I must say, given your reputation, I was expecting a more impressive display," she said. "Perhaps embellishments were added to the reports we received of your activities." She then stalked away, not even giving another glance in Abel's direction.

Raine folded her arms over her chest, eyeing the swordswoman warily. "Huh. I'm guessing recruiting for special ops doesn't have a minimum charisma score."

"Again, allow me to apologize for my lieutenant's actions," Shirley Brell said. "Miss Meltrose cares only for testing her blade against powerful foes and little else. I assure you, the other members of our unit are far more approachable." Brell then turned and began to walk after her lieutenant. "Come. I will show you to our accommodations." Abel and his companions didn't follow. Shirley must have realized this, as she stopped to look back. "Is something the matter?"

"As a matter of fact, there is," Seth replied bluntly. " A soldier under your command attacked Abel unprovoked, and now you claim the Praetor suddenly asked you to assess his abilities. …I hope you can understand why this might be a problem."

Shirley Brell looked at Seth, and the others sternly. "I understand you have a little incentive to believe me, but I assure you we are merely upholding our duties to the Church. As Abel is upholding his." Abel couldn't help but notice that while nearly every other member of the Church referred to him as "Lord," Shirley did not.

"Commander Brell isn't wrong," Roland added. "Regardless of their temperament, members of Wyvern Company are part of the Church. And the Church is sworn to aid all Heroes in their quest against the Overlord."

That was easy for him to say, Abel thought. Members of the same church allegedly sworn to aid him hadn't tried to have Roland killed. But Abel kept that thought to himself. Instead, he merely replied, "…alright then. If the Praetor sent you to assess me, I don't have any reason to refuse."

Seth looked at Abel, brow furrowed in frustration. "How can you just go along with this?" she asked.

"Well, if this request did come from the Praetor, we can't really refuse," Lailah began.

"Eh, it'll be fine… I guess," Raine added. "It'll give us something to do while we wait for the captain to restock."

"I'm glad you can look past Miss Meltrose's indiscretion," Shirley Brell said. "Now, if you would follow me."

The group complied, some more reluctantly than others, and followed the red-haired woman into the town. First encounter aside, Fueno was a welcome change from Lescatie- the streets were livelier, and the air seemed warmer. And not merely in an inviting way- the air itself was hot, and heavy with moisture, making Abel feel as though he was trying to walk through a thick curtain.

As they followed Shirley Brell, Abel heard Raine ask from behind, "Hey, Parrot, why didn't you help Blue out against that Wyvern girl?"

Abel felt Niel emerge from his back, before sitting on his shoulder, facing behind him. "I would've helped him. But I couldn't."

"Why not?" Seth asked, voice full of suspicion. "You say that like something's stopping you."

The angel sighed. " A long time ago, there was a big problem where the gods would help their Champions by sending their servants to hinder the Champions of other gods. But when Ilias became Chief God, she created a very strict non-interference decree. Angels who serve one deity are unable to act against anyone who carries the blessing of a different deity."

After a moment, Holly asked, voice carrying a tone of realization, "Does that mean that Meltrose lady… is a Hero?"

That would certainly explain Charlotte's unexpected strength. But Shirley Brell replied, "It is true that once they complete their training, members of Wyvern Company receive a blessing from the god Ares, but we are not counted among his Champions. Still, his blessing grants us strength far beyond that of a common warrior."

"Ares…" Seth said in a low voice. "The god of war…" Abel mused to himself, albeit silently, that of course their blessing would come from the god of war.

It seemed the group had arrived at their destination, as Shirley Brell stopped in front of an odd building: it was cube-shaped, lacking the orange roof tiles of the surrounding structures, and three stories high, with recessed windows. Seth tilted her head as she looked up at the odd building. "Huh. Didn't realize this was an inn."

"It isn't," the commander replied. "Special operations units use safehouses like this as bases of operation while in the field. The Church maintains one in nearly every major city on the continent." She then pushed open the door leading inside, revealing a spacious room dominated by a long wooden table, strewn with maps and various documents. Against the outer walls between the windows hung blue banners emblazoned with a shape resembling three rods stacked atop one another, arranged to form a star with six points. People had seen it before he realized. At the Abbey in Hokes, at the cathedral in Lohan, on almost every building in Lescatie… even on Lailah's breastplate. It must've been some kind of symbol connected to the Church. Abel would have to ask about it at some point.

The room, Abel realized, was not unoccupied. Three others were already inside, gathered around the table; One stood on the side to Abel's left, while the other two sat across from them on his right. The one on the right was a woman with short brown hair that reached down to her neck, dressed in a black cloak that reached her knees, but had no shoes. On the right, closest to Abel was a figure covered head-to-toe in blue armor. Or rather, armor that had been painted blue at some point, but had been so heavily battered that most of the paint had been stripped away, leaving the bare metal beneath exposed. Whether the armored figure was a man or a woman, Abel couldn't say, but he could tell that they were incredibly short, shorter than Holly, in fact- The chair they sat on wasn't especially tall, but the figure's feet still dangled about a hand's width above the floor. Next to the armored figure sat a woman with long, bright green hair that reached a rear, clad in a strange white and grey outfit that clung tightly to her body- exposing an unmistakably feminine figure- but widened significantly around the wrists and ankles. She wore a white mask that completely obscured her face, and save for some silver decorations resembling vines, was completely featureless- there weren't even holes for her eyes. Even so, her head turned towards Abel and the others as they followed Shirley Brell inside.

"Welcome back, Commander," the woman in the black cloak said cheerily. "Is that him?"

"Indeed." Shirley Brell then turned to Abel. "These are the remaining members of my unit." She then pointed to the woman in black. "Julia Reis…"

The woman in black waved eagerly. "Hi!"

Brell then pointed to the armored figure. "…Giselle…" The armored figure said nothing, but gave a small wave. "…and Vivienne." The masked woman also said nothing, placing a hand on her mask over where her chin would have been.

"There's only five of you?" Holly asked.

"You saw how strong that Meltrose woman was, didn't you?" Seth interjected. "If all the Wyverns have the blessing of Ares, they're all probably just as strong as she is. They probably don't need more than five members."

"Six, actually," Shirley Brell replied, before turning to the woman in black. "…although I can't help but notice that our newest member is missing."

"She's out doing some shopping. Said she'd be back later," Julia said, before coming up to Abel and examining him closely, as if appraising him. "Hmm… you know, the report mentioned you were 'inexplicably' surrounded by women, but I can definitely see the appeal." She circled behind Abel, making him jump when she ran a finger over his waist. "But then again, I've always had a soft spot for the innocent types."

Niel suddenly emerged, placing herself between Abel and the woman in black, arms outstretched as if to shield him. "Alright, that's enough! Even if you're with the Crusaders, you keep your mitts to yourself!"

"Oh, you must be the angel," Julia said, unfazed. "You really are just as small as the report said. That's a shame. I like my girls feisty."

Nail began stammering, face quickly turning red, while Raine burst out in laughter. "Oh, I think I like this one," she said.

Angel buried her face in her hands, and let out a muffled moan. "Oh god there's two of them now…"

"Miss Reis," Shirley Brell said sharply. "I realize that as a Proségasque, this may be difficult for you, but at least make an effort to control your libido. We are on an assignment, after all."

Julia retreated to the table, pouting. "Fine, fine. Spoil all my fun, why don't you…"

After a few moments, Lailah coughed and said, "Er, Commander, you mentioned the Praetor asked you to assess Abel's abilities. How exactly will you be doing that?"

"That's quite simple: each member of my unit will fight Abel in a one-on-one duel while I observe," Shirley Brell replied. "That should give me enough information to revive the Praetor with a thorough assessment."

Abel's stomach clenched, as it filled with visions of Charlotte's blade raining down on him. She'd beaten him with terrifying ease, and now he would have to fight five others who would likely be just as strong as her, if not stronger? Would he even survive long enough to face all of the Wyverns?

But then Abel took a breath. If he was right, and Szandor was behind us, then the Cardinal was trying to intimidate him. Abel couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't. His friends, Bacchus… Lailah. They had all put their faith in him. He couldn't betray them by giving up. He may not be strong enough to beat the Wyverns, but maybe… he didn't have to.

Sometimes, the mere act of surviving was victory enough. Or so the lesson had been in one of Leah's stories to Mordecai.

Abel then turned to Shirley Brell and said in what he hoped was a firm voice, "How soon can we get started?"

Under her breath, Abel heard Raine say, "Hell yeah, Blue."

Shirley Brell blinked, jolting slightly as though caught off-guard, before replying, "Well, if you're so eager, we can begin today. As for who your opponent shall be… how about you, Miss Reis?"

Julia snapped out of her sulking. "Wha- me?"

"As I recall, you were rather eager to meet Abel," the commander replied. "Consider this a second round of introductions."

"I can't deny I'm curious… ah, what the hell." Julia rose to her feet. "Let's do this."

Abel took a step back warily. "Wait, we're not fighting here , are we?"

Shirley Brell narrowed her eyes and put a hand on her hip, making Abel's heart skip- Master Rachel did the exact same thing when she was angry with him. "Of course not. It's far too dangerous to conduct the assessment in the city. I found a location on the road outside the east gate that would be a more suitable battleground."

Several minutes later, with Fueno and the glittering blue sea at their backs, Shirley Brell led her unit (sans Charlotte), Abel, and his companions down a worn brick road leading away from the town. The roar cut into a gently sloping hill that rose up from a beach to the south, before sharply ascending up to a peak made of bare beige stone capped by a ring of white clouds. The air was much cooler here, and not nearly as thick, something for which Abel was grateful. Seles could get quite hot in summer, but it was a dry kind of heat, and the moisture-laden air of Fueno seemed to trap the sweat inside his body.

Eventually, Shirley Brell came to a halt. "This should be far enough. Abel, you remain here on the south edge of the road. Miss Reis, take your position across from him on the north side."

Julia jumped and shouted, "Alright!" before grabbing her cloak and tossing it aside, revealing… attire that could only loosely be considered clothing. Her chest was almost entirely bare, save for two triangular patches of black fabric that covered her…surprisingly large breasts, tied to her by thin strings; and around her waist was as length of orange fabric that could have been called a skirt, but one that was far shorter than any Abel had ever seen before- it didn't even fully cover her rear, or the black pair of underwear emerging from its hem. Abel instantly averted his gaze, trying to resist the temptation to stare and failing.

Raine whooped. "Hell yeah sister! Take it all off!"

Meanwhile Holly stammered, "W-W-W-What kind of outfit is that!?" Lailah had covered her mouth in shock; Seth glared, face darkening, but not in anger. It was almost like she was… jealous.

Niel emerged, off to the side to draw his attention away from Julia. "Hey, Abel! Focus! Don't forget that right now, that woman over there is your enemy."

"Are you ready to begin?" Shirley asked.

Abel fumbled for a moment while drawing his sword, before freeing it from its scabbard. "I-I'm ready!"

"Hang on!" Julia replied. "Just gotta get a few more stretches in first." She stretched a few times, seemingly more to show off her body than to actually loosen her muscles. She then pulled her right foot back, lowering into an unusual stance: left foot and left shoulder pointed toward Abel, left hand open and raised to shoulder height, left elbow bent, right hand at her waist, closed into a fist. "Alright. I'm ready."

It was then that Abel realized Julia had no weapon: no sword, no dagger, no… anything. Merely a pair of bracers made of overlapping black metal plates on her wrists. "Hey, hang on," he began, "you aren't gonna use a weapon? But-"

"Begin."

Abel's words were cut off when in the blink of an eye, Julia crossed the distance between them, arm pulled back. Then, her fist slammed into the side of his jaw. He hit the ground, hard , sliding back for several seconds before coming to a stop. The last thing Abel saw were white clouds drifting slowly through the sky above him.

Then… nothing.

Abel jolted awake.

He tried to sit up, only for a girl's voice to say to him, "Hey, hold on! You took quite a blow. You shouldn't be moving around so soon." The voice was right. As soon as he moved, Abel's head throbbed painfully. "See, I told you," the voice said, before a hand was laid on his back. "Just, take things slowly, alright?"

Abel doubted he would have been able to stand- The pain was so intense it made his head spin and his stomach turn. "Where… where am I?" he asked, slowly, afraid that if he opened his mouth too much, his breakfast would try to escape

"Back at the safehouse," the voice answered. "Julia brought you." Only now did Abel realize that the voice didn't belong to anyone that he knew. The pain and the dizziness were finally subsiding, allowing Abel to see his surroundings, and his company, properly.

Leaning across the bed on his right was a young woman with curly green hair and honey-colored eyes that sat behind a pair of round glasses with a dark wooden frame, and wore a blue coat with white sleeves, and thick black shorts with many pockets. Her hair was very short, not even falling below her chin, and was much lighter shade of green than her companion Vivienne's. "Hey," she said, "Feeling better?"

Abel didn't recall seeing her with the rest of the unit… but Shirley Brell had mentioned one of their members was absent. "Are you with the Wyverns, too?"

The girl pulled back, sitting in a chair next to Abel's bed. "Technically, I am. But I'm just an auxiliary attached to their unit- I don't have the blessing of Ares like they do," she replied. "I'm Amber, by the way."

Abel skipped his own introduction- if she was with the Wyverns, she likely already knew who he was.

Amber suddenly grabbed Abel's chin, holding up a finger on her other hand. "Follow the tip of my finger with your eyes. Try not to turn your head." Abel watched as Amber waved her hand this way and that, her other hand ensuring that his head would stay in place.

"I have to say," Amber continued, "I'm surprised you're up so soon. You have some significant bruising, but considering Julia can break through steel with just her fists, your injuries could have been a lot worse. I suppose that's a Hero's divine protection for you." At last, she took her hand away. "Okay. Physically you seem all right, and there doesn't seem to be any signs of deep bleeding…"

There was something odd about Amber, but Abel couldn't place it at first. Not until she looked at something by her feet, and he saw her ear. It was… pointed. She turned back to him, handing him a small triangular bottle filled with a yellow liquid. "Drink this. It won't taste very good, but it will help to get rid of any lingering pain."

Abs took the bottle, but didn't drink from it. "Are you… a demi-human?"

Amber's eyes narrowed slightly. "Half-elf, actually."

Elf. Niel had mentioned that they were part of the "civilized" races alongside humans, but that was all Abel knew. "Sorry. I saw your ears, and I thought…"

"It happens more than you'd think," Amber replied. "Elves don't typically associate with the Church. I don't blame you."

Abel finally drank from the bottle, shuddering from the bitter taste, but as Amber promised, the pain receded. "…Where is everyone else?" Abel found it rather odd that Lailah wasn't present when he woke up. Though perhaps, either lacking the proper materials or experience, the priestess had little choice but to entrust him to Amber's care.

"Charlotte's still sulking in her bunkroom, but everyone else should be at one of the nearby taverns," Amber replied. "The safehouse may provide a place to rest your head free of charge, but I'm afraid it doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment."

"Right, well…" Abel swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Thanks for looking after me, Miss Amber. I'm gonna look for the rest of my companions."

"Alright. But if you feel any unusual sensations, make sure you come back right away and let me know," Amber replied. "I'm not just an alchemist, but a physician as well."

Abel saw himself out, passing through a dull grey hallway outside the bunkroom, descending the stairs to the ground floor, and exiting the safehouse, the heat of the town washing over him the moment he set foot outside. He was tempted to use the guiding pull of his amulet to find his friends, but instead decided to explore the town on his own a little. Fueno didn't appear to be very large- Abel couldn't imagine there were that many taverns to search through, and if he could do a bit of sightseeing along the way… well, nobody would mind, right?

Abel must not have been unconscious for long. The Princess Louvia II dropped anchor just a few hours after dawn, and the sun still hung high overhead. The streets- while not as bustling as Lohan- still had people going about their business. But Abel couldn't deny that while Fueno's atmosphere was much less oppressive than Lescatie, unlike the latter, there were no signs to direct travelers. And with its irregular layout, he couldn't be certain whether or not a given intersection would lead him back to a street he'd already passed through, or worse yet, a dead end.

Still, Abel pressed on, resisting the temptation of using the amulet. He was surprised how dependent on it he'd become, despite only having it for such a short time. But as he wandered, the air slowly filled with strange tones, which grew clearer as he moved forward. There were sounds the likes of which Abel had never heard before- The only sound he could compare them to was the singing of birds, but even that was an inadequate comparison. Abel couldn't help but quicken his pace as he moved toward the source of those gentle tones, eventually coming to an intersection where five roads met. At the center of the crossroad was a fountain, and seated at the fountain's edge was the source of the tones.

The source was a woman, with wavy dark green hair and weary eyes. Her clothes were odd, as if they'd been stitched together from other garments: the sleeves and upper half of her shirt were black, while the lower half was a dark grey, and made from a much thinner fabric, with very obvious, loose stitching barely holding the two halves together. Her trousers were a dark crimson, with wide cuffs at the ankles, and more loose stitching to hold the front and back halves together, exposing the woman's legs. But what truly drew Abel's eye was the object resting in her lap. It was wooden, shaped like a teardrop with a wooden board sticking out of it, with a number of strings stretched across it. As the woman strummed the strings, the wonder kus notes that had led Abel here issued forth, joining together in a slow, gentle song. Abel slowed to a halt to better listen, and even held his breath, so as not to disturb the woman as she played. Abel had encountered a number of musicians in Lohan, playing on the streets or at the inn, but he paid no mind to them. None had ever made him stop in his tracks to listen as this woman did.

But all at once, the music was silenced when a smooth male voice said, "So this is where you've been hiding," and a man approached the fountain from a road to Abel's right. The man had a black mustache and black hair pulled into a ponytail, and wore a deep red coat that almost reached his heels. The woman stopped playing and looked at the man, but said nothing to him in reply.

"Still keeping up the silent treatment, eh vagabond? You're persistent. But…" The man suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the woman's instrument and pulling it from her grasp. "This is the fifth time I've caught you now. You refuse to pay the minstrel's fee, you refuse to stop playing when I ask… you won't even say a word to me. I have been nothing but civil with you at every turn." The man took the instrument in both hands. "But now I'm done being civil."

In one swift motion, the man brought the instrument down and broke it half over his knee. He dropped the two halves on the ground, before glaring at the woman coldly. "Perhaps this will serve as a sufficient lesson for you, vagabond," he said, before turning to his left, to the road Abel was on. Abel tensed as the man approached, but he passed by Abel as if he wasn't even there, not even sparing the young man a glance. Thankful to have avoided a confrontation, Abel turned his attention back to the fountain.

The woman was on her knees, holding one half of her instrument in her hands, looking down at it forlornly. Niel would have told him not to involve himself, to move on, that his responsibilities as a hero to priority. But the familiar scratchy voice in his head was silent. Niel wasn't with him.

Meaning no one would object to him providing a helping hand.

Abel approached the woman cautiously, trying not to surprise her. "Hey," he said. The woman jolted, had wrapped her arms around her instrument protectively, looking up at Abel warily. Her eyes… they were dull, lifeless, as if all traces of happiness had been drained out of her. The eyes of someone without hope.

"I saw what happened just now," Abel said. "What was that all about?"

The woman didn't answer. She merely blinked, and slowly tilted her head, as if confused.

"I'm not with that guy," he added. "I'm a traveler. Our ship stopped here in Fueno for supplies."

The woman stood up, and looked down at Abel. Still, she said nothing.

Abel was quickly becoming unnerved by the woman's unblinking stare. "You… do understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

The woman said nothing. But, she did respond. She first pointed to her ear, and nodded. She then grabbed the collar of her shirt, and pulled it down to expose her neck, revealing a massive, ragged scar. It spanned the entire length of her neck, dipping into her flesh as if it had been scooped out with a spoon, and was a deep red- whatever had caused it, it had happened recently. The woman pulled her collar up again, before pointing to her mouth, and shaking her head.

So she could understand Abel, but she couldn't speak. Then again, that seemed rather obvious after seeing her scar. But there had to be some other way to communicate- Niel said her blood would allow him to understand nonverbal languages, but he wasn't sure how far he would get trying to interpret her gestures.

Then a thought occurred to him. "Do you know how to write? If you do, I should be able to read it."

The woman nodded eagerly, setting her broken instrument aside and pulling a stylus and a small book from her pocket- some kind of journal, Abel assumed.

"Okay. My name's Abel. What about you?"

The woman quickly wrote something in the journal, before holding it out for Abel to see. The letters she had written were sharp and angular, unlike the flowing script of Istar, or the rounded delicate letters of Apollonia, but he could still read them all the same:

[Fiann.]

"Fiann? Fi-ann?" Abel wasn't quite sure about the pronunciation. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too upset if he got it wrong. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Fiann. So… who was that guy from earlier?"

Fiann wrote furiously for several moments. [Georg. Just a lowlife who goes around trying to intimidate foreign bards into giving him money. But he doesn't scare me.]

"But… he broke your instrument." Abel looked at the broken pieces at Fiann's feet.

She looked down at the pieces of her instrument. She seemed sad for a moment, before writing. [It's just a lute. I can replace it. It wouldn't even be the first time.]

Even if that was the case, it wasn't right. There had to be something he could do to help her. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at fixing things, and magic likely wouldn't help, but… "Fiann, could you wait here for a moment?" Abel asked, after subtly using his amulet to check something.

[Why?]

"I think I can help you out. Just hold on. I'll be back, I promise." Abel quickly departed, heading in the direction his amulet had been pointing. After a few minutes, he returned, carrying something in his hands. Another instrument- a lute, as Fiann had called it. It wasn't the same as Fiann's- it was a fair bit larger, made from a rich red wood, with extra struts supporting the neck, but Abel hoped she would be happy with it.

"Here," he said, handing the instrument over to Fiann. " I know it's not the same as your old one, but you can still play it, right?"

Fiann looked down at the lute in obvious surprise, before plucking at the different strings, turning the different pegs they were tied to, as if to test them. She then looked back to Abel, and nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Oh, one last thing." Abel searched through his pockets- fortunately, he had a few dinars, and handed them to Fiann.

She looked at the golden coins before looking back to Abel, and tilted her head.

"I heard you playing earlier, before… you know. It was… I'd never heard anything like it. I'd love to come back and hear the whole thing."

Fiann's face reddened slightly.

"And hopefully that will be enough to keep that guy away if he comes back." Abel turned. "Anyway, I should get back to looking for my friends. It was nice meeting you, Fiann." Abel then walked away, down the road he had come, leaving Fiann by the fountain. The woman watched with unblinking eyes as he departed, clutching his gift to her against his chest, heart racing, and face burning as if it were on fire.

Abel concentrated, and the amulet floated in front of him, pointing ahead. As glad as he was to have helped Fiann, it was probably better that he not be led astray for too long. The amulet led him back the way he had come, to a small street one row of buildings over from the safehouse. It sounded as if there was some kind of commotion coming from inside one of the structures, and as soon as he took just a few steps forward to investigate, a nearby door burst open as a man fell through it. He hit the ground, sliding across the ground on his back for several paces, before coming to a halt. Two more burst through the open door, and ran full tilt-down the narrow street in opposite directions as a scantily clad woman with brown hair followed at their heels.

"Yeah, you better run!" Julia shouted. She stopped right outside the door, seemingly deciding that chasing the two men wasn't worth the trouble. The woman's attention shifted to Abel, and she relaxed. "Oh, hey. Back on your feet already. Cute face and a quick recovery time. I'm liking you-"

Abel instantly leapt back the moment he saw the woman's face, the wings of light erupting from his back and lifting him off the ground, sword of light forming in his hand. He may have been taken by surprise once before, but he was ready to face Julia with everything he-

"Whoa, hey, hey!" Julia backed up, hands raised. "Relax! I'm not gonna fight you. …I do like the light show, though."

Abel touched the ground, wings and sword disappearing. But he didn't relax, just in case the warrior was trying to lull him into a false sense of security and catch him off-guard again. "…what was that just now?"

"Guy saw my outfit and thought it was an open invitation," Julia replied, looking disdainfully at the unconscious man. She then patted her rear. "I'll admit, I worked hard for this body, so I don't mind if people admire it. As long as they do the admiring with their eyes, not their hands." She looked back Abel's way. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was looking for my friends," he replied, still wary.

"Oh, they're right inside." Julia stepped aside. "You go on in. I'll stay out here. I'm sure the local garrison is gonna wanna have a word with me when they get here." She added. "By the way, your angel friend's a surprisingly strong drinker. I always thought angels were supposed to be bastions of purity and temperance and crap like that."

Cautiously, Abel stepped through the empty doorframe. The interior of the tavern was rather empty, so his attention was immediately drawn when he heard Raine call out, "Oh, look! Blue! Over here!" Raine and the rest of his companions were there, as were some of the crew of the Princess Louvia, Baird and Cinquedea among them. Roland was there too, as was Shirley Brell, speaking with the man behind the bar, presumably to apologize on her subordinate's behalf.

Abel crossed the tavern, getting a few words of welcome. Lying in the middle of the table where his companions were sitting was Niel, completely unconscious. However, as he passed Cinquedea, the woman said to him, "Heard you got laid flat, boy," before draining the contents of her tankard. "Hah. Wish I could've been there to see that."

The good mood Abel developed from helping Fiann quickly evaporated. That was twice now. Two members of the Wyverns had bested him now- and one had done it with just a single blow.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Abel," Lailah said. "Miss Julia said that she was trained in martial arts in the far east. Apparently she could take down monsters with her bare hands even before joining the Wyverns."

If the priestess's words were intended to raise Abel's spirits, they failed. He sank into a seat at an empty table, away from his companions, heart heavy.

Holly was the first to pick up on the downturn in Abel's mood. "Abel, what's the matter? Why don't you come sit with us?"

"Oh boy. I know what those dents in-between your eyebrows mean…" Raine said, and moved to sit next to Abel. "What's wrong, Blue?"

It took a few moments for Abel to find the will to speak. "…this assessment hasn't been going very well. I fought two of the Wyverns, and I lost to both."

Raine replied with an exasperated tone, as if she were explaining something extremely obvious. "Blue, the Wyverns are trained warriors with years of experience. You're not gonna beat them on your first try. Not without getting really lucky."

The words Raine said in Abel's dream echoed in his head: Bacchus is the god of wine. How strong do you think she can make you, really? He had always heard that Heroes were supposed to be the pinnacle of human potential, but perhaps a Hero's potential was determined by their patron. Perhaps, as the Champion of a lesser deity, Abel had already reached the upper limits of his.

But the witch wasn't finished. "I mean, you're only…" She trailed off, brow furrowing. "Only, uh… Blue, how old are you?"

"Master Rachel said I was fifteen, last time I asked," Abel replied sullenly. "That was about, a year ago, I think."

"Okay. You're sixteen." She turned, and called, "Hey, Prince! How old are you?"

"Raine, you can't just address royalty so casually!" Holly said in shock.

But Roland seemed not to be offended by the witch's lack of deference in the slightest. "I'll be turning twenty-six later this year."

"And how long would you say you've been training?"

"My entire life, I suppose. Though if I had to give a specific number, I began my first lessons in swordplay when I was seven."

Raine turned back toward Abel. "See? That's-" She counted on her fingers. "-eighteen years! That prince has been training for literally longer than you've been alive." The witch then leaned in. "Listen Abel, I know that you feel like you don't measure up to the other Heroes, or to the Wyverns, but you'll get there. You just need time. You'll see." She then threw an arm over his shoulders and pulled him in a bit too close for comfort. "So just keep doing what you've been doing, get some more heroic deeds to your name, and you'll be way more popular in no time! Girls will be coming from all over just to meet you! And I'm sure none of them would mind if you wanted to get a little handsy-"

"Hey, hey!" a scratchy voice blearily shouted. Abel looked back- Niel had come to, and was standing on the table, swaying a bit, eyes unfocused. She pointed at Raine. "You… you keep your mitts to yourself! Abel doesn't… doesn't… belong…" She trailed off, before tipping over and falling onto her back, immediately falling unconscious again.

Roland set his tankard down, before standing. "I suppose that's enough of a break. Shall we get back to work, Captain?"

"Aye, lad," Baird replied. "We've still got our work cut out for us." There was some grumbling from Louvia's crew, but in the end they followed the captain's lead and left the tavern.

It seemed Shirley Brell had concluded whatever discussion she was having with the bartender, because she turned her attention to Abel. "While I'd like to say we should follow their example," she began, "I'll be putting your assessment on hold for today."

"Wait, then we're done for today?" Raine asked.

"I'm afraid my original approach won't be sufficient. I have a potential solution, but I need to run it by Vivienne to see if it's viable." The commander headed for the exit, before she stopped and looked back. "I imagine you've been through quite a lot today. You should use this opportunity to rest, and be sure to visit Amber if you feel unwell." Shirley Brell then departed as well.

After a pause, Seth was the first to speak up: "Looks like we have the rest of the day to ourselves. What should we do?"

"Well, you mentioned Fueno was famous for its bathhouses…" Holly began. "And the one we visited in Lohan was nice."

Raine turned in her seat. "You know Jugs, I like the way you think. What's some naked bonding time between friends?"

The others all seem to agree, but Abel stood, pulling himself out of Raine's grasp. "I'm… gonna go back to the safehouse."

"You're not coming?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, don't go!" Raine added. "I'm sure we can find some way to sneak you over to the women's side."

He was glad the others couldn't see his face, not because he was embarrassed, but so his expression wouldn't reveal his lie. "…my neck's been bothering me ever since I left the safehouse. Amber said that I should go back to her if I felt anything unusual, so I think I should have her look at it."

The other sounded disappointed, but Lailah quickly cut in: "You should definitely go back right away, then. Neck injuries can be very serious."

"But what about Parrot?" Raine asked. "We can't just leave her here."

"I can take her with me," As carefully as he could, Abel picked up the still unconscious Niel, and held her gently in his hands. He left the tavern, carefully making his way past the guards outside, but did not return to the Wyverns' safehouse. Instead, he let his feet carry him as they willed- when he stopped, he found himself outside the town, standing before a beach of white sand. The same beach he'd seen as Shirley Brell led him and the others away from the town.

For a while, Abel stood silently, watching as small waves swelled and raced up the beach, before retreating from the shore. From where he stood, the sea looked calm, but Abel knew better- it was deep, dark, and full of unknown terrors. Much like his quest thus far. And like the waves that rolled up the beach, for every challenge he overcame, another was waiting right after it, ready to sweep him away should he be caught unprepared.

Why had he been chosen? Abel wondered, and not for the first time. There were so many others who were stronger, wiser… better than he. If there was something that compelled Bacchus to choose him, he couldn't see it, no matter how deeply he searched inside of himself. Had it been a mere whim? It was said that the gods were fickle, their temper and favor shifting with the winds. Or was this, like so many other things in his life had been, a joke at his expense- a game to see how far he would go before he finally, inevitably failed?

But before he could dwell any further, a man's voice spoke up. "You know…" the voice said. "When I was young, and I was troubled, I would often sit by the window in the library of my father's estate, and look out over the ocean."

Abel looked over, to find Roland standing alongside him. "Even now," the prince continued. "watching waves rolling on the shore puts my mind at ease."

"Prince Roland…" Abel said. "I thought you were helping Captain Baird."

"I told him I had a personal matter I needed to attend to. Now…" The prince looked out over the water. "You seem troubled. Why not share what's on your mind? Although, I feel as though I may already know."

Abel hesitated, unsure if he should say anything at all. His troubles would seem so trivial compared to the ordeals a prince would-

"You feel as though you are unfit to bear the title of Hero," Roland then said. "That you are lacking compared to other Champions." The prince looked down at Abel. "Is that an accurate assessment?"

It was. So Abel allowed himself to speak freely. " I know that my responsibility is to defeat the Overlord. And, I know it isn't meant to be easy. If it was, we wouldn't need Heroes. But after meeting you, the others, the Wyverns, I… I just… I feel so small compared to all of you. So… weak. Like… I shouldn't be here. That I was picked by accident. That someone else should be where I am now. Like… the gods will realize they made a mistake, and take everything away from me."

Roland touched his chin. "Your fears are not unfamiliar to me. At some stage, every Hero has doubts over whether they have the strength to bear the burden placed upon them. It is well-known that Alondight himself was plagued by such fears. And for all of my training, I will confess that there are times when I have succumbed to them."

Abel couldn't help but feel skeptical. How could a man who could deflect an arrow of light with nothing but his own strength feel that he was unworthy?

Roland's expression changed, from serene to solemn. "My family isn't just royalty- they are descendants of a Hero who slew the Overlord after the fall of Cybele. Every member of my line knew there was a chance that they could be called upon to serve once more… and now, that burden has fallen to me."

The prince then took a few steps toward the water, clasping his hands behind his back. "Every member of a Hero's lineage is expected to achieve greatness. And from the moment they're old enough to understand the world around them, the importance of their future reign is impressed upon a prince. Individually, a Hero's descendant and a prince are under tremendous pressure. So imagine how great expectations are for someone who bears both burdens." Roland hung his head slightly. "I must confess, Lord Abel. In a way, I envy you."

"Envy me?" Abel asked incredulously. Roland was a prince. Champion of Ilias, respected and admired by practically everyone they'd encountered. What could Abel possibly have that he would be envious of?

Roland looked back. "All I can do is meet the standards set by those who came before me. But you are free from the burden of expectation. You can surprise people with what you can accomplish, and soar to heights that I can't even imagine. I envy that. That freedom."

Abel wondered just how envious Roland would be if he were to share the story his master had burned his fingertips on the stove for being a thief- she had sent them out to buy wheat, and when he returned with less than she asked for, she was convinced it was because he had taken some of the money she'd given him for himself. She utterly refused to believe the explanation Abel repeated from the merchant: that prices had gone up due to a poor harvest that year. Or Master Rachel's preferred method of punishment- lacing Abel's meals with so much pepper that they were completely inedible. Even now, tasting even a slight hint of pepper in his meals made his stomach roil. Or the games that Zechariah and the other boys liked to play with him. Their favorite was one where they would hold Abel's wrist against a stump, and chop between his fingers with an axe as quickly as they could- the winner was the first boy to make Abel wet himself.

…But in the end, Abel chose to keep those memories to himself.

Roland let out a sigh, before turning away from the sea. "I must say, Lord Abel. I'm really not the person you should have had this conversation with."

That took Abel by surprise. "What do you mean?"

Roland replied with a question of his own: "What good do allies serve, if you do not call upon them when you need them?" The prince then began to walk away. "Remember this: Alondight is seen as the greatest Hero of all time, but even he, with all his strength, did not face the Dread Dragon Bahamut alone." He climbed up the hill leading away from the beach, disappearing behind its crest.

At that moment, Abel felt Niel stir. He looked back to his hands, to see the angel sitting up, rubbing one eye. "Nnngh… Abel? Why are we at the beach? Where's everyone else?"

Abel didn't answer any of the angel's questions. Instead, in slow, halting words, Abel asked a question that he had never asked anyone before.

"Niel… can… can you… help me?"

The angel slowly stood before taking to the air, wavering slightly on unsteady wings. "I… well, yeah, sure. It's part of my duties."

"Would you still help me even if you hadn't given me your blood? If… I… wasn't a Hero?"

Niel must have realized something wasn't right, because she came out of her stupor quickly. "Abel, is something bothering you?"

"I'm sorry. I… I don't… really know how to ask people for help," he replied. "I've never had anyone to ask before now."

Even as a popular destination for travelers, night came early in Fueno. That suited Fiann just fine. Her recent change of circumstances meant she had to do quite a lot of things others found unsavory under a cloak of darkness.

Her new lute had brought in a fair bit of coin. Not as much as she would have liked, but that was no fault of the instrument- its craftsmanship was without peer. She simply needed to adjust to the new finger placements, the arrangements of the strings, and its weight- whatever wood it was made of was surprisingly heavy.

She'd been in Fueno for some time. So she knew precisely where she was going. Stopping on the small step in front, she knocked loudly on the wooden door of a small house on the north end of the city, alongside the harbor, just outside the city walls.

There was some grumbling within, and the door swung open. For a moment, Georg looked surprised to see Fiann, before surprising it. "Well, this is unexpected," he said. "What brings you here, vagabond?"

Fiann said nothing. Instead, she held out a pouch to the man. Georg eagerly took it and peered inside, seemingly pleased with what he saw. "Ah, I see," he said. "I knew you'd come to your senses eventually." He then stepped aside. "Why don't you step inside? Have to make sure what you owe is all here."

Fiann did so. Georg's home was small, but laden with gaudy ornaments purchased from the money he'd swindled from traveling minstrels. There was no shortage of them traveling through this region, and though his fee was modest, the sheer volume meant he could afford to live relatively comfortably.

Georg eyed the lute strapped to Fiann's back. "Ah, so Dabas finally parted with that, did he? An import from one of the dwarf holdfasts, if I'm not mistaken. Made from genuine Kadessan redwood. Quite rare this far from Cybele. And quite expensive. It would be unfortunate if something were to happen to it. Wouldn't you agree?"

Again, Fiann said nothing. She was simply waiting for her moment.

Georg dumped the pouch onto a nearby table, and counter the coins within. "…This is a good start, but with all the additional violations you racked up, I'm afraid you still owe quite a bit. See, I learned about something called 'interest.' When banks loan out money, they-"

In one swift motion, Fiann drew a knife hanging from a sheathe hidden behind her back, reached around with her free hand to cover Georg's mouth, and plunged the knife directly into the man's heart. Georg bucked against Fiann, trying to break free, but she knew exactly how to hold him to ensure he couldn't escape from her grasp. And very quickly, his struggling weakened, and he went limp.

Fiann let the body fall from her grasp. Georg had died the moment he threatened to destroy the precious gift she had been given. She was simply ensuring that reality aligned with her perception of it.

Her gift…

Fiann pulled the lute from the sling hanging across her back. She brought it up to her face, and inhaled deeply. Beneath the woody smell, she could still detect the faint traces of his scent. She hugged the lute against her chest, her heart hammering in her breast- she would have squealed in happiness if she was still able to.

Abel. A wonderful name for a wonderful young man. She had given him nothing, but he had given her so much… forget the self-absorbed braggarts that disgraced the title, he was the only one worthy of the name Hero.

But he was in danger. Surrounded on all sides by liars and whores. He probably didn't even realize it, but men with his nature rarely saw the bad sides of those around them. He needed to be removed from their influence, lest their corruption spread to him, or worse yet, they took advantage of his innocence. He needed to be protected.

And she would protect him.

But… that would come later. First, she had things to take care of.

The fish in the harbor would dine well tonight, Fiann thought.