Against the Grain of Tragedy
Before the weight of their ineluctable toil eluded him no more, Subaru suddenly realized they were probably making a very grave mistake. Every instinct he had was screaming at himself to paddle downstream, not across it as they were.
Run away, he told himself over and over. But against his turmoil and destruction of the self, he gritted his teeth, furrowed his brow, and continued wading through the boggy water, drawing a line through the line of water which separated the two hells. Their boat rocked against the wind-stricken waters. To his back lay the cursed wood, and to his front remained nought but a solemn memory of a village once teeming with life, sadistically reduced to ruin. He then looked back for a moment, suddenly realizing why he acted so contradictory of himself: in a race against time, Emilia was paddling just as furiously as he.
Something odd bit at him: the futility of her hope, was what it was. She clung desperately to it like how a child would to her mother. It was a small, feeble hope that maybe—just maybe—they could save at least one life amongst the ruins, while unwittingly risking their own in the process. Subaru knew better of it, but even so, he could not garner the courage to speak up. Such destruction was something beyond their capability to alter, and the past could not so easily be undone like it had been before. It was his fault, he figured. Still, Emilia did not know about his former power, nor would he ever let the idea of it escape his lips again.
Their wooden dinghy bobbed clumsily up and down, struggling to find its way across the water. They were almost to the other side of the river now, close enough to feel the heat of the burning village and clear enough to see burning ashes and embers permeating the darkness around them with small speckles of light. The everlasting moon above was now hidden, blanketed in a thick, sooty smoke, banishing its presence and allowing no betrayal through the night enshrouding them. However, the encroaching flames of the village began to envelop the area in all its ferocity, splashing horrid red paint against the dark canvas of the night. This was a queer thing to witness. The world took up an insidious red hue, almost like they had taken a wrong turn into some otherworldly hell. Even the usual murky green water reflected the devilish light in such a way it appeared to burn with both fury and ardour.
With Emilia behind him, Subaru bit back a curse, and against his own better instinct, refused to back down. As their creaking boat made one final lurch forward, it docked itself unceremoniously onto the bank of the river. Rotten wood met damp dirt. With sword in hand, Subaru jumped out of the dinghy, landing with a thud onto the riverbank. Behind him, Emilia stepped carefully out of the boat. He noticed her breathing was uneven, signifying her unease and distress. Wordlessly, she nodded to Subaru, and he returned the gesture in kind. Facing forward, he peered in the direction of the fire.
It was now or never. Soon, all which remained of the village would be the charred remnants of precious lives lost.
Staying low to the ground, Subaru cautiously approached a nearby bush to survey the area behind some sort of cover. Emilia was careful in following him, their pace matching almost step for step. He looked over the clearing, observing the raging bonfire which was the village of Nicia. It was lifeless, and apart from the rising heat which brought beads of sweat to his forehead, there wasn't much else of note. The flames roared and crackled, the wooden settlements providing more than enough dry tinder for a healthy blaze. The air he took into his lungs became more and more polluted with each breath. They had to be quick if they were to do anything meaningful here.
Subaru narrowed his eyes. Beyond the clearing separating the village from the bedraggled harbour, there was a small, almost unnoticeable shuffle in the distance, vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared. It could be someone in need of help.
"Look, over there," Emilia exclaimed.
She pointed at the same thing, her voice a whisper barely reaching his ear. It was too late to turn back now. Indeed, he was just as curious as anyone else would be in this situation—cruelly, more so than dread or pity. He wasn't sure what could have caused the destruction of this place in such a short time, but a few likely candidates immediately came to mind.
But behind him, Emilia had strayed from Subaru's side ever so slightly, her breathing laboured from the surrounding smoky haze. She strained herself not to cough and give away their presence; and then suddenly, in the distance between two burning and unrecognizable buildings, she could hear what sounded like a plea for help. Although it was difficult to hear through wild howl of the flames, she could still make out vague syllables. She focused herself on the direction of the faint voice, pulling her attention away from her surroundings. Preoccupied with the voice, she hadn't realized Subaru had left her side some time ago. Slowly, she approached the distant voice like this. She heard it again, clearer than it had been before. Something was not right, however, as the voice originating from the burning cottage in front of her had changed direction. Now it was much closer than before. Emilia froze, now focused on what was going on around her. She could hear heavy footsteps, too heavy to be Subaru's. Her eyes of lilac widened as she felt a dark and sinister aura approaching her. Not to give herself away, she carefully prepared a small counter spell in her right hand. Her palm radiated faintly with a small flame. She would have to be quick with this.
And then came a sinister voice:
"What do we have here?" it asked.
Emilia turned to face the direction of it, but she was too late. A coarse, dirty hand covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking the incantation to finish the spell, and a knife brushed just over her neck. Her heart dropped, and she froze in terror against the bandit's strong grasp. He was almost inhumanly strong, she felt. He wasn't your normal rogue of the wilds, she quickly realized such. She could feel the coolness of the blade pressed firmly against her skin. The vagabond tightened his grip on her, making sure to stifle any attempted pleas for help.
She couldn't make out her assailant quite clearly, but he appeared to be a younger man, maybe in his late twenties. His face eluded her, concealed under the confines of a dark hood.
"A half-witch whore?" he said. He ran his coarse tongue over her pointy ear lustfully, before continuing. "What's a precious little flower like yourself doing out here all alone, eh?"
Emilia flinched at the unwanted contact, but she dared not fight back with the dagger pressed so violently at her throat. The filthy man continued playing with her, feeling her maturing curves and softness up in places only one person was allowed access to. She felt violated. Emilia bit her tongue and shut her eyes as the man touched her, so deliberately slowly, knowing and evidently enjoying this very fact. His putrid smell made her want to throw up, let alone the feel of his coarse and rotten hands.
"Now, missus," he whispered darkly through the night air. "I haven't felt one as soft as you in my short lifetime. My life may be ending soon, so just a little more, if I may?"
Emilia shut her eyes in resignation as he continued to feel her up. She could feel something she hadn't felt for a long, long time. It was hatred, and it burned and swelled up deep inside her. She was nothing to this man other than a base tool for his pleasure. It had been this way all her life. She was just a worthless half-elf to the common folk, someone who had nought to offer but that of bad omen and ill fortune.
The indignities she suffered now, that he was perpetrating onto her, rung but a hollow bell toll through the ethical boundaries of humanity. Her feelings mattered not, and this made her feel such a thing as hate: more than she ever had before. With this thought, she opened her amethyst eyes. Where had Subaru gone she thought?
A sudden sharp pang in her heart knocked the air from her lungs.
No, they couldn't have. He couldn't be gone. She tried her best to banish the thought of losing Subaru from her mind, but she felt the heat of her tears welling anyway. It was too much to even consider. If she lost him: he, who meant the entire world to her. It was not a possibility. She would not fathom such an outcome. In her silence and dismay, she cursed herself for coming here. This was all her fault. If they had just left, leaving the swelling fires in their wake, none of this would have happened. Again, her natural inclination to help others superseded her better instinct of self-preservation, and now just look where it got her.
Those tears were falling now, with no one caring they did. The vagrant just grinned unpleasantly with his smelly teeth bared in a snarl, shameless to who he was or what he was doing. He probably had nothing to do with the actual village fire itself. He just a byproduct of its existence, simply here to loot from the destruction and its victims, uncaring of those around him or what had taken place. He had violated her and paid no real attention to it or whom she was. He was, quite simply, a wretched existence.
Emilia choked back a sob. If Subaru was gone, she didn't want to live in this world anymore. He was all she had left.
Another man approached from the shadows which lay behind. He was shorter than the other, although just as twisted and wild looking. He sneered at his partner's exotic find, and clapped his hand against his knee, clearly excited. The one who held her had since finally finished his tormenting of Emilia. He just glared at the shorter man, appearing to be somewhat unamused. The short one gasped when he saw her pointed ears. With haste, he withdrew a dirty bandana from his pants pocket.
"Should we gag her?" the short man asked. "So the witch-freak doesn't cast a spell on us."
"Do what you will," her captor said.
With haste, the short man withdrew a dirty bandana from his pants pocket and inserted it into her mouth. The smell of it forced her to wretch. Emilia wanted to bite down on his fingers as hard as she could, but the knife was still against her neck. He wrapped another cloth around her mouth and tied the gag in place, silencing her for good. But with newfound strength, she struggled, bucking against his coarse grasp. The overwhelming power of the leader was too much to overcome. Even for one such as herself, he bore a terrible strength one could not easily discern. Tired of the struggle, the man pulled the jagged knife from her throat and backhanded her uncaringly across the cheek, knocking her into a daze. She lurched in his arms, dazed and unconscious.
Watching her fall limp in his arms, the other man scratched his chin, and pointed to the west. "There was another boy over there yonder," he said, his heavy accent hard to understand. "No trouble he was. Got 'im good, I did. Bashed his head right in with a rock." He cackled and let out a vile, hysteric laugh.
"Where are the others?" the leader asked shortly.
There was a disdain in his voice. It was more evident than before. His partner seemed to take notice.
And he said, "They gone back to camp already, Boss,"
"Let's head on back, then," he said, patting the unconscious girl on the back mockingly. "We will be taking this one here for our own leverage later."
"By the Dragon, I've never fucked a half-elf," he spluttered, spittle emanating from every audible syllable. "I heard if you plough 'em on a full moon, you'll have magical powers come the 'morn."
The leader bore a scowl on his face. "You will not touch her," he said.
"What do you mean, Boss?" the short man asked.
"You got mud in your ears?" the leader asked. "You heard what I said. This one will not be touched. Especially by you, most of all." His gravelly voice grew dark and threatening.
The short man cowered away. "Sure thing, Boss," he said.
The leader scoffed and turned to the east. His wordless respite signalled the other man to follow him, and so he did. With Emilia still over his shoulder, he began walking away. And as he did so, he kept half a mind of his own to touch and grope the unconscious half-elf in perverted ways. But he did not. He could not understand what had come over him. There was no mercy left in his dark heart, his tortured soul. Even so, his better judgement overcame his instinct to do such terrible things.
The flames still roared just as heavily as before. It would be some time before the final embers would burn out, leaving nothing but the charred remains of a village. The man holding Emilia grinned. He had no idea what had happened here, only that his band of outlaws had seen the smoke from afar, and they came quickly to investigate. They never could have expected to find what they did. They were low on supplies themselves, and so it was the perfect opportunity to capitalize on. Having pilfered, looted, and taken all they could, their reason for being here had ended. They had to head further north, and with great haste. No doubt the lawful arm of the Kingdom Knights were hot on their trail. He considered what few options they had, and came to only one conclusion. They had to flee the realm of Lugnica, and fast.
Just two suns and two moons ago, they had robbed, stolen from, and murdered one of the wealthiest merchants in all Lugnica.
The short one called out his name. He picked up speed to walk side-by-side with him. "Hey, Boss," he said, "why're you in such a hurry?"
The two were swallowed in darkness yet again, as they had left the burning village some time ago. The moon hung patiently at their backs as their sole light source, aiding them moving through the darkened field. Close by lay the sleepy forest adjacent to Nicia, the one that led to the crossroads between Priestella to the north and southwards back toward the capital.
"Haven't had a shower in days," he replied. He smirked at the sight of his dirtied hands. They were nearly blackened by the grime of work. He continued, saying, "Wouldn't mind one, and the sooner we get to Priestella, the better."
Afterwards, the two men said nothing for a time. They had walked quite a ways into the forest now, and they made sure to stray from the main road. It didn't make their journey any easier, but it was certainly safer. The road between Priestella and the capital was littered with guard patrols and other unwelcomed interference. Sooner still, the two could smell something smoky and delicious coming from just up ahead. He paid close mind to his steps now, approaching with carefulness and a greater precision. Stepping gently through the soft ground, he eyed a small wire just under his heel. It fell in and out of focus of his sight, the thin strip almost imperceptible in the darkest night of the forest. The moonlight had caught it at just the right angle, revealing its otherwise hidden presence.
He smirked to himself and stepped carefully over it. As he did so, he signalled to his partner of its existence. Protective measures like this were necessary when camping out in the wilds like they were, to easily alert themselves to any unwanted company, human or beast. Much to his dismay, his bumbling buffoon of a partner nearly tripped over the wire as he stepped over it. Why he allied himself with such people in the first place, he would never understand. He sighed heavily, silently judging the man from afar, but decided yet to let it alone. By now, the girl on his shoulders would be waking soon, although he was almost unsure of why he brought her along now. Initially, he did not care what would happen to her, and maybe he would even throw her to the wolves after letting his men have their way with her. However, as he walked across the moonlit night, he eyed her as she rested fast asleep on his shoulder. He had given her some essence of wormroot to ease the ride; and sure enough, she rested well. Her face was serene, and her silver hair glistened in the softly illuminated dusk.
He shook his head for a moment. Why did his mind turn to such things? Probably a witch's charm, he mused. He wasn't soft like that. He shook away the thought of her bewitching him, although he did feel some measure of pity for her, and even the slightest remorse. Perhaps it was wrong to have treated her that way. Sure, he was no stranger to misdeeds. But to defile the girl? Maybe once she woke, he could set things right.
Stepping foot inside his camp, he glared at his two other associates who slept comfily under the night stars. The fire they birthed was lit dimly, with only its few last dying embers left before it would extinguish. The night air was cool, even if the tall pines around them provided some protection against the breeze.
He laid Emilia down onto a soft patch of grass and removed her gag. Her breath was even, still deep in sleep as she was and under the wormroot's full effect. He took her gag and bound her wrists with it.
He was a thief—a murderer to be sure—but he did have remorse for his past actions, somewhat more than others. The world was a dark and sad place, as it had always been since he was a child. Nothing had changed since he grew into adulthood, nor would it ever. The poor died in the piss-and-shit-filled streets while the rich grew old, fat and eventually died surrounded by their gems, rocks and gold. That was life as he knew it, and many of the common folk viewed it just the same. So he sat down by the fire and drew his hands closer to the withering flame, dissatisfied by its negligible effect. Grimacing, he took some of the stray firewood on the side and tossed it in the pile, stoking it gently. The dry tinder was just enough to get the fire going strong again, bringing instant relief to his chilled hands. He stared at the flame, and the man's thoughts roved back into the past, to older days: his upbringing wasn't any excuse for his actions, and that's not to say there could ever be an excuse for what he had done. To him, it was all the same. Those who were victim of cruelties, no matter how small or consequential, sometimes dealt their own cruelties onto others in return, until only wickedness was left in the world. One cruelty produced another, and so on; and because of that, he didn't care. In the end, he knew what he was doing, and he owned every one of the decisions he had made.
He pulled his cloak back, revealing a fair but unkempt face, covered in a dark brown scruff of a beard. His brow furrowed heavily over his dark eyes, and his wild hair cascaded down past his collar: a testament to his time spent on the road without a proper cut. He could clean up quite nicely if he desired to. Not that he ever would.
It would be morning before the girl would awake, and because of that, he could afford to close his eye for a minute or two. He couldn't remember a time when he wasn't sleeping on the ground, whether it be dirt, grass or anything else. The man never had a place to call home, never stayed in one place for any noteworthy time. He found himself most comfortable surrounded by nothing but the steady breeze and the natural enclosure of the trees and wildlife. No loud bustling of the big city life, no putrid smell of dragon and human shit in the air. No, he wouldn't find that out here on the path.
The fire next to him burned long after he had passed into the deep thralls of sleep. The steady, scented smoke of the flame wisped through the trees like a silver river through the night.
He lay face down in the dirt. Fires blazed all around him, uncaring of neither his existence nor his plight. As he regained consciousness, his breath stirred, and he blew quick, panicked breaths from his mouth against the grimy mud; and while he struggled to get his wits about him, he remembered where he was, and why he was here.
He was in the ruined village of Nicia, and he had come here with Emilia. He thought himself dead, but maybe he was mistaken after all. Focusing, he tried to remember who or what had attacked him, but he couldn't find the answer. There was nothing, except from the memory of him turning to call for out her name. She had unexpectedly drifted from his side, and only darkness followed that memory.
The bloody crust over his eyes broke apart with difficulty. He rose his hand to wipe it from his eyes. The head wound he suffered had bled profusely, and it pooling into his ears as well. He grimaced, propping himself up an arm as he tried to get up. In his foolhardy attempt, he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. He caught himself in the last second.
It felt like a hammer was pounding a nail into his skull over and over, relentlessly and without mercy. The pain was all-encompassing, always there and beckoning him to fade away into madness. And amidst the mania of his incoherent mind, he saw the same silver-haired half-elf flashing there yet again.
"Emilia!" he called out.
There came no response. Subaru called out her name again. His voice was more frantic this time, more fraught with worry. His heart pummelled against the cage of his sternum. In his panic, he looked around, but saw nothing other than the ruinous remnants of a burning village. He screamed her name again, his voice now beginning to slur the beauty of it. With great effort he took a step, and then another. Soon, nothing but sheer will powered the machinations of his body. He gripped the pommel of his blade furiously and ripped it from its sheath, stabbing it onto the muck and falling the hilt for support.
He would make sure he found whoever did this. And when he did, he would make them suffer; make them regret leaving him alive and with his sword: a means for revenge. Too long had he suffered similar events as this. Death, devastation and chaos followed him like the ghosts of his past, haunting him there at every corner. His rage charged his desire to quell that which tormented him endlessly, once and for all. He would show these bandits no mercy, no quarter, like he had done all those times before. But Subaru heard nothing in response to his calls from the village entrapping him, and there was no sign of Emilia either. In his desperation, he paced himself quickly, using his sharp blade as a walking stick.
Then something odd caught his attention. His boot had crushed something hard into the ground. He looked down and raised his heel. And underneath it lay a small emerald crystal embedded in the soil like a seed. He eyed it carefully, before realizing what it was.
"Puck," he whispered.
He reached down to retrieve the embedded crystal, and took it in his hand. He closed his fist, gripping the necklace so tight it drew blood. The new pain felt good, taking the focus off his constant agony and throbbing skull. He was sure now something terrible had befallen his Emilia. And there, as he stood alone amidst the twilight, a furious and uncontrollable anger swelled within him. He felt in his heart a desperation growing, and from this: a great determination. He seethed to himself in quiet beneath the starry night, surrounded by flames which burned as a reflection of his inner turmoil.
Then he felt a deathly chill overtake him, just like he had been swept away to another world where a blizzard raged. The emerald jewel pulsated with life there in his grasp, and he recoiled violently from a sharp, stabbing pain. The pendant fell solemnly to the dirt yet again, and his surroundings grew very dim. Time itself appeared to slow to a crawl. Flames burned slowly, and the air turned to be arid. His skull throbbed again, something prodded his subconscious, inviting themselves into his inner sanctum of mind and thought:
"They have taken my daughter," the voice exclaimed.
The eerie voice was distant, and almost unclear to him. But one could understood its urgency.
"To where?" Subaru asked.
And the voice replied, "To the forest east of here. You must go now. My light will guide you to her."
The jewel glowed faintly, more so than it had for a long time. Then it shattered into a thousand tiny pale fragments, leaving nothing but a small, translucent glowing blue orb in its wake. The lonesome spirit hovered upwards and briefly floated near Subaru, before abruptly dashing into the dark of the night, leaving a faint trail of dust behind it for him to follow. Subaru knew he had little time to spare, and so he followed it before it would dissipate. It led him through the downs and away from the burning village toward the forest.
The fresh smell of the trees, the crispness of the air: it was heady. His surroundings blurred. He moved through the night with a quickness not like himself. The pulsating spirit guiding him served as his only illumination in the wood. The moon overhead was blacked out by the overhang; and as he continued through the long night, Subaru was externally calm, but inside, he burned like the village inferno. His breathing was fierce and uneven. He had never once felt so filled with such rage as now. Emilia being taken from him like this; he couldn't stand it. His mind, already fragile it was, had been slowly decaying. He was detaching from reality. But here he was, like a needle of light piercing its way through an endless void. Emilia was the only thing left in this world he held so dearly. He would do everything in his power to make sure he wouldn't lose her too. And those who stood in his way? Simply put: he would kill them all. He felt there deep within him a mysterious energy swelling. It gave him focus and the will to act. He didn't quite know what it was, but it wasn't unwelcomed. For too long he had been weak; for too long, had he allowed those he loved to be hurt or even killed. He was powerless to stop the events which spiralled towards destruction right there in front of him. Instead, he had to rely on others to support him, even though he wished only to be the one to make a difference. It was selfish, but he was tired of sitting by the wayside. To watch others save him and his loved ones time and time again: that was another form of torture. No longer would he fear death; no longer would he fear those who hunted him.
When he came to this world, he was nothing but a naive child: blind to the truth and reality that he was nothing but a weakling. And instead of facing his weaknesses, instead of detesting himself for what he was, he hid it behind a cushion of lies, as if he were concealing a rotting corpse. His shame was buried under the guise of a fool; and only now, he finally understood. It took a thousand deaths for him to realize it. Now there would be no more lies. No more deceit of the self. He fully understood his ineptitude, and because of this, he would rectify every error of his past ways.
He saw a sparkle of light. And then the little spirit in front of him paused. It vibrated furiously before slowly fading from sight. At this, Subaru knelt lower, careful not to alert anyone to his presence. He could smell the faint scent of a burnt-out fire coming from up ahead. There was a small clearing where the moon cut through sharply, and its dull blue light shone as a spotlight for him to spy his enemy. Underneath it, five individuals lay sleeping beneath the starry night sky. Among them was the unmistakable sight of a silver-haired half-elf lying unconscious, her hair gleaming in the reflection of the moon.
"Emilia," he whispered.
Subaru struggled to hold back. His voice was feral growl. He felt seething hatred overtake every machination of his body. From his boot, he withdrew a dagger with his left hand, and he carefully readied his sword with his right. Their blades shimmered brightly in the darkness. His face was misshapen in a snarl, his teeth bared and gritting painful-like. He approached carefully, making sure his footsteps elicited no sound. He was quiet, like a predator stalking its prey, ready to strike at any moment. Then as he took a certain step, ever so slowly, he felt something thin brush over his foot. He looked down, and the moonlight revealed a small, thin wire in the corner of his eye. It was practically invisible to the untrained eye in the shrouded darkness. If not for the luck of the moon, he would not have seen it.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Beads of sweat tumbled down his forehead. He made sure to wipe away before it fell. Stepping silently into the camp, he approached one of the slumbering individuals. With his dagger in hand, it hovered near the unknowing man's neck. He made sure not to look at his face; he didn't want any regrets.
And with one quick motion, he embedded the blade deep into the man's throat. As he tore it out, warm blood splashed against his face. His shocked victim awoke in terror, with death already kicking down his door. Subaru held his hand over the panicked man's mouth as the blood pooled from his neck, drowning himself in his own bodily fluids. He struggled, but Subaru straddled him so he couldn't draw any unwanted attention. With death already overtaking the man, such a struggle was short-lived. Very soon his body fell limp, and his panicked, darkened eyes rolled back into his head. Subaru then peered around the encampment.
Nobody had noticed what he had just done.
That left only three more, but the others were closer together. This would pose a problem. He decided he needed to act fast and brazen. The element of surprise was certainly an advantage here, but it could only get him so far.
Gripping both blades with fury, he leapt from the gurgling corpse, and with close precision, he lodged the blood-stained dagger into another man's neck. He awoke with a shock and clawed madly at the blade stuck in his throat. Now incapacitated, he would drown in his own blood as well.
As the panicked sounds of death sang throughout the night, the other two men finally stirred from their sleep. Leaping up, the brown-haired man grasped his sword lying next to him and readied himself. The other wasn't so lucky. With speed, Subaru had already brought his sword down upon the man's collarbone as he reached for his weapon, cutting through his lungs and heart mercilessly. He fell to the ground, dead within seconds of the strike.
Subaru put his foot against the corpse and wrenched his blade from it, spewing the ground in blood. The other man nearby spasmed violently, kicking and wailing with the dagger still stuck in his throat. The brown-haired man readied himself and brought his blade up just in time to block a death blow, parrying a swing from Subaru with great speed and agility. He recoiled, stumbled backwards, and prepared himself with a wild stance, his sword hanging overhead to catch the reflection of the silvery moon.
Subaru grimaced and stared him down with all the hatred he could muster. The brown-haired man just gazed at him with a clear cool head. He furrowed his brow and nodded his head at the unconscious girl which still lay amongst the bloodbath of his friends.
"That elf-bitch is your girl, huh?" he said plainly. "I can see why you're so angry. Believe me, if someone stole from me a fine piece of ass like that half-witch, I would burn down this entire forest. You have my sympathies, kid."
Subaru said nothing in reply. His grasped on his sword tightened further.
The man smiled. "Got nothing to say, huh?" he asked. "Well, let's get this over with, then."
Wordlessly, Subaru lunged forward, blade in hand, and swung it diagonally upwards from the side. His opponent parried him effortlessly, knocking him off balance. The man could have struck him down, but he didn't.
"You bastard!" Subaru said. "Don't you toy with me!"
He leapt forward again, this time from head on. His movements were easy to follow for the seasoned duellist, or for someone of this man's calibre. He smiled to himself as he blocked the incoming jab. The blade passed harmlessly by him, and he thrust his shoulder into Subaru, shoving him to the ground. His blade landed a few feet away. Now disarmed, Subaru lay there, helpless and exposed. The man's own sword hovered just over his face, ready to end his life at any moment. But the blade did not fall, nor did he pull it back. Subaru's breathing was heavy, his heart pounding violently against his chest, almost like it was going to burst. He had felt like this before. Many times in fact: always before he met the cold, bitter end of death.
"You're beat, kid," the bandit leader mocked. "You might have got the drop on my friends, but you weren't so lucky with me. If you were smarter, you would have taken me out first. Not so easy is it, to play the noble hero?"
The man was right. He had failed, and now he was going to die. He knew there was nothing to do but accept it.
"What is your name?" Subaru asked.
"You're about to die," the bandit replied. "It doesn't matter what my name is."
"It does matter," said Subaru. "I want to know the name of the one who finally killed me. Thousands have tried, but ever did they fail."
The man thought for a moment. Then: "Verizar," he said. "That's my name."
Subaru nodded. He was calm on the outside, but his mind raced as he desperately looked for a way out. He couldn't cast any magic, as his gate was still wrecked beyond repair. He couldn't reach his sword. What then, could he do, except die?
He eyed the blade which hovered tauntingly in front of him. Then his brow furrowed. There was one chance, but he had to be quick. There with great speed, he pushed himself off the ground and latched onto Verizar's blade with all his might. It cut through his hands, but it caught his foe off-guard enough to surprise him.
Verizar pulled, attempting to withdraw the blade from Subaru's grasp, but the boy's grip stood strong. Blood pooled down the edges of the blade and dripped onto its pommel. He stood there, wordless and in shock. Perhaps he hadn't expected such resolve from him. While his guard was lowered, Subaru then pushed with all his might to throw his opponent onto his back, using his sword as a catalyst.
His last-ditch effort was nearly successful. But Verizar was ever smarter than he took him for. The bandit leader suddenly let go of his sword, and Subaru fell forward. Before he knew it, the man had withdrawn a small blade from his belt. Subaru gasped at a sudden sharp pain and fell to the ground. He rolled over onto his side and gripped the blade. It was stuck in his back, near his shoulder. He attempted to remove it, but it was wedged between the bone. He quickly scrambled, struggling to get to his feet. But he couldn't get away from his attacker. In a gamble, he overplayed his hand, and he now he had truly lost.
His breathing was laboured now. He rasped for breath. His physicality was beginning to show its limit, no matter what obsession pushed him as it did. He was only human, after all.
Verizar scoffed at the pitiful sight in front of him. He almost felt bad for the kid. To come this far just to fail: that amused him more than anything else.
"You know," he said, "I have to give you credit. You lasted longer against me than most ever did. But now, the game has to come to an end."
He raised his sword high to the night sky for the final blow. Frozen in terror, Subaru was powerless to defend against the blow. Verizar brought his arm down with a terrible speed.
And the blade fell, but nothing struck Subaru. In front of him, there was a golden aura of fire. It hovered brilliantly in front of him, guarding himself from the devastating killing blow with its burning blaze. Subaru looked around, confused as to what was happening.
Verizar cursed. He pulled back and looked around. His eyes widened at what he saw.
"That witch," he exclaimed.
Subaru looked. He couldn't believe his own eyes. Emilia stood there, her amethyst eyes glistening with tears of anger. Her hands were still bound behind her back, but that didn't keep her mouth from speaking the protective incantation. The air around them became dry, dissipating all the moisture of the forest, evaporating in the presence of her power. The heat in the air became so intense her bounds burned to a crisp, finally freeing her hands. She outstretched her arm in the direction of Verizar, and fire combusted from the palm of her hand. His eyes widened in shock, and from a pouch, he pulled a small grey ball. Immediately, he threw it against the ground, and the entire area went up in a grey smoke.
With the shield of fire still surrounding Subaru, Emilia raised both of her hands in the air and released a firewall which encompassed the entire camp, burning all in its path. The grey smoke dissipated immediately. The air shrunk. Smoke and dust spread throughout the clearing, cindering like fireflies in the air, illuminating the darkness with small specks of light. The flames spread from the camp and to the surrounding forest, igniting all in its indominable reach. The dryness of the surrounding wood proved easy tinder for such a fire, and long would it be before the flames faded completely; and ss the strongest of them began to subside, Emilia stumbled slightly, but was caught by Subaru. She had exhausted herself by conjuring such a power she couldn't even remember learning. He looked around them, to make sure they were safe. The man had obviously escaped; only the charred remains of his companions remained, burning from the remnants of the ruinous fires.
The putrid smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and Subaru thought of nothing but to get away from here.
"Emilia, don't look," he said. "Let's go some place else."
Said half-elf looked at him with large tear-filled eyes. She nodded solemnly. The girl couldn't look him in the eyes right now. She couldn't bear to see the pain in them. Subaru had gotten hurt because of her, yet again. Because of her, he had suffered. But with the knife still stuck in his back, he wrapped his arm around her quivering shoulders to help her walk. In truth, he probably needed help with walking more than her. But he could think of nothing else to do in the moment. She accepted his gesture of kindness unwittingly.
The two slowly paced themselves away from the camp. Emilia turned her head, looking back at the carnage they left in their wake. She saw the remains of the three bandits, those who just moments ago drew breath. Never had she done something like this. Not since that time, long ago.
"Don't look back there, Emilia," Subaru said. With his bloodied fingers, he tenderly touched her cheek. "Just forget about it, okay? Just look at me, just think about us."
Her tear-speckled eyes of amethyst locked with his hazel ones. The eyes were the portal to one's soul, and she knew then she had accidentally revealed herself to him. Subaru peered into her troubled soul like this. He saw the pain, the anger she felt, and the sadness. He had to do something, but he knew only one way to comfort her: and that was with his love. But only when he gripped her hand; and only then did she realize how hard she had been clinging to him. His lips pressed against her own, his blood-and-dirt-covered hand cupping her cheek with gentility. In this moment did tears fall from her stricken eyes, and with it, he felt every ounce of feeling pouring from her soft lips: the urgency of her kiss, the occasional bite of the lip, her passion as she pressed against him; and even as a knife still jutted violently from his back.
He didn't care anymore. The only person, the only thing which mattered was the girl who needed him so badly as she did. There was no pain, there was no sorrow: it was gone as soon as they came together as one; and he conveyed this to her with his touch and with his undying need. He told her how he would give his life for her own, he told her not to worry about his wounds. He said to her the world did not matter when it meant her safety. No word needed be said. All of this was in the conviction of their kiss shared between each other.
And when they had come back to reality that night, the two made their way down to a shallow creek dividing the forest in two. Emilia washed his wounds as best she could. She superheated the blade stuck inside him. It was painful, but it was necessary to remove it. Subaru did not cry out in agony, nor did he whine. He let her work, and soon, he felt the warmth of her healing magic soothing him from head to toe. His body ached for sleep and for recovery. Even with her skills, he could still feel the side effects of such devastation to his body, mentally and physically. Much time passed, after it was all said and done, the two took to the road. Subaru told her about her spirit, Puck, and what had happened. If not for him, he would not have found her as he did. He owed the spirit cat a great debt of gratitude. Emilia told him her own stories: said she knew Puck hadn't left her, and that he would guide him to her. That was the kind of protective spirit he was. And come morning, the pair took up the main road for a change and continued up northwards toward Priestella. The two were careful to hide their identity from any oncoming travellers, trying their best to avoid attention. The further they travelled, the colder it got. In the evening, they camped by the side of the road in a small gully. Behind them lay a tree line which cut back into a winding forest they had no interest in traversing. The two hadn't shared much in conversation; instead, they enjoyed their time together without much going on.
But still there was the memory of the burning village. That hellish place called Nicia, and the mystery surrounding it: and it was these thoughts pestering him in the back of his mind like a bad headache. The cursed woods was another point of question for him. Who could ever know if those two events were connected? Even now, he guessed it didn't matter. Such happenings like those were out of his hands in the first place. He struggled to push the thoughts of this away as best he could. But such hopes could not avail him.
They were near the crossroads which lead west to Priestella now. It was a prime trade route, one leading to a small outpost full of city officials and traders. If they were to pass through there, they would have to be careful and seldom talk to anyone. Emilia had suggested they make a roundabout and avoid the crossroad, but Subaru didn't want to risk any more violent confrontation for the time being.
When Subaru heard the trotting steps of ground-dragons pass by, he noticed Emilia struggling to light a fire with her fingertips. She furrowed her brow in a pout, clearly beside herself. It was freezing outside, and they could really use a fire. She snapped her fingers together, over and over just like she had done so many times before. But still, no fire came. She let out an angry huff. A warm fire would feel wonderful for the two of them right now.
"I don't understand!" Emilia whined. She continued snapping her fingers together, saying, "My gate is worn thin. I must have overexerted myself by accident."
"It could be possible," Subaru said, withdrawing some flint and tinder from his pack. "Guess we can settle for the old-fashioned way, though." He took a steel piece and worked it against the flint, over and over, until small sparks lit the dry wood just a little bit. "Once there's a small flame, blow just like this." He cupped his hands, and with precision, he blew just gently on the smouldering tinder. It smoked and spread throughout the wood. Within moments, a small fire had erected.
Emilia clapped excitedly. "Thank you," she said.
"There was nothing to it," Subaru said.
He winked at her, watching her throw a bit of tinder on the flame. He was almost certain she knew how to start a fire without magic. But he was just trying to humour her: to make light about her loss of magical prowess. It would be a damning thing for her gate to be damaged beyond recognition. Her magic was a powerful asset, just to her, but for him as well. Without Puck and a damaged gate, it would be almost impossible for her to, and by god he knew her powers were important. She needed a means to defend herself, and her magic certainly provided that defence.
As they sat around the campfire, the two had relaxed comfortably into the arms of one another. After some time had passed, a growing noise echoed in the pale gloom of the young night. Soon, that echo turned to a roaring thunder, almost akin to a small earthquake, and Subaru looked over to see what the noise was. There he saw a small band of about a dozen merchants and their three ground-dragons making their way down the dusty road toward the outpost. Subaru noticed they were in quite a rush, as the ground-dragons were played out from a long journey. Their deep and repetitive breaths were visible in smoky puffs through the cold air.
Emilia and Subaru both watched the outpost gates swing open without warning, obviously receptive of the merchant's arrival. They chatted with the guards for a minute. A few choice words were exchanged, because he could hear some shouting and other fuss come from their direction. They finished their terse exchange soon enough, and then disappeared within the confines of the outpost's walls.
"That's our ticket" Subaru said, poking at the fire. "We need to get in there somehow. But how?"
Emilia thought for a moment, then smiled, saying, "Well, perhaps we can pose as onr of those merchants?"
It was a typical idea, almost too simple to work. But they didn't look like merchants: a half-elf and a man with no goods to peddle. Yeah, we really look like merchants, Subaru thought sarcastically. "No, that wouldn't work," he then said, scratching the scruff of his growing beard. "But we could sneak in with one of the merchant patrols coming through here."
"That's a good idea," Emilia exclaimed.
Truly, it shouldn't be very difficult to accomplish.
"Hopefully they have a tavern there," Subaru said. He stood up, rubbing his starved stomach. "I could use a hot meal and a good drink to ease my mind."
He didn't think himself a drunk, but he certainly wouldn't mind being drunk for a change. It would take his mind off things for a bit; loosen up, that sort of thing.
Emilia replied with an agreeable moan. Her hunger was evident as well. They were both made tired from their long journey, and the thought of rest excited them greatly. From the distance, Subaru could see another small company of merchants approaching, this time with four ground-dragon caravans transporting goods to Priestella. It was perfect timing.
Subaru kicked dirt over the fire to quickly put it out and picked up his sword and belongings. Emilia followed suit and the two scrambled up the ravine just off the road. There they laid prone in wait for the caravans to pass by.
"Just follow me, okay?" he said, holding her hand tight.
Emilia nodded in response, and swallowed in preparation.
The ground began to shake as the dragons approached closer and closer. The two watched as they began to pass by them. They would do best to take the final caravan in the back to avoid suspicion.
"Now!" he said.
As the final caravan approached, the two jumped up from their low position quickly. Subaru took Emilia in his arms and threw her into the back of the caravan. He just barely hung onto the back of it. Seconds later and he would have missed it. Hanging onto the back of it, he nearly slipped, but Emilia took hold of his hand. She helped him into the wagon and pulled him against her. Now they lay in the back of the transport, undiscovered and on a free ride to the outpost. The caravan shook as it travelled along the road. It was a bumpy ride in the back of a dragon-drawn caravan, as he had once experienced before. But it was no matter; Subaru couldn't complain about their current situation. Everything was going according to plan.
"Well, that couldn't have gone any better," he said. It went almost too well. Nothing ever went well for him, did it?
"Certainly!" she said excitedly.
After a bit, the caravan came to a sudden halt. They had come upon the gate now, and it swung open just like before. One by one the wagons passed through, and as it came to be their turn, he could hear the gate guards exchange a few words with the operator of the ground-dragon.
"You there," the guard exclaimed. He looked at merchants with suspicion. "What goods are you transporting to Priestella?"
"Armaments," the driver said, "and war-time supplies for the guard, sir." There was a nervousness in the merchant's voice.
The guard had little patience for the monotony of his daily duties. He asked, "Do you consent to a search of your goods and properties?"
"That's not good," Subaru said.
Emilia covered her mouth with her palm in shock.
"No, I do not, sir," the driver replied. "I can assure you my goods are completely legal and of the highest quality."
"Pass on through then," the guard finally said, albeit begrudgingly. "Be on your way."
Both Subaru and Emilia breathed a deep sigh of relief. They were about to be caught in the most pathetic way possible. The wagon lurched forward, the wheels rolling over the ground again. The two kept quiet as the convoy passed into the outpost. In silence, they carefully planned when they would make their escape out into the town. And as the caravan made a turn out of sight from the gate-guards, the pair silently slipped out of the caravan and made their way off the road to avoid detection.
Inside the outpost was nothing truly interesting. It served its purpose: to be a trade route between the south cities and the north cities; and for that, it worked out perfectly. Trade routes such as these were popular for government officials to inhabit, so they could properly enforce their trade tax, giving financial support to the main cities. Such a tax was a trifling matter indeed, considering most lesser villages had no governmental support or protection. It was a flawed system to be sure. But there were a few buildings to be seen: shops, cottages, along with what looked to be a shanty tavern to house weary travellers. Merchants were going in and out of it quite rapidly, so clearly it was a popular area.
Nobody questioned the two as they made their way to the entrance. Emilia kept her hood over her ears to conceal her identity as a half-elf, and Subaru kept calmly to himself. In fact, they blended quite well among the populace. He rolled the sliding door back and looked around the nameless tavern. A familiar sight greeted him: humans and demi-humans. Merchants and off duty guards. Even vagabonds from outer territories filled this establishment as like-minded individuals, all sharing in the comfort of a warm watering hole. This tavern even had an entourage playing a few merry songs on their lutes and drums. It was a welcoming sight to behold.
Emilia smiled brightly to Subaru. He returned the gesture. It was areas such as these which took the weight of the world off his shoulders. It was nice to come here to enjoy a hot meal, forget the worlds troubles and drink all his problems away. In a world like this, who couldn't resist doing that?
Subaru felt his stomach release an angry growl. Emilia stifled a laugh in response to it, much to his embarrassment. Not that she wasn't starving herself. She was indeed made to be hungry. Who wouldn't be after what they went through? Even so, it was high time they sat down for some dinner, or they at least needed to get something in their stomachs. So the two sat down at an empty table, and Subaru motioned for the bar-lady to bring them something to eat. She nodded shyly and quickly returned with two mugs of mead, as well as the special of the day. It was some type of potato-soup mashup. Not particularly appetizing as normal, but in these circumstances it more than sufficed. Subaru flipped her a gold piece in a kind gesture of gratitude and quickly dug into his plate.
Emilia chuckled at her starving partner. If they could go less than a day without missing a meal, that would just be amazing. Recently, every time they went out into the wild, it felt like it would be days before they could find food or drink. It was not the most health routine. She hoped it would change in the near future. And as Subaru sipped from his mug of mead, he felt the warmth of the liquor sting his throat. There was a hot sensation tingled in his belly. Simply put, it felt wonderful. After a few more sips from his mug, the effects of the drink began to take over him. This was something which tasted better with every sip. In a daze, he eyed his female partner across from him. Emilia sipped happily from her mug as well. When he lowered his mug, he noticed too she was looking at him with a curious glint in her eye. She was very mischievous looking today.
Subaru hoped things between them would begin to settle down. He did enjoy his budding relationship with Emilia more than anything in the world. But that wasn't the issue. There was such a tension between the two he could barely stand it. It took every ounce of his will to keep him from jumping on her, right here and now in front of everyone.
If they kept this up, things might end badly between them. For sure, once they got some free time to settle down and rest, he would talk about what happened over the past few days with her. They hadn't had the time to sit down and chat about it like a normal couple. No, they didn't have time for that. Even as they endured such devastating and draining events as they did. There still wasn't proper time to sit down and just to talk. But at least they could express things physically. That was always easier for him, more natural in a way. He felt a warm blush spread across his cheeks at his remembrance of such things.
Emilia must have taken note of it too. I wasn't hard to see, after all. She playfully smirked at him and sipped from her mead innocently, as if nothing in the world was bothering her. But she was almost just as conflicted as he was. All the anger she had felt towards those bandits who kidnapped her, who hurt Subaru. And then what had transpired afterwards: she recalled their bodies, the smell of it all. She couldn't think of such things now. She didn't want to think of death, or violence. It was because of this Emilia had almost blocked the event out entirely, forgetting about it for the moment. Even so, it was there at the back of her mind, nagging at her, as such things always did.
But the passage of time always mended the heart. And thankfully, so did drink. After a few mugs of mead and another bowl of soup, Subaru found himself dancing with the patrons of the bar. The music was festive and merry, and he just couldn't keep himself from joining in all of the fun. Well, to be honest, he didn't even realize how he became a part of this in the first place. One moment he was sitting, and the next, dancing, and soon enough the girl of his dreams was in his arms. He held Emilia tightly against him. Her cheeks were buzzing with a reddish hue, well under the influence of whatever they just drank. One step here, another there. It was all a blur.
He hadn't even noticed the precise moment when her hood had fallen off. Now her pointy ears were exposed for all the tavern to see. Luckily enough for the pair, the merry patrons of the bar were far too deep in their cups and preoccupied with the festivities to notice. And so, they danced, danced, and danced some more until the sun had long since set in the west, and the moon rose to take its place.
Eventually, the patrons of the tavern began to recede to the comfort of their beds, and with that, the dancing and merry games ceased. But the effects of the night had long since taken hold. Emilia gave Subaru a wry smile, and he offered her somewhat of a wistful gaze. Her eyes were dilated and inquisitive. Time passed slowly; the whole world was forgotten, except for the single half-elf he kept so close to his heart. He didn't know where they went, or where they were going, but he didn't care. Somehow, the two found themselves in a warm, low-lit room; and as they shut the door behind them, they stumbled to remove their clothes and fumbled onto the bed. To his surprise, by some god somewhere, they had made it without falling to the floor.
The shock of the events which played out the night before were lost to them now. Their lives had become nothing but a warm haze of love and happiness. He felt a burning sensation there, pulling at him, beckoning to his heightened senses, or lack thereof. Emilia, ever the one to please, noticed this, and with all the allure of a goddess, she revealed herself to him.
Subaru hesitated, his mouth agape at the scenery of her silky-smooth alabaster skin. Ever so tantalizing to touch, and even more so to taste. He dragged his mouth across her collarbone, and to her neck, leaving small bites in his wake. The world spun, dizzy like some sort of dream. She moaned and pressed against him in response. At the top of the window, the moon spilt through brilliantly, illuminating their small room in a mystical cast of pale light. Her vibrant amethyst eyes were darker than he had ever seen them before. They spoke to him as he gazed longingly into them, and very clearly, he heard the forbidden words even though her mouth remained still:
"I want you," she said without words.
No part of him dared to protest the silent plea she gave him. Drawing his hands over the smooth contours of her body, Subaru could feel her shallow breath and the deepening flush which graced her pale skin. While he memorized her in the silvery light of the moon, he touched her cheek with a tender palm. She turned her face inward into it and kissed him, savouring his taste as she worked her way around his hand. As she had done so, he removed the final remnants of her clothing and cupped her breasts as they finally revealed themselves. She moaned and tore at his own clothing, her nails leaving superficial marks across his skin as they glided over him with surgical precision.
She needed him, and he her, and soon she lay over him, naked and wanting, and he obliged her. She felt all of him, and they rocked against each other with all the rhythm of a clear blue stream; and as he thrust into her, he felt her need, all her want. He could feel the sorrow, the pain, the suffering, but they paled in comparison to her happiness, the vastness of her peace. She yearned for him so greatly, he knew that now. Yearned like he yearned for her all this time. This was the perfect moment. He reached out to touch her deeper, as far as he could. And when he touched her there, Emilia climaxed for the first time. She whispered the forbidden mantra of his name over and over into his ear, spoken like the spells a witch might cast upon her rune. The pleasure piercing her mind silenced her thoughts, cleared her of all unwanted emotion. There was only Subaru, and nought else in this world now.
As she finished, Subaru began to pace himself quicker and quicker, and he began to lose himself in the pleasures of her sex. Soon enough, he felt his own climax. His was powerful, and a much-needed release into oblivion. His body went limp against her own, and she pulled him deep against her, like she would never let go.
The world became a memory, distant and hazy. But he could still hear her sweet singing voice, whispering forgotten things into his ear, things which were forever lost to him, as all words and syllables of the world were now just a vague idea. He couldn't process anything tangible, but he could still hear her soft angelic voice as it lulled him into a deeper calm than he had ever known. Not wanting to disturb him, she moved out from underneath his body. The boy was still limp against her own. He did not fight back, nor did he try to keep her from going. He just lay there, not abashed, but lost to the world and its intricacies.
All he saw was Emilia, and as she drew loving circles on his back and covered him in small kisses of tender comfort, his passion for her grew tenfold. Soon, his eyes shut, and he rolled comfortably onto his side. She cocooned herself against his unmoving body, caressing him with an everlasting love; and as he drifted away from the waking world, he could hear her soft, gentle voice singing to him there in his dreams.