Confusion spread across Edward's face as he stared into Wrath's eyes that were unexpectedly completely serene. He took over the demon? That didn't make sense, he wouldn't have tore them apart the way he did, it would take too much time to do it. He also wouldn't have felt so guilty for doing it if he was the one that intended to do it. Wrath must be lying.
"That's a good try but we both know you only bow to Father."
The demon leaned back to its full height before walking back to its mound and kneeling again. It then raised a hand gesturing to the mound across to ask that Edward sit back down so they could continue the discussion. When the young man didn't move and only fixed the tall predator with a suspicious glare, it shrugged its shoulders accepting that the young man wouldn't relax around it.
"Normally that'd be true, but if you think about it, if I only bowed to Father and only wanted to take your body, how are you able to use some of my abilities then. I'm not talking about life or death situations where it would benefit me to let you use them, but trivial matters such as getting a little upset in a bar or looking for your beloved."
Edward whirled on Wrath and took threatening strides before stopping in front of the tall predator with his finger pointed in its face.
"You don't get to talk about her."
The demon didn't flinch in the slightest at the intense tone, all it did was lazily turn its head and when their eyes connected, the young man stepped back in shock. His blue eyes were in Wrath's eye sockets staring back at him, he could've sworn the predator had red eyes not even ten seconds ago. Perhaps the demon was screwing with him as it usually did, fighting off his shock, he shrugged before taking a step back calming himself. As he did, Wrath's eyes turned back into their usual red color.
"You always find ways to screw with me, that little eye trick was quite the illusion, really threw me off for a second."
"That wasn't an illusion, why don't you ask the troll what color your eyes were when you turned around to threaten me."
That was an odd question that Edward was likely going to ignore but Grand Pabbie clearing his throat got his attention.
"Edward, you need to understand that you two are one in the same. What you're talking to is another half of yourself, and being blinded by emotion is keeping you from realizing the truth."
The young man turned and raised his arms in an exasperated gesture.
"What truth?"
"The truth that when you just now grew angry and threatened that half of you, your eyes bled red as his turned blue."
Edward's eyes widened a moment before he turned to Kristoff who nodded confirming the troll's words. He and Wrath swapped eyes? What does that mean? Does it mean that whenever he gets angry and his eyes turn red, he's willing ceding control to the demon? If that was the case, he couldn't get any more, he couldn't give Wrath more chances.
"Even without being able to read your thoughts, I know what you're thinking. You think that when you use my abilities, I gain more control over you. This is true to a point, using my abilities opens a link between us, one where you draw power from me as I can draw power from you. During this link, the one with the dominant will controls the flow of power between the two of us. When you lost yourself to your anger in the bandit cave, I had no choice in the matter and surrendered all my power to you. That's why you were so much stronger than when you fought Envy the second time. The second time, you were fighting for survival, you used your brain versus using your anger to fuel your actions. During that time I could limit the amount of power you took from me, enough to adequately supply you but enough for me to take over should you put both our lives in danger. Regardless if you use me or not, we can now both open that link. Your will overpowered mine when you had purpose and resolve but now all you exhibit is fear, nothing but irrational fear."
Wrath then rose to its feet again before disappearing in a cloud of black dust and reappearing right in front of the young man and firmly grasped his left forearm with its left claw. Grand Pabbie looked ready to end the conversation but stayed his hand because he felt that the demon needed to say something that the young man needed to hear.
"Because of this I can dominate you more and more, in all honesty I could've taken you over right after you left this place last time when I soundly defeated you. The last three weeks, I've been quiet, testing how much control I had over you, the fact that you couldn't access any of my abilities for days was because I denied you access. As you lived here always constantly afraid of me taking over, your will weakened so much that I allowed you to feel what I felt just to remind you that I'm still here."
Edward's eyes widened as he began to shake. He wondered why the demon was so quiet for so long, surely it couldn't do what it was saying. If it could why not take him over when it had the chance. The demon always expressed a desire to take over and return to its usual habits of destruction. Why wait and put up with Arendelle?
"Your face keeps betraying your thoughts, why didn't I take over? What stopped me from taking over and killing every single person in Arendelle including Elsa because she's a threat to Father? The answer is nothing, absolutely nothing stopped me, I had the desire to kill her before coming here. When you paced in your room, I was so close to taking you over and with just her voice, I was completely shut out."
At this time, Wrath's grip on Edward's arm began to get tighter and tighter as the waves of anger began to grow stronger.
"It angered me to no end to know some little girl had that much power over me, I told myself the moment I take over she was going to be my first victim. But then as you spent time near and around her, I learned to tolerate her voice and presence. The desire to rip her into tiny pieces faded with time, what grew instead were odd feelings that I've never felt in my life. When she first met me, I asked if she was afraid of me. She never answered and instant rage overcame me and I vented on you."
Then surprisingly, Wrath's grip loosened but still kept the young man in its claws but the waves of anger evaporated instantly.
"However after, I asked myself, why was that so infuriating? The ones who knew of my existence feared me until their deaths, why did hers make every fibre of my being rage? I asked myself that question many times and I still don't have an answer, perhaps your emotions flowed into me and stayed my hand. If what the troll said is really true and we are the same being then it would make sense that my reluctance to kill her comes from you. The point is, there was nothing stopping me from taking you over, I just chose not, because I wanted to confirm if we really are the same being. If we are just different aspects of one another then I am the dominant one between us because you lack purpose. All you do is contradict yourself, finding reasons to stay while looking to go. If you don't make up your mind, I'll make it for you. Throughout my life, thought as never occured to me and now that it has, I'm curious to see how all of this plays out. There are five more Sins like us out there with Father all guiding them, I am bound to Father because his will has always been dominant to mine. Never once has anyone managed to dominant me besides him, until you did. Your life has been nothing but anger since I took your mother's life and spared you, you dedicated your life to my death and now have become me. You interest me, I want to see how strong your will is, the one who dogged me down relentlessly and even while dying never considered giving up. If you can't be that strong then I will take over, simple as that, when that happens, Father will know everything that I know. That future you fear will come to pass, unless you learn to dominate me. Make no mistake, I am a threat to you, however I'm willing to give you a fair chance."
The young man listened and eyed the demon wondering if all it said was true. Logically speaking it made sense, the Wrath he encountered in the Dark Forest was pure instinct flailing around killing anything that moved. It was how he was able to fight it, while its moves were faster and far stronger than he, Edward managed to slip past its attacks and make use of the openings it left.
However after they joined and Wrath was able to see all of his memories, the demon changed. Its style of fighting became more refined and more agile. There was no wasted movement when it slaughtered anything in its way. He remembered watching through the eyes of Wrath when it killed off the Mystic Guard. They rushed all at once only to countered, dodged, and deflected as if it was child's play.
He could see that Wrath clearly developed higher thinking and as he recalled the feelings that flowed into him, he could that the demon was nothing more than a means to an end. He hated it for what it made him do but deep down, always wondered with its new thoughts did it regret anything like he did.
There was however, one thing that could undermine what the demon said. All of what it said boiled down to the assumption that Wrath could take over at any time. The fear that came with that possibility weighed on the young man's head but it just occurred to him that Wrath might've planned on that. That all of this was a bluff to make him more susceptible to being controlled. Throughout his years in the military he was always taught that to beat a strong opponent you must either outclass them in strength or in the mind.
Wrath far exceeded him in terms of strength, but with them joined in one body physical strength is meaningless. The fact that he managed to wrestle control from the demon once meant he could do it again so it made him a strong opponent. If Wrath was in reality weaker than he was and used taunts and bluffs to scare him so he'd be easier to defeat, then the demon's whole explanation fell apart. If that's the case then everything the demon said was a lie.
"Now then, I'm curious to see how you react to this. Perhaps you'll become stronger for it, or maybe it'll be the final straw that crushes the ground beneath your feet…"
The sound of swirling dust caught Edward's attention as he watched the claw that gripped his forearm began to envelope in black dust. The substance spread to both of their arms up to their shoulders and when it disappeared, the young man's heart stopped. The idea that Wrath was bluffing to scare him was shattered when he looked at his left arm.
Or rather, Wrath's left arm attached to his body while his left arm was attached to the demon's.
The young man couldn't believe what he was seeing, even when Wrath let him go, the clawed hand didn't move. It was shorter than the demon's right one but was proportional to his right arm. Edward moved the clawed fingers and was horrified to see they responded to him as if they were his arm. Wrath seemed to be doing the same with its new arm before heading back to its mound, kneeling down and without permission from the troll, vanished into thin air.
Grand Pabbie dropped the barrier and approached the young man who looked over with a helpless expression. He looked ready to ask if the troll could do anything but a simple shake of the old one's head dashed his hopes. Edward began to panic as he then tried to access Wrath's abilities to reverse the transformation but couldn't. Kristoff could see the building panic as the young man's body grew taut with fear and he kept trying over and over to force the demon to cooperate.
"Edward, I believe you should take what your other half said to heart. Being consumed by fear will not help you, in fact it will be your greatest enemy and you need to learn to overcome it."
Kristoff was about to agree, but was cut off by the young man whispering.
"Overcome it? You think that I should learn to overcome the fear that for three weeks, Wrath could've just popped out at any time? How many people did I put in danger all this time…"
The young man began to breathe faster as he kept thinking of everything he did in the last three weeks. Training with the guards, hanging out with Kristoff and Anna, kissing Elsa…
All of it began to blur before his eyes and he began to imagine Wrath appearing at any of those times. His chest tightened as no matter how much he breathed he couldn't get any air in his lungs. He started feeling light headed as he began to sway on his feet until a heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Kristoff looking at him with a patient expression.
The young man tried to move away but the grip on his left shoulder tightened keeping him in place. He was about to ask the ice harvester to let go when he was cut off by the large man.
"Trust me."
Edward had a confused expression on his face at the two words. Trust the mountain man to do what?
"Remember when we were back in the forge where Hans ambushed us? You kept me from making a big mistake by grabbing my shoulder and telling me to trust you. Now I'm returning the favor, you need to calm down. Yes I get it, you're afraid that Wrath could've came out at any time, but he didn't. He didn't come out because he was curious on how you lived here, with us. Yes he can come out at any time but worrying about it is not gonna help, all you can do now is just keep doing what you've been doing."
"I can't, I need to leave now, as soon as we get back to Arendelle I need to go…"
Edward didn't get to finish as Kristoff suddenly frowned and grabbed his other shoulder and shook him hard. "What's that going to accomplish?! You go to some remote island and what just sit on a rock all day? Guess what, Wrath's still going to be there. Also you heard what he said, when he takes over, that's game over. You think you're dangerous, everyone in the world is! Anyone could just one day decide to lose their mind and kill people, but they have friends who will snap them out of it. You have friends here! Anna, Elsa, me, Olaf, the Captain, we're all here to help you! Look I get it man, you're scared you're really scared but running like a coward isn't going to help. How do you think we'd all feel if you just up and left without saying anything? Well let me tell you how Anna would feel, she'd be pissed and probably track you down so she could punch you and I'll probably join her. Hell think about Elsa, Anna told me what happened between you two. It ain't my business but you really hurt her, she's been through the exact same thing you've been through and you keep pushing her away when she could be helping you."
Edward looked away as he listened, Kristoff made some good points but he couldn't help but think about what could happen if Wrath let itself out. Grand Pabbie cleared his throat to get the young man's attention as well.
"He's right, hiding yourself away won't help anything. Especially if what your other half said was true. If there really are five more Sins out there then Arendelle will be in great danger. If you leave without finding a way to break from Father's control you will only come back as an enemy of Arendelle, bringing the very outcome you fear."
Edward sighed, the two of them had points but he was still unsure.
"You need time to think on this, return to Arendelle. We will be here if you ever again need council. Kristoff do remember to wash often, we don't want Anna calling off the marriage just because of the way you smell."
The mountain man whirled over to the troll in embarrassment, shifting his mind off the young man. "I don't smell that bad!"
"Well not to us but we are living rocks, Anna is a Princess. She might think that your smell needs to improve, and we're not the ones who's going to be sharing a bed with you."
The mountain man blushed and feebly tried to defend himself to the old troll. Edward watched the display and had a small smile on his face, the atmosphere was grim a few moments ago. The young man appreciated the change in topic.
After a few more jibes at the Kristoff, the two of them returned to Sven and were about to head back to Arendelle when the mountain man rummaged through the sack he always had in his sleigh. After finding what he was looking for, he turned around and threw the young man a thick winter coat and gloves. Edward looked at them before looking back up toward Kristoff who gave him a smile.
"I thought maybe you didn't want to tell anyone when we got back what happened so you can wear that to hide the arm. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone until you're ready, not even Anna."
The young man gave the ice harvester a small smile before shrugging on the coat and gloves before the two of them got into the sleigh and took off. The trip back to Arendelle was relaxing for Edward, Kristoff said nothing as he felt his friend needed the silence to think. The young man couldn't be more thankful, as he absentmindedly fiddled with his hands. When he touched his left hand with his right one, he could barely feel the rough texture of scales on his hand as well as the tips of his claws. Neither of these would likely be noticeable to another person unless held his hand for a longer period of time than usual.
Edward would have to buy a thick coat of his own when he returned to Arendelle as well as some gloves so he could return Kristoff's. Part of him wondered if he should tell Elsa and Anna what happened. He appreciated that Kristoff was willing to stay quiet but he honestly didn't know why he should hide it from the two women. They already knew about Wrath and the struggle the young man went through, at this point was hiding something from them necessary?
He supposed not and decided to tell them but a depressed part of his mind showed him a scenario of what could happen if he came clean. He'd tell them and Elsa would be horrified that he posed such a danger to her people so she decides to imprison him so he could be executed. To be quite honest, the scenario didn't bother him. Most monarchs would usually destroy any threats to their rule or kingdom, whether they be friends or lovers, the kingdom came first. He wouldn't blame Elsa for choosing to protect her kingdom, what bothered him was the possibility that if he told her, she'd write him off as a monster.
Even now, he still felt that he was a monster, but he was relieved and happy to know that the blonde woman didn't think so. She felt that he was a victim of his circumstance, which he was, but the fact remained his body committed the crimes and he never paid for them. He briefly wondered how other people would react to knowing what was inside him, they may have accepted Elsa and her ice magic but they didn't know him. During his three weeks of being an instructor, he had gotten some flak from council members as well as some of his pupils that a stranger shouldn't have a hand in their military. He ignored most of it then continued with his job but it didn't stop the young man from watching his step.
Edward began to wonder how long it would take to adequately train the guards. It took a considerable amount of time to train someone to be a competent warrior who could adapt on his feet. It took the young man years to get to where he is right now, Stonewell had decades of experience as well. It would be difficult if not downright impossible to imprint a good portion of the two men's knowledge into the guards in a couple of months.
The young man had agreed to stay in Arendelle until Stonewell felt his soldiers were up to snuff. He thought it'd be a couple of months but now realized it might be much longer than that. After what Wrath said, Edward wondered if that was such a bad thing. Now that he had time to think and calm down, he realized Kristoff was right. There was essentially no point in his running to isolation, Wrath could easily take over his body before he could commit to the idea. There was also the fact the demon expressed interest in Elsa and made no move against her due to its curiosity.
In the back of his mind, he remembered sharing a kiss with the blonde and feeling the demon become restless. With the idea that his emotions may have flowed into Wrath, maybe his attractions to her caused the demon to develop its own. The thought of the two of them holding one another irritated him but surprisingly it was less than what he felt when he thought about Hector.
The young man shook his head, there were so many thoughts running around in his head. Most of them were worries about the demon but based off what just happened there was logically no point in him worrying. Right now he was at Wrath's mercy. The predator gave sound advice but he was hesitant to listen, maybe the Captain could help him clear his mind. The old man could easily see his inner turmoil on top of the issues with his anger. It'd make sense to confer with him again, as Grand Pabbie suggested.
Edward almost didn't notice that they had returned to Arendelle with his mind being so occupied. He dropped down off the sleigh and helped the mountain man unhook the reindeer before jogging off to the training yard. His class should just about be finished so he'd have to spar with the Captain soon. Edward went to his section of the training yard where Klein was going through some basic sword form drills he had taught the guard a week prior.
Practice always makes perfect and enforcing the basics were essential. The young guard was uptight and looked pretty nervous but he was leading them well. If the Captain ever did retire, Edward would be sure to recommend Klein for the position. The young man stood off to the side until the lesson was completed, there was no need for him to steal the guard's spotlight. When all the novices began to pack up, Edward approached the Klein who stood at attention when he noticed the young man.
"SIr what can I do for you?
Edward chuckled before gesturing him to relax. "First of all, I'm not formally part of Arendelle's military so I don't have any rank over you. Secondly I just wanted to commend you, you kept everyone working and you remembered basics that will save your life. I think that with time, you might be able to take the Captain of the Guard position if you wished."
That caused a blush of embarrassment to bloom on the young guard's face as he shook his hands in denial. "I don't think I'll be that good even with a hundred years of training. I mean look at the Captain, the man's a war hero who survived many wars and was handpicked by the late King because of his impressive skill. I can barely swing a sword straight, how am I supposed to get to that level?"
Edward pulled the young guard to have a seat with him so they could talk in a more relaxed setting. Right now he should be worrying about himself and Wrath but seeing such an earnest guy doubt himself made him pull his head out of his worrying ass.
"You get there with time and practice, not all legends happen overnight. I'm sure even Stonewell had a tough time in the beginning, the one thing you need to remember when starting a journey is that it begins with a single step. You already took the first step when you joined the Arendelle guard, you're taking another step when you listen to me and train. If you keep taking small steps, you'll get there one day, and when you do, don't forget all the people who helped you get there."
Klein couldn't help but smile at the speech, it was good to hear it. He of course had heard the rumors of the guards' new instructor, the stranger that managed to save the Queen. Some were in awe of such a feat while others distrusted the young man since they knew absolutely nothing about him and he had gained a position overseeing most of them. Klein had no opinion on the matter to be honest, all he cared about was his sister and defending the Queen.
His sister was the only family he had left since his mother and father passed away in a hunting accident leaving a sixteen year old boy to take care of his sickly twelve year old sister. Looking for work opportunities he joined the guard where the pay was decent and he was always given meals. Even after dedicating all of his income to his sister, it still wasn't enough to get her the treatment she needed. Until Queen Elsa took power and saw to the improvement of her kingdom, including medical aid.
It was thanks to her his sister could get out of bed and enjoy the summer season.
Even though she's still mostly in bed, her condition had improved and Klein had pledged his loyalty to the Queen. He did the best he could but it was quite obvious he was the runt of the litter when it came to ability. The Captain couldn't train every single guard alone while maintaining Arendelle's security, so his improvement was somewhat stunted. However thanks to Edward coming to help teach them, Klein saw improvement in the first three weeks.
With the new instructor looking out for the novices, Klein changed his opinion of the man. He was happy that someone like him came along who was willing to work with them as well as sit down and give encouragement. However, the young guard could see there were times when Edward would be faraway in his thoughts and look unhappy. It was rare seeing as he kept up the facade of being ok all the time but if you paid enough attention you could see his shoulders sagging under a heavy weight.
Klein never asked about the man's personal life, but he could tell something was wrong with him. The young guard wanted to say something, to help, however he wondered what could he do? The answer was there wasn't much he could do so he settled with appreciating that Edward was here and would support the instructor if he needed to.
"Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. So did you finish that errand you had to run?"
"Yeah, now I need to speak to Stonewell. Do you know where he is?"
"He's in his office, went straight there after meeting with the council after you left."
That caught the young man's attention. Why did the council need to speak with the Captain, maybe they wanted to reprimand him for what he said to that noble. While it made Edward chuckle when he thought about it, the whole reason the old man stepped in to talk was because of him. If the Captain hadn't stopped him from assaulting the arrogant guard, he wouldn't have insulted the noble.
"Do you know what for?"
"Well it's almost time for the Winter Solstice Gathering, so the council probably wanted to remind him of his boundaries. They did the same thing last year and he was pissed for about a week since they made him attend the Gathering."
"What's wrong with the Gathering?"
"Nothing, it's just the Captain hates going to social gatherings with nobles. He always say they just see him as a dressed up attack dog, which wouldn't bother him if they didn't keep reminding him how short his leash is."
Edward nodded and tried to imagine Stonewell mingling with the nobles and royals with them asking question after question about the battles he was in and reminding him that he was a commoner. The young man could easily the old man losing his patience and putting one of them in the infirmary but remembered what the Captain said earlier. He represented Arendelle and the Queen, who abhorred violence, so for the old man to engage in it with allies close by would be a blow to Elsa's image which Stonewell took very seriously.
"He must hate them."
"Oh you have no idea."
Thanking Klein, Edward got to his feet and made his way to the Captain's office. When he arrived at the door, he knocked three times and waited until he heard a sigh then a 'Come in.' Opening the door, he was greeted with the sight of Stonewell sitting at his desk going through some documents without a cigar in his mouth. When the old man looked up from his work, he leaned back with a resigned expression as he looked at the clock mounted on the wall. It was about time for their nightly sparring session, while the old man loved a good fight, right now he wasn't in the mood. However duty can before feelings and he exhaled as he began getting to his feet.
"Give me a second and meet me in the training yard so we can get our session over with."
Edward could easily see the Captain didn't want to spar right now and held out his hand to stop him from reaching his weapons. "I'm not here for that. Actually, I was wondering if we could talk instead of sparring there's something on my mind that I wanted to speak with you about."
The old man looked at his newest instructor with an unreadable expression before walking to the door and closing it before taking a seat in his chair. "This got something to do with our earlier conversation?" The Captain got a nod in response.
"Is it about the guilt you feel?"
"No its about you saying my will is weak. You said you've done horrible things that led you to this point right now and you would do them again. I'm the opposite, I spent my entire life chasing after one goal. And after obtaining that goal I found out it was all for not and feel hollow about its completion."
"So you were after revenge weren't you?"
Edward should've been surprised the old man knew exactly what he meant but to be honest he wasn't. The Captain had been around a long time and knew the aspects of being a warrior for that long. The young man nodded to Stonewell's question.
"Revenge is a fool's dream. It blinds you gets in the way of your duty. It also rarely ever ends with you feeling justified with its completion."
"What if they deserve it? What if you needed to stop them from doing to anyone else ever again?"
Edward had mixed feelings about the Captain's words. Wrath had killed his mother and was a mindless predator that killed many others, it deserved to die. The only downside was him becoming Wrath and giving it even more power to return to its homicidal tendencies. The young man felt that since he was the only one spared in the village after Wrath killed his mother, he was the only one who could end that monster. No one worked harder than him for the pursuit of that goal, the hell that was his childhood was made possible to endure because of his single minded goal to have his revenge.
"Then tell me, how many people have you killed to get you your revenge? Can you honestly say that all of them deserved being killed by you and have no reason to desire your death?
Edward looked down in shame, the answer was many. He killed many soldiers to get to Wrath, even though the Mystic Guard was created for mystical threats, they still made great infiltration teams that could hit an enemy right before the King's Spearhead's invasion. He couldn't say that all the men he killed to survive all deserved death, they were just defending their homes and families. What put him on the higher moral ground than them?
As the young man thought about that, he remembered something the Captain said.
"Didn't you say nothing else matters as long as you do your job? Why should it matter that I killed however many people in pursuit of my goals? I achieved my goal, I could've only done that by cutting my way through anyone who stood in my way."
The young man didn't mean it in a way that he was justifying killing all those men but the Captain called revenge a fool's dream but to him the end justifies the means. If that were true, then he couldn't say that revenge was right or wrong since the end resulted in someone getting their justice.
"I did but you fail to see my point. Your job isn't for yourself, its for the person you're working under. Revenge is a fool's dream because it is only for you. I killed a lot of people for my home, doing that prolonged its existence before it was crushed. Your quest for revenge was only for you, the people you killed might have been fighting for something bigger than themselves. Home, friends, family, love, these are all things we fight for that are bigger than anything in the world. You got your revenge and found it unfulfilling, right. Well it was because you only did it for yourself and beyond that there's nothing more to do. Now look where you are, you have no idea what to fight for because you only spent your life chasing something for yourself and found out it wasn't worth it. That is why you're stagnant and have no resolve."
The old man's words seemed to light a spark of anger in Edward as he got to his feet and couldn't help but shout.
"Then what am I supposed to do?! I watched my mother get murdered right in front of me and because of that, my life was made a living hell because of that monster. It deserved to die at my hands but after killing it, I became the very thing I wanted to destroy. What should I do now?! You say I should fight for something bigger than myself, then what if I don't want to fight? What if I'm done fighting and killing and deserve being able to just live like a regular person?"
"If that were the case then why did you climb the mountain for the Queen instead of doing what you told Bjorgman and warned me about the imposters?"
The anger from the young man evaporated when he was questioned about that. He wasn't aware the Captain knew about his initial plan of warning him but choosing to run after Elsa instead. The decision was a split second one, he didn't know why he made. If he had just warned the Captain, no one would know about Wrath, and he would've never had to face Ahimoth. However he couldn't think about himself, all he could think about was Elsa being in trouble and that made his body race to get to her.
Not hearing a response from the young man, Stonewell continued. "I've read the reports and talked to Her Majesty as well as Bjorgman. You went to great lengths to rescue her Majesty and from Bjorgman's description, you were quite the warrior being able to hold your own against that man, Zavis. When we first fought, I was impressed with you but, you didn't live up to the picture I had of you from what the mountain harvester said. Sure he isn't a soldier and can't be expected to know how skilled a warrior is but you were able to overpower a man who could capture the Queen and take out a good amount of my guards. When we fought you were lacking, making mistakes someone who has dedicated their life to training wouldn't. If you wanted to be a regular person done with fighting, you would've came to me, but instead you chose to fight."
T-that's...wrong. I didn't mean to, I just wanted to run. How could I be pulled into this?
The young man's expression seemed to be one of turmoil at the old man's words. The Captain could understand that after a lifetime of fighting, peace would sound like a dream. But sometimes soldiers who fought for so long couldn't function in a world of peace. Arendelle was a peaceful place, people here were bright and happy and weren't burdened with the fear of war. Queen Elsa has done a commendable effort in keeping her kingdom safe, however it was weak. Having their monarch kidnapped in the capital of the kingdom is inexcusable.
Walter Stonewell was a man of war, always has and always will be. Being in this kingdom had not dulled his killer instinct because he made an effort to keep it honed whenever it was needed. His guards weren't killers, they were guardians as they should be but they needed to be more to protect their kingdom. The young man in front of him was a peculiar one, he had both presence about him. One that longed for peace and just wanted to protect, while the other was a creature of war, ready to kill in a moment.
The old man gathered this the moment they met in the stables. He noticed the way Bjorgman's reindeer stared at the young man in weariness as well as felt the callouses in his hands. It was during their handshake he knew the young man had known the human body very well, the old man knew that his hand was so very close to being broken in the young man's grip who didn't even seem to be putting too much effort into it.
There was also the matter of the bandit bodies that were completely mutilated.
The Captain had decided to go up the mountain himself later that day to see the bodies and he could tell that there hasn't been one wolf around. He knew that Edward lied about the bodies and was likely the one who tore them apart, such a level of violence was likely one of anger. The young man was a clear threat to any he deemed an enemy, however as long as he's been in Arendelle, he was docile. He kept an eye on him to see if he was truly harmless and just wanted to live peacefully. For the most part he acted like he was a peaceful man but deep down there was still that creature ready to kill.
It was part of the reason he made the young man become an instructor and trained with him twice a day. Everytime their swords crossed the old man got a clearer picture of the troubled man in his office. Even now, Edward was hiding something from him, but he didn't care. As long as he didn't pose a threat and continued being helpful to the guards then the old man didn't care.
"Clearly you're on the fence about this but like it or not, your life has bred you into a soldier that will always be ready to fight. Whether that be fighting to destroy something you hate or protecting something you love, that's up to you. I can't tell you what to do, you have to figure that out. I can offer you advice though." The young man looked up with a confused yet hopeful expression.
"Find out what you want, right now what does your heart desire?"
He wanted Wrath to be under his control forever so he wouldn't hurt anyone else.
That when it hit him, he wanted Wrath under control to cope with the guilt of letting the demon have control. He needed more, he needed a bigger reason than just himself. What else could having Wrath under control be for?
The answer was a memory, a small one yet powerful. It was the feeling of Elsa sleeping in his arms, her soft platinum blonde mane lying against his arm, her silk like skin on his own, the smell of winter peppermint that intoxicated him every time she was near.
He wanted to keep Elsa safe from Wrath.
If there was going to be a reason why he wanted to keep control and it wasn't going to be for himself then it would be for her.
"Looks like you found a reason."
Edward was broken out of thought when he noticed the old man began to pull out a cigar with a smirk on his face. How he could seemingly read his mind was sometimes disturbing but he'd give it to the Captain. The man gave sound advice.
"Yeah I think I got one."
"Then focus on it and don't ever give up on it. If your reason is really worth that much to you then you should have no regrets if you follow it to the end." The Captain then pulled out a match and leaned back with the first smile the young man had seen tonight.
"You know you may be a pain in the ass old man, but thanks. It's good to have you around." Stonewell shrugged at the comment and took a long puff from his cigar. Judging by the young man's expression, it looked like he had found what he was looking for. It was nice to have a chat like this where he could offer advice to someone who was troubled, that damn council just saw him as senile war maniac.
There were times where he's been downright insane but he kept his head straight the day he set foot in Arendelle. He did his job, kept them safe, and looked out for anyone in his kingdom. What more could those old fucks want from him? The answer was simple, they wanted to parade him around to other kingdoms, to intimidate them, show them that their attack dog was tame until given the order. Warriors didn't need to show off to other warriors, they proved themselves on the battlefield.
The Captain was tired of being asked over and over what war was like and how many battles he's won. His scars carried the history of his life and he didn't need to relive them after getting over his nightmares. He was just given his invitation to the Gathering earlier today. The event was coming soon and he honestly wished he could push off the date or just not attend the whole thing entirely. However he had to help the Queen convey an image of strength.
He knew how strong the young woman was, always working hard to improve her kingdom and keeping it peaceful despite the obstacles in her way. Her power over ice and snow was a double edged sword, they reassured her allies that they had someone like her on their side but at the same time she was seen as a threat. Even with Arendelle's military being so small compared to others, if she wanted to, the young woman could raise an army of ice creatures and plunge her enemies in eternal winters if she wished it. The Captain knew she'd never abuse her abilities in such a way but it was expected of her, it was part of the image of strength that the other kingdoms made for her.
If he could take a little attention off her and direct it toward him then he could suck up a few questions and looks without losing his mind during the Gathering.
"So I heard about your council meeting." The old man raised an eyebrow asking a silent question to the young man.
"Must be difficult, in the little time I've gotten to know you, you always spoke your mind whenever you wanted to. Except at the Gathering around allies of Arendelle. I remember you telling me earlier that we must think on how we act affect the people around us, and that helped me understand why you stay silent. You don't want to hurt Elsa's image in anyway."
The Captain leaned forward off the back of his chair then propped his head on his left arm as he moved his cigar side to side. When did the young man become so intuitive?
"I just wanted to say that it's a tough break, and I wish I could help." The old man was about to wave off the young man until a thought occurred to him that made him pull the cigar out of his mouth and fix the new instructor with an intense look. Edward noticed the stare and wondered what could be on the old man's mind.
"Maybe you can…"
The thought that occurred to him was shaky. It would help the old man at the same time it would also benefit the young one too. He wasn't ignorant in the least of what transpired in the last week. He could see the frustration in the young man's body as he performed his duties this week and he could also see the change in Her Majesty's routine. Something happened between them that made the air between them palpable with tension.
His first instinct was to demand Edward to spill what happened between him and the young woman but refrained for now. It was earlier today when the Princess confronted the young man and he finally understood what had happened. Usually as Captain of the guard, he was supposed to advise the young man to give up his feelings for the young Queen but it already seemed he was giving up already. His protective instincts for her were genuine and made the old man smile knowing that the Queen had someone else watching her back.
The Captain said that Edward needed a reason and now that he found it, the old man had an educated guess on what it could be. So why not give the young man a little push? The thought that had occurred to him might piss off the council but screw them, the only thing that the Captain worried about was the young man keeping his cool.
"What do you mean?"
"Edward, what would you say if I asked you to take my place at the Winter Solstice Gathering?"
The young man's face scrunched up in confusion. Why would the old man ask him to go? He was still a stranger in the eyes of the council and he wasn't any formal part of Arendelle. The Winter Solstice Gathering was a ball and a summit for all of Arendelle's allies, shouldn't only important people attend?
"I'd ask if you've gone senile, from what I've heard its one of the most important events in Arendelle. No one knows me here so why would I go in your place, you're the Captain of the Guard, I'm just a nobody trainer."
"A nobody trainer who saved the Queen on his own, plus only a high ranking member of the guard is required to attend. Even though you aren't officially part of the military, you still outrank the other guards due to them being your pupils. You can easily substitute for me and since no one knows who you are, no one should approach you with invasive questions."
Once again the old man made good points but the young man was still unsure. His social skills were decent but with Wrath inside he was a loaded cannon ready to fire if someone pissed him off enough. If the Captain had trouble keeping his mouth shut and he stopped the new instructor from lashing out in anger then how was Edward supposed to survive a night without the old man? Besides balls weren't really his thing, mostly because he never learned to dance, being a vengeful soldier left little time for trivial things.
"You may be right but you of all people know about my explosive temper, you really expect me to keep it under control around those nobles?"
"Yes, you're more aware of it now so you'll make an extra effort not to get riled up."
"I don't even have anything to wear and don't even know how to dance."
"Now you're just making excuses not to go. Look I still have to arrange security for the event and familiarize myself with all the visiting dignitaries security. Its downright impossible to do all that while attending the Gathering, last year I lucked out because we didn't have many allies but now we're expecting almost triple the amount of people coming. It would really help me out if you took my spot and mingled with those snobbish asshats while I do my job."
The Captain's face didn't have a pleading expression, probably should've given the request but the old man would likely rather die over begging for anything. Edward crossed his arms and bounced the idea in his head. The Captain was being screwed over right now and him going would help lighten the load but the young man was still unsure about being around other people. Especially with his new left arm. He was a safety risk and should say no but he then thought about the last three weeks getting to know the old man. They butted heads but it was nice to have an older figure to train with him again, plus he owed the Captain for earlier today. The young man sighed before throwing his hands up in the air.
"I just got to attend one ball, don't gotta dance or anything, just be there right?"
"Do you really see me dancing at one of these things?"
"Yeah I would pay to see your dust filled ass gliding across the dance floor."
"Don't forget this 'dust filled ass' kicked yours without trying too hard."
"Yeah well I've been practicing."
"You better put that practicing on hold then since you need to learn how to dance and get ready for the ball. I'd ask Gerda if I were you, she's been known to turn bumbling idiots into decent men."
"Am I detecting something more in your voice than respect? You better watch out for Kai, he might spike your meals with something."
The old man only pointed to the door.
"Out."
Edward chuckled as he got out of his chair and made his way to the door. He opened and just as he was about to step through he looked back at Stonewell with a sincere expression. "Thanks, I really needed that talk." The Captain waved him off before going back to his documents, already pulling out another cigar to replace the one he just finished. How the old man managed to finish them so fast without hacking up his guts, Edward would never know.
The young man left and before leaving the training yard. The moon was visible in the sky so it was likely time to head home. On the way back he thought about everything that happened today. Wrath admitting it was giving him a chance was surprising, it was no secret they hated one another but the demon might've found some empathy for the young man. That just left him to find a purpose, he thought just controlling Wrath so it wouldn't hurt people was enough but obviously his left arm contested that. The demon was now the dominant one between them, however what he said about that night in the bandit cave struck a chord in him.
Edward managed to completely dominate Wrath to the point that Zavis couldn't react to being impaled and those two guards having no chance to oppose him. He thought about it over and over again wondering what was the factor that allowed him to control the demon. The answer was obvious yet he didn't want to believe it until today.
It was Elsa.
Fearing for her safety pushed out all doubt in his mind. When he saw her tears, there was no hesitation whatsoever, his mind was clearer, he moved faster, and was so much stronger. When they escaped into the cave and he asked her if they actually raped her, he was furious. He had doubts that he could go back up the mountain and kill every bandit in there but in the back of his head, if she said that they did, he knew he'd marched back up there and made sure none of them survived.
He was still worried that Father could use him to hurt Elsa. According to Wrath, Father could control them both by imposing his will over the two of them, however if Edward's will was stronger than Father's then he'd be immune to being controlled. It was a shaky idea, there was no way to test how strong his will would have to be, wrestling control from Wrath the first time was incredibly difficult. The demon was completely submissive to Father, that meant that Father's will was so much stronger than Wrath's. If he had trouble with just the demon now, Edward shook at the idea of coming up against someone that Wrath never questioned.
There wasn't even a timetable, only that Wrath would give him a fair chance. It was still a grace of God that Father never attacked Arendelle anytime throughout the year that Elsa's ice magic was revealed. If there were really five more Sins out there besides him and Zavis then surely Father would ensure Elsa's demise as soon as possible. What reason could he have to wait? All these questions plagued Edward's mind but he realized that he didn't know and had no way to find out. All he could do now was focus on Wrath.
He entered his room and closed the door before removing his clothing and revealing his left arm. He rotated his wrist, moved his arm around, and made basic movements with it. It felt exactly like his right arm, just looked different and had claws for fingertips. The young man looked over to his desk and sat down before rifling through his drawers before finding a small dagger. Even though he was stronger now than when he was in the Mystic Guard, it was always nice to have a hidden weapon. It was a simple dagger double edged blade with a small guard and handle. He tossed it up and down before catching it in his left hand by the tip.
Wrath said that this could be the final straw…
Edward the grasped the blade with his hand and squeezed. He felt the blade cut into his palm but he also felt the metal give way under his grip. When he opened his hand, the blade was completely crushed into shards with the base of the shaft looking ready to shatter at the slightest amount of pressure. There was a small amount of blood in his palm but he could tell the wound had already closed.
It also said that I could become stronger for it.
In a tavern in a snowy kingdom were two people sitting in their own private booth away from the party. It was a man and woman who both shared tan skin, brown hair, and peculiar red eyes. The man was of average height and had an average build, his hair was short but long enough to have bangs almost concealing his eyes. He was wearing a simple outfit of a blue coat, trousers, and winter boots. Across from him was a beautiful woman who had long hair that stopped at the top of her back and was curled at the base of her neck and framed her heart shaped face. Her clothing consisted of a winter coat that she left the front opened to show off her large cleavage as well as a slit at the bottom to allow her stocking clad legs to show off when she walked.
It was no surprise she attracted attention from the men in the room who couldn't resist her hypnotic gaze as well as the show she'd give. She had already gotten three men to pay for her drink as well as fetch whatever she desired. One man had even tried to slide up against her and offer her a good time, only for the man across from her to grab his wrist and snap it like a twig. He had an everlasting frown on his face every time the woman seduced a man in front of him.
He should've known better, she was only doing what she was made to do but it still irritated him to no end that he even lost his appetite.
"I don't understand why you always get so angry, you know I feel absolutely nothing for these men."
"Just because you don't feel something for them doesn't mean you don't embrace your vices with them when you have time."
The woman looked at him with a patient expression before smiling and leaning over and turning her hypnotic gaze toward him and giving him quite a view.
"Oh are you jealous? Well then why don't you help me embrace my vices? Surely your hunger extends past food."
The man fixed her with an angry yet hurt expression as he leaned back against his chair before turning away from her.
"I won't be your toy Lust, just because you enjoy having men bow to your whims doesn't mean all men are yours to play with.
"Men are weak, they always think with the head in their pants and never see the big picture. Even you think the same, the only difference is, all you want is Rin back yet you know as well as I do that I'm not her anymore, and Gluttony, you should do well to remember that."
Gluttony looked back and noticed the smile on her face was gone, yet he could tell that it bothered her to say the words. The two of them had been together for a very long time, before and after that happened. They were both ordered to stay in Blackdust when Greed and Envy left but were then told to leave before being discovered by King Alrick. Sloth was originally with them but she decided to stay in some village when she decided traveling any further took too much effort.
With just the two of them, they decided to follow Father's instructions and when they did, they were left to their own devices. That was weeks ago, now they just got new instructions to meet up with someone in this tavern, they just didn't know who.
"I remember everything. Don't you?"
The way he said everything made the woman sighed as she looked away unable to meet his eyes. That ended their conversation until they heard a chair scraping the floor and someone plopping down on it next to their booth. Lust shook off her expression before attempting to seduce the newcomer but was surprised when he stared at her with red eyes similar to her own.
"So which one are you."
The woman frowned as she crossed her arms and fixed the newcomer with an irritated expression. He was supposed to be here two hours ago, Father gave them a specific time to be here, who was he to ignore that.
"I'm Lust and the guy across from me trying to keep himself from killing you for being late is Gluttony. Who the fuck are you and why did it take so long to get here?"
The newcomer lazily turned his head and wasn't surprised to see another pair of angry red eyes shooting murderous looks at him. He chuckled a bit before putting his hands up in a calming gesture.
"My apologies, I had to tie up some loose ends as well as run some errands. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Greed and I look forward to working with you two."
Hey guys sorry for the put off update some things came up, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, looks like six out of the seven Sins have been revealed all we need now is Sloth. Please PM or drop a review if you wish to contact me, I will ATTEMPT to get a new chapter up soon, have a nice one :D