May 20th, 1565 ME
Order-Controlled City of Floria
Elise Maxwell
"We have two targets. A former Order scientist by the name of Jason Grove, and a Gremlin that we believe is a part of the extremist faction. Our spies have tracked him to the northern regions of Zipangu." I explained to my team. Kenton and Suvina listened in eagerly, yet Nikolas seemed distant and uninterested. "The Order has insisted that we capture both of them alive. Is that understood? If they accidentally die, forget being suspended, the Order will literally bury us alive."
"I'm ready. When do we head out?" Kenton asked, seemingly completely unintimidated. The man was never one to back down from a challenge.
"Bury us alive?" Suvina inquired, her tone slightly more concerned than Kenton. "How important are these people?"
"Well, all I was told was that someone incredibly high up in the Order wanted these people captured, alive. Someone by the name of 'Lockhart'." I responded. "They pissed the Order off by leaking the inner workings of our magic defenses to Druella and her extremists, in exchange for money and a place in Zipangu to hide out in. It is crucial we capture them before they give out any more sensitive information."
"Fuckin' turncoats. The Order is full of them nowadays…" Kenton grumbled angrily under his breath. "Do these people even know the concept of loyalty or faith?"
"No, they don't. So we've been called in to teach them a lesson. Our boat to Zipangu should be arriving in three days. It's been painted to look like a regular merchant ship, which should reduce the chances of us being attacked by sea monsters." Poseidon was my second least favorite god, right next to the Fallen God. Her mermaids made traveling across any body of water incredibly risky for the Order. Order settlements reliant on shipments from across the ocean suffered, which of course the monsters took as a sign to make their "improvements", creating a solution to a problem they caused. It disgusted me.
"Grove and his monster are hiding in Northern Zipangu, on their mountaintop villa. The spies have told me that they have heavy security, so be prepared for combat. Don't wear anything with the Order's insignia on it, either. You know how the Zipanguese react to people of the Order." I continued.
"Understood!" Kenton shouted enthusiastically.
"Understood." Suvina responded, nodding her head.
"..." I awaited Nikolas's response to my orders. The man was staring at his feet, looking unengaged and uninterested in what I was talking about. It was a disturbing pattern that I had observed from him the past few months. Anytime we had a mission with monsters involved, he seemed to be much less passionate about doing his job. Talking to him didn't seem to work, and I couldn't bring myself to report him to my higher-ups.
"Nikolas! Do you understand the orders you are being given?!" I shouted at him. Nikolas slowly lifted his head, looking at me with dispassionate eyes.
"...I understand." He said, slowly.
"Good. All of you, get some rest and train some more before we head out." The three heroes stood up and left the barracks, leaving me alone with my thoughts. All I hoped was that Nikolas would do the right thing when the time came. I decided to get some rest as well before we left Floria.
Four days later
The sun shined down on me as I waited for my team to arrive at the docks. I listened to the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks below. I breathed in and looked at Floria, taking in the scenery. It would be a long time before I would see my home city again. A few minutes later, I saw my team arriving. "Alright team, it's time we leave. Once we get on that boat we won't be seeing land for at least another two weeks, so get used to looking at water." The four of us got on, and after a few last-minute preparations, the boat set sail for Zipangu.
"Captain, have you been to Zipangu before?" Kenton asked, curious. The Order had told us the country was the complete antithesis of the Order's teachings, its inhabitants tolerating or even worse, worshipping monsters. Kenton was obviously disgusted by the place, considering his first experience with a monster.
"No. I haven't. And I wished Jason Grove had fled to someplace other than Zipangu, so I wouldn't have to go there." I said, looking out at the ocean.
Kenton laughed. "Could be worse, Captain. We're lucky he went to a place where the air isn't corrupted. Imagine if he had run to Royal Makai. The amount of corruption in the air in that hellhole would make this mission completely impossible. You'd monsterize before we'd even reach the target."
A shiver went down my spine thinking about Royal Makai. "Don't remind me, Kenton. The last time I went into a Mamono realm, I got my eye scratched out. It still aches sometimes to this day." I rubbed my eyepatch. "Thanks for helping me adjust to fighting with only one eye, Kenton."
"No problem, Cap. I'm going to go check on Nikolas. He hasn't said a word all day. He seemed pretty disconnected from reality during your debriefing." Kenton walked over to the opposite side of the boat, where Nikolas was staring at Floria, slowly disappearing into the distance. I listened in on their conversation.
"Already getting homesick, Nik?" Kenton asked. "You know we're not going to be seeing Floria for a while. Two weeks to get there, maybe a week to complete the mission, and two weeks to get back."
Nikolas huffed in annoyance. "Kenton, I'd like to be left alone. Go bother Suvina or Elise instead."
"...Nikolas, I don't mean to be intrusive, but Elise and I have noticed some… worrying behavior from you. You don't seem enthusiastic about this mission at all. You know that shithead Jason has been leaking information to the extremists? Do you know how much chaos that could cause?" Kenton remarked.
"Shithead, huh?" Said Nikolas, sounding unamused. "I talked to Jason a few weeks ago. He said he didn't like what the Order made him do. He didn't like how he was forced to build devices that harmed monsters."
"...Nik. They're monsters. They'd do the same thing to us if we gave them the chance. Besides, he knew what he was signing up for. Plus, that kind of job is a lifetime commitment. You can't just get out like that." Kenton rationalized.
"I beg to differ. I'd wager he learned the truth about monsters and started getting second thoughts about his career choice. And call me a heretic, but I understand." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kenton slap a hand over Nikolas's mouth.
"Nik, you can't just say shit like that. Imagine how Elise would react if you said that in front of her." Kenton hissed angrily. I shook my head in disappointment hearing Nik's confession. Nikolas had witnessed Kenton being kidnapped by a monster pretending to be his mother. He had fought them off and saved his life. How could he be sympathizing with them?
"Whatever. I'm going to go take a nap. Don't bother me again, Kenton." Nikolas pushed past Kenton and went into the interior of the boat, slamming the door shut behind him. Kenton walked after him, but I put a hand up, signaling him to stop. Kenton walked towards me, a look of frustration and concern on his face.
"What the hell is his problem?" Kenton asked, irritated. "Truth ain't much better than the lie that the Order spreads." I nodded in agreement. Veteran heroes often knew that the Order wasn't completely truthful about how monsters acted. Most of us agreed that the populace couldn't be trusted with the truth, and that chaos and disorder would break out if people knew the true nature of monsters. None of us particularly liked lying to our citizens, but it was a necessary evil.
"Kenton, I need you to do me a favor. Keep an eye on Nikolas, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid when we get to Zipangu. The last thing I need is for him to get some big ideas and betray us." Kenton nodded his head.
"You got it, Cap. I'll keep him under control." Kenton went into the interior of the ship as well, leaving me alone on the deck. I sighed, taking in the atmosphere. The sounds of the ocean were quite relaxing…
Two weeks later
"Land!" One of the sailors shouted, pointing east. I walked over to him, seeing Zipangu come into view. From here, it looked beautiful, but I knew the truth. I entered the cabin of the ship, knocking loudly on the rooms belonging to my teammates. I felt bad waking them up so early in the morning, but I was eager to get this mission done and over with. I didn't want to stay in Zipangu any longer than I had to. Once everyone had woken up, I explained the finer details of the plan to my team over breakfast.
"I will be entering from the east side of the estate. Suvina will take the west side. Kenton, Nikolas, you'll be entering from the southern side. Deal with any monsters you come across, lethally or nonlethally, I don't care. The element of surprise is of utmost priority. If you see Jason or his Gremlin, take them down quietly. Neither of them have any combat experience, so you should be able to deal with them easily."
"Understood!" Kenton and Suvina shouted.
"Understood." Nikolas repeated, although he lacked the energy of Kenton or Suvina. I hoped Kenton would keep him in line.
"Good. Once we finish breakfast, we head out. It's going to take a few hours to reach Jason's house. Keep anything with the Order's symbol out of sight. Oh, and don't forget the special coats Lockhart gave us." I finished up my food and went back to my room to change into some discrete clothing. I settled for a plain gray shirt and brown pants. I grabbed my sword, firmly secured in its sheath with all the crosses hidden from sight. As I left, I stowed away one more thing. A wrist mounted grappling hook, given to me by Lockhart.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was ready to go. We exited the boat, getting our first good look at Zipangu. The small island country's landscapes were much more vibrant and colorful than the Order's environments, and certainly more than Floria. The architecture and nature was incredibly unique, almost alien to me. I had to admit, it was quite pretty. I would be content to spend my final days here. If not for the monsters…
"Hello travelers!" A Crow Tengu chirped happily as she flew down to greet us. "What brings you to Zipangu this lovely morning?" Kenton's hand instinctively went to his sword.
I took a deep breath. "We're visiting someone. A relative."
"Ooooooooooh! Do you need a guide, perhaps? I can take you wherever you please! I can even carry your baggage!" I noticed she was staring intently at Kenton. I stepped between the avian monster and my teammate.
"No, we were given directions. We don't need your help." The Crow Tengu's smile faded as she nodded and flew off. Kenton sighed in relief, glaring at the monster as she flew off.
"Thanks for that, Cap."
"No problem. Let's get going. Keep your heads down so we don't have to talk to any more monsters. Kenton, hold Suvina's hand. I'll hold Nikolas's."
"Say what?" Kenton asked, shocked. Suvina and Nikolas showed a similar expression of surprise.
"Maybe, just maybe, us holding hands will fool the monsters into thinking we're in a relationship so they'll leave us alone." I explained. "I know the monsters of Zipangu are more 'reasonable' than the ones on the mainland, but the less monsters we interact with the better."
"Affirmative." I held Nikolas's hand tightly, while Kenton squeezed Suvina's arm tightly. The two of us walked through the port town, keeping our distance from any monsters. Unfortunately, our technique wasn't foolproof. An Arachne that bore an eerie resemblance to Kenton's mother from nine years ago passed by us, waving seductively at Kenton. Kenton shot the spider-monster a harsh glare, his hands balled into fists. The Arachne pouted playfully, before bounding off.
"Keep your cool, Kenton." I warned him.
"I know, I know… It's j-just…" I heard Kenton's voice crack slightly. A single tear rolled down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. "She looks so similar to my mother…" I put a hand on my teammate's shoulder. Nikolas stared at the two of us intently, while Suvina pretended not to notice.
"It's been nine years since then, Kenton. Your actual, human mother is with the Chief God now. If she was still here, she would be proud of who you've become." I said, trying my best to console him. "That disgusting spider that tried to kidnap you in the forest? Not her." Kenton's mother and father had both vanished from the village of Clearsky after me and Nikolas had driven them off, never to be seen again. Kenton had come to the conclusion that they had forgotten about him, which was simultaneously upsetting and reassuring.
Kenton took a deep breath. "Thank you, Elise."
"You're welcome, Kenton. I'm here for you."
The rest of the hike was relatively uneventful, besides a few mamono here and there trying to seduce Kenton and Nikolas. Nikolas politely turned them away, while Kenton angrily yelled at them to leave him alone. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we arrived at our destination. A large house sitting on a plateau on the mountain we were hiking up. Ochimushas, Kunoichis and Succubi were dotted around the property. Jason had obviously prepared for the Order trying to retrieve him. The four of us took shelter behind a large rock.
"Remember the plan. Stay out of sight. If you've got someone that's dead or unconscious, hide their body somewhere. Put the coats on, they'll mask your spirit energy and scent." Everyone took the coats out and put them on. "You have your orders. Now go." Kenton and Nikolas nodded and began sneaking towards the southern side of the house, while Suvina split off and went to the western end, leaving me alone.
I waited until the sun had completely vanished. I took note of all the shadows and dark spots I could hide in, plotting a path in my head. I saw an open window a few floors up. I equipped my grappling hook and began sneaking my way to the opening. I took shelter behind a statue facing the front of the house, waiting for an Ochimusha to pass by.
I heard talking coming from the front door of the estate."The two of them make such a good couple, but why the massive house? It's not like they're going to have guests over often." A Succubus gossiped with a Red Oni.
"I know. Pain in the ass to guard, and pain in the ass to clean." The Red Oni complained. "At least they pay us well. Say what you want about the Order, but they pay their people. Their heroes are absolutely irresistible too. I managed to buy a book of all male heroes off a Danuki, and let me tell you, some of them look…" I didn't stick around to hear the end of their conversation. As the two of them looked away, I rolled from the base of the statue into a nearby bush. The shrubbery provided decent cover as I crawled slowly to the open window. As soon as I was close enough, I aimed my arm up at the windowsill and fired the grappling hook. It stabbed into the windowsill with a startling crack. A second later, I felt my body being pulled upwards. I grabbed onto the windowsill and quickly pulled myself into the room. As I stood up, I realized that I wasn't alone.
"Who-?" A Kikimora stared at me, startled. I lunged forward and slammed the monster in the head, making her stumble. Taking advantage of her confusion, I wrapped my arm around her neck tightly until she lost consciousness or died from asphyxiation, either way I didn't care. I stowed her body in a nearby wardrobe and shut the window.
I was in a bedroom of sorts. Strangely, it didn't look too different from a normal bedroom, despite being owned by monsters. On the wall hung a painting of the Kikimora I had just knocked out, standing next to a man of similar height. It felt like some sick joke, going off of my knowledge of what monsters did to men. Tearing my eye away from the painting, I saw a note on the door.
To do:
-Clean Mr. Grove's room before he goes to bed (Room 017)
I now had an idea of where our traitor would be hiding. I opened the door slightly, peering out. I appeared to be on the third floor of the estate. Clicking noises came from my right. Turning towards the source of the noise, I just barely managed to close the door in time as a gigantic soldier beetle came lumbering down the halls. I waited for it to pass, then snuck out.
I quickly realized how massive the house was. Why one monster and one incubus needed a home this big was beyond me. If I hadn't found the note from the Kikimora, I would have no idea where to go. I slowly fell into a routine of listening for when monsters were coming towards me and hiding in the nearest room or closet before they could see me. Before I knew it I had reached room seventeen.
I put my ear to the door. I couldn't hear anything, so either Jason and his Gremlin were fast asleep, or they weren't home. I grasped the doorknob tightly and slowly creaked the door open. As I took my first steps into the room, someone grabbed me and slammed me to the floor. I quickly drew my sword, coming face to face with a surprised Kenton. Nikolas came running in from another part of the room, equally shocked.
"Damn it, Captain! I almost killed you there." Kenton let go of me and pulled me up. "I checked everywhere. I don't think they're home."
I sighed in frustration. All that effort just for them to not be here in the first place. "So you're saying this entire mission was a waste of time?"
"Not entirely. Look at what I found." Kenton held up what looked to be an invitation card to a wedding of sorts. "They're getting married."
"The Gremlin is doing all that just because she found someone to be her sex slave? Weird." I remarked. I looked at the address and the date listed at the bottom of the card. "May 20th at Crystaline Gardens… That's today."
"DId you happen to spot Suvina?" I asked Kenton.
"I did. She's still searching around on the second floor. I'll go get her. We can link up outside where we first split up."
"Sounds good." I turned towards Nikolas, who had been suspiciously quiet the entire time we were talking. "Come on, Nik. Let's get out of here."
Nikolas silently nodded. I opened the window and looked down. The fall didn't seem too horrible. I jumped down and quickly got into cover. Nik soon followed, having a much harder landing than me. He slowly got into cover with me.
"What is it with you, huh?" I asked him.
Nikolas gave me a narrowed-eye glare. "Call me crazy, Captain, but I don't think these people deserve what we're doing to them."
"What are you talking about?! They're leaking sensitive information about us to Druella and her extremists! We need to stop them before they do any more harm to Floria!"
"I looked all over their room. Not a single document about our defenses, not a single mention of leaking information to Druella." Nikolas retorted. "I think this guy just wanted out, and we're punishing him for it."
"They've got an entire security force guarding their house. They clearly were prepared for us coming for them. They obviously hid the information so we couldn't find it."
"That's a stretch if I've ever seen one, Captain."
"Just shut up. Once Kenton comes back, we're going to raid the wedding and get some answers out of these people." Nikolas didn't continue the argument any further, instead looking down at the ground.
The four of us surveyed the gardens. Jason and his Gremlin's wedding seemed to be wrapping up. The Gremlin was wearing an admittedly beautiful wedding dress, while Jason was dressed in an expensive looking suit. The man smiled, oblivious to what life awaited him. He didn't know he was sealing his fate. If anything, we were doing him a favor by tearing them apart.
"Orders?" Kenton whispered after a moment of prolonged silence between us.
"We wait until they're alone, then we strike."
"How the fuck are we going to smuggle them out of here?" I heard Suvina ask, intimidated. "It's not like the guests are defenseless."
"We'll do it in plain sight. You see that carriage?" I pointed towards a carriage situated where the garden ended and the road began. "We take out the ferryman, and one of us poses as his friend. We take him back to our boat, then knock them unconscious and leave." I had made sure our boat was ready for a journey back to Floria just for this plan.
"Kenton, find a way to get rid of the driver then begin trailing the back of the carriage with Nikolas. Keep any monsters suspicious of us off our tail. I'll pose as the ferryman's replacement. Suvina, you are to hide in the back of the carriage. On my signal," I held my fist up, "Take the Gremlin out. I'll handle Jason. Now, go." Once again, everyone dispersed.
I sat in the ferryman's seat of the carriage. Across the street, I saw Kenton drag the ferryman's body into an alleyway. He peered out, giving me a thumbs up and then pointing behind me. I saw Jason and his Gremlin entering the carriage. Now or never.
"Who are you? I don't remember hiring you." Jason asked, confused.
"I was your man's replacement. He told me he suddenly started feeling sick, and he decided to go home. I hope you don't mind." I said in my most convincing voice.
"Of course he bails out on us…" The former Order scientist mumbled. "Eh, not a big deal. Just take us home. I assume you know where we live?"
"Yes, of course, Mr. Grove. Congratulations on your marriage, by the way." I said as the horses started moving us towards our destination.
"Thank you, miss!" The Gremlin next to him chirped. I mentally groaned hearing the monster's cheery tone. At least I wouldn't be hearing it for much longer. The newly-weds seemed occupied with each other, the two kissing each other passionately and cuddling while whispering sweet nothings into each others' ears. They hadn't started having sex yet, but I knew if I gave them enough time to, they would. I held my fist up in the air.
A mere second later, Suvina jumped up from her hiding spot behind the seat and wrapped her arm around the Gremlin's neck tightly. The monster's eyes widened as she tried to free herself, but Suvina held on tightly. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fainted.
"What the-" I drew my sword and pointed it at Jason in one fluid motion.
"Here's what's going to happen, Jason. The Order has requested that you come back to Floria. Either you can comply, or we can do things the hard way." I ordered.
"You bastard!" He yelled angrily, lunging from his seat at me. Hard way it is, then. I leaned out of the way and let Suvina do her thing. Soon enough, there were two unconscious people in the back of the carriage.
"Good work, Suvina." I complimented my strategist. "You're quite effective."
"I'm glad you think so, Captain." Suvina's pleased voice came from the back of the carriage.
I directed the carriage towards the docks, which were mercifully empty late at night. Making sure the coast was clear, I got off the carriage. Kenton and Nikolas caught up to us. Everything had gone smoothly. "Help me with the bodies."
Kenton and I dragged Jason out of the carriage, while Nikolas reluctantly helped Suvina with the Gremlin. We quickly hauled the two bodies onto the boat and into a secure room. After making sure they were restrained tightly, I traveled to the Captain's quarters. "Tell the Zipanguans that we have to make an emergency trip home. We leave now." The man nodded, getting up and running out of the room.
"Where… What did you people…" Jason groggily mumbled out as he came to. As he slowly became aware of his surroundings, he also noticed he was chained to the wall. I let him struggle for a bit to tire him out. Once he stopped, I gave him an explanation of what we were doing to him.
"My name is Elise Maxwell. I've been tasked by the Order's higher-ups to bring you back to Floria. According to their statements…" I flipped through the document that Lockhart had given me. "You were leaking information about Floria's magical defenses to Druella in exchange for money and a place to stay. Is that true?"
"Your superiors lie!" The man shouted. "All I wanted was to reunite with my childhood friend and get away from you Order bastards!"
"Explain the security at your estate, then. Clearly, you knew we were coming."
"...Where is Estelle? Please don't tell me you killed her…" The man suddenly changed the subject, remembering his wife.
"Your monster is fine. You're lucky we need her alive too." Jason let out an uneasy sigh.
"You people are evil. Evil!" He yelled. "You spread your lies about monsters just so that your nobles and clergy can play god and stay in power. You act like you're doing the right thing when all you people care about are yourselves!"
"We ARE doing the right thing, Mr. Grove. You know your beloved 'wife', if you can even call a monster that is planning to turn you into a mindless sex slave. We just saved you from an eternity of slavery."
"That's not true at all! Why would she make a wedding for me if she wanted to do that?! She loves me, and I love her!"
"...To trick you, of course. Her love for you isn't real." It had been weird that a monster had gone through all that effort just to make Jason her sex slave. Nikolas's words began making more sense.
"It IS real!" Jason snarled at me. "I wasn't leaking information to Druella. All I wanted was to get away from the Order and spend the rest of my life with my childhood friend. The Order is on the wrong side of history. It is only natural for me to want out!"
"So in response, you endangered the people who were counting on you." I shook my head in disappointment. "You really have no concept of loyalty or honor." The man didn't grace me with a response, instead spitting at me in defiance. The slime landed on my clothing. Disgusted, I wiped it off my shirt. The conversation was going nowhere. I didn't even know why I was talking to him. My orders were to bring him back to Floria, and Lockhart would take care of everything else. I turned around and left the man alone.
As I exited the room where he was restrained, I noticed Nikolas standing next to the doorway, a displeased expression on his face. As soon as I was about to enter my room, I heard him say something quietly.
"I told you so."
April 9th, 1566 ME
Floria
Elise Maxwell
Ever since Floria had surrendered to monsters, waking up had become the worst part of every day. It meant I had to face the consequences of my failure to protect Floria. It meant I had to face the symptoms of my worsening alcoholism. Worst of all, it meant I had to deal with the only family I had left looking down on me. I faintly recalled Eryn following me into my room last night, telling me that the Bogey therapist would be arriving this afternoon.
Splendid. Abso-fucking-lutely splendid. A loud groan of displeasure escaped my lips. I could already feel the headache coming on.
After trying and failing to fall back asleep, I dragged myself out of bed and to the bathroom. I made a halfhearted attempt to make myself presentable, combing my overgrown and messy hair and washing my face. I put on the cleanest clothes I could find, and headed downstairs. The smell of bacon and freshly cooked eggs along with what smelled like roasted pork reached my nostrils. At least I can begin the day with a good breakfast. I entered the kitchen, expecting to see Amias cooking breakfast.
Instead, there was a bizarre looking monster standing at my table. It looked like a giant, sentient stuffed animal. Its "skin" consisted of several patches of what appeared to be dark red, blue and purple cloth, separated by seams. A set of fake teeth and horns consisting of white cloth were mounted on top of the tall creature's head. Next to the monster sat Eryn in his wheelchair.
"Hello. Are you Elise Maxwell?" The creature asked in a gentle voice.
"Eryn, I thought you said the therapist was coming this afternoon. Not in the fucking morning." I snapped at my brother. He covered his face with his hand and pointed to the window.
"Open it." Was all he said. I walked over to the window and opened the blinds, expecting to be greeted with the morning sun. Instead, the sun was high in the sky. "You've been asleep for over twelve hours. The therapist isn't early." Eryn spoke with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Since you have woken up, do you mind if we find a comfortable place for the therapy session?" The Bogey asked in a comforting tone.
"Cut the bullshit. Your solution is that you want to monsterize me, is that it?"
The Bogey opened her mouth to give a response, but Eryn spoke first. "Elise, be respectful!" He chastised me. I gave him a sideways glance, feeling annoyed that he was treating me like a child, especially since he was younger than me. Eryn glared right back at me.
"Fine, then!" I shook my head and let out a sigh. "Let's go to my living room." I entered my living room and plopped down on one of the sofas, sighing again. The Bogey sat down on a sofa across from me.
"Are you comfortable, Miss Maxwell?" The monster asked in the same reassuring tone.
"Sure." I replied.
The Bogey quickly picked up on my sarcasm. "You don't need to lie to me, Miss Maxwell. If you aren't comfortable we can find a different place to start the session." I shook my head. I didn't really have anywhere else more comfortable than my living room other than my bedroom, which was in no shape to host a therapy session.
"Are you sure?" I shook my head again. "Alright, then. Let me introduce myself. My name is Roseann, and I'll be helping you recover. Before we start, I'd like to get something out of the way. Your brother told me about your history as an Order hero. Let me just say, I bear no ill will against you because of what you've done."
"Is that so? Not at all?" I asked, surprised. I had expected her to be disgusted at my past actions. "You're not angry at me for what I've done?"
"No. But I'd like to ask you, why did you decide to become a hero? Or did you even have a choice in the matter?" Roseann asked.
"I began having frequent dreams of the Chief God and of angels when I was about to turn nineteen. I told a priest, and he told me that meant I was destined to become a hero. I didn't have a choice, but I would've said yes even if I did. I wanted to protect my people." Roseann nodded, patiently waiting for me to finish talking.
"I see… It's a shame. People should be allowed to choose what they do with their own lives, not the Chief God." Roseann replied after a second to think.
"But they can't just disobey the Chief God's will."
"You're right, they can't. It's why many mamono don't like the Chief God."
I raised an eyebrow. "There are monsters that like the Chief God?"
"They're in the minority but they exist. Court Alf and even Lescatie have some churches dedicated to the worship of the Chief God." Roseann paused. "That's a topic for later, though. This session should be about you." She looked down at her notes that she had brought into the living room. "Your brother told me you have problems with alcohol, but he never told me why. Do you mind telling me why you started drinking?"
"My… One of my close friends that I fought alongside committed suicide recently. He stated that he didn't want to fight the monster threat alone. I hadn't been there for him because I had gotten myself captured by the monsters, and my other two friends refused to help him." My voice began to crack. "I b-began… to drink. It felt good. It made me forget about how I failed him. Roseann… Is his death my fault?"
"No, Elise. It isn't your fault. I assume you didn't plan on being captured. It's just a horrible coincidence that his suicide lined up with your absence. You shouldn't have been the only one by his side. Your other two friends refusing to help him are to blame." Roseann's voice took on a soothing tone.
"But he wouldn't have committed suicide if I hadn't gotten captured!"
"Elise, you can't assume full responsibility for their suicide. You rightfully assumed your other friends would be there for him if you weren't able to be with him. Friends are supposed to help each other, and yours didn't."
Being reassured that Kenton's death wasn't my fault felt relaxing. "Anyways, how much do you drink a day?" Roseann inquired.
"I… don't know, to be honest."
"Well, either way, it's in your best interest that you stop drinking or at least cut down on the amount you drink each day. Your brother said you would often be blackout drunk whenever he tried to talk to you. I don't think I need to say this, but doing that will have terrible consequences physically and mentally." Roseann's voice took on a more serious tone.
"I know. But whenever I try to stop drinking I get horrible headaches. My hands start shaking and I start sweating. I don't know how else to cope with his death. Nothing else seems to numb the pain very much." I covered my face with my hands.
"When you're in the midst of pain, it can feel like the only way to manage it is to numb it. And right now, it sounds like alcohol is giving you some temporary relief from the intensity of your emotions. But it's also keeping you from processing the grief, and in the long run, that can make everything feel even harder to face." Roseann explained, gently pulling my hands away from my face so she could look at me. Her touch felt strangely soothing.
"It's okay to mourn. We can find ways for you to cope in a less self destructive way. It might seem like drinking is helping because it allows you to take your mind off his death, but it's not helping you heal, quite the opposite."
I sighed sadly. "It's only been two weeks but I already can't stop."
"You don't have to quit right away. Taking small steps is the key. Right now, do you think you would be able to drink only once or twice every day? Just know that you aren't alone. You have your brother and your maids that are willing to help you."
Drinking only twice a day sounded difficult but manageable if I tried hard enough. "I think I can do that…" I said slowly. Roseann turned towards the entrance of the living room. Eryn in his wheelchair rolled into the room.
"Are you two almost done?"
"Almost." Roseann responded. "One more thing, Elise. About what you said to me about monsterizing. I've never monsterized any of my patients. Hell, I've never even encouraged them to monsterize. Doing that would mean I don't respect your boundaries. Of course, it's your choice whether you want to do that or not, and I understand why you don't want to."
"...Thank you, Roseann." I didn't know how to respond. I recalled my time with Amaya. The Lilim's constant encouragement and coercion for me to monsterize was a stark contrast to Roseann.
"You're welcome, Elise. I'll see you in a week to check in on you." Roseann picked up her stuff, and headed towards the front door, leaving me and Eryn alone.
"Damn. You were a lot more agreeable with her than I expected. Anyways, the food me and Amias made for you is getting cold." Eryn remarked, rolling himself back into the kitchen. I sat down with Eryn and took a sniff of the food. It still smelled good, despite not being as hot.
Maybe, just maybe, this will work…
April 8th, 1566 ME
Hidden Order Safehouse
Kenton Liu
It was late at night. My mind was racing, thinking about what was going to go down in three days. I knew I needed to get some sleep but doing that felt impossible. I sighed and got out of bed, leaving my small room and entering the main area of the safehouse. The members of the Resistance laid down on blankets all around; A consequence of not having enough space for everyone. Valerie had reserved the few bedrooms we had for the most important Resistance members. Surprisingly, everyone had gone along with it without much complaining.
I quietly stepped around everyone and headed towards the exit of the safehouse. A large, circular symbol with a shape of a hand inside, installed by Annette. I pressed my hand into the outline. A few seconds later, there was a flash of white and I was inside a cave. It was incredibly dark, the only light being the moon shining in from outside. Outside, the wind blew softly, followed by the rustling of leaves, punctuated by the sounds of crickets singing loudly.
Exiting the cave, I was met with a peculiar sight. Kirsten was sitting against a tree next to a pond, seemingly zoned out. "Kirsten?" I quietly called out.
The Elf quickly snapped out of her trance and grabbed her bow, loading an arrow. She looked up at me. "Oh. It's just you."
"Yeah. I can't sleep so I thought I'd get some fresh air. Underground is no place for an elf to live." Kirsten inhaled and exhaled. "All the more reason to take back Floria from the monsters so I can go back to my forest."
I nodded in agreement. "You're right. I'm almost missing my shitty apartment." Kirsten chuckled at my snarky remark. "But we should be grateful for what Valerie managed to provide for us."
"Yeah. You're right…" The two of us stayed silent for a while, enjoying the sounds of the forest.
"Kirsten?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes?"
"This might sound weird, but… why are you so nice to us?" It was a question that I had for a long time. The few elves I had met either treated me with disrespect and contempt.
"I realized how stupid it was to look down on humans when both of us had a common enemy. My entire village thought it was invincible to monster attacks until an Amazon raiding party tore through our walls. The female elves were all corrupted, and the male elves were taken away. My parents and I were a group of survivors that managed to escape." Kirsten took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes.
"We were picked off, one by one until it was just me and my parents left. We were running out of food, and both of my parents had gotten injured. I had to hunt to provide for both of them since they couldn't do it themselves." Kirsten paused, looking at two names etched out on her bow. I could just barely make out the names "Vanya" and "Aeson".
"I wasn't experienced enough to provide for both of them. I had to learn how to use a bow and arrow on the fly. I'd often let animals escape from me by accident. Just when I thought they were going to die, a scouting party from the Order arrived. They gave me food and treated my parent's injuries. Two of those people were Annette and Andreas. After that, my parents made me promise to treat all humans I found with respect."
"...Wow." Was all I could say to that. "Where are your parents now?"
"Living in the woodlands south of Olisvine. I took up training with Annette and Andreas when I was sixteen, and later went out on my own to Floria."
"Lucky." I mumbled under my breath. Kirsten didn't hear me.
"I… I'm sorry if that was too much for you. I just needed to get that off my chest. Tell it to someone." She picked up her bow and headed towards the mouth of the cave. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. You're welcome to stay here, if you like."
"No. I should get some sleep as well." I responded, following her inside.
The next day
I entered the basement, nerves feeling like they were on fire. Today was the day that we were going to launch our attack on King Emyr's castle. Valerie expected me and the others in her meeting room in a few hours to go over everything. In the meantime, I had decided to see my captive. In my hand, I held a syringe full of a glowing white substance. Valerie's solution. She called it "Enlightenment".
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I looked upon Suvina. "Please, Kenton. Don't do this. I can't take this anymore." I could barely hear her pained voice from underneath the bag covering her head. "I… I won't leave. I'll do whatever you want…" I felt a pang of guilt, but kept moving forward.
"I'm sorry for torturing you." I quickly said. A muffled gasp of surprise came from Suvina. "But you're a hero. You can't just ignore the duties the Chief God has bestowed upon us. You're supposed to protect the people, not abandon them." I tore the bag off her head.
"...W-what are you going to do to me? What's in that syringe!?"
I held up the syringe to her neck. The substance inside would have manipulated her mind, put her through several scenarios that would enlighten her on how monsters were evil. Once the effects wore off, she would be back on the Order's side. As soon as I was about to push the needle into her neck, I stopped. It hit me that I was about to brainwash someone who had been by my side for years with an experimental substance.
What kind of person am I…? Even if she thinks monsters are good, nobody deserves to go through what I put her through.
Torturing her had seemed completely justified when I was still enraged at her for trying to leave Floria. She had turned her back on the Order, turned her back on me. Whenever I wasn't torturing her, I had berated her, asking her what kind of friend she was. All that seemed like an overreaction now. I put the syringe onto a nearby table and sat down. Suvina silently stared at me with an expression of confusion and shock.
"Maybe you don't deserve this. All you wanted to do was get away." Suvina didn't answer me, still in shock.
"...W-w-what now?" She managed to stutter out.
"I… I'm going to continue helping Valerie retake Floria from the monsters. But I won't be torturing you anymore. And I definitely won't be injecting you with… that." I pointed to the glowing white syringe on the table.
"And… if you succeed, what are you going to do with me then?"
"I don't know. I really don't know, Suvina." I covered my face with my hand. "But I do know what I'm going to be doing with you right now. You won't be staying in that chair anymore. You'll have full access to the safehouse. But we can't let you leave."
I didn't wait for her response. I scooped the syringe off the table, and exited the basement. I entered my room and began writing two notes.
Valerie, I've had a change of heart. Take this syringe back to Olisvine. I can't bring myself to use it on her.
Annette, I need you to do me a favor. Cast a spell on Suvina that makes it so that she can't leave the safehouse or attack us. I've been too harsh to her lately.
I attached the syringe to the note addressing Valerie, then grabbed both of them and left my room.