Chapter 44 – Overwhelming Storm
"Vyrdrun!" Reina screamed as her first friend in this world fell. From the eyes of her doll spirit, she saw Vyrdrun tilt back and slam onto the ground, the water from the rain splashing from the impact.
Sabien turned to look at her spirit, a smile on his face. "So, you're all that's left?"
She was. Kuromo and Vyrdrun were out of the fight. The only good news was that neither of them were dead. Reina couldn't see Vyrdrun's stats, but Kuromo had about 10% left of his HP.
This guy's attacks were strong. Her zombie spirit folded pretty easily, though she had taken part of its defense and put more into attack. His attack, combined with the rain, killed it quickly. She had hoped the Death Pact would be enough for Vyrdrun to finish him off, but it wasn't enough.
Now she only had this one left. Sure, she could attempt to forge a new spirit, but it would take about two minutes. What's worse, she wouldn't be able to direct this spirit that well while trying to make another one. The kickback from a forged spirit's destruction wasn't as bad as it was before, but it would still likely be enough to make her lose concentration while forging.
Lastly, this spirit was on a timer. She reduced its magic stat as much as she could, but it was still taking damage. She had to act fast.
First was healing Kuromo. Reina didn't know if it would work, since she never tested it before, but she put Healing Touch on this spirit. It used MP, so it was a gamble.
With the spirit's hand on Kuromo, she started applying the healing. She watched her status while the man slowly walked toward her dragon. Her MP bar was decreasing, and…
"Yes!" It was working. Slowly but surely, Kuromo's HP was increasing. However, it was highly inefficient. Reina didn't know if the rain affected the ability at all, but her spirit's highly reduced magic stat was the main cause. Since this was about all she could use her MP for, it would do.
"Wow, that's pretty neat." Sabien commented.
She didn't care. As long as he wasn't taking this seriously, it gave her time to plan…though there wasn't much else she could do aside from sending her spirit to attack.
"Wait a second…" She checked her MP again. It was decreasing, yes, but not as fast as it should be.
Kuromo shook himself as he stood, then lowered his stance. With contact broken, the healing stopped, but her MP actually started increasing.
"Is this…the rain!" That was the only explanation. Her armor granted her magic absorption (tiny). She had to be either very close to the source of magic, or get hit by a magical effect directly for it to work. There was nothing else around her or her spirit to gain the MP from, so it had to be that.
She then started to heal her spirit with the same effect. It was…barely at maintenance level. It replenished HP as fast as it went, but her MP kept going down, making it unsustainable.
"Figures it wouldn't be that easy." Still, it was something to consider for later. And she would consider it later. They weren't going to die here.
"So, you ready to start again?" Sabien asked, his sword out to the side while his other hand was raised up.
"Kuromo, get back here!" Reina yelled out to the dragon.
Without needing to be told twice, Kuromo galloped and glided through the air.
"Aw, that's no fun!" Sabien laughed.
Kuromo came to a stop outside the hut, a few feet from Reina. The look on his face told her he wanted to be petted, but the rain on his scales prevented that.
This wasn't going to be an easy fight. They had to fight from the shelter of the hut, but they might not even have that. If this man could control, or at least direct, the lightning from the storm, it would eventually wear down the hut and expose them. He could even come over and start hacking away at the hut and demolish it more quickly. Not to mention Vyrdrun was still out there. If Reina wasn't going to let this man take Lola, she sure as hell wasn't going to leave Vyrdrun to him.
But there wasn't a lot they could do.
"Boss." Maria came over, mostly covered by her now oversized cloak. "We can still fight."
Reina looked back and down at her. She was trying, but Maria clearly couldn't do much with the rain coming down just outside.
"Boost me." She told her.
This spirit was outfitted for defense first with attack as its second highest. The build points she got from reducing its magic stat weren't even close to the amount it would have cost to raise it by that much, but every little bit would help. Reina would pour her own MP into her armor, increasing its dispersion effect to return more damage to Sabien, as the effect would also transfer to her spirit. At its destruction, Death Pact would activate again.
"Enchanted Fist! Barkskin!" The spells from Maria came over Reina as she sent her spirit forward.
"Hah! Let's go!" The man called out, angling his blade.
Then, when the spirit was nearly within striking distance, she activated two more abilities: Rapid Fists and Absolute Senses.
With precision and power, Reina had her spirit wail on Sabien with its fists. The first few strikes were solid, hitting him on his shoulder and gut, where his weapon wasn't positioned. After a few more, the blows started to get deflected. They were off-target, glancing off Sabien's breastplate with only a little force. A few seconds more—which felt much longer to Reina's senses—they were being outright blocked, her spirit taking a little damage from his blade.
Even with Spirit Stat Adjustment, Reina couldn't completely reduce her spirit's magic stat to zero. That was compounded by the fact that she didn't use the weapon form weakest in magic. If she did, her forged spirit would be even less effective against the man, as the other stats of the weapon were also much lower. It wouldn't last too long outside in the rain. As it was, it would maybe last a minute more.
When her SP was nearly empty, long before the estimated minute, Reina ended the skill. The moment she did, Sabien went on the offensive. Her training with Grim was helpful in blocking the sword slashes and thrusts. Like he had, Reina redirected a few attacks, though she wasn't nearly as proficient at it as either Grim or Sabien.
And then, it was over. Sabien completely stabbed through her spirit, draining the last of its HP and destroying it. A pain in her chest accompanied that. Death Pact activated, causing Sabien to recoil in pain. But…it wasn't enough. A foot stomp behind to keep his balance, and then he was standing upright again.
"Hah! Pathetic." Sabien laughed. He then turned to face the hut and slowly walked closer. He twirled his sword in his hand without a care in the world.
This was it. This was going to be their last stand. Once he was inside—assuming he even bothered to come in and not just break the hut apart and let the rain take care of them—Grim was the only one who could really do anything, assuming he wasn't exaggerating. Kuromo wasn't completely healed and wasn't able to put up a good fight to begin with, and would be able to do less in the smaller space of the hut once inside. Maria wasn't in good condition from the rain earlier, and Reina didn't have much to offer with her nearly depleted SP. At the very least, Reina knew how to swing a sword. She switched to her Crimson Blade Ceremonial Sword. Maybe she could help give Grim an opening and…
This was it. Reina was going to lose her party for a second time. This time, however, they were people she knew and cared about, and it was going to be her fault. She had the choice to just turn Lola over to the man and…no. That was never an option. She never thought of herself as a selfless person, but she didn't think she could live with herself if she sold out someone else just to survive.
Just as they were about to prepare for a fight to the death, something happened. A lightning bolt struck Vyrdrun, making him glow for a moment. But that wasn't all and Sabien realized it as well, turning to look over his shoulder.
Vyrdrun pushed himself off the ground and stood tall. His mace was back in his hand as he looked down toward Sabien.
"Oh? You're tougher than you look." Sabien said, swishing his sword through the air.
It was more than that. Much more. Reina thought Vyrdrun's final words were a warning about Sabien's ability, something she had already realized during the fight. But that wasn't it at all. He was talking about himself. The wounds on his chest and stomach were completely healed.
Vyrdrun walked toward the man, his mace out to his side.
"If you really want to be in more pain, by all means!" Sabien rushed him, sword forward like a spear.
Vyrdrun swiftly swung his mace, deflecting the blade to the side. With his other hand, he grabbed at Sabien, only for the shorter man to duck under the attempt. With his other hand behind the hilt of the sword, Sabien thrust it into Vyrdrun's stomach.
Then, Vyrdrun slammed the mace down onto his back.
There was a splash of water when Sabien hit the ground. As Vyrdrun stepped back to swing his mace down again, Sabien quickly rolled away, the mace hitting the ground with a loud thump.
"You were holding out on me, Gromnar." Sabien stood and wiped blood from his mouth. "I wonder how much I can cut you up before you die."
"You talk too much." With a step, Vyrdrun launched at the man, swinging his mace around like he had before. Except, it wasn't just like before. He was faster now.
While fast, Sabien couldn't avoid the strikes, needing to deflect them with his sword. But he was still able to keep up with Vyrdrun. The heavier weapon was at a disadvantage in speed, but needing to divert the attacks helped make up for that.
Reina wanted to help, to do something, but she couldn't. They were too close together for her to use her skills. And the speed they were going now, she knew Kuromo wouldn't be able to keep up if he went over. But saying Kuromo wasn't fast enough wouldn't do what Reina was seeing any justice. Sabien, and Vyrdrun, were clashing quickly. Very quickly.
All she could do was watch, and hope.
Then, Sabien stepped into Vyrdrun's space again. His blade stabbed deep into Vyrdrun's abdomen, up to the hilt. Immediately after, he tore his blade to the side.
Reina wanted to turn away. Blood spurted out of the wound, covering Sabien in Vyrdrun's blood. Beyond that, his insides…
Before she could truly grasp what she was seeing, before Sabien could celebrate any victory, the mace came at him again and slammed into him, throwing him to the side.
Vyrdrun was hunched over, but he kept standing. With his free hand over his stomach, he lowered himself slightly. The mace was stood up, letting him grab a small amount of mud. He quickly slapped it against his front before picking up his weapon again.
As Sabien collected himself, Reina watched as Vyrdrun began to walk closer to the man again. His wounds…they were closed. It seemed impossible, like she imagined seeing his intestines a moment ago. But no, there was no trace of that having happened.
"Hahaha!" Sabien laughed like he just heard the funniest, cruelest joke in the world. "This is amazing! This is a gift! I can tear apart a Gromnar to my heart's content!"
The look on Vyrdrun's face… "This is a rare opportunity, isn't it?"
"You have no idea!" Sabien lowered his stance slightly as Vyrdrun approached. "Gromnar destroyed my home. The power I have lets me fight them in a place they think they're untouchable."
"Gromnar have better things to concern themselves with than fighting in mystic rain." Vyrdrun countered, his expression…
"Hah! Gromnar are cowards, pillaging villages to take what they can't make for themselves. Nothing but brutes and savages. Getting to wipe your kind from the world, nothing would make me happier!" He cackled.
Vyrdrun…he didn't smile often. He didn't delight in fighting. Reina had never thought of him as showing cruelty to others. But the look on his face, it was like he was ready to fight like he was a cat toying with a mouse.
"Heh. I have plenty of reason to hate all littlings, yet I don't. What a pitiful child." He grinned down at Sabien as he raised his mace once more.
"Whatever, savage!" Likewise, Sabien looked like he was going to continue enjoying himself.
The noise of clashing steel overwhelmed the sound of the rain. Sabien clearly had a high agility, able to weave around Vyrdrun's earlier attacks. But now, the difference in speed wasn't as clear. Their weapons stuck each other at such a high speed, Reina thought they matched her spirit's Rapid Fists. Maybe they were even faster!
The barrage of strikes ended with a heavy downward swing of Vyrdrun's mace. Sabien blocked the strike with his blade, the mace head resting near the hilt.
"Enough!" Sabien yelled, anger in his voice. He must have thought he'd overwhelm Vyrdrun by now. Raising his free hand in the air, the clouds above began to rumble.
Then, Sabien jumped back and pointed a finger at Vyrdrun. The sky lit up, lightning striking Vyrdrun and the ground around him in a barrage of bolts. Reina took a step forward as she yelled, only for two hands to grab her from behind, one clawed, the other small.
Vyrdrun's body smoked as the assault ended, but he didn't waver in the slightest. Instead, he held one hand out to his side. As if pulling it from the air, lightning swirled around his hand.
"Storm Bolt!" He hurled the ball of crackling energy forward, letting it fly.
"Shit!" Sabien couldn't react beyond bringing up his sword to block. The ball of lightning exploded, knocking Sabien back while blots of electricity struck the ground around him.
Like he was showing off his endurance, Vyrdrun lowered his arms slightly and puffed out his chest. The smile that had been on his face this whole time now showed his teeth. "Is that all you are capable, Stormlord?"
Sabien had one knee on the ground, the tip of his sword pointed down as he held himself up with it. Vyrdrun…was winning.
"I'm not done yet, Gromnar!" He yelled, struggling to get to his feet. From this distance, Reina could see severe burns on him, but they were slowly receding. His healing ability was strong. Reina wondered how much more he could take, same as Vyrdrun.
"Then come at me!" Vyrdrun yelled, arms out wide. "Show me you're more than just a littling!
Sabien snarled, holding his sword at the ready once more. Vyrdrun needed to finish this, but he seemed to be playing now. That was completely unlike him.
Just as Reina was about to call out to him, and earth-shaking roar echoed all around them. The air vibrated from the immense noise, and Reina actually had to cover her ears from it.
"Shit!" Sabien looked up and around. Unlike his joy-turned-anger at Vyrdrun, panic was clear on his face. "I can't handle that! I need to—"
Vyrdrun cut him off with a charge. Sabien was barely able to bring up his sword to deflect the initial blow, but was completely on the defensive.
"Don't you get what's coming, you idiot!?" Sabien yelled, desperately trying to get away from Vyrdrun's attack. "He's going to kill—"
A fast and heavy blow from the side knocked Sabien to the ground. Before he could stand, Vyrdrun was over him. The mace was brought down, blocked by Sabien's sword, but not completely. His sword slammed against his chest, the force bouncing him off the ground slightly. Then another smash from Vyrdrun's mace came, completely undefended against. Then another. Then another.
Vyrdrun slammed his mace down a dozen times before he stopped. He looked down at Sabien. The man's chest was thoroughly crushed, his breastplate and chainmail the only thing keeping his insides from spilling out. It was hammered down to less than half its original depth. If there was any doubt the man was dead, Reina gaining a level dispelled that idea…when it happened nine swings ago.
"Pitiful littling." Vyrdrun grinned at the dead man as the rain began to lighten. "The dominion of your kind is vast, but mystic rain is beyond your reach. Know your place."
And then, the rain stopped completely.
Reina could hardly believe it. Any of it. A man walking in violet rain, the way he handled Vyrdrun and Kuromo, and then the way Vyrdrun fought. It was like something out of a dream, or a nightmare. They all survived, so there wasn't anything she could complain about. But seeing Vyrdrun act like that…
"Brother…" Lola whispered from behind her.
Reina gave the girl a quick glance before she looked to the sky. The clouds were already thinning, revealing the stars and moon above. There, flying down toward them from a distance, was a winged man.
He was easily recognizable before he touched down a dozen feet from Vyrdrun. Reina only saw him one time, but the memory was still vivid in her mind. Goalith, Lola's oldest brother, walked toward Vyrdrun with his mace—his metal kanabo—in his hand. Every footstep let out a soft thump as Goalith walked.
Looking at the two of them, Reina could easily see some big differences. Vyrdrun almost looked scrawny by comparison. At about nine feet tall, Goalith had a few inches on Vyrdrun. His arms were thick with muscle, and Reina assumed his legs were the same under his padded pants. Like before, he wore no armor on his upper half, his black scales covering his arms and barrel chest. His hands ended in claws and his massive wings were spread out behind him. And he had the same piercing golden eyes as everyone else in that family.
Vyrdrun still held onto his mace as Goalith stopped in front of him. There was a moment of panic when Reina thought there was going to be another fight, which could have been started by either of them. But instead, Vyrdrun lowered his mace slightly.
Goalith took that as his cue to walk to the hut. As if to show he meant no harm, he put his kanabo to his side and hung it there. Vyrdrun was right behind him, his mace returned to his hip.
Reina got a better look at Vyrdrun's stomach. From their dwindling fire inside and the bright moonlight outside, she could see scars there, right where Sabien cut him both times. If his armor wasn't covering it, she'd surely see one on his chest as well. Reina decided then and there, no matter what, they were getting proper armor made for him. She didn't care how much it cost. What Baric sold them—on the king's coin in Lespax—was what he had on hand, not what he could make. Her dragon armor was lackluster, according to Baric. Reina could only imagine how his 'good' armor would be, for either her or Vyrdrun. They'd get something good made in Lespax, then something amazing once they saw Baric again.
As the two of them stopped in front of the doorway, Reina had to crane her neck back to look up at Goalith. He was double her height, making him massive in comparison, but she never felt this small next to Vyrdrun.
"Brother Gau!" Lola weaved around Reina to stand next to her brother. She looked up at him with a wide smile on her face.
"Lola." He said back to her. His face was stern and hardly changed when he saw her, but Reina could feel it soften ever so slightly on the inside. "You're hurt."
Lola just waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine, Brother Gau."
Goalith knelt down on one knee to look at her. "You have a hole in your stomach." While his face didn't really change, Reina could feel the unshown raised eyebrow.
"I'll get better!" Lola quickly replied.
With a somewhat impassive nod, Goalith stood again. He then looked to Reina, and the rest of her party behind her. Kuromo was still outside the hut next to Vyrdrun, staring at Goalith, though he made no noise.
"Thank you for taking care of my sister." He said in an almost monotone voice.
"Y-You're welcome." Reina couldn't lie, she was scared. He fought Savia's royal knights like they were nothing. Meru fought that Demon Lord in Keston, who was seconds away from killing Maria. While it was never said outright, she assumed Goalith was stronger, maybe the strongest of Derdir's children.
Goalith raised his clawed hand, making Reina freeze in place. That claw could crush her skull like it was nothing, she was sure. It was an irrational thought, she knew that. She kept his sister safe, she was liked by his sister, and they needed—or wanted—her alive. Still, the feeling was there.
What she never would have expected happened next. Goalith placed his claw on Reina's head and swished her hair around slightly. It was…an awkward headpat, like he wasn't sure how to do it.
"Hm?" Goalith brought his hand back and tilted his head slightly. His eyes moved behind Reina, to where Maria and Grim were. Specifically, to Maria.
Before Reina could think to do otherwise, she took a step back and placed her arm in front of Maria, who now stood only a few inches shorter than her.
"Hrrm." He then gave his chin a quick scratch. "You…"
"What?" Reina found her voice, though she hoped it didn't sound too confrontational.
Goalith lowered his claw to his side. "You have with you reliable friends. You should cherish them."
Reina didn't know if Goalith's words were meant as a threat. Seeing the way Lola wasn't reacting—or, rather, how her eyes began to sparkle—she didn't think they were. Maybe he just wasn't good with words. He didn't speak a lot in Savia.
"Do you still have your armor and weapons, Lola?" Goalith turned back to his sister.
"Oh! Yeah, let me just—" Lola turned in place and tried to dash inside, only to groan in pain and clutch her stomach.
"Let me…let us get them for you." Reina said, looking back to Grim. "Do you mind?"
"Yeah, sure." Grim gave a quick nod and went over to their packs, pulling Maria along with him. Reina didn't ask him to, but she was thankful he understood how uneasy she felt with Maria so close to one of Derdir's children.
"Brother Gau, do you have one of Daddy's potions?" Lola asked.
Goalith shook his head. "I had to use it after fighting some of…" He looked at Reina for a moment.
"I told her about the evil spirits." Lola said. "You know, how we wanted to make sure they were still being guarded?"
Goalith nodded. "The golems were stronger than I thought, but I knew they wouldn't last much longer, maybe a month."
Reina had to wonder how strong they were, and if they were stronger than the ones guarding the castle in Savia.
"Really?" Lola asked. "You had to use the potion for them?"
"I did not return home first. I came right here." He replied. When Lola gave him a questioning tilt of her head, Goalith turned away. "I was concerned."
That put a wide smile on Lola's face. "Aw! But I was with Big Sis! Of course I'd be fine!"
The look on Goalith's face told Reina about his disbelief of that, as little difference as there was on his face. She had to agree, seeing how Lola did in fact have a hole in her gut, if not her stomach specifically.
"Here you are." Grim returned with a sack containing Lola's armor and weapons.
"Thanks!" Lola went to grab it, but Goalith grabbed it first, slinging it over his shoulder. "Brother Gau, I'm—"
"Injured." He said, leaving no room for argument.
"Fine~." Lola groaned out with a roll of her eyes.
"We should return now." Goalith offered his other claw to Lola. The girl was about to accept it, but flinched her own claw back.
"Big Sis…" She looked to Reina again.
"Is something wrong?" Reina asked.
Lola looked at her for a few moments longer. "You wanted to know why I follow Daddy, why I'll do whatever he asks me to, right?"
Reina nodded, seeing no reason to hide it now. "He saved your life." That was the last thing she saw, or pieced together, from the dream.
Surprisingly, Lola shook her head. She then held up her claws, palms up. Reina picked up on her meaning and placed her hands there. Lola gripped them lightly and brought them up to her head.
"I forgot how that spell worked before. I know something happened the night before, and remembered it after I woke up this night." She kept her claws against Reina's hands, pressing them against her head. "Cast the spell like any other you know. If the target is willing…"
Reina swallowed. It wasn't that she was nervous about Goalith, who continued to look down at her. No, it was because of Maria, who was barely in her peripherals and came closer again.
But this was what Reina wanted to see, what she wanted to know. What she needed to know. With her repeated use of the spell, even unconscious, she knew at least this much: her target couldn't lie. She would see whatever it was her target saw, what they experienced. The dreams were random, but if someone was willing to show her…
"Dream Eat."
In the blink of an eye, she was away from the hut, away from the path in the field they travelled on. Instead, she was back in the church. It was more detailed than before, but Reina also noticed a certain lack of details. The emblem for the church was blurred out, as was the symbols on the armor of the three templars. The church was still in disrepair, like it hadn't been in use for several years.
One detail that caught her eye, one very important detail, was where the templars were. They were inside the church, just like before, but they weren't in front of Lola. The little girl was still against the wall, looking weak and malnourished. She might not have had the strength to even move, and she looked like she desperately wanted to. And this was definitely before Lola was transformed. She couldn't have been older than six years old!
Instead, the three templars stood in front of a boy, who was covered in bruises. Like Lola—though Reina hadn't noticed the first time—he was in rags. Blood ran down his broken face, and he had a hand holding an arm, the latter clearly broken. He didn't cry out in pain, choosing to glare up at the three templars hatefully from his place on the ground.
"Little thief." One of the templars said, spitting on the ground in front of the boy.
"Bastard—!" The boy tried to stand, but was quickly kicked for his attempt.
"You could have gone to the church, a functioning church, and been taken care of." The templar said. "But no, you'd rather steal. This is what you get!"
The templar then lowered himself and punched the boy in the face, blood splattering on his gauntlet. The strike was hard, as was the one after it, but Reina could tell it wasn't at full strength. Just enough to cause a lot of pain without killing.
When the templar was done, he raised himself back up and turned to his fellows. A sadistic grin was on his face. "You're next."
The templar he nodded to cracked his knuckles under his gauntlets. His raised his fist in the air, then…
"Found you." A voice called out, barely above a normal volume, but the empty church seemed to amplify it.
Reina looked to the source of the voice. She wasn't surprised at what she saw. Though he lacked the wings, claws, and scales, it as clearly Derdir. He looked no younger than he did in Savia.
"This is templar business." The first templar spoke with authority. The other two slowly put their hands on their weapons—Reina couldn't tell what they were, or even properly see where their hands went. If she had to guess, it was due to the age of the memory, or Lola's condition—much like her not seeing what church this was.
"I don't care." Derdir said, stepping forward. His coat, like in Savia, ran down past his knees and left his chest open. He reached inside, making the templars bristle, and pulled out a pendent. It was a violet gem attached to a small chain, the image of it clear to Reina.
"Hrrm." Derdir returned it to his coat. "None of you are him. Where is the bastard? Davon Mallory."
"You dare insult our brother?!" The first templar yelled, all three of them pulling out their blurry weapons.
"A bastard son." Derdir said calmly, though he moved to the side as he flexed his hands. "Though his conduct makes him a bastard in every sense. Now, where is he? Tell me and your deaths will be swift."
"Bastard!" The lead templar yelled, charging Derdir.
It all happened so fast. Derdir quickly transformed, growing out his draconic parts. The first templar was torn apart. The other two were shocked, but fell just as quickly. Contrary to what Derdir said, their deaths were pretty quick.
After the short fight, Derdir just looked at his blood-soaked claws. "Hrrm." His face was twisted into a scowl, his teeth showing. "I suppose I should at least be thankful you are such reprehensible creatures. Otherwise, you wouldn't have moved out of public view."
He then looked to the boy. After only one step, a weak voice called out "No…"
Derdir looked at Lola, then back to the boy, who was struggling to even begin getting to his feet. "I see…" He closed the distance to him and knelt down, one claw over the boy. "Healing Hands."
Light poured out from Derdir's claw over the boy, closing his wounds and reducing the bruises. Reina moved closer to get a better look, and was shocked at what she saw.
The boy…he held his hand to his face, moving it around in search of injuries. When he found none, he looked back up to Derdir.
"You care about your sister deeply." He said, resting a claw on the boy's shoulder. "You would do anything to protect her. I admire that. Perhaps…"
He reached into his coat and pulled the pendent back out again. There was a small red glow in the violet gem.
"Perhaps so." He nodded to himself, stowing the pendent again. "I can offer you power, boy. Power to make it so no one could ever hurt you or your sister again. In return, I ask for your help."
The boy didn't hesitate. He grabbed Derdir's arm and looked him straight in the eye. "My sister is sick and starving. You'll make her better, feed her, give her a home? You won't hurt her? If you try to…"
Derdir smiled softly. "Brave, too. I will not harm her."
The boy nodded and stood up on his own. Derdir did as well, towering over him. "I'll do it." The boy said.
"Good then." Derdir watched as the boy ran over to Lola, gently scooping her up. "What's your name, boy?"
"Luka, sir." He said, turning slowly with Lola in his arms. "This is Lola."
"Luka and Lola." Derdir waited for the pair to approach, placing his claw on Luka's shoulder as they walked.
As they neared the open doors of the church, Reina's vision blurred. She felt overwhelmed, a hundred feelings entering her and leaving just as quickly. Everything went dark before abruptly returning, Lola right in front of her as she was before the memory.
Her hands fell to her sides. She didn't look at Lola long, instead tilting her head up. "Luka?"
"Do not call me that." There was a threatening growl in Goalith's voice.
"He doesn't want to remember." Lola said, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "He doesn't remember a lot from before."
Reina turned her attention back to the girl, waiting for her to continue.
"When my brothers and sisters transformed, they lost part of their memories. Places they've been, people they met, things they liked…bits of who they used to be. Some bad things, but more good things."
She looked up at Goalith and placed a claw on his side. "Brother Gau may have forgotten I'm his sister, but he didn't forget how much he loved me."
Goalith—Luka—returned the gesture, resting his claw on her back. Reina understood now. Derdir's other children, they were all like siblings to Lola. Goalith, however, was more than that. He was her actual brother. But that wasn't all. The feelings, the pieces of information she got at the end of the vision told her more.
"Your family…" Reina began.
"Dead." Lola turned back to her. "Father…my original father, was a soldier who fought against Keston when our country tried to rebel and break away. It failed, and he was killed by templars. My mother was a healer, a potion maker, who helped supply the army. Templars came to our home sometime after the war, and they killed her too. She told Brother Gau to carry me away to safety."
Reina shook in place. "There's more. I felt…it was like a wrong was righted. You were alone, but you didn't need to be. You…had more family."
Lola's eyes widened before a soft smile returned to her face. "Yes. Aunts and uncles, who wanted nothing to do with the kids of traitors to the 'Holy' Keston Empire. We lived on the streets for over half a year until we were saved." Her face grew serious as she held up a finger. "Family is everything, Big Sis. They didn't get that, but now I have a family that does."
Reina's eyes darted between Goalith and Lola. "How…do you remember that?"
Lola just smiled once more. "All of us lost things when we transformed, but not me. That's why I'm special." As if they weren't just talking about one of the worst parts of their lives, Lola pressed her index fingers against her own cheeks, a smile still on her face. "Well, Daddy made all of us special, just in different ways."
"Lola." Goalith interjected.
"I wasn't going to say anything." Lola pouted.
From that dream, Reina understood so much more. The feelings that passed through her…Lola wasn't just thankful that Derdir saved her, gave her a home, and made her strong. She was thankful that Derdir saved her brother, her real brother, from a terrible life.
There was no way she could…
"Hey." Lola placed her claws on Reina's shoulders. "Don't look like that, Big Sis. You don't have to worry about saving me." She smiled at what Reina was sure was her own shocked expression. "I could tell by the way you looked when you talked to me. You saw a girl who was being taken advantage of, someone you had to protect, someone you had to save. You were wrong, but thank you anyway."
She stepped forward and wrapped Reina into a hug. Reina didn't know how to react, beyond numbly returning it, though her arms were restricted from Lola's hug.
"Some templars have that look when they're young." Lola said as she stepped back. "Brother Gau saw that more than me, and saw how those templars abandoned those views for one reason or another. If you can, please hold onto that feeling. You might need it after Daddy gets what he wants."
"But…you said he just wants to kill some people." Reina said as Lola took Goalith's hand.
"He does." Lola nodded. "But some of them are important, and other people will get in his way. That's why we met when we did, remember?"
Reina didn't forget.
"Are you ready, Lola?" Goalith asked.
"Yeah." Lola looked up at him with a smile. Goalith scooped her up, much like he did in the dream. With her armor in the sack next to her, Lola waved as Goalith spread his wings and leapt into the air.
Author's Notes:
For anyone who reads The Wrong Hero or The Right Man for the Job, I'm sure you can tell I like to reuse names.
So, got the second half of the fight, and the resolution of the encounter here. I realize I haven't really given Vyrdrun enough spotlight, so I'm hoping this helps correct that. I didn't forget about him or anything, just didn't have any plans to show him off more until this point.
Reina's plan to win Lola over was doomed to fail at the start. Sure, she thought Derdir might have 'saved' the kids he transformed, but not to that extent. I gave a little snippet with Meruthia before, with this one being more in-depth.
Next time will be the party continuing their journey to the capital of Lespax. A little surprise awaits them before too long.