The Half Beast Boy's Hurdle
Hello everyone and welcome to the newest chapter of A New Crusade! Now first thing's first, it's been about a week and it seems we've run into a mild issue on the question about whether or not Ulric should have a harem, we appear to have a tie. The reason being is we had a few responses that I wasn't sure how to classify as a definite 'yes' or 'no' to a harem, so I wound up making an 'indifferent' column as part of the vote. The result, a tie. So at the moment, I plan on giving this another week and seeing if I get a tiebreaker in the reviews section. If nothing shows up by then, I'll need to think of something else. So if you haven't voiced your thoughts on the Harem question already, feel free to do so in the comments or reviews section. Now that's enough rambling from me, onto the story!
Sunset: The Witch's Graveyard
"You know," said Emilia as she sat next to Ulric and healed some of his wounds, "there was probably an easier way for you to get the point across. I could've just frozen him again and let that be the end of it."
"I'll admit that you're probably right," replied Ulric as he rubbed his jaw where one of Garfiel's blows had landed, "I just thought a simplistic approach like a fist fight would better demonstrate to Garfiel what his limits were. If nothing else, he can't say we cheated and used magic to deal the finishing blow."
"I suppose that's one way to look at it," said Emilia with a small smile, "I'm simply glad it all turned out all right. And I doubt Garfiel can complain about his current position." The two glanced over at the unconscious half beast man, whose head was currently resting in Ram's lap.
"I'm pretty glad things turned out well too," called Otto as he came walking up with Spiegel following close behind.
"Ah, there you are Otto," said Ulric before glancing at Spiegel, "bite boy." The Liger quickly opened its jaws and enclosed them around the Merchant's head, causing him to panic for a bit as Spiegel lifted him up and waved him around like its latest prey before tossing him in front of Ulric and Emilia.
"Ow, what in the world was that for?!" Questioned a surprised, and slightly slobber-covered, Otto.
"I told you to distract or delay him," explained Ulric, "I did not instruct you to rouse his anger nor did I instruct you to put your life or Ram's in danger. Do you realize how upset Rem would be if she found out her sister had gotten seriously injured?"
"I nearly got seriously injured too ya know," said Otto, "I just figured once Garfiel realized where you were, nothing short of force was going to stop him."
"Well you're not exactly wrong in thinking that," said Ulric as he held out his hand and helped Otto off the ground, "but I suppose what's done is done now. Incidentally, it's good to see you're in one piece. Just try to remember not to push your luck like that next time, because the next assailant will likely be less forgiving than Garfiel."
"If you can call the thrashing he gave us 'forgiving'," replied Otto, "but given that you're both still standing, I take it you managed to bring him down. Where is he right now anyway?" Ulric tilted his head toward the collapsed stone wall where the unconscious protector and Ram were.
"We would've woken him up ourselves a bit earlier," explained Emilia, "but I felt like we shouldn't interrupt for the time being." Otto was quick to catch her meaning as the group looked over upon hearing the sound of him groaning. His eyes slowly opened as he looked up at Ram. 'How long was I out?' He thought as a memory played across his mind.
Earlier That Day:
Garfiel couldn't believe what was happening right now. Some no-name merchant had just given him the runaround thanks to the critters in the forest while also bombarding him with red, small spikey explosives and just as he was about to knock him out, Ram intervened. What was more unbelievable, when Garfiel pointed out that she was probably going against Roswaal, she said she was still on his side but helping him in her own way. It was all that knight's fault, but for the life of him he couldn't figure why these two were fighting for him. "Do you two realize what could be going on at the graveyard right now?!" He'd questioned angrily, "why do you think that miasma-covered knight is worth trusting so much?"
"A knight is someone who should be worth trusting just on general principle," said Otto as he picked his hat up off the ground and placed it back on his head after dusting it off, "I mean, what's this world come to if you can't trust a knight? But if we're talking about whether or not Ulric specifically is worth anything, well, he's not worth as much now as he's going to be. He's only been in this land for a little while and has already stirred up more than a few things, and I'm looking forward to the feats he'll accomplish in the near future. So until then, I'll help him prune and brush the bugs off when he needs it."
"Hmph, you have extraordinarily high hopes for him then," said Ram, "frankly, I can't fathom why. He's not much more skilled than a regular knight and his magic is still relatively basic, not to mention his incompetence is such that he has to rely on a maid to help him when things get a little rough."
"I want to say you're going a bit far with that," said Otto as he scratched his cheek, "but you're not entirely wrong either."
"However," said Ram, ignoring Otto's interruption, "when it comes right down to it and the situation is life or death, that incompetent knight is bizarrely prepared. A man that makes preparations for the bizarre, that's what Ulric is. He sees and acts on the strangest opportunities at the oddest of times, and it is down that strange road that one can find victory."
Now
'Guess she had something of a point,' he thought, 'who prepares for a beast transformation with a cat spirit in a crystal?' "Are you awake, Garfiel," asked Ram, mostly to ensure he wasn't about to fall right back asleep.
"Yeah," said Garfiel weakly as his eyes opened a bit wider, "I'm awake."
"Then get off me," ordered Ram as she rolled him off of her lap with a push of her hand. The half-beast man grunted in mild pain as his head hit the stone-covered ground while Ram went to dusting off her apron and skirt, "my feet were about to go numb from sitting like that."
"Geez," said Garfiel as he slowly sat up, holding his head while he did so, "still not a shred of niceness in you, is there?"
"I can most certainly be nice when there is someone worth being nice too," replied Ram.
"Guess I'm not on that list, huh," said Garfiel with a sigh.
"Sorry," said Ram with her usual neutral expression on her face, "if you want to hear a lady voice her true feelings, you'll have to try a little harder." Garfiel seemed to ponder her words, but was quickly stopped by Ram speaking again. "Garf, you're too stupid, so stop trying so hard to think. In fact, it'd be better for you to fight with an empty head that isn't thinking about anything from now on. For both myself, and Emilia too."
"W-What!" Exclaimed Garfiel as he stood up, "now you're the one being dumb! I'll admit I lost this fight, but I didn't surrender. Those are two different things. I can pick up right where the fight left off right-."
"Enough yammering!" Ordered Ram sternly. "You lost, Garf, you're a purrfect loser. How long do you wish to carry on in front of the woman you love before you're satisfied?"
"What else am I supposed to do?" Questioned Garfiel in confusion, "just smile and fall in line by the rest of you?! I'll say it again, I accept that I lost but I won't admit that I'm wrong! You hear me, I don't think I was in the wrong at all! So I can't just make a half-assed attempt and-."
"If you don't want it to be half-assed," said Ram, "then all you need to do is prove you're not standing still." She pointed up at the entrance to the temple then, her meaning rather clear.
"You want me to face the trial," Garfiel said, more for clarification than anything.
"Do you think you can change," asked Ram, "or will you remain a cowering little child who's stuck in one place forever? Find that out, with your own eyes."
"I wish you wouldn't phrase it in a way that makes me want to deny it," said Garfiel. It was then that Ulric's words repeated in his head: 'If you are truly willing, if you desire to change and become better, then all you have to do is take that first step forward!' The half beast man clenched his fist at the thought, steeling his nerves.
"You look like you've made up your mind," Ram noted, "but don't worry, Garf, you'll be fine. Should anything frighten you to the point of tears, I'll be there to comfort you, as a favor to an old friend." She actually smiled sweetly while saying this. Seeing her acting this sweet, Garfiel knew he couldn't just let her down without at least trying. And so, he proceeded up the stairs of the temple and walked through the entrance, doing his best to calm his nerves along the way.
Before long, Garfiel Tinsel disappeared from sight into the shadows of the glowing temple. "Do you think he'll be okay in there?" Questioned Emilia.
"If he's truly ready to change, I don't think we have anything to worry about," said Ulric before turning to Ram, "by the way, you didn't get yourself injured trying to stall for time too, did you?"
"I was merely assisting that pitiful sight over there," said Ram as she flitted her hair, returning to her usual neutral frown.
"You were pretty mean about it when you helped me then too," said Otto as he rubbed the back of his head, "but I still owe you one."
"Then the oil you intend to sell us had better be worth the price," said Ram, "otherwise, we might just have to feed you the rest of the way to Spiegel."
"AAAAAHHH!" Exclaimed Otto as he hid behind Ulric.
"Still a little temperamental that Garfiel got past you, I see," said Ulric.
"It'd really be better if you didn't threaten to feed our friends to our…...other friends."
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Ram dismissively, "I merely lost interest in our little bout. You only needed a little time, after all, and it seems the few minutes I bought you was more than enough. And the merchant shouldn't worry so much, it's always possible Spiegel will spit him out upon tasting something foul." The Liger barked a couple of times at that.
"He says if it's a treat from Ulric then he'll eat it gladly!" Exclaimed Otto as he looked at the Liger, "is that what you think of me, I'm a snack to you?!" Spiegel barked again in response to his inquiry. "Oh only if I happen to cause problems. I'll remember that the next time Ulric asks me to feed you." Spiegel bared his teeth at that statement.
"It seems just being able to talk to animals doesn't always mean you can command them," noted Ulric as he stepped forward and patted his mount's muzzle, "so it'd be best if you don't push your luck with Spiegel. Even I can understand how protective he is of us." Otto simply sighed at that statement while Emilia turned to Ram.
"By the way, did Garfiel's Mother really leave here to find happiness?" She asked, still a bit inquisitive about the half beast man's motivations.
"Young Gar's mother left here in order to find his Father," said the voice of Ryuzu Bilma as she came walking into view with the white-cloaked Ryuzu Shima keeping in step next to her, "he was just a baby at the time, too young to even walk. So for that reason, he wasn't told of her fate like Frederica was."
"I had hoped to keep it from him until he was at a more suitable age," continued Shima, "but he underwent the trial and learned the truth. After that, he wanted nothing to do with the outside world, until now."
"Um, I have another question, but it's a little unrelated," said Emilia, "is Shima Ryuzu's older sister or her younger sister?"
"The way it was explained to me," said Ulric as he scratched his head while searching for the right words, "I believe Shima and Bilma were created at the same time, along with Delma and Arma in order to supervise the Witch's Graveyard. So it might be more correct to say they're quadruplets and the rest of the copies are their younger siblings. There's a lot more to it but that's about all I was really able to understand." Emilia would've questioned him further if not for the fact that the light from the Graveyard suddenly faded.
"Young Gar!" Exclaimed both Ryuzus as they hurried towards the temple entrance. Garfiel himself decided to simply leap all the way down to the bottom of the stairs to meet them.
"Y-Young Gar," said Shima, stumbling over her words, "you see…..well the fact is….I."
"Don't make those faces, Old Hags," said Garfiel, "they don't suit ya." He then, surprisingly, proceeded to pat both of their heads. "And I'm the one who should apologize, for worrying both of ya."
"Well Garf, how did it go?" Asked Ram after walking up to him.
"Oh, well I can't say I got any results out of it that you can really see," said Garfiel, "but…..I think I finally got some closure." His statement was met with a number of smiles from the group before Ulric spoke next.
"Now that we've managed to settle that matter, how shall we proceed with the trials," questioned the Knight.
"I thought you already figured that out," said Garfiel, "ain't she the one who said she'd do the job?"
"Actually, it was you who said it was my job first," Emilia pointed out, "but even if you didn't, it's still my job, so none of you had better go taking it."
"I wouldn't dream of it your ladyship," said Ulric with a short bow.
"Also, since we're on the subject," said Garfiel as he rubbed the back of his head in what appeared to be mild embarrassment, "I think the reason I was finally able to accept the trial was you guys, so, thanks."
"Now there's a word I didn't think I'd hear you utter," remarked Ulric, "regardless, you're quite welcome."
"That's the only time I'm going to say it, alright!" Exclaimed Garfiel as he pointed his finger at Ulric, "Now listen up! I know I lost and I admit that I lost, but remember this. If you liberate the Sanctuary and the Old Hags wind up suffering for it, I ain't goin' easy on ya!" He walked up close to Ulric as he said the next part, "So I'll be staying here to make sure you're not all talk! So try not to mess it up, alright, Boss."
He clapped Ulric on the shoulder then before moving back over towards the two Ryuzus. "His face was red for that whole thing," said Emilia playfully.
"Boss?" Questioned Ulric, "I'm not some kind of bandit leader, nor am I in charge of any workers. If anything, he should be answering to you, Lady Emilia."
"Perhaps you should think of it like gaining a new brother," suggested Ram with her arms crossed, "in this case, you'd be the older brother, so it would be best if you're lenient with him."
"How much older am I than him in this instance?" Questioned Ulric with a raised eyebrow.
"Garf will be turning fourteen this year," explained Ram, "I believe that makes you five years his senior."
"All of a sudden his temperament makes a lot more sense," said Ulric with a sigh, "I'd thought I was dealing with an immature adult all this time." Emilia simply laughed at this before starting up the stairs to the temple entrance. Ulric was quick to follow her as she stopped just short of entering.
"Remember, you have all that you need," said Ulric with a hand on her shoulder, "simply have faith in yourself and what God has given you."
"Thank you again, Ulric," said Emilia, "I know you'll be praying for me, so I'll do my best." The entrance began to glow as she walked in, turning around one last time to say some parting words. "I'll be off now, and when this is over, I'll make sure you have plenty of time to spend with Rem."
"Then I shall await your return with great anticipation, your ladyship," Ulric said as he gave a bow. Emilia nodded back before proceeding the rest of the way into the Witch's Graveyard.
A Short Time Later
"I'm still not sure I believe you," said Garfiel, "you're telling me there's a girl that looks almost exactly like Ram but with blue hair?"
"There are a few other notable differences if one looks close enough," explained Ulric, "but yes, Rem looks very much like her twin sister, Ram. You'd be amazed at the differences in their attitudes as well."
"And I believe you're simply making it up," said Ram dismissively, "clearly this girl you know is merely the me you see in your dreams. I assure you, my standards are much higher than that of a half-baked knight like yourself."
"Then I feel truly blessed knowing that your sister, who resides at the mansion this very moment, has fairer standards," remarked Ulric, "and you'll love the wonderful work she's been doing around the mansion. She may very well surpass you."
"I'll be the judge of that," said Ram with a 'hmmmph', "Frederica may be teaching this girl, if she exists, but even she has yet to brew a truly proper cup of tea. I doubt this 'Rem' will either."
"Perhaps," said Ulric, "though I've had the tea she brews a few times already, and in my admittedly biased opinion, it's rather wonderful."
"'In matters of love, follow the Lingdorn's example', as they say," offered Garfiel.
"And now that I know your true age, your interesting way of speaking makes a little more sense too," said Ulric, "but if a Lingdorn is a well-versed romantic, perhaps it is advice I should heed."
"I'd make absolutely sure about that before doing anything romantic," commented Otto before glancing back towards the temple entrance, "anyway, it's been a few minutes now. Given that Garfiel's trial took about an hour, Emilia's should also last about that long if she's success-guh!" The merchant was silenced by a quick elbow to his stomach from Ulric.
"You should've gotten the hint earlier," said Ram as she also flicked Otto on the forehead, "how can one who calls himself a merchant be so oblivious to the mood?"
"That question hurt even more than the flick to my forehead," whined Otto while rubbing the sore area on his head.
"Ulric," said Ram, ignoring Otto, "Shima has informed me that she wishes to talk with you. It seems to be about last night's discussion."
"You and Gran-er Old Hag were discussing something last night," said Garfiel, shooting him a look of suspicion.
"It was mostly about what you experienced when you went into the graveyard the first time," replied Ulric before turning to Ram, "since Otto and I were preoccupied while coming up with a strategy to deal with Garfiel, we couldn't spare the time to discuss the remaining matters."
"And what matters might those be?" Questioned Ram as Bilma came up the stairs, supporting a seemingly weakened Shima on her left side.
"An unavoidable subject if liberating the Sanctuary is still your goal," said Shima, apparently out of breath for some odd reason.
"Bilma," said Ulric, "what's happening to Shima? She seemed fine not too long ago."
"I believe I explained it to you once before, Young Ulric," replied Bilma, "like a spirit, our bodies are constantly depleting mana."
"And since she's no longer in the supervisory role, she has no one to replace her when the time of her mana depletion draws near," surmised Ulric, "perhaps now would be a good time to send her home."
"While I admit that I may not last until Lady Emilia returns," said Shima weakly, "I still need to say what must be said."
"And I'm saying ya don't have to be pushin' yourself like that!" Garfiel shot back before turning to the others. "We can just let the Healthy Old Hag-."
"Is it really so hard for you to just call them Bilma and Shima?" Questioned Ulric.
"I've called them Old Hag for ages," said Garfiel, "but if you're insisting, Boss, how about Old Shi and Old Ryu?" The Knight sighed at the half beast man or rather boy's insistence on being rude but decided they had too little time to debate on it.
"Very well, Old Shi and Old Ryu," Relented Ulric, "and I believe the reason Ms. Shima is still here is because she's the only one capable of telling us this information, correct?"
"Yes," replied Shima with a nod, "only I, who has entered the graveyard and experienced the trial, can speak of it. This involves the past of Ryuzu Meyer, the original we copies are derived from. The memory I saw, happened long before this place became known as the Sanctuary." She took a breath, as if in preparation for telling a story which, in many ways, she was. "It began with a girl who had a lovely face, I believe you may know her as Lady Beatrice."
"Ram, Emilia and I are most certainly well acquainted with her," affirmed Ulric.
"Ryuzu Meyer also became well-acquainted with her, and the one she called 'Mother', the Witch of Greed: Echidna," continued Shima, "after their first meeting, both Echidna and Beatrice would visit occasionally. At first, they had little to do with each other, but eventually the two would come to spend time together whenever the Witch had business to attend too. Then one day, he visited the settlement, Roswaal L. Mathers."
"So he wasn't lying when he said he laid eyes on Echidna all those centuries ago," remarked Ulric as he crossed his arms, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the head mage of the kingdom would have a long life, especially after meeting so many ageless beings myself."
"I believe you're misunderstanding a bit," said Ram, "Shima is likely referring to the Roswaal of several generations ago. Though Beatrice sounds just the same as ever."
"I'm more interested in what Shima has to say about the witch," Garfiel said, "I know this whole place was an experimental facility for the Witch of Greed, but I've never actually heard the story."
"Did you not meet her in the trials?" Questioned Ulric, "she seems the type to enjoy company, at least if it offers the chance for an interesting conversation."
"I only went in there in the first place to settle a score," replied Garfiel, "the Witch never showed herself while I was in there."
"But given what you just said, Ulric," noted Ram, "have you encountered the witch in your trial?" Ulric hesitated for a moment, wondering if he really should tell the truth. He no longer owed it to Echidna to keep their meeting a secret, especially not after all of the lies she told. And it was that thought right there which eventually led to Ulric's answer.
"I have indeed met that blackhearted wench," said Ulric, "and while she is a stirring conversationalist, I'd recommend not drinking the tea she serves."
"So I see," said Ram simply. In a way, it was almost anticlimactic how quickly she accepted his answer without further questions.
"To one who was not alive during that time, I imagine she does seem quite out of reach," said Shima, "that being said, my memories are those of another, so I cannot say I know her personally either."
"Seeing one who is my identical twin saying that makes me feel as if I've gone a bit mad," commented Bilma, "quite frightening."
"I've wondered about my own sanity many times since coming to this land," said Ulric, "were this but a month or so ago it's likely I'd still be finding this 'cloning' magic hard to accept."
"But getting back on topic," said Shima after she was done catching her breath, "Beatrice is a common presence in many of Ryuzu Meyer's memories. Their friendship can be considered quite a heartwarming one."
"And yet I feel as if you're about to mention something tragic," said Ulric, "please, continue the story to the end, if you would. What treachery did the Witch perform that shattered the peace of the Sanctuary?"
"To put it quite simply, everything collapsed," replied Shima in a serious tone, "and from that collapse was revealed the true reason for the Sanctuary's existence." And it was every bit as tragic as they suspected.
And there we have it, more secrets and revelations revealed as well as a new ally gained. But what is the true purpose of the Sanctuary, and why did it interest the Witch of Greed so much? That's something we'll discuss next time, until then, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Ulric moves onto the next stage of Otto's plan. 'Til then.