A Knight's Retirement
Chapter 4: Camaraderie
It'd been a little over a week since Cyril found himself in Mondstadt. In that time, he'd begun taking on work on behalf of the Knights of Favonius, and his characteristic appearance in full plate and mail armor was becoming a familiar sight on the streets of the City of Freedom.
As for the kind of work he'd been doing…
"There he is!" Cyril's current companion, Amber, shouted as she pointed at a black cat running away from the two of them. She was a young woman with long brown hair and lively amber (how fitting) eyes, along with a red outfit reminiscent of both the Favonius uniform and an outdoorsman's clothing.
Amber was apparently a type of Knight of Favonius called an Outrider, the last member of that sub-order, but that fact didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. Indeed, in the days he'd known her, she'd been nothing but energetic and hardworking. She also seemed to take a liking to Cyril quickly, earning some curious comments from some of the others about how Amber was like a "magnet for travelers" or something. He had no inkling of what those comments meant, or who else they could be referring to.
But right now, they had a cat to catch.
With a single nod between the two of them, Amber took off, scaling the wall and jumping from rooftop to rooftop as she tracked the runaway cat. It was Cyril's job to chase the cat down a predictable route, while Amber would cut ahead and get in front of the cat's path, pincering it for the capture.
This was the second time this week they'd done this particular task, and they were determined to use their struggles and experiences from the first time to end the task quickly this time around.
"Now!" Cyril shouted, as the cat made a turn into an alleyway that only led to a dead end. With a triumphant yell, Amber jumped down into the alleyway and scooped up the startled cat.
"Got 'im!" Amber cheered as she walked up to Cyril. The cat, perhaps resentful of being caught by Amber specifically, squirmed free and jumped into Cyril's arms, no longer eager to be on the run.
"Good work, Lady Amber." Cyril adjusted his grip so that the cat was resting comfortably in the crook of his arm.
"Same to you, Cyril!" Amber's smile was one of the widest he'd ever seen; the girl just seemed to radiate positivity in general. It was one of the main reasons he found himself in her company more often than any of the other Knights of Favonius thus far.
The Knights of Favonius handled all kinds of tasks apparently, ranging from retrieving runaway pets to performing patrols for national security. A more belligerent, prideful person may have chafed at being given such "demeaning" tasks, but Cyril found the various jobs quite refreshing, actually. He'd been on several patrols and had seen some combat, but he also helped with many jobs that other knights considered "community service".
"What a little rascal," Amber shook her head, though she was still smiling, "Why don'tcha stop running away from home, little guy? You're gonna give your owner gray hairs!"
She reached out and gently petted the cat, earning herself a mild glare from the fluffy creature. The cat shifted about, digging itself deeper into Cyril's arms.
"How odd. In my experience most animals don't like being around me," Cyril winced underneath his helmet, remembering how hostile the wildlife of his homeland was to the Undead.
"I bet it's the treats you gave him last time," Amber laughed, "He's a spoiled little Prince."
"Perhaps," Cyril agreed as the pair began to make their way back to where the cat's worried owner was waiting, one hand idly stroking the purring creature as they walked.
They turned the corner to find a small plaza where a family consisting of both parents and a son were flying a kite. According to Amber, due to gliding routes, kites could only be flown in certain parts of the city. As a result most recreational kite flying took place outside the city walls, but Cyril had seen the occasional family doing the same thing as this one.
"Cyril?" Amber was peering at him curiously. With a start, he realized he'd stopped walking and had been watching the kite intently.
"My apologies," He shook his head and resumed walking.
"You said you hadn't seen a kite before coming to Mondstadt, right?" Amber asked.
"No. I may have stumbled across the remnants of one, but I had no idea it was an object with this sort of use for entertainment," Cyril cocked his head slightly as he searched through some positively ancient memories.
"Well, what do you think of them now?" Amber turned her head to look at the small kite struggling against the wind.
"They embody the spirit of this land quite well," Cyril replied with a smile in his tone, "I can think of no better representation of freedom than the act of flying."
Amber nodded in full agreement, before grinning mischievously, "Then why don't you take me up on my offer to give you gliding lessons already?"
She giggled as he tensed up considerably. It wasn't the first time she'd asked, and she found it kind of cute that he was so wary of heights, but she knew not to push too far. He was far from the only person to have such reservations, after all. But the only reason she prodded and teased him about it was because it was fairly obvious he was interested; only that said interest had yet to exceed his caution.
The way his helmet subtly turned, showing that he was averting his eyes from her with as little movement as possible, only made her mirth grow more.
Though they'd only known each other for a short while, Amber had had no trouble picking up on Cyril's body language and vocal cues.
Part of that was how straightforward of a character he was, but she couldn't deny being just as curious, if not more, about him as she had with Lumine, the traveler-turned-honorary-knight that had passed through a few months ago.
Perhaps it was because he was a study in contrasts. He cut an imposing figure, was a deft hand with his sword, and was formal and polite almost to the point of stiffness. But at the same time he was amazingly kind considering the history he'd shared, was filled with near childlike wonder and curiosity, and was surprisingly talkative when prompted.
It was…fun, for lack of a better word, to learn more about the mysterious knight from a faraway land.
Fortunately for him, he was saved from further teasing as they arrived at the location where the cat's owner was waiting.
"Oh, thank you so much!" the young lady beamed once the cat was in her arms once more. Said animal looked content to be back home, but also seemed to be staring at Cyril with a certain sense of longing. The knight from Astora got the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time the cat escaped…
"It's no problem!" Amber smiled as she was handed the paperwork that denoted they'd completed a citizen's request properly.
"Oh, another knight came by while I was waiting," the girl put a finger on her cheek thoughtfully, "He said that Acting Grandmaster Jean has something she wants to discuss with you two when you're finished."
"Hm?" Cyril tilted his head slightly, "Did this knight elaborate on the occasion?"
"No, sorry, he just asked me to pass on the message."
Amber and Cyril exchanged a look, before Amber shrugged.
"Well, message received. Thanks for telling us!" Amber gave the requester one last smile before dragging Cyril towards the Knights' Headquarters.
"I can walk on my own, Lady Amber," Cyril's voice was exasperated as Amber tugged him along by the arm.
"Yeah, but you always walk so slowly! Don't wanna keep Jean waiting." Amber stuck out her tongue.
Cyril didn't reply, knowing she had a point. He tended to get distracted by the small things, things that most citizens would likely take for granted. As a result the sight of his armored form standing still and taking in random scenery was already a common occurrence in the public consciousness.
He didn't know it, but Amber (and a fair few others) found that part of him endearing in an odd sort of way.
Jean was filing some paperwork when the two of them streamed into her office.
"Cyril, Amber, it's good to see you," She greeted them with a warm smile, the expression coming naturally to her as she saw two of the most hardworking individuals she was acquainted with.
Cyril had been astonishingly helpful ever since he'd taken up residence with the Knights. He helped around the city whenever possible, he gave pointers to the more inexperienced knights, and just by being him even the more lax knights were getting their act together so they didn't look bad in comparison. It was a matter of national pride at that point.
"Lady Jean," Cyril bowed respectfully.
"Hello Jean!" Amber stood at attention with a wide grin, holding out the paper she'd received from the cat's owner.
"Oh, thank you," Jean tucked the paper away somewhere among the rest of her documents. Amber, and even Cyril, knew that if they had been busy doing some other work and no other knights were available, then Jean herself likely would've gone out to chase the cat. Such was the depth of her stubborn work ethic.
"So what's going on?" Amber asked.
"I'm sorry to throw more work your way, but we've just finalized the details for a joint operation with the Adventurer's Guild," Jean sighed apologetically, "The manpower involved includes pretty much every knight that isn't already scheduled for a patrol tonight."
"A rather large undertaking. What has happened to require such a response?" Cyril inquired seriously.
"It's not as severe as it sounds, it's just that a hilichurl tribe has been pushed out of their original territory, and their newly settled area overlaps with a major trade route. We combined reconnaissance efforts with the Adventurer's Guild to find their camp after they raided several caravans," Jean explained, "Now that their base of operations has been found, we plan to lure their main forces out with a dummy caravan. I'll be handling that. I want the both of you to meet up with Eula and the Adventurer's Guild representative to strike their camp while it's under-strength."
Cyril had yet to meet this "Eula", but he was aware she was another captain within the Knights of Favonius. He could only assume that she was of the same caliber as Lady Jean herself or Sir Kaeya and Lady Amber.
As for himself, after showing Lady Lisa some of the limited magic he knew and participating in the Knight's sparring sessions, she had informed the rest of the knights that she was reasonably confident that along with his physical prowess he could easily keep up with the Vision-wielding captains and other elite knights.
It was damningly high praise, considering he had no Vision of his own. Already he'd heard rumors spread about him through both the Knights and the citizenry. Part of the reason he'd begun taking such an active role in the daily drills was to ground such rumors in facts over fiction (little did he know his prowess was only made more apparent).
Still, the fact that Lady Jean had selected him for this meant she was willing to trust him enough to assist a Captain and a skilled knight like Amber in their mission.
"I understand," he nodded solemnly, "I will do my utmost to carry out this task."
"You can count on us!" Amber added resolutely.
"Great," Jean gave them a relieved smile, "It's a medium-sized tribe so I'll have my hands full coordinating the less experienced knights in order to occupy their main forces. I'm relying on the four of you to strike and the heart of their operations. Eula and the Adventurer's Guild representative will meet you at this location."
Jean pulled out a map with the entire plan drawn out, likely the one she used or planned to use to brief the knights as a whole. The camp was marked clearly, and a small circle indicated their rendezvous point.
She provided them with a few more details before seeing them off.
Once the two of them were on the road, Amber turned to Cyril excitedly, "You haven't met Eula yet, right? She's one of my best friends, and I'm sure the two of you will get along great!"
"Is that so? Any friend of yours is sure to be a praiseworthy individual," Cyril smiled at her, his helmet held under one arm as they walked.
"She's great! But…she can be a bit cold and weird to people who don't know her. She's actually really nice though!," Amber rambled a bit as Cyril listened attentively, "Oh, and you can finally thank her too!"
"Thank her?" Cyril furrowed his brow, searching his memory.
"Oh, she's the one that found you. Did we never tell you that?" Amber looked sheepish.
"Ah." Cyril stopped for a moment, "The one that reported that I was passed out and on fire?"
"Yeah…oh. I hope someone told her what happened after she brought you back," Amber's eyes widened, "Well, I'm sure Jean already told her the important stuff."
"It appears I do indeed owe her a debt of gratitude then," Cyril nodded with plain thankfulness in his eyes, "Who knows what might've happened if I'd been left in the wilds."
"Yeah!" Amber agreed with a sage look, "She'll probably have a bunch of questions for you, but she means well. Oh and she might swear vengeance on you too, but she doesn't mean it in a harmful way, I promise!"
Her words made Cyril pause again. Just how was vengeance meant to be unharmful?
The sun had just set, marking the beginning of night as Amber and Cyril approached the location they were supposed to meet with Eula and the Adventurer's Guild representative. The plan was to meet up a little ways from the hilichurl camp, finalize the plan of attack, and then execute it as swiftly as possible.
They arrived at a small clearing in the woods, the walls and fires of the hilichurl camp visible in the distance.
"Fufu...so, the final harbingers of fate have finally arrived! Come forth! And receive the blessings of the Immernachtreich!" A high, lofty voice called from one of the treetops. Turning their gazes up, they saw a darkly-dressed blonde girl with an eye-patch (that makes two people with such accessories now) looking down upon them.
Cyril glanced at Amber, clueless as to who this was.
"Er...I've seen her around town, she's an investigator for the Adventurer's Guild. She must be the representative," Amber paused, thinking for a moment, "I think her name was-"
"I am Fischl, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, here to punish those who would dare to bring harm to others during my watch!" The girl descended from the tree branch she stood on.
"Yeah, that's right." Amber nodded, as if remembering something, "I heard she can be a bit strange, but she's very skilled and trustworthy."
"Wha-! To dare to refer to me, Sovereign of the Immernachtreich, with such familiarity, you should beware, Marksman of Flame!" Fischl replied indignantly.
Amber simply blinked, uncharacteristically stunned and unsure of what to say.
"Now now, Mein Fraulein, they simply haven't been granted the opportunity to witness your peerless prowess yet." A deep voice chided the excitable girl, revealing itself in the form of an ethereal purple bird composed of electro elemental energy.
"What in the name of Gwyn…" Cyril, who hadn't had the opportunity to speak thus far, gaped at the talking bird spirit.
"That bird is manifested by her Vision." Another voice spoke up, this time from right next to him. He turned to find a breathtakingly elegant blue-haired woman in flowing, aristocratic clothing.
Amber gave the newcomer a quick wave of greeting and, having recovered from the initial disorientation of meeting Fischl, now moved to engage the flamboyant blonde animatedly in some sort of conversation about bows. Apparently, they were both archers. Of course, Cyril was aware of Amber's weapon of choice, but because of the fact that Vision users summoned their weapons he didn't know the other two's weapons of choice at first glance.
He was beginning to realize what a game-changer Visions could be from a military standpoint. Vision users could conceal their weapon until needed, perform basic manipulation of their weapons without physically wielding them, and could imbue their weapons with elemental magic. All things that he'd have to take into account if he ever found himself up against a hostile one. And now, some had the capacity to manifest spirits? What were the limits of these divine devices?
"Interesting, aren't they?" The woman, who he figured was Eula, Captain of the Reconnaissance Corps, was watching him intently, "I've heard a fair bit about you from Jean and Kaeya."
"Ah, yes. My name is Cyril, of Astora. It's a pleasure to meet you." Cyril took off his helmet like always, introducing himself politely.
"No burns, either. Just like the reports said…" Eula scanned his face with a practiced eye, "No matter. I'm Eula Lawrence, the Spindrift Knight. Though Amber might've told you that already."
"She did," He nodded in confirmation, "I look forward to working with you, Lady Eula."
"Ha. Just as polite as they said, too." Eula smirked lightly, "I'll have to take that into account when determining the form my vengeance against you will take."
"Vengeance?" Cyril remembered Amber mentioning something along those lines, but didn't expect it to come out so soon and so blatantly.
"That's right. Collapsing out in the wild, looking like you'd been set aflame; making it seem urgent that you be brought back to town with all haste. Quite a clever ploy." Eula's voice was flat and sharp, but Cyril could swear there was a hint of amusement present.
"I see. I can only offer you my thanks for the trouble. Out of all the debts I owe, the one I have to you may be the most important…" He bowed deferentially.
"Hmm~," Eula eyed him speculatively, "I'll remember that. You might regret declaring that you owe a debt to someone from the Lawrence Clan."
"Clan?" Cyril wasn't sure what she was talking about.
"Oh, you don't know? You should do more reading then, I heard you've been holed up in the library a couple of times already. Though honestly, you could ask any random citizen and they'd tell you all about the Lawrence Clan."
"Ah...I see…?" Cyril felt there was something deeper to her words, but couldn't discern what it might be, "Regardless of what owing the Lawrence Clan may mean, I believe my debt is owed only to you, Lady Eula, and no one else."
"..." He caught a flash of surprise before Eula's face broke into a slight smile, and she giggled softly, "I like that answer. For now, though, we should get back to business."
The two of them looked over to Amber and Fischl, who were finishing up their own conversation.
"Hey Cyril, Eula!" Amber waved cheerfully, "Turns out Fischl's really smart, once you can figure out what she's saying!"
"Hmph. You've only caught a glimpse of my majesty! Remember that all the world's secrets are naught before my omniscience!" Fischl struck some kind of pose that Cyril didn't know the meaning of. Judging from the looks on Eula's and Amber's faces, they didn't know what to make of it either.
"...It's good that we have an experienced adventurer with us," Cyril said diplomatically. Fischl gave a nod of satisfaction, before giving him a closer look.
"The night has whispered to me of your exploits, warrior of a distant land!" She said in a way of greeting.
"She means to say that she's heard about you around town, Sir Cyril. I am Oz, by the way. Faithful servant of mein Fraulein," The bird interpreted with a wry tone.
"Well met, to the both of you," Cyril nodded, "It seems you already know, but I am Cyril of Astora. As you said, my homeland is far, likely beyond my reach, but I hope to lead a fulfilling life here among the people of Teyvat."
"How fortuitous is it that the winds of fate have brought not one, but two who share the same destiny as I!" Fischl seemed excited all of a sudden.
"She's saying nice to meet you." Oz supplied helpfully, before floating closer to whisper to Cyril, "Forgive her if she says anything presumptuous, we know little truth of your history beyond hearsay from the Knights."
"I understand." Cyril whispered back, nodding in acknowledgment.
"Ahem, well, now that we're all here and ready to go." Eula began, "Both Fischl and I have confirmed the presence of a Lawachurl in the camp, likely the leader. Judging from the markings and its hide we're reasonably certain it's a Stonehide Lawachurl. Everyone here knows what that means?"
"A Lawachurl imbued with geo energy, granting it a natural armor of stone, correct?" Cyril knew Eula was likely asking for his sake, given his lack of experience.
"That's right." Eula nodded approvingly, "I'm the one with the heaviest weapon, so ideally I'll face it down while you cover me."
Cyril recalled that unlike other elemental energies, which countered one another, geo was unique in that it was resistant to the other elements, which made it an excellent defensive classification.
"So you'll be keeping the Lawachurl's attention while the rest of us handle the regular hilichurls and mitachurls, right?" Amber chimed in.
"That seems to be the best course of action. Cyril and I will be fighting at a close range while you and Fischl provide support as necessary." Eula gave his armor a once over, something Cyril found amusing as she herself had a distinct lack of it.
Everyone nodded at her words. Keeping it simple and leaving second-to-second decisions up to the individual was a good plan, so long as everyone could handle themselves. Cyril didn't think they had anything to worry about though, despite the youth of the fighters present. Amber was well-regarded among the Knights, Fischl was a bit more unknown but as a full-fledged adventurer one could assume she has the necessary experience and skills, and Eula was a Captain, all of whom were quite skilled thus far in his eyes.
"To start, we'll have you two take out the sentries once Cyril and I are close to the entrance to their camp. Then we'll engage them in earnest." Eula directed, earning determined nods from the two archers.
"Cyril, how confident are you against these hilichurls?" Eula asked seriously.
"The Lawachurl is the only unknown, but even then I am sure they will be no match for me." Cyril replied with absolute faith in his own skills. And with good reason, considering what he'd been through.
Apparently the shift in his tone from a soft-spoken knight to battle-ready confidence caught them off guard, as they stared at him for several moments.
"I would normally advise caution, but you don't seem like the type to get overconfident." Eula frowned, "I'll be trusting you to watch my back, understood?"
"Without fail." Cyril answered.
"We've got both of your backs! Right, Fischl?" Amber grinned, patting Fischl on the back energetically.
"I-Indeed! None c-can escape from my gaze!" Fischl agreed, her voice shaking due to the force of Amber's pats.
"Okay. Then let's get started." Eula gave the group one last look around, "Cyril, follow me."
With a single nod, Cyril refastened his helmet.
The two archers split off, likely to find good vantage points to oversee the battle from, while Cyril and Eula began creeping towards the front of the hilichurl encampment. This was the first time Cyril had encountered an actual hilichurl base, as his earlier skirmishes were against their raiders and patrols.
But the camp layout wasn't particularly complicated. There was a simple wall that surrounded several simple huts and tents, and the entrance didn't even have a gate. The most noteworthy thing was the presence of some raised platforms, which had several hilichurl crossbowmen on them. But Fischl and Amber should be able to dispatch them with relative ease, given the lack of cover on the platforms.
Once they were close, Eula signaled him to ready himself. Acquiescing, he shouldered his shield onto his arm and drew his sword quietly. Once she saw he was prepared, she held her arm up high. Moments later, two arrows streaked over their heads, slamming into the sentries atop the platforms.
"Go!" Eula gave a curt shout.
Not missing a beat, Cyril targeted a hilichurl near the entrance that was scrambling for its club and shield. He rushed forward, running the hapless creature through the chest with his blade. It died instantly.
Withdrawing his sword, he turned and blocked a wild swing from another hilichurl with contemptuous ease. Shoving this new adversary's club aside he kicked it in the stomach, hard, forcing it to its knees. One casual swing later, and a now headless corpse flopped to the ground with a wet thud.
With a second of breathing room, Cyril took stock of the situation. The hilichurl defense was scattered and disorganized, courtesy of their surprise attack and the excellent marksmanship of Fischl and Amber. Regarding that, it was the first time he'd seen archery enhanced with Vision abilities, and the purple sparks and red flames that erupted as the arrows made contact with their targets made for a beautifully deadly sight.
As for his fellow melee combatant, Cyril was treated to some of the most acrobatic combat he'd ever seen. Eula dashed between opponents, dissipating and re-summoning her large claymore at will as she cleaved through them, leaving behind glittering streaks of frost and crystals of ice. It was a fighting style he could never hope to emulate, but he did wonder a little bit if the theatrics were truly necessary. Then again, dazzling the opponent could be considered a method of distracting them.
As the fodder died, however, the larger and more experienced mitachurls were forming up and preparing to counterattack. Behind them, the Stonehide Lawachurl watched with a hateful glare from underneath its massive mask.
"This is troublesome." Eula remarked with a grimace, "It looks like the Lawachurl did some basic drilling with the mitachurls. They normally wouldn't be that coordinated."
"That shouldn't be an issue." Cyril raised his shield and approached the mitachurl formation. There were only 4 of them, two shieldbearers and two axe wielders, along with the Lawachurl behind.
"Wait, Cyril-" Eula was about to try and stop him, but he suddenly broke into a sprint before she could.
There was a simple method to get past the shieldbearer mitachurls that had stepped forward to block his approach. With his own shield strapped to his left forearm, his hand was free to palm his Sunlight Talisman, which allowed him to use miracles. Once he was within range, he raised his hand, and a large shockwave of white energy launched forward, smashing the mitachurls aside and knocking them to the ground, leaving them vulnerable.
That was the "Emit Force" miracle.
To her credit, Eula only stared for a split second before jumping in to finish off the disoriented shieldbearers. With the two axe wielding mitachurls eyeing him warily, Cyril decided it was time to land a hit on the enemy leader.
Next on his repertoire was "Sunlight Spear", the famed miracle based off of Lord Gwyn's very own lightning bolts. The three remaining enemies only stared as he channeled the raw energy of sunlight and faith into his hands, forming an elongated lance of light that he sent flying straight into the Lawachurl's chest.
A mostly successful cast.
With a wince, he realized that he hadn't prepared himself properly, and had lost control of the channeled energy for a few moments. He'd be feeling the effects of that in his throwing arm for some time to come.
Still, at least he threw the spell with proper precision. As for the effects of the spell...
It turned out he'd overestimated the strength of the famed geo armor of the Lawachurl, to his surprise. All the parties involved in the battle froze, their attention drawn to the crackling, twitching body of the Stonehide Lawachurl, pierced by Cyril's spear and collapsing into a boneless heap.
Before the two remaining mitachurls could even process what they'd seen, they were engulfed in a wave of freezing wind, courtesy of Eula. She approached them casually, shattering them into little bits with two quick swings.
That would mark the end of a surprisingly easy battle. Not that Cyril had been expecting a major challenge, but it was still a bit disappointing to him. At least at first thought.
As memories of some of his previous battles surfaced, he quickly decided he enjoyed these easy fights much more.
"I see your self-confidence wasn't misplaced." Eula came up to him, her voice dry and thick with understatement.
"That. Was. Awesome!" Amber came bounding into the camp in her characteristic manner, her eyes alight with excitement. Following closely behind her was Fischl and her avian companion.
"I honestly didn't expect it to be that effective…" Cyril admitted, feeling somewhat self-conscious.
"To think that my meticulous plan would go to waste...with my prey stolen, to boot." Eula pouted, an expression that was very cute in Cyril's eyes, "Mark my words: I'll remember this slight."
"...My apologies?" Cyril scratched at the cheek of his helmet awkwardly.
"Hmph. For now, I'll go confirm our surroundings." Eula turned away, heading to check the perimeter of the camp.
"She says that, but she's honestly happy that no one was hurt." Amber stepped in and whispered conspiratorially to him.
"I-I see…"
"As expected of a fellow traveler of worlds! There's no way the skeins of fate could select a mere plebian to stand alongside myself and the Traveler!" Fischl looked inordinately proud for reasons Cyril did not comprehend, but he at least understood she was happy with his prowess.
"Your marksmanship was quite a sight to behold as well, Miss Fischl." Cyril returned the compliment with one of his own.
"But of course! I am the eye that pierces the night, after all!" She puffed out her chest boastfully, though the slight flush on her cheeks ruined the image she was attempting to evoke.
"You too, Lady Amber. Your flaming arrows were on the mark."
"Hehe, thanks Cyril!" Amber grinned in response, before gesturing at the body of the Lawachurl, "Seriously though, was that some of the magic that you wowed Lisa with? That was crazy!"
"It was one of the more powerful miracles I can wield, yes. It would be best if I didn't use it often, but I thought the strength of the Lawachurl might warrant a spell of that caliber. Apparently, I was wrong." Cyril laughed, letting out a small sigh of annoyance as he attempted to move his arm in a gesture of sheepishness.
Pain was nothing new to him, but it was an inconvenience being unable to move his limb as he wished. But his flinch did not go unnoticed.
"Wait...are you hurt?" Amber's expression turned to worry instantly. Fischl had honed in as well, looking at him intently.
"It's nothing major. A misjudgment during the casting process." Cyril waved his other hand dismissively.
"...Wait a moment, I smell burns," Fischl made a face, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Cyril with worry.
"Cyril, take off your gauntlet." Amber's voice turned serious.
"Is this really necessary?" Cyril made a token protest, but he had a feeling Amber wasn't going to back down. He briefly cursed himself for not attuning himself to a healing miracle the last time he was at a bonfire. He also briefly contemplated chugging an estus flask, but decided since there was no easily accessible bonfire nearby that they should be conserved for truly dire situations.
Upon the severe look he was getting from the normally bubbly girl, he sighed and gingerly pulled off his gauntlet. The flesh underneath was burnt and blackened, with sections peeling off. A consequence of his improper use of the Sunlight Spear.
"!" Fischl looked away, unused to seeing such things up close.
"That's…" Amber grimaced darkly, "Cyril, that injury looks pretty bad."
"It looks worse than it actually is. Most of it is likely on the surface alone." He explained with a steady voice. As he tried to think of what else to say, Eula returned from her exploration.
Her normally cool expression turned concerned when she laid eyes on the injury Amber was examining, "What happened?"
"He said he messed up while he was casting that last spell." Amber answered for him.
"Electro-based injury?"
"Not quite, it's like he was burned really badly too...kind of like an overload reaction."
"Okay, we can do some basic treatment with that in mind, but we'll probably need to take him to see Barbara or another healer." Eula was all business now.
"It's really nothing. It should heal given time," Cyril waved his uninjured arm dismissively, "I can handle it myself."
"Not when you were about to hide something like this from us." Amber said, her tone more than a little incensed.
Eula had ignored his words and was pulling out what looked like a field aid kit of some sort.
"C-Can I assist?" Fischl had managed to compose herself, still looking a bit sick.
"Please do." Eula poured some kind of solution, likely meant to cleanse the wound, onto his damaged arm, "Pull out some non-cotton bandages and gauze, we'll cover the wound until we get into town."
Fischl obediently did as she was told, handing over the requested supplies as Amber and Eula worked on wrapping up his arm. A short while later, they had finished their first aid treatment of his injury. He didn't really see what the big deal was, but understood and appreciated the concern they were showing towards him.
It was proof that they trusted and cared for him as an ally; which is why as they returned to town, he was currently weathering the upset glares he periodically received from Amber, or the stone-faced looks from Eula. Even Fischl was uncharacteristically silent compared to her earlier behavior.
"Chin up, everyone." Cyril attempted to lighten the mood, "The task Lady Jean has given us was accomplished, and aside from my own carelessness it was an overwhelming victory in our favor, was it not?"
No one replied at first, making him feel rather awkward.
"...Answer this, Cyril." Eula met his eyes with dead seriousness, "You seemed pretty used to that kind of injury. Does that happen often?"
"I wouldn't say it's common, but it is the most likely result of attempting that kind of miracle without proper preparation or skills." He answered immediately.
"So you used a spell you weren't proficient at, without any particular reason?"
"Well, not exactly. I'm quite well-practiced at using a handful of miracles, even if I don't use that specific one often. I simply made a mistake, one that I will endeavor not to repeat. And it did strike down the enemy quite effectively…"
"..." Eula sighed for reasons he didn't quite understand, "Why didn't you just follow the plan we established beforehand? You may have sped up the fight, but none of us were in any danger whatsoever."
"Ah. Hmm..." Cyril paused, "To be honest, I was caught up in the moment. I saw the opportunity to strike, and took it. I am also far more used to fighting alone than with allies…"
"So it was a bout of impatience then." Eula replied flatly.
Cyril frowned at that, "I fail to see how capitalizing on a target of opportunity is-"
"She means it would've been better if you hadn't gotten hurt...!" Amber's sad words stopped the budding argument in its tracks, "How are we supposed to be happy when you burnt your entire arm to a crisp…?"
"..." Cyril fell silent. The reason for their displeasure was becoming clear to him now. In Lordran, injuries were simply a fact of life, along with death, of course.
But this was no longer Lordran. It would seem that despite his efforts to adjust to his new life, his sensibilities still tended to reflect the time he spent back there. Though the people here were not lesser warriors by any means, they were still able to care for one another, and worry about their comrades more than even the staunchest of allies in Lordran would ever bother to do.
"Promise me you'll be more careful next time, okay?" Amber asked, a painfully earnest expression on her face.
"...I will. I apologize for acting rashly." His words made Amber smile, albeit a weak one.
His words seemed to mollify Eula as well, as her tone lost its previous bite, "As long as you understand."
Fischl was still looking a bit down, glancing at his injured arm every so often. In an attempt to make her feel better, he used his uninjured hand to rub her head affectionately. It was something he did for the children that sometimes pestered him on the streets, though Fischl was a fair bit older than them.
As he realized that, he was about to apologize for his rudeness before he noticed the small smile on her face. It would seem that he made the right choice this time.
A little later, as they approached the city gates, Eula split off from their party, citing other business she had to handle as a reconnaissance captain. Of course, before she left, she gave him a look that said: 'You'd better take care of that injury properly or we will be having words in the near future'.
Amber perked up a bit as they walked through the city, giving him a teasing grin, "I'll go find Jean, her group should've gotten back earlier. Sorry about this~, but I'll have to tell her our group's only injury was the fault of the person who got hurt…"
"Urk…" In the past week, Cyril had had the chance to observe Jean's leadership in close proximity. She would not be happy to hear how he got hurt.
"Heehee, make sure you remember your promise~" Amber poked him in the chest before heading off in the direction of the Knight's HQ.
"T-Take care of yourself..." Fischl said her farewell also, needing to submit her report to the Adventurer's Guild. Cyril wondered if she was going to explain in detail how he messed up, but realized it was none of his business. The injury was entirely his own fault, after all.
That left him with the task of going to Favonius Cathedral to have his wounds treated. They should have healers on standby because of the night operation, but he'd hoped to avoid using their services.
He wasn't sure what the exact differences between an undead marked by the Darksign and normal humans were, aside from the obvious, but considered it a miracle the healers hadn't detected anything wrong with him when he was first brought in.
But he made a promise to take care of himself, so he would go.
He knocked on the door of the cathedral's healing ward, standing patiently outside.
"Oh, hello Cyril!" Barbara was apparently on duty, answering the door with a smile, " What can I- My goodness, what happened to your arm!?"
She took one glance at the extensive first aid work done to his arm and pulled him inside. It seemed she'd instantly gone into healer mode upon seeing his injury. And given what he knew of healers, he hoped she wouldn't be too angry when she learned why exactly his arm was injured.
His hopes were then dashed as she did her work and he explained the situation.
"You did WHAT!?"
"The miracle in question relies heavily upon visualization and belief in the tale being manifested," Cyril hastily explained, not entirely sure what he was saying, "I simply made a mistake because it'd been so long since I used that kind of magic…"
"So you're telling me you held a literal lightning bolt, except this lightning bolt was also somehow imbued with the power of the sun in your bare hand all without making sure you could do it safely?"
"Uh...that is...correct, yes. In my defense, it was not my bare hand: I was wearing my gauntlet at the time." He made an attempt at levity.
Unfortunately, she was not amused.
Fischl is cute. She is also a pain in the ass to write. But cuteness wins.