Fantasy Wherever the Wind Takes You

[Gary Sue]

A grunt followed Arioon's fake out as Reeve offered a very generous, disapproving sigh and took the pouch back, hooking it to his belt. "... Only half of what she made me uncomfortably pay last time. Neat.", his thoughts were oozing with sarcasm as he turned to Laila and raised his brows in an attempt to show excitement, although his deadpan expression said otherwise. And while the assassin was too busy playing with her pay, the knight made it out of the tavern alongside the archer and began to look for the right exit out of Velia, so they could get going to that viscount's probably-not-so-humble abode.

The moment his train of thought was about to set off though, he halted in his tracks and gave his companion a troubled look. "Wait a minute. If it's a viscount, then they would have a mansion or some form of rich looking estate around these parts right? They're not in town, are they? I don't think Velia's large enough to have something 'thirty minutes down the street', but...", he grumbled and held his chin silently, looking at both directions, the one leading to the northern entrance they'd entered from, and the southern one that would probably lead towards Arioon's cousin.

"Laila asked this already, but... a duelist that cooks in their free time..? I'm still a bit suspicious on Arioon's delivery, but...", a quick glance at his friend discouraged him from saying anything against the request. "... we'll see. I'll roll along with it now, for Laila's sake... and my coin pouch's, I suppose."

Breaking out of his inner monologue though, he crossed his arms and coughed dryly in an attempt to get her attention, before glancing both ways and tilting his head at the shrine maiden somewhat. "So, where will it be? I'm assuming she picked up the directions better than I, right?"

 

[Shreb]

Man, Reeve was killing the mood. Easy job meant easy pickings! Laila sighed; there was no helping the man's paranoia. Such was life. He shot his glances at her, to which Laila was slow to pick up on...Up until the last bit.

"Oh!! Oh! Oh. So they're staying at the inn down there. It's the newest one so it's really hard to miss."

She wasn't kidding. A thirty minute walk down the street and the inn looked brand-spanking new, a three-story hunk of a stay that could've fit more than its fair share of families. It wasn't all that pretty, it looked like a block with a cone, but the wood and stone gave the patio an earthy and cozy feel.

She grinned. "Reeve, you and me, this'll be easy. Let's just get inside and ask for the viscount."

 

[Gary Sue]

Who would have thought Velia was big enough to allow for thirty entire minutes worth of strolling down the path? Definitely not Reeve- truth be told, he'd just found an inn close to the gate, where the bulletin board with odd jobs and bounties was, and made that his home for the time being as he waited until something worthy of note showed up. He hadn't really explored the town on his own before, and he could have sworn it seemed smaller on the map. But with the amount of people moving about, the market streets and the occasional street performer, everything was possible and the settlement felt a lot larger, as well as much more alive than before.

Eventually, they were right at the inn, and... "... This is not where a viscount of all people would go.", he raised a hand to pinch his nose and shake his head, groaning internally and wanting to start sobbing immediately. They had probably gotten played for complete fools. Not only was a noble not going to be living at a 'filthy' 'commoner's' abode, but they would definitely have trouble cooking some pancakes here. He made sure to quickly hide the disdain on his face though when he realised just how happy (go lucky) Laila was, putting on the most convincing smile he could instead.

A nod, a cough, some fixing his shirt's collar under his armor and he quietly entered the inn, looking around the homey structure lit up with the sunlight from the windows, and the warm flame of a candle by the counter. When the innkeeper saw the two enter, she smiled and put both hands on the counter, leaning forwards as she raised a brow. "Hello there! You two wouldn't happen to be looking for a place to stay the night in, would you?"

Reeve would have loved to explain as he opened up his mouth, but only a sigh came out as he turned to give Laila a troubled look. The classic problem that got a curious glance from the innkeeper, but it probably wouldn't linger on her expression for all that long. "Somethin' the problem?"

 

[Shreb]

Laila needed to stop looking at Reeve because she could feel everytime Reeve had a problem about something. Negative Nancies were worse quiet.

"Hello there! You two wouldn't happen to be looking for a place to stay the night in, would you?"

...

Oh, she forgot.

"Somethin' the problem?"

Ohh!

"Sorry! No, there's no problem, we're just looking for a friend. Arioon sent us to request an entrance with the viscount. Is he here?"

 

[Gary Sue]

The sudden realisation and perking up from Laila got a small chuckle out of Reeve, although he raised a hand to hide his expression while the innkeeper nodded and looked through what looked like a small checklist on her counter. "Ah, the viscount. An odd fellow, although it's not my place to say anything but! Friends of Arioon and any of my clients are always more than welcome, you can find him in his room right at the end of the corridor, next floor up. Follow the stairs and knock on his door when you're there, he's pretty fast with responding to visitors."

And with her friendly explanation and small chitchat, Reeve bowed his head in gratefulness and looked back at Laila, gesturing for her to follow as he walked up the inn's stairs and looked around. Three rooms on the side of the corridor, all towards what would be the street's view. They moved all the way over to the end of the corridor, and before them stood a wooden door, sturdy-looking, although not too fancy at that. Making sure that his friend was next to him, he shrugged and knocked on the door, crossing his arms as he quietly waited for him to open the door.

It was at that point that a funny thought occurred to him. "Come think of it, it's kinda funny, opening up your door to find a knight standing outside of it for no reason. Let's hope this cousin of hers doesn't assume he missed a summons or anything.", an entertaining thought, although definitely far from true if this man was half as much of a noble duelist as his relative was. Somebody as cunning, and sadly smart too, as Arioon was bound to have equally intelligent family left, right, front and center.

 

[Shreb]

"Come think of it, it's kinda funny, opening up your door to find a knight standing outside of it for no reason. Let's hope this cousin of hers doesn't assume he missed a summons or anything.",

...Laila passively followed Reeve; there was only so many interesting things to think about, so her headspace was kind of out there, thinking about strawberries and syrup and whatnot.

Knock knock knock!

Laila stuck her ear against the door.

"Darling, the tax collectors are back."
"No, they're not! I just paid them a fortnight ago."
"Then it's the guards, they want their queen back."
"Well, aren't you so sweet? I'll answer the door but if it's your nephew again..."

Laila quickly withdrew her ear back.

"He's got her humor."



The door opened to a woman in a late morning gown, silk white from collarbone to ankle. A scar runs across her nose, then down against her eye, and several alongside the forearms, the others concealed by the solid fabric. The gown conforms around her biceps, a muscular body from top to bottom compared the petiteness of the priestess. Her brown eyes slam their gaze at Laila. She's got the psychopath's gaze; apathetic, glimmering, and all sorts of stories hidden behind that uncannily tranquil stare.

What the heck, she's kinda pretty? In the "she's gonna beat the crap out of me" kind of way.

"Hmm~ And who are you two? Do I owe a favor to someone? Or to him?" She talked with an unavoidable imperative. She most certainly trained to have her voice distinct from any other knight, something that easily grabbed attention and deserved impromptu obedience.

Laila cleared her throat, fiercely bowing. "Greetings!!"

The lady lazily waved Laila off, holding a very pronounced hand to stop Reeve from doing the same. "Relax. I've no rank right now, so I'm no knight."

Still, Laila fiercely stood straight up like a catapult. "I'm Laila, we are requesting a healthy supply of pancakes from Arioon's cousin, Viscount Makou of the Seventh Blue Dragon~! She told us you two would be here?"

"Ohh...Honey, they want your pancakes. Arioon?"

A smooth voice from the chambers replied back. "Oh...Her?" A deep sigh exited his mouth. "Let me see the fine guests."

Passing by, the man was an absolute boulder, carved from head to toe with a height difference that made the three of them look more like teenagers. He wore a patch on one eye, his cheeks scarred with burns and his jawline pointed like a weapon. The man wore a brown work shirt, some loose pants tightened by a makeshift leather belt while the faint emblem of a House sat at the center of it; the soaring spiral of a blue dragon wrapping around the letters "VII."

He brushed his heavy stubble in nostalgia. "Ari...Girl always loved good food."

Laila gulped.

He laughs like a great brass instrument!! And he looks like one, too!!

Laila quickly linked her arm around Reeve. "Heh, so you two are close?"

The monolith grinned. "Close? Bwaha. Everytime Arioon bawled her eyes out, she was in my corner, asking for my hand in the kitchen. And who's the lad?"

Laila cleared her throat. The dude was very intimidating. "R-Reeve, uh- yeah, he's not good with talking, say hi, though!"

 

[Gary Sue]

As soon as the door opened, they were greeted with the only sort of look that immediately got Reeve to raise his guard. "That stare. Tch.", he silently returned the look, his eyes looking sharper as he refused to bow even before the noble's wife did him the favor of asking him not to. It should be noted that just because he didn't immediately react with respect out of fear, he wasn't any less put off by the scary expression on the woman's face. He was far more on edge than he was alert.

The man behind her, who eventually made his appearance, seemed all the more... "Frightening..? This looks exactly like what I'd expect out of Arioon's family, though.", a remark with equal part indifference and disappointment. "Everybody looks like they've done nothing but fought and dueled for their entire lives... probably because they have.", a silent exhale left him before he felt something hold onto him. So he looked to the side silently, raising a brow at how Laila's want for physical contact seemed to have suddenly peaked.

By the time the man addressed Reeve personally, he already figured out what was going on and held back a laugh- one that thankfully, relieved some of the tension he felt. "Laila really did get scared by how gruff and tough everyone here looks, huh.", he noted in the back of his mind before turning to the other two and simply putting on a small, yet kind smile. He raised a hand from the hilt of his sword where it always rested, touched it to his head to salute and then lowered it back down to his weapon once again. His form was somewhat more lax, not as 'knightly' as one might expect.

If Tomoe were here, she could probably tell he was far from giving it his all. Right now though? He didn't mean to offend as much as to question Arioon- what does she mean this is the guy that 'cooks pancakes'..? This whole ordeal was curious enough to have him at a state of curiosity and indifference all at once. What unique circumstances, for such a mundane, everyday request. "Laila at least has the setup to a good joke from here on out, just trying to describe this odd job. A knight and a shrine maiden go buy a tavern's waitress some pancakes from two duelists."

...

"Sounded better before I put it into words, eugh. Maybe not."

 

[Shreb]

Makou raised his eyebrow, watching Reeve's expression change while Laila just awkwardly chuckled in her usual "please-don't-punch-me" expression. He gestured them both in, as the knight nodded in acknowledgement of Reeve's movements. Inadvertently, she actually mirrored his actions before shortly stopping herself as she realized she didn't have her sword. Good job.

"Well, come on in! I suppose if Arioon asked, it must be a fairly urgent calling, hmm?"

"Y-yeah!" Laila said, eagerly tugging Reeve in as she'd quickly step away from the Grand Knight.

"She's a bit of a nervous one, isn't she?" The lady commented, calmly linking arms with Makou.

"Could be much worse!" He cackled.

"I suppose. At least you didn't throw up in the knighting ceremony."

"H-hah, so you know uh...Sharena!"

"Pfft, know her," She replied back, gesturing them to the small dining table in the center of the large room. "I would turn into a frog if one of my comrades didn't know about her. They called her Janitor Princess until the end of her extended stay at the 3rd Kobold Parallel far west of here."

Laila pulled back a seat for Reeve, Makou raising his eyebrow again.

"I believe you switched up the duties, priestess."

"Agyghh-pfft- nooo. I was just...Uh...Demonstrating."

Makou smiled as he placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. "This lady is Vermillion, Royal Knight of an empire we were told not to disclose. Responsible for a couple of dozen knights sent to guard their Majesties until she sees otherwise."

The lady brushed her curled brown hair back with a surprising amount of grace. "Pleasure."

"How is Sharena?" Laila asked curiously. "Do you know?"

She pulled herself a seat and leaned forward, eyes looking into space. "Disabled a black market organization not too long ago singlehandedly. She might come up due for another medal of recognition. Asked me for an autograph...I engraved her chest plate. Then she tripped on the high priest's robes during my knight's promotion ceremony. Other than that, she's been well, hasn't aged a day."

Laila blinked. "She's a very unlucky person, isn't she?"

She raised her finger, waving it encouragingly at Laila. "I like to think people let her off because of her face. You know how many people stare at her everytime she's at a ceremony?"

"It's the hair!"

"No, it's definitely the eyes."

"Both!"

Makou sighed, "Ladies. Er, darling and miss. We've business, no? I'll happily get some pancakes if it's Arioon's request. You're her friend, no? She mentioned a girl...Who looks to be most likely to trip on the staircase to her shrine."

"Me??"

"Well, is it true? Dispel the rumors!"

Laila looked at Reeve, priorities now adjusted to figuring out if she looked like she was extremely likely to trip on a staircase. "Do I look like that? Because I've only done it a few times, okay!!"

 

[Gary Sue]

"Yup, she's falling apart by the minute.", Reeve quietly noted as he followed behind Laila, observing the conversation for the time being with a curious look on his face. He didn't expect to be invited inside alongside his companion, but that was definitely not grounds to turn the kind gesture down now, was it? "Sharena would be... the pale one? From that ceremony in Laila's memories, right?", he tried to piece things together as he prepared to pull a chair back for himself, just to see Laila do so.

A big question mark would have appeared above his head if it could, as he raised an eyebrow alongside Makou. Although his questioning look quickly faded, when he realised that 'as a knight', he should have done so for Laila, not the other way around. He wasn't quite used to having to look out for literally everything for her, considering she'd taken care of herself before he got the chance to in the tavern and shrine both times. With a cough to clear his throat, he turned to glance at Vermillion and simply gave that same curt smile as before.

As much of a klutz as the 'Janitor Knight' sounded like, it would appear she's accomplished quite a few tall orders. If he could as much as speak, he'd be interested in meeting her and asking her a few things, but tough luck. Just knowing that someone else that reliable was out there, was enough for him. In very much the same way Makou got the two back on track, so did Reeve. The description got him to raise a brow and look up towards the ceiling, trying to think with a hand on his chin. "... trip on the staircase to... huh..."

When he picked up on Laila looking at him, as if she wanted reaffirmation that she doesn't look like that, he stared back and- "C-Come think of it, she does kind of... ahem.", he coughed slightly and crossed his arms, looking the other way in an attempt to not make her feel any worse. "... Ari was definitely talking about Laila.", Reeve huffed quietly, looking at Vermillion from the corner of his eyes. He inspected her looks silently, and after a brief moment or two, turned back towards the other two normally again- hopefully the moment had passed, right? It's not like they were that rich on time, if they wanted to be extra careful with any potential... 'followers', on the way back home.

 

[Shreb]

"Reeve!!!"

Makou cackled like a tuba, his laugh roaring through the room. "Let's hurry up and get your order in. Come, the kitchen's right here!"

He stood up, practically making the chair creak in relief before moving them over to a small little area fit with a pantry and a counter with sheets of...What appeared to be circles with strange symbols for each sheet.

Laila lifted a finger. "Hey, um, Miss Vermillion."

"Hm?"

"What's Sharena doing nowadays?"

"She's working on her retirement. She wants to run a bakery when she gets out. Says she wants to open it in the side of a mountain so she can see the rivers from high up while making bread rolls."

"That sounds like her..."

Makou chuckled to himself as he placed the paper on the counter. "Vermillion, if I could get your help?"

Vermillion raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you learn magic and do it yourself, hah?"

"Oh, don't be sappy, it's just one of your many qualities."

Vermillion sighed as she lightly shoved him aside, snapping her finger in a flicker of colored aura; a dim white.

The paper suddenly set ablaze as Makou procured himself a pan. "It's quite cutting-edge, no? Magic contained via drawings!"

Vermillion scoffed, "The priests have been doing it for years."

"But now it's all in regular parchment!"

Laila stared at the two debating between themselves before Makou glanced at her.

"Ah, don't listen to us bicker. Let's talk about Ari! Ari used to be quite the crier back in the day."

This guy seemed more like an uncle than a cousin, huh?

"Yes? You think so?" Laila asked, a little haphazard.

"Indeed! Every month, she'd come visit our family to negotiate deals with our weapons, and by the end of it, she would be bawling in my arms about how torturous it was back at home."

"How sad..." Laila commented.

"Such is the way of the family. They've some harsh methods, but I don't believe I've ever seen a better group of duelists in the province. Can't argue with results."

"I should take from them a little," Vermillion commented. "There's so much kumbaya from my battalion, I could throw them into lava and they would still sing and march."

"The dynasty's heir certainly has it the worst. After all, their family selects the heir, and Ari has been very aggressive in trying to be next for the throne. You should be careful, lad," He said, wagging his finger at Reeve. "Her mother is quite the wanderer, and she's a very harsh lady. She lost a lot of family to the likes of the Kobolds. Ari was never there to see it, so she's the odd one out."

Laila hummed. "Do you think Arioon could do it?"

"Sure! I'd hate to see another Rinona taking the throne. Ari is different! Back then, they used to slaughter goblins by the hundreds under Rinona's orders. But I can see Ari as something different, willing to play her part with the other families. A hard and smart-working lady needs to replace those vapid traditionalisms."

Vermillion shrugged. "It was such methods that prevented many deaths. It's an odd dilemma; the whole family is sacrificing their livelihoods to become the greatest swordsmen to live. I don't suppose if your life was set out for revenge, you'd be willing to sacrifice what makes you happy to kill what makes you angry?" She eyed Reeve with a curious gaze, her hands lazily holding onto a cup of water by the fingertips.

 

[Gary Sue]

As much as Reeve and Makou seemed to differ, they were equally capable of using magic themselves. He assumed it might be easier to use magic if it's contained within a piece of paper, like how the seals on Laila's sword worked or the very spell that Vermillion just used, but probably not. "Is there a chance it's more advanced or something of the like..?", he wondered quietly, observing the food preparation... it was a bit out of the ordinary, admittedly. Using magic to prepare foods... interesting, how some people did things.

His sympathy for Arioon didn't change any for the better with what he heard about her childhood experiences, but he did feel a bit bad at the awful practices it sounded like her family put her through. "... It's no wonder when you whip and cane someone all day, they'll turn out a perfect soldier, is there? That doesn't mean it's good practice.", he disapprovingly frowned and continued listening on the conversation, turning his attention to Makou when he was addressed and raising an eyebrow.

If the implication was that Reeve was in Ari's sights to help 'continue the dynasty', Makou was in for a bad surprise. If not, whatever the implication was flew right over his head. "Unless he means to say I should be careful of Arioon, which I am anyways.", he nodded silently to himself before hearing the cousin's confidence in his relative. Truth be told, he hated to admit it, but he didn't get along with Ari all that well specifically because she was as smart as she was. Even if there was a chance she had been used all along in the plot of this Silent Church.

Vermillion posed an interesting question on the man right after though, defending the dynasty's stance on training their next heirs as harshly and cruelly as they had. "There's no point in being a swordsman if you don't have a home to return to, other than the battlefield. You get so obsessed with honing your craft, you don't ever exercise it in battle or put it to use somehow.", he huffed and nodded at the woman, keeping his arms crossed and humoring her question somewhat. It was hard to say he could get behind the idea to begin with, since he never felt rage that intense to even consider sacrificing anything- killing anyone, especially after putting anything, let alone a life at risk to do so.

As mundane as this was, it was equally hard for him to get behind how exactly she was holding her cup of water, but a lot more interesting to find out. Probably either magic or... just an unusual grip he'd never tried before, given he wore gauntlets more than 90% of his day through. A quick impatient glance back at Makou's cooking, before he turned to look to Vermillion again, returning the curious stare.

 

[Shreb]

"Is Arioon really gonna change the family?"

"No!" Makou said. "Change is slow! We do not trust in Arioon to change the family, we trust in her to bring about an era of change. Progress is not achieved instantaneously." He mysteriously concealed his pan, leaving everyone unable to see inside the pan aside from the ingredients of milk and whatnot; the basics for pancakes, but it's clear he's not gonna show how he intends to stuff it.

Vermillion sighed. "Arioon and her family are no family business, it is a business. Profiting off of the deaths of evil in the thousands, in exchange for a proper humanity. Have you seen Arioon's brother?"

Laila shook her head.

"Exactly."

Makou groaned. "It's such a disgrace. I've right a mind to approach her mother myself, but it's minds like those to be wary about. A human who can contend with evil minds is no different from them."

Vermillion huffed. "Don't embrace temptation, girl. The tales always speak of the effects of revenge and its consequences. If there's anything the gods cannot contest against humans with, it's malice. Arioon's family is one built on malice."

"Geez...You two sure have a lot to say..." Laila crossed her arms, half-inclined to say something more than just that.

Makou shrugged. "We blacksmiths have tailored plenty a weapon for the likes of the Fanol bloodline. Always picky, they need their right weapons for their right jobs. Arioon is a very flexible customer, however! She'll take anything! I once saw her with a pickaxe and a buckler, come out of the forests with four hogs and a roasted rabbit in her mouth. She's talented."

"A little too focused on her path these days," Vermillion said. She glanced at Reeve with a raised eyebrow. "And what's with your blade? It doesn't take a genius to tell when a sword like that is afflicting you, huh?"

"I-is that so?" Laila asked. Geez, everyone was just better than her, huh?

"I suppose your unwillingness to speak is forced, not unwilling, huh? Tragic. Not that it's so horrible. People go away from you because you can't communicate. Leads to a more quiet life. But if you're feeling sappy, don't be. Pressure is a privilege, kid; you may not think it now, but it's fates like those that lead to some of the most powerful people alive. Even a girl is willing to sprint to the finish line when their leg's cut off. You...You've got a path ahead of you, no? Something to strive for? Do you know what you'll be doing seven years from now?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Although Reeve hoped what they were saying was wrong, that change could just come at once and be done with... he knew they were right. Even worse, they were wrong about only one thing- it's not just humans that outdo gods with their malice. "Abyssals, Kobolds... any and all races that have made a settlement thus far. Just looking at how Picket Fort has aggressively expanded up to now is enough of an indicator some people want to watch the world burn, human or not. They won't stop until they've had enough, and there's not enough on the whole planet...", his internal rambling got him lost in thought for a moment, before he heard Vermillion direct her question at him this time.

He was on edge at first, much like how Ari made him feel, but he only ended up feeling confused afterwards. Did Laila just not figure it out, or was his sword somehow letting anyone and everyone around him know now, more than ever before? He hadn't a clue how the curse showed itself other than... well, Reeve being affected, so this was all new to him. The woman's words were a bit somber, although he didn't quite agree with her on a few points. "... I don't want people to go away because I can't communicate, but... that's why I'm a bodyguard for hire. I can't stick around people for that long."

Her words took a turn for the better as she tried to encourage him, although being referred to as 'kid' stung a bit. Even people that cared for their honor and pride as little as Reeve did got annoyed every here and there, wasn't that so? As for having a path, a long way to go... he looked down at his sword silently and with a brief moment of consideration, lifted his head to give a determined nod at her. It was rather rare, but he had that look on his face again. A fire in his eyes.

And then a shake of his head- he didn't know what he'd be doing in the future. But he knew what he wanted to accomplish before he found out. "Once this ordeal is over, I'll set out to find out about my sword. If I'm stuck with it and being around magic users like Laila has made it act up so much, there must be something it's trying to tell me. I need to know how to control it proper too, if enemies as formidable as these keep coming and going... It's going to be hard, but. That hasn't stopped me before, and it won't be stopping me now either."

 

[Shreb]

"Well, keep going at it," Vermillion said. "You don't have to be knighted to act the part."

Laila pursed her lips.

Does everyone just somehow know Reeve's cursed...? Or did he change after meeting me? Maybe his sword can talk...

Stop thinking those thoughts, Laila.

By the time Reeve answered, Makou was already holding a well-crafted box, the lid half-open showing a wood platter with four massively-fat pancakes, just barely able to fit against the box as it
closed.

"Here you go, lady, gentleman. See to it those pancakes remain safe and untorn, else' Ari will be sorely disappointed. She quite likes surprises."

"T-thanks!" Laila said quickly; she was already getting uncomfortable with how deep the conversations could go. She just wanted to get these pancakes and be out of here.

But then Vermillion put her attention to the priestess. "Hm. Laila, was it? I recognize your outfit. What's your last name?"
"K...Koiyama."
"Ohhh! Tomoe's child."
"A-and how do you know her?"
"She's a great drinker."
"U...Uh huh?"
Vermillion waved her off. "That's it. You two can go back. Hope she enjoys the pancakes."
Laila deeply sighed in relief before Makou held up a finger. "Hold on! One more thing. I nearly forgot...Arioon is supposed to get a weapon but it seems the delivery has been hijacked...It was intended to travel from overseas to Sesseth and then make its way here by carriage escort but we haven't heard any updates since it dropped at Sesseth."
"I told you it was a bad idea. Place is full of no good."
"It's a very special weapon, so please do try to give it to her."
"She won't use it."
"Are you insulting the handicraft of my best apprentice?"
"I can if you want me to."
"Bah. Well, you two, if you ever discover it...The name of the weapon is the Vermillion's Past."
"He named it after me? Your apprentice was always too much of a charmer for the old ones..."
"Hmhm..."

Laila stared at them conversing, finding literally no space to fit herself in. "So...If we get this sword from this Sesseth place..."
"I suppose you can ask Arioon if she wants it. Probably not, though. Just send a letter saying you got it or something and you can keep it as a reward." Vermillion lightly sipped her water with as much grace as a swan.
"It's quite a specially sharp weapon and an even sharper mind!" Makou cackled.
"Are you trying to insult me?"

Laila pursed her lips, glancing at Reeve. "I guess we can do that...We'll let you know if we, at least, see it...Right, Reeve?"

 

[Gary Sue]

A bit too distracted to pay attention to how troubled his companion was, the knight watched the two converse with one another idly, feeling rather calm until Sesseth was dropped. Some hairs on the back of his neck stood, although it was but an eerie coincidence. "... It's bothersome how small the world is, sometimes... I've been through a lot, but it's been forever since I last got coincidence after coincidence after coincidence the same way I have the past few days...", he grumbled lowly to himself as he shifted in his position and crossed his arms.

Once Laila asked him and he noticed Makou was holding the neatly closed off box in his hands, he stood from his seat and gave a silent nod, although he looked rather concerned himself when looking at the priestess now. "... That's going to be a bit troublesome, but... Tch. I'll have to talk with her about it when we get to the shrine.", he huffed and turned back at the cackling adult, taking the pancakes from him and dipping his head in rather gratefully.

Eager to make their way back, mostly because at this pace, dusk would start to settle in and roaming around the forest would be dangerous. Especially considering they had a watcher or two back at the tavern, he didn't want to take any chances with unpleasant surprises along the way. His gaze quietly peered over Laila, as if asking her to get going too, and now all that was left was to deliver the pancakes, pass the request forward for the weapon and then get home to rest. "We don't know what Alina and Tomoe have been up to all this time either, come think of it. I can't say I'm eager to find out, but... Not much of a choice. We got into this mess, we owe it to them to at least listen and take responsibility however we can.

 

[Shreb]

Once Laila asked him and he noticed Makou was holding the neatly closed off box in his hands, he stood from his seat and gave a silent nod, although he looked rather concerned himself when looking at the priestess now. "... That's going to be a bit troublesome, but... Tch. I'll have to talk with her about it when we get to the shrine.", he huffed and turned back at the cackling adult, taking the pancakes from him and dipping his head in rather gratefully.

Eager to make their way back, mostly because at this pace, dusk would start to settle in and roaming around the forest would be dangerous. Especially considering they had a watcher or two back at the tavern, he didn't want to take any chances with unpleasant surprises along the way. His gaze quietly peered over Laila, as if asking her to get going too, and now all that was left was to deliver the pancakes, pass the request forward for the weapon and then get home to rest.

Laila caught on pretty fast; it was about time to kick the shoes on and get out of here. She nodded to Reeve and was quick with her exit.

"Thank you for talking with us, we'll get going!!" Very excited.

"Gosh, if you were uncomfortable, you could've just said that."
"Honey, they're uncomfortable because you keep staring at them."
"Oh, really? You seemed perfectly fine looking at my eyes last night."
"I'm very good at lying."
"Stuff a sock in it."
"One day, Vermillion."
"..." Vermillion glanced at the two of them. "Go."
Makou grinned. "Keep yourselves safe, lads. The dawn is fading."

Laila nodded excitedly, quick to tug Reeve along.

---

Next stop, the tavern.

"I kind of feel like I'm playing fetch..." Laila commented. "Reeve, you ever consider yourself a bit of an errand-runner? You could probably work a bartender or a waiter, huh? Or even a paperboy."

 

[Gary Sue]

It wasn't that Vermillion made the atmosphere rather tense, as much as their time constraints getting tighter and tighter. By the time the couple almost began arguing with one another, they remembered the two's presence and saw them off, earning a final, curt smile and bow from Reeve before he was back on the street, hurriedly walking towards the tavern alongside Laila. Although a good part of their trip over was silent, she spoke up eventually and sounded like... "N-Now she's complaining about being used to run an errand, huh..?"

The next idea she threw out was even more bizarre, getting the knight to furrow his brows curiously and shake his head. "If you really think about it, I guess I 'run errands' since I'm a bodyguard for hire and all, but... N-Not a bartender or waiter. Those require some form of skill. I'm...", he huffed and looked down at the rocky path they were following, frowning somewhat. "... mostly good with the sword and being muscle. If it's not patching myself or someone else up, or fighting, I'm no good. I remember when mom tried to teach me how to make some more complex meals on-the-go... hah.", a low chuckle came from the man while he was lost in thought, although it quickly turned rather melancholic.

Both his laughter, and the look on his face, that is. "..."

"Mom... Damn it. I wonder how they're doing right now."

 

[Shreb]

The next idea she threw out was even more bizarre, getting the knight to furrow his brows curiously and shake his head.

low chuckle came from the man while he was lost in thought, although it quickly turned rather melancholic.

Ah...Well, she wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but she certainly needed to play a hand in his comfort...Naturally, she wrapped a hand around him, patting him on the shoulder. "Hey, we'll worry about things...Uh...One thing at a time. Right now, we're adventurer and bodyguard! Let's just head over there real quick."

---

"Pancakes."



The tavern's almost hollowed out now; all that remains are her and a few other workers cleaning up the place. Arioon's slender fingers wiggled excitedly at the sight. "Did he tell you what was inside?"

"He didn't want to."

"Perfect," Arioon said with a nod. She dug into her chest pocket, lips pursed in contemplation before...

She pulled out a pouch, passing it to...

Laila pointed at Reeve.

Inside the pouch was about half a pouch of platinum coins, shimmering with real-life shine against the oncoming sunlight. Despite it being half the number of coins of Reeve's other pouch, the value of this hefty cash could probably barter them a house and three months worth of food.

Laila's mouth was open. "I think the only time I saw this amount was in Mom's safe..."

Arioon tilted her head down towards them, box of pancakes in hand. "Thank you for going through this trouble. Let the night treat you well, Lilac, Reeve. And Reeve...Do be careful. The lights in your eyes vary greatly depending on how hostile your gaze is."

She tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "You don't have to like them, but since you can't speak, some of us might not get that notion with a look like that. You should visit again sometime."

 

[Gary Sue]

It was hard to get his mind off of the melancholic thinking like that, although Laila's attitude lifted his spirits somewhat. "... It's nice that she's still this carefree at least. I should try my best, too.", he gave her a nod and a thumbs up, and eventually they had made their way to the tavern. Truth be told, Reeve wasn't expecting much of a reward if any. So one could easily translate that look of baffled confusion on his face when he realised just what was in the pouch. He looked inside silently, swallowing rather dryly and even narrowing the look on his face at Arioon momentarily- was this a ruse?

He quickly shook it off though when he realised it was probably not the most well mannered course of action to be so suspicious with her, after all she did and the information she exchanged with them. All this money, after all, was... "Good gods...", he grumbled and let out a shaky sigh, nodding at Arioon's farewells before her words stopped him mid-turning back towards the door. "... It doesn't matter what I think of anyone, as long as my client- Laila, right now- has business with them.", he attempted to reassure himself, although hearing his gaze being described as 'hostile' caused him to feel a bit... conflicted.

Maybe it was the exhaustion, perhaps the paranoia, but he was being a bit sudden and abrupt with others now more than ever before, wasn't he? Acknowledging Arioon's advice, he turned his head away in what could only be interpreted as an apology, nodding with furrowed brows. "... She's right. I really did just let my first impression of her get the best of me. And Vermillion too, probably. I hope Laila wasn't bothered any.", he gave her a quick glance with a curt smile in case she looked back at him, before he turned to Arioon. In more proper fashion, he put a hand in front of his chest, resting his other on the butt of his sword's pommel and bowing forwards slightly, in a form of salute.

He waited until Laila had said her goodbyes too, and then they should probably rush back to the shrine before it gets too dark, and with the darkness, easier to get blindsided by any unsavory crooks or otherwise.

 

[Shreb]

Goodbyes were said!

---

Soon, the darkness took over right as soon as they went into the shrine, greeted by-

"Had fun on your date?"
"Hi, Alina!"
Alina leaned against a wall as they approached the steps to the shrine.

"Fun news. You're not being tailed."
Without hesitation, Laila pointed at her. "Bullshit."
"Not bullshit. They've been paying attention to Arioon this whole time, so they pretty much have Arioon hot on their list."
"Isn't that bad??"
"If you wanna put it that way, but she can handle herself. She's an assassin."
"Bodyguard!"
"Assassin."
"Whatever!"
"Consider yourselves cleared. I've got a bit of an idea that won't involve you two for the time being. Dunno if your mom's gonna be part of it, but as long as she doesn't butt in, she won't be too much of a target. They're more concerned with trying to get Arioon's dynasty shut down."
"So, the ritual...?"
Alina jutted her thumb towards her, eyes sparking a flash of red before immediately shifting back into a dark blue. "I'll take care of it. Unfortunately, your mom's not around, but she did tell me to pass you off a message. And I do have something to give you; it's been a bit of a work-in-progress, but I think I've got the gist of my crap down. You can come, too, Reeve. Consider it payback for the salvation you gave me. You're a real angel, you know that?"
"Says you~! Giving me a weapon and everything!"
"Oh, fuck off. It's just compensation, 'kay?"

Alina shifted over to the inside of the shrine, with Laila and Reeve's hand towed alongside...

In front of them was a floating drawing. To be more accurate, it looked like a depiction of a blade, a double-edged sword with a tapered hilt, a fully-detailed grip, and even a pommel that carried the shape of an encrusted diamond, all drawn in some kind of red ink. It floated in some odd two-dimensional space, folding inward as one would look at it from different angles. It looked like it didn't belong here.

"What the...?" Laila had to ask. "Is this your doing?"
"I figured I could bring back some of my old habits. I used to be a painter, remember?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Fucker, I drew your portrait."
"W-well, that was very nice of you, but I don't remember where I put it..."
"Damn. Stone-cold Lilac, huh? Well, listen, while I was stuck down there, I figured out that you can mess around with the yielding result of rune-based spell-casting if you engrave it onto the ink brush; put in the right combinations, and you can turn the ink brush into a weapons conjurer."
"W-wha. I- huh."
"Basically, I just told my paintbrush to use my blood to craft weapons. Sucks out the blood from my palms and outputs it as ink to draw me a weapon. Check this out."
Grabbing her so-called ink brush, a seemingly ordinary tool, she pressed it against the floating drawing, the tip glowing a soft red. Her palm shifted into a lighter hue as she slowly drew up against the blade, going into its center to create a tapered curve.
"I always thought the Whale's Hair had some problems, aside from it not existing, anyway. So I thought I'd put in my own adjustments. The harder you press the ink, the heavier the section gets. The more ink you put down, the longer its lifespan."
"How long have you been working this...?"
"For about a week. One dot at a time. The conditions for the drawing to come to life is that it needs 'contribution over time,' so I have to keep drawing it. As long as it stays a work-in-progress, it will last the amount of time I took to draw it."
"And...?"
"I've never seen a priestess finish the last part of the blade...So now we get to run a fun little experiment, yeah? Usually, a collaborator will extend the length of time by a pretty large margin, so who knows how long you'll make it last."
"Why your blood...?"
"Creatures of the dark arts who bleed aren't common. Those who do bleed...Are a bit special. Gifted to harness more magic and attune it into their own bodies while the holy guys are better at distributing it outward. Let's just say...I'm about to create a real piece of art, heheh."

Laila stared at Reeve. Are you hearing this? This vampire had just developed her own form of magic that involved drawing objects of power to life using the blood generated by her turning into a creature of the dark arts. Alina was seriously destined for greatness.

"You're amazing, you know that?"
"I like to think I'm just doing what any magician should do; understand, influence, and change the world of magic. Life's only one ride. No Revivify changes that."
"How long will this last?"
"Alone? With my blood? If I finish right now, a week. If you put in the final touch...Maybe two weeks."
"Hah?! Does it fade away?"
"Uh, yeah? What, you thought I can just mass manufacture replica relics that last the test of time?"
"Y-yeah..."
"Damn. Reeve, don't be like this girl."
"Hey!!!"

Alina draws with patience. It was clear her life before the days of vampirism was one of clarity, her hand so still she could've been a robot moving her arm one muscle at a time. Either she was gifted...Or she had a lot of passion to her craft.
...

"Hey. You two, wanna finish this for me? You can color the tip of the blade for me. Can write your signature on it if you want."

 

[Gary Sue]

The limits of magic were many, but Reeve hadn't the tiniest idea what they were or just how much, or little, one could do with it. He knew you could cloak yourself, change your appearance, generate illusions, or even use some of your magic as a moderately powerful projectile... Anything more tended to be impossible or severely hampered, like the gods were taking measures to make sure humans remained just that- humans. The same as Kobolds, the same as Orcs and definitely the same as Abyssals. Potent curses could be generated like the ones cast onto the knight, but that was the extent of it all.

So to make a weapon out of blood like that... that had to amount to something. He couldn't share Laila's excitement though, especially because he hadn't the tiniest. "... Blood, huh.", he pondered as he looked at the brush Alina had been using so far, silently observing it before he shook his head at the vampire's offer. He was willing to do many things, but this... Wasn't just Laila's participation enough to be 'contributing to the dark arts' or something..? It didn't sound like it was possible anyhow else, by an ordinary human that hadn't been transformed into a chimera like the blonde had been.

"Come think of it, why doesn't Alina generate another Whale's Hair for her? She had a blade that had deteriorated beyond repair when we found her, and she sounded like she was close to it.", Reeve's inner questions piled and piled up, but he could hold on until he found out one way or another. Even if he didn't, he did have other things to worry about. Their lack of assailants was now one less thing on that list, thankfully. The weird goosebumps he was getting all of a sudden though, just looking at the wavy painting... he knew what that feeling was.

"...", he remained quiet and looked away momentarily, feeling even more hair at the back of his neck stand tall. "Stop it.", he tightened the grip on his sheathed sword's hilt somewhat, grumbling and looking back at the two curiously. "It'd be best if you added something, Laila. Especially if you'll be using that for your delivery pick-up in Sesseth.", he voiced his own thoughts, but to none other than himself. The best way he could really convey them? A gesture with his head towards the painting and a small smile.

"At least if these two sit here to take care of the Church, I don't have to worry about leaving the job half-finished all 'selfishly'. I still don't know what to do with her though..."

 

[Shreb]

Laila pursed her lips, pondering the question. "I feel like this is against our moral code..."

"Yeah? You'd kill if you needed to."
"I- What? What's that got to do with what I'm saying?"
"What's the point in bordering the magics in some spectrum of evil and good? Gods don't care about imaginary lines. I think you should just find out if you can fulfill your duties better by testing how far you can go."
"No! It's not about the religion of it, it's the consequences that follow! Like, yeah, we should defend ourselves even if it must be paid in the life of someone else, but do you see Reeve's sword? It's hungry for blood and he can't talk because of the curses embedded into his sword!"
"But the purpose probably wasn't intended for people like him, huh? No, it was for an Abyssal, and as far as the books go, they're just as culturally weird and viable as any other race that's aware of their small small role in a big big world."
"But you can't expect something as so opposite as holy magic to blend into the dark arts. It's just not normal!"
"You're not corrupting your holier-than-thou soul just because you wrote your signature on some vampire's blood. That crap doesn't exist, gods don't just give you things expecting you to use them the way they want you to."
"And how would you know that?"
"The way too many stories about people subverting the expectations of gods. Everything comes at a cost and it will be paid in your body and everything around it. Just don't be a dickhead."
Laila sighed. "Why didn't you make the original Whale's Hair? When you were trapped?"
"I was still too disgusted and scarred at seeing my own blood being a foreign substance. Blackened tar and tasted like iron and tobacco. I did draw lines on the walls a lot, but because I went through so much trouble getting out, I just didn't think about it the first half of my time. It's nauseating when you lose your arm."
"Not my first thought, but I guess..."
"And...I did do it a few times. The blade broke several times when I was still chained up, but I was using my still-healing tendons when I bit off my arm to try to use my hand as a rope to grab the sword."
"Ew..."
"Then I figured out the blood could be used to 'mend' the sword as long as the damage wasn't major. Something something, depth can't be larger than the diameter of the dent, whatever whatever. I had it memorized and then I gave up and got insane from the pain."
"Gods..."
"Anyway, looks like he's okay with it. Come on, this is a chance to show off to your boyfriend."
"Shut up..."

Alina passed her the paintbrush. As Laila pressed into the sword's edge, she physically winced.

"Ow!!"
"My bad. My pain receptors on my left hand are kind of shot, I forgot about that."
"Jeez..." Laila pressed into the edge, scribbling what seems to be a signature against one edge. The blade, fittingly, received a faint serrated edge that glowed with a dim hue of white. "It feels tingly."

Alina grabbed the paintbrush and displayed it to Reeve. "Wanna contribute?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Hearing them argue about what sounded to him like not-so-unimportant semantics was more of a headache than he could devote his attention to, so he quietly waited until they both piped down. Specifically, being called 'her boyfriend' got his attention as he perked up and gave Alina a curious look with a raised brow. With Laila wincing, Reeve cringed himself and observed silently, seeing the change on the blade and acknowledging it with some more silence.

He'd done all he could to look away and pay as little attention to the weapon as possible, to save himself the effort of getting in another back and forth of him telling his weapon to cut it, while it continued to pester him, but now that Alina asked again he felt a bit 'bad' to turn her down. So he sighed, kept a firm grip on the hilt of his sword as if squeezing it to not speak a word, and accepted the paintbrush at his hand. He gave it a rather wary look, and that probably spoke for itself- he wasn't going to do more than he had to.

To be fair, as uninteresting as the little touch he added was, all he did was paint a simple cross close to the guard, by the middle of the blade. The pain that jolted through his arm felt more like a nuisance than anything, but it made sense that Laila hadn't enjoyed the experience either. "... So this is what dark arts are like, huh."

By the time the cross was finished, he added a dot where the lines connected at the center and handed the brush back to Alina, quietly nodding and bowing his head in slightly.

You'd be wise to share with me, too.

"Stay in your lane and cut the chitchat. You've given me a day long migraine.", he groaned to himself, smacking the hilt of his sword against his hip in a manner similar to how you'd punch a friend's shoulder. With that being done, maybe it was time to excuse himself from the blonde, too. That way, he and Laila could have a quick word and then be off to rest, both of them. He turned his head to confirm with the priestess, giving her the same raised brow and curious glance.

 

[Shreb]

So he sighed, kept a firm grip on the hilt of his sword as if squeezing it to not speak a word, and accepted the paintbrush at his hand. He gave it a rather wary look, and that probably spoke for itself- he wasn't going to do more than he had to.

"Damn, if you hated my line of work so much, you could've just said so."
"Alina!"
"I'm yolking with you. Don't be so hard-boiled."

To be fair, as uninteresting as the little touch he added was, all he did was paint a simple cross close to the guard, by the middle of the blade.

"I like your style. There's nothing as symbolic and heavy-handed as a cross."
"It looks great, Reeve!"

By the time the cross was finished, he added a dot where the lines connected at the center and handed the brush back to Alina, quietly nodding and bowing his head in slightly.

"Nice. I'll let you guys give it a name."

"Stay in your lane and cut the chitchat. You've given me a day long migraine.", he groaned to himself, smacking the hilt of his sword against his hip in a manner similar to how you'd punch a friend's shoulder. With that being done, maybe it was time to excuse himself from the blonde, too. That way, he and Laila could have a quick word and then be off to rest, both of them. He turned his head to confirm with the priestess, giving her the same raised brow and curious glance.

Laila was first to notice as Alina casually pressed the brush further into the grips and the handle.

We should get going, I don't quite know how much that sword wants from him...

"Uhh...How about Alina's Blood?"
"Come, now, this thing is in dire need of a much more theatric name. You know why the Whale's Hair was such a popular nomenclature, hm? Because no one could confirm if a whale could have hair."
"Hah...Okay, okay, um...Kyuketsuno-Hidarite."
"Exotic. What's it mean?"
"Vampire's left hand."
"Asshole. Fine, I'll take it. One last thing. Your mom's message. She said to be safe and to check under your blanket."

Laila sighed, grabbing onto Reeve's hand and hoisting them into their quarters.

It was time to rest up. It was naturally up to them to decide what they wanted to do to finish the night off. Tomoe wouldn't be up until the morning. Bathhouse was available, and there was an accommodating room to fix and polish up armor and the blades if need be. Some supplies were pre-packed from a heart-shaped letter from Tomoe right next to Laila's bed and the bed was freshly cleaned and warmed for them. Holy magic sure worked in mysterious ways.

Laila lifted up the blanket. One of Laila's old bows was under the blanket, re-carved and freshened up for the occasion. It was clearly an aged wood, but so much of it had been replaced it was hard to tell which part of it was still old.

"Wow...Cool! It's got little curves on it and everything...!"

Truly a remarkable observation, Laila.

"Okay, well, I'd say we're ready to go first thing in the morning, but you might want to get yourself cleaned up. I'll do so as well, but I suppose I have to ask if there's anything that's bothering you that can be said right now before we head to bed?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Putting aside the few comments and the absolutely criminal egg puns that Alina made sure to shoot their way, Reeve let Laila take him alongside her over to their rooms. He was surprised though, to feel just how prepared everything was, as well as what appeared like a bow under his companion's blanket. "... An older one, maybe? Considering she was carrying her actual bow around normally and whatnot. It's nice to see her happy, though.", he smiled slightly, letting out a small laugh even with her silly comment. At a time like this, it was refreshing to say the least.

Or maybe that was just the migraine speaking- nobody knows, huh? Her mention of the two quickly setting out tomorrow did seem to rub off on him rather... weirdly. Not off exactly, as much as it did just trouble him. "... I wasn't planning for her to join me normally. I'm... not sure how I'll proceed now. It might be best to talk this over then. Just have to think of how to give it to her straight...", a slight grumble as he nodded at her suggestion. Although it would be an issue, seeing as he would be essentially going to bed right away, unless she woke him up, but no matter.

He could be spared the second trip to the bathhouse in the same day anyway. Before she got the chance to ask him what he wanted to talk about, he made sure to gesture with his hands that they'd have to talk back and forth, pointing at her, then him, and alternating between the two a few times before he 'rolled' his fingers around one another. The final glance at a bed- hers, although only because it was in the room, should have sealed the matter as far as his idea was concerned.

An arm stretched a bit as he reached under it with a hand, loosening up a strap holding his armor in place and making sure it's easy to pull out one by one once they make the move over to his guestroom. "... I think I know how to say it. Best not sugarcoat anything, anyway.", a determined nod at himself as he took a step back towards the door, looking at Laila with a somewhat expectant raised brow to see if she'd follow along or not.