Two armed men stood in front of each other. One was Hawkeye, the last of the Three Champions of Jioral, Organ Trist. His strict posture seemed immovable, and yet he was ready to dive into a rapid lunge at any moment. Another was the Hero of Healing, bearing the name of Keyaruga. He, however, kept shifting his body weight from one foot to another. The healer was eighteen levels lower than the ginger-haired gentleman, and yet the red-eyed lad knew all too well, just how little that number actually meant. This exact gap was between him and Swordmaster Kureha, and she still fell before him. She was defeated with a dirty trick, yes… But the assassin was all about sly moves.
What’s now? I can’t really see many wounds on his body. Did he heal them? Or did Takemikazuchi fail to harm him? Wait, his joints are… No matter, what would he use? If he starts with a sweep, than releases his blade, then I…
“I see. You have come into possession of The Eye of the Enlightened Jade Emperor?” Then suddenly, the archer muttered, looking at Keyaruga’s right eye. The glow had faded, and even when it didn’t, the hero inspected his adversary with the closed eyelid. “And your torso has clearly undergone vast line of modifications. Some may call you an inhuman monstrosity, but I cannot berate a fellow man on his path to supremacy.”
Is this praise? Or is he taunting me?
“That seems only fair, since I know of your ‘eyes on the inside’.” The healer replied, drawing upon his memories from the future erased, in which he did have an opportunity to heal the man once. “You have inherited multiple pupils on the other side of your eyeballs from your mother, so nothing can ambush you, and you can focus on everything around you.”
“You certainly are a gifted young man. Not only are you a talented alchemist, your scouting capabilities might even surpass my own.” The gentleman deadpanned, commending the man with a short nod.
“If you’ve come to buy a potion, than do this.” Keyaruga spoke, calling Karman with his fingers.
“Ehh, suninus (I’m gonna die, huh)…” The beastman lamented playfully, grabbing a single vial from within the box. “If you’re still interested, ten Jioral kadmi will make me part with this beauty.” The vendor uttered without any hint of fear and cautiousness. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to step beyond Keyaruga’s caped back, so it was the hero who extended his arm backward and took one of his products from the seller’s hand.
“You heard my friend. Take it, or leave.” The healer declared, swirling the small bottle in his left arm, while the right one gravitated toward the saber’s handle. One wrong move from one of the two, and it would be one versus four. Three of which had already proved their inability to defeat the Champion, though.
“On my command…” Freia whispered to Setsuna and Eve. The girls never dropped their intention to assist their man in a fight, even if the lad himself tried to defuse the situation somehow.
“Hmmmm…” Organ Trist grunted with obvious satisfaction. He reached under his overcoat and retrieved ten coins of genuine gold. “I accept this offer.” He stated, offering the money with the open palm. Three steps between the two, and the hero had to approach the Champion. “Huh?”
Well, at least it would be so, if Keyaruga hadn’t just snatched the entire sum with a chantless wind trick. For better or worse, the merchant got his money, and Hawkeye…
“Consider it a sign of good faith.” …got his goods. The red-eyed man tossed the vial to the champion. It twirled in the air, two unmixable liquids danced under the sun, as the most crucial decision was to be enacted. One half second, this is all it would take. This was an ideal opportunity to strike, a chance for the Healer to draw his alloyed saber and dispatch Hawkeye once and for all.
“CHA-A-A-A…” The sorceress made her move. She slammed the floor and prepared her friends to aid and support Keyaruga in a fierce fight to the death. Very soon, the entire restaurant would turn into a cold inferno of piercing light. Except…
“STOP!!!” …all three were pushed to the ground by a powerful gust of wind. Setsuna rolled and regained her balance, but Eve and Freia got knocked down. The opportunity was lost, but what’s even worse, was the strict judging gaze made by Keyaruga. He did what he could to prevent their foolish deaths… “I won’t apologize for their ardor.” Keyaruga pronounced, standing in a high guard, blade upward, center of his mass on the back of his foot. In the defensive position, the man was ready to meet Hawkeye’s onslaught. “Just like you don’t feel sorry for hurting them.” With all that said and done, the healer never interrupted the archer from catching the potion.
He silently watched, as the man in his fifties swiftly pulled the cork on the vial and drank the entire potion in a single gulp. It wasn’t poisoned, and even if it was, the assassin would be able to tell. But it was effective, excessively even, for right in front of the lad’s eyes, Organ Trist’s skin became slightly smoother, his sunken cheeks straightened, overflowing with energy, and even his strict posture changed somewhat.
“Ho-o, I only expected to heal my leftover wounds, and now I feel ten years younger.” The ginger-haired gentleman said, delightfully stretching his arms. “And for the record, I have not come here to seek a battle. Instead, I would like to make you an offer.” The archer notified, as his pupils turned to Keyaruga exclusively. That meant little in light of facing the all-seeing demigod, only that his attention was focused entirely on you, which rarely meant anything good.
“I expect, you already know, who we are.” Keyaruga responded, returning the amber gaze. “And if you so much as to hint about joining Jioral, than I would have to change my tone.”
“Would you?” The archer smirked, staring in the lad’s red eyes, with no trace of blinking. “My name is Organ Trist, also known as Hawkeye, I am the knight of Her Highness Norn. And…” He spoke, turning his eyes onto the renegade princess. “…I know exactly why you have come to hate our kingdom, and what part that vile woman did play in your ‘level limit raise’ sessions. I wonder, though, what is it that made you drag this rotten wench along?” The man declared with disgust. He was loud enough for the Hero of Magic to hear his every single word. To deteriorate her spirit, make her suffocate under the sheer pressure of her own sins. What was even worse, though, is that Setsuna and Eve couldn’t help but to look at the pink-haired girl, expecting explanations, but there were none forthcoming, only ragged breathing from her open mouth.
“Take a deep breath and calm down, Freia! He’s provoking you.” Keyaruga, though, at that point, was completely aware of the true nature of Organ’s statement. It was an attack, like any other. And yet, Keyaruga responded by actually sheathing his saber. Things didn’t need to end violently. Not at that moment, at least. “As a ‘knight’, don’t you think it’s preposterous to call her that?”
“A-a, so you called the princess Freia, a lesser goddess of love and magic? That is adorable.” The gentleman said, turning his amber eyes to Karman. At that point, the beastman just sat there, fighting his urge to flee. Alas, his reason told him that this would ensure his death much faster than otherwise. “But I shall let you know, that it is not royal blood that commands my loyalty. I have a lot of questions for you, but first, I would like to introduce you to a little someone, as long as you are willing, of course.”
Ultimately, the Champion of Jioral turned to the exit. His pace was slow and considerate. Organ Trist was ready to either accompany the Hero of Healing to his mistress, or block the incoming attack. Neither of those predictions had come to fruition.
“Phew, he finally left.” The green-haired beastman said, watching Keyaruga slowly stroll toward his companions. “Do you deal with his kind often?”
“More than I’d like to.” The hero admitted, fruitlessly trying to chase the Bloodbringer’s memory away. “Get out of Buranikka, Karman. Or else you might die here.”
“Just like so many here…” He replied sternly, but Keyaruga paid no attention to the monger’s commentary. After all… “I see. I’ll go pay for the food.” …the Hero of Healing had his eyes on only one person.
“Haa… Haa… Haa…” Freia lied in Setsuna’s arms. She could do nothing but pant, sometimes yanking her head from side to side. She trembled and cried, shivered in cold sweat.
“How is she?” The man asked the she-wolf, crouching right next to them.
“Bad.” That was an obvious answer from the huntress. It was still useful, however, since she pronounced that with an apparent concern over the girl, who was desperately clinging to her new staff. It no longer contained any mana…
“Freia… Freia!” Keyaruga tried to shake her out of the daze she was in, but it only made her delirium worse. Being so mercilessly slammed with her past sins left the sorceress’ reason in shambles, and her body in seizures. “Calm down, Freia, you…”
I can’t help her with magic. The only thing that comes to mind is putting her to sleep. This way we can get her home, after which I…
“Don’t just jiggle her, you moron!” This line of thought was interrupted by Eve. She stood tall near the window, being unnerved by having Organ Trist staring into her eyes. “She’s panicking! Give her a hug, or something!” The maiden yelled, boldly gazing and shouting at the red-haired lad. It took him a moment to realize, what was actually said, and Setsuna reacted faster. She deliberately pushed the pink-haired girl into the man’s arms.
“…right. Right.” Fortunately, he did what was asked of him. Keyaruga embraced Freia. He did so dozens of times, with her, more often than not, having no clothes on at all, but never before had she been so… vulnerable, so frail and brittle. “Breathe, Freia. Just… breathe for me.” The healer said, firmly holding his companion close to his chest. The staff remained between the two of them, it served as the last shield for the girl. The only thing that gave her… what? There was no comfort in the wood, no warmth, and no protection. But… there was him. The man, whose whole current existence was dictated by cruelty, he was molded by it, tainted by the abyssal darkness of human hearts. And yet, he strived. He struggled against it… “Freia… I forgive you.” …and he, in the end, won. The battle was won, but whether or not it would turn the tide of the war, still remained unknown.
…
Organ Trist derived a lot of interest from overhearing this concession. He heard the princess’ breath slowly softening, her shivering retreating, as she cried on the man’s shoulder, the gentleman couldn’t help but feel a little discomfort. It wasn’t guilt, for Flare had earned her suffering herself, but at the same time, this entire encounter had followed every divine script, but the Healer wasn’t acting according to the plan.
He wouldn’t attack the party, even if he had wanted to. Hawkeye knew all too well about the exalted patrons behind the hero’s back. And even if they left the city for a moment, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t show up at the worst possible time. He wondered, though…
This potion exceeded even an elixir. Maybe, I should have purchased one for my Gizelle?
All men had their weaknesses. Mostly, these were the women they cared about. For Organ, it was his wife. She wasn’t a god, a demigod, or any other supreme entity. Gizelle Trist was a human, not immune to the merciless flow of time.
“There she is.” Ultimately, the archer muttered, spotting a carriage a few districts away from him. He raised his arm, signaling his fellow archers, hiding on nearby roofs, to prepare for her arrival.
And she came forth.
Pulled by two unicorns, the decorated coach emerged from around the corner. Galloping, the pair of horned horses looked everything but regal, especially when the coachman tried halting them in place. It took some unimaginable skill and luck alike for the armored driver not to crash into someone, although that barely saved him from all the swearing, in all local languages.
Ultimately, though, the carriage had stopped slightly further from the restaurant’s door. The gilded door had opened, revealing two people stepping outside. One was an unremarkable armored man with a sword on his waist. Another, though…
“Hah, there you are. I hope you haven’t bruised him too much, Organ.” It was the nasty-sounding pink-haired girl, completely undeterred by all the possible danger she could encounter.
“No, Your Highness. I have not engaged in battle with Keyaru.” Hawkeye replied, ceremonially lowering his head in the presence of Princess Norn. Even if she got the title simply by being a half-sibling to Flare, without a single drop of Margurth’s blood, the ginger-haired gentleman kept his loyalty to the warlady thanks to her simply being a competent leader.
“Just like you didn’t batter my shitty sister last night?” The girl mischievously asked, sneaking beneath the assassin’s chin, just so she could see his troubled face. “Wherever I go, so do my eyes and ears, Organ. But don’t be afraid, I’m not gonna penalize you for that this time. The bitch had it coming.”
“Heh.” The Champion slightly chuckled, as he couldn’t agree more with that sentence. Still, play hard, but work harder. It was time for the princess to meet her prince, and so… “He’s still inside.” …the archer took his place as the second of Norn’s bodyguards.
And so they came in. Only four people remained on the premises. Keyaruga sat behind the table, Freia rested on his shoulders, and Setsuna guarded them along with Eve.
“Keyaruga, look!” The black-winged maiden shouted, pushing the man’s shoulder, as the other covered her forearms in ice.
“Would you look at that.” The warlady scoffed, finding her oddly beloved nemesis embracing her sister. “Is this how you honor your ally?”
“Hello, Norn. Nice seeing you here.” The hero said, succumbing to nostalgia for his first infatuation. What could his enemy be doing there? How could she be so relaxed in a presence of the crown’s sworn enemy? All those questions dissipated, when the man looked into her emerald eyes. They weren’t the eyes of a child, but instead they belonged to a tormented soul he found so much in common with.
“I’m not in time, huh? Okay… I’ll… I’ll be waiting for you in my coach, then. This way, you have plenty of time to calm that… Haa… To calm down Flare.” The girl bitterly uttered, stoically taking her leave. After all…
…please save my sister… Maybe you can make a difference…
It was her, who had burdened the boy with such a miserable task, after all.
…
Go to her – such was the only phrase Freia shared with Keyaruga before he left. He would never forget her face, her sapphire eyes, overflowing in guilt and grief. He had asked her not to be so harsh on herself, and it looked like she did. Now though, it was clear that the princess only pretended to do so for her beloved’s sake. The man had even forgiven his former tormentor. But…
I don’t think she can forgive herself. I know I can’t.
The way was brief, only twenty meters, thirty leisurely steps, less than a minute. But why did it seem like the whole eternity?
So many eyes watched at him, so many people gathered both on roofs and nearby corners just to overwhelm the Hero of Healing, should he start posing a threat to their warlady. He didn’t care. There were only two things the lad was worried about: whether or not Setsuna manages to safely escort Freia and Eve to Tidir… and if that Norn was indeed still his beloved from the first world. If left unchecked, the pure excitement would make him jump from joy.
Even if she does remember everything, which is a miracle in itself, this does nothing but complicates my own predicament. If she remembers, than she knows my strength. And if Norn’s love was faked, than what does it make us?
Keyaruga kept a steady pace, he tried so hard not to fall over from dizziness, that he felt like he might vomit every second from the sheer pressure in his chest. What was that feeling?
Could it be joy? Have I really forgotten how to feel excited over something?
Regardless of the answer, there was only one way – forward.
“Come right in, o Hero of Healing.” Hawkeye almost mockingly chuckled, gracefully opening the coach’s door. Not many people could boast about being invited into a princess’ residence, and this was the second time for the man. This time, though…
“Welcome, my prince. Did you like my gift?”
The princess sat foot to foot on the armored back of her silent bodyguard, all while enjoying a cup of tea. She greeted the man with a genuine smile, affirming Blade’s status as a sacrificial lamb.
“Haa… Norn, what’re you even doing?!” The lad exclaimed, slouching on the upholstered bench in front of the warlady. Strangely enough, she sent Leonard to Alban, where he poisoned his fellow villagers, obliquely murdered his parents, and yet the lad still felt unreasonably comfy in her presence. “Get this dork out of here!”
“Dork? Boy, I’m the second in command over this entire…”
“You heard him, Matto.” The girl cheerfully interrupted the soldier’s bragging. She jumped off him and kicked his hip. Only slightly, since the princess would break her toes otherwise. “Go on, get out of here!”
Ultimately, the man had no choice but to obey. He rose to the ground and walked outside the carriage with quite a lot of bitterness on his face. As the living chair left, Norn slammed the door and pressed some button near it. In an instant, the windows got murky, as if the entire salon got cut off from the rest of reality.
“Now no nosy archer will overhear us.” Norn deadpanned, sitting right next to the hero. It made him feel… off. And yet…
“I don’t know, what you’re trying to make of yourself, but sitting on someone’s cuirass doesn’t go well for your health down there.” Keyaruga spoke, feeling the princess clinging onto his shoulder.
“He-he-he! The fuck would I care?” The girl carelessly chuckled. “Just so you know, after a messenger told me that Blade had vanished, I stepped on him and broke his neck.”
“Huh, that’s bullshit.” The man replied smilingly. “I’ve seen your legs, and the only desire you awoke in me with them is to feed your bony ass. You can’t even stomp a sparrow like that.”
“Oh behave, you stupid prick.” The princess slapped her offender in the hip. And just like earlier, it felt like hitting a wall. “Egh, why must you be so beefy? Also, I don’t remember you being that big. What’s happened to you?”
“Oh, you know, new body, new name, and a brand new life outside of your step-daddy’s reach.” The male healer shrugged with a look of bright mirth on his face. He didn’t even have to force himself.
“Huh, new name? Like what, Keyaruru? Keyaruta? Keyaruno?” The tactician obviously mocked her man, knowing all too well, just how much he cherished his true name.
“Haa… It’s Keyaruga.” The lad admitted, bracing himself for the incoming retaliation.
“Pha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!.. Oh, sorry… Ha-ha-ha-ha!” For what it worth, the hero’s words offered the princess a good, well-needed laugh. The sort of laugh that she last had years ago.
“Really, woman?” The object of her amusement, though, seemed much more upset, and even so, he couldn’t resist a happy grin seeing his princess smiling.
“Shut up, jerk, I’m still a girl right now!” For that, he got a pinch in his left ungloved hand. It stung, but at the same time the red-haired lad felt overjoyed. After all, he finally felt… safe.
“Right now… Is it really… really you?” The healer asked, feeling his voice treacherously trembling. It felt like a dream. But even there, the excruciating reality always found a way to stir him on a rusty hook. “Do you remember us, Norn?”
“Well, I had my doubts. This… memory thing wasn’t an instant process, you know? First, I remembered you, than our time together, than… all of this bloody crap you’re involved with, as well. I mean, the demon queen for example. You did a good job recruiting her.” The warlady mused, looking in the man’s red eyes.
“I feel kinda dirty, knowing you recognized her.” Keyaruga slightly lamented, seeing as his first time seeing Eve was their first and the last battle. “Don’t say you also know her relatives.”
“You mean that Cornar guy and their two brats?” Norn asked, as if it speaking about the erased future was the most normal thing in the entire world. “You don’t like me for that? That I kept so much from you?”
“We were accomplices, and your silence didn’t break our terms.” It was a neutral reply from the healer, as bland as possible to not enter the field of grudges. Their brief moment of shared happiness was slowly deteriorating, so the princess made a quick tactical decision. Specifically…
“Sorry, but this time around I have no pink pubic hair for you. You may see it on Flare, though.” The warlady deadpanned, offering the last sip of her tea to Keyaruga. And, he accepted this communion, although slightly reluctantly.
“Yeah, I know. I even asked her to keep it unshaved.” The man replied, soaking his throat with barberry tea, the same sort he used to brew for Norn. Though, it was now Norn’s face that turned sour. After all, with this single phrase he confirmed being her…
“Have you enslaved her? I can’t imagine that whore crying on your shoulder otherwise. Much less that colosseum speech.” The pink-haired girl wondered, trying not to sully her words with hatred too much. She still clung to the man, but for some reason his arm felt colder now.
“I… thought about it. In the end, I just erased her memory.” The lad responded, pursing his lips a little bit.
“You’re omitting a lot of violence, aren’t you?” The warlady noted. She always pressed an enemy’s defense for weak spots, whether it’s a full-fledged battle, or a conversation. This was her nature, and the red-eyed lad just couldn’t hate her for that.
“Heh, even if I do that doesn’t matter much now. What does, though, is that she quickly restored her memory without me doing a single thing. She even went so far as to fight for the slaves’ liberation in Ranalitta. Now, she feels depression and remorse. She thought I would kill you. Hell, she even begged for me to spare you.” The hero narrated with unhindered pride over his companion. He used to hate her, and now he couldn’t help but respect the sorceress for the progress she made as a person. Norn too seemed to share this feeling, although to a much lower extent. After all, she had her own worries in mind.
“Would you? After all I’ve done to your family?” More specifically, the bloody trail with Norn’s name, which led from and belonged to Keyaru’s kin.
“It’s hard to be angry at you, when I remember our last conversation, when I lost you… Haa… You two. You… warned me about that…” The lad spoke with a heavy exhale. He deliberately compromised with his ideology, when it collided with the prospects of personal happiness; the healer had no qualms about throwing it away. And also… “You acted under the will and orders of the king. He… is not a human anymore, so I doubt he’d let you live otherwise.”
“It’s no surprise that Margurth is a dick, really. But that still doesn’t justify shit.”
“What if I tell you he’s some sort of a wicked necromancer… And your mother may be alive in the form of some purple winged thing.” Keyaruga admonished, feeling his arm tickling a bit. It was Norn’s touch, which he rejected in the end… Just to embrace her by the shoulder instead.
“Wow, that’d explain a lot of bullshit around Jioral.” The princess scoffed, trying to get comfortable in the man’s cuddle. She felt so small and weak, especially compared to the mountain of muscles her prince turned himself into. “I didn’t want it to turn out like that. Your village wasn’t supposed to be razed, and its people were supposed to be heroically saved by you… I didn’t send Bloodbringer.” The warlady admitted, fruitlessly trying to get off the heavy burden out of her soul. That… didn’t help. If not multiple murders, that act still counted as a mass-manslaughter, and the result was all the same. Norn ruined so many villages, cities, tribes and families, but never had she felt the weight of her sins so explicitly as at the moment.
“Why’re you telling me this?”
“Because the truth is the least I can give to you now.” Norn replied, obviously addressing her knowing about Eve’s former predicament.
“Truth, huh? Well, then, there’s the thing I wanted to ask you. Did you… Did you ever love me?” Keyaruga directly asked about one single thing that knocked him out earlier that day. All the while he cuddled with the princess.
“I don’t really know, Keyaru. Did you love me?” Strangely enough, she too was curious, whether or not the martyr’s feelings were real. After all, for both princess and the hero, their relationships were nothing more than a matter of convenience. She paid him with care, and he didn’t snap her neck. There shouldn’t have been much more to it. And yet there was.
“No idea. Guess that makes two of us, huh?” The lad chuckled, as it turned out that he was bonded to Norn even in such ridiculous matters.
“No shit, smartass!” The girl scoffed, twirling her hair. “If it’s worth something, I couldn’t think of anyone but you in my last days. You know, what I thought when my brain burst out my skull? I was worried about you, hoped you survived. Than everything got black for a moment, and whoosh – I find myself in Tarnia, four years younger. I couldn’t remember almost anything back there. But I never forgot you.”
“I see…” The man muttered, tilting his head back. “I avenged you there. I couldn’t expose my power, so I had to brainwash Gard into believing he slaughtered your assassination group. Now, though… I was found by one of your killers from before the reset, here. She was way out of my league, so I subjugated her.”
“And? You think it’d make me happy?” Norn bemoaned, as it was to be expected from someone who lost her unborn child. Kill one, eliminate two, eradicate a hundred, destroy thousands – the warlady had a pretty practical attitude toward violence, but she had long since forgotten how to derive fun from it. Even her kicking John was more of a tribute to the days of old.
“No. It didn’t even make me happy.” Keyaruga lamented, knowing all too well, how it felt – to fight and endure for something you believe in. Even if Kailia was hired with money, that didn’t change a thing about her subsequent loyalty to the new ruler of Confederation. Just like abusing a mental cripple under an alias of ‘Blade’ only united Keyaruga with his tormentors. There was so much darkness in his life, and yet, there was also hope. “Will you join me, Norn? We’re on a quest to overthrow Margurth and bring peace to Jioral and Tenanullic alike.”
“Who’re you referring to? You, my sister, that dog-girl, demon king… Should I add Kureha as well?” Norn inquired, getting out of the man’s arm. She distanced herself from the Hero of Healing to ask one more thing. “You’re fucking them, aren’t you?”
“Regularly – only with Freia and Setsuna, Eve is my ward more than anything else. Setsuna and I do it to make her stronger, it’s our deal. I’ve done it with Kureha once or twice to get her loyalty. And Freia… Flare, I mean… I just needed an outlet. I needed someone to live for, outside of vengeance.”
“Fuck… And here I thought I could give you my newfound virginity…” The second princess uttered bitterly. “So much for that… You know, I kinda liked you more as a struggler, not some man-whore with vague goals.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave them. Even for you. Freia, Setsuna, I think I love them.” The lad admonished, turning his crimson eyes toward Norn. Alas, she couldn’t find it in her to face him.
“But not me.” The girl grimly noted, painfully clenching her teeth.
“And I want to love you too.” The healer spoke quietly, but alas, they both were excessively possessive to accept each other’s dispositions. There was no place for a compromise either.
“Hah… That really does make both of us. I too can’t turn my back on my troops.” The warlady declared, standing up from the bench. Her muscles were sore, her hips were cramped, but even so, she found strength to stand upright in the hero’s presence. “This is a punitive expedition. The first brick in the wall of my military prowess!”
“Please, stop, Norn. Don’t do this. You know where it leads you.” The man asked, almost begged, as his feet lead him to the girl. He tried to get her shoulder again, but the tactician slapped his arm away.
“Then stop me right now, you coward! You’re supposed to be a hero. Be a man and take me by the right of conquest!” Norn snarled, grabbing Keyaruga by his vest. Her frantic attempts to shake his heavy body seemed cute at best, but for the powerless girl it was an act on the limit of her vigor.
“I…” For a moment, the lad thought about a bold kidnapping, to run away with a princess on his shoulder… But then what? Could he overpower Hawkeye? Would he succeed in protecting the princess? Even if he could threaten her troops into leaving them alone, it was quite doubtful that some of the local tribes wouldn’t take their chance to silence one of the greatest menaces to the whole Tenanullic. “For that I’d need more power.”
“Then get the fuck out! Live your life, but if you cross me, I’ll fuck you up, and you’ll be mine and only mine!” Norn threatened, leaving a trace of her kiss on her fingers. Then, she slapped them against the man’s lips. An eccentric move, almost romantic one could say, but a warmonger’s love is rarely easy. “Mine forever!”
“I’ll be back for you.” Keyaruga promised, walking toward the exit.
“You’d better be, my prince!” The warlady replied in a bittersweet manner. “Either way, you’d have to defeat me first.”
“Yeah, I know… Thanks for remembering me.”
Two armed men stood in front of each other. One was Hawkeye, the last of the Three Champions of Jioral, Organ Trist. His strict posture seemed immovable, and yet he was ready to dive into a rapid lunge at any moment. Another was the Hero of Healing, bearing the name of Keyaruga. He, however, kept shifting his body weight from one foot to another. The healer was eighteen levels lower than the ginger-haired gentleman, and yet the red-eyed lad knew all too well, just how little that number actually meant. This exact gap was between him and Swordmaster Kureha, and she still fell before him. She was defeated with a dirty trick, yes… But the assassin was all about sly moves.
What’s now? I can’t really see many wounds on his body. Did he heal them? Or did Takemikazuchi fail to harm him? Wait, his joints are… No matter, what would he use? If he starts with a sweep, than releases his blade, then I…
“I see. You have come into possession of The Eye of the Enlightened Jade Emperor?” Then suddenly, the archer muttered, looking at Keyaruga’s right eye. The glow had faded, and even when it didn’t, the hero inspected his adversary with the closed eyelid. “And your torso has clearly undergone vast line of modifications. Some may call you an inhuman monstrosity, but I cannot berate a fellow man on his path to supremacy.”
Is this praise? Or is he taunting me?
“That seems only fair, since I know of your ‘eyes on the inside’.” The healer replied, drawing upon his memories from the future erased, in which he did have an opportunity to heal the man once. “You have inherited multiple pupils on the other side of your eyeballs from your mother, so nothing can ambush you, and you can focus on everything around you.”
“You certainly are a gifted young man. Not only are you a talented alchemist, your scouting capabilities might even surpass my own.” The gentleman deadpanned, commending the man with a short nod.
“If you’ve come to buy a potion, than do this.” Keyaruga spoke, calling Karman with his fingers.
“Ehh, suninus (I’m gonna die, huh)…” The beastman lamented playfully, grabbing a single vial from within the box. “If you’re still interested, ten Jioral kadmi will make me part with this beauty.” The vendor uttered without any hint of fear and cautiousness. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to step beyond Keyaruga’s caped back, so it was the hero who extended his arm backward and took one of his products from the seller’s hand.
“You heard my friend. Take it, or leave.” The healer declared, swirling the small bottle in his left arm, while the right one gravitated toward the saber’s handle. One wrong move from one of the two, and it would be one versus four. Three of which had already proved their inability to defeat the Champion, though.
“On my command…” Freia whispered to Setsuna and Eve. The girls never dropped their intention to assist their man in a fight, even if the lad himself tried to defuse the situation somehow.
“Hmmmm…” Organ Trist grunted with obvious satisfaction. He reached under his overcoat and retrieved ten coins of genuine gold. “I accept this offer.” He stated, offering the money with the open palm. Three steps between the two, and the hero had to approach the Champion. “Huh?”
Well, at least it would be so, if Keyaruga hadn’t just snatched the entire sum with a chantless wind trick. For better or worse, the merchant got his money, and Hawkeye…
“Consider it a sign of good faith.” …got his goods. The red-eyed man tossed the vial to the champion. It twirled in the air, two unmixable liquids danced under the sun, as the most crucial decision was to be enacted. One half second, this is all it would take. This was an ideal opportunity to strike, a chance for the Healer to draw his alloyed saber and dispatch Hawkeye once and for all.
“CHA-A-A-A…” The sorceress made her move. She slammed the floor and prepared her friends to aid and support Keyaruga in a fierce fight to the death. Very soon, the entire restaurant would turn into a cold inferno of piercing light. Except…
“STOP!!!” …all three were pushed to the ground by a powerful gust of wind. Setsuna rolled and regained her balance, but Eve and Freia got knocked down. The opportunity was lost, but what’s even worse, was the strict judging gaze made by Keyaruga. He did what he could to prevent their foolish deaths… “I won’t apologize for their ardor.” Keyaruga pronounced, standing in a high guard, blade upward, center of his mass on the back of his foot. In the defensive position, the man was ready to meet Hawkeye’s onslaught. “Just like you don’t feel sorry for hurting them.” With all that said and done, the healer never interrupted the archer from catching the potion.
He silently watched, as the man in his fifties swiftly pulled the cork on the vial and drank the entire potion in a single gulp. It wasn’t poisoned, and even if it was, the assassin would be able to tell. But it was effective, excessively even, for right in front of the lad’s eyes, Organ Trist’s skin became slightly smoother, his sunken cheeks straightened, overflowing with energy, and even his strict posture changed somewhat.
“Ho-o, I only expected to heal my leftover wounds, and now I feel ten years younger.” The ginger-haired gentleman said, delightfully stretching his arms. “And for the record, I have not come here to seek a battle. Instead, I would like to make you an offer.” The archer notified, as his pupils turned to Keyaruga exclusively. That meant little in light of facing the all-seeing demigod, only that his attention was focused entirely on you, which rarely meant anything good.
“I expect, you already know, who we are.” Keyaruga responded, returning the amber gaze. “And if you so much as to hint about joining Jioral, than I would have to change my tone.”
“Would you?” The archer smirked, staring in the lad’s red eyes, with no trace of blinking. “My name is Organ Trist, also known as Hawkeye, I am the knight of Her Highness Norn. And…” He spoke, turning his eyes onto the renegade princess. “…I know exactly why you have come to hate our kingdom, and what part that vile woman did play in your ‘level limit raise’ sessions. I wonder, though, what is it that made you drag this rotten wench along?” The man declared with disgust. He was loud enough for the Hero of Magic to hear his every single word. To deteriorate her spirit, make her suffocate under the sheer pressure of her own sins. What was even worse, though, is that Setsuna and Eve couldn’t help but to look at the pink-haired girl, expecting explanations, but there were none forthcoming, only ragged breathing from her open mouth.
“Take a deep breath and calm down, Freia! He’s provoking you.” Keyaruga, though, at that point, was completely aware of the true nature of Organ’s statement. It was an attack, like any other. And yet, Keyaruga responded by actually sheathing his saber. Things didn’t need to end violently. Not at that moment, at least. “As a ‘knight’, don’t you think it’s preposterous to call her that?”
“A-a, so you called the princess Freia, a lesser goddess of love and magic? That is adorable.” The gentleman said, turning his amber eyes to Karman. At that point, the beastman just sat there, fighting his urge to flee. Alas, his reason told him that this would ensure his death much faster than otherwise. “But I shall let you know, that it is not royal blood that commands my loyalty. I have a lot of questions for you, but first, I would like to introduce you to a little someone, as long as you are willing, of course.”
Ultimately, the Champion of Jioral turned to the exit. His pace was slow and considerate. Organ Trist was ready to either accompany the Hero of Healing to his mistress, or block the incoming attack. Neither of those predictions had come to fruition.
“Phew, he finally left.” The green-haired beastman said, watching Keyaruga slowly stroll toward his companions. “Do you deal with his kind often?”
“More than I’d like to.” The hero admitted, fruitlessly trying to chase the Bloodbringer’s memory away. “Get out of Buranikka, Karman. Or else you might die here.”
“Just like so many here…” He replied sternly, but Keyaruga paid no attention to the monger’s commentary. After all… “I see. I’ll go pay for the food.” …the Hero of Healing had his eyes on only one person.
“Haa… Haa… Haa…” Freia lied in Setsuna’s arms. She could do nothing but pant, sometimes yanking her head from side to side. She trembled and cried, shivered in cold sweat.
“How is she?” The man asked the she-wolf, crouching right next to them.
“Bad.” That was an obvious answer from the huntress. It was still useful, however, since she pronounced that with an apparent concern over the girl, who was desperately clinging to her new staff. It no longer contained any mana…
“Freia… Freia!” Keyaruga tried to shake her out of the daze she was in, but it only made her delirium worse. Being so mercilessly slammed with her past sins left the sorceress’ reason in shambles, and her body in seizures. “Calm down, Freia, you…”
I can’t help her with magic. The only thing that comes to mind is putting her to sleep. This way we can get her home, after which I…
“Don’t just jiggle her, you moron!” This line of thought was interrupted by Eve. She stood tall near the window, being unnerved by having Organ Trist staring into her eyes. “She’s panicking! Give her a hug, or something!” The maiden yelled, boldly gazing and shouting at the red-haired lad. It took him a moment to realize, what was actually said, and Setsuna reacted faster. She deliberately pushed the pink-haired girl into the man’s arms.
“…right. Right.” Fortunately, he did what was asked of him. Keyaruga embraced Freia. He did so dozens of times, with her, more often than not, having no clothes on at all, but never before had she been so… vulnerable, so frail and brittle. “Breathe, Freia. Just… breathe for me.” The healer said, firmly holding his companion close to his chest. The staff remained between the two of them, it served as the last shield for the girl. The only thing that gave her… what? There was no comfort in the wood, no warmth, and no protection. But… there was him. The man, whose whole current existence was dictated by cruelty, he was molded by it, tainted by the abyssal darkness of human hearts. And yet, he strived. He struggled against it… “Freia… I forgive you.” …and he, in the end, won. The battle was won, but whether or not it would turn the tide of the war, still remained unknown.
…
Organ Trist derived a lot of interest from overhearing this concession. He heard the princess’ breath slowly softening, her shivering retreating, as she cried on the man’s shoulder, the gentleman couldn’t help but feel a little discomfort. It wasn’t guilt, for Flare had earned her suffering herself, but at the same time, this entire encounter had followed every divine script, but the Healer wasn’t acting according to the plan.
He wouldn’t attack the party, even if he had wanted to. Hawkeye knew all too well about the exalted patrons behind the hero’s back. And even if they left the city for a moment, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t show up at the worst possible time. He wondered, though…
This potion exceeded even an elixir. Maybe, I should have purchased one for my Gizelle?
All men had their weaknesses. Mostly, these were the women they cared about. For Organ, it was his wife. She wasn’t a god, a demigod, or any other supreme entity. Gizelle Trist was a human, not immune to the merciless flow of time.
“There she is.” Ultimately, the archer muttered, spotting a carriage a few districts away from him. He raised his arm, signaling his fellow archers, hiding on nearby roofs, to prepare for her arrival.
And she came forth.
Pulled by two unicorns, the decorated coach emerged from around the corner. Galloping, the pair of horned horses looked everything but regal, especially when the coachman tried halting them in place. It took some unimaginable skill and luck alike for the armored driver not to crash into someone, although that barely saved him from all the swearing, in all local languages.
Ultimately, though, the carriage had stopped slightly further from the restaurant’s door. The gilded door had opened, revealing two people stepping outside. One was an unremarkable armored man with a sword on his waist. Another, though…
“Hah, there you are. I hope you haven’t bruised him too much, Organ.” It was the nasty-sounding pink-haired girl, completely undeterred by all the possible danger she could encounter.
“No, Your Highness. I have not engaged in battle with Keyaru.” Hawkeye replied, ceremonially lowering his head in the presence of Princess Norn. Even if she got the title simply by being a half-sibling to Flare, without a single drop of Margurth’s blood, the ginger-haired gentleman kept his loyalty to the warlady thanks to her simply being a competent leader.
“Just like you didn’t batter my shitty sister last night?” The girl mischievously asked, sneaking beneath the assassin’s chin, just so she could see his troubled face. “Wherever I go, so do my eyes and ears, Organ. But don’t be afraid, I’m not gonna penalize you for that this time. The bitch had it coming.”
“Heh.” The Champion slightly chuckled, as he couldn’t agree more with that sentence. Still, play hard, but work harder. It was time for the princess to meet her prince, and so… “He’s still inside.” …the archer took his place as the second of Norn’s bodyguards.
And so they came in. Only four people remained on the premises. Keyaruga sat behind the table, Freia rested on his shoulders, and Setsuna guarded them along with Eve.
“Keyaruga, look!” The black-winged maiden shouted, pushing the man’s shoulder, as the other covered her forearms in ice.
“Would you look at that.” The warlady scoffed, finding her oddly beloved nemesis embracing her sister. “Is this how you honor your ally?”
“Hello, Norn. Nice seeing you here.” The hero said, succumbing to nostalgia for his first infatuation. What could his enemy be doing there? How could she be so relaxed in a presence of the crown’s sworn enemy? All those questions dissipated, when the man looked into her emerald eyes. They weren’t the eyes of a child, but instead they belonged to a tormented soul he found so much in common with.
“I’m not in time, huh? Okay… I’ll… I’ll be waiting for you in my coach, then. This way, you have plenty of time to calm that… Haa… To calm down Flare.” The girl bitterly uttered, stoically taking her leave. After all…
…please save my sister… Maybe you can make a difference…
It was her, who had burdened the boy with such a miserable task, after all.
…
Go to her – such was the only phrase Freia shared with Keyaruga before he left. He would never forget her face, her sapphire eyes, overflowing in guilt and grief. He had asked her not to be so harsh on herself, and it looked like she did. Now though, it was clear that the princess only pretended to do so for her beloved’s sake. The man had even forgiven his former tormentor. But…
I don’t think she can forgive herself. I know I can’t.
The way was brief, only twenty meters, thirty leisurely steps, less than a minute. But why did it seem like the whole eternity?
So many eyes watched at him, so many people gathered both on roofs and nearby corners just to overwhelm the Hero of Healing, should he start posing a threat to their warlady. He didn’t care. There were only two things the lad was worried about: whether or not Setsuna manages to safely escort Freia and Eve to Tidir… and if that Norn was indeed still his beloved from the first world. If left unchecked, the pure excitement would make him jump from joy.
Even if she does remember everything, which is a miracle in itself, this does nothing but complicates my own predicament. If she remembers, than she knows my strength. And if Norn’s love was faked, than what does it make us?
Keyaruga kept a steady pace, he tried so hard not to fall over from dizziness, that he felt like he might vomit every second from the sheer pressure in his chest. What was that feeling?
Could it be joy? Have I really forgotten how to feel excited over something?
Regardless of the answer, there was only one way – forward.
“Come right in, o Hero of Healing.” Hawkeye almost mockingly chuckled, gracefully opening the coach’s door. Not many people could boast about being invited into a princess’ residence, and this was the second time for the man. This time, though…
“Welcome, my prince. Did you like my gift?”
The princess sat foot to foot on the armored back of her silent bodyguard, all while enjoying a cup of tea. She greeted the man with a genuine smile, affirming Blade’s status as a sacrificial lamb.
“Haa… Norn, what’re you even doing?!” The lad exclaimed, slouching on the upholstered bench in front of the warlady. Strangely enough, she sent Leonard to Alban, where he poisoned his fellow villagers, obliquely murdered his parents, and yet the lad still felt unreasonably comfy in her presence. “Get this dork out of here!”
“Dork? Boy, I’m the second in command over this entire…”
“You heard him, Matto.” The girl cheerfully interrupted the soldier’s bragging. She jumped off him and kicked his hip. Only slightly, since the princess would break her toes otherwise. “Go on, get out of here!”
Ultimately, the man had no choice but to obey. He rose to the ground and walked outside the carriage with quite a lot of bitterness on his face. As the living chair left, Norn slammed the door and pressed some button near it. In an instant, the windows got murky, as if the entire salon got cut off from the rest of reality.
“Now no nosy archer will overhear us.” Norn deadpanned, sitting right next to the hero. It made him feel… off. And yet…
“I don’t know, what you’re trying to make of yourself, but sitting on someone’s cuirass doesn’t go well for your health down there.” Keyaruga spoke, feeling the princess clinging onto his shoulder.
“He-he-he! The fuck would I care?” The girl carelessly chuckled. “Just so you know, after a messenger told me that Blade had vanished, I stepped on him and broke his neck.”
“Huh, that’s bullshit.” The man replied smilingly. “I’ve seen your legs, and the only desire you awoke in me with them is to feed your bony ass. You can’t even stomp a sparrow like that.”
“Oh behave, you stupid prick.” The princess slapped her offender in the hip. And just like earlier, it felt like hitting a wall. “Egh, why must you be so beefy? Also, I don’t remember you being that big. What’s happened to you?”
“Oh, you know, new body, new name, and a brand new life outside of your step-daddy’s reach.” The male healer shrugged with a look of bright mirth on his face. He didn’t even have to force himself.
“Huh, new name? Like what, Keyaruru? Keyaruta? Keyaruno?” The tactician obviously mocked her man, knowing all too well, just how much he cherished his true name.
“Haa… It’s Keyaruga.” The lad admitted, bracing himself for the incoming retaliation.
“Pha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!.. Oh, sorry… Ha-ha-ha-ha!” For what it worth, the hero’s words offered the princess a good, well-needed laugh. The sort of laugh that she last had years ago.
“Really, woman?” The object of her amusement, though, seemed much more upset, and even so, he couldn’t resist a happy grin seeing his princess smiling.
“Shut up, jerk, I’m still a girl right now!” For that, he got a pinch in his left ungloved hand. It stung, but at the same time the red-haired lad felt overjoyed. After all, he finally felt… safe.
“Right now… Is it really… really you?” The healer asked, feeling his voice treacherously trembling. It felt like a dream. But even there, the excruciating reality always found a way to stir him on a rusty hook. “Do you remember us, Norn?”
“Well, I had my doubts. This… memory thing wasn’t an instant process, you know? First, I remembered you, than our time together, than… all of this bloody crap you’re involved with, as well. I mean, the demon queen for example. You did a good job recruiting her.” The warlady mused, looking in the man’s red eyes.
“I feel kinda dirty, knowing you recognized her.” Keyaruga slightly lamented, seeing as his first time seeing Eve was their first and the last battle. “Don’t say you also know her relatives.”
“You mean that Cornar guy and their two brats?” Norn asked, as if it speaking about the erased future was the most normal thing in the entire world. “You don’t like me for that? That I kept so much from you?”
“We were accomplices, and your silence didn’t break our terms.” It was a neutral reply from the healer, as bland as possible to not enter the field of grudges. Their brief moment of shared happiness was slowly deteriorating, so the princess made a quick tactical decision. Specifically…
“Sorry, but this time around I have no pink pubic hair for you. You may see it on Flare, though.” The warlady deadpanned, offering the last sip of her tea to Keyaruga. And, he accepted this communion, although slightly reluctantly.
“Yeah, I know. I even asked her to keep it unshaved.” The man replied, soaking his throat with barberry tea, the same sort he used to brew for Norn. Though, it was now Norn’s face that turned sour. After all, with this single phrase he confirmed being her…
“Have you enslaved her? I can’t imagine that whore crying on your shoulder otherwise. Much less that colosseum speech.” The pink-haired girl wondered, trying not to sully her words with hatred too much. She still clung to the man, but for some reason his arm felt colder now.
“I… thought about it. In the end, I just erased her memory.” The lad responded, pursing his lips a little bit.
“You’re omitting a lot of violence, aren’t you?” The warlady noted. She always pressed an enemy’s defense for weak spots, whether it’s a full-fledged battle, or a conversation. This was her nature, and the red-eyed lad just couldn’t hate her for that.
“Heh, even if I do that doesn’t matter much now. What does, though, is that she quickly restored her memory without me doing a single thing. She even went so far as to fight for the slaves’ liberation in Ranalitta. Now, she feels depression and remorse. She thought I would kill you. Hell, she even begged for me to spare you.” The hero narrated with unhindered pride over his companion. He used to hate her, and now he couldn’t help but respect the sorceress for the progress she made as a person. Norn too seemed to share this feeling, although to a much lower extent. After all, she had her own worries in mind.
“Would you? After all I’ve done to your family?” More specifically, the bloody trail with Norn’s name, which led from and belonged to Keyaru’s kin.
“It’s hard to be angry at you, when I remember our last conversation, when I lost you… Haa… You two. You… warned me about that…” The lad spoke with a heavy exhale. He deliberately compromised with his ideology, when it collided with the prospects of personal happiness; the healer had no qualms about throwing it away. And also… “You acted under the will and orders of the king. He… is not a human anymore, so I doubt he’d let you live otherwise.”
“It’s no surprise that Margurth is a dick, really. But that still doesn’t justify shit.”
“What if I tell you he’s some sort of a wicked necromancer… And your mother may be alive in the form of some purple winged thing.” Keyaruga admonished, feeling his arm tickling a bit. It was Norn’s touch, which he rejected in the end… Just to embrace her by the shoulder instead.
“Wow, that’d explain a lot of bullshit around Jioral.” The princess scoffed, trying to get comfortable in the man’s cuddle. She felt so small and weak, especially compared to the mountain of muscles her prince turned himself into. “I didn’t want it to turn out like that. Your village wasn’t supposed to be razed, and its people were supposed to be heroically saved by you… I didn’t send Bloodbringer.” The warlady admitted, fruitlessly trying to get off the heavy burden out of her soul. That… didn’t help. If not multiple murders, that act still counted as a mass-manslaughter, and the result was all the same. Norn ruined so many villages, cities, tribes and families, but never had she felt the weight of her sins so explicitly as at the moment.
“Why’re you telling me this?”
“Because the truth is the least I can give to you now.” Norn replied, obviously addressing her knowing about Eve’s former predicament.
“Truth, huh? Well, then, there’s the thing I wanted to ask you. Did you… Did you ever love me?” Keyaruga directly asked about one single thing that knocked him out earlier that day. All the while he cuddled with the princess.
“I don’t really know, Keyaru. Did you love me?” Strangely enough, she too was curious, whether or not the martyr’s feelings were real. After all, for both princess and the hero, their relationships were nothing more than a matter of convenience. She paid him with care, and he didn’t snap her neck. There shouldn’t have been much more to it. And yet there was.
“No idea. Guess that makes two of us, huh?” The lad chuckled, as it turned out that he was bonded to Norn even in such ridiculous matters.
“No shit, smartass!” The girl scoffed, twirling her hair. “If it’s worth something, I couldn’t think of anyone but you in my last days. You know, what I thought when my brain burst out my skull? I was worried about you, hoped you survived. Than everything got black for a moment, and whoosh – I find myself in Tarnia, four years younger. I couldn’t remember almost anything back there. But I never forgot you.”
“I see…” The man muttered, tilting his head back. “I avenged you there. I couldn’t expose my power, so I had to brainwash Gard into believing he slaughtered your assassination group. Now, though… I was found by one of your killers from before the reset, here. She was way out of my league, so I subjugated her.”
“And? You think it’d make me happy?” Norn bemoaned, as it was to be expected from someone who lost her unborn child. Kill one, eliminate two, eradicate a hundred, destroy thousands – the warlady had a pretty practical attitude toward violence, but she had long since forgotten how to derive fun from it. Even her kicking John was more of a tribute to the days of old.
“No. It didn’t even make me happy.” Keyaruga lamented, knowing all too well, how it felt – to fight and endure for something you believe in. Even if Kailia was hired with money, that didn’t change a thing about her subsequent loyalty to the new ruler of Confederation. Just like abusing a mental cripple under an alias of ‘Blade’ only united Keyaruga with his tormentors. There was so much darkness in his life, and yet, there was also hope. “Will you join me, Norn? We’re on a quest to overthrow Margurth and bring peace to Jioral and Tenanullic alike.”
“Who’re you referring to? You, my sister, that dog-girl, demon king… Should I add Kureha as well?” Norn inquired, getting out of the man’s arm. She distanced herself from the Hero of Healing to ask one more thing. “You’re fucking them, aren’t you?”
“Regularly – only with Freia and Setsuna, Eve is my ward more than anything else. Setsuna and I do it to make her stronger, it’s our deal. I’ve done it with Kureha once or twice to get her loyalty. And Freia… Flare, I mean… I just needed an outlet. I needed someone to live for, outside of vengeance.”
“Fuck… And here I thought I could give you my newfound virginity…” The second princess uttered bitterly. “So much for that… You know, I kinda liked you more as a struggler, not some man-whore with vague goals.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave them. Even for you. Freia, Setsuna, I think I love them.” The lad admonished, turning his crimson eyes toward Norn. Alas, she couldn’t find it in her to face him.
“But not me.” The girl grimly noted, painfully clenching her teeth.
“And I want to love you too.” The healer spoke quietly, but alas, they both were excessively possessive to accept each other’s dispositions. There was no place for a compromise either.
“Hah… That really does make both of us. I too can’t turn my back on my troops.” The warlady declared, standing up from the bench. Her muscles were sore, her hips were cramped, but even so, she found strength to stand upright in the hero’s presence. “This is a punitive expedition. The first brick in the wall of my military prowess!”
“Please, stop, Norn. Don’t do this. You know where it leads you.” The man asked, almost begged, as his feet lead him to the girl. He tried to get her shoulder again, but the tactician slapped his arm away.
“Then stop me right now, you coward! You’re supposed to be a hero. Be a man and take me by the right of conquest!” Norn snarled, grabbing Keyaruga by his vest. Her frantic attempts to shake his heavy body seemed cute at best, but for the powerless girl it was an act on the limit of her vigor.
“I…” For a moment, the lad thought about a bold kidnapping, to run away with a princess on his shoulder… But then what? Could he overpower Hawkeye? Would he succeed in protecting the princess? Even if he could threaten her troops into leaving them alone, it was quite doubtful that some of the local tribes wouldn’t take their chance to silence one of the greatest menaces to the whole Tenanullic. “For that I’d need more power.”
“Then get the fuck out! Live your life, but if you cross me, I’ll fuck you up, and you’ll be mine and only mine!” Norn threatened, leaving a trace of her kiss on her fingers. Then, she slapped them against the man’s lips. An eccentric move, almost romantic one could say, but a warmonger’s love is rarely easy. “Mine forever!”
“I’ll be back for you.” Keyaruga promised, walking toward the exit.
“You’d better be, my prince!” The warlady replied in a bittersweet manner. “Either way, you’d have to defeat me first.”
“Yeah, I know… Thanks for remembering me.”
