The Realm of Austur Episode 2: New Consequences

So they are still searching for Elia after all... I suppose even a small break was too much to hope for. Those damn fools... If I could just determine who the puppeteer calling the shots is, then I could settle this easily, without Elia ever knowing. But that would require me to actually travel to Cleatia, and leave Elia behind, alone in Gorgath... Something I am loathe to even consider.

He looks down at the angel asleep in his lap, and smiles. No... There's no need for that. No one, not even my grandparents, can breach Gorgath unless I will it. As long as Elia stays with me, she will be safe. But still... I can't understand it. Why must humans continue to use each other, time and time again? No... Not just humans. Even the supposed 'gods' are seldom better. She has been through so much, at such a young age... And her own family are the ones who seek to use her. It's infuriating.

Maybe it's because he saw so much of himself in her, or maybe because she saved him... But he'd sooner burn the world to ashes than let her be taken away from him too. And if he ever crossed paths with those bastards who hurt her so, may Aanu have mercy on them, for Vincent would show them none.

"Well, I've lived in these mountains for a very long time," Vincent replies finally, looking up at Irving. "And I can tell you with utmost certainty, I have never seen 'Smalltoe', or any Martial Artist bears. But I honestly wouldn't be surprised to discover they do exist, somewhere. This realm of Austur still has a great many wonders left to uncover, I think. What do you intend to do after this job? I can point you to a village not far from here, if you need a place to stay. Good people, good drink, and very safe too. Even the most hardened bandits and criminals leave that village alone."

Vincent merely blinks, unsure how to respond for a moment. Well that is certainly a... Crass way of putting it. I would be offended, but I recognize the signs when I see them... He simply doesn't know how to recognize the difference. Unfortunately, that's all too common in this world...

"We are teacher and student, yes. And while we are not lovers, we are... Close. Perhaps even closer than lovers. It is difficult to explain, on such short notice, and with so little context... But suffice to say, we are very important to each other. Is there anything else you wish to know? I will be glad to answer if I can, but do not expect me to divulge my deepest secrets either."

He gives a small, knowing grin at that last part.

THAT NIGHT

Leaning against the cave wall with ryfel ready to bring up and shoot any trespassers, Irving stiffened a yawn.

What time is it? It's been dark for a while, when're we going to move?

Some time later, Irving stood up and walked deeper toward the cave to where his boss and her "mentor" set up shop. Irving found it peculiar that Vincent was still with his head down, looking at Rosetta as she slept. It was only when Irving got closer did he notice that his eyes were also shut.

That explains it, then. Bad time to clock out, though.

Once Irving was next to them, he pointed his ryfel into the ground and fired a shot into the ground, letting the bang (which shouldn't be enough to alert the raiders in the fortress, considering the distance) be what wakes them up.

"Any other merc woulda robbed you blind and left", he commented. "C'mon. It's dark out. Time to move."

Despite the sword only grazing him, Irving felt a searing pain, causing him to fall to the floor briefly. He heard Vincent saying something, but didn't quite process what he was even saying. A short second later, Irving stood up in a flash of speed wrapped a hand around Vincent's neck. He glared at him, his eyes having turned gold.

"Pull that s*** again, and I break you", he growled.

"Hah!" growled Irving. He began pushing his hand forward as he continued to stare down Vincent. "You wanna do this? If you're immortal, you're gonna be begging for death when I'm done with you!"

Vincent was the first to calm. Elia's words reached him beyond the haze of his anger, and he immediately felt ashamed. Both his eyes and the temperature returned to normal, and he sheathed his sword.

"Forgive me, Yekiri. I lost myself for a moment."

However, Vincent's anger at Irving for placing her in danger still lingered, and when he looked back at him, his eyes were hard and cold and terrifying. "I do not feel I have overreacted, and so I will not apologise. You endangered my charge, and foolishly attacked a being whom you know nothing about. I will overlook this incident for now. But should anything like this happen again, or if you endanger my student in the stronghold, I will kill you."

She's mad at... Me? A few inches off, and that shot could have hit her. His little show could have alerted the entire fortress by now. I don't understand... Why is she so angry at me?

Vincent takes a shaky breath. He wasn't angry at Irving, he realizes, but at himself. If he hadn't fallen asleep, none of this would have happened. And more than that, he was terrified of losing her, and his nerves were frayed and thin. He hadn't truly slept in quite a while, and it was starting to show. And her anger at him didn't help any, it only hurt and confused him.

".... Let's just get this done and leave," he says quietly. "I'll go and check if the fort was alerted. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He turns to Irving and asks bluntly, "Can I trust you?"

There were other things Elia needed to say, but she felt that she couldn't say out loud, so instead she gripped the signet ring tightly, broadcasting her thoughts to Vincent.

I'm not angry with you. Or him either. It's just... I'm angry with myself. And I'm angry with those people out there, and what they did! Just before I woke up, I had been in a nightmare, so I was scared... And then to see you slipping back into the way that you were when I first found you... It just felt like another nightmare. But I'm not angry with you! So I'm sorry if that's what you thought. I'm sorry, Vincent...

"Irving... Vincent doesn't need help doing this, and he doesn't want or need a shield. I think... He's worried that something might happen, and I'll have to run, and he's not sure I would be able to get out of this place on my own. In his own strange way, he knows you're trustworthy, or else he wouldn't have had you come. But he's not like you and me. He's been so cold and distant for years. He allows past regrets rule his life... But now, he's been trying to take care of me. He would die in order to save me, and that's scary to me. All Vincent wants now is to do something right, and he feels that protecting me is the way to do that. What I'm trying to say is... He pushes other people and things away from him. In his reckless pursuit of his new goal, he no longer cares about what happens to the rest of the world. Anything he perceives as getting in his way becomes an enemy."

"And I'm trying my hardest to make him that this isn't the way! You wouldn't believe me if I told you how far he's come. But I can't blame you for that, not after what just happened. You see, I still have a lot of work to do, but sometimes I feel like he's not listening to me at all anymore. I can't give up on him. All I can do is keep trying, and keep apologizing to those, like yourself, who get hurt because I haven't been able to change him fast enough. So I'm sorry! I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I should have just let the past stay in the past, but I didn't. And I value having you with us, not just for the fight, but for the journey as well. I think you're worth more than just being a shield or an extra fighter. I want all of us to be able to fight together as equals, not as two people and a mercenary. But back to what I was saying, I'll take the blame for what happened, because I'm responsible for so much of it. And I don't care if you're angry with me. But I'll keep working, no matter what, trying to make up for these things."

All that said, Elia took a deep breath and sat down. She looked up towards the ceiling of the cave, as if searching for something, and then closed her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if I would cause less trouble back in Cleatia..."