Fairyland Chronicles - Character Side Stories

[Aaronock]

The newbie huntress got her meeting with Lucretia. Ezekiel only for a flash wondered if it was really and truly worth it for her. The fae princess stood haughty and noble as she spoke and answered questions to the young adventurer. The winged one stood behind a wooden pew within the Rachel Fortresses’ walls. Summer stood in front of the pew, her armor on, and privately enjoyed watching the young adventurer who stood in audience with them squirm in her boots with her falcon. Lastly, behind Lucretia, stood Ezekiel, treating this situation with his usual business professional demeanor. The part of the interior they stood in was built of raw white stones upon the ground, it’s pillars, and steps too. There was little decoration, but the brightness of the stones provided it’s own personal glow and made the space . It allowed those who commanded power to hold the focus of the space, and Lucretia seemed to know and enjoy wielding the area the way it was built to.

At the end of the affair, the rogue asked Lucretia if she had any questions for him before departing to his usual drab corner in the upper left reaches of their current home. When she answered she had none, Ezekiel turned to walk away, but quickly sensed she crept quietly behind him. No words needed exchanging, nothing could ever find itself assumed when it came to her, and so, just continued walking as if never making note of the fae’s steps. Upon seating himself however, Ezekiel did find himself just slightly surprised that Lucretia now sat directly across from him.

The broken winged one asked him how he fared in the stone walls around them, which surprised him. Of all the questions to ask, and she asked one that better suited her. The man simply stated he could sleep under almost any condition. A comment from her showed some signs of care, “You could have a bed at Rachel Inn!” With a chuckle, the man made special note that she was the one under the unusual accommodations, not him. Finally, he asked how the fae felt about her current sleeping situation in return. She just waved it off, responding she did well enough, and it was about the same as her stay in Mystra’s Castle.

They talked nonsense then of her stay in the castle, but Ezekiel could read this situation well enough, she had other reasons to sit right across from him this night. After reaching an awkward point in the conversation, he changed the subject and simply stated with a patient gaze, “What did you really wish to ask this man?”

She did not even hesitate to respond, as if awaiting this question from him first, “Why do you help me. Really?”

“That’s a question with a complicated answer,” Ezekiel began, “But I suppose let me start from the top. I prefer not to kill if possible. It’s why I took up a dagger, a weapon for self defense.”

He kept explaining to a patient Lucretia, but realized pretty quickly he did this poorly. Not a surprise coming from someone who rarely expressed personal feelings.

“Humans may not have destroyed your wings the first time, but one of our kind did the second. It is still on our hands to rectify and pacify you on that front.”

She called him immediately on it right after he finished speaking, “I think there’s more to that. But I don’t want to impose…” That momentary pause stuck itself in the very air, changing the tone of the conversation immediately as she finished, “Even though I should...”

He laughed softly in front of her and smiled, “Then what do you think?”

And she responded quickly again to his inquiry, and included a chuckle of her own, “I’m not sure. Humans are odd…”

“If you think it is infatuation, I can tell you that you’re wrong there.” Ezekiel at least, knew what his feelings were not, even if he lacked the ability currently to know where they exactly sat. This much however, had already been worked through. While speaking, he pulled back the bangs that sat over his left eye and continued to speak. He wanted her to know there were no lies spoken, and only gazing with both eyes straight at her could all words ring true with her.

“There is little use in infatuation, it is selfish, and demanding, and manipulative on the soul. It teases you into seeing something in someone that isn’t there.” He’d finish, but Lucretia wasn’t done with him yet.

“If not infatuation, then what?”

She pushed at him, and wanted him to cut to the chase. And that was the end of that little game to explain what his feelings were not. The fae queen did not have the patience, or her curiosity just kept getting the better of her. Ezekiel could not begrudge her desires forever, so finally he told her what he knew at least so far.

He leaned back a little in the chair, trying his best to relax himself. “Very well, I will be somewhat blunt, your story resonated with me. On top of that, I know what it’s like to be abused by those around you, and manipulated into actions and a life you don’t ask for. The job from Odin never was meant to be personal, but it became so the moment I heard your side of things atop Mystra’s Castle. My promise I made there to protect you is no lie. To betray you...that’s similar to betraying myself.”

Finally his stance relaxed, and he closed his eyes. She teased shortly after, “I see. So my story touched your heart somehow~”

“It’s your turn next.” The rogue said somewhat flatly, trying to feign a lack of interest.

Lucretia seemed happy to oblige with her own explanation, “The moment you stopped me at Payon, I thought I’d have to fight you. But you tried to solve the issue with words. I thought it was somewhat intriguing, because there I was, turning the place into a jungle, and you wanted to sit and chat.”

Ezekiel remembered that. Standing there alone in that throne room with her, and trying to ask her why she attacked Fairy Land and now Payon. Trying to offer her solutions of peace, and easily end the task Odin set out for Catherine, Kotori, and him. They were the only three at the time with the request from the god to subdue her and the cloaked schemer.

The thoughts he had didn’t finish, Lucretia spoke at greater length, “On top of that, you and the sylph brought me the sap to repair my wings, and rescued me when the humans gave chase. Now we’re here…” A pause and a deep breath found itself coming from the fae princess, “And I was wondering… What would compel a human to do so much for me?”

That question Ezekiel could not answer quite fully, but at least could provide some insight, “Hm, are fae and human needs so different? Summer is proof that things aren’t.” He said this as he referred to the lady of armor and dagger being a half blooded sylph and human. “We both love good food, wine, conversation, and adventure.”

“I suppose we’re not so different. You and the sylph have been the only humans to help me, so I was just surprised.”

They conversed a bit longer on a few other subjects after that. However, none too important, and eventually, Lucretia excused herself. Ezekiel would only gaze calmly from afar rocking and balancing the chair he sat in with one foot on the edge of the table. Once she could no longer be seen gracely walking down the steps, the rogue turned to his own thoughts again. Lucretia and he held two faces, but then, their conversation tonight proved to him something else.

They just didn’t have the ability to really say what they meant yet. He was glad Lucretia did not notice the sword under the table, or if she did, did not speak of it. That weapon somehow brought out all of his hidden feelings when he swung the blade. It made sense, he picked it up for her after all. Summer knew that already, but didn’t understand completely why, and how could she when he failed to as well?

Normally he ran from himself. But faced with helping Lucretia, his desire to keep his promise, to find the truth, and to stop Amdusias, there was no where to really turn. The sword when he swung knew of the wild torrent of emotions that he hid so deeply, and brought them up with their own chaotic swirl. Without tempering that, the possibility to protect the one he made the promise to seemed impossible.

The blade found itself to his arms moments later. He swung with a downward cut. For a moment, it felt somehow different, as the blade seemed to almost hum. The sword before never had created that sound through his hand. Hard work, determination, and a sense to back words with action filled the man’s sense of self. Another swing was made, this time upward. The hum came with that swing as well, and he nodded. He and this blade could become one.

There was progress at last on his own battle with himself.