Chapter 127: - A Long Awaited Reunion
It didn't take long for the two teams to make their way back to Kokono, Abigail having long since calmed down, yet her head still swarmed with questions she kept herself from asking. Much to Lia's relief as she silently looked over her shoulder watching Rian, who had Becka riding with him, her head against his chest.
'Those two seem…'
'Close?'
'Close would be the wrong word to use. Too early to say something like that.'
'Then closer?'
'...maybe.'
Lia shook her head, not wanting to mind the situation, as she focused on the unsettling feeling she was getting while their party led their horses through the streets of Kokono.
The shop keepers had their once busy stalls bustling with activity, closed down in silence, not a person could be seen. Occasionally a person would walk along the street's edge, a few children would run and play around, while small groups of adults spoke with one another.
The town seemed quiet, almost empty of anyone. It wasn't a feeling that Lia liked, but it was one she shared with Lance, who silently looked around covered in bandages. He had two large scars on his head, covered by a thick bandage that wrapped around his head, similar white pieces of cloth dotting his skin covering the various gashes and wounds he had taken from the monster.
"Where is everyone?"
He asked, this being the first time Lia could remember him speaking to her in a non authoritarian manner, as if he was genuinely curious of her answer. Then again, his guard had fallen much more against her hand than she had expected, seeing as she was the reason the salamander was dead in the first place.
"I don't know. Normally this place is busy at this time, right?"
"Kokono isn't called the Star Light Plains for nothing. Everyone is awake at night."
"...Then this is odd."
They left their horses tied up with the same horsemaster they had gotten them from, only one missing having run off from the battle during the Salamander, to which Lia compensated him for. As they walked up the long and hard stone steps, they all eyed the guards lined against the stone pillars to the Great House, their expressions empty as they had always been.
They neared the entrance, all of them watching the large and wooden encrusted iron doors with interest before finally Lance reached out and laced a single hand on the doorknob, his other having been injured in the battle.
"Wait."
Lance stopped, turning his head to face Lia, the owner of the voice as she looked over her shoulder towards Lukali. He still wore his cloth mask, but he had long since kept his hood down, seeing as it was unneeded.
"Put your hood up."
"Huh? Uh, sure."
He did as he was naked, before Lia nodded to Lance to open the doors.
The long hallways were the same as they had always been, the candles lit with a flickering flame that caused shadows to dance along the walls, the floors and the tapestries that decorated the long halls.
They all walked together, those injured like Becka, who was carried by Rian, and Lance held back in case of any danger. Lance also wanted to be wary of the silence that had settled in on the house, its large and grand halls no longer filled with servants nor laughter as they had once been.
"Are we ready?"
Lia asked, her hand on the doorknob looking back on all of them, waiting for an answer. They all seemed ready, but they also seemed afraid. Though Lia didn't know what there was to be afraid of, she knew that there was some unsettling feeling that coursed through them all.
Suddenly, as she began to turn the doorknob, Lia could hear the sound of steel being drawn from its sheath, quickly turning to see an unknown man with a steel sword against his neck, Lance holding it steady against his skin and flesh.
"Whoa there kid. You wouldn't cut me now would you?"
His voice was deep and though Lia immediately reached for her sword, she stopped the moment Lance's weapon fell from the man's neck, a look of shock covering his face.
"Gilbert?"
"The one and only."
Immediately the man opened his large and wide arms, picking Lance up in a large and bone crushing bear-hug, something that was not good for Lance's wounds to which Gilbert soon found out after the man's groans of pain filled his ears.
"Oh, sorry kid. Didn't know you were that hurt."
"I-I'm fine. But, why are you here?"
Gilbert scratched the back of his head, unsure how to answer that. To Lia it seemed these two knew one another, so she motioned for Lukali and Rina to let down their guard as the others did. Suddenly a new voice joined them.
"The same reason we're all here."
A woman stepped out from behind Gilbert's large and bear-like body, her nimble steps excluding an aura of elegance and poise, but her expression was the opposite, filled with kindness and worry.
"To help a group of headstrong kids."
"Emma!"
Abigail immediately rushed to the woman Emma, embracing her in a large and long hug, the woman soothing the girl by brushing the long and silky hair on her head.
"It's good to see you too Abigail. And…"
Her eyes found Becka's crumpled form against Rian's chest, her eyes hardening the moment she saw her broken Leg.
"Sorry Emma, I got a little hurt. It's really no big deal."
Becka tried to push herself off of Rian's arms, trying to stand up but Rian held his grip on her, not wanting her to fall. Seeing this act of security he was giving Becka, Emaa shook her head, not believing a word the girl was saying.
"No, it's not. Trevor, take Becka to her room for the night and treat her please."
Another man appeared once again from behind Gilberts large body, and silently Lia wondered how long they had been watching them from the halls, as well as how a man like Gilbert with his size could hide from them.
Trevor took Becka from Rian's arms, the girl tracing her hand down his hand as she was pulled from his grasp.
"I don't understand, why are you here?"
Lance sheathed his blade, his eyes filled with worry as he seemed to already have an idea of what was in store for him and his team as he silently looked to the floor, unable to meet Emma's eyes.
"...I think you know."
She said, her voice returning to a cold and sad tone as she too knew what was in store for this group of amateurs, turning her gaze to Lia - or rather - the door behind her.
"He's in there. He's been waiting."
Lance and the others looked down to the ground, their expressions changing immediately to one of fear and worry, like a child who knew they were about to be scolded.
Lukali however, slowly brushed his hand against Lia's, taking in his own before squeezing it tightly, his own face filled with a terror that Lia had not seen in him since the mines. The time he had nearly died.
"Come on, best not to keep him waiting longer than he must."
Emma brushed past Lia, not bothering a second glance at the girl as she pushed open the doors, revealing the same room that the two parties had once sat in, speaking with the Master on matters of monsters and men.
Instead there now sat the Master and his family, his wife and daughter on either side of him. Across from him sat a man and a woman, the sight of which caused Lukali's hand to leave Lia's instantly.
The man's expression was stoic, hard and unmoving, while the woman was filled with what Lia could only guess was an arrogant look of power, power she had a right to and will to move.
"They're here."
The woman said to the man, who didn't bother to look towards the two groups, his eyes resting only on the floor. The woman took his silence to heart, standing with her hands held before her.
"Lance, Abigail, Shawl and Becka. Come here."
"Becka has a broken leg, so we sent Trevor to take care of her."
Emma and the others distanced themselves from the group, while the woman nodded her head to Emma's words.
"Fine. We will have this discussion separately with her when we're done. Until then, the other three come here."
The three names came forward, all looking to the ground in shame as the Master watched them, running a hand over his face as the sight of their wounds. Lia could tell that his suspicions were already confirmed on the monster crisis.
"You three have disobeyed orders, gone against our word, and now have gotten yourselves injured. You were never meant to go on their mission, only to hold off negotiations until we arrived. Why did you do this?"
Lance spoke first, raising his head to face her, gesturing to his friends.
"This was my fault, they did it because I asked them to. If anyone should be punished it should be me-"
"I don't care if it was one person's fault or all of yours . The fact of the matter is that you all disobeyed our orders and now Becka is injured, Lance you look like you were just run over by a horse and from what I've heard an entire farm has been destroyed!"
"I-I apologize. This was my fault, we had no idea what type of monster we were facing, nor did we realize that such a monster would catch us off guard."
"Then you should have waited for us! Not go off and do something so stupid even a child would think better."
Her voice was filled with scorn as her eyes passed over the group, her face strewn in anger.
"...I'm sorry. I have no excuse."
The woman frown deepened as she turned to look at each of them individually.
"And what of the rest of you?"
"We have no excuse!"
Both Abigail and Shawl spoke at the same time, their heads still turned to the floor as they bowed to the woman before them in shame.
"...clearly you know what you have done, yet I still believe punishment is in order. Lance, you will no longer go on another mission with us until your graduation is over, as for the rest of you. Afterwards, we will have a discussion on whether you will stay with us or not."
Lia could see the faces of Gilbert and Emma shadowed over as they appeared saddened by the decision, clearly having a bond with the three, more so than the woman punishing them would understand.
Though Lia did want to interfere, she knew it was better if she didn't, as after all, it was not her place to speak on behalf of a group who broke the rules, nor was it her place to tell the woman how to punish them. Instead, Lia's eyes bore down deep into the man's side, his head never once turning to face her nor the group.
'So that's him? Lukali's dad?'
'I would assume so. He leads the Drakes, a large class guild of Hunters who practically worship him for his power in war and battle. The Fire Drakes are a subclass of their guild, focused on training and learning rather than Hunting.'
'So this situation is the teacher punishing the student?'
'Yes.'
The woman folded her arms, her eyes turning over the wounds on the bodies of her students, her frown deepening before she spoke, saying something Lia never would have expected.
"I see you wear wounds from your battle. That's good. You can let them heal without help! No healing, no potions, nothing! The same for Becka!"
'What the…? Did she just say what I think she said?'
'You would be correct.'
Cain's voice, rather than filled with surprise like Lia's, was filled with a lingering and small burning anger as his master turned to glance at Gilbert and Emma both of whom did nothing but silently stare at the ground.
"Wait, please Olivia, Becka needs treatment!"
Lance stood tall against Olivia who looked appalled that the man had spoken out against her decisions, forcing her anger down on him as she spoke.
"You all need to learn a lesson, Becka included. A broken leg can heal by itself and if it doesn't then so be it!"
"You - you can't be serious! Becka is-"
The sound of a slap echoed across the room like a ringing gong, Lance's face thrown aside, red like a cherry as was Olivia's hand.
"You will be silent! It is my decision, and I will make the choice of whether she gets treatment or not!"
Lia could hardly believe how quickly this was escalating into the fire, her eyes watching for any sudden movements, her own anger raging a bit. She knew this was not her place, but how could these people simply stand back and watch as a woman had the possibility of becoming disabled the rest of her life?
Especially when they were the ones who sent them on this mission. They were her teachers yet, they were daring to do this to her without any consequences? How could they?
What started out as a small flickering flame within her, suddenly turned to a raging fire fueled by her questions before she found herself speaking, silencing the room.
"And whose place is it of yours to decide that?"
Her voice was calm but the moment she spoke it silenced the room like a thundering drum, all eyes now on her, watching. Immediately she regretted speaking, battling with herself on whether she should just pretend that nothing happened.
'Speak Lia. Say what must be said.'
His voice was calm and encouraging, though Lia had no idea what had overcome her, she silently took in a deep breath, facing Olivia with a calm and stoic gaze.
"I think Becka should be treated. You can't treat one of your own like this, no matter what they've done."
Olivia's frown deepened to lengths Lia didn't know were possible as she turned to face her, her power challenged by a mere 'nobody.'
"And what right do you have to challenge my decision?!"
Lia was calm with her words, but each one was edged with a knife hot and sharp enough to cut through flesh like it was nothing. It certainly did a number on the people present as she spoke.
"Considering it was in my hands that Becka nearly died and not yours, I think I have as right as any. Especially when one of the people making this decision is trying to kill her."
"You dare?!"
Olivia looked about ready to burst in anger, taking one clean step forward before a strong and mighty hand landed on her shoulder stopping her instantly.
It was an order to hold. An order Olivia obeyed instantly, her face filled with anger disappearing in a cloud of respect.
The sound of calm and heavy footsteps echoed in the room as Lia stood staring on, careful to show no emotion as he suddenly found a man, tall and brimming with muscle standing before her.
"You…"
His voice was deep and echoing, shaking her heart right down to the bones and blood.
"You are Lia of Endless?"
And that was the first moment Lia came face to face with the most dangerous man in Morden.
Arnold the Dragon Slayer.
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