章 143: - The Marshes and The Moon
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A/N: It was only now that I have found in my stupidity that I have forgotten to include dialogue from Abigail in these few chapters, so in hindsight I have included small bits, and will include more in the 145 chapter. For now the best reasoning I can put forth about her silence is her immense guilt that is weighing down on her.
Forgive me for this mishap, I was too focused on the aesthetic and not enough of the details.
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The commander set himself behind a large table where he stood over an open map of the whole area, the forests, the plains, the mountain and the marshes. The Master, according to the reports he had gotten for several scouts, believed that Arnold would make his way through the marshes in hopes of slowing his pursuers down.
But so far, despite their constant combing of the area as well as searching the surrounding lands, forest and plains, they had found nothing. No sign of travel, no sign of movement, and now the commander was afraid they had missed them.
It was then that the door of the farm house opened to reveal a woman standing in the doorway, the light spilling in with her.
"Lia. You're late on your report."
"Apologies Dale, there were more than we expected hiding in the woods."
Lia approached the table with caution, looking over the map before her, noting the new sections that had been crossed and marked out by the commander. Places that had been clear of any monsters as well as any sign of Arnold's company.
"I trust that the monsters in that area are dealt with?"
"Yes. My team and I combed the area. Anything that walks, flies, swims or digs in the dirt has been killed. So far we have seen nothing else confirming that there are more."
The commander nodded his head, taking up a small feather pen from the side and marking out a small bit of the forest that bordered the farm land.
"I trust that you should know that we found the farmer's body."
He stole a glance at Lia to catch any change in her emotion, yet found none.
"It took quite a while, but I would imagine the many tunnels weren't very kind to the soldiers."
The commander watched her carefully, was told of the farmer's death, yet was never given the details as to why or even how. When the city was burning, someone had snuck their way over here and killed the farmer and his golem wife.
But per his lord's wish, he had not asked questions, only to be grateful that he did not have to lose any of his men in fighting the man. But it still made him curious.
"Yes, it has. Most of the tunnels lead to various places around the area, some to the rivers, some to the mountains, and one of them even leads to the city."
"Does that mean…?"
The commander nodded, confirming Lia's suspicions.
"That was the tunnel the monsters used to enter the city. Thankfully most of the beasts got out of the tunnels before we went in there."
"Those that didn't?"
"Small, easy to kill. It doesn't matter though. In fact I was hoping to speak with you."
He leaned back, gesturing to the remaining soldiers who were combing through the house to leave, dropping their things as they set out through the door.
"Sir?"
Lia was confused and on edge, the battle with Arnold had made her this way and now any movement anyone did that was not calculated or expected was seen as an attempt on her life. Thus, though she didn't look it, she was ready to fight if need be.
"I wanted to talk to you about the company."
Thankfully, to Lia's relief, it did not come to that.
"What about them? Have you found something?"
Lia's hopes however were crushed the moment the commander shook his head, turning away from her.
"No. In fact it's quite the opposite. You see, despite having looked for only a week on end, and with the limited number of soldiers that we have left, we have yet to find anything."
"So? We've searched forests and mountains before and found nothing. It just means were not working hard enough, we should -"
"Lia."
The commander interrupted her, a deep and exhausted sigh coming out of his mouth as he looked at her, gesturing to the map.
"That section you cleared just now, it was the last one."
Lia glanced down at the table, surprised to see that the entire map that had been sectioned off in various places to mark forests and mountain ranges, plains and rivers, lakes and streams had all been marked off.
There was nowhere left to look, they'd searched it all.
"No…that can't be…"
"It is Lia. We've combed through the entire land around us for miles and if they are hiding here, we would have found them by now."
"No, we're just not looking hard enough."
She began to grow desperate knowing what was about to come next, but despite her attempts, the commander just shook his head.
"I'm ending the search."
It was like a hammer had just been slammed against her heart as her body tightened up, her breath became thin and shaky.
"You…You can't, there still out there!"
"We have searched everywhere for miles. Forests, rivers, lakes and mountains. We've even searched the marshes and we've come back with nothing."
He was careful with his next words, making sure to be calm as he said them knowing how Lia would react.
"Our men are tired, they need rest."
"If we let them rest now, Arnold and his company will slip through our fingers! We can't afford-"
"Lia!"
The commander slammed his fist into another table, his anger rising as her desperation became more clear. He hated to see her this way, but he knew that if she clung to this false belief they were still here, she would only drive herself mad.
"We have searched everywhere for land, water, or even air! If we haven't found them now, then they have already escaped our reach. When you took this position, you swore an oath to keep your men safe. Yet now you drive them to near exhausting levels of work, they need rest!"
Lia's eyes were screaming in desperation, pity and sadness rushing through the commander as he set a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"I know you don't want to hear it, especially from me, but…they're gone. The only thing we can do now is warm the nearby towns and cities about Arnold. Maybe word will come in about the company, but until then…"
He didn't need to finish, he could see it in her eyes that she had given up now. She was fueled by revenge and now it had left her grasp. She was a crumbling bit of stone that now threatened to fall.
He didn't want to leave her, but he needed to order his men back to the city, to protect the civilians and provide aid where they could.
The moment the door closed, Lia's eyes widened in shock as it finally hit her. With the weight of that guilt on her shoulders, she fell to her knees.
She would never get Lukali back.
***
"Why do we always have to stay in the cave when they go out?"
Emma whined from her spot on the wall as she fiddled with her hair, pouting as she looked towards the cave entrance where Gilbert stood, watching for the return of Arnld and Olivia.
"Because they're hunting. If you want to eat tonight, then stop complaining. We need our strength if we're going to be traveling through the cold."
Emma eyed Gilbert from the side, before sighing deeply.
"I'm so bored…do you really think they're out there hunting?"
Gilbert turned to her frowning.
"What do you mean?"
Emma made a motion with her hands and Gilbert couldn't help but look away.
"They're not really out there hunting you know. If that was the case, why is it always just them who do the hunting together? Otherwise he would take someone like you or me."
Gilbert shook his head, taking his palace by Trevor who was organizing his medical box for the tenth time today. He had a habit of making everything perfect and it messed with his mind if it wasn't.
"Stop Emma, you're just embarrassing yourself."
"Oh, come on. You know I'm right. Those two have something special~ going on."
"Like hunting partners?"
Gilbert was sarcastic but Emma didn't catch on, making the same motion with her hands that made him sigh in annoyance. Abigail who had remained silent in the back of the cave covered her eyes, her cheeks turning red.
"Like hell they are. You see the way Olivia looks at him, it's obvious."
Gilbert nodded his head towards the back of the cave that had a small rising mound of rock and stalactites, a place where Lukali hid on the other side, always quiet, always listening.
"You really think you should be talking about this in front of him?"
"It's not like he doesn't know, I mean…"
She shrugged, leaning closer to Gilbert as to whisper, but her voice still echoed through the cave, easy for Lukali to hear.
"...why do you think he ran away?"
She smiled, taking joy in this little bit of gossip that cured her boredom. But just as that smile had crossed her face, a small wooden cup hit her in the head, causing her to real back in pain.
"Ow! What was that for-"
"Be quiet."
Trevor picked up the cup, silencing the cave as they all stared at him. He never spoke much, but when he did it silenced everyone around him. His words held the same weight as Arnold's did, though he was only a healer.
It could have been the respect they had for him as their medical man, or it could have been the mystery surrounding him. Whatever it was, it served as a reminder to them that he was still there, and he was listening.
"...I don't know why you care so much for him, Trevor."
Trevor didn't answer, turning his head to glance at the mound of rock and stone where Lukali hid. He was silent, but the man knew he was screaming on the inside.
Like he had been since he was a child.
***
"Calm down."
"Calm, how could I be calm right now!"
Lia swung her sword cutting through a cluster of vines that hung from a willow tree, his long stretching leaves masking their path as Lia made her way deeper into the Marsh.
"This isn't right and you know it! They're still out there and he has the gall to call off the search."
Cain reappeared occasionally, doing the same thing he always did when Lia was too upset to listen to him, leaning against random trees as he watched her walk past.
"You know he had a good reason for it."
Lia cut through a hanging cluster of leaves, pushing them out of her way as she strode into a small clearing. Puddles of water and still rivers surrounded her, yet all she cared about was the fact that she was now alone.
She screamed, screamed so loudly that at first she was afraid that the commander would hear her all the way back from the farm, which was now at least a mile away. She wanted the world to hear her, but once her screams died down she realized that Cain had set a barrier around them.
"You're too loud Lia, someone could hear you."
"And who would hear me out here?"
She fell to the ground on her knees, covering her face with her hands as the guilt began to sink in.
"There's no one out here for miles, didn't you hear. Lukali is gone."
Cain took in a deep breath filled with the smells of the marsh, before letting out a deep and bellowing sigh. He took a seat next to her, looking out over the marsh.
"The moon is just beginning to shine, can't you see?"
He wanted to draw her attention away from Lukali, to stop her from drawing tears into her eyes like some small child. He hated to see her this way, but he detested weakness inside her and was contempt with chasing it away.
"Lia, it doesn't matter if Lukali is gone. It doesn't matter if the search has been called off. Why do you think it doesn't matter?"
She scoffed, tears already streaming down her face.
"Because nothing matters in this world. But he was my friend, he mattered to me."
"Yes, he did, but that doesn't mean you should stop searching for him. The commander can't control you as well, you have every right to go out there and look for him."
"But what good does that do when it's just me?"
Cain placed a hand on her shoulder, it was a firm grip that immediately brought Lia's attention to him.
"It is better than none. Be contempt with what you have and learn to use what you have to your advantage. Right now Arnold is running, thinking a whole army is on his tail."
His eyes flashed red and Lia could see in the pale moonlight his determined face, a perfect mirror of her own.
"So you chase him like you are a one woman army. Never stop looking for your friend and never give that man a chance to rest. Run and never stop."
Lia sniffled, wiping the tears from her face as she choked out a laugh.
"Thanks. For a demon in disguise, you're quite the angel aren't you Cain?"
He smiled, taking his hand from her shoulder to wipe away one of her falling tears tracing a river down her cheek.
"Only for you. Now, get up."
He stood, holding out his hand for Lia to help pull her up.
"We're going to start training."
She stood with him, following his instructions to draw her sword and get in a stance. Her movements were flawless and her mind was now focused.
"Take an inside stance. Draw the blade to your chest and aim it towards your enemies."
Lia did as she was instructed, taking the blade to her chest, turning its flat end against her rib cage as she shifted her feet for a batter, more solid standing.
"Now, I want you to imagine your most hated enemy in front of you. Let the rage boil inside your chest, let the fire burn. You are to dance with the flame, not let the flame bend you to its form."
Lia closed her eyes, picturing the rage Cain spoke of, a fire that burned in her chest like a raging flame. A candle's flame that danced on the wick, chasing away the darkness that confined it.
She opened her eyes and there before her she saw Arnold standing with confidence, his spear in his hand hanging loosely by his side. He reeked of arrogance and Lia felt the fire spread through her chest, but she pushed it back, confined it to her heart and binned it to her will.
"Strike."
She took a step, and then it happened. She danced with the fire and bent with the flame that flickered and burned, shifting her sword with each move she did, cutting and splitting apart the air around her. It was fast, steady, simple, but above all it was challenging.
Cain watched her from the side as her blade shimmered in the moon's pale light, dust and dirt being kicked up in the air as she danced and danced. She pictured Arnold in her head, let the fire rage inside her, and danced with the rage that burned her.
She was the fire, Arnold was the wind that blew the candle's flame. And she would be the one to burn him.
***
Their steps were careful and silent, cautious yet calm. Olivia watched Arnold as he moved through the trees and the brush, careful to step over the puddles of water that would have splashed and rippled the rivers if he stepped inside of them.
Emma was not lying before, it was Olivia who watched him with the same eyes filled with want that Emma had described, but Arnold paid her no attention. Across his back he held a small deer over his shoulder, this evening's hunt. The moon was rising and by midnight they would be gone.
"Arnold, are you sure we should leave now? That girl might be…"
Olivia drifted off, careful when mentioning Lia. She knew how Arnold's eyes narrowed every time her name was mentioned, making her cautious. There was something about Lia that angered Arnold, but it was less of rage and more of…
Olivia couldn't find the words.
"It will be fine. The night should cover our escape. We'll use the darkness as our ally to escape the marsh and head back home."
"We will easily clear the Marsh, but I'm worried about the mountains. How will we get past there without taking the trails?"
Arnold kept his eyes forward, watching the darkness for any motion in the night.
"We will make due."
Olivia took a deep breath. She was curious about her commander's son, Lukali. She had seen him many times and while she had always tried to get closer to him, he had always pushed her away.
No doubt he saw her as a replacement for his mother and even Olivia shuttered at the idea. She remembered Lukali's mother and her kindness, her bright and beautiful smile and the times she would bring a young Lukali to the guild's base.
Arnold was happier then.
Inside Olivia hated herself for the love she had for Arnold. In many ways, when she had heard that his wife had been killed, she didn't feel sadness. She was disgusted with herself because instead, she felt relief.
There was no one left to stand between them, and Olivia could never forgive herself for feeling that way.
Taking a deep breath, she reached out with one hand towards Arnold's shoulder, intent on voicing her worries and her concerns. Her fears and her self hatred.
But just as she was about to touch Arnold's shoulder, the deer dropped from his back and he stood still like a stone.
"Arnold?"
He didn't make a move, his eyes trained past the trees where a small clearing could be seen, a clearing that he had advised them to stay clear of before. Olivia turned to face the clearing, there in the pale moonlight she saw the figure of a woman, who danced and danced like a ballet dancer, wielding her sword as if it were a wand.
It was mesmerizing. Olivia immediately recognized the woman, the same woman she had seen in the halls of the Great House, the same woman she had seen with her angry glare and red crimson eyes.
'Lia of Endless.'
But when Olivia turned to face Arnold once again, intent on something they pounced, she found a look of pure and utter fear in his eye. It was an emotion she had never seen once on his face since the day he received the news of his wife's death.
Fear. It was not an expression she knew him to have.
"Arnold…"
Just as she spoke, he felt the air shift and Arnold ended up. His eyes were drawn the the man who stood some distance away, his arms folded behind his back as he watched Lia carefully as he danced and performed the motions with ease.
"...is that.."
She recognized him immediately. But it was Arnold's frightened voice that brought her to realize again, turning her attention back to the darkness around them.
"We need to leave."
The moment Arnold turned to face her, she could see the fear covering his eyes. It was the same fear that she had seen covering his face the night of their escape.
When the Man in the Marsh came.
Arnold turned around and suddenly there was a startled sound that escaped his lips, the sound of fear that punctured her heart.
Olivia turned around to search for the sound, and then she too started in fear. There, standing just beyond the reach of the moon light, half encased in shadows, barely a hair from Arnold, stood a man. The man.
His eyes were like fires that chased away the darkness, his smile was like a demon in the night, a monster underneath your bed. His words were ice and fire chilling her to the bone as she felt her heart rush and beat like a drum in her throat.
"Found you."
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