Holy-ish Wrath(Icicle x Tristeel)

[Icicle]

The sound of clanking metal and heavy breathing reverberated through every part of the courtyard. The smell of rot and death permeated every inch of air. The blood-red streams of light from the moon pierced through the grey fog to light a spattered assortment of spots across the ground. And through the spots, through the fog, making the noises, was a heavily armored, dimly radiating, white-skinned knight with sword drawn and shield strapped.

He reached a huge wooden door, reinforced with steel straps and barred on one side. Without pause, he raised his sword. A radiant light quickly and exponentially grew along the edge of the blade as he swung it down into the body of the door. The impact reduced the door to splinters that violently flew throughout the room beyond, slamming into the legion of animate corpses, bones, rocks, metal, ooze, and other atrocities that he strove against.

"Do you not know who stands before you? Relent and be spared my wrath!" the figure shouted, the light of his sword quickly flickering back to nothing.

The creatures before him groaned and charged, unable to oppose the will impressed upon them. With shambling hands, mutilated orifices, various gory masses and other atrocities of nature, they strove against him.

"Ye pitiful creatures. What a mass of wretches, to be driven to such lengths to carry out the will of your master." He readied his sword as the edge started to shine once more, gradually glowing brighter and brighter as they approached. "Meet your end in me."

...

The sound of clanking continued as the figure shot up the stairs, climbing several steps at a time. His sword continued to flicker, blinking dimly at random intervals to cast a dim gleam against the rot and moss splattered throughout the stairs. His eyes narrowed as he reached the top, so once again, he readied his weapon.

With another explosion of light, the door splintered and shot throughout the room, the careening wooden pieces flying every which way and violently meeting the walls, ceiling and ground around them. The figure advanced quickly through the short room, but a feeling met his gut. Why have I not seen any of the guards? Would not the king have attended to himself?

His nervousness and fatigue were suppressed as he strove on, reaching the huge iron doors to the king's throne room. But these feelings immediately returned upon his reaching the doors. The impenetrable doors, those that were said to only be operable by the king of darkness and evil himself - they were ajar.

He slammed into the door, causing it to careen open, and dropped his sword at the sight before him. His jaw dropped as well. As did his mood.

Before him stood a pile of corpses, 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. The corpses were heavily armored, and the blood around them was pitch black - the blood mixture of the goons of only the most elite Necromancers. It didn't take a second look to know that these were the king's guards.

But most shocking of all was that at the very pinnacle of the mountain of wreckage was the head of the king of evil. He was so overwhelmed by emotion that he found himself completely unable to move. A tear came to his eye at the sight - such an atrocious evil reduced to little more than a room decoration. He could not tell if he shed a tear at the realization that his quest was over, or at the fact that he hadn't been the one to complete it.

Soon enough, he regained his senses, grabbed his sword once again, and cautiously made his way around the pile of corpses, steering clear of the blood pool surrounding it. As he maneuvered, he witnessed within the throne a lady. Upon her body was the threadbare robes of a peasant, and within her hand was a plain rock, the likes of which she was analyzing with an amount of interest that even he could not fathom.

He approached. "Hello, fair maiden. May I ask unto you who caused this scene?" As he spoke, he sheathed his weapon in the hopes of being slightly more presentable.

 

[Tritsteel]

With her shoulders hanging low, and her chin so crestfallen it almost scratched the ground, Tsukamane walked the road between the wretched farmsteads and the inn where she slept. Not that she lived 'in' the inn, but rather near the hay were the animals feasted like there was no tomorrow. Looking at the ground, trying to avoid the sight of bad guys, dark creatures and kidnappers alike, she stumbled upon a noise. Blam! and she found herself in front of a small pile of smoke.

A tiny crater rested close to her feet, and within the hole a rock with some fiery symbols glowing on it. "Oh... So pretty." Her voice came slow, as if her brains had to struggle to voice such simple thoughts. Tsukamane reached to grab it, and as soon as her fingers got in contact with the cold surface of the rock a surge of energy crossed her entire body. With it came power, unbreakable willpower, clarity and a volatile temperament.

'They are brutal, relentless... But you... You will be worse.'

A whisper, a voice crossed the air surrounding her. Tsukamane turned around, holding the rock close to her chest as she tried to figure out who was talking to her. And then, like an epitaph, the voice said it's last words.

'Rip and tear until you're done.'

Suddenly the voice didn't mattered. Nothing but slaying evil mattered. With her eyes now injected with the infinite hazes of the universe, she stared at the castle where the evil king resided and began walking. And she walked. Walked, and teleported though muddy swamps and agonising villages. And no one paid her any attention.

Finally she reached the castle, where she found dozens upon dozens of creatures awaiting her. But... The thing is those creatures had been commanded to await for a great power that was coming to threaten the evil king. Not a mere peasant, dressed in dirty rags and greasy hair. So she was able to just walk past by those ugly creatures and knock at the main chamber's doors, where the evil king awaited.

And knock she did, in the most peasant-like manner possible. "Huh? Who's there!?" Exclaimed one of the elite guards, dreadful creatures source of many nightmares across all realms. And as soon as the doors opened the air surrounding Tsukamane was filled with hundreds of invisible razors that cut through bone and meat like a club would do with butter. Bluntly and painfully.

The woman floated two feet off the ground, with her hands in the air as she sent her power at everything. Razors, lighting, fire and pretty much anything she could come up with in order to destroy and defile all that opposed her. After a few seconds only a pile of putrid meat lay on the centre of the room. "Now you die." Her voice was the last the evil king heard as she ravaged his corpse, slicing him into several pieces with unnerving ease.

---

The deed was done. The prime evil dead, the supposed source of all that was corrupt, evil and overall awful had been slain and humiliated. Relieved of her abrupt billow of anger, Tsukamane decided to add insult to injury by crowning the pile of reeking bodies with the head of the evil king. She chuckled amused by the sight, sitting on the throne as she moved her attention to the rock she had picked up before.

She was flooded with questions. What was it? How did it worked? Was this how powerful people felt? Tsukamane was mesmerised by it, rejoicing herself in the embrace of it's power. It no longer glowed... But the power it emanated was still the same.

"Aahhhh!" The appearance of the shinny-armoured knight broke her train of thought, scaring her enough to bring up front some of her commoner habits. She made a ball of herself, gripping the rock tight against her chest as she looked at the knight. It took her a couple of seconds to realise he meant no harm and the fact that she was powerful now!

Tsukamane got up, standing proud in a way she was still not used to, and so not doing properly. "Uhh... I kind of did." Said her with a meek smile. "Well, not 'kind of'. I did." She then walked closer to the knight, her curiosity now falling on him. She had never seen anyone like him before! He was so... "Shiny." Tsukamane smiled. "By the way... Who are you?"

 

[Icicle]

At the sound of the lady's scream, the knight quickly looked around, reaching back to his sword. She seemed scared. Perhaps she was just startled. He couldn't see any other enemies in the room. But what about him was so startling? Perhaps she was deep in thought, too. She seemed to be analyzing that rock in her hands pretty closely. But she wasn't holding it in a location that the knight felt he could unashamedly analyze it.

Once she seemed to calm down, he also calmed himself a little and took his hand off of the hilt of his blade. Her physique seemed quite lacking - she was shaky and thin, and her clothes seemed to hang off of her frame quite loosely. It all reminded him of the general look and mannerism of a common peasant. But surely a peasant wouldn't be seated at the throne of a king.

At her response, he offered a little smile. It was entertaining, at least. But her continuing reaffirmation of the response was unnerving. How could she be so sure? Her expression isn't the least bit uncertain. Is she possessed? Or worse - is this him in disguise? He narrowed his eyes as she approached. He doubted that the evil king would bother with such a silly display, and also doubted he would ever disgrace himself by assembling an infantile decoration like the one before him.

But no matter how many explanations he came up with, the peasant girl remained. And with her approach, he also felt the feeling of wariness deep within his gut resurface. There was something off about her, that was for sure. But what was it? It had to be related to the rock she was holding. What was that?

After she reached him, she seemed to absent-mindedly mumble something about how shiny he was before asking about his identity. He didn't want to waste time commenting on why he was shiny, so he instead declared, "It is rude for a traveler to ask for the name of another without first introducing himself. But considering the circumstances, I doubt you care. I am the Child of Light, miss. I have come from the realm of King Edyl to slay the king of this one and to free those under his control. You seem to know what happened here, so can you tell me more about that?"

He briefly rested his shield arm against the hilt of his sword and rested his sword arm against his hip as he watched her. He analyzed her movements closely and keept an eye on the stone she was holding to try and see if he could determine something about it. Considering how it was the only object on her person aside from her clothes, it was definitely not a normal object.

 

[Tritsteel]

"Huh..." She rose a brow, attentively listening at the knight as her mind raced through all the sounds, voices and details she was able to not only see but also understand now. Still, she couldn't understand how could asking for a name could be rude... Maybe it was just on her nature, being so light-headed and nonchalant about those mannerisms. Tsukamane just shrugged and nodded.

"I'm going to be honest with you, light-child." Her mispronunciation being a obvious little tease. "I'm still not sure. I was just walking back home... isn't really a home, is more like the underside of a bridge." Said her, smiling briefly, almost as if she felt privileged to sleep there. "So I was walking when I ran into a rock..." While she was still holding it close to her, Tsukamane showed the strange rock to him.

"Then I felt strange. In fact, I still feel strange. I don't know, is like I can smell more, see more and... Think more? I don't know if that makes any sense." For her at last, it did. "But then I heard this weird voice, it was so deep it almost hurt. And... I don't remember having any control of what happened next. I suddenly felt so angry I could explode!" She chuckled, not giving it the importance she should give it.

"And then blam! I stormed this place, cut anything I found into pieces and... Then you appeared and startled me." She shrugged once more.

Tsukamane had been walking while she spoke, not nervously but rather because of her lively nature. Her short walk had brought her next to an open window. She looked at the distance, "My name is Tsukamane, by the way." Then the girl looked at the knight again. The curiosity in her eyes anticipated a naive question. "Two questions; are your parents really made of light? And, if the evil king is dead... Why is it everything outside still looks so evil and shitty?"

 

[Icicle]

Sure enough, the lady had a story to tell. Her tease flew over his head, as he had already heard people say his title a hundred other ways, but her story fermented in his mind for a few minutes. "Please, call me Armen." As she continued, he pondered what to make of her circumstances, not that pondering about it helped. I hadn't thought of the possibility that she could be heavily drugged up. I doubt that highly though. His eyes turned back to the pile of bodies for a moment, then back over to her. Clearly that rock has something to do with this, whether she is telling the truth or not. Her pacing seemed to be a sign of nervousness, so he avoided reacting to it in the hopes that she would realize to stop on her own.

Once she gave her name, he offered a polite bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tsukamane." He paused in his bow, expecting a response, but gave up as she asked her questions. At her second question, he gave pause. He had considered what would happen once the king was killed, but hadn't thought that he wouldn't be the one to do it. Perhaps she killed him wrong? He looked back at the corpses. The king's head was still resting at the top, just as dead as ever. He grimaced and quickly made his way over to the window. He looked over her shoulder giving her a fair amount of space as he did so. Even without getting an unobstructed view out the window, he could see that everything was just as dreary as before. He looked closely, hoping that there was at least a slight change, but it was the same sunless sky, dead tree forest and fog-laced ground that he had been slogging through for the past few weeks.

"I was born like any other person, to a human father and mother. My title refers to my upbringing rather than by birth, and is a long story that I'll be sure to tell you if I get the chance. As for the weather outside, I presume it will go away once all the latent power of the king dries up. I'll see if destroying his body will do the trick." He cleared his throat and walked over to the pile of corpses, then drew his sword. He looked over at the girl for a second to ensure she was out of the range of his attack, then took up a stance and his sword started to glow. He swung it slowly toward the corpse pile, the sword flashing with light as he did. A bright white fire erupted along the surface of the pile around where the tip pointed, going from the top to the bottom of the pile until it was entirely lit ablaze. He then twirled his sword, causing a few sparks of white light to fly off, and sheathed his sword once more/

The corpses immediately began disintegrating, the bodies, the blood, the armor, the weapons, and everything else in the pile. In one minute, the entire pile was ash. He waved his hand in a circular motion a few times to detect whether the ashes still contained any magic. Nothing. He took a look outside. "Nothing...Perhaps it's just a cloudy day." His expression betrayed his lack of sincerity with that comment. "In any case, would you allow me to examine the rock you hold? I have seen many items of powerful magic in my day, but I have seen none like that...and more importantly, none that can just be stumbled across. You have quite the interesting story, miss."

 

[Tritsteel]

"Whoooo! Fireworks!" Tsukamane showed some sort weird enthusiasm, in which she seemed genuinely elated by the holy fire sort of show he was putting, but she did so in a way it came mature and even humorous. In any event, she was definitely amazed by all this new things she was experiencing. "Next time I make another pile of those I have to try that..." Said her, watching the last bits and pieces of evil disappear.

What didn't disappeared were the evil vibes going on outside. Those realms were still crappy, and it wasn't due to bad weather. Cloudy days didn't looked like that around this lands... Tsukamane stared out the window for a few more seconds, hoping the evil-looking clouds would disappear and reveal whatever was hiding behind the clouds. "Yeah... Perhaps." Forecast for this week; evil shit still clouding everything. That thought crushed her mood a bit.

All those worries were blown away when the stone joined the conversation. "I..." The girl gripped the stone, bringing it even closer to her, holding it as if that rock was the most important thing in the whole world. Just the thought of losing it made her arms tremble. As her concerns about the rock grow, the air began to feel sharp, gaining very discrete, silver reflections. Breathing become hard, but not because the lack of air, but because the sudden cutting nature in the air. "I... Rather not, if you don't mind."

 

[Icicle]

The Child of Light was moderately intrigued by her childish reaction to his use of magic. It felt good to know that his magic had a direct, positive influence on someone.

Once he had asked her about the stone, he was surprised by her reaction. Again, it seemed childish - she was possessive, lacked words, and immediately began a subtle, but powerful defensive field. He backed off a step so as to not antagonize her, but squinted his eyes to examine her, trying to find the cause of her reaction. She didn't seem injured, and still had plenty of power at her disposal, so she didn't seem to be reacting out of desperation. But at the same time, he couldn't think of a reason that she would be so attached to something she found so recently.

At that, he got an idea. He gestured toward her with an open palm and said, "Then so it shall be. I have no desire to impose on you. It was kind of you to be so straightforward with me, despite your circumstances." He set his hand back at his hip and relaxed once again after that. "Now miss, I don't suppose you live here in this kingdom?"

Upon hearing her response, he nodded politely. "I understand that your life here must have been difficult under the rule of your king. I am not from this kingdom: I am from the Kingdom of King Edyl. There, a person of your power may afford a more comfortable life, and perhaps a few friends as well. Since the king here is dead, I have accomplished my task and shall be headed back there. But I can escort you along the way, if you care to join me, as the way across the border is quite perilous."

 

[Tritsteel]

Tsukamane didn't understood why either, but she had grown so attached to that rock in the few hours they had spent together that the idea of loosing it scared her to death. "Really?" The girl rose a brow, a bit suspicious at first about his words. People around this parts were mostly of evil-nature and used the lie as common resource. "Thank you." Tsukamane smiled, and feeling safer the air became once more the dense and tacky. Regular, evil-kingdom air.

"Yes! I do." She nodded, as if living in this place was a good thing. But what the knight said sounded even better! Made her smile so much it almost seemed like she was about to burst out laughing of joy. "You mean like... A place with four walls and a roof?" In her mind she was already picturing herself sharing a hut made of wood and wheat with half a dozen more people... Oh, she was in for a surprise. "Come on! What are we waiting for then?"

Having recently awaken from her 'dull' status, Tsukamane was still like a child who was now discovering the world around. A child that grew up fast. By the time they were closing the frontier between both kingdoms she was no longer jumping around, trying to smell and touch everything they saw. While she was still walking light like a young person would, she was now more quiet, and even her voice took a slightly more deep tone.

"I've never been so close to the frontier before." She looked at the knight for a second, concerned about what they might found there. "It is said there's patrols guarding the frontier. Hundreds of creatures who keep the rightful in check." Tsukamane wasn't far from the truth.

Creatures came from all sorts of nightmares walked the wasteland-like plains where the frontier lay. Skeletons, infested war-pigs, and even low-class shamans tending their platoons of blood soaked minions. "Vermin..." An aura of tremendous anger surrounded Tsukamane as the white in her eyes slowly began to darken, glowing with dark blue and purple hazes adorned with tiny white dots. "Rip those brutes to shreds."

 

[Icicle]

Her response took him aback. Surely a building isn't the only mental image brought to mind by the description I gave...is it? He couldn't help but grin after that. She was bubbling with energy - just like a child. "Very well. But first I must look around this castle a little more. There may yet be something we have missed..."

...

There wasn't. They left the castle.

He continued to watch over her as they traversed the wretched, shadow-laced mud of the kingdom of evil. Every time he would use a bit of his magic, she would gasp and stare, wide eyed and startled, filled with a curiosity which he could never hope to sate. He couldn't help but join in with her in bouts of laughter and glee, lifting his heart from the task at hand and sending the chiding shadows and fog reeling from his thoughts.

But at the same time, whenever he doffed his armor and lay upon his bedroll at night, he always kept his sword close at hand, with thoughts of wariness and caution ever hiding at the darkest depths of his mind. After all - never once did she ever allow that mysterious rock to leave her grasp. He was certain that there was something off about it, but it was innocuous enough that he allowed its mysteries to remain mysteries until it threatened to endanger one or both of them.

The time flew by with terrible speed. Despite the various dangers that they had encountered along their short trek back to the border between the kingdoms, never did the Child of Light feel like the dangers of the land taxed him of his strength or will. He wasn't certain about whether the change was caused by his companion or the death of the evil king. Certainly, the fiends around him seemed weaker, but perhaps that was merely his perception as a result of having a powerful ally.

It wasn't until they neared their destination that the Child of Light noticed the change in his ally. She had lost something deep within herself that took the spark from her eye. He knew not what, but was sad to see the change. Her childlike joy had reminded him of what it meant to inspire others, and he took word to emulate it as best he could. With a glint in his eye, he carried on toward the border. But before they reached it, she surprised him with a comment.

With a moment's contemplation, he offered her a knowing smile and retorted, "That's understandable...I'm the only person to have gotten through it since the rise of the two kings." He looked back ahead. Already, the dark red glow of the spindling watchtowers was distinguishable from beneath the miles of mist. She seemed to know a few rumors about it, so he humored her. "Not just hundreds...there's a guard for every blood-stained brick in that cursed wall."

They continued to walk. The Child of Light prepared his sword, dousing it in blessed water, allowing the runoff to hit the dirt below, leaving the shadows around the purified dirt to lick at it, hopelessly attempting to recover what the water had taken from them. He righted his blade and flickers of light began to run along the blade. He steeled his eyes, and readied his shield. "Tsukamane, are you ready?" He looked over to her. He was shocked by the expression she returned him.

The purity of her wrath was incredible to behold. He was taken aback at the recognition of the wrongs she had yet to personally right. The power coursing through her body changed her visually, and as it did, he immediately knew what he had been missing this entire time. He turned his eyes to the rock. Her eyes glowed with the same energy that radiated from it. And all the same, he couldn't imagine a more powerful emotion for her to wear at that moment than the one which she had.

He turned his attention back to the foes which they were advancing towards. The fiends were already writhing over like a sea of corpses. His sword began ringing as the intensity of the light upon it began to increase. "Tear them if you must, but know this..." He lunged forwards, a surge of white fire erupting forth like a ray of sun through darkness. The fire completely engulfed a vast swath of the forces before them, and the light previously glowing around his sword left it with a spark. "...my sword leaves no shreds behind."

...

 

[Tritsteel]

The amount of anger that flow through her body seemed boundless, and knew no reason. The soil surrounding Tsukamane trembled as the girl began to float about a feet over the ground, fearing the enemies that first saw her. "There's nowhere to run, vile creatures!" The astral depth of her voice roared through the battlefield, taunting the enemy into charging towards her. Blindly, creatures of all sizes and shapes jumped onto her, meeting a gruesome fate as they were turned into chunks and slices off rotten meat.

Tsukamane cut and pierced anything that got in her way, brandishing her hands like claws that were able to cut past her reach and well beyond the 10 feet range. She just sliced the air around and razor-sharp waves of energy appeared close by, cutting with tremendous ease. Tsukamane yelled and screamed much like a barbarian would, with battle-cries that both pushed away the enemy and pulled them close to her.

In no time a thick, crimson mist began to surround her, and the bodies began to pile on her path. More enemies came, and swiftly meet a dire death as they stumbled and struggled to get over the dead bodies of their hellish allies. "Meet your maker!" With no control or measure, Tsukamane cut down the enemy numbers so fast and widely that it would take enemy reinforcements at least five minutes to appear.


It was when no enemy was left able, that a thud could be heard. A wave of force pushed away a pile of bodies, leaving a small crater of dry blood and body parts. And in the middle of it Tsukamane lay on the ground, curled up on the ground, trembling in terrible fear. At some point at the end of the skirmish, the girl had dropped the rock, and without it she was just a peasant, mentally incapable of fighting through all the atrocities that surrounded her.

And the rock was just there, laying on the ground no more than a couple of feet away from her. She just had to stretch her arm and grab it... But the panic she felt was so great it was keeping her from moving, not even if moving meant saving her life. Tsukamane closed her eyes tight, sobbing and crying as she hoped for her suffering to end.

 

[Icicle]

Despite the sheer destructive power that both he and his companion shared, the swathes of enemies continued to pour at them unendingly. His concentration was almost entirely taken up by maximizing the use of his magic, to the effect that he only rarely caught a glimpse of what Tsukamane was doing. But even so, the few glimpses he got impressed him thoroughly. He even found that her magic occasionally threw around enemies and giblets in various directions, causing him to have to re-adjust his spells.

Before long, the enemies started to thin out. Armen took the opportunity to rush forward, through the ranks of the creatures, and to rush up to the wall. He prepared a glittering aura about himself to force away those nearby, and he extended his perception, searching for the creatures responsible for summoning reinforcements. He fought off the shambling and quivering corpses, destroyed the more powerful creatures, cut off the creatures who were calling in reinforcements, and with a mighty heave, cleaved his sword into the mighty barrier-wall, forming a 10-foot-wide crack down to the floor.

Despite this, however, Tsukamane seemed to remain preoccupied in the last few remaining creatures that were rushing toward her. "Tsukamane! Don't waste your time on them! Continue on with me!" He lept down from the wall upon which he stood and made his way over to the crack. But after a moment, he realized that he wasn't being followed. Looking back, he saw her continue to strive against the fiends. "Tsukamane! What are you doing?"

He waited a few moments for her to respond, but it didn't take long for him to see that she was too enthralled with destruction - she was overcome with rage. And worse yet, she was weary. He grimaced and rushed toward her as she continued to fight. "Get a hold of yourself!" He shouted, but she didn't hear him. He barely managed to brace himself in time for the wave of force she flung out, raising his shield to deflect the rain of corpses and giblets, and maintaining a firm stance so as to not be blown away. But once the area was still once more, he looked around and saw that she had completely exhausted herself.

He watched her for a few moments to ensure that she wouldn't mistake him for an enemy. As he did, he witnessed that she had entirely changed - no longer was she full of anger. She instead seemed to be entirely gripped by fear. He sheathed his sword and knelt down beside her. "Tsukamane? What happened to you?" He looked her over, seeking some sort of explanation, but none came to him. She wasn't injured, and her movement implied that she was still more than capable of walking on her own. But her personality had changed entirely - it was as if what was now before him was little more than a beast. But as he was considering these things, he remembered another thing that she currently lacked - her stone!

He looked around her vicinity and, sure enough, he saw the stone lying a few feet away, just out of her reach. His eyes narrowed and he looked back at the groveling mess that lay before him. I now understand why she has such an attachment to this item. He stood up, walked over to it, and held his sword towards the rock. The sword started to glow. A small stream of sparks showered the rock, but he noticed that, as they did, they were deflected away from it. Whatever magic lies within it, it surely has the potential for great evil. But... He looked back over to her. Evil does not seem to be all that it is capable of.

He thought for a few seconds as the sparks of light continued to shower the rock, staring at it and trying to decipher as much as he could about it, but eventually the sword drained of color and he sheathed it once more. With a kick, he sent the rock gently rolling over to her. "Take this rock, from which you receive your power, and rise, Tsukamane. You said you wanted to see my country, right?" He waited for his response, walking toward the crack in the wall, which was progressively regenerating back, growing thinner. "I understand the desire to extinguish evil from the face of this earth, but we have cut off its head already. Surely, with no source to perpetuate it, these abominations will die off on their own. But even if they do not, trust that we will return another day to end them. For now, leave them to their fate and come with me."

With that, he extended out his hand with a friendly smile. The sound of more of the army of undead was approaching from the distance on either side of the wall.

 

[Tritsteel]

Since their minds couldn't comprehend, memories and feelings were dull and lacklustre for peasants, but as a fully self-aware being, Tsukamane could sense those feelings and memories try to carve deep wounds into her soul. But with the help of the power emanating from the rock she was able to endure and wash away the pain that threatened her deepest self. "Huh..." Tsukamane was still feeling a bit shocked and had to blink and clear the tears off her eyes before she could react to anything else.

"Y-yes. Yes." Her voice was soft, with no remnants of hate of anger. She took a firm grip of the helping hand and joined the knight in their escape from the evil realm. "I... Huh... About what happened before... Thanks." Tsukamane shrugged. "You could have taken the rock and leave me there. Is not that I don't appreciate it... But can I ask you why?" Being from a pretty awful and terrible place, such acts of good will were rare.

As they went further into the rightful kingdom, the more green the lands were, the more bright the sun looked and the more fresh the air felt. "Ahh!" Tsukamane jumped scared at the first good people they ran into, trying to hide behind the knight as that unholy power she wielded began to vibrate around her. "Why is everybody smiling!?" Well, living in this kingdom was good, so why wouldn't they be happy and smiling?

It took the girl a while to get used to. Tsukamane looked at the rest of people with curiosity, trying to figure out why were they so happy and kind too! "Look!" On a small village, almost at sunset, a cheerful old man had decided to share one of the apples he had been gathering with Tsukamane. "Look!" She repeated, jogging back to the knight. It almost looked like she was on a happiness overdose.

"I mean, why would anyone be so kind with a stranger!?" Wondered her, with a smile so big it was doubtful it could get any bigger. Then she took a bite off of the apple, munched it and bursted into laughter. "Is so tasty!" So delicious it was making her laugh with all the force on her lungs.

The local villagers, honoured of having the great Child of Light on their town, offered both of them a feast of humble proportions and a place to stay the night. Tsukamane, who had already devoured the apple, looked up at the knight. "Weeeeelllll... I'm kind of hungry... I bet you're too. And my feet hurt a little..." Her voice, like a purr, joined a coy eyelash fluttering.

 

[Icicle]

Once she grabbed hold of his outstretched hand, Armen immediately began to rush back over to the barrier. It was still in the process of closing up again, but Armen could tell with a mere passing glance that the reinforcements would arrive before it was fully closed. As a result, he drew his sword and, with a brief flash of light, erected a wall of light to seal off the gap. "That should do." He sheathed his sword and slowed his pace, releasing his companion from his grasp. "I know of a village within a day's journey of here. You may be weary from combat, but our rest will be more satisfying there than in these fields and hills."

The two traveled for a few minutes without much in the way of conversation. After the trauma of the previous combat, the Child of Light wasn't the least surprised about that. But it was the first few words spoken by Tsukamane thereafter which caught him off guard. He scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Tis my pleasure, m'lady." But she continued, so he looked over to her intently until she finished, after which he sighed and looked ahead with a distant gaze. "Were I another man, perhaps I would; the rock you hold is quite powerful when used to destroy. It would certainly align with the task bestowed unto me to capture or destroy it for my king."

He paused, in deep contemplation. "But I don't operate under such simple pretenses. I seek to spread goodness and hope to this world like a beacon of light to a room in darkness. And beyond even that,..." At this, he offered her a warm smile. "...your company is of great value to me." At this, he returned to his task of navigation. "Speaking of which, to reach the village, we'll have to venture off towards those hills thataway. Keep up now!"

...

The two reached the village before long, but at the hail of the villagers, Armen was once again surprised by the behavior of Tsukamane. He didn't find anything particularly startling around them, but before he had the chance to ask her the source of her peril, she announced it to him. He chuckled in amusement. "There are times in which even this kingdom is glum, but today is a day of celebration within our kingdom: The Hallowed Greene Celebration. Go ahead and speak to them. Perhaps you'll receive a Greene for your efforts!"

Some time passed as they went into the town. Armen greeted the villagers, chatting with those whom he knew by name and hailing those whom he didn't. Once Tsukamane received her first Greene, he laughed and said, "Well done! But you have a ways to go before you outdo me!" As he said this, he revealed that, within a pouch at his side, he had already been given fifteen or so green vegetables and fruits from the townsfolk.

After word got around that the village's Inn was preparing for them a feast, the Child of Light laughed heartily and said, "You had best be cautious with your supplies, else you starve soon hereafter!" But the villagers reassured him and, with some insistence from Tsukamane, he agreed. "Your hospitality is like that of King Edyl himself! You have my sincerest gratitude." With that, he walked to the Inn with Tsukamane.

While there, Armen and the villagers exchanged stories of their greatest exploits. The villagers, having little to contend with him in terms of adventures or accomplishments, usually resorted to little cautionary or humorous stories. The food ran out long before they had reached their 10th story, so the feast devolved to idle conversation and, soon enough, to farewells and good tidings as they all left to prepare for the night.

The innkeeper showed them to the bathing tub and their rooms, providing them both with the best ones she had, and bid them good evening. Armen, unsure of his companion's experience with such a situation, guided her along and showed her how to operate and lock her door, prepare the bathing tub, find where the chamber pot was, and ready the mattress for 'more comfortable' sleeping. After this, he stood in the doorway of her room, making to leave, and asked, "is there anything else I can help with?"

 

[Tritsteel]

Needless to say, Tsukamane was far, far from victorious in the festive competition. She was given just a few edibles, and as soon as they got into her hands she devoured them. And everything was so full of taste and fresh! She couldn't stop smiling! But by the time the moment to share plots and stories came she felt a bit shy, suddenly trying to hide her presence from those who were feasting with them. She had very little to nothing to tell, so she felt more than happy to just listen to the others.

Fear not, since Tsukamane bloomed again into an over-excited child once they were shown the place where they would be staying the night. For her, those humble and limited quarters were the most luxurious and clean rooms she had ever been before! "Whoa..." She remained agape the whole tour, looking at everything as if it they were the most valuable pieces of furniture ever created. "Will they really let us sleep here!?" Muttered her once the two of them were left alone again. "Isn't this the place were the major or a king would live?"

"Look! Clean towels!" She took one, hugged her and even danced a bit with it. "What! This is clean water too!" Eventually, she was able to contain her excitement and address Armen properly. "Wellllll.... There is something I would like to ask you..." She scratched the back of her head, trying not to look too needy or in distress. "I thought of cleaning myself a bit. Haven't done that properly in... Months!" Said her with a chuckle.

Then she looked at herself and those awful rags that covered herself. "This rags are awful... but I don't have the coin..." Tsukamane then looked at the knight, pleading for a tiny loan with her eyebrows. "Would you mind getting me new ones? I promise I'll return you the favour! And anything will do, really. No need to be as fancy as the dresses from the other women in the village."


Once left alone, she proceed to prepare the bath as instructed. As careless for this details as she was, Tsukamane left all doors half open, leaving her somewhat plump, yet fine body, left for anyone who paid enough attention to see.

There was no lack of curves and valleys on her figure, but still she looked as gracious and light as any woman half her size would. Most likely the power coming from the rock had been shaping her body with her own guidelines and desires, but that was besides the point. Tsukamane was a gorgeous woman with a smooth shape, not far from those in the portraits depicting Goddesses and female heroes.

 

[Icicle]

After the innkeeper left them in front of their rooms and Tsukamane posited a question, Armen nodded to the first question, but shook his head in response to the second. "No, my friend. While these are better than those meant for low-paying travelers, they are still far below the quality due even to a low-born noble." It seemed that, before he was even able to finish his answer, her mind had already wandered to the contents of her room. He chuckled in amusement. Gets me every time.

Once she was done playing around, he stood in the doorway, his eyes drawn to her clothes as they were mentioned. Indeed, her outfit is very ill-befitting of a person as strong as she. He cleared his throat and, after she started pleading, he held out his hand. "No need to beg, Tsukamane. I know that you have not a sheckel to your name, being from the realm of the wicked. As my companion, I shall ensure that you are well-cared for until you can fend for yourself."

With this, he lowered his hand. "But that will have to wait until tomorrow, as all of the townsfolk are off to sleep now, and it would be inconsiderate to ask them to work so late. Until then, use whichever garments in the wardrobe that suit you." With that, he bid her a restful night and retired to his room.

He spent a good deal of time separating himself from his armor and equipment. The chains, plates and padding of his armor had thick patches of his congealed blood matted into them, making the process painful and slow. Once he was done, he drew his sword, washing his body in holy light to seal his injuries. Exhausted, he threw a robe over his body and lazily proceeded towards the eating-room downstairs.

He was greeted by the innkeeper and a few of the wenches who were still cleaning from the messy feast earlier. "Ho there, Melissa. Is the tub in use?" He passed by the door, noticing that it was ajar.

The innkeeper nodded. "Yeah, by the missy you brought here with 'ya." He was already at the door as she said this, so his ears and eyes agreed about the information she had said. He only had time to process the corner of the tub and her hair before he reflexively closed the door. He was vaguely sure he caught something more, but out of respect, he tried to block it form his memory. That was careless. I should really wait for an answer. The inkeeper, seeing this, continued, "She's your bride-to-be, eh? Tsuka, is it?"

He laughed heartily at that, his face a bit flushed. He walked over to a table as he retorted, "I couldn't say! She's a strange one, that's for sure! When I found her, she'd already beat me at my job!" He sat down. The innkeeper nearly dropped the tankard she was cleaning, her mouth agape as she considered his words. He turned his gaze back toward her and, seeing her expression, grew concerned. "Huh? You alright?"

She quickly resumed her task. "Yeah, just a shock. You aren't pullin' my leg, are ye?"

His expression narrowed. "Damn straight. It was the gnarliest sight I've seen in years. I had half a mind to strike her down then and there, fearin' she was the king in disguise." But a smirk then shot into his face once more, "but two looks at her and I knew that it wasn't so. She has a fire in her heart, Mel. I don't know what it's for, but it's a strong one." His smirk then grew into a joking grin. "So you'd best hide your husband, lest he might discover it."

She shot him a glare with a smirk. "You watch your tongue now! He's got a stronger will than that! Hell, I bet he's got a stronger will than you! Two sheckels that you'll have a heart for her before your foot graces Kane's Steepe!"

He laughed once again, his face flushing again. "You're too sharp, Melissa! Come now, I can't profit from a bet like that!" The wenches in the room all giggled as they kept about their task. The room was high with spirits, and the chatting continued as Armen waited, peering over to the door every now and then to see when his companion would leave.

 

[Tritsteel]

Tsukamane was still amazed by the amount of luxuries that place had. No matter what the knight said, that place had the best items she had ever been able to use before! Even soap and warm water! Last time she had the privilege of using those two things together was a couple of years back, when some ill-intended punks kidnapped her and cleaned her with the intention of selling her to some rich creature living on a devil-ish looking castle. Luckily for her, she was kidnapped again before that could happen... That story didn't ended well for anyone except Tsukamane.

At some point during her bath, Tsukamane began to hum some soft tune, a cheerful melody she was coming up with as she rubbed off the inch of dirt that had piled up on her arms. Needless to say, the water was almost mud by the time she was done with cleaning. But oh, how shiny she looked! Some small cuts, bruises and scars were now visible across her skin. "Hmmmm..." She frowned, not liking the sight of those. Now imagine the frustration when she found out she wasn't able to heal or remove some of those marks.

Most of her injuries were gone just because she wanted to and the power from the stone allowed her to do so, but some others... Tsukamane had no memory of those scars, one with the shape of a thunder, starting on the centre of her upper chest and going into hiding under her left breast. The other, was on her back. She couldn't see it, but again, with the vague shape of lightning, it began on the middle section of her spine and spanned up and across her shoulders.

Eventually she just gave up. The scars were barely visible anyway, and even the most skimpy clothing covered them. And thanks to her lively nature, as soon as she saw the clothing available to her she forgot about any scar or injury. "Ahhhh...." Tsukamane muttered, silently elated by the comfortable touch on those pieces of cloth.

"LOOK!"

Tsukamane came out of the room, cleaned, dry, dressed and her hair still a mess. She was smiling so much it was contagious. She was dressed in something that was just a bit better looking than those clothes the cleaning service were wearing. But somehow, seeing it on someone so amazed by it as Tsukamane made it look like the most expensive and ludicrous set of clothing ever to exist. "Armen!" She looked around, trying to find the shiny knight that had brought all this 'luxuries' into her life.

It was getting late and by the looks of it, either someone put the girl to sleep or she was going to be up all night, jumping and making noise all over the place. "Is so comfortable!" Tsukamane swirled and danced around until she was standing next to Armen. She had a very mild blush on her cheeks, most likely a natural thing on her that had been covered by dust and dirt all along. "You like it?"

 

[Icicle]

Before long, the long awaited lady erupted from the room with the bathing tub, prancing, dancing, and otherwise showing off. Armen soaked in the view, inwardly comparing her to other ladies he had seen before. Ignoring her clothes, she's probably around an 8. He noticed a few of the wenches whispering to one another, but kept his gaze from them to remain ignorant of their intentions. Her little dance was more interesting than the wenches anyway.

Before long, she called for him. He straightened his posture a little, noting that he had reclined a bit while waiting. "Yes?"

She responded.

He chuckled. "I can see that. You're having quite a time now that you're out of those rags, aren't you?"

She approached. She was tall enough that, while sitting, he had to look up at her.

He nodded. "You're like a babe! You'd best save some of that energy for tomorrow though. Our travels aren't over yet."

With that, he rose from his seat, his bones and muscles groaning a bit as he did. "Speaking of which, it's time that I have a bath of my own." He offered her a wink on his way over to the bath house. "Sleep well now." He closed the door to the room. With that, he pulled a knarl of tree sap off of a shelf, dipped it in the muddy water, and used some magic to purify, heat, and soap it. He then slipped into the tub, his muscled body forcing some of the water to splash out of the way as he did.

He sat in the tub for some time. How much, he knew not. But he was still in the tub well past the time that his injuries were cleaned off and his skin was pruned. After getting back out of the tub, he purified it again and threw his robe back on and walked out. The wenches were all gone, leaving the innkeeper standing alone in the room. She looked over as he exited the room and, seeing how clean he was, commented, "you look ready for court, dear."

He retorted with a sly grin. "I'm always ready for court. It's travel that's the real bear."

They both had a brief chuckle, then he went on his way back up to his room.

...

He spent some time cleaning and purifying his items, although he was too exhausted to do the task very thoroughly. Once he was too exhausted to carry on, he plopped onto the sack bed and quickly fell unconscious, his mind aflutter with thoughts of flowers and magic garbs.

He awoke to the sound of a pot shattering a hundred or so feet from his room. At first, he ignored it and tried wrapping his arms around the sides of his head to continue sleeping, but the sunlight beaming into the room didn't allow him that privilege. With a groan, he rose, wiping the salt from his eyes. I had best check on Tsukamane. But first, some clothes.

 

[Tritsteel]

By the sounds coming out of Tsukamane's room, she was an old pirate who had much more alcohol than blood in her veins. Damn the girl snored! Wasn't something particularly loud or echoing, but that terrible sound didn't fit her at all. Tsukamane was sleeping on the ground, not far from her bed. Looking at the bed you could guess she had been trying to sleep there, but after seeing it was impossible, she had taken the pillow and the blanket and decided to lay down on the ground. Guess some habits are very difficult to remove.

"Ahhhh... Noooo...." She was adorable, refusing to leave her cozy cocoon and wake up. "I'm not waking up again... Ever..." Tsukamane rolled around, trying to escape her 'alarm clock' knight. "Ayyyyy!" And she moaned and complained until there was no exit. "Owww... The sunnnnnn." Her hair was a mess... well, a bit more than usual anyway. Her eyes almost shut and her movements extremely slow and zombie-like. "Water... Must wash face."

Once refreshed with water, Tsukamane received some sort of energy injection that brought her up to her regular self. "Good morning!" Sure her smile was still a bit sleepy, but even then she was shining like a lighthouse.

Tsukamane was still shy around others, offering short and polite answers every time someone addressed her. Most of the time she just followed Armen and tried to learn as much she could from him. Even talking to others and be treated as equal was something unusual to her!

---

On the outskirts of the town, which bearing in mind the size of the town was just a minute from the inn, there was a young lad, yelling a weird name towards the crop fields. He looked awfully worried, holding a poorly sharpened axe in his feeble hands as he looked at the distance. "He hasn't returned yet?" A teen girl, also looking worried, walked next to him. "No. I... I have to go out there and find him." He replied. The girl took one of his arms. "No! Brother! It's dangerous out there! There's wild animals and... And evil things!" But even if his legs were trembling he looked minded to go. "It's our pup! her's barely one year old... Poor dog must be scared and looking for us!" He tried to get rid of his sister's grip.

 

[Icicle]

With one last chink, the Child of Light was fully suited up. He looked around the room and tidied it up a bit to reduce the work the wenches had to do, then walked out of the room. He went downstairs and briefly chatted with the inn keeper to get to know a few of the rumors already going throughout town that morning. Once he was done chatting, he walked back up the stairs and, having not seen Tsukamane, knocked on her door and asked, "Tsukamane, are you awake?"

Her response was conflicting. She was clearly awake enough to answer, but thought that somehow she was still asleep. He looked down the hallway and saw one of the windows. It was past sunrise. He knocked on the door again. "Tsukamane! We wont have enough time to get past the mountains if you sleep any more. We have supplies and clothes to buy!" But once again, she seemed intent on informing him about how asleep she was.

The exchange tested his patience, but he succeeded. He knew that opening the door could easily result in a situation like the one he found himself in last night. The thought of it reminded him, I should really talk to her about privacy. Perhaps her culture has a different perspective on exposure. He pondered the exchange he might have with her while she washed her face, then greeted her kindly as she exited her room. "Follow me, I'll show you to the seamstress."

He said, "Follow me", but it seemed that she was more intent on doing her usual wobbling and energetic meandering. His spirit was restored as he watched her various exchanges with the townsfolk. Her naivete was amusing.

It wasn't until she started trying to try on every piece of clothing in the entire tailor's store that he tried to urge her on. He paid for a few outfits, two for travel and two for rest, as well as some equipment for her to use. He also bought some extra food, a few commodities for friends he assumed he'd meet in the future, and even a strange lamp from a kid. Whenever he purchased the goods, he used his sparkling sword to tear open a whole to one of his own personal dimensions to store all the stuff in, since it was too much for him to carry on his person. This got him a few bouts of applause, but the village grew used to seeing it after a few times.

Once he was finally done, he turned over to Tsukamane and asked, "is there anything else you need from here? We'll be travelling for another week once we leave..."

...

As they were travelling down the road, Armen heard a noise to his left. He turned that way and noticed that there was a small shack barely peeking over a field of tall grasses and crops a few hundred feet off the road. He turned to Tsukamane. "I almost forgot about them! Hold on for a moment, as I have another family I ought to greet before leaving this area."

He then walked over to the path to the house, followed it, and spotted a girl knelt on the ground and sobbing into her hands. He became concerned and rushed over to her, holding out his hands in non-aggression. "Miss, you appear distressed. If there is a way for me to assist you, I will." He knelt before her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am the Child of Light. Tell me what ails you."

...

 

[Tritsteel]

"Aaaaaa... You have to teach me how to do that!" Exclaimed Tsukamane the first time she saw Armen open a dimensional storage chest. Usually, she was a happy being, but dressed in her new adventurer-like clothing she looked in constant bliss, touching and fiddling with all the belts and pouches. Yeah, it wasn't very lady-like, but yet again, Tsukamane herself wasn't very lady-like. Besides, it looked really practical and allowed her to carry small stuff on her.

And just when they were about to continue their journey trouble appeared on their path. "Oh..." Tsukamane remained at a distance, looking from a few feet away as not to interrupt or anything. The little girl looked terrified and so saddened no more tears could fit into her eyes. "Hero! M-My brother!" Said her pointing towards the crop fields and the wilderness behind. "O-our dog escaped y-yesterday! He ran o-off chasing a goose!" Because of the sobbing it was a bit difficult to comprehend what the girl was saying.

"M-My brother went off to look for him j-just a couple hours ago! T-there's wild a-animals and t-t-those... Monsters!" As of lately, more and more squads of evil creatures had begun to pillage and ravage some bits of land. They were not trying to invade anything, just cause commotion and awe. "Please! I b-beg you, hero! Save them!" Said the little girl.

Tsukamane had been looking from a distance. With her new found self, she could empathise with the little girls suffering even more than she could have ever imagined. She was now determined to help that girl and bring back the brother and the pup. "Armen! We have to help her." There was no arguing with her. Tsukamane wanted to help and nothing was going to stop her.


"Huh... This crops are so tall!" Tsukamane was struggling to get through the crop fields, almost matching her in height. But nothing was stopping her! And soon they reached the woods. For the townsfolk those woods were a creepy and dangerous place... For Tsukamane was just a walk through the park on a sunny day. "I hope we find them soon. This place doesn't look so bad... but the sister looked awfully worried."

Suddenly the air grew thick, mystified with the smell of evil blood. Tsukamane walked closer to Armen, keeping her eyes open for any clues or ambushes. To their surprise, just a few steps forward lay a slain platoon of enemy forces, including a couple of shamans and a few magically imbued warriors. And hiding inside the crevice of a great tree lay the brother, crouching with the pup held within his arms. He was trembling in terror, but wasn't covered in blood or anything.

Tsukamane gave a step forwards, wanting to help the brother and the dog, but still suspicious about the whole scene. Then chain mail and heavy plating could be heard on the other side of the small battlefield. A knight, clad in really thick crusader armour, holding a fine poleaxe in one hand and the head of the platoon commander in the other. Upon seeing them, the crusader-like knight dropped the head and took a defensive stance.

Where chaos threatens the land. Where lawless and cruelty attempts to seize. Law-bringers are judge, jury and executioner. Self proclaimed defenders of the borders, they go wherever they feel they're needed, and they do so prepared for battle. Their armour turns them into walking bulwarks, it's construction still remains a secret of their order. Into battle they march with a poleaxe, a versatile and hard-hitting weapon, deadly on the hands of a Law-bringer.

When they arrive... Pray that you have done no wrong.

"How you dare bringing such unholy power into our lands!" His voice was deep, echoing across the battlefield as it threatened Tsukamane. "Ayyyy!" The girl yelped and quickly hid behind Armen. "Surrender and be brought to justice, or perish in battle!" Law-bringers weren't an official thing, they were just a bunch of fanatics and rabid believers who brought death to any evil trying to cross the border and took petty crime to justice. They often got it right... Although it wouldn't be the first time a Law-bringer had done more wrong than good.

"Do not protect that heretic creature any further, knight!"