I can’t tell what’s going on at this point, but as I look up, I see Shenen El’gant run after us. Maybe it’s the heat of the moment, but Wing is running extremely fast, faster than I’ve ever seen him move. I hear him breathing really hard, but the distance keeps increasing as we run through the smelly street.

I hear the beating of his strained heart.

We finally broke into the main street, where the three of us used to always spend our time eating the bakery goods.

Then Wing’s legs gave out and we roll into the area with everyone gasping.

We were both covered in other people’s blood.

I can’t move the leg that was kicked, but for some reason I can’t feel anything.

“Eclaire?! Wing?!”

I hear a familiar book store owner’s voice as she runs out of her store. Everyone starts to crowd us.

Above the crowd’s noises we hear a fierce scream above all else.

“YOU WRETCHED, INSOLENT MUTTS!!!”

Knocking into the people, Shenen El’gant rushes into the center with his sword drawn. The crowd is in horror seeing this slightly bloodied man approach us.

In a familiar act, Wing places his arm over me, but I can tell he’s weak right now. Emma isn’t here anymore… Who else could protect us…

I hate this… Why are we so powerless in this world…?

I try to stand in retaliation, but it went as well as you’d expect. I only cause myself to be in excruciating pain. Shenen El’gant approaches us with animosity and sets his claim.

“I will kill you both! How dare you make a mockery of me!? How am I supposed to report that two filthy dogs killed three of my men?!”

The crowd screeched in horror at this man’s accusation. Karla is dumbfounded with what’s happening.

Chaos… As Wing would have said, it was an absolute. Absolute chaos.

What finally breaks the silence is the clanging of armor and one shout.

“What is going on here?!”

A man with combed back brunette hair, and bigger than anyone I’ve ever seen walks through the separated crowd…

I’m afraid. This man is wearing a fancier black and gold uniform with that same damned boar on it. He had armor over it and had a lot of hair on his face. His furrowed brows only made him more intimidating as his bushy eyebrows cast a shadow on his face. What’s more is that massive axe behind him. It alone would tower over the both of us. It would be the end for anything hit by that.

I want to run. I want to drag Wing away from here.

I can’t do any of that for many reasons. We have to get out now.

He approached the disgusting man.

“Explain. Now!”

Squealing like a pig, he responded to the man.

“Colonel Argevald?! A-ah you see! These dumb mutts decided to attack us in the alley over there, they got a jump on us and we lost three men.”

“You lost three men over something so stupid?! Captain Shenen El’gant, I only agreed to bring your people here because you said you would control yourselves. Do you understand that this is against the very negotiations we were sent to do at Estevierre?!”

“I-I understand sir, b-but you see…”

“I don’t care! Just shut up—! Let me think! Go to your quarters. NOW!”

We could feel the rage, the boiling heat from this man. Among these pigs, he was like a wild boar…

He approached us, but instead of anger it turned to sadness.

“My name is Galios Argevald… Young man… Is what he said true?”

Wing, with a tired expression, spoke with this person.

“Of course… Not… Do you honestly think we’re as stupid as he is…? He tried to hurt a young girl… Do you people from Mysmegal value people like that?”

The man that resembled an angry boar continued to speak.

“Don’t be ridiculous. However, if I were to report this… It wouldn’t look very good… To either of you. If the three were still alive, it wouldn't look good for them, either. Execution is the lightest sentence they could get”

“I don’t really care about how it looks, but listen, sir… Colonel. It was all my fault.”

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Hearing that, I yelped. I couldn’t speak… That’s not true, though! Don't do this! No!!

It was me!

It was all my fault! Listen to me!

The boar responded to Wing as he looked at me.

“Oh…? It sure doesn’t look like that. To get a taste of blood so young… Even if I don’t agree with that dumbass… Mysmegal would throw a fit if I weren’t to exercise the ‘full might’ of our country towards the both of you.”

I understand now… I understand why Karla warned us… Why she warned me about doing something so rash… These people are no good. Wing continued to speak on our behalf, but it wasn’t looking good.

“Since you politely never asked. My name is Wing Agelheed. I approached your men like a common thug and tried to take everything from them. I don’t understand what any of your politics mean, nor do I care.”

Amused, Galios Argevald looked at the young man who has protected me and cared for me to his best abilities, even without Emma.

“I see. If that’s the case, using Mymegalos’ full might to smite a common ruffian who killed my incompetent subordinate’s men seems very… Fitting. Especially if you conveniently have that last name. It upholds the values of our pathetic country, and protects that girl over there. Very well. Separate from her. Now.”

Wing stumbles off of me and stands upright in front of the armored boar.

No, please, no…

Not now… Not ever…

I see the man take out the giant axe and raise it in the air.

An executor’s axe.

Wing looks at me and smiles.

Please, no one else…!

My eyes become watery. Why can’t my legs move?!

Why can’t I move?! Please… Just let me move.

Why?

The executioner’s axe drops down towards Wing. Towards the person who taught me so much. Towards my beloved family. The last thing I have in this ugly world…

The glint of the sun blinds me as I hear a dry crash onto the ground. The only thing louder than the crashing noise is my shouts for his safety.

“Wing!!!”

The armored boar swung with such strength; a single swing was devastating enough to create a dust cloud that nobody could see through. When my vision finally adjusted…

All I could see was the silhouette of the large boar and the axe.

However, that was because his axe is so massive, it was harder to see Wing in front of it.

Safe.

I wanted to be relieved, I really did… But… What followed was an even more concerning message from the giant man.

“Wing Agelheed is dead! Upon these witnesses, Colonel Galios Argevald of Mysmegal is announcing that he has taken the life of someone who went against our values as a country, and did this to uphold the peace between our two countries!”

What…? What does he mean by that?

“Saying that… we can’t just leave a corpse among your fair town. The Mysmegalian Army will take responsibility and take care of any mess we have caused. My deepest apologies. Now, disperse!”

With that threat everyone ran off into their areas, while Karla rushed towards me in a panic.

“Eclaire?! Are you okay?! What’s going on?!”

I am clearly not okay… For many reasons.

Wing and the boar approach me. The one who spoke was the one who I didn’t care for.

“Young lady, I apologize for everything that has happened to you. And further more… I am afraid your life won’t be the same now. This is the only way.”

I don’t understand, but Wing is looking at me with such a sad looking smile. He kneels to me and picks me up, this time with me facing him. Maybe he’s still panicking if he can muster up the strength to do this.

“Eclaire… I’m not really sure what’s going to happen…”

“Huh…?”

He is slowly walking towards the clinic where Emma always goes. I can feel him holding me tighter than he’s ever before.

“I’ll make my way back to you, okay? Can you promise me to keep taking care of yourself? You worry me whenever you run off to do things…”

“Wing..? What… What do you mean?”

Even though it’s difficult, I have to keep speaking. I feel like it’s important to keep speaking to him now. If I don’t then… It really will be the end…

“You know… I wondered what Emma was thinking when she took you in, she could barely support just the two of us, but we had a good time, right?”

“Yes… I love you both… We’ll be together right? Always?”

“I… I can promise that we’ll be together again, ok? Have I ever disappointed you before?”

“No, never…!”

Wing’s amber eyes became cloudy as he continued to talk to me. We just talked about a bunch of stupid things that happened these past four years.

Emma never did learn how to cook properly. She was so sad when her plants finally died because of overwatering them. Her fun party tricks were nice while she was able to do them. Wing was always buried in his books. His care for me was never something I questioned.

I really wish he was able to enter Velbus…

When he finally brought me to the doctor, he made them promise that I would make a full recovery, no matter how expensive it was. It turned out a frequent visitor… beat him to the punch.

Before he left, he took the bloodied knife away from me and gave me a few last words.

“Eclaire. It’s not your fault. I love you, okay? I’ll see you soon.”

The entrance slowly closes as he approaches that man and Karla outside. Wing’s jet-black hair gets further away as I lose sight of him.

Did Emma leave like this too? Did I never notice…?

I was alone again.

I feel so cold.