Chapter 61 – Light in the Darkness
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Ramiel saw the blue empty sky getting tinted in orange, the half of the sun shone brightly, its Aurora casting upon the dimmed land as if signaling something to the ones who sees it. Ramiel got a bit dazed; he saw a wisp of sand come up from the ground, as the giant sand whale that lives undergrounds jump up and blocked the sun for a moment, casting shadows everywhere. Followed by that was the giant sand worm that has scales like a snake following after the sand whale, as big as a train, the sand worm dive down along with the sand whale, making tremors. With the sun up, the battle over and the people of Tinople free, Ramiel who didn't really do much took a deep breath. He sat down on the ground and rested his hands on his side.
"That's done."
Leone who was still in pain glanced at the shadow that masked over Ramiel's face. First, there was a thump in his chest, then a frown on his face turning into a smile.
"Yeah, it is all over, looks like we are free."
"Thank God..."
"I Thank Faeria Too."
"That you’re God?"
"Goddess."
"I see..."
Ramiel glance once at Leone, he then proceeds to look back at the overarching horizon with a melancholic expression. With a goal in mind he was able to think, but with that goal over, and his primary 'try to survive' object back again, he felt incredibly blank.
He just doesn’t know what to do. He thinks that he should go back to the Kingdom of Lin, and work at the Inn, but somewhere deep inside Ramiel's mind, he was afraid. The thought of being kidnapped, beaten, and dragged into some odd place like Tinople made Ramiel wary.
The Camera, the charger, is something that he wants to take back, but fear overrode that desire of his, making him bit his lip in annoyance.
Ramiel at least accepts his cowardice. He feels like that no one should tell him to act like he isn't. Being a coward saved his life, it did him good and his instincts are telling him to not go.
A storm brewed upon Ramiel's head, unable to think clearly, he questioned Leone instead.
"So what are you going to do now Leone? Going back to your place?"
"That is..." Leone lowered his head and smiled at Ramiel. "Yes, I would like to return to the Elven Forest as soon as possible, home is where I belong after all."
"I see. It must be nice having a home to return to?"
"Do you not have a home?" Leone asked.
"I do, but it is impossible to go back there now, there is an Inn that I was working before I got here, though I doubt I will be going there for a while..."
"Why?"
"I am scared that's why."
"Aren't you a soldier?" Leone asked.
"No I am not, I am just some Inn boy serving up customers with drinks. I heard that they only let me live because of the cloak that a kind woman gave me if it wasn't for that I would be dead o dead."
"I see...so it is all misunderstanding that got you here?"
"Yep, too bad that this place made lose a part of me and made me almost lost it completely."
“That’s sad.”
“It is, but who cares anymore? I am no soldier, and as cowardly as I am, don’t you think going back there until you are sure there is no danger is the right thing to do?”
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“It is...so what are you going to do?”
“Maybe I will just roam around like a drunken hobo, or I could just take the ‘I am Doctor’ thing and study more miracle spells, I kind of like putting a smile on someone’s face, especially if they gave me money too.” Ramiel grinned.
Leone could only smile back wearily at Ramiel.
...
With the battle for Tinople over, a new faction arise. This faction is now the Revolutionariana, led by the Rebel Leader, with his leadership the whole city of Tinople is now considered as a state city. Many of the citizens were political prisoners that made trouble for their nations, so it could be said that the city of Tinople has a collection of wise men that could make the city prosperous.
Although the goal was freedom, that goal was mainly scented bait for the real goal of taking the whole city. The citizens are prisoners, after all, meaning to say there is no home they could return to, so a lot of them are staying while some are taking their chances out there in the world.
Leone is a good fighter in the elven forest. In their, he fought many invaders, monsters that threaten the land. So Leone being dragged and captured wasn’t really a ‘mistake’ but simply, because he was forsaken the moment he left the borders. He chased after the ones that killed his parents. He killed the bastards, their guild, and their families and slaughtered everyone that was connected to the murder of his parents.
After his ruthless carnage that Leone got eventually captured by his fellow elven rangers. He was then treated as excess dirt and was left to rot in Tinople. Leone thought that Tinople might be the death of him. But the maddened Ramiel saved him, and now he thought that living on might be better.
Currently, Leone is packing his belongings into a snapsack, while packing he thought of the words he said to Ramiel, who saved him yet again during the battle. He truly wanted to return to the Elven forest, and with no place to go there, he would venture the world that he has not seen.
“Maybe I will just tag along with him? “ Leone thought.
He finished up his packing. He left his house, stepped into the place where Ramiel was staying at and saw him carrying his wooden rectangle backpack. Below his backpack was a sleeping bag made of fur.
“Leone?”
Ramiel noticed Leone standing outside his door.
“What’s up?”
“You are leaving already?”
“Looks like you are too though?” Ramiel said while glancing at the snapsack hanging behind Leone’s back.
“I am, what’s your first destination anyway?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you are getting out...wait a minute; don’t tell me you don’t know about the surroundings around Trapolstan?”
“No shit, I was sacked here. I am just going to drift where the wind goes or buy a map.”
“...” Leone stared blankly at Ramiel.
“How about coming with me near the borders of the Elven forest? That should be good enough right?” Leone suggested.
“Sure, but is it okay to let them see an elven? As far as I know from the bumbling fucks out there, the nation isn’t really fond of non-humans at the moment.”
“It should be okay. Lugenstan is a free city; they welcomed any race that does trade with them. A caravan is going there; most of the folks here are going there to settle.”
“I see...then let’s go.” Ramiel thoughtlessly said. He isn’t really thinking much at the moment, he just wanted to get out of Tinople as fast as he can.