It took everything from Iva holding those translucent tears from within as Elias studied his blade. His brow tenses for a moment as he violently swings his blade, washing the blood away from its steel. Iva's old instinct kicks in as she carefully studies the man before her.
Living in the streets was never kind to a child. Hunger and thirst were the least of their concerns as murderers and slavers stalked in the shadow of night. Although rusted and slow from the time of the orphanage, Iva quickly understood the gist of it.
Hair as dark as nightfall paired with Indifferent sapphire orbs. He dons a frost-like cobalt armor that shrouds his body with a silver cape hanging low behind him. With a silver blade that marked his status, he was a noble and a soldier through and through.
In a way, Iva was reminded of Lucy much to her displeasure though there was a heavy stark contrast. Where Lucy was struggling to control herself and was akin to a gentle first snow, Elias did not hide his displeasure as he was akin to a cold winter night.
Stranger still, it brought a sense of calm to the young girl much to her surprise. As cold as he was, Iva could not for the life of her stop contrasting him to Lucy. They look so eerily similar. Even with his charcoal-like hair, the eyes could not lie.
He was just like Lucy if Lucy was a man. "What is a child doing in this hour?" However, the illusion of comfort quickly shattered as Elias glared down at the goblin's corpse.
"My lord are you all right?" A knight quickly ran to his side as Elias gave a slight nod.
"I am fine, though I cannot say the same for the child." Elias said as the knight noticed Iva a moment later.
"What are you doing here little one? It's freezing tonight. You shouldn't be walking around barefooted like that." The knight said as he reached for Iva.
Reflex kicks in almost immediately as Iva avoids the knight's grasp. The knight hesitated for a moment as he reached out once more. Slower and much more careful this time, the knight whispered as softly as he could as he offered his hand this time instead of grabbing.
"Hey hey, no need to be afraid. Let me help you." Even when the helmet masked his face, Iva could tell the man was bearing no ill will like the others. Though it did little to comfort her glaring suspicion. A stalemate was then formed.
On one hand, the knight continued to offer his hand. Never forcing Iva, but never accepting a no for an answer as well. On Iva's part, she wanted to run away before Lucy and the sisters began searching for her, but her feet were not in top condition.
Adding to the fact they were the knights Lucy wanted to avoid, Iva did not want to get involved with the people that even Lucy avoided. With that being said though, she still could not walk without torturing his feet even further.
Before any agreement could be made with the two, Elias suddenly picked up Iva like a luggage as he trailed back to the town.
"Put me down right now!" Iva shouted in protest.
"My lord?! That's not how you treat a child!" The knight hurriedly trailed behind Elias as Iva struggled.
"Let go of me you…"
"My lord if you kindly-"
"Another word from you two will be your ticket straight into the goblins den."
Silence enveloped the two for a moment as Elias walked without a care in the world. Peace seemed to finally settle down when Iva began anew.
"Your face is a goblin! Let go of me you…" Iva screamed as Elias continued walking without pause.
The knight finally matched his stride as Iva squirmed relentlessly.
"M-my lord if I may-"
"Catch." Elias said as he threw the squirming girl.
"Eh?" The knight barely caught Iva as she screamed in profanity.
"What is wrong with you?! You..." Iva continued to berate Elias as the knight tried to calm her down without avail.
"I'll be heading back now. Do take care of this as well." Elias said as he turned to a corner and walked into a separate road. Iva's voice rang into the night as she continued to swear at the fleeting figure.
"You double barrel oil-"
"I really would not recommend angering him further child. He is from the nobility you see and..." The knight trailed off, letting his word hang into the air as only then did Iva realize what she had done.
"W-why didn't you say so earlier?" Iva hissed accusingly as the knight chuckled.
"I understand your fear but don't worry. My lord is not one as... shall we say, petty amongst his peers. He is fair and just." Calming down and fearing for her life, Iva meekly took the knight's word at heart much to the knight's relief.
"A-anyways won't your parents be worried sick for you now?" The knight tried to change the heavy air with a smile as he gently put Iva down to walk on her own. "I presume they would be worried sick. Don't worry I'll..." The knight trailed off as Iva stood motionless.
"Are you all right child? You look pale. Is there something wrong?" The knight quickly scans for any injury that might have gone amiss. There was none. Perplexed, the knight opened his mouth to speak when Iva finally whispered.
"...They are dead..." The little girl simply replied. Iva stared listlessly at the ground as if strength had suddenly abandoned her. Her chest slowly turned into lead as she desperately fought off the rising urge. Her mouth trembled for a moment before suddenly biting her lips.
The pain should draw her back to reality once more, but reality was far different than what she had imagined as the pain simply magnified. Dad... Iva did not even notice the knight picking her up again as he offered a soft sympathy.
"...I'm sorry." It was the only thing the knight could say, though much to Iva's surprise, he refused to leave her alone as he continued. "Do you have anywhere to stay then? If not, I could make room for you to settle down for a while." The knight kindly offered as Iva shook her head.
"No? Then do you have anywhere else to go to?" The knight warily asked as Iva simply answered.
"The orphanage." The knight's eyes widen for a moment as a hint of sadness permeates his voice.
"Ah I see, then let's go back to it then." The knight tried to give an encouraging smile as Iva nodded.
"Oh right! I've forgotten to introduce myself, I'm Osmond. What's yours, child?" Osmond asked as Iva whispered feeling empty and drained.
"...Iva. My name is Iva." She replied weakly as Osmond nodded back.
"Iva? That is a pretty name you have Iva." Osmond tried to comfort the child as the cold night continued.
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"Ah, the flower head is finally awake." Lucy snapped her eyes open at the waking call. Her body moved with the precision and control of a veteran, searching for the enemy. Her hands reached to apprehend the invader but stopped midway as her mind became lucid.
There was no need to apprehend anyone as the culprit was already locked behind bars. The entire world was void, only this iron cage remained. The being behind those cold metals was none other than Lucy or rather, a reflection of her.
"You don't look surprised." The young lady muttered as Lucy frowned. "And here I thought you would be hurling insults at me. I've got to say your response is... mediocre to say the least." The young lady mused to herself as Lucy finally replied.
"You caught me off guard, otherwise you would have never been able to trick me."
"Trick you? Since when have I ever done that?" The young lady smirked as Lucy's frown deepened.
"Don't lie, you took the chance when Iva-"
"Oh, that? Isn't that true though? We are killers after all." Lucy hissed as she glared at the young woman.
"Don't lump me with you. I am willing to change, unlike you." The young lady laughed as if she had heard a bad joke.
"Change? You? You are willing to change? Kalva be damn, what am I hearing right now?" The young lady chuckled as a playful smirk made its way through her lips.
A hint of desire glinted from the young lady's eyes like gemstones covered in soot and ash. Waiting to be uncovered that will never come. "We are soldiers Emma. Our trade is death, our purpose is war. How can we possibly change? How can you even change?"
The young lady said as the glint in her eyes dulled. "We knew nothing but to kill and kill and kill. Who would ever want us? Last I recall, our own 'fiancé' once claimed he did. And look where we are now." A mocking giggle echoed within the void as Lucy gritted her teeth.
"There is no future for us Emma. We are doomed to become weapons, but I for one would prefer to be a weapon of our own. If our fate is to be blades, then let us be free blades. Our own masters. Now there is not much time left to waste. It would be close, but we can still make it in time if we-"
"I don't want to kill anymore." The young lady's eyes widened for a moment before a dry laugh escaped her lips.
"Didn't I just say it? You really are a flowerhead, aren't you? Anyways as I was saying we..." Lucy did not move as she simply stared from beyond the prison. The very air around the two slowly grew still in grave silence. "Oh, you were actually serious? Come on Emma, this has to be some sort of joke. Did you-"
"Lucy. My name is not Emma. It's Lucy." Lucy firmly replied as the young lady stared back.
"..."
"..."
The young lady's eyes trembled for a moment before they slowly hardened like cool magma. "I told you before, didn't I? You are me as I am you. And for one, I'm sure as hel our name isn't 'Lucy'. Enough of your tasteless joke and throw away that name. We have more pressing matters to deal with-"
"My name is not Emma for the last time. I am just Lucy now." A terrible quake rocked the cage violently as the young lady bared her fangs.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"I said enough!" The young lady snarled like a caged beast as Lucy flinched. It took almost all of Lucy from trembling before those enraged maiden's eyes as she straightened herself. The madness of those tormented years was reflected back in the girl's eyes.
Lucy felt her resolve strengthen as she was yet again reminded of the future she had to avoid. "You are Emma Le Larum. You are the daughter of that accursed family, understand?? And you will do everything to avenge our men from the betrayal they-"
"I refuse."
Her eyes widened again as her blood began to boil. "Refuse? There is no option to refuse here you dimwit! Have you forgotten what those traitors had done??" The young lady screamed as Lucy step closer.
"They have stolen so much from us! So much has been lost because of them! We have to-"
"Emma... please." Lucy softly called out, seeking reason in her voice. Silence reigned in once more as madness slowly infected the young lady’s voice.
"No no no, you can't do this. You can't do this to me!" The panic within Emma's voice was as clear as daylight. "'We' are Emma. 'We' are the same!" Emma insisted as Lucy gently shook her head.
"No. My name is Lucy. Just simple Lucy." Lucy said as Emma's face contorted frighteningly.
"So what? Are you going to leave me here? You get to live out there while I'm trapped in here?! We have to avenge them! You were there too! You were there!" Emma uttered accusingly, though it sounded more like a plea. "You can't just leave me in here! What of our vengeance?? Our retribution?!"
Lucy hesitated for a moment as Emma's glaring, but almost pleading eyes stared back at her. Gone was its pretentious tone. Replaced by a miserable wretch. Lucy painfully buried down her pity as she spoke with conviction.
"We've been fighting for our whole life Emma."
"I know that you imbecile! So that is-"
"-why we have to stop.” Emma’s jaw dropped slightly, disbelief rich in her eyes as Lucy continued. “We fought for so long Emma, let's just stop... I am so tired of this. I am so so tired. I don't want to kill anymore." A grating sound erupted from Emma as she growled.
"You think you were the only one? You think you were the only one who didn't want this sarding life?!" The pain and animosity within Emma's voice forced Lucy to such an extent that she could not meet her eyes.
"Tell me flowerhead, who was it that took the first blood?"
"...You." Lucy weakly replied.
"Who was it that ripped off that rapist's throat when you were weeping like a helpless little wretch?"
"...You." She replied weakly once more.
"Who was it that murdered that archdemon, single-handedly?!"
"...You....." Her voice was barely above a whisper now as Emma sneered.
"Me! That's right! It was me. Me and me and me! All of it happened because of me! I did all that hard work, and you did nothing but cry like a helpless bird!" Emma glared from behind the cage as Lucy softly whispered.
"B-but." Lucy hesitated.
"But what!" Emma demanded.
"... But we have already done it. We have already slain Kier once Emma, isn't that enough?" Emma flinched as Lucy continued. "We have already avenged our brothers and sisters in arms, shouldn't that end our struggle? Haven't we bled enough for one lifetime already? Let the past end, Emma. We've done what we can."
Emma's eyes widened in anguish and despair as she suddenly grabbed Lucy tightly on the collar. "Are you fucking with me? Do you think we can just let them be?? After all they have done?! What they have done can never be forgiven! No matter what they do, it will never be enough!" Emma cried out as tears stung her eyes. Her throat begins to burn as she struggles but fails to control her voice.
"Emma..."
"We have to torture them! Enough to repay the pain they have caused us for a lifetime! Enough suffering they have forced us!" Painful memories bleed out from the two, but Lucy remained unmoved.
"Emma..."
"What about our childhood? Huh?? What about those time they have robbed us?! We can't have it back! No matter how hard we try, we simply can't! We have to get justice for that!" Her voice bordering on hysterical.
"Emma..."
Evermore desperate, Emma strikes where it hurts the most, the one they never wanted to remember. "They killed Kien!" Lucy recoiled just as much as Emma did. The name alone brought so much joy and misery for the two. So much potential and peace were robbed by the atrocities of war and deceit. Though it pained Emma the most, she pushed on.
"They killed Tayna! Flint, Raz, Pier, everyone! They killed everyone damn you! They stole the lives and future of everyone within our men all in the name of politics! THEY SPARED NO ONE! NO ONE! THEY TOOK EVERYONE AWAY FROM ME! EVERYONE!!!...everyone..."
Emma wept with each passing name as if she was stabbed over and over again by the losses she failed to prevent. Resentment refuses to die out as she was tormented by the failure she had endured. Her head bowed down in defeat as streams of tears escaped from its orbs.
Lucy's heart ached as well, but she remained firm as she tightly held on to the memory of her new family. She has someone now, someone to protect... to love. An idea bloomed within Lucy's mind as she spoke carefully. "I know you are attached to the past, but there is simply nothing we can do."
"I know. Kalva be damn… but... but I know..." Emma whimpered as Lucy gently reached out to her shoulders.
"But... but I don't think they would want us to be stuck in the past as well." Lucy hinted but Emma did not reply. "R-remember Flint? That old and cranky dwarf would have mocked us if he saw us right now. Why I could even remember when..." Lucy trailed off again as Emma did not reply, she was simply not interested.
Biting her lips, Lucy gathered her courage as she dropped all pretenses and spoke directly to Emma. "Come with me Emma." Lucy said as Emma flinched. "We can start anew now. We are free from our past." Lucy said as Emma slowly raised her head.
"There is no need to swing the spear anymore, we are safe inside the walls! We can find out what job we are good at. We can maybe even have our very own family. Our own life! Don't you like that? Our very own husband and children.
We can finally have our own son or even better, our own daughter! We can dress them up like pretty dolls when we were little, send them to the academy if we save just enough! We can... we can... we can... we can finally live..." Lucy's voice broke as the desire and desperation she so desperately tried to keep, finally leaked out.
When Lucy met Emma's eyes, she could see a reflection of her broken self, desperately seeking for an end. Be it death or freedom, but an end nevertheless. "We can finally leave this fucking nightmare we have been forced to play. Can eat and drink as we please! Sleep whenever we want and no one will hurt us! So please, let go of this thirst for retribution.
Let go of this mad past, that accursed name... let's just go where it could have been, ok?" Lucy stared into those dull sapphire eyes. And for a moment, she saw a flicker of hesitation. For a moment, there was a chance.
"So that's how is going to be huh? I am branded as a cursed one? After everything, it all amounts to a curse? Emma the accursed?"
Alas, the desire for vengeance was far greater than Lucy had anticipated. Bitterness and resentment painted Emma's features as she whispered. "After all the work I've done, I am branded as a mad woman, but you, who have done nothing, get to live off from my pain??"
Lucy could feel her heart break after being treated as an outsider now as Emma glared from beyond the cage. "E-Emma please-"
"I guess all those decades meant nothing to you huh? The moment you saw the chance, you gladly threw me away!" Emma pointed an accusing finger, it hurt more than any arrow could have done.
"N-no Emma I did not-" Lucy could not bring herself to continue as the eyes of betrayal reflected from Emma's sapphire eyes.
"Of all the treachery I've anticipated, I never expected it would come from you. I...I can't even trust myself can I?" A bitter self-mocking escaped from Emma as Lucy wept.
"No Emma please! I did not betray you! I only wish... I only longed for peace...." Lucy pleaded for understanding to her other half who glared with disdain and pain.
"And you think I didn't? Did you think I did not consider the second chance we've been gifted? That I only wanted to kill??" Emma's eyes roared back to life. "Does my sacrifice worth so meager in your eyes?" Her pupils trembled violently for answers that Lucy could never confront directly. For her words spoke a kernel of truth and they both knew it.
"N-no! E-Emma I-"
"Silence traitor!" Lucy recoiled as Emma sneered. "I may be a failure of a captain, but you are no better than me!" Emma gave off a sick grin, a small sense of victory flooding her chest as she spoke a terrible truth. "Free? You really have become a flowerhead, haven't you? Need I remind you that we are being hunted down?" Lucy flinched. Fear was evident in her eyes, but Emma relished the chance.
"You speak of family and freedom flowerhead, but what do you think will happen when they finally find you hmm? Well, I'll tell you since you clearly are not capable of thinking that far ahead. They will drag you back to that hell. Force you to bed with that bastard."
Lucy's eyes trembled as she hastily tried to distance herself from Emma. Alas, Emma was far more ready for it as she grabbed her collars and firmly pinned her in place. "I'm not done yet." Emma growled as Lucy whimpered.
"P-please let me go." Lucy pleaded to no avail.
"They will separate you from these sisters and orphans."
"S-stop." Lucy tried to break free once again, but failed.
"No matter how much you beg, they will not hear your plea."
"S-stop!" Panic was beginning to infect her voice.
"Even if you wail and lick their feet, they will not spare you from that fate!"
"Please stop! P-please!" Lucy tried to cover her ears from such a horrible fate, but Emma would not let her as she now held her hands down.
"And if they ever find you with a husband and a child instead, then they would make sure to silence them."
"STOP!" She begins to violently struggle now, but Emma remained firm.
"Or even better, kill them like they did to everyone!"
"STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Lucy wailed as she desperately tried to shake free from her grasp. To get away. Far far away from her.
Lucy tried to flung her arm over and over again, but Emma's grip was secure. "Emma please stop." Lucy's voice quivered in fear as Emma's grin widened. "Please-"
"Why should I? You are going to leave me here after all! I might as well open your eyes to the reality you refused to see!" Emma screamed as Lucy trembled.
"Y-you're lying! You're lying to me again! Lying like you always have been! Y-yes yes! That's what it is! You are just bitter at the chance I have! Envious of the new family I have found!" Lucy glared with conviction and madness in her eyes.
Emma blinked for a moment before her glare hardened and clashed back with Lucy's. "Delude yourself all you want flowerhead, nothing will change. My word will remain true."
"N-no! You lie! L-like you always have been!"
"Oh, really now? Then what about those knights hmm?"
Lucy could not reply as Emma's grin deepened. "Oh my, you knew it too, don't you? You are just lying to yourself!" Lucy's eyes widened as her voice trembled.
"N-no! I-it's you who lie! N-not me!" A deranged laughter escaped from Emma as tears escaped from Lucy's eyes.
"I might be closer to the mark after all! They are coming for you!" Emma smiled sinisterly as Lucy wailed.
"No! It is-"
"-The truth! Keep lying to yourself flowerhead and you will lose everything again!" Lucy tried to retort but no voice escaped from her lips. Hysteria and fear engulfed her now as Emma spoke.
"Our freedom? Our life?? There was never such a thing when we were born to that accursed family! We will never be free from them you bumbling naïve flowerhead!" Emma sneered as Lucy paled even further.
"N-no... t-that can't be... that can't be true..." As if repeating the words over and over again would change the truth, Lucy fervently prayed and repeated those words to come true. Yet the cold harsh voice of Emma destroyed any illusions she so desperately wanted to believe.
"You want to stop? Idiot! Murder was our only blade to fight back! And you've just thrown it away! Without it, we are nothing more but frail 'noble' ladies! Just like mother." Emma did not reserve her disdain as she finally let go.
Lucy finally escaped from her grasp, limping away as she tried to distance herself from the pain, but the damage had been done. Fear and anxiety came back to Lucy as she was forced to confront the cold realities she thought she was free of. She limped away from the cage, terrified and paranoid from Emma's words.
"Remember this flowerhead! We will never be free! We will always be chained! They will hunt us down! No matter how hard we try, they will eventually succeed unless we fight! You want to stop fighting?! Fine! Do what you want, but I swear if you dare come back within these dark halls and beg me to take up arms once more, I will rip your head off!" Emma screamed across the vast void as Lucy disappeared from her sight.
"Sister Emma.... sister Rose... w-where are you?" Lucy whimpered as the world grew colder. The light was slowly dying as she limped farther and farther away from the cage, away from her.
"D-don't leave m-me... p-please don't leave me...." Something snagged her feet as she fell to the ground, though she made no effort to move as she simply curled into a ball. Alone and terrified, a final name escaped her lips. "Seth... a-are you there?" She whispered as the world was engulfed in darkness once more.