Chapter 38 - Good Intentions

When Leena finally gathered herself and got to her feet, well before the sky had been completely lit by the coming new day, her eyes instantly sought out her two saviors, the unlikely heroes who had rescued both Emil and herself from a gruesome death. She knew it would fall upon these champions to continue to safeguard her life, and that of sweet Emil.

Thus, she gathered her courage to once again attempt to ingratiate herself into their good graces, no matter the cost. Already she had spent most of the night trying her utmost to deal with all the senseless death and tragedy that had befallen her in this accursed realm.

First had been the death of each and every one of her former comrades from the Sapphire Court. Each still weighed down on her soul with iron chains, even though it had been a long time since the last one of them had died. They had all given their lives to protect her, to shield her, though her exalted status meant nothing in these blasted lands.

Then the pitiful humans from the Greenwood clan had been the ones to fall, scythed down by the same ill wind of tragedy that seemed to stalk this entire realm like a pestilence ruling over a plague infested ward.

Now, the final blow had been the cruelest of them all. The sweet, innocent children who had been accompanying the caravan in order to be talent tested in New Seras, to see whether they might possess the one-in-ten-thousand gift of the blood crystals. True, such talent would all but guarantee a life filled with comfort and luxury in the big districts, far from the bone-grinding hard labor that was the bread and butter of the smaller, marginalized clans that clawed out a desperate living from the ruins of the beast infested zones. It did not matter that no one in the Greenwood clan had passed this test in all the time Leena had been here. For all that, the desperate light of hope in every parent’s eyes stubbornly refused to die.

Such had been the grim ghosts haunting every waking minute of Leena’s night. That was alright, she supposed. The ones awaiting her inside her nightmares were twice as bad. So, she had made her peace with her grief, or whatever compromise could be found therein.

Leena bent forward to gently brush an errant lock of hair back from poor Emil’s face, whose features had finally shed that permanent terror etched so deeply from the last day’s harrowing ordeals. She told herself that it was time to stop feeling sorry for herself. One whole night’s sleep lost was enough of a price, at least for now. Once both Emil’s life and her own were out of immediate danger, then there would be the devil to pay.

Drawing a deep breath and visibly bracing herself for whatever trials the new day would bring, Leena grasped her resolve in a steely fist of tenacious will, then turned around and approached her guardians - or captors, she still could not decide which - with a measured, steady gait. As she did so, Leena mentally went over what little she knew of them, that she may better plan her approach. Her very survival hinged on how well she could deal with these mysterious youths.

Leon had proven himself a formidable warrior whose girth and bearing were such, that had she not spotted the spots of baby fat still clinging to his youthful cheeks, Leena might have mistaken him for a veteran warrior of many campaigns. He certainly had enough cynicism for the role. As it was, the young human should be no more than 15 or 16. That age also meant he was one of the most formidably gifted human elementalists she had ever seen, let alone heard of. This alone demanded she tread lightly around this young dragonling who was already this fierce when he had yet to truly spread his wings. In fact, his bearing and talents would have placed him automatically and solidly in the lead of any company he might find himself in. In any company, that is, save for this one.

That brought her attention to the other warrior in the group. Or boy, as this one truly could not be taken as anything but a youth, barely more than a child. Just a few years prior, and Leena would not have been surprised to find him playing with Emil in the small amusements children indulged in with their peers. However, Leena had come to the startling realization that even a talent of Leon’s caliber seemed to regard him as a peer, and at times, even unconsciously deferred to him!

Even more startling was the fact that it was not because of the astonishing ability he had demonstrated with that mysterious bow that glittered like midnight silk and thrummed with power. No, it was his confidence, the way he carried himself. Neither rash nor timid, his decision making so far had been admirably composed and intelligent, even intuitive. Leena found herself beginning to rely more and more on this small youth who was her junior by decades, and this fact did not even shame her.

One day, this boy would become a great leader of men, she knew.

Running into these two youths had been a most fortunate accident. Had she run into any of their peers, and even many adults, Leena doubted she could find a more mature, reliable pair to lead her away from this nightmare - should they feel inclined to help her, that is.

It was then that her steps came to an abrupt halt, and Leena almost choked on the words she’d been thinking to herself not a moment ago.

She found her two heroes, future leaders of men, plopped on the ground, leaning heavily against each other and looking nothing more like a pair of drunkards placidly waiting for the last vapors of intoxication to slowly drift up into oblivion. The stupid grin that stretched across their faces were twin reflections of an expression so devoid of the tiniest spark of wit that if an enemy sliced through their necks at this moment, their heads would simply float up until they vanished among clouds as airy as their brain pans.

Leena opened her mouth, about to demand an explanation to this insanity that threatened to swallow her hopes of survival, and even more precious still, of fulfilling her purpose. She teetered there, on the edge of a vast chasm, but with a visible effort of will, she was able to pull herself back and remind herself that these were youths, barely more than children, and they were mere mortals. Their lifespans were as ephemeral as the morning dew, and by the time Arleena Starbreeze finally took up her true name in her coming of age ceremony, still centuries from now, these two humans would have long returned to dust, even the memory of their passing long forgotten by their own human world.

That is, if Leena could manage to survive that long, of course.

So, instead Leena just cleared her throat delicately to grab their attention. Having failed to do so in the first attempt, she coughed softly into her hand. Suppressing another long sigh, Leena turned away and began to prepare herself for the journey ahead instead, as the last tattered remnants of her dignity would not allow her to do anything more than that when she saw that this seemed to be something of a moment imbued of significance to the two youths. The reason for this escaped her, but then again, who knew why mortals did anything? It had been years since Leena had given up on the futile task of understanding these creatures.

By the time Leena had arranged her share of the gruesome spoils from the day before into a neat pile by one side, she finally heard footsteps behind her.

“That’s a clever way of bundling those claws,” came the casual comment from over her shoulder.

Not turning around, Leena nodded her acquiescence. “Thank you.”

“Look Leena, I know you’re afraid we will desert you and Emil,” Skyle continued, in a slow and measured tone. “I want you to know that I won’t let that happen. Also, please understand that I appreciate the effort you’ve put in to make yourself useful. But we will be dealing with a lot of unfamiliar dangers ahead, and while the initiative you’ve shown is great, you don’t need to pretend to be something you are not.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leena blustered, but a current of unease slid down her throat as she studiously avoided Skyle’s gaze.

“Look.” Reluctantly turning her head, she saw Skyle extend his hands for her to study. They were smaller than she had expected, neatly bandaged though hints of blood still lay crusted underneath.

“I don’t see what you’re trying to do,” Leena murmured softly.

“See how worn down my fingernails are? That’s from skinning and tanning hides with the old man.The cracks are from washing clothes two days a week by the riverbed. The callouses are from digging holes for posts and nailing fences. This is the story of my life, Leena. We all bear the marks of our days in our bodies, whether we like it or not. See what I mean?”

“I.. I see.”

Leena did see now. She didn’t have to look down at her hands to know they bore not the faintest mark. She had always been proud of her beautiful, unblemished skin, snowy white with just a hint of tawny gold. Unmarked as it was by the ravages of time or labor, Leena purposefully averted her gaze from Skyle’s hands while surreptitiously pulling her own behind her back. For some inexplicable reason, in front of this seemingly simple country boy, she felt unbearably ashamed of her beautiful, flawless hands.

“That’s very observant of you,” Leema remarked, still hedging.

“My da taught me how to track and read the traces of the forest since I was small,” Skyle began, and Leena nearly pointed out that he was still small now, but resisted the impulse.

“When an infuriating old man is constantly poking fun for every small detail you miss, you force yourself to look carefully at all times. To really see into things, you know? I guess it comes with the territory.”

The pause that ensued was deliberate and pregnant with meaning, as Skyle patiently waited for Leena to understand she could not avoid this topic.

“You’re right, I have not skinned an animal, nor washed clothes or cooked or sewn,” Leena began slowly, though her words gained an edge of urgency as she continued. “But I will work hard, and I promise I will make myself useful. I will bear enough of the burden for both Emil and I, you will not regret it, this I guaran-”

Skyle cut her off by gently taking her hand in his and giving it a comforting squeeze.

“I know, Leena. I believe you, and I will not abandon you,” Skyle promised solemnly, and though the voice was that of a child, Leena found the reassuring touch of those rough, calloused hands impossibly tender and precious.

“My da always encouraged me to push my limits, but he also taught me to be aware of my limitations and give them a healthy amount of respect, especially when they involved my own safety or that of others. Do you understand what I mean?”

Leena nodded slowly, her hand still in the boy’s gentle grasp. She lifted her eyes to his face, compelled to do so by a mixture of wonder and curiosity at just what kind of child could sound so centered and insightful.

“Aaaah!” Leena cried out helplessly, snatching her hand away and pushing herself away as far as she could before her heels clipped against something and she collapsed on the ground.

“Vash.. Ah! Your, your eye, one eye, blue!” She stammered, skittering back along the rough bark of the tree branch beneath her legs, heedless of the gashes it opened along her hands.

Skyle gaped at her for one instant, before letting out an awkward chuckle and lifting a hand to the eye in question.

“Yeah, it just kind of happened,” Skyle said sheepishly, a loopsided grin on his face. “Does it look that strange?”

“No, no. I just, ah, it just,” Leena worked her mouth hurriedly, babbling in spite of herself. “It just really surprised me, that’s all.”

“Are you alright?”

Skyle tilted his head to one side as his eyes held Leena’s gaze for one long moment, his smile slowly fading away. Leena’s breath once more caught in her throat, but she struggled with every fiber of will in her body until her face finally responded and fixed itself into an awkward smile she hoped Skyle would interpret as apologetic. All the while, she held his gaze as though she had nothing to hide.

“Are you sure..?” Skyle asked once more, and Leena’s heart started thumping wildly inside her chest. Had he noticed? Did he know? He could not possibly know, but what if he did?

A myriad questions were flashing past her brain, blinding her with the implications. Fortunately, Skyle’s next words finally let her paralyzed lungs draw another breath.

“.. that you’re alright, that is. You going to be ok?” Skyle smiled encouragingly at her once more, and this time Leena was able to muster a much better answering smile, filled as it was with all of the relief that flooded her entire body.

“Yes, I think I am. Thank you, Skyle,” Leena bobbed her head, then looked down as though to examine her wounded hands.

“How clumsy of me, you must think me a fool,” Leena laughed good-naturedly. “Give me a second to sort myself out. After all I’ve been through, I guess my nerves are just on edge and your, your eye just triggered it all at once.”

“That’s fine, it’s understandable. Just join us when you’re ready,” Skyle nodded easily, then turned around and walked back to where Leon.

As Leena watched the boy who had saved her life, who had extended his open hand to her and offered her such gentle kindness whenever she was in need, her eyes began to lightly mist even though she had vowed to herself that she would not shed any more tears this day.

In truth, Leena paid little heed to the tears that began to silently streak down her cheeks, blurring her view of the gentle boy’s figure as he walked away from her. Nor did she have any capacity to regurgitate on her grief or fear. That was all done.

It was a thing of the past now, discarded like the ragged toys of a petulant child and left forgotten in an abandoned pile of ashes.

Those considerations, emotions and fears were, after all, completely irrelevant to the one sole purpose that would henceforth fuel all her actions, guide her every thought, and even rule her every emotion with a tyrant’s ruthless fist.

It was a very simple purpose, as newborns often are. It had, after all, come to life not five breaths ago.

There was no time nor inclination to consider the logic of it, to ponder reasons or weigh options. This purpose had seared all such complications from her mind with the terrifying weight of its significance.

And so, Arleena Starbreeze of the Sapphire Court sat on her heels, tears flowing freely from her eyes, ostensibly nursing the fresh wounds on her hands. That was just her body, however. Her mind inhabited a whole different dimension altogether, her every conscious thought driven towards one singular objective: this gentle boy who had saved her life, who had comforted her and offered nothing but kindness needed to die.

For that eye of his was a deathmark, and though innocent, Skyle must absolutely die.

Leena would see to it, no matter the cost or consequences.

“I’ll see you dead even if it is the last thing my eyes ever behold on this life,” Leena vowed grimly, though tears flowed unheeded down her cheeks in a continuous stream. The weight of her past and a duty which could not be forgotten nor forsaken tore mercilessly at her soul, crushing the breath out of her in its painful inevitability. This rare moment of weakness lasted for but a second, but the scars, she knew, would remain forever.

“Leena, you coming?” came the question from one of the boys, she could not and cared not from which.

Smiling brightly, wiped the last of her tears from her cheeks and a brilliant smile lit up her entire face.

“Yes, I’ll be right there! Give me just a moment, please!”

Dusting herself lightly, Leena sprang with her feet with more energy than she had shown in days and calmly walked forward towards the boys, who stood waiting.

Skyle gave her an encouraging nod, which Leena returned in kind before sending a dazzling smile toward the boy whose life she would eventually take.