Thirteen

Fourth

"Ow! I've never been hit that badly before."

Ribbons of darkness snaked around the trees and gathered at a patch of land unoccupied by the Antikwald's web of roots. Each ribbon merged into one shadowy mass which in turn formed the shape of a man. The flames surrounding the ruins made Kirk's face and outfit visible again.

He was thrown far from where the battle raged, judging how small the outline of the castle ruins was from where Kirk stood. Kirk's predicament would have been worse had he failed to block the serpent head's strike with the flat of his sword. He could hear the monster unleashing a firestorm from afar.

That boy still stood after all.

"What do you think? Are we going to leave them alone?"

"Do you even need an answer to that question, Master Kirk?" The sword gave off a glow; its symbols were more noticeable in the darkness.

"I can't leave this place knowing that monster will eat those two. You know me too well, Friend."

He ran back to the scene of battle; the hiss of flames being shot and moved around was becoming louder on his approach. Something else was taking the creature's attention judging by how it could not leave the ruins, and the rising red and orange hues from beyond the treetops. Kirk reentered the ruins to face the monster again when he came across a fallen body different from the two corpses he found on his way to the ruins for the first time.

It wore robes that almost matched the shadows around the forest save for a vague tinge of blue that only emerged through the light of the fires around. Kirk was only able to see its lower part at first, until he swept aside the clump of dying bush that covered the rest of the body. He looked closer to find out that the "robe" was really a skirt; embroidered patterns of crosses were lost to the stains of the forest. Kirk scanned the body twice, seeing that this traveler was a woman. She was still breathing, basing on the almost unseen movement of her chest. The hole on the ground found a few steps ahead could have something to do with how she lay on the ground.

"Is she wounded?"

"I sense no injuries in her, Master Kirk."

"I'll need both my arms Macario. You know what to do."

"Of course."

Kirk's sword began to vanish; what was once a wide blade now became a mere stick. He checked on the woman one last time; he would have picked up the scent of blood or burnt cloth and flesh if she was injured either way. She was intact, to his relief. He picked her up from the ground with such care that it took him longer to lift her off than it should be. It was a surprise that underneath the heavy-looking attire was a person of light frame. He found himself looking at her face more than he should; smudges of the rotting forest on her cheeks did little to hide her whiteness; the sight of this stranger rendered Kirk almost oblivious to the dangers that could be lurking in the dense woodland.

"She'll be fine, right?"

"This woman should wake up in a few hours, or less." Macario's voice came from the right.

"I suppose her friend is around here some-"

Gunfire pierced the sounds of crisping foliage; the wind carried four pistol cracks to Kirk's ears.

It must be the woman's companion.

He couldn't run to the scene of battle with an unconscious lady in his arms. Kirk found the ruined castle's interior the best place to keep her from harm. Behind the hole where the main door used to stand was a flat and dark area unclaimed by the forest. A groan came out of the woman's lips right after the swordsman lay her down. All he could hope was to help the two get enough time to flee from the creature or slay it when the time would not be enough.

Kirk went to the place where the monster threw him out. Fires clung onto trees and bushes; some managed to gain hold of rubble and consumed the moss that made the rocks their home. Gray smoke hung low for a moment only to be swept by the Antikwald's air.

What he saw was the monster - or the mass of dying flesh it had become. Blood trickled out of the wounds on its leg and neck; its stain made almost unnoticeable by the forest cover. It was still breathing as if attempting to suck in all the outside air for itself. Kirk also noticed that its vigor was waning.

Not far from the creature was its killer. He knelt in front of it, perhaps trying to regain what was left of his energy after defeating the giant beast. Kirk couldn't see clearly, but he could tell that the man placed something inside his coat.

"You're okay?" Kirk stepped forward; he didn't will the revenant to come to his hand.

"Y-yeah. I... I'll be fine."

The dark garments and somewhat lanky build revealed who he was: Kirk was talking to someone younger than him. The parched voice and listless pose told a tale of a hard, if not deathly duel between the boy and the monster.

"Are you looking for her?"

"Where... is she...?"

"She's safe," Kirk said. "Come. I'll take you to her."

"Hah. I think... I'll pass out. For now. I'm sorry, Eu-"

He was falling to the ground, but Kirk leapt and braced his arm on the boy's chest. A dark patch stained Kirk's sleeve.

"This... isn't good."

Kirk grabbed hold of the body. The light from a burning tree revealed a large wound on the boy's side. One of the monster's claws punched through his body.

"Now we'll have to help these two get out of the forest."

"It is the only recourse, Master." Macario's voice returned to the swordsman's mind.

Kirk returned to where he laid the woman, only to find that the space was empty. At first, there was the sound of rustling vegetation – it was too loud to be a pair of feet struggling to lift off the ground. It was followed by silence, followed by a couple of soft thumps against bare earth. Only then did he notice that the one he was looking for was standing not far from his right.

"Ah, I didn't expect you to be up that fast. Glad that you-"

"L-l-lay him down."

The swordsman couldn't make up how the woman was standing in front of him at first, until a metallic click and the glint of a black barrel finally gave him a hint. Where did she get her hands on a rifle before, and when? It must be from one of the dead men he passed by earlier. She held the gun with the stock pinned on her armpit; the strap dangled left and right, as tense as the wielder's grip on the weapon. That, along with the slight shaking of the barrel, made a bad aim (Kirk doubted if she would be using the sights to fire at him). It didn't matter whether she was a good shot or a bad one – a dead swordsman was all there would ever be once she got a shot off.

"Yo-you... this is... uh, wrong." Kirk was about to raise his arms, but the weight of the body reminded him of that being a bad idea. "This isn't what it's supposed to look like."

"Put him down. Now!"

"All right, if that is what you want."

Kirk took three steps back and four steps sideways to where the level space was. The woman's eyes followed him as he unloaded the boy onto the floor. He slid his arms off the body; if only he could say to her that wasting time on this awkward moment would bleed away the boy's chances to live. Kirk raised his arms, revealing the patches of fresh blood that stained his right sleeve while he carried the lad. The woman made her approach; she dropped on her knees to examine the wounded boy, throwing away the rifle she threatened Kirk with moments ago. She was more focused on the source of the bleeding over the threat this stranger posed to her. In a half-whisper, she said:

"What have you done to him?"

"I- I didn't do anything." Kirk shook both hands. "He was bloody and all after killing that monster outside."

The boy was still aware even with his wounds; he managed to move his lips and spoke:

"-e's... -igh... Eu... -ia. I... -oo... ca... -less."

"I'm sorry to put you in this state again. Save your strength, Rook."

She knelt beside him; the light in her hand faded the moment she was about to touch the boy. Her fierceness was replaced by worry.

Kirk watched her tend to the lad. The woman removed her belt of cloth and wrapped it around the wound. He recalled what "Rook" uttered:

"Eu-"

"Eu... -ia"

There was no way for him to know what the real name was, given that "Rook" had too little energy to even speak properly. Kirk looked back at the woman who seemed to have forgotten his presence. She was just done bandaging her wounded companion. Her gaze centered at her closed hands. Another kind of light formed from her palms; one of a green hue that manifested as a thin layer on her hands. The woman spread her palms wide; the light moved like water, pouring from her and began spreading all over the boy's frame.

"A healer." Macario's voice was heard in Kirk's head. "This is indeed a rare sight in an age where inventions assert dominance."

"Agreed. You had a few people like her during your time?"

"Yes. 'A few' is correct. Only people attuned to such magics are allowed to possess this method. I did not realize that the churches of today are still teaching their followers this art."

"Are you telling me that she's a cleric?"

"Did you not know it from the start, Master? Her dress is more than enough to tell me that."

And the first doubt was set; Kirk imagined the woman he was after to be living in an estate or a castle. She wouldn't be wandering about in a forest along with a young man and end up in deadly situations like this. He thought of the smoke and the burning forest playing tricks on his mind. Perhaps he would see her more clearly once they are out of the forest's domain (and also out of danger). He kept his eyes on them most of the time save for those moments when he had to look around to make sure nobody else was there with them. Kirk could have been perceived as a threat, but this clergywoman's focus on the wounded companion allowed her to go on without minding much.

He decided to act as a lookout while the cleric used her healing light on her companion. It did not take long before she was preparing to stand up. Her eyes still told of a tinge of distrust towards Kirk, but at least she did not opt to point a fingertip of searing light at him.

"I wish to say sorry for how I treated you earlier. My friend said that you were the one who took us here," she said.

"Uhm... ah- don't think of it. I would have done worse if I were you." Kirk scratched his head before looking away from her.

"Thank you."

"You got a good route to get us out of here, Sister?"

"I know of a way. It is not a something you'd call a 'route'."

"Well, with that light show you put on display, I wouldn't be surprised if you have more tricks under your sleeve. Literally."

"Come closer. Please."

Would this woman pull off something dangerous to him? It was less likely to be that, Kirk thought. Macario would have advised against it if there was malice in her request. He went near the cleric and watched her eyes close. A field of light large enough to encircle the three of them appeared from the ground. Kirk was about to step back when the brilliance overtook him.

No, he wasn't dead, or at least was sent to the afterlife ahead of schedule.

Kirk opened his eyes to a view of a wall. It wasn't part of the ruins that he got lost in a while back, but an intact structure that was part of a fortress. There was a road highlighted by lampposts to his right, and he could hear laughter and people's footsteps wherever he turned.

"This is Aurelburg." The woman seemed to have read Kirk's unfamiliarity with the place. "Have you been here before?"

"No. Just my first time here."

The place was larger than the border town he visited when he first entered Kriemreich. Blocky, stony structures replaced the bungalows Kirk remembered during his stay at the empire's northernmost reaches. A sloped contraption went past them; a four-wheeled carriage that moved on its own. That was most likely the 'automobile' the scholars referred to back in his schooling days. Perhaps the country he left behind already had some of them on the roads. He snapped back and brought his eyes back to the lady and her friend, who still lay asleep on the ground.

"You'll need help with him." Kirk pointed at the unconscious boy. "So, where to go?"

"We can walk our way to where we're staying. The hotel's only at the end of the street." The cleric looked beyond the street; her eyes were fixed on an ornate building not too far ahead.

"It's a room for two, and I don't think we can walk in with your friend looking like that."

"You are right, Sir." She sat on the grass and held the boy by the forehead. "I would have to take us there using my skill."

"Let your light lead the way, Madam."

Their bodies dissolved in a flash. Kirk was standing on a polished floor. Right beside him was a glass table with a glass vase at the center. He could see the cleric's face better without the burning forest blurring his vision. She looked a lot like the girl his memories suggested, or even better. He was starting to believe that this was more than mere speculation or fantasy.

She asked Kirk to help set the boy on the table, and they worked on removing his coat, pistols and the blood-soaked shirt. Fresh bandages were wrapped around the boy's torso after the cleric unbound her belt of cloth from his body. Kirk moved "Rook" from the table at the woman's request and transferred him to one of the two rooms. She also asked him to dress the boy with fresh clothes on her behalf. Kirk shut the door behind him and returned to the living room to see the cleric sitting on one of the living room's chairs, keeping her eyes from closing out on her.

"Long day," the swordsman said.

"Yes." The woman nodded.

"Tired I see. Why not take a rest?"

"There's something I would ask of you." She stood up to look at Kirk.

"Go on."

"I am sorry if you have to be involved in all of this. You have seen that monster, and also my talents. I am giving you a chance to spare yourself from further trouble..."

"I am in a bigger mess than this. What's in it for me?"

He shouldn't have said that, but Kirk felt slight relief when the woman decided to ignore it and continue speaking.

"If you want, I can guide you out of the city by the next morning. Promise me that you will forget everything that happened here."

"You do know that almost getting killed or eaten by a fire-breathing monster and your light tricks are not so easily forgettable. Besides, wouldn't you need help when you get back to doing whatever it is you were doing in those woods?"

"I know, but what about you? Are you supposed to be resuming your travels?"

"Look, Sister." Kirk brushed his hair aside before he took a step closer to the cleric. "I don't know what made the two of you get in that place to be almost butchered by that monster from wherever that came from. The either of you wouldn't be so lucky the next time you'd run into something worse."

"I... thank you. But..."

"You can't put down my offer. You'll need all the help you can get. Besides, both of you would have been that monster's dinner if I weren't around. Also, I wouldn't want to hear the both of you dead after I just met you."

"Then you shall be with us for the rest of our journey, if that is how you want your help repaid."

"It's the right choice madam, and you know it."

"There are other means in which I can repay you for your efforts, but I will respect your wish." She made a slight nod, which was followed by a half-smile when she looked at Kirk again. "This is an awkward moment for introductions, but let me start. I'm Euphemia, and you are...?"

Euphemia.

There weren't many people named such as far as the swordsman knew. Kirk had the slightest of ideas if this name was commonly used in this region of the Delitian Continent. That Euphemia was more likely relaxing at the far south of this country, not taking a gamble of life and death with a monster even Kirk had not seen before.

"Kirk."

"Kirk?" Euphemia's eyes were getting too heavy to even look back after she introduced herself.

"Yes."

He took his gaze away from her; Kirk could see Euphemia's arms almost flailing down; only her will seemed to be keeping her body to drop completely to the floor. She kept her posture, possibly mustering what was left of her strength to stand; walking straight might even be a problem later. Making light come out of her hands and how she brought them to this room with her magical arts was something far from simple. Macario did tell him that this practice was almost buried in the annals of history.

"Thank you for all your help, Kirk." Euphemia stepped away from him. "This is not the best we could give, but the sofa is yours for the night. Please excuse me. I need to take a bath."

Euphemia turned around and headed to her left. Kirk followed the flow of her veil until it was swallowed by the bathroom entrance. He wanted to know more about Euphemia and that boy named "Rook" and being with them was the best way to get his answers.

Kirk sat down on the sofa; the soft cushion almost followed the flow of his thighs and buttocks. Small lamps in the room highlighted pictures of what looked to be this country's other cities. There was one with a conical tower at the center surrounded by smaller buildings. He rubbed his nose while staring at the piece; a good piece of art, he thought. The pigments used for the picture achieved an illusion of this miniature city bursting right out into the room. Kirk backed out of the picture as if readying for a sudden rush of structures that would bury him alive. All that alertness wasted on something that wouldn't happen even if he wanted it to. He laid his head on the sofa's right armrest, staring at the slow-spinning fan above him; its crystal blades made flashes of faint green and purple. This was no room affordable for a common traveler, even for a clergywoman. This sofa proved to be even more comfortable to sleep on than any of the beds in those border town inns. He could have imagined this 'room' to be the size of a common man's house.

He wanted to know what kind of day awaited him tomorrow, but it would not be so bad to indulge in comforts, even only for a few hours.