— Staff of an Eon sage —
[Mana +2000]
[Mind +2000]
[Rune word] ???
[Weight : 1 ton]
[Height: 6 Meters]
Ria rushes out of the observatory towards the platform overlooking the elevator shaft.
"My lady, it's not safe here."
A knight wearing a thick grey coat stops her.
She recognizes it.
It was common protective gear used in Arcaneums where the mana concentration can get hazardous.
"Wha- What's going on here?"
The knights glance at each other.
"Fine, is there a coat my size?"
The knight gives up the upper half of a coat.
Ria puts on the baggy coat, the sleeves draping close to the ground.
She makes her way to the ledge of the platform.
"What's this?"
The platform had been cleared of troops and supplies.
Heavily armored crusaders wore an extra layer of mana-resistant coat over their shoulders.
A priest of Silora stood over the platform.
Ria rushed up to him.
"Ah, Lady Razen Heir-"
"Explain."
"Well-it's about your giant knight. We are trying to extract her from the Carla depths."
"Extract her? What are you talking about? She can walk on her own."
"Well-, it would appear there was an implosion earlier?"
"Implosion, explain?"
"She's safe; in fact, she has reached the bottom of the elevator shaft, and we are preparing to bring her up. But there's-"
"What?"
Ria's voice was filled with anxiety.
"She's overflowing with destructive mana."
Only our crusaders could withstand her power.
"You're kidding. I know her for so long; that's not how being around her works."
The elevator rumbles.
Ria stares at the elevator shaft extending down into the Carla depths.
Her heart pounds.
How long has it been since she saw her disappear down the shaft?
Fully armored and ready for battle.
She watched as Hikari stood on the platform for the first time, facing her as the elevator was lowered into the shaft.
Now, at long last, her part in the raid was at an end.
She held her breath, waiting for her knight to appear.
Clank!
The elevator reached the top.
Silver hair, ruby-red eyes.
Hikari stood alone on the platform.
She wasn't in her wyvern-skin armor, but in a robe made from white and grey sheets stitched together to hold in her mana.
Rows upon rows of barrier lanterns hung on her body in a spiraling pattern.
Ria waves at her enthusiastically.
She couldn't hold in her excitement.
But Hikari looked straight.
She seemed to be in a daze.
Even Ria, who was used to Hikari's unchanging expression, had never seen her so aloof before.
The air around her was suddenly electrified.
The crusaders clutched their shields.
"My lady!" The RazenHeir knights pulled her back and shielded her.
A blast of mana.
Empty crates were thrown around and smashed against the wall.
All at once, the lanterns strapped to her were shattered.
The mana subsided.
"Let go!"
Ria pushed the knights away.
She looked down and saw Hikari standing amongst a mess of smashed boxes and shattered glass.
"My lady, it's not safe."
The knights implored her.
"Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"It appears that she has absorbed an excessive amount of mana. We cleared a Zeppelin bay to house her for now, until the effects subside. "
Ria watched as the crusaders escorted Hikari off.
"My lady."
The knights implored her to move to safety before another mana surge.
Reluctantly, Ria took her hands off the parapet and let them escort her to safety.
She looked over her shoulder and saw Hikari's cheeks for the last time.
…
Petals fluttering.
Pink and lavender.
Lush green leaves to complement them.
A man waits at the end of the aisle.
His uniform that survived the previous campaign.
A plain tunic that would hold up in the rain but otherwise uninteresting.
A simple piece of iron hangs on his shoulders.
His award for bravery in battle.
Clean-shaven.
A scar on his face.
A symbol of surviving the past year.
Several girls lined up on either side.
They carried baskets of freshly picked flowers.
An audience behind them.
Farmers, laundry maids, blacksmiths, bricklayers.
The bride appears at the end of the path.
A circlet of flowers on her head.
A plain dress that was patched up for the occasion.
A bunch of flowers covering her hands that were wrinkled from laundry.
The girls tossed flowers as the bride approached.
Cheers. Laughter.
The bride met her husband-to-be's eyes.
They wore their smiles as they stood facing each other.
A priest of Silora stands between them.
White plain robes stained from day-to-day living at his post.
A copper symbol of the order hangs from his neck.
In the background, the village church.
A statue of Silora above the main door.
A blind folded woman in robes.
"Say your vows. The goddess lends witness."
The man raises his right hand.
The priest offers his bible.
He places his hand on the rugged leather binding.
"In sickness or in health. In riches or in rags. I take you to be my wife. May only death do us apart."
The woman breathes heavily as he speaks his last words.
The priest turns to her.
She raises her right hand.
Her wrinkled, pale hand on the bible.
She repeats the words.
"In sickness or in health. In riches or in rags. I take you…"
She breathes heavily.
The priest leans, ready to support her should she faint.
"I take you as my husband."
She swallows.
Placing her hands on her pounding chest.
She slows her breath.
Her breathing stabilizes.
"Till death do us apart."
Their audience cheers.
The girls toss their whole basket of flower petals all at once.
The woman cries.
They embrace each other.
Dong! Dong! The church bells rang.
Hikari stands at the back.
Her plain shirt, black pants, and boots.
Just her short sword on her belt to give a smart appearance.
Gerald got her to wash up for the occasion.
He even helped her chisel some of the mud off her boots.
"Gerald."
"Yes? What do you think?"
The man lifts his new wife up and spins around.
His audience laughs and cheers along.
They began singing and dancing.
The bard begins playing.
"I'm hungry."
"What? You just had a bowl of stew after weight training. Surely you can't already be hungry?"
"I'm hungry"
"Alright. Alright. Let's prepare the food. Remember, we're guests here. Don't hoard all of the meat for yourself."
"Yes, Gerald"
"Good girl"
Hikari carried two stacks of chairs.
Ten each, one in each arm.
Gerald unstacks them and lines them up.
Hikari carries an ale barrel on her shoulder and places it on the mount.
The men immediately line up in front of it with their mugs.
The fire under the stove was lit.
Hikari wears her apron.
She chops up the vegetables.
A reaver lettuce twice the size of a man's head.
Three radishes in one chop.
She grounds a bowl of bean paste.
She presses a beef shank against the chopping board and flattens it by banging her fist against the back of her knife before slicing it into strips.
The iron cast pan sizzles.
Gerald fans the flames below.
Hikari stirs.
The bard sings.
A hero's hands were slaying orcs.
Now stirring broth and chopping blocks.
Her sword in hand, cuts right through steel,
Rips through flesh of both wyverns and beef,
They dice the same, but don't cook the same.
Oh, the hero's arms carry cannon and stone.
Carries barrels and chairs, or musical stands.
The bard picks up the tempo.
The bride and her groom dance.
Several couples join them.
Men high on ale form pairs with each other.
The pan sizzles.
Hikari rocks it back and forth.
Gerald takes a piece with a fork and munches.
He abruptly kills the stove fire with a bucket of water.
Hikari lays out the serving plates.
Gerald sprinkles the seasoning with both hands.
The hungry guests line up.
"I didn't know you were such a great cook, Captain!"
"Oh, what a spread!"
"Line up! Line up!" One at a time."
Hikari takes her spatula.
She presses down into the pan and carves out a circular piece.
She flips it onto a plate.
One serving of bean paste pie.
Gerald could barely keep the guests in line.
The bride and groom sit at the head of the long table filled with food.
With the guests served, Hikari digs in.
It was good.
So good.
Compared to the soggy stew she always eats, the crunch of the vegetables feels refreshing.
She could taste the beef strips in the pie.
"Oh, this bean paste is really good."
"It's very well ground. They are usually so hard to chew."
"Yeah. I had a bout of depression when I learned we have to eat beans this year, but this is something else."
Gerald tastes his cooking.
"Hmm, the beef taste is not coming through. Maybe bigger chunks will make the pie more uneven and… the seasoning is not quite right either…"
Hikari wolves down half of her pie.
She stops herself.
She takes out the old bread.
They were hard to chew even for her, but at least she wouldn't get a tummy ache.
The men avoid them; for them, it's between losing a tooth and going hungry.
She eats them with the delicious pie.
It makes it go down easier.
A normal-sized mug of ale.
She could barely fit her fingers through the handle.
Nevertheless, she ate and drank to her heart's content.
The sun was going down.
The bard plucked away.
The bride dragged her husband back onto the dance floor.
The guests cheered.
Hikari replaces the ale barrel.
She has the first fill.
A line of half-drunk men lined up.
As lined up as they could be in their drunken state.
Gerald leans on the cooking table in front of her.
Hikari was licking her lips as she finished up her meal.
"Say, Uh, Hikari."
"Gerald?"
"You did some weight training today; how about we do some footwork practice?"
"Footwork?"
Hikari reaches for her sword.
"No. No. You don't need your sword."
Hikari looks confused.
Gerald holds her hand.
Her fingers were longer than his.
He pulls Hikari to the dance floor.
Hikari follows.
The bard sings.
There was a knight
Orcs and shamans feared.
Was it just orcs and shamans?
Wild hounds and yetis.
Was it just hounds and yetis?
Dragons and demon lords.
What does the knight fear?
The sound of music.
Was the sound of music enough?
Yes, and the aura of the dance floor.
Does the sword aura counter?
No, the sword aura counters dragons.
Does the mana barrier counter?
No, it blocks the flames of the demon lords.
But the music pierces his aura.
It pierces his barrier.
It compels him to move.
"Ow! Oof."
Gerald holds his foot, jumping on one leg.
The crowd laughs and cheers.
"Sorry."
It was getting swollen.
Bloated like a demon spore about to burst.
Markings of Hikari's boot soles inprinted on the poor man's flesh.
"It's alright. It's not your fault. But you do have to carry me back to the barracks."
"Sorry."
Hikari pinches her mug of ale and drinks.
There's still a third barrel waiting in the back.
They sang and danced.
Hikari looks past the dance floor.
The church in the background.
Dim candles were lit.
The wooden door ajar.
She sees a shadow.
A knight?"
The vague shadow of a knight kneeling.
Praying before the altar of Silora.