Prologue: Reflections
Sitting here looking back on my life, I have begun to wonder if everything I've accomplished was worth the effort that I put into it. Here, sitting alone, always alone, my thoughts wander, and my dreams, nightmares mostly, plague me, and little by little I have come to question which world is true. The world of my dreams, or this world plagued by war.
I wonder, truly, what is all of this violence and bloodshed for? Why was this conflict started? For land? For glory? Or for some higher purpose? I have not these answers, and I do not believe I ever will.
These last few nightmares have come on far harsher than the others. Even after waking, I feel the pains and horrors of my dreams. I still feel the arrow...and who was that man?
New orders, and new nightmares, I wonder if they are connected sometimes. Either way though, I know what I must do, and I do not look forward to it, even as I know that it must be done. There is something...different...about that one.
Before I forget to include this, it seems Leon was also given new orders. I hope that he will be well, no doubt my orders are dangerous, his are...I want to say a suicide mission, but...
As Naomi had finished writing her journal entry there was a knock at the door to her bedchambers, and a familiar voice came from the other side. "Lady Naomi, are you dressed?"
"I am, but that has never stopped you before." Came her reply to her visitor, one that brought a soft chuckle, as she knew he was nodding with it. This had been the fifth night in a row he had come to check on her, and at least three of them he had entered her room without knocking at the sound of her screams, much to his own dismay as he oft had to quickly dodge a flying object or two from the flustered Naomi.
She had since grown more comfortable with her nightly visitor, and had made light with him on several occasions of their earlier encounters. "I am doing quite well, my friend. I was just...reminiscing." She said to him as he opened the door and quietly entered her room, closing her door behind him.
"I am glad to see you well tonight."
"I wouldn't say I am doing well, just no nightmares yet because I've not yet found time to sleep."
"I see..." came the soft and soothing reply and as he stepped closer to her the light of the moon cascaded through the keep's window to illuminate his form, the form of the man she had seen in her dreams. The man who had been murdered in that very same window.
The realization shocked Naomi, and she shot up in her bed, her eyes wide open darted around the room, her room. "Who...was that?" She asked aloud, but there was no answer. She seemed truly startled, and continued looking around her room. She couldn't deny the similarities between the rooms and slowly made her way over to the window overlooking a large and open courtyard with a three-tiered marble fountain in its center. "Oh...my...God..." She said softly to herself.
The mental stress from seeing all of these similarities to her dreams, and to waking in the very same place where she herself had 'died' in her dreams had her head spinning to the point where she felt herself collapse to her hands and knees in an effort to fight off the dizziness, then everything seemed to fade into darkness as she lost consciousness.
Naomi had awakened to the warmth of the sun shining down upon her face through the open window, lying once more in her bed with the covers neatly tucked around her. To the left, window, side of the bed sat a single chair beside a bed-side table with a rather large metal bowl that had been filled with cool water and had a piece of cloth floating around in it.
Standing beside the window was a familiar young man, a longsword strapped to his hip and a tattered and worn cloak running down from his shoulders to his back. Even with his back to her she could easily identify him. Mikael, the 'Silver Wraith', the 'Angel of Death', and keeper of many other nicknames, though none he broadcasted himself. "Where am I?" she demanded as she sat up in the bed. "And what have you done to me?"
"Nothing inappropriate, I assure you." came a far more familiar voice, as the door opened and Samuel, her commander, walked into the room.
"You...you're...you're alive?!?" She was barely able to piece together the words and reached up with her arms to rub her weary eyes, only to find that they were completely obscured by the long sleeves of a man's shirt.
"I am, and I have been keeping a close eye on our friend here. He has behaved as a proper gentleman should. He only saw to your injuries and seemed unnaturally concerned for your wellbeing." Samuel paused at that as he glanced to Mikael, who was still standing stoically at the window. "He took extreme care in dressing your wounds, then made sure that you were properly clothed and cared for."
"This shirt?" Naomi started to ask and Samuel answered with a simple head nod in Mikael's direction. "We had little to offer you; this place has been empty for decades."
"Keep it." Mikael said calmly as he finally turned to face Naomi. "You are welcome to eat with us, and may go when you are able, if you so choose. I would suggest you stay here with us for a while. Rest. Regain your strength."
"I can't..." Naomi replied, almost a whisper, then to ease Samuel's shocked look, she started to add "For these past few months I have been having worse and..."
"Worse nightmares." Mikael calmly finished for her, much to Samuel's and Naomi's surprise and bewilderment. "You cried out several times while you were unconscious." Mikael calmly added as he moved to sit. He made no efforts to cover himself, and the cloak simply draped out around the chair as he sat. "You are safe here. Food will be provided."
"Am I to be your prisoner then?" she had to ask
"No. A guest perhaps, but not a prisoner." Mikael smiled at her and gestured toward the wall where several weapons and the rest of her gear were resting. "Your armor was badly damaged in several places. I could not repair it, so Jessica went out shopping to get you a new set."
As he said the woman's name, she seemed to materialize in the doorway and screamed, or at least that is what it sounded like, "Mikael, Samuel. She's awake?!? Why didn't you..."
Before she could even finish speaking though, Naomi was already covering her ears and Mikael looked to Jessica with a stern expression, but maintained his calm tone. "She only recently regained consciousness." Mikael then turned his attention back to Naomi as Samuel escorted Jessica from the room, leaving the door wide open as he did so.
"You have been unconscious for nearly a ten-day, Naomi." He said calmly and then, for the first time in her memory, smiled, and the smile was directed at her as he continued speaking. "I am glad that you are well. The others would very much like to meet you, for Samuel has not ceased singing your praises since we found you."
"He's what??" came the expected reply and the not so expected slight blush to her cheeks. "He has spoken highly of you, and was deeply concerned for your wellbeing, though I must admit, I was no less concerned."
"I see...well you have my thanks, for what its worth. I do have orders to kill you, again." Naomi said calmly to Mikael, who made no movements for his sword, even at the revelation. "If that is my fate, so be it." He said calmly to her, almost too calmly. "If you decide to follow that course, at least give me the courtesy of direct combat. You are a knight, not a sellsword or assassin for hire."
His calm had shocked her again, as though he had either known that from the beginning, simply didn't believe she could succeed, or had come to terms with his mortality, as one who knows that death is inevitable. Ohh how this man had changed since the first time she met him. It was clear to her then, that Mikael had at least faced, and overcome his inner demons. That calm, however, also made him a far more dangerous opponent.
"I am not well enough to face you, and see no reason to deny that. I am no coward, and if I fall..." As she said that Mikael shook his head slightly. "Doubt breeds fear, and fear will consume you before our blades have crossed. I am not your opponent. Your fears of me are, and you will overcome them."
As Mikael started to stand, Naomi reached out and grabbed hold of his wrist weakly. "Thank you..." she said again and gestured toward the door. "Let us go eat, I know you have been here through the night, and are no less hungry than I am."
With a nod, the normally stoic Mikael smiled and helped Naomi to her feet, then proceeded to help her from the room. "Take the spear. It can help you walk." He said, more as instruction, but even as she grabbed the spear, her other arm subconsciously wrapped more firmly around him, and something about that closeness comforted the young woman.
"You know I'm going to try to kill you, so why, may I ask, are you being so kind to me?" Naomi asked as they made their way down the stairs, her mind, however, was wandering and trying to figure out why she was so comfortable being this close to someone who had frightened her so profoundly not more than a year ago.
"I wonder..." Mikael said almost half-there himself. "Maybe it’s because I want you at your best when you try." He gave a slight shrug, but even as he did so he shifted so the motion wouldn't put her off balance in her weakened state. "Perhaps, it is something more. I really don't know for sure. I would likely attribute it to your honesty with me."
His own confusion seemed as perplexing to her, as it was obviously to him, but before she could really think more about it she felt her foot slipping on a stair and tried to regain her balance, only to end up over-compensating, and then she was falling.
Or at least she felt like she was, but the fall was too short, for when her brain caught up, she noticed that her head was resting against Mikael's firm chest and he had managed to brace against the impact well enough to keep his balance long enough for her to regain her own.
She couldn't help the blush that colored her cheeks in that moment, and was surprised when even after she regained her balance, she didn't stand, and he didn't object. "Thank you...again..." She whispered softly, and started to straighten herself out. "There is no need for thanks." He said softly, though his voice seemed to carry a hint of pain.
It was then, that she realized the tip of the spear had grazed his shoulder, and was still digging against his flesh even as she moved to stand. "I'm..." she started to say when he reached up and placed a finger against her lips."You need food. I'll be fine. It’s just a scratch." He said calmly, through the pain, and proceeded to help her down the stairs.
"I...would like to hear what happened, and how you came to be here." He said softly to her as they neared the bottom of the stairs, his voice seeming distant in that moment, and not long after they first touched the bottom of the stairs they were greeted once more by the squeaking of Jessica's voice.
"Another time, perhaps." Naomi had managed to whisper back, and she was surprised that he was interested in learning about her life, but before she could dwell on that Jessica was already rushing toward them, her long brown hair bouncing behind her as she charged as if to hug them both.
Much to her dismay, and in a motion as fluent as a professional ballroom dancer, Mikael pivoted on his right foot while stepping with his left and lifted Naomi only slightly off the ground during the movement, so that even as he was executing the spin, Jessica had charged right past the two of them. By the time he stopped moving, Jessica had stopped and pounded her fist on the wall in frustration, while both Naomi and Mikael had covered close to half the distance between the stairs and the dining hall.
"Jessica, she is weary, and needs food."
"You've been giving her attention all night and you don't even know her. What about the rest of us? Don't you care about us?" She squealed and shouted at him, but he had seemed to have toned her out.
"Are you even listening to me?!?" she went on as she moved back toward the pair, who by now were standing in the doorway of the dining hall, a round table set in the middle of the room with a total of eleven seats situated around it. In one, she saw Samuel, and across from him, was another young man, though he seemed to be the oldest of them, it wasn't by much, was sitting and calmly eating his morning meal.
"Darconne." Mikael said in a simple introduction, and the powerful, and well known, young magi bowed his head and went back to eating. "I need not elaborate on his introduction, only know that he is a man of few words, but never speaks without wisdom. From what Samuel has said of your personality, I suspect you will get along with him quite well."
"Naomi, as Samuel has no doubt already informed you. It’s a pleasure." She said with a hint of respect for the young mage's accomplishments as they were not few, and were reasonably well known. Ventes himself had cautioned her about the mage, and had even warned her that he was probably the most dangerous of the people she might have to fight with a simple statement. "If you don't have to fight him, then don't. If you find yourself in battle with him, withdraw, and if you are fortunate, you will succeed."
"Samuel has spoken of you, but Mikael spoke more, but said less." the young mage commented with a joyful smile. "I think he's taken a bit of a liking to you, and I can see why." And with that, the dangerously unpredictable mage resumed eating his roasted bread and boiled chicken.
"Is there enough?" Naomi started to say when Jessica pushed past them on Mikael's side to try and grab his arm. "Come and sit next to..." she started to say, but the moment she had touched his arm, Mikael turned toward her with a stern gaze and said calmly, but in no uncertain terms. "No." then proceeded to help Naomi into a chair before moving to get her some food.
"As for your question, Naomi, there is as much food to eat, as there is grass beside the road." Mikael said to her with a casual chuckle, which Darconne had also joined in on. As he spoke, he went over and retrieved a few plates of well-cooked food, roasted chicken, pork, beef, and other well-known delicacies. "Don't ask, you'll enjoy it more if you don't know."
That comment alone brought a whole-hearted laugh from Darconne, which proved to be quite infectious as all but the pouting Jessica joined in his mirth. "Its...magic." Darconne said as the laughter died down, but said it in such a way that only he could, and once more the room was full of laughter.
As they had all finally finished eating, Jessica noticed some blood dripping down Mikael's arm and she shrieked, a sound that could be attributed to the shriek of a harpy, and likely would be. "Mikael?!?! You're hurt!!"
"A scratch." was Mikael's calm reply, though he couldn't deny that the wound, still bleeding, was not as trivial as he had made it out to be. Samuel was the quickest to action, but Naomi was the first to reach him. She wrapped her hand in his shirt and pressed it down over the wound to help stop the bleeding.
Samuel had run to retrieve one of the medical kits from his pack, and Jessica, was still shrieking like a harpy and flinging accusations at Naomi for hurting her 'beloved', claims which Mikael's expression alone were enough to create doubt to their truth.
"You really should have said something sooner..." Naomi said softly to him as Jessica's most venom-filled accusation came there way. "It was that slut! Not only was she trying to sleep with him, but she tried to kill him too!"
"Enough!" Darconne said, his voice somewhat raised above the usual calm of the powerful mage, and that alone brought silence over the entire room. A magical silence, for after he spoke, Jessica tried to shout at him too. Much to her shock, and surprise, no sound came out of her mouth.
Samuel had come back over to them with the medical kit and placed it down on the table for Naomi, who expertly opened the kit, gathered up the materials she would need from it for a proper bandage, and began to stitch Mikael's wound while she mouthed to him "This will hurt."
Mikael calmly nodded, then sat perfectly still, his teeth digging into his lower lip as he felt the needle slipping through his skin. He knew even if he cried out, it would not be heard, but he couldn't afford to make any sudden movements, so he sat and endured.
None of them were aware that Darconne's spell had long since ended, as they all sat in total silence until Darconne spoke. "Well...isn't it nice to enjoy silence from time to time?" A question which had shocked everyone else in the room from their silent stupor except Naomi and Mikael, for the obvious reasons.
"Well...it seems we will be here for a while." Mikael said softly to Naomi, and took note of the reflexive smile that crossed her lips in that moment then continued. "I would really like to hear your story. Everyone has one; some are just more...interesting...than others." He winced slightly from the pain as she poured a cleaning solution over the wound that she had finished stitching.
"My story?" She asked in a somewhat confused manner, though the blush on her cheeks did little to hide her embarrassment at the moment. "I would share mine as well, and perhaps we two will come to find that we are not as different as we first believed." He continued, then as he finished speaking his eyes seemed to glaze over, and his now limp, body nearly fell from the chair.
