One day a man met his past. It stared at him yet he tried to avert his eyes. Once it reached him, the man's being changed. Now he knew what to do and could no longer walk away. Along with his self, he has to fight again, to master challenges again whose magnitude he was afraid of. That fear of his was overcome with other beings that finally released him from his self made chains.
On the morning after the battle, Leo summoned Lynia to him. Unexpectedly, he also wanted Ryu to attend the meeting, he had thought of a few things the previous evening.
"What exactly is the situation with the rations? What are we short of or have already run out of? How long have we been in this position and how precisely did you guys proceed in the past?"
"Man, you sure can ask a lot of questions. Hell, I can't answer half of them for you, you'll have to go ask the previous leadership. This is stuff I can't deal with. There's definitely a lack of materials for manufacturing, repairing, and enhancing weapons. In addition we have little supply of food left. We haven't been able to hunt much due to the danger of being ambushed. As you might imagine, not everybody here is familiar with sword or bow. It will be a big issue in the future, I don't want to sacrifice anyone to the elves."
"And the other problems relate to the behavior, feelings and cohesion of the dark elves living here in the fortress am I correct? Lots of them are controlled by fear and anxiety, others can't wait to take revenge and engage in fights."
"That's pretty much how I interpreted it. Obviously I didn't go around and ask everyone, it was more Ryu here who guessed these matters."
"That's what I thought. The way you appear and act leads me to believe that you've seen or experienced something like this before, right?"
"It was a long time ago but you don't forget these things. At that time we were unable to resolve this mess, our downfall was inevitable. That's why I won't helplessly watch it all go down a second time."
"That's exactly what we're going to prevent. Lynia, for the time being I only need one thing from you: act at least a little bit like a leader, you already have the self-confidence as well as the courage. Ryu is right with his words since a commander who fails to exceed his authority is of little use for his subordinates. The point he and I are trying to make is that you have by far the most vital of all roles. Consider your position as that of a king, act as proud as you are and leave the rest to us for the time being. Once I am overburdened I will ask for your help but until then please remain focused on our words."
"Your old companion speaks the truth. Your identity is of utmost importance hence act according to your title as well."
"I told you not to address me as a stranger!"
Both Leo and Ryu shared the same gaze and looked straight into Lynia's eyes. They were dead serious and demanded her trust.
"Well...I'll at least try. Don't complain if I can't manage it, though. I didn't get a single piece of mother's talent."
"That's perfectly enough. We will need your voice, my words carry less importance than yours. It's best we start right away, just lend us a bit of your authority. When you speak to them we''ll have a better chance of saving time. Ryu, I trust I can count on your support. We cannot waste a moment, every day might present a new danger."
"So be it. As long as it doesn't go against my nature, I shall assist you."
("Does he always talk like that? Wait a minute, did he address me as you?")
Lynia had everyone gathered and spoke to them.
"Uh, listen, all of you. You know that the recent times have been very hard for us. It doesn't look good the way things are going right now so we need change. And that change is going to happen very soon. I hope you trust me and my decisions. From now on these two are my right and left hand, their words have the same weight as mine. They will help us survive the next times so that we won't be killed."
Leo and Ryu were surprised by her words but not in a good way. She had begun her speech neatly but then stopped with the remark of death. Simultaneously, the two sighed and waited for the people's reaction.
"If we are promised that the future will be a good one, we will obey you."
Normally such words would be a perfect answer were they not coming from a human. It was Connor who shouted this answer. Leo slapped his hand in front of his forehead and gave Connor an annoyed look. The latter only blinked one eye and looked proud at Leo.
("And I thought this shitshow couldn't get any worse.")
Even though he had expected a terrible response, a few dark elves suddenly followed his call. The only explanation Leo could give was that the desperation was higher than he thought. The shouts grew louder and louder until almost the entire crowd accepted her words and cheered. As the shouts died down, Leo started his speech. However, before he could say a word, Ryu beat him to it.
"As our leader has said, our situation is dire. However, that doesn't mean we can't turn it in our favor. Everyone of you is aware of the troubles that have accumulated in the last times just like yesterday. Whether it is the lack of supplies and resources, whether it is strife and discord or whether it is the loss and grief of someone who has died. Still, you are thinking in the wrong way beacuse there is hope. There is a way to win against our hardships and against our foe. As you know, a new danger may lurk at any moment, another threat may appear, however, we must not let ourselves be intimidated. For if we dwell on this, the enemy has long since won. You saw what this man is capable of. His methods may be questionable and unorthodox yet in the end he was the key to our victory.
Ryu indicated Connor to walk through the crowd and step next to them.
By having him and his partner on our side, we got a strong reinforcement that will guide you from now on alongside me and will give you strength in whatever field you need. Thus, be prepared to receive our words so that they will guide you and strengthen you."
Leo was about to continue, though the crowd was completely convinced by Ryu's words. He was impressed by his skills and his eloquence. The fact that he had been traveling alone for years was hard to believe given the way he appeared in front of others.
" These were perfectly chosen words. How can you be so good at spea-"
"Now it's your turn! Your time has come!"
"Wait, what do you mean it's my turn? I thought we were working together."
"Oh, we are. But you are taking over from now on. Although I'm good with words, giving orders is not one of my skills."
"Woah, so the bottom line is I'm supposed to lead them with your help as the executive? You want me to give the orders?"
"Exactly. I will obey them as long as it is in my power and my conviction. I have faith in your ability to carry out my sayings."
Leo felt like he was being played. The expectations he had of working together with Ryu were completely shattered. Ultimately, it wasn't collaboration but subpar work. He didn't have a choice, Connor too was incapable of making decisions. Somehow the young man needed to make the best of it. First, he ordered Connor and Ryu to train and test the soldiers as he himself had no skills for this task. After that he searched the fortress for people capable of cooperating with him. It was not necessary for them to have the skills, just their self-confidence mattered to Leo. Because of Lynia's words he avoided to use Bastiar and work with him. It was several hours before Leo finally found a few dark elves who might be able to play a role in his plan. These included the blacksmith, one of the generals as well as the market leader who runs the checks for supplies and materials.
"Listen, I have purposely chosen you guys. Because I need your assistance in convincing the people. You are capable of working with me to convince them and to calm them down."
"Well, I think you picked the exact wrong ones. Not one of us three is currently popular among our brothers and sisters. To them, we can't carry our responsibilities."
"And that's exactly the point. We all know that you guys have been through a lot in the past and the situation here is very messy. We can all agree that it's not your fault, despite the fact that many blame you. A commander has done everything to protect his soldiers and defeat the enemy but even if the result is successful, he is often hated for the loss of loved ones. A blacksmith has crafted as many weapons as possible in a short period of time. They have served their purpose however due to the pressure and lack of proper finishing, some of these weapons are of short life and quality. Still, it is not his fault, in fact his swords allowed to defeat much more enemies than there were deaths on his side. And yet one only sees the flaws and blames the person in charge who has given everything possible and provided more soldiers with a chance to survive. A leader who controls goods, raw materials and food, distributes them and portions them is still being cursed in spite of his long and careful thinking. If one of the resources is missing for a while he is powerless to do anything about it. So long as everyone is happy, there will be no dispute and no disorder. But once the comprehension of a difficult situation vanishes, the person who took good care of them previously is wrongly and innocently seen as the one responsible for their suffering.
I do understand your situation, the way you probably feel and the way you probably react. In order to resolve this, we''ll have to take a risk that will soon be there anyway. Solving it before the deadline, however, and presenting a good result will raise the praise and recognition. You will see a sudden change in your image and along with my name you will remain in a positive light. Before long, you will no longer be the losers of this society."
His words echoed their thoughts. It gave them new courage and motivation to realize his plan. To be able to take the risk, however, he needed the aid of his two assistants. The danger was great, the risk of facing a sudden and unexpected battle without full strength. Due to the siege of the elves in the area, it was almost impossible for them to hunt, gather or even leave the fortress at all. While it was the best plan he could come up with, it was a necessity to improve the spirits of the dark elves. Leo knew that one person would be strongly opposed to it.
"Don't you dare, Leo! Are you crazy?! What if they attack? How long will you be gone? How are you all going to be able to keep them safe? How are we supposed to defend ourselves without a whole lot of strategy? If not for you guys, I'm on my own again. No chance!"
"Lynia listen to me. We don't have a choice, do you think if we just keep hanging around something will change? I spoke with Ryu, he knows areas where we can find a lot of resources. It' s necessary for us to do something!"
"You've lost your mind! We just barely managed to win and now you want to leave us?!"
Lynia had every reason to freak out, Leo's idea would put many fates to the test. Along with Ryu and Connor, he was going to leave the fortress to gather resources such as meat, fur, fruits, iron and water. According to his calculation, they would only last 5 days at most with the remaining resources. He wanted to stop this crisis before it would come to that. However, the three of them alone would be too few to transport everything therefore Leo created a group of dark elf volunteers who would accompany them on their journey. Along with Ryu and Connor, they would protect the group. The main problem, however, was the duration of the trip, something Leo could not estimate. The only thing he could promise her was to return after no more than 5 days.
"And what about ourselves? Who are we going to get protection from?! The moment another army of those bastards shows up, we're screwed. And you will be responsible for our deaths if that happens."
"If you demand more strength then I will let Connor stay here, he is much stronger than you think and has a lot of brains too. You' ll have more assurance with him if that help-"
"He can't replace you. And even if he's as good as you say he is, he doesn't have the experience you possess. Fuck Leo, I thought I could trust you but you really have no interest in helping me it seems!"
"Damn it Lynia wake up, of course I am willing to help! You supported me on my whole journey, I wouldn't have come this far without you! That's why I came here in the first place! I consider it part of my responsibility to assist you and your people as you have supported me! Once your name would have popped up somewhere, I surely would have come to help! That's the least I can do so let me be of service to you! You might not like it but this is the best way!
Lynia was surprised by Leo's louder voice. She hadn't seen him like that, he almost looked despairing even though he exuded self-confidence. She gritted her teeth and pondered over the matter. But even after thinking about it for a long time, Lynia's past wouldn't let her change her mind.
"Just as you said, I need your help. I do appreciate it your attitude, thanks to your we avoided a lot of casualties yesterday...that's exactly why...why I can't agree with your plan. Face it, without your, Connors or Ryu's presence, I am by myself here. The elite soldiers are strong, but they can't match Ryu's level in combat and your level in strategy. You guys are key players and thus to important to let go."
Leo was angered by these words but remained calm.
"As you wish, we will stay here. However, then we need your cooperation in the planning for finding another solution for these problems. I hope you will find a hint as soon as possible on how to proceed. I' ll let Ryu, Connor and the others know. In case you do have some words for us. We will have a meeting, but in the meantime, keep practicing your duties and learn how to act accordingly."
Leo left the house and met with Ryu and Connor to share her answer. The rest of the day passed quietly with Leo looking for a quiet place to think about all this. Still, he found no real fresh answers, no new ideas that he or his partners could implement. He surrendered to the desperate situation and in the end let it guide him....
The next morning was more silent than usual. Lynia wanted to wake Leo up to discuss an idea she had thought of yesterday. But when she knocked on his door, no one answered. Even after she called out to him, the door remained closed. Upon entering, she realized that he was not present. She immediately got a bad feeling and ran out of the house. Even Ryu was nowhere to be found, usually he was always nearby. Coming from one of the houses, she heard Connor's voice. He was talking to an older dark elf about stories when Lynia burst in. She instantly grabbed him by the collar and gave him a murderous look.
"Where is he? Or better: where are they?"
"Uh, I don't know. I mean, how would I know, I'm not sleeping with them, am I?"
"Oh that big strong man got up real early even earlier than usual. I was wondering where he went."
"Gramps, I told you not to mention that."
Connor expected her to take her anger out on him instead she let it go and suppressed the rage she had inside her...at least as much as she could.
"THOSE FUCKING ASSHOLES! YOU BETTER RETURN SO I CAN KILL YOU MYSELF!"
" Well, but they're a big help, why do you want to kill them...oh, uh, I didn't say anything."
Connor was in the worst possible situation. He tried to make a good impression though now he was on her blacklist.
"Let's go you bastard, there is work to be done. Just show me how capable you really are!"
Lynia didn't have a choice but to accept him as her support. But in order to relieve her stress, she planned a torturous workout for Connor. This young talented swordsman was not to be envied in his situation.
Meanwhile, Leo, Ryu, as well as the small group of dark elves headed out in search of new supplies. Their first destination was a remote forest in which Ryu often hunted. When Leo saw him hunting, he was speechless. His talent with his bow was equal to that of Lynia. Each arrow hit a fatal spot and killed the prey. The place was full of animals, so their prey amount was very satisfying.
"Stop, we won't bring them along like this. As more time passes the more their body loses its quality. Lay the cadars down here, I will show you how to skin them and process their flesh. This way we save the weight of the bones and the useless pieces. Be as quick as you can. This is not about precision work, the main thing is that you manage to do it about the way I do."
Lynia mentioned that Ryu was a vagabond for a long time. This meant that he was constantly on his own, which meant that he was perfectly prepared and able to do these things without issue. Perhaps this had also given him a sense for hunting game.
"If you' ve picked up everything we' ll change direction. When I' m right, we' ll soon come across our next target."
With their car, they set out on the path Leo had laid out for them. A couple of hours later, bandits suddenly caught them off guard. To make matters worse, they appeared to be elves. That made Leo even more nervous than he already was. Assuming they had already been here, he wondered what was happening in the fortress right now.
"If you want to keep your lives, leave the wagon there and get the hell out of here. As long as you fulfill the demands, we will not harm you. You have 2 minutes, if you don't leave by then, your life and the lives of your guards will end here."
Most of the dark elves got scared and wanted to surrender but not Leo and Ryu. Just before Leo could draw his sword, Ryu sought a conversation with their leader.
"Say, who are you?
"Huh, what kind of question is that? We are your demise if you don't leave soon!"
"Demise I see. Have you ever feared, ever felt total hopelessness?"
Leo was surprised that Ryu was asking so many questions. After all, he knew they wouldn't be friendly let alone leave them alone. Ryu had to have another intention behind his words.
"Man you are funny, do you want to change our minds with words you idiot? Actually, the only ones who will feel hopelessness are you!"
"Once again Master is right, words have no meaning in the face of superiority. Leo, protect our people, I'll take care of the rest.
("Wait a minute, did he just call me by name?")
("Be my edge, remain my strength and give me power...Master...")
Leo saw Ryu draw his sword for the first time. During training he used normal swords so this sword had to have a lot of meaning for him. There was something written on the handle and surprisingly, in the language of humans: the letters spelled out something like "Cursed Edge".
As instructed, Leo protected the group and limited himself to counterattacks. It worked well, but the group included archers. Leo was unsure he could block an arrow. Suddenly, before he could react, Ryu was standing in front of him. He let the projectile hit his back. Instead of crying out in pain, Ryu reached back and pulled the projectile out of his back. There appeared an open wound yet no blood streamed down his body. Leo wondered how he was so calm. Ryu himself said that he wasn't able to use magic. All of a sudden it became clear to Leo what powers are at work here. The name Cursed Edge made sense given the weapon's ability. The blade quickly enveloped in a dark red smoke.
"Master...I'm so sorry..."
Leo realized that Ryu was struggling with his past. That master he had was very important to him. Abruptly, Ryu disappeared from Leo's sight in a flash, killing two of the soldiers. The blows were precise and instantly killed. His blade drew blood from the dead attackers and sealed the wound. Ryu indeed controlled no magic, nor did his sword consist of any kind, at least no familiar magic. Not even Zaphiel knew where this ability originated or to what degree it could be used. However, it required incredible willpower and skill to master: his "Cursed Blade" had the ability of life stealing. Ryu's fight continued though it didn't last very long. Nobody could harm him, let alone hit him. The dark elf moved even faster than Leo used to using black magic. How could such a being exist and how could he have so much power without any magic? Ryu was a huge mystery to Leo, he had no vulnerabilities and was adept in both ranged and close combat. Whoever his master was could rival even the gods.
"Your skills are decent young swordsman. There is still a lot for you to learn. Although you are very doubtful right now, I see that you have great potential...Master would be of the same opinion as well..."
"Uh, glad to hear that. Does that mean you will be my teacher?"
"That is not possible for me, I myself have not yet fully accomplished Master's teachings."
("He still hasn't reached his limit? If anyone would be a monster, it would be him.")
"The danger has been eliminated, now let's continue our journey. As more time passes, the pressure on us increases."
Leo knew the lessons his master gave him. He was still lacking the responsibility of commanding, a very important factor for Ryu. Leo came up with a deal: He would demonstrate to him how orders work and in return Ryu would coach him. Having Ryu on his side, they had a big chance to really challenge Yrasil. To realize this thought there was still much work to be done. If everything would work out the way Leo intended to then his next move might decide the outcome of the war.