There was a drastic shift in the scenery a half-hour after the two departed from the fire station. No longer were they persevering through the desolate desert, or the plague-ridden station where danger lurked in every corner. Instead, the two found themselves in a breathtaking flowery vista blessed by Mother Nature. The abundance and variety of colorful flowers and lush tall grass made their surroundings quite heavenly to behold. The direct contrast with the natural field they strolled through and their previously explored locations made SIGMA appear tolerable for living conditions.
A side-sweeping breeze came through the fields, brushing against Lyn's hair as flower petals and pulled grass tickled her skin mid-flight. Flocks of seagulls soared through the skies seeking warmer shelter elsewhere. Lyn parted the side of her hair to resist the wind. The lush tower was still miles away, but they had shown great progress with the pace they were traveling at.
"Okay... what do you call a sad strawberry?" Alfaic asked Lyn.
"I do not know," Lyn replied.
"A blueberry!" Alfaic joked. "Get it? Because blue represents the color of sadness, and a strawberry is a fruit!"
Lyn continued moving without reacting to Alfaic's joke.
"Okay, I got another one. What did the pickle say to the cucumber?" Alfaic attempted again.
"I do not know,"
"You mean a great dill to me! Get it? Because pickles are sometimes called dill, and... it means you mean..." Alfaic paused. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to laugh a little from time to time. Sure, SIGMA's no joke, but you know what we're supposed to do? We're supposed to make our own little fun and enjoyment so we don't get carried away in all the problems in the world."
"And how we would do that?" Lyn asked.
"Hmm... well, why don't you try telling a joke?" Alfaic suggested. "Try and make me laugh!"
Lyn stopped moving and slanted her eyebrows. She looked down at her palms and gently closed her eyes. Ten seconds passed, and Alfaic was getting worried about what was happening inside her head.
"Lyn? You okay?" Alfaic asked.
"I'm thinking." She said.
"Okay, okay..."
"I have one," Lyn said, reopening her eyes and brandishing Alfaic. She held it up to her face. "What... did the pickle... say to the cucumber?"
Alfaic, who noticed her lack of originality, wanted to say the correct answer to the joke. Knowing Lyn, she would have preferred having the stage to herself in success rather than being cut short. "I don't know. What did it say?" Alfaic asked.
"I... I want a great deal from you!" Lyn shouted.
"Uh..." Alfaic voiced out, before breaking out into laughter at how terrible Lyn's attempt at a joke was. "Your answer was funnier than the entire joke! Good try. Maybe you'll get it some other time-"
"Blade, wait," Lyn commanded, placing Alfaic on her back holster. Stretched beyond the grassy horizon was an unobtrusive set of stone and wooden houses along the path, only several meters away from where they stood. She hastened her footsteps, dashing along the stone path to examine the village closely. She had hoped there were no signs of rotten and infected creatures to taint the heavenly environment they stood in.
"Leave me alone! I want to see her myself!" A rather childish and squeamish voice of a male child stopped Lyn in her tracks. A boy wearing a white knitted cotton shirt with light brown chinos sprinted through the flowery field, seemingly fleeing from something hostile that was chasing him. The boy did not look back, nor did he notice Lyn's presence around his peripheral view.
Alfaic detached itself from Lyn's back and hovered around her, primed to attack. Lyn grabbed the extendable assault rifle from behind, aiming it behind the child's back ready to fire the moment the hostile came running. Contrary to their expectations, a short female wearing a white ruffled dress followed the boy, chasing him at half the speed he was exerting.
"D...Damian...!" The female's cry failed to stop the boy from running. She pressed her palms against her knees and bent down, inhaling and exhaling copious amounts of oxygen to withstand her loss of stamina. She had bright pale skin and short feathery blonde hair that was at neck-length. A violet-colored hairclip parted her hair near her temple. "Damn you... and your fast legs..." She whispered.
Lyn approached the female, placing her rifle away. She stared down at her as Alfaic circulated around the girl, examining her for any possible dangers.
The girl lifted her head and gasped in surprise at Lyn's presence. After a swift examination of Lyn's weapons and tactical gear, she pointed in the direction of where Damian, the little boy, had sprinted off. "Hey! Hey! Excuse me! You look like someone who could help me! Could you help me catch my brother? He's just run off and I have no idea where the hell he's going!" She breathed.
Lyn turned her head towards the path where Damian ventured off to. She turned back to the girl and nodded. "Stay." She commanded, before leaping into action. Her precise and calculated swiftness shredded through the fields as she stormed off in a matter of seconds, catching up to Damian before he could hide in the shaded woods on the far side of the village.
Lyn snatched Damian's white shirt by the neck and leaped towards an oak tree's branch to frighten him with the fear of heights, hoping to stop his movement. Damian kicked and screamed at the top of his lungs, his prepubescent voice making him sound like an ear-piercingly shrill horn. Lyn disregarded his feelings and leaped off of the tree with Damian in her arms. She landed on both feet in front of Alfaic and the girl.
Damian sniffed the mucus in his nose, letting it slide down his throat. He wiped his brown eyes with his fingers, ridding the tears to make him appear more manly. "This isn't fair," He sulked as Lyn released him in front of his sister. "I want to see Elaina. I want to see her now!" He wailed.
"It's not safe in the tower," The sister stated, kneeling in front of Damian to rub his light brown hair. "You already know that. She's fulfilling her purpose as we speak. It's for the greater good of the villagers."
"It's not fair! She doesn't deserve that! She didn't do anything wrong!" Damian cried. "Why won't you listen to me, Cethe? Why won't the others listen?!"
"I am listening to you... and we are telling you, no," The sister named Cethe voiced out in a sisterly manner; her tone fluctuated between both highs and lows, indicating her sisterly position in their family. "You wouldn't want to join Elaina there now, would you?"
"N-No..." Damian croaked.
"Exactly," Cethe said. "Alright, enough said. Get back home before Mom gets mad at us. You've also got to help out the blacksmith's family moving all those materials and finding a replacement warrior. You told them yesterday you would do it, and-"
"Okay, okay!" Damian groaned, skipping back to the village to stop his sister from bickering his tasks even further. He disappeared in a matter of seconds, highlighting his fast feet.
Cethe sighed, placing both of her hands on the back of her neck for relaxation purposes. "Man, what a bother he can be..." She whispered, before turning toward Lyn and Alfaic. "Thank you so much. He's been causing a lot of trouble around the village because... well, of some things I can't really say."
"There are more of you?" Lyn asked.
"Oh, yeah," Cethe replied, nodding. She took her time to examine Lyn's body from head to toe, witnessing an otherworldly being in her presence. Her futuristic attire, slender body, and mature complexion were too peculiar to be a denizen of her current village. Her eyebrows perked up, and her mouth widened in astonishment. "Whoa! You're not from here, huh?!" She was taken aback.
"No," Lyn said. "The tower. What is in there?"
Cethe sighed, dropping her shoulders down. "Well, I guess you heard it already... but one of our family members is there," She said. "Elaina's been stuck there for a long time, and Damian's one of the only ones who know about her being there. It's like the others are ignoring her. Even mother and father..."
"Why is she there?" Lyn asked.
"She... it's hard to talk about it right now." Cethe mentioned.
Alfaic burst out in pure enthusiasm and ecstatic glowing in luminous gold. "The tower! I know now!" It cried out. "There has to be a lord there!"
"AHH!" Cethe leaped back and toppled on the grass beneath her. Her face swelled up in discomfort at Alfaic's presence. "Is that... a talking sword?! Oh my god, it really is, isn't it? I'm not just imagining things?!"
Lyn shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "It is your imagination." She said, even though Alfaic had already unveiled itself.
"No, it's not," Alfaic intervened. It flew next to Cethe's face. "Sorry, I got a little carried away... Is your sister... a lord?"
"The sword's talking... the sword is talking," Cethe repeated, sweat dripping from her anxious forehead.
"Answer the blade's question." Lyn forcefully commanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Cethe replied. "Actually, I never really bothered to ask. Maybe it could be my grandfather or my grandmother... I don't even know. But I know that Elaina wasn't normal."
Alfaic returned to Lyn. "This is our chance! This Elaina person must know something about the lords of SIGMA. The lords used to rule SIGMA with an iron fist, and maybe if we were to find one, they would know of my true owner!"
"True owner? What are you even talking about...?" Cethe asked, confused out of her mind.
"Take me to your family, Cethe," Alfaic requested. "I need to speak to them."
"Uh, they're not exactly keen on talking with a flying sword..." Cethe replied, sweating profusely.
Lyn snatched Alfaic from the air and placed it in her back holster. "Then I will ask," She requested. "But I will not return the blade until I have finished my mission."
"I have so many questions..." Cethe whispered to herself. She stood up and dusted the dirt and grass from her white dress. "Okay, I'll take you to see my family, and maybe Elaina. But... you two have to do something for me too. If you can, then I'll let you go."
"What?" Lyn asked.
Cethe smirked with a bright expression, placing her hands behind her back as she fidgeted them. She teetered on her toes and examined Alfaic by nudging her head to the side, beaming with excitement. "Our village is having a ceremony to determine the next warriors that will defend our territory. We really want someone who's a master of swordsmanship to put on a show for them that'll really lift their spirits. And... well, after seeing you save my brother so fast, I think I've chosen you for the job. I do owe you a little bit, after all."
"What do you want me to do?" Lyn asked.
"During the night of the ceremony, I need you to perform for the villagers," Cethe explained. "Give them a great show that'll knock their socks off! And who knows, maybe if they find out that I recruited you and the sword, then maybe they'll finally approve me of being a warrior myself."
"You want to be one too?" Alfaic asked. "It's not easy holding a sword. Besides, those infected creatures are all over the world. It'll take a lot of skill... and guts."
"You're one to talk!" Cethe exclaimed, pouting her face. "You're just a sword!"
"Just... a sword...?" Alfaic whispered.
"Yeah, and this woman probably holds you all day and night!" She turned back to Lyn and gazed up at her face with her hand held forward; their height difference was beyond comparison. "Oh, speaking of... I'm Cethe of Stravia, our village flagship. What's yours?"
Gazing down at Cethe's hand, Lyn could not help but remember Lordran's offering hand before they had journeyed to the fire station's cabin. Their handshake had signaled partnership, but it was only a few hours later that he had betrayed her. The bitterness and uneasiness of Lyn's reaction to Lordran's betrayal made her reject Cethe's friendly form of partnership. "I will not." She muttered.
"Huh?" Cethe asked.
"I will not-"
"Lyn!" Alfaic hastily introduced for her, reducing the gilded tether of their hostility to a halt by offering partnership in her stead. "Her name is Lyn. And I am Alfaic, the legendary sword held by one of the greatest lords of SIGMA. It's a pleasure to meet you, Cethe."
"Lyn... Alfaic..." Cethe voiced out, lowering her hand. Her eyes traced themselves toward Lyn's black tattoo on her left arm, reading out the LYNBG52 in her mind. She smiled at the both of them, blushing in embarrassment and utter joy. "Okay. It's settled then. Lyn and Alfaic, you two can head to Stravia with me. It's a safe place. Food, water, shelter... everything you need these days to survive. And don't worry about the monsters. Our warriors will take care of any that try to fight us Stravians!"
"Cethe," Lyn called out. "When I have fulfilled your request, you will take me to the tower."
"Don't worry," Cethe said. "I'll keep my end of the bargain, just so as you help our villagers. We really could use it."
"Then let us depart," Lyn said, paving the way toward Stravia with Cethe.
"Wait," Alfaic called out. "Cethe, you can move on ahead. I need to speak with Lyn for a moment."
"Oh, okay," Cethe agreed. "Then, you can meet me near the big windmill after you two talk it out. I'll be waiting for you two there, so come soon!" Without another word, Cethe sprinted off toward the village.
Lyn grabbed Alfaic and held it in front of her, with a sour expression of doubt riddled on her face. The breeze blew against her face, but it did not stop her from concentrating on her doubt. "Why are you so quick to trust her?" She asked. "And why do you speak for me?"
"Because I know you're upset about Lordran," Alfaic said. "I know you are. You feel anger too, don't you? After he lied to you?"
"Anger..." Lyn annoyingly brushed aside.
"That's why you didn't shake Cethe's hand, even when you did for Lordran," Alfaic continued. "But you need to know that she's completely different from him. She's not hostile, nor is she trying to start any trouble. And for once, we can be closer to achieving our goal of finding a lord of SIGMA. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"My mission is to eliminate our forebearers who seek the truth, and assume their lord," Lyn repeated as a broken record usually would.
"Assume a lord... so now, after thinking about it... does that mean you're going to become a lord of SIGMA too?" Alfaic asked. "And... do you think Elaina is a lord of SIGMA? Or is Cethe hiding something?"
"I do not know," Lyn replied. "But we must go to the tower. Enough of these trivialities. We do not need the girl's help."
"No, no!" Alfaic cried. "We have to help Cethe. What if Elaina is a lord of SIGMA? How will we be able to defeat her without Cethe's assistance? The lords of SIGMA are powerful swordsmen immortalized in victory and time with their undying hearts! If Lord Elaina was my original wielder, are you prepared to kill her and take responsibility for the loss of my justice?!"
Lyn ignored Alfaic's goal. "You knew my forebearers," She stated, reminding it of its persuasive words to her the moment they had met. "Tell me who they are. Or are you a liar?"
"No, I'm not..." Alfaic's voice lowered itself. "Don't call me a liar. Don't use that against me. I'm helping you, don't you realize that? You can't keep letting Lordran take control of your mind-"
"Lordran is DEAD!" Lyn shouted, throwing Alfaic to the ground. The sensation of unbridled rage flew through her frail fingertips, and her knees wobbled in uncertainty. Her chest wanted to melt, and her fists wanted to strike something. Clenching her teeth at the thought of Lordran's face, she slammed her fist into the dirt below her. A massive quake formed around her, shaking the terrain beside her.
Alfaic's supernatural abilities warped it behind Lyn to hover beside her. "Lyn...!" It pleaded. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned his name. Just... try to relax. You're angry right now."
"Blade..." Lyn voiced out, clenching her fist after beating it down below. "I do not... like liars."
Alfaic paused, watching Lyn turn around to face it with dignity. Her guilty sorrows mixed in with her voice, creating an undeniable barrier between her dislike for liars. "I'm not... lying." Alfaic voiced out with a hint of demise in its voice.
"Then that is enough," Lyn accepted. "I... I am sorry."
"I am too," Alfaic replied. "But Lordran is in the past now. Cethe is different! You have to trust me. I'm... I'm just sure of it."
"Let us hope you are correct," Lyn said, placing Alfaic on her back holster. "Let us move to Stravia."
As soon as they departed, Alfaic's deception was bound to its conscience as undeniably one of the worst decisions it had ever made. Lyn could not read minds, but she was a mere centimeter away from weaving through Alfaic's lies about her forebearers. Playing it back in its system made it drastically worse, but it kept informing itself of their interaction only being temporary. A single white lie would be nothing compared to death itself.
Or would it? Lyn's destructive nature, perhaps, was worse than all of it.