[Melina's POV]
(Hours after meeting Irina's father...)
Sigurd went searching for the leader of the Misbegottens, who stole sword from the castle... he searched around the top of the castle while I vantaged from the towers.
I scouted from one of the battlements and saw that there was more buildings at the back of the castle - built on the sloped face of a cliff which served as the foundation of the sturdy walls.
Sigurd went down the cliff-side, descending from the hill and eventually reaching the bottom - to the Southern-most shoreline of the entire peninsula.
There was a small island after the shoreline, just slightly submerged under the ocean. And standing on the island by itself is yet another Misbegotten.
This one is different... It is bigger in size and has a stony-looking spiked greatsword in it's hands.
"Hoo Hah...." Standing near the island, Sigurd closed his eyes, and seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts.
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing. I was just remembering some memories from long ago.... of the swordsman whom took on the arms of his fallen comrades."
Upon a more thorough inspection, however, it appears that the stone parts of the blade itself are actually countless other smaller blades grafted onto the main one.
"...And that thing has no business clinging it's stinky hands on such a weapon."
Sigurd finally took a step into the shallow water and onto the small island. "Hey there, hairy-fellow."
"Rah...?"
"I don't know who you're but... I'm here for the sword."
"Rah..." The Misbegotten looked at it's hands... "Roar!!!"
"Guess you aren't generous enough huh? Alright then, let us begin." Said Sigurd as he assumed a lower stance and readied his club.
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While the monster's attacks were fierce, it attacked with a finest that is not befitting of a beast. It's almost like the beast itself was a swordsman who knew how to use a blade.
On their first exchange of blows, the monster was able to damage Sigurd with a few claw swipes but nothing major connected.
With both creating distance, they watched each other from out of range, until...
"Take this!" / "Rah!!!"
They charged towards each other again.
'Clank!!!' The club and the greatsword slammed into each other, resulting in the smaller weapon being knocked into a recoil.
"...!"
The beast rushes forth seeing a chance to attack, charging towards him with yet another attack.
Sigurd moved backwards while barely raising his club to block the hit... The blade glanced across his chest and made a shallow cut.
"...." But, Sigurd didn't react at all to the damage he received. Instead, he steadied his stance and stopped moving altogether.
"Grr... Rah!"
The monster jumps to the air, and then slammed down with so much force that it can crush even a boulder.
Sigurd jumps backwards and dodged the attack... The attack knocked up a cloud of dust, blocking the view.
"Watch out!"
The Misbegotten charges forth with it's weapon raised overhead, using the screen as cover to distract Sigurd.
But without any hesitation, the man rushes forward at the same time with his club raised...
"Rah?!"
The two swung at each other again.... this time Sigurd's attack was the first to land, due to it's lighter weight.
'Clank!!!'
His club slams into the hilt of the greatsword and knocks the entire thing backwards, leaving the monster wide open.
"Got'cha!"
With two more swings to the beast, it soon fell to the ground.
"Hah... Hah... Don't rush so much or you'll get parried, fool...."
"Rah... Urgh..."
The beast, contrary to it's action just moments ago, handed the Greatsword to Sigurd with a defeated look.
"...." He took the blade without saying anything, and then started to walk towards me - to the exit.
Moments after that, the Misbegotten Warrior's face flopped to the sides... It's dead.
"Are you alright...?"
"Just a few shallow cuts here and there. He was a surprisingly skilled swordsman, no doubt."
"How could it have handed you the blade like that...?"
"Somehow... I guess a good duel can help clear the mind, beast or not. It's as simple as that."
"...."
While often an idiot, sometimes Sigurd does demonstrate the quality of a lord and a champion, just like the leader that he looked up to so much.
"Anyway, I've got myself this monstrosity now!" Said Sigurd as he raises the Greatsword up.... or at least tries to. "Hrgh...!"
"It seems that you're too weak to actually wield it. You seemed so impressive just now... and yet you still managed to ruin it."
"Oh shut up Melina...."
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In the end he sold the sword to a random merchant in the peninsula, and used the runes he got to buy another greatsword instead.
A 'Zweihander', as the merchant and Sigurd calls it.
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(At the same time...)
[Third Person POV]
The lonely man in his armour walked down the highway out of Weeping Peninsula.
With a random Tarnished there to take care of his loose ends, the man named Edgar can now finally go and retrieve his daughter that was sent away.
But...
"Rahaha!" (?x)
"There are more of them here...?"
The man's gaze then falls upon the tattered remains that those humanoid monsters surrounded.
"I...rina...?"
"Rahaha- Rah?"
"No... No no no, Irina!!!"
The warden raised his weapon and charged towards the monsters, looking more of a beast than the Misbegottens themselves.
Of course, the monsters were no match for a soldier of his caliber, and was driven off.
But... it was too late.
"Irina! Irina, you're safe now!"
"Urgh... Fa...ther..."
"Dear lord... Stay with me girl, you'll be fine! I'll get you to someone-"
"Thank goodness... the kind sir- cough!... must have.... made it... in... time..."
"What....?"
"Thank... you..."
From the loose blind fold of her, one could see that the light fades from the eyes of the blind woman.
In the end, was honor and duty worth more than the man's family?
The answer is only answered by the victims of such a sad yet preventable tragedy.
"Irina..."
The man held the corpse of his daughter in his hands for a time long after the warmth of a living person left the body of Irina.
(Chapter End)