It was a quiet, but frantic ride heading towards the capital.
With the disappearance of Stergos, the Paladin, and the other half of the corp; we didn't know what else to expect.
Morale was at a needlepoint, Flaur's sobbing had simmered down to a fitful cower as she refused to leave my lap. I had never been this close to anyone in my life, never mind a woman. My family had never truly believed in physical touch as a source of comfort. I could count the times I had hugged my parents on my hand before they had died.
But, I didn't feel strange for doing so. Flaur had just lost her closest confidant, his circumstance being unknown with his disappearance.
The most I could do now was act as her anchor as she hung onto me, too afraid to let go; what if she too disappeared if she did? It felt like that'd happen with how fragile she felt right now.
I felt her small body mold into mine as I kept her close, my arms wrapped gently around her back and head as I focused on other things.
That Paladin being one of them.
At first I didn't recognize who she was, it was a sudden surprise to say the least. But, mulling it over, I did know.
She was Diligence, one of the Virtues of Aurum.
But... that should be impossible, as Diligence was alive back in CoE, over a thousand years ago.
Humans had modest lifespans in the game, reflecting their real-world counterparts with the average given eighty years. Demons, on the other hand, could live upwards to one hundred and fifty; nearly double that of a Human.
From what I've seen of the existing Demons thus far, Demons reach their maturity at around fifty years of age and slowly age throughout the other hundred or so years.
Being a powerful support character you could summon during the RTS sections of the game, Diligence and her six other sisters acted as your primary source of power as Aurum.
To be frank, they were a thinly-veiled cheat code given how OP they were. Summoning just one of them would given you a major advantage against Ars Goetia's strategy, sometimes even completely overturning any hidden game mechanics they had planned during the campaign.
What a mystery, I have to look into it more once we've recouped at the capital. I just hope by the time we get there, Flaur would recollect herself; I wouldn't want her to spiral further down.
"Your Majesty, we should be reaching the Krasik Plateau by midnight; there, I do believe we have to briefly stop for the steeds." One of the corpsmen relayed to us from atop his horse.
Flaur said nothing, her face was drained of color as she only gave a meek nod in response to the report. With that, the corpsmen departed and returned to his group.
The Krasik Plateau, from what I remember, it was an arid section of the map comprising of snaking ravines and an encompassing cave system. There wasn't much else to it, other than that it would lead towards the existing kingdom; a connecting place, but not a destination itself.
"Ster...gos..." Flaur weakly whispered, her lips pressed against the cloth of my new shirt. I kept quiet, pretending to not have heard her as I held my head facing the distance ahead.
Why did Stergos give himself up for me? Why did he think I'd be a better choice for Flaur? Looking at her now, all I felt was doubt; how could I ever replace him?
No, don't let yourself get like this; not now, anyway. There is a girl carrying the hopes of a nation in your arms, there is no room for your own self-doubt right now; store it away, bury it deep.
Don't disappoint him.
---
"Her Majesty, how is she?" One of the royal guards asked, I believe his name was Hyal.
He had his helmet off, revealing his aged features. A little older looking than the other Demons, he had fine crows feet sinking into his face as he cautioned a worried smile.
"She's stable, that's the most I can say," I told him, I was standing guard outside of her temporary makeshift tent as Ashari and the children were inside with her. This would've been Stergos' post.
"I see... to believe we would escape one dire end to only meet the next and suffer through it, haaa" Hyal gave a dry laugh.
"Here, have this, it'll keep you warm during your watch," Hyal handed me a small flask with what looked like a viscous brown liquid sloshing inside. It smelled like cough syrup.
"Why do the royal guard not keep watch over her Majesty?" I asked Hyal as I took a sip from the flask.
It tasted strangely like sickly-sweet plums, I felt it sluggishly crawl through my throat as it reached my stomach. I didn't feel the heat that Hyal promised it'd give me, but I pretended to feel the effects to assure him that it hadn't gone to waste.
"Her Majesty, at protest to most, doesn't value herself very highly," Hyal explained.
"She claims that it's far more important that we tend to protecting the campsite as a whole rather than diverting troops to guard her tent. It's no surprise that we all act as worried old farts in turn of this decision,"
"It's why we're thankful you've taken... inherited Master Stergos' post, to act as her watcher," Hyal said with a melancholic twinkle in his eye.
"Thank you, I..."
"I must go now, once the steeds are ready, we break for dawn. Get some rest while you can," Hyal cut me off as he broke away.
To be still in such high spirits knowing that half of all of your comrades had just died hours ago.
I felt my chest tighten as this feeling of loss weakened ever so slightly.
There's still hope, for those who remain.