Work Text:
Bregon was a planner by nature. At first…it was for his survival. His plans needed backup plans. Sometimes, even those plans need backup plans.
Each of those plans brought him closer to living another day.
Each of those plans proved food in his belly and a roof over his head.
Each of those plans added a little money to his pocket.
Slowly, he wanted more in his life.
More than just surviving.
More than just living from day to day.
No, he wanted more than himself and his people under him.
(He knew what happened if his plans failed and they did fail. The loss and blood are on his hands. He took that burden on himself until his corpse was burning under the dark sky.)
In the back of his mind, he wanted more than planning. He wanted to see the sun (if that was possible). He wanted to walk down the street without a curfew or spies in the dark.
Sometimes, things happen outside of his plans.
His plans didn't account for the traitorous Meneck. Excuse him…Lord Ganabelt.
(He should have. In hindsight, the signs were there.)
Most of all, his plans didn't account for Alphen and his ragtag group of friends. He heard the rumors of course. A man with a blazing sword cut down a lord. He only took small stock in rumors at all because there is always some truth in rumors. To find out that it was true…
For the first time in a long time, he felt that his plans weren't for living for the next day.
His plans started to reach farther than the next day.
His plans involved opening trade routes…(by the spirits, he would love to have tofu again.)
His plans involved rebuilding bridges and roads.
Rebuilding his people.
He started planning for the future.
Right now, the future needs to look the part.
Hope is a fragile thing. While Alphen doesn't think of himself as one, he has become a symbol of that fragile hope.
While the blazing sword helped…the rest of his outfit could live up to the symbol that he had become to them.
That is why he took Alphen here to the halls of a former lord.
(Yes, part of him took great pleasure in taking something of Ganabelt's precious collection and making it part of their history again.)
"Why are we here, Bregon?" Alphen said softly as he stared at the rows of suits of armor.
"Your clothes won't last if you keep setting them on fire." He said.
Alphen flushed as he looked at the state of his charred sleeves.
"I can just get a new set." Alphen mumbled.
"And if you burn through it during a battle?" He said pointy.
Alphan's face turned bright red at the thought. Good.
"And what do you suggest?"
"A suit of armor. Durable and offer more protection in battle."
Alphen shook his head. His face looked almost painful.
He frowned. Rinwell informed him that Alphen was missing a large part of his memories. Maybe, these suits triggered something.
"Alphen?"
"No one knows their stories," Alphen said softly as he reached out and touched the panel of glass in front of him. His face and his voice bore the expression of a deep sadness.
"Do you remember something?" He asked.
While he hadn't heard of any lord using them as soldiers, it wouldn't surprise him if they did.
Lords despised getting their hands dirty.
"Maybe…I don't know. I just get really sad when I see them. I wish that I knew their stories."
He understood. A part of him would love to know the history of his people but now, it wasn't the time. They had to think about the present and their future.
"Ganabelt seemed to keep quite a collection of our history. As I sort through this mess, perhaps, I will find out more. Right now, we need to get you a new outfit. Perhaps, you can honor our history by wearing it again," He said.
He won't say future or hero. He has seen Alphen's reactions to those words. He waved them off or became embarrassed by them.
"You're right. I think that I'm giving them a new story. Well…let's get started." Alphen said.
For a man with no memory, Alphen was rather…picky about the armor and great insight into each piece.
"Too heavy."
"Too light."
"Feels more like a decorative item than a suit of armor."
"This piece was for a woman."
Then Alphen ran his fingers along the last suit of armor then picked up the chest plate from the case.
"Is this it?" He asked.
"Maybe…I have to try it on," Alphen said.
It didn't take long for Alphen to put it on and it nearly made his jaw drop when he saw the armor on the man.
He looked precisely at what he thought he would look.
Hope.
"Well…what do you think?" He asked.
"It fits well but…." Alphen said with a pause.
"Yes?"
"Do you have something blue?"
End