Chapter Text
𓂃❁𓂃
Caelus likes to think he's a competent knight.
Being the son of one, he's grown to learn of the responsibility it takes to uphold one's duty, for one's task above everything else is to represent the kingdom's values and honor with your very life if you have to. His father has ensured to drill this lesson into his mind as soon as Caelus expressed interest of wanting to join the ranks.
To become a knight, you must swear to serve the Royal Family.
To become a knight, you must be willing to lay down your life for the people. To give the children a reason to live to see tomorrow.
He's gotten recognition for his efforts. Joining the ranks as a rookie, to being promoted as lieutenant, and eventually becoming one of the captains for a kid at his age. It was practically unheard of. His father had been so proud.
…At least, that's what Caelus had heard from his own captain at the time. His old man hardly ever gets to visit the castle from his station in Altum.
It's been like that for a while. His father would come up with several excuses to avoid seeing his son, stating that life at the citadel keeps him very preoccupied. And he gets it, he does. The Altum Region is home to frequent monster attacks out of all the main regions, after all.
But Caelus knew the real reason for his father's avoidance, it practically hangs off of his hip as a symbol for what-- no, who Caelus was. What he represented.
And it is the main reason for why he's being relieved from his captain duties on a regular Tuesday afternoon, moving further up the chain than he ever anticipated and straight into the Royal Family's inner circle.
"Ser Caelus," the king shattered the tension in the throne room, the weight of King Dan Feng's gaze boring into the back of his head from where Caelus kneels. "Wielder of the Master Sword. In addition to your duties as newly appointed Champion, do you swear by my brother that you will serve as his appointed knight as he learns to harness the powers bestowed on him by the Gods?"
His brother, Prince Dan Heng, stands off to the side, his expression betraying no emotions.
Caelus has only had the pleasure to interact with the prince once before, though "interact" was really stretching it, nor was it a pleasure at all. Caelus had practically saved his life. It's something he doesn't enjoy thinking about, because it seems his actions then had only worked to seal the nail in the coffin now.
("Don't draw any attention to yourself if you can, son," his father's words rang in his mind. "The royal family? They're in a world leagues above our own. Us commoners have no place or right to mingle with that crowd."
"Remember where we came from, alright? Do that and you'll be set.")
I swear, his traitorous mind supplies. He's of common blood, his family bears no legacy aside from being fishermen at their core. Denying the king of anything would put their family at risk, so Caelus sucks it up and swears to take on this Herculean task of being the prince's shadow.
Though… saying it might be more difficult than he initially thought.
The silence that ensues is deafening, one would be able to hear a pin drop.
"Ser Caelus?" He dares not look up from his position, the king's expectant tone piercing daggers onto his skin.
He opens his mouth, but his voice is caught in his throat. His skin prickles from the attention coming from all sides. Caelus can't look up-- Breaking formation would only earn him trouble, but saying nothing would be even worse.
From behind, a voice sneers at him. For a moment he'd forgotten that they had an audience present for his initiation—the Four Champions. "The king is addressing you, boy."
Caelus gnaws the inside of his cheek. He tries. He really does.
The words don't seem to come out anyway.
"Yingxing," Himeko, the Nameless Lands' Champion and chief, speaks in his defense. She's a strong-willed woman from what Caelus has heard. What she gains from admonishing Yingxing, the heir to the Lotus Forge and Zhuming's Champion, for his callous way of speaking, Caelus does not know. He's grateful for the intervention either way. "Let the boy gather his words. The request must come as a surprise to him."
Nevermind, it's so much worse. She was expecting something from him as well.
"Forgive this one for butting in, Your Majesty," Jing Yuan's familiar voice echoes from across the room. His steps grow ever closer as he approaches Caelus' side, resting his hand over his shoulder as a way to calm his racing heart. Caelus doesn't have to look up to know that the General was smiling, as usual.
He pointedly ignores the imposing presence that stands behind him. Jing Yuan's steady grip keeps him grounded to the situation at hand. A temporary comfort. Focus on it.
"You'll have to forgive our new friend here, words aren't exactly his strong suit. It is to my understanding that you might have not been made aware of this? He's been a knight for 4 years, I believe? Surely your advisors would've been up to date with your troops' medical conditions."
He hears King Dan Feng make a noncommittal noise of acknowledgement. Whether he was offended or not by Jing Yuan's words, it was hard to say. "…I was not. Forgive my ignorance in the matter, I shall have a word with them after this meeting. My request still stands, however. Do you agree to serve this important role you've been assigned to? You may nod your head yes or no."
He phrases it like Caelus gets a say in the matter. Like his opinion truly matters. But he knows better.
So he nods.
Yes.
For the first time since the meeting began, he sees the prince turn his apathetic gaze towards him. There's a glint to his eyes that Caelus can't make out, a stark contrast to the gratitude he expressed all that time ago.
He's…
Caelus quickly looks away.
Yingxing scoffs somewhere to the side. "Unbelievable."
"On behalf of both of us, I thank you, Ser Caelus. Do the kingdom proud as Dragonvista's new Champion," dread settles over him at the new reality he's meant to live with, and Caelus grips the sword's hilt with more strength than necessary. "The news of your appointment will begin to make rounds soon," the king continues. "Please accept my apology for the lack of ceremony to celebrate the occasion. My gratitude extends to all four Champions as well. Meeting adjourned."
The pressure around his lungs releases in one big sigh. He rises to his knees at the clear dismissal. Caelus wouldn't have wanted a kingdom-wide celebration anyway. Small mercies, he supposes.
It's thanks to Jing Yuan holding him upright that Caelus' knees don't wobble where he stands, the adrenaline slowly but surely wearing off by the second. The king retreats back to his study, leaving the rest of them to mingle in the throne room.
He notices the prince watch his brother leave with a complicated look.
"It is a real pleasure to formally meet you, Caelus," Himeko is the first to approach them, schooling her expression into a more welcoming one. "General Jing Yuan has told us a lot about the little fledgling he's taken a shine to. You'll have to forgive my assumption earlier, I meant no offense."
Caelys shakes his head in hopes of brushing off her concern. He's gotten used to the assumption over the years. She doesn't take his silence personally, offering him a smile all the same.
"Miss Himeko, why you're making me out to be all soft!" Jing Yuan laughs. The older man pats Caelus' shoulders, "Don't let his youthful face fool you, our little knight here is formidable in the battlefield. I know he'll do great things and reach even greater heights."
The man from before—Yingxing was his name? Mutters something under his breath. "Don't coddle him, Jing Yuan. That's how kids get their egos."
"Speaking from experience?"
"I worked to get to where I am today."
"Enough already," Himeko interrupts their banter before they get too carried away. The men back off, though not without a few glares from Yingxing.
Caelus feels her attention fall back on him again. "If the general is willing to vouch for you, then I suppose I'll have to take his word for it and trust in you too. Looking forward to working with you, little star. If you'll excuse me." She wanders off towards the prince, seemingly coaxing him out of his shell with just her presence alone.
It's surprising how easy she makes it seem, but then again, they must've known each other for quite some time if she was able to make him that comfortable.
"She's known Dan Heng since he was a kid, always making the trip to and from to visit whenever she can," Jing Yuan provides in the wake of her departure, confirming his assumptions. He supposes that makes sense. Caelus has caught glimpses of her every now and then during his time as a knight, however, none of the instances were too noteworthy. After all, talks amongst the knights aren't something he's particularly indulged in during his time here. Most of his information gathering comes from his own findings and, well, assumptions.
For Jing Yuan, Caelus has had the honor of fighting alongside him before. It was during a recon mission at the base of Luofu's Death Mountain pass, a group of monsters had been seen congregating near Foothill Stable. It was only by pure coincidence that Jing Yuan had been there, lending his aid to the squadron as they fought side by side together.
Caelus had been nothing but a mere foot soldier at the time, yet he still somehow managed to catch the general's attention in between all the fighting.
"Yingxing, Princess Firefly, why don't you two come introduce yourselves? Maybe start over with your first impressions?" He directed that last part to the former.
The telltale sound of the heir's derisive sigh scratched a part of Caelus' mind, already dreading whatever he was going to say, if at all.
"What's there to say? We're being expected to welcome the boy into our ranks without even knowing if he's capable beyond being chosen by that sword." The sword again, "Forgive me, but I cannot, for the life of me, see what exactly is so great about being handed this great honor that we had to work for."
His words weren't loud, yet the walls of the castle seem to echo his sentiments all the same. Yingxing doesn't bother hiding his distaste, making it known to Caelus what he really thinks about his title of Champion.
Like he hasn't earned the right to stand among them.
(He'd be right, the voice in his mind drills into him. The mental image of his father is the only face his illusions can conjure. We're commoners. No amount of fancy titles or rank will ever change that.)
"Yingxing--" Jing Yuan is about ready to rebuke, but somebody beats him to it.
"Ser Caelus was not merely given the title of Champion without merit," Caelus tries his best to school his expression, but hearing the mech—the princess's garbled speech behind the cockpit after so long… It makes the hairs on his neck stand on end. Don't say anything, don't say it-- "He's earned the right to stand among us for his contributions, just like the rest of us. Not many people become captain at such a young age if they weren't working hard."
The swordsman huffs. "You hardly even know the boy, yet you're speaking in his defense?"
"No," Caelus hears the hesitance even behind the mechanical whirring of her machine. His eyes bore into her mask. Don't say it.
The princess-- Fire-- SAM, angles her head down.
"It hardly takes a genius to recognize a capable warrior," Caelus breathes out all the tension in his body, loosening his fist where his nails nearly pierced through the skin. She hadn't divulged anything in the slightest. "You should know this considering you were once in his place."
"You—"
SAM shifted, seemingly already done with the conversation. "I shall be returning to my own duties now that the meeting is over. Please extend my apologies to the prince for the sudden departure." She gives them a nod of acknowledgement before the sound of her taking off shakes the banners in the throne room.
For a moment, Caelus feels a bit lighter now that she's gone. The pinpricks underneath his uniform didn't cease, though. It felt like he had been hanging from a precipice with no way to get back.
"That's probably the most I've ever heard the princess talk. She must've seen the potential in you at first glance, little one," yeah. That was it.
"…Whatever." Yingxing sighs.
Jing Yuan's lighthearted grin melts into a pensive frown, his gaze lingering on the horizon. "…Glamoth must be in really dire shape if the princess herself is fighting in the front lines."
"She may be a princess, but she's still a warrior underneath all the pomp. Besides, it's only a matter of time before our own settlements have their hands full with monsters. This meeting could've been a letter, if you ask me. You, boy," Caelus looks up to find Yingxing staring at him with that permanent frown etched on his face.
He can't really criticize him when Caelus likely has the same expression mirrored on his own skin. "How proficient are you in wielding that sword? I hope it wasn't mere talk what the rumors say about you. You not only serve as the prince's mutt now," he says it like an insult, "but you've got an entire kingdom standing behind you. If I'm at least saddled to play the role as mere support with the calamity upon us, I truly hope the main player is someone who actually knows what he's doing and what he's fighting for."
"Look alive, hero, because I'll be keeping a close eye on you for when you slip up." And the man saunters off, his words stoking a fire inside of Caelus that threatens to burst out if he doesn't compose himself. Not even an 'if' but 'when', like he fully expects Caelus to fail at this important task.
…What an infuriating man.
He hears Jing Yuan sigh, exasperated. How the two of them were even friends, Caelus doesn't know. Lady Himeko and the prince seem almost done with their conversation, so now was a good time to get started with his new duties—shadowing Prince Dan Heng as his appointed knight. What a delight.
"My friend, don't take Yingxing's words to heart. Just do your part and we'll do ours, alright?" Caelus nods, grateful at Jing Yuan's encouragement. "Try to get along with the prince in the meantime. His temperament is, well… much tamer than his older brother's. Don't take anything he says to heart either if he offends you in any way. Nine times out of ten he probably doesn't mean to, I'm sure Himeko over there is also letting him know to take it easy."
Caelus wasn't that much of a child, he can handle being spoken down to. He makes sure to thank Jing Yuan for the advice anyway, bidding his farewells as the general begins making his way back to his own village in leisure. That leaves only the prince, Lady Himeko, and him in the throne room.
The other two seem to notice that their friends have departed during their conversation, what with Himeko sporting a minute frown at a quick scan of the empty room. "Not even a proper goodbye? How rude."
Prince Dan Heng speaks up for the first time, his tone measured. "I'm sure they were eager to return back to their homes as soon as possible. Tensions are running high, and with the rise of Nanook's monsters spreading across every corner of the kingdom, many would feel anxious being away for too long."
He was right. Ever since the Diviner from Cloudford City relayed her divinations of the Calamity to the king, the effect was immediate. Mutated monsters began manifesting from the earth's cracks, attracted to the scent of the Divine Beasts they've uncovered to try and take control of them. One for each of the main settlements: Lotus Forge, Glamoth Palace, Cloudford City, and the Nameless Lands. Four Champions, four pilots.
And with Caelus' new promotion as the fifth, he's being tasked to protect the prince, the bearer of holy blood of the Gods meant to seal the Calamity. Both of them are the ones meant to stand in the eye of the storm once the prophecy comes true.
Caelus has already been chosen by the Master Sword, a reality that he's had to sit with for nearly two years. The prince on the other hand is still working towards accessing his latent powers.
And if what the diviner said is to be believed—which 9 times out of 10 she is, they have approximately four months before the Calamity is said to emerge deep within the ground.
Four months. Everyone is already making their final preparations before then, Caelus glanced down at the sword hanging from his belt, gripping the hilt with a complicated ball of emotions swirling in his chest.
Why me? Why did you choose me? Some nobody born in a fishing village.
I have to do this. If not me, then who else?
A hand lands on his head. Caelus looks up to find Lady Himeko staring at him, her brows furrowed with concern. Prince Dan Heng was also looking his way. He must've zoned out.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Caelus nods, stepping out of her reach.
He turned his gaze over at the prince, expectant.
(The prince was seventeen, right? Just like him.)
(…This was definitely going to be weird.)
The prince's blue eyes flickered with emotion, not even bothering to hide his frustration for much longer. "I suppose we may begin our routine for the day. We'll be traveling to Mistveil Village, Madam Herta will be expecting us by tonight. You have a horse, correct?"
He does. Pretty sure Richard has been eager to stretch her legs for a while now.
"Himeko, I take it you're heading back home as well?"
"Not quite, I have something to discuss with your brother before that. The desert can survive without its leader for a day or two. You two go on ahead."
"I wish you all the best," the prince begins making his way out of the throne room. Caelus offers Lady Himeko a bow before trailing after the prince.
Himeko watches the two boys' fading silhouettes with a fond expression on her face.
Those two will learn to get along sooner or later. Of that, she is certain.
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The knight was quiet. Too quiet, Dan Heng frequently had to make sure that the other was, in fact, following. Usually, the prince finds himself grateful for such small mercies, but the silence was nearly stifling, it wound up driving him mad instead.
"Words aren't exactly his strong suit."
That was what Jing Yuan had said. Either the knight's refusal to speak was of his own choice or something he was unfortunately born with.
It was something Dan Heng had to find out for himself.
Glancing at the knight in question, it took every shred of self-control to avoid staring at the sword hanging from his belt. The knight had eyes on their surroundings, like he was fully expecting danger to pop out from every hidden corner.
At least he was committed to his role.
He had been just a stranger back then—someone Dan Heng had never even considered prior to then.
Someone who had undeniably saved his life at the risk of his own.
Perhaps that is why Dan Feng had approved of the decision to have him assigned as Dan Heng's knight—so he could have someone capable enough to watch his back. Or, perhaps, just to insult him.
He doesn't know.
Dan Heng has lost the ability to read his own brother ever since their parents' passing.
Grief… What a complicated emotional process.
Perhaps Himeko was right; he should at least make an effort to get along with the knight, since they'll be stuck with each other for the next four months.
Will those four months be enough?
"…I believe I should've asked you earlier. Has anyone filled you in on our long list of itinerary before your initiation?"
The knight gives a 'so-so' motion. Great, it gives Dan Heng an opportunity to fill in the silence.
"The researchers at Mistveil have been fine-tuning a device that will allow us to remain in constant communication with the beast pilots. I believe that's why Madam Herta had requested us to meet up with her. You're familiar with her, correct?"
A nod.
"That saves us some explanation time. If my guess is correct, simply having this ancient tech won't be enough, we'll have to manually visit establish a connection with the Divine Beasts, which means we'll have to travel to each of the main settlements. The Champions will also be reporting their own progress piloting their beasts—don't worry, I will be taking the lead with that, seeing as I'm more familiar with their functions. Considering their proximity, we'll likely be paying Glamoth a visit first. I'll have to send a letter in advance…" he mutters, already drafting several of them in his head.
He shelves those thoughts, however. He'll have enough time to tackle such tedious tasks later. "Forgive me, I was lost in thought. As for what's next, well," Dan Heng tries not to let the bitterness slip into his tone, but he can’t help himself from feeling resentment, which had been slowly building up at the mere thought of the whole initiation. "I'm sure my brother has told you all about my lack of progress," not like he was quiet about it in the throne room, anyway, "so we're expected to visit the three lakes for any answers regarding these powers of mine. That… should be all, I think. Are you up to speed with everything now?"
The knight wordlessly stares at him for a couple of seconds. Seconds that feel like minutes to Dan Heng, but he gave a stiff nod all the same.
He was too quiet—unsettling so.
"…We'll be reaching Riverside Stable soon. Grab whatever you need for the road since it'll be a while before we reach the next one."
This was going to be a long journey indeed.
The thing about Mistveil Village is that despite their clan's reputation for being rigorous researchers, they tend to be an… eccentric group of people beneath all the discipline.
After leaving their horses back at the Dueling Peaks Stable, Arlan, Head of the Mistveil Security Guards, met them halfway up the mountain path to greet them in person.
"Good, you two made it in one piece. A big heads up before you enter the village, we've all been running on empty for a while trying to send Peppies to all four corners of the kingdom. Please excuse any and all franticness that you may see, we're exhausted."
It didn't take a genius to see the weariness in Arlan's eyes. He looked close to falling asleep on his feet if he hadn't been constantly moving. "Is the village low on people? Why didn't you send a request for backup?"
"Your Highness, with all due respect, can you even afford to expand your reach all the way out here? Our best engineers have migrated to the castle to improve on the Guardians after the mishap from a couple of months ago. How are you faring, by the way? We're sincerely sorry for all the trouble."
He's talking about the incident. "It's fine, Arlan. Things have been okay on my end regarding the matter," Dan Heng replied. Truthfully, they haven’t been. Oftentimes, his mind replayed the scene whenever he caught himself reflecting… It was hard to say whether that was a good thing or not. He supposed that he would have to explore that later.
Arlan didn't need to know that, however.
"Right, um-- Oh, be mindful of your steps, it rained recently. Madam Herta is at the main residence just up ahead. I'm afraid I still have a lot of duties to tend to. It was nice seeing you again, Caelus, Your Highness."
The village felt like a ghost town, now that he has time to take it all in.
Dan Heng could count on one hand just how many residents seemed up and about this late in the day. The few that were out seemed to be making several trips to and from other houses. Some were carrying boxes, while others were being trailed by their Peppy messengers. They were clearly overworking themselves for the sake of the kingdom.
And he was-- He wasn't making any real progress on his end.
"Let's hurry along," he said, shelving his worries for now. "We shouldn't keep Madam Herta waiting any longer. Be mindful of your step."
The slope was full of mud piles just waiting for them to slip up if they weren't careful.
As they were approaching the chief's house, Dan Heng halted his steps, hearing clear signs of an argument going on upstairs.
"Madam Herta, won't you please reconsider? I already have my hands full with my position at the castle, and Arlan is swamped with managing the Peppy service and his guard duties. We can't take on the chief title!"
That was Asta.
"Then hand it to somebody else. Asta, you know I trust your judgement. Anyone will do."
"But not everyone has what it takes! Will you please just listen-- Where are you going now? Herta!"
The door to the main house swings open from where they stand at the foot of the stairs leading up to it, Madam Herta's eyes boring into them with mild irritation. "To welcome our guests. You want me to act like a chief? Fine. You two, up here, now. How's that? Did I pass your little test with flying colors? Hospitality is a redeeming quality, and I've got plenty of it."
"Guests? As if we can afford to entertain guests at this--" Asta marches up to the entrance, her anger melting into surprise before growing flustered. "Your Highness! Forgive me—No, forgive us for all the ruckus! I wasn't aware you were coming."
"Speak for yourself," Madam Herta turned on her heel, walking back inside. "Well don't just stand there. Come in!"
Asta shot the woman a look over her shoulder. "You could be more welcoming. Come along inside… Oh! Ser… Caelus? What--?"
Her confusion was palpable from all the way down here. It was clear she hadn't been aware of the knight being assigned to Dan Heng, what with her being needed back home to aid the researchers.
Lady Asta served as an advisor for the castle, though more specifically, for Dan Heng. The last time they saw each other was three weeks ago; she wasn't present for the selection process.
Not that there was one to begin with.
"He's been assigned to me for the… foreseeable future," at least, that was his assumption. "We can talk about that later. Anyways, it's a pleasure to see you again, Asta. Pardon for the interruption."
The pink haired woman bore a contemplative expression, her eyes searching his for any answers. "A pleasure to see you too, Dan Heng. And don't worry about what you heard… I'm terribly sorry about that," her eyes landed on the knight lingering behind him. "It's an honor to meet you, Caelus, truly. Come inside."
The house’s interior was in a huge disarray, several tomes lying about along with research papers scattered on the floor, to boot. Clearly, both Madam Herta and Asta have been busting their backs as well.
Dan Heng reached to inspect one of the stray scrolls, his curiosity getting the better of him. 'Anti Aging Rune'? What--
"Curious about that one?" Madam Herta popped up behind him, plucking the paper out of his hands. "Me too. I've been researching how to achieve it, but so far no dice."
"Let me guess, a side project of yours? Shouldn't we be focusing on… more important issues at hand?"
"Trust me, little blue," little blue? "I am. Caelus, help me out. This whole place is a mess. Can't even keep track of what's what anymore." The knight jumped into action without any more prompting. Huh.
Asta huffed from the sidelines, holding a stack of books of her own. "I told you to only bring the essentials from your lab. What do you even need 'The Biology of Wildlife' for? We're trying to program here."
"Oh, Ruan Mei was looking for that. Put it to the side, she'll come for it later." Madam Herta freed one of her hands to gesture Dan Heng forward. "Princey, leave the cleaning to Asta—"
"What? But I have work to do!"
"Then delegate! I'm pretty sure Capote out there isn't doing squat as per usual, get him to clean up," Dan Heng felt a pang of guilt, having noticed the stress that seemed to keep piling up on Asta’s shoulders. "There are things I have to discuss with these two."
"…Fine. But our discussion from earlier isn't finished." Asta sighed, turning her back to them as she continued picking up what remained. "I… I really need your answer soon, Herta. No more running off."
It was hard to discern what kind of expression was on Madam Herta's face from under her hat. Asta didn't seem to be expecting an answer anyway, stepping out of the house to probably look for extra hands, if there were any.
Madam Herta began making her way towards the second floor. "Let's go, you two. Asta can handle herself quite well."
Dan Heng doesn't have the heart to refute her statement.
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"So I've got good news and moderate news, depends on how you want to interpret it. Let's start with little blue first—give me a sec."
Compared to the main room downstairs, Herta's study was much more neater and well put together, a feat Caelus didn't know was possible for a genius like her.
"Gah, where is the blasted thing…" Herta fumbled through several boxes before her face lit up. "Found it! I present thee the one and only, will be working on making a copy later, ancient Mistveil tech meant to serve as a multi-purpose device. I dubbed it: The Herta Pad, or just teleslate if you're boring. Here, turn it on." She handed the item over, almost shoving it into his hands.
Caelus wordlessly passed it over to the prince, who mutters a thanks for the gesture. The screen lit up. On it, Mistveil’s signature flower, the Clematis, flashed for the briefest of moments, before they are shown a map that is meant to represent Dragonvista as a whole.
"This is amazing. You can even pinpoint the smaller towns and various landmarks." Prince Dan Heng glides his finger across the the screen, being able to drag, pinch, and even add little stamps in the locations of his choosing. "This could really be helpful in our journey. What are these symbols on the side?"
Caelus promptly gave way so that Herta can walk by, circling around the two of them to give them space to converse.
"These bad boys are built-in runes for use. This one up here are your bombs," what.
"What?" Herta chuckled.
"Yes, just press the icon and the Herta Pad will conjure you a remote bomb of your choosing: Round or squares. Fret not, they can only be detonated manually through the screen, so you can freely hold it for however long you wish and throw it once you're ready to blow it up."
It was easy to tell that this information greatly piqued the prince’s interest, even if they were talking about bombs, of all things. "And what about the others? I'm guessing this next one is related to magnetism. What's this yellow one?"
"Stasis," Caelus felt Herta latch on to his sleeve and nudge him forward, pulling him to stand a little closer to them. She gave him a questioning look but continued with her explanation. "With that, you'll be able to stop a target for a limited amount of time while storing their kinetic energy. It works on objects and people, though people tend to break out of it much faster than objects."
"Fascinating. And this last one?"
"That's Cryonis. Works on bodies of water only, and it can even help you traverse through them."
She wasn't kidding when she said it served as a multi-purpose tool. After hearing her straightforward—and admittedly helpful—explanations, it didn’t take much longer for Caelus to begin visualizing situations where the runes could come in handy.
Even Prince Dan Heng was impressed, turning over the device with genuine curiosity and wonder. He seemed like the type who showed a surprising amount of interest in the historical aspects of technology, as well as their more practical functions. "So it's truly complete now?"
"That's where the moderate news comes in-- Don't give me that look, the main functions are completely fine. It's regarding the compendium," she leans over, pressing on the side bar on one of the icons. It's a page of blank file names. "It's just a minor thing, really. We couldn't restore many of the files about the various wildlife, you'll have to manually fill them in. Just snap a picture and I believe the Herta Pad will be able to fill in the blanks automatically. Otherwise, this bad boy is all set and ready for use. I do plan on making a second copy but I've already got the schematics down. Your thanks is greatly appreciated~"
"Thank you, Madam Herta. I'll see if I can get those pictures filled in during our journey."
"Don't go flaunting it about willy nilly either," she steps back with a furrow in her brow, the air in the room growing tense. "The village recently had a breach and I suspect it had something to do with the Herta Pad. That's partially why everyone has been so on edge lately."
A pool of dread churns in his stomach. Someone recently tried to break into the village? Hardly anyone ever makes it inside with all the tight security measures Arlan has set up. Unless…
Unless it was someone who's intimately familiar with Mistveil's techniques.
"The Legion," the prince bites out. Even Herta can't hide her grimace at the stark reminder. "They really-- Nobody was injured, right?"
"Just a few minor bruises. I have complete faith in our security guards. It was Asta who delivered the news to me, which is why I've relocated temporarily here to strengthen the barriers around the town."
And based on what they overheard from their earlier discussion, Caelus could put the pieces of the puzzle together regarding what it was about.
Asta was hoping Herta could take on the chief title and permanently station herself here. But knowing Herta, being stuck in one place was not something she particularly enjoyed.
The solemn look on Prince Dan Heng’s face seemed to suggest that he had come to the exact same conclusion. "I see…"
Herta pushed up her glasses, waving off the tension with a grin. "Don't worry your pretty little head about our problems. Just be very cautious whenever you're using the pad, alright? I'll go through the explanation on how to establish a secure connection with the Divine Beasts in a moment," she turned her gaze to him, a knowing glint in her eyes, the kind she gets when she has finally figured out an answer to her questions. "Little one, I managed to find the thing you've been looking for, remember?"
The thing he's been-- Wait.
…No way.
Caelus pushed himself off the wall with a start. He remembers having told her about it way long ago back when he was a kid! He figured she must've chalked it up as some fairytale, or a dream he must've conjured up.
But did she really find a clue?
Herta seemed to find his reaction surprising, a look of offense briefly passing over her face. "What, did you seriously believe after the story you shared, you thought that my curiosity wouldn't be piqued? Come on, brat, who do you take me for? I've got the picture to prove it. Look," she said, pulling out an envelope and handing it over.
With all the care he could muster up, Caelus flipped up the opening and pulled out a slip of paper. His nerves buzzed with adrenaline.
It was likely the clearest shot she could've taken, but there was no mistaking that familiar white silhouette of a wolf darting in between the trees. Caelus… recognized that landmark. It was—
"That's near Woodland Stable."
Hearing the prince's voice so close to him startled Caelus out of his daze.
Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, though it felt like a few for Caelus.
Too close.
The both of them take a step back, and it took Caelus a couple of seconds to settle down his nerves. "Apologies, I was curious… What is it, if you don't mind me asking?"
"It's a wolf," Herta answers. She's got this dead-eyed look in her face that Caelus doesn't even wish to decipher. At least she, even with her occasional nosiness, knew not to pry. "One that this one here has been searching for since he was a kid. The brat used to come into my lab talking about these weird dreams he would have; the wolf was one of the more common ones, so I figured I would try looking into it."
"An arctic wolf living near the volcano? That's practically unheard of," Caelus found that Prince Dan Heng's attention was solely focused on him now. "Forgive my bluntness, but what do you intend to do with this information anyway? I… despise having to pull rank, but given our situation…" he trails off.
There wasn't much that Caelus could do about the matter.
He’s duty-bound to the prince, first and foremost; he didn’t have the luxury to lead his own investigations anymore.
Had Herta managed to hand this to him before his initiation, Caelus would've gone off to search for more clues about the animal himself. But now…
Having mere photographic proof of its existence would have to be enough.
"Seriously, nothing? Look at what that sword has done to you," Herta tutted, clearly disappointed. "You've finally got the one clue you've been waiting for your whole life and you're choosing to discard it for the sake of... The brat I knew was zealous with adventure, so eager and willing to ask questions even if they were ridiculous. I hardly recognize the boy standing before me now."
It was hard to put into words hearing what he had been thinking for years coming out of Herta’s mouth, of all people.
Caelus pursed his lips, forcing down the uncontrollable wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him if he stayed in this room for even a second longer. He slid the photo (and all of his childhood hopes and dreams) back in the envelope for safekeeping. There was nothing he could do.
I'm sorry for disappointing you.
He nodded, grateful for her efforts regardless.
"…Will that be all for today?" Prince Dan Heng tentatively asked, visibly awkward from the sudden confrontation that had unfolded before his eyes.
Herta clicked her tongue, clearly disappointed from Caelus's lack of reaction. "Sure. We can go over the details tomorrow instead, I'm sure the both of you are tired from your journey. Someone will lead you to your rooms."
"Thank you, Madam Herta. Have a good rest of your evening."
As he sat in the room that had been provided to him away from the prince's prying eyes, Caelus took out the photo one last time and held it up to the moon.
The distinct outline of the wolf that used to visit his dreams all those years ago still felt unreal. Even if the image was blurry, Caelus could still recognize that familiar shade of white as if it were second nature.
"... You exist," his voice was carried by the silence and emptiness of the room. It was rusty from lack of use over the years, but it carried the weight of somebody who had finally found what he had been looking for, only to have to give it all up for the sake of his oath made to the kingdom. To the prince. "That will have to be enough."
He cradled the envelope close to his chest, letting the gentle shower of the rain quietly lull him to sleep. "It has to be enough..."
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