Fate In Time 33 Chapter 33

If there was a reason for the silence atop Efret's back, then it had to do with him and not Arturia. It wasn't that he didn't want to dispel the silence, but it was just that he couldn't formulate any words. Instead, his gaze just wasn't leaving Arturia's form. Her attire was so surreal that he still couldn't believe it at first. However, the feeling of Arturia's back pressing against his chest as they rode on Efret was unmistakable. It was soft and had the fragrance of fresh flowers.

Despite Efret's size, there wasn't actually much room atop its back. After all, neither he nor Arturia wanted to trouble Efret by moving too close to one of its flapping wings and unbalancing it. Therefore, the two sat squarely at the center of Efret's back, Arturia in front and s.h.i.+rou behind her.

Furthermore, not only was s.h.i.+rou troubled about the silence, but he was also troubled about whether or not he should wrap his arms around Arturia to make sure she doesn't fall of Efret's back because of the high-alt.i.tude winds. Unlike himself who could reinforce his body to secure it safely on Efret's feathers, Arturia didn't have such a luxury; if the white knuckled grip she had was any indication of her plight.

Thinking it over one last time, he decided to put away his reservation in exchange for Arturia to experience a more comfortable flight.

Justifying his actions with that one thought, he wrapped his arms around her. Unexpectedly, she jolted from the action, her face flus.h.i.+ng red despite him not being able to see it. Just from his close proximity to her, he felt it when a slight shudder ran across her body. Similarly, he felt it when she began to relax. The grip she had on Efret slackened until she moved her hands over his which were wrapped around her back and clasped over her stomach.

"Thank you," she said in a small voice; the tone of which was lacking the general sharpness she normally annunciated around others. Therefore, the femininity in it was unmistakable even as she tipped her head down in embarra.s.sment. Clearly, she was being self-conscious on the fact that he had picked up on her troubles.

The urge to pull her in close nearly overwhelmed him at that point, yet he reeled himself in and put the calmest expression he could muster over his face.

Instead of answering to Arturia's thanks, he nodded instead. Although, he only realized afterwards that Arturia wouldn't have had been able to see him nod with their positions. Therefore, he opened his mouth to answer.

"No problem," he said, steeling his voice to make sure to not give anything away.

Yet at that moment when he opened his mouth, was the same moment his concerns spilled out of it.

"You, are you sure you should have come?" He asked.

The dangers lying ahead were far greater than anything he should have had faced before as phantasmal species were known to be difficult to deal with even for magi. Then again, actually encountering one in the modern age was a miracle enough.

Almost by instinct, he could tell that Arturia's mood had soured to the point that a reb.u.t.tal was at her mouth; the flus.h.i.+ng of her face from embarra.s.sment s.h.i.+fting more towards an anger that stemmed from emotions that she herself didn't know how to control. No matter how hard she tried to mask them away, it was all futile when they hindered her from thinking straight. It was something he himself knew all too well.

He tightened his grip around her and cut her off before she could even speak.

"Why?" Was all he asked.

He knew this sort of question would be hard for her to answer, but he himself wanted to know just how far he had gone into Arturia's life. Was he just someone she considered family or friend? Or was it something more? To even become angry just because he insinuated that it would be better for him to go by himself, what did all that mean? But more importantly, would she be able to admit to anything?

This alone was the vital step that would determine the path he would take alongside her. If she, by her own initiative were to express her desires, then there was no doubt that he would reciprocate the feeling. It didn't matter to him if others found out that she was a woman as a result. Despite what others may think, a Queen could lead just as well as a King. Moreover, a kingdom doesn't run on its monarchy alone, but by the people who support the monarchy. And the support she already had was more than enough. In fact, it would only continue to grow as others get drawn to her charisma like moths to a flame. Yet getting her to abandon the path she believed was right would be difficult even for him.

This was clear from Arturia's sudden stillness.

It was almost as if the indignation she had been feeling prior was doused by a bucket of cold water. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Instead, her grip that she had over his hands were gradually turning warm as her blood pumped furiously within her body.

"…" She s.h.i.+fted her gaze downward, a conflicted expression rising over her face.

He sighed absently when he noticed her action, but he didn't press her for an answer, rather, he just waited silently as she sorted out her thoughts.

This was the other option. Her remaining steadfast and continuing that same lonely Kings.h.i.+p Saber had once endured. Yet even so, this time he would be there. And so long as he was there, he vowed that should a day come where she fell into despair, it would be a day in which he was no longer living.

"It's fine," he spoke softly.

He tightened his grip around her and pulled her closer, the action causing Arturia to startle a bit, and even resist to a point, but he didn't let up. Even if you don't say it, I understand.

The words that she wanted to say, and the words that he wanted to hear, it didn't matter.

He nuzzled his chin by the nape of her neck and leaned his head down over her shoulder while watching the way her ears were beginning to brighten. He knew that she wasn't unaware about the thoughts of women. He had even seen her once eavesdropping on a group of women who were talking about their various experiences.

Yet not once did she ever partic.i.p.ate in such talks despite how clear it was that she herself had things that she wanted to say and ask.

Living her life as a boy, he could understand why such things normally seen as common practice to women would be so hard for her to imitate.

Therefore, she need not talk.

The expression in her eyes and the s.h.i.+fting of her body were more than enough indications.

Her head soon leaned against his, any signs of struggling seeming to leave her as she relaxed; her gaze drooped to stare at his hands which securely held onto her. It was as if no matter what she did or who she'd become, those hands would always be there to support her.

Even as Arturia began to relax, he never slackened the grip he had around her, pulling her towards him as close as possible; the feeling of holding her in such a way something that he had missed dearly yet not hindering him from addressing his main concern.

Because this was what she needed. If she herself couldn't act upon her desires, than he would do so in her place, and he was fine with that; until such a time where he was no longer able to, or she herself could voice out what she wanted.

Until then, he was content to just hold her in his arms, unaffected by the half-hearted protests that filtered into his ears.

Instead, his gaze focused on the land around him.

Flying in the air, everything in the ground looked substantially smaller. Cottages and homes from the towns below nothing more than tiny brown specs in the distance propped atop endless green rolling hills. It almost made one forget.

The return of the phantasmal species.

The campaign to push back Saxon control.

With the swaying of the gra.s.s and greens below, it made everything seem tranquil despite the growing tension in the world.

Unknowingly, Arturia had long ago stopped with her half-hearted protests and felt a feeling that she had never felt before.

It, it was like a fairytale. The Knight and the Princess soaring above the clouds while travelling towards a grand adventure. It gave her stomach b.u.t.terflies just thinking about, but she maintained her expression of calm while considering what answer Merlin said that she had to find on this journey.

What do you think a King is, Arturia?

Is it not the one who leads their people to prosperity at the cost of their own happiness?

Or is it he who understands one's self enough to know what should be done?

There is no right or wrong answer, she remembered Merlin concluding, but only a single phrase stuck into her mind.

Male or female, the people will not care so long as one acts the role of a King.

She pursed her lips, brows furrowing in thought. All her life, she was raised as a boy to one day become King. It would give her the influence that she needed to lead her people against the Saxon invaders. This was the power of a Monarch. Yet each Monarch and King she had ever heard of from Sir Ector was always male. This fact was what made it difficult for her to decide on a path to take.

Yet, if s.h.i.+rou were to hear her thoughts, he would look at her strangely. No matter what, if influence was her only current basis to reign as a King instead of a Queen, then he would need to toss her back into cleaning pig sties to reflect. So what if she would have less influence as a Queen, not only could she earn it with her efforts, but he was there as well. At the moment, his own reputation would help increase Arturia's influence as this was already the case with Lord Adinak. The man was already proclaiming Arturia as King despite not having any official ceremonies yet.

But unfortunately, Arturia wasn't yet confident enough to speak of such things. She hadn't even been able to bring herself to answer s.h.i.+rou's question of why she had come. Not only was the reason selfish, but she didn't think it would fit with s.h.i.+rou's impression of her. Therefore, she was unable to speak.

As s.h.i.+rou s.h.i.+fted his posture while scanning the surroundings, his arms only seemed to hold her even more securely. Yet it wasn't uncomfortable, rather, it was gentle. Like how Sir Ector had once carried her in his arms in her childhood when she exhausted herself training. And just like back then, she felt the care directed towards her and didn't know how to react to it. Yet even if she didn't understand such things, her own body did. The tenseness of her muscles, the confusion in her eyes, it all seemed to melt away as she leaned her back onto s.h.i.+rou's chest.

Even as the wind picked up with Efret's descent, she didn't feel uncomfortable in the least, rather, she barely even noticed Efret's actions.

Yet s.h.i.+rou did, and that was because he had spotted the familiar area around him.

It had been years, but he could still recognize the land where he had first met Arturia again. And almost by instinct, his eyes drifted towards a certain wheat field in the distance.

"State your name."

The childish tone of her voice back then brought a smile to his face, more so when all the other memories began slowly filtering back. The hunting, the food, the excuses, and the image of a face still stained with smears of grease from eating too fast. Something he had not brought up in a long time as Arturia considered it a rather dark memory of before she perfected refined speed eating.

As he was reminiscing, he did not forget to keep a careful eye on the path ahead, and indeed, it allowed him to observe some abnormalities.

"Barricades?" Arturia voiced before him.

His eyes narrowed. An entire wall that surrounded Bristol's perimeter was directly before his gaze.

The wall was tall, roughly three meters in length and fortified to allow individuals to climb atop makes.h.i.+ft stairs and defend at a higher ground. The closer Efret got, the clearer his and Arturia's view became. Signs of splintering were evident on the wooden walls, but even more telling was the dried blood splattered across the grained surface. It was everywhere. Kind of like a man dumping buckets of paint over a wall.

His expression fell almost as fast as Arturia who forced herself out of his grip and jumped off of Efret's back.

As Efret was at a lower alt.i.tude, she only dropped around fifteen meters before touching the ground, but even then, two large fissures formed from where she planted her feet. She didn't even flinch from such a fall, her dragon's const.i.tution granting her increased durability, and this wasn't even counting her magic control.

Unexpectedly, the sound of her descent was met with alarm from the other side.

The sound of a tolling bell echoed from within Bristol as s.h.i.+rou spotted a platoon of knights and peasants alike running towards where Arturia had landed.

"Oh G.o.d, another attack!?"

"We already can't rest at night, but now they come in the day too!?"

The voices echoed over the barricade's wall and were tinged with tones of hysteria and unwillingness.

All were sounds which lead to conclusions that were nowhere near good.

Jumping off of Efret's back, he landed in a similar fas.h.i.+on to Arturia, stopping just in front of the barricade's walls.

Already people were beginning to peak over from the top, whispers spreading amongst them as they pointed at him and Arturia. It was clear that none of the people above recognized them, but it was only natural as they had left in their young adolescents.

"That doesn't look like one of them?" One of the people atop the walls spoke quizzically. From the ragged clothing the man wore, there was no doubt that he was a peasant, a serf who worked the land for a living.

"Of course you idiot, they're human," another said. Yet this person immediately caught Arturia's attention for it was a woman that spoke.

She wasn't tall, far from it, she was tiny with her head just barely reaching past another man's chest. And yet, it was clear by her tone of voice and the way the others parted around her that she was the one in charge.

She wore plate armour that clearly wasn't her size, making her appear somewhat odd in comparison to the rest. Her face was fair and lined with freckles that appeared only at the bridge of her cheeks. Her eyes were like that of a raven's, staring down calculatedly at Arturia and himself.

When she opened her mouth to speak, it was only to close it again as her long orange tinted hair blew across her face from the wind Efret generated as it landed.

Evidently, she and the others around her were stupefied when their sights set upon Efret's ma.s.sive frame.

"I-It's over…" A man wailed; his proclamation followed after by the sounds of weeping.

Even the woman who looked as if she was in charge uttered nothing as dread spread across her face.

Efret standing on its two feet alone had a height equivalent to the three-meter walls, and a wingspan that was far more than double. The added flame flickering across its body in wisps of blue and red only served to further force the people on the wall into despair.

Only, in the next moment, Efret shrunk at s.h.i.+rou's prompting, it's size no taller than s.h.i.+rou's s.h.i.+n.

The woman atop the wall blinked, and then blinked again, licking her suddenly dry lips before voicing in a wavering voice.

"Is it just me, or did that monster just turn into a chicken?" she said incredulously.

"I-I can fight chickens," another voice echoed from behind, though it was lacking confidence.

The woman atop the wall ignored all other chatter, her disposition instantly silencing the rest behind her. This scene caused a surge of emotion to beat against Arturia's mentality, but she didn't show any outward reactions.

The woman's eyes narrowed, but she sheathed the longsword in her hands after realizing that he and Arturia didn't mean any harm.

"Who are you two?" She then asked, curiousity evident in her posture. "And how have you tamed such a beast?"

As s.h.i.+rou and Arturia debated on how to best answer, someone else beat them to it.

The sound a lock clicking open resounded in the area as two wooden doors swung free. A man then stepped out with an expression as if he had just seen hope in a uselessly bleak situation. This man was old, and the vibrant hair of before had almost completely s.h.i.+fted into dull greys, yet it was clear the man wasn't truly that old yet.

Even if the man looked different, he was easy for s.h.i.+rou to recognize. James Wolfred, the man who's platoon of knights were feared throughout all Saxon territories. Yet clearly, the man had seen better days. After all, his eyes were sunken in and stress marks appeared predominantly over his face. This made him look older than he really was.

"Lord Wolfred," the woman atop the walls immediately bowed, yet was stopped halfway when James gestured for her to cease such actions. "What is going on, Lord Wolfred? Who are these people?" she asked, seeing the familiarity in James Wolfred's eyes.

James paused as he looked at both s.h.i.+rou and Arturia for a long moment before grinning, relief flooding his features.

"I am not too sure about who the woman in knight's armour is, but I'm more than familiar with the man beside her," James spoke slowly.

James then turned towards the townspeople staring at him. "Do you not recall the rumours of old? He who brought about the beginning of the Iron Forge, and he who proposed the new farming system?"

The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves, many recalling those miraculous months of several years ago. Yet this was the first time any of them were finding out that such revolutionary changes to Bristol were brought about by a red-haired youth not even old enough to grow a beard. The reveal was quite shocking, and would take a while before finally sinking in to believe. However, James was far from done.

"Do you all not recall another name that rung truer than the blacksmith of the Iron Forge and even the Blond Swordsman?" James paused, staring hard at everyone present. "A name that is the root of why even now my Knights bring me honour across every battlefield! Bringing Glory to the name of Wolfred!?"

It was a dead silence, with not one man or woman speaking. Only the sound of breathing could be heard.

He whose arrow pierces the void.

He whose sword reflects the scarlet night.

And a name that had once echoed over the entirety of the land.

"I'll tell you all. The man, who stands before you now, is a man whose image you must engrave in your minds for an eternity. For even if I'm now addressed as Lord, I will forever be that single Baron under that family's eyes!"

With hardened resolve, James walked up to s.h.i.+rou and bowed his head low.

"Hail Lord Ashton,"

"Hunter of Beasts."

LINE BREAK

s.h.i.+rou didn't know how long it took before the crowd around him ceased cheering, but he hadn't had the heart to stop them. Some were weeping tears of joy while others were hugging tightly to their families.

The wonders the simple phrase 'Beast Hunter,' could incite in the crowd was telling. Something wrong was definitely happening in Bristol, and he could understand James's reasoning for his actions. The people needed hope, and he was that hope.

The scene around him was moving, and one that didn't relent even as James led him and Arturia to his study where the man shut the door and abruptly cut the sound.

Grumbling, James Wolfred tiredly sat on his chair and motioned for Arturia and s.h.i.+rou to sit opposite off him.

"The situation is quite grim, and I'm sure that you must be curious about it by now," James started off.

Both he and Arturia looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

"Just what exactly has happened?" He asked. "The walls outside surround the entirety of the town, and you've even got the peasants manning stations rather than harvesting for the coming winter."

James clicked his tongue, his brows furrowing as he leaned his head on his hands: All signs of a man who was at his wits end.

"It was impossible not to call onto them," James said with a sigh. "As the both of you have seen for yourself, I ordered for the creation of a barricade wall around the entirety or Bristol. Not only did such an order require a substantial amount of manpower to cut the wood and timber, and then prop it in place without falling, but it was even more difficult with the current times."

"There was blood splattered thick over those walls, what caused it?" Arturia asked seriously.

Perhaps because of how determined Arturia looked, James's impression of her was quite good. It also helped that James thought her familiar for one reason or another.

"A good wife you've got there, Ashton," James complimented absently after a moment of a.s.sessment. Of course, James wasn't exactly sure of such a conjecture, but s.h.i.+rou was already at the marriable age. Therefore, the misunderstanding was justified.

Only, he wouldn't have expected the reaction to be so telling.

The calm and serious expression on Arturia's face melted away into a radiant flush, and her mouth unknowingly hung open in her daze. Looking closer, one could see that her flush had even reached as far as her ears which was odd in a way. The Saber s.h.i.+rou knew was slow to work into a fl.u.s.ter, but it was clear that there were already differences between her and the Arturia of now. Then again, in all other aspects besides her relations.h.i.+ps, she had demonstrated a calm a.s.sertiveness that couldn't be underestimated.

It was just that she was caught too unprepared by James's fierce verbal attack.

But in any case, James didn't pay much attention to it, giving a knowing smile to s.h.i.+rou instead which Arturia caught sight of. However, she did nothing lest she embarra.s.s herself further and just crossed her arms with a sour expression in her eyes.

James snorted amusedly in response. "I needed that, thanks," he spoke. "A good laugh in the hard times is always welcome, but regardless, it's time to answer your question young lady."

James s.h.i.+fted his gaze until he made sure that he had both of Arturia and s.h.i.+rou's attention, and that wasn't until the red left Arturia's face. Although a bit impatient with the delay, James couldn't admit that he was amused by the tension of youth the two were displaying.

"They started coming in the night in the past few weeks, monsters, beasts of some sort that resembled a pack of rabid wild dogs, but larger. Almost as large as our cattle, and there had to be at least a hundred of them or more," James said grimly. "I've never seen such a thing before, and it sure as h.e.l.l spooked the townsfolk. We didn't know if it was just some new type of animal or something much worse, but by their speed and power much greater than anything we've ever seen, it couldn't possibly e anything else but a pack of beasts."

s.h.i.+rou frowned. "You said that this started a couple weeks ago?" He inquired.

"Aye lad, it's true. They started appearing just at the borders of the town, slinking near the woods or high gra.s.s of the plains. They weren't much of a danger at first, rather we only rarely saw them in the night. Therefore, it scared the townsfolk, but the majority of them just felt safe hiding in their homes. Then things changed the following week. They began targeting our livestock, the last horse in this town eaten until there was nothing left but bones. But her me out,"

James pinched the bridge of his nose before leveling a hateful gaze at the fields visible outside the window.

"They must have planned it. The first of the livestock to be targeted were the horses alone, preventing me from sending anyone to call back my platoon of Knights, or even requesting for aid. The only good thing that came about this situation was that my son and Palamid are safe in their expedition with the corps. Those two have grown indeed."

As James was reminiscing, Arturia and s.h.i.+rou both recalled the last time they saw those two. By now they must look entirely different.

Yet, s.h.i.+rou refocused on the matter at hand.

"Then you've been without contact for the past few weeks?" He clarified.

James nodded. "Even if I wanted to send someone out on foot, none were willing to risk their lives after knowing just how many of those monsters were out there. Besides, my intuition told me that resorting to such actions would only incite the beasts into action."

James shook his head as he fell into thought before speaking once more.

"Apart from the horses and livestock those beasts were taking, I was at least content that they hadn't taken any human lives. This was how it has been for the past few weeks in which we built the wall, yet it all changed the night before yesterday," James spoke with regret.

s.h.i.+rou immediately grew serious. "The night before yesterday?"

The blue moon rises.

Those words from back then entered s.h.i.+rou's mind. The night before yesterday was the same night that Merlin had also been acting strangely, almost solemnly.

James nodded wordlessly.

"After weeks of not having had a single man killed, we grew lax when they struck us the hardest. It started first with those further out from the town. It didn't matter if they shut their doors or tried to hide themselves, they were killed either way; dragged out of their homes while their blood left long red trails across the ground. It was a gruesome sight, and the reason for those abandoned homes you might have had seen on the way here outside of the defensive wall."

James clenched his fists.

"I wanted to send people to search for them as some were still screaming when they were dragged away, but no one had the courage. Not even I when I alone was the only one willing to go."

James stared at s.h.i.+rou and spoke softly. "Since then, they've been coming every night to kill a number of people before dragging them off into the forest. The morale of this town has already hit rock bottom, and if not for myself and Sir Ander's sister encouraging and leading the rest, there may not even be a Bristol around to greet the return of my Knight platoon."

"Sister?" s.h.i.+rou asked. He didn't exactly remember Sir Anders to be a man with other siblings as he never once mentioned them.

"Yeah, you've already met her by the wall. The woman wearing a set of Sir Ander's armour to large for her to even use."

"She's quite admirable," Arturia said with a nod.

James smiled. "Despite being a woman, Helen watched secretly as Sir Anders first trained to become a Knight, therefore she herself has some experience. She may not be good with a sword, but she's a lot more charismatic than that simple-minded man that she calls brother. And in this pressing time, that charisma was much needed to help support the people. Speaking of which,"

James turned to s.h.i.+rou. "If not for your insight in farming and blacksmithing, we definitely wouldn't have had been able to last till now. Therefore, you have my thanks."

With the farming system s.h.i.+rou had helped implement to David, Emily's father, Bristol was able to maintain a steady supply of food despite not being able to reach out to other towns. And with the weapons s.h.i.+rou had once forged before, they were able to fight back against the beasts. Unlike other weapons that would snap or break upon forceful contact with the beast's skin, the weapons forged by s.h.i.+rou in his childhood were able to pierce into the beast's hide.

"It's nothing for you to thank me for," s.h.i.+rou replied.

James shook his head helplessly. "They truly were a large help, and as ashamed as I am to ask this of you now without consideration, I would still do so anyway. Can you save this town? I know I'm relying on rumours alone as I've never seen you actually kill a beast, but I have once seen the Ashton's in action. And you are one of them, and even if you weren't, my instinct tells me that you can save us from this situation. So please, I implore you to lend your aid."

Arturia was already in the process of answering, her expression conveying her convictions, but even then, he still beat her to it.

"Of course," he spoke without pause.

After all, this entire situation could be directly related to him. How could he not aid those who were swept up as a result?

Hearing his words, it was as if a boulder had been lifted from James's shoulders. "Thank you, thank you truly."

"There's no need for thanks. I promise that I'll see this request through."

Saying that, s.h.i.+rou and Arturia stood up and walked out of the room, leaving James in a jubilant mood that he hadn't been able to experience in months.

As the two walked, neither of the two spoke as s.h.i.+rou thought silently to himself. However, it was clear that Arturia had a few questions she wanted to ask from the way she kept staring at him. Yet she still held back her curisouty until the two were outside again.

Efret was before them, preening its feathers before pausing and waiting for instruction.

"Where are we going?" Arturia ended up asking.

"We have to look for answers," he said. "Therefore, I only know of one place to go. Ashton Manor. It's time to return to the place I called home."

"Oh,"Arturia said with an absent expression. It had been a long time since she'd been to Ashton forest, and it was one of the places she shared the most memories with s.h.i.+rou out in Ashton forest.

Knowing exactly where they were going, Efret allowed s.h.i.+rou and Arturia on its back before taking off in the intended direction.

They pa.s.sed many people below them who waved as they pa.s.sed by, but they didn't have time for pleasantries. Instead, they arrived at Ashton forest in a matter of minutes.

Everything looked the same as it had in their youth aside from the trees and shrubs having grown a tad bit more overgrown.

Even as the two rushed to their intended location, the fondness that appeared on Arturia's face was unmistakable. Suddenly she was in the mood for barbequed chicken. The kind she had first tasted in this very forest. Yet she quickly shook her head and got herself to focus like s.h.i.+rou was.

Every step the two took was measured, the two knowing exactly where the Ashton manor was from memory alone.

Yet, as they drew near and s.h.i.+rou pushed aside the bushwhack blocking the view ahead, all they saw was nothing.

The manor itself was gone.

Even before the two could react, it was Efret who charged in first, eyes ablaze.

Ashton manor had always been its home, and that fact never changed even once. It shouldn't have disappeared. Efret could recall that Lord Ashton himself had placed a specific bounded field that kept the place from truly degrading.

"Its gone," Arturia spoke in surprise.

Looking at the empty s.p.a.ce in front of her, it seemed as if it was only yesterday that an abandoned manor used to reside in the s.p.a.ce.

s.h.i.+rou didn't say anything as he watched the grief appear in Efret's eyes. Instead, he was feeling something distinct compelling him forward from a pouch he kept by his waist.

s.h.i.+fting his attention down, he fumbled with his hands until he produced a dull stone from his pouch. It was the object that Lord Barwheld had given him at that time when he had first gone with Kay and Sir Ector to the battlefield.

The stone pulsed with a hidden power, and in the next moment, s.h.i.+rou could see a glowing door appear at the entrance of where the Ashton manor used to be. Flecks of glittering light surrounded it, and made a framed arch that spoke of otherworldly origin,

From the way Arturia wasn't reacting, it was clear that she wasn't able to see it. Only Efret had, and there was a sort of pensiveness on its features. However, Efret still entered through the door, drawing a gasp from Arturia when Efret suddenly vanished.

When he was about to inform her about what exactly was happening, he was startled to suddenly notice a slender arm pull him abruptly within the s.h.i.+ning door's entrance.

"s.h.i.+rou!" Arturia called out just as the image of her running towards him faded away into black.

Around him was a hazy sort of void, and not too far off he could see Efret glaring at a figure slowly approaching.

"So, you've come at last."

Were the first words he heard as a face so similar to his own appeared directly in front of him. That mouth opened slowly, p.r.o.nouncing each word with purpose, but most of all, it was what she said next that forced his mind into overdrive.

"Welcome to the Reverse Side of the World."

LINE BREAK

The tapping of a finger on a hardwood desk echoed throughout the room as James Wolfred placed a hand under his chin and put on a bitter expression.

"He just disappeared you say?" James asked again for the fifth time.

Again, only a nod met his question.

Arturia stood woodenly off across the other side of James's gaze. Even if she looked calm, she was far from it. She couldn't even explain properly about what had happened despite she herself being there.

One moment s.h.i.+rou and Efret were in front of her, and in the next they disappeared as if they were never there. The grip she had in her crossed arms tightened just thinking about what had happened.

Were they safe? Or was he-!

She forcibly cut off that line of thought, dread already beginning to pool into her being.

Merlin. She had to find Merlin.

This was the only thought that had been continuously popping into her mind even as she informed James Wolfred about what had happened. However, she knew better than anyone after what James had just told her and s.h.i.+rou earlier about the situation that she couldn't leave at this moment.

The people needed her, but didn't s.h.i.+rou too?

Her agitation was only growing as the hours pa.s.sed and twilight was soon emerging. All she could do at this point was trust in s.h.i.+rou, because she simply couldn't do anything else. Not without understanding what was going on.

Merlin, if only Merlin would show up at this time.

Walking out of James Wofred's study, she met the man moments later staring grimly out over the horizon.

Anything that James had once said about the beasts paled in comparison to seeing the actual thing. Despite the distance separating them from the beasts, they could still be seen. An ocean of moving flesh pus.h.i.+ng forward at a quick pace.

And at the front, was a beast Arturia didn't believe she would ever see again. For it was the one she had slew as a child using the sword s.h.i.+rou had given her. Unexpectedly, it had survived and was now even taller than the beast s.h.i.+rou himself had slain.

Its eyes were venomous, and almost as if it knew that she was staring, it glanced at her direction snarling.

The fear she had experienced in her childhood surfaced at that moment, but was snuffed out immediately when she considered something else.

The beasts, the way Melrin was acting, they were all related to s.h.i.+rou somehow. Therefore, doesn't that mean that the beast in front of her would know what exactly happened to s.h.i.+rou?

It was a long shot, but it was something worth trying.

Determination caused her to step forward one step at a time as the crowds around her cowered at the sight of the approaching wave of beasts.

It was then that they noticed Arturia for the first time.

Caliburn on her waist, as if responding to her will was glowing in a dull light.

An ember in the dark.

The sword of choosing chose her as King not just because of her disposition, but because she was someone worthy.

May the glow of Caliburn light your way. For it is the sword of the chosen King.

It was if the light itself was dancing with each step she took. The radiance from Caliburn drawing the eyes of all even as they became stunned with the sheer beauty of her appearance.

A lone flower blooming in a field of wilted gra.s.s, vying for the light of a new dawn.

Even James Woflred himself was taken aback, not knowing that the biggest surprise of all was not in s.h.i.+rou, but the woman he had brought with him.

Her bearings.

Her regality.

There was no doubt in James Wolfred's experienced eyes. She was of royalty. A princess.

Her steps became more resolute as the crowd manning the walls parted at her approach, gazes turning reverent.

She pointed Caliburn forward, and it was if the clouds themselves parted as a ray of moonlight bathed her in its glow.

For the People, she couldn't let die.

And for the answers in which she sought.

She would bring forth victory.

She closed her eyes as the beast wave approached, clearly aware of all those who now stood at her back depending on her for protection.

Sword of selection, grant me power, and sever the wicked!

Eyes opening sharply, she readied her blade, expression tranquil as a still pond.

Yet even still, she couldn't help the feeling of trepidation that welled up from within her as she stared at the enemies ahead.

For the first time, she was going to experience a fight without s.h.i.+rou by her side.