A Guild of Moonlit Shadows (A KOTLC FanFic)

You're Telling Yourself Lies, Mr. Ignis. (Oneshot)

"I've been in the order for 17 years. I hold the highest position beneath Vespera. And she is the woman who told me to hold back on her torture." The lie rolled straight off his tongue, and only grew stronger as he got into their faces.

"I'm half tempted to tell her exactly how you were resisting her orders." He growled. They both swallowed, not a single retort heard as they scrambled out the room. Ruy sighed, smiling slightly as he closed the door with his foot.

The girl was shaking in his arms. He remained quiet, carefully avoiding crowded hallways. But everywhere he turned, there seemed to be enemies. But finally, a hallway that was empty. He sped down the hallway, trying to calm his heart. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He is sacrificing everything for some pretty girl that is his enemy-
Alvar and Lilac turned into the hallway, the little girl babbling about the new Moonlark plush Alvar got for her birthday.

"Oh hey Ruy-" their words sputtered as he sped past them with a girl in his arms.
"Good talk, man!" Alvar called after him.
Finally, he arrived at her cell. It was dank, dark, and cold. But it was safe. He carefully set her down onto the cot, untangling her arms from around his shoulders. A gentle breeze flew through the bars above her sink, moonlight creating blocks of light against the stone walls. She shivered as the wind hissed over her wounds.

Clicking his tongue, he threw her his balled up cloak. He didn't even spare her a second glance or wait for her to unravel his cloak before he snapped her door shut behind him, loosing a breath. That was the only and last thing he would ever do for that girl.

~

Ruy jumped in his bed, sweat clinging to his forehead. His arm was pinned to the soft mattress beneath him by Sophie Foster draped across it. Her hair was no longer cropped short to her shoulders but grown to her waist.

Her bruises and cuts were gone, though the faint scars of them remained. Her breathing was steady, but it was like a song to him. The reminder that the beautiful woman swore her life to him as he did to her. But when he brushed aside the golden strands and cupped her cheek, he could still see the blue and purple painting her skin. Bruises from years ago, pain she has healed from. But pain he could've saved her from sooner.

Overwhelmed with a feeling of disgust in himself, he carefully slid out of bed and padded to the mirror. His lips were slightly swollen and his hair even more a mess than normal after Sophie's hands were in it. He should probably get a haircut now that he was looking at himself. It was getting a bit shaggy, even for him.

Combing it with his fingers, he grabbed his boots and a long sleeve training shirt. Sliding both on, he quietly slipped out of the bedroom. The sun hasn't even peaked over the horizon of the ocean yet, but he needed to go somewhere. Anywhere.

The early morning sung a gentle song, the birds beginning to chirp and the world waking up. Ruy stood in the dug out training area, the training dummies standing in an arc around him. With a quick flip of a switch, they began moving on their tracks. Ruy pulled his single sword, twirling his wrists as he readied himself.

Ducking beneath the dummies first attack, he sliced into the straw. He spun around the second dummy and swung downwards, bringing the sword onto their shoulder. He heard the clicking of the third dummy shooting against him and he blindly swung his sword behind him.

Severing its straw head from its body.

The straw lump dropped to the dirt floor, but it was still enough for Ruy to stumble back, shock settling in his bones. And his soldier training did not kick in for the final dummy which swung their staff at his back with a aching crack. Ruy's face collided with the floor, the training dummies grinding to a halt.