"In here," the Captain led Kyle to a small room just within the border of the Hero's Guard compound and not far at all from the temple grounds. "Take your time and while I don't need to tell you, please keep certain things secret."
"Yes Captain," Kyle nodded before entering into the room. Unlike some of the private rooms within the Hero's Guard the décor and atmosphere were pleasant. A window let in natural light brightening most the room and offered a small view of a nearby garden. The furnishing was finely crafted with several soft pillowed chairs and a coffee table.
As soon as he entered the two occupants looked at him, one with a warm smile and the other with a slight curl to his lips.
"Kyle you're really okay!" Marisha stood from her seat and welcomed him.
"Marisha, Sebastian," Kyle smiled to them. He looked Marisha up and down, "It looks like they made sure to look after you as well."
The girl's smile weakened, "Yes they were very attentive but other than making me answer some questions, they wouldn't tell me anything. After you collapsed I thought you might have died. I've never seen someone so injured and keep moving."
"I was just doing what I could."
Sebastian nodded, "Indeed you were Master Kyle and for that I thank you wholeheartedly for protecting the lady." He pointed to the wall where a basket laid waiting, "I tried to have it delivered sooner but I was told to wait."
Kyle clapped his hands having almost forgot, "Is everything still in there?"
The butler nodded, "Everything is just as when you gave it to me. Thankfully you had nothing that wouldn't stand a few days in the open."
"Thank you," he laughed and picked up the basket letting his eyes pass over the collection of accessories within. He could finally give Kara, Mitsu and Himila their gifts.
Marisha awkwardly stood beside him, "Umm Kyle I know you told me before but I thought I'd just ask one more time. You're not coming back with us are you?"
It didn't take long for Kyle to reply, "No I'm not."
She laughed dryly, "I can see why. You've changed more than I ever thought was possible. Who knew our delicate village baker could turn out to be so strong."
"I still have a long way to go," Kyle replied softly.
"Maybe, but don't forget about us okay?" Marisha smiled again.
"I'd never dare to." After a moment of silence he continued, "So what are your plans now?"
Sebastian answered, "The lady and I will return to Tomph. There is no longer a reason to stay and the lady has insisted that she get back to her 'duties'."
"Duties?"
"Don't sound so surprised," Marisha huffed. "I've been studying a long time to take over from my father. I'll make sure to make Tomph an even better place than before you left."
"And here I thought you were just the village princess," he chuckled.
"Looks like we were both wrong," she sighed and looked at him tenderly. "Do you think I would have had a chance if I was more honest?"
Kyle tilted his head, "A chance for what?"
"For this," without any more warning Marisha leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. Kyle was frozen unable to react, causing her to giggle, "I was tempted to take your lips but I'll leave that for her. She's pretty by the way."
"What-I-Look, it's not like that," he blushed and looked away.
Marisha sighed wistfully, "Wow you really do look like a girl sometimes not that I ever complained." Her laugh became boisterous. "Come on Sebastian we're going home."
"Yes my lady."
"Goodbye Kyle." They headed for the door.
"Ah-goodbye," he blinked still unable to catch up with what just happened. "Oh wait. Please don't tell anyone what happened and I'm sorry you were dragged in."
Marisha turned back with an impish smile, "I'm not sure they'd believe me anyway. Also don't be sorry, I don't blame you. But what about your father?"
"Just tell him I'm okay and that I've met people I can trust. And Marisha... really thank you for coming all this way."
"It's not fair if you look at me like that," she turned away. "See you next time."
"Yeah next time...."
The butler and lady left the room and led by the guard outside were guided back towards the city. Before they could even reach the temple ground however Sebastian gently placed a tissue in Marisha's hand.
"My lady, it's okay to cry when you need to."
She quietly padded her eyes, "I know but I think it's about time I grew stronger myself." With a step forward she lifted her chest, "I'll show him. I'll find someone kinder and cuter than he ever was."
"Yes my lady," the butler bowed and together they left the city to return to their village home.
*
Kyle didn't return to the Garden immediately and instead went looking for Lillia in the Hero's Guard. It was Maila's turn to cook dinner and though he wouldn't be there to help with the children she could handle it herself perfectly fine. It was more important to him to find Lillia. The desire to do so only grew after Marisha had suddenly kissed his forehead as an awkward guilt lingered in his chest. The problem was however that no matter where he looked he couldn't find her. It wasn't until he asked Valandus when he was told that Lillia had never come back after she ran off. The driver himself was in a bit of an awkward situation as he needed her to clarify a few things for the rest of the Guard.
By the time Kyle returned to the Garden it was already evening and aside from a plate of food for himself the kitchen had been wiped clean. The children were scattered all over the building and it could be hard to track down a specific one, Lillia was no exception. After walking around aimlessly he finally returned to the dining room where Mitsu and Kara were playing a rather engaging board game.
"And pow!" Kara pointed her finger towards one of the wooden pieces which burst into pretend flames.
"Grr!" Mitsu frowned, something which was rare for her. "That's not fair, you said we weren't using fire cards."
"It wasn't a fire card it was a flare," Kara said smugly. "Now hurry up and go so I can end this game with your defeat!"
"Like I'd let you."
Before the girl could draw another card Kyle wandered beside them, "Sorry to interrupt but have either of you seen Lillia?"
Kara paused in thought, "Lillia? She disappeared before but came back for dinner."
"And then where'd she go?"
"I'm not sure," Mitsu shrugged. "When we told her you went off to visit that friend of yours she got all annoyed and ran off again."
Although he felt he hadn't done anything particularly wrong, the girls' words did not bode well for him. Unlike some of the children Lillia never ran off spontaneously or decided to play sudden hide and seek. He had no idea where she could have run to.
"I think Maila knows where she might be," Kara said simply. "She knows everything we do, it's kind of scary."
"Don't let her hear you say that," Kyle replied though fully agreeing. As long as it involved the Garden, the caretaker had an eerie sense.
"Let me hear what?" Maila entered the room and tapped her foot.
"N-Nothing," Kara paled. "Right Mitsu?"
"Kara said you were scary," the yellow haired girl replied honestly.
"Traitor! I didn't mean it like that I just-," she shut her mouth realising that it would get her nowhere to speak.
Maila sighed, "I'm not here for you two anyway. Kyle I'll tell you where Lillia is but first as I said before, we need to talk."
"Wait, how long were you listening?" he asked suspicious.
"Like the girls said, I know everything that happens here," although her smirk was meant as a joke there was far too much credibility in her words. "Now let's go."
At first Kyle thought that she'd lead him into the private room by the reception but to his surprise they want past it and continued to a part of the Garden he had actually never stepped in. Maila's room.
"Come in and take a seat," she opened the door to reveal a large space filled mostly with shelving. Aside from a sizeable bed and desk the rest of the room was reserved for the copious amounts of knick-knacks that aligned the walls. Paintings, sculptures and photos were common but so were other things. Broken off bits of metal, a wooden key split in half, a shattered plate. The assortment of objects were placed with care and far from what could be considered a mess.
Kyle sat as Maila went to pour them both some tea. He looked around the room, "These... they're not just things you picked up are they?"
"You probably guessed it already but, they're keepsakes from the children now gone." The room was filled with them. There could have been one hundred different objects each with their own tale to tell. "When the children die they don't leave much behind. You saw that yourself didn't you?"
"Yes...," he vividly remembered Jana disappearing from his arms leaving nothing but soft sparks of light in the air.
Maila set Kyle's cup down in front of him and began sombrely, "Honestly I didn't want to tell you this but after what happened I thought you should know. The children... the Hero Candidates... they're not in a good place right now both with the Church and the Council."
Kyle's grip on the porcelain cup tightened, "They're not going to sacrifice the children are they?"
"No, at least not more than we already do," she shook her head and smiled at his concern. "What did you think about Mr Tombre?"
Kyle couldn't help but tense at the question and forced himself to answer unbiased, "He was someone who did whatever he could even if it hurt others... but he didn't have entirely selfish motives. But wanting to sacrifice the children... treating them like simple dolls-." He closed his mouth realising he was leaking his emotions.
"Right... it's about that," Maila looked at him with a tender seriousness. "What if I told you the children you know now weren't always like that? I don't mean this current generation but the Hero candidates in general. The reason why Mr Tombre called them dolls was because he really does think of them like that."
"What do you mean? They're not dolls to play around with." He frowned, "Are you telling me I've got it wrong? We both just saw Kara and Mitsu playing and laughing together. The children aren't just tools."
Maila patiently let him finish, "I know that and you know that but it wasn't always that way. The Hero candidates were first...," she paused as if searching for the appropriate word, "'found' when the true Eternal Hero left us. Back then you would never have thought they could ever have dreams at all. They were well and truly tools."
"What?" the word dripped from his mouth.
"Even when I first became the caretaker, the children only knew how to follow commands and fight. They could barely use magic and relied on the Hero's armour to fight. Even their swordsmanship back then was incomparable to now." Her eyes drew back in a haze. "I still did everything I could for them but it was different..., nothing like it is now. As you could guess however things did slowly begin to change. I remember the first time one of them asked me a question. She was barely eight and all she asked was if she was holding her sword correctly. That moment was so simple it stunned me and then from there they began to pick up more and more. As the years passed they began to talk more and even smile."
Her eyes focused to Kyle who looked at her in a strained belief, "You can't comprehend it because you weren't there. The children you know now and what they were before are almost nothing alike. The biggest changes started about 20 years ago and since then it was like raising entirely different people. That was the generation before Jana and Lillia." She sighed, "The problem lies that the Church refuse to believe that these changes exist despite all the evidence, because if they acknowledged the children for what they are, our laws would forbid what we make them do. Even with our leaps in technology, without the Hero to lead the defence we'd be crushed."
"20 years ago? Wasn't that...," Kyle looked at her trying to get his point across.
Maila smiled, "Yes, it was when 'that' Hero was around. Maybe it was because for once in their lives there was a period where they didn't have to fight and die. They spread their wings a little. To be honest, when he was around, I thought that would be the end of it and the children could be free, but I was wrong."
"That Hero, it sounds like he wasn't normal."
"You could say that. The truth is he was from outside the Garden."
Kyle's eyes widened in surprise, "Is that even possible?"
"Well yes," Maila paused. "It's not simply rare, it borderlines on impossible. That one in a million who somehow was able to use the Hero's armour. But he- I can't talk about it anymore than that. Sorry."
"That's alright." When it came down to it he was still new to all of this.
Kyle sat silently not even touching the tea in his hands. He was confused how to feel. Even if the early Hero candidates were different did it make it right to sacrifice them like that? Then there was now. The system of Hero after Hero had been ingrained into their world and without it they'd perish. It didn't change the fact that Lillia and the other children would still have to fight and one day die. But then there was that slight hope that maybe one day someone could replace them.
"Maila... just what are the children?" the question lingered awkwardly on his lips. "Their hair, their personalities, where do they even come from? I didn't want to ask before but now, I feel like I need to know."
Maila chuckled sombrely and shook her head, "I'm afraid I can't tell you that either."
He frowned, "You just went on about all of this and now you can't tell me anymore?"
"This and that are separate. The children's origins has to be kept a secret. Even I don't know much about it."
From her expression he knew that there was no point pushing for an answer. Instead he drew into himself deep in thought as his mind tried to muddle through all the new information. With a nod he eventually spoke, "Thank you for telling me but Maila in the end this doesn't change much for me does it?"
She blinked in surprise and laughed, "No, I guess it doesn't."
"Things make a bit more sense now but if you were hoping I'd just give up and stay here, your plan didn't work."
"Well it wasn't my plan to but if you did say you'd stay, it would give me a lot more piece of mind."
He looked at her gently, "Sorry but I have to do this."
"I already know that," she smiled softly. "Just please come back. With the children how they are now, they wouldn't be able to handle it if you died."
"I'll make it back and I'll bring Lillia with me," he pushed his chest out confidently. "But Maila just one more thing, from your story it sounded like you were here for a long time." He looked her up and down closely. Her red tinged brown hair that stretched past her shoulders, her smooth skin and youthful face. By all accounts those who described would say she was a healthy young women and one that was quite the hidden beauty. "Just how old are you?"
Maila looked at him slyly and stood from her seat with a short giggle, "Kyle don't you know it's rude to ask a women her age? Let's just leave it that I'm older than I look. Now isn't there someone else you should be looking for?"
He stood immediately and looked out the window. It was already dark. "I won't be too late will I?"
"I think you'll be fine," she smiled knowingly. "Since Jana and Lillia were young they liked to hide by the large oak close by the stream. It's the one with the silver and white leaves."
Kyle quickly made his way to the door but paused and turned back, "Thank you Maila, for everything. It means a lot that you trust me."
"You were bound to realise it soon enough. I just wanted you to hear it from me first. Now hurry up and go or else you really will be late."
"Right!" he ran out the door leaving Maila alone.
The women, much older than she looked, stood in the centre of all the trinkets she had collected and breathed deeply. It was odd. Ever since Kyle had come to the Garden she felt she was seeing more and more of the children's personalities than even she thought she'd see. Even now something else was happening. Once upon a time a scholar had proposed a question if a doll could love and that if it could, would it still be called a doll? Maybe the doll was never a doll to begin with and just needed time to blossom. Regardless Maila knew what she had to do and patiently waited.