Alysa pov:
My fingers hurt from how tightly I was clenching my fists. My body was stiff in tension and my heart was racing from the worrying situation I was currently in. I glanced once at the three Zeros standing guard around me, their mana pulsing powerfully and visible as an aura around their bodies. They were enraged, and that was more frightening than merely being kept an eye on by them.
It was even more uncomfortable because all the Zeros who had been evacuated from Ozryn were gathered only a few feet away from me. They radiated hostility with every glance at me and I knew that I would have been dead now if it wasn't for Sir Rayner's orders to keep me alive.
Just as the man who had come to my room earlier claiming to be my uncle had said, Ozryn had been surrounded by a large army of humans moments away from ambushing us to put an end to the main army of the Zeros. If Sir Rayner, the leader, and several other strongest knights of the Zero army in Ozryn were done away with, their death and defeat would mean reducing the Zeros' strength by more than half. Humans would then once again reign over Zeros, with the latter persecuted for treason and treated even worse than before. Sir Rayner would not allow that though.
There were not enough Zeros or preparation to win against the ambush army, so Sir Rayner had commanded an evacuation of all his people in Ozryn. He planned to retreat for now and rework on his plan to overthrow the humans.
I was the only human who had been brought along, solely because I was their Alpha healer.
"Why is that human b**** with us? She should be killed!" spoke one of the Zeros standing a little away. He was not a knight but a civilian who had been living in Ozryn. He had many scars on his arms, even a big one that ran from his shoulder down the length of his arm till his wrist. He had been through a lot from the looks of it, as had all the others, and he was not happy to be seeing me among his kind.
More hostile comments were directed to me but no action could be taken thanks to the three Zeros protecting me. The comments soon died down and everyone settled to rest for the while before Sir Rayner returned with news.
The mellowed mood was relieving, making me relax a little as well. Sighing, I wrapped my arms around my upright knees and rested my chin on them while I gazed at the ground on which I sat. Tuning out the sounds around me, I settled to drawing random shapes on the sand with my finger. I began to feel sleepy soon, for it was way past the usual time that I slept after a day filled with physical and mental work. Stifling a yawn, I continued my aimless squiggling.
"Commander!"
The voice had me wide awake and straightening to look in the direction of the commotion. Sir Rayner was striding to where we were, a lot of blood staining his clothes. In fact, Sir Nemel, Sir Alden and the two others who had gone to investigate the ambush were all covered in blood too. It roused slight nausea in me as I stood.
"What happened?" asked Sir Siward.
"We were careless," spoke Sir Rayner, enraged. "We gave too less credit to the humans while we conquered them. They've taken back Ozryn and we have to revisit our strategies now."
"Shit! Those damn b*******!" several knights cursed, their wildly raging manas so intense that a mere stomp of their foot in their anger created cracks in the ground.
"What do we do now, commander?" asked Sir Alden. Despite the fury in his eyes, he maintained composure. It was clear why Sir Rayner had appointed him as a captain of his army.
Sir Rayner's eyes shifted to me before he answered Sir Alden's question. He strode to me and stopped when he was two feet away and looking down at me. I was certain I saw concern flash in his eyes as he glanced over me once. His eyes were unexpectedly tender too, which made my heart skip a beat.
"Are you unharmed, Alysa?" he asked. His tone was gentle, caring, as if he was genuinely worried about my wellbeing. It had caught the attention of all the Zeros around us, and not in positive light. Surely they had noticed his gentleness with me.
"I-I'm alright for the most part," I answered.
"Good. I don't want to have to deal with anything troublesome with respect to you while we travel." His gaze and voice were icy again, with his eyes narrowing sharply at me. It seemed to ease the displeasure that risen in many who had seen his momentary kindness to me. He looked away from me then, and at the other Zeros. "Move out! We're going to the fort in Dunser Hord."
"Dunser, commander?" spoke Sir Nemel, sounding mildly concerned. "That's the winding canyon where people can never return from. We'll be walking to our deaths."
"I know the canyon like the back of my hand. The caverns in the center of the canyon will serve as our stronghold for now."
"Understood. Alright, everyone, you all heard the commander! Let's go!" hollered Sir Siward.
We traveled on foot, crossing challenging landscape before entering a rocky canyon while innumerable stars twinkled brightly above us. I was glad that I was wearing my night slippers - the most comfortable ones I owned, which made walking easy. But that didn't mean that walking for several hours without rest was easy. The terrain wasn't friendly and the Zeros walked at a speed that I couldn't keep up with easily. I had to jog every now and then to make sure that I wasn't lagging behind, and I was out of breath and unable to take a step further after several hours of walking.
"Hurry up! On your feet, human!" snapped one of the men who were keeping an eye on me.
Heaving while I sat on my knees, I glanced up at him. My sleeve dampened from absorbing the sweat I wiped away. My throat was parched, desperate to replenish the water I had lost from perspiration.
"Just," I said between raspy breaths, "just give me a few moments to catch my breath."
"We don't have time for your nonsense! Get up!" another snapped. He curtly grabbed me by the upper arm to pull me up and drag me after him. I stumbled, my knees giving out almost immediately. It angered him that I collapsed again and he yanked me up again, making me wince in pain. "You damn piece of-"
"Sir Knight." The voice that interrupted the knight's cursing had us looking to Lyle who had approached us.
[A/n: I realized I never put up a picture of Lyle before. This is how I always imagined him to be, his appearance and aura gentle :)]
"Is there something you need?" the knight holding me asked in a kind tone. The stark difference in the way he was treating me and one of his own wasn't surprising, but it also felt a little unfair.
"I would like to carry Alysa on my back for the rest of the journey," he said gently.
"What?" The knight was shocked, unsurprisingly, and even angered. "Why would you wish to do that? She is a filthy human and deserves to suffer! Let her exhaust herself to death."
"Forgive me if I sound arrogant, but Commander Rayner brought her with us so she would continue healing us. We need her alive, not dead. Besides, Alysa has only ever been kind to Zeros, to the extent of healing them and feeding them more than generous amounts of food at every chance she could get. I have been the few lucky ones whose life was no longer as miserable as before I met her," Lyle said, looking to me with a fond smile. "Humans are not as enduring as Zeros, and it is no surprise that this journey has been harsh on her. She will faint if made to continue this way. I will carry her on my back until Dunser."
"Lyle," I mumbled, gazing at him with wide eyes.
"Come," he said, crouching in front of me with his back to me. My eyes prickled, for this had been the most kindness I had received in weeks since coming to Ozryn. It was the most blatant offer to depend on someone - something that I had not allowed myself to do since the Plaza Strike. I had been on my own since then, took care of myself by myself since then, wishing to not become a burden to others despite how I was always so lonely.
Painting had been my escape, followed by running the café in Amzell. I had drowned myself in chores in Ozryn Castle without complaint after that, to ensure that loneliness would not consume me while becoming an outcast along with all the others I had known in this world. Arran, Mr. Luther, and the few Zeros I had befriended in Amzell had filled the void in the slightest, but with my true identity a secret from everyone, I still had not felt complete in any sense.
All my efforts to remain strong, to keep in all the emotions that had been building up inside me were in vain at this moment.
My eyes prickled sharply and welled with tears that I blinked rapidly away. I clenched my fists tightly to keep my composure while I got on Lyle's back. Having wrapped my arms around his neck and settled against him, he rose, and we continued the journey at a much faster pace than before.
My composure shattered suddenly from the warmth I felt from Lyle and the honest affection, concern, and care he had for me. Tightening my arms around him, I buried my face in his back and allowed the tears welling in my eyes to fall.
"Alysa," Lyle cooed, shifting to try and look at me.
"Thank you, Lyle. Thank you," I whispered in immense gratitude for his kindness.
"I am only doing what I can to thank you for always caring for us, Alysa," he said, a smile audible in his tone. "You have worked hard."
His appreciation for holding out well until now had me breaking down more. All that had been pent up inside me - the sadness, the fear, the loneliness, the desperation - everything came gushing out without restraint.
In that moment, a profound truth shattered me on the inside. His Holiness Lord Rafaelle had guessed that I had been brought to this world for a special reason, a purpose. It occurred to me that my purpose was to find my home among the Zeros of this world - to receive care and affection like none other while I aided them and freed them from their pain and suffering. Perhaps I was right about my purpose, perhaps I was wrong, but there was one thing that I was more than certain of now - the feelings I had developeded for the many Zeros that had changed my life.
***
Dunser was a barren land, an enormous canyon with houses carved into the walls. It had been well maintained considering the isolated location and rather arid climate, to the extent that the doors and windows of the dwellings closed and opened well. Several knights were aiding the Zero families to settle into their new homes while I, too, was being escorted to where I would be staying for the time being.
However, I was taken to a part of the canyon where there were several injured knights waiting to be healed instead of a place to stay. It appeared that I was going to be working without a moment to rest after the long travel.
Although Lyle had carried me for a little more than half the way here, I was still exhausted. I had not slept a wink during the night, I had walked, no, trekked on uneven land for several kilometers, at least, and I hadn't eaten anything yet.
"Get to work, filth," spoke one of the knights when we had arrived in a courtyard.
"May I use the washroom before I begin, please?" I asked.
The Zero clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, "Make it quick. It's over there."
He motioned with his head to a shack on the side where I could relieve myself. I was done with my business quickly, but I remained in the shack for a little while to rest - barely five minutes before someone was calling for me to hurry up. Sighing deeply, I washed my face and left the shack. Quenching my thirst from the water in a basin on the side, I then stepped to the injured knights to begin healing them.
There were a few who seemed gravely injured. I did not question how they had been injured, but I got my answer when the knights spoke amongst themselves. They had been in a fight with the humans in a neighboring town but had not been successful in winning. The humans, as the man who had claimed to be my uncle had said, had been strategizing and becoming stronger to retaliate against the growing rebel army of the Zeros. It had not just been around Ozryn, it seemed.
I worked in silence, doing my best not to strain myself by working hastily despite occasional hollering. Nonetheless, the lack of sleep, hunger, and constant use of my healing mana was tiring me out.
"Oi, human," came a voice that had me looking away from a man I had just healed to the knight who had called out to me. His name was Haver, if my memory served right. He held out a bundle of wrapped leaves to me and said, "Eat."
"Oh, thank you," I said gratefully and accepted the bundle. A spark of joy came to me when I saw rice and a dry curry inside. The food was delicious despite lacking many ingredients. It had relieved me of my hunger, a bit of my tiredness, and replenished my healing mana as well.
"If you're done, get back to work," another ordered, grabbing me by the upper arm and dragging me to another injured soldier.
I figured that this would be my routine every day from now on. It would be exhausting, with no breaks, and with no one to talk to. The loneliness and sense of oppression and isolation were already setting in, rendering me feeling momentarily overwhelmed. Memories of home came to me fiercely, along with thoughts of Arran and Mr. Luther. I hoped that they were doing alright, but I also wished that they were here with me.
Unsurprisingly, I wished for warm company right now. It was something I would not get though, surely for a long time, and the mere thought of that made me wish to curl up and close my eyes. It had been very long since I had been in such a state, my heart and mind threatening to push me into depression. I could not succumb to it for several reasons.
Inhaling deeply to ease the tightness in my chest, I focused on the woman I was healing now. I forced my mind under control, thinking of anything besides home, family, and friends.
Rayner pov:
"It makes sense now," mumbled Alden, his brows deeply furrowed. "You were always somehow stronger with every battle we went to, stronger by leaps and bounds in fact - all because Alysa used her healing mana on you so frequently. All the soldiers who were healed by her showed better endurance with every fight too."
"We assumed it to be because of fighting, as if it was improvement through practice, but it was the healing mana instead," added Siward.
"What do you propose we do now, commander?" Alden asked.
Exhaling deeply while I gazed out of the window of one of the few buildings in Dunser, I said, "We protect her. She is an asset far more valuable than what we thought initially and will be the key to our victory against the humans."
"That sly b****," said Nemel with a scoff. "She was hiding something so important from us all this while. We should interrogate her and find out what more she's been keeping secret."
My eyes were on him. His expression was one of disgust and anger, much like most Zeros when they thought of any human. Several of us knew that Alysa was different, but it had not diminished our hatred for humans enough for us to treat her without hostility. But perhaps I was different, far too much for my liking. In the days that passed, I had begun to feel more than comfortable with her, enough to want to get unusually close. She was an innocent person with a warm heart - there was no denying that - but the mere fact that she was a human prevented me from giving in to the emotions stirring within me.
I had been a fool, allowing the suspicions of my men to come true over time.
"I will speak to her," I said, shutting my eyes and massaging my forehead in an attempt to ease my headache. "Alden, check on our weapons and find out how we can get more. Siward, deal with rounding up the knights and checking on the civilians. See if they are comfortable and if there are any strong enough and interested in becoming knights. We will need more people in our army. Nemel, you take care of supplies for now."
All of them acknowledged my instructions and left. It was a few minutes before I, too, left the room and headed to the area where the injured knights were being treated by Alysa. Many had been healed and were resting while others were still waiting to be healed after a preliminary checkup to make sure their lives were not in danger.
Alysa was seated on the ground next to the man she was healing. She was working hard, concentrating on healing the Zeros one after the other. She was visibly exhausted, pale, and sweating, but none seemed to care about that as they demanded her to hurry with her treatment. If she went on like this, she was sure to collapse.
"Alysa," I said, approaching her. She noticeably tensed as she stood, keeping her head bowed as she waited for me to speak. Her unusual subjugated appearance as against how cheerful I had remembered her to be when in Amzell bothered me, making me clench my fists into tight balls. I did not express my frustration, however, and spoke, "Come with me for a minute. I need to speak with you about something important."
The other knights bowed to me, acknowledging my orders. Alysa followed after me, walking through the rough pathways of Dunser between the dwellings carved into the stone of the canyon. I led us away from the other Zeros so that we were out of sight and earshot. Coming to a stop in the middle of the deserted streets, we were enveloped by silence. My back was to Alysa, my thoughts suddenly chaotic and contradictory in several ways. I did not know how to begin speaking.
"Did you know about the specialty of your mana?" I asked, finally settling to not beat around the bush.
"I didn't," she answered. Her voice was soft but unwavering. She was not lying.
"What about the man who claimed to be your uncle and trespassed into Ozryn?"
"I didn't know him. I had never seen him before, though he did say that the last time we had met was when I was very young so I wouldn't remember him."
"I just don't understand," I seethed, finally turning to look at her. She appeared mildly frightened by my sudden hostility - it was not a new expression since this was not the first time I had been angry or threatening towards her. However, she was calmer than what she had been when we left Ozryn, as if she had accepted her fate and didn't feel as bothered by it anymore.
Striding to her, ignoring the way she stepped back a few times, I grabbed her by her upper arms and held her in place firmly.
"Why did you go to Nemel for protection instead of trust another human and go with him? Why did you choose us over your own kind? Are you not concerned about what we will do to all of you when we win? Each and every human will be subjected to the same humiliation and abuse we have had to go through for years - are you not worried about that?"
It was odd that she was not afraid now and merely watching me in curiosity when I was so furious, when I was telling her of the brutal fate of humans. She suddenly appeared sad, apologetic even, and lowered her gaze.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
"You're sorry?" I repeated with a scoff. "What are you sorry for, Alysa? Letting the humans in on our secrets? Perhaps you've told them about our hiding place, led them here already, so it will be our end soon. Anything we do now is futile, isn't it?"
"I've done no such thing," she said, meeting my eyes. My mana was flaring around me, my grip on her was tight and surely painful, and she was afraid. But she kept her eyes locked with mine. "When I saw the man who had snuck into my room, I was scared. He was a stranger who pushed me against the wall and covered my mouth so that I wouldn't scream for help, and demanded me to help him fight all the Zeros. I couldn't think clearly to decide what I should and shouldn't be doing then. I just felt instinctively safer with Sir Nemel, as crazy as it sounds, and I went to him for protection."
"And you regret that, surely," I spat.
"I don't," she answered immediately, her voice soft as if she herself found it unusual. But she was sure of her opinion. She added, "I don't regret what I did. But the thought of the fight and killing that will continue makes me uncomfortable."
"Then what the hell are you sorry for?" I questioned, gripping her arms even more tightly than before. Her expression indicated pain, but she did not let a sound escape. I didn't reduce the strength with which I was holding her either.
"For liking all of you despite everything that has happened," she said, shutting her eyes for a brief moment. "I can't forget the days I spent in Amzell getting to know all the Zeros there and becoming friends with them. Then you turned up all of a sudden and stayed with me for several months. We grew close, and I enjoyed your company and even began to think of you as important to me. I was always happy when you visited. As afraid as I was when you revealed your true persona, I thought everything would be alright because of you, because I trusted you."
Her words felt like a suffocating weight upon my chest. She trusted me, a man who had only deceived her with the wish to use her and dispose of her when I no longer needed her. That had always been my decision despite how I was foolishly being drawn towards her as a man would to a woman he loved. The purity of Alysa had had me forget the sick humiliation I had been subjected to by other humans who had used me for their pleasure, and even wish to experience it with her now because I wanted to.
"It's frightening that I feel more comfortable with Zeros instead of humans, yet I'm so lonely. I feel like I have no place I belong in, but I can't give up on wishing to find happiness with the Zeros I know now. I can't help but wish to rekindle the friendship I had with you. I still trust you, Rayner, as stupid as it seems even to me, and I can't stop wishing for everything to work out somehow."
Her glistening turquoise orbs that had hope, desperation, and anguish in them drew me in again, pushing me past my limits of self-control. My primal instinct seemed to overpower my ration mind suddenly, enough for me to curse sharply under my breath, shove her back against the closest wall, and press my lips hard against hers. She struggled, surprised by my gesture and perhaps hating it as well. I did not allow her to push me away though. Letting go of her arms, I held her face and tilted my head while parting my lips to caress her deeply.
Her lips were sweet and intoxicating, making me addicted right from the first taste. She smelled sweet too, like wildflowers, and I could barely hold back from devouring her lips as if I was parched. She continued to struggle, prying at my arms that held her head in place as I kissed her. When she realized her attempts were futile, she settled to holding my arms tightly with trembling hands while gasping between my caresses.
My mana was nearly fierce and uncontrollable as I felt an insatiable hunger burn within me along with such pleasure I had never thought I could feel from a mere kiss. I snaked one of my arms around her small waist to hold her against myself, relishing just how perfectly her petite form fit in my arms. Possessiveness bubbled in the pit of my stomach with the wish to never let her go, to allow myself to succumb to this pleasure that I had loathed when I had seen it in humans.
I opened my eyes in sheer surprise when Alysa suddenly shifted to place her hands on my chest. My heart was racing under her palms, and the sound of her heart beating just as fast was audible to me. She parted her lips to respond to my kiss, and that surprised me most. Tears fell from her eyes, glistening in the sunlight and turning the kiss salty.
I stilled, the madness of what I had done suddenly dawning upon me. Breaking the kiss, I shoved her against the wall and stepped back to put some distance between us. She winced before she collapsed to the ground, only to hold her shoulder that was bruised as she looked up at me. Her breathing was ragged and her face was flushed. She was both flustered and startled, trembling as she remained on the ground while I watched her with wide eyes.
What the hell had I just done?
~~~~~~~~~~
Oh my, it looks like Rayner has finally lost his marbles...
XD
Well, that's quite some progress between Alysa and Rayner, isn't it? I hope that it got out a few squeals and racing hearts! It sure did for me when I was writing it! XD
Any guesses on what will happen next? ;)
Please vote and comment!
♡