She had guessed right. She was a God.
The confirmation of her suspicions left an empty abyss in her heart. A race she found only to be selfish, manipulative, and deceptive. They cared little for lesser beings, having a superiority complex larger than the Heavenly Realm itself.
Isla watched reality settle upon their group, the truth wrapping a ravenous claw around their throats, silencing them. The three girls remained posed, their eyes flickered between themselves, each continuing their wordless conversation with the other.
"Isla?" a deep, calm voice said behind her.
She hesitated, unsure if the intrusion would benefit her. Turning, she faced the source, a man with oceanic irises and matching hair. She remembered those eyes. The same eyes which left an unforgettable impression. "Rein," she murmured.
"It really is you," he spoke, a lopsided smile forming across his lips. The rays of light made his tousled hair shine like ripples on an ocean surface.
Isla blinked repeatedly. Was he real, was it really him? "You're alive." Her eyes scanned his body, searching for some hint to prove her denial. He was real, but wait, what was he doing here in Arcadia? "What are you doing here?"
His smile disappeared. He knew her direction and why she vocalized her confusion. He returned to his homeland. Yet, he continued his blatant stare, unfazed. "I'm a guard. But who would have guessed I'd see you here, Isla." He voiced, her name rolling off his tongue. "Find anything on your father?"
Damn him. He ignored her real question. Why return home when the Arcadians bore responsibility for his family's end? Instead, he changed subjects, rejecting her focus. She glanced towards Rydin, his eyes fixated on Rein. Great, here come the questions.
"No. Nothing yet."
Rein's brow furrowed alongside his frowning face. But as she remembered, Rein's mood was fleeting, his face transformed, brightening into its previous form. "Well, maybe lady luck's coming your way."
She returned his optimism with a soft smile. In the past, his words evoked the same comfort, countless times. Their first meeting—was it two, no maybe three centuries now. Still, no matter, the fine details had little worth when related to Rein.
The day they met, he had helped her without question. Her series of mistakes led her face-first into a trap. Outnumbered three to one and backed into a corner like a rat. An unfortunate scenario with a single weapon for a meager defense.
Confinement by three walls limited her options. A pitiful defense really. For extending her survival became her only self-created thorn.
Lady luck had long since abandoned her. Her lungs heaved and her body sheened with sweat. The cloak she had worn laid shredded to ribbons beside her. Blood dripped from her immobile left arm. But her gaze still swept between each grinning foe, her sword prime and ready.
"Three to one. Is that how you pick up the ladies?" Rein taunted from above, standing on the roof's ledge, stance open and twirling his sword. His confidence bordered on arrogance with the air of a charismatic fool.
Both Isla and her pursuers stared dumbfounded at the interloper. Without pause, he jumped off the roof, behind her attackers.
The middle leather plated brute turned sideways, pointing a meaty finger at Rein's appearance. "Get lost, or die with the girl," he barked.
"I'm afraid not," Rein responded, lunging forward. He feinted an attack at the watchful man, but side-stepped to unleash a calculated blow on one beside him.
Isla redirected the chaos Rein incited and rushed the other distracted scrawny knave. With a sharp stab, she pierced his lower stomach, meeting his muscular resistance. He grunted and swung awkwardly, his strike wide. He lurched backward and she removed her blade, slashing across with his momentum. The extra force flung him sideways, his body slumping against the wall.
Isla shifted her sword straight at her final challenger. The last one standing between Rein and herself.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Rein ridiculed with his sword-arm primed, mimicking Isla. After a moment, he lowered his weapon. "Scram."
The pale-faced man's beedie black eyes wobbled between his fallen comrades and them. A second passed, and he dropped his sword, sprinting past Rein.
Rein wiped his blade clean, exposing the dull metal surface underneath. With a single motion, he sheathed the weapon. "You okay?" he asked, his tone softer. He approached quickly, his strong grip encircling her bleeding arm.
Isla winced and raised her sword to his neck. "Let me go," she growled.
"Calm down, no need to kill your savior. Thank you's don't usually include a sword to your throat." He grinned, releasing her arm and positioning for a handshake. "The name's Rein, and you are?"
Her gaze scanned his frame, remaining alert and searching for his trick. She paused, watching his clear blue eyes for a sinister glint. A change or spark to verify her claim. But as the moments passed, his direct and calm attitude bore her burn. She sheathed her weapon, stepping around him.
"Wait. That's it? A cold dismissal?" He walked ahead of her, blocking the exit.
Isla remained stone-faced, watching him. "What do you want?" she retorted, depositing her free hand to her hip.
"I'm expecting some kind of thank you, but hard to say given your reaction. Not a likable one are you?"
Isla narrowed her eyes. "You help only to gain something in return, does that make you any better?"
He chuckled. "True. Thought I'd be saving a damsel, should have guessed I was wrong when I saw you swinging that thing around." He pointed at her weapon then continued, "Why don't we skip the sweet pleasantries and heroic compliments for food instead. A fair trade, no?"
She clenched her fist, digging her nails deep. "Get lost."
"Not a chance."
"I have nothing," she countered.
"That's fine. I'll follow until I get rewarded."
"Pest," she grumbled.
Rein smirked with laughter highlighting his eyes. "Ladies first." He moved aside, curtsying and waving her on.
Looking back, his avoidance of the simplest of requests roused her suspicions. A single tick, ringing in her ears, warned her of the catastrophic future he'd bring.
Experience taught her more than one lesson, but firstly: never trust those that approach you. They always did for a reason—money, fame, power—the reasons were endless. Even a single expressionless stare could set fools on a crusade to conquer her. Stupid, but true.
Still, her persistent scorn garnered no reaction and he continued his tailing. When she left the city, and he followed, Isla knew tactics must change. She abandoned the straightforward approach, instead, she exposed herself, leaving him the perfect opening.
He walked behind her, whistling a merry tune. She relaxed her body, relieving the growing tension at her neck's base. Her hand rocked back and forth, close to her weapon. She grazed the weapon, stalling her hand to encase the metal pommel. Would he attack?
Isla halted, her hands dropping to her sides.
"Woah, what's the problem?"
"Leave me alone."
He remained quiet, not vocalizing a quick rejection to her rude plea.
She swung around, glaring at him with her chin tilted. "Stop following me."
Rein crossed his arms, not budging an inch from her sharp tone. "Why are you so scared?" he spoke with a surprising delicateness. "What scares you?"
His forthright gaze bore through her, both unyielding and strong. She searched the depths for an indicator, some kind of transparency to assess him. But nothing existed, at least not visible to her.
"You," she whispered.
Her response caused neither a flinch nor a reaction, he just stared. "I won't hurt you." His face softened alongside his words. "I need information. And before you think it's about your pretty face, it isn't. I mean come on, if I was after you, don't you think I'd have acted already? Your defenseless act is all too expecting."
Not a fool, huh? This made things difficult. Isla pivoted, stalking away without another retort.
"That's it?" Rein questioned. "I was expecting more resistance. Or maybe some sweet ladylike words."
"Get lost."
Rein chuckled but returned to his silent watch behind her.
A simple response and the claws suffocating her retracted. The pain remained present when chanced upon, but ignorable when distracted. However she felt, the nail pricks would remain. At first, she relaxed from their comfortable distance, but unknowingly they had grown, sharpening and prodding. A single misstep and even suffocation would be a sweet death.
She had warned him. Stay away. For both their lives. But he continued his self-named companionship.
Soon after, her warning became a reality. Far from their initial meeting, in Frezna's frozen northern tundra, a world two stops from Arcadia, they became cornered. Mere days of careful planning ruined. The frost had yet to harden, white mountains of snow drifted from part to place. Sunlight fell upon the glossy landscape transforming the barren plains into glittering stardust fields. Though entrancing, simple purity became pilfered by bloodstreams.
Isla wounded another within-reach foe beside her and regained her fast-paced sprint. The men trailed them, their heavy breathing and growling fits splitting the silence.
"Come now, you lot sound quite inept. Do you need to be re-trained?" Rein mocked. He spared no glance over his shoulder from the lead position.
Isla rolled her eyes. When did riling up the enemy work? Why give them another reason to kill and chase you? Taunts only rewarded more torture.
"Hill," she barked.
Instantly, Rein turned right towards the incline and she followed his heels. The slope elevated tenfold with each step.
Her legs ached and the frigid air punctured her burning lungs. They morphed from sprint to walk as both the incline and snow depleted their energy. Though her tracks topped Rein's, her vigor continued to seep dry.
Rein halted, spinning around to face her. Red tinged his cheeks and snow peppered his aquatic hair, the frosted tips slicked awry. He pointed his sword towards their pursuers and narrowed his eyes.
Isla positioned herself by his side, facing the men stomping up the cliffside.
"Cover my back," Rein voiced.
"I don't think so," Isla retorted while observing the enemy's slow, clunky movements.
"They're Arcadians. I know how they fight. I have a better chance."
"No."
"How stubborn are you?" he challenged.
"Shut up, or I'll stab you first." Isla readied her weapon, tightening her grip. Even the coarse leather hilt felt smooth against her numb fingers.
Rein shrugged his shoulders, loosening his defensive form. "Woe me, unable to obtain a lady's name. She accepts death's embrace, but not a man's defense. Heartbreaking."
"You sound idiotic."
He chuckled. "Thank you."
Their enemies neared, spreading their net wide. They approached with care and weapons drawn directing the net's strings upwards as their trap tightened.
Yet, their strategy slipped as Isla stepped downhill with Rein. She lowered her body, throwing her momentum into a straight dash at the nearest target. The stout man punched his ax forward, but the girth hit no sustenance and her blade pierced through his meaty flesh.
His body collapsed and she turned, counting Rein's two hits. Isla smirked. As always, he was good.
They retreated further, continuing downhill with enemies flanking their sides. The frozen masked cliff looming ahead ended their strategic retreat. Air whipped with vengeance, freezing sweat to skin. Isla huffed out a burning breath. Their flight had ended and men surrounded them.
"Well, damn," Rein commented as he leaned his warm body against her back. Each lungful of intake reverberated against her body. The blood pumping through his veins thundered in unison with her own.
The fleeting victory dulled her senses. "Sorry," she murmured.
Rein laughed, loud and long, sending their enemies backward a step. "Why the long face? There's only six of them, the odds could be worse."
She chuckled. Where did he get this optimism from?
"Remember, you only live once," he remarked while shifting his body.
He broke her. The final battle had yet to begin yet she felt triumphant nonetheless. A mixture of defeat and success brought nothing but warmth. "Isla," she voiced then added, "my name, Rein."
Rein's back hardened and stilled. "She did it. She finally did it. Heavens bless us all. You must be telling me to finally die today?"
"Maybe later. They're coming."
A second later, the heavy-coated men clashed against their weapons, and clangs cracked the landscape's serenity. Her first encounter had a broadsword's girth, her teeth clenching beneath the strain. The weight doubled, her knees buckling and heat searing her blindside.
Instinctively, she dropped and rolled. With a flick of her wrist, she slashed at the lean man's legs.
She ignored his pain, instead, jumping upwards and parrying a strike. The blade deflected her own sword downwards as her arms failed. Damn brutes. Why were they always massive?
Isla stepped backward, her position one stride closer to the edge's demise. Her gaze flickered upon Rein, his arm bloodied and three men beating down his defenses.
How could she help? The two men before her approached from opposite sides, and her footing retreated once more. Her heels swayed free, the edge beckoning her closer.
Shit. One more move and she plummeted. But did these men understand? They continued to narrow their distance unconcerned about the steep precipice ahead. The fools.
Her breathing heightened as they inched closer. Could she charge forward and bait them?
Two steps away and she moved. Her toes dug deep but the sniffling snap below cried loud. Her eyes widened as her balanced shifted. Isla scrambled towards solid ground, her hands clawing the soft snow.
One enemy beside her reacted too late, his body falling and screams quieting to stillness. The other clambered alongside her, but even his clunky frame soon disappeared. A second more, and the kneeling visage of Rein surrounded by three became her last sight.
If only he had listened.
She could feel the dampness on her palms, the uncomfortable desire to scratch her arm, and the pinprick of dread. Isla glanced at Rydin, would her death shock him? The bigger question was: did it matter?
"Isla?" Rein called, unease lacing her name.
She flinched at her own name. But still, she returned her full attention to Rein. "What?"
"I asked, how did you live?"
"I got lucky, you could say." His questioning gaze continued and his mouth readied the response, but she spoke quicker, diverting the flow, "Did you finish your quest?"
He remained silent, leaving her question hanging free. She watched him, searching the unspoken for her answer. The blue enriching his eyes had diminished like night shadowing the ocean surface and its depths turning a murky black. Yet, only a second passed, and the strange sight reversed. A single blink with perfect timing and she would have missed his quiet rage. How unlike Rein.
"Rein?"
He sighed. "Somewhat." Rein's gaze transferred to their three onlooking females. "Test her, she isn't an enemy. Not to us at least."
"Test a God? You must be mad," decried the middle girl.
Rein crossed his arms and arched his back, peering down. "Are you saying my word isn't good enough?"
"But...but that," she stammered.
The left replica clasped her shivering triplet's arm. "We mean no rudeness Rein, but her mere presence can cause dire consequences. Gaining access to the magic archives is considered the highest level of esteem for an Arcadian. To bestow that on a God, even if she passes, would be blasphemy."
He tilted his head, staring with a frost coated gaze. One moment later, and his effect showed with the girls trembling from head to toe. His eyes lightened, and he chuckled. "No need to be scared. Look, there've been other Gods, right?"
"Well yes, but they were special cases."
"Then think of this as another special case. If she causes any problems, I'll take the blame, okay?"
The girls traded wild-like stares, but only the left one spoke. "If you say so, Rein."
A/N: First encounter with Rein! What do you think? Do you like him?