A/N -- First off, I did the second in a series of doodles! Check out the Azabela Stryder I have in my head! Really hope you enjoy! Second off, For all website users, if the site glitches (which it does a lot, seemingly, lately)... and does that whole repeating words thing where you can't read the whole chapter, send me a PM! I am more than happy to email you a copy of the chapter so you can read the whole thing!
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The sun came up. Hench watched the sky go from black to pink as dawn approached outside the inn window. And wasn't that the motto of life? The sun always came up, no matter how dark the night. As Hench stared at Azabela, sleeping so softly on her arm, she knew it to be true. As she stared at the way the huntress's face reflected only peace, with her eyes shut --yet barely fluttering-- and her mouth parted ever so lightly, the woman knew she'd found dawn.
Azabela was most beautiful like this. Hench had always thought so. The archer's long, dark hair fell free from the braid and whirled about her petite, waiflike frame in wild waves. Some locks tickled Hench's skin, but the guardian hardly minded. With a quiet smile, Hench placed a kiss on the girl's head and admired the sight for one last moment before gently pulling her arm out from under Azabela's head.
The huntress stirred for a minute but fell back to her soft snoring in a moment. Satisfied that the girl was still dreaming, Rhalla turned away to put on some clothes. She did a few subtle stretches to relieve the tightness of her musculature. Now looking at the room, she found her robes neatly and precisely folded on a chair while Azabela's were scattered in random piles everywhere. And if that didn't say anything about their relationship dynamic, the guardian didn't know what did. Hench chuckled in spite of herself as she pulled all her garments back over her bare skin, tying the tassels of her guardian robe together not even a minute later.
"Show over already?" came a partially disoriented mumble from the bed. Hench turned to find Azabela with her eyes half open and a lazy smile on her face.
"Good morning," was all Hench replied, shaking her head at the huntress's shenanigans.
"You know," Azabela began as she sat up, not caring that the cover fell away from her torso. "I swear you have a new muscle every time I see you, Rhalla. If you don't watch it, you're muscles are going to grow biceps."
Hench snorted. "Not how it works." Then she smirked. "Not at all how it works."
Now, the archer stood from her bed and walked over to her companion. Casually, the girl stood on her tiptoes so she could quickly peck Rhalla's cheek. Azabela then turned away from her beloved and looked around at the mess of clothing that she'd thrown everywhere in her haste the night before. Picking up her shirt, she noticed a smudge of dirt on the front --likely from where she'd walked around with her boots on.
"Damn it," she cursed. "Got shit on my clothes."
She wasn't talking to Hench, but Hench replied anyway. "Maybe if you'd fold them instead of throwing them around like a savage--."
"Okay, Rhalla," Azabela spoke loudly over Hench as she pulled on her clothes, cutting off the rest of her words. She had anticipated a sassy interjection from the mighty woman the moment the words had left her mouth. Now, both of them looked at each other with profound grins. The archer shook her head. "You have to know you are literally the only person in the world who takes time to thoroughly fold their clothes before taking someone to bed."
Hench's nose twitched and then her grin grew wider until it fully encompassed her face, showing off a bright set of teeth. "And that is precisely why my robes are clean and you look like a filthy heathen," she teased.
No more was said between the two women. Azabela threw her arms around the guardian, so tightly that she might've squeezed the breath out of Hench. They both understood that this was goodbye for now. Once they left their room, both Iris and Hench would depart, leaving the archer and her grandmother behind to try and sell to this village instead.
"Remember that you promised to come home more often," Azabela whispered, not releasing her beloved.
"Don't you worry girl," Hench said, subconsciously moving her hair through the huntress's tresses. "I never forget my promises."
And with that, the two finished getting ready and packed, leaving the room and another successful mission behind them.
----
Hench hadn't said much to Iris on the way back to the sanctuary. Ever since they'd left Sorella and Azabela at the village, every bit of her mentor's thoughts were focused on getting back to Master Dyran with the report. Iris hadn't really said much to Hench either, considering the woman had been irritated for the past three days --ever since a series of passing storms had slowed their travels.
And now, a week later, both women stood in front of the guardian sanctuary. It didn't look as intimidating this time around as it had when the rogue had first come. Surprisingly, an odd sense of home fell over the rogue. She couldn't place it, but she was certainly at ease when she saw the white, vine-covered walls again --even if that did mean that she'd resume getting her ass beat and having to meditate every day.
Hench didn't stop to admire. The guardian moved with renewed purpose towards the front doors. Iris followed behind without question, having to adapt to a sort of jog to keep up with her mentor's incredibly long strides.
As she went, she couldn't help but feeling a little nervous at meeting the master of the Guardian sanctuary for the first time.
Hench led Iris through a series of long hallways, and then through one section of the living quarters --where the actual guardians stayed. Iris took a minute to observe the name plates nailed to the wall beside each one's personal chamber. All men's names, of course. Iris didn't see Hench's room anywhere --nor did she see Kayde's. In the back of her mind, Iris couldn't wait to have her little name plate up here by a room.
Both of the women passed through and continued down the corridor until they came to a staircase.
Hench started up it, and so Iris did too, even more anxious than before.
It wasn't long before they reached another door. It was a lone door, stationed at the end of a nice hallway. Iris would have taken time to observe the paintings hanging on the wall had Hench not been in such a hurry. When they reached the end, Iris found that this room had a name plate too. Iris read the inscription. Master Dyran Morvais --the leader of the sanctuary. Hench knocked.
A smooth voice came from the other side. "Come in."
They took no time in accepting the invitation. When Iris walked in, she saw a singular man sitting at a desk. He looked to be quite a bit older than Iris --even quite a bit older than Hench. His hair was long, intricately done, and the uniform black color of Eldia mind for a couple hints of grey woven into his braids. His face was tan and crinkled at the corners of his eyes. What startled Iris the most, though, was that his eyes were green. That made three men she knew with green eyes.
"Greetings, Rhalla. I am glad you and our newest trainee made it back safely." His voice was kind. He smiled at both of the women and Iris couldn't help but feel like the man looked incredibly familiar, though she couldn't place it.
"I am glad as well," Hench said, and then turned to her recruit, snatching her from her thoughts. "I suppose introductions are in order. Dyran, this is Iris Gwenneth --former Rogue Captain of Eldia. And Iris, this is Dyran Morvais, master of this sanctuary."
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"Likewise," he said sincerely, and then looked at Hench. "I suppose you are here with a report. How did it go?"
"Not as well as I'd hoped," Hench said after a minute. "We got to the hamlet with no issue. It was when we arrived that," the guardian paused and heaved a deep breath. "We found mostly everyone dead. They were left to rot, sir. We found elderly and young among the dead, as well. There were only three alive --one of them badly injured, locked inside their house."
Dyran sat up in his chair, clearly concerned. "Any more details?"
"Yes," Hench said, voice dropping an octave. "I told you we found elderly and young alike in the corpses. There was not, however, any sign of young women in the village. Iris picked up on it right before we found the family. It was a father and mother, along with a little girl. Once Sorella treated the man's wound, he told us about the men that did it. They came, demanding compensation and coin the villagers could not spare. When it was not given, they killed everyone except for the girls, whom they took for payment! Iris can account for it!" Hench's voice grew louder by the second, and her disgust was clear in her face. The recruit only nodded at the master of the sanctuary to confirm the truth of Hench's words.
The woman began pacing. "And then, the father of the family gives me this!" She threw the red linen down on Master Dyran's desk. "Tells me that men wearing this were responsible for the savagery! I have seen this sigil before!"
Dyran looked down, with an expression of anguish. Iris only stared back at her mentor.
Hench continued her rant, her voice wavering a bit. "That mark belongs to Baron Riasion. That mark belongs to the man who takes little girls. It's time to end this." Iris was indeed confused at the guardian. She'd not seen her so emotional before.
"And end it we shall, Rhalla. Do not fret, girl," he promised. "It is a baron we are discussing, however. This will not be easy. We will have to consult with Eldian forces as well to get underway. But, I promise I will send men to end it when the time is right. As soon as we possibly can. I swear this to you."
"I want to go," Hench said quickly. "I want to do this."
"Is that wise, Rhalla?" the guardian said in a comforting tone. "You need not go back there. It will only bring about pain to you." Now, the rogue couldn't help but want to know what was going on. Back there? What did Hench know about the symbol?
"I do need to go back there," she said. "I want to finish it."
"Vengeance is not the way of a guardian's heart, even be it very well deserved. You know this to be true," Dyran said, his green eyes doing their best to placate the woman. "Is it not enough that it is done? It is time to find peace in your life. You owe yourself peace, my second-in-command... my friend."
"This isn't about vengeance." Hench's words were eerily quiet --and a scary kind of calm percolated in the air. Dyran seemed to notice it too.
"Rhalla," he said, "Perhaps it would be easier to..."
Hench waited.
"I think it would be best for your health of mind if you steered clear of anything that might remind you of... of Cricket."
"Cricket. Is. Gone. Now!" The tension reached its peak when Hench raised her voice and slammed a fist to the desk, more in emphasis than in anger. The volatile woman took a deep breath and reigned herself back under control. Hench's next words were soft and mournful. "Cricket has been gone for years now, master. Vengeance does nothing for that girl now. She has found her peace. I just--" Hench stopped short. "I just want to make sure it's done. I want to be the face of hope for those little girls he's got now. I want to be the one to save them." The first welling of tears brimmed Hench's eyes.
Dyran stood from his chair and walked over to the woman. Quietly, he placed both hands on her thick arms. "Promise me this."
"I don't know what I'd say to them," Hench's voice was low, almost a shaking whisper. "I don't know how I'd restore their faith. But regardless, I would like to try. I want them to look at me and know that everything is going to be alright eventually. I want to finally see and dream of faces I have liberated --not nightmares of who I failed to save when I was young."
Iris was speechless. She had no clue what the hell to make of any of this, but indeed her curiosity was rekindled. What had happened to her mentor before?
Hench spoke only once more.
"This is not vengeance. This is justice. That, I solemnly swear to you."
A/N -- Thoughts? Let me know below!