《The Fog Cleanses: A Dark Fantasy》


 Chapter 1: Back when life was simple.

    ¡°Can you tell me that tale again, Bari?¡± Gabi asked with poorly hidden excitement. ¡°The story of the Knights of the Red?¡±


    ¡°Gabi, aren¡¯t you tired of that story?¡± Baraqiel answered from their hay bed. ¡°It¡¯s been eight nights already.¡±


    ¡°Please Bari.¡±


    ¡°...Oh fine. I just can¡¯t with those eyes.¡±


    The fire of the hearth burned slowly, gently, its flames softly licking the underside of a small black pot. As bubbles rose on a cooking stew, Gabrielle stirred firmly to make sure none of the yummy parts sticking to the bottom were left there to burn. Sitting by the center of the one room in their tiny mud hut, her frame was barely illuminated by the tiny bonfire. She wasn¡¯t exactly a master chef, in fact this stew was probably her magnum opus and it was little more than water, poultry and a few veggies collected from a mountain nearby.


    Gabi was a young fifteen year old girl, short and thin, whose brown skin carried with it the scars of a difficult childhood and the marks of neglect. Her red hair was loose, wavy to her shoulders; it attracted the looks of nasty people, and some jeering from children in the village, and yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of it. She liked it, even if the world around her didn¡¯t.


    After all, red hair is the mark of a witch.


    ¡°This is almost ready. Let me help you up¡±, said the cooking girl, standing back up.


    ¡°I can move just fine, Gabi¡­¡± Baraqiel protested.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    On a corner of the hut, there was a bunch of hay and old fabrics that the children called their ¡®hay bed¡¯. In the darkness, there rested a thin and sickly young child. Baraqiel¡¯s skin was thin and littered with the marks of what had once been a thousand little wounds, scars from needles that pierced every inch of their body, leaving darker blotches all around. Their hair was long, longer than Gabi¡¯s, black and curly, and their eyes were dark brown pools of patience and understanding.


    Gabi¡¯s own blue eyes often looked at them, trying to catch some of that patience for herself.


    The young kid was carefully picked up and slowly helped onto their feet. After making sure her companion was steady, Gabrielle let go of them and patted their head, before walking over to the corner to pick up their wooden plates and spoons. Baraqiel was, after all, a very weak kid, so Gabi made every effort to keep them as comfortable and happy as she could.


    This meant a big amount of effort in their already difficult life. Making ends meet was difficult when the only people home were two children with little to no skills, only one of which can actually do physical labor.


    ¡°You should worry more about yourself¡­¡± Baraqiel grumbled, just looking at the girl. ¡°I can try and pick up the hoe for you one of these days.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gabrielle dismissed them.


    ¡°You are skin and bones, Gabi. You need to eat and rest.¡± The kid protested.


    ¡°I need to take care of you,¡± said the girl.


    ¡°But who will take care of you?¡± They sighed. Bari closed their eyes.


    Said weak kid resented a little bit being treated like a defenseless, helpless pup. But they also understood that to Gabrielle this was simply out of kindness. She didn¡¯t have it in her little brain to feel pity.


    ¡°The stew has mushrooms tonight, the ones mister Morgan said we could eat.¡± The girl commented as she served two plates of the thick brown mush. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find potatoes,¡± she added, with infinite sadness.


    ¡°I guess Mister Morgan does know his mushrooms¡­¡± As they sat down, Baraqiel warmly remembered the many times the man had stopped by to check on them, or share his findings. A true mycologist of a man, in the year of our saints 2035. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As the young kid carefully sat on the dirt floor and blew on their bowl to let it cool down, Gabrielle¡¯s big, unblinking eyes stared at them with anticipation. Always so impatient.


    ¡°Eat first.¡± Said Bari, not even looking at her. ¡°Then it¡¯s story time.¡±


    The girl whined, but didn¡¯t protest more than that. They both started to dig in, munching down salty stew without saying a word. Bari was not one to talk while eating, and Gabi was not one to interrupt Baraqiel at all, so they always enjoyed their food in comfortable silence.


    This made supper very quick.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Baraqiel said, as if announcing they had finished. ¡°The Tale of the Knights of Red, then¡­¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabrielle set her plates aside, having finished as soon as her little stomach was able and then laying on her belly to look up at Bari from a comfortable spot. Then, she remembered to add: ¡°Please.¡±


    The sitting kid sighed, taking a deeper breath and pretending to be bothered, but really, they couldn¡¯t hide the smile on their face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± They cleared their throat, stretching a little bit and leaning on the floor once again. Baraqiel knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to get up again without help, but right now they didn¡¯t care. ¡°It goes like this¡­¡±


    Deep in the mountains of Mastivia, a very long time ago


    Two great orders of warriors fought for control of everything.


    The Castles of the East and the West.


    And while they warred and bickered with each other,


    always looking for more terrain to conquer,


    the people living in the mountains were left to fend for themselves.


    The castles of the East were masters of martial might,


    their warriors being able to lift entire boulders over their heads


    and wrestle the most dangerous beasts.


    ¡°Like the great Gilgamesh!¡± Exclaimed Gabi.


    Yes. Now shush.


    The castles of the West were studious of the arcane arts,


    wielding secrets to bend reality to their very own will,


    the forces of nature coming to their beck and call without hesitation.


    ¡°Like Merlin the Wise?¡± Gabi commented, a little less confident.


    Yes.


    They were zealous with their knowledge, never sharing a whisper of it with anyone.


    And so, the people who lived in Mastivia depended on them to live safely,


    being heavily taxed and abused by their rulers.


    ¡°And that¡¯s when the Red Condor comes in!¡± Gabrielle interrupted again, excitedly.


    Yes.


    The Red Condor¡­ a figure cloaked in red clothes, with a long red cape and a huge hat.


    Who were they? It¡¯s a secret the Knights of the Red have never revealed.


    We don¡¯t even know if they were a man or a woman!


    They were a master of disguises, originally a rogue looking for coin and fortune.


    People say the Red Condor arrived at Mastivia as a traveler,


    and they fell in love with the land that embraced them.


    So in return, they infiltrated both great castles under different names.


    Wearing different faces.


    Learning from both.


    The Condor met many, many people in both Castles.


    They formed a little group, friends with the same dream of peace and prosperity.


    In secret they began gathering, and as different as they were, they put such things aside.


    They learned from each other, they practiced together, they lived together.


    Until their arts became one.


    They discovered a way to mix might and magic, and they called it


    The Way of Red.


    For they were the bright red line between East and West, where they blurred together.


    With their new identity, and their new knowledge in hand,


    these Knights of Red fought injustice and roamed the lands doing good.


    They fought great beasts, saved far away kingdoms, and recovered great treasure!


    They brought prosperity to Mastivia, even when facing the Great Castles¡¯ control.


    They were heroes of the people, but most importantly, they were a family to each other


    and¡­


    Baraqiel stopped their story for a moment there, noticing the girl soundly sleeping beside him, curling a little bit to get more warmth. The young kid smiled to himself, and moved a single finger. Pushed by imperceptible winds, the covers on their bed floated one by one over to cover both children.


    ¡°... Good night, Gabi.¡± They whispered, getting more comfortable on the floor.


    Gabrielle grumbled and mumbled something in her sleep.


    Things were simple back then. Not easy, never easy, but they were simple to understand. And despite the hardships of an independent life, they were happy.


    Baraqiel hoped to themselves that this happiness never ended. But they knew it would pass, like all in this life.


    They never knew how quickly they would be proven right.

 Chapter 2: Into the Fog

    Gabrielle ran. She ran until she couldn¡¯t feel her legs anymore, until her breath was ragged, warm and raspy. She ran until all signs of civilization around her had disappeared, until the forest grew thick and dark.


    Until the Fog had consumed it all.


    At her 25 years of age, the armoured girl had rarely known exhaustion like that night. Her body was already used to working until she dropped, without pauses beyond when she needed to eat, drink or relieve herself, and even then she did so sparingly. But that night it was different; that night she couldn¡¯t bear looking back. Even as her legs wobbled and faltered, and her lungs burned like pieces of red hot coal, Gabrielle would not stop until she could no longer hear the voices calling her back.


    When silence had overtaken all, only then did she allow herself to fall on the moist, muddy ground¡­ and she cried, frustration tensing every nerve in her body, forcing her hands into fists.


    She didn¡¯t even think of where she was. Not for a second did she consider the danger she had put herself into, venturing into the lands overtaken by the Fog. Whatever it claimed, the Fog never returned. This was known by all. Darkness and creatures of ill intent and savage inclination roamed within it, beasts hungry for the hearts of man. Each breath that Gabi took could draw them closer¡­


    But she didn¡¯t care right then. She didn¡¯t even consider it.


    She could only think of the disaster at the Church of Saint Francis. The flames rising, the screams from the Hells exploding every window, the lamentations of those unfortunate enough to be inside the once beautiful building. Gabrielle was a woman of subdued emotions, of action rather than introspection¡­ but that afternoon, as she helplessly stared from outside the burning church, Gabrielle knew fear for the first time in years.


    She should have gone for water. She should have jumped into that inferno. She should have done something, anything.


    Yet her body was petrified, and her mind was overwhelmed with voices that screamed orders, all at once.


    ¡°RUN!¡±


    ¡°SAVE HER!¡±


    ¡°HURRY HURRY!¡±


    ¡°JUMP IN!¡±


    She knew she had to act and yet, she couldn¡¯t move a muscle. By the time the other members of the Company arrived with buckets of water to fight off the fires, only then did Gabrielle gain enough strength to slowly walk into the wreckage.


    The bodies. Their moans of pain, the sound of their bones cracking and their skins charring¡­


    Gabrielle had seen people dying before, many times, some of those times by her own hand. It never struck her as too surprising, or hard to look at¡­ but this whole situation, this disaster¡­ she could feel the guilt squeezing her chest tightly. She couldn¡¯t distance herself from this whole ordeal.


    This was her fault.


    Under piles of broken, burning rubble, Gabi heard the cry of a familiar voice. Or at least, what was left of it after the burning smoke had ruined it. No longer caring about burning herself, she pulled pieces of broken wood, stone and rubble out of her way. Underneath it all, Gabrielle found Her.


    Esperanza de Arag¨®n, the Saint of Jericho, her Captain, laid broken on the ground. Her once beautiful visage was ruined by the flames, her face was unrecognizable, her black hair burned to a crisp, her skin wounded beyond all repair.


    Fear struck Gabrielle again. She stared at the saint, trembling, forcing herself to keep moving and pick her hero in her arms, feeling her the woman¡¯s now frail body squirm in pain at the slightest contact. Gabi tried not to look at the Saint as she stood up once more, walking out of the Church while the rest of the Company took care of the many other wounded..


    In hindsight, she felt selfish. She didn¡¯t even think of the other victims of the disaster¡­ right then, she could only carry Esperanza to the chirurgeon.


    And then¡­


    Gabrielle¡¯s mind returned to her current reality. She heard something around her, in the dark forest. As her overwhelming emotions faded, at least for the moment, the woman slowly got up and, for the first time, she was aware of the cold air flowing through her armour. Iron plate and chainmail can be great for stopping an incoming knife, but they did nothing against the elements.


    ¡°...Timothy, is that you?¡±


    She spoke up to the darkness. No answer. Only slow motions within the forest, something trying to pass unnoticed. Or perhaps the wind. One could probably, easily just assume it was the wind and be done with it outside the Fog, but in here? It would be foolish.


    Gabrielle wasn¡¯t exactly wise, but she wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew when she was being stalked. And if this person didn¡¯t come out when she called for them, clearly, it wasn¡¯t anyone she knew.


    She slowly pulled her sword out, her unblinking eyes narrowing as she sniffled and got into a wide stance, her weapon pointing straight up towards the throat of her imaginary enemy. The voice of her instructor came back to her.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Fighting is like dancing, you just need to learn the rhythm. Like a pendulum, swinging from side to side: you need to know when it¡¯s on your side, so it is your turn to attack.¡±


    The girl wasn¡¯t very sure if that logic stuck, but that¡¯s the way she had learned to fight and she wouldn¡¯t start questioning it now.


    As she prepared, the pesky voices of her thoughts began pestering again.


    ¡°We¡¯re dead. This is it. No one returns from the Fog.¡±


    ¡°Why did we come here, of all places!? Why do we have to be so stupid!?¡±


    ¡°Run. Run!¡±


    Snarling and showing teeth like a rabid animal, Gabi took a few steps back. The figure in the woods moved as well.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± Barked the girl, raising her sword. Always point to the neck, the instructor had said. That¡¯s how you stop someone from approaching.


    But it didn¡¯t seem to deter this figure.


    Gabrielle continued backing off, and the figure continued advancing, until it fully revealed itself: It was a shadow, her own shadow, standing up and mimicking her every move. The girl opened her eyes widely, a shaky breath escaped her lips¡­ and the shadow breathed in, sucking away her very essence and becoming much more solid in the process.


    She had heard the tales from those who managed to run from the Fog. People who entered and reappeared months or even years later, who claimed to see their worst fears and their very sins made flesh within the saints forsaken mist.


    Was this what they meant?


    The shadow began to ripple and shift, its limbs moving erratically, swinging and swaying, cracking as it expanded. The girl held her sword more tightly, as the shadow suddenly gained colour, skin and hair. It was a reflection, a crude caricature of herself at first; then, it changed again! Flames burst from its body, and a hellish scream echoed from its melting throat.


    On its face, like the echoes of a million people screaming, begging, pleading for help, Gabrielle could see the reflection of all those she left behind in the church. A reminder of her failure.


    She hesitated before, but not anymore. The girl stepped onwards, raising her sword before slashing down, cutting through the shadow¡¯s body. She expected blood to splatter, or feel the resistance of bone, but encountered none of that: it was like this creature was flesh and nothing more. Flesh, and black ichor.


    The apparition fell backwards, sliced in twain, writhing and shaking before slowly dissolving back into the floor¡­ and Gabrielle sighed. Luckily, things still felt distant and manageable for her.


    Things always felt distant in her mind. Life was like watching herself doing things, feeling echoes of pain from time to time. Emotions very rarely managed to cross the distance between her body and her heart, probably dying out on the way¡­ and that¡¯s why most people simply called her ¡®Heartless¡¯.


    More movements came from the darkness, and soon more shadows began to walk out of the forest, taking a few steps before flames burned from their bodies. As Gabi¡¯s eyes adjusted to the sudden bursts of light, she could see more bodies burning yonder, three¡­ then five¡­ then ten¡­


    A horde of charred bodies, advancing slowly towards her.


    The redheaded girl took a few more steps back, snarling like a cornered wild animal as her blade pointed at these creatures, changing targets from side to side, getting ready for a fight she wasn¡¯t sure she could win.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    Right now, with nothing to lose or to cling to, she wasn¡¯t afraid to die. But she wouldn¡¯t go down without biting back.


    As she charged the horde, and all the while her battle cry rasped her hoarse throat, Gabrielle remembered the words of her old instructor.


    A woman made out of stone once said:


    ¡°If you are to die, do it like a nail in someone¡¯s coffin. No matter how you die, why you die, you will regret it anyways. So might as well go all in, right?¡±


    As she cut through the body of another shadow, Gabrielle realized how those words never had ringed as true as right now, with adrenaline pumping through her entire body, and the wind blowing on her back as she madly swung her sword.


    She kicked a body out of her way, while the others began crawling and gathering around her, arms stretched towards her, pained groans coming out of their malformed throats. The redheaded swordswoman spun in place, her blade swishing all around her as she cut her way through the creatures.


    They weren¡¯t attacking just yet, just reaching for her¡­ she wasn¡¯t really questioning why, being too busy keeping a circular area around herself clear of those burning wretches. So far, things were going well! But she knew, deep inside, that it was just a matter of time until her body grew sluggish and her senses dulled. A hand managed to grasp at her hair, she felt it squeeze and pull, its touch burning and disgusting. Another slice, and that hand was separated from its arm.


    Cutting through creatures without bone was surprisingly easy.


    Voices kept ringing in her mind. Two voices that demanded her whole attention.


    ¡°Always do the right thing, Gabi¡±, said the child, smiling at her on their deathbed.


    ¡°We do what we must, for those we cherish.¡± Said the hero, a flame sparkling in her eyes.


    Gabrielle stopped on her tracks, her eyes widening, and a new figure rose at the back of this horde. A figure mounting a horse and wearing a once radiant armour, now melted and blackened by the touch of flame. Her visage was small but powerful, now broken down and almost unrecognizable. Her flesh was charred to coal in several spots, but it was still her. The figure she had been running away from. A vision of a Saint turned into a moaning, suffering wretch barely holding to its horse and a large blue and golden banner.


    When Gabrielle saw this caricature of Esperanza de Arag¨®n, all that bravery disappeared. It was never even real bravery to begin with, it was just her tendency to distance herself from any situation. But she couldn¡¯t escape from her failure.


    They locked eyes on each other. Even from afar, Gabi could see this figure smile at her with burnt lips, reaching out, silently calling¡­


    Once again, she was paralyzed. Gabrielle no longer felt like pushing or fighting, as the horde of burning shadows grew closer and closer, swiping, grabbing, pulling. She gasped, looking around herself, totally surrounded, being pulled from different directions, her clothes starting to burn as well.


    She screamed.


    Pulling strength from deep within, Gabi wrestled herself away from the hands burning her armour, charging in the opposite direction now, cleaving through the creatures that could get in the way of her desperate retreat.


    ¡°Get away from me! Away!¡±


    She was so determined to escape that she abandoned her sword, grasping and pushing at the ground as she struggled to keep standing, as she ran as fast as her tired legs would take her, as far away from the horde as she could.


    But she could only run so far in The Fog.


    ¡ª-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    In a world where magic was thought erased from history, the gods of yore punished their insolent children.


    The Fog. An invasive entity, something beyond a meteorological event. No one knows exactly where it came from, or how it started spreading, but people agree on one thing: It came from the North, one night, and there was simply no way to stop it. It didn¡¯t disperse with the passing of time, and the brightest torches failed to penetrate the darkness it brought. Wherever it spread, the Fog remained, and the shadows never failed to appear.


    The darkness within people¡¯s hearts, their fears, their regrets, their sins, everything materialized in the form of strange creatures bent on the destruction of their creator. Compasses stopped working, the sharpest sense of direction was no longer reliable. Suddenly, you were lost, chased by visions of your nightmares.


    But these were not mere illusions, they were very real, and they were thirsty for blood. Literally. During the very few expeditions organized by some of the realms in Jericho, it was common to find corpses dried up to the bone.


    These were dark times for the people of Jericho¡­ and no solution was in sight. Only despair, and certain doom.

 Chapter 3: Lucrece.

    The forest was a blur to Gabrielle as she ran, her legs feeling heavier and heavier by the second, her body felt like burning lead eager to touch the ground. Only after running for what felt like an eternity, but probably wasn¡¯t beyond twenty or so minutes, Gabi dared to look behind herself.


    They were chasing her, she could see the burning orange lights in the mist, but their figures were far enough to be almost fully concealed. Still, they had not given up the hunt for a second, despite Gabi¡¯s hopes to have somehow lost them. With a far clearer mind after her frenetic run, the woman reached for her sword¡­ only then remembering she had completely abandoned it.


    ¡°Rats¡­!¡±


    With no weapons to hand, Gabrielle anxiously looked at her left arm. She still had one trick up her sleeve¡­ but it was a bit of a ¡®last resort¡¯, really.


    ¡°This is a last resort kind of situation!¡± Screamed a voice in her mind.


    ¡°Wait! What if we faint!?¡± Yelled another.


    ¡°Witchcraft is illegal!¡± The third added, nervously.


    The redhead rubbed her arm anxiously, turning around to keep running away. But her legs, they refused to budge. She fell down immediately, feeling her thighs suddenly turn into stone as she tried to get back up.


    ¡°Come on, come on! Not now!¡±


    She was used to this sort of thing: working until her body suddenly stopped responding. Of course, the effects usually hit her when she was in bed or at a time where no one could see her. Usually she had enough willpower to just power through these feelings when she needed to work.


    But right then her body did not respond to her orders.


    The burning wretches approached slowly, their every step turning grass to ash. And not too far behind, the hooves of Esperanza¡¯s horse, trotting calmly towards Gabrielle and filling her heart with dread.


    She didn¡¯t fear death, or at least she didn¡¯t think she did. Why did this terrify her so? Her breath grew shaky, her heartbeats quickened. She tried her best to stand up again, pushing herself with arms and legs. She failed, falling on her back soon after. Out of options, nowhere to run, Gabi began grumbling and trying to focus, harshly breathing in and out.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a vision, she¡¯s not real. She¡¯s just a vision. She¡¯s not real¡­¡± The woman tried to convince herself, while feeling heat starting to build up on the runes carved into the skin of her left arm. It would hurt a lot, but it was her one chance.


    The first line of wretches was approaching, the figures of men and women disfigured by fire, groaning and trudging closer and closer to her. She had felt their grasp, her armour still carried burn marks in the form of handprints all around. Her hand reached for her left gauntlet¡­ but then, something jumped from a nearby bush.


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes widened as she saw a new figure briefly soar to the skies before descending, diving halberd first, into one of the wretches. This one was a woman, tall and lanky wearing a brigandine, a short cape and a big feathered hat. The figure, as soon as she landed and cut a wretch in half, swung her halberd in a beautiful crescent Moon, cutting and pushing back several other creatures as they snarled in pain.


    Then, she turned to face Gabi.


    The redhead had issues memorizing and even understanding the faces of others, at least when she still didn¡¯t know them. She knew this was a thin lady, with short, straight and blond hair, but she couldn¡¯t discern the details in a way that they stuck in her mind¡­ there was, however, one detail that immediately jumped out:


    Her left eye was permanently closed, covered with a big burn scar.


    ¡°You!¡± The halberd woman barked, her voice far deeper than Gabi was expecting. She spoke in a thick Normandian accent. ¡°Can you get up!?¡±


    Gabrielle, who was still dazed and shocked, shook her head.


    ¡°Saints damn it all¡­¡±


    The mysterious woman looked around herself for a moment. She had already pushed herself to intervene in a situation that had absolutely nothing to do with her, something that went against all of her morals and prejudices. The mind of this lady was chaos right now, running at hundreds of miles per hour. Regret was already setting in, but she was also trying to figure out a way to fight off this horde, or maybe run away.


    Could she just leave this chick to die?


    Well, she could. But a voice of her own nagged her for even considering it.


    ¡°... Screw this!¡± The halberd woman kneeled in front of Gabrielle. ¡°On my back, now!¡±


    Gabi froze. What?


    ¡°What?¡± She repeated, out loud this time.


    ¡°Climb on my back, damn it!¡± The blonde was losing her patience.


    The redhead blinked, this situation was familiar to her. It was just like the time she met a certain Saint¡­ the memory filled her with nostalgia and guilt, but she didn¡¯t have the time to process it. She pushed herself to cling to the woman¡¯s back.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    There were many questions in her mind. Who was this person? Where did she come from? Why was she helping her? Too much to process, really. She wasn¡¯t particularly good at introspection¡­


    ¡°Oof!¡± The halberd woman complained. ¡°You¡¯re a fat one ain¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Heavy armour.¡± Gabi clarified.


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    With the new heavy load on her back, the blonde got up, turned around, and started running to the forest. Those legs were quite strong, as they quickly gained a nice advantage from their pursuers. The forest soon turned into a wide plain, where a few wooden carts had been abandoned and scattered in their way. This had once been one of the main roads in Aespania, leading travelers and merchants from all around Jericho. Now it was little more than another footpath in a desolate land.


    After they had left their pursuers behind in the wilderness, and the trail took them to the small walls of some old, forgotten town, the blonde sighed and set Gabrielle back down on the ground. And by that, I mean she unceremoniously dropped her.


    ¡°End of the road! Phew¡­¡± The halberd woman sat right besides Gabi, taking deep breaths and rubbing her legs. ¡°That heavy armour of yours was going to kill me, I hope you know that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± The redhead looked down. ¡°This was all unexpected.¡±


    ¡°What, falling down and twisting your ankle or something?¡±


    ¡°No. Feeling my body give up now of all times.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®give up¡¯?¡± The Lancer blinked rapidly, watching how Gabrielle slowly got back up. ¡°Ain¡¯t you gonna rest for a bit?¡±


    ¡°I need to keep moving. It was nice meeting you.¡±


    Gabrielle proceeded to take two steps before falling on her face once more. The blonde stared for a moment, thoughts and old memories passing through her mind. Her disinterested frown turned into a softer little grin, as she walked over to offer a hand. A little slow, this girl, she thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡±


    ¡°I am Gabrielle. I am not a kid.¡± Said the woman on the floor.


    ¡°Well Gabrielle, my name is Lucrece. I was planning on just ditching you but, Hells, you look beat.¡± Lucrece took said woman¡¯s arm and carefully aided her up, or at least up enough to sit down besides her and against the wall.


    ¡°I am fine.¡± Gabi said with a grimace, this situation felt way too familiar for her comfort. ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± The Lancer grinned a little bit. ¡°If I leave you here you¡¯ll die, and I¡¯ll feel bad for a day or so. I ain¡¯t dealing with that.¡±


    ¡°Why.¡±


    ¡°Because.¡±


    ¡°Why though.¡±


    ¡°Because!¡±


    ¡°But really, why?¡±


    ¡°Woman, I can do this all day. Don¡¯t test me.¡±


    Gabrielle blinked, and then nodded. Alright then.


    ¡°Then what, are you following me now?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask, tilting her head while looking back at Lucrece.


    ¡°Yeppe. Until we get the blazes out of this fog.¡± The Lancer pulled a tiny pipe from under her brigandine, then a pouch of herbs. ¡°Want to smoke?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t smoke. Were you following me before this happened?¡± Gabi remained focused, her guard on high alert.


    ¡°Noppe, you were doing a huge ruckus and I wanted to see what was going on.¡± Lucrece lied as naturally as she breathed. She filled her pipe and then¡­ ¡°Want to make a fire? The light repels those things, at least for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough fire in my life already.¡± The redhead said, letting out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that means absolutely nothing. Let¡¯s just do it.¡± Gabrielle tried to stand back up. ¡°...Can I call you Lucy?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lucrece replied, suddenly sharp as a knife.


    ¡°What about Lulu?¡±


    ¡°If you must?¡± Lulu said, rubbing the back of her neck. She didn¡¯t really like it but, nicknames were good to start good relations. ¡°But then I can call you Gabi?¡±


    ¡°People call me that all the time.¡±


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t bother you too much.¡± Lucrece shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside the town.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a village.¡± The redhead corrected helpfully.


    ¡°Villages don¡¯t have walls. It¡¯s a town.¡± The Lancer blinked a few times. Was she really getting into this?


    ¡°Not all towns have walls though.¡± Gabi insisted.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¨C¡± The blonde sighed, shaking her head and standing up. ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡±


    Beyond the wall and through a broken down door, the women found a town in disarray. There were burn marks in some of the humble wooden buildings around, broken down carts, destroyed windows¡­ and dried up corpses. Their skins darkened beyond any natural hue, their every fluid sucked away, the hair fallen¡­skeletons with skin, that¡¯s what they were.


    The only saving grace of this situation was that these corpses didn¡¯t smell like anything, but that didn¡¯t make the sight any less shocking. Lucrece covered her mouth, eye widening, while Gabrielle closed her own and sighed deeply, muttering a little prayer.


    ¡°I will dig a hole.¡± The redhead said, walking over to the streets and starting to dig with her hands.


    ¡°Oi. Oi! Don¡¯t just dig a mass grave in the middle of town! At least go outside!¡± Lucrece shook her head.


    ¡°Nay. It will take too long.¡± Gabi kept digging handfuls of dirt aside.


    ¡°At least look for a shovel or something!¡±


    ¡°...Now that is good thinking.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look for food and supplies. Because I assume you¡¯re as unprepared for this as you look. right?¡± Lucrece teased a little bit.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Gabrielle pouted.


    The two walked deeper into town, looking through every house one by one. They were hidden, at least for now, so they had the luxury of time to spend being thorough. They walked into every house, checking for survivors¡­ but they found only bodies to pile up on the street. Children, adults, elderly, the wretches made no distinction.


    ¡°Poor bastards¡­¡± Lucrece mumbled, pulling a book from an old, musty shelf. ¡°Huh¡­ oddly wealthy, they had books and all¡­ E-Elle¡­ heen, no wait, in¡­in-genius-oh¡­ hee-dahl-go¡­ Gabi do you know how to read Aespanian?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t read.¡± Said Gabrielle, pushing through a few wooden crates.


    ¡°Damn it all.¡± Lucrece shook her head. This poor girl, she thought, is probably as uneducated as they come.


    By the end of their search, they had found some barley and wheat, apples, some dried meat, a bottle of mead and, most importantly, a shovel and an old, rusty arming sword. It was really, really better than nothing. With their supplies gathered, Gabi once again focused on the task of burying the bodies they had found.


    Lucrece had refused to watch this grim duty, and just focused on making a pyre, as big as she could control.


    While the fire burned bright, and the mists receded slowly, the Lancer heard¡­ a song. A soft, calm voice, gently singing.


    ¡°Ohh¡­ bury my mother, pal and slight! Bury my father with his eyes shut tight! Bury my sisters, two by two! And then when you¡¯re done, let¡¯s bury me tooo¡­!¡±


    Now that was definitely Gabrielle. The voice, albeit a bit different, was still recognizable. She clearly had been taught how to sing somewhere, but¡­ did she have to sing something like that? While digging a grave?! Lucrece tried to ignore it for a moment, but with a loud grumble, she walked over to the singing girl as she piled the bodies.


    ¡°Ohhh.. bury the knight, with her broken¨C¡±


    ¡°Gabi.¡± Lucrece crossed her arms, staring down at the digger. ¡°This could be a little disrespectful to the bodies.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Gabrielle turned to look at the Lancer, sweaty and tired. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair. I should think something more according to the situation.¡±


    ¡®Or not sing at all¡¯, Lucrece thought. But no, she wasn¡¯t about to be mean with this girl. Something deep within herself refused to lift a finger against Gabi.


    ¡°In fact.¡± The Lancer suddenly realized. ¡°Give me that spade. You come and sit down. You¡¯ve been digging for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The digger exited her hole, trying to wipe some sweat off her with a gauntleted hand.


    ¡°Yes. Come here.¡±


    They changed places, and as Lucrece began digging again, Gabrielle softly began singing.


    ¡°In Paradisum¡­ deducant angeli¡­¡±


    ¡°What. You know Aetalian?¡± The new digger turned around, curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lingua Imperialis.¡± Gabi shrugged.


    ¡°You know the old tongue of the empire!?¡±


    ¡°No. I only know a few songs.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    Lucrece let Gabi keep singing while digging the hole. It was nice to feel someone¡¯s company for a change¡­ it was a feeling she had forgotten.

 Chapter 4: Roaring Thunder

    An hour of work later, they had buried all the bodies they found around town, marking the spot with a big rock on top of the mound of dirt that was left. Both women kept silent for a minute or two, looking down while the fire burned in the background. This wasn¡¯t new to either of them. Once you become a mercenary, you start seeing death as an old acquaintance. One that doesn¡¯t talk, and never leaves.


    Quite the crummy acquaintance, really.


    ¡°I wonder how all of them died.¡± Gabrielle mumbled, finally breaking the silence.


    ¡°Those wretches got to them, clearly. Nothing else kills you and leaves you dry like that.¡± Lucrece sighed, turning around to return to the bonfire.


    ¡°But we faced the wretches before, they weren¡¯t so tough.¡±.


    ¡°They would have torn you to pieces if I hadn¡¯t come there, and they are without number: once they start appearing, they don¡¯t stop.¡± Lucrece sat by the fire. ¡°I reckon it won''t take long until they find us again so we better eat while we can.¡±


    Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at this woman for a moment, before saying:


    ¡°You know a lot. How long have you been in the Fog?¡±


    ¡°Long enough to know we can¡¯t waste time.¡± The Lancer shrugged, setting some of their meat to cook, and finally lighting her pipe. ¡°It¡¯s less that I¡¯ve been here for long, and more that I¡¯ve been here a few times already. So, follow me and we should be out in a day or so.¡±


    Now this was good news. The redheaded swordswoman nodded and sat beside her companion, pulling the bottle of mead to give it a nice swig, before the dots finally connected in her mind.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a thief after all!¡± Said the Witch.


    Lucrece coughed loudly, some smoke escaping through her nose as she turned to face her companion with indignation.


    ¡°Excusez-moi, bitch?¡± All that good will the Lancer seemed to have for her new companion disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°What.¡± Gabrielle blinked slowly.


    ¡°I am no thief.¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer the term looter?¡±


    ¡°Do I pref¡ªta gueule!¡± Lucrece crossed her arms.


    ¡°But you knew exactly which houses to steal from and which ones to ignore, as if you had been here before.¡±


    ¡°I have common sense you oaf!¡±


    ¡°And you have been quietly saving up every coin you¡¯ve found in our way.¡±


    Lucrece froze. This girl had noticed!? Not so slow in the outtake, it seems. Trapped, she tried to think of a good excuse, quickly.


    ¡°W-Well. I thought you didn¡¯t want it, and¨C¡±


    ¡°Also the only people who venture into the Fog are thieves, criminals and Royal Companies. And you are not part of a Royal Company, you are not wearing symbols or sacred seals on you.¡±


    ¡°I-I could be, you don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    There was a moment of silence between them, before Gabi spoke once again.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°Wh¨CYes! Yes, I am!¡± Lucrece frowned even harder. ¡°You just called me a thief! After I went through all the trouble to save you and such!¡±


    ¡°But you admitted you are a thief, just now.¡±


    ¡°I said I ain¡¯t a part of a Royal Company, I didn¡¯t say I was a thief!¡± The Lancer had to use all her willpower to not pout. ¡°You¡¯re just being very rude right now, you know!?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?!¡±


    ¡°I did not know it was rude to establish facts.¡±


    Lucrece stared for a long time, trying to determine if the woman in front of her was being some kind of arsehole right now, but to her surprise, she found that Gabrielle was completely earnest. The Lancer wondered what kind of education this girl got, but considering her own experiences, she could guess she didn¡¯t get much of an education at all. Such is the kind of world they lived in, such is the situation in Jericho.


    ¡°Look, ugh. You can¡¯t just call people thieves. It makes people look and feel bad.¡± The Lancer explained, as patiently as she could. ¡°If you discover something like that, keep it to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Alright.¡± Gabi nodded softly. ¡°Esperanza used to tell me to be honest all the time, though.¡±


    ¡°Who the Hells is¨C No. Wait. Focus.¡± Lucrece told mostly to herself. ¡°You can be honest and not say everything that comes to your mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s lying by omission.¡±


    ¡°What are you, a constabulary?¡± The blonde woman shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t owe anyone complete honesty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way of the Saints, though?¡± Gabrielle tilted her head.


    ¡°Oh mes ¨¦toiles¡­¡± Lucrece rubbed her face slowly. Of course this girl was also religious. She should have gotten that from the requiem singing! ¡°Listen, I¡¯m trying to help you here. If you are too honest you can hurt people¡¯s feelings, or worse, make them angry and get in trouble.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Esperanza usually explains things to people¡­¡± The redhead frowned, suddenly feeling a tinge of guilt in her heart. Memories came to attack her.


    There was a sudden growl coming from the distance. Groans of pain, steps in the mist. Both women stopped talking and immediately stood up, each reaching for their own weapon. Banging sounds echoed, as several hands punched and clawed at the closed town gates, which soon caught fire from the burning claws. Lucrece and Gabrielle looked at each other, then turned to the other town exit.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they heard smashing and breaking from there, too. An attack from both sides!


    Gabi frowned. She felt better, she could probably try to fight again, but she wasn¡¯t fully recovered just yet and she knew it. Things wouldn¡¯t last very long¡­ The lanky woman wasn¡¯t in a much better condition after carrying her and digging a mass grave.


    The redhead¡¯s hand slowly slid back to her left gauntlet. Maybe¡­ maybe she could try again. It would be painful, extremely painful, but this may be their one chance.


    Lucrece, completely ignorant of these thoughts, suddenly took her hand and started running.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving now!¡± She decided, worried but determined. ¡°We get the Hells out of here and go straight, you hear me?! Straight and don¡¯t deviate for an instant! That¡¯s the only way to exit this fog!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should jump over the wall.¡± Gabrielle suggested.


    ¡°What, jump off and pray to the Saints we don¡¯t break our legs!?¡± The taller woman growled. ¡°There has to be other way!¡±


    ¡°Name one.¡± The swordswoman looked at her dead in the eye.


    ¡­ After a moment of hesitation, both of them ran straight for the walls, just as the gates broke down and creatures began to run into the town with their loud roaring. They were practically trampling each other as they tried to find the two.


    ¡°What the Hells!? They weren¡¯t this violent before!¡± Lucrece kicked down the door of one of the towers around the town to pull Gabrielle through it, quickly running up the stairs until reaching the top; and there: ¡°...Saints above¡­¡±


    The town was completely surrounded by shadows of many sizes. There were many a burning wretch among them, yes, but there were also other strange beasts: dog faced, squalid figures wielding serrated blades; panting, groaning, gigantic lumps of flesh and skin with short legs and many mouths; muscular humanoids with huge machetes whose faces were eternally concealed by shadow, only showing wide, toothy grins and burning red eyes; shambling masses of chains, rattling with their every move¡­


    Many manifestations of sin, of fear, of regret, just gathered around the town once they had caught the scent of fresh blood.


    ¡°I thought you said the pyre would keep them away.¡± Gabrielle commented, staring at this sea of monstrosities.


    ¡°It usually does!¡± Lucrece was looking around at high speed. ¡°Something is wrong here, there shouldn¡¯t be this many wretches around here!¡±


    Gabrielle, meanwhile, was focusing on the one figure riding a horse in this whole mess. The burnt shadow of Esperanza de Arag¨®n was still there, waiting, staring from afar, as if knowing she didn¡¯t even need to chase or fight herself. She just needed to wait.


    The redheaded swordswoman gulped, hands trembling for a moment as she looked back at Lucrece.


    ¡°Run!¡± Screamed a voice in her head.


    ¡°Every girl for herself!¡± Screamed another.


    But then, the voice of a young, kind kid simply stated.


    ¡°Do the noble thing.¡±


    Like the Knights of Red, thought Gabi. She nodded to herself, taking Lucrece¡¯s hand firmly on her own. The taller woman looked at her, doe eyed.


    ¡°Hop on my back.¡± Said the redhead.


    ¡°W-What?!¡± The blonde looked at her, then back down, then back at her. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Lucrece shook her head again. Hells no, she did not trust her, she barely knew her! And the look of deranged determination in those unblinking eyes only made the Lancer doubt her even more. She knew Gabrielle wasn¡¯t exactly brilliant, but this was not stupidity: this was madness.


    ¡°There has to be another way out!¡± Lucrece bargained ¡°If you just give me a min¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Witch knew there was no time to hesitate, so she decided to simply take the reins of the situation. Making a show of strength that Lucrece simply did not expect, Gabrielle picked her right up and, holding her in her arms, she jumped off the tower. The Lancer had to cover her mouth to not scream, her one eye opening widely as they descended at full speed towards the ground.


    And then they landed, crushing one of the shambling creatures into a splatter of black ichor. The blonde winced, hearing not only how the creature exploded, but also how Gabi¡¯s bones literally burst to pieces in her legs! Trembling, feeling the pain rush through her whole body, the redhead opened her eyes widely and let out a heart wrenching battle cry, suddenly tossing Lucrece high into the air before falling.


    She didn¡¯t even realize what was happening as she flew through the skies for a second, and instinct kicked in to correct her posture and land on the other side of the horde. Lucrece¡¯s heart was racing, her eye darting back to the monsters that right now were ignoring her, piling on the red headed warrior.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare sacrifice yourself for me, don¡¯t you dare!¡± Lucrece was ready to go right back in, but then she saw several of those figures be sent flying. ¡°Putain¡­!¡±


    ¡°GO!¡± Gabrielle screamed her lungs out, suddenly standing once again, swinging her sword from side to side.


    Terrified, the Lancer couldn¡¯t find it in herself to refuse. She turned right around and ran, clinging to her halberd as she closed her eye and felt the frustration building up in her stomach.


    ¡°Putain! Putain! Putain!¡±


    She then felt something stir within her¡­ and soon after, a figure jumped in her way from the forest. A figure that made her freeze in her tracks.


    He was much taller than her, much wider and muscular, his black hair filthy with sweat and blood. She could smell the air of violence from afar, and it made her retch. Dressed completely with pelts, he was a monster of a man. On one of his huge, calloused hands, he held his dull battle axe; on the other, he held a branding iron, still red hot¡­


    The man licked his own lips slowly while staring at Lucrece, panting so heavily the hot air was visible as it pushed between his lips.


    The Lancer trembled, but forced herself steady, biting down her lips. Saints damn it all, she had forgotten! Don¡¯t remember things in the Fog! That¡¯s rule number one! Don¡¯t think, just act!


    Now she had to deal with the consequences. Now she felt small, weak in the face of this monster¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you¡­!¡± She barked, holding her halberd to the man¡¯s throat.


    He laughed at her. He had always done so.


    Not waiting for him to move, Lucrece jumped high into the air once again, spinning rapidly to try and land a skewering hit straight through his head. But she was deflected with such strength that she was sent back a few meters, stumbling back to try and keep her footing. He laughed again, louder, his pronounced belly bouncing with each chuckle, before suddenly shifting and slamming his axe down, bulging muscles rippling as the Lancer had to move quickly so as to not get crushed.


    With speed unbefitting such a large body, he stabbed onwards with the red hot branding iron, which Lucrece barely could deflect as her breath kept getting louder, harder. Fear and disgust were quickly conquered by rage and frustration. She grasped her halberd much more tighter, clenching her teeth and unleashing a flurry of stabs, all aimed at the man¡¯s chest.


    He was dodging and deflecting without even breaking a sweat, to the point that in the last stab, he simply let go of his branding iron, grabbed the polearm by the head, and squeezed¡­ some black ichor falling from the wound on his hand. The Lancer snarled, trying to pull her weapon free, but the man held her in place with no problem.


    ¡°Not a bad effort, Princess¡­¡± The man mocked her, suddenly yanking the polearm away from Lucrece¡¯s hands. ¡°But not good enough.¡±


    He simply tossed the weapon aside and kicked Lucrece to the floor, keeping one huge foot on top of her chest. She coughed, trying to shake that boot off herself as it crushed down.


    He licked his lips again, his grin widening as his hand reached to gently feel Lucrece¡¯s hair. She jerked away, her stomach turning¡­ but then, something shook the entire forest. A violent tremor, the echo of lightning striking the Earth. That beast of a man looked up, blinking in confusion, as a body suddenly jumped from the forest around them, screaming like a possessed madwoman.


    Gabrielle, now with several pieces of her armour missing, wounds and burn marks on her naked chest, had that old rusty sword high and shining with the heat of the Sun, destroying her throat as she landed on top of the man. Sparks of electricity flew from her every nerve, as a mark on her left arm burned blue.


    Lucrece¡¯s eye was staring, wide with terror and surprise, while her body was completely paralyzed. The hope of survival couldn¡¯t push away the abject horror from her mind. Magic was, after all, something that should be reserved for fairy tales and old, dusty books!


    When her sword fell on his head, the world shook once again. Lightning fell down, light flashed so bright that Lucrece was forced to close her eye¡­ and when she opened it, the body of the man was left without a head. A small crater on the ground and the splatter of black ichor was all that was left of it.


    She stared as the redheaded witch stood back up, panting, trembling and jolting, her face still contorted by rage. Gone was the inexpressive, if a bit silly girl from before, now all that was left was a wrathful demon.


    A demon who fell down, unconscious, soon after.


    The Lancer stood up, slowly approaching her. Dots were connecting on her head now.


    A redheaded witch who commands the lightning. A raging force of nature who knows not of emotion.


    She had heard of this girl before. Many in the mercenary business had.


    The mad dog of the Saint, Gabrielle the Heartless.

 Chapter 5: Rude awakenings

    The sun wasn¡¯t very bright in Doggenbandr, not even in Summer. Days usually passed with a cold breeze and constant rain, which made working especially bothersome. A long time ago, almost ten or eleven years before she had fallen unconscious in the heat of battle for the millionth time, Gabrielle the Heartless was once a child. A thin, hungry, small child, living in the countryside and struggling to survive on odd jobs and scavenging food.


    Luckily though, she was not alone.


    ¡°A little more to the left, Gabi!¡±


    Baraqiel was smiling back then, leaning on the doorframe of their tiny mud hut as Gabrielle worked the puny field around them. She wasn¡¯t the best at it, honestly. She swung the hoe down with all of her might as if trying to destroy a fearsome foe with it, slamming it down on the ground and then pulling slowly. But at least she was able to keep straight lines with Bari¡¯s help, who watched attentively and carefully pointed out when she was losing her focus.


    To the young kid, assisting their friend was the one thing they could do, and of course this made them feel useless and frustrated, but to the girl this help was simply invaluable. She often felt lost without them, for the world was a confusing and sometimes scary place, and Bari always seemed to know what to do and say.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, let¡¯s take a break.¡± The kid said, but Gabrielle refused to stop. ¡°Gabi¡­¡±


    ¡°If I work this quicker we can try and get our own field of potatoes before the winter¡¯s here.¡± The girl said while she plowed.


    ¡°What good will that do you if you are sick and tired by then? Pace yourself.¡± Baraqiel frowned.


    ¡°I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± The kid pouted.


    ¡°I had a dream today.¡± The girl suddenly said.


    ¡°...Oh yeah?¡± Knowing that these shifts in topic usually had a good reason, Bari acquiesced. ¡°What about?¡±


    ¡°You were no longer there. I was alone. Everything was terrible.¡± The girl kept working. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to do¡­ And it felt like it was my fault. All of it, all was my fault. So I want to make sure everything is fine here. I want to work hard, so you don¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh Gabi¡­ I ain¡¯t leaving you alone.¡± They tried to reassure her. ¡°We made a covenant, remember? We promised.¡±


    ¡°We did.¡±


    Baraqiel slowly walked over to Gabrielle, helping themselves with a long wooden cane.


    ¡°Angels always keep their word, alright?¡± They smiled.


    ¡°Angels always keep their word.¡± She repeated, nodding. ¡°...But if I find myself alone¡­ what should I do?¡±


    ¡°You do your best.¡± The ¡®angel¡¯ said, nodding slowly. ¡°You do the noble thing. To yourself, and to others.¡±


    Even back when she was small, Gabrielle wasn¡¯t a very expressive child. She kept herself subdued, always quiet to not bother others¡­ but here, she actually allowed herself to smile. Just a little bit.


    ¡°I will do my best¡­¡± She whispered.


    ¡°I know you will.¡± Bari said, walking back to the shade of the mud hut to watch from there. ¡°Tell me more about your dream.¡±


    Gabi tapped her chin softly, trying to think while leaning on her hoe for support. What else had happened in that dream? Images were hazy, dark and confusing. She remembered the smell of blood and burnt hair, the distant pain of biting and stabbing, and she could swear she was screaming too.


    ¡°I could be wrong but, I think the World was ending.¡± She mentioned off hand, as if it was nothing really that important. ¡°I was running. I was afraid and sad, very sad.¡±


    ¡°What about Esperanza? Was she with you?¡± The kid asked, knowingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The little girl sighed, not really questioning the anachronism of that inquiry. ¡°She wasn¡¯t there either¡­¡± Suddenly, more clarity came to her mind, and her expression darkened. ¡°I think I left her behind.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    The girl fell silent.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to talk about it.¡± Sighing softly, Baraqiel smiled and stretched a little bit. ¡°...How about we go check the forest? Maybe we can find some new mushrooms¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s calm returned, and she nodded quickly. ¡°Mister Morgan taught me some interesting facts. With some luck, we can find some snow fungus!¡±


    Leaving the hoe behind, Gabi walked over to Bari and offered her back to carry them, walking towards the forest as she began to explain the mysteries and intricacies of the local fungi population.


    It was always like this, when she dreamed¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Outside the realm of dreams, Lucrece took several minutes to actually recover from the shock. Then, in a mechanical motion, she took Gabrielle on her arms and stood up. It was a little strange to see the redhead like this, bare chested and unconscious. She did not have time to feel flustered from the surprising sight, so she swallowed her blush and decided to keep moving, trying to look at the unconscious girl as little as possible.


    As the Lancer walked, she started to feel doubts creeping up and mounting in her head, climbing one over the other as she was trying to discern what in the Hells was she supposed to do.


    ¡°Alright, so. Let¡¯s state what I know.¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°I am carrying a murderer in my arms. Who¡¯s also a witch. The rumors were true, apparently? She¡¯s also dying right now.¡±


    She could probably leave this infamous villain behind and the world would probably thank her. Or, maybe, deliver her to the Black Cloaks and get a good reward for her issues. It¡¯s not like she hadn¡¯t betrayed people in the past anyways! After all, as long as it pays, she¡¯d do almost anything.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Life is a game, and one has to play to win at all times.


    And yet, something about this woman reminded Lucrece of old times. Good, old times, before everything had become so complicated. The Lancer had quite the prodigious memory, for better or for worse at times, and she could perfectly recall the look in the eyes of her younger brother. Confused, a little scared, but determined to see things through. Just like Gabrielle.


    Would have Claude ended up a monster like this woman if he was still alive?


    The blonde shook her head rapidly. No, none of that. She was remembering again! She would end up attracting another horde like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯ll survive from this¡­ I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even bothering¡­¡± The woman thought to herself, looking down at the redhead bleeding on her arms.


    Or, well, no longer bleeding.


    Lucrece watched, in shock, how the girl¡¯s wounds closed as if cauterized by invisible flames, leaving more scars on her brown skin.The Lancer almost dropped her, but instead decided to look away with a huff.


    ¡°Alright, scratch the ¡®dying¡¯ part. What in the Hells is this girl!?¡±


    Sighing dejectedly, the woman decided that her priority should be returning to safety, and then she could question herself about what to do next.


    Walking through the forests in a straight line was her best choice. She may not have a working compass, and maybe she couldn¡¯t trust her eye in this fog, but she knew for a fact that if she walked in a straight line from that abandoned town, she would be able to exit the Fog right outside the city of Forsia.


    It should take them a day, maybe two considering she had to carry this girl around.


    Just walking straight, no detours were allowed.


    It worked before, so why wouldn¡¯t it work now?


    Time passed in complete silence, no animals in sight as it was usual, no other travelers in their way, which was honestly ideal. The problem, however, was the light: it was dimming more and more, and when nightfall arrived, Lucrece knew they¡¯d need to stop for a moment and eat.


    That¡¯s when she realized they abandoned all their newly acquired provisions at the town. She didn¡¯t think this through at all! She even lost her pipe! And she had just stol¨C


    ¡°Acquired it!¡± She corrected herself, letting out a sigh. This was getting frustrating.


    And to make matters worse, just as she was walking her straight line through the world, she found herself in front of a tall, steep and rocky mountain.


    ¡°...Putain.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Who put this mountain here?!¡±


    Having to turn around was risky, she could easily lose her line and end up who knows where! Not to mention that she was still carrying a rather heavy girl! Now that no one could see her, she pouted and grumbled, throwing a little tantrum before resigning to her fate. The good side of this? Mountains like these usually had caves on their sides. A little walk around it confirmed the Lancer¡¯s suspicions:


    A wide cavern! Not too deep, perfect for shelter at least for a night. Lucrece had learned with enough sleepless nights that the wretches that live in the Fog don¡¯t rest, or stop. They constantly move, sometimes in repetitive patterns and sometimes with a clear target in mind. They seemed to go between Hunting Mode and Repetitive Mode, depending on the time of the day and the state of the target¡¯s emotions.


    So if there wasn¡¯t a wretch waiting inside the cave, there was little chance they would return to it.


    Unless they were actively hunting her.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re flipping that coin¡­¡±


    Lucrece walked into the cavern, setting Gabrielle down against one of the walls, and sitting beside her with a deep sigh. What a mess, she thought, and I¡¯m still not even a bit closer to knowing what to do with this Witch¡­


    The Lancer knew this was a terrible move in the grand scheme of things, but this damn Witch reminded her too much of Claude to just abandon her. She even found herself covering Gabi with her cape, worrying over her getting sick! And as she did, her eye landed on the girl¡¯s left arm.


    She remembered perfectly how it was shining brightly, lines of magic spreading all over the skin, and now all that was left were grisly dark scars, like vines on the girl¡¯s forearm, all coming from a small mark burnt into her body.


    What did that even mean?! That wasn¡¯t a sign from any religion or order of knights she knew of! Maybe some cultist stuff? Something from the Ancient Spirits? The forbidden faiths?


    Just what in the world was this woman?


    Frustrated, Lucrece got right back up and carefully walked to the forest, trying to keep the cave in view.


    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t let either of us freeze to death here¡­ better get a pyre going.¡±


    She didn¡¯t take even two steps outside of the cave when suddenly she caught movement on the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Asked Gabrielle.


    ¡°MERDE!¡± Lucrece jumped, grabbing her halberd out of instinct. ¡°Saints damn you, don¡¯t sneak up on me like that, woman! How long have you been awake!?¡±


    ¡°I just woke up.¡± The girl was standing not too far, clinging to the cape that covered her.


    ¡°How are you even standing!? I am sure I heard your bones crack!¡± The Lancer refused to let go of her weapon.


    ¡°I got better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I noticed that! How!?¡±


    ¡°I tend to get better quickly.¡± Gabi shrugged. ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°No! No, urgh, I¡¯m¡­¡± She sighed. This girl didn''t seem to read faces very well. Another thing in common with Claude. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°The fog is a scary place.¡±


    ¡°I am scared of you, Heartless Witch!¡±


    The redhead flinched. That name, it did things to her. It made her body tense up and stiffen, it made her head hurt, it made her thoughts swirl with a mix of anger and frustration. She hated it, she hated it with all of her heart. But also, she couldn¡¯t really argue against it.


    She was a Witch, after all. A Heartless one too, probably.


    So instead of correcting Lucrece, she simply sighed. Of course this woman was afraid¡­ why wouldn¡¯t she be?


    Lucrece wasn¡¯t an empath or anything like that, she couldn¡¯t simply guess Gabrielle¡¯s feelings, especially when the girl barely emoted at all. To her, this woman was just being stoic over her accusation, maybe a little surprised, but nothing beyond that.


    ¡°You jumped down from a tower, broke your legs, then got back up? And then you returned wielding Witchcraft or something like that!?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°I guess you did all that to save me though¡­¡± Lucrece suddenly got hit with the realization that she was being a bit of an arse.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Man¡­¡± The Lancer sighed, looking down on the floor. ¡°...Sorry.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± The swordswoman tilted her head.


    ¡°What do you mean what for? I was yelling at you for saving me!¡± The taller woman looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really not.¡±


    ¡°People yell at me, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m a Witch.¡±


    Lucrece sighed again, deeper this time. That was not a nice answer and it really only made her feel worse about yelling. Was this helpless girl really the great murderer people made up to be? Well, she was clearly capable of it? But this self-deprecating attitude, It really made her wonder how she ended up becoming the Saint¡¯s Butcher.


    ¡°Okay, listen. What I did was wrong and mean, and I am sorry for it.¡± The taller girl frowned, her one eye glaring again. ¡°And it is NOT fine. Tell me that you accept my apologies or, well, if you feel bad, tell me that you don¡¯t accept them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s how things work!¡± The Lancer stomped, literally putting her foot down on that fact. ¡°Now let¡¯s try this again: Gabrielle, I was an arse. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s f¨C¡± Gabi caught herself this time, shaking her head. ¡°...Apology accepted.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Lulu grinned, hoping this would make her feel better for judging and planning to abandon this girl. It didn¡¯t. ¡°... Is there a way I can make you feel better?¡±


    The swordswoman was ready to say ¡®No¡¯ and be done with it, but then, an idea came to her. Something that would be both useful, and nice. Something that reminded her of a nice dream¡­


    ¡°...Let¡¯s go gather mushrooms.¡±

 Chapter 6: Wrong impressions

    Looking through the fog for mushrooms to eat was easier than one would think. The lack of direct sunlight and the heightened humidity were  perfect  for the local fungi to thrive and grow plump and perfect for consumption, or at least that was Gabrielle¡¯s theory. Lucrece was at a loss though, not really sure where to even start looking! She imagined she¡¯d find stuff at the base of any regular tree, and she  did  find a few tiny toadstools that way, but lacked any technique to know where to look exactly.


    Not that she was making a big effort. Right now, the Lancer was more focused on her companion, observing how she foraged around, picking sticks and some herbs. The swordswoman¡¯s expression remained almost always the same: stoic, unflappable and distant¡­ but Lucrece was starting to notice the slightest hint of a smile on her face as she worked.


    ¡°Ace.¡± The redhead suddenly said. ¡°Found our target.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± The blonde walked closer, blinking her eye a few times. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    What Gabrielle pointed at looked grotesque, to say the least. Black and big, shriveled up in appearance, long and concave, like some sort of ugly black horn growing from the floor. Lucrece frowned.


    ¡°What, behind the black turds?¡±


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t turds.¡± Gabi picked up those black pieces one by one, looking up at them with satisfaction in her eyes. ¡°Horn of Plenty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, you¡¯re trying to make me eat shite.¡± Lucrece¡¯s eye was wide with disbelief.


    ¡°It tastes really good when cooked¡­ Oh! And there¡¯s some ¡®Old man of the woods¡¯ over there.¡±


    Lucrece turned to watch Gabrielle pick a few more shrooms: these were white, with several black protrusions, like pimples growing on its surface. The Lancer, much more used to fine dining and regular eating, lifted her nose up.


    ¡°What??? No. That one looks sickly!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste as good as the Horn of Plenty but it will do us good.¡±


    ¡°Urgh! Why do all your mushrooms look so ugly!?¡± Even in the poverty of a Mercenary¡¯s life, Lucrece was proud of living with some dignity. Eating mushrooms, and what was worse,  ugly  mushrooms, like some pig was not the life she had in mind. Her eye darted around until, suddenly, finding something in the distance. ¡°Oh! What about those?¡±


    Right at the base of a tall tree there were some beautiful specimens: white caps, elongated and slightly curved, with a ring at the base in some of them. The taller girl was happy and ready to go for them, but Gabi immediately grabbed her by the shoulder and slowly shook her head.


    ¡°Not those ones.¡± She said, with a deep and serious voice.


    ¡°What? Why not!?¡± The Lancer looked indignant.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Destroying Angel.¡±


    ¡°The what.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Morgan says that eating one of those means you will die a painful and delirious death in a day at most.¡± Gabrielle stared at those mushrooms with a hint of fear. ¡°It destroys your insides, boils your brain and gives you rashes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°I do not kid.¡±


    Lucrece looked between her ¡®guide¡¯ and those mushrooms. They looked much more delicious than whatever the Witch had gathered, but those foreboding warnings had gotten the blonde all nervous now. Her one eye looked back at the redhead for a moment, staring into her soul to see if the girl flinched or giggled, revealing it all to be a big joke. But deep down, Lucrece knew this girl wasn¡¯t the kind to joke, especially not about things that could potentially kill you.


    So, in defeat, she sighed and nodded. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go back to the cave and cook these suckers up.¡±


    ¡°They are not suckers, they are mushrooms.¡± Gabrielle corrected.


    ¡°I need to teach you some sayings, girl¡­¡± The Lancer found herself smiling a little bit. She shook it off immediately.This wasn¡¯t some helpless little girl, she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to think that again.


    Immediately after, she felt guilty for keeping guard around the woman who almost died to save her¡­ but she couldn¡¯t shake some ideas from her mind. Not just yet.


    It was all so confusing¡­


    Gabrielle was, of course, too busy thinking about the mushrooms they had found together to really wonder what her companion was thinking. This may not mean that they were friends just yet, but to Gabi, gathering things and surviving together was a sign of trust. Evidence that maybe she could put her back against this woman¡¯s.


    Unless Esperanza said the contrary.


    Almost  immediately , the redhead felt a new pair of eyes staring at her. She flinched and picked up the pace, hurrying back to the cave.


    And so, time passed.


    Darkness had overtaken the forests, an even thicker mantle than the Fog on its own. Deep within the forest, warmed by the flickering flame of a tiny bonfire, Gabrielle and Lucrece simply stared at the flames while the mushrooms cooked, skewered by sticks. They both had remained quiet for a moment, until Lulu finally broke the silence.


    ¡°How did you learn so much about mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Morgan taught me when I was younger.¡± The Witch shrugged softly. ¡°He loved mushrooms. I think I do, too.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Useful thing to know, honestly.¡± The blonde smiled a little bit, taking a skewer and looking it over. ¡°Even if these shrooms look ugly as all Hells.¡±


    ¡°Try the Horn.¡±


    Grimacing a bit, the Lancer sighed and blew slightly on the hot mushrooms, sniffing it a little bit. It smelled like burning and, honestly, nothing else. With a deep sigh, she decided to take her companion¡¯s advice and bit on one of the shriveled looking ones, closing her eye to brace for it, munching slowly and¡­ then slowly opening her eye again.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    ¡°Told you.¡± Gabrielle bit on her own food with a nod.


    ¡°This is actually nice.¡± Lucrece looked at the mushrooms again, taking another bite. ¡°WIth some butter and some oregano, this would be great!¡±


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    ¡°What¡¯s oregano?¡± The redhead tilted her head.


    ¡°An herb that people put in food. Makes things delicious.¡± The taller girl bit on the other mushroom, excited¡­ and then disappointed. ¡°This one¡¯s moldy¡­¡±


    ¡°The Old man of the Woods is not particularly tasty, but it is nutritious. It saves your life.¡± Gabi nodded sagely. ¡°Maybe oregano would fix it too?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. It¡¯s not a miracle herb.¡± The Lancer grinned a little bit. ¡°But good. You¡¯re paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Who taught you about oregano, Lulu?¡± The swordswoman tilted her head. ¡°I noticed that you speak Gaul¡­ what are you doing in Aespania?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop you right there, Gabrielle.¡± Lulu sighed softly. ¡°No memories in the Fog.¡±


    ¡°What? Why not?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what attracts those wretches. Remembering things that make you sad or upset makes them jump out of the shadows and such.¡±


    ¡°So we don¡¯t have to get sad while we are here?¡± The redhead tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Easy.¡± The shorter girl shrugged softly.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®easy¡¯? It ain¡¯t easy at ¡®all¡¯.¡± Now it was Lucrece who looked confused.


    ¡°You just ignore how you feel. Ignore the voices and that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Lucrece stared for a moment. Voices? That¡¯s a new one, she didn¡¯t remember Claude mentioning any voices. But most importantly, this girl ignoring how she felt seemed quite on track with what the taller girl had noticed, considering the girl ran around half naked and bleeding out without even blinking. And speaking of¡­


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you blink?¡± The Lancer asked, all of a sudden.


    ¡°I thought we wouldn¡¯t ask questions.¡± Gabi tilted her head to the other side.


    ¡°Only questions that are off-limits!¡± Lucrece insisted, frowning.


    ¡°Is your eye off-limits?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There was silence for a moment.


    ¡°... Can I ask about your eye when we get out of this Fog?¡±


    Lucrece gave it a good thought, before simply saying.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come on¡­ please?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pretty please?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°With a berry on top.¡±


    ¡°Gabrielle, I had several little siblings. I meant it when I said: I can do this  all day .¡±


    There was another moment of silence, before Gabrielle said.


    ¡°...But really, pretty please?¡±


    Lucrece frowned, rubbing her temples slowly while doing her best to keep the memory out of her mind.


    ¡°Look. If we survive this, somehow make it out of the Fog¡­ maybe.¡±


    ¡°Hooray.¡±


    ¡°But now tell me about your blinking.¡± If she was going to relent, Lulu planned to get as much from it as she could.


    ¡°I have never done that. I just don¡¯t need to.¡± Gabi shrugged softly. ¡°People always ask why, as if I knew. I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Does it not bother you? I can¡¯t keep my eye open for too long before it itches.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    In a third awkward silence, Gabrielle decided to finally ask.


    ¡°Then what am I allowed to ask?¡±


    Lucrece didn¡¯t want to be cold and just say ¡®Nothing¡¯, but at the same time, the fear of accidentally making the girl upset and summoning those wretches again, or even worse, making  herself  upset and accidentally attracting Hi¨C


    No one. No one at all.


    ¡°Ask anything that would make you happy.¡± She finally said. Then, she added: ¡°And that wouldn¡¯t make  me  angry.¡±


    Gabrielle gave this an actual, long thought. A voice in her mind already was nagging her about bothering her companion so much, considering they didn¡¯t really know each other at all. Another voice pointed out that it would remain as such if they never talked! And that knowing each other could prove beneficial for future fights.


    The voices then started arguing with each other about the logic of that statement, complicating thinking of anything else quite a bit. A third voice then called attention to the fact that they are  not  supposed to get upset.


    Something that makes her happy, then? What would make her happy to know?


    ¡°... Do you know any stories?¡± She finally asked.


    Lucrece blinked and rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Stories? Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like the Tale of the Great Gilgamesh.¡±


    ¡°What in the Hells is a Gilgamesh?¡±


    Gabi stared back now, disbelief flashing in her eyes. She even gasped.


    ¡°You have never heard the Tale of the Great Gilgamesh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making that word up.¡±


    ¡°I am not. It¡¯s a great tale of friendship, power and death. It¡¯s one of the best stories ever made!¡±


    ¡°Well then, don¡¯t keep me in the dark! Tell me already!¡±


    This would be a good distraction for the both of them, she thought.


    Gabrielle, on the other hand, blinked softly. She? Tell a story? That¡¯s not how things work? She doesn¡¯t tell the stories? She listens to them! She would ruin everything if she tried to! She wasn¡¯t smart like Baraqiel or charming like Esperanza! She was¡­A witch.


    Just a witch¡­


    ¡°...Witches don¡¯t tell nice tales.¡± She said, looking away.


    Now, Lucrece was  still  not an empath, but she would recognize that bashful gesture anywhere. The same Claude used to make when feeling sad. That was dangerous in the Fog, but most importantly, that just made Lucrece feel guilty and sad.


    ¡°You really have the whole ¡®Witch¡¯ thing deep in your head, huh?¡± The Lancer sighed. ¡°Tell me, why would Witches not tell nice tales?¡±


    ¡°Because they ruin everything.¡±


    Saints damn it. Ouch , Lucrece thought, crossing her arms and sighing, then shaking her head a little bit as she meditated her next words really carefully.


    ¡°Gabi. You don¡¯t ruin everything.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°You saved my life.¡±


    ¡°I scared you terribly in the process.¡±


    ¡°W-Well, yes, but¡­¡± The Lancer flinched. That outburst was going to haunt her, huh? ¡°But then we made up, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And we went looking for mushrooms together!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And if it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡¯d have died a terrible death eating them Blasting Devils.¡±


    ¡°Destroying angels.¡± Gabi corrected.


    ¡°Yes, those! See? So it¡¯s because of you that we got something to eat after all!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ guess.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Lucrece offered her a little smile.


    ¡°... I¡¯m still a Witch.¡±


    ¡°Well then, maybe people are wrong about witches, then?¡±


    Gabrielle looked back at Lucrece, blinking softly. Those words¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Night had always been cold and humid in Doggenband, especially in the forests around Saint Loretto¡¯s Chapel. Even when the skies were slowly clearing up, showing the Sea of Stars above them, the recent storm had left everything wet and freezing in the low temperatures. Most people were safe from this, resting in semi-confort inside of the Chapel or in their own homes¡­ but Gabrielle and Baraqiel¡¯s only defense from the elements back then was an old, abandoned shed, in the derelict ruins of some empty coal mine.


    There, hidden from everyone else, the girl still remembered how they shivered together. They barely knew each other back then, they must have been around ten years old by then, and Baraqiel¡¯s wounds were still fresh and bleeding, staining the girl¡¯s clothes as they tried to get some warmth in their embrace.


    It was there, hidden from everyone, that they had made their Covenant.


    It was there where a false angel and a wicked Witch had decided to work together, to survive together.


    To somehow make it through a world that hated them both.


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡± She asked again, still shivering.


    ¡°About what?¡± The kid answered, sighing softly.


    ¡°About working together. About being a team, like you said.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why wouldn¡¯t I be sure?¡±


    ¡°Because I will ruin everything eventually!¡± The little girl looked down. ¡°I always do¡­ that¡¯s just how Witches are¡­¡±


    ¡°Who says so?¡± Baraqiel frowned.


    ¡°Everyone!¡±


    ¡°Well, I think everyone¡¯s wrong, then.¡± The kid grinned a little bit. ¡°If you are a Witch, then Witches must be nice. Because you are nice!¡±


    Gabrielle did not know how to compete with that logic. She would learn that, in the future, no matter how many times she tried to push back, she would never be able to shake Baraqiel¡¯s conviction.


    Not even at the very end.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, and we will escape together, and things will be much better.¡± The kid promised, again, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Or maybe not really  caring  about it.


    The cold left their bodies soon enough, and in replacement, a newfound warmth would spread from their very hearts. Something that not even a storm or the cold nights in Doggenband could extinguish.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Lucrece watched as tears rolled down Gabrielle¡¯s eyes. Her attention went immediately around them, standing up and getting ready for an attack that could come from any corner¡­ but nothing came. Instead, she heard Gabrielle whimper softly.


    ¡°...Can I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What was that?¡± The Lancer looked down at the crying woman, who gently cleaned the tears off her face.


    ¡°...Hug you..?¡±


    The blonde girl froze. A hug? Really? From a total stranger. The redhead must really be vulnerable right now, and that was dangerous! But not only that¡­ it felt wrong to simply leave her like that. So, ignoring her common sense saying no, and her pragmatic self shaking her head in disappointment, Lucrece sat besides Gabrielle again and hugged her carefully, softly.


    Gabi hugged tightly, taking deep breaths. Lucrece didn¡¯t smell like Baraqiel, who smelled like wood; or Esperanza, who smelled like roses. No, this Lancer smelled of blood, of sweat, of metal, and a distant hint of smoke. But there was something beyond all that, or maybe something to the mixture of it all. Something that was pleasant.


    They remained together for a good moment, before Gabrielle finally let go. Lucrece softly patted her back a few times, to reassure her, offering her a smile and asking:


    ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°...Better.¡± The swordswoman sniffled and cleaned her nose a little bit with the cape that covered her. Lucrece chose not to say anything. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You are fine.¡± The Lancer reassured her. ¡°Now¡­ do you think you¡¯d like to tell me the tale of Gilgamess or whatever?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you mind if I tell it wrong¡­?¡± The shorter girl tilted her head, still sniffling a little bit.


    ¡°Nay. Go for it.¡±


    For the first time in a while, without having to put a front for Esperanza¡­ Gabrielle smiled.

 Chapter 7: Creeping Fog

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    In his deathbed, feeling the spark of his soul abandon his body with every breath


    Enkidu held Gilgamesh¡¯s hand and looked him in the eye.


    He lamented how, before, he feared death in battle.


    But now, wasting away from an illness, at his weakest and weariest


    he realized how a peaceful, uneventful death brought him no joy either.


    And so, it was the end for Enkidu¡­


    And Gilgamesh¡¯ heart broke into pieces.


    Lucrece nodded quickly, eagerly. She wasn¡¯t going to lie, Gabrielle¡¯s start with her tale had been rather hectic and difficult to follow. The girl jumped from perspective to perspective too fast, trying to get too many details in at once. Sometimes it was the present, then it was the past; characters appeared and disappeared in quick succession., It was confusing, and the Lancer was no Storyteller to really tell her how to improve on that! But still, she was patient, like when Claude came running to tell her about a new animal in the manor grounds! She gave feedback, nodding, smiling, giggling at Gabrielle¡¯s attempts at humor, encouraging her slowly¡­


    By the end of this part of the story, they were both legitimately invested in the tale of power, love and loss.


    When she finished the first half of the Tale of the Great Gilgamesh, Gabrielle felt a strange satisfaction deep within herself, a happiness she couldn¡¯t really explain. A giddiness that pushed her to keep telling more of the tale but, at the same time, kept her from speaking another word, for the sake of drama.


    She didn¡¯t even know she had a sense of drama at all!


    ¡°So? What happened then? What happened to Gilgamesh?¡± Lucrece asked, half to encourage the girl, half out of honest curiosity. ¡°Did the Ancient Spirits try to kill him next? Did  he  try to get back at them!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell yet.¡± Gabi nodded softly. ¡°I will tell you next time. Now, it is time to sleep.¡± She was channeling her inner Baraqiel here. It was customary to eat, tell a tale, and then sleep. ¡°I will take the first guard.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You  were  unconscious for a while now, that¡¯s not resting at all.¡± The taller woman frowned.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fall asleep in a while, and you have been overworking yourself today. Rest, now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine!  Mes ¨¦toiles , you can be surprisingly pushy!¡±


    Lucrece sighed softly, getting a bit more comfortable against the cave¡¯s wall, and covered her eye with her big hat. She was trying her best not to fall asleep immediately, but in a matter of seconds she was knocked out cold, snoring slightly, drifting into the land of dreams¡­


    Gabrielle looked at herself, half naked, covered in blood and mud, and sighed. She wished she could at least clean herself a little bit¡­ She also wondered if she could take Lucrece¡¯s magnificent hat while she slept, but a part of her was afraid the Lancer would just stab her for trying.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Lucrece¡¯s dreams were always a mess of colour and emotion. In rapid succession she saw many things, she saw the skies, she saw the seas, she saw powerful men fighting each other for pride and love. She saw Gilgamesh and his beloved Enkidu having their adventures around the world, slaying creatures and making a name for themselves wherever they went. She followed them close in their adventures, as her brain remembered the tale once again.


    Then, came the part of the dreams that she loathed.


    The forests of the Ancient Lands were replaced by wooden walls; the fresh breeze of the forest disappeared, overtaken by the warmth of a flickering fire. She was far away from the world of Gilgamesh, and her own current life. She stood in the dining room of an old estate, watching how a family enjoyed the fruits of their hard work.


    Five children devoured their food quickly, hungrily, chuckling and burping without any manners, while two others tried their best to keep control of themselves. Their father watched with a calm smile. Monsieur Laurent was a lionish man: his face, elongated and wrinkly, was surrounded by a thick yet short beard and a flowing mane of black hair. Despite his intimidating, apparently serious features, Lucrece remembered her father as a rather affable man, always ready to laugh and share a joke with other people in the estate. Since the passing of his wife, Monsieur Laurent had become a bit of an enabler as a father, too¡­


    Not that the children complained much about it.


    Among the rambunctious lot, Lulu spotted a young girl sitting very close to her father, looking rather focused as she tried to carefully imitate the man¡¯s manners. Thin, silly looking, with long and curly black hair growing up to her hips, the eldest child of the Daville estate wanted to give a good example to the child sitting right beside her, the quietest child among them.


    Claude had always been shy, even among his own siblings. Not that Lucrece blamed him: they were all around five or lower, while Claude and his bigger sister were around twelve or so. The age difference made it hard to relate to them! But there was something beyond that, something different about Claude. He avoided contact with most people, hated loud noises and was far more comfortable with the animals at the farm than with his siblings.


    Lucrece was the only one who had patience for him, really¡­ Maybe because they had grown up together, maybe because she kind of understood, at her young age, that her brother saw the world through other eyes.


    ¡°Even Father didn¡¯t have him in great consideration¡­¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Claude was, technically, the eldest male child in the family. It was his birthright to inherit the estate! But Lucrece could easily remember how his father had taken her aside one night, and gave her a stern talk¡­ a promise that she¡¯d need to fulfill.


    I worked hard through all my life to provide for you all.


    Finally, at the twilight of my life, I can say with a smile that it was all worth it.


    You shall take over the Estate, Lucy. But on one condition.


    I trust that you will always watch over your brother, even when he¡¯s an adult.


    Father had always been a firm believer that hard work brought in all the rewards in the world, and he was convinced that with the difficulties that Claude had for social interaction, he¡¯d never be able to work hard enough¡­ so, Lucrece would have to work a little harder, for the both of them.


    Not that she really minded. Back in the day, she was more than ready to follow her father¡¯s footsteps. She would work hard, secure her position in society, and be happy with her brother! Simple enough!


    She had no idea of what was coming to her¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    With loud grunts and a sudden gasp, Lucrece managed to stir herself awake. She sat up, looking around herself while fixing the hat on her head. Things were much clearer now, even as the fire of their pyre was dying; the Sun didn¡¯t reach them but one could still feel its presence far above the Fog. Daylight? But, wouldn¡¯t that mean¡­?


    ¡°Gabrielle!¡± The Lancer glared at the swordswoman sitting on the other side of the waning flames. ¡°You didn¡¯t wake me up for my guard!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t necessary.¡± The swordswoman shrugged. ¡°I am still very awake and you were very tired. I decided to let you sleep.¡±


    ¡°You promised you¡¯d let me take a guard!¡± Even if she was a bit thankful for the rest, the taller girl couldn¡¯t help but feel a little indignant.


    ¡°I promised nothing. I just said ¡®Yes¡¯. That is not a promise.¡±


    ¡° Mes ¨¦toiles!  Promise me that next time, if there is a next time, you  will  wake me up so you can sleep!¡± Lucrece¡¯s one eye was glaring fiercely.


    ¡°Why?¡± Gabrielle crossed her arms.


    ¡°Because, if you are tired, you won¡¯t be able to help me fight at all. Is that understood!?¡±


    It was a battle of wills, and neither of them was willing to back down. They glared at each other for a while, growling a little bit and trying to make themselves look bigger and more menacing. It was like seeing two dogs trying to intimidate each other. But eventually, Gabi saw the logic behind Lucrece¡¯s words, and despite her own stubborn pride, she sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Fine. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± The Lancer smiled brightly. ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue on. We shouldn¡¯t be too far from the edge of the Fog anyways.


    Gabrielle nodded, stepping on what was left of their pyre to extinguish it. As they walked out of their cave, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ What now?


    What would happen when she arrived at the other side of the Fog?


    She had escaped, forsaken all her responsibilities and ran away¡­ she could always find a way to walk  around  the Fog and reunite with the Saint¡¯s Army, but at the same time, did she really want to? After leaving without a word? She had no money to survive on her own but that wasn¡¯t a real problem. She would be able to hunt for food and pelts to sell as soon as they left the fog behind, so things should be fine even if she was alone.


    But what sort of life could she live after this? Alone again?


    Things had been rather auspicious last time she found herself alone! Now there was no guarantee she¡¯d find another purpose to follow like that.


    Perhaps she could look for her Instructor once again? No idea if she¡¯d take her in but, at least she could ask for some advice¡­


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lucrece suddenly asked, interrupting the girl¡¯s train of ideas.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Gabrielle blinked softly.


    ¡°You were very quiet and looked focused. You¡¯re not remembering things, are you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Gabi lied. That was kind of what she was doing. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about stuff.¡±


    ¡°Stuff you don¡¯t want to share?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    The taller girl sighed. She thought they had gotten over these awkward silences, but apparently they still had a long way to go in that regard.


    Time passed at a snail¡¯s pace in the thick forest, and they threaded through the Fog. There was no clear way among those tall oaks, just grassy floors and the occasional rock in their way. They walked in complete silence while, at the same time, trying to keep their minds from wandering too far into their own memories. Sometimes they stopped in their way, choosing to avoid unnecessary fighting and hiding at the sight of a wretch, only to continue following the trail as soon as the things disappeared in the mist. But as they went, Lucrece couldn¡¯t help but notice how long it was taking¡­


    The town shouldn¡¯t be  that  far away¡­ had the fog advanced this much in so little time?


    Eventually, after much walking, they arrived at the walls of Forsia: a very tall rock edification upon which vines had just started trying to climb up. Beyond that, a sleepy town with no castle in its center, just wooden houses of increasing complexity and nobility the closer you get to the center.


    This was it, this was supposed to be their resting point, the safe space. And yet, they still were surrounded by Fog. The Lancer felt her blood freeze in her neck. Gabrielle looked at her, tilting her head softly.


    ¡°Another town? Is this one of the places you loot?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Lucrece didn¡¯t even look at her. She was too shaken to even acknowledge the insinuation. ¡°This¡­ this is the town I came from. The one that was outside.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t look like she reacted much at this revelation, but deep down, this was shaking her plans quite a bit. Soon, both women were shaking a little bit, assaulted by the realization that despite their best efforts, they were completely lost.


    With a deep breath, Lucrece tried to focus. She leaned against the closed city gates and tried to listen on to the other side. Nothing. Another empty city¡­ Her mind was racing. With this, she¡¯d have a chance to check for abandoned goods and stuff, so it wasn¡¯t a big loss. For sure, it was a shame that this had happened, poor people and all that, but it was also an opportunity.


    If I can make it out of here alive , she mumbled to herself.


    Gabrielle, in the meantime, was starting to worry about the people she had left behind. Would they be okay with her in the fog? It had been a day already, maybe they had come looking for her? Not very probable but, still, there was a possibility.


    ¡­ No. No there wasn¡¯t. Not after what she did. After her failure¡­


    There was a sudden burst of light coming from the forest. Both women turned around, just to see a horde of burning, groaning wretches running towards them.


    ¡°Gabrielle!?¡± Lucrece turned to look at her companion in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± The redhead rubbed her left forearm again. ¡°I will fix it, just give me a moment!¡±


    She needed to focus again, and summon forth strength from deep within. There wasn¡¯t time for preparation, so this would hurt a  lot . Usually she was able to just ignore the pain, but using Witchcraft always hurt her deeper than most things: it burned her from the inside out, made her body go stiff like a rock, and her vision blur and shift around like crazy. All and all, not a good time.


    Lucrece watched in fear as Gabrielle took another deep, shaky breath, and the air seemed to warm up noticeably around them. The strange mark on Gabi¡¯s left arm lit up once again, and her body spasmed both violently and uncontrollably. The Lancer reached out to hold the Witch still, but she jerked away immediately, before suddenly locking into a wide stance and pointing her left hand at the approaching horde.


    Magic was on display, and energy flowed from Gabrielle¡¯s every pore, sparking and crackling, turning the air warm and tingly, forcing Lucrece to stand back.


    ¡°I need¡­ to focus¡­!¡± The Witch screamed, her eyes barely able to keep locked on her target, trembling very violently.


    Electricity is such a mysterious force. Even more back in the dark days of the Age of Silence, where Magic had been forgotten and Science was still a long way from coming. No one understood it, people barely even knew how to describe it. Same thing with Magic, really.


    In a world where things that are not understood are feared, both Electricity and Magic had been branded ¡®Witchcraft¡¯... and as such, there weren¡¯t real ways to learn it unless you knew someone already ¡®in the know¡¯.


    As such, Gabrielle had to learn on her own for most of her life.


    ¡® Focus on the rune, let nothing distract you  ¡¯ she thought to herself, as time itself felt like slowing down around her. She heard the voices on her head screaming in pain, she heard  herself  screaming outside of her head. She felt a light on the back of her mind, a whisper, the blowing of wind¡­ something cold reaching out for her, in the midst of suffocating heat.


    She ignored it all. She needed to focus. This was the way Baraqiel had taught her, and this was the only way she knew.


    ¡® Now, say its name. Say its name! ¡¯ She urged herself, taking a sharp breath and then screaming as loud as she was able.


    N E V E R A G A I N


    The light was blinding. Lucrece felt the force of a falling lightning pushing her back and slamming her against Forsia¡¯s walls. She barely managed to keep conscious, opening her eye once again to see a literal smoking crater. There was black ichor splattered everywhere, a few pieces of it still burning. Gabrielle had fallen unconscious again, her body still spasming from all that electricity.


    The Lancer took a deep breath, slowly getting back up and rubbing her eye a little bit.


    Things just couldn¡¯t stop getting worse, could they?

 Chapter 8: For how long?

    Sometimes, Gabrielle dreamed of nice landscapes. Of strange places she had never been before. Alien worlds, bustling towns, quiet pastures. Others, her mind sheltered itself in the memories of ¡®the good old days¡¯, times when life seemed so simple. But when she succumbed to the pain of her Witchcraft, Gabi knew exactly where she¡¯d be going next.


    A desert with white sand and purple skies as far as one could see¡­ It wasn¡¯t hot, for there was no Sun to be seen anywhere. Just sky and floor, an infinite horizon. No one else but herself, and her instructor: a small, dark skinned woman with black hair, and an eternal look of disappointment in her golden eyes. She usually stood right in front of her, or sat on a nearby rock to drink from her gourd.


    This time, she simply stood there and gently kicked Gabrielle on the stomach, tapping the girl with the tip of her boot.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    The redhead sighed, slowly getting back on her feet and coughing out some sand.


    ¡°You did it again.¡± Said her instructor. ¡°I think I told you to only use the Rune if it was an emergency.¡±


    ¡°This was an emergency.¡± Gabrielle insisted. ¡°There was an innocent.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I needed to protect her.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the noble thing to do.¡±


    The mage groaned, her heart was just like the rest of her body: made out of pure stone.


    ¡°You must ensure your own survival, Gabrielle. The rest is secondary.¡±


    ¡°That is not how things work.¡± Gabi frowned. ¡°I must do the noble thing.¡±


    ¡°Doing things out of obligation is a waste of time. Have you learned nothing?¡± The stone woman groaned again, opening her gourd and taking a long sip. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m somewhere in Aespania. The Fog is everywhere.¡±


    The mage tapped her chin, narrowing her gaze. Who knew what she was thinking about? No one, not really. The redhead stared as the mage took her sweet time meditating the situation.


    ¡°... When  are you?¡±


    ¡°The year of our Saints 2048.¡± The apprentice was used to these sorts of questions from the mage.


    ¡°I see. That makes sense.¡± The stone woman sighed. ¡°Are you confident in your ability to escape the mist?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gabrielle shook her head. ¡°We are lost right now, no directions to follow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, listen to me and listen well. I will get you out of there, but when you exit, I will need you to do me a favor.¡± The Instructor loved asking for those. ¡°People will be waiting for you outside. They will explain it all. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Instructor. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Blah blah. Now, listen to me. This is exactly what you¡¯ll have to do¡­¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    During the time Gabrielle spent completely unconscious, Lucrece had to find a way to get into the now empty city of Forsia. She carried the girl¡¯s knocked out body as she climbed up the walls using her trusty rope and hook, a tool that she has used so many different times that it really paid for itself eventually. The other side of the wall revealed a desolated settlement, where people seemed to hurriedly take what they could and run away. No corpses this time, luckily! The people of Forsia seemed smart enough to run at the first sight of the Fog in its territories.


    Without having to worry about social rules anymore, Lucrece decided it was time to seek a new shelter! Any abandoned house would do! But, why settle for the bare minimum, when she could just break into one of the bigger manors in the city. With a heavy kick, the Lancer broke down the doors of a house she had been eyeing since she started doing business in Forsia.


    ¡°Knock knock~.¡±


    Oh, she couldn¡¯t resist. Who says you can¡¯t have fun while you work?


    The blonde was smiling, carrying Gabrielle to the Master Bedroom in the house and setting her down on the softest bed she could find, tucking her carefully. Once that was done, the thieving girl had the town to herself! And she planned to make the most of it! First though, she had to recover the things she left at the Inn she was staying at. It wasn¡¯t a far walk from the manor she was taking over, so that was nice.


    The Inn was a small business called ¡®The Prancing Sheep¡¯, and it was well known for its foamy beer and cushy beds. Lucrece broke into the place, gently rubbing her foot afterwards (ouch), and then going to comb the place clean of all valuables.


    She couldn¡¯t help but imagine Gabrielle¡¯s disapproving gaze though¡­ it didn¡¯t  stop  Lulu, but it made her hesitate.


    ¡°It¡¯s not looting if the goods have been abandoned, is it?¡± Said the woman, frowning as she looked under the bed.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Lucrece wasn¡¯t stupid, she knew that people, both from the Inn and from outside, loved to rob the guests blind when they were out doing their jobs, and indeed, her change of clothes and a few coins had disappeared. So she hid all of her important belongings under one of the wooden planks on the floor, hidden by the bed. With glee she saw that her plan had worked! Her bag of coins, her old compass (currently going insane), and her dy¨C where is her dye?


    Her dye mixture. Where is it?


    She looked through the coins, then in the hole under the planks¡­ nothing.


    Had she left it outside!? Did some bastard steal her blond dye!? Well, it wasn¡¯t a  terrible  loss but it still sucked. She¡¯d have to look for an alchemist whenever they manage to exit the Fog.


    With a heavy heart, and a heavier bag of golden Empires on her shoulder, the Looter returned to the manor. Only to find Gabrielle already awake once more and drawing something on the floor of the main living room¡­ with her blood.


    ¡° Putain¡­ What in the Hells are you doing now, Gabi?¡± Lucrece sighed deeply.


    ¡°Compass spell.¡± She said, taking blood from a wound on her right hand, and using her left hand to paint on the floor.


    The symbols on the floor, lines and points, were similar to the one she had branded on her shoulder, so to Lucrece it was obvious they were all related, somehow. She wanted to ignore this, to ignore Witchcraft as much as she could, pretend that everything was fine and distance herself from this side of Gabrielle¡­ but her curiosity, ohhhhh her curiosity was killing her.


    She paced from one side of the room to the other, until finally giving up and sitting besides Gabi as she painted.


    ¡°...So¡­ you know a lot of spells?¡± Lucrece asked and hated herself the  instant  she did.


    ¡°Not many.¡± The Witch commented as she worked. ¡°My Instructor taught me just what is necessary to survive.¡±


    ¡°Like that magic lightning?¡±


    There, the Witch hesitated.


    ¡°...No. That one I learned somewhere else.¡±


    The Lancer was craving some answers, but she felt this would be the furthest things would get by asking, at least for now. She was ready to leave when suddenly, Gabrielle spoke again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how this one works exactly. But I have faith it will guide us to the closest port in Aespania.¡± She nodded a few times, still painting with her fingers. ¡°We will be safe in no time.¡±


    ¡°The closest  port ?¡± Lucrece blinked slowly. ¡°Why a port? Are you planning on getting out of Jericho or something?¡±


    ¡°My Instructor said that was the only way we¡¯d get out of this Fog alive.¡±


    Now that made the blond sweat a little bit. Were things really so bad right now? And most importantly, how in the Hells did this woman know that!? Lucrece decided that she wouldn¡¯t just let things stop her from asking more questions.


    ¡°Did you talk to him¨C¡±


    ¡°Her.¡± Gabi helpfully pointed out.


    ¡°Her.¡± Lucrece groaned. ¡°Did you talk to her in your sleep or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    If she had heard Gabrielle say this three days ago or so, Lucrece would have called her a maniac, a fool, and leave it at that. But come on! She just saw this girl shoot lightning from her hands! At this point, disbelief is not even a possibility: It¡¯s a joke, and Lucrece is not very keen on those. At least, not when they are told at her expense! So, she didn¡¯t even question it this time.


    ¡°Alright then? Anything else she said?¡±


    ¡°Noppe.¡± The redhead stretched her arms a little bit, trying to let some laziness out of her body. ¡°Just: Do this spell, follow the light, pray that you survive.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a nice Instructor.¡± The taller woman let out a deep sigh, shaking her head.


    ¡°She¡¯s rather lousy to be honest.¡± The swordswoman pointed out.


    ¡°I know! That was sarcasm!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not good with that.¡±


    The Lancer groaned. Yes, she still remembered, Claude struggled with discerning jokes from truths¡­ she didn¡¯t remember the boy being  this  thick-skulled but, well, they couldn¡¯t be the same in everything, she supposed. But then, another question came to her.


    ¡°...Have you taken a proper break since you woke up? Witchcraft clearly tires you out!¡±


    ¡°I just woke up. Had no time to rest.¡± Gabrielle sighed softly, before feeling a hand on her shoulder. She jerked away and turned to face Lucrece, serious. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But, saints damn it all, Gabi, you need to  rest .¡± Lucrece¡¯s eye was glaring again.


    The Witch looked back, frowning slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no time for that.¡± She insisted.


    ¡°Are you already fine then? Nothing hurts?¡±


    ¡°Nothing hurts.¡±


    For someone who has issues externalizing her emotions, Gabrielle made for a terrible liar. Her eyes looked away  immediately , not daring to face her companion again. Said companion sighed softly, before speaking up again.


    ¡°Look. How about this. I bet that whatever you are doing won¡¯t activate unless you  make  it activate, right?¡±


    The shorter woman opened her eyes widely. ¡°How could you have possibly guessed that?¡±


    ¡°You took an entire minute or so to charge and throw your lightning bolts, so I assumed it worked like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart one.¡±


    Lucrece tried not to get too happy about being praised. And failed, she just loved being praised.


    ¡°Ahem-hem.¡± She cleared her throat with a little grin. ¡°Anyways. I am right, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabi nodded


    ¡°Alright then¡± Lulu nodded as well. ¡°How¡¯s this: You leave this thing ready to activate, we go get food and rest, and then we activate it and continue our escape. Sounds good?¡±


    ¡°Every second we spend in this Fog is a second our minds could betray us and we could get swarmed, be it by our own shadows or the ones of the people who already perished here.¡± The redhead stared, unblinking and questioningly, at her companion.


    ¡°Yes, but if we continue rushing ourselves, exhaustion will get us anyways. And the more tired we are, the more susceptible we are to our own minds, right?¡± The blonde refused to back down.


    They stared into each other¡¯s eyes for a long while. Gabrielle was a very stubborn one and wouldn¡¯t back down as easily as before. After all, she had already conceded a victory to the one-eyed Lancer today! So, she was trying to find reasons or arguments to refuse.


    ¡°But¡­ Time is running short. And every moment we spend in the Fog is a moment it can advance further out. Like it did with this town. Remember?¡±


    Lucrece flinched. That  was  a good point. So then, cornered by this, she decided to take her last resort.


    ¡°...Please, Gabi.¡± She pleaded. ¡°You are tired, shaking and in pain. I¡¯m tired too. Can¡¯t we take this last chance to rest? Just this once.¡±


    Now Gabrielle flinched. Saints damn it all, the woman had even said  ¡®please¡¯  ! That only made rejecting her plea even harder. The redhead, during her years as a mercenary, had decided that she wanted to harden herself, become a woman of stone like her instructor. Feel nothing, not ever again. In fact, it was her inability to keep clinging to this principle that got her into this whole mess to begin with! She let herself  feel  grief over her failure, instead of simply trying to correct her mistake¡­


    And now, she was being moved yet again by emotional arguments.


    ¡° This will get you in trouble again .¡±, said a voice in her mind.


    ¡° The sooner we are out, the faster we can make amends .¡±, said another.


    ¡°We are in danger and must survive somehow if we want to be useful to Esperanza ever again.¡± Said the third one.


    ¡° Is that even possible? We abandoned h¡ª ¡±


    She stopped herself and shook her head violently. No. No memories, no time for sulking, not in the Fog. Lucrece stared as Gabrielle muttered and constantly shook her head, as if having a battle with her own mind.


    Finally, the redhead sighed. Perhaps the Lancer had a point about her mental state being tied to her exhaustion.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She finally accepted with a sigh. ¡°But let¡¯s not take more time than necessary.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Lucrece smirked and stood up once again. ¡°Now, back to bed you go. I will raid the apothecary and the smithy for stuff.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you going on your own?¡± Gabi frowned.


    ¡°Yes. You are in no condition to walk around.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I am still fine.¡± The Witch stood up. She managed to stand for a good few minutes! But then, she stumbled, and was about to fall when Lucrece caught her again. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°See?¡± The Lancer smiled smugly. She was barely able to carry the girl but she was  not  going to say that part. ¡°Lets get you to bed.¡±


    Gabrielle was not exactly comfortable with all the times she had been carried around in the last two days, but she also couldn¡¯t really say a thing about it when her alternative was to crawl on the floor like a bug.


    So, soon enough, she was back on a cushy bed, sinking on the covers.


    ¡°Try to sleep.¡± Said Lucrece, walking out of the room. ¡°And if you need me, scream and I¡¯ll come.¡±


    As the door closed, Gabi couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was the deal with this strange, nosy woman.


    What did she want? Why was she being so nice to her?


    And how long would this last?

 Chapter 9: Reprieve

    Time slowed to a crawl as Gabrielle stared up to the ceiling of her new room. She had very soon lost interest in all the amenities around in this room, getting rid of the heavy and bothersome covers to leave only one (the softest) on top of her, ignoring the bookshelves and the veil around the king sized bed¡­ the cute, soft feathers inside of her cushion did entertain her for a bit but, after playing around and tossing the things up and down for a bit, she found herself just thinking.


    This whole situation felt so familiar to her. Reminiscent of a time that she should not be thinking about while walking in the Fog¡­ but she simply couldn¡¯t stop the memories from invading her.


    When she was completely alone and directionless, walking through the wilds like some sort of animal until She found her.


    Esperanza was so young back then, so small and full of ambition. The sparkle in her eyes was so bright back then¡­


    ¡­ unlike the last time she saw her.


    Gabi sat up in a rush, feeling the palpitations return. She clung to her own shoulders, sinking her nails on her screaming skin, breathing deeply as she tried her best to push back those memories.


    Don¡¯t think of it. Don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t think of it. Think of anything but it.


    But that only seemed to make matters worse. She could see it, clear as day in her mind¡¯s eye: a charred body, skin turned to coal, blood turned to mist, the screams of pain and¡­ what was worse¡­


    The way she was staring¡­


    Winds blew powerfully, forcing the one window to her right to blast open. And she could see her in the distance, atop of a building: the burnt, tainted Saint, riding a famelic horse and carrying a black banner that matched her black armour. She was so far away, and yet Gabrielle could swear she could see the figure, this bizarre caricature of her Esperanza, smile at her.


    The Witch¡¯s breath picked up, it became fast and erratic, hard to catch. Her nails scratched her bloodstained skin over and over, trying to pull herself away from these thoughts before the rest of the horde manifested itself.


    When the doors of the room opened, Gabrielle couldn¡¯t help but yelp and jump in the bed.


    Lucrece looked at her, worried, while she walked into the room. The woman carried a big cloth sack on her shoulder, its contents jingled as she approached the nervous swordswoman.


    ¡°Are you okay Gabi?¡± She asked, tilting her head to the side before walking over to the window. ¡°When did you open this? You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Wait! There¡¯s a¨C¡±


    Watching outside the window, Gabrielle saw nothing on the buildings¡­ had she just dreamed it?


    Lucrece blinked a few times, before closing the window and the blinds, going back to the sack and pulling out a few candle holders to set around the room, lighting them up one by one.


    ¡°So, good news! This place has a bath. Bad news? The bastards took all the coal, so we won¡¯t have hot water.¡± Lucrece sighed softly. ¡°I guess we can¡¯t be choosers right now. I¨C¡±


    ¡°I want to leave.¡± The Witch spoke up all of a sudden. ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°What? But, Gabi¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can feel myself weakening, memories creeping on me.¡± The redheaded girl kept talking, fast and nervous, her usual calm completely lost. ¡°If we don¡¯t move, we¡¯ll be trapped in here. And¨C And¡­! C-Count to ten¡­ count to ten¡­!¡±


    Watching intently, the Lancer saw the new wounds on the girl¡¯s arms, and her clear distress. She was struggling to breathe, her thoughts were scrambled, she was terrified. Having seen this before, the blonde offered her hand out to the girl and said.


    ¡°Gabi. Take my hand. Squeeze it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t insist on it, just made the offering once and let Gabrielle make the choice. At first she just stared at that gauntleted hand, before finally reaching to take it with both of hers and squeeze it tightly. Lucrece tried not to wince, even though the squeeze was quite hard.


    ¡°Good¡­¡± The taller woman smiled at her. ¡°Now, I want you to close your mouth.¡±


    Confused, but too scared to question it, the girl agreed and closed her mouth, breathing rapidly with her nose. Things got a little dizzy¡­


    ¡°You are doing great¡­¡± The blonde nodded slowly  ¡°Now, try to breathe deeper. Make it slower. Like me.¡±


    Lucrece breathed slowly, deeply, getting the air in and out through her nose, and Gabrielle soon joined her. Eventually, her body stopped shaking.


    ¡°Alright, good¡­ tell me, what are you feeling?¡± The Lancer tilted her head.


    ¡°My head is¡­ no longer pounding¡­ but it still hurts, and I feel very tired.¡± The Witch blinked a few times. ¡°How did you do that¡­?¡±


    ¡°My brother, remember that I told you that I had many? One of them used to get like this too¡­ and¡­ this is a secret, alright?¡± Lucrece raised a finger, still holding the girl¡¯s hands. ¡°A Witch taught me.¡±


    The swordswoman opened her eyes wide as plates, gasping loudly.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lucrece smirked smugly. It was only a half lie! People did call that old lady a witch, but she never had proof of it anyways. Not that it mattered. ¡°She taught me how to calm people when they feel like this. Called it ¡®Headology¡¯ or something. It doesn¡¯t always do the trick but, sometimes it works like a charm!¡±


    ¡°Baraqiel just used to hug me when this happened, but¡­¡± Gabrielle shifted in place.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I get it, I won¡¯t do stuff like that all of a sudden, I promise¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Now¡­ you can let go of me if you want, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Gabi looked at that hand and slowly let go of it. Lucrece sighed in relief, that woman had a grasp like a pair of pincers.


    ¡°Now! I will get the bath ready.¡± Lulu closed her eye. ¡°Now that I think about it, maybe we can break down a few chairs and turn on the furnaces with that. Do you want the first turn or can I take it?¡±


    Gabrielle started shifting again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± The redhead ventured. ¡°Can we¡­?¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The manor¡¯s bath was very inspired by the designs of the ancient Great Empire: huge, made with marble and stone, with a wide tub and several statues on the sides decorating it. It was, honestly, an opulent mess and an ode to the excess of the rich. Steam was rising from the hot water as the flames of an underground furnace raised the temperature to a comfortable, barely scalding level.


    Lucrece sighed softly, walking into the bathroom with her towel hanging from her hips. It felt weird to be naked in front of someone else, even if she was another woman, but at least she had shaved relatively recently so, things should be fine, right? She looked at the other girl, who had already sat down on the hot tub, and tried to smile a little bit despite her own anxiety.


    ¡°Is it too hot?¡± She asked.


    ¡°A little.¡± Gabrielle responded, red in the face. ¡°But I will be fine.¡±


    The water around the girl was stained with blood and mud, but it¡¯s not like Lucrece was exactly clean either, so she decided to simply splash the filth away before sitting besides her companion, frowning a little bit.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t hot at all, this is barely hot enough!¡± The blonde woman cackled. ¡°You¡¯re a baby, Gabi.¡±


    ¡°I am not. It really is hot.¡± Gabrielle actually pouted at that.


    ¡°Sure thing, sure thing¡­¡± Lucrece grinned, before taking a bar of soap to start gently scrubbing herself.


    Staring intently, the shorter girl decides to imitate her companion there. Inch by inch, scrub scrub scrub, all the grime and filth dissolved and flowed away into the water. Then came the hair, and this is where the redhead took special care of things, slowly and carefully cleaning each lock with practiced, gentle motions.


    Lucrece took notice of this. She had seen that the only part of the witch that seemed relatively clean and well taken care of was her red hair¡­ She looked at her own hair and sighed. She couldn¡¯t really use much water on it, or the dye would fade.


    ¡°Do you use your hair in your magic or something?¡± The Lancer ventured.


    ¡°No.¡± The Witch said without even looking, still focused on her hair.


    ¡°Huh. I heard that a Witch¡¯s red hair was magical or something.¡± Lucrece grinned a bit.


    ¡°My Instructor has black hair, and she¡¯s far more magical than I am.¡±


    Soon enough Gabrielle finished cleaning her hair and simply relaxed into the water, blowing a few bubbles. Moved by curiosity, the taller girl kept watching her companion attentively. The girl¡¯s body was covered in many scars, scratches, stabbings and bites from old times¡­ then, she looked at her own figure and sighed. Scars, everywhere; maybe not as many as that girl over there, but still, she had been kicked and punched by this world too.


    ¡°Lulu.¡± Suddenly, the redhead spoke again. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Only if I get to ask too.¡± The Lancer finally relaxed, sinking a little more in the water. ¡°And you know the usual rules.¡±


    ¡°So I still can¡¯t ask about your eye?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only adjacent to it, I promise.¡±


    ¡°...Fine.¡±


    Gabi celebrated in silence before asking:


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear an eyepatch? Doesn¡¯t the cold hurt in your socket?¡±


    Now that took the taller girl by surprise, but in a good way. She cackled loudly for a good minute or so before shaking her head slowly.


    ¡°Why would I wear an eyepatch?¡± She said, grinning and shaking her head. ¡°For the cold? I¡¯m used to it by now. For the sake of others? I care not if they find it gnarly. For myself? I ain¡¯t ashamed of it. I¡¯m a survivor, people better know I will go down kicking and screaming when they try pushing me to the Hells!¡±


    Gabrielle turned to look Lucrece in the eye, intently, quietly. Now this was uncanny, the feeling that someone actually understood her feelings. She was impressed, her blue eyes shining bright with admiration.


    ¡°The same reason I don¡¯t hide my hair anymore.¡± The Witch explained. ¡°I like it, and I don¡¯t care what people think of it anymore.¡±


    Lucrece wasn¡¯t sure she could say she ¡®liked¡¯ the scar on her face, or the weird feeling when the cold wind hit her in the empty socket. She could, however, see how the girl could see similarities between them¡­ and it made her smile a little bit.


    ¡°Screw the world, Gabi. They don¡¯t deserve our consideration.¡± The Lancer declared with a wide grin. ¡°It¡¯s everyone for themselves, here.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you have been taking care of me since we met.¡± The swordwoman pointed out.


    ¡°Are you teasing me, Gabrielle? Do you dare?¡± Lucrece grinned a bit.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m stating the facts.¡± Gabrielle looked away again. Her smallest of smiles was on display.


    ¡°Well¡­ we take care of some others!¡±


    ¡°I am.. not good at taking care of others.¡± Letting out a little sigh, the redhead sank a little deeper in the water and let it cover her mouth.


    ¡°... You gotta tell me what¡¯s bothering you so much when we get out of this Fog, Gabi. It seems bad.¡± Lucrece sighed.


    ¡°Why do you care so much, Lucrece?¡± The Witch looked up again. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°Nay. Actually,.I don¡¯t think I¡¯m even afraid of you anymore.¡± The Lancer smirked.


    ¡°Then why? What do you expect to win? What profit are you chasing?¡±


    There, the taller woman stopped to think for a moment, looking at her reflection in the water. What profit indeed? She knew she would have to let go of this girl when they reached the port, and she didn¡¯t really want any favors right now! So, why did she care?


    ¡°...You remind me of someone.¡± She decided to be sincere.


    ¡°Of someone? You mean the other Witch you met?¡± Gabrielle tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°Nay¡­ my brother, Cluade.¡± Lucrece¡¯s smile turned a little bitter. ¡°He was a little like you, really.¡±


    The shorter woman didn¡¯t know what she was expecting, but it wasn¡¯t that. A brother¡­ The girl stared at her companion for a bit, both blue eyes trying to find the hints of a lie in the taller lady, and finding nothing. This made her heart stir a little in her chest, warmth raising to her cheeks. Tenderness¡­ like Baraqiel and Esperanza.


    ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± She said, quickly shaking those comparisons off her head. ¡°But¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, really.¡± Lucrece grinned and slowly got up. ¡°Now, we¡¯ve been soaking for long enough. Let¡¯s go eat and then sleep. I¡¯ll take the first guard this time.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t try to stay awake all night like I did, right?¡± Gabi narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Girl. Please. I like you, but not that much.¡± The blonde didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the idea did pass through her mind. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go steal clothes.¡±


    ¡°...Why?¡±


    ¡°What, are you telling me you wouldn¡¯t like to wear one of those fancy dresses? This place¡¯s wardrobe is full!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Gabrielle had to admit, the idea was alluring! And whatever could keep her from thinking too much was acceptable. So, she nodded her head and carefully stood up.


    ¡°Alright, but only one dress.¡±


    ¡°Yes! This will be fun.¡± Lucrece walked out of the bath with a huge grin on her lips. Once again, indulging a little bit in the job could be good for the soul.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Night time had arrived to Forsia. The streets were so dark it was impossible to traverse them, but neither of the women really cared. They were comfortable in the house they had commandeered, gorging themselves with bread, cheese and curated meat, drinking down the wine reserves that the richest family in town had decided to abandon on their rush out of the city.


    Drunk and full of food, both women had raided the wardrobe and, between loud giggles and a few little fights, they had tried on every piece they could get their hands on, modelling them in front of a tall, full body mirror. Lucrece had settled by a nice, stylish dandy outfit, blue with golden frills everywhere! There was even a dusty wig to precariously wear on her head.


    Gabrielle was staring at herself in a green, long dress, chuckling softly as she turned around a little bit. She liked it, she really liked it! It was nice, flowing and soft¡­ but then, she noticed how it also left the scars on her shoulders and legs exposed. The juxtaposition was a little jarring¡­


    ¡°Saints, I must look ridiculous.¡± She chuckled drunkenly. ¡°Why nothing here has pockets!?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re fine.¡± The taller woman gave her approval with a thumbs up. ¡°Stop whining! Fancy clothes don¡¯t have pockets!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t whine! I don¡¯t winge!¡± The short redhead pouted. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t know if I look good! And they should have pockets! All of the pockets!¡±


    ¡°You look good, woman. You just gotta learn how to wear it!¡± Lucrece wobbled over to Gabrielle to look at the mirror as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing it though! Wait, is this backwards?¡±


    ¡°Not what I meant! Putain, woman you¡¯re daft!¡± The Lancer chuckled. ¡°I meant like, you gotta be confident!¡±


    ¡°Confident?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! You look good, own it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say it, you look good in the one you picked.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s pout only got heavier.


    ¡°Bitch I look good in everything.¡± Lucrece chuckled, striking a pose for the mirror.


    Gabi mimicked her. They stood still for a moment before both chuckled loudly.


    ¡°Hey, hey hey! Can I wear your hat?¡± Suddenly, and emboldened by her drunken stupor, the Witch reached for that beautiful hat.


    ¡°Pffft! No? It¡¯s mine!¡± The Lancer leaned backwards, batting the hand away. ¡°Get your own!¡±


    ¡°Pleeeease? Come on! The outfit wont work without it!¡±


    ¡°What outfit? What??¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you gimme the hat!¡±


    ¡°Fine! Damn woman you¡¯re stubborn!¡±


    With a big smile, or at least a bigger smile than she¡¯d get sober, Gabrielle took the hat and jumped into the wardrobe, struggling to put new clothes on. Soon enough, she¡¯d walk outside with a pair of pants and a bright red jacket, wearing the big feathered hat and performing a rather exaggerated curtsy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Gabrielle, Knight of the Red!¡±


    Now that got Lucrece to grin. Drunk or not, this was kind of adorable to her.


    ¡°What, are you an admirer of that legend too?¡±


    ¡°You know this one, Lulu?¡±


    ¡°It was pretty popular back in Normandia.¡± The taller woman chuckled. ¡°Not half bad, girl. Not half bad.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to tell you about it tonight¡­¡±


    Gabi looked down with a little pout. Lucrece cursed herself for being so weak and nodded.


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. The stage is yours¡­¡±


    With an excited gasp, the shorter girl cleared her throat and got ready. She didn¡¯t remember the exact words¡­ but she would never forget her favorite tale.


    Deep down, she thought, she was still the same person¡­ and this brought her a strange comfort.

 Chapter 10: Open Trail

    By the moment Gabrielle woke up, light had returned to Forsia. All the candles had run out, bottles of wine were everywhere, little breadcrumbs covered the bed, she was still wearing her ¡®Knight of Red¡¯ outfit and even the hat was still on her head! Speaking of, her head rang and thumped, demanding water  immediately . The redhead looked around herself for a moment, finding Lucrece sleeping loud and deeply not too far from her, on a couch. She seemed like she was enjoying her dreams, for a change.


    The smaller girl couldn¡¯t even remember her own dreams¡­ and for some reason, she felt a little relieved about that. With a grunt she got up, stretching until her bones popped back in place¡­ until she realized the obvious.


    No one stood guarding last night. For all she knew, their shadows could have spawned in the city already, if not in the very house they were commandeering.


    With a loud sigh, seriously disappointed in herself, the Witch took her sword and walked out of the room, holding the rusty steel high as she went over to the yard. No signs of danger just yet. She reached for the house¡¯s well and grabbed herself a pail of water, dunking her face in it and drinking for a good minute before taking it out, sighing in relief. Nothing like fresh water for a hangover!


    As the pains of wine receded, Gabi wondered¡­ When was the last time she had fun like this? She sometimes had good moments, yes; Esperanza was kind to her and people in the Company tended to treat her with *some* respect but, actually laying back, drinking and relaxing¡­


    Honestly, things hadn¡¯t been this nice since Baraqiel was alive.


    The girl slapped herself twice. No. No memories, not in the fog. They had already been insanely lucky, she didn¡¯t want to ruin that! Sigh¡­ why did she always have to ruin everything¡­?


    Again, she felt that strange rippling in her soul, something creeping from behind her. In the water¡¯s reflection she saw herself, and a shadow forming slowly, smiling widely. Moved by instinct, Gabrielle grabbed her sword and spun on her heels, swinging her blade to cut the rising wretch in half.


    ¡°Focus!¡± She yelled at herself. ¡°Focus¡­ no negative thoughts¡­ Why is this so hard all of a sudden!?¡±


    It made no sense! All these years she had been able to go around without thinking too much of Baraqiel, or her own failures, or her frustration for ruining  everything ! Why now!? Was it the Fog? Was it messing with her brain!?


    Maybe it was¡­ and if so, they needed to get out of here, quickly. Before she had a chance to make things worse.


    As she grumbled and walked back into the manor, Gabi remembered what Lucrece had told her before:


    ...You gotta tell me what¡¯s bothering you so much when we get out of this Fog, Gabi.


    It seems bad.


    Had things really been that bad that they were affecting her this hard, or was that also the Fog messing up her thoughts?


    No. Things had definitely been bad. They  still  were pretty bad¡­


    Gabrielle walked over to the living room, where her spell was ready to be activated. What a surprise to find Lucrece staring at her work! The redhead could swear she had made as little noise as she could! As she walked over to her, the taller woman pouted and crossed her arms.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wake me up. That¡¯s mean.¡± She complained.


    ¡°Sorry. You looked comfortable.¡± The smaller girl kneeled in front of her circle of blood, setting her hands down. ¡°I¡¯ll summon the Compass. After that, we will have time to get ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Work your magic.¡±


    The blood was dry by now but it still worked nicely. The Witch took a deep breath, setting her old compass on the center of the circle and, in a soft voice, began whispering the names of each rune she had drawn. One by one they lit up as she commanded them to attention¡­ until the circle was fully illuminated. And then, with a spark of magic, flames rose from the carpet, high like a pillar of pure greenish fire that licked the very ceiling of that room.


    Once it descended, what was left on the floor was the very same compass from before¡­ but the arrow was no longer turning around like crazy: it now pointed straight to the left, trembling, as if something was forcing it to stay the course.


    ¡°It is done.¡± Gabrielle announced, sitting back and sighing in relief. ¡°It will point to the closest port now.¡±


    ¡°Ace! Magic is really something else.¡± Lucrece offered a hand to help her companion back up. Offer that was accepted. ¡°Up you go. Oop, it really was the armour! You¡¯re light as a feather!¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± With a little grin, the redhead began walking up the stairs. ¡°Time to get ready. We will have no more deviations from here.¡±


    ¡° Oui oui , cap¡¯n.¡±


    Preparations took little time. Lucrece stole one of the silky blouses to wear under her brigandine, then took everything that looked shiny, metallic and was not nailed down. By the end of her preparations, she was carrying a sizable bag behind her back, looking quite satisfied with herself.


    Gabrielle, who just put back her sabatons, her battle skirt, kept the red jacket and was already done with all preparations, stared at her companion with a disapproving frown.


    ¡°Stealing is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Look, they won¡¯t use it and if they left it behind, they were willing to part with it. Bite me.¡± The thieving blonde lifted her nose. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go! I even packed some food for the way out.¡±


    ¡°And drink?¡± The Witch¡¯s expression turned hopeful.


    ¡°That wine was  terrible  Gabi. But I am carrying a bottle.¡± Lucrece shook her head softly. Alas, she¡¯d need to show the girl some actual wine one of these days.


    Wait. What was she thinking?


    ¡°...Oh, by the way?¡± She reached to snatch the hat from the shorter woman¡¯s head, grinning teasingly. ¡°That¡¯s the end of your Hat Time. Sorry.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Aw¡­¡± Said short woman pouted. ¡°Will I get to wear it again soon? Makes me feel dignified.¡±


    ¡°I will think about it.¡±


    Gabrielle may not smile much, but Lucrece could notice the way her eyes glimmered with hope, with excitement. Those eyes expressed all her face didn¡¯t¡­ the Lancer guessed it was impossible to just lock up all your emotions after all. Satisfied with her newfound understanding of her companion, the one eyed Lancer nodded and guided the way outside of the house.


    The streets of Forsia were still empty, eerily silent, covered by the Fog; and the outside of the walls, as they exited through the West gates, was not any better either. Without animals or people, they were both keenly aware of the absolute quiet, sometimes interrupted by the trudging of a monster in the distance.


    Following the arrow was not an easy task. It seemed to jerk around every hour or so, violently shifting directions and forcing both women to stop, turn around, and rethread old trails. This, of course, made Lucrece suspect foul play on the compass¡¯ part, but Gabrielle insisted they  had  to follow the arrow, no matter how silly it seemed. It would take them outside no matter what.


    ¡°You know what I miss?¡± Suddenly said the Witch.


    ¡°What, Gabi?¡± The Lancer tilted her head.


    ¡°Horses.¡±


    ¡° Putain.  Yeah, I do too.¡±


    Horses had become a bit of a commodity these days, even  more  than they already were in the past. With the disappearance of animals in every territory overtaken by the fog, farms were the first to feel the direness of the situation. As soon as any non-human being was left unobserved in the fog, poof, it vanished. And no one ever knew where they ended up¡­


    ¡°This trip would be so much better on a horse.¡± Lucrece complained ¡°We could actually get out so much faster, and¨C¡±


    ¡°What name would you give a horse?¡± Gabi asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d name mine Fabino.¡±


    ¡°F-Fabino?¡± The Lancer tried not to chuckle a bit. ¡°I mean, it is a nice name.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d name mine Pierrot, or something like that. Never gave it much of a thought.¡± This did, however, create some questions in the blonde woman¡¯s mind. ¡°Are you any good with animals?¡±


    "I like animals, but I am always scared around them¡­ and they also seem rather skittish around me.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Another difference with Claude. Lucrece remembered perfectly how the boy seemed to get along very, very well with animals. She shrugged. ¡°Then why do you want a horse?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I could be friends with it¡­¡± Gabrielle lowered her voice, trying not to sound ridiculous.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard horses are very loyal. I bet you could be friends with one.¡±


    Both women shared a bit of a grin, as they continued walking deeper into the forest. It would be a long and arduous journey following the hectic arrow of their compass, but maybe chances were on their side this time¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Rain was pouring loudly outside the Saint Helena Chapel, in Iron City. It was a dark and stormy night, everyone else had already left the place. Lightning illuminated the inside from time to time, flashing through the painted windows of the small building.


    When Father Vasili turned around, he found, with great dismay, that Tellonius was still there. Smiling, watching, patiently waiting. That man, that tiny, dark skinned, black haired man, had been the bane of Vasili¡¯s existence for who knows how long. Every time the mage appeared in his life, the priest knew things would take a weird and often dangerous turn! But tonight? Tonight was his most dangerous, and weirdest proposition so far.


    ¡°I said ¡®No¡¯.¡± The old man of the church repeated himself. ¡°What, have you gone deaf as well? You insane bastard.¡±


    Tellonius smiled calmly. He knew the priest like the palm of his hand, they had known each other for so long, he was honestly his longest, bestest friend! Even if he seemed to hate his guts right now!


    ¡®Oh he¡¯s just grumpy¡¯  , thought the mage, ¡®  not that I really blame him¡¯ .


    Compared to the thin and petite Tellonius, Vasili was a beast. Tall, broad, muscular and with a thick white beard that caused envy in other men in the village, he was the type of man you didn¡¯t want to bother, even at his sixty years of age. And yet, his old friend stood there calmly, smiling, knowing perfectly that this monster of a man would never dare lift a finger against him.


    Even as the priest violently gesticulated, swinging an arm aside.


    ¡°I am  not  taking part in this ridiculous project! You and your Teacher can both go to the deepest pits in the Hells, for all I care!¡± Vasili crossed his arms. ¡°Go, you hear me?! Go to the Hells and never return!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad.¡± Tellonius said, his smile turning into an expression of shame. He knew what was coming next.


    ¡°You can bet your ass I¡¯m mad!¡± The priest exploded. ¡°You really have some heavy fat balls, Tell. You disappear on me for years, and every time you come back, you come with a favor to ask. Well, I am putting my foot down here. No more, I say!¡±


    ¡°Vasya¡­¡± The mage sighed. ¡°I am so sorry¡­ You know my work leaves me isolated for long periods of time but, I never meant for it to absorb me like it does! And besides¡­ I always come back, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡° Regrettably. ¡± The taller man crossed his thick, powerful arms. His knuckles cracked a little bit as he drummed his fingers.


    ¡°Come on Vasya¡­¡± Tellonius smiled a little. Just a little. ¡°We will be able to talk and catch up on the trip.¡±


    ¡°I said  NO! ¡± The priest roared, to the point that even the smaller man flinched. ¡°Tell your Teacher to get you someone else! And while doing that, tell her to go fuck herself.¡±


    ¡°...You are the only one I can really trust for this, Vasili.¡±


    Both men looked each other in the eye. There it was, Tellonius was doing it again, the damn puppy eyes! Begging so pathetically, trying to appeal to the beast¡¯s oversized heart. The priest growled, rubbing his bald head and looking away as he tried to gather strength. Soon after he looked again: His old friend was still there, pouting a little even, he was so damn unserious! Vasili hated him, he hated him with all of his heart.


    ¡­ No, he couldn¡¯t lie like that.


    And he  did  hate that fact.


    ¡°You have  not  changed a bit since we were in elementary school!¡± The priest wanted to lash out so badly. ¡°You can¡¯t just make me feel bad every time!¡±


    ¡°Is it working¡­?¡±


    ¡° Fuck you. ¡±


    ¡°Come on Vasya, please?¡± The mage cleared his throat and tried to look at least a little more serious about things. ¡°I need you for this. I literally can¡¯t do it without you.¡±


    Vasili stomped so hard on the floor he cracked one of the beautiful marble slabs spread on the floor. He bit his lip, threw punches into the air, and finally roared once again before sighing and settling down.


    ¡° FINE! ¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you so much!¡± Tellonius reached to hug the bigger man, smiling brightly.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Shut up! Tell me the damn details before I change my mind.¡± The priest made no effort to push the other man away, just sighed.


    ¡°Well, you see.¡± The mage let go on his own, checking a briefcase on his side and pulling out the schematics for a small vessel. Even if pitiable in size, it was a masterwork: it held room for ten people, a workshop, a forge and all the amenities that a crew could need on such a dangerous expedition. ¡°We need you to protect us on our way there. The Godstorm still rages in the oceans, after all. Our crew will depend on you to arrive in Aespania safely!¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Vasili frowned, pulling a tiny pair of round glasses to put on and read the documents that were presented.


    ¡°Two weeks, tops.¡± Tellonius nodded. ¡°I assure you, the payment and the amenities will be top notch!¡±


    ¡°Did your Teacher tell you  why  you need to do this, though?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We are to recover some stuff, test out our Deathrock Torch, and reactivate a Prototype Tower if we manage to reach deep enough in the Fog.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re  not  just going to assume I know what the fuck a Deathrock Torch is.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, sorry.¡± The mage rubbed the back of his neck and pulled a second schematic: a mechanism that burns fuel at its base, and produces flame at the top. ¡°It¡¯s our latest invention: it manages to fully burn Deathrock into a powerful, magically-charged green flame. It is highly efficient, lasting for entire weeks! And what¡¯s better, it should repel the Fog like a charm!¡±


    ¡°It  should ?¡± Vasili lifted a single eyebrow.


    ¡°It should!¡± Tellonius doubled down.


    ¡°Alright¡­ And what of that Tower?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a torch, but massive. It is not finished though, so we would need to reach it, finish it, and activate it.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. Easy enough.¡± Sarcasm was not forbidden among the children of the Church. It was one of their biggest delights, in fact. ¡°And where is this Tower?¡±


    ¡°In a town named Kingstone, back in Doggenbandr.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that  quite far  from Aespania?¡±


    ¡°My Teacher said she got us a guide!¡±


    The priest took a deep breath, and then sighed it all out, patting Tellonius¡¯ thick, curly hair, before walking towards the exit in the church.


    ¡°Fine then.¡± He said-


    ¡°W-Where are you going?¡± Tellonius blinked.


    ¡°To take my baggage. I assume you¡¯re taking me there  now .¡±


    The mage felt his cheeks grow hot, and tapped his head while sticking out his tongue, embarrassed to have been discovered so easily. The bigger man really had him figured out. He hurried up to join his friend, both of them taking an umbrella and carefully walking out into the powerful rain.


    ¡°How¡¯s the kid, by the way?¡± Vasili asked casually.


    ¡°Aygon is doing great. He¡¯ll come with us, you know?¡± Tellonius¡¯ heart swelled with pride. ¡°He has become a great shot, and an excellent mage. With him around, we won¡¯t have anything to fear.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±


    Vasili remembered little Aygon well. A tiny, mousey boy, curious and talkative¡­ he wondered how much he could have changed in ten years.


    ¡°Make sure to bring your dice, by the way! The trip will be long and boring without them!¡± The smaller one added.


    ¡°Still the same, huh?¡± The monster of a man smirked, nodding slowly. ¡°Fine. I planned on bringing them anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Time to get Va-silly with it!¡± Tellonius celebrated as they entered the tiny house beside the chapel.


    ¡°I can and will  demolish  you like a brick house.¡±

 Chapter 11: Outside

    The trip through the Fog had been everything but pleasant. The monsters, wretches and shadows that inhabited the mists had demonstrated an uncanny ability to chase them, and as they didn¡¯t need to rest in the slightest, Gabrielle and Lucrece had to adapt and move constantly, stopping only when their bodies simply could not move anymore. The guards became a tense experience, as creatures of many shapes and sizes would appear at the slightest moment of hesitation in any of them, even in their dreams.


    The Witch explained that this was to be expected: the Compass spell was extremely powerful, and as such it attracted beasts of darkness like moths to a flame.


    Their one real consolation was that certain, specific pursuers, the Burnt Saint and that monstrous Barbarian, did not seem to appear beyond a few visions in the distance, reminders that even if they had been ¡®safe¡¯ from them so far, they could appear once again at any moment they wished so. Both women had become keenly aware of the figure that chased the other, but as per their accord, they would not speak or ask about it.


    They simply chose to ignore those foreboding signs and continued marching on.


    Until one afternoon, when after what felt like ages marching and surviving, the rays of the Sun seemed to finally break through the clouds and fall on the two vagrants.


    ¡°Saints above¡­¡± Whispered Gabrielle, eyes opening wide.


    ¡°Lounge les ¨¦toiles!¡± Lucrece celebrated, the light returning to her eye.


    Without hesitation, both women ran like crazy, panting and feeling the rush of adrenaline push away the exhaustion for a precious moment. As they finally exited the Fog, one could see their sorry state: torn, bloodstained clothes, ichor-stained bandages, they were a pair of muddy and smelly women right then.


    They practically clawed their way as they jumped out of the fog clouds and on the muddy floor, panting and gasping for more air. With a grin, the travellers looked at each other, then back at the foggy forest they had just abandoned¡­ and broke down into sobbing, ugly laughter. The Sun! It felt so good on their skins! They didn¡¯t even care where they were right then, they just hugged each other tightly and cried in absolute relief.


    The forest ended right there, at the top of a small, grassy hill overseeing a beautiful portuary city and the farms around it. As the women slowly got back on their feet and cleaned their faces from tears and snot, they looked down¡­ and immediately noticed something was amiss.


    The grass, it was way too tall; the buildings laid in ruins, overtaken by moss and verdure; and the silence was absolute, beyond the bleats of a few sheep idly prancing around the clearly abandoned farms. All the hope the two had felt before crumbled down in an instant, as they decided to quietly walk the distance over to the City Gates, closed tightly for what it looked like ages. The sign beside it read, in faded lettering: ¡®Puerto de Palos¡¯.


    Lucrece gulped, taking a deep breath and knocking loudly on the doors.


    ¡°Oi! Let us in, let us in right now! Is there anyone in there!?¡±


    Her gloved fist broke through the mossy, old wood. They looked at each other again, before pushing the doors together until the rusty hinges broke, and the massive wooden slab fell on the ground. The town on the other side, as one could assume, was a ruin of the past: grass and moss everywhere, even trees had grown in the middle of the road! Not to mention sheep, who without predators or shepherds had proliferated to the point that they took over the entire place, each huge and fluffy due to the lack of shears around.


    Gabrielle and Lucrece walked slowly, looking around in silence as the situation was finally being processed in their brains. Desolation reigned, there weren¡¯t even corpses here to indicate fighting, or any hints that could help understanding what exactly had happened here. From what they could guess, The Rapture had happened or something like that.


    When they reached what had once been the town square, before nature had aggressively retaken it all, the two just sat down on the edge of a dried up fountain, and sighed.


    They weren¡¯t in the Fog anymore, so they allowed themselves to feel the full hit of this despair.


    ¡°What happened¡­?¡± Lucrece could still not believe it. ¡°We were not out for so long now, were we?¡±


    ¡°We were out for two weeks.¡± Gabrielle pointed out.


    ¡°I know that time passes differently inside of the Fog but, it must have been a month or so, maybe a few months! Putain¡­¡± The Lancer rubbed her face slowly. ¡°Worst part is, all the stuff around here is probably useless by now. Too old, rusty and ruinous¡­ not to even mention the food!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to sell the stuff you looted.¡± The Witch shook her head softly.


    ¡°I know! Urgh! How am I supposed to buy land like this!?¡± Without easy answers for her many, many questions, Lucrece laid back and sighed, looking up to the skies. ¡°All this work for nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to find my Instructor, she¡¯ll know what to do.¡± Gabi offered.


    ¡°She probably died or disappeared like everyone else¡­¡±


    Both women sighed, deeply. Soon after, their stomachs rumbled loudly and demanded their attention. Having survived on dried meat and old bread for so long had been rough, and by now they expected to have an actual meal for a change. They had even run out of wine! Once again they looked at each other, then turning to stare intently at a particularly chubby sheep who just happened to be grazing nearby.


    They exchanged yet another look.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Night time arrived soon enough over the port, and the stars brightly covered most of the dark skies. A new pyre burned at the beach, fish was roasting on the open fire, and both women simply stared at it while a rather chubby sheep yawned lazily, laying beside Gabrielle.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Asked the Witch, leaning on her newfound friend.


    ¡°No.¡± Answered the Lancer, pouting very heavily.


    ¡°You are mad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad! I like fish better anyways!¡± The blonde crossed her arms and huffed. She did not like fish better. She liked mutton quite a lot, actually.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let Mrs Dali die for our survival.¡± Gabi patted the sheep. ¡°It simply wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡±


    ¡°You named the thing!?¡±


    ¡°See? You¡¯re mad.¡±


    ¡°Look! Just¡­ urgh¡­ in the time we took fishing, we could have quickly gotten ¡®Dali¡¯ to be our lunch, dinner and several other meals!¡± Lucrece growled. ¡°Not to mention the wool!¡±


    ¡°We can take the wool without killing Mrs Dali.¡±


    ¡°Ta gueule!¡±


    With a big frown, the taller woman snatched one of the fish-on-a-stick and bit down, grumbling as she had to be careful about the sharp spine. Gabrielle watched her eat, sighing and leaning on her friend some more, patting the sheep on the head a few times before grabbing a piece of fish for herself. They ate in silence, at least for a moment, until the Witch spoke up once more.


    ¡°...Can I ask about your eye now?¡±


    The taller woman looked down at her with incredulity. She was baffled by the redhead¡¯s audacity, really. She almost wanted to laugh at her! But, she bit down on the fish and sighed softly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say no questions that are off-limits?¡± She said.


    ¡°We are not in the Fog anymore, and you promised.¡± Gabi insisted.


    ¡°I said maybe.¡± Lucrece pulled some more fish with a gnawing bite. ¡°But I¡¯ll cut you a deal. Tell me what in the Hells you were doing in the Fog, and maybe I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll consider it?¡± Gabrielle wouldn¡¯t be fooled again. ¡°I need more guarantees.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I promise I¡¯ll tell you, if you tell me first.¡± Lucrece couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit. The girl was learning.


    ¡°Well¡­ what do you know of me?¡± The fact that this woman had some prior knowledge about things did not escape the WItch.


    ¡°Your name is Gabrielle, you are part of Saint Esperanza de Arag¨®n¡¯s company, ¡®The Golden Wings¡¯, and you have¨C¡± Lucrece cut herself for a second. After taking a breath, she decided to speak again. ¡°Killed quite a lot of people.¡±


    The shorter one looked down at the fire again. She was told that those deaths were necessary, for the greater good in Jericho. Why did it still sound so terrible when people said it like that?


    ¡°...Yes.¡± There was no point in denying it.


    The Lancer frowned. A part of her wanted to comfort this girl, but on the other part¡­ she was a murderer. She couldn¡¯t just enable that now, could she?


    ¡°I ain¡¯t innocent either¡­ but we can talk about that later.¡± The blonde admitted. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°It was an operation in Toulouse. A heretical priest had been conducting terrible experiments on his flock.¡± Saying it outloud really made things hit much closer to the Witch. ¡°Esperanza, I-I mean, The Captain, she had learned of the situation¡­ and we raided the place during the midnight service¡­¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I still remember it, there were as many stars as there are tonight. Toulouse is a huge city, with lots of beautiful houses and colourful ceilings.


    ¡°Roofs.¡± Corrected Lucrece. ¡°You mean Roofs.¡±


    Those.


    We had sent word to the authorities of what happened, but the populace in general had no idea of what we were going to do. Esperanza said that if we told them, we risked the operation by letting Father Mario¡¯s friends and spies learn about it. So in the height of night, our whole company surrounded the biggest cathedral in the city¡­


    He was expecting us.


    When Esperanza and I entered the church, he played innocent. He raised his hands and, in a deep voice, he said:


    ¡°I am but a humble man of faith! Whatever could the Saint of Arag¨®n want with me?¡±


    Esperanza spoke up too:


    ¡°Your crimes are unforgivable, Mario Dupont! You have strayed from the Light of the Creator and the path of the Saints! So I sentence you, here and now, to return to the Hells you crawled out from!¡±


    Mario didn¡¯t drop the pretenses until he was cornered by my sword and Esperanza¡¯s lance¡­ and then, he smiled. I hated that smile the moment I saw it, toothy and shameless. He raised his hands, and there were Runes engraved on his palms. When he clapped, wind blasted! There was light! And noise! I flew a full five or six meters away and rolled on the ground, Esperanza flew even further away.


    People screamed, it was chaos everywhere! They rushed for the door. But I didn¡¯t care, my eyes were locked on Mario, who was still laughing and turning around, ready to run.


    Without time to chase, Esperanza gave the order.


    ¡°Make him repent!¡±


    There was no time to hesitate¡­ so I casted.


    ¡°You casted.¡± Lucrece interrupted again. ¡°As in, lightning. Inside the church.¡±


    It was the order, so I tried.


    In hindsight¡­ I should have stopped myself. I shouldn¡¯t have listened. But when Esperanza gives the order, I act. That is just how things are.


    The thing is, he turned around and used his own magic. He did it before I could finish casting. I remember blinding light again, heat pushing back at me¡­ when I woke up, the Church was in flames, falling to pieces. I was laying outside¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Gabrielle stopped her narration there, breathing slowly, heavily. Her hands reached for her own shoulders and squeezed tightly, as her eyes glared into the pyre they had started. In the flames she saw the scene all over again, the people screaming and begging for help, her own hesitation at returning to that Hell¡­ and then, the image of Esperanza, burnt and trapped under a fallen pillar.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t save them¡­¡± She mumbled. ¡°In fact, I only made things worse. Esperanza¡­ no, not only her¡­ everyone in that church, they burned because of me.¡±


    Lucrece watched as the redheaded girl broke into tears. Her own fists were balling in indignation.


    ¡°She¡­ the way she was looking at me when they took her to the healer¡­ her eyes, they had no lids anymore¡­ a-and she just kept staring¡­ and¡­!¡±


    ¡°Gabi.¡±


    ¡°And! I couldn¡¯t take it anymore! I couldn¡¯t take the wait to see if she was okay! I couldn¡¯t take those eyes on me! I couldn¡¯t take the whispers of everyone around! They knew it was my fault! Everyone did!¡±


    ¡°Gabi!¡±


    The Witch looked up at Lucrece, tears running down her cheeks. Her hands clung to the sheep¡¯s wool very tightly.


    ¡°I ruin everything I do, Lucrece! I ruin things and then I run! It happened to her! It happened to Baraqiel! It will happen with you too, if you stay!¡± She was hyperventilating at this point, sobbing so loudly that the sheep stood and pranced away. ¡°I probably ruined this too! That¡¯s why there¡¯s no one here!¡±


    Lucrece walked slowly to the crying woman, kneeling in front of her. She had a lot of things in her own mind! But first and foremost, she needed to help Gabrielle. So¡­ she opened her arms. She didn¡¯t try to hug her first, she just offered.


    The Witch, desperate and sobbing, didn¡¯t want to at first. She was so afraid of the idea of hurting this kindly person, like she had hurt every other person in her life! But something deep within, a need, pushed her to eventually close the distance and cling to the taller lady, crying on her shoulder as the Lancer held her softly.


    ¡°Gabi¡­¡± She talked softly. ¡°You have not ruined anything during this whole time¡­¡±


    ¡°B-But what about the sheep¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forget about the sheep.¡± Right now, Lucrece did not care about the taste of fish in her mouth. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have never escaped the Fog, you know?¡±


    Gabrielle fell silent, sniffling a bit.


    ¡°You don¡¯t ruin everything. You have made mistakes. But everyone makes them.¡± The blonde sighed softly.


    The smaller girl was not really convinced but, hearing those words really brought some comfort to her heart. She breathed slowly, more steadily, while Lulu kept holding her.


    ¡°I guess I have to tell you the tale too, right¡­? Would that make you feel better?¡± The taller woman looked down on Gabi, who nodded a little. ¡°Fine¡­ brace yourself, for this is a little long a tale. But¡­ let¡¯s see¡­¡±