In the Freigat Jungle, one needed to exercise the ability to remain quiet. Noise only brought more monsters. Even with his leg having been crushed, Alisson sat still, and quiet through the pain. The sun would be setting soon.


    What was he doing here? Alisson had asked himself this question more and more of recently. Was his mission really so important? To fight and bleed here, in this place? It took him a while to realize why he asked this question. It was not for his own sake, but for the sake of his apprentice.


    She now lay over his lap, looking up at him, smiling weakly.


    “I never realized how long your eyelashes were…”


    She spoke quietly, staring up at him with glazed, delirious eyes.


    “Don’t talk. Save your strength.”


    Alisson responded, and tightened his grip on her belly, as if holding her tighter would make the large gash on it go away. He could in fact feel her entrails between his fingers, but he tried not to think about it.


    “Let me ask you something…Just one last thing, I promise…”


    Alisson looked down at her dully, his hands quivering.


    “Is it bad that I want it all to end?” She smiled. “The pain, the suffering…I want this to all just be over already…” Alisson opened his mouth to respond, but Celis continued, “But…I can’t…I don’t want it to end…I want to keep bleeding and smiling with you. It’s so…hard…to keep going…But I want to. I don’t want to…Leave you alone.”


    She spoke through ragged breaths, her smile slowly fading and her eyes growing heavy. Alisson tightened his grip on her.


    To hell with Sidonia. To hell with the mission. He’d be leaving Freigat with Celis. No matter what.


    He looked out across the jungle growth, feeling acutely the gazes of the things that watched him. They would strike soon. Alisson slowly moved his apprentice off of him, and rose slowly. He drew a white rapier, and sunk into readiness.


    ...


    The overcast sky and creaking, damp wood, would do little to fill one with joy. The Sidonian flag waved arrogantly above from the crow’s nest, proudly on display, despite the Machavelli being the only Sidonian ship in the entire sea.


    They were far from their home country. The purpose of their maiden voyage was not a simple, glamourous task. It was the retrieval of a Sidonian black-ops team.


    The retrieval of my fiancé…


    Maerene Ad Maccu thought to herself, smiling into the scarf wrapped around her neck. The team had been away from Sidonian land for the better part of a year, but Maerene hadn’t seen him in almost a decade, ever since the wedding had been called off. But today was the day; after a grueling month of sailing, they had reached the island of Regfurtz, which lay in the middle of the sea of Aleeze. The rowboat was already on its way back; Maerene couldn’t contain her excitement. She would be the one to greet him after his long journey. It was an honor. If she played her cards right…she might even be able to get back on his radar…


    “Ay! Hoist them up!”


    A sailor called, and a ladder was rolled down the side of the Machavelli. As Maerene heard this, she took a deep breath to calm herself. When she next opened her eyes, with a heavy thud,


    Alisson Vi Nuam had just boarded her ship. Maerene had expected her heart to rise in joy at simply seeing his face – Not just because she thought he was cute, although that was a large reason – But when she looked over him, she felt no such emotion, only shock. There was nothing immediately striking her as wrong with Alisson. His yellowed hair, orange hairclip…well, that was all that was recognizable about him, she realized. Even his eyes were far, far different. The cloak he donned himself in was ripped and torn, splattered with dry blood. Underneath his cloak, was a layer of destroyed armor. Any plates that were still on him were adorned with horrific battle scars; wounds that should’ve been enough to kill a man thrice over; loose rings of chainmail hung from under his gambeson. His gambeson had the scars of dozens of knitted-field repairs, and hundreds of knicks and cuts.


    Although Alisson himself was unharmed, his attire alone attested to how many battles he had fought. His hair was unusually long – Normally, Alisson was more on the effeminate side, so this was to be expected, but months without a barber left him looking like some sort of wildman.


    Looking over Maerene, he crossed his arms, and stared into her eyes. Her heart stood still when she stared into those eyes of his, not because she was lovestruck, but because she was terrified. His eyes had once been these soft things, that could sometimes harden into sharp, regal authority, but now, all Maerene could see in his glazed over, dull eyes, was horror. Just what kind of things had he seen out there on his mission?


    His whole aura, his whole being, was completely different. He was this alien thing, not a comrade in arms of Sidonia, not Field Marshal of a renowned military unit, no…He had become something more primal…


    “Milord Alisson, is this everyone? We were told there’d be a ‘team’ of people…”


    A sailor tepidly confirmed. Alisson brought his heavy gaze to the man, someone who was far burlier and tough looking than the prince-like appearance of Alisson, but the motion was enough to make the sailor take a step back without thinking.


    “Yes…” Alisson began in a regal tone, “A team. That would be the two of us.”This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The person Alisson was referring to was a girl that couldn’t have been older than Maerene who had taken Alisson’s side. The two of them were the only ones that had been retrieved from the island. The girl had apparel that told a similar story as Alisson’s. They were of similar height and stature to Alisson, and shared the same gaze. She shared not his choice in weapon of a single rapier however; she bore a plethora of weapons holstered around her body: Stilettoes at her hips, baselards at her wrists, and what seemed to be an estoc, hung from her back.


    “Milord Alisson, I can take the baggage off your hands…”


    The quartermaster offered, seeing that the weary warriors were carrying large packs. Alisson was reluctant for a moment, but hesitantly unhoisted his bags, and his teammate, whom Maerene didn’t recognize, did the same.


    “Keep it safe.” Alisson ordered in his usual, regal tone, but that new, primal part of him, turned his order into something more akin to a growl.


    As soon as Alisson let go of the baggage, the man stumbled, surprised by the weight, and struggled to hold it as he carried it off for safe keeping.


    Maerene swallowed. She’d been so shocked by the sight of Alisson that she’d delayed greeting him by an awkward margin, and hastily stepped forward after realizing this.


    “A-…Alisson!” She called, approaching tepidly, “Thank Sidonia you’re alright…You look like you’ve fought a war all by yourself…”


    Alisson brought his gaze to her, and it took every bit of Maerene’s strength not to freeze.


    Maerene wanted to hug him, and stepped tepidly closer to him, but felt as though an aura of gelatin slowed her movements when she was under the gaze of Alisson and his mysterious teammate. Especially did this teammate of his pierce Maerene with her mere gaze alone, like she was expecting Maerene to just suddenly attack Alisson.


    “I apologize in advance for our manners and etiquette…” Alisson said, averting his eyes. “We may have forgotten much of normal life…”


    He gave his teammate a quick glance with his eyes, and she peered back toward him. In a brief moment, their eyes interlocked, and several emotions seemed to play out across their faces in rapid succession, like they were having a conversation.


    “…I guess we should just be glad we even made it at all.”


    The teammate finally spoke, as if in response to Alisson’s look. Her voice was soft, and scrappy. It had the tone of a noble that had been beaten down into the dirt, and had lost much of its regal politeness, whereas Alisson’s voice still retained some semblance of dignity and pride.


    “I imagine it’s quite overwhelming, all the fratello around.” Maerene muttered off-hand, getting the feeling that the two of them were put off by the surrounding sailors, gawking at the new arrivals. “We can talk further in my quarters, walk with me.”


    Alisson, along with his teammate, followed Maerene to the captain’s quarters of the Machavelli. Maerene made some tea for the two – A luxury for a ship at sea – But it was from her personal collection. Certainly, it was wrong for the captain of a ship to be the one serving tea on her own ship, but Maerene reasoned that she didn’t want to bother the two of them with any more hassle than necessary. They seemed quite on edge with all the comrades about. That wasn’t like Alisson at all. He was usually the one to be so filled with comradery and pride for his allies, inspiring all who were graced with his presence.


    Now sitting at a table in her quarters, Maerene asked after a sip of tea, with a suddenly serious expression, “Firstly, is there anything prevalent that concerns my ship or my sailors that you can tell me?”


    Alisson bobbed his head. “Whilst on the mainland, we heard whispers of an Irinian blockade being set up in this part of the sea. I’m assuming you’ve ran into such vessels?”


    Maerene smirked. “We have. A galley a few days ago tried to stop and search us, but by the time they saw the flag we flew, it was already too late for them.”


    Alisson smiled. “I see. That’s good to hear. I imagine you’ll be getting more company. But that’s all I have for you.” Alisson’s expression soured. “The things we learned in the north…The things we did in the north…It’s better if fewer people knew about them…” Alisson’s voice trailed, but he looked up suddenly into Maerene’s eyes. “However, we must report our findings to Lady Sidonia at once.”


    Maerene gave him a raised eyebrow. “Which are?”


    Alisson frowned, and suddenly his stare became a glare as he pierced her body with his eyes alone, suddenly making her feel like prey again. Her body froze once more.


    “It’s confidential. I can’t risk telling anything to anybody. All you need to know is that it’s extremely important. Perhaps the most important information that can be said to the Lady.”


    Maerene would have a hard time believing that were it any other circumstance. But being frozen stiff like a mouse before a lion, she could only believe him.


    “There is something I need to tell you…” Maerene mumbled, suddenly feeling unsafe. Alisson merely piqued an eyebrow, and she continued, “Sidonia…she told us that you wouldn’t be here…” Alisson’s eyes gradually widened. “She gave us new orders to head to the Kitsune Queendom and aid them with a diplomatic attaché but…I wanted to be sure. I didn’t want to leave you here. I couldn’t bear to just turn my back on the potential of you being here I…”


    Maerene realized she was ranting about her feelings, and she shut up. She looked to Alisson.


    His face made Maerene’s throat clamp tight. She felt scared to move in that instant.


    He had a deep frown of pure scorn. His eyes glared with a burning glint, filled with killing intent.


    “A-…” Maerene tried to ask what was wrong, but could only manage a single syllable under the intense pressure of being before him and his glare.


    Alisson stood and turned away from Maerene. He took a few audible deep breaths, recentering himself. He looked to his teammate, and they stared at one another for a long minute. Finally, Alisson nodded, seemingly having regained control of himself.


    “Maerene.”


    Her head snapped up to attention like the will of a supreme being was requesting her entire soul to focus on them.


    “Take us back to Sidonia. Take us back to the homeland.”


    “B-but Sidonia’s orders…”


    “Rear Admiral Maerene Ad Maccu.” Alisson said simply with pure authority. “As a Field Marshal and as captain of the 51^st, as the third best swordsmen in all of Sidonia, and as myself, Alisson Vi Nuam…I order you to take us back to the homeland. I will not take no for an answer. My orders of this moment supersede Sidonia’s. Do you understand?”


    He shot a gaze that bored through Maerene’s soul, her very essence and being was in fact being eroded away into nothing as she continued to be on the receiving end of the most terrifying eyes she had ever known in her life. Sweat on her forehead, Maerene swallowed a knot in her throat.


    Even though, not once in her life had she ever heard of someone’s orders superseding Sidonia’s, the highest power in all the land, she easily bent to Alisson’s will.


    “Y-yes…M-my lord…As you’ve commanded…”


    Maerene subconsciously made two mistakes. For one, Alisson wasn’t a lord. He was heir to the Nuam house, but not the lord of it. Secondly, she didn’t even attach ‘Nuam’ to his lordship, implying he was a lord over everything, like a king, like Sidonia.


    Alisson closed his eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you Maerene…You’ve always been on my side, ever since we were children. I won’t forget your loyalty.”


    In the span of a few seconds, Alisson’s murderous, terrifying glare was replaced with one of warmth. She was suddenly his. Suddenly under his wing, suddenly under his protection. The aura that had so scared her, now surrounded her, protected her from the outside. She felt goosebumps roll down her back, and she found herself blushing.


    …


    So, we were right, Celis. Sidonia has betrayed us.


    ***