I will be by your side, always, so
when you turn, you will find me, and I will be there for you.
A year had passed since the day Roy Al Zeltrac came to the hiding city Wingasirum of Walkure. There was a castle named after this city. The reason was that Walkure’s Kings were usually part of the Shaloring clan. As a proof they are still mindful of their own city, the Kings named the castle after the city’s name.
It was not hard for people to differentiate the city from the castle because they did not even know the existence of this city. It was hidden somewhere in the mountains and was protected by magical barriers. It was impossible to go in without the permission of the clan’s leader. The Shaloringans, people of that clan, secretly gave the city another name: the Wing Crescent city. The motive of this nickname was that the children were unable to differentiate the city from the castle.
The
Shaloringans were not allowed of going out of the city until the age of sixteen.
The only place allowed outside of the city was the castle. The people of this
clan were known for their special powers, and the outsiders seek that. That was
why the elders forbid the younger ones to go out of the city. The power that
they possessed varied people from people. However, they all had one common
power: if they killed a person, they will gain the techniques that person had.
They could steal other people’s techniques but still had to master them. If
their power level was too low, they could not use it until they became more
powerful. Although that was a very fearful power, the Shalorigans had one major
weakness: as soon as they were killed, the power that they had and the
information that they possessed would immediately went to the person who killed
them. So normally, when a Shalorigan died, their corpse would be immediately
eliminated.
In
their appearance, the two things that varied from others were their blue eyes
and their white and black hair. The blue eyes would turn purple as soon as they
used their special ability. The white haired and the black haired were the two
branches of the clan. The white haired were to protect the black haired.
Sometimes, a black haired Shaloringan would turn into a white haired one later
on in their life. However, they remained in the black haired branch.
The year that Roy lived in the Wing Crescent city was not an easy task to
achieve. Not only he had to train but also had to bear the coldness of others
because he was not part of the clan. Roy, fifteen years old, trained with Trina,
a Shaloringan who specialized in sword combat. It was very harsh at first to
master the sword. Sometimes, he had no clue of what she talked about since she
was explaining in a specific Shaloring language that applied only to those who
were Shaloringans. She did not only have him as a student. She had many others
students who would love to learn sworn fights. Her attention was not on him at
all. Once a month, she would completely disappear without a trace for three
days. The days that she trained him were the three days after her returning from
her disappearance. He was always alone and trained himself alone. He had no
friend there. No one accepted him as part of the clan, and he did not mind that.
Everyday of his time spent there was for training and nothing more than that.
Today, after few rigorous hours of working out, he finally took a break.
He, in solitude, was calming himself and relaxing on top of a tree. He was
sleeping until he heard voices coming toward him. He saw that two of the
students were bugging a girl. When he looked at the girl’s face, he realized
that she was Elwynn. He neglected it and let the event continue.
“Elwynn, you
are no better than anyone of us. Why do the teacher only focus on you?” One of
the two girls said.
“Yeah!
Everybody has his or her attention to you! They even give you special lessons!
You have always been protected by others!”
“I…”
“You what?”
“You are no
better than us!”
“I…”
“Let’s see
who is better, you and us!”
They attacked her. At the moment they were about to hit her, Christopher
appeared out of nowhere and took the hits.
“Oh! Sorry
Chris…”
“We…
hum…”
“What were you
doing?”
“Nothing…”
“We didn’t
do anything…”
“True?”
“YES!”
“We will go
now!”
They quickly went away. Seeing his face now, Roy guessed that his age was
around sixteen years old.
“Elwynn, I
will go outside for a month. Take care of yourself and do not let another case
like that happens, ok?”
“I know Chris,
I am no longer a kid!” She defended herself.
“Good. You
know what will happens if I see that you are hurt, right?”
“Yes, I know.
You have said so many times. Stop being such a worry rat!”
“Very well,
then I’m going now. Take care.”
“I will.”
He kissed her front head and went away. She smiled after he was gone and
walked toward the tree that Roy was in. She went to the bottom of the tree and
started to pick up leaves on the ground. After that, she tossed all of them of
in the air. Using some kind of technique, she made a whole in all the leaves
that she threw.
“I miss
again… How can I make the leaves completely disappear?”
She took other leaves and tried again. However, the result remained the
same. Then, she tried to use a spell, a fire one… They burned and disappeared,
but they also caused a fire around her.
“Ouch! Fire!
Wait… A water spell… Hum… How can I cast a
water spell! AHHH! Fire!”
The fire went on her clothes, and she was running all around in panic.
Roy, for the first time in a very long while, let out a laugh.
“Who is
laughing? If there is someone, please help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!”
“Hahaha!”
“Come on!
Help!!!!!”
He jumped down from the tree and looked at the girl with no emotion. He
concealed his smile. The girl, seeing that there was someone whom she could rely
on, immediately ran to the boy. Having no interest of getting burned, Roy used
water spell straight away. SPLASH! A stream of water felt from the sky on top of
the places that had flames.
“Thank
you…” The girl said.
The boy ignored her. She wanted to dry herself up but couldn’t remember
the spell to do it. So she asked for help again.
“Hum… Can
you help me to dry my clothes?”
“…”
“Please?”
“…”
“Pretty
please?”
“…”
“Pretty
please?”
He, having no intention of staying, walked away. She continued to bug him
with her pleases and followed him with her wet and burned dress.
“Pretty please
with a cherry on top?”
“…”
“Hum… Pretty
please with chocolate on top? No, even better, an ice cream Sunday! With
chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry on top! Oh! Let’s add some
chocolate and cookies too! And brownies too! It will be delicious! I wonder if
Lily can make me one for lunch today?”
“You talk too
much.”
“Oh! You
talked! Hum… What was I asking you again? Before brownies I said chocolate and
cookies. Then I said what… Cream? Or cherry? Or was I talking about animals?
No! I was talking about my pet! It doesn’t seem so…”
“Helping
you.” The boy said in an annoyed tone.
“Help me? For
what?”
“…”
“No! Do not
stop talking! I like it better when you talk! Come on, tell me what I forgot!”
“Clothes.”
“Clothes? Oh!
Can you fix them?”
“…”
“Come on!!!
Pretty Please with…”
“Stop. I’ll
help you.”
“Thank you,
you are the best!”
She gave him a smile, and his heart jumped faster when he saw it. How
long had it been that someone smiled at him? A smile that came from their
heart… Quickly, he got a hold of himself and fixed her dress with a spell.
“Thank you so
much!”
“…”
“You are back
to no talking mode!”
“…”
“What is your special
ability?”
“I am not a
Shaloringan.”
“Oh! Then why
are you here?”
“…”
“Did someone
bring you here?”
“…”
“What do you
seek here? The techniques? The magic? Or the information about Shaloringans?”
“Neither.”
“Then what?”
“To control a
certain thing.”
“Control?”
“…”
“Control what?
Who is helping you now?”
“Trina Di Onria.”
“She? What can
she help you?”
“I don’t
know.”
“What do you
want to control? Maybe I can be of use.”
“You?”
“Yeah! Despite
what I look like, I am really strong!”
“…” He
looked at her with a doubtful face.
“Well…
Hum… In battles only… Not in normal life situation…”
“Really?”
“It is
true!” Her face began to redden. “I am not lying!”
“I did see you
fighting once.”
“Oh yeah?
When?”
“A year
ago.”
“A year ago?
Oh! When I sneaked outside of the city without permission!”
“Yeah.”
“Oh! You are
the person who saved me in the water!”
“…”
“I never got
the chance to thank you.”
“…”
“Thank you a
lot!”
“Why were they
chasing you?”
“I don’t
know. Maybe they just want me back here.”
“But they are
armed and were prepared to kill you.”
“I don’t
know.” Her eyes darkened a bit but recovered in a flash of time. “Oh! I am
talking about other stuffs again! What do you want to control?”
“…”
“Come on, you
can tell me!”
“…”
“I have to
control a certain thing too… So I understand what it is like not to be able to
control it…”
“What do you
need to control?”
“My desire for
sweet food! They are just so delicious! Cakes, ice creams, cookies, desserts,
candies, chocolates…”
“Ok, stop
it!”
“Will you tell
me then?”
“No.”
“Am I not your
friend?”
“Friend? There
is no such thing in the world.”
“There is! I
am your friend! Can you tell me? So you may lessen your burden?”
“To simplify
it, I have a monster in me.”
“Monster? What
do you want to mean by that?”
“My mother
sealed a monster in me when I was born.”
“But why?
Don’t she care about you?”
“Not that I
remember. She wanted me to be stronger than anyone and used forbidden magic to
curse me with a monster…”
“Oh…” Her
face showed pain.
“There are
times that I can’t control it. In those times, I kill. I kill with no merci,
no matter who they are. All I will care is to kill. This is why I tend to go
away from people. Now, do you still want to be my friend?”
She did not have any reactions. She was still shocked from what he just said. Roy, on the other side, was disappointed. For the first time in his memory, he told someone his darkest secret. He thought that she would understand what he felt. He even talked so long with her. That never happened in his life. He guessed that he shouldn’t have his hope up high. Who in the world would accept him as he was? He simply wanted one person, and no more, to accept him, but that will be a dream impossible to reach.
As he thought about how hopeless
he was, he felt someone hugging him. It was Elwynn. She held him by his back,
and he felt water drops on his clothes.
“You must have
felt lonely for such a long time. But you don’t have to anymore! I will be by
your side, always, so when you turn, you will see me, and I will be there for
you.”
“You…
Aren’t you scared?”
“You are not
alone anymore! I will help you to control your monster. Believe in me, I will
help you.”
The sun did not rise the next day. The sky was covered by black clouds,
but still went outside to wait for Elwynn. He was in the same tree that he was
in yesterday. His clothes were all wet, but he still continued to wait. Time
passed very slowly. Just as he thought that she had abandoned him like every
other person, she appeared.
“Roy!”
“Elwynn.”
“What are you
doing up there? Come down! I have something to show you!”
He jumped down from the tree and walked to her. He used a spell and
created a flying umbrella to cover the rain from her head.
“Oh!” She
said. “I learn the drying spell yesterday! I will dry our clothes up.”
Just as she wanted to dry them, he stopped her.
“Let’s try
your spell over there, you know, on that tree.”
“But why?”
“Just do
it.”
She used her magic on it, and it exploded. The tree turned to ashes.
“Hum… Good
thing that you told me… I would have been a goner…”
“I have a
question.”
“What? It is
rare that you ask me something.”
“How can you
live until today?”
“Hun?”
“You heard me
right.”
“Huh…
Because I am intelligent?”
“Hahahaha!”
“That is not
funny! Ok, I admit, I am not hyper intelligent, but I am not dumb either!
Besides, I have like a bodyguard with me…”
“A
bodyguard?”
“Yeah, do you
remember seeing a boy yesterday? That is he, Christopher Ulrike Eleanor.”
“Is he a
member of your family?”
“No! Of course
not!”
“Then how can
you have the same family name?”
“Well, you
heard about the two colored hair thingy about our clan, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Those with
white hair has to protect the black ones and has to take the family name of
those who he had to protect. That means me. That is why he has two family name:
Ulrike for his own, and Eleanor for me.”
“So what do
you do when he is gone?”
“Normal
stuff.”
“And you
don’t get hurt?”
“I don’t
know! Oh! Before I forget, here is the thing that I have to show you!”
She took out few cards and handed them to the boy.
“Those are
memory cards. I have written down every single type of techniques, spell, magic,
hand-to-hand combat, and weapon in those cards. It took me all night to do it!
Since you must have been bored to just learn swords craft, I thought that this
might help you!”
“Are you sure?
You don’t really seem that strong to me. How can you help me?”
“Hey! I am not
that poor! In fact, I am the student that knows the most kind of attacks!”
“This may be
true…”
“It is
true!”
“Ok, ok. It
is true. But… How many can you use?”
“Hum…
Actually, I have never tried them yet…”
“Figures.”
“Well, I have
done the purpose here, I have to return to my classes… Even though Chris is
not here, my schedule is still so full… It is absolutely no fun at all! But
with Chris, it is even worst… Oh! I think that I can sneak out of my class
after next week, Wednesday, I think. Will you be here?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks! I
will see you there, now, I shall go!”
She used a magic spell to form an umbrella but missed again… Instead of
an umbrella, water appeared and felt on her. She turned to him and laughed with
embarrassment. Roy shook his head and used magic to aid her.
After she was gone, he was still there. He was happy, happy to have someone to help, someone to protect, someone to love, someone to… This was all he wished. That was why he was able to open his heart to her, only her, and no one else. He had a reason to live on. He will control that beast inside of him. He will not allow it to hurt the one person that he dear, Elwynn…