Code Name: Ryu

Achilles and Vanadis

Louisa knocks on the door.  “Niklaus, it’s Louisa. May I come in?” He doesn’t answer. But that does not stop Louisa from knocking again. “Niklaus, I’m not leaving until you answer.” A few minutes pass as Louisa stays true to her word. However, she is completely ignored. Louisa turns to me and says, “Maybe we should give him some more time.”

“Maybe.” I grab the door handle and push. The door snaps open and I enter.

“Haruki!”

“I’m coming in.”

The atmosphere in the room is so thick I could cut it with a sword. Despite the afternoon sun shining in a clear sky, Niklaus’ room is like a space of its own. A dark, gloomy space where the light seeping through the open door is the only miracle this room wanted. Hidden in the darkest corner he could find, Niklaus crouches in a ball. He looks up at me, his eyes completely lifeless. Then he turns his gaze to the abyss again.

“Niklaus, we—”

“Get up.”

“Haruki!”

“Are you just going to wallow in your self-pity for eternity? Or do you want to do something meaningful?”

“Haruki, that’s enough.”

“Louisa, leave us alone for a few minutes.”

“What? Of course, I won’t—”

“Louisa, this may be the only way to get him out of his depression. Trust me.”

She looks doubtful at first but gives up and leaves. Niklaus does not say anything to my provocation and just sits there, silent.

“Niklaus, you killed five humans.” He flinches. “Five lives no longer exist because of you. But insignificant lives like theirs do not deserve your guilt.”

“How do you know?”

“If you left them to live, do you know what would happen? They would target you and your sister.”

“We’re strong enough to fight them off.”

“You may be, but can you say the same for the demi-humans who are not? Can you say the same for elf children? What about the sons and daughters of spirits? Or the gnomes and dwarves in Leagard. Could you assure the safety of every demi-human if you allowed those five their lives?” He doesn’t respond. “No answer, I see. Well, I could answer this one for you. No, you couldn’t. You are powerful but you are not omnipresent. Somewhere, somehow, someone will die. Whether the death is natural or unnatural, it will happen. But somewhere, somehow, there are demi-humans alive now because of your actions last night.”

“Shut up.”

“Niklaus—”

“Shut up! Shut up. Just… Shut up!” He jumps up and grabs a handful of my shirt. “What do you know about the guilt I’m feeling? A monster who killed thousands and does not feel any remorse doesn’t deserve—”

I ball my fist and hit him to the ground. He coughs blood on the wooden floorboards, then looks at me, shocked. “Remorse? Of course, I don’t feel remorseful. Why should I? What happened to Trist happened. Whether you want to chastise me for it, or not, does not matter to me anymore. I felt guilty. For nine months, I felt guilty. I had nightmares that kept me awake for days on end. I wallowed in self-pity like you are doing. But nothing changed. The people I killed did not come back. The city I made disappear did not return. I voiced my guilt, yet you still call me a heartless monster. Which is why I gave up trying to please you and your petty pride. So, call me what you want, but you are leaving this room with me, whether it’s by choice, or by force.”

Without uttering another word, he follows me into town. The glimmering ocean and vibrant palette of houses in the town are jaw-dropping. What dulls this experience, though, is the deceased enthusiasm present in the souls of the citizens. There is no hope in their eyes. No belief in a happy future.

“It’s like someone robbed them of their hope,” says Niklaus.

“What happened here?”

Niklaus surveys the town, silently. “The people of Til suffered for decades under the Duke’s rule and I did nothing to stop him.” He tightens his fist. “For decades, Duke Til kidnapped and tortured young women for fun.”

As I suspected, it was not just Selina’s mother. There were more victims. “I heard Selina say her mother fell in love with Duke Reinhart. Do you think he was ever a kind man?”

Niklaus turns to me, head hanging, then grabs me by the collar and pulls me toward him. “A kind man? That thing does not have a shred of kindness to its being. He is a demon, preying on the weak, devouring their souls, and crushing their wills.” His hand loosens and falls. The fiery eyes he displayed when he grabbed me return to their hollow den. “What is it you brought me here for?” he asks, lifeless.

I walk forward without answering him, and we eventually arrive at a broken-down-looking building.

He looks up at the sign. “A sword and shield…? This is a smithy.”

“Yes.”

“What are we doing here?”

“Your sword.”

“My sword?”

“Heroes are special beings with overwhelming magical presences. Though they train to control these powers, mana does tend to slip through gaps in their concentration. For example, when they are in battle, or when their will starts to waver. In these cases, ‘normal’ weapons shatter under the intense magical power. Your sword is one such ‘normal’ weapon, right?”

He looks at the sword strapped to his waist, and nods, silently. “When did you notice?”

“When you first drew your sword. It’s a dazzling gold claymore. To the untrained eye, that sword looks like a holy weapon, but it is not. It’s just a dazzling claymore. A chipped one, at that.” I offer my hand, and, after assessing it, he hands the sword over. I draw the sword, which brightly reflects the sun into rays spreading throughout the town. The light dulls soon after to reveal a black swan. “Even the toughest walls break with enough pressure,” I mutter, as I assess the crude blade.

“Even if you get the sword fixed, that won’t change anything. Not my lack of strength, or humanity.”

“I’m not going to fix it.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“I will give a much stronger weapon than this. Something that can handle your power. Niklaus, I will give you a Holy Weapon.”

“A Holy Weapon?” His shocked face is overcome with a burst of laughter. “A holy weapon, you say? Do you know how rare a find they are?”

“I know. That’s why we are not scouring for one. Instead, we’re making a new one.”

His expression dulls again. “Enough with your jokes, Haruki. If you only did this to taunt me, then it’s better if I—”

“Who’s makin' a fuss so early inna mornin'?” The door behind me opens and a bell rings. From the door, a small man with a coarse beard appears.  He looks up at me, then scowls. “What’s a lizard bat doin' in this realm?”

“Lizard bat? That’s a new one. Well, Dwarf, I came here looking for you.”

“Me? What’s a mighty lizard bat doin' searchin' fa lil old me?”

“What else? I want you to make a weapon.”

“If it’s fa that, then there’s a line, lizard. I’m a busy dwarf, an I don’t spend ma time playin house with lil brats.” He turns and walks back into his shop, closing the door behind him. I put my foot between the door and frame, blocking him from shutting me out. “Listen here—”

“Have you heard the story of the Achilles and Vanadis?”

“Of course, I do. Only a fool…” His face washes with shock. “Ya don’t mean…”

“Yes, I do. I want you to use my scales to make a holy weapon.”

The door creaks, not for opening, instead, it slowly crushes under the dwarf’s tight grip. He tears through the wooden door like a knife through butter. His eyes light up and he walks even further into his shop. Without saying anything, he returns, a few moments later, with tools. “Ya ready?”

“What’s happening?” asks Niklaus, bewildered. “Who is this dwarf? Where are we going?”

“We’re heading into the forest, 'cause ya friend ‘ere wants a rare weapon. Fer that, he needs ta transform into his true form, right?”

 “Right.”

“True form? Haruki, what’s he talking about?”

“Before I answer that, let me tell you a story.”

“A story? What’s that got to do with—”

“Niklaus shut up for a second. I told you; I’m getting there. Anyway, this story I’m about to tell you is something that happened many decades ago.”

Once upon a time, a human convict escaped Leagard by entering Ragnarök. The human wandered the strange land for weeks before meeting someone. The human was weak and thin. His vision was blurred, so he only saw a figure. His throat was parched, and his stomach did not have the energy to growl anymore. The man falls down after walking for weeks. He opened his mouth - his chapped lips cracking - and begged, “Please… food… water.” His voice was dry and coarse. The stranger left the man. The man, having no more energy to get up, gave up hope and cursed his cruel fate. This man was accused of many crimes: perjury, manslaughter, rape, theft, terrorism, etc. However, the only crime he ever committed was evading capture. The man’s mind started to fade. As he started blacking out, the stranger returned. The person poured water into the man’s mouth. After being revitalised with fresh water, the man sprung to life, only to fall down again. His body was still weak. After finally filling his stomach and quenching his thirst, the human’s vision returned. The stranger became clearer. Their violet hair waved with the wind. Their pink heart-shaped pupils and fair, marshmallow skin. The man, for the first time in his life, fell in love. “Are you finally awake?” Her voice was so mellow each word she said sounded like a ballad.

“Ye-yes.” The man’s stuttered response made the woman giggle. Everything she did was cute. The way she pushed her rebellious hair back. The way she laughed. The way she looked at him. The woman continued to tend to him for days. His love for her only grew stronger. One day the man decided to confess.

“I’m sorry…” Those two words crushed the man’s heart. He could not even listen to why he was rejected.

The man was a former noble, loved by every man, woman, and child. Despite having never fallen in love, he has had many partners. Never once has he been rejected. Months passed by and the man continued to pursue the woman. He has done every form of confession you could dream of. And even created some absurd ones. However, each day the man would get rejected. This daily life was satisfying for the woman. Before, she would only tend to her garden and clean her already sparkling house.

Finally, the day came when the man had to leave. The leader of all dragons, Alvis Ragnarök, ordered the man to leave because the other dragons were getting restless. However, the truth is the woman was an important figure in Ragnarök who couldn’t afford to get distracted. The man obeyed this order, however, the woman protested. Her protests made the man happy.

“Vanadis, this will be my final confession to you. Will you make me the happiest man in all the realms and be my wife?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.” The woman rejected him for the final time. Alvis thought the woman would focus on her duties after the man left, however, it only got worse. The kind, warm and loving woman became cold, and isolated. Alvis had to do something, otherwise she would never be the same again.

After returning to Leagard, the man was incarcerated. His list of crimes increased over the past few months, and he became the most wanted criminal in Leagard. This baffled the man because he was in Ragnarök for months. How did his crimes increase? He had an audience with the king and his question was answered. The king made the man a criminal because the man rejected the princess’s proposal. The man was sentenced to public execution. Despite the sentence, the man was happy. On the day of his execution, the executioner asked him, “Any last words?”

The man shook his head. He already said his last words to his beloved. His head was placed on the guillotine, and the executioner cut the rope. The blade fell and the man closed his eyes.

“Achilles, is this it?”

“This voice.” The man’s eyes snapped open. “Vanadis”

“Yes, Achilles, it is me. We don’t have long though. Do you wish to see me again?”

“Of course. I would do anything to see you again.”

“Good. I know your predicament. Alvis has allowed us to be together again. He froze time in Leagard, so, I need you to fight your way out. I cannot enter Leagard, I can only communicate with you through a friend. However, I can give you something.” A sword manifested from thin air. “Here, take this. It’s a sword made from my scales. Use this and escape, Achilles. I’ll be waiting.”

The man’s neck was freed, and time unfroze. He dodged the guillotine’s blade and grabbed the sword. He ran. The infuriated king kept chase. Achilles knew this would only be settled if he crossed swords with the king. He stopped and came face-to-face with the king. The king drew his sword and charged Achilles. One swing of Achilles’ sword severed the king’s sword and torso. It also split a mountain. Achilles, surprised by the sword’s power, sheathed it, and continued to run. He escaped and arrived in Ragnarök. After crossing the gate, he was met by a relieved Vanadis. The man never returned to Leagard and lived a beautiful, long life with the woman.

“… And with that, I get to the point I wanted to make. Niklaus, I want to make the sword from that story.”

“A sword that cuts steel like butter and mountains like bread. It sounds like a fantasy.”

“Such is the might of these weapons,” says the dwarf. “It’s a mighty fine blade, that can’t be crafted by a regular smith. That’s why Lizard here looked fer me.”

“And who are you?”

“Me?” he laughs, as if the question answered itself. “Ta think there’s a youth who’s never heard of ma work.” He grabs the hammer from his bag of tools and points it menacingly to Niklaus. “Ma name’s Gaia, the greatest smith in all seven realms. Burn it inta yer skull.”

Niklaus nervously nods. “As for where we’re going… It’s the forest. Once we get there, I will perform a ritual to enter my dragon form.”

“A ritual? Can’t you transform whenever?”

“I can, but this transformation is special. Tonight, on the night of the full moon, I will shed my scales. It’s the Shedding Ritual dragons go through. This is usually something I’d do in private, but today is a special occasion, so I invite you both to my display.”

We enter the forest with haste, as the sun starts to set. I can’t do this ritual at the Duke’s mansion. During this process, I become defenceless. Knowing the Duke’s ire for me, I want to stay cautious around him. But we can’t leave him unchecked, which is why I insisted Louisa stay behind. I look up as the moon dapples through the leaves of the tree. Then I turn my gaze to the body of water a few meters before me. But that doesn’t matter now. This lake… “What beauty…”