*Roads Untraveled--LP
We walked through the ruins of a city that morning, with the ravages of war still visible in places. "Doesn't look like the right place, does it boy?", Sight stopped and asked, taking out his water skin.We hadn't stopped once in the three days since we took off from Valhalla. It was a perilous journey but we couldn't waste a second. And now when we got to our destination, it was nothing but a ruin. The sun overhead was boiling my head and my feet hurt from all that walking. Noticing my face growing red, Sight emptied his water skin on my head. It was a brief moment of relief but the sun shone too strongly today.Was it summer already? I hadn't been much aware of the weather lately. That red sky was the only thing we could see for a while. As it turned out, the same phenomenon had occurred in this world too. I may have rewritten the culprit and the outcome but most of the happenings were the same. For one, in this world too, Sight had used his eyes to cast a tremendous barrier. This
Usually, on a mission like this, Lady would have sent Chopper. But despite the fact that he wasn't appointed on any other mission, she sent us. It must have confused Chopper himself too. But he might just have figured it out by now.If Lady had sent Chopper on this mission, he'd have killed everyone here."So, how'd it happen?"I'm sure there was no better way to ask this. Surely, something as great and legendary such as The Knights of the Round Table should have been able to withstand whatever stormed here."Despite what we like to admit, the legendary days of the Knights are long over", Bedivere admitted to me, in the kitchen, "We knew it when Merlin left us. And we know it now too. But Lancelot is too proud to admit it."There wasn't suppose to be any hierarchy among the Knights, being from the Round Table. But it wasn't hard to see who the dominant one was. I, at least, found Bedivere to be the one with the most calm head. As such, it was easy to talk to him.Bedivere, like all th
"We'll round them here. Horses are at a disadvantage in this terrain, they'll have no choice but to leave them behind. That should slow them down", clad in armor, she explained the mission, pointing to a map sprawled on the table before her. "But Captain, our horses can't traverse there either. Its as much a handicap for us as it is for the enemy", another armor clad man spoke, his helmet tucked under his arm. "That may be, but our goal is to stop them as far away from the main camp as possible", she rolled the map close, "This isn't the North, Gene, we don't fight with guns. Our swords are enough for us. But that means our long range battles are limited to arrows and stones. We'll be enough against those." "Wouldn't you prefer the North, Captain? It sounds like it'll be a quick battle", another female soldier shrugged. "Guns aren't the only thing that works there, Nelly", the Captain replied, coolly, "With all the magic they've got, healing is as fast as bullets too." "Battles a
The smoke rising into the dark sky made his heart sink. He dropped everything and ran tumbling down the mountain. He only needed to get home in that moment.But he found nothing but fire everywhere. And corpses. The whole tribe just lying there with their life plundered ruthlessly. The scorching heat fought against his pale face, burning it. Yet he walked into that fiery hell. That's when he caught the glimpse of two familiar figures lying side by side.His parents.They must have fought back, he thought and walked on in a daze. Just a little ahead, another pile of corpses lay. More familiar faces. And Silver's family too. They were all dead too. But where was she? As soon as he remembered, a current ran through him."Silva!", he began looking for her, frantically.There was no corpse that resembled her. He ran to her home, thinking she may have escaped. But he needed to make sure. Their camp was already down on the ground, giving in to the blazes."Silva!", he called for her again, b
The taste of mud mixed with the blood in his mouth, but he didn't know to move. Perhaps it was time for him to decide what to do next. But he had hit a wall. He couldn't see anything beyond this forest, and the sunlight slipping in through the leaves. And the frozen lake...When he finally lifted himself up, he felt that centuries had gone by and his head was as light as clouds. Then he remembered that he too was a Northerner. And there wasn't anyone better at channeling magic than the Northerners. Silver's channel of magic had frozen the lake and the town they rode away from, but how would he channel his magic?The answer to that was quite clear to him. What would be better than this kind, ever so gentle forest to receive his magic? In this place where Silver was laid to rest, he intended to give away everything he had left too.He placed his hand on his chest. Through all the bulk and roughness years had brought onto him, he could only barely sense his heart beating. But then, the w
"We wouldn't have been humiliated this way, if our Lord had lived", was what I heard as I entered the main hall.Sight was at the center of it all and by the looks of it, he'd offended the party without even realizing it. I regretted leaving him alone. Still, I wondered, what he could have said that offended them so. Sight wasn't one to provoke anyone, and he never spun any tales for this purpose. If he offended someone, it could only be because of a harsh truth. "Eh? That doesn't change anything, knight", Sight said, casually."Peasant! Are you sure that's the angle you want to take with me?", Lancelot was fuming."Angle?"Bedivere and I hurried to stop the squabble."Lancelot, this isn't the time for that", he intervened."If you'd heard this man's words, you wouldn't stop me", Lancelot spat, with a hand on the hilt of his sword."Bedivere is right. Cease this pointless squabble this instant, Lancelot. Our Lord wouldn't have it this way either", another knight stood up from his tab
It was hot when we woke up. Or more like, we woke up because it was so hot. I could tell through the blackening glass window what might have been going on. There was a fire right outside our room. Sight and I hurriedly made our way outside. We ran into Tristan and Percival at the hall door, looking exhausted.It was surprising that we slept through it. Then again, Sight and I hadn't gotten rest for days, we didn't just need sleep to shake off that exhaustion, we needed to die and then come back the next morning. That seemed to be exactly what had happened."What's going on?", I asked Tristan.He turned towards me, looking haggard."Are you alright?", I had to ask."You're late again, men", he answered, "Just take a look for yourself."I opened the door and stepped outside. The black residue that had been covering the town was gone. The city was in ruins, even more than when we came here, but the layer of that very dark ash was nowhere to be found.Galahad and Gawain were putting out t
"We belong to different worlds, both of us", someone had said, "And it should be left at that."Those words came to me as I and Sight tagged along with Grey. Grey looked like a ferocious fighter, just as Bedivere had told me. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the best of conditions. But I was confident that we could take on the sword ourselves, if it came to it. "Do you have some clue where the sword might be?", I asked but Grey remained silent."Don't worry, boy. I've got it", Sight patted my shoulder.Grey stopped and turned to face us."You've got it?"Sight nodded, smiling excitedly and failing to hide it. I remembered when Sight had helped me find Deli. He was good at finding things apparently, which was ironic. But it didn't surprise me anymore. Sight had the most irony about him than anyone else I ever knew. Sight started leading the way, while Grey and I followed. He took the oddest turns, and though it might have made me nervous some other day, right then I was confident that he'
I would like to think to myself that this isn't the end. But seeing as her story went back to where it all started, I realized that my role wasn't saving her at all. I just made sure she'd continue to exist, eternally.In eternal suffering and forgetfulness and new encounters and the last times, in every world, she'll continue to exist.As for me, I couldn't bear to live in a world knowing she was somewhere out there, helpless and torn, just as she'd been when I first found her.When did I first find her?Who can say? I had always been talking about how I wished I'd met her sooner. In fact, I had always known her. Our existences were intertwined so much that I don't think either of us could just pull away and be happy all on our own without thinking of the other.After I'd returned Lady's power to her, I floated away in an empty space for an eternity. I was foolish enough to think that the sorrow would fade away one day. But no matter how long and far I floated away, the memory and th
It was the coldest I'd felt in ages, and there was an aching heaviness in my head that I simply couldn't seem to shake off no matter how much I walked. I don't know when, how, or why I was walking through the snow towards the top of some hill I didn't even know.For that matter, I didn't remember who I was, how I'd gotten there, or where I was going.And just like that, before I knew it, I had collapsed in a den of wolves. Luckily, it looked abandoned, so I didn't get eaten off right away. I figured it'd be a long, slow death. I found the idea of such a gentle death appealing, despite the fact that I was walking mindlessly just seconds ago.I must have passed out, for when I came to, I was stiff as a rock. And yet, I wasn't that cold anymore. I lifted my head to find myself covered in a bear pelt. Someone had been so kind as to cover me up. And yet, the pelt was rather old and shoddy. Who cared as long as it could keep me warm?I stood up, looking around, getting accustomed to my surr
"I didn't imagine we'd ever come to a crossroads such as this", I let out a puff of smoke, standing opposite her."But, as a matter of fact, I always had a feeling we would", Lady answered with her signature smirk."Sure, you did", I said sarcastically.It was surprising at first. But things made sense soon enough. Lady had sent all of us away on a mission. She'd isolated herself at Valhalla. Chopper had left of his own accord. She'd sent Sight to look for him. Deli had gone to see her children. And she bid Lubbock and June farewell. She'd even given her fur coat to June. Grim was on a mission, too. And I was looking for Jean V. to deliver her letter.It was all exactly as it had been back then. When I'd return from meeting Jean V., Lady would already be beyond saving. Back then, all I knew was that the person who sent her that blank letter was the one who came to kill her. I never ventured to find out much else.It all made sense now as I stood be
"Must you leave without fulfilling my wish, Seraph?"He had some guts to ask. I looked up at the red sky. There was nothing but barren, burnt land all around us."What else could you ask for?", I looked back at him."You look so old, Seraph", he chuckled, "What exactly did you give the others?"I looked behind me without answering his question. There was no one and nothing."What? It's a long story", I answered without looking at him."We've got time to kill", he grinned."I don't", I said, but went on to answer him anyway, "I gave everyone what they wanted.""Really?"I glared at him, "Yes, really, Grim. I took a fee, of course."He laughed."And what will you take from me?", he asked, grinning.I looked around and then rested my eyes on him."There's really nothing."He seemed to agree."So how'd you manage?""Well, Grim, you could almost call it travelling back through time. Though, it really isn't that. I split the worlds to create new ones. Time doesn't exist for me anymore. Ever
"I will take death in any way and form it comes to me, anywhere and anytime."That had to be the most brazen statement I'd heard. It took me a bit to take that statement in."You really have no special requests? If I can, I'd like to make it up to you", I sat down and stared at his bloodied face.He shook his head."Make up for what?", he asked.He didn't know me yet to call me "boy" but I suppose that's the way it had to be.I had become better at rewriting the reality. I could write quite far back in certain cases. For example, in Sight's case, I made it so he never met Lady and Chopper on the night he killed the prima donna, Czarna Dalia.Before meeting them he didn't know anything about what he'd been doing. He didn't know what an outcast was, even though he himself was an outcast. Ignorance is indeed the greatest of all blisses. And I thought for Sight, it had to be the biggest saving.Lady was right. People who see things differently are the most dangerous of all. Especially tho
"This isn't what I asked for, Seraph", she complained, fixing her glasses on her tiny nose."I don't get what the hell it is that you want exactly, June", I was beginning to get tired."You don't understand at all", she folded her arms."You're damn right, I don't. What kind of crazy a-""One thing.", she looked at me sternly, "One thing I'm asking for is a place to be happy. Not a mother, not a wife, not a hero, not any of the other things you're trying to come up with.""What'll make you happy, exactly?", I folded my arms and leaned against the wall of Valhalla.Everyone else was off to fend the red sky off. June had been left behind in a protective barrier.She fell silent."How about Lady? Isn't she your favorite?""I could care less about her", she answered, bluntly, "I hate her.""Huh?", I wasn't sure I'd her heard her right."She does everything on a whim. She claims to understand everything when rea
"They are waiting for you, Monsieur Lubbock", a dark woman poked her head into the dressing room, "It's almost time for the show."The bajillion young ladies that were powdering his nose scattered away.His face was pink with heat and he wore a long fancy coat. It almost looked odd on his somewhat small figure."I'll be right there", he answered, gussying up in the mirror."Aww, you're leaving already, Monsieur?", some of the girls came up to him.He chuckled modestly."What can I say? The life of the greatest singer in the world isn't so relaxing, my dears.""You might be the greatest singer, but Monsieur is also the life of all women's hearts", one of the cheekier ones commented.Lubbock laughed. He didn't try to hide how much he loved being pampered like this."I'm sorry, girls. My audience awaits!"Saying so, he shot out of the room and hurried towards the stage. Backstage was always heated just before his shows. He was the one star that every theater wanted to have. But he was a
"Do you blame me for mother's death, father?", she asked, placing the empty cup of tea on the little side table.Her father wasn't facing her. He was still locked up in his study, reclining on his chair and looking out of the window at some distance lands.She sat straight, with her back erect. The weight of her gown was enough to tire her but she was made up, as befitting of a noble. She had to look all the more perfect since she was visiting her home for the first time since her marriage."Blame you?", the lord of the house spoke in his grave voice after a while, "I simply don't think you were worth her death. Esme was a wise woman. A level headed, understanding, noble woman."Faye looked at her lap."You refuse to carry out the will of the house of Vlad. You'll go as far as to commit a heinous crime to that end. I'm disappointed beyond measure."Faye pursed her lips. No one but she herself had been hurt the most by what she'd done."Vlad was born to you twice. And yet, you ungratef
"Tell you what, Seraph, this one time, I met a girl and she had these enormous scars all over her arms and legs. I couldn't help noticing her, of course. When she told me she did it herself, I couldn't help it. I killed her then and there", he chuckled to himself, "I didn't want to do it, of course. Something just came over me. It wasn't that she told me she did it herself. It was how she said it. She was smiling.""I'm sure she wasn't smiling because she was happy", I answered, with a solemn look on my face."I'm sure of that too. I was sure of it back then too. That's probably why I killed her. But do you know how many people I've saved?"He looked at my face. I stayed silent."I've saved more people than I've killed. I've been counting since the beginning. I know, for sure, that my atonement is over. At least, it ought to be. But does it look like I'm still repenting?", he asked, smiling vaguely, knowing my answer."You do.""That's because I am. No matter how many I save...the ato