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Monster Girl Saga	By : GenocideHeart Category: +M through R > Monster Girl Quest Views: 113526 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 16
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Girl Quest, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
(A/N: Here’s the new chapter. This one is a lot more serious in nature, and there’s a lot of background information. Hopefully you will still enjoy it.

As usual, thanks to Toraneko for editing and cleaning up. Enjoy!)

CHAPTER 4

If there’s evil in this world, it lies in the hearts of men

Time passed, and Luka’s skills improved under the monster fencer’s tutelage. Days came and went, filled with hard training and more pleasurable activities. Thermidor’s training became more intense with her health now restored, but Luka persevered. Tough and tiring as they were, he enjoyed the lessons he was taught - especially the more intimate ones.

Two months later, Luka’s fighting skills saw their first trial by fire.

----

Luka and Thermidor quietly moved through the forest’s foliage, their eyes and ears alert for any sign of the enemy. A report had reached their attention, according to which a small gang of bandits had gathered near Ilias Village and was planning an attack. Thermidor wished to go alone, but Luka insisted that he be allowed to tag along. After much insistence, the fencer reluctantly agreed, on the condition that Luka be careful not to kill anyone. He was, after all, wielding a real blade now.

“This section of the forest looks familiar,” Luka remarked quietly as they brushed past the trees. Thermidor cast an aside glance at him.

“It should,” she confirmed. “This is close to where we first met.”

Luka blinked, then realized she was right. He could recognize the landmarks now: a dead tree near a small wooden sign pointing towards Ilias Village; a large white rock to the left; a small blackberry bush a little ways away, near another sign that warned of the presence of bandits in the area.

He regarded that last sign thoughtfully. If all went well, he and Thermidor would make it obsolete soon enough.

As they approached the small glade Luka and Liese had met Thermidor in, they heard voices. Luka’s eyebrows raised: he was sure he recognized one of them.

“Could these be-” he murmured, but Thermidor cut him off with a raised hand. Her eyes went cold as she reached for her sword.

“I can’t believe they didn't learn their lesson,” she muttered. “I think a more thorough one is in order.”

“W-wait,” Luka whispered, alarmed. “You don’t intend to mutilate them again, right?”

“What else would you have me do?” She countered. “They obviously didn’t understand well enough last time... I was probably too lenient. This time, though--”

“No, no, no!” Luka protested, struggling to keep his voice down. “Look-- please, let’s just knock them out and drag them to the temple outskirts. The soldiers are looking for them too; they should take it from there.”

“You’re too kind, Luka, but if that’s what you want, then fine,” Thermidor reluctantly agreed. As she said that, they finally came into view of the bandits.

There were six of them, including the leader whose sword-hand Thermidor had cut off first. Apparently, he had circumvented the problem by having a crude blade forged and grafted to the stump, so now instead of a hand, he sported a nasty-looking curved blade on his right arm.

The other man whose arm was cut off was conspicuously absent, as was the one whose ear was seared away. However, they had been replaced by a large man, broad across the shoulders and powerfully built. He didn’t look too smart or quick, but Luka could tell at a glance that if his hits connected, they’d hurt.

“Six of them... and I see that idiot whose arm I cut off still commands them,” Thermidor muttered disdainfully. “It’s true: in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man leads. Those other fools must be rather stupid to keep following someone who got his hand lopped off so easily.”

Luka shrugged. He didn’t much care for judging others so harshly, and while he did think these vagrants needed to be punished, he preferred to keep his opinion of them to himself. As he thought to himself, the bandits’ words reached him.

“...find that armored bitch and kill her, and then the other one, and her little brat!” the leader was heard ranting angrily. “They have to still be in the area, I know it!”

“But boss, what if the sword one left?” one of the flunkies argued. “She looked like a drifter, she did. Mebbe she just went to the mainland or sumfin’.”

“Shaddup you!” the leader barked, waving his bladed arm menacingly at the one who talked. “They gotta still be there! The other bitch and her brat are from the nearby village, I know it! She looked like that witch-woman I heard stories about!”

“A-a witch?” Another chimed in, alarmed. “Boss, I ain’t sure if pissin’ a witch off is a good idea...”

“Are ye daft?” the boss responded angrily. “It’s jes’ rumors, rumors! She’s jes’ a pallid whore, nothing more. I’ll show ye - when I find her, I’ll take my time playin’ with her ‘fore I skin her--”

Luka had heard enough. Tuning out the rest of the man’s threats, he quietly drew his own sword and looked at Thermidor.

“That one’s mine,” he hissed. Thermidor looked at him, pondering, then nodded.

“All right,” she said. “Just try not to kill him, please. Control yourself.”

“Fine,” the boy nodded, his eyes cold. “But I changed my mind about maiming... and I’m not making any promises about that.”

“...focus.” Thermidor whispered harshly. “You’re letting your anger get the best of you. Don’t.”

Luka gritted his teeth, but nodded and took a deep breath, eyes closed. Reopening them, he regarded the gathered bandits, his head clearer.

“I will move in first,” Thermidor continued. “That big one needs to go down, or he may cause problems in the long run. Once I have their attention, it’s your turn.”

“Understood,” Luka nodded.

Thermidor waited a few seconds, to make sure he was ready, then she straightened and stepped out in the open.

From there, it all happened very fast. As the closest bandit saw her and raised a hand in alarm, she suddenly sprang into action and dashed in. Targeting the largest bandit, she wasted no time in demolishing him, lashing out with a kick to the back of his leg and following up with a violent pommel strike to his temple as he fell to one knee, knocking him unconscious.

The other bandits froze upon seeing the strongest and largest of their number brought down so effortlessly. The leader backed away, a panicked look in his face, and became separated from the rest. Luka immediately took the opportunity.

Dashing out from the bush concealing him, he closed in on the bandit boss before he could get his bearings. As the man saw him, his face contorted into an expression of hate, and he raised his bladed hand, viciously bringing it down where he expected Luka’s head to be.

Only, the boy wasn’t there. As soon as the blade started descending, he darted to one side, and watched it sail past him, causing the boss’s balance to be compromised.

Taking the opening, he shifted his grip on his sword, and lashed out in an arc, smashing the pommel of the iron sword on the leader’s knee. A sickening crunch was heard, and the man cried out in pain as he collapsed, his leg unable to hold him up anymore.

As the vagrant struggled to get to his feet, Luka regarded him coldly, his anger rising. This wretch wanted to rape and kill his mother? With a sneer, he brought his leg back, and promptly kicked the downed man in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious.

At the side, Thermidor frowned as she quickly and efficiently dispatched the remaining thugs with a series of melee attacks. Luka had let his anger boil through. That was not good - he still lacked discipline. On the other hand, what he’d heard the man say about his mother... she could see why he’d lose control. She’d still have to berate him for his flaring temper, but she couldn’t disagree with his sudden viciousness.

Within seconds, the fight was over. Where six bandits had stood, now only unconscious bodies remained. As she watched Luka tie them all up with a few strong pieces of forest ivy, she noticed him look up at her with a worried expression.

For a while, she remained impassible, watching him closely with a severe expression. Luka fidgeted, appearing ashamed; he’d apparently realized his mistake. She continued regarding him with an empty look for a few more seconds, then slowly nodded as she allowed a small smile to crease her lips. Luka nodded back, a relieved look on his face.

He had understood.

----

“...and then I wound up and kicked him real hard in the face,” Luka concluded excitedly. “Pow! Out in one hit! Hahaha, that was great.”

“Oh my,” Liese murmured, caressing her cheek with one hand. She had been listening to Luka’s narration of the bandit hunt over dinner, and while she was glad he’d been all right and all went well, something about the way he got worked up about his own part in the fight disturbed her. Sighing, she put her hands on the table and looked at her son.

“Luka, honey...” she began. “I’m glad the hunt went well and you were unharmed, but... was it really necessary to kick a downed man in the face like that?”

“Eh? Well...” Luka began, then trailed off, his expression darkening. Liese quietly looked at him, a serene expression on her face as always.

“He said something that made you angry, didn’t he?” she asked. Luka stood still for a while, then slowly nodded, frowning. The woman sighed. She had imagined it was something like that. “What did he say that made you so angry you’d hit him while he was down?”

Luka remained silent for even longer this time. Liese waited patiently; she could see this was not something she could force out. After a long silence, Luka finally muttered something inaudible.

“I’m sorry?” Liese said, sighing. “I can’t hear you if you speak like this.”

“...he said he was going to rape and kill you,” Luka said a little louder, his hands clenching at the memory. “I... wanted to hurt him for that.”

The woman regarded her son thoughtfully as he sat rigidly, fists balled up and looking downward. Once again, she sighed, then she got up, circled around the table to Luka’s side and embraced him gently.

“I’m happy that you got so angry over wanting to protect me, but I don’t want you to do it again,” she murmured. “Anger and hatred are almost always an enemy in a fight. If you let them take hold of you, you will be no better than those men you were fighting... and letting them lead you may get you killed.”

Luka remained motionless for an instant, then reached up and grasped Liese’s hands, nodding. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“It’s fine as long as you understand,” she reassured him. “But please, try to never fight with hatred in your heart. That’s a road you don’t want to walk. I lost your father to it... I don’t want to lose you, too.”

Luka’s grip on her hands tightened, and he nodded again, this time a bit more forcefully. How could he forget? He didn’t want to be like his father. Not now, not ever.

That evening, the two of them sat together before the fireplace, quietly talking about the past.

----

“Is that all of them?” a tall, lanky man asked a Temple guard back at Ilias Temple, regarding the bandits that were brought in earlier with a cold, pitiless gaze. The guard shifted, uneasy. While he was privy to some of the private dealings of some of the Church higher-ups, he still found it distasteful to make use of... these people. Still, he knew better than to protest or look in any way rebellious. Those who did so tended to disappear, and wind up in the ‘tender care’ of Ilias Kreuz as well.

“Yes, sir,” the guard replied, carefully maintaining a neutral expression. All the Ilias Kreuz members in the small room looked unsettling and - dare he say it - downright evil, and he had no intention of antagonizing any of them. Not over a bunch of no-good bandits and hoodlums like the ones that were being handed over to them for questioning, at any rate.

The bandits, upon being captured and handed over, had made a fatal mistake. Having finally realized Thermidor’s nature was not that of a human, they had insistently claimed that they had been defeated by a monster wielding a sword and allegedly fighting for "justice". Furthermore, they claimed the monster had a kid follower who’d "viciously assaulted and injured" their leader.

The Church officials were not amused. Unwilling to believe such an outlandish story as that of a monster paladin, of all things, and even less prone to believe such a monster had been accompanied by a young boy capable of inflicting multiple fractures on a grown man, they had accused the bandits of having willingly surrendered to a monster, and of making that story up to cover their sin. Upon insistence that they had, in fact, not sinned against Ilias’s law, they were again accused of lying: who ever had heard of a monster who didn’t violate her defeated victims?

From there, it was a short step to being accused of heresy, and their other crimes as robbers caused them to be handed over to Ilias Kreuz for further questioning. It was also, admittedly, unfortunate for them that members of the organization had actually been at the temple in that period, and thus took matters in their own hands.

The Temple guard shook his head as he left, closing the door behind him with a sense of finality. Those vagrants’ fates were all but sealed. The only question now was whether Ilias Kreuz would get useful information out of them instead of the nonsensical lies about monster heroes and kid sidekicks they tried to spread. Who would ever believe such nonsense, anyway?

Back in the room, the tall man who appeared to be the leader placed himself in front of the bandits, arms crossed and a nasty scowl on his face. The bandits cringed in fear.

“All right, I’m sure even a bunch of ignorant dimwits like you are aware of the situation you’re in, so I’ll make it nice and easy,” he growled. “Tell me the truth about what happened. None of that ‘monster in shining armor with a bratty half-pint as her lackey’ bullshit you tried to feed those Temple clowns. Do it, and I’ll make sure your deaths are quick. Otherwise...”

He didn’t finish the phrase, but the sense of the threat was evident. The bandits shrank back even further, looking at each other in panic. As the Ilias Kreuz leader became impatient and started tapping his foot on the floor, one of the vagrants attempted to speak up.

“B-but... we ain’t lyin’, sir!” he tried to explain hesitantly. “It really was some justice-spoutin’ monster woman wit’ a sword an’ some kid as helper-- grkh!”

The thief’s explanation was cut short by a brutal kick to the face which sent him sprawling on the floor, bloodied and barely conscious. The tall man scowled.

“I said I don’t want to hear that load of shit again!” he barked. “I want the truth, not some goddamn fairy tale you’re fabricating to cover up your filthy monster-loving ways! Last chance: spill it, or else.”

“What the hell’s this?!” the bandits’ leader protested, struggling against his binds. “We did tell ye the damn truth, ye tall bastard! You Ilias Kreuz goons make me sick - ye dun’ care about the goddamn truth, only ‘bout what ye want t’call the truth. Yer gonna kill us anyway, so get it over with already - an’ I hope a pox catches ye an’ yer family spits on yer grave after yer death!”

“...those are shitty last words, you know,” the Ilias Kreuz leader sneered. “But if you’re in such a hurry to die, be my guest.” Turning around, he motioned to two of the larger members of his group. “Hang them by the ankles, and make sure it takes a long while for these filthy mongrels to die.”

With that, he left the room along with another man, the bandits’ curses following him.

As the tall man walked down the Temple’s hall, his companion spoke up. “Are you sure their story’s just a lie?”

The tall man shot the shorter one an unamused look. “You think I should believe that giant mound of shit they tried to shovel down the Temple guards’ throats?” he snorted derisively. “A shining monster-knight in silver armor with a brave kid sidekick, destroying their merry little band effortlessly, and yet not helping herself to their worthless bodies. What do you think Lazarus would say if I related that story to him?”

“...He’d tell you to stop hitting the bottle and be more serious about your job,” his companion admitted. “The story is completely outlandish, of course. But what worries me is what kind of monster really subdued them. To command such loyalty from its victims... it has to be one with amazing mind-control capabilities. Possibly...”

“Hmm, you think it was the work of a high level monster?” the tall man asked, pondering. “Come to think of it, they robbed and damaged some minor churches here and there, did they not?”

“Yes,” the second man nodded. “Clearly, this must be the work of a powerful monster who aimed to use them to destabilize Ilias’s faith in the region. Maybe even one of the Monster Lord’s aides? I hear one of them is a fox, and they have powerful mind magic...”

“Hm... we’ll report it to Lazarus,” the leader decided. “Beyond that, it’s not our business, and we’d stand no chance against such a powerful monster by ourselves. Well then, shall we stop at the tavern before we go?”

With that, the two men walked away, chattering. Neither of them would ever know how close they came to finding out the truth.

----

Some time later, Luka was the victim of a peculiar incident - one that, thankfully, had no lasting consequences, but which could have been much more severe.

It happened as he was out buying groceries. As usual, distrustful looks followed him wherever he went; it was something he was used to by now, but it always disturbed him how hostile the locals were towards him and his family, simply because they were not native of the place. The fact that all that animosity was over something as petty as birthplace, in particular, dumbfounded him. Was someone’s birthplace being different really so important that it warranted such harsh treatment?

At times like these, Luka was unsure whose side had more blame in the soured relations between humans and monsters.

As he walked along, his attention was drawn by an unfamiliar face walking among the crowd. It was a man in a grey cloak, with short brown hair. He was fairly tall and looked to be well-built under that mantle, judging by his posture. A sword peeked out from under his cloak, and the confident way in which he walked suggested he had some training.

The man was looking around, appearing to be searching for something. Upon spotting Luka, his eyes widened a bit, and an odd expression the boy had never seen before flashed across his face, only to be promptly replaced by a friendly smile as the cloaked man changed direction and walked directly towards him. Stopping before him, the man held up a hand in greeting.

“Hello, boy,” he began conversationally, still smiling. “I’m a traveling minstrel, and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to show me around this quaint little town of yours?”

Luka eyed the man, unsure. “Uh... I could, but why not ask one of the adults?” he replied, uncomfortable. There was something in the man’s demeanor that he didn’t like; he couldn’t put his finger on it, though. Maybe because he carries a sword? he thought. Or maybe I’m just not used to someone actually talking to me instead of glaring at me...

“Well, I thought about it,” the man replied, his smile widening. “But somehow, the people here haven’t really struck me as the friendly sort. It’s almost as if they hate outsiders. But you don’t have that air about you. So, I thought I might as well approach you, since you looked less likely to rip me to shreds just for being in the general vicinity.”

At that, Luka relaxed a little. The man had a point - the locals of Ilias Village were less than friendly to all outsiders, not just him and his family, and admittedly they were glaring at him just as hard as they were looking at Luka himself.

“Right, I see what you mean,” he nodded. “So, what is it you wanted to know, mister...?”

“Don’t worry about names,” the man waved away. “I’ll stop here just long enough to resupply and take a break, and then be on my way. And the less friendly we seem to be, the less problematic it’ll be for you, I suspect.”

“Ah, right, makes sense,” Luka nodded again. “So, then... blacksmith, apothecary, and then the tavern, I assume?”

“That sounds about right,” the man replied. “Lead the way, then.”

At that, Luka motioned for the cloaked stranger to follow and started walking. As he turned around, however, he missed the man’s smile turn slightly predatory.

The next few minutes consisted of Luka leading the man to the shops he’d requested, and waiting around for him to buy new supplies. The traveler was quick about it, and before long, he and Luka stood before the local tavern. As Luka nodded to him and prepared to leave, the man grabbed his shoulder and motioned with his head towards the tavern’s interior.

“Hey, not so fast,” he said with a grin. “You’ve helped me a lot here, and I feel I ought to repay you. What say you to a drink? My treat - juice, tea, whatever you like.”

Again, Luka hesitated. For some reason, the uneasy sensation he’d felt earlier had returned. Something definitely felt off about this man. On the other hand, he seemed to only want to repay his debt, and turning him down would have been rather rude. Setting his misgivings aside, Luka decided to accept the offer. After all, a drink could hardly hurt.

As they got in, Luka couldn’t help but look around himself. He’d never entered the tavern before, and was admittedly curious about it. As it was still fairly early in the day, there weren’t many guests there, and the few that were glared at the newcomers and made a show of pointedly ignoring them.

The stranger and the boy chose a table, and Luka was asked what his preference of drink was. Thinking about it, he settled for a coffee with cream. The stranger nodded, then stepped away to place the order, leaving Luka to look around. After a bit of looking, Luka found himself disappointed: all things said, the tavern wasn’t much to look at.

The stranger shortly returned with a coffee-and-cream and a pint of beer for himself. Passing the coffee to Luka, he sat down and began drinking in earnest, occasionally glancing at the boy. For his part, Luka sniffed at the coffee, his mood improving: he liked this particular beverage, but rarely had a chance to drink some at this time of the day; his mother didn't allow it, saying that it would keep him awake at night.

Taking a sip, the boy thought he felt a strange bitter taste in the background, but it was gone as quickly as it seemed to appear. He raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. Maybe the cream is a little old, he thought. Before long, Luka started feeling... odd. His head felt very light, and a sense of euphoria spread through him. He began seeing things in a daze, no longer sure of what was going on, but the sensation wasn’t wholly unpleasant. As he drank, he was unaware of the stranger’s eyes observing him with a greedy expression.

He was dimly aware of the stranger saying something and helping him up, leading him somewhere. The smells he felt as he walked were somewhat familiar, and he briefly thought it felt like the forest.

Luka felt an odd flash of heat spread across his chest, and things became at the same time clearer and dream-like. With a strange, detached feeling, he observed as the stranger reached towards him, his hands roaming across his body. As he tried to grasp the situation through his confusion, he was surprised as his body reacted automatically, seemingly shifting away from the stranger's wandering hands in a dance-like movement.

He became slightly aware of a new sensation - outrage? Anger? Whatever it was, a part of him was feeling it, and acting on it. With the same detached lack of passion, he observed his hand reach for the iron sword he’d taken to always carrying with him, and draw it. The stranger seemed to emit a noise - laughter, perhaps - in response, and confidently drew his own steel. Stepping towards Luka, he now wore an expression seething with malevolence.

Before Luka could understand what was happening, his body once again moved on its own, deftly sidestepping a lunge aimed at his legs. A surprised noise came from the cloaked man. It was the last noise he would make.

As if in a dream, Luka saw his sword lash out blindingly fast, zipping across the stranger’s body. As he shifted back, the traveler appeared unharmed for a brief instant - then his body was violently ripped apart as multiple wounds appeared all over it, tearing fabric, flesh, and bone alike to shreds in a blink.

Through all this, Luka’s consciousness dimmed even further - but he had time for one last consideration: not a speck of blood marred his sword’s shine.

That evening, Luka woke up in his own bed, with no recollection of the day beyond a vague sense that he’d helped someone out. Liese told him that he’d come back home looking extremely worn out, had dropped the groceries in the kitchen, and went straight to bed, falling asleep instantly.

The event was dismissed as Luka simply feeling fatigue from his training, but a lingering sensation remained with the boy - the feeling that he’d forgotten something important. It was a feeling he would experience again, years later.

A couple days later, rumors surfaced in the village of a dangerous beast roaming the area, fueled by the discovery of a corpse that appeared to have been horribly torn apart by some sort of large, clawed animal. For a while, fear spread in the village, but as the incident never repeated itself and no wild beasts were spotted, it was concluded to have been a freak accident, and was soon forgotten.

No one remembered the stranger that had come to the village...

----

A couple weeks later, Liese decided to drop by in the forest ruin and pay Thermidor a surprise visit. At the time, the fencer had given Luka a day off to recover his strength after a particularly taxing training session where he had ended up with more than a few bruises on his body, and Liese, who had wanted to talk to the monster swordswoman in private for a while, took advantage of it.

Thermidor welcomed her friend’s presence, and before long the two women were sitting on a makeshift bench fashioned out of a log that Thermidor had carved herself, quietly sipping tea and chatting about recent news. Soon enough, the monster set her teacup down and sighed, looking at Liese.

“Well then. As much as I love chatting with you, this is no courtesy visit, is it?” the swordswoman began. “You have something in mind, and you waited until Luka wasn’t here, so it is clearly something you’d rather he not hear. So, speak up. I am listening.”

At that, Liese set her own cup down and stared at the trees ahead, a pondering expression on her face. Thermidor waited patiently for the human woman to gather her thoughts; whatever it was, there was no hurry, and she could wait. Finally, Liese spoke.

“I have been debating whether to tell you the whole truth about Luka’s heritage and my family’s situation,” she began quietly. “I have come to the conclusion that, should anything happen to me, you should know everything you need to in order to help Luka manage his life. Some of these things, not even Luka himself knows... at least, not consciously.”

“Your family, hmm?” Thermidor mused. “Come to think of it, you and Luka don’t much look alike. Are you suggesting that...”

“Indeed,” Liese nodded. “Luka isn’t my biological son. I found him abandoned on the front door of my old house, a few years before transferring to Ilias Village. There was nothing with him, except a ring and a note with some... peculiar information regarding him.”

“Ring? That wouldn’t be the old, worn out ring he always wears, would it?” Thermidor asked, raising an eyebrow. “If it was with him when he was a newborn baby, it shouldn’t fit him anymore...”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?” the human woman nodded. “But that ring seems to be magical. It would always grow to fit him just right. He’s never taken it off one day in his life, as far as I know, and the letter that was with him was specific in that it was not to be removed.”

“...Why?” Thermidor asked, puzzled. “I see no reason why a child would need to always wear some magical trinket.”

“Not a normal child, no,” Liese nodded. “But Luka isn’t a normal child. The letter didn’t go into details, but it did say one thing. He apparently has divine blood in his veins.”

Silence reigned for a few moments as Thermidor looked at Liese with an incredulous expression on her face. She then shook her head, an awkward smile plastered on her face.

“You’re kidding, right?” she said in a disbelieving tone. “If that was the case, then he’d have to be--”

“Part angel, yes,” Liese confirmed. “I am not sure how much of his heritage is angelic, or how an angel ended up having human descendants, but that seems to be the gist of it. I suspect his mother was an angel, myself.”

“This makes no sense,” Thermidor muttered, thinking. “Why would an angel bear a human’s child to begin with? And why would they abandon it afterwards?”

“I have a theory,” the other woman replied. “You may be aware of ‘Fallen Angels’, yes?”

“Like the legendary Erigora, you mean?” the fencer asked. “Of course, I have heard the stories. Angels who defied Ilias’s will and were cast out of heaven, according to the human Church’s holy scriptures... although monster legends claim it was because those Angels chose to protect monsters rather than eliminate them, and they fled rather than be cast out. I have no idea how much of either legend is true, but... I am familiar with the creatures themselves.”

“Yes, well, if Luka’s mother was a Fallen Angel, it’d explain why he was abandoned somewhere inconspicuous, wouldn’t it?” Liese continued. “The Fallen are in constant danger from Ilias’s wrath, after all... it makes sense for them to want to protect their offspring by distancing themselves from them as much as possible.”

“...It all still sounds a bit outlandish to me,” Thermidor admitted, mulling over Liese’s words. The human woman shot her a knowing glance.

“Do you remember back when I said I had my theories as to why Luka was resistant to your Energy Drain?” she asked. At Thermidor’s nod, she smiled, shrugging. “This is why. I thought Luka’s divine nature would counteract the draining effect somewhat... and it seems I was right. Moreover... you said you received a jolt of energy from him, right?”

“You mean--!” Thermidor suddenly realized. “Of course, it would all make sense. All that energy that a normal human should never have possessed, how different it felt, his being resilient to my siphoning effect... Taking what you said into account, it all fits.”

“Indeed,” Liese nodded. “Admittedly, I was taking a chance, because I only had the letter’s contents as assurance that Luka was, indeed, partly nonhuman. But what happened with you confirms it, does it not? He’s capable of too many things a boy his age shouldn’t be able to do.”

“He seems to be growing resistant to my Energy Drain, too,” Thermidor commented. “I seem to be taking less energy from him than I did before. It all adds up.” She then looked at Liese suspiciously. “You know an awful lot about things like these for a normal human. Perhaps you have secrets of your own, hmm?”

“Mmmm,” Liese hummed, nodding. “I am not a ‘pure’ human myself. Somewhere in my ancestry there’s monster blood. I have a modicum of magical power as a result - enough to make potions, enchant small items, read tarot... things like these.” She smiled mirthlessly. “I guess the villagers are quite right in calling me a witch. That is, in fact, what I used to be before I got married.”

“...a part-angel boy raised by a part-monster woman,” Thermidor said, eyebrows raised. “Now I can honestly say I’ve seen it all. Luka’s life had very little that was normal about it even before he met me, it seems.”

“That’s one way of looking at it, yes,” the human nodded. “Although I tried to provide him with the most normal upbringing I could manage. But between my own past and his father’s actions, not to mention the extremely poor choice of town for us to move into...”

“Luka’s father... you mentioned him before, didn’t you?” the fencer said, curious. “If it’s not too much to ask, would you tell me more about him? I noticed both you and Luka seem to become moody whenever he’s mentioned.”

“And with good reason,” Liese replied, her expression darkening. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved Marcellus. I always prayed he would return to the right path after he strayed, but alas, it was not to be.”

“The right path...?” Thermidor asked. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like the answer to this question.

“Do you remember when we talked about Ilias Kreuz?” Liese asked. At Thermidor’s nod, she continued, in an emotionless tone. “Marcellus was its founder.”

A dead silence fell on the ruins at that, the monster woman staring at her human friend with a disbelieving expression. For a few seconds Thermidor hoped she’d misheard, but Liese’s stony expression and suddenly rigid stance made it clear she had, in fact, heard quite well.

“Your husband... Luka’s father... founded Ilias Kreuz?” the swordswoman finally spoke, unable to contain her stupor. “Why would he do that? Both you and Luka seem very open minded towards monsters - you have monster ancestry yourself! Why would he go and create a terrorist organization bent on killing all monsters and anyone who associated with them?”

“...Marcellus used to be a Hero of Ilias’s Church,” Liese began in a low voice. “One day, he decided to undertake a quest to slay the Monster Lord, intending to bring peace to the world that way. Along with his best friend and two acquaintances - a wizard and a cleric - he set out, full of hope that, should he succeed, he’d finally bring an end to monsters terrorizing humans.

“He, however, apparently never made it to the Monster Lord’s castle, or so I was told,” she continued. “He abandoned his quest when his two magic-using companions were killed in battle by monsters, and came back a changed man - with nothing but hate for monsters. That was when he founded Ilias Kreuz. Along with his childhood friend, who also had survived, though grievously injured, he began to recruit followers among the more radical humans, and started indiscriminately attacking all monsters. His group became responsible for too many atrocities to count. Torture, murder, psychological and physical abuse - you name it, Ilias Kreuz did it.

“As time went on, however, his hate seemed to subside. I had hoped he’d come to his senses before it was too late... but in the end, his past of hatred caught up with him, and he was reported killed by a monster one day,” Liese concluded. “I can’t help but think that, if only he’d been more accepting, if only he hadn’t taken the Church’s intolerance to heart, he’d have survived. He wanted to become a Hero, but... Is wanton murder of monsters really what being a Hero is all about? I never believed that. That’s why I’d tell Luka stories about heroes - the ones who’d lay down their lives to protect the weak and oppressed, and travel the land to rectify injustice. I tried to teach him what an ‘ideal hero’ was, but he never truly grasped what it meant... until you appeared.”

Looking up, Liese smiled.

“If Luka does manage to become a ‘True Hero’, it will largely be thanks to you, Thermidor,” she said, smiling. “Without your example, he might have strayed in spite of my best efforts. The Church’s teachings are strong here, so close to the main temple of Ilias, and young boys are so impressionable. But seeing you, training with you, and listening to your own ideals... I think he gained not only insight on what being a Hero truly is, but a new appreciation for monsters as well. Like humans, there are good and bad ones. Assuming they are all bad, like the Church does, is foolish.”

As Liese concluded her long speech, Thermidor sat quietly, thinking about all she’d just heard. So much knowledge, in so little time. She would need some privacy to herself to process and examine all that new information. Eventually, she looked up at Liese and nodded.

“Thank you for telling me all this,” she said. “It does take a great deal of trust to make someone else privy to such information. I’m flattered you trust me this much. If you would do me a favor, can you inform Luka he can stay home a couple more days? I need a bit of time alone to think...”

“Of course,” Liese nodded. “I’ll take this time to teach him a bit of cooking. He’s recently taken an interest in it, too, but is usually too tired to properly practice. And, Thermidor?”

“Mmmm?”

“...Thanks for listening,” the human nodded. “I think I needed to talk about all this for a long time now.”

“You’re welcome,” the fencer replied, smiling back. “I only hope your trust in me isn’t misplaced.”

“I’m not worried about that,” were Liese’s parting words as she left the ruins. “After all, we both have one thing in common: Luka may not be related to us by blood, but we both care about him. It’ll be fine, I know it.”

With that, she waved back to the monster woman and disappeared in the woods. Left alone, Thermidor sighed and dropped to the ground, leaning back on her hands to watch the darkening evening sky as she let her thoughts wander.

Angel, human, monster... so much confusion. She needed to put order in her thoughts. But, in the end, what was important was unchanged.

Luka would still be Luka.

----

And so, more time went by. As Luka’s skill improved, Thermidor’s fighting lessons began to alternate with a new type of learning. She began teaching him about monsters: their habitats, mindset, strengths and weaknesses. Patiently, she shared what she knew with him, knowing that such information would surely be of use to him one day.

Like this, Luka learned both swordplay and strategy. Four months passed.

And then, fate struck.

----

“So, you're leaving on a solo mission to the east?” Liese commented as she sipped tea along with Thermidor in the forest ruins. The monster fencer nodded.

“Hmmm. I have received reports that some sort of situation involving bandits has arisen over there,” she explained, frowning. “Apparently they have been bothering local settlements a lot. Kidnappings, pillage, rape... Sometimes I wonder why people like these even exist. At least monsters have a reason to attack humans, most of the time. What is these wretches’ excuse?”

“Well, sometimes it is desperation,” Liese replied. “A lot of these types are without food or a home, and are unable to find a job, so they turn to petty thievery to survive. It doesn’t justify them, but... It happens. Of course, there are also the ones who act like this just because they can. Generally speaking, people who are just desperate only bother with food, money, and other essentials. Those who go around unnecessarily hurting people... they mostly do it because they can and they like it.”

“It honestly makes no difference to me,” Thermidor grunted. “Making a living by stealing someone else’s hard work is despicable, and punishment should be handed out accordingly. That said, the types I’m going after are the raping and pillaging kind, so I feel no guilt whatsoever about finding them and ruining their living arrangements. Such individuals only deserve to rot in a dark, damp cell.”

“It is worrying, though,” Liese mused. “These incidents have been on the rise lately. It’s as if nobody really wants to make an effort to live honestly.”

“I think it has more to do with how isolated this place is,” Thermidor pointed out. “This is an island, after all. The mainland is more patrolled, and thieves have a much harder time just plundering to their content. That said, one would think the proximity to Ilias’ temple would discourage such actions. And yet... what a worthless bunch of ‘Heroes’ the ones serving under Ilias are. They can’t even be bothered to defend their fellow humans.”

“All too true,” Liese nodded. “Although, truthfully, most temple heroes are in it for personal gain. After all, a typical sanctioned temple hero gets lowered inn rates, discounts in shops, and can even enter houses and take whatever he needs from them...”

“Take whatever they need...? Isn’t that thievery?” Thermidor muttered, eyebrows raised. The other woman shrugged.

“The temple says otherwise, and people are expected to comply,” she replied. “A few have been complaining about it, but most citizens around here are too indoctrinated by Ilias’ church to deny their ‘Heroes’ what they want.”

“Brainwashed, you mean,” was the fencer’s contemptuous answer. “What does Luka think of the Church, anyway?”

“Luka...?” Liese repeated, then blinked. “You know, I never stopped to wonder that myself. We don’t really talk about it, which may be a sign in itself. I do know his opinion on the ‘all monsters are evil and should be killed’ part of Ilias’ commandments, though: he thinks it’s a lot of nonsense.”

“Good. That means he has an actual head on his shoulders, instead of an empty jar like most humans around here,” Thermidor commented, finishing her tea. Getting up from her seat, she looked at Liese. “Anyway, I will be leaving tomorrow. Chances are I’ll be away for a month or so; these bandits I’m looking for apparently holed themselves up quite well in the woods and hills to the east, and finding them may be more trouble than anticipated.”

“Will you be fine by yourself?” the human woman asked as she also got up. The swordswoman waved reassuringly.

“I won’t be by myself, actually,” she explained. “I’ll receive assistance from a couple of local monsters. Apparently these people have been causing a lot of damage to the environment, and the Elves in the area got tired of it. I heard of this from a passing Elf, in fact. They have been looking for a few combat-ready monsters to dispose of them, since they’d rather not be connected too strongly to the bandits’ eradication.”

“That’s reassuring,” Liese nodded. “Well then, I will tell Luka about this. I’ll also take advantage of this time to teach him a bit more about cooking.”

“I’ll have to try his food sometime,”, Thermidor said with a smile. “I’m curious to see how well he’s learning.”

“And I’m sure he’d be more than glad to cook something for you,” Liese answered, smiling back. “I’m off, then. Have a safe trip.”

As the human walked off, she suddenly had a sneezing fit. Thermidor paused, looking at her. “You know, you should take more care of yourself,” she commented. “It’s getting pretty cold in the evenings, and I hear a lot of people in the mainland have been falling sick recently.”

“Mmm,” Liese replied, cleaning her nose with a napkin. “Well, at least Luka should be fine. His nature seems to protect him from sickness. I can’t remember one day of his life that he’s been sick - well, except that one time when Marcellus tried to cook for us, but...”

“I don’t think food poisoning counts as your average illness,” was Thermidor’s sardonic reply. “I really hope Luka takes after you and not your husband when it comes to food.”

“I’m still alive, am I not?” Liese replied cheekily. With a wink and a wave of her hand, she walked off. Behind her, the fencer sighed, shaking her head.

Sometimes, Liese could be a handful.

----

A few days later found Luka busying himself in the kitchen, trying to practice his cooking. He apparently had a knack for simple, yet tasty food, and he found the activity relaxing. He also liked how he could experiment with the simpler dishes, coming up with his own variations. Barring a few mishaps along the way - mostly burned food - he found himself having an affinity for kitchen skills.

Today, however, he found he was having issues focusing. Part of it was that he missed the training with Thermidor. He’d gotten used to a more active lifestyle, and missing training for so many days in a row was starting to make him restless.

The other, more important reason for his lack of focus, however, was his mother’s health.

Liese seemed to have come down with a nasty persistent cold, and would sneeze at random intervals. She didn’t seem to have a fever, but she appeared to have trouble breathing through her nose, and he’d sometime catch her looking vacant and unfocused.

His mother had been sick before, of course, but she had never seemed as out of it as she was this time. Moreover, rumors had become insistent that there was some sort of epidemic going on in the mainland which had gone out of control and become quite severe, and the influx of pilgrims had sharply dropped in recent times.

Luka muttered something under his breath. Having never been sick as long as he could remember, he wasn’t sure how severe a cold it was, as he had no personal experience to gauge it on. All he knew was that he felt uneasy about the whole thing. He’d have preferred that his mother stay home today, as well, but she decided to head out and buy groceries and a couple kitchen appliances to replace old, worn out ones.

As he busied himself preparing a vegetable stew, he briefly wondered how Thermidor was doing. Being a monster, he was fairly sure she was in no danger of getting sick, and he was also sure she was in no danger of starving again; aside from how it took a long time for her hunger to reach a severe state, she had been unusually... demanding... in the couple days before her departure, and he had understood why when he was informed of her leave of absence.

He also, reluctantly, understood why she hadn’t told him anything. He would have insisted on going with her. Thermidor had come to know him all too well.

His thoughts were interrupted by a noise from the kitchen’s entrance, and he looked up to see his mother coming in, carrying two bags full of food and items. She appeared tired and a little bit flushed, but otherwise fine, and Luka felt slightly relieved.

“Welcome back, mother!” he called out happily. Leaving the vegetable stew to cook, Luka took the apron he’d been wearing off and hurried to help Liese store away her purchases. “How has your day been?”

“Mmmm... fine...” she replied, a bit short of breath. “I think I’ll go take a nap when I’m done here, though. I’m worn out.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Luka asked, concerned. “I can handle things here by myself for awhile. If you’re that tired, go sleep for a bit; it’s better for you.”

“You don’t mind...?” Liese replied, hesitating, then nodded. “In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. You know where everything goes, right?”

“Yes, yes,” he waved her off impatiently. “Don’t worry, I won't burn down the house or anything. Go rest, mother.”

“Thank you...” Liese nodded, exhaling. As she walked off, Luka shot her a worried look and decided he’d fix up some hot tea with honey to give her a bit of strength as soon as he was done. Humming, he began to quickly put all the groceries away, making sure everything went where it was supposed to.

Finishing up with the food, he began to put away the dinner plates and pots Liese had also purchased. That was when he heard a loud crash coming from his mother’s room.

For a few seconds, he froze, unsure what to do. Then he hastily set the items he’d been holding on the table and took off running for the master bedroom. Opening the door, he froze in horror as he took in the scene before him.

Liese had collapsed, and had dragged the nightstand down with her, probably in an attempt to steady herself. Prone on the floor, she was apparently struggling to get up, but seemed to be confused and her movements were erratic.

Luka was beside her in a flash, checking her over. Immediately, he realized something was seriously wrong: she was sweating far too much in the relative cool inside of the house, and her breathing seemed to be labored. She had also grown hot; the fever was new, and Luka didn’t like it one bit.

Wasting no time, the boy grabbed the woman under her arms and pulled. Only a few months earlier, it’d have been an impossible task for the smaller boy to lift the much larger adult woman up, but between the added muscle tone from his training and the adrenaline surge from the situation, he found himself able to drag Liese to her feet and get her on the bed.

A bit of pulling and pushing got her fully on the mattress, and Luka then proceeded to take her excess clothing off and get her under cover. He then paused, trying to collect his thoughts and decide what to do next.

At that point, Liese seemed to regain awareness, and looked around in confusion. Seeing that, Luka approached her, anxious.

“Luka...? Where am I?” she murmured. “My back and sides hurt... did I fall?”

“Yeah,” he nodded hastily. “There was a noise and I came here to see what happened, and I found you on the floor. The nightstand was also down... did it hit you? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I... don’t think so,” she replied slowly. “But I do think I have a fever. Maybe I pushed myself a bit too hard...?”

“I told you this wasn't a good idea,” Luka said, frustrated. “You should have let me go out and get that stuff myself!”

“Ahh... sorry,” Liese apologized with a weak smile. “Thank you for helping me into bed. You’re a precious child...”

“Just sleep for now, okay?” Luka interrupted her. “You obviously aren’t as fine as you thought. I’m going to go see if the local apothecary has any medicine for fevers.”

“Mmmm...” Liese hummed vaguely. Looking at her, Luka noticed she was already drifting off to sleep. Making sure she was properly covered, he went to the kitchen, took the stew off the fire, and then left the house in a hurry.

A few minutes later saw him argue heatedly with the apothecary owner. He’d reached it in a couple minutes of run, but when he stepped in, the apothecary had pretended to not notice him, and had instead served two people who’d entered after he did. Luka had felt a strong urge to grab the man and shake him, but restrained himself; it wouldn’t have done Liese any good if he got kicked out of the shop for attacking the owner.

When his turn had finally come around, he’d asked the shop owner for fever medicine. That was when the man’s expression turned to one of concern and he’d clammed up, becoming even more uncooperative than he normally was. Luka found himself quickly losing his patience at the man’s shifty behavior, and before long, he was yelling at him.

“What the hell do you mean, you don’t have any?!” he shouted, annoyed. “You make me wait this long and then you tell me ‘I have no medicine, get lost’?!”

“I have none means I have none!” the merchant yelled right back. “Nothing in stock, nothing on the shelves! Now shoo, you’re scaring my customers off!”

“What’s with this load of...” Luka began, then bit back the stream of insults that was threatening to burst past his lips. “...Look, are you sure you have no medicine at all?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” the man replied, his gaze shifting a bit. Luka gritted his teeth: he was sure this person was hiding something, but short of beating it out of him, he saw no way to get anywhere with him for the time being. Changing his tactics, he decided to see what a patient answer would get him.

“So then, is some coming in soon?” he asked, keeping a neutral tone. The shopkeeper nodded, sweating a bit.

“Ah, yes,” he replied. “I should get a new shipment in... a couple days? Three?”

“I see... I’ll be back to check every day, then,” Luka replied. He wasn’t convinced: the man was clearly not being truthful, and on top of that, he was fairly sure that apothecaries fabricated the majority of their shop’s inventory themselves. Being overly aggressive would get him nowhere fast, though. Breathing deeply, he calmed himself and turned around, leaving the shop. Inwardly, though, he was seething with anger.

The return home was spent stomping angrily on the ground, trying to get his temper in check. By the time he was home, he’d calmed down somewhat, and had decided on a course of action. Liese had a fever, and it had to be kept under control. Wet cloths were hardly an ideal solution, but they should at least cool her down somewhat if applied in the right spots. He had a problem, in that he wasn’t sure what the right spots were, but perhaps he could figure something if he could get his mother’s input.

The boy went to work quickly, filling a small bucket with cool water, grabbing a few towels, and then setting out for the master bedroom. As he entered, he was greeted by a surprise: his mother was awake and conscious. She seemed to be observing something on her lap with an unreadable expression.

Upon seeing him come in, Liese gathered up the items she’d been watching, and Luka noticed it was the old tarot deck she’d shown him once. He blinked; with her being as sick as she seemed to be, he found her playing cards to be a fairly useless waste of her strength. Then again, perhaps taking her mind off her sickness was the right thing to do. He shrugged and approached her.

With his mother conscious, Luka was able to correctly apply a few wet towels so that they’d somewhat cool her down, while at the same time keeping the dampness from making the situation worse. He also relayed to her the events at the apothecary. Liese’s reaction was a noncommittal shrug, but she didn’t seem surprised. Luka wondered if she’d expected the total unhelpfulness he’d rammed his head against.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, and as Luka went to bed, he found his mood improving a bit. He’d figure something out.

Fate, however, had different ideas. A couple days later, Liese’s fever spiked, and Luka found himself once again heading out in a hurry to try and find fever medicine. As he ran off towards the apothecary, he failed to notice that people hurriedly moved out of his way as he approached them. He also failed to notice the looks of alarm and fear on their faces, his mind being preoccupied with his own fears.

This time, the apothecary didn’t ignore him. However, he also claimed he had no medicine still. Luka, however, was in no mood for lies and half truths, and angrily called him out on it.

“If I'd wanted a load of horse crap, I'd have asked a horse!” the boy’s voice was heard rising several octaves as his temper flared. “You’re a thrice-damned apothecary! You make your own stuff! And there’s crates of supplies out back! You expect me to believe you received no supplies?!”

“If I say something, that’s how it is, you disrespectful little brat!” was the man’s answer as he wiped the sweat off his brows with a handkerchief. “I ain’t got no medicine for you! Shoo!”

“Oh, so now it's ‘none for me’, huh?!” Luka growled, his anger further provoked. “Why don’t you just come out and say it?! Locals get special treatment, and we filthy outsiders can rot where we stand, is that how it is?!”

“And what’s wrong with that?!” the shopkeeper retorted. “We look after our own, and you ain’t one of 'em! Why’d you, that witch you call mother, and that failed hero of a father of yours even come here? We were all doing just fine before the lot of you dragged your sorry arses to this town! We don’t want outsiders to ruin what we've--”

“Shut up and sell your damn medicine already!” Luka interrupted the man’s rant with an angry wave of his hand. “I don’t give a damn what you want or don’t want. All I know is, mother needs her medicine, and I’m getting it for her!”

“And what are you going to do, huh? Mug me?” the merchant challenged him. “Go on, see how well that ends for you! I'm the apothecary, not you, and I'll be damned if you can get the medicine I make without me making it for you!”

“Krrrgh--!” Luka growled. The man had a point; if he didn’t want to sell to him, then there was no way for Luka to get anything short of strong-arming him, and that was hardly an appropriate thing to do, no matter the need. If he did such a thing, he’d end up being little better than a bandit.

“Fine, then, have it your way!” the boy yelled contemptuously. “You can keep your medicine, and I hope you drown in it!”

“Hah! Filthy little urchin--” were the last words the boy heard from the merchant as he violently slammed the door behind him, knocking a hanging sign off its peg in the process. Taking a few steps forward, he stopped in the street, breathing hard.

Well, the apothecary is out of the question, he thought as he tried to decide what to do next. But I still need that medicine... I know! I’ll try the temple! They're supposed to help the weak and suffering, aren't they? They should listen to me. With that decided, Luka took off at a dead run towards Ilias’ temple.

What he found there was a mortal blow to what was left of his faith.

“What... did you say?” Luka asked, not sure he’d heard the priest’s words right.

“I said ‘Go home, child’,” the pudgy priest before him repeated, mopping sweat off of his forehead. “You have all my sympathy for your mother’s plight, but the Temple can’t help you.”

“And why not, if I may ask?” the boy inquired, an odd, eerie calmness washing over him. To an outside observer, however, the sudden shift in demeanor would have appeared extremely unsettling; Luka’s eyes had just gone deathly cold.

“Ilias’ scriptures teach us hardships such as illnesses are tests of faith,” the priest replied, sounding as if he was rattling off a premade speech. “They are meant to test one’s faith in the Goddess. Those who endure through the hardest times with unwavering faith receive the Goddess’ favor, and are beloved by her.”

“...and what of helping the suffering, and all those things I heard about from pilgrims?” Luka asked in a neutral tone, his eyes narrowing. The priest finally seemed to notice the change in the boy’s demeanor, and his sweating intensified as he suddenly felt threatened.

“Ah... that... our help is meant for those with true faith in Ilias,” he attempted to explain. “Should a true believer be in need, they will be assisted to the best of our capabilities...”

“In other words, ‘We decide who is worthy of our blessings,’” Luka hissed, his teeth gritted. “Well, thank you for your assistance, for what little it was worth. I will return home... my mother does, after all, need someone to watch over her.”

With that, he turned around and stomped away, seething inwardly. He barely registered the parting words of the priest.

“Remember, boy! Good things come to those who keep their faith! All you have to do is believe, and obey the will of Ilias!”

“Keep your worthless faith,” Luka murmured in unheard reply under his breath. “I don't need a Goddess who’d hold my loved ones hostage in exchange for my loyalty. And to think I once wanted to be a Hero of Ilias!”

With that, he stormed off, heading back home to his ailing parent.

----

Over the next few days, Liese’s condition worsened steadily. Luka attempted to help her as best he could, struggling to juggle caring for her, keeping the house going, and getting enough rest to not keel over in exhaustion. Through it all, he felt a mix of helplessness at his inability to make a difference and bubbling resentment at the hostility that kept his mother from getting her medicine.

Rationally, Luka knew that Liese would be upset knowing he resented the village, but the truth was that he couldn’t help it. Being forced to watch his own mother waste away as they refused to give him even the most basic assistance - not even for money! - was doing nothing to help improve his opinion of them.

Eventually, Liese called Luka to her side. Luka was reluctant to go, as he felt this action reeked of finality, but he ultimately was unable to ignore his mother’s wishes, and before long he sat quietly by her bedside, holding her hand tightly.

“Luka... how are you?” Liese whispered. Her breathing had gradually become more difficult over the last few days, and it was hard for her to muster up enough for more than murmuring.

“I’m fine, mother,” Luka answered quietly. “I don’t ever get sick, remember?”

“Indeed, you don’t,” she smiled. “Listen, Luka... I’m sorry I can’t be here for you any longer than this, but... I was happy with you, and I hope I was a good mother to you...”

“Don't talk like that,” Luka protested. “I’m not giving up on you. There has to be something I can do...”

“I know my body better than you do, my child,” Liese murmured. “And I know its limits, as well. It’s already gone long past them by holding on this long.”

Turning a bit towards the nightstand, Liese pointed at an envelope on it.

“When Thermidor returns, I want you to give her that letter,” she continued. “Do whatever she decides... I trust she will help you any way she can. And... your ring, don’t ever take it off. It’s important... that ring will protect you. Remember that.”

“I understand...” Luka nodded, struggling to choke his tears back. “Mother...”

“...You completed my life. I have no regrets...” Liese whispered tiredly. “Luka, your dream... you should always follow it. Keep on your path, never stray from it....”

“I won’t,” he promised. Liese smiled.

“Good...” she said. “...sorry, I’m so very tired... my Luka... if there’s an afterlife, I’ll watch over you from there...”

And with that, Liese left the world as she had lived in it, quietly and without noise. Luka remained seated beside her all night, holding his mother’s lifeless hand in his own as he dully stared into empty space through the tears.

Something had broken, and there was no telling if it’d ever be mended.

----

Two days later, Thermidor returned from her expedition. As she swiftly moved in the familiar vicinity of Ilias Village in the darkness of late night, she occasionally glanced behind her to make sure her companions were still following her.

The Elves trailing behind her were an unusual sight: rather than light armor or clothing, they both wore heavier raiments, and instead of bows or light weapons, they carried rather large arms. One of them wore what appeared to be stylized - and rather skimpy - studded leather armor, and carried a greatsword across her back - a weapon that hardly fit her slender physique. She had mid-length brown hair framing beautiful green eyes, and carried herself with a confidence proper for a warrior.

The other might as well have been the first’s identical twin, with the only real difference being her equipment: she wore white-and-green steel-and-lace armor - again, rather skimpily designed, though there was heavy padding where it counted - and carried a shortsword and a longsword, which she likely dual-wielded. Both were tall, well above six feet, and generously endowed with seductive curves and flawless skin like all Elves.

Thermidor had met the Elf twins during her mission, and they had acted as support for her during the eradication of the bandit gang. Thanks to their presence, the mission was wrapped up far faster than the swordswoman expected, and she had been able to return home much earlier than she planned. She was glad that was the case too; for some reason, she had been restless the past few days, feeling the urge to go back as quickly as possible.

The Elf twins had tagged along, as they were also mercenaries, and had no loyalty to anyone in particular. They reasoned they might as well spend some time with Thermidor before they went on their way, and if they came across profitable work in the process, all the better.

As Thermidor approached the forest ruins, she stopped abruptly. Behind her, the Elves also came to a halt, alerted by her sudden action. Seeing Thermidor draw her blade, they followed suit.

“Wait here,” the armored fencer said, motioning for them to stay back. “There’s a light in the ruins... that’s odd. I’ll investigate. Be ready to act if I shout.”

“Understood,” the twins answered in unison. Thermidor nodded and then swiftly made her way towards the ruins’ entrance, carefully using the few bushes around the courtyard for concealment. She did not feel any hostile presences, but the mere fact that someone was apparently there was unusual in and of itself.

Swiftly approaching the cover of a wall, she crept towards the entrance and peeked in, ready for anything. When nothing but silence greeted her, she cautiously advanced, silently moving towards the room the light had been in and checking every other room for ambushes as she went.

As she approached the dimly-lit doorway, she became aware of someone’s regular breathing. Stopping, she closed her eyes and concentrated, attempting to determine how many beings were waiting in the room ahead. Then, her eyes shot open in surprise, and she sheathed her sword as she advanced in the room to confront the unexpected visitor.

“Luka?” she called out as she entered, having recognized the feel of his lifeforce. “Luka, is that you? Why are you here at this time of night?”

Hearing no answer, she approached the huddled form of the boy, sitting next to a lantern. Peeking around, she froze as she took a good look at his face. His normally lively eyes were dull and had black bags underneath, and he looked like he hadn’t eaten in a while. Spotting a small bottle near him, she determined he at least seemed to have been drinking enough liquid to stave off dehydration, but clearly not enough to keep his appearance from turning haggard and disheveled.

Hesitantly, she approached, extending a hand towards him. Apparently becoming aware of the movements near him, Luka looked up at her. Thermidor was struck speechless as she met his eyes: there was an emptiness in them that she’d never seen before.

“Luka...?” Thermidor called out again. “What... happened? Is something wrong? Why are you here at night... and where’s Liese?”

Looking at her, the boy’s eyes flashed as Liese’s name was mentioned, and the monster fencer reeled back at the raw amount of emotion suddenly flooding in them. Slowly, Luka opened his mouth.

And then, she had her answers.

----

Ilias Village’s gravekeeper awoke with a start as the door to his hovel was violently kicked in with tremendous force, knocking it off its hinges. The lanky man scrambled to his feet as a heavily cloaked, armored figure stepped in, its footsteps sounding much like the Grim Reaper’s toll. As he opened his mouth to protest, a longsword’s blade flashed out and embedded itself in the wall mere inches from his cheek. The man froze, cringing in fear before the unknown assailant.

“Liese’s body,” the figure, its face invisible in the darkness, asked tersely. “Where is it?”

The gravekeeper blinked, stunned. He had expected many things, his own death being among the more likely outcomes of this sudden intrusion, but that question wasn’t one of them. Confused, he looked up just in time to see an armored fist rear back and slam in the wall on the other side of his head. He shuddered in terror; he was fairly sure he’d just soiled himself.

“A woman named Liese died a few days ago,” the figure growled, clearly losing patience. “They took her body out of her home and brought it to you. Where. Is. It?”

“H-huh? Why would you want that woman’s body?” The man asked, confused. “She died of the plague, she did, an’ we buried her in an unused lot outside th’ city limits, cuz otherwise we’d all fall sick, we would. Not that it helped, what wit’ ev’ryone gettin’ sick anyway, but--”

His rambling was cut off by the armored hand snaking out and grasping him by the throat.

“Bring me to her.”

The tone made it clear it wasn’t a request, and the gravekeeper suddenly realized he was mere moments away from becoming a permanent resident of his own cemetery. Nodding furiously, he gasped and fell to his knees as the figure let go of him, looming over him as it waited impatiently for him to lead the way.

Fearing for his life, the thin man quickly led the armored intruder outside the cemetery’s limits, to a small patch of grassy land with a mound of recently moved dirt in its center, a shovel lying abandoned by it. Hurriedly, he walked over to it and stopped, pointing at it.

The figure looked at the mound, then at the shovel, and finally at the man. “Dig,” was its order.

“What...?” the gravekeeper replied. “I-I can’t, good sir! It’s a plague victim’s grave! If I dug her up, I might--”

The intruder’s sword flashed out again and came to rest against the man’s throat, exerting just enough pressure to draw blood. He froze in abject fear.

“Dig now, and live until whatever Fate has in store for you happens, or die right now, choking on your own blood,” a cold, dispassionate voice warned him. “Decide.”

Panicking, the gravekeeper didn’t have to be told twice: he grabbed the shovel and started digging furiously.

“And if you damage the body...” came a further warning. Freezing briefly, the man resumed digging more carefully, swallowing nervously as he sweated.

Before long, Liese’s body was uncovered, dirtied by the soil and still wearing simple undergarments. The gravekeeper gave the stranger a frightened look, wondering what’d happen to him now that he did as ordered. The figure merely sheathed its sword, walked up to the body, hoisted it over one shoulder, and then turned around, wordlessly walking away in the night.

Left behind, the man found himself fervently thanking all saints he could think of for his safety, incredulous at his good fortune in surviving the night’s events.

-----

Thermidor’s return with his mother’s body in her arms brought some life back to Luka's face. As she stepped into the ruins’ antechamber, he anxiously attempted to approach her, but stopped in his tracks as the monster swordsman looked at him. There was something absolutely frightening burning deep in Thermidor’s eyes. For the first time since he met her, Luka felt genuinely afraid of the fencer.

Catching the wince of fear in the boy’s face, the swordswoman squashed her own wildly flaring emotions and put on a stony, unreadable expression. Looking at the closer of the Elf twins - the greatsword-wielding one - she nodded curtly for her to follow, then looked at the other. “Keep him out of the master bedroom,” was all she said as she walked down the ruined corridor. The Elves nodded in unison, and the dual sword-wielding one turned around halfway down the hall, stonewalling Luka and preventing him from following the fencer as she and the other walked in the room.

At that, Luka grew even more anxious. The situation felt all wrong - not that anything had felt right in the last few days - and it was quickly wearing out his already-frazzled nerves. Realizing the Elf would not let him pass, he backed off and returned to the antechamber, fidgeting restlessly as he wondered why Thermidor would prohibit him from following.

A couple hours passed, with no discernible sound coming from the master bedroom, although the second Elf at some point came out and rejoined the first, and eventually, Luka couldn't take it anymore. His mother was there, only mere steps away from him. Why wouldn't Thermidor let him see her?! Frustrated, he again headed for the master bedroom, intending to force his way past the two Elves at any cost. As he approached them, he saw them shift to block his path once more. Stopping in front of the two women, he glared up at them.

"Let me through," he said in a low voice that carried the hint of a threat. The Elves tensed, preparing to physically shove him back if needed, but Thermidor's voice sounded from inside the room.

"Let him come in," she said in a tired tone. "I'm done." The two forest dwellers cast a glance behind them, then quietly stepped aside. With a sigh of relief, Luka nearly rushed past them, anxious to see his mother.

As he entered the master bedroom and approached Thermidor at the bedside, he stopped. The fencer looked more tired than he'd ever seen her, but from a different kind of weariness than the purely physical one he'd seen her suffer before. Her form still had a healthy, ethereal glow, but her eyes were dull. He suddenly realized that Thermidor and his mother had grown very close in the short year they'd known each other, and that she wasn't taking the loss of her friend any better than he was taking the loss of his mother. In fact, she seemed to be taking it worse; she looked as if she felt guilty about something.

Hearing a shuffling behind him, he looked back to see the two Elves had also entered the room and were standing quietly in a darkened corner. He wasn't sure he wanted them in this room, but their behavior was somber and respectful. He sighed as he came to the understanding that they hadn't kept him out of the room due to malice, but simply because Thermidor asked them to do so. Nodding at them, he turned around and approached the bed Liese's lifeless form laid on. As he drew near, he saw what Thermidor had been doing. She'd been cleaning Liese of the dirt and grime from the hasty burial she had been subjected to, and her hair had been patiently combed until it was smooth and shiny. There was an odd glow around her body, as well.

"I asked one of my companions here to cast a preserving spell on Liese's body," Thermidor explained in a low voice. "The flow of time will not touch her now. It's the least I could do."

Luka quietly sat beside Thermidor, looking at his mother's face. Even now that life had fled her, he still found her beautiful. He felt tears rise to his eyes again and bit them back, but a sob escaped his lips against his will. As he hung his head low, he felt Thermidor's arm snake around his shoulders and pull him to her. The swordswoman's lips lightly pressed on the top of his head as she squeezed him gently.

"It's alright to cry when you're sad," she murmured. "Only those who are already dead inside would fail to shed tears for their loved ones. I too would cry, if only I still could... but that's an ability this body never found necessary to have."

At those words, Luka finally broke down and let his tears flow freely, a sorrowful sound filling the room as he clutched the swordswoman's arm and let all his grief out. Behind him, the two Elves bowed their heads; while they had no part in his and Thermidor's mourning, they understood and respected it.

He kept crying until he finally fell asleep.

----
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Monster Girl Saga