??: Mh...
(Emperor Isaac zi Aunoss)
Emperor Isaac: What news do you bring me at such a late hour?
Replied the emperor's low, harmonic voice to a man who bowed down to him at the base of the steps to his grand throne.
?: The two individuals responsible for attacking the crown prince, have escaped.
Emperor Isaac: I see. Is that all?
?: It seems that they were aided in their escape. Search parties searching for the fifth guardian unit discovered a four-sided wall of ice near the edge of the city, with the fifth unit inside.
Emperor Isaac: So it was someone with ice magic then...?
?: Yes, your majesty. We asked the fifth guardian unit who it was that committed the act. I am very sorry to say this. But it was our one and only Holy Knight of Ice, Iris Aerialhardt.
Emperor Isaac: Mm...what a cruel surprise. The Second Holy Knight of the Round Table. It's tragic to see one of our best knights betray the empire just to aid in the escape of a couple of troublemakers
?: Your majesty, there is something else.
Emperor Isaac: Hm? What is it?
?: Regarding the knight who tragically lost their life to one of the three individuals. We are rather confused about his death. We asked a man who witnessed the crime from a third story bedroom. He said that he heard a few "loud pops," which came from one of the individuals who was a girl. He said he watched the knight mysteriously fall back, lifeless.
Emperor Isaac: Has an autopsy been performed yet?
?: Yes, your majesty. We found multiple fragments of two different unknown metals buried inside multiple parts of his body. There was also two small holes in his front chestplate.
Emperor Isaac: Mm...
?: We thought long and hard about it, and the best we could think of, was that this could be some form of new magic the empire has not yet heard of.
Emperor Isaac: I see...
?: Your majesty, what shall we do?
Emperor Isaac: Send out search teams and clear every town and city in the region. Bring all three of them to me at once. If you can't find Miss Aerialheardt and the man, then do everything you can to bring me that girl
?: Yes, your majesty.
~?~?~?~?~
Sitting in the back of a rolling carriage, surrounded by sealed wooden crates, sat the three fugitives of the law. It was a long and awkward silence as they rocked back and forth. Jerrim and Iris sat across from each other, both looking down at the floorboards. Shelly sat toward the front of the carriage on top of one of the crates. She couldn't help but stare at the two, knowing there was tension between them.
Shelly:
She leans back and looks up at the roof of the carriage.
Shelly:
Jerrim looks up from the floor at Iris and finally breaks the awkward silence. His voice is sincere and calm.
Jerrim: Thank you, for saving us, Iris...I, didn't think you still cared about me as a brother.
Iris, however, completely dismisses Jerrim.
Iris: Tch...the only reason I rescued you is to protect the savior. She mustn't die, in order to save this dark world...
Jerrim: Huh—?!
Shelly looked at Iris with a nervous look on her face.
Shelly:
She looked over at Jerrim, whose head hung low, down and demoralized.
Shelly:
Jerrim: So that's it...you don't care about me at all anymore...?
Iris looks up at Jerrim, head still down, and raises her voice.
Iris: That's not what I said!
Jerrim raised his head and looked at her.
Iris: You didn't attack anyone, you would have been fine. The emperor would have let you leave without consequence.
Jerrim: Yeah...sure he would...and, even if that were true...I did kind of instigate the bar fight.
Iris: Huh?!
Jerrim laughs awkwardly.
Jerrim: Eheheh...
Iris slaps her hand over her face.
Iris: Goodness...
Iris: You're such an imbecile. This is why you're current life is the way it is
Jerrim gave Iris a stern look.
Jerrim: My life isn't as bad as you think it is, Iris. Sorry I don't live a high life of glory and honor to the system! Besides, I didn't start that bar fight just because I wanted to.
Jerrim then looked over at Shelly, who continued to sit there in silence, watching the interaction.
Jerrim: I did it to save Shelly. If you didn't know, the emperor's precious son did something unforgiving to a waitress that made him deserving of a nut kick. And I wasn't about to leave her to be arrested and sentenced to die.
Iris:...
Jerrim: I wasn't going to let her die then. And I won't let her die now, or ever. Not while I'm with her. I might have only known her for a day, but I already know...
Shelly: Hm?
Jerrim: She's amazing. I can tell she's smart, she's beautiful, and above all else, strong.
Shelly's face started to glow red again, blushing harder than ever before.
Jerrim: I can tell she has a lot of potential to become a fighter. A savior!
Iris glanced over at Shelly, then looked back down at the floorboards.
Iris:...I see...
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~?~?~?~?~
As they arrived at their destination, all three of them hopped out of the carriage, landing their feet onto a cobblestone street. The carriage moves along and leaves them behind. And they are left in the middle of a small city nestled in the mountains. Blessed by the sun's morning light.
Shelly: Hey, what's going on with those mountains?
Shelly pointed out. Iris looks up to the sky to see what she was talking about. Above the distant lands, there floated more mountains, decorated with snow, resting way up in the clouds. Like they were looking down upon the little mountain city.
Jerrim: Those are what everyone calls "The Angel's Mountains". No one has been up there, but it's common belief that the mysterious individual with the unknown magic lives up there.
Shelly: You're saying the person who broke up the lands into four continents is still alive? And that he lives up there?!
Jerrim: Yeah, no one knows why they've lived for so long. I think their magic keeps them alive
Shelly: Wow...immortality.
Suddenly, without warning, Iris approaches Shelly and kneels before her. Hearing the sound of her clacking armor, she looks down at her. Her head bows with her fist to her heart.
Iris: Miss Kuznetsov! From now on, it is my duty to protect you. As the savior of this world, you shall not die until you have fulfilled your purpose!
Shelly: Woah, what's with the sudden change in attitude?
Jerrim smirks and laughs.
Jerrim: Eheheh, this is gonna be interesting.
Iris: I shall also refer to you as "Master" from now on, and shall follow your every command! Wherever you travel, I shall be there with you!
Shelly:
Jerrim: How do you go from a loyal knight to the system to a loyal knight to one individual overnight...?
Jerrim said to himself.
Shelly: First of all, I want you to stop calling me "master", and second of all, you don't have to follow me everywhere, y'know?!
Iris: Then what shall I refer to you as?
Shelly: Just call me by my—! Hm...
Jerrim: Hm?
Shelly:
Shelly:
Jerrim: Well?
Shelly: How about..."Mertvyy Messiya"
Iris: Interesting nickname, what meaning does it have? If I may ask?
Shelly: It translates to, "The Dead Messiah"
Shelly:
Iris: That is quite a long nickname, may I request that you shorten it?
Shelly: Sure, just call me "Messiya"
Iris stands and looks Shelly in the eyes.
Iris: Then it is settled. From now on, Messiya, I am your personal knight and guardian.
Jerrim: So if I may ask, why the "dead" part anyway?
Shelly: Well, in my original world, I kind of died. Someone murdered me...
Jerrim: Damn...that sounds awful.
Shelly: To be honest, my previous life was sad enough. But I had no intentions of killing myself. So I guess I'm just glad that I didn't go out that way...
Jerrim: Wow, I see... I just have, one more question though.
Shelly: Hm?
Jerrim: That nickname sounds like a language unheard of. What is it?
Shelly: Actually, it's my native language, Russian.
Jerrim: Awesome! A language that no one else but us knows about! You have got to teach me!
Shelly: Hehe, sure. After all, I owe you for all the shit that you've gotten me out of.
Iris: Well then, we should find a place to stay. We could be here for a while
Jerrim: At least until the authorities come calling
The three of them walk through town, looking for an inn to check in to. While finding their way there, many locals stare at the bunch in silence. Looking like they'd all seen a ghost as they watched them go by.
Shelly:
~?~?~?~?~
When they finally locate the town's only inn, they all head inside and meet the clerk at the front desk. A short man on the older side. He had no hair on his head, yet he also had a graying beard that went all the way to his chest. He was missing an eye and had a big scar going down the center of it. With a golden ring piercing in his nose and a deep, gurgly voice. A grizzled man who has no doubt seen more downs than ups in his life. Jerrim leans on the counter and smirks.
Jerrim: Excuse me, good sir. I'd like a room for three.
The man looked over at Iris, then at Jerrim, and then at Shelly.
?: Heh, you three got a lotta balls walkin' into town y'know.
He said with a big grin on his face.
Shelly: W-What do you mean?
?: You think I don't know? Word travels fast in these parts. But don't worry, ain't nobody around here gonna give you up to the authorities. We've been waiting a long time for someone with big enough balls to go kickin' the emperor's son in the berries
Jerrim: Well, I'm glad you guys don't want to give us up at least.
?: Yeah, so tell me, which one of you was it that gave him a good kickin'?
Jerrim: It was her.
Jerrim said as he raised his hand and pointed at Shelly with his thumb.
?: Ah, I would've never expected a girl to do something like that. Hahah! You have my utmost respect already! I'd hate to be the guy that tries gropin' you! Hahah!
Shelly: I-I'm not that strong!
Shelly said in a nervous embarrassed tone. The man then looked over at Iris with a huge grin on his face.
?: And you. Ah, the "glorious" Holy Knights. Normally I'd wanna kick you out, but you're the one who saved these two crazy bastards, so you too have my respect
Iris: Mmh!
Iris didn't even know how to respond to that. Shelly looked over at her in confusion.
Shelly: Why's she acting like that?
She asked Jerrim.
Jerrim: Holy Knights get almost no respect from the public. I would imagine that the only "respect" she got was from the emperor and her fellow Holy Knights buttering each other up
?: Your room is on the third floor, number 302
The man said with a grin as he leaned on the counter.
Jerrim: I appreciate it, sir.
?: It's a pleasure!
~?~?~?~?~
After settling in, Shelly took a seat in a wooden chair in front of a wooden desk in their room. She was alone in the room while Jerrim and Iris set off to explore the town by themselves.
Shelly:
She thought to herself as she drew her M18 from her holster, ejected the mag, and racked back the slide, clearing it of the bullet in the chamber. The tactile, metal actions filling her ears as she catches the bullet mid-air in her hand and sets her gun on the desk.
Shelly:
She sets the bullet down, facing up on the desk. And starts to remove the remaining rounds from her magazine, counting each one as she removes them.
Shelly:
She removes the last round and finishes her count.
Shelly: Nine rounds left, out of my original eighteen...I really need to conserve
She leans back and looks up at the ceiling in disappointment.
Shelly: Huuuu...what am I gonna do...? I don't have a cleaning kit, no extra ammo, no extra magazines...nothing...
Feeling the heat in the room get to her, she removes Jerrim's jacket and hangs it on the back of the chair. Then she takes off her cross necklace and sets it down on the table. She then picks up her empty M18 and looks through the red dot optic on top.
Shelly: Now the reticle is starting to fade too. Which means the battery is running out. I may have to zero it back in too, the only reason I've been able to even successfully shoot that guard from before was because he was so close to me
She turns off the red dot optic and sets the gun off to the side on the desk. She became frustrated and furious with herself as all these issues started to come crawling out. She lets out a loud exhale as she rests her arms and head on the desk, looking over at her necklace. But something was odd. She noticed something that caught her eye.
Shelly: Hm?
She raises her head to get a clearer look at the black cross pendant on her necklace.
The inside of the pendant was now a glowing shade of ruby red. Shelly is left confused. She picks up the necklace by the cross and rubs at the red coloring with her thumb.
The surface of it felt different. It wasn't the usual smooth, stainless steel surface. It now felt more angular, curved with flat angled surfaces in it, similar to a gem. The red surface was also reflective. So reflective, Shelly could see her own face in it.
She could see the triple-clawed scar on her cheek from where the fiend she'd struggled against had swiped its three-fingered claws across her face.
Suddenly, the door flies open and Iris walks in.
Iris: Messiya, is everything okay in here?
Shelly: Iris? I thought you went out to explore?
Iris: I lied, apologies. I was actually standing guard on the other side of the door this entire time
Shelly looks at Iris with a ticked off expression.
Shelly: Wonderful...so you're eavesdropping now...
Iris: If you're lacking certain material needs, then perhaps I can gather them for you
Shelly: Oh, sorry...but the things I need don't exist in this world. That's why I was hoping to learn magic, I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could make them that way...
Iris: Hm? Magic?
Shelly: Yes, but as you know...I'm just a human. Magic is something that I can't do...
Iris: Mm...hm?
Iris noticed Shelly's cross pendant, eyeing the ruby red inside it. She looked up at Shelly's face, appearing depressed and sad as she looked at the pendant. It's clear, Iris knew something Shelly didn't. An idea is brewing in that Ice Knight's head of hers.
Iris: If you would like to, there is a man I want you to meet. Who lives just thirty minutes away from here
Shelly: We just got to town after an all-night travel and you already want to take me to meet some guy I've never met?
Iris: Trust me, Messiya, you won't regret it if you do
Shelly: Fine...who is it...?
Iris: I shall take you to him.
—————
After setting out on a short journey outside of town, Shelly, Iris, and Jerrim all traveled together on foot.
Hiking up a forested mountain a couple miles out of town. What was supposed to be a hidden mountain location thirty minutes away was actually an hours-worth of walking up steep slopes covered with loose rocks, shrubs, low-hanging branches, and many sneaky critters. As well as crossing many beautiful downward traveling streams.
Shelly of course had the roughest time of the three, while Jerrim and Iris traveled up the mountain with ease. It was boiling hot, and wearing a brown jacket made of leather wasn't making it any better.
Despite that the jacket barely reached down past chest length, and that it was undone. And getting her socks, boots, and jeans soaking wet every time they crossed a stream only served to make it worse.
Shelly:
She thought to herself the entire way up. As they finally arrived, Shelly's eyes widened in mesmerization.
Shelly: Woah...!
Iris: We're here.