An ally and a truce

“Dame Ametrine-” one of the knights tried to say, but was soon interrupted.

“I do not want to hear any ‘Dame Ametrine’” she harshly replied, sending them a piercing glare. “Answer my earlier question: or else what? What is going on here?”

Opal had never been so glad to see Ametrine before. Granted, the bar was under the floor, but her affirmation still stood.

“Dame Ametrine” someone particularly brave started. Opal wouldn’t have wanted to find herself in their place. “Maybe you have not received it yet, but His Majesty issued a new order. We are to bring back the Saviour to the castle no matter the cost.”

She frowned. “And that includes severely injuring her in the meantime?” Her eyes were stormy, while her voice had gained another edge of anger.

“Dame Ametrine, you must understand-”

“No, you must understand. She is the new Saviour, do you know what that means? She is our only hope against the Golem.”

“Of course, however that is the exact reason why we should bring her back-”

At that, the lady knight turned to Opal, who felt the need to snap to attention under that gaze, and looked at her up and down. “Were you at risk of getting fatally injured?” she asked at last, probably after having ascertained that she was just shaken, under the rubble that had got on her body and clothes, and not, in fact, mortally wounded.

“Well, I- think so?”

“Yes” replied Celsian more directly.

Ametrine glanced at her, as if still vaguely displeased with her tendency to answer questions that weren’t addressed to her, but didn’t comment on it. “Both of you?”

“Yes.”

“And this was before or after they tried to ask you to surrender?”

Celsian was looking at her more serious than ever. “Before. They ambushed us while we were resting.”

At that, Ametrine’s gaze darkened. When she turned again towards the other knights, Opal thanked all the gods and goddesses she wasn’t even sure she believed in that, this time, Ametrine wasn’t mad at her and her friend. “Since when is a similar behaviour befitting of a knight? Since when we ambush people in their sleep? Do you have no honour at all?”

One of the knights stiffened. “These are direct orders from His Majesty.”

Ametrine gripped the hilt of her sword. “Is your intention to continue like this?”

“We have to follow them.”

Ametrine had a heavy sort of expression on her face, heartbroken, as if something inside her had fractured, as she replied. “… I understand. If that is the case, however…” She slowly but surely unsheathed her sword, and for a moment Opal feared that she and Celsian would’ve had to fight her again on top of all the other knights, but she was mistaken for Ametrine, in an unlikely turn of events, wielded her blade against those that should’ve been her colleagues. Opal couldn’t breathe for the life of her. “If you would stoop so low as to severely injure the current Saintess, then I will stop you.”

“No, Dame Ametrine, please reconsider-”

It didn’t seem like she wanted to. “Prepare yourselves.”

“Dame- no, Ametrine Calchedonius, you are committing high treason against the crown.”

“I studied the Knight’s Code too, I think I am well aware of what I am doing.” And then, she was fighting, a purple whirlwind among the silvers and blues.

The other knights, even those whose eyes had hardened in front of her decision, sported fairly terrified expressions, while they were forced to battle against that model of determination and skill, and Opal was so glad that she was on her side: like every dangerous opponent, she was a very precious ally, as the series Opal liked watching had thought her. She knew they weren’t lying to her.

“You two, go away!” Ametrine shouted.

Opal’s eyes widened slightly, suddenly worried. “What? But- what about you?”

“I-” A parry, then a lunge. “I will catch up to you, now go!”

Opal hesitated. She didn’t want to leave her there, it just didn’t seem right, but Celsian took her by the arm and started pulling her away from the battle. “Come on, Opal, she’ll be fine.” She sounded so sure. “Besides, we would only get in her way.”

That, Opal could understand: after all, they had never worked together before. It was the same as with big group projects at school, if one thought about it.

“Exactly” Ametrine added. Who would’ve believed that one day she and Celsian would’ve agreed on something? It was the most incredible event that had happened since Opal had arrived in that world. “Besides, I promised, did I not? That I would find you-” A strike. “-for how many times-” A counterattack. “-it would take!”

Celsian smiled, a lopsided thing. “That you did. Make sure you don’t get captured or die just yet!”

“In your dreams!” Ametrine exclaimed, but they had already began to run and her voice followed their steps like an echo in the forest.

“Where are we going?” Opal asked.

“Let’s make it to a quieter place, for starters.”

“Okay.”

After that, they stopped talking in favour of going as fast as they could. They reached a clearing where there were some boulders that offered both protection and a good view on their surroundings, and Celsian stopped there, leaning against a rock.

“Alright, I think we can stay here for a bit.”

“Are we waiting for Ametrine?” Opal asked, looking around.

“… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes.” Celsian shook her head in incredulity. “However…” She frowned, and her gaze was serious when it settled on Opal. “Be ready for everything, okay? Ametrine may have saved us with those other knights, but her sense of justice is all skewed.” Celsian’s idea of the law was too, but apparently they were ignoring that. “For all we know, she could decide it’s alright if she drags us to the capital securely bound and with a few shallow wounds but not severely injured.”

Opal didn’t really like that mentality, her first instinct was always to trust someone who had helped her, but she supposed that Celsian’s wariness was what allowed her to survive that long after becoming a thief and a criminal. She nodded reluctantly. “… okay.” It was better to be safe than sorry, after all.

“Good.”

They didn’t know for how long they should’ve waited, but apparently the answer was “not much at all.” Ametrine appeared in the clearing a relatively little time later and joined them once she spotted them. Celsian’s eyes followed her every movement, but the knight limited herself to sit down – not to say fall more or less disgracefully – on a small boulder, making a beeline for it and royally ignoring everything else, and put her head in her hands, the picture of desperation.

“Hum… Ametrine?” Opal inquired, vaguely worried. She exchanged a quick glance with Celsian, who shrugged helplessly, seeming unsure too. “Are you… okay?” She didn’t appear injured or anything, even though her armour was stained with traces of blood and dirt, but who knew. Opal was torn between reaching out and not risking a bad reaction. In the end she chose the second option, just to stay on the safe side.

Ametrine looked up, a hopeless look in her eyes. “You have no intention of returning to the royal castle, do you?”

Opal felt kind of sorry for her, but shook her head. “No, I really don’t.”

Ametrine’s head dropped into her hands for the second time. “I knew it” she commented, her voice muffled. “It was but a vain hope, but I guess I still had to make sure.”

Opal and Celsian exchanged another glance. It wasn’t subtle at all, but it felt like they could’ve performed a victory dance for all that the knight cared.

“So…” Celsian started. It was time for stilted conversation. “Do you have the intention of dragging us to the capital?”

Ametrine levelled her with an unimpressed glare, her arms dropping on her legs. “For which purpose? Handing the Saviour on a silver platter to people who could have killed her? People who would just abuse her power?” Opal shivered. “No, of course not. Do you take me for someone with no honour?”

At that, Celsian’s muscles finally relaxed; something in her expression changed, and she let out a minute sigh of relief. “No, I don’t” she replied sincerely.

“By the way, I… wanted to thank you” Opal said. “For saving us, earlier.”

Ametrine inclined her head in her direction. “Believe it or not, protecting the Saviour should be part of a knight’s duty.” Then, her gaze hardened. “Even though the others seem to have forgotten that.”

“Yeah, speaking of that, they’re not going to suddenly appear to attack us again, are they?” Celsian asked.

“No, I made sure that they will not be able to follow us.”

She pronounced those words with such intensity and certainty that Opal shuddered just imagining what she could have done to obtain that result: it didn’t feel like she killed them, didn’t seem right, however there were many ways to injure a person. For a moment she wondered how in the hell they had managed to stop her and escape from her, but concluded it must’ve been only because she wasn’t intentioned to actually hurt them, because, if Ametrine was skilled enough to fight alone and win against a big group of surely well-trained knights without seemingly getting even wounded, the two of them shouldn’t have been able to hold a candle against her, no matter who they were. Opal definitely didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if she’d reasoned like her colleagues.

“That’s a relief” Celsian commented, crossing her fingers behind her head. If she was shaken too or shared Opal’s reflections, she didn’t show it. And then, as if it was a mere afterthought, she added: “By the way, since you’ll be stripped of your title, does this mean that you’ll finally stop chasing me?”

Ametrine looked at her like a hawk looks at a mouse. “Of course not. One day you will be behind bars for your crimes, and only that day I will be satisfied.”

Celsian deflated, disappointed but not surprised. “I guess that asking something different, from you, was a bit much.”

“On this, we find ourselves on the same page. However…” She glanced away. “… it is true that I will lose my authority as soon as those knights will return to the capital, and it is better if none of us sets foot in Kruos for the moment.”

“There is a concerning amount of things we’re agreeing on, today.”

“What will you do, then, Ametrine?” Opal asked quickly, before they could start bickering.

“Well…” The knight turned to her, looking her directly in the eye. “I know it could come across as an entitled request, however, if you will have me, I would like to come with you.”

“What? Are you serious? Until a few days ago you were out for blood!” Celsian exclaimed. “Mine, mostly, but still.”

Ametrine frowned. “Yes, I am-” she tried to answer.

Celsian didn’t even seem to actually hear her, already lost in a conversation with herself. “No, of course you’re serious, you’re always serious, how could I forget that? I’m not even sure you know the concept of ‘joking around’. Does this make your request worse, though? Or better?” She brought a hand to her mouth, continuing to talk alone as if the others didn’t even exist.

Ametrine raised a single questioning eyebrow in Opal’s direction, and Opal shrugged helplessly. “She does that, every now and then.” Maybe her friend had just spent way too much time alone in her hideouts, doing research.

After perhaps a minute of soliloquy, Celsian considered them again and focused her inquiring gaze on the knight, who held it without question. “Why?”

“Because the Saviour must be protected at all costs.” With her elbows resting on her knees, Ametrine interlaced her fingers. “Since my… former colleagues have evidently chosen to disrespect our Code, then I will be the one to abide by it. It is as simple as that.”

Opal found herself being vaguely disappointed: despite apparently being on their side, Ametrine too saw her more as a figure of legend than an actual person. “… I don’t want to be the Saviour, though. I’ve already told you.”

The knight inclined her head, conceding. “And I will not stop trying to convince you of the contrary, but this is not the point. No matter what you decide in the end, I cannot and will not let you be in more danger than you already are.”

Opal supposed that, at the moment, that was the best she could get – and, despite their disagreements, she couldn’t exactly pass on the opportunity to have her in their team –. Maybe, however, over time she could’ve worked on Ametrine’s beliefs too: it was something that could go both ways. “… I see.”

“I promise I will prove to be useful. After all, I know everything about the knights’ movements, tactics and modus operandi.” Apart from being an admirable and fearsome swordswoman, but she didn’t need to remind them of that.

“Okay, we’ll take you! You convinced me!” Celsian suddenly exclaimed, pointing her finger at Ametrine.

The latter and Opal turned to her in perfect sync.

“What?” Celsian put her hands on her hips. “Can’t I change my mind? She raised a good point, and I have priorities! I’ve always been a fan of truces anyway.”

Ametrine opened her mouth to reply, something sarcastic no doubt, but Opal stole a march on her. “Well then” she said quickly, using the same sort of lopsided smile that she’d seen from time to time on Celsian’s face and extending a hand. “I’d argue that this means you’re officially welcome to come with us.”

The knight rose from her seat and went for her forearm, shaking it once with a firm grip. “Thank you for having me, let me introduce myself properly.” She looked Opal right in the eye, slightly inclining her head. “I am Dame Ametrine Calchedonius, former Knight Commander of the Citrine Knights. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and an honour to travel with you.”