The calm before the storm

The air in the orphanage sat heavy, silence being it's only company. 

The kids had woken up due to the sounds of the fighting. By the time Reiji, Souma and Nraltia had entered, all of the inhabitants of the orphanage were awake in the living room, peeking out through the door, barely restrained by Sister Mary.

Dragging their tired bodies, the trio push through the door, entered the living room, and plopped themselves on to the chair by the long dining table. Each one of them lost in their own thoughts.

"Why do the holy order consider me a enemy, Elnyra?" Reiji asks the translucent goddess hovering infront of him.

"They view Alicia as the one true Saint. Since the religion was established, they've made it clear that they will recognize no other hero apart from Alicia."

"So they purge all heroes since then? Both local heroes and those summoned from other worlds?"

"... Yes, that seems to be the case."

"Knowing this, you still summoned me? Tell me, how many others have died for you?" His gaze burns into the goddess infront of him, embers of his anger flaring beneath his harsh words.

"I-I don't know Reiji... Since Alicia, I've only summoned one other hero which is you."  The goddess shakes her head, averting her gaze from his accusational stare.

"Yeah? Then how many local heroes have been hunted down by them? There's no way you could only have other world heroes. So tell me, how many heroes have been born since Alicia?"

"..." 

"You keep asking for my help, yet you continuously withhold information from me. How could I possibly trust you?"

Unable to answer, the goddess disappears from his vision, leaving behind an empty silence that fueled his anger and irritation.

"Were you talking to the goddess Elnyra, Reiji?" The luporine ask, noticing his gritted teeth.

"Yeah I was."

"Did she tell you anything useful?"

"I wish. She just ran away from my questions. Freaking typical."

"Maybe she doesn't know the answer to your questions."

"Tch. What kind of irresponsible goddess withholds information, yet dares to ask for my help?"

Reaching her hand over, she gently squeezes his hand, calming the fire burning in him.

"Even gods aren't omnipotent Reiji... I think they're just as human as we are."

"..."

Sister Mary, sat opposite Souma, the two alumni's of the orphanage, were also engaging in tense discussion.

"Was it really Big Sis Lilia?" Asked the feline.

"Yeah... it was." Answered the Oni, his hand scratching the fur of his direwolf. Unsure if he was attempting to comfort his partner or himself. 

"But she's not a fighter..."

"I know, Lilia was the kindest soul here."

"She moved to the empire with her husband didn't she? I doubt Mister Eric would want her to be a Knight like him." Mary brows furrow, unable to ascertain what happened to her dearly beloved big sis Lilia. "How did she become Captain Ophelia?"

"I don't know Mary... I just don't." Souma answers, his voice still shaken from the previous encounter. "Nothing makes sense. Not Captain Ophelia or Big Sis Lilia."

"If only we could sit down and talk to her again..."

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Nraltia finally claps her hand drawing everyones attention. "It's getting late. Why don't we all take a well deserved rest, I'm sure a few hours sleep would do all of us some good, after the long day we've just had."

Nodding, the four people in the living room split up, each heading to their rooms, after a quick wash, they all fall into seperate degrees of successful sleep. Their fatigue sneaking up on them, yet the pains of unanswered questions haunted, some of them more deeply than others.

Reiji was once again visited by the visions of the previous hero, Alicia. He had lost count of how many of these he had. At first, it was always the same scene, the same bastion, the moment they made their last stand. 

Lately however, he'd been getting different visions, sometimes they were intense situations, during combat, between Alicia and her friends including Xenon, against some monsters. Sometimes it was a peaceful event, where it was just Alicia sitting down, talking with her friends, or other individuals. 

The ones that he found most infuriating was when it was just him, or her, and Xenon. The way the young Xenon had blushed when talking to Alicia, the way his cheeks burnt, and the warmth of their hands intertwining, it was enough to cause his hair to stand on end.

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

The giant bell of Tristan rung out, breaking the inhabitants from their sleep. Jolting up, Reiji gasped for air, as he felt his consciousness reconnect to his nerves, awakening his senses. Wiping the sweat from his brows, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, as he was broken out of the nightmare he was witness to. 

He may be able to handle a lot of things, but having Xenon as his first kiss, was not a life experience he wanted, even if it was only as a dream memory.

Smacking his cheeks to center himself, he threw on his clothes before bursting out the door, finding the others had already gathered in the living room.

"What's going on?" He blurts out, still slightly disoriented.

"It's the alarm bells! It's coming from all four gates of Tristan!" Souma answers, while still putting on his gear.

"Something's happened. We should go look." Nraltia says, finishing her own preparations.

"So what are we waiting for?" By the time his last words had been spoken, Reiji had already bolted out the door, running towards the nearest gate, followed closely behind by Nraltia, and finally Souma as he orders Kiba to stay behind and guard the orphanage.

The three of them heard it before they saw it. Running under the midnight moons, the path ahead was well lit, easy to see. Shadows of multiple figures running about, between houses and buildings retreating from the gates.

Armored silhouettes of knights atop the walls frantically shouting at those below the gate, as a pair of them repeatedly beat at the warning bells atop the tower. Barely blocking out the beatings and shouts from the chaotic mess of refugees pounding at the gates, begging, ordering to be let in.