Peace Under Siege

They walked for a long time.

The black forest hemmed them in from all sides, its twisted trees stretching out branches like talons ready to snatch the sky. Yet, despite the heavy atmosphere, Akashi and Kaira pressed on at a steady, peaceful pace. Defying all of the common sense. It was more usual if both came to feel oppressed and even somewhat afraid due to the unpleasant atmosphere and environment, but that was not the case here. 

The region was remote. Human presence was scarce, save for the occasional hunter—the type who preferred the silence of their prey over the company of others. Surprisingly, no creature had dared attack them since their previous encounter. Unlike the hostility they had faced before, it was as if the forest itself was recoiling from their presence.

That, in itself, was a relief.

The moonlight sliced through the woods like a silver thread, guiding their steps through the thicket. The moon’s cold glow seemed to point due north—their destination: the capital city of Callus.

"U-uh..."

A faint sound escaped Kaira’s lips. Hearing it, Akashi glanced back.

— Oh? Tired, aren't you?

They had been walking for over thirty minutes without a break. Kaira’s short, slender legs—determined as they were—had finally hit their limit. Her body wavered, and she was forced to lean against the ashen trunk of a peculiar, Y-shaped tree that curved backward.

With darkness swallowing the horizon and the sinister shapes of the flora, the scene looked like something out of a low budget horror movie—where danger could leap from the shadows at any moment.

But Akashi remained unfazed.

— My bad, — he said with a light sigh. — I’m used to traveling alone. I tend to pick up the pace without realizing it.

He motioned with his head, before scratching behind it.  

— Want to rest here for a bit? If anything happens, I could carry you.

The offer was sincere—the least he could do after pushing her so hard—but one look at her face told him she wasn't fond of the idea. Kaira quickly lowered her head, staring at the purple grass as if it were the most fascinating thing in the universe.

— E-ehn...

— Got it. Let’s take five, then.

Akashi looked up at the sky. The full moon looked unnaturally large against the black velvet of the night. Still, there were no signs of gravitational disturbances—no natural disasters, no fields trying to pull each other in.

— We still have time. Judging by the moon, it’s not that late. With some luck, we’ll find an inn before dawn.

— Wahh...!

The girl let out a sigh of pure relief. And then... she collapsed.

Not literally, of course—but she sank into the ground as if her muscles had all powered down at once. She flopped onto the amethyst-colored grass, leaning against the tree with limp arms and heavy eyelids. They flickered shut for a few seconds, just long enough for a soft, cute sigh to escape her.

— Heh... fair enough.

Akashi smiled, nearly chuckling at the sight. He leaned back as well, crossing his arms and resting a heel against a tree trunk that looked like a spiral spring. No leaves on the branches. No visible life. And yet... there was peace.

— The breeze is fresh. Lucky us, right?

— Mhm! — Kaira replied with a sleepy nod. Her blue hair danced to the left, caught in a gentle breeze blowing from the south.

But something was off.

Akashi’s white hair was fluttering in the opposite direction—toward the north.

Kaira blinked. Then she blinked again. She tilted her head slightly, noting the anomaly. Was the wind blowing in two directions at once?

Her expression turned curious—not confused, just intrigued. She looked at Akashi, perhaps expecting an explanation. But the young man remained calm, as if he hadn't noticed—or simply didn't care.

That’s when she realized something even more curious: his tranquility was stranger than the wind itself. The forest, the breeze, the darkness... it was all bizarre. But Akashi made it all feel natural.

Suddenly, the girl scrambled up. With some effort, she stood and faced Akashi with unexpected seriousness—as if she were judging him, or perhaps as if she knew an embarrassing secret.

— Hm? What is it? Rested already? We only had two minutes...

— Kyah!

— W-what the...? Eh?!

— Eeeey-ah!

Out of nowhere, the girl began throwing completely uncoordinated strikes into the air. Tiny fists, clumsy feet, attacking the nothingness with a strangely determined energy—as if she wanted to express something she didn't have the words for.

Finally, she stopped with a fist raised toward Akashi, who watched her in silence. A soft laugh as "Pfft...! Hahahaha!" escaped him, almost as if he understood the incomprehensible.

— You want to know how I beat those guys like that?

— Mhm! Mhm!

She had seen the forest savages fly like ragdolls, defeated in seconds. The combat techniques, the fluid movements... to Kaira’s eyes, it was magic. The spark in her silver eyes made that very clear.

She relaxed her body and nodded again, enthusiastically. Akashi turned his gaze back to the cloudless night sky, decorated with stars twinkling in the dark vastness.

— In short, I... just trained, trained a lot! For real. It’s a real long story. So long you’d probably fall asleep before I finish it... But I can tell you once we reach an inn. How’s that sound?

— A-ah... Mhm...

The sound was a bit more subdued. Even though she accepted the idea, the little girl was clearly a little disappointed. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her bright eyes began to blink slowly again.

— Relax, we'll have time. I promise. — With a light smile, Akashi pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the north. — Ready to head out?

Kaira hesitated for a moment. Her eyes darted to the sky, then the ground, and finally back to Akashi. She gave a small, genuine smile and nodded.

And so, they resumed their journey.

△▼△▼△▼△

Twenty minutes later, the density of the trees began to thin. The forest was giving way to something... constructed.

They emerged from the woods. Crossing a small slope, they stopped at the top of a gentle ridge. In the distance, a wide road paved with dark metal plates stretched like a glowing ribbon toward the horizon.

But the structure ahead was the real showstopper.

A massive steel gate stood like a wall split in two, suspended by thick black chains leading up to high towers. Colossal ramparts protected the area, featuring details carved in pale stone and ancient signs that pulsed with a soft blue light.

Above the gate, an inscription in ancient lettering read:

“CAPITAL OF CALLUS — GUARDIAN OF THE FOUR LINES.”

Akashi gave a low whistle. 

— Huh... not bad.

— O-oh...

Kaira stood beside him, eyes wide with fascination. The city lights bled through the gaps in the walls, painting the dark sky in shades of amber and cobalt.

— Come on, little one. I bet there’s a decent bed and a real meal waiting for us in there.

He reached out his hand. Kaira hesitated for only a second before taking it, she could feel the firmness and strength of that hand, which stood in stark contrast to the gentle face that held it. The smaller hand could be crushed if Akashi wanted—and that was terrifying to her—but Kaira could rest assured, she trusted that he wouldn't do that. She expected that. Together, they descended toward the main road.

"———"

— Look at that... — the guard on the left muttered, his voice raspy behind his helm’s visor. — Is that... a child?

— And she’s with a man with an amazingly odd sense of style, — the other replied, his voice deeper. — They don't look like hunters. No kingdom traits either. Suspicious. Maybe that light wasn’t a mere meteor.

The first guard frowned. 

— Mars... whoever they are, stay sharp.

— You think I’m as impulsive as you, Thiren? — Mars retorted, adjusting his grip on his spear. — If they're just outside travelers, there’s no worry. If not, we report to the High Tower.

— Huh, still a bit late for visitors, don't you think? And with the war against Artoria, anyone could be a spy. Specially someone like that guy, I think his clothes are suspicious.

—... the clothes?

"———"

On the other side, Akashi scratched his chin, a lopsided grin on his face. 

— A warm welcome, eh? They’ve been talking about us since we stepped out of the shadows. And of course, it's about my style... I should teach them a lesson. But... I can't, it would just mess up everything. 

— Mhm... — Kaira whispered, hiding half her body behind him.

— Relax, Kaira. As long as Uncle Akashi is here, no one’s gonna mess with you.

As they approached, the guard Mars stepped forward, his spear held diagonally to block the path. "Halt. Identify yourselves."

Akashi raised an eyebrow, stopping a few paces away. 

— Name, origin, and purpose in Callus. — Thiren added, opening a ledger.

— Sure, sure... — Akashi raised his hands slightly in a peaceful gesture. — The name is Akashi Taiga. Origin is: Nowhere you’d know. Our purpose her is to have a simple rest, maybe some hot food... oh, and somewhere to leave this little one safe. Found her alone in the forest after a monster attack, you should take some measures regarding those creatures, eh?

— I don't know what are you talking about.

Mars scanned him from head to toe. But he quickly made an assumption based on his mere look. No weapons.

— Do you travel unarmed?

— That’s right. — Akashi replied with a flick of his wrist.

— And the child? Her name?

No answer.

Kaira felt completely unable to respond to the man. Her wide eyes seemed capable of seeing something terrifying—yet she didn't leave Akashi's side, as if he were her safe haven. 

Akashi looked down at the hesitant girl. Immediately crouching slightly and whispering while still holding her right hand: "It’s okay, just your name... I won't let them do anything bad against you."

— M-Mhm...

She took a few timid steps forward, clutching her hands to her chest. Her silver eyes focused on the intimidating armored men. Her voice caught in her throat. "K-Ka... K-K-Ka..."

— Hm? — Thiren grunted impatiently.

— What the heck is wrong with this child? Is she broken, or what? — Mars questioned, his nose slightly wrinkling. 

"K-Kaira...!", the name finally came.

Immediately after answering, her instincts told her to bolt back behind Akashi. Proud of her courage, the young man patted her head gently, while smiling to her.

 — Good girl.

— And your relationship? — Mars asked, narrowing his eyes.

Akashi huffed. — ...I just told you that I found her on the forest. Man, I thought Callus was more "hospitable." I believed the white coat was enough to show I’m one of the good guys, but those questions are really annoying.

Mars gnashed his teeth.

 — That’s not an answer.

— Look, I’m looking after her. Think of me as a temporary big brother, a tutor... or, I don't know, an emotional support mascot.

Thiren raised a hand to calm his colleague down. 

— Huh... Fine. You don't look hostile. But protocol dictates... show me your hands.

— Huh? Hands? — Akashi repeated.

— Callus is at war with our neighboring planet, Artoria, — Thiren explained. — All Artorians bear marks on their palms. Black as dried ink... specific burn-like shapes. If someone shows up with those marks, we report them immediately.

Akashi raised his palms, and Kaira reluctantly did the same. Clean. No residual energy. Just ordinary hands—or at least, disguised well enough to look that way.

Even after both soldiers held the pair's bare hands, pressing and even "massaging" the skin with their thumbs, nothing suspicious had been noticed. They were clean. 

— Seems clear, — Mars muttered. — You may enter. Just don't cause trouble. We’ve got no patience for problematic visitors.

— Don't worry, big guy, — Akashi winked. — I’m chill.

The gate groaned, lowering slowly. A deep, metallic echo rang out as the entrance revealed a wide avenue lit by blueish lamps.

— Finally. Shall we?

Akashi asked. Hesitantly Kaira nodded, and without any rush, the two crossed the threshold into the vastness of Callus.

The heavy gates creaked loudly before concealing the inner world from the outer one once more. The two guards stood alone outside, accompanied by the cool breeze, the grey forest, and the silence of the rest of the world. 

— Those two... — Mars murmured as the gates finally closed. — Something about them is off.

— Stay calm, — Thiren answered, resting a hand on his spear. — For now, we just keep our eyes open. They don't seem like a real threat. Maybe we're just being too rigid because of the war. Also, recently, we received a lot of uncommon people from outside, including Artoria itself.

— Yeah... there was that girl with the big sword, the vice-general of the Artorian Army, sheesh... even the emperor is in there now. It hardly seems like they were attacking each other on the plains just yesterday, because our king was accused by the emperor. 

— Hum... and we would still be dealing with that fight, if it wasn't by...

"That strange mediator." Mars completed, before glancing against the gates.

But one thing was certain: with everything going on, the newcomers arrival would not go unnoticed for long.