Chapter Fifteen

A warm kiss from the sun fades the dream. Eden slowly cracks open his eyes to be greeted by the same wooden ceiling and cobblestone walls as he was injured before. Wind whistles in from the shattered windows making the curtains gently swim to the air. There are sounds of chatter beyond the view of the broken glass and behind the door to his room.

Eden sits up and looks at himself. Bandages are wrapped all over his body. His limbs throb with soreness just by moving them, but he isn’t in any pain. Turning his gaze to the outside, he wonders. How did he get here? How much time had passed since he fainted? Who's out there? And where's Eleanor? The air waltz in and softly touches his cheeks; Eden breathes in and then out. That's a nice breeze.

The chattering outside grows louder then turns into yelling. Eden hastily gets out of bed and rushes out the door, to the halls, passing nurses and doctors. Every inch in his body screams for him to stop as he moves, but worry gets the better of him. Through the doors of the clinic, rays of sunlight greets him with a blare making him squint. As Eden's eyes adjust to the light. He sees a group of people all gathered in front of a girl in a yellow robe. She also has bandages wrapped around her legs and arms. Eleanor! Insults from men, women, and elders alike bombard her against the wall of the clinic.

"Hey!" Eden calls out.

Everyone stops bickering and turns their attention at Eden. Every one of their eyes flares with rage; the stares burn through Eden like a pack of wolves cornering a small rabbit.

"You, get out of our town!" A man walks out of the crowd and shouts.

"Take your woman and leave!" Another man barks.

"You worthless piece of dung! And you call yourself a Legion?!"

More and more nasty words fly through the air.

Eden's mind begins to race. What's going on? Why are they chasing me out? What did I do wrong? He looks at Eleanor. For a brief moment, making eye contact, but then she avoids his gaze. He turns back to the angry mob approaching him with their fingers pointed at him like swords.

"W-what did I do?" The shaky words stumble out of Eden's quivering mouth, knowing and afraid of what's coming next.

"You already know what you did!"

"Why is this brat acting innocent?"

"Just pack your things and leave!"

Some women push Eleanor off her balance, towards Eden. He quickly rushes over and catches her fall. Her eyes still will not meet his. "What are you guys doing!?" Eden yells.

An old man approaches them with a cane in his hand. "You two destroyed our beautiful town," he says in a gruff voice. "You made this town your battlefield."

Eden opens his mouth to retaliate but is interrupted by another man.

"Both of you should've lured them away!"

"Right!"

"Should’ve expected less from a One Star!”

“You’re too weak!”

Piles and piles of words get stacked on Eden. He can’t say anything to them. I could've done more? Lure the bandit and the Menace out of town. I didn't… I didn’t even think of that...

"And let us not forget about the Menace," says the old man. "You could have drawn that thing away and fought it in the forest instead. No, if only you were a Five Star, there could have been fewer casualties!"

The words stab Eden like a knife. Heat flushes through his entire body; his nails dig into the skin of his palms. The desire to fight back rises in his throat like a lump in his neck, but instead, he holds it in.

"And you girl!"

Eleanor flinches in Eden’s arm as if the old man’s voice boomed out of nowhere.

"You are an idiot who doesn't even know how to use an Armament. You're a Five Star, for the goddesses sake!"

“A real Five Star Legion would’ve killed those bandits and that monster before it ruined our town!”

"Shut up..." Eden mumbles.

"We can't hear you, One Star!"

"I said, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Eden's eyes burn like fire. "You're right that I’m not a Five Star, but I still protected you guys! And Eleanor is not an idiot!"

"You think you're a hero? Look around you, you imbecile!"

Eden helps Eleanor back to her feet then turns his gaze around.

The streets are no more than an outcome of their fight with the bandits and the Menace. Piles of cobblestone lie everywhere, cracks in the pavement reach throughout the town, and numerous craters and hand prints. More piercing stares come from destroyed buildings and shattered windows. Not a single home or structure left unscathed.

An aching pain throbs in the back of Eden’s throat. Glares everywhere cornering him. His fist, unclenching.

"You're no hero." The old man hisses.

"You two completely destroyed our town!" An old woman yells.

"Kingdoms are at war with each other as we speak! Every month we must provide our kingdom with supplies, but look at our town now!"

The townsfolk all nod their heads in agreement. More and more begin to show up and gather with them.

"Where are we going to get the resources to rebuild what both of you had destroyed? How can we support our kingdom now?"

"How are you going to pay for the damages?!"

In unison, the mob and the others in broken buildings all shout their anger. The barrage of poisonous words block Eden’s thoughts, preventing him from forming any sentences in his mouth and only forcing him to listen to them. Their voices throb his head like they’re banging his skull.

But I just wanted to save everyone from the bandits. Then the Menace appeared out of nowhere and attacked. I did everything I could to stop it, but it was too strong. A mild tightness grips Eden’s chest and slowly clenches harder, crushing his heart to pound in his ears. Did I really do everything?

A million different scenarios play through Eden’s mind. Maybe if he asked Eleanor more about the Menace and learned about its core earlier? Like the townsfolk said, he could’ve lured the bandit and the Menace away into the woods? Or maybe… he could have killed the bandits? Perhaps then, all of this could have been avoided?

A man rushes out of the infirmary with Eden's bag and Armaments in hand. The man violently hurls his belongings and knocks Eden out of his thoughts. "Just leave already!"

Then the townsfolk begin to pick up small rocks and throw them, repeating the words, "Get out!" and "Leave!"

Eden quickly picks up his shield and gets in front of Eleanor. The pebbles bang against the shield like rain pattering against roof tiles. He looks back at Eleanor to see her wiping away tears.. His heart sinks. "Okay, we'll leave!"

The hurling of rocks stops. Eden slowly drops his guard and is greeted with cold glares, almost as if he’s staring at a millions blades pointing at him.

"Get out of here!"

"Go!"

"Never return!"

The townsfolk all wave their hands, shooing them away.

"Let's get out of here, Eleanor," Eden sighs.

Eleanor nods her head in silence and clears away her tears.

As they walk toward the meadow, the sounds of shoes scraping through dirt and rocks follow them. The insults rages on all the way to the edge of town, and Eden can do nothing but grit his teeth.

Without looking back, both Eden and Eleanor leave town, still hearing the townsfolk echo as they go farther and farther away.

* * *

The cracking sounds of Eden and Eleanor's shoes on the brittle dirt path lead them to the east. With nothing but silence between them.

Eden stares at the ground, still replaying the townsfolk’s words in his mind. Especially the old man’s, You’re no hero! His chest feels heavy, making his shoulders droop but also feels hollow. Stuck wondering to himself, he then glances over his shoulder seeing the edge of his shield like he can see the gray eight-pointed star on it. He sighs. Was it all because I’m a One Star? Or maybe… maybe I’m not strong after all? His movements slow, losing pace with Eleanor and falls slightly behind.

“Eden?” says Eleanor.

But he doesn’t meet her gaze. Eden’s sluggish steps eventually pass Eleanor. He takes a deep shaky breath then exhales. His eyes sting then the dirt path slowly blurs with tears. Quickly turning to the sky, Eden rapidly blinks trying his best to hide it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.

“Are you o-”

“I’m fine.”

“Look, I know what they said must really hurt you, bu-”

“I said, I’m fine.” Eden tightly balls his hand up into a fist, feeling the nails piercing to the flesh of his palm.

“Hey, all I’m saying, is don’t let their words ge-”

“Can you quit it!” Eden’s voice booms around the grassy area. “You really want to talk about that? Fine then! Let’s get it over with!” He furiously wipes his tears then glares at Eleanor. “They’re right! I’m just a weak One Star!” As the words leave his mouth, tears fall along with it, not able to contain it any longer. He averts his gaze to the side.

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes I am! It’s because I’m weak that I can’t kill!” Eden runs to a nearby tree and pounds his fists, repeatedly into its trunk. “It’s my fault that the whole town is destroyed! I’m supposed to be a Legion! I’m supposed to protect! But I let everything get demolished!” A final strike shakes leaves and acorns out of branches. Pain sears all over his body, still not fully recovered from the fight last night and leaving blood on the bark. “I am weak.”

The rustling grass and leaves fluttering in the howling breeze cover the silence between him and Eleanor. Eden leans onto the tree, covering his wet eyes and snot from her but is unable to hide his sorrowful hiccups.

The hollow feeling in Eden’s chest becomes dull and his stomach twists into a knot. He slightly bangs his head against his arm, letting out a heavy sigh. The silence makes the air hard for him to breathe but nothing comes to mind to break it. His body tenses as he can sense Eleanor’s gaze, boring through his back, however he’s rooted against the tree with every nerve holding him down, refusing to turn around. Then Eden shakes his head like he’s scattering all the negative thoughts swarming his brain, finally able to utter a single word. “Sorry.”

As if that one word has magic, the tension Eden is feeling, slowly lifts off his shoulders. The racket inside his mind clears ever so slightly, giving him enough to form small sentences. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

Eleanor doesn’t reply. Another heavy sigh spews from Eden; he shuts his eyes, dropping more tears down his face. Letters and words scramble around his thoughts as he tries to say something to her.

“You think you’re weak, do you?” says Eleanor.

Eden widens his eyes, his jumbled mind frozen.

“Well you need to drop this feeling of guilt right now, because it’s not helping.”

Her words also sting.

“I believe you’re strong.”

Eden flinches. Me? Strong? Slowly, he turns, finally facing Eleanor with a frown on her face.

“I remember you told me, you were afraid of the bandits back at the fort, but you fought and saved me and the people of Greenbourge, regardless of your fear. Even if you’re a One Star, I’ve never seen anyone like you ready to face people that are far stronger than you or even when going against the Menace.” Eleanor takes a step forward, her teary eyes softening with an inner glow.

“But I… I can’t cut anyone down. I can’t kill. I…” Eden trails off. Heart racing and his limbs shaking like every part of his body is preventing him from finishing what he’s saying. Furrowing his brow, he lets it out after a deep breath. “I’m too scared to take a life.”

Eleanor shakes her head. “You don’t have to. Your fighting style may not be able to save the town from destruction, but it was you that saved the townspeople. And if it weren’t for you teaching me how to fight, I wouldn’t be able to feel as strong as I am now.” Then she smiles, glowing under the bright sun. “So, thank you, Eden.”

A gust of wind rushes through the field and seemingly picks the heavy weight off of Eden. He gasps, feeling his dull and hollow chest expand. Hot tears stream down his cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

Eleanor shakes her head again. “Please don’t apologize.”

“Sorry.” This makes Eden utter a slight chuckle as he wipes his tears. “Actually, no, I'm not sorry.” He looks firmly straight into Eleanor’s eyes with his mind clearer than ever like all of the bad thoughts disappeared. Now desiring to repay her for straightening him back on his feet. “Thanks, Eleanor, for saving me.”

“What for?” Eleanor asks with her eyes widening.

“It’s also thanks to you that I’m still alive. During our fight with the Menace, you saved me countless times." Eden clears his throat and straightens his back. "You kicked me out of the Menace's hands, you saved me when it slammed me against the ground, and you saved me again with your chains. In fact, it was so cool how you used the chains when we've only just practiced using your blades!"

Eleanor laughs. “Well it was also thanks to you for coming up with the faucet method, and I think I’m starting to understand how my magic works.”

“You’re welcome. I’m surprised that it works,” Eden chuckles while scratching the back of his head. He can’t help but be reminded of Sanders always helping him out whenever he’s upset. Having Eleanor give him the pep talk helps push the lingering doubts away. He chooses to believe her faith in his strength, now feeling more empowered like her encouragement is like fuel to his fire, burning brighter.

Looking straight at the dirt path, it leads endlessly into the horizon with trees and hills of flowers. Eden curtly nods and begins to walk forward again.

"So, what’s next for you?" Eleanor asks as she follows beside him.

Eden grabs his chin and ponders for a second. "I'm thinking of going to that town where that mage at the infirmary came from."

"Ah, you mean Antallasso Port."

"You know?"

"I asked the mage where the town is; we just need to keep going east until we reach a fork in the road, then follow the sign that says Antallasso Port."

"How far is it?"

"About a day on foot, I believe."

“You’re going too?”

“It is the closest city from Greenbourge, so I figured it would be my next place to ask about the whereabouts of my parents.”

"Looks like we’ll be adventuring together then!”

"Yes, let's go!"