Unveiling

Elijah ducked as Alexios’ axe swept over his head with enough force to make the air whistle. 

He stepped sideways, skidding across the rain-slick stones of the town square. Alexios followed him, bringing down his axe.

CRACK.

The blade buried itself in the wooden table Elijah had been standing beside a moment earlier. Alexios ripped it free. The table split in two.

Around them, Lunar had descended into chaos—People screamed as they pushed through the streets, knocking over market stalls and abandoning carts in their attempts to escape the fight. 

Horses reared against their harnesses. Wooden tables lay scattered across the square, and the blue cloth that had covered Elijah's statue earlier that evening was tangled around a nearby lamppost.

Alexios charged towards the Wanderer. His enormous axe tore through a stone pillar behind him. Fragments of stone exploded across the street.

"Stand still!"

The Wanderer laughed.

"Why?"

The Wanderer stepped around another swing.

"So you can kill me?"

Alexios gritted his teeth, and threw another swing. The Wanderer twisted his body and let the blade pass within inches of his cloak.

A little girl stood frozen in the middle of the street. An iron carriage rocked violently behind her one of its wheels broke loose. The carriage tipped sideways, and a wooden panel snapped from its frame and flew directly towards her.

The Wanderers eyes widened.

"...Damn it."

He turned away from Alexios. The axe struck the ground where his head had been, and sprinted towards the girl. The wooden panel was already halfway. He stretched out his hand.

Water erupted from a puddle beneath his feet.

It twisted through the air like a whip, and wrapped itself around the girl's waist and yanked her backwards. She slid across the wet stones just as the wooden panel crashed down where she had been standing.

The Wanderer released the whip.

The girl stared at him, trembling.

"Run!"

She scrambled to her feet and disappeared into the crowd. He exhaled. Then a shadow fell over him. He looked up. Alexios was already in the air. His axe was raised above his head.

"I've got you now!"

"You're really annoying."

As the axe came down, water exploded outward. A torrent erupted from beneath the Wanderer's feet, surrounding him and Alexios in a translucent sphere.

Alexios' eyes widened when he saw his body suspended inside the water. His movements became sluggish. His axe crawled downwards like he was swinging it through thick mud.

He stepped through the water effortlessly—he drove his heel into Alexios' stomach. The warrior's eyes bulged. The water released him and he shot backwards and slammed into the side of an iron carriage. The carriage rocked on its wheels.

The Wanderer stood in the middle of the street, breathing heavily.

Then he heard lots of footsteps.

Ten men in dark uniforms rushed into the square. Their weapons were already drawn.

Elijah glanced at their hands.

Knives.

His eyes narrowed.

"The Lunar Order didn’t have this many assassins 2 years ago."

The men stopped. A tall man stepped through them. Unlike the others, he wasn't holding a weapon. His eyes moved across the destroyed square before settling on the Wanderer.

"And how would you know about the Lunar Order?"

The Wanderer smiled, reached up and slowly pushed his hood backwards. White hair spilled out from beneath it. The captain’s eyes widened. 

A laugh escaped him.

Alexios slowly climbed out of the wrecked carriage. His gaze immediately fell upon the Wanderer's hair.

His expression changed.

"It can't be!"

Elijah looked at the captain.

A tired smile appeared on his face.

"Long time no see, Maxwell."

The captain's laughter disappeared.

He stared at him for several seconds before finally shaking his head.

"You're kidding."

Elijah shrugged.

"I wish."

Maxwell turned toward his officers.

"Lower your weapons."

One of them hesitated.

"Captain, he's—"

"Silence!"

The officer immediately lowered his knife.

Maxwell looked back at the man standing before him. The muddy cloak. The unkempt hair. The dark circles beneath his eyes. The stubble. The exhausted expression.

Nothing about him resembled the statue standing in the centre of the square.

Maxwell took a slow breath.

"This is Prince Elijah."

The words travelled through the square.

Whispers spread among the remaining townspeople.

"Prince Elijah?"

"That's him?"

"He doesn't look anything like the statue."

"There's no way."

Elijah walked over the table he laid Lisa on and carefully lifted her into his arms.

Maxwell watched him.

"People think you're a fake."

Elijah clicked his tongue.

"Like I care."

He adjusted Lisa's weight against his shoulder.

"I'm hungry and parched."

Maxwell stared at him.

Elijah looked down at Lisa.

"Is there somewhere we can keep her until she wakes up?"

Maxwell smiled.

"Of course."

He turned toward his officers.

"Get this square cleaned up. And find a room for her."

The officers immediately moved. Maxwell turned back and his eyes dropped to Lisa.

Then he looked at Elijah.

A mischievous smile appeared.

"She's really pretty."

Elijah stared at him.

Maxwell laughed and slapped him on the back.

Elijah nearly stumbled.

"Don't start."

A few hours later, the infirmary had settled into a strange sort of peace.

Lisa slowly opened her eyes.

For a moment, she didn't know where she was.

The ceiling above her was whitewashed wood, illuminated by the soft glow of several oil lamps. Somewhere nearby, she could hear laughter. Glasses clinked together, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone arguing loudly about something.

She tried to move, but pain shot through her ribs.

"Ah—"

A gentle hand pressed against her side.

"Easy now."

Lisa turned her head. The old woman from the bread stall was sitting beside her bed. Lisa stared at her for a moment before smiling.

The old woman smiled.

"Look who's finally awake."

Lisa reached for her hand.

"I feel like I got thrown through a building."

The old woman chuckled.

"I heard you were."

She placed her palm against Lisa's ribs. A soft green glow spread beneath her fingers. Lisa felt the warmth of mana seep through her body. The pain gradually dulled.

"You've got a few bruised ribs," the old woman said. "But you'llbe fine."

Lisa winced as she shifted.

"Easy there."

"Right."

The old woman helped her sit upright.

Lisa looked around the room.

There were several other beds scattered along the walls. A few wounded soldiers were talking quietly among themselves, while two members of the Lunar Order sat at a table near the entrance.

But the laughter was coming from somewhere else.

Lisa turned toward the doorway.

The old woman smiled.

"Ah."

She leaned closer.

"You naughty girl."

Lisa blinked.

"What?"

The old woman gave her a playful look.

"Did you really think you could keep him all to yourself?"

Lisa stared at her.

"Keep who?"

"The prince."

Lisa's expression went blank.

"...What prince?"

The old woman pointed at the doorway.

"That prince."

Lisa followed her finger and froze.

Elijah was standing in the middle of the adjoining room—except he wasn't wearing his hood anymore. His white hair was unmistakable, holding an enormous glass jar filled with beer in one hand while arguing with one of the officers.

"I told you, I didn't break the table."

"You threw a man through it."

"He was standing behind it."

"That's not a valid defence."

The officer stared at him. Elijah took another drink. Lisa's mouth slowly fell open.

Their eyes met.

For several seconds, neither of them said anything. Elijah's expression barely changed, butLisa's did.

The old woman leaned on her.

"See?"

Lisa pointed at him.

"That's..."

The word caught in her throat.

The officer noticed her staring.

His face immediately broke into a grin.

"Oh, Prince."

Elijah looked at him suspiciously.

The officer gestured towards Lisa.

"Thu maiden awaits."

The room erupted. Laughter bounced off the walls. Lisa's face turned bright red. Elijah slowly lowered his beer.

He stared at the officer.

"...You have five seconds."

The officer laughed.

"Or what?"

A small sphere of water formed beside Elijah's hand.

The officer's smile disappeared.

"Oh, come on—"

SPLASH.

The water struck him squarely in the chest and sent him stumbling backwards. The infirmary erupted into even louder laughter. The officer wiped water from his face.

"You bastard!"

Elijah took another drink.

"You had five seconds."

Lisa slowly climbed out of bed.

The old woman immediately reached for her.

"Careful."

"I'm fine."

"You were unconscious for three hours."

"I'm fine."

She took a few slow steps to him. Elijah watched her approach. Lisa stopped several feet away. She looked at his white hair, then his face.

Her eyes widened.

"You!"

Elijah took another sip.

Lisa pointed at him.

"You're Prince Elijah?"

The room went quiet.

Elijah looked at the beer in his hand.

Then back at her.

"...Unfortunately."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"You lied to me!"

Elijah frowned.

"I did no such thing!”

Lisa opened her mouth, then closed it.

"Somehow, I feel that's even worse!"

The next morning, 

The gates of Lunar stood open beneath a pale morning sky.

Elijah walked with his hood pulled over his head. His hands were buried deep inside his cloak. Beside him, Lisa adjusted the straps of her bag while Maxwell walked on his other side.

Elijah looked annoyed.

"So as I was telling you, Lisa," he said, 

"you should have seen him at the northern border. Three demons. Three. And he fought all of them by himself."

"Enough of that."

Maxwell ignored him.

"He was barely twenty at the time. The rest of us were preparing to retreat, and this idiot—"

"I said enough."

"—walked straight into the battlefield."

Elijah stopped walking and turned to him.

"Maxwell!"

He finally sighed.

"Fine."

He reached beneath his coat and pulled out a small leather pouch.

"I can't believe you still remember."

Elijah held out his hand.

Maxwell stared at it.

"You really are shameless."

Elijah's hand remained outstretched.

With another sigh, Maxwell dropped the pouch into it. The weight made Elijah's expression brighten slightly. Lisa raised an eyebrow. Elijah opened the pouch and counted the coins inside.

"Ten gold shekels?"

"You took more than that out of Belisarius's pockets that day."

Maxwell laughed.

"This will last you at least six months!"

Elijah closed the pouch and slipped it into his cloak.

"Maybe four."

"Four?"

"I drink now."

Lisa snorted.

Maxwell shook his head.

"Some things really haven't changed."

Lisa had been watching the exchange in silence.

The man walking beside her was the same man who had stumbled into her tavern drunk, slept through closing time and complained about a statue bearing his own name. 

Yet here he was, casually accepting gold from the captain of Lunar's military order while reminiscing about battles with someone who had clearly known him for years.

She couldn't help herself.

" And hereI thought you were just a homeless drunk."

Elijah glanced over his shoulder.

"Says the assassin who ran away from her country."

Lisa clicked her tongue.

"Let's just go."

Maxwell laughed. The three continued toward the gates.

"So where are you two heading?"

"Aurole," Elijah answered.

Maxwell raised an eyebrow.

"That's across the Azure Lake."

Elijah nodded.

"That's the idea."

Maxwell looked at him for a moment.

"You really don't have a plan beyond that, do you?"

"No."

Maxwell looked at Lisa.

"You?"

"No."

He sighed.

"Wonderful."

They reached the gates.

Beyond them, the road stretched into the distance, disappearing between the hills that surrounded Lunar.

Maxwell stopped.

"Well..."

He looked at Elijah.

For a moment, the teasing disappeared from his face.

"It was good seeing you again, old friend."

Elijah's expression softened.

He reached out and clasped Maxwell's hand.

"It was good seeing you too, Captain."

They pulled each other into a brief embrace. When they separated, Maxwell gave Elijah a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Try not to disappear for another two years."

Elijah pulled his hood back over his head.

"I can’t keep that promise."

Maxwell laughed.

Elijah turned and walked through the gates. Lisa followed. After a few steps, she glanced back. Maxwell was still standing there, watching them leave. She turned forward again. 

For several minutes, neither of them spoke. The road ahead was quiet. The morning air carrying the faint scent of water from the distant lake.

Eventually, Lisa looked sideways at him.

"So,”

Elijah didn't look at her.

"What?"

"You really fought three demons by yourself?"

"Maxwell talks too much."

Lisa smiled.

"That's not an answer."

Elijah sighed.

"Two and a half."

Lisa laughed.

Elijah shook his head and continued walking. Ahead of them, beyond the hills, the Azure Lake shimmered beneath the morning sun.

And somewhere on the other side waited Aurole.