Love Revealed Through Blood

The first time I’d ever witnessed the Celestial Knight battle Loveless was during the first mission that he’d allowed me to continue with him. In the mission that had come before that, I’d failed my job as his backup and so was excused by him and escorted out from the danger by his fellow knights.

At the time I’d been so deeply upset. I was too naive, too kiddish to have realized then how much he’d cared for me. More than anything he was fearful of what could become of me, a knight who was punching high above their weight and was doing all too much only for the sake of impressing others.

In the depths of an abandoned roost to an old fugitive from the law, we’d encountered one of those morbid creatures. Even on a simple sight, I was scared stiff. The feeling of its presence in the room alone was far beyond that of a simple Feral. As he’d seen me freezing up for fear, he’d reminded me of his promise. That he would protect me no matter what and all I’d needed to do was remain behind him in his protection.

His elegance in battle was nearly unparalleled. Though his opponent was fearsome, a freakish aberration to normalcy, it was outmatched and outclasses by his pure determination and finesse. I was awed by all that he’d shown me as he’d kept me from danger.

It was less than a week after that incidence that I’d found myself lost inside of Pride. Once more rescued by the Celestial Knight, he had kept me from following him into a room that he’d quickly determined was a trap.

Alone, afraid, uncertain as to whether or not I’d even survive, I’d walked through its halls with shaky steps. Without him, I’d felt so powerless and hopeless. I wasn’t even a fraction of the knight he was and that moment when I was alone made me accept that fact once and for all.

It was my terror when I’d seen it there before me. Another one of those things wandering the halls, stalking for any prey to dismantle. I couldn’t even get away from it, it had quickly caught me and had immediately began its charge.

I could only draw my sword and point it towards that Loveless, doing what I could to steel myself for the horrific battle that was to come. But before I could be struck as I knew I would be, he was in the way of my assailant. His sword locked with its own. I remember how imposing he was, the broad breadth of his shoulders standing as a mighty wall for my protection once again.

He’d follow through and shoved the monster back with a scream of rage. His blade flashed and danced with its own but his strikes had been so mighty that any composure it had was chipped away until its guard was shattered. And then at the first showing of an opening, he’d hacked and slashed it to pieces.

I remember the violence I saw. The fire in the Celestial Knight’s eyes that had all the hatred of hell reserved for that creature and all of its kind. There was no kindness to be found in those green pastures that were always so sweet and loving. All of the times I’d ever seen them before, they were gentle, but then at that first sight of his wrath, all I saw was fury.

Blood spattered about the hall, made to paint the walls and the floor. Even when it was already well slain, he continued to cleave through it until it wasn’t even a shadow of what it was once before. And there, his face now marked with its blood, an aura of his blood lust now waved about his form like a fire. His eyes were no longer their sweet chartreuse but had glowered in a deeper crimson.

He looked back towards me and revealed his blood specked face. My first natural response was to feel harrowing fear. After such a massacre would I be his next target? I’d stood petrified as he approached me.

Yet I’d received no punishment.

The clanking of his fallen sword clattering against the marble floor at our feet rang in my ears and I was secure in his arms. His warmth comforted me and took me away from my fears. Although he shown an unrelenting barbarity where his eyes were like war, even if that glow about his body continued flickering, I’d felt the warmth and love I’d always known.

He pulled himself back and the darkness in his eyes, that red I’d seen was now vanished, returned to their verdant pools. He smiled to me with gratitude for my safety and not a spec of blood was found on his skin.

“I’m so grateful you’re safe. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if anything happened to you.” His words were of concern and care. They’d taught me well just how much I’d truly meant to him and I’d never forget that lesson. “The only way I’m going to bring you back to her is in one piece.”

When he’d let me go and continued forward, I was still stock still until he’d glanced back to me again. Gesturing for my company, it had finally clicked and I’d broken free from my trance.

From that moment forward all I’d ever know when I was with him was a beautiful sense of security. The only wrath he had in his heart was for the miscreants of Eclipse he so hated.

I play that memory back as I lay down on his grave and stare up at the sky. Still lost in thought, wondering what I should do, what I can do. I lift my hand up to my head and give the back of my palm a rest.

“How can I be where he is? It’s always been so simple in the worlds I was born into, but what can I do about a reality where I never was?” I sigh to the passing breeze.

I hope and pray that an answer would suddenly show itself. Flicking from memory to memory, I skip from age to age of my life until I land by chance on one that gets my mind firing on all cylinders.

In that image which returns to me, I recall the fear I’d felt as the Celestial Knight had vanished. There one moment with his best friend and I and in the next vanished without a trace. The last sight of his presence was there before The Demon of the Plains who had suddenly flashed before our eyes. The silhouette framing his body was like spilling ink and all else of his character was an unblemished, otherworldly white. His palm met with the Celestial Knight’s head and grasped it tightly then in the blink of an eye, neither he nor the Celestial Knight were with us any longer.

“Him…! I can’t do it, but what about him?”

I’d darted to sitting and then I was given an impulse to rise to my feet. I turned back to his headstone and promised him that our time apart would be coming to an end. Soon I’d be by his side where I’d always felt that I’d most belonged.

For at that moment I’d known the solution.

All I’d needed to do was beseech The Demon to meet me where I was stranded.

And then I would forge my contract with him.