Year 2: The Scorched Remains - Chapter 3

It was raining again.

Alone, before the morning sun had risen, she was there, practicing in her full combat armour.

She swung Excalibur against the wooden dummy again and again, chipping away at it. With Pridwen, she blocked invisible strikes and arrows, imagining the enemy coming towards her, and she countered.

Then, when she heard sounds of life as the castle’s staff woke up, Hailey returned to her bedroom, soaked from head to toe, ignoring all of the cries of the maids who asked what was wrong or offered her towels.

Once back in her room, she locked the door and didn’t emerge again for the rest of the day.

This pattern had repeated for the last three days in a row, and it wouldn’t be long until rumours started spreading to outside of the palace.

Even though no one had said a word about what happened that night, it was obvious that the other heroes were avoiding Hailey.

Few looked at her, even fewer spoke with her.

Those who hadn’t been present when she named the Demon Emperor soon learnt of it, and more suspicion and doubtful gazes fell upon her.

King Alexander, for his part, tried to alleviate their fears, however.

“But Amen was one of us too,” Dao Chen had said and the matter continued to get worse and worse.

Carrying two breakfast trays in her hands, Yve approached Hailey’s room and knocked, again, like she did for all meal times.

“Hailey.” No answer. “Do you want to eat breakfast together?” Still, nothing. “Okay, well, I’ll leave this here for you then. I got all your favourites and…I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”

Dejected, Yve returned to the dining hall and sat on a table with Duncan, Guy, Akane and Kayleigh.

“No luck today?”

“Nope.” Yve slumped across the table. “I don’t even hear here moving around in there, let alone a peep.”

“Well, can you blame her?” Guy asked, glancing around at the sour looks on some of the heroes’ faces. “Half of them think they know what’s going on, half don’t have an idea, but everyone’s beginning to get more and more suspicious of her.”

“We should consider ourselves lucky that Talon hasn’t jumped the gun this time and cut her throat,” Akane said bluntly. Ignoring the stares from Duncan and Kayleigh, she continued. “No matter what she says or does, we cannot overlook her connection to the Demon Emperor, nor can she.”

“…You seem very calm after Amen’s betrayal,” Kayleigh said.

“I assure you, it’s only how it appears on the outside.”

“What, just like Hailey you mean?” Yve shot back up and folded her arms, glaring at Akane.

“It’s expected of a noblewoman to have good control over her emotions.”

“Oh, is that right?” Yve stood up. “Well, it’s one rule for you and one for us, right?”

“That’s not-!”

Yve was already walking away when Akane voiced her objections. Dejected, Akane sighed and rubbed her brow.

“That’s not what I meant,” she muttered beneath her breath.

***

Not sure of what else to do, Yve staked out Hailey’s bedroom.

Not because she doubted her best friend, but because she hoped to even catch a glimpse of her, just to know that she was okay.

However, after four hours, nothing had changed.

Dejected and exhausted, Yve collapsed onto the floor and sighed.

“What am I meant to do?” She muttered.

Little did she know that she wasn’t the only one monitoring Hailey’s room.

Invisible to everyone else, Talon was sitting right across from the bedroom’s door, her Divine Artifact in hand.

Nothing so far that makes her suspicious, but nothing to prove that she isn’t guilty.

I overheard the maids say she trains early in the mornings, but no one else has really caught a glimpse. Talon gazed down the end of the corridor where Yve was slumped against a wall. If she can’t get through to her, who can?

***

“She called him David?”

“She did.” Lord Akechi removed his helmet and placed it upon its stand; then, he began untying his sword belt from his waist. “First after hearing his voice and again after seeing his face.”

Princess Hiiragi hummed indifferently, though Akechi could tell that she was deeply troubled by this knowledge from the way she stroked her fan between two fingers.

Whenever his wife was trying to make sense of difficult situations, she’d often play with her fan subconsciously, a trait that only he knew she possessed.

He had seen it a few times since the Demon Emperor’s rise to power, but it had been many months since Akechi had seen the princess so deeply troubled by information.

“How long do you think the gag order will last?” She asked.

“If we’re fortunate, a few months. If we’re unfortunate, a few weeks. In reality, it’s difficult to hide the ever-growing rift between Hailey and the other heroes. The servants will talk, someone will slip up somewhere and reveal any founded, or unfounded, suspicions they have and soon she’ll be isolated from everyone.”

“Then, we must take control of the narrative before some idiot tries to take her head,” Princess Hiiragi said. “Get your most loyal retainers together and construct a story that makes Hailey a sympathetic heroine. Tell the story of a woman deceived by the devil that now fights to destroy him. If we do that and the public swallow it, Hailey will still be viewed as a hero by many.”

“Not all, though.”

“No, but it’ll be enough. Her actions will prove which side’s she’s on.”

***

Hajime looked at Tonbokiri’s blade and inhaled deeply, stroking his fingers lightly against the edge, just soft enough that he wouldn’t cut himself.

It was something that he’d practised multiple times and, after many failures, he’d succeeded.

Then, he dropped it onto the ground and fell back onto his bed, gazing absentmindedly at the ground, as memories of Amen crept back into his mind.

Their first meeting where he’d acknowledged Hajime as their leader.

Their first training sessions where he and Amen both got defeated instantly by Lord Akechi, but shared a good laugh at their misery together.

The first time he’d hung out late at night in Hajime’s room, just chatting and relaxing.

When they’d been on their first assignment and Amen had supported him throughout in the shadows whenever Akane wasn’t looking.

The battle against the Bloody Knight of the Beast Woods and his encouraging words afterword.

And then, the day it all came crashing down.

He was laughing with bloodied chains tied around hostages.

He was welcomed into the ranks of the Demon Emperor.

He had betrayed them all.

Amen Hassad had the audacity to still call them friends whilst trying to take their heads.

When did it start?

From the day we met?

…No, Amen said it himself that he was on our side once, he just…cared more about himself than anyone else.

How?

Didn’t you see what the Demon Emperor did to the Gaius royal family? The state Prince Julius was in? How shaken the survivors of Themis were?

How can you admire someone like that, like I admired my uncle.

“A hero, Hajime, doesn’t cry,” his uncle had told him once, patting his head. “A hero doesn’t look for recognition. A hero just does what they need to.” He grinned in Hajime’s mind for the last time, before the day he stopped coming home.

The day Hajime’s world fell apart.

“Your uncle, was it?” Amen’s cold grin made Hajime shiver. “The great firefighter?!”

“Uncle Keijiro.” Hajime’s mumbles went unanswered as he curled up into a ball.

Just then, a knock came at his door.

He didn’t reply and hoped they’d move along.

“Hajime, open the door please.”

Japanese? He groggily looked up and sighed.

“Hajime, please.”

Reluctantly, he did so. The moment he did, Akane burst into the room, locked the door behind her and hugged him tightly.

“A-akane? What are-?”

“Just don’t, please.” She held onto him tighter, her knees shaking a little. “Just let me stay like this for a while.”

Ah, right…of course.

He wasn’t just my friend.

***

Hailey got up again in the early hours of the morning, again.

She didn’t stop to look at herself in the mirror before getting changed, then marched on heavy footsteps back out to the courtyard, sword and shield in hand.

Then, she set up the dummy again and began practicing her stances and slashes.

“You’re an idiot.”

Hailey stopped for a moment, then swung again. “I don’t care.”

Talon clicked her tongue. “Not even going to ask why?”

“Everyone’s an idiot in your mind, aren’t they?” Hailey said bitterly.

“There are idiots and then there’s you.” Talon took a few steps closer to her back. “If I wanted to, I could kill you right here and now.”

“Try it.” Hailey stopped, her arms shaking and her breathing laboured.

“…You, were you always this pathetic?”

“Huh?!” Hailey spun around and found Talon inches from her, Carnwennan pointing at her throat.

“It’s unlikely you knew but, if you did, you’re an idiot for not saying anything. You’re an even bigger idiot for pushing everyone away. You’re basically screaming ‘I might be the traitor, but I definitely will be if you keep treating me that way’. Heh, it’s pathetic, almost like you want an excuse for us to condemn you so you have an easy way back to your friend.”

“What do you know about David?!” Hailey swung Excalibur at Talon, but the French woman easily sidestepped the blow, then put Carnwennan to the back of Hailey’s neck. “What could you possibly know about me?! About him?! About anything?!”

“I don’t and I don’t care particularly, but.” Talon leant in close. “I don’t show mercy to people who side with monsters like that. If you’re against him, prove it. Work with us, treat your best friend properly and prove that you’re a hero. If you’re against us, tell me and I’ll end you right here and now.”

“Talon, stop it!” An impassioned cry came from Yve who had sprinted over to them. “Why are you saying these things? Why are you-?”

“If you think your little spat with your old friend is terrible, try asking someone else what their old life was like.” Talon grunted and sheathed Carnwennan. “I would give anything to have my old husband appear as the Demon Emperor.” She chuckled. “It’d make him easier to kill.”

Then, she vanished into thin air, leaving Yve and Hailey alone in the dark courtyard.

“So…come here often?” Yve jokingly asked.

Hailey couldn’t help but smile a little at her friend’s awful attempt at breaking the tension in the air.

“Care for a rest?”

Hailey nodded.

The two sat beside each other on some steps, before Yve abruptly took off Hailey’s chest piece and placed her head into her lap.

“U-um, Yve.”

“Shush, I won’t hear it.” Yve began stroking her friend’s hair as Hailey, embarrassed, went silent. “Whenever I couldn’t get one of the kids to calm down, I’d do this and they’d relax instantly.”

“You’re treating me like a kid?”

“Well, I am older than you.”

“I honestly forgot you were.”

“You did?!”

Hailey laughed a little, turning her head to the side and enjoying the sensation of her hair being stroked. “Can you blame me?”

“W-well, I guess I’ll just have to get you to treat me respectfully from here on out.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“An instant rejection?!” Yve smiled and shut her eyes. “…I’m sorry.”

“…For what?”

“…That he’s the Demon Emperor.” Hailey said nothing and Yve stopped moving her hand. “You always seemed so happy to talk about him, so…well, I don’t really know how else to say it, other than I’m sorry.”

“…I…”

“You don’t have to say anything, just let it all out if that’ll make you feel better. Don’t worry, whatever you say, I won’t doubt you. You’re my best friend and I’ll protect you from everyone else if I have to.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

“Even if…even if everyone else thinks I’m-”

“I’ll keep telling them they’re wrong,” Yve said with great conviction. “Don’t worry, there’s no one else here. No Duncan, no Akane, no Talon, or if the nosy bitch is still here, she can go the fuck away right now.” After seeing that no one responded to her angry French, Yve smiled and whispered, “I’m on your side, Hailey.”

“…I don’t know what else to do.”

“Hmm.”

“All I can think of is just…moving, not with any purpose, but just to do it.”

“Hmm.”

“I hate that they don’t listen to me. I hate that they look at me that way. I hate that Akane didn’t even hesitate to start throwing blame at me.”

“…Yeah.”

“I hate that Goddess for getting my hopes up, only to crush them like this. I hate that he didn’t even say a word to me. He knows it’s me and he doesn’t say a thing…it’s almost like.” Yve could feel the tears falling onto her lap. “It’s like he doesn’t care about me anymore. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t it have been Amen on that side and David over here?! Why?!”

Yve let Hailey yell and cry out all of the feelings she’d been holding inside for almost five minutes before the girl in her lap took a break.

Then, they sat like that in silence for a while, until daylight started to emerge from the darkness.

“Thank you, Yve.”

“You’re very welcome. My legs are open any-wait, forget that!” Flustered, Yve pushed Hailey off her lap and stood upright, not realising she nearly pushed Hailey onto the ground. “S-sorry, are you-?”

“Honestly, a few more little cuts or bruises won’t matter at this point.”

“It does! You have beautiful skin, so you need to take care of it properly. Go back to your room and have a nice bath, alright?”

“Alright.”

“And invite me to-I won’t bother trying to finish that joke.”

Hailey smiled sinisterly. “Good choice.”

“Woah, it’s amazing how quickly you can turn that on.”

“What can I say? I’m a great actress.”

***

It’s suspicious, but it’s only conjecture that Hailey’s another traitor.

For all we know, she’s innocent and this is just how she’s processing it.

…I don’t know, but I do know that she’s close with Yve, if nothing else.

Talon tapped her elbow a little as she watched Yve and Hailey separate. Yve really tried to antagonise me into exposing myself. She didn’t know that I’ve heard far worse than that on good days back on Earth.

Hailey Carmen - I truly hope you’re one of us.

If not. Talon’s eyes glazed over. I won’t hesitate to kill you.