Tricky Fox

Never in my life did silence ring so loudly in my ears.

I stared at the spot where Astrid, Silva, and Heide disappeared and tried to make sense of what just transpired. Lina and Herman were equally stunned as they clung to me for what felt like dear life. I was in serious pain, even without their squeezing, but I found I did not care. My mind was racing.

Silva…

Lina was the first to break the silence. “Who…was that?”

Dietrich answered. “That was Astrid.” He sat up with a serious expression.

Lina’s face brightened. “You’re okay!”

“‘Course I’m okay. I’m made of pretty tough stuff. You’re good, too, right Ulrich?”

The sheriff raised his head, “Thanks to you. Though I get the feelin’ that Astrid was holdin’ back on account that she didn’t want us hurt. Was mighty shaken until just now.”

Dietrich opened and closed a hand. “Yeah, you’re right. I couldn’t even move until you said something, Lady Lina. Weird.”

Lina released her hold on me and touched a finger to her lip. “That is weird. I wonder…” She shook herself. “Anyway, you still haven’t answered my question! Who was that?”

“I did answer.”

“All you said was her name!”

Dietrich shrugged, “That’s pretty much all I know! She was there when I woke up as the Demon King. The lady who explained everything to me called her Astrid. She barely said a word. But she gave off bad vibes, just by the way she was looking at me.”

Herman gave a squeak and released his hold on me. “You woke up as what?!”

“Long story,” said Dietrich with a wave of his hand, “The important thing is that you know about as much as I d—Boss?”

I did not intend to interrupt the conversation, but I couldn't help myself as bouts of laughter escaped my lips. It was quiet at first, so no one had noticed––a mere chuckle, but it began to grow as I was overcome with mirth until I was howling.

It hurt to laugh. I clutched at my chest as my entire body shook. My wounds cried in protest and I struggled to breathe. Each heave brought about new pain, as if Silva was cutting me over and over again. It hurt so much that tears began to fall from my eyes. But, again, I did not care.

I laughed anyway. I was overcome with jubilation.

Lina’s face appeared, “Anno! I’m so sorry! You’re still hurt!” She pressed a hand to my chest. “It still looks bad. Dietrich!”

“Right!”

The concern grew on Lina’s face as she watched my laughing fit, “Anno? Are you okay? What happened?”

But I continued to laugh. My breath could not keep up, so my laughter devolved into wheezes.

“Speak to me, Anno!”

I shook my head, to indicate my inability to form words. Though I grabbed Lina’s wrist and pulled her hand from my chest.

She looked at her blood-stained fingers. “You’re scaring me! What’s wrong with you?”

Dietrich stepped into view, “That’s it. He’s cracked.”

But Lina paid him little mind. Her eyes were on her own hand as I raised it up to her face and shook her wrist so that she waved at herself. My laughter renewed, stronger than ever.

Dietrich put a hand on Lina’s shoulder. “Sorry. I gotta ask you to move so I can finish healing hi––Not you, too!”

At the sight of her hand waving at her, Lina’s eyes alighted with realization. Lina’s cheeks expanded, trying to contain her own bout of giggles. Though they escaped through her nose in a prolonged snort. But it was quick to escape, and she began to laugh alongside me.

I let go of her wrist and leaned forward so that my forehead rested on her shoulder. I was so tired and yet so happy. Lina’s arms wrapped around me as she continued to giggle, only interrupted by the occasional snort. Her laugh was very cute.

“Uhh…am I missing something?” asked Dietrich. “Help me out here, Ulrich.”

“I got no earthly idea.”

At last, Lina managed to contain herself as she said, “She really had us fooled, didn’t she?”

I nodded into her shoulder then looked up, into her tear-filled eyes.

Dietrich waved a hand where I could see it. “Hello? Still here. Wanna clue us in?”

Lina slid her arms from my back––though I wished she did not–– and turned to smile at Dietrich. “You mean, you don’t remember? No one evil or with ill-intentions can touch me. And Silva knows it!”

“So?”

“Oh, Dietrich! Don’t you get it?” She grabbed him by his thick wrist in imitation of Silva, and lifted it up to show him.

He still looked confused, but Ulrich gave a whinny of a laugh, “That little sneak!”

Dietrich glanced between Ulrich and Lina. Then it clicked. “She had no ill-intent!”

Lina nodded excitedly, “She’s a good person! And proved it to us when she grabbed me! I was so shocked that I didn’t even realize what she was doing until just now.”

Herman gave a squeak. “But what about my dad and everyone else? That harpy killed them and laughed about it!”

Ulrich gave a snort. “I’m gonna bet that she didn’t.” We all looked at him in surprise. Without another word, the sheriff walked to the supine Albert and wrapped on the man’s head several times with a hoof.

“Get up, ya lazy bum!”

Albert’s eyes popped open. Lina let out a gasp as the man sat up, rubbing his head.

Ulrich’s ears twitched. “I knew it.”

Albert squinted up at his sheriff. “Ow! What was that for, sir?” The man blinked. “Wait, what was I doing? Where’s that girl? Is she––OOF!”

The wind was knocked out of the poor man as Herman closed the gap between him and his father and pulled him into an embrace.

“I thought you were dead!” he wailed, burying his head in the man’s beard.

Albert patted his son’s back and looked at all of us in bewilderment. “I thought I was, too. What happened? Last thing I remember, the girl had struck me––”

“––with the back of her sword,” I interrupted. I had finally managed the breath to speak.

Ulrich nodded. “Yup. Same with me. Jest the right amount of strength to draw a bit of blood, but put us outta the fight. She was dupin’ us from the start. That girl’s somethin’ else, ain’t she?” The sheriff walked to the other fallen guards and started to prod them as well. One by one, they began to rise. I felt the temptation to cry tears of relief.

“Yes, she is.” I put a hand to my chest and felt the wound beneath. They were deep, but no longer bleeding freely. The remaining pain was nothing compared to the shame that welled up within me. Her final smile was burned into my memory. As were the words she had mouthed.

Dietrich scowled and folded his arms. “Okay, I get the how. But I still don’t understand the why.”

My fingers tightened around my chest as I said, “‘She’s all yours.’” Everyone looked at me as I explained, “That’s what Silva told me before she was taken.” My voice was hoarse from laughter and pain, which made my somber tone all the grimmer.

“But what does that mean?” said Dietrich as he unfolded his arms and pressed a hand to my chest. I could feel relief return as my pain soothed.

My voice became stronger as I answered him, “I think what she said was true: Silva was only here for Lina and Heide, but not for the reason I thought.” My ability to think was beginning to clear as Dietrich’s healing touch filled me with energy. “I assumed the worst, but I think she wishes to protect all of you, even from the Hero.”

Lina gasped, “You think she knows my darling has bad intentions?”

My mouth twitched at that. I would not describe the False Hero’s goals as mere “bad intentions.” That was the equivalent of calling Ulrich an unusual fellow; grossly undersold. So, she still calls him “darling,” eh? Even after all we’ve witnessed, she was still holding onto that name.

“Told you she was a fake. Mother would never degrade herself like this one does. Floozie.”

I was surprised at myself. As much as Lina’s former companions tried to cast doubt on her character, I did not think I would qualify her as a “floozie.” I shook these rather rude thoughts from my mind and answered Lina’s question as best I could. “If she does, there must be a good reason why she wants to take everyone back to him. I’m sure she had a plan in mind, and then I may have complicated everything when I caught her. So, she solved the issue in the only way she knew how. ”

Despite myself, my lips curled into a smile. “She was always one for pranks, that Silva.”

Dietrich scoffed––an odd sound coming from him, “A prank? I don’t see how slicing you up is very funny.”

“It was her way of protecting me.”

Ulrich shook his head. “She’s got an odd way of doin’ that,” he said. “Even my sheriff wouldn’t go that far. Some friend.” With that, he turned his attention back to his awakened guards.

Lina gave his flank a withering stare, “I’m sure she had her reasons. Like everything else, right?”

I wanted that to be true, yet I found myself agreeing with the sheriff. He had a point. But neither he nor Lina had grown up with Silva. They did not know how her mind worked the way I did. She liked to take things to the extreme and escalate a situation. She found it the height of hilarity. Even so, this was going a bit beyond her usual antics. She must have had a good reason for going so far.

Now that we were no longer in the heat of battle, all of Silva’s actions began to make sense to me. I remembered her reaction when she learned Dietrich could heal. She had witnessed him restore Ulrich, which must have given her the idea to hurt me without real consequence. Though I doubted that she meant to cut so deeply—at least the first time—as I had startled her with my reckless charge. But I could forgive her. She was my friend.

“––maybe you didn’t know me at all!”

The shame returned as Silva’s words entered my thoughts. They were true. Perhaps it was I who did not know her as well as I thought. She was my friend, and I had doubted her. I was supposed to have faith in her no matter what, but I failed her. Even with her trickery I should have known better than to think she would so easily fall to corruption. I failed to believe in her strength as a warrior.

Do I really hold her back?

“Probably. I’ve known you for five minutes and you’re already holding me back, that’s for sure.”

It was difficult to tell how much of what Silva said was truth and what were lies. Yet I had the feeling that, by the end, she was being honest with me.

She thought I was weak. And I found I could not disagree with her. My eyes fixed upon Dietrich’s hand pressed against my chest and I felt a surge of disgust from the depths of my soul. I did not deserve his healing touch.

Without a word I pulled myself away from his hand. His fingers tried to follow but I stopped them as I looked into Dietrich’s eyes.

He looked back in surprise. “Hold still, Boss. I’m not finished.”

I could not put my disgust into words, but a new concern arose within me as I stared at him. “You look paler than usual, my friend. How are you feeling?”

Dietrich grinned at me. “I’m still good to go. Don’t worry about me.”

I shook my head at him. “No, I mean how are you feeling about what that Astrid said?”

A smile lit up Lina’s face and she clasped her hands together with delight. “Yes! You must be so happy to know your real name!”

Dietrich shrugged, “Eh, not really.”

Her smile fell, and she gaped at him, “Seriously?! How can you not care, Ken–– Kenta––um…how do you say it?” She pressed a finger to her lip and muttered, “Sorry, it’s such a foreign name.”

He shrugged again, “Doesn’t matter. If it’s all the same, I’ll just stick with Dietrich.”

“But why?” she asked with a tilt of her head. “What about your real name?”

“That’s the thing,” said Dietrich, “I don’t remember Kentaro being my real name. So, why should it matter? I like the name my friends gave me.”

He tried to press his palm to my chest again, but I leaned away from him with a severe expression. “You mean, you don't care who you were?”

Dietrich grinned, “Nope. I’m having too much fun being with you guys.” Then his face became serious. “But I would like to see that Astrid again. No way am I going to let her get away with beating me in a contest of strength!”

I looked around me at the wreck the street had become. People were beginning to gather, staring at the scene with awe on their faces. A few even began to emerge from surrounding buildings. Ulrich and his guards were busy trying to assure them all that everything was fine. But they were having a difficult time. The villagers knew the truth. They had witnessed my failure. My reputation as their prince would now be tarnished. And yet again, I found I did not care.

“We’ll see her again, I can assure you,” said I. Who knew how long that child had been watching us. I could not begin to fathom what she was talking about––she had even called me “Hero” for some reason––but I did know one thing: She had saved us; even left Lina with us.

Combined with the mysteries surrounding Lina, Dietrich, and the Sainted Seven, I found myself feeling quite small and alone.

There were forces beyond my understanding at play here. I was but a pawn in some larger game. That frightened me far more than any mere Demon King. I barely understood the world before my adventure, and now I understood it even less.

Even still, I knew that I was not alone. As I gazed about me at my friends and companions, I felt a ray of hope break through my fear. We were about to venture beyond what I understood, as little as it was. The Alten Kingdom lay ahead. As did Silva. At least we would do so together.

My plans had not changed in the slightest. I was going to find Silva, wherever she was; most likely at the Hero’s side in Hirsent. Whatever Silva’s true agenda, I could be sure that she possessed a righteous heart. And I would never doubt her again.

Pain still wracked my chest. I placed my hand over the tender wound. Thanks to Dietrich, I felt close to normal. But left the way they were, my cuts would heal with time, but not without leaving marks behind.

Good. This was my penance for my mistrust. Even if Dietrich could heal me to the point where there was no scar, I would still refuse. These marks belonged to Silva; as such I would carry these mementos of my failure as long as I felt I deserved them. I would not be surprised if I carried them the rest of my life.

There was still a long way to go to the Hero beyond mere physical distance. He was still as powerful as ever, and growing more powerful; still wreaking havoc, but with Silva conspiring against him, perhaps that would change. However, as long as we had Lina, he could not execute his ultimate plan to destroy the world. Though I did not know why she was so critical, the fact was, Rhine was still intact. As far as I could tell, we were at a stalemate. For now.

I looked to the sky, where the last embers of the evening light were beginning to extinguish, and smiled.

Silva had placed Lina in my charge. I would not fail her. And when next we met, and Silva wished to fight again, I would be stronger and meet her as an equal; my rival and friend.

I will see you again one day, you Tricky Fox, I vowed to the heavens.

“And when we do, I’ll show that jerk I’m more than just a gimmick!” said an annoyed voice in my head. “If you don’t die before we do, that is.”

I jumped. I had been doing my best to ignore what I believed to be intrusive thoughts, but this voice in my head did not match my current emotional state. The realization hit me all at once: these words belonged to someone else! “Who said that?” I said aloud, casting my eyes about me in confusion. “Show yourself!”

Lina and Dietrich looked at me in confusion.

“Who said what?” asked Lina.

“Here I am!” said Dietrich with a small wave.

But I ignored them as the voice sounded again in my head, more annoyed than usual. “You only just realized I’ve been talking to you? You really are hopeless. It’s me you doofus! On the ground!”

I looked where indicated and only saw the sad remains of my two blades lying together. It was disheartening to see my trusted Silbermond in such a sorry state, but my attention was focused on the other one as I bent and picked up the broken Holy Sword, which had returned to its shining gray color. It can’t be! Rudolf?!

“No duh!”

It could not be true. Had I been hearing the sword’s this whole time? I must be going mad! I could not remember when the voice had started. It had to be my imagination.

And yet the voice continued, “And don’t call me that! Ew! My name is Rudi! Don’t you forget it! Grr, I’ll never forgive that stupid old man for calling me a stupid name like Rudolf! It’s just so stupid!”

I marveled at the blade in my hand. Talking horses I could handle, at least the others could see him. But judging by the other two's startled stares, the only one who could hear this bratty voice was me.

Once again, I felt utterly baffled by this strange world in which we lived.