Guardian Angel

Lazulis City

*Author's Note: This chapter takes place during the latter half of 'Chapter 4' when Zael is on an errand for the tavern (Makes sense if you have played the game)*

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Dagran's POV

I can't believe I've let Zael talk me into accompanying him to get more liquor after Syrenne had the whole tavern completely dry. Knowing that woman, it wouldn't be a bad idea to grab an extra barrel– just in case. And since we had to go to near Castle Gate Plaza, we figured that it would be quicker to cut through the Central Plaza. It wasn't until we made it through when Zael stopped me, "Did you just hear..." he began to ask before making his way toward a nearby wagon, earning a sigh from me as I shake my head. Zael is the third youngest in our band of mercenaries with the two youngest being both Mirania and Yurick– but since they act more mature than others their age, I've always felt like my best friend is actually the youngest.

As I follow Zael to the wagon, I was about to tell him to ignore it as he lift the cover slightly when I noticed a familiar, metallic glint. Thinking quickly, I grab Zael by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back– with a curved dagger narrowly missing my friend. A feminine arm that was holding the dagger in a reverse grip quickly draw itself back into the wagon, causing me to cautiously lift the cover enough for us to see two girls hiding inside. One of them was wearing a tan cloak over a blue dress, which the hemline goes down as far as her knees, and on her feet were brown, knee-high boots with laces. Catching a glimpse of her face, I could tell that she's about Zael's age with pale skin, bright blue eyes, and long silver hair. The other girl who was holding the dagger made me realize that she's not only around my age, but appear to be a complete opposite of the first girl. While the former has pale skin, the latter's skin is more of a sun-kissed bronze. And contrary to the cloaked girl's attire, the one holding the dagger is clad in a white shirt that expose her shoulders, a light brown pants and a pair of black flats. Another interesting feature of the second girl is her short, dark brown hair with a side-swept bang covering the middle of her forehead, and her eyes that can effortlessly put a ruby of the deepest red to shame.

But it wasn't just appearance alone that made me think that the two girls were complete opposite, but also their personality– while the first girl appear gentle, the second looks like she wouldn't hesitate to attack us– considering the way she's holding her dagger. But the way she was protecting the cloaked girl reminds me of myself and Zael before we decided to become mercenaries. "What are you doing inside this thing?" Zael asked as he recover from his close encounter with the brunette's dagger, albeit keeping his distance. The brunette readjusted her grip on the dagger and looked as if she was about to strike again, "It's all right. We didn't mean to frighten you..." I gently spoke to her. But she swung her dagger at me, prompting me to drop the cover and jump back to avoid the blade.

"You two over there!" Both Zael and I turned our heads to see two guards approaching us, making me realize why the brunette tried to attack us. "You haven't seen two girls around here, have you? Around the same age as yourselves. One of them even has short hair." From within the wagon, I can sense the said brunette glaring at us with her dagger poised to strike, daring us to reveal where they're hiding. "No..." Zael lied, "You're quite sure?" One of them asked, not completely convinced. "Yes." My friend stated, sounding more natural. Guess I might as well play along... "But if you'd like, you could check the South Gate Plaza. I think I may have saw them there." That really did the trick, "Looks like they're not around here after all." The guard said to his comrade. "Yeah. Honestly, if the boss finds out about this, we're gonna be in real trouble." The second guard said out of frustration, "Yeah... Especially with her involved." The former agreed regretfully.

Zael and I let out a breath of relief when the guards walked away from the wagon. We both look around to see if there's any more guards before Zael approached the wagon, "Are they... looking for you?" he asked as he almost completely pull the cover off, earning a gasp from the cloaked girl. "It's all right. You can come out now, the coast is clear." I gently informed them. Zael offered a hand to help the girls out of the wagon, only the cloaked girl accept it– the brunette climbed out on her own and sheathed her dagger in its scabbard mounted to her belt in the back. "Thank goodness. I couldn't stand it in there, but it was hard to tell whether it was safe to leave." The former said, even her voice sounds quiet and gentle. "Well, it's not every day two fine strangers come along and help us stay hidden." The latter stated in a strong, feminine voice as she lean casually against the wagon, "Especially when they're mercenaries." Hearing the word 'mercenaries', both Zael and I tense up. "I've had some experience on that field once. And don't worry– even though I don't believe in that stupid stereotype, you two wouldn't even fit the mould." The brunette explain with a hint of laughter in her voice, waving her hand dismissively at the last part. Zael and I both look at each other in confusion before realizing what the brunette meant when she said that, earning a chuckle from the both of us.