Alasla: The New Age

Chapter Thirty-Three - The Lie of War

It's been a week since Ralph and Eve set foot in Deus Maris. After a whole week of searching and living in this city, Ralph had figured out some patterns and methods that helped them survive.

For example, cargo and goods get transported into Deus Maris every Thursday morning, if he waits beside the port on Wednesday evening, he would be able to get good pay from the workers for helping them transport goods.

For example, again, there is an old woman who has about twelve cats and they always get lost somehow. The old lady would in turn always pay one gold for each cat Ralph brings back. Ralph had already asked Eve to put up a tracking system on the cats, this way he figures out where it is before anyone else.

But just recently, he's found an even better job.

The Stone of Plague sickens people, but it can also reverse the sickness. This morning when he walks into the clinic of a man named Jacob who works with him, the whole street was crowded with patients waiting to see him. And he's happy to help. Each time when he lifts his hand off his patient, burning their sickness away with it, he felt like he saved a life. His power's not just a weapon. And he's no murderer. He's been a lifesaver. This title was completely new to him, the thought that he might've actually helped other people with his power had made him very happy indeed. The day a woman cried over him because he saved her daughter from a deadly disease, his heart had felt unnaturally light. It feels welcomingly comfortable, like a warm, feathery bed. Is this what normal individuals feels every day, every second? How come no one ever talks about it? How come no one ever mentions how incredibly good is the feeling of being free of guilt and sin?

He even fixed Lily's migraine. He was going to ask for Rain as the payment, but Lily confessed that she's already sold it. Ralph healed her anyways for three days' free rent.

Eve's headphone device had been improving a lot. She can now control them and whiz them around however she likes, and she is planning on putting them to use a week later at the execution.

Today was a Sunday when almost no one gets up to work in the whole city. Ralph woke up to see an empty, deserted, almost abandoned city. Stalls from yesterday were still scattered down across the streets, however, the people occupying them were gone. Eve is still asleep peacefully beside him, the thin blanket crinkling and pulling as her chest rises and falls. Ralph carefully edged himself off the bed, walking across the room as quietly as possible, but Eve still woke up to the sound of the flooring creaking beneath his steps.

"Already awake?" She murmurs, rubbing her eyes, she pushes herself up.

"Ah, yeah," Ralph walked over and sat back next to her. "I want to check out the execution ground a week later. I need to start planning how should we do this."

He paused for a beat, then attempted something he did not expect would work.

"Cecilia," he said into the shadowy end of their room. "Are you awake?"

Eve sat up beside him, also waiting to see if it was going to work.

But it didn't. They waited for a long minute, staring at the corner. Finally, Ralph gave up and pulled on his cloak.

"Come on," he signals towards Eve. "Let's go."

The two of them walk out into the empty, breezy city. He's heard that the execution would be happening on top of the Cliff of Justice, an old monument where laws and orders were enforced around Deus Maris. They haven't been using it, but it seems like that now it's going to be put back into use.

Occasionally, Ralph's eyes still tricked him into seeing flashes of people around the city. He unconsciously strains his ears for unusual sounds, but the only thing he heard is wind gushing through the towns and alleys, draining out their own footsteps.

When they arrived at the foot of the Cliff of Justice, Ralph noticed another person who was sitting beside the gate to the court.

His greying hair ruffling in the morning wind, the tip of his nose pink from the cold, fingers pinning down the pages of the book he held at hand, Lucas looked up in shock as he sees them coming.

"Why are you here?" He cried. Ralph widens his eyes in surprise, it's the first time that he's heard Lucas speak out loud like this ever since they met. "T-There's nothing here! Please go back!"

Eve arched a brow. "You are being a little too obvious," she pointed out.

"Lucas," Ralph breathed. "What's in there?"

But the boy could only shake his head. He skidded to a stop in front of the gate, shielding it behind him with his small, thin limbs. "Nothing!"

Ralph and Eve exchanged a glance. Ralph strides up to him, crouching down so they're at the same eye level. Lucas backed away a little, but still shielded the gate away with his arms wide extended.

Ralph reaches into his pocket, pulling out the sac of gold kept from a couple of days back. Disbelief could be seen washing across the boy's young, round face. Slowly, he took the sac back from Ralph's hand, opening it, his eyes gleamed in surprise under the golden glow from within the sac.

"What did you do for your rent that day?" He asked feebly.

Ralph simpered, surveying the boy before him, he stood back up. "I paid my sword," he informed him.

Lucas' eyes flicked to the empty side of Ralph's hip, then looked back in disbelief. "Why didn't you use these?" He gave the piles of gold in his clutches a little shake.

"It's not mine," Ralph shook his head. "I won't use what I did not earn. I understand if you don't want to tell us what's going on inside, but could you at least answer me one question?"

Lucas nodded after a long pause of hesitation.

"Is the execution that is due to happen in a week's time happening now?" He asked breathlessly.

From the shock on Lucas' face, he knew his guess was right.

"Ralph! Run!" Eve screamed behind him at the same time Lucas nods. Grabbing the boy, Ralph flipped away in the air, landing to a skidding stop beside Eve just as a man with the Scars' icon tattooed over him landed where they were seconds before.

This time Ralph raises his arm, the plague rushing through his body, his hand gripped into a fist towards the man's direction, and immediately, his opponent's body kindles within the deadly, emerald flame.

After the flame burnt through, his enemy fell, immobilized.

"Come on," Ralph whispered to Eve. "It seems like the fight had already begun."