Blood and Redemption_Demo 1

Chapter Seven: Beyond a battle's end

The sun was setting, painting the skies in hues of amber and rose as Delore and Celestia trudged along the dirt road. Their journey had been long and uneventful.
Celestia still in her male form says
"Where are we headed? We've been moving all day, and the sun's getting low. Shouldn't we set a fire?"
Delore replies her squinting through the forest
"Well soon arrive,"
Celestia giving out a sigh.
After at least 30 minutes of riding, the moon has taken its place in the sky. Delore with a sigh of relief
"Finally, we have arrived,"
Celestia getting flustered stammers "an an an spring bath?" 
They have made it to a small waystation nestled within a dense forest . The wooden sign creaked faintly in the breeze: "Healing Springs [Thermae] - Rest and Rejuvenate."

Delore tilted his head. "What's your problem with spring baths?" he muttered, the weariness of their travels evident in his tone.

Celestia, still in her male form, nodded quickly. "I-I have no problem with it at all, hahaha(she fakes laughs) I cou-could totally one too," she stammered, averting her eyes.
Delore staring "that the most amount of words you've said on our journey together" he says with a calm face, almost showing a faint smile.

The springs were divided by a wooden fence, one side marked with a crude carving of a woman and the other with a man. Delore made his way toward the male section, glancing back to see Celestia heading in the opposite direction.

"Oi," Delore called out, his voice dry with sarcasm. "Are you blind or something? That's the wrong side."

Celestia froze mid-step, her face heating up. She turned around stiffly, her hands clenched at her sides. "I-I just thought... Never mind!" she snapped, stomping over to the male section with an air of forced confidence.

Delore raised an eyebrow but said nothing, stepping inside. The male section of the bath was surrounded by smooth stones and enclosed by tall bamboo walls that shielded it from prying eyes. Steam curled into the cool evening air as Delore shrugged off his shirt, revealing his tattooed back.

Celestia hesitated at the edge of the bath, her gaze darting nervously toward Delore. She fumbled with the ties of her cloak, her hands trembling. She had spent years perfecting her spell, her male form, a carefully crafted facade. But here, surrounded by heat and vulnerability, cracks began to form.

"You gonna stand there all day?" Delore asked, sinking into the water with a sigh of relief. "The water's not gonna bite."

Celestia bristled. "I'm getting in, okay?" She slid into the water as quickly as she could, keeping her back to him. The heat of the springs only made her face feel hotter, her heart pounding in her chest.

Delore leaned back, resting his arms on the edge of the bath. "You know, i used to enjoy hotsprings back in the day. If I didn't know better, I would have said I spent more time with my men in here than the battlefield (he begins to smile). I still remember when we first met, "
Celestia already blushing from being in the same spring with Delore. Delore continued while moving towards him. "I confused you for my daughter." His words striking a nerve. The spell that maintained her male form began to waver, Delore puts hands on her shoulders and says to her while standing up from the water"your a good lad kid" faint ripples of magic shimmering around Celestia. Delore noticed the shift and narrowed his eyes. "What’s with the glow?" he asked, his voice low but calm.

Before she could respond, the spell shattered. Her male form dissolved like mist, leaving her true appearance exposed. Long hair cascaded down her back, and her slender frame was unmistakably feminine. Celestia gasped, clutching her arms around herself as her face burned with shame. Delore instantly opted

Delore stared, his expression unreadable. "So," he began, his tone measured, "you're- a female." He leaned forward, his gaze steady. "Care to explain?"

Celestia couldn't find her voice. She scrambled out of the water, grabbing her cloak and fleeing before Delore could stop her. The sound of her footsteps faded into the night, leaving Delore alone in the bath.

For a moment, he sat in silence, the warm water doing little to soothe the cold realization settling over him. "Celestia..." he murmured, her name heavy on his tongue. Memories of her defiance, her sadness, and the way she had always seemed to carry a hidden weight began to surface.

He closed his eyes, his thoughts churning. "She's been hiding this the whole time," he muttered. "But why? And why does it feel like I should know?"

Rising from the bath, he dried himself hastily and stepped outside, only to find the clearing eerily quiet. "Celestia?" he called, his voice cutting through the stillness. There was no answer.

Panic gripped him as he scanned the area. Then, his eyes fell on a piece of parchment pinned to a nearby tree. The edges were singed, and the ink bled slightly from the dampness in the air. He ripped it free, his heart pounding as he read the ominous message:

"To the father who abandoned his child,
You were a shadow, never a protector.
Now, you will see what it means to lose.
After every battle is a battle  unseem"

Delore's fists tightened around the note, the paper crumpling in his grasp. " Impossible, Celestia is strong enough to fend off measly men. What's going on?" His mind raced with the implications of the words. "Father?" he whispered, the realization hitting him like a blow.

He turned toward the forest and realises the horses were atill there with nothing startling them. His voice ringing out with urgency. "Celestia! Where are you?"

The trees offered no reply, only the rustle of leaves in the wind. Delore's heart sank as the weight of the situation bore down on him. "I won't lose you," he vowed, his voice firm. "Not again."

With his sword strapped to his back and determination burning in his eyes, Delore set off into the forest on his back horse while guiding Celestia’s horse, ready to face whatever lay ahead.