Dragon of Wrath

Chapter 11: Blind Trust

I blushed as Arthur fussed over me. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked. I nodded, about to be on my last nerve. "For the hundredth time, Arthur, yes, I'm sure I'm okay." Physically, at least, I admitted to myself. And I was. I felt like I was in no danger of fainting again. But, mentally.....

How was it possible? Arthur said he was sure he'd never met me before, but I....I felt like I knew him. I felt like I could guess all his favorite things and get them all right. I felt like I had met him years ago, instead of just two weeks ago. Why? Why did I feel this way? Hendrickson cleared his throat, startling me out of my thoughts. "If Lady Rivyn is better, then it might be best if we start moving. We have approximately three weeks until we reach Istar."

Arthur nodded. "You're right. But..." I looked at him. "Arthur, I'll be fine! Don't worry." He sighed and smiled at me. "Okay. Let's get moving."

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"Come oooon!" Ban snapped, somehow managing to make it sound like he was singing. "Coooome at me haaaarder!" He dodged Chastifol's Increase daggers like they were in slow motion. He even grabbed one and tried to throw it back at me, making our audience of Fairies gasp. Of course, it stopped long before it ever reached me. I frowned, floating up higher. "Why don't we take a break, Ban?" I wasn't focused and we both knew it–we also both knew the reason why I wasn't really into this fight. He snarled at me, showing those fangs of his. He then whirled and stormed away, probably going to see Elaine again.

Ban visited Elaine's body everyday since we got here, staying with her for hours. I couldn't bring myself to go and see my little sister's dead body. I knew he sat there, trying to find out how to bring her back, racking his brain constantly. I also sensed that he was searching for a way to forgive himself for what he'd done to the Captain. I sighed, then turned Chastifol back into its pillow form. I turned to my fellow Fairies, who were beginning to warm back up to me. I felt glad, but also guilty. Helbram......Helbram would've loved to come back to the Fairy King's Forest and get to see everyone again. But he was dead. For the third time. I just hoped that he could finally rest in peace, without that goddamned Hendrickson stealing his soul back from the afterlife.

I clapped my hands. "Okay, that's it for today, everyone!" They grumbled, but slowly left one by one. A few greeted me and when I heard them refer to me as "King Harlequin", I was so happy I practically jumped with joy. I wanted to earn back their respect, their trust, and it looked like I was on the road to doing just that.

I floated away after everyone had left, wandering aimlessly through the forest, thinking about everything that had happened recently. It seemed like only yesterday I was plotting my revenge on Ban for murdering my sister. But, in reality, it had been close to over two months since I had joined back up with the Sins upon finding out that Ban had not killed Elaine. In fact, he was in love with her, and she with him. Seeing the Captain and Diane again had been really nice, though I couldn't really say the same for Gowther. That guy really needed to learn what personal space was. But then.....the Captain.

I stopped, clenching my fists and squeezing my eyes shut. In all the time I had known the Captain, I never dreamed he'd be a Demon. A Demon, of all things!! The thing that had killed my sister, had brought Helbram back to a torturous half-life, had destroyed the old Fairy King's Forest, had nearly destroyed Liones. Despite my fervent claims that I didn't care about the Humans at all, I couldn't help myself. There were some Humans that I couldn't help but care about. I couldn't stop myself, despite knowing what the Humans were like.

It was funny, though. My mind flash-backed to when I first met the Captain.

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