Those Who Suffer, Those Who Survive

A Promise Made

For the length of the following day, Noctis went around Angora forest trying to pick up the wolf's tracks.

To some inconvenience, he had found the bartender/innkeeper's daughter happily skipping behind him as he passed the town walls. When he turned back to ask her business outside town, the girl had replied," I as well had to go to Angora forest...You know to...to-" she thought for a while then  said with a triumphant smile,"To collect...things for Father."

"Things?"

She innocently looked back at him saying,"Yes. Certain things. Things which I can't tell you about." As if to cement her innocence she batted her eyelashes a few times with a pure hearted smile.

Noctis only sighed and went on his way muttering," If the Wolf appears, just so you now, I'd definitely use you as bait."

The girl burst out laughing at the attempt to scare her. She knew the creature wouldn't come out during day...probably. But more than that she knew for sure that the Knight would do no such thing. "You could never do that! I know you'd save me, Sir Knight."

"And how can you be so sure?"

Agnes furrowed her brows a little as she thought up the best reply. But when she finally began to speak, Noctis noticed gloom in her sharp grey eyes. "Because you'd never allow another innocent life to be lost. That's..what Knights do, right?"

In that forest of frost and ice, Noctis stopped in his tracks to face Agnes. He glanced at her face to find her brows knit in some unknown worry, her eyes lowered to  the ground with a solemnity in them as she stood fidgeting nervously with her fingers.
And it was in that moment that Noctis realized, perhaps this might be a peep of the sorrow he had sensed in her the night before.

"Agnes,"he calls her name lightly,"You are...sad."

She jerks her head up, as if someone had wrenched her away from a deep trance. "Sad?"she looks into his eyes. "Sad...well, I wouldn't be the only one in Angora." Her voice suddenly seemed distant."I- we haven't slept in a long time, Noctis. Not really. All of us..all of Angora."

Noctis felt some resemblance to the woe in her eyes. Haven't slept...or haven't been able to sleep for terror. Terror that once you shut your eyes the beast will awaken. Forcing yourself to keep your eyes open while your soul begged for rest...all to keep away the Monster. To keep away...the Darkness. And the half-demon suddenly realized why he could relate.

Then Noctis Delacorix found himself doing something which was not just unusual....but rather aberrant to his nature. He found his feet closing the distance between the girl and him. He stood, infront of her as she, with redness on her cheeks realized the closure.

"You'll sleep soon, Agnes. I promise you,"he says placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The girl doesn't say anything more but only looks into the depths of his unusual eyes mouthing a small "Thank you."