Chapter 103: Compressed Hearts Part 3

They took a train bound to nowhere. She led the way in silence after the city of Alician was out of sight. She still held his wrist, never letting go. They sat near the window, facing together, her hands never letting go, she was afraid to let go, thinking, that he would go away.

“I am not going away,” he said. “Can we talk this through?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Can you let go of my hand first?”

“Okay...I will. I can catch you if you do try.”

“Thank you, so, why are you taking me somewhere?”

“I want to leave Alician.”

“Why? I don’t think that you would leave so easily.”

Her lips curved up. She joined her fingers.

“Partly, because I want to know more about you, and see the state of the Empire. I...I honestly don’t know, Nolan. It has been five hundred years, my heart’s so tight, and I want to know if this is truly love or was it just you strike at the right moments of my life. You may not remember, but when you carried me through those dangerous lands, you took care of me, you bathe me, you fed me, not giving a single complaint. You took the curse, and burden yourself with the stigma that would have attracted the monsters to me, by taking it from me and making use of it. Do you know? I won and saved the world because I didn’t have it. Do you know much monsters would have swarmed if I had the stigma? I mean...those red eyes should be the proof of it.”

She always had those red eyes, monsters were always after her, he thought. Could it be that the stigma was passed? Then there’s no reason to deny it.

“I see. The sigils do not have their own glow, and I think I only have these eyes because of that stigma.”

“And...You should know the sigil on your eyes means,” she said. “The Eternal hawk of rebirth and memory...you have reached the point where you can manifest the memories of your sufferings to others. That’s how you were able to best Audrey, am I right? That reminds me when you helped me in Oasis, you didn’t look at me with disgust, and I know that you had seen worse, those sigils on your eyes...were attractive.”

Her cheeks reddened, she smiled as if recalling something dear. Nolan couldn’t understand, if that really happened then did she got attracted to him during that time? How? It was impossible, he thought. He had spent so many years chasing after her, that not looking at her with disgust at her time of need was all he needed?

“You jest...there’s no way you’d just start liking someone just because of I looked at you like that. Isn’t that...too shallow?”

“Well, it was like you shot my heart two times, first, when you save me, and that look of yours was rather bewitching. And...Well, you were honestly someone who had the body that matched my preference. Besides, no girl would hate being called pretty and told she was beautiful in her own way despite her scars.”

She gave a gentle smile.

Nolan frowned, “Does that really warrant five hundred years of waiting for a person you don’t even know if you loved or not? I think you have mistaken gratitude for love. You misattributed my help as love.”

“Perhaps,” she turned to the windows, the scenery passing fast. “I met you. You teased me. Things happened that made me unable to sort out of my feelings properly. I spent a lot of time on your back, and honestly, I think you fooled me into wanting to be with you. Honestly, when I had my legs broken, my hopes, my dreams, I thought they were gone. So when I saw you appear before me, injured, but willing to carry me all the way to the three fates. I was happy yet. Though, I never really did ask you why you took me to the three ladies of fate.”

“...”

“Don’t give me that look, I know that you can’t remember. It doesn’t even matter, now you are here, and I will try to make you remember. Though, I might know what happened to you.”

“What then?” he asked.

“I read that the Eternal Hawk’s Sigil can only be gained after a tribunal. Nobody knows what this tribunal is, but they all had one step that needed to have. The eternal hawk of memory and rebirth, it could be that you went mad.”

“Mad?”

“Yes, that would explain why you don’t remember. What did you encounter that made you lose yourself for five hundred years? I saw you fight monsters while I was on your back, and saw you never falter. But to lose your memories and gain the sigils of the eternal hawk.”

“I can’t recall anything,” he held his hand on his head. “I truly am sorry.”

“Why are you sorry for the things you have no control over?” she said.

“How could I even...I just don’t know,” he said.

“I see,” she nodded. “It doesn’t matter much really, I just want you to accompany me.”

“Where exactly?”

“Hmm, I want to visit a few places. People have heard of my name, but only a few know my face. Audrey can act, hmm, she would be better at playing protector than me. Why not act as my escort?”

“Do you even need one?”

“True, still, act like it. It has been five years, I need a break from all of this madness. Don’t you think you need one as well? It might make you sort out your thoughts, and honestly, it might give you an overall look of what the current world is.”

“That’s fair,” he said. “I accept then, I’ll be coming with you.”

“Great,” she said with her cheeks lifted. “I don’t have to worry about you, running away. Looks like there was no need for a good collar.”

“I don’t get it all,” he said with a sigh. He turned his eyes to the scenery outside the window, his gaze pointed at the big ball of fire that lit up at the east.

karsev