With Heads Held High

Nearly a week had passed since the ‘real’ Council’s base had been relocated to an unorthodox emergency site in the Worth Woodsea. Despite the huge size of the foliage, light spilled down in an almost green tint on the solitary figure sitting on a log. The figure was female, about 16, with very long blond hair and brown eyes that were focused on the book in her hands instead of the beauty around her. Her name was Toril Tempest, and as far as she could tell, the only Junior-level paladin in the entire camp. She wasn’t in uniform. There wasn’t much reason to be. Her own morale had broken as much as anyone else’s at the camp, despite Nines’ presence keeping her safe during the attack.

She’d been out in that spot every day, away from the camp that was still in chaos. No one had time for her. She was a child as far as most of them were concerned. So she focused… or tried to focus… on the few books she’d managed to have on her when everything happened – the two books Nines had asked her to read. Now she didn’t have anything better to do.

That was a lie, there were plenty of things she should be doing, but she wasn’t. While Nines was busy, Toril was in a slump. She was barely even absorbing the pages she read. She wasn’t in the official uniform. She wasn’t in the unofficial colors she’d adopted either. She was in a more casual dress, with a pink jacket on, long socks, and a black set of shoes.

Toril gulped, deep in thought. She’d read the same page about fifteen times and hadn’t even noticed. She wanted to be outside the forest. She wanted to help people. The Magic Council was just sitting here… licking its wounds and telling her to stay put. She was a wanted criminal just for being a member of the real magic council, or something like that. No, she got it. The Crusaders had used their victory to cover up their traitorous nature and instead insist the now-called Loyalists attacked and they had chased the ‘bad guys’ off. She wasn’t sorry for who she’d sided with. She was just sorry she couldn’t do anything about the aftermath. Nines had been visiting Argon, who was apparently an old friend.

Toril’s friends were all too young and not as sharp as her. Not that she’d ever gotten along with other girls all that well… but she wished they hadn’t believed the lies and had come with her. She wanted someone her own age around.

The book fell to the ground as Toril drew her knees up, resting her forehead to them and wrapping her arms around her legs. Things sucked so bad now, and she hated it. She removed the headband holding her hair back and threw it at the ground next to the book as tears decided they wouldn’t be held back anymore. “I’m sorry…” she whispered. She was primarily whispering to her mother and father back in Oak Town, who for all she knew thought she was a criminal like her brother now. But she was also talking to everyone else as well. The protectors of the people were holed up and licking their wounds, and she could only imagine what being stuck here was doing to make things worse for the poor, innocent people.

Nines led the caravan carefully. He was a busy man today, it was something that had to be taken care of. Being branded as a Traitor always made things like this hard, but he always tried his best, even when it came to the two crusaders who tried to stop him earlier. They were waiting at Oak town, now they were naked, handcuffed to a light post fifteen feet in the air, with nothing but undergarments on, and the words “Filthy Liars” painted on them in magic paint. The only way to remove it would be the man who casted the spell for the paint itself. Ironically, he was in Nines caravan.

He was surprised this worked so well, what with going through all those files he had asked for after visiting the high commander. Due to the chaos in the base, no one questioned him on it. The people needed a moral boost just as much as the Loyalists did, and only a few things he did ended up in the wrong. Due to the few thousand at most Loyalists Nines figured it was time to build a real camp, but he needed more people for that to work.

So he decided to go get a gift for the people he worked with.

His smile was all he wore as he rode in the front most wagon, his green eyes observing the nature of the woodsea for any sign of Crusader tricks or spies. His auburn hair rustled in the wind, gently, just barely getting in his eyes. Today he wasn't wearing his normal uniform, The white coat had been abandoned for a simple long sleeve grey shirt, his left arm covered in bandages, the seals written on them in invisible ink, so no one who knew about seals would panic. He made sure of one thing especially happened as he looked to his right, at the file labeled “Toril Tempest” and wondered how the poor thing was doing. It was a lot to take in so quickly.

It was when the caravan pulled up to the entrance of the secret camp where things got fun for Nines. He stood up and looked at the five loyalists who were on guard duty today.
“GOOD EVENING MAGIC COUNCIL” He yelled loudly. “My name is Nikolas Krossley, i'm not sure if you know me as Nines, or as the Ghost of the Council. However I just have a few things to say today, I feel their important. The majority of you are Paladins, captains, lieutenants, some sort of ranked official. This does not surprise me, but it does worry me. All you know how to do is sit on your ass and give orders, the minority of you actually get involved in the battles, you rarely lose loved ones, or suffer from the other pains of war. We Seekers live on the front lines, we have no rank, we do not care for politics, or borders. We’re the Seekers of truth, the hunters of Darkness. We live in a never ending war, and suffer their pains everyday. However that makes us no better after this event. The council lies in Ruins, cast aside in the woodsea where we make our futile resistance. The Crusaders seek us out, they hunt us, they use our resources to have their Seekers find us, their paladins give their men orders to treat us like a common criminal!” Nines summoned his armor around him, the white gauntlet on his left arm bursting into life till his shoulder, the white armor gleaming in the light of the fading sun as his coat billowed out behind him as a cape. “We are traitors to their cause, we are no better than the common criminal. Why? Is probably a question you're asking yourself right now. I have a reason. We are not doing anything about it! Do you want your families to hate you? To feel your one of the reasons this world is burning right now? Do you care nothing for your country so much that you would rather get our shit in order and lick our wounds before we fight our enemy? We have no wounds! Nothing happened besides a simple relocation! Yes the horrors of our brothers dying beside us was terrible, yes watching the crusaders burn us out of our rightful home was traumatic. BUT YOU’RE ALL A BUNCH OF PATHETIC BITCHES, HISTORY IS DECIDED BY THE WINNERS OF WARS!”

He jumped off the wagon then, and walked up to the guards. “Your name is Mikeal Fink, you’ve been a soldier four months, trained as a paladin. Your easily spooked, and have a issue with panicking. You Kristoph, your easy to anger, and don't think before you act, this rashness will kill you.” Nines grinned, and started going back to yelling. “If the crusaders were to show up on our doorstep tomorrow you know what would happen? Our camp would burn! Want to know why? Your all lost in a sea of your own needs, you dont have anything to fight for, your morale is shit, and you all lost faith in yourselves. IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS I BRING YOU SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR” Nines had walked back to the first wagon in the caravan and ripped the sheet off it. Underneath was villagers. Normal people, with nothing connecting them to the ragtag group of the Loyalists except for one thing. Blood.

They all had family, they all had friends. They did have a reason to fight for something, Nines wasn't able to convince everyone the Loyalists were not evil, but those he did, he got to come with him.

“IF THE CRUSADERS WANT TO KICK US OUT OF OUR HOME THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BURN FIORE. IF THEY BURN FIORE THEY BECOME THE VILLAINS IN THIS STORY. LETS GIVE HISTORY AN ENDING THEY CAN'T DECIDE. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE WONT LET THEM WIN.” He said throwing off the next two sheets, revealing more villiagers. “WE WILL BUILD OURSELVES A STRONG BASE, WE WILL PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF FIORE FROM THEIR CORRUPT MINDSETS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE WILL NOT STAY HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS, AS IF WE WERE A DARK GUILD. WE ARE THE MAGIC COUNCIL, AND WE DO NOT TAKE SHIT, FROM ANYONE. NOT EVEN OURSELVES!” He ripped the sheet off the last wagon, to reveal it was covered in arms and food. Supplies for a war, supplies and tools for building. Nines had a plan, and he always made sure his plans came through.

“I will avenge Von Argon’s memory of his son…” Nines said as he continued walking. “Even if it kills me.” He finished clenching his fist as he crossed into the woods, towards the tiny place he currently called home.

It was away from the woodsea camp, he prefered it that way. He wouldn't hide with the cowards of the Loyalists, he would live out here, in the open. The small wooden two story building was on a plain overlooking a cliff. It was the only spot he could find that was open like this in the woodsea. The trees didn't grow this close to cliffs, at risk their roots would cause them to fall. Trees were intelligent, why couldnt people be smart like the trees. He opened the door back in his average person attire. “TORI I'M HO-” he stopped. A pair of her shoes were gone. “You’re not here” He muttered, his right hand went to his chin, as was common when he was thinking. He opened the door to her room, while constantly muttering “i'm Sorry” in apology as he did so, and looked around. Things were a mess, her clothes were cast around, the desk was covered in paper, except for a very specific area. A small rectangular space the size of a book was clean. She went to go study? This late? He thought as he shut the door. He knew Tori pretty well, the state of her room revealed her mental and emotional state. Her life was a total mess, and he knew that. He just didn't think it was this bad. He sighed as his bandaged left palm met his face. “I am a horrible father sometimes….” He muttered as he opened the door to the woodsea and was met with the smell of nature.

He knelt into the dirt and examined the path leading from his house to camp. No tracks there, not except for a rabbit crossing it. He looked around, finally finding a small pair of shoes leading towards the woods. He followed them, giving little effort in the way of remaining hidden. Bears, or assassins be damned he was going to talk to Tori today.

He came upon a small clearing with a fallen log, there was a small figure, curled into a little ball on that log. Her head was against her knees, and he could hear the small sobs from here. “I’m Sorry” came the little voice. He didn't know if that was too him, or her family, so he just shook his head.

“You don’t have to apologize little one.” Nines said sitting on the log beside her. “You did absolutely nothing wrong.” He smiled at her, his eyes closed. “There was nothing you could do in the first place, besides get hurt.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Your family is under surveillance, watched by the crusaders at all times of day. I assume if you directly interact with them, its so they can capture you.” He sighed. “I killed the Crusaders who were watching them….” He put the piece of paper on the log next to him. “....for that I’m sorry, murder is wrong. No person should ever have the right to take the life of another. I just lost control when I found out.” He stood up, “Even I’m a mental wreck during times like this. Just...come home when you’re ready. I understand if you never do.” He started to walk away, he knew she would realize he was crying, the man didn't sob but tears always sounded like raindrops when they hit the ground.

He would never forget the looks on those soldiers faces as he ripped the rest of their lives out of whatever controlled them into his own hands. It was an amature move for a professional. The enemy would stop receiving a message from them, and send another squad to investigate. This would give away what they cared about, and leave behind a clear message.

Nines covered his tracks well, setting the bodies on fire and carving the symbol of Shadow Heart into their flesh. If this war wanted him to be a monster, then thats what he would give them. Von Argon carried them to newfound peace during the last war, and he didn't help. Nines was willing to sell his soul to protect the people his old friend loved.

The paper itself was addressed to Toril Tempest, written in a fine handwriting. One Nines had figured out from looking it over that was similar to Tori’s. He had asked for her parents to come with him to the camp, but they couldn’t. Even they knew they were being watched by the Crusaders. Its why he killed them all, and desecrated their corpses. They gave him that letter for her. Whatever it said, that was her business, not his.

Toril wasn’t around to hear the rousing speech from Nines. Why would she be? She liked being alone lately. She wasn’t a loner by any means, but when a person is sad, well… they tend to want to do the stupid things that actually make things worse for them. In her case, it was getting too much time to think about her life as it was. She sat there, wishing she was older, stronger. Junior Paladin or not, she was a kid, and the officers in camp had made that abundantly clear earlier that day when she’d asked what she needed to do. Without papers to shuffle around… most of them were just sitting and missing their offices and families. Some were hard at work figuring things out… but they were too busy for Toril to even get a chance to offer anyway.

Suddenly, her mentor was next to her. He was busy, but he was kind of her hero, and despite not being in the mood to be cheered up, she couldn’t help but stop sobbing enough to lift her face enough so that a single brown, tear-stained eye stared at him as he told her she would have only gotten hurt. She didn’t want to hear the truth any more than she wanted to hear that she could have done more. The fact that she didn’t do more whether she could or not… Tears started to well up in her eyes again, and she raised up enough to wipe her face with her jacket sleeve.

Nines continued, telling her that her family was under surveillance. Apparently everyone on record as a traitor was, because they were at best a security risk to the Crusaders. She wasn’t that important… but the woman in charge now was both ruthless and intelligent. She’d played the Council at every angle and built up an empire no one could see because she was so busy clouding their minds with stupid thoughts. She knew even a tiny mouse like Toril was bad.  He said he killed the crusaders, and that he was sorry for murdering them, but that he had lost control. “….” Toril only looked at him. It was a look of neither approval nor disapproval. The normally morally upstanding girl hated the crusaders. She hated that they were indirectly involving her family. She hated them with all her might. Did she wish them dead? The equally dead feeling in her stomach when he said they were dead told her… she wasn’t sure right now. She wouldn’t kill them, and she would never ask Nines to, she knew that much…

With a statement of understanding if she never wanted to come home, Toril heard an all too familiar sound. Nines was crying as well. Her mind snapped awake again as she realized he hated what he had done even if they deserved it. She wanted to call out to him, but right now speaking wasn’t an option, apparently, and instead she watched him walk away for a moment before burying her head in her knees again. Stupid. She was so stupid. Of course she didn’t want to kill anyone! She was Toril Tempest, apprentice to Nikolas Krossley and Junior Paladin of the Magic Council. She was better than those lunatics who occupied her home. She was. She wouldn’t kill anyone unless she had no other choice.

Toril’s eyes fell onto the envelope beside her. It was In her mother’s handwriting. Her mother had taught her how to write. That was why their handwriting was similar. She picked up the envelope and slowly, carefully, she opened it to reveal the letter inside.

Toril Dear, we know you’ve been working hard to become a Paladin and protect people. We want you to know we’ll always love you, and we believe in you. You’ve always had a great sense of right and wrong, and no matter what happens during your time as a Paladin, we will always know you have done the right thing with whatever knowledge you had to work with. Being a soldier isn’t easy. Your father was one for twenty years before he earned his early retirement with his injury on duty. We’re very proud of your recent graduation, and we hope you find the best mentor out there for your two years as a Junior member. Good luck Dear. We’re rooting for you.”

Toril was crying agiain, but this time it wasn’t as bad. This time she was happy to have gotten the letter, even if it was late. Her parents believed in her. They believed she was better than her brother, and that she would always do the right thing. It made her smile as she hugged the letter to herself in lieu of her parents being there to hug. “I miss you Mom and Dad,” she told them quietly. “I promise I’ll make you proud, and I’ll show you that you were never wrong.”

Toril slid off of the log, straightening her dress and stuffing the letter in her pocket as gently as possible. It was already wrinkled bit because of the hug anyway. By the time she arrived back at the place she and Nines were living in now, she was feeling at least a little better. She didn’t think her parents hated her anymore, at least. “Of course I’d come home” Toril told Nines in greeting as she took in how messy she’d been lately. She was a pretty tidy girl normally. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she realized just how much she hadn’t cared based on what clothing was on the floor. Well, that and the honest words coming out of her mouth. “Where would I be without my mentor if I want to be a proper paladin and bring Fiore back to the way it’s supposed to be. I um… I hope you still want to be.”

Nines looked in the entryway from the kitchen. It was a small house. He was wearing his green apron over his plain clothes, and raised an eyebrow at Tori when she started muttering questions he couldn't really hear. “I made you dinner~” he chimed with his trademark smile and waving around a serving spoon. He threw down four plates, all already filled with food. Two had mash potatoes and gravy, as well as gravy drizzled over what looked like lightly seasoned steak. The other two plates were covered in well sliced meat steaks, and mashed potatoes. He came back out holding a pot filled with gravy, and a small metal sheet which had small bread buns on it. He put these on the dining room table, and took his apron off, then turned off the kitchen light, putting the fabric in there where it belonged. He sat in his chair and bowed his head towards the table and said a quick word which was obviously in another language before he gestured for Tori to join him.

“I’m going to assume whatever was in that letter was good news then” He stated, still smiling. “If you want tomorrow you can come with me on a quick job I have to do” He continued. “that should give you something to do, and take your mind off this bullshit for awhile” He then took a bun dipped it in the gravy and took a bite.

Toril’s face went from serious to a look that definitely read ‘Why do I try?’ when Nines turned around and announced that he’d made dinner in the short time between his and her arrival. She let out a sigh as she sat down and picked up her fork, shoveling food onto her plate, followed by her mouth. She got hungry faster than most people, and ate more despite her petite figure. “Yeah, the letter was good… if a bit late. It was to congratulate me for my graduation…” she admitted to Nines as she shoveled more food into her mouth.

She looked up when she was offered the chance to go on a job of some sort with her mentor. She had a fire in her eyes at the mention of the job. She needed to have busy work, and she needed to get out of these gods-forsaken woods. Nines obviously knew that as well. “Of course, Master Nines,” she told him with a firm nod. “I’d do anything to be out of this place for a while.” She needed to help people. She knew that bad things would happen without the Magic Council to protect people, and she didn’t want to be helpless to protect her allies and the people they were supposed to be fighting for.

[color=#cc6699]“Good here you should catch up on what we’re doing”[//color] Nines said holding up a clipboard and sliding it to her along the table. On it was a poster. written in big bold font on that were the words “Looking for a partner to help me take on a dark guild for a client. Mercenaries preferred. Would rather that the guards don't get involved. They don't like free agents taking the law into their own hands. A fifty-fifty split of the client's payment is the reward.” Nines chewed his food slowly, and for long periods of time, he was an extremely healthy eater that way.

“We need to get involved, vigilantism is a leading result of Dark Guild members running around doing stuff, as well as a cause for people getting hurt on our behalf. So we’re going to go in there and deal with this Dark Guild problem ourselves. That way no one thats a mercenary needs to get hurt. Let alone this Detective Yamazaki.” Nines said tapping the Clients name twice with his bandaged left finger. “So tomorrow we go do this, and get that mess taken care of before we go about doing, god knows what, the loyalists do.” He finished and went back to eating.

I know what I’m going to do afterwards, go punch some crusaders in the faceHe thought as he planned the duo’s next raid on a Crusader shipment of supplies he expected to come through the roads to Era soon.

Toril picked up the clipboard when it was slid to her, a business-like expression on her face as she studied the information in front of her. She didn’t stop eating while she looked though. Toril was basically the exact opposite from Nines when it came to eating, and ever since she started exercising and everything as a Paladin, she’d had an even bigger appetite. So there was a dark guild that had popped up besides Shadow Heart? It looked like her superiors had missed a fair few things because of that Tallison woman who had taken over. She was probably going to try to make everyone feel safe at the expense of freedom if she could get away with it, and if stuff got bad enough first… they’d welcome it with open arms.

“I don’t blame people for trying to do things themselves,” Toril told her mentor as she sat down the clip board and slid it back to him, as well as her plate that was now bereft of even a crumb. “With the way things are, we’re not doing anything, and neither are the Crusaders. But if we can do something… anything… even if we’re criminals just for wanting to help people, I’ll do it. Anything’s better than knowing how vulnerable people are now and doing nothing.” Toril excused herself from the table, taking off her pink jacket she hadn’t even bothered to take off before and hanging it up properly.

She disappeared for a moment to change into the closest thing to Pajamas she’d been able to take with her, since she had no intention of leaving again for the day, and stepped out to start picking up her clothes she’d left everywhere. “Sorry about the mess” Toril told Nines, crouching down to pick up the underthings first, hiding them underneath her other clothes as she tossed them where they were supposed to go, a slight blush on her face now that she was realizing how messy she’d been. “I’ve been um, a little distracted."

“It’s okay Tori I can understand being hilariously distracted. Trust me on that I disappeared for Nines years because I got distracted” Nines replied from the other side of the hall. His door was open. “If you don't clean it tonight i’ll clean it while you're out of your room in the morning tomorrow.” He said walking to his door. “Listen Tori, about the split of the Magic Council, the start of this whole Civil war stuff.” His face hardened a bit, and his smile turned into a grin. “Don’t worry about it too much. Life goes on, just means more things to deal with in order to help Fiore.” His bandaged left arm was placed in his pocket. “Life without strife is dull anyway. Also, you should prolly look on your bedside table.” He chuckled before shutting the door to his room for the night.

He threw himself on his bed with a thwump and wrapped his fingers in between each other as he lay his head back on his hands. Staring at the ceiling until he finally managed to fall asleep would be a wonderful thing.

He smiled as he thought about the books he got her in the small purple box he left on her Night stand. They were supposed to be given to her on her actual birthday, not a few weeks after. It was a late thing, but he couldn't have expected what did happen on the girls birthday. He wasn’t going to tell her about the motivational speech or the extra people helping around camp, she would find that out herself when they went there tomorrow. He would tell her if she asked why she did it, that it was an after thought on the way back, he actually went to town to retrieve an extra copy of her birthday presents, as the other two probably burned during the fall of the council. There were children now, teenagers too. People her age. It was always good to know people your age, encouraged proper social growth, and a healthy mental state. he closed his eyes and waited for his boredom caused by insomnia to give way to the sweet release of unconsciousness.

Toril didn’t wait to let Nines clean her things. They were her things, and her responsibility. She already insisted on doing several things herself, despite Nines being practically the perfect butler in addition to being an amazing Seeker. She wasn’t taught to let people do things for her while she sat around, and wasn’t about to start that now, no matter what kind of mood she was in. At least he was a better cook than her. She loved food, but cooking… was not yet among her skills, as they’d both found out not too long ago.

Nines parted with her with a combination of something akin to an encouraging word and a message to look at her bedside table. It prompted her to both smile gently in appreciation and amusement, and wonder how in the world he built a house and everything inside it so fast. The man was a freaking wizard… or… well… you know, whatever built things really fast.

Toril dropped her clothes next to her bed, picking up the box and sitting down with a much lighter “thwump” than Nines. Her grin turned to an expression of intrigue. The box obviously had books in it, but what kind of books would he get her? More books to study, or… she frowned. She’d never told him she had turned sixteen, and yet it said happy birthday on it. “How do you do it?” she asked him quietly, unwrapping the gift. Her eyes opened a bit wider. She loved this author. He was amazing at presenting history, and she’d owned several of his books at her house.

Toril hugged the book to her chest appreciatively, falling backwards onto the bed and causing it to creak loudly. It was amazing the way he seemed to gather everything about her, and yet be so oblivious at life. He was like some kind of reverse savant, good at everything except one or two things. If only she’d been so lucky. Toril took off her holder rings, placing them on her bedside table before opening her book. She might as well do a little more reading before falling asleep as well. "Goodnight, Nines."

It was a quiet night for reading. Within a few hours however rain started falling gently against the house. A light pitter patter against the roof. With the two council members eventually falling asleep the world continued on. The animals roamed the darkness of the forest, ignoring the house that the two lived in. However neither of them knew what kind of trouble awated them in the future. The next day would provide all sorts of entertainment for the two, as well as plenty of trouble.

It didn't take long for the sun to peak over the horizon, the colors of yellows, oranges and scarlets peircing the sky. The grass was covered in morning dew, and the wildlife returned to its daily life. A slight breeze was moving in towards their location. It didn't take long before Nines pushed his window open and threw his pillow at a woodpecker that had decided his wall was the best wall to build a nest into. He pretty much regretted this as the pillow obeyed the laws of physics and the avian defied them with its wings.

Pomf..

The law of gravity dictated that the pillow hit Nines in the face on its peaceful descent towards the planet. Sadly the man didn't react fast enough and the pillow escaped his attempt to reclaim it. It landed on the grass with a soft plomp noise, and was now covered in god knows what, as well as the morning dew. Nines glared at his pillow, then at the bird that had decided it would nest in the tree next door. If he didn't know woodpeckers tasted like a woody chicken he would kill it and eat it right now, but he knew they did, so he didn't. Today would be a fantastic day, however it was a different story than this one.

-END THREAD-

Part Two: