Head Down to the Garden

"How could you! She was your friend… I… I thought I was your friend! And you! You!"

Staggering forward, tears fell from Leander's eyes as he held up the hilt of his sword. The blade had been shattered in that last attack, and the runes lining what remained of the fractured blade slowly lost their glow as the power within the broken weapon died. Throwing it down, Leander roared at the person standing before him.

Shorthorns sprouting from the man's hair and a small tail ending in a tuft of fur revealed his true nature – a demon, not a man. The demon fared little better than Leander, his body marred by countless cuts that oozed glowing blue blood, evaporating upon contact with the open air. One particularly gruesome slash, which should have blinded him, stretched across his eyes."

The demon raised the blade in his hand – a long sword forged from brownish-red metal. Set just above the hilt, between the crossguard, rested a small glass sphere. Inside, an orange eye with a vertical slit stared blankly at the demon, its gaze cold and inhuman.

"Ragna!"

Rushing forward, Leander raised his fists preparing to fight until his last breath and Leander did. Before he was able to process what had happened, the demon, Ragna, moved his blade piercing through Leander's chest.

Leander awoke abruptly, his hand pressed to his chest where Ragna had stabbed him – but he was unharmed. His skin was unbroken, his chest untouched by any would. Running his fingers down his skin, it slowly dawned on Leander that he felt great. Curling his fingers experimentally, he marvelled at the absence of pain. The persistent aches that had plagued him for days – his ribs, his very soul – had vanished completely.

Holding his face, Leander shivered at the thought of what he had just seen. It was undoubtedly another memory. Dread began to cover Leander's face as he 

'Was that, was, that, how I… Died?"

"Hey, you. You're finally awake."

Melaine called to Leander, her gentle voice a nice change from the nightmare he had just woken up from.

Raising his head, Leander intended to avert his gaze from Melaine's nightdress. To his surprise, however, Melaine had already donned a dressing gown that modestly concealed her figure. Where she had once sat in the shadows, lit by a single flickering candle, now she sat bathed in sunlight, the candle long since burned out. 

In her hands, she held the sword Leander had retrieved from the cave filled with orange crystals. She had been intently examining it until Leander stirred and sat up in her bed.

Feeling his expression, Melaine tilted her head.

"Are you okay, Leander? You look like you've had a bad dream?"

Rubbing his head, Leander frowned. 

"A dream? I had had a dream, but, I can't sleep?... Wait, I don't remember sleeping. The last thing I recall is you moving on top of me, was that to get a better view of fixing my soul?"

At Leander's question, Melaine winced turning away. Gently placing the sword on her bedside table, she slowly nodded.

"Oh, yes, yes, I needed to sit on your waist to get a better view of your… soul… Yes, yes. So…

Slowly turning back around, Melaine slightly smiled at the man sitting at the foot of her bed.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel, normal again. There's no immeasurable pain so yeah, I suppose I feel great. You did this Melaine? You really fixed my soul?"

Giggling, Melaine nodded.

"I'd be lying if I said it was easy. It took me the entire night to patch up your poor soul. It was completely broken, shattered would be a more apt description. Leaking anima as if there was no tomorrow. The fact you made it from the village to my door, just goes to show how strong you truly are. You passed out partway through the night, which I imagine led to your dream… Or is a nightmare a better descriptor? Care to share what you saw?"

Holding his hands together, Leander furrowed his brow at the question. Leander knew that Melaine was his ally, but what he saw, was the demon that attacked him. Ragna. Leander wasn't sure if he felt comfortable divulging this information to Melaine, he didn't know if he could tell anyone about this.

How do you describe your death to someone, how do you tell them that a demon thrust a sword through your chest?

Slowly raising his gaze, Leander watched Melaine. Her smiling face made his gaze falter.

'Who are you, Melaine the Lich Queen? You seem prepared to aid me with everything because I am your people's last hope. Or is there something more to your plans?'

"No, I can barely remember it. That's dreams for you… Fading as fast as they happen."

Rubbing his chest, Leander squinted down at his bare chest. After a moment he turned to eye the tattered remains of his shirt, shredded by Melaine. Just as he was about to sigh, a fresh shirt smacked him in the face. Pulling it off, he glanced over at Melaine, who responded with a playful wave. Her lips parted in a teasing smile as she spoke to him, her tone light.

"Don't worry, I figured you'd want a new shirt."

Leander shook his head slowly as he slipped on the shirt, concealing his muscular frame. Melaine watched with a wistful expression, disappointed as her source of amusement disappeared. With a small sigh, she turned her attention back to the sword she had just set down.

"Ravenmother has informed me of the events that have transpired over these past few days. How you slew the pack of manyfang that were harassing the villagers and tracked them down to find their pack leader. Who would have expected Prince Lewren of the Tail Clan would be so foolish as to step onto my land with such little disregard for the pact I have with his father."

Melaine picked up the blade, studying it thoughtfully for a few moments before speaking.

"There's one thing she couldn't answer, though. Leander, where did you find this sword?"

Finishing pulling the shirt over his head, Leander shrugged, dismissively retelling the events that led up to him gaining his new sword.

"After Lewren killed Ravenmother, or, killed her body and kicked my ass the first time. I fell into some kind of underwater lake and then I fell into a hole… Honestly, it wasn't the best experience of my life, of my second life? That sword, it's an enchanted artefact. I wished it was bigger and then, it just changed."

Melaine's lips widened slowly, moving the sword she looked at Leander through the cracked glass sphere in its crossguard.

"What a lucky man you are, you found yourself an Aegis Series."

Leander cocked his head to the side.

"An Aegis Series? I feel like that should be familiar but… No, I don't recall."

Lowering the sword, Melaine ran her fingers gently along its blade.

"The Aegis Series weren't all just weapons – they were a series of tools created a long time ago to combat a force of destruction that has never been witnessed since. A force that left an entire continent in ruin. The civilisation that used to live on the ruined continent before its ruination made the Aegis Series. Stories tell that there used to be hundreds of thousands of such weapons, but now there are only twelve known Aegis Series." 

She chuckled softly, offering the sword back to Leander.

"Make that thirteen, a pity this one seems to have died. One final transformation to save your life."

Standing, Leander moved to Melaine taking the sword from her. His eyes watching the cracked sphere.

"I'm not sure, I don't think it is. It was in this state the first time I found it, but it woke up and called out to me, and it spoke to me for a second time moments before transforming. Could it be, asleep? How is it even possible for this sword to speak to me in the first place?"

Picking up her comb, Melaine returned to facing her mirror gently brushing her hair as she listened to Leander's words.

"Is it not obvious? Well, the ancient civilisation was far more advanced than what we have these days. They created magical artefacts – the Aegis Series, what makes the Aegis Series different from the magical artefacts that are created currently is that. Aegis Series are each imbued with a will, an artificial soul. For what reason? Who knows, maybe those people were just… Really lonely."

A smile curled up the corner of Melaine's lip as she chuckled to herself.

Turning the sword over, and over again. Leander bit his cheek.

"This sword saved my life, I will do anything to save this thing… Do you know any way I can repair this sword? You seem to know how to repair the soul?"

Stopping the brush partway down her hair, Melaine smiled as she watched Leander through the mirror.

"You flatter me, Leander. Whilst it is true I'm a genius beyond measure when it comes to the soul, this blade's problems are not spiritual."

Melaine tapped the cracked glass.

"See that large fracture, that is its core, where its artificial soul is contained. Until its core is repaired, the soul within can't recover. Although I must say, I am surprised. Aegis Series are supposed to be nearly indestructible. It took me nearly six hundred years to find a deceased core, yet within your first week back walking this world you stumble upon a broken one. I find myself almost envious.

The soft cyan of Melaine's eyes glinted with interest.

"Was there anything unusual about the cave where you found this sword?"

Leander winced as Melaine asked her question, being reminded of the orange crystal's tendrils that caused intense pain when they touched his skin.

"Well, I found it clutched in a skeleton's hand. I can only assume it belonged to the sword's last wielder before their demise and…"

Leander hesitated, his voice dropping slightly as he continued.

"There was something else in that cave – orange crystals. At first, I thought they were just, magical. You know, the ones that are mined up and used to make artefacts. But, as I went to inspect the sword, it grabbed from behind me, binding itself around my upper body..."

Leander's hand rubbed his shoulder recalling the pain of the tendrils as they snaked under his armour. Each one of them was like a string made from red hot lava. Like

"They would have killed me if the sword didn't call out to me."

Melaine nodded slowly as she listened to Leander's story, her expression thoughtful. But the moment he mentioned the orange crystals, her head abruptly stopped. Her eyes narrowed, and a serious look overtook her features as she suddenly stood up.

"Leander… You said the sword woke up and called to you, was it when the crystal grabbed you? What did it say?"

Confused, Leander asked.

"Why? I mean, it was only a problem because I fell down unprepared, but I don't think those things will be a problem-"

Melaine suddenly interrupted Leander, an urgent tone in her voice.

"No Leander."

Melaine interrupted sharply, her tone firm.

"I asked you – what did the sword say? Did it mention anything, destruction? Corruption? Taint? Anything? Anything at all?"

Leander nodded.

"Corruption."

His gaze drifted slightly as he recalled the moment.

"It told me to 'purse it' – to purge the corruption. I couldn't touch the tendrils myself, but when I managed to get the sword into my hand, it glowed with this white energy. It could cut through the tendrils. And when I drove it into the crystal, the orange light inside it just… died."

Melaine's frown began to lighten when Leander spoke again.

"After I 'purged' one of the crystals, all of the others began to wake up. Dozens and dozens of them."

Melaine smiled at Leander, a bright, hopeful smile.

"And those crystals, tell me, please tell me you destroyed them all before they all woke up?"

Leander shook his head.

"I did not. I wasn't in the right state to fight those things."

Melaine's smile faded into a blank expression, her brow twitching subtly as she stared at Leander. Without a word, she stepped away and moved to the window, gazing out over the world below. For several minutes, she remained there, silent and lost in thought.

Her eyes settled on Funerary far below, its landscape bathed in the light of the sun. Leander listened closely, faintly hearing her talk to herself.

"It's not his fault he doesn't remember."

"I'm not going to loosen your leash, so stop asking."

Just as Leander was about to ask whether she was okay, turned around.

"I understand, Leander. I know you did your best."

Sitting down next to her dressing table, she crossed one leg over the other as she smiled at him.

"You have had quite the adventure this past week, dealing with beasts, facing off against Decemtal, almost dying. Would you like some rest after all this, I could afford you a day or two to steady your mind."

Her lips were a faint smile as she watched Leander, she already knew what his answer would be before she even asked.

Keeping his silence for a few moments, Leander's fingers tightly curled around the hilt of the sword. Straightening his back, Leander spoke, his voice full of determination.

"You brought me back from the dead because you said your people need my help, so, where am I going next?"

Covering her smile with one hand, Melaine gestured to the pile of armour with the other. A first, Leander thought she was going to instruct him to put it back on – something he was prepared to do regardless of her instructions. But as the shadows stretched from the unlit corners of the room, curling around the armour. Before his eyes, the scale armour vanished, consumed by the shadows.

Melaine then gestured to Leander. The shadows obeyed – following her hand – they began to wrap around his feet, steadily climbing up his body. As they moved, the contours of his form subtly shifted beneath their dark embrace. When the shadows finally receded, Leander offered a slight appreciative smile – Melaine had used her mysterious mastery over the shadows to dress him.

Standing in Melaine's bedroom, Leander felt a sense of security beneath the protective weight of his scale armour, hidden from her gaze. With a steady hand, he sheathed the sword.

Rubbing her bottom lip, she nodded.

"How perfect… Okay, Leander. Head down to the garden, I will send someone to give you directions to your next destination. I know a smith who will be able to repair that Aegis Series' core."

Nodding, Leander began to walk to her door. Stopping as he held the doorknob, Leander looked to Melaine's bed and then to Melaine.

"I have one question before I leave. Why do you have a bed? Why wear clothes to sleep in? We're undead, we don't need sleep, we can't even sleep."

Melaine gently tilted her head to the side, her answer flowed from her lips as if it was obvious.

"Sometimes it's just nice to pretend, close your eyes and pretend that everything outside of this room just… Doesn't matter. That I'm not Melaine the Lich Queen, I'm just Melaine, someone in dire need of a nap."

Leander gazed upon Melaine for a few moments, his expression unreadable, though a silent question lingered in his eyes: Who is this woman? Without a word he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Melaine wistfully sighed, as she slowly shook her head.

"He's no fun at all. That was the perfect opportunity for him to ask if he could sleep in my bed. Don't you think Ravenmother?"

Turning to the window, Ravenmother had appeared on the open window after Leander had left.

Despite Melaine's playful tone, Ravenmother's tone was of the utmost dire urgency.

"Mel, I'm sorry I didn't realise the cave was tainted. I'm prepared to handle it – I have a large portion of my soul ready. Please, just say the word."

Melaine remained silent, her hand tentatively reaching for her tiara. The black metal felt cool against her fingers as she traced the intricate designs etched into its surface. Ravenmother's unwavering gaze pressed on her, but Melaine only met her friend's eyes after a moment, offering a loose smile."

"No need, Ravenmother. The corruption dares to open its disgusting maw within my borders…"

Her voice turned cold.

"I will deal with it myself."