Then It’s a Deal

Riku chuckled, loosening his grip on his odachi. Before the weapon had the chance to fall, it suddenly turned into a mass of pink blossoms – the blossoms softly glowed as they spread out, blown by the gentle breeze. Within moments, the pink blossoms disappeared.

Leander watched this with confusion as he opened his mouth to question what he had just seen. Riku gestured to the unconscious Narina in his arms.

"She alive?"

Leander followed Riku's gaze, adjusting his grip on Narina so as not to drop her.

"I'm pretty sure. Narina was holding the Yellow Fox down so I could land a clean punch. But then the Yellow Fox gave her a real bad shock. She was fine for a minute, but then she fainted as we were running back."

Breathing a deep breath from his pipe, Riku gently smiled.

"She took the brunt of Yellow's lightning?"

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Riku whistled as he walked to his home, opening the front door.

"Now, what kind of fighter has appeared on my doorstep. Lay her down over there if she can withstand Yellow. I'm sure she just needs to sleep it off."

Moving back to his spot beside the bubbling pot of stew, Riku placed his smoking pipe on the mantlepiece before returning to stirring the pot. Stepping across the threshold moments after Riku, Leander looked at the place Riku had mentioned. In the corner of the room sat a small bed with enough space for one. Gently resting Narina down on the covers.

Leander stayed still for a few moments, watching Narina's face, although he had only just met her. It felt weird to see her face so calm and so quiet. His grip around the bag tightened. Moving to stand behind Riku, Leander held the bag up.

"I filled the bag with the crystals. I also filled it with those scorpions. Their carapace seemed to be made of the same crystal, so I thought it would be a good idea to grab some of them too."

As Leander brought up the bag, Riku suddenly stopped stirring the pot. Slowly, he turned around to look at Leander, an unconfident smile on his lips as he glanced at the bag.

"Damn… You uh… You filled the entire bag? And you brought scorpions, can I… Have a look?"

Leander thrust the bag into Riku's hands.

"Now, get to work on the sword. I've already wasted more than enough time here."

Opening the bag, Riku reached inside. After rummaging around for a few moments, he produced a crystal big enough to comfortably fit in the palm of his hand. Holding it up, Riku looked into the crystal.

"Now this, this crystal is high quality…"

Glancing at Leander, the two exchanged gazes. 

Leander's gaze was intense due to how annoyed he had grown because of how long this expedition had taken. After all, it was only supposed to be a quick venture.

Riku's gaze faltered slightly as he looked at Leander's stern face.

Slowly, Riku moved the crystal to his mouth. Leander's annoyed expression grew confused as Riku bit off the end of the crystal.

"Wh-"

As Leander tried to question him, Riku reached his hand out, his movements deliberate and unhurried. With a single hand, he crushed the crystal over the steaming pot of stew, reducing it to a fine powder. Without hesitation, he let the powder fall into the bubbling broth. The powder shimmered, catching the light briefly before vanishing. Picking up the wooden spoon once more, Riku stirred the mixture with practised ease, blending the mysterious powder seamlessly into the stew.

The two remained in silence for a few minutes as Riku continued to stir the pot.

After some time, Riku pulled the spoon back. Tasting it, he nodded. Picking up a wooden bowl from a stack next to the fireplace, Riku used the spoon to fill the bowl. When it reached the top, Riku put the wooden spoon back into the pot. Picking up a smaller spoon, he put it into the bowl and then turned to Leander, offering him the bowl with a broad smile.

"Stew's ready."

Leander blinked. Staring at the stew, he stared at Riku, once more at the stew and then glared at Riku.

"You sent me to grab crystals… For your stew!"

Riku looked at the stew and then back at Leander.

"How did you know?"

Leander's hand whipped up, attempting to slap the bowl out of Riku's hand, but before Leander struck his target, Riku moved the bowl out of the way. This continued for a few moments, with Leander attempting to spill the bowl and Riku saving it.

Desperate not to spill a drop of his precious soup, Riku desperately cried out:

"If you didn't want any, you can just say!"

Growing incredibly frustrated at his inability to knock the bowl out of the oni's hand, Leander gave up, taking a few steps backwards, his fists tightly curled. Angrily glaring at Riku, he asked, his tone reflecting his expression.

"Why did you waste my time? If you didn't need those crystals, then why send me to get them when you could have gotten started on fixing the sword? I don't think you understand the things I need to do. I can't leave them forever, or else more people will die than they have to."

Happy that Leander had stopped trying to spill his stew, Riku began to eat from it. Enjoying a spoonful with a large chunk of meat in it, Riku looked at Leander, slightly confused.

"What do you mean? It's already fixed?"

With those few words, Leander's grievances vanished.

"You, you fixed the sword?"

"Of course I did. I only had to repair the binding enchantment, and whilst I was at it, I channelled some of my own anima into the sword's soul to wake it up – you're welcome, by the way. I only sent you to get ingredients for my stew as payment."

Leander's brow furrowed.

"Payment?"

"Yes, payment, I don't do this for free, you know… Although I am waiting for payment from Melaine for making that armour."

Putting the bowl by the fireplace, Riku gave it a sad expression, seemingly unhappy to leave it. Rising to his feet, Riku moved over to a carpet that lay across the room. Picking it up, he tossed the carpet to the side, revealing a hatch. Turning to Leander with a slight smile, he slid his shoe beneath the hatch's handle, pulling it open.

"Step into my office."

Leander watched as Riku disappeared into the hatch. Squinting, he looked at the fireplace, specifically the smoke rising from out of the grate where the fire should have been.

'Ah, now I see.'

Entering the hatch, Leander stepped down into the basement beneath Riku's home. The basement was more in line with what Leander had expected to find in the home of a blacksmith: racks of weapons lined the walls, and materials filled a whole corner of the room. Leander's attention was mostly taken up by two things.

First, the large forge that looked as if it was made from black stone, a strong fire burnt within its heart. Burning with such heat that Leander felt it as soon as he entered the hatch. He now understood why Riku had a hatch leading to his basement instead of stairs; the insufferable heat given off by the forge would have been a pain to live with every day.

And second, beside the forge, the familiar brownish-red short sword sat atop a large anvil. Its glowing blue eye blinked softly as their gazes met. The sword's familiar voices spoke to Leander.

"Here I thought I was just going to be left down here."

As Leander approached the sword, Riku moved back to the steps leading up to the ground floor of his home.

"Let me give you two some space, I'm sure you both have a lot of questions for each other."

Waiting until Riku had gone, Leander turned back to the sword.

"So, you speak?"

The sword waited for a few moments before responding with a cheery tone.

"So can you. Here I was, starting to think it was just an illusion. My consciousness had drifted in and out for so long, between life and death, when I saw you. A creature of death, I thought I had finally crossed into whatever came next for something like me… I see now I may have been mistaken. I suppose I have you to thank for saving me from those creatures of corruption."

Crossing his arms, Leander patiently listened to the sword as it spoke. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Funny, I was going to thank you. If you hadn't called to me when you did… Those crystals would have killed me, and if I hadn't stumbled upon you, I doubt I would have ever been able to slay Lewren. I am in your debt. What is your name?"

The sword blinked.

"I… don't know… I seem to have forgotten everything."

The sword's cheery tone darkened as he began to realise his missing memory.

"I-I-I can't remember anything! Those damn tainted crystals, how badly did they damage my soul that I can't remember anything… Not even my name…"

Leander's smile slowly turned into a frown, knowing how the sword was feeling. He knelt beside the anvil. Looking at the sword with a sorrowful expression.

"You've lost your memory as well, huh?"

Sounding in pain, the sword's eye looked to Leander.

"You have a problem with your memories too?"

The sword's question gave Leander a small chuckle.

"Do I. We share grievances, Your soul was damaged; I am missing half of my soul. Your memories are missing, and so are mine. Although I am slowly finding pieces of them as I explore this world."

Rubbing his face, Leander looked towards the fire burning within the forge.

"I died one thousand years ago. I think I was killed by a demon who I seemed to know. But I don't know anything beyond that. I'm looking for answers to my death, to questions I haven't even asked yet… But most importantly, I'm looking for someone, Nessa. I don't even know who she is, but when I think of her, my heart…"

Leander fell silent, holding his hand over where his heart would be.

For a few moments, the sword waited for Leander to continue, but when it was apparent Leander had no more to say. He gently spoke.

"I don't know when I died. It must have been a long… long time ago for the corruption to have damaged me so thoroughly that I was on the verge of death. I may remember nothing, but I know what I am. I am an Aegis Series of the Aegis Defence Network, I am a weapon made to be wielded against the evil of this world and you, you are a warrior without a weapon."

Leander's fingers curled as he looked back to the sword.

"I don't know what evil has taken root in this world since my slumber, but take me. Wield me against all the evil this world has to offer. Protect the innocent, punish the bad. I will help you bring peace."

Leander's smile deepened as the sword spoke. Their convictions lined up almost perfectly.

Leander wanted to find out more about himself, to discover what had happened to bring about the end of the Hero of Peace. To find out what had happened to his companions.

But most of all, Leander wanted to end the war between the Demon King and the Goddess.

Leander reached out his hand, about to pick up the sword.

"I will take your offer. Be my blade, and I will use you to kill anything that threatens the peace of this world."

Their deal met, Leander picked up his sword.

Holding it in the air, Leander's almost triumphant gaze faltered slightly as the sword began to shimmer. Suddenly, the sword disappeared into a flurry of blue sparks.