Chapter 28 : Siegfried de Chauvegné

Diana walked back to the path where she once trudged. The basket in her harms was hefty, the woven handle forming bright red marks across her skin.

While she advanced, many people walked past.

The sun was slowly setting, falling down from the sky.

Red lanterns were being lit one by one, signaling the forthcoming night.

A few minutes passed and Diana saw the familiar archway, the bakery in her right, and the familiar stalls that were once brewing with life.

The moment she stepped outside the archway, her inquisitive eyes took in the sight of a path void of any signs of life.

Diana frowned, her hands wrapping around her torso. Her footsteps halted, hesitating.

Suddenly, luminous orbs brightened the whole street. The stone-paved road became visible, blocks and blocks of different colored houses lining across the street.

Her steps that faltered, stepped forward once more.

Diana stood in front of a wooden arched door. A sign was displayed saying that it was closed.

'I'm finally here.'

She breathed a few slow shallow breaths. Here it is, the first step she had to make.

'It's fortunate that he was close.'

She parades forward. Raising her hand, she knocked on the door.

Diana waited for a response.

A minute passed swiftly, she decided to knock on the door again.

A rattle came from inside the house. The teeth-gnashing clank was so loud that she heard it through the door.

At last, the door opened with a creak.

It was the same man from before. He was dressed in a dark auburn suit, his white tunic along with his striped tie complimented his outfit. Soft greyish locks and two blots of amber peeked through the doorway, the man's heavy eyelids suddenly widened, languor now forgotten.

Diana threw a complaisant smile and stood with her shoulders back. Her hands shifted to hold the basket within her palms. She bowed her head slightly then asked the man dressed in a dark auburn suit.

"May I come in?"

Auburn eyes meets blue. Those auburn eyes looked at her with apprehension, the black earring on the man's left ear glistened the moment he turned his head slightly.

Bewildered and distraught, a combination that made the man's heart clench painfully.

He was called Louis.

Once upon a time, he had no name, no identity. He was simply one of the many children of the masses, rid of their family because of war. All of their fathers were once soldiers, now lied in one of the makeshift tombs dug in the battlefield. All of their mothers were once housewives, now spoils of war, given by the empire to their enemy lands in order to keep their so-called 'peace.'

Their parents were made to be sacrificial lambs, used by the Empire until they bled and were of no use. They are children made by the love of their parents, made by them to inherit their roles, as sacrificial lambs of the empire.

He hated it. He hated everything, his parents, the kingdom, and even himself. He hated being born in this world, in this time where he had to burn himself, giving everything that he had for the sake of this wretched land.

He woke up, trained hard, eat, trained again, then sleep. It was a constant cycle, repeating over and over again.

At one point, he decided to end himself. At that time he was already enlisted on one of the armies assigned to each commander.

--

The wind blew hard, his short hair fluttering with the wind. Auburn eyes glowered under the castle walls, looking at the harsh cold ground in the deep of the gorge.

His steps made little sound, a light pitter-patter, yet he felt as if his legs were like lead, dragging him down, making it harder for him to walk.

His feet were already at the end of the high walls, only a step separated him from his solicited death.

Tears were rolling down his cheeks, his emotions falling all over the place.

Happiness, hopelessness, loneliness, uneasiness, doubt.

And through it all, he was certain of one thing.

He was going to die today.

A person with no identity, nor name, will die today.

He lifted his foot up and stepped.

But there was nothing left to stand on.

His whole body lurched forward, falling and falling. He felt the wind blow against him, his heart beating louder and louder while he fell.

He told himself that finally, he was able to be at peace, he tried to convince himself, that this was the right thing to do.

Even still, his heart was telling him something different, his mind was telling him that this was wrong.

In his final moments, he realized.

He had made a mistake.

He still wanted to live, to thrive and to prove those bastards that he will never be one of their sacrificial lambs.

But it was too late.

He closed his eyes, awaiting the bone-crunching impact of the ground. His back stiffened, his whole body trembling.

Right when he thought he was nearing his death, he felt something, like a cloth, stopping his fall.

Hard grunts were heard from all of his sides, the cloth straining behind his back.

He opened his eyes. Looking above, he could see the top of the wall where he previously stood. Auburn eyes glanced around, he noticed different men clad in the same uniform as his holding on to each end of the wide cloth. From his left, he could see a man with dark hair and silver eyes, whereas, from his right, a man with blonde hair and golden eyes was breathing heavily.

He fell on the ground with a light thud. His whole body shivered with the thought of his fortunate unsuccessful demise.

The man on his left had his brows scrunched up and lips set into a scowl, looking deeply annoyed.

"You stupid rascal. Ingrateful fool. Skull-headed freak-"

The man on his right laughed heartily while slapping the man on his left on the back. The slap seemed like it hurt when it sharply sounded, making the man on his left lurch forward, making him out of breath.

"Don't mind my friend's mouth. He speaks quite uniquely so people tend to get intimidated, but he really means no harm."

The man with golden hair smiled energetically while he held his hands on his hips.

"But don't you worry, I, a one-of-a-kind-never-before-seen scholar is here to translate the ancient-almost-extinct language for you!"

The golden-haired man inched closer to him. The man's figure towered before him, the smile on the man's face suddenly turning stiff and cold.

"What he really meant to say was..."

He suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his head as he fell on his side, he held his head with his hands while he gawked horrified at what the man has done.

"You fool! How dare you die on us? You're not allowed to die until we kill those stupid bastards! You think you're the only one that's suffering? Well, let me drill it hard on your thick dumb skull that you're not the only one that's suffering! So stop mopping around and stand on your own damn feet! Stand up and grow stronger! Stop mumbling and work harder!"

The man with golden hair had a dark and passionate look on his face. He looked very angry, similar to what the man with jet black hair was sporting - a scowl and a deep glare.

"You can only die once we succeed. That way, our deaths won't be meaningless."

Both the black and gold haired man offered a hand to him, in order for him to get back up again.

This was one of the scenes that etched deep into his mind. Something that he will remember and reminisce amidst the ends of time.

"So stand up bastard and slap them down until they can't get back up again - yeah, that's what he meant really."

The man with golden hair scratched his head with a goofy smile on his face. The man with black hair could only sigh but still nodded at him that what the other man said was true.

For the first time, he laughed.

And for the first time, he was given a name.

Louis, that's what his friends and his comrades called him.

He laughed with them, cried with them, ate with them.

He supported them every step of the way, their goals merging into one.

He became a general, while his friends became the army's commander and the army's lieutenant general.

Unexpectedly, disaster struck, making them crippled and defenseless.

He saw his friend's death and his other friend's downfall, and he was powerless to stop it.

He lacked the foresight, the brains, and the power. A fact that he accepted but still resented about himself.

He could only watch as their army disbanded, their commander, his only friend-crippled - becoming blind. He had no purpose anymore. The only thing he felt that he could do at that time was to support his crippled friend by becoming his friend's butler.

He was filled with joy once he became his friend's butler, his life was again filled with purpose.

Yet the purpose that he had set upon himself shattered the moment his friend dismissed all the servants in his house.

His friend's name is Meltif.

Meltif left everything behind but his name, house, and wife.

Louis was left with the management of Meltif's territory, he kept it safe from other treacherous nobles and from other merchants.

He managed it well, the territory was peaceful. But he knew he was lacking, he knew it the second he realized that some of the land entrusted to him was snatched from his hands.

Louis tried to take it back, but he failed.

He had limited skills and wits. He wasn't omnipotent.

Thus he could only hope. Hope that one day, Meltif will take a step back and move forward once again.

It was an impossible dream, for him to hope when he knew his friend has already given up.

He never would have thought for his prayers to be answered, not from his friend, but from his friend's wife.

Meltif's wife goes by the name Diana. She looked like any other girl in the country, except for her unique baby blue eyes. Her eyes spoke of the sky and clouds, as well as the winds and waves of the ocean.

Here she was, looking at him with those eyes. Telling him- asking him- if she could come in.

'Is it alright? Is it okay to hope?'

To hope of a change. That his friend will come back.

Diana clenched her hands, her heart beating faster as she became nervous.

Louis could tell that Diana was tense. Her tightly clasped hands and her trembling eyes made it obvious.

Louis was also certain about one thing. Diana was not afraid. She looked ready to accept every challenge flung her way, a change that puzzled him greatly.

'Was she like this before?'

He decided to take the chance.

Diana could see a small frown on the man's lips. She thought he would close the door and tell her to go away, but the man with auburn eyes blinked slowly and opened the door with a pull of his hand.

She breathed a small sigh of relief, her heart beating slower as it grew calmer.

'A path opened.'

Diana sat on a wooden chair while the man had his back facing her. He was busy making a pot of tea.

Diana's eyes softened as she looked at him.

'His name is Louis.'

Meltif's friend, one of his generals, and his recently appointed but dismissed butler. He held the papers of Meltif's main territory, the one she was currently standing on now.

She had to convince him, use him for the greater good.

"How have you been?"

She began. She leaned back on the chair to make herself comfortable.

Louis held the tray on his hands. Lifting it up, he turned around and walked to where Diana was sitting. Setting the tray down, he placed a porcelain cup in front of her.

"I've been well."

He sat down after pouring tea on his and her cup. He held the cup with his hands, feeling the warmth seep in through his cold fingertips. He replied courteously but he expressed that he wasn't willing to entertain any pleasantries.

"What brings you here Lady de Chauvegné?"

Diana stared at Louis, looking at his amber eyes. She straightened her posture and raised her chin up, her lips set on a straight line, her warm blue eyes penetrating him, letting him know of her intentions.

"I need your help, Louis."

His hands gripped the cup tightly.

Louis lifted the cup to his lips, the steam hitting softly on his nose and lips.

"To help him stand again."

He sipped on his tea, hissing as he felt the scalding water burn his tongue.

It was a bold statement.

Louis knew the stubbornness that Meltif had. No one could persuade him, or change one of his decisions.

Well, except for one. Although, he is long dead.

A breath passed and still, silence ensured. The light flickered gently, the encasement around it prevented it from quelling.

Diana patiently sat on her seat. Her soft blue eyes were downcast, focusing on the teacup in front of her.

She closed her eyes, the irises inside trembling. Her rough hands held each other's own tightly. Seeking comfort from the warmth it exudes.

The weather was always chilly at night. Even with all the layers she wore, she couldn't stop the cold from seeping in. She needed to go back fast, or else she might freeze from the cold.

A voice broke her wandering thoughts.

"I shall do so with all my power."

Diana's eyes flickered to Louis, a grin threatening to breakthrough. Her cold body felt warmth after minutes of sitting. Her heart began to beat faster, blood pumping through the veins.

"But Lady de Chauvegné,"

The light flickered again, the wind threatening to snuff the lantern's light.

"It's useless."

Her smile stiffened, the light in her eyes diminishing. Disbelief flooded her heart, her mind telling her that what he said was foolish.

Louis heaved a heavy sigh, his brows furrowed while his eyes closed shut. His shoulders felt heavy so he leaned on the back of the seat.

"As long as he refused to change, he will never accept it."

Pure effort combined with hard work will always bear fruit.

But as long as one doesn't take it to heart. Failure will always be imminent.

Animals follow their instincts. While humans follow their heart.

A human's heart is full of wonderful and memorable things.

It's sometimes open wide and often times left slightly ajar.

But once it's closed, even a speck of dust can only knock on its door.