Chapter 2: Stopping Short of the The Feelings Underneath

[Is this what the hero’s party saw?] 

Sunlight began to break after following Novec for a few hours, Celestine’s eyes were constantly chasing after his back. Different from the slim frame of the red-headed country boy she remembered. His back was now broad enough to match the massive sword he carried. Yet big as he was she couldn’t help but still feel larger than him. 

With her future gone, Celestine for once had time to reminisce about the past. 

A thin boy who she mistook for being much younger than herself with eyes set on nothing but a certain future. Eyes she had only seen in herself. Except lying within his was a desperation. Desperation at the end of their wits as the flame of the future they saw was dying out. 

Desperate eyes where a far concept for Celestine. She was never one to be desperate she knew exactly how to reach her future. From the depths of her youth she raised herself quickly to walk on the perfectly paved road made of bricks of her efforts alone. She had created a deep independence because she knew she couldn’t rely on anyone who didn’t have the same eyes as her. 

She was set, she had planned her entire life herself, but the stranger at the gate who carried those same eyes.

“It was his eyes after all…” Murmuring to herself she continued to ponder.

“Let him in, bring him to the drawing-room.” She remembered saying to her maid from inside the library looking over the situation those years ago. 

[Maybe the sight I had readied for myself became astray the moment my eyes met his.]  

Celestine recalled meeting Novec face to face for the first time. As she walked into the drawing room Novec’s eyes fell on hers and the moment they did the still heart, which didn’t now was stifled, for the first time beat. Trembling at the sight of eyes like hers carrying a look as if they were about to lose sight of everything they worked for so far. 

Fully reminisced of that day years ago she was curious to remind herself the exact shade of his ruby-colored eyes Celestine sped up to be beside Novec catching glimpse of the eyes that had left such a large impression.

[He still has my eyes.]  She realized and for some reason felt relived. 

Not familiar with these lands she continued to pursue his eyes whenever his face would turn to avoid headwinds or clouds. Following in wonder of when it was her future became so cloudy hoping his eyes would instill what she longed to know. 

Celestine once believed that the fog would lift once the war was over but it didn’t seem to be the case. Even now everything felt so unsure.

[What happened to my paved road?]

Yet every time the sun would shine just right into his red eyes the answer seemed to be a little clearer and a little more unknown.  

[But why? Just what is this feeling?] She thought.

[I carry the same eyes, even prettier in some ways, but a mirror does not inspire such a feeling…]

A few hours later he finally spoke breaking her circle of thoughts. 

“We should start to descend,” Novec said as a large fortress-now-city appeared in the distance. 

It was Malzak’s final stronghold and the place where Novec turned the tide of the war. The place where all her efforts had led the Hero Novec. 

From above she could see for the first time in person the peculiar amalgamation. Silica, dark matte materials, and exotic metals that had made the fortress nearly impregnable. 

Much different in person the countless reports she read not able to transmit this ominous aura of dense clusters of buildings and roads. Reminded of various designs embedded with pure utilitarian philosophy and nothing more. A dark circuitry of a city. 

Celestine had seen similar, smaller, fortresses in her own tasks during the war but had only watched from high in the sky through the windows of Final Judgement the Selphim class airship she rode most often. 

Arriving, Novec slowed and headed towards the center of his city. With a soft snort of warm flames Hellfire galloped to a stop on the roof landing pad of the largest tower. Novec, having landed prior, waited on Celestine and took her hand helping her down. 

As she stepped down Celestine squinted her eyes from the sun.

“It’s already morning.” Celestine looked far off. 

“Sorry,” Novec said as he looked in the same direction Celestine was. 

“You’re apologizing on behalf of the sun that has risen?” Celestine turned her head to Novec. 

“No, it’s. I’m sorry for bringing you here.” His eyes moved downwards unable to meet her face. 

“Ah, so it is guilt over your own decisions. I can’t say that I can understand your intentions Hero Novec, but at least I cannot say you carry ill ones.”

He had figured she wouldn’t want to speak to him but hearing her voice attempt to make conversation caused the gag he had been placed over his mouth to loosen. 

“I-I don’t know my intentions either. I-I’m thankful to you and-and I-I owe you so much. I don’t understand why I wanted this. It was just something I felt I had to do. I truly did not want to make you unhappy. I just, I just, I jus—”

Novec had been mulling over what he had done to her since the moment he requested her be included. He, probably more than anyone, understood how much pain it must have been when he took what she worked so hard for. He understood it yet the same calling that turned him hero told him he had to do this to her. 

Surprised at his panic, but pleased his eyes seemed to have reached hers she felt her eyes uncontrollably soften. She had never softened her expression not once in her life. Some gossip and called her frigid, cold, aloof, venomous, and severe but whenever it came to Novec she found the self everyone believed she was, and that character she acted on, melting. 

“Novec, look at me.” She said gently waiting for his head to raise a little higher. 

With the sun against her back, Novec met Celestine’s gaze as she continued. 

“A month ago I would have challenged you to a duel if you appeared before me and if I lost I would have used what remained of my life to place an obscene curse on you and your descendants, however, at this moment...”

Celestine’s platinum hair waved in the wind as she tilted her head. Her silver eyes locking onto his. 

“I find myself enjoying just looking into your eyes. So, take what you will of that to relieve your guilt.” She said as she continued to stare into him.

In her reminiscing she had remembered she had met him eye to eye this closely once, that time being the first time they met, and today she realized she regretted not looking deeply into the ruby colored eyes like this more often.

***