Andrew

They watched Progmanfest village shrink away from the boat’s stern in silence. As Hector rowed them further downriver, Andrew, for the first time, really saw the village. The houses built over the riverside spoke of their affinity withs water, their comfort in its presence. As the sun sank to the horizon, the late noon light gleamed off the warm, tranquil river.

The silhouette of thatched roofs loomed over them like suspended waves, large wooden spins arched along its intricate designs. With the candlelight illuminating through house windows, Andrew counted three to five-story layouts.

By some of the larger houses stood a proud fishing boat. And although many of the houses showed signs of life within, Andrew seldom saw anyone else sailing upon the river. 

“They’re afraid of the remaining demons left in the river,” Hector said unbidden. Sitting at the very edge of the stern in front of him, he smiled. It must have been apparent what he was thinking. “Although the big demons have been taken care of, there is still a high risk of there being straddlers lurking.”

“Fair enough,” Andrew said, looking back out at the fading village. “Still, it is a shame.”

“A big shame, but this also marks my big opportunity,” Hector said. A gleam in his eye. Andrew looked at him, baffled until he recalled what boat he was sailing on. 

“Is that the ‘opportunity’ I can smell back there?” he asked. Hector’s grin only widened.

“Trade for fish stopped because of the demon. Without the regular supply, the Harbour must be itching for a fresh shipment! Being the first in line has a higher risk, but the same goes for the rewards. I am bound to make a handsome profit when all is said and done!” Andrew just tried to hide his baffled face… he failed.

“That’s one way to look at a crisis,” he drawled. Hector nodded. 

“Miss Emerson said as much earlier.” he pointed his nose up at where Sophie was. She stood in the middle of the boat, her eyes narrowed as she scribbled something in her book. She looked troubled. Andrew wanted to ask her what was on her mind, but he felt like his presence would not be welcomed right now. 

“You cannot move forward without taking risks,” Hector said, pulling Andrew’s gaze away from Sophie. Blinking a moment, Andrew tried to recall what it was that Hector was replying to.

“You talking about the fish?” he asked. 

“Yes, but not just the fish. The choices we make now can determine our lives long after. If we do not take a leap of faith, then we would have died out a long time ago. Same thing with that demon today. Had we given up and fled, we’d have lost everything.” The village crept out of view as the river took a bend, so Andrew’s eyes wandered to the river’s rippling waves as they cut through its surface. He’s meant to be keeping an eye on the waters, anyway. His mind could not help but circle back to his failure. 

What about the people who were left behind?

“I’d imagine that they, of all people, would not want us to stand idle because of them,” Hector said. Only then did Andrew realise that he’d spoken out loud. He was dazing off. He did a bad job of hiding this fact because Hector gave him an amused smile before taking in a deep breath and looking out at the bending river. “They’d want us to never forget them, but to also move forward. At least that’s what I’d tell myself,”

“Less rambling and more rowing!” Shepherd walked out of the door that led to the lower deck. He was an old man with shoulder-length hair and a thick beard as white as snow. And although he was in his later years, he was built like a seasoned knight. His cool eyes fell on Hector the moment he entered the deck, making him stammer. 

“Hey there, uncle, you finished packing?” Hector asked carefully. Shepherd looked up at the sky as if sensing something in the air before giving a noncommittal grunt. “There’s a tailwind coming,” he mumbled. 

“There is?!” Hector said. Shepherd glared at Hector. Arms folded, the man shook his head before moving up the deck. 

“If you were doing your job, then you would have noticed,” he said over his back. Only when he was out of earshot did Hector seem to find the air to breathe again.

“He didn’t have to sneak up on me like that!” he hissed. Andrew, meanwhile, looked back at Shepherd, curiosity plaguing his thoughts. Hector said that he was his uncle. Isabella had spoken about him as if he was either a relative, or at least a very important part of her life.  

“I think he’s still upset about how his conversation went with Isabella. And now that she’s leaving coupled with… well… you know…” Andrew’s eyes darkened. Ever since coming on the boat, he’d barely given him a passing glance. It bothered him because he must know by now that he was among the last people to speak to Gracie, and yet he didn’t ask him anything. 

“Do you know what was said?” the words came unbidden to Andrew’s lips. Hector just shrugged. 

“Nothing that’s not already been said a thousand times before,” he said. “Both sisters were very talented at a young age. Both had the potential to be the first Villjálmrhamr since our founder befriended the Alpha King Griffin. That spark, along with being raised under our village’s greatest knight, only set the three on a collision course with another.”

“So they fought a lot?” Andrew asked. 

“Less fighting, more… bothersome disagreements. The girls open rebellion and my uncle’s stubborn indifference goes like oil and water. Honestly, even hearing about it all secondhand was tiring.”

“What is Shepherd’s relation to them?”

“So you noted it too, ay?” Hector said amused, “Sophie was rather quick on the uptake.” 

“So they are not related by blood…”

“Parents died on a hunting job. They were among Shepherd’s closest friends. Sure he acts cold, but I think that it’s just his way of keeping his distance. To, you know… not get too attached.” A wind blew over the silence left as Andrew's mind went to Natalie. The words she left him with before heading to the village. 

“Just go easy on her, and don’t get attached…” she’d said. Just what was it that Gracie and Natalie talked about that night?

“Well, I better tend to the sails,” Hector sighed. As he gave a respectful nod to him and climbed over to the mast, Andrew took this time to take one more look at Sophie. She was still writing. He wanted to just go straight up to Natalie and tell her what he needed to tell her, but his body became paralysed at the thought. 

Just move Andrew! Forcing himself to march, he turned… and found himself standing next to Sophie. 

“Do you need anything?” she said, her eyes barely looking up from her book. Andrew winced inwardly at the question. 

“Listen, I’m working on it, ok? Just need a moment to find the right time…”Andrew knew that Sophie knew what it was that he was withholding from Natalie, had Sophie wanted to she could have given Natalie the news herself before she reached him at the farmhouse but she chose not to. The scratching of pen to paper slowed as Sophie bowed her head to sigh. 

“I was not implying anything this time, sorry if it came across as such,” Sophie said. She honestly sounded troubled. That threw Andrew off more than anything. 

“You’ve done nothing to be sorry for,” he said. Watching the trees pass, Andrew scratched his dreadlocked hair. “If anything, it is I who should be apologising.” Now it was Sophie’s turn to look at him with surprise. “On our way here from Zannidue, I ran ahead without considering how tired you two were. That, along with my stupid, reckless decision to run into wolf territory, almost got us…” he sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Andrew,”

“And then there is what Flynn had to do to save me in that last battle. If he did not stop me, we would have both been dead and I-”

“-Andrew!” his head snapped back to her. Eyes blinking. She looked at him fully now, her blue eyes pools of soothing calm. “You have nothing to apologise for.” Andrew watched the warm smile Sophie gave him and could not help but feel blinded by its glow. 

“You’re just saying that,” he mumbled. 

“I’m doing no such thing,” Sophie said. Andrew still could not find it in himself to look at her. Chuckling to herself, Sophie shook her head in the corner of his eye before falling silent for a while. “We are new to each other’s company. Inevitably, as we remain with one another, we are going to have instances where our proven methods don’t quite align. No?”

“I…guess?“ Andrew said carefully. Sophie nodded.

“Indeed! Now, we can either discuss our differences when they arrive and work them out, or we can pretend like there are no problems and that everything is just going perfectly fine until we either drift away or one of us gets killed because of it. Or…” she let the words hang as if challenging him to complete them. Blinking to situations, Andrew cleared his throat as he collected his thoughts.

“Or… we can stop, slow things down, and have a talk… just like we are doing right now,“ Andrew frowned at the last part in understanding. Sophie nodded once again.

“I’ll accept any criticism you might have of me. But if we are going to have to scrape and apologise every time, we do something slightly displeasing. Then by the cycles, Andrew, I might just curl up into a ball and die.”

Andrew’s eyes narrowed as he tried to picture Sophie, just collapsing upon themselves until they died mumbling apologies all the whilst. It seemed… pathetic. 

“That’s… a bit dramatic,” he said carefully. Sophie’s smile simply beamed with witty amusement. 

“Mayhaps I’m being a little over the top. But even so, I’ll not apologise for it,” she said. 

“Alright, I get it already, no more apologising for small stuff, you happy?” Andrew asked. 

“Delighted,”

“I’m still bummed out that it was written on my face the whole time,” Andrew sighed. 

“If it’s any consolation, I might be the only one who could see your anguish,” she said.

“Somehow, that only makes it worse,” he grumbled. 

“Worried I might expose your gentle side?”

“Do you have to say it like that?” 

“I think it’s cute!” Sophie said. She looked at him now, her book hugged tightly to her chest, her clear blue eyes inspecting his face. Andrew grimaced at how close she was. He wanted to look away, but this time for a completely different reason.

“If the soft approach is not your thing, then I can always gut-check you to call it even,' he heard Flynn before he saw him. He walked towards them with a proud grin on his face.

“And why in cycle’s name would I let you do that?!” Andrew stammered. 

“Why? It’s for me to accept your apology, of course,”

“Ain’t that a bit excessive?”

“Maybe…” he scratched his chin as if in deep thought before a feral smile came back on his face. “But it sure beats an apology,” Andrew looked between the both of them in dismay. Both held different expressions of passion and intrigue, but Andrew could see the veil of amusement dancing around their eyes. He was being dead serious, and yet they were toying with him. Knowing what he knows now, he bet that it was Sophie who called Flynn over just to amuse themselves at his expense. 

“You two truly deserve each other,” he mumbled. That just made their smiles widen even further. It was at this moment Andrew truly came to understand just what kind of journey that he would be enduring with these two around.

“Guess our baiting won’t work anymore. Shame. I was hoping for at least a bit more entertainment,“ Flynn said.

“Bite me,“ Andrew grumbled.

“Speaking of, Shepherd said that food’s almost ready. Good thing too, because after the day I had, I’m running on empty,” Flynn said. Andrew blinked before his mind caught up with him. Once it did, his stomach growled. The sandwich he was given by Iris was good, but that was hours ago. He’d fought an uphill battle until now. The thought of food made his mouth wet with saliva. That was until his eyes caught a glimpse of Natalie at the bow of the boat.

The last time I sat to have a meal, Gracie was still alive…  his appetite all but faded. With a sigh, Andrew leaned on the railing of the boat, trying his best not to look upset, but he did not need to see his reflection on the river to know that he was doing a bad job at it.

“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be down in a bit,” he forced out. 

“Both of you should eat,” Sophie said, the sound of concern clear in her voice.

“Easy said than done,” Andrew chuckled dryly. “Just give me a sec,” he just needed more time to find the right words. Gracie was dead. Nothing needed to be said about that now. She knew it, he knew it. And yet this one little detail will change forever how Natalie will perceive this day.

She died, and it was linked to their quest. He himself almost died against the assassin Seven. He remembered how livid Natalie was when he’d had a close encounter with the alpha king. Had Flynn not come down in the nick of time, Andrew would have been ash in the winds. Natalie was at the end of her rope with grief, taking the loss of someone she barely knew was bad enough. If he’d also died this day too…

“Life’s too short to be looking for the perfect time,” That last line shocked Andrew. It was the kind of thing that he knew he told himself a thousand times, but it got drowned out by his louder thoughts. It took Flynn echoing that same sentiment for Andrew to become more resolute. It also triggered his mind back to the clash Flynn had with the Nova. 

“What was it that you did to stop that attack back there?” Andrew asked Flynn, he knew that he did not have to explain what attack he meant. The grin on Flynn’s face dimmed as he said it. A deep contemplation and acceptance of a shared unspoken truth. That yes; they did almost die back there.

“Penta-ignition,” Flynn said. Andrew frowned. Trying the name in his mouth, he thought of its meaning for a while. 

“I blocked their explosion with a shockwave of my own. When its power made contact with my knight’s armour, I ignited my power with all the strength I had left in me. All in a desperate attempt to cancel out the explosion.” And-cancel-it-I-did: Flynn’s smug smile told him. 

“Can it be learned?”

“It’s not like I invented the skill. I’d wager just about every affinity has learned it to some extent. It’s just that it serves some affinities better than others.”  

“Is that right?” Andrew frowned. 

“That’s right,“ Flynn said, his confident grin returning. “And not to brag or anything, but ending a party with a bang is a specialty of mine,” Andrew’s mind was churning with ideas. 

“So what are you thinking, kid? You wanna learn how to use it?” Flynn’s words pulled Andrew out of his thoughts. 

Why did I ask? Recollections with his fight against the assassin Seven weighed heavily on his mind. Besides his skill, something about the whole encounter bothered him. Could it be that his power came from-

“-Hold on,” Sophie interjected. “This is intriguing and all, but mayhap we should talk about this after we are all caught up?” she pointed her eyes to the front of the boat, making Andrew sigh heavily. She was right. He’d been procrastinating, putting off what needed to be done. 

“You’re right,” he sighed. Flynn patted him on the shoulder. 

“Once we are all caught up, then we’ll plan our counterattack,” he said. A confident smile on his face. Returning Flynn’s grin with a weak one of his own, Andrew tucked his hands into his pockets and made his way towards the boat’s bow. 

Natalie sat there looking onward, her knees tucked to her chest as the wind caught the back of her hair and cloak. They were cutting through the water now, the boats’ sails quickly gliding them on to their next destination, all except Natalie. Andrew did not have to see her face to know that although she was looking onward, she did not see the same things as he saw. 

As his thoughts drifted to his mother and the state of his old hometown, Natalie’s heart remained anchored to the village already behind them. Watching her back helplessly, Andrew averted his gaze to look at the passing forest at the foot of the river. 

“Food will be ready soon,” he said. Nothing but the boat’s swaying replied. He sighed. 

“You know, I heard what you did back there. It saved the village,” Andrew began, nodding to himself, yes this was a good place to take things. “Just like with the Nuzi people and Lucas. Although the people there were upset, they were still grateful. I heard that the Nuzi people even called you-”

“-Stop talking!” she cut in. Moving for the first time since sitting there, her head fell on top of her tucked-in knees. “Please… I don’t want to hear it,” 

At a loss, all the words Andrew had conjured up in his mind turned to ash on his tongue. Defeated, Andrew’s feet remained anchored in place. He was about to say something stupid, something tantamount to a lie. Something that if it was thrown at him, he would reject it too, for the lie that it was. Perhaps he looked at it all wrong. 

“This was not your fault,” he said, but the words came out hollow, a facade. From a fake knight who failed to save Gracie.

If I failed to save her, then what hope do I have of saving my mother? All of a sudden, Andrew also felt like he was drifting back. The drawn silence fell on them for an uncomfortable amount of time until he heard footsteps from behind them. 

“How long does it take to tell someone that food is ready?” Shepherd stepped onto the bow of the boat. The wooden spatula looked oddly humorous in his gruff stature. Just the image of him standing over a stove. Stirring, boiling and taste-testing food should sour the dish. The thought would have made Andrew crack a smile on an average day, but right now…

“Now’s not the time,” Andrew hissed. 

“Please, it’s the same old excuses with these kids,” he said, walking just behind him. “Whether we live forever, or drop dead tomorrow. There will always be someone, somewhere out there, who thinks that we could have done with anotherr day.”

“Stupid way of saying she lived long enough,” Natalie said from over her shoulder. 

“You know nothing,” he said. 

“I know enough,” she spat back. 

“You hardly knew her, yet here you are. Throwing down your gauntlet in her name,” Shepherd said.

“Someone has got to honour her memory,“ Natalie said.

“Did she ask you to uphold her honour?”

“You failed her! Even now, at the very end, you avoid her! What’s your excuse for not seeing her off!?” Natalie stood up and turned around to Shepherd. Anger layered over grieving tears. Andrew made himself a wall between her and the old man before looking both of them in the eye. 

“That’s enough, Natalie,” he said. Natalie turned to him like he was the one out of line. 

“But he’s the one who-”

“-Who said I’ve avoided seeing her off?” Confusion clouded Natalie’s face. Not saying a word, Shepherd nodded his chin over their shoulder to the riverbed before them.

The glimmer of flame glowed upon the land just beyond them. His face must have told Natalie as much, because she instantly turned around to look onward as he came to the boat’s bow to have a better look. Sailing past a thicket of trees, they enter a wider part of the river. Upon the bank stood local villagers, knights, and even men from the wandering willows. Makeshift rafts with bodies wrapped in white sheets were being pushed out into the wide river. 

A funeral. 

As three men were submerged up to their chest in the waters, they pushed the bodies down the river as they set them ablaze. Andrew saw a dozen flickering lights float gently downstream. It was an ethereal sight. Sailing among them, Andrew felt like they, too, had been spirited away. 

Natalie looked thunderstruck. As the boat came into view, the people on the shore turned their morning eyes to them. 

“This is why I was insisting that you go inside and eat,” Shepherd sighed. “I hoped to steal a little moment to myself, spare you outsiders any more of our burdens.”

Among them, Andrew recognised Isabella standing near the front of the gathering of people looking over the river. Arms folded, she stood beside the two young men who arrived at the farmhouse with her earlier. Andrew thought that she was looking at him until he saw Shepherd step up to the side of the boat, his gaze fixed on Isabella as they sailed past. A thousand untold words Andrew will never understand flew between them. A thousand moments, memories, all read and understood. With a satisfied nod, Shepherd smiled to himself, his eyes a world away as if recalling bitter-sweet memories. 

“Gracie was like the wind, boundless, free-spirited. She also had a rebellious soul.” Shepherd broke eye contact with Isabella to look at Natalie as he said the last part. The smile became more pronounced on his face. Natalie wilted under his gaze before he finally looked away. 

“I just feel like… somehow, I’ve failed her,” Natalie said. She clenched her chest as if trying to withstand great pain. He could tell that besides the tragedy, Natalie was holding onto another weight. Andrew swallowed. 

I cannot hold this off any longer. Biting his tongue, Andrew steeled himself as he walked over to stand beside Natalie. Her confused expression made his heart pang with pity.

“Natalie, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”