Rayfalke Spiritcrest, here still the greatest mountain on the continent, the daunting heights attract people to challenge but it is still being an emblem of both fear and faith for the tales of the seraph and the dragon and the high risk in death.
From a distance, it is a group of sharp mountains formed by natural erosion, like hard scales of dragons, like teeth of a dragon that can bite everything.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNyPRVax4H
Sorey remembers that when he first came, he heard that it was a hill with dragons, but now the dragon is gone. Looking down, it is all the twists and turns of the mountain road, some entangled in the mountains, and some are connected to the slit between the mountains, making the mountain road look intricate. It was all stone forest along the way, but it was more life-like than when it was before because the bushes, moss, and flowers are growing strong on those rocks.
Walking through the spiral stone ramp all the way up with the wide and varied cliff gap, the mist around the cliffs sightly block the view under, which keep the place holy enough to be the residence of seraphim. The atmosphere here is rather peaceful but not windy and wild when comparing the last time Sorey fought here. The shrine on the way up is worshipped with flowers and fruits, as proof of the improved relationship between human and seraphim.
Unknown the flow of time, Sorey and Velvet still reach the top of the Spiritcrest. Sorey gazed the stone somewhere far from his position for a second, it is still there, Eizen’s grave. He tried to be calmed and act as usual to hide his concern of the unspoken fact.
“Velvet?……. Here, the …..Rayfalke Spiritcrest, I am pretty sure about it.” Sorey smiled to introduce, but there is a stammer in his sentence.
“So the girl called Edna is here?” Ignoring the sudden awkwardness of Sorey, Velvet is concerning the girl Eizen had mentioned.
Didn't know how much Eizen had told his sister, Eizen only told her that Edna thought her was ‘appropriate’ to Eizen, she had thought that Edna may be a strange person too. After all, she was a daemon and the Lord of Calamity…...Most importantly, she is an existence that most likely to turn her brother into a dragon, a toxin to him, she could not think of any reasons to think herself as an ‘appropriate’ companion. However, she somehow expected Edna would be similar to Eizen, in physical or characteristics, after meeting Zaveid, she hoped to see something she may be familiar with. Though it is not like she would do anything after seeing something she familiar with, not like she feels living in the world, not like she will feel anything in the world be important to her.
“Maybe……” Sorey answered hesitantly, both for the possibility of Edna’s presence and the hidden fact. This place is full of memory for Sorey, for the first time he met a female seraph that can tease Mikleo and him in a different way, somehow she impressed him a lot in a ….different way.
“.......Thinking of me? So you are back, Sorey?” A sudden presence of young girl voice with indifferent tone alive the conversation.
“Yes!Edna!.....e---?!” Sorey is surprised and pleased with Edna’s presence but he cried as he felt pain generated in his stomach.
The sense happens in a sudden that Velvet can't help but watch and this is pretty funny and impressive as the first impression to see someone poking the other with the umbrella.
The girl always mentioned by Eizen is there in front of her eyes. Just like Eizen, she has fairly short blond hair with brighter yellow toward the tips. The side ponytail tied with a green ribbon makes she a girl and a cute and elegant hairstyle with the black-headband in her hair.
Similar to Eizen, she has the pale skin, with the delicate body she has, Velvet somehow thinks if she is weak or unhealthy but it is not, and she didn't forget that Edna's is actually almost 2000 years old by the kid image she shows. She has blue eyes, with indifferent cold sight and calms like see as Eizen possessed. She wears a single brown glove wrapped in the same ribbon used to tie her hair on her right hand, and she has big brown boots with buckles, those clothes just like the same types as Eizen for they both have the bigger size. Velvet guessed Eizen gave them as a gift but he used himself to measure the size for Edna. Also, the umbrella she used to protect herself is hanging normin Phoenix.
The one in front of her is a stranger to her, but she possessed many things to let her recall Eizen, no doubt that she is his little sister.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DIjgPENDL
“You come so late! Why are you visit me after the whole 2 months you awaken?” Edna poked Sorey’s stomach with her umbrella and released her unsatisfactory. Seems that she missed Sorey that she waited at least 2 months for that if not counting the years when Sorey was still in slumber.
“Ouch!... So you knew I awakened?” Sorey gently stroked his stomach to relieved the pain and surprised by Edna knowing him awakened some while earlier.
“Idiot, every seraph can sense the awake of Maotelus.” Edna taunted Sorey, she always thinks it is fun to tease people. The fact stated by her means that Mikleo knew him awakened too, then he must be finding him too now.
“Oh...well...for a lot of reasons……” Sorey awkwardly answered as he didn’t know where to start.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZb1RvKwwV
Should he start from the request by Maotelus, the kindness from the old doctor, the identity of Velvet, the accidents they met in the Ladylake or from the stories Maotelus had told him? Anyway, he won’t be able to escape from the fate of teasing.
“Surprised me that you are not coming with Meebo. Hmm….will the reason be….her? The reason.” Edna asked in an ambiguous tone and eyes, never satisfy from teasing. Besides, she is actually interested in her, another human who can be side by side with a weirdo like Sorey.
“Well….sort of….” Sorey awkwardly scratched his head when answering, he has a bad feeling about it. When the topic is led to Eizen, what should he do?
“Who is she anyway?” Edna asked instead of keep teasing, she has a feeling that the raven-haired woman in front of her is not just a normal girl. Well, by only looking at the broken pieces she is wearing, she can tell the one in front of her is another weirdo.
“The name is Velvet, Velvet Crowe………. I guess you may know me if you are Eizen’s sister, he mentioned me in the letter.” Velvet finally speaks up after watching Sorey be poked by Edna, observing Edna and hearing their conversation, she calmly introduced herself, she can pretty much sure Edna has a smart mouth.
“Oh……. it is my pleasure to meet you finally. I had always wanted to see you, Lord of Calamity, but it may be inaccurate to call you this name.” Edna responded a while of memorizing, it has been 1500 years since she first has seen the name, but it would not be the last time she has seen the name as she re-reads the letters from her brother to remember him. Her name not only appeared once in the letters but numerous time even after hundreds of years. The one to be important to her brother and to be remembered deeply down her brother's heart. Now she is more interested in this woman, what makes her special to her brother?
“Me too. Call whatever you want. I did destroy the world even if I am not a daemon anymore.” Velvet felt Edna’s stare at her as if she is estimating her.
“I hope you didn’t taint our dearest Shepherd.” Then Edna gave a gaze of intimidation. Even she knew Velvet is not completely bad, she can’t afford her dear human friend suffered or influenced badly from the ex-lord of calamity.
“Edna!” Sorey tried to stop the conversation in tension, he never wants a serious argument between friends.
“I have no intention to that. I am not going to hurt him or you.” Velvet promised.
“And you won’t commit those crimes again?” Edna doubted, she didn’t fully know the story of Velvet too, Eizen didn’t include Velvet’s story or reasons behind the sin. It is not a good topic or content for letter and not a good manner either to tell other one’s story without the one knowing.
“No, if not necessary…... I don’t want to do it again.” To Velvet, she is not going to care how the world turns to be, but since it is simply troublesome to tackle the result after commit all those crimes, she would rather not try again without a reason. She never feels great after all she did, until now, she still has the nightmare with her, with all the resentments from the people and daemons killed by her hands.
Sorey knows Velvet's weakness and tenderness from all the incidents they walked through. He knew that from Maotelus, but now he is convinced that Velvet is just an ordinary kind person despite she intending to use extreme ways to achieve her goals. He knows her answer to the question, but still, he is glad to hear that.
“Good to hear that, my brother would be glad ….if he had heard that.” Edna appeared to be relieved.
“I guess so, so long as I hold my own wheel……” Velvet noticed Edna stammered in her sentence and she guesses she can’t be optimistic to her guess. In fact, she never is optimistic about all the things around her, she can't, the world she sees is cruel.
“That ‘doll’, you still kept. You like it?” Velvet saw the normin Phoenix still pretending to be a doll to accompany the lonely girl tied on her umbrella. She has thought about the time she searches all those weird dolls for Eizen to give his little sister as gifts then Eizen received a threatening letter from the normin. Pretty a hard battle against him but the most characteristic part is that the image and sound of the Phoenix come out in every time he did the featured pose.
“Yes, it is from my brother after all.”
“You know that doll?” Sorey asked and he won’t say sometimes he feel a gaze from the doll.
“Yeah, we spent some time to collect the whole series of dolls…The one there is claimed to have the special blessing…….” Velvet is satisfied by the answer and she didn’t reveal the true nature of that ‘doll’, it is not necessary. She didn’t regret to collect those dolls, it may be pointless to revenge, but she supposes a little relaxing is necessary and more importantly, she didn’t want her friend to lose his family like her before he could do anything.
“Edna always hangs the doll on her umbrella, and I feel the charm in it too. Through it feels creepy sometimes." Sorey said.
"I am well aware of that, sometimes a gaze, sometimes creepy murmuring in sleep." For the one always brings the mascot toy with her, she always feels the creeps from the toy, until she figured out that he is a normin. For all normin who somehow having strange personality, she guessed there must be a reason for him to send a normin to her.
"Creepy, huh? I agree, but the doll has his passion to protect you with his firebird charm, fail to pretend like a doll or not." Velvet guessed that Edna had figured it out a long time ago.
"I will keep all the gifts from my brother anyway."
“By the way...The Princessia.”Then Velvet noticed the flower ornament on Edna’s left leg, she gazed at it and asks about it. On the way up here, she has noticed there is rare plant grow in Rayfalke Spiritcrest and princessia is not one of them. She guesses the flower is another gift.
“Princessia….I remembered it has a meaningful meaning..” The ex-shepherd hardly joined the conversation lately as he has no idea what are they talking about.
“.......It means the bond between people and irreplaceable treasure......and that was actually a hand-delivered gift from Eizen, just after you defeated the Shepherd.” Edna is surprised that Velvet noticed the flower, she may guess Velvet is an observant person.
“So he did come and see you……….” Velvet gave a sigh of relief when she knows a headstrong brother like Eizen has come to see his sister at least.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApHK4BEd6e
Mentioning Eizen makes Sorey be silent again as he wants to avoid the topic to reveal that Eizen is dead, but he is glad that Edna becomes fine to talk about the memories with her brother, and he gladly knows about her brother.
“Yes, he told me the things on the journey. Your journey and other’s journey. I guess I should also thank you for that.”
“Why?”
“Seem that you have mentioned that at least his sibling is still alive, so you ‘suggested’ him to pay a visit,” Edna said in a slightly sarcastic tone as it was actually a time Velvet out of temper because Eizen kept himself away from his sister for a long time to protect his sister from his curse. However this was not the actual reason Eizen paid the visit, Edna just wanted to tease Velvet, and she is amazed that Velvet had such concern at the first place.
“Not like that he cared in that time.” Noticed the sarcastic tone, Velvet still responded indifferently.
“But all the things you achieved had an impact, he talked pretty much about you, Velvet.” Edna sighed as she receives an indifferent response and smiled as she knew the raven-haired girl was important to her brother.
Velvet became speechless at this moment. She expected nothing, no one to remember her, she tried to leave without any deep relationship so that no one may be hurt or hurt less. She clearly aware of the fact that all the team members had their original respective goals, she knew that they will keep going without her. Even for Edna, she expected she is just a seraph knowing her name and nothing more. Maybe she was lying to herself that she did not notice all the members in her team was like a family back then. The fact is that they cared her leaving but they still go on while never forget her existence, they are never the people who will express their feeling straightly. She wondered the feeling of herself at this moment, guilty? touched? or other? Anyway, at least she has a feeling about it.
“You are the first one who turns his coin into the head side.”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQ3NXvPJot
“........”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMQhcnwcUr
"What coin?" Sorey asked.
"Eizen used the Reaper coin to be his vessel, and there are very few people, nearly no one can turn his coin into the head side," Edna explained.
"I never look at the result after I turn the coin."21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQozFZgU0m
"Maybe it is your idiotic spirit make you succeed then," Edna smirked.
“ Thank you for the present anyway.” Suddenly Edna thanks Velvet just after teasing her.
“.......What do you mean?” Velvet has no idea what is she talking about.
“The Princessia ornament was from you, right?”
“...umm….oh.....I guess so.” Just that Edna mentioned, she recalled it, that is another reason for her to notice the ornament. It was a thing that a long time ago, she has forgotten but just remembered. It was once a gift she entrusted to Eizen to give to Edna in person. She chose the present that more fitting to girls after seeing Eizen delivered those ancient artifacts to her sister, and now she knows it was delivered.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtcWAr3eva
“Had Eizen told you that it was from me?” Velvet doesn't get how Edna figured it out whose the present was given.
“....No, he said nothing but explained the meaning of the flower. I guessed it, it is clearly not his usual sense of the present choice.” Edna smiled when she is talking about the gift from her brother. So many antiques that one of them even possessed the ability to be the sacred object that can apply.
“Right.” Velvet remembered that she asked Eizen to delivered the present as she thought his presents were a bit weird for girls so she laughed.
"It's a good choice of present, though I think Eizen's choice is good too."
"You said that because you love antiques, right?" Edna smirked.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGduP03813d
"Boys just don't know what girls like." Velvet followed.
"Haha...yeah."
“Eizen also said your favorite flower is Princessia, so that present, meaning in the bond between people, I think is also to remember you and other of his companions, maybe it was his way to make me believe in human…...Also to say I am his irreplaceable treasure, of course.” Edna continued the explanation of the flower while doesn't forget to show her importance to her brother but Velvet gave no response but a sad smile.
Talking the flower to be her favorite flower is the princessia, it feels complicated when she hates the flower at the same time to make her think of her sister’s death and the betrayal of family.
It was the favorite flower of her sister Celica, so her little brother and she would go picking some of the flowers for their dead sister. Celica said the flowers are strong when growing together, like a family supporting each other to be strong. It became Velvet's favorite flower just because her sister liked it. It is because she loved the family, who she only had in that time, she hates their sin but can’t fully hate them.
‘The bond between people’ in the language of flowers is a meaningful one in common language of flowers and a treasure to her too. After all, she got many supports from other people with different bonds to her. Her feeling towards the Princessia will be hard to say, so she decided to stop thinking about it.
“ Why are you traveling with our dear Shepherd anyway?” Edna said when she noticed Sorey was trying to hold his laugh while hearing the last sentence, say "Also to say I am his irreplaceable treasure, of course", she glared at him.
“Well, after I awoke. Maotelus told me to take care of her after I took her to a clinic, we spent some time in the village for the medical debt.” Sorey noticed Velvet’s awkward silence at the moment and he noticed Edna is pissed off, he thinks it is the time he should join the conversation again. He thinks a lot to avoid the topic but at last, he knows himself never good at this at all, so he will just let it be natural, to start with how he begins to meet her.
“I see, you come late to see me for this reason, and you seem pretty interested in her that you almost keep listening to our conversation. Would that be you like her?” Edna taunted to change the atmosphere at the moment. She can totally notice the sorrow atmosphere around Velvet whatever the topic is.
“What?! Not...Not at all!” Sorey is surprised by such unexpected teasing from Edna.
"As I expected, a dull response from Sorey as always."
“.......................”Velvet blushed a little bit when hearing the romantic implying, but she knows that is impossible since they are too different.
“Same as my brother told me, nothing more but a normal girl lived in a normal village.” Edna laughed as she sees a different expression from Velvet apart from a depression state.
“Edna…..you tricked me….” Sorey whined.
“Yes, a penalty for visiting me late, Sorey.” Edna smiled evilly to make Sorey feel helpless.
"I think the poke is already a penalty…."21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMM31Wke1D
"Oh, it is never enough," Edna said in an evil tone.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7aToEem5l
“Oh no….”
Leaving Sorey and Edna to talk with each other for they ought to be more familiar with each other as an old companion, Velvet watched around the place until her eyes meet the gravestone. It is nothing more but a stone, without a name or decent cut in stone. However, her intuition tells her it is something more than a stone, to be a stone so important that Edna put around where she lives like the gifts she got from Eizen, like a family, it is a gravestone.
“....Is that………”
“Yes. He traveled with the private again and turned into a dragon one day.” Edna tried to be calm. Although she is fine when talking about him, she feels sad when she talks about his death.
“.......We killed him.” Sorey sadly sighed and revealed the untold fact sinfully.
Velvet sighed deeply, avoiding the eyes contract by closing her eyes and turning back to them.
“I am sorry……….” Sorey apologized as he thought Velvet may be depressed or in anger by the fact.
“......Don’t be…..that’s the only way and that’s what he wanted.” Velvet act like perfectly calm for that but she clenched her fist hard that others may see her trembling.
“Zaveid said that he wanted to be killed if he became a dragon, so I think it would be a right thing to do, but in the end, maybe I don’t realize him at all,” Edna answered while remembering the moment being with the dragon.
“No, you are his sister, he has always told me that he is proud to have a clever and cute sister. He always thinks you realize him the most, and I can’t understand him the way you did.” Velvet said in a relatively tenderer voice than before to console the two.
“I hope so.”
Thinking Velvet may need a moment of silent, Enda and Sorey leave her to be alone for a while.
----------------------------------------------TBC-------------------------------------------
A.N.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoe3dXGcWLi
I am too afraid I ruined Edna so I check out how other fanfiction writes her and watch some of her skits again, so you see some clear "reference" from other fanfic.
I try to add Sorey into the conversation but seems it appear to be awkward this time because when I write Velvet, I entered the depressed tone too.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDxljQejbO
Finally the revealing of killing Eizen…….Just hope not to ruin any of the character personality….
and then Add to home screen.