Project Schemer - Salvatore Trilogy: Prelude

Arc 4 - Chapter 2: The claw and the red orchid

"So we got ourselves an invitation."

"And it is more than an invitation i saw a P.S."

That is just childish but again, a duel with another artist but everyone want to win that is just the nature of every creature, everyone want to win. But right now, something i feel more than the desire to win, i want to have fun, something in my mind is the song, the beauty of our song. So we decided, to travel to the fall but everything can be that easy is something we can't tell, we still have to travel through a lot of forest and the chance for an ambush is really high. So everyone will stay at the gathering, this journey only have four of us and to think about everything could happen is another thing i need to worry about. Eastern Alliance let WORLD run wild for too long and now they can use the forest to create a lot of trap that can stop us.

"Sou, i will let you handle the trap, can you take care of that ?"

"The wire is everywhere and disable the trap, we can enter the forest."

The forest of the Eastern Alliance, the refreshing air and its high humidity is refreshing. The forest is beautiful and it is also the home of the wolf tribe, wolf tribe is not a large tribe but they want to protect the forest while other family protect the heart they choose to leave the gathering to go to the forest and fought WORLD. The canine family reinforce them but for so long there were no response, this can be a chance for me to check on them.

"So what is in our schedule today ?"

"Visit the wolf tribe, and then we go to the fall, if everything is alright we should have a meeting with all of our allies at the end of the day. Our scout should be back by now, so some information about their habit."

So the wolf tribe, compare the other canine the wolves are a little bit more piercing, compare to canine tribe they want to take the matter into their own hand. As we advance through the forest we saw a lot of figure in black cloak lying on the ground and no longer breathing, and of course our guest and enemies is here. From the sound inside the forest we saw a black cloaked figure got thrown to a tree and after that a fast white shade flashing before us. But before we can notice something else, a man in cloak rush toward us and we saw his gun, but that is just useless, the barrier protect me and Sou draw out a lot of strings from the void and pierce through him. 

"Insolence fool."

"Calm down, Sou. Our guest is here."

"You must be that person. Koto spoke a lot about you. I am Lur."

"Koto ?"

"Yes, he talked a lot about you and of course, if Koto trust you then we can trust you too."

"So, why do you respect Koto that much ?"

"Koto is a virtue child and a honorable person, even as a child Koto is talented, kind-hearted and honorable. Maybe a little bit airheaded and childish when it come to normal interaction but during a battle, Koto is serious."

"Every canine and lupine admire him ?"

"We admired his way and his determination during any battle, brave, loyal and felial piety. That is everything we admired at him, but that is enough talking behind his back, our leader receive the word of your arrival so i was sent here as your guard."

"That is careless of you Lur."

Before another bullet shot toward us, i saw that red shade again much like Tomoe, the woman in front of us block the bullet and throw toward the cloaked figure a few dagger. Much like the woman assassinate the commander of the eyrie tribe that night, her knife cut the bullet in half in then, a quick movement, all we see is a red shade and then after that a crimson orchid bloom in front of us. 

"Don't play too far from your home, who know if you can encounter a villain like me, a villain like what you call us and call yourself hero, i guess this is not the script right. Be glad that your death is beautiful."

"They called you villain ?"

"They sending letter, try to attack the teahouse but the moment their feet touch the front gate of the teahouse they didn't know the seed of orchid inside them. And the moment they enter the teahouse with her spell, Lady Yukihara makes the seed growth faster."

"I think i can see the result of that but what about the cleaning up ?"

"What cleaning up ? Those figure just explode in to a crimson orchid with high heat that incinerate all of their remaining so there is no need for cleaning up. She says anything can be beautiful but nothing is better than the flame of rebellion, if people can stand up for themselves and desire for freedom, that is the most beautiful thing."

"So human also live in the Eastern Alliance."

"We are not that shallow, you can see beastman in Soleil right ?"

"Yes, that was really shallow for me to think like that."

"As long as that person live and don't cause harm toward anyone in the continent they live, everything can be normal and that person can be treated as normal being."

The lupine live in a village in the middle of the forest, their village is bright and cheerful but we don't have time for a tour, there are moments for laid back and relax but now, with their appearance and they even attack us in daylight what can stop them from press on their attack. Understand our situation, Lur lead us to the chief of the lupine tribe.

"Father, i am here."

"And how about our guest ?"

"Everyone is here."

The chief live in a wooden house like everyone else, the only different is the fact that the house have a better view than other house. From the window i can see a beautiful lake outside with a lot of trees and flowers, much like a secret garden. A hand tap on my shoulder, a white wolf is behind me and based on his expression, he has been watching me for a while now. But what is his expression, worried, troubled, nostagia and sorrow, who is he seeing, is that me or someone else in his eye.

"Do you ever heard of the legend of the Saviour, i met the saviour myself and never forget his appearance and you look exactly like him."

He saw me in the form of the saviour he saw long ago, how could that happen, i am sure that there is no reason for two strangers to look like the same. A mysterious saviour of Arborine that disappear long ago but i think i don't need to live up to any legacy or expectation, just do your best and hope for the best outcome, that is how i can keep my head tall and walking my own way. Even if i look like any saviour or hero, that doesn't change my determination. 

"Even if i look like the saviour you mention, can that really change who i am, i am Higeki and i am an artist. I am not a warrior, not a fighter or an tactician. I am just a simple human who want to create art."

"I won't believe that, maybe not as powerful as four nobles of Soleil and the prince of Salvation but my eyes won't lie to me. There is no simple human can have one of the great elemental lord following them around like a pet."

"Would you mind respect him, i consider him to be a family to me and the fact you say he is a pet can make me angry you know that."

"So he is your strength and your weakness at the same time. Careful when you use your words in front of your enemies, they can learn a lot from you."

"So does this make we enemies ?"

"You are a tough child, even a word from my son can never chill down to my spine like that. It is decided Higeki, you are not a simple child like i always think, you lupine lend you our ear for your advice. But do you want to stay for tonight feast."

"I will return soon, i still have a letter from the crimson flower."

"So they also contact you, very well, you and your friends and Great Lord Tomoe will have a spot at our feast. Who goes there ?"

The bullet shot toward us but his claw block the bullet, the wolf cover my ears and then roar first i thought he is a feral wolf but after the raw, a big magic circle represent his law appear. The circle slowly formed into a ball of light then after that i must close my eyes but moment i saw everything, packs of wolves with black fur rushing through the forest. The black wolves rushing the forest while appear on top of the house with the string in his hand it binds and black cloaked figure appear near us and the shade of crimson appear again. Each cut of the knife, a blazing orchid appear in the air, the chief took me back into the house and then left. Watching through the window i saw him, with his roar the color vanish and the scene in front of me lose the color only monochrome remain. 

"That is the power my father have, his power can cause terror to anything around it that drain away every color. But sometime i don't think i am his son, compare to him i am just a brat."

"Don't worry, everyone need time to improve themselves, before i was nothing but a useless child who can do nothing and only can depend on Sou. But now, the longer i travel, the further i go on this journey, the more independent i become, maybe we all need time to nurture ourselves."

As i watching outside of the door, the chief of the wolves can crush any opponent in front of my sight while Sou and the mysterious girl perform with harmony create chain of burning orchid. I wonder should we perform but a musician must perform.

"Higeki, let try to do that again, like what we did in my dream."

"I think we can try."