Baleful Wings (Dragon's Dogma Fanfiction)

Chapter 41 : Resilience

"What.. did you just call our father?" Arya's panicked eyes were dressed by her now deeply arched brows and grim expression.
"A ruthless murderer," replied Karel, staring apathetically into his sister's maddened gaze. "And when the One-Armed Bandits came to collect, it was our father's debt - not mine."

Memories of the past rushed through Arya's rattled mind - arguments, fights and rebellions between her parents and Karel. The days of her father leaving for political hearings, their mother braiding her hair, humming while tapping her sandaled foot, stopping only when Karel finally dragged himself in at the late hours. "All men start with something to prove," she would say, always in defense of her precious first-born son.
Arya shook her head, grasping her blade and dashing at her older brother. "You.. damned liar." Their steel made shining sparks sing through the cavern hideout, before Karel deflected her assault and effortlessly swept her over his ankle, pushing her into the glowing stone that sat in the center of the chamber and stomped into her chest, pressing his younger sibling into the mysterious stone. 
"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, are we?"
Paired with the slight sucking in of the sides of her mouth, Arya's tongue swathed about the metallic blood taste about her teeth. She had come too far to be like this -- hostile, and defensive when her ideals were challenged. Looking around the hideout, the Hearthstone girl suddenly realized how stupid she looked, lashing out at her older brother but appearing like no more than a crazed runaway. 
Withdrawing his leather boot from Arya's gut, Karel dusted himself off and wiped his blade betwixt two gloved fingers. "Why else did you not inherit Nobility, dear sister?" With that question, Arya's eyebrows arched before slowly distancing from her widening eyes. The elder brother's typically emotionless face now had a smirk written across it. "Because our father's wealth was accumulated in blood."

 The shining edge of his blade drew lines in the space in front of him, deflecting arrows that assaulted him, before somersaulting backward and brandishing his rapier. "What in blazes?"
From a dark cloud above the ominous stone, fell a caramel-skinned female with long and wavy black hair. 
"Hello, Arisen," she said, in a sweet and gentle voice.

"What like of sorcery is this!?" "Two of them!?!?" Surprise and shock clamored throughout the chamber upon the sight before them. Arya didn't recognize this woman's face, but somehow felt like she knew exactly who she was. Elegantly drawing her bow back, the woman aimed at Karel with not a drop of fear in her blue-grey eyes. 
"You aught back away from the Arisen, because I will not miss again," she said, squeezing the nooked arrow at her cheek.
"Well then, men... It seems that my sister should no longer be a guest here." Karel turned toward his comrades. "Because the bounty on the Arisen would make us rich. Attack at once!"
"Not so damn fast, you goofy lot of milk-drinkers," said Ser Lackey, joined by Thorne, Innick, and the remaining Enlistment Corps fighters.
Arya stood up, still relatively sore, but ready to fight non-the-less. "I can't believe you came back for me," she commented, incredulously.
"We don't abandon our own," said Thorne, drawing her fierce hatchet. 
Compressing his lips in utter disappointment, Karel waved his hand, causing his band of vagabonds to part and make way for Arya. "Fine.. take her, and go with peace. I have not the stomach for so much bloodshed at the moment."
The ruffians and cutpurses parted in the hideout's main chamber, creating a clear path for the Enlistment Corps to escort an injured Arya toward the exit. 
"Typical," commented Karel. "Knights hunting knights."

 "So.. where were you?" Asked Arya, speaking absentmindedly to the woman that just came to her rescue, slowly fading from consciousness.
"I was of service in another world, Arisen." She responded, presenting her master with an apple as she scooted closer. "And I've brought back gifts."
"Even if your face changes, you're the still the same quirky girl," started Arya, before taking another glance at Ceres. "Wait.. Where did you come from?" She asked, "I thought you were dead."
"You touched a rift stone, and called me to you," replied Ceres, still with a casual expression about her. "Whenever I die, just use one to summon me, and I will always come back to you."
A sharp pain shot through Arya's body. Of course Ceres thought nothing of death or injury, but to feel the pain of dying more than once seemed terrifying. Then again, she knew that feeling quite well - the Dragon, Grigori, killed her once before.
Staring at Ceres's new armor and Stalwart black Bow, Arya slowly realized that this pawn had simply formed into a mirror of herself, her short blonde hair now a heavy head of silky ebon locks. "By the by, you're much more beautiful as Ceres, not as me."
The pawn only stared blankly ahead as the Ox carriage took them back to Gran Soren.