"Hup…!" Ruan slowly picked up the injured dark elf, hoisting his arm under his shoulder, propping him up.
He continued taking the elf across the wreckage of the village; the damage wasn't as bad as it could've been, most of the houses still standing—other elves idly standing by as they watched various creatures in uniforms, presumably some kind of law enforcement, moving in and out of the houses, shoving aside rubble, and checking for survivors.
There was a small makeshift medic station set up under a tent on the farther side of the village—nurses paced frantically from each wounded patient, tending to their wounds as they lay sprawled out on stretchers.
Ruan began making his way over to the medic station—but the dark elf let out a sharp wince; any sudden movements brought him pain.
"Hey, not too much farther now. Alright?" Ruan assured the elf. "I got you. Just try not to—"
"This… Doesn't change anything. Urgh…!" The elf cut him off, clutching his stomach wound.
He turns and looks Ruan in his eyes.
"You're still a monster." He growled.
Ruan held the elf's gaze for a moment with a hardened expression, then turned away with no response.
He just continued carrying the elf all the way to the medic station, where a nearby nurse rushed over to them, gently guiding the elf down onto the stretcher.
As the nurse whisked the elf further into the tent, Ruan felt a light tap on his back.
As he turned around, Lucy greeted him, bringing him back to a sense of calmness that had been absent earlier.
"…Is he going to be okay?" She asked softly.
Ruan ran his fingers through his grizzly hair and sighed. "Small entry wound right through the stomach… Precise, but—it just narrowly missed the small intestine. He'll live."
Lucy relaxed her shoulders a bit, though the stress wasn't fully lifted.
There's no way she could've prevented that situation on her own; a burning hole forms in her stomach just thinking about it.
If Ruan wasn't there, that kid would've lost her father.
"U-Um… Hello?" A shaky voice muttered from behind Lucy—she met the voice's gaze.
It was the small dark elf child, fumbling with her hands nervously.
"I don't… think I'm supposed to be talking to you." The girl hesitated, pausing just short of her next sentence—after a beat of silence, she continued.
"But I…" Her voice trailed off—suddenly, she bit her upper lip, attempting to fight off a wave of tears, but ultimately falling to her knees, crying at Lucy's feet.
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much…! Thank you for saving my dad!"
Lucy appeared very surprised and was unsure of how to respond.
"I… I didn't really do anything—"
The young lady quickly pulled Lucy into a tight hug before she could finish that statement. Lucy awkwardly tensed in her grasp, shifting nervously as she waited for it to end.
She was never really used to sudden, or… any displays of affection.
The young girl let go almost as quickly as she held on; she peered over her shoulder and saw Ruan staring down at her with a slight grin.
It seemed to startle the young girl—she quickly turned and ran away into the medic's tent.
"I know I kind of chewed you out about it earlier, but you know what? What you did was very brave." Ruan commented.
He leaned down a bit. "But, do NOT do that again. I understand that the situation was dire, but believe me, you should not be so willing to lay down your life. Stunts like that may pay off in the fantasy novels,
but reality is often more unforgiving."
Lucy didn't respond. She seemed more interested in the panicked look the young girl shot Ruan, making her take a short pause before replying.
"…Why didn't you tell me you wield Deep Purple?" Lucy said with a strict expression.
Ruan paused. His entire demeanor slowly growing cold, he averted his eyes—and quietly sighed.
He tapped her on the back. "Come on, let's walk and talk. No use in us standing here."
Before he even finished his sentence, he had already entered the walking motion—forcing Lucy to catch up behind him.
When she finally caught up to him, she stared at him intensely, but her gaze was fraught with a tinge of worry.
and a slight bit of amazement; it's not every day you meet a person favored enough by Lady Purple to be gifted the fullest extent of her Light.
In fact, most people don't. They'll go their entire lives without ever witnessing the radiance of Deep Purple.
And now… One of them is her teacher…!?
Lucy shook her head in disbelief. "T-This is crazy! I thought you guys were a myth! Um, I am actually VERY upset that you didn't tell me about this, because I would NOT have shut up about it!"
A low rumble escaped from Ruan. "Yeah, well… It's not exactly something I like to bring up in conversation."
"Why not!?" Lucy shouted—a mix of excitement and frustration. "A Deep Purple Lighter is said to be one of the strongest beings on the planet! I've read so much about you guys! — You're not at all like a normal Purple Lighter; your connection to your weapon is so strong you can move it with just your thoughts; that's what you were doing earlier!"
Ruan wore an uncomfortable expression; he seemed put off by her passion for this topic.
"Strongest, huh? I don't know if that's the word I'd use; it doesn't exactly feel like that sometimes." Ruan said, his gaze elsewhere.
Lucy scoffed. "What? That you're powerful?"
Before responding, Ruan came to an abrupt stop and stared at a large structure. A squat wooden building with sun-bleached planks and a crooked porch that creaked underfoot. A faded star badge is nailed beside the door, its edges rusted and worn smooth by years of dust and heat.
Lucy followed suit and stopped to examine the building, every few seconds glancing at Ruan, not exactly sure what he's looking at.
Finally, Ruan placed both hands on his hips—staring at the building almost… reminiscently—and spoke.
"No… That I'm in control." Ruan replied, going silent for a moment after.
Lucy slowly raised an eyebrow as she studied him; she didn't entirely understand what he truly meant—Ruan even seemed surprised by his blunt honesty.
But he digressed and silently gestured at Lucy to follow him inside—Lucy only slightly hesitated, becoming a bit more comfortable with following Ruan subconsciously.
Ruan leaned against the door—using his shoulder to slowly push it open with a low creak—and was met immediately by quite the practical decor.
Boot marks scarred the rough wooden floors, along with walls lined with wanted posters that seemed worn by time.
There was one heavy desk that sat near the center, cluttered with droves of paperwork and a single brown cattleman hat, but most notable was the white-furred Harren from earlier—she stood turned away from the door, her hand rested on her hip as she slowly massaged her forehead with the other.
Her badge and vest sat atop the desk as well; it revealed her simple white button-up dress shirt—showing off her athletic frame.
She began mumbling something to herself, unaware that she had an audience.
"Ellyane?" Ruan said, shutting the door behind him.
Ellyane's tall ears twitched. She whirled around, her sharp gaze snapping from Ruan to Lucy in a single motion.
Almost subconsciously, she let out a deep sigh. "Why do you always insist on showing up and making my day worse, Ruan?"
A wry chuckle escaped him. "Aw, come on, Elly. You don't really mean that." Ruan replied, wrapping his cape around his body as he approached the desk.
Ellyane fished around in her pocket, pulling out a carton of cigarettes—popping one out and sliding it into the side of her mouth and buck teeth.
She looped around the desk and leaned on it, right next to where Ruan was standing—looking at him expectantly.
Ruan's right eye began to shine purple once more—he raised his fingers to the end of the cigarette, and with a single snap, a purple flame quickly sparked, lighting the cigarette and vanishing almost as soon as it appeared.
Ellyane took a long inhale, blowing the smoke away from Ruan. She crossed her legs and rested the cigarette between her fingers.
"Not that I don't appreciate it, but I had the situation handled back there. Your showing up only served to sow even more panic." She remarked with a disheveled expression.
"Yeah, I know. But I couldn't just leave you. I've never seen so many of them in one place. They seemed… coordinated, as if they were attacking with a purpose. Whoever the mother is, she likely hasn't gone far—and she has to be a damn tough one if her Lightless are moving like this." Ruan said.
With another deep puff, Ellyana turned away—pacing back and forth slowly as she considered his words.
She sighed. "…S'all going to hell in a handbasket. This attack wasn't even the beginning; I've had this damn muddy feeling lately. The folks up in the capital seem restless, and now I'm getting reports of Luni on our borders. Something just doesn't feel right."
Another long puff. "But I am curious… What are you doing here, Ruan? How did you know we were being attacked?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly on purpose. We were traveling the Rainbow Road, but I think the mother got a whiff of our scent and messed with our senses. It felt like she wanted to guide us away from this area. I guess now I know why." Ruan said, his gaze shifting downwards—as though he's still processing.
"…Hm." Ellyana groaned; it was obvious that was probably the last thing she wanted to hear.
Then, she suddenly glanced at Ruan. "Wait. The Rainbow Road? Were you in Lychinus? Don't tell me you and the king finally kissed and made up." She remarked, her tone held a slight tinge of jest, but her expression was as serious as could be.
Ruan scoffed. "Like hell." He shook his head. "I was… investigating a theory. It was only when we were making our way back that they attacked us."
They both stood in silence for a moment—quiet, but you could tell a million thoughts were rushing through their heads at once.
Until…
"Um, excuse me, but…" Lucy raised her hand politely, catching both Ruan and Ellyana's attention.
"What exactly are… 'they'?"
Ellyana glanced over at Ruan again, this time with a slight raise in her eyebrow, then turned back to Lucy, leaning over a bit to meet her at eye level.
"Hm, and who's this bundle of sunshine? I hope you don't expect me to believe this is your daughter." Ellyana said, examining Lucy closely.
Lucy slowly froze, her face turning slightly red as Ellyana continued to study her in close proximity.
Ruan smirked and shook his head. "No, no, she's not my daughter. She is my Discipu-"
He suddenly paused and jerked his neck back in offense. "Hold on, why is THAT so hard to believe?"
A slight smile grew on Ellyana's face, but she turned away and walked back to her desk so Ruan wouldn't see it. "Ruan Caeruleum. Throughout the nearly five years that I've known you, I don't think I've ever once seen you speak to a woman."
Lucy covered her mouth as she giggled quietly.
Ruan's jaw slightly dropped; his offense grew. "I-I've totally talked to! - Uh… Females."
Ellyana grabbed her hat and walked back over to Lucy—who followed her every step with her eyes.
Ellyana kneeled down and placed the hat on her own head, her tall white ears sliding right through the slits she made on the top.
She offered Lucy a warm smile. "What's your name, young one?"
Lucy seemed surprised at the sudden question but quickly replied. "L-Lukyan Astra, but you could just call me Lucy… I, um… like your ears."
Ellyana chuckled heartily—her laugh felt cozy, putting Lucy's nerves at ease.
"Howdy, Lucy. I like your ears too. Welcome to Nervus; my name's Ellyana. I'm the Vice of this wonderful town." She gave Lucy one last smile before finally standing up straight, taking another inhale from her cigarette.
"…To answer your question, though." She patted her cigarette down on a nearby ashtray.
"They're… us." She said solemnly, but her expression never changed.
Lucy tilted her head—eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "…Us?" She said, trying to search Ruan's face for any further meaning, but to her surprise, his arms were crossed, glancing off to the side with a stern look on his face, unlike any she'd seen from him throughout their time together.
He seemed… uninterested in this conversation.
"Well, not you. Me. Or at least, they were like me at some point. They're creatures." She sucked her teeth, trying to choose her next words carefully. "You see… Every being on the planet is comprised of light. It's almost like our lifeblood; it's like how you need to consume food or water. Though, you don't exactly need it if you're just trying to survive. We creatures are a testament to that."
She chuckled, seemingly at her next thought. "But, when you're trying to die… That's when it bites you in the hide."
Lucy processed that statement very quickly, though she wished that she didn't. "You mean… You guys turn into those things…?" She replied, horrified.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't let any of the civilians overhear you calling them 'things'; most of those Lightless used to be mothers and fathers, sons and sisters. Family." Ellyana rebutted.
She took a deep breath. "Especially in this town…"
Lucy noticed Ellyana's voice tremble at the thought, betraying the calm in her demeanor.
"What… happened?" Lucy asked.
A heavy quiet settled over the room as Ellyana searched for words; she glanced back to Ruan—he only returned a knowing glare.
Finally, she decided on some words. One.
"Luctus, but it's better remembered as 'The Day Of The Dead.'"
She began slowly tapping her foot, a subconscious response to the memory. "It must've been roughly… 15 years ago. Thousands of creatures were slaughtered, right in the middle of Nervus—each one turning into Lightless not too shortly after. They were all just… cut down. All by the hands of the-"
"She doesn't need to hear that." Ruan cut in suddenly, but very clearly.
Ellyana paused and shot Ruan a wary glance. After a moment, she digressed, walking back to her desk and taking a seat.
She took one final inhale from her cigarette. "Is there anything else I could do for you, Ruan?" She said formally.
Ruan sighed. "Yeah… uh. We kind of… need a place to sleep. The inn would be nice…?" He said.
Ellyana tapped ash from her cigarette and shook her head. "The people don't want you 'round these parts, Ruan. You know this."
"I know. I know. I just… I don't want the kid sleeping on a rock or something. Please? If it's any consolation, I'll help you track down this Mother Lightless." Ruan gave her a pleading look.
Ellyana thought about it for a second before reluctantly setting down her cigarette in the ashtray, clasping her hands together—giving Ruan her full attention. "… You know what? I'll see about getting you two set up." She raised her finger at him. "But only if you tell me what exactly you were looking for in Lychinus."
"I'll do you one better; I'll tell you over a drink." He replied with a chuckle.
"Make that a couple, for me at least. You humans never did know how to hold your liquor." She rebutted almost immediately.
"Now y'all get up out my office. I got a feeling I'm gon' be real busy this week."
Ruan grinned, cracking the door open and guiding Lucy outside. After shutting the door behind them, Ruan let out a huge sigh as he leaned against the building's wooden walls.
Lucy placed both hands on her hips and looked up at Ruan. "I like her."
He laughed. "Yeah, I think she likes you too. She doesn't usually show me that much hospitality."
"Pfft. Well, obviously. You're old and ugly." Lucy said, grinning sheepishly to herself.
Ruan's eye twitched. "Well, you know what? I wouldn't be so happy right now if I were you." He chuckled deviously.
"Uh… Why?" Lucy responded warily.
"Hah." Ruan leaned off the wall and began walking into the street.
"Because your training starts tomorrow."