15 To Search For The Truth, pt. 1

The next day.

"You're joining us?" The duke asked. A few heads turned in their direction as Decena tried not to roll her eyes at the noble's reactions.

"Yes." Decena replied.

"Well, you will receive adequate payment for this mission. Your decision is a timely one. We plan to visit the site of the most recent attacks in two hours. You'll find those assembled in the castle's courtyard. You should go, speak with them. Even if it is just for a day, these will be your allies. I will brief you all shortly."

"Yes. Thank you." Decena bowed her head and turned to walk away. She was trying to get used to performing those pleasantries. She walked down the large hall, passing by several whispering servants and minor lords.

Decena exhaled a large breath she'd been holding back for a while. She had just taken her first step back into the real world. It was tedious and awkward, but she felt it was time. She had to try to move forward. If for anything, to honor the person she mourned so heavily.

She came out to a grey balcony made of stone, that overlooked a field, segmented into various sections. The wind pushed her crimson hair back as she placed her hands on the metal railing.

To the northeast, were various straw targets for archers to practice on, though only one archer was present.

To the south, just below Decena, were a few dolls being struck by tall, burly men carrying large weapons.

To the west, two combatants practiced. One man used a quarterstaff, while his opponent, who hid his face under a type of cloth mask, used two wooden daggers.

"Lively, aren't they?" Someone said, behind her. Decena turned and found a middle-aged man with a grey beard smiling at her. His hair was black and slick with some sort of gel.

"You know them?" Decena asked. She had been told this group had been made randomly.

"Not all. Just a few." He took a few steps forward to stand side-by-side with Decena. He wore a suit of steel armor, and wore a longsword at his waist. Most likely, he was a knight. "That one over there, the archer, that's Bensen. He's a lord's son. The two fools fighting, the one with the daggers is a woman named Jess. I don't know too much about her, just that she's feisty and quick to pull a blade if you offend her." He weirdly rubbed the back of his head as he said this. "I don't know the rest."

An awkward pause lingered in the air as the self-satisfied man continued to blankly look down at the courtyard.

"I, also, happen to know you." He stated. Decena felt the urge to pull a sword out here and now, only she didn't have one to pull.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Decena hissed.

"Bit paranoid you are? No, no problem. Of course, if I were the man I was a few years ago, I would have a problem, as I was once a knight in Nova's court, just like yourself. Though, I served for a little longer than you did." He chuckled. "No, I just find it curious that the infamous Red Knight would feel compelled to conduct a scouting mission for some random villagers."

"Is the duke a random villager?" Decena asked.

"He may as well be, to you." He paused, looking at Decena through the corner of his eye. "Are you planning on fighting the monsters with your hands?"

"I have no weapon to use." Decena replied.

"Ah, let's fix that. Come with me, I'll give you a blade." He began walking down the nearby stairs that led into the courtyard.

"Really?" Decena asked, with as much of an insidious voice as she could muster. "You'd give the 'Infamous Red Knight' a sword? What will the lords think?" She smirked.

"Oh?" He looked back with a smirk of his own. "And here I thought you'd be brooding all day. Glad to see you're not a soulless husk. By the way, my name is Ser Floren."

Decena sighed.

"My name is Decena."

"I know." He replied.

...

An hour later, Decena found herself standing opposite the older man on a field of stone. She held a wooden sword up, aiming it at the knight. He raised his own wooden sword, and aimed it at her.

Decena exhaled, and immediately, both parties lunged at each other. Floren tried a stab attack that Decena dodged, and countered with a wide slash.

Floren stumbled back, trying to avoid Decena's repeated swipes. Floren let one of his hands go, and took a few steps forward, holding his blade with his left as if he were fencing. Decena smirked inwardly, and adjusted her position.

She suddenly placed her feet at a little more than shoulder-length, she placed her sword straight out in front of her, and lowered her hands. Floren's eyes widened, but he was already committed to an attack when he saw the change happen.

Decena allowed his momentum to swing past her, and then, she guided his blade downwards, as she had been taught to do three years ago. With a quick flick, she pried Floren's hand away from his sword, disarming him.

He fell back, and for just a moment, Decena saw genuine surprise in his eyes, before he bellowed a hearty laugh. Suddenly, several other voices began to laugh.

Decena looked around. She hadn't noticed the gathering crowd. Among the spectators were the two people Floren had pointed out.

"You sure took him down a few pegs." The woman who had her face hidden said. She wasn't wearing the mask anymore, showcasing blue eyes and blonde hair. "I've been waiting for the smug bastard to get his."

"What was that move?" Bensen said. He was a scrawny, nervous boy, with thin arms and thin legs, dressed in a brown coat. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's a martial art that no one practices anymore, called Koreha." Floren said, approaching them. Jess groaned lightly when she saw him walking towards them. "Or at least, I thought no one practiced it. Where did you learn that?"

"Someone in Nova taught it to me." Decena said. She felt a slight pang in her heart when she thought of her former friend, but she cast the thought aside.

"You have to show me stuff. I'd love to be able to move like that! It was beautiful!" Jess told Decena.

"Jess, dear. You're already-" before Floren finished, Jess smacked his head.

"Shut it, you old perv!"

They spoke for a few minutes, until a presence emerged at the balcony, and a silence along with it.

Decena's eyes were half-closed, trying to keep the sun from burning her cornias, however, as she tried to focus, she saw the duke's familiar frame.

"Before I begin, I'd like to thank you all for volunteering to be a part of this." He called out. Decena was largely unaffected, but she noticed how everyone around her had taken a serious, solemn look. This was the respect that status commanded at work. It was an impressive sight. "I will not lie, this has the potential to be incredibly dangerous. We know nothing about these monsters. Therefore, I cannot tell you what to expect."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "However, it is absolutely of the utmost necessity that we uncover as much information regarding these creatures as we can. That is why you will journey north of the village, a half-day's ride towards a nearby town, where the most recent attack took place."

Decena glanced around once more. This time, she saw hesitation in their expressions. Even the more cold-blooded among them seemed to be at least slightly fazed by the notion of combating strange beasts.

"But, gladly, you are not alone today." He said, and then proceeded to point at Decena, who stood in front of the group. "Her name is Decena, a few days ago, she fought and killed one of these monsters. She has agreed to lend her sword to you all."

Decena didn't miss the chuckle Floren tried to surpress.

"There is a caravan at the northern gate. You will report there, and in one hour from now, you will depart. The mission is simple. Go to that town, find out anything you can, and bring the information back to me. Do not take unnecessary risks. Be cautious, but brave. That is all."

He turned and walked away.

Decena looked around, and found a few eyes locked onto her. Some of them looked mystified. Others looked unnerved. She paid them no mind, and began to walk towards the stairs, ready to leave the courtyard altogether.

"Not even going to say hello? I'm hurt." She heard a familiar voice speak behind her. She turned, and found a tall, elven woman smiling back at her. Decena didn't want to admit it, but her mind eased a little upon encountering her.

"I didn't see you there." Decena turned on her heel and walked towards the elf. Theresa stood with her hands behind her back, gazing upon the rest of the group as they went back to their previous activities.

"Did you talk to them?"

"Briefly." Decena replied. Theresa sighed.

"Decena, you should put in a little bit more effort towards communicating with these people." She said.

"Why?" Decena asked with an arched eyebrow.

"These are the fighters you'll be sharing the battlefield with. Whether they protect you or not is dependent entirely on whether or not you make a good impression. If they feel fear towards you, or disdain, do you think they'll step in when a monster descends upon you?"

"Do you believe I'll need their help?" Decena asked, irritation growing inside of her.

"Not at all. But one can't account for everything in a fight. Random events do tend to happen in this crazy world of ours. I'm just saying, don't be so hostile towards the others. Unless they're pricks like Floren."

Decena was surprised by the sudden insult, and she couldn't hold back the laugh that came out of her. Theresa smiled warmly at her.

"That's what I want to see." She said. "Alright, let's go. Have to secure those window seats, don't we?"

Later, they found themselves placing their respective equipment onto the caravan. All in all, it was a group of nine people, those who were at the courtyard and a few who showed up later.

Decena sat by the open side of the caravan. All she had with her was a basic, steel longsword that Floren gave her.

They didn't have any doors, these carts. Instead, they were basically two moving, open-air benches with roofs over them. Theresa ended up sitting in front of Decena, with Jess beside her. Decena had Floren next to her, who was making faces at Theresa the entire time.

With all their equipment loaded, the caravan's chauffeur spurred the four horses at the front, and they began to move north, towards the aforementioned town, where unidentifiable monsters had attacked, and maybe, remained.