Wrath's Virtue

A massive, blonde Northerner moved through the thinning trees at the swamp's edge. A silver claw emblem was emblazoned on his fur and leather armor. A jagged scar cut down across his face, giving his already stern features a permanent grimace. His eyes were fixed on the ground, tracking a series of prints in the damp earth.

He moved between the gnarled trunks, his gaze flickering up, and he froze. Ahead, perched on a fallen, moss covered log, was a one and a half meter long lizard, its brown green scales a near perfect camouflage. The creature sensed him, its head snapping in his direction, muscles coiling to flee.

SPLASH!

It never got the chance.

Northerner's arm blurred forward. A handaxe spun through the air and embedded itself in the lizard's skull.

While his arm was still extended from the throw he let it drop with a sigh. "Another lizard," he grumbled to himself. "I truly miss the taste of proper meat."

He walked over to the fallen creature, retrieved his axe, and, grabbing the lizard by its thick tail, slung the corpse over his shoulder. He turned and began to walk back the way he came. The muddy ground and twisted trees of the swamp gradually gave way to firmer earth and, finally, to a towering, thirty meter high pine tree that stood out starkly against its surroundings.

There, at the base of the great pine, was his partner. Another Northerner in the same armor, but this one was younger, slimmer, with a head of messy brown hair. He was fast asleep while his back against the tree trunk.

Blonde Northerner approached, his boots making little sound on the pine needles. He stopped beside the sleeping guard and, without a word, drew back his foot and kicked him hardly in the his ass.

Finn yelped, scrambling to his feet while clutching his backside. He spun around and saw Rolf staring at him, his expression was hard as stone.

"C-Commander Rolf! You're back... very fast." Finn's eyes darted down to the corpse on Rolf's shoulder. "Another lizard, I guess."

"I wasn't fast, Finn. It just seemed fast to you," Rolf said then he took a step forward, and Finn instinctively took one back. Rolf grabbed the lizard from his shoulder and tossed it at Finn, who fumbled to catch it in his arms. "And yes, another lizard. Start cleaning it."

Finn knelt and laid the lizard on the ground. "Don't be so mad, Commander. Not even a fly is buzzing around here. I just thought I'd lie down for a bit," he said, pulling a dagger from his pocket and beginning to cut from the lizard's throat down to its tail.

"You're on a mission given by the Captain right now," Rolf stated flatly.

"Yeah," Finn said, "waiting for a little kid to get here."

"That kid is under the Captain's protection. What do you think would happen if the Captain learned you were sleeping while waiting for him?"

"Rolf, it was just a little nap."

"I'm not going to tell him, you idiot," Rolf said. "But what would have happened if the kid had arrived while you were sleeping?"

Finn scratched his head and gave a slight, sheepish smirk. "I'd be in deep trouble."

Rolf sighed. "It wouldn't just be your head in trouble."

"Okay. I get it. I am sorry, really." Finn said, focusing on his work.

"Just be careful," Rolf replied, watching him peel the skin from the lizard's belly. "You don't need to skin the whole thing. The meat from the legs is enough."

Finn nodded and moved his knife toward the lizard's leg. "I hope we don't have to wait much longer. The meat from these things tastes like straw."

"Today is the sixth day," Rolf said. "We'll wait until tomorrow at the latest."

Finn paused. "If the kid doesn't show, we're going into the swamp, right?"

"Yes," Rolf said simply.

Finn looked up from his work. "Why is the Captain doing something like this, anyway? There's nothing but poison in that swamp. Even I don't want to go in there."

"That's not for us to question," Rolf said, "but... I guess the Captain is testing the kid."

"Let's say," Finn began, "the kid doesn't arrive tomorrow, and we go into the swamp and find... something happened to him." He looked at Rolf, who just stared back, who his expression grim and silent. Finn let out a long breath. "Why do I always get these troublesome missions?"

"You don't need to worry, Finn," Rolf said suddenly.

"How can I not worry?" Finn replied, looking up at him.

But Rolf wasn't looking at him anymore. His head was turned, his gaze fixed intently on the swamp.

Clutching his spear under his arm, Aurelion stumbled out from between the trees. He saw the large pine tree in the clearing and the two figures beneath it, who were now staring back at him.

Then his eyes shifted, landing on three large horses tethered nearby. "Good," he thought, a satisfaction cutting through his exhaustion. "At least the return trip will be fast."

Finn's face broke into a wide grin. "He's alive, Rolf!".

But Rolf wasn't celebrating. His gaze was locked onto the boy, taking in every detail. The battered leather armor, the muddy bandages covering the left side of his face, the green stains on his spear, and his overall wretched condition.

With purposeful strides, Rolf started forward. A surprised Finn hurried to follow. As they got closer, the full extent of Aurelion's state became clear, and Finn broke into a light jog, reaching the boy first.

"Hey, kid! Are you alright? What happened to you?" he asked.

Aurelion looked at Finn with his single, flat golden eye. "Aurelion," he said.

"What?" Finn asked, baffled.

"Name is Aurelion," He added when he saw the expression on Finn's face that showed he didn't understand what he meant. "Captain wouldn't have sent you here without telling you my name, I presume."

Rolf came to a stop beside them. "Your tongue is still sharp, Aurelion. I guess you're not in as bad a shape as you look."

Aurelion turned his gaze to Rolf. "I didn't expect the Captain to send a Wild Guard Commander here."

"Let's just say you interfered with my day off, Aurelion," Rolf grumbled.

Aurelion's lips twitched into a slight smirk. "You should have come into the swamp, then," he said. "The water is lovely there. Perfect for a swim."

Finn looked from Aurelion to Rolf and back again. "Shouldn't we be helping him, Commander?"

Rolf turned and started walking back toward the tree. "If you want," he called over his shoulder, "ask him if he wants any help."

Aurelion also started toward the tree, passing by the confused Finn. As he did, he spoke a single word without looking at him.

"Before you ask. No."

Finn stopped for a moment, watching the two of them, before jogging to catch up.

"Since you were able to get a day off, the insect powder must be working, Commander Rolf," Aurelion said.

"I was able to get a day off," Rolf corrected him, then added, "And yes. When the insects get a whiff of the scent, they stop moving in formation. It makes them easier to kill. The situation isn't as bad as it was."

"Their numbers aren't decreasing, though," Aurelion stated.

"No," Rolf said simply.

"Commander," Finn began, "I guess you know this chi- Aurelion."

"Yes," Rolf replied. "He was there when I was discussing the preparations for the insect powder with the Captain."

Finn turned to Aurelion. "So the Captain is training you on these matters at such a young age."

Aurelion felt a flash of irritation at the comment, but he was too tired to say anything.

Rolf answered for him. "The idea for the medicine was Aurelion's," he said flatly.

Finn's jaw dropped. "What?" He stared at the boy, who was now sitting down and leaning his back against the tree. "We were run ragged gathering those plants. Was... Was this, this child's plan?"

Aurelion just gave Finn a cold, sidelong glance with his single eye.

"The medicine made from those plants works," Rolf said. "Don't underestimate Aurelion, even if he's young." He walked over to one of the black horses, unstrapped a bag from its saddle, and pulled out a glass bottle, tossing it to Aurelion.

Aurelion caught the bottle, looking at the light blue liquid inside before turning his gaze back to Rolf.

"It's part of the mission," Rolf said. Then he gestured lizard to the Finn. "You can use it on your wounds." He then sat down himself.

Finn went back to cutting the meat from the lizard's legs. Aurelion, after looking at the bottle for another moment, open it and poured the liquid over the arrow wounds on his body. He poured the rest over the bandages on his face. The liquid hissed and steamed as it made contact with his wounds.

Aurelion felt a powerful, searing pain where the liquid touched him, but his expression didn't change. "The more it hurts, the more it heals," he thought to himself.

From the corner of his eye, Rolf watched the boy's face, saw no reaction, and turned his gaze forward again.

Finn, however, saw the steam rising from the wounds and the boy's complete lack of reaction and was stunned once more. "How...?" he breathed.

Aurelion set the empty bottle aside. "A mid-rank potion, I presume."

"Rank 4," Rolf said without looking at him.

Aurelion then looked at the lizard meat that was being prepared. "Let's not linger any longer after eating this thing," he said.

"I have no intention of lingering either, Aurelion," Rolf replied. "You need to get to the city quickly and make sure your body is fully healed before the Talent Tests."

Aurelion glanced at him. "Did the Captain tell you about that, too?"

"You don't need to hear everything to understand," Rolf said.

As the conversations with Primordia flashed through his mind, Aurelion responded, "Depending on what you're trying to understand, you might need to listen."

Rolf was surprised by this comment. "Perhaps," he conceded.

Aurelion then thought to himself.

"The real issue is what you do after you understand."