EA Chapter 45 - Aftermath

“You have a brother?” Syri asked, blinking in shock.

“Two, actually,” said Luna. “This big lummox here, and an annoying crybaby little brother back home,” she clarified.

“Ah Lulu. Nice to know you’re every bit as mean as you were when last we met.”

Luna shrugged. “I don’t plan on changing my ways, Geran.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And don’t call me Lulu.”

“No.”

“Huh...” Kiharu cocked her head to one side. “Guess he does kind of look like her. Even if he’s like... actually person-sized and not a short ass.”

“Up yours, Kiharu.”

Geran approached, managing a faint smile. “When I heard tell a silver-haired cadet killed some big ugly monster, I knew it had to be you. My sister, the big hero. Checked on you every day you were in here, when I got the free time. Good thing you woke when you did, I was starting to dread telling Ma you’d fallen into a coma.”

“Ferris would have had a damn heart attack,” she replied.

Geran nodded. “Yeah. Poor lad always has been sensitive... suppose that hasn’t changed.”

Luna stared intently at her brother. “You know, this is the first I’m hearing of your promotion. You didn’t send us anything on the matter.”

“Recent promotion. Never got the chance to before all this happened.”

Luna scoffed. She knew how Geran was. Good with a sword, but a damn fool when it came to any of his responsibilities. “Well, I suppose it is some manner of accomplishment,” she said.

“Ah, Lulu. Always so quick with the compliments.”

“Lulu,” Kiharu mumbled, stroking at her chin, “I am kicking myself for not thinking that up.”

Old Scratch had had his eye on Geran all the while. “You have a bit of qi in you, but not enough to really draw out much power,” he said.

Geran shrugged, but stood taller all the same as the old man addressed him. “No, I was never like our Lulu here. Enough qi to hit harder and move faster than the norm, but that was about it. But,” he grinned, evidently pleased with himself, “I was damn skilled, and a fast learner. So they wanted me on palace duty.”

“You’ll have to show me around some time,” said Luna. It would be nice to know the ins and outs in advance. And what would need to be changed when the time came for redecoration.

The cleric entered, a portly man in slightly dirty white robes. His face looked haggard and unshaven, and doubtless the man had been run off his feet these past few days tending to those who had been injured during the Ashborn attack.

“It is good to see you awake,” he said, forcing a smile. “I just need to do a final check before I can clear you to leave.”

Luna waved him in and sat further up in bed. “Fine, fine. Do what you must.”

In the end Luna was deemed fully recovered. Though as the Cleric examined her, his eyes aglow from his own qi, he stressed that she should perhaps be mindful in using her powers for just a few days. Luna could abide this, to an extent, but would still try to meditate to increase her qi as much as she could during that time.

Given some privacy, she dressed in a spare cadet’s uniform that had been left for her, and ventured from the infirmary in the company of her party. Geran had said his goodbyes, returning to the palace but promising to visit Luna more often.

The military hospital, still packed with soldiers and city guards who had been injured in the chaos. It sat nestled beyond the outer walls of the Citadel and only a modest walk from the airship docks. Once outside Luna could see some of the destruction that lingered from the week’s chaos.

Great piles of ash had been swept up on many street corners, and a few distant buildings had been covered with scaffolding as men tended to the craters and gouges that had been punched into them. Arcanists were tending to the collateral damage where they could, using their magic to mend the worst of the damage.

“Could have been worse,” Luna supposed.

“It’s still not great,” said Rema.

Her sister nodded gravely. “A lot of... a lot of people died. I saw some of the corpses being taken out in big wagons, it’s... it was hard to look at.”

“You’ll likely see far more at this rate,” Luna casually replied.

Syri gave her an irritable look. “A little compassion can go a long way.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “We’re trying to be soldiers, Syri. We’ll see dead bodies. It’s simply something we have to get used to.”

“Seems to me that you’re already rather used to it,” the Paladin replied.

They pressed onward, and it wasn’t long until they were approached by a small group of civilians. It was enough to give the squad pause, staring at this anxious mob of ten-odd people. “You’re... you’re the one, yeah? The girl who saved all those people?” one grubby-faced man said.

Luna fought the urge to smile. “I am.” Faux humility would be important early on, she told herself. If she was too arrogant out of the gate it ran the risk of people questioning her ‘altruistic nature.’ But it was good to know these fools spoke about her.

“We owe you our lives. World’s a dangerous place, but it’s good to know the army has good folk like you going into it,” the man said, earning a few nods from his companions.

Luna examined them. She could tell, even at a glance, that they were more dirty unwashed than the average peasant. “I take it you lost your homes in the fighting?”

One man nodded, aggrieved. “Aye. We have been... living in a collection of tents near the wreckage by Piker’s Market. It’s a temporary thing. It’s not ideal but it is... better than nothing.”

“Oh dear.” Luna shook her head, doing her best to look... sad about it. She didn’t much care, but she would be a feel not to seize on an opportunity. “It’s a shame that the city has left you in the lurch like this. If I had a say in the matter, you people would never suffer such a thing. But... ah, it’s not up to me.”

Piker’s Market. I’ll keep that in mind.

“Well, er,” Syri said. “Perhaps we should return to the Citadel? Before your ego crushes you.”

“It’s not an ego if it’s deserved,” Luna bluntly replied. “But yes, we should make for the Citadel. I’d like to return to some form of normalcy.” Just for a little while. She had her foot in the door when it came to the people, and she’d need to start pushing it open as best she could.

And so they pressed on, through the dust-strewn streets where things were finally returning to a sense of normalcy.