Liz, Helena, and Sofía were waiting for him at the entrance, each with a different expression: patience, tenderness, and curiosity.
- Ready - said Dangleo, adjusting his gloves.
Liz smiled and nodded.
- Let's go then, - he said. - First, we'll go up a little to reach the middle area of the kingdom and leave things in the armory... Then we'll go down to the lower area again to bring food to the refugees, and finally we'll return to the middle area to meet Akane at the entrance to the kingdom.
Dangleo nodded resignedly, just as Helena approached with a medium-sized box.
- Ah... right, - Dangleo muttered, as he adjusted the box to carry it more comfortably. - Because clearly it wasn't enough just to walk...
Helena gave him an amused smile.
- It keeps you in shape, doesn't it?
Dangleo sighed.
- Yes, of course... Fit enough to want to stay.
As they were about to leave, Dangleo felt someone tugging at his clothes...
When he looked over, he saw Sofia looking at him with pleading eyes.
- Hahaha, okay, get in, - he said with a smile.
Sofia got excited and said,
- Yay! - She looks at Helena with pleading eyes - Mommy!
Helena looks at her seriously.
- No, Sofia, - she says.
Dangleo smiles and says,
- It's okay, Helena, I don't mind.
- Aish, Victor and you are going to spoil her, you're just pampering her, - she says as she lifts Sofia onto Dangleo's shoulders.
- Hahaha, no problem... It's no bother, and Sofi weighs nothing," he says as they start walking.
- It's not about whether she weighs anything or not, it's that she'll get used to it, - says Helena, smiling at Sofia.
As they walked through the streets of the lower part of town, the surroundings looked like something out of a medieval story... but with lampposts humming softly, powered by solar panels embedded in their bases. Electricity was extracted from solar energy thanks to the panels.
The houses, many of them with cracked walls and patched roofs, stood as silent witnesses to a war that refused to end.
In the streets, life went on: refugees with weary looks, barefoot children playing in puddles, merchants selling what little they had, and Followers of the Goddess Lumis giving food, advice, and other things to some refugees.
The atmosphere was strange.
Tense, because of what had been lost.
Calm, because of what remained.
Dangleo watched everything with slightly sad eyes, adjusting the box he was carrying while Sofia swung on his shoulders.
- Damn... Solhaven - he thought, without saying it out loud.
A kingdom of light. It worshipped Lumis, the Goddess of light and hope.
And yet, down here, the light seemed barely sufficient compared to other areas of the kingdom.
- Um... Helena... What about Victor? Isn't he going to accompany you to the armory today? - Dangleo asked, looking at her strangely.
Liz turned to him and replied:
- Well... my brother wanted to enlist in the kingdom's knights, and Victor didn't want him to go alone.
Helena looked at them calmly, but with a shadow of certainty in her voice.
- I don't think Jack will enlist, to be honest.
Dangleo and Liz looked at each other, intrigued.
- Why? - Liz asked.
Helena lowered her gaze slightly, as if choosing her words carefully.
- Because you're his older sister, Liz. You've always been with him since... well, forever... And enlisting has one requirement... not seeing any family members for three years... I don't think Jack will accept that."
Liz felt a little bad when she heard Helena's words. She didn't want to interfere with her brother's dreams, and that weighed on her more than she would admit.
Helena paused and looked at her gently.
- Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying it's a bad thing. In fact... the kingdom... in fact..." She paused, lowering her gaze for a moment. - Family is the most important thing,- she finally said, giving Sofia a tender look. - Not even a kingdom should be put before your family."
Dangleo watched her silently, noticing the change in her tone.
But before he could say anything, Sofia shouted enthusiastically:
- We're here!
It was Helena's armory, as she had stopped taking orders to take care of her daughter.
Helena put down her things and, as she carefully took Sofia from Dangleo's shoulders, said.
- Good luck, guys. Tell me how it went when we get home. I'll put the things inside."
Dangleo and Liz looked at her with a shared smile and replied in unison:
- Yes!
Saying goodbye to Helena and Sofia, Dangleo put down the box and took one of Liz's baskets to help her. Then they both headed for the refugee zone, one of the most neglected areas of Solhaven, as most of the refugees there were unable to support themselves.
As they walked through poorly maintained streets, surrounded by people who looked dangerous but didn't make a move, and under flickering streetlights, Dangleo couldn't help but break the silence.
- Liz, I know you've been helping refugees for a long time... people affected by war... - he said, looking at her. - And I was wondering... why do you do it?
Liz slowed her pace a little.
- Because I was one of them, - she replied softly. - Back then, few people... almost no one helped my brother and me... And that's why I want to be one of the people who does help... at least... until I figure out what I want to do and how to help others more.
Dangleo looked at her in surprise, as if something had been unlocked in his memory.
- You should know that perfectly well, shouldn't you? - Liz added as she looked at him - You were also a refugee, if I remember correctly... an orphan from Helis.
Dangleo nodded slowly.
- Yes... just like you, I almost never got any help... I don't know how I'm still alive, ha ha ha...
Liz smiled sadly, but firmly.
- Well... you want to be a hero, right? Well, little by little, you can be. I know you can. You just need to take a few steps - she said, looking ahead - Maybe this is one of them.
Dangleo looked at her for a moment, then smiled.
- Yes... - He chuckled softly to himself. - I see why Victor recruited you. You're incredible.
Liz blushed instantly.
- Uh!... Uh... Thank you.
Dangleo looked at her with a mixture of pride and curiosity.
- Hmm... is that why you asked me to come? To learn from this?
Liz smiled, shaking her head gently.
- I didn't bring you here to teach you anything... It's just that you seemed a little down since this morning, and I thought this might distract you a little.
Dangleo looked at her, surprised by her sincerity.
- Why do you care so much about me?
Liz looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and replied calmly:
- Dangleo... I had a happy family... But the war took it away from me. You... everyone in the group is like a second family to me... And I want to protect it... I want to take care of you all.
Her words touched Dangleo's heart... Dangleo felt something loosen inside him, as if he finally understood that Liz not only saw him... she valued him.
He smiled.
- I see... You know you can count on me too, right?"
Liz let out a soft laugh.
- I've known that for a long time, silly. You don't need to say it.
They both laughed together, and for a moment, the weight of the world seemed lighter.
- To think that I've been with you for a year and a half... - he murmured. - It seems like yesterday.
Liz looked at him with a soft smile, the kind that needs no words to say, "I feel the same way."
The silence that followed was not uncomfortable. It was warm. As if they both understood that, despite everything they had lost, they had found something worth keeping.
Dangleo and Liz arrived at the refugee area with the baskets in their arms. It was a park, full of people living in dire straits. Most of them had a lost look in their eyes, their shoulders slumped... until they saw Liz.
As if her presence had lit a spark, their faces lit up. Some stood up, others smiled, and several approached with slow but determined steps.
As they walked through the area, Liz and Dangleo distributed the supplies. Liz greeted everyone warmly, and the refugees welcomed her as if she were part of their family.
- Liz, how wonderful to see you! - exclaimed an elderly woman, hugging her tightly. "How are you, dear?"
- I'm fine, Mrs. Ann, - Liz replied with a smile. - And you? How have you been?
- Fine, fine... - said the old woman, looking at Dangleo mischievously. - And who is this handsome young man accompanying you? Is he your boyfriend?
Liz laughed nervously, and Dangleo blushed instantly.
- No, Mrs. Ann, - Liz said. - He's my partner in the Group.
The old woman looked at him with a mischievous smile.
- Ah, well, if he's not your boyfriend, I'll take him for myself. You're a very handsome boy, you know?
Dangleo laughed, and Liz blushed even more.
- Mrs. Ann, you're always so funny - Liz said, shaking her head affectionately.
As they walked on, more people came up to thank them. Dangleo was surprised to see so many sincere smiles, so many gestures of gratitude. He was glad he had accompanied Liz. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was doing something that really mattered.
A little boy ran up to Liz and hugged her tightly.
- Liiz! Hellooo! - he said excitedly - Did you bring apples?
Liz smiled and took a couple of apples out of the basket.
- Yes, your favorites.
The boy nodded excitedly, and Liz handed them to him. Meanwhile, Dangleo chatted with some adults, played with the children, and helped distribute what was left.
- Um... Liz... thanks for bringing me - said Dangleo as they walked toward the meeting point with Akane - I'm glad I could help.
Liz looked at him tenderly.
- You're welcome. I'm glad you came with me. Today I saw a side of you I didn't know, Dangleo.
- Hahaha... yeah... Will you keep it a secret? - said Dangleo, half-jokingly.
Liz laughed.
- Maybe... Hahaha.
Just then, they both saw guards chasing a thief through the streets in the distance. But in that area, such scenes were so common that they didn't even stop to look. They just kept walking, with the calmness of those who have learned to live with chaos.
- Um... Liz... I have a question - said Dangleo, looking at her curiously.
- Yes? - replied Liz, intrigued.
- You told Akane that we would meet at the entrance to the kingdom... right?
Liz froze for a second and let out an
- Eeeehh...
Dangleo put his hand to his face, resigned.
Dangleo put his hand to his face, resigned.
- I was afraid of that...
Liz let out a nervous laugh, and they both began to walk through the entrance to the kingdom, scanning the place in the hope of finding Alexander and Akane by chance.
- I don't think they're around here - said Dangleo, looking around.
- It seems so... - I'm sorry. Since I hadn't planned on you coming with me, well... do you think we should go back to the guild? Liz asked, frowning. Or should we keep going?
Dangleo stopped in front of a newsstand displaying advertisements for adventurer groups looking for members. The headlines, printed on paper slightly damp from the breeze, caught his attention:
*Hello!* Hello, we are "The Hope of Lumis." We need a couple more members for our group. We are new but rank 2. I hope you find us and that the light of Lumis guides you.
*Hi* Hi, we are "The Swords of Solhaven." We need members for the idea of forming subgroups. We are rank 4 and hope you find us. Thank you.
| *Help, King*: The villages outside the kingdom fear that the demons are devising new ways to attack.
| *Tradesand and Solhaven*: The kingdoms of Tradesand and Solhaven are still in negotiations to trade resources and are close to strengthening ties.
| *Merchants and Caravans*: There are many complaints from merchants in both Solhaven and Helis. We believe that bandits are still looking for ways to rob merchants, who are asking the kingdoms for more effective protection. Not only that, but they also fear that demons will attack.
| *Helis*: There are suspicions that the kingdom of Helis is not ruled by normal people, but by the Dhelaks (intelligent demons who serve the "demon god"). Unlike the Arkhais, the Dhelaks are intelligent and difficult to detect due to their similarity to humans. They seek only chaos and destruction. Will these suspicions end the truce?
| Written by M.M.
Dangleo read silently, frowning. Then he looked at Liz.
- I think it's best to wait here. The kids will tell him. I don't want it to happen that we're going... and they're coming... and in the end we don't see each other... - He sighed. - Fuck...
Liz nodded, also looking at the headlines with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
Suddenly, a group of people began to gather, shouting and clapping. Liz and Dangleo looked at each other, curious, and went over to see what was happening.
- HAHA! You caught him, you're great! - a young man exclaimed, laughing.
When they managed to make their way through the crowd, they saw Akane holding a robber by the arm. It was the same one they had seen running away minutes before.
- A... Akane!? - Liz exclaimed, surprised.
Akane looked at them with a calm smile, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
- Hey, guys! Good to see you. We were just going to look for you.
Dangleo looked at her with a judgmental, but not malicious, gaze.
/I don't know how she does it... her personality changes so drastically. She's a total introvert, but when it comes to training me or situations like this, she never fails to attract attention./
- How long do you think it'll take her to get back to normal this time? - Alexander said, appearing at her side with a knowing smile.
Dangleo greeted him with a smile.
- Hey, Xander. Who knows how long it'll take this time...
Akane approached the boys while the guards took care of apprehending the thief, who was desperately crawling on the ground.
- Help, please... no... no...!
Dangleo looked at him sadly. One of the guards kicked him hard.
- What? Now that they caught you, are you sorry, scum? - You'll see how in the night the Arkhais devour you without a thought... just as you steal.
The thief, in pain, crawled toward Dangleo with hopelessness in his eyes.
- Help me, please... I don't want to die!
And then, something broke inside Dangleo.
The memory of the handcuffed boys in his dream struck him like a lightning bolt. He froze. Without realizing it, his hand slipped toward one of his daggers.
- Dan... Dangleo? Are you okay? - Liz asked, gently touching his shoulder.
Dangleo flinched. Looking at the others, he realized his hand was on the hilt of his dagger. The boys were watching him with a mixture of surprise and concern.
/What the... fuck?/
- Um... we should be heading home," he said, trying to compose himself.
Liz looked at him judgingly and said,
- Not home, I guess.
Dangleo gave a look of laziness and resignation and said, "...Well, I tried."
The guards led the thief away, who continued to scream as he disappeared into the crowd.
The boys headed toward the seer's shop.
- Ma... dame Lu... Lucero - Akane murmured, reading the sign with some doubt.
Dangleo raised an eyebrow at her.
- Do you really think this is a good idea?
Alexander gave him a little push toward the door.
- Well, we'll have to try.