Dangleo was sitting on his bed with his back against the wall, staring off into space. Suddenly, he heard a soft knock at the door.
- I don't want to talk to anyone - he said in a muffled voice.
But the door opened slowly, and a small figure slipped inside. It was Sofia, Helena and Victor's daughter. Dangleo looked at her tenderly, and Sofia approached him with a smile.
- Dan, are you okay? - she asked sweetly.
An embarrassed Dangleo answered.
- It's grown-up stuff, Sofia - he said with a weak smile.
Dangleo sat on the edge of his bed and said to Sofia.
- Go eat dinner. They'll be worried when they find out you're gone.
Sofia sat down beside him and said - I already ate, in the kitchen, so I just came over - Dangleo nods.
Sofia stares at Dangleo for a moment, who seems lost in thought, and says,
- Dan... are you scared? - Sofia says, looking at him curiously.
Dangleo looks at her in surprise, and a mixture of emotions begins to run through his body... letting out the fear and accepting it.
- I... I'm scared - Dangleo says, and a few tears begin to fall.
Sofia looks at him innocently and asks.
- Why? - Dangleo answers - I don't know... I... I don't know... I think I'm afraid of finding a side of myself that will make me lose myself again.
Sofia hugs him and says,
- It's okay to be scared... Or so my mommy says.
Dangleo wipes his tears and begins to stroke Sofia's head as he asks.
- Are you scared of something, Sofia? - She replies - Not anymore! I have you and the others to defend me from the monsters.
Dangleo smiles, and Sofia says,
- Tell me a story? - Dangleo looks at her curiously and says - on't know any."
Sofia gets equally excited and says - All right! It's my turn to tell one! - She sits down on the bed and continues. "Once upon a time, there was a lumberjack! Um... he had a girlfriend and a daughter..."
Dangleo looks at her curiously, and she continues.
- They were happy! But the lumberjack's girlfriend got sick and... died, leaving a seed in the lumberjack... the lumberjack... was scared and sad... well... he didn't have his girlfriend anymore."
Dangleo looks at her, intrigued, and she continues, calmer.
- The sad lumberjack didn't know what to do... but his daughter encouraged him... helped him see that he wasn't alone! - That made a little plant grow from the seed!... to give his daughter a better life... the woodcutter traveled from the village where he lived to a Kingdom... and wanted to be a Guard... but they wouldn't let him... the woodcutter felt sick again... but his daughter's love kept him going!
Dangleo smiles as he watches her talking... Dangleo listened silently, but something in his chest was beginning to loosen.
- Then the woodcutter looked for other jobs..." he said, moving his hands as if chopping wood - Some were horrible, some better... he did many things, many things! - he repeated emphatically, waving his arms - Good, bad... he used his axe without hesitation!
Dangleo watched her with a growing smile as she stood up on the mattress, as if the story needed height.
- And even though he let weeds grow around the plant... he was never alone. He had his daughter... - Sofia lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret. And on one of his jobs, he met a girl… a girl who fell in love with the woodcutter!
Dangleo raised his eyebrows, amused.
- Oh, really?
- Yes! - exclaimed Sofia, jumping up and down - Even though the woodcutter was afraid… love blossomed. And the little plant grew into a big tree! - She twirled around, spreading her arms as if scattering petals all over the room.
Dangleo looked at her, laughing a little...
She continued talking excitedly.
- Then the woodcutter took up his axe again! - she exclaimed, giving a dramatic turn - But this time… this time he weeded the trees. And he took care of the tree with his loved ones!"
Dangleo watched her with a mixture of tenderness and wonder as she paced back and forth on the mattress as if walking through an imaginary garden.
- The woodcutter enlarged the place, he wanted to build a cabin… a huge cabin! He invited more people, and in the process… the tree bore fruit!
Sofia started jumping up and down, excited.
- Sweet fruits! And flowers everywhere! The woodcutter wasn't afraid anymore. He tended his garden with all his loved ones!"
Dangleo let out a soft laugh, caught up in Sofia's energy.
Dangleo looked at her, a little incredulous but happy, and said - Did you just tell me Vic's story? - He looked at her, and she gave a huge smile and said - Maybe!
They laughed together, and Helena was heard screaming.
- Sofia, where are you?! - Dangleo answered - She's here!
Helena went to Dangleo's room.
- Ah, we didn't know where he'd gone. Wasn't Dangleo bothering you? - Dangleo replied - Nah, he was just helping me, but it's time for me to go to sleep."
Helena smiles at Dangleo's condition, and Sofia feels sad because she has to go to sleep, so she leaves with her mother, but not before saying goodbye.
- See you tomorrow, Dangleo! Don't be afraid, okay? We'll all protect you from the monsters!"
Dangleo says, looking away from them both, containing his emotions.
- Rest easy, Helena, thanks for everything.
Helena looks at him happily and replies - You're welcome - as she leaves with Sofia.
/The woodcutter was afraid. But he wasn't alone, huh?/ Dangleo thought, with a faint smile.
He sat on his bed, his back against the wall, staring at the closed door after Sofia and Helena left. The little conversation with Sofia had been a balm for his soul. For the first time in a long time, he felt a little lighter... after having discovered what it feels like. His fear.
He lay back slowly, arms crossed behind his head, staring at the ceiling as if he could find answers in the cracks.
A few hours later, he rose silently and walked out into the guildhall.
He didn't want to think. He just wanted to move.
The night was dark, but the lights of the realm ensured that no corner was left unlit... almost as if it were daytime.
Dangleo took the wooden daggers from the rack by the entrance.
He moved with an intensity he hadn't felt in weeks.
Every twist, every strike, every step... it was a way of letting off steam.
Of emptying himself.
Suddenly, he heard a faint noise from the entrance to the courtyard.
He stopped, turned with the daggers still in hand, and saw Alexander walking toward him.
- Don't you want to sleep or can't you? - Alexander asked.
Dangleo shrugged, trying to hide his mood a little.
- Both - he said.
Alexander approached a wooden greatsword, raised it with a crooked smile, and rested it on his shoulder as if it were an extension of himself.
- I can't either. I can't stop thinking about tomorrow's mission... So... It's been a while since we fought... Do you seem ready to lose? - Xander said. Dangleo smiled and said - You seem very confident... I accept.
The moon was bright, and only the thuds of the wood could be heard. Dangleo and Alexander faced each other, though with different styles of fighting, both combatants smiling as the friendly duel began.
Dangleo, holding wooden daggers in each hand, dashed forward with impressive speed. Alexander, with his wooden greatsword, defended himself easily, but Dangleo was too fast in comparison. Dangleo managed to land a few blows that the greatsword couldn't negate.
- Ha!!! - Dangleo shouted, launching a series of quick and precise attacks. Alexander only protected himself; it seemed Dangleo would have the advantage.
Dangleo lunged forward, his feet barely touching the ground. The wooden daggers sliced through the air with precision, and Alexander stepped back, blocking as best he could.
However, Alexander used his great strength to push Dangleo away from him with his greatsword, his strength and endurance highly developed.
Alexander lunged at Dangleo with slow but powerful blows, forcing Dangleo to retreat and go on the defensive.
With his greatsword, Alexander lunged hard, and the sound of wood against wood echoed throughout the courtyard. Dangleo backed away, panting, looking for an opening between the blows.
Dangleo struggled to defend himself, as each blow Alexander delivered seemed more devastating than the last, giving him no room to counterattack or close in. However, Dangleo remembered Akane telling him about Alexander's weaknesses. He knew he was strong, but also slow and predictable.
With a sly grin, Dangleo changed strategy, using Alexander's attack momentum to throw him off balance, going straight for the opponent's weak spots. Dangleo was fast enough to close in with little trouble.
At the crucial moment, Dangleo launched an attack that looked like it would hit, knocking Alexander off balance and kicking his sword farther in the direction it was headed. Dangleo spun around and went all out… but Alexander stopped him with a grin.
- That would work for you if I wasn't using wood - he said, and with an unexpected twist, used the momentum to return a clean blow.
Dangleo uses the same strategy, but Alexander uses his strength to recover and use it as speed to land a blow against Dangleo, giving him the victory.
Alexander smiled, victorious.
- I won!!! - he shouted, though only by a small margin. Dangleo laughed, smiling.
- Just a little bit... Someday I'll beat you, that's for sure - he said, leaning forward.
Alexander took a bag he had and took out two filled rolls.
- The day you beat me, I'll give you a reward... For now... Here - He gave Dangleo a roll and said - You have to have energy for tomorrow... Now... Are you feeling better?
Dangleo gratefully took the roll and sat down next to Alexander.
Dangleo calmly bit into the roll.
It wasn't just food. It was company.
And once again that night, he didn't feel alone... all his companions had been there for him that day.
Dangleo looked down, clutching the bread in his hands.
- I'm sorry - he said, his voice cracking.
Alexander looked at him, smiling, and said,
- Why? - Dangleo shrugged, as if words weighed more than his body.
- I acted like an idiot at dinner... I... I just wanted to apologize...
Alexander looked at him sympathetically, and Dangleo, his head bowed and tears falling, let go.
Dangleo wiped his tears with the back of his hand, still staring at the floor.
- I don't want to change. I don't want to look in the mirror and see someone else... I don't know if you understand...
Alexander looked up at the sky, as if searching the stars for the words.
- I understand you perfectly...
Dangleo looked at him.
- My family is renowned for having a lineage of knights... And my parents wanted the same for me... But I didn't - Alexander said.
Dangleo looks at him sympathetically, and Alexander looks at him and says,
- My older brother is a great knight... He's tough, but kind to me... I didn't want to be a knight... Well, at first, it was because of my father and my brother, but... What I liked... My parents ended up making me hate it... Every day was practice... Discipline and other chores... And I was just a child...
Dangleo looked at him curiously.
- And did you tell your parents?
Alexander looked down for a moment, thoughtful.
- On several occasions... - he said in a calm voice - But at least my mother didn't care about my opinion.
He rubbed the back of his neck, as if the memory still weighed heavily on him.
- When my brother was gone for three years... I experienced everything much worse.
Dangleo watched him silently, attentive.
- Until one day I went out with my father - Alexander continued - and I saw a cartoonist in the plaza.
Alexander looks at Dangleo and continues.
- He was a very kind man. When he saw my appreciation for his drawings... he gave me a pencil and a notebook."
Dangleo looks at him in surprise and says - Is that why you always carry a notebook, a pencil, and draw so well? - Alexander replies - You could say... That became my biggest hobby... Although my father didn't like me to waste a lot of time on it, and my mother didn't even want me to draw and just spend time with swords and such.
Dangleo looks at Alexander's Greatsword and says,
- That's why you're so good...
Alexander smiles and says,
- Yes and no... - There was a time when I absolutely refused to use a sword. When my brother returned, I acted very differently than when he left, and that's when another fear intensified. I didn't want to look in the mirror and see what I'd missed, that I was a different person, that I didn't love to draw anymore, that I didn't... But she came...
Dangleo looked at him curiously, waiting for Alexander to continue. Alexander smiled as he said...
- Akane... - he began softly - Lady Helena left her at my house for a while, while she and Victor worked as mercenaries."
He rubbed his hands together, as if still feeling the cold from that time.
- For me, it was... unexpected. Akane was interested in training from day one. She used my weapons, my tools... and I just watched her.
He smiled somewhat wistfully.
- Her determination was... different. I didn't even know why she did it. She just trained.
Dangleo tilted his head, intrigued.
- At first, they wouldn't let her - Alexander continued - But she ended up training in the courtyard, right where I was."
He was silent for a moment, then added,
- She said she wanted to be strong... to help her dad.
Dangleo laughs and says,
- That sounds very Akane-like.
Alexander laughs and says,
- Yeah... at first, I didn't understand," he said quietly - Why did she want to fight? Why was she so determined?
Dangleo watched him silently, attentive.
- I used my experience in drawing... and I started drawing her," Alexander continued, with a slight smile - It came naturally. I didn't plan it."
He rubbed his hands together, as if he could still feel the pencil between his fingers.
- And one time... she saw my drawings. I didn't know what to say to her. I thought... what would she think?
Dangleo tilted his head, curious.
- But she just smiled - Alexander said, his gaze warm - She asked me, 'Why do you draw me?'
Alexander gave a short, almost nostalgic laugh.
- I didn't know what to say to her. So I just said, 'I don't know...
He paused, then added:
- To divert the conversation, I asked her, 'Why do you want to fight?
Dangleo leaned in a little, as if the story enveloped him.
- And she told me that when her mother died... she and her father felt terrible. That he fell into a hole of depression. She helped him however she could, but she always thought it wasn't enough.
Alexander looked up at the sky, as if repeating Akane's words in his mind.
- So you train because you like it, you get the taste for it... and because it allows you to protect those you love.
Dangleo was moved by the passion with which Alexander told the story, and he continued.
- She made me fall in love, she was the light I needed, she gave me the strength to face my fears, to take up swords again, and to look in the mirror, seeing that I wouldn't lose... I asked her if I could train with her, and she accepted, and that's how I started training again and became what I am today...
Dangleo looked at him intrigued and asked - And your parents? Didn't they say anything to you about not being a knight?
Alexander sighed, staring at the ground for a moment.
- My mother took it terribly... - he said in a low voice - She didn't accept it. She wouldn't listen to reason.
He stared straight ahead, as if still feeling the tension from those arguments.
- But my father... he was different.
Dangleo raised his eyebrows slightly, curious.
- When he saw what happened to Akane, and that I was still training… he told me something I'll never forget.
Alexander looked up at the sky, as if repeating the words in his mind.
- You don't have to be a knight to be strong. You'll draw strength from your abilities… and from the people you want to protect. It's okay that you're not a knight. But keep training… to protect her, and above all, your ideals.
Dangleo looked at him proudly and said,
- Wow, your dad is great - Alexander replied - Yeah... But anyway... it's time to go to sleep... I'll see you early tomorrow.
Alexander stood up and left... But Dangleo yelled at him.
- You'll see, I'll still be the same, and I'll protect you all, and I'll be a hero!
Alexander smiled and said - And I'll be there watching you progress, future hero.
Alexander left, but Dangleo didn't feel alone. He felt connected to Alexander... to all the members of the guild... For everyone had tried to help him.
With a sense of determination and purpose, Dangleo got up and headed toward his room. He knew tomorrow would be a new day, full of challenges and opportunities. And he was ready to face them, with the help of his friends and the strength he felt within him.
The next morning...
- Dangleo!! Come down and have breakfast! - Liz yelled.
Dangleo gets up, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming mission. He washes up and immediately heads to the dining room where all his friends are waiting for him. Victor says with a smile.
- Good morning, Dangleo- Dangleo replies - Wait...
With a regretful expression, Dangleo says to everyone.
- I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I acted like an idiot, especially toward you, Akane. I'm sorry.
His friends look at him with understanding and sympathy, and Akane says,
- Don't... worry, Dan... We've all had difficult times. The important thing is that you're... here... with us now... and that you're okay.
-Let's go have breakfast, we have to order something for the king!! - said Jack excitedly and Sofia followed him with a - YEIIII!
The boys hiss at him because he practically shouted it. Alexander gets nervous and says...
- Um... yeah... I forgot to mention that someone will be waiting for us in the carriage outside the kingdom. We need to hurry and go buy supplies before we go to the meeting point.
Just then, Liz looks at the things gathered at the entrance and says to Dangleo...
- You took the emergency supplies yesterday. Remember to take them, Dangleo - Dangleo replies - I forgot, sorry... I'll go to the storage room and get them right away...
When they finished eating, Alexander tells them,
- We have to hurry now. We can't be late - Dangleo tells them - Go ahead, I'll go behind with the missing things.
The boys nod and leave while Dangleo goes to the storeroom to find the emergency kit for Arkhais and Dhelaks. (In the box are lanterns with solar crystals that are used to hurt demons and scare them away, along with some flares...)
When Dangleo is outside the house, he realizes he forgot his gear...
- Aish, damn it - he says as he leaves the box at the entrance and goes to get his things...
He grabs his weapons... his mask and breastplate... and when he returns to the entrance... there's no sign of the emergency kit...
- Shit...