Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 450: Freedom

Chapter 450: Freedom

"Don’t you want to be free, Phineas?" Adelia inquired after the Chimera had told his story, her soft voice echoing in the hallway held up by towering alabaster pillars and illuminated by eerie green flame tongues.

She lay on the center stage, her hair sprawled in a fan-like shape while she kept both hands on her belly.

Phineas was in a similar posture though his hair unfortunately was not as long or lustrous as Adelia’s.

"Free, my lady?"

Adelia nodded. "Both of us were born into already established roles, hardly given the choice to decline or accept. From birth, we have had to be told to live a certain way, to act a certain way... doesn’t that bother you?"

"... I’m not sure, my lady," Phineas replied truthfully.

"How come?"

Phineas, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, remarked. "I wouldn’t say that I don’t understand what it means to be free, my lady, but for my kind, freedom is a curse that leads to a terrible death."

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "We are taught from birth to practice restraint, to temper our emotions, and to follow."

"I know that but haven’t you ever thought about letting go?... Ever thought about living life without being told what to do."

"Freedom is not something I would wish on myself or any other member of the Conjoined Wheel."

"..."

"However, you are not like me, my lady. You are a free spirit, one that has no reason to remain caged all her life."

"I’ve had to spend years of my life working for the Empire’s safety but now with everything that has happened, I find myself grappling with the thought that those feelings are my own," Adelia muttered softly, her eyes flickering with uncertainty as she did so.

"Perhaps." Phineas calmly remarked. "But regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that you have an obligation to the Empire, same as me."

"Do I?"

"Of course. Unless you wish to become a lawbreaker, my lady, your responsibilities to the Empire are quite clear."

"And if I wish to become a lawbreaker, Phineas?... Would you hunt me down?"

"... If I was ordered to do so, then yes. If not, then I see no reason to do so."

Angered by his response, Adelia remarked loudly. "Aren’t you tired of waiting to be told what to do?... Can’t you make a single decision on your own?"

"... I could try. But the end would result in my death and I don’t want that."

"We are all meant to die anyway, at least die on your terms."

"I wish I could but there are deaths far worse than you could ever imagine. I have seen fellow Conjoined Mystics who have fallen prey to the Devouring. I do not wish to become like them."

"... Damn you," Adelia muttered, her tone more disappointed than annoyed.

"I apologize, my lady."

Adelia pursed her lips before ultimately asking the question lingering on her tongue. "Do you think I’m selfish?"

"Yes."

"..." Adelia’s eyes flickered again but this time, the emotion was easy to discern.

Phineas slowly sat up. "The Augustus family may be cursed to serve the Emperor till death, but that is the same for the Conjoined Wheel."

"Funny how your father said the same thing," Adelia muttered with a chuckle, amused at the coincidence.

Clicking her tongue, she cursed aloud. "I want to be angry, you know."

"Why?" Phineas asked, fueled by curiosity.

"Perhaps because I think that I owe Ezra something. I still recall the first time I met him after he’d taken the mantle of the Emperor’s butler. He’d cried like a baby that day."

Gulping, she muttered. "I saw fear in his eyes, Phineas. My brother, the feared leader of the Luminaries and the Pyromaniac of Rush Valley who had struck fear into the hearts of many, who had protected me at every turn, came back with a frayed mind."

"..."

Chuckling, though it was hardly out of amusement, Adelia remarked. "I should have done something then but I couldn’t and so that was the last time I ever saw my brother Ezra."

"I apologize, my lady, I cannot relate properly."

"I know, I guess this was my poor attempt to let out my frustrations. Regardless, truly living up to my brother’s memories involves protecting the Empire no matter how much I’d like to pretend I don’t care about it."

"What would you do now, my lady?"

"What is there to do, Phineas?... I could run but to where?... I could keep trying to get angry or I could just let it go. But now is not the time. I guess in a way, the attack of the Night Kindred came at an opportune time. It gives me a chance to deal with my frustrations."

"I will make the preparations."

"Alright."

With that, Phineas got to his feet and left, leaving Adelia to ponder her thoughts.

Just then, the Weeping Lady appeared and Adelia spoke.

"You must think I’m pathetic, right?... For being so dramatic."

The Weeping Lady shook her head. "Hardly."

"... Thank you."

"For?"

"For allowing me to vent. Will you be joining me in the fight?"

"If you need me, don’t hesitate to call me." She spoke in a hoarse tone before dissipating as quickly as she appeared.

Letting out a sigh, Adelia rose to her feet while humming a song Ezra had taught her several years back, her steps bolstered with a new sense of purpose.

***

"I vow to serve as guardian."

It was in an underground cavern lit up by ceremonial torches, its walls adorned with the history of the dragon race.

"I vow to protect humans."

The words spoken emerged from the lips of a little girl wearing a plain white gown with a spiked tail protruding from underneath.

She stood at the center of the cavern accompanied by an older lady dressed in similar attire to her own.

"I vow to serve and never to harm."

She read from a scroll held up by a bearded man with considerable muscle, donning armor and wielding rather threatening weapons.

"I swear this on my true name. I shall abide by these words till eternity and any attempts to break them shall end in my death."

Her voice, cute as it was, spoke heavy words resulting in a pulse within the aether.

Seemingly serious at first, her expression brightened once she was done reading. "Can I see the outside world now?"

The bearded man rolled up the scroll as he nodded with a satisfied look on his face. "Of course, now you can leave this place."

A brilliant smile suffused the little girl’s lips as she leaped up. "Yay!"

The man reached out his hand. "Come and I will show you the outside world."

"Alright." Without hesitation, she reached out and took the man’s hand after which they both made their way toward the exit.

As the golden rays of the Lightbringer touched her rosy cheeks, her eyes widened as she muttered in awe. "Wow."