Dual Class [LitRPG] – Current Vol 4

Chapter 277: A Father’s Letter To His Shining Star

Landin came to, his eyes doing their best to blink the bleariness away. But as soon as he regained consciousness he felt pain assail his entire body, forcing a groan of pain.

“Ahh! Son of a…!”

“Lord Landin!” a voice called out to him.

“Lord what now?” he replied, trying to will his arms to clutch his stomach only to ‘nope’ out of the decision the moment the pain in his entire body worsened.

He moved his eyes, trying to find the owner of the voice. They eventually landed on a woman he thought couldn’t possibly exist in reality. Caramel skin, shoulder-length cut hair white as snow, and eyes like amethysts with thin, rose colored lips.

Lips, Landin would like to mention, were far too close to his face for comfort.

“W-what?! Who are you, and why am I moving?! Where is Drake, what happened to the dumb bald headed doofus that kept smacking me around?!” Landin stammered, suddenly remembering that he had lost.

His face turned grim. He had lost. Again he wasn’t of much help. Remembering Xavier’s words, maybe he was a burden.

“No! Lord Landin, you afforded us enough time for Lord Drake to save us. It is admirable that you were even able to fight against him for so long. All of the other elven warriors could not even last a few seconds!” the girl said, apparently taking his words and expression to heart.

Landin would be lying if he said that didn’t make his stomach go into a summersalt, jarring loose some butterflies. He had never had a woman say something like that to him, even after his Rank-Up and being mobbed by ‘fans’ before the competition with the guards. For him, it was a pleasant first.

“T-thanks… But who are you and where is everyone? Where’s Drake,” he asked again, looking down and seeing a man in an army uniform carrying what looked like the end of a stretcher.

She moved alongside him and gave him a smile that made him blush far more than he had any business doing so in his condition, enough to give him a headache from the blood rushing to his head.

“My name is Tanya. Tanya Silverwood, do you not remember me?” she asked, pouting deeply, her thin white eyebrows furrowing.

“N-no…”

“So just shut up, sit there, and let me put my life on the line..!” Tanya recited, balling her hand into a fist, “You do not remember saying that to me? Risking your life to stall that despicable man!”

Landin felt his face drain of blood and color as he recollected exactly what he had said. Remembering a few more words that she so delicately excluded from his little speech.

“Oh… Yeah, I remember now.”

She smiled again, “I am indebted to you! I did not believe what Yula had told me when I first laid eyes on your group, but seeing you fight, sparked such hope in me… I have difficulty explaining it!”

Landin felt some piercing glares hitting him and decided to clamp up for the time being.

“You are finally awake, Landin. I am glad to see our little plan worked,” Atropos said, walking up to him.

“Atropos. Yeah, I’m glad that everything worked out, good job getting Drake so quickly.”

Atropos shook her head, “Our Lord was already on his way. By the time I had finished my fight, I was too exhausted to seek him out… It goes to show we still have much to learn. There are far stronger people out there than even Lord Drake predicted.”

Landin’s jaw clenched, remembering his fight with Xavier. Landin had held the advantage only for brief moments when he used skills, but he couldn’t overcome the difference in a 10 level gap with his current abilities. Even as an Epic Class holder with all the help Drake gave him.

He felt the poisonous sting of regret and disappointment, but only for a moment. Shaking his head he promised to never let those feelings dictate his life again.

I am not a burden. I will get stronger. I bet my life on it. He thought.

“That just means we have to work that much harder,” Landin finally said, “When we get back… I think I’m going to go questing. I don’t want to fall behind anymore than I have. I want to help Drake but I don’t think I’m of much use as I am now, I need to level up.”

Atropos nodded, her face saying it all. She knew how Landin felt. She knew despite her devotion to Drake, she needed to grow stronger as well.

“Huh, huh? Are we going on a trip?!” Quetz cooed, poking her head into view above Landin, “We’re going too right, CC?” she smiled.

Landin couldn’t turn his head to see Clotho’s expression but from the pout Quetz made, he could only assume his answer wasn’t to her liking.

“What do you mean no?! If everyone is going, Quetz wants to go too!” she demanded.

Landin winced, chuckling slightly had sent another jolt of pain up his body.

“Where’s Mr. Grumpy?” Landin asked.

This time Charlotte answered. She was apparently ahead of them and walked back to meet them from the front, her expression as icy as ever, but her voice dour.

“He’s not in good shape,” she explained, “Mordred, Glenn, and Luciem are watching him right now but… He lost his mother. What they did to her was… unspeakable…”

Landin grimaced, “We knew they were psychos but… To think that Kalik’s mom… Did we get the person that did it?”

Charlotte nodded, “Drake made sure the bastard died. Too quickly, if you ask me,” she said, her voice dripping with malice, “If Drake didn’t take care of them, we would be in trouble. There were thousands of those undead. I can only imagine how many people had to die to make them…”

Landin couldn’t bring himself to try and say something to fill the silence. Everyone felt for Kalik, he wasn’t the most pleasant but he had been with them throughout their entire journey to this point. They had fought together, nearly died together, and matured with each other under Drake’s tutelage.

The rest of the journey was silent as they marched on, everyone growing more and more determined with each step to do more. To help Drake, to help each other.

—-----

Drake looked at the small black pole, a swirling, twisting, pocket of space at the top of it.

He knew that Marrissah would suffer inside of the dungeon for all time now, but it still felt unsatisfying. She was left to live a life alone but she was still left to live. Rvul had his life cut short. Rvul would never be able to see his clan prosper like Drake had promised him, never able to see Sah Ul’ and Drake’s children, see them grow up.

Rvul would never see their wedding day. That thought made Drake grimace. After all this time he had still not had a proper wedding. He didn’t even know if the Rahk Clan had a wedding tradition.

He grit his teeth. He had gotten distracted just like Marrissah said, he had fallen into whatever dark plan was at play, whether he knew it or not. Drake had let his ideals of wanting to protect everyone blind and distract him from the problems at hand.

Drake thought he was past thinking that the world was the same as before, he thought he was smarter, more decisive, and prudent. But this had proved him gravely wrong.

He turned, seeing Sah Ul’ staring at the dungeon pole or gate the same as he had. Her eyes were thin as if trying to stare past the disturbed space, trying to find the reason for what happened.

Drake took her hand, “Let’s go home.”

“What home…” she scoffed, “My father is gone, my mother taken in the trials of the Gods. I gave everything to protect my tribe and it was still not enough… I have no home, nothing left to protect!” she shouted.

Drake grabbed her, pulling her head down into his chest and squeezed.

“You have me,” he said evenly, “You still have the kids. You have everyone in the city. This wasn’t your fault Sah Ul’, it was mine. I don’t know how I’ll make it right, but I will. If you have to hate me for the rest of my life, if you have to hit me, hurt me… to make it make sense, then do it.”

He put his other hand against her face, gently guiding it so her eyes looked at him.

“But do not say you have nothing. Even if you think it’s true, I am proof that you have something. Have me, have love, and can make many more reasons. I may not have been able to protect your Father, but I would, will, do anything to protect you. I swear it, on my life. So please. Let’s go home Sarah, everyone is waiting.”

Sah Ul’s eyes quivered looking into Drake’s, the strong mask she had kept up falling to pieces. Tears fell as she leaned into Drake’s arms, letting herself truly be vulnerable in front of him as she cried.

Drake said no more, holding her tightly and stroking the back of her head.

He let Sah Ul’ grieve for a long time. Until her sniffling stopped and she finally got on her feet but still leaning against Drake, wanting the warmth of contact.

They stayed silent as Drake guided them through the forest, taking their time walking through it with no monsters daring to approach. Whether it was the intimidation that Drake exuded or the world had wanted to give them a small reprieve, he wasn’t one to say.

Night fell well before they reached the city’s walls. Drake appeared out of the forest, with a woman cradled in his arms, her light breathing and sniffling showing just how mentally exhausted she was. Sah Ul’ had fallen asleep on their way to the city still whimpering every now and then as she pressed herself against Drake.

The guards moved to greet him, but Natto appeared and waved them off.

“Is it done?” Natto asked.

Drake nodded, “We didn’t find his body… Take Yorth to the doctor and Mikhail. I’ve already restrained him but he seems to still be incoherent or under some kind of spell. But I have several of the fallen, I want them given the best funeral we can provide. Find their families and compensate them as well as you can. I’d like the list to apologize to them personally. I’ll face any punishment they see fit…” he said trailing off.

But Natto didn’t agree to his last statement, instead becoming slightly angry, her voice a low growl.

“Punishment? I have certainly had enough of your wallowing in self pity! Your reality as a leader is brief and new! What did you expect?! To lose no one? To not have blood of those you loved on your hands? The Multiverse, the system, this Planet is a cold heartless place Drake! Your race should be evidence enough!”

Natto began huffing, wanting to say more, but her mouth clamped shut. Drake had seen that face before. She was being restricted by the system from saying more. What it was, he didn’t know, but he did know that anytime Natto eluded to more than basic information about Primordials she was stonewalled.

Frustrated, Natto screamed, stomping her foot and sticking out a judging finger, “When will you realize this life requires you to be more ruthless and cold than you could imagine. This life you chose, the moment you lived through the tutorial and decided to become a king is an endless battle. You must fight! Fight or be forgotten! There will always be someone trying to bury you in nameless history, Drake! And I for one, will not allow it to happen! Get your act together and quickly! I will not stand for a helpless ape for a Master much longer!”

Sah Ul’ began to stir in Drake’s arms.

“Later… We’ll talk about this later,” Drake answered softly.

“Drake!”

“Later. You're right, Natto. I’ve been too lenient on myself and others. I was not lying when I said that I will make sure this world bends the knee and never harms this city again. I will do whatever it takes,” he looked down at Sah Ul’ and Claire’s face flashed across his mind, he had too much to lose, “Whatever it takes.”

Drake walked past the gate and past Natto in the direction of Rvul’s tent that he shared with Sah Ul’.

He hadn’t asked if the others or the refugees from Sandal had arrived yet, but Drake would leave that for the morning. He and Sah Ul’ needed rest and more importantly needed time to themselves. Sah Ul’ most of all to process what happened.

They arrived at Rvul’s tent, the previous chief’s tent after a short walk through the old Rahk Tribe’s encampment. Anyone that saw Drake avoided him, seeing Sah Ul’ in his arms.

He used a spell to produce a small gust of wind to open the tent flaps, letting himself in.

It didn’t take long for him to find the torches on the large wooden stakes to light, allowing him to move behind a separate flap where a bed was splayed out.

Drake lowered Sah Ul’ down, covering her in a blanket and exited to the main room where a small fireplace was. Igniting it as well he took out a chair and slumped down into it heaving a long breath, finally able to let himself relax and cancel his Endowment skills, letting the draw of sleep take him.

—----------

Sah Ul’ groaned awake, her hand grabbing for the warm comfort of Drake that she could not find.

She sat up abruptly, kicking off the covers and rushed for the flap of the main room, a sliver of light shining through the crack.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she saw him breathing softly, his eyes closed and the light of the center hearth lighting his face.

Sah Ul’ never would have imagined she would grow to crave the comfort of his touch and company, to fall in love with someone like him. A human, who she thought was weak. But by some stroke of luck or turn of fate by the Gods, her late Father had bonded them.

She felt a sharp pain in her chest as she thought of her Father.

Sah Ul’ would never see him again. Never hear him greet her or reprimand her. Tell her goodnight or praise her for her hard work.

Her eyes pressed shut, trying to stay the tears, only to have them escape despite the effort. She gave a silent pained cry as she wiped her furred sleeve against her face, her jaw clenching.

A few seconds of fighting against the pain, she was able to finally breathe more evenly. Enough to turn around, leaving Drake to rest and entering her Father’s small room.

She lit the torch in the room and couldn’t help but smile at the simplicity of the room. A single bed, a table fashioned from wood and animal bone. A worn ax above the bed and a leather bound book on the table.

Sah Ul’ hadn’t been in the room for years, not since she was a small girl. She walked to the end of the bed, tracing her finger against the ax.

It had grown dull from use and lack of maintenance, but she recognized the handle and knew it was an ax her Father had used for years.

Another pained choke caught in her throat and she wiped her eyes again.

She moved to the table, placing her hand on the top of the leather book.

With a deep breath she opened it.

She saw small notes, shorthand for hunting seasons of the old world. The first time he and Sah Ul’s Mother met.

She smirked.

There were entries of how nervous he was speaking to her and his plans on proposing. Nearly dying to find and hunt the largest animal he could at the time. How happy he was when his proposal was accepted. And how much happier he was when Sah Ul’ was born.

His Shining Star.

That is what he called her.

She hadn’t heard it in so long. Not since her Mother was taken.

Flipping through the pages she came to the last entry.

“Sah Ul’, I am leaving in service of our Patriarch. I do not know what has come over me. Maybe it is my old age, but I have not been so happy in years. Our Clan will see greatness like never before, well beyond my years and it is you who brought it… I will admit I feared the man you brought that day but that soon turned into gratitude. To see you, my whole world, able to find someone you wish to devote your life to, to smile for every day. Has given me no greater happiness. If I should not return, I know you will find this. Do not cry for me, I have already seen the greatest happiness there is for a Father and I trust the man you have chosen. Work hard and stay strong. I wish for you a glorious life, be well and prosper. My daughter, my sun, my bright star in the night, I love you and I know your Mother would be happier than I.”

The sound of tears hitting the rough canvas of the book filled the room.

Sah Ul’ pulled the book to her chest, holding it close as she fought back more tears.

Once the tears dried, she placed the book into her inventory and walked back into the main room of the tent.

Her Father may be gone, but the man she had come to love was still here. Sah Ul’ looked at Drake for a moment in the light of the hearth.

She would make a life with him.

“Drake…” Sah Ul’ whispered, shaking him slightly.

“...Huh…?” Drake grumbled, his eyes barely opening before they went wide.

Sah Ul’s lips pressed against his, her tusks making the action slightly awkward, but Drake didn’t seem to mind.

Her eyes opened and she saw Drake’s, his face so close and suddenly felt her entire body flush with heat. But Sah Ul’ was sure of her decision. She loved this man, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and it was no greater honor.

She wordlessly pulled him off the chair by the hand and Drake did not put up any resistance as she led him to her room.