October 27th, 3090
Fortification has gone by the last few days as the outer walls were cobbled together with all the debris and destroyed structures available. Upon inspection of the turrets in the palace, an emergency lockdown was initiated in the failsafe systems due to the obelisk overloading. Liam and Cellum came to an executive decision that those were to be ignored as it would take too long to unlock everything. Not to mention that it would cause many issues with the mages as it could potentially kill a few for how complicated the mana structures were.
Instead, the leftover seige weaponry from the first attack was brought in and construction began fabricating the weapons in more stationary places on the palace walls. Disassembly was required to move most of them into places that would not be easy to push them through, such as moving an onager on top of one of the open towers.
Cassius and a few other avian scouts were sent out to keep an eye on the dark storm clouds in the west. Major caution was taken due to what Cassius warned them all about, and caution was indeed a priority as the scouts managed to catch a glimpse of the storm clouds growing. Followed by a hailstorm of arrows being fired upon them if they strayed too close. This led to two scouts getting injured and Cassius getting mortally wounded far from civilization. A lone scout was sent from Balenciaga to report what had happened.
What made matters worse when the scout delivered the message, they also reported that said army has attacked nearby cities thay stood on their marching path. Leading to people starting to get worried on what they were facing. Despite this, people still worked on making Wafershire more defendable.
The day was halfway done and supplies have been delivered. For some, one of the more important cargo that was delivered was food. Feeling that a well deserved break was in order, Shade gathered everyone around to induldge in the goods. The kitchen was still intact inside the palace, so cooking duties came around with how the meals were to be prepped.
Shade and Kitsuno took the time to prepare a big meal for the people. Stew was the best that they could muster as this was a first for the both of them to cook something besides for themselves, Liam, and Melissa. While the smell was appealing, some grew a bit concerned seeing how Shade was actively starting a fire inside the kitchen. Mostly because they were unsure if she would accidentally set the whole palace on fire or not. Liam and Kitsuno had to keep her in check as the elder twin did get a bit overzealous with stoking the fire with plenty of wood.
Once the stew was prepared, everyone got a bowl with some hard bread that was delivered from Pallious Bay. The crunchy saltiness of the bread meshes well with the lamb stew. A few even induldged in the ale that was sent as well as a tribute to the twins. Something that Melissa immediately delved into as she hadn't had any ale for a few days.
Shade was one of the last to get herself a bowl of the lamb stew as she wanted everyone else to eat before her as they were doing more than she wanted them to. The kitsune wandered around the palace a bit as she wanted to find her mouse after hearing ale was involved. Not long did she hear her mouse gagging.
Following the noises of disgust, Shade finds Melissa hunched over with her face in a bathroom sink and a towel in her right hand as she viciously scrubs her mouth. "Melissa? What in the fresh hell are you doing?" Gargling some water from the sink, Melissa shudders before lifting her head out and spitting the backwash into the rushing water. "God fuck my ass that stuff is vile.... never have I ever tasted a batch of ale so disgustingly foul. I may as well be drinking donkey piss."
The kitsune grimaced at that thought before approaching Melissa. The crunch of glass echoes as she stepped on a broken bottle of ale. Lifting her boot up, Shade nudges the glass around, "Can you at least not leave glass laying about? If I wasn't wearing my boots, I'd cut myself."
Shaking her head before shutting the sink off and wiping her face with a cleaner looking towel, "Sorry. Was a bit busy trying to not vomit. Ugh... what even was in that?" Kneeling down and waving her left hand up, Shade tried her best to gather the scent from the spilled drink. Scrunching her nose, "Ugh.... the ale is there, but I can smell bananas in it. Do those even go together?"
Melissa groans before leaving the sink and making her way pass the kitsune to leave the bathroom, "That explains that. Bananas are disgusting and should not exist. I'm gonna go find some real ale so I can calm my cravings." Shade quickly got up and followed behind the mouse. "Hey, broken glass? Hello?" Melissa stops in her tracks before sighing, "Right... sorry."
Turning back around, Melissa returns to the bathroom and grabs onto the towel she was using to scrub her mouth, and uses it to sop up the ale and scoop up the broken bottle. Wrinkling her nose from the smell and trying not to gag, Melissa quickly disposes of it into a nearby basket before rushing out of the bathroom to breathe. "There. Now can we go?"
Shade looks at the mouse in concern before nodding. The two wander around the palace a bit before finding their way outside and pass by a crew moving some siege parts around. Once the two round across a building, the kitsune looked at the mouse, "Mel, what's wrong? I've seen how you are when you haven't had ale in a while, and this isn't just that." She winces a bit as she felt the kitsune's warm hand on her left arm.
This did not go unnoticed as Shade pulled her hand off slightly. Shaking her head, Melissa moves forward a few steps to face the kitsune, "Shade... look, I'm sorry. It's just, I'm trying to get better." Focusing on the mouse, Shade watches her movements. She was shaking and something was on her mind. "What do you mean, trying to get better?"
Melissa groans before moving over to an open window to sit on. "Okay, so you know when I took off to go find my brother?" Shade moves closer to the wall and leans against it, "Yeah. How is Lucas by the way?"
"He's doing fine. The blockhead has just had his tail in a knot with everything that has been going on at home, much to the point where he decided to make himself scarce, if you get what I mean?" Shade watches as she dangles her legs about, "So he's doing exactly what you are doing? Hiding away from Randall."
Wincing as her legs slowed down and stopped, "Something like that. But, all in all... I told him everything." This made Shade do a double take at the mouse, "You did what!?" The mouse gave her a nervous glance, "I had to. Lucas was going to find out one way or another. He's not an idiot you know." The kitsune raises a hand to cusp her forehead, "And I am more than certain of what you told me, he would not take too kindly knowing the woman that he tried to strike a deal with over a fuel supply line ended up beating up his sister and taking you to pound town."
"Yeah..... he definitely was not happy with that." Shade then moves her hand back to facepalm hard. "But, on the bright side, he's at least happy I am alive and came to understand why I am following you."
"Melissa, I find that hard to believe." Shade then felt the mouse prod one of her feet against her side, "He does. Mostly because he saw that I had a different look to my complexion." Lowering her hand, Shade looked at the mouse with confusion, "Complexion? What does that have to do with anything? You look fine to me."
She shrugs slightly before slowly sliding off the window, "I'm going off on a limb by saying he's noticed I've looked more... lively. More enthusiastic. Stuff like that." Her tail raises up and she grabs ahold of it, "My brother knows me better than I know myself. And, despite some of the things you have done to me, he thanks you."
Shade felt slightly flabbergasted at the notion. "He... thanks me? Not sure how I would feel if my own sibling was beaten to a pulp, then raped. Aside from blistering fury in wanting to tear into the bastard that did so."
Melissa fidgets around with her tail more, "Aside from that, he means that I am alive, and have a purpose. Not... drowning myself in alcohol." She lowers her tail a bit before looking at the ground. "Not sure if any of you have noticed, but I've actually been trying to cut down on my ale binge."
Pushing herself away from the wall and placing a hand on the mouse to usher her to move, "To be fair, things have been pretty hectic lately. Getting a bit hard to notice some things here and there. Last time I got drunk with you was when you came back to me." Melissa nods her head, "Exactly. And that's why I want to stop drinking so much. I don't need to hide behind a plastered numbness. Not anymore."
The duo pass through a few ruined houses before hopping into what was once a bakery. Melissa runs a hand over the empty shelves, "The day Amadeus brought me to Everis, I was questioning why he brought me to a quiet town in the middle of a forest. Aside from the people screaming over a direwolf, the moment I heard your voice, I felt nothing but pure happiness."
She then grips on one of the shelves, "When I told you, that I love you... I really meant it. I always thought my life was that worthless to where nobody would really miss me if I decided to go. You changed that." Shade started to feel slightly guilty as on one end, she's glad to have changed Melissa's view of life, but on another, she still held onto the harrowing factor that how she did it, was wrong.
Feeling some weight press up against her, Melissa turns her head slightly before feeling herself being squeezed in a warm hug from behind. "One thing at a time Melissa. Just know that, I'll always be there for you." Lifting her up and away from the shelves, Shade moves the mouse over to a dilapidated couch and sat down with her. "You know, before you, I thought Vern was the one to really sweep me over my feet. Don't get me wrong though, I'm still keeping him as my number one for my own holes."
"Heh, kinky." Melissa then feels a warm wet smooch on her left cheek. "It's funny how we met, now look at us. Inseparable." Melissa could feel how tense Shade was as she rubbed her hands on her arms, "I can tell you hate yourself for what you did. You know I forgive you for that already." The kitsune closes her eyes and rests her head on top of Melissa. "Either way, we'll get through this. Together. All of us will."
("I can only hope you will still love me, even after the truth comes out. I don't deserve you Shade...")
