S2:CH2

As the celebration of new arrivals commenced below, Kindred had his head turned to someone familiar. A winged figure, standing in the clay roof of the tavern, who seemed to be wearing a burned royal military cloak, aswell as a hood concealing her face. She had her long redish hair, as feathers slid down to be hidden on her back, she took off her hood.

"Crescentia. Why are you here?"

His sarcasm and casualness were all thrown out of the window. After all, this was the same Crescentia that betrayed him, that let her own faction murder innocents, that he trusted, yet could not forget. Beyond his sarcasm, he needed to be a voice of reason, in this chaotic world. 

If the others had been here, they would be confused. Why was their general not attacking her? Had he lost his mind? Talking to your enemy is one thing, but Yet he turned his back on Ichikari, completely exposing himself.

". . Kindred, I want to have a word with you." Ichikari spoke up.

He grit his teeth, and moved closer to her, slowly and casually, but on guard. He knew damn well she was a serious danger to deal with.

"Mm? What is it?" Kindred asked.

". . That child. On the grass field before the Orc War. When your armies came, and destroyed her life, how did it feel, Kindred?"

". ." He glanced at her, confused. What was Ichikari on about? Never in his life had he lead such a mission that destroyed someone's life.

A laughter escaped her lips. "Oh, but we were only so young, seeing those soldiers torture our parents for being shapeshifters. Hah. . Isn't it all just so. . Beautiful, to you? Having caused so much genocide, for so little?"

"Ichikari, I never-"

"Don't lie to me."

The girl in brown hair spoke in haste. Kindred stood surprised as he looked at her face telling him that she was upset.... and traumatized.

"I saw it myself, those red uniforms taking the blood of everyone I loved, but sparing me. Entire communities wiped out, all because the kingdom and church were suspicious."

His knowledge of Ravenian History and Politics proved useful in this situation. Being the first regiment to be formed, with most of their armor coming from the former Royal Guard, it was obvious that it signified the brutal horror of the Aeryth Genocide that he had studied upon. Kindred scoffed at this, and said...

"Did you only come so far, just to guilt me over that past? A past that I do not know of. I am a man of my word. And that's not the Crescentia I remember."

"Maybe, or maybe I was just feeling bad." Ichikari stepped closer, as she let the cloak and hood slid off her as the breeze waved past.

Kindred scoffed at this, but he was a bit confused as to what she meant. "Feeling bad, Cres'?" He asked.

The Raven-Warrior moved to where Kindred was, and she sat beside him. As the merrymaking would slowly end below, the cold howls of the Karthusian night soon followed. Through the small silence, she then said...

"I never wanted any of this. You know that as well as I do." She looked at his hand. It was fully relaxed, yet she knew that he was alert of any sudden move that she would make based on his left hand holding the edge of the roof.

Which mean that he doesn't trust her anymore...

"You achieved your goal. The Queen is dead. You have taken Ravena, and even convinced Andrew to join your cause. So why are you being so apologetic all of a sudden?"

Crescentia's eyes widened a bit. He was telling the truth. She should be happy. She should be celebrating. Yet, as it turned out, that wasn't everything. She then looked at him and said...

"Because I care about you, Kindred." She spoke, suddenly bobbing her head down to look at the plants at the side of the tavern. Kindred however, widened his eyes at his surprise, it was as if, he could not believe it. Something however was blocking his mind to truly believe her words. But she continued...

"Even if I might hate it, I care about you. I let your men escape here, because I'd rather you be a-alive." Ichikari explained, her voice sounding emotional, broken, as she slowly clecnhed her fists in her fight to control herself. However, as she looked at Kindred, he wasn't looking at her. And his eyes started to shout something. He replied...

"But then why?" Kindred said with a low tone, almost hopeless, angered, as he clutched his fists together, he yelled...

"Why would you do this?"

Kindred stood up and pulled out a dagger from his holder. He then looked up breathing heavily. And suddenly, he threw his dagger upwards. Ichikari shot her head up, staggering back in surprise, and fear, as visible tears fell down both her cheeks. Something then fell down from Kindred's hand, and it was a raven, stabbed by his dagger.

"I-I. ." Her lips let out, though it was overshadowed by Kindred's fit of rage. He then threw the dead raven below Crescentia

"You see that? I am known to be a pacifist, and to care for people, even for animals." He said, with shaky, and angry tone. He then let out...

"That is how you've treated the people - the people I loved. Protected! Guarded! Respected! Helped!" He walked forward more and more as she stumbled walking back. "My people, my comrades. They were family to me Cres..." He said.