A loud knock at Evelyn's door had the woman frantically running to meet the one outside. She'd been awake the entire time-- finishing a few notes on the conditions of the resting soldiers, as well as cleaning her tools when the fire broke out. It wasn't natural-- the church being set ablaze was no coincidence, not considering how heavily guarded the city was. Against her own sense, her thoughts could only immediately turn to Erin-- especially after the incident earlier in the day, with her being one of the only people in the world who knew the truth of his greatest 'weakness'-- and thus hope sprung out against hope as she waited impatiently for some sign that he was alright. The knocks grew into near-fervent slamming as the woman at last reached the front door, and opened it to reveal a heated, lightly-sweaty Erin before her. Her eyes widened, and before she could react properly she found herself embraced deeply-- like a lost child having been found by its desperate parent.
"You're alright." The two shared the same thought in that moment; Almost scared to let each other go. But before long, Erin was the one to pull away, heart properly steeled now, though his heart was in clutches.
"Someone's taken Hyathia. Carriage. Likely the same people who attacked us on the cliffside into Vythe." He moved past her, heading toward a room in the back of the practice— a similar path he took when they'd first arrived in town. Evelyn's eyes followed him as his words sunk in, her mind going into a different gear as well. She had a much better head for this sort of thing than Erin did; In part due to how close he was to the situation and in part due simply to how much more analytical she was. "This just happened?" She thought aloud, before continuing. "Then the church fire— likely an attempt to reduce the visibility on the main streets... I take it you couldn't catch them?"
"What do you think?" Fired back a frustrated Erin from a room in the back.
"I think you're about to do something stupid. Again." She retorted, though the sound of metal plates shifting and locking into place did nothing to reassure her. "Whoever is after her has resources. Allies. A network of visibility on the girl. You weren't chased into the city, and yet they found you both regardless. And they likely studied you both for long enough to know when you were most vulnerable— or at the very least, when the two of you would be separate for long enough to capture her under your nose. You know what that means, right?"
"Not really," Came the slightly winded reply, as the sound of another heavy piece of metal being set on something echoed. Evelyn's fingers find their way to her temple, trying to alleviate the pressure of an oncoming headache as she leaned against a wall just outside of the hallway Erin had stormed down.
"It means you're not up against 'some bandits'. She's probably been targeted by a very, very high-up organisation of well-connected individuals. Whoever planned this is likely further up the ladder of nobility than both of us combined." As she finished her statement, Erin stepped out the dim candlelight of the room he'd been in, and proceeded back out of the hallway— only now, he no longer looked the part of a commoner. Clad in his signature blood-red armor, and equipped with his mage-slaying axe, he looked more monster than man once again. Evelyn was more than used to this visage; She'd seen it many a time before, and would likely see it many a time after. The Phoenix.
"Yeah, that all tracks." Was his short, simple reply as he practically barrelled down the hall, past Evelyn. Or attempted to; Her grasp on his arm caught his attention, stopping him before he accidentally pulled her with him like flotsam. "It DOESN'T track. That's what I'm getting at, Erin. Why would someone that far-up, that connected, go to so much trouble for one girl? Why would they risk a skirmish with the royal guard, and even break neutrality in Uthlyn— which is under the Grand Duke's domain?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as she attempted to get her implications across.
"No idea," Was his simple response as he attempted to push past the woman; Only to be met with as much resistance as her less-trained body could muster to stop him from taking more than another step.
"STOP AND THINK, DAMNIT!"
Her voice struck him like a sharp weapon to the skull— stunning him for a moment. A moment that Evelyn capitalised on. "This... whatever this is, it's beyond you. It's beyond both of us. There's no telling just how deep it goes— and even if you catch up to them, take them down— Do you really think you'll find the root of it there? That someone who went to this much trouble is going to just present themselves out in the open to let you take their head? Hells, Erin— that's IF you can reach them! You might be the Phoenix, but you're not invincible! You can die if surrounded like anyone else— be captured and tortured like anyone else!" She took the opportunity to reposition herself between Erin and the path to the entrance— never letting go of him, never giving him an opportunity to push past her without hurting her.
Her face was red with frustration, anger... but also fear. Fear for the life of the man she loved. "This... where does this end, Erin? That girl— what if she has ties to the Grand Duke himself? Do you plan on cutting your way through all of Reajh if you can't find the people who're after her? Do you plan on cutting down the Grand Duke himself!?" Words of treason, no matter how one looked at it— an accusation worthy of jail time in and of itself. Tears welled up in her eyes as her cool beauty facade cracked and crumbled under the weight of years of fear, insecurity and regrets she'd molded into a wall to hide behind.
"She's not worth it! Not to me! I... I can't lose you. I can't." Heated tears fell freely from her face now as even her body crumbled— her knees giving out, and her heart succumbing to despair. Erin watched, quietly as she sobbed on the wooden floors, before his eyes— no less cold, no less steeled, turned toward the entrance.
"...Sorry, Eve. But I'm a bit of an idiot. I'm noonoe's knight, or savior. I break promises. I fail to protect the people that are close to me. Couldn't keep her safe. Couldn't keep you safe, either. But what I can do, is kill every single soul that ever dared to harm either of you. Every last one— even if it means every Duchy in this country falls. Killing is the only thing I'm good at."
As he made for the door, Evelyn could only barely make one last attempt at stopping him— futile though it seemed now. "...Do you love her, Erin?"
Erin stopped once more— but not for long. Looking back at the woman with a cold, despondent smile, he simply responded, "'Heroes' like me aren't capable of love." And moments later, he was out the door, leaving Evelyn alone with her thoughts— and her despair.
