Nothing could quite calm Emilia more than being around the scent of paper and ink, perhaps accompanied by the rustling of pages or quill gliding across in the background. Academia was her life, it was never a surprise what she looked forward to do when growing up. There were countless questions in the world and she would be happy to be the one providing answers to those who seek, sometime as a librarian, sometime a counselor, or a front office attendant. Some other time she was a researcher, a writer, a good friend to those who consulted. She was smart, as she was often praised as a child. Given time, she would find anything in these volumes. For years, it was something she truly believed.
Standing here, however, among the chaos of agitated civilians and her hometown in fire, she couldn't help but feeling painfully out of place. The air was awash in the tang of rust and aftertaste of smoke, clashing metals and rune chanting filled what was not taken by screamings. She took up the brave front, keeping orders intact and plan executed in prim and proper, rallying up morale with confident smiles and statements. It was all they can do to protect the world they knew of and it was the only thing she could do because her power wasn't enough to give what the townspeople so desperately needed they had to resort listening to a stranger allegedly bearing the legendary 'Silverberg' name. (She studied the Silverbergs, and this young man certainly wasn't one. She wisely kept that to herself, for all things considered, his strategy was actually solid enough).
She could feel herself crumbling when, after the initial wave of agression subsided and it was time to move the injured to a proper caring facility, a little girl carrying a doll tugged at her skirt. Vaguely recognizing her as a daughter of a Jowston footman, the first to come in mind was outrage. The child should had been evacuated to the backs of Greenhill and she would make sure whoever on duty served punishment for the carelessness. The second thought was to comfort her, asking what she wanted. It was always her task to answer, to explain, to guide. So she did.
The little girl looked up, eyes swollen with tears dried, shed, and dried again, her voice soft and trembling.
"Miss Emilia, miss Emilia, tomorrow is my birthday. Papa promised me and mama. Papa left, now mama gone too. Will they be back tomorrow?"
For the first time in her life Emilia had no answer.
*If you haven't played Suikogaiden or heard about what happened in it, this is where The 4th Highland army attacked Greenhill and Nash Laktje, claiming to be 'Nash Silverberg', led the town to a successful defense until Jowy entered the picture.
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