4 - Overflow

Lionel stepped into the area and looked around…. He hadn’t expected this.
It was a stone hallway with windows lining one wall to look out over a courtyard. The sun was shining and the dust in the air moved lazily in each sunbeam, carrying the smells of a warm summer full of the sweet scents of flowers and the heat on the stones.
It was quiet. No birds chirped, no bees buzzed, but the silence wasn’t eerie but rather was more of a quiet peace, as though the entire world was a peace in the midday sun. Every living creature was warmed to the bone and the gently breeze carried away any excessive heat that may cause discomfort.
Lionel looked around with mild concern as he walked down the hallway a few steps when a noise began to echo through the empty courtyard.
The sounds of children laughing was faint at first but it grew loudly as a shimmer ran across the courtyard to race around Lionel. Each shimmer kept fluctuating, never truly taking shape long enough to be anything more than ghosts; memories of better days.
The only thing that could be assured was that the children were definitely human.
It made Lionel stop for a moment as he looked at his paws, which were, indeed, still paws. He sighed a little.

“I suppose it was inevitable. I was beginning to hope that this moment would not come and I would be free to enjoy the peace of acceptance in my situation but that was always running away,” he said softly, determined to not ruin the peace of the after noon.

She landed in after him, and took some time to look around, and feel the calming, overly quiet environment. Though after a moment she noticed he walked ahead, and quickly walked over to keep up, blinking at his comment "So yu hafe a general idea of vhat vill come next?" she asked simply, not making too big of a deal out of it

She followed after, paws ready at her guns....She knew almost right away what the situation was, but she decided to stay calm and vigilant this time around, gauging what kind of place it was.

"Lionel... It's that time, isn't it...?"

“So it would seem… I suspect this place will delve into my memories and my fears of the past month and turn them into something ugly in an attempt to crush me for the purpose of learning a lesson. Though I have no inclination as to how it will do so but fear not, there is little that can shake my grasp of reality.”
More ghosts, almost mirages in the afternoon, walked across the courtyard. These were taller and some were in the shapes of horses, though always accompanied by laughter.
“You cheat! You cheat!” came a child’s voice, very faint on the wind.
Another shimmer began to form off to Lionel’s left, in the shadows of the hallway rather than out in the sunlight like the other ghosts. He knew it immediately by the faint flowery smell that was flowing from the forming shape. It made his heart sink at the realization that this, of all ways, would be how his current fiance, would learn of his latest fears.
“I would be a fool to have thought that anyone else would greet me here,” he said, turning to the shape. He was not afraid but grief was wrinkling his face and he seemed so much older than 26. He FELT old looking at the ghost as it became a little more visible with each passing moment, taking strength from his words.
“You must be born from my reservations, ghost. You are not just a memory,” he said softly as he reached out for the woman.
It reacted to him as it’s image became recognizable.
She was a beautiful woman, with elegant features and an elfish face. Her eyes were warm and beautiful, matching the milk chocolate of her hair that was braided and draped over one shoulder to rest on her chest. Even braided, her hair reached her waist. Her gown was simple and clung to her hourglass form. The cream color was modest and the piece was bound with an olive sash about her waist. She stood straight, with an air of gentle authority resting on her shoulders and the smell of English lavender lingered when she was near.
He touched her cheek gently and she leaned into his paw.

“Oh Kaelyn…” Lionel said sadly. “Even in my memories you tease me… This world... I know now looking at you that it is indeed hell.”

She watched as the phantom images half taunted him, noting how different this was from her own struggle, where there were very real, very solid, things after her, but here, everything was moving so slowly, they could probably sit at a small table and sip tea casually as the struggle plays out.

As the woman formed in front of Lionel, her attention instantly shifted to that, wondering who this rather beautiful woman was, and exactly how much she meant to Lionel, but she didnt speak up for this moment.

She was rather surprised by how collected he was with the situation, opting to get a closer look at the figure he was interacting with. She was quite surprised about what he was doing, with Val close by, but she didn't want to object to it.
Though she did give Lionel a look of concern, hoping that would be enough to warn him not to get to into what's happening.

He wasn’t sure what to do now. Despite being sure that he could handle things, this…this was so different than what he had expected. He would prefer a monster any day compared to seeing her again and in her presence, Lionel was having trouble even remembering that Val and Reiko were even present.
"What would you have me do?" he asked the ghost. "If you are the demon inside that I must conquer." 
The image of the woman reached out to touch Lionel’s face before starting to walk away. Reluctantly, Lionel followed her, keeping his distance as though unsure if he should run to her or walk away entirely.
They crossed the courtyard, each shimmer getting a little more clear as they crossed the stone between little, stunted trees that were too young to provide significant shade.
“Hello! What is your name?” came a voice on the wind. It was the voice of a little boy, higher in pitch and full of curiosity.
“My name is Richard! I am a prince!”
“Wow! I am not a prince but I wish I was!” the little boy said again. The voices got louder and the two shimmers became more visible, the two boys were dirty from playing in the mud but their clothes were fine and it was clear their mothers would be furious to see them so filthy.
“Well, I always wanted a brother!” the little Richard said. He couldn’t have been more than 6, the other boy no more than 4. “What is your name?”
“My name is Lionel! I am from Oxford like my papa!”
“Well you a prince now ok Lionel?” Richard said, putting his arm around Lionel’s shoulder. “You get to be my brother!”

The memory shimmered and faded as they passed, Lionel didn’t even seem to notice the memory, his gaze still focused on the sway of the woman’s hips.

She just watched the woman walk off, and then seeing Lionel walk off with her, she of course had to follow behind, like it was an inborn instinct of hers to follow. She was surprised after the appearance of the woman, that the next scene was probably one of Lionel's oldest memories, and she gave off a small giggle at the 2 little boys playing around in the mud.

She followed after and was caught in notice of the 2 kids, noting how precious their little playing was. She was wondering for a second who they may be before hearing their names, and she was a little shocked to hear it was Lionel himself.
"Lionel...", She said to herself. She was wondering what it could mean -- Lionel, a prince? This kid? Who was he? It was clear, he was royalty, but what did it have to do with him. She put the pieces together remembering his knighthood and the very few bits of history she actually remembered. It was starting to make a bit of sense, but the significance still wasn't clear to her. She looked over to Lionel, wondering where he was going after passing these kids by, but she didn't want to waste time and hurried after.

They passed under an archway, still led by their shadowy woman companion, and into another courtyard. It was identical to the one they had just passed, in fact it was the same courtyard. The weather was a little different and the trees had grown quiet a bit. One of them was providing a little bit of shade to a small pool of water where two more shimmers rested; women wearing modest gowns and habits on their heads.
“I am going to talk to her,” came a voice, a little deeper than the child before but still clearly not at its deepest. It circled around them like the others had before the shimmers across the courtyard became more recognizable and the source of the voices became revealed.
They were both teenagers, that much was sure. The younger probably about 17 and the elder more like 19. They were shirtless and leaning on wooden swords. Bruises speckled them both but they didn’t seemed bothered and were in good spirits in the warmth of the spring day as they took a break from their training.
“She is training to be a nun,” the elder boy laughed, though he was looking at the women as well.
The younger kid ran a hand through his light brown hair. It was a little shaggier than the other boy’s but even messy and long it framed his face well and his blue eyes sparkled in the light while sweat dripped from his chin and down his bare chest.
“She is not sworn to the church yet,” Lionel assured Richard. The young man stretched. He was clearly in shape, years of training had assured that and he already sported a few scars. “Just watch. She will fall for me yet, I am a prince right?”
Richard shook his head. Lionel was clearly joking but there was a hint of disappointment in the comment and some grief in Richard’s head shake but Lionel’s confidence was nearly tangible.
“Do I have your blessing then?” Lionel asked.
Richard nodded and waved his hand with a flourish, as though to say: entertain me. Lionel certainly did so.
He strolled to the women, plucking a flower from where it grew between two stones.
“On such a fine afternoon it would be foolish of me to not acknowledge the beauty of such a maid,” he said with a light voice full of mischief as well as a genuine honesty.
“Oh kind sir,” she said, her voice twinkling like wind chimes in a gentle breeze as she took the flower, giggling with her companion. “You flatter me with your kind words but I have seen you watching and I think you are confused.”
She giggled more as he responded, “How so?”
“I am soon to be a nun of the Lord’s church, I cannot return your affections,” she assured him.
“Oh Maid, give me but a chance, and I will steal your heart,” he promised.

The memory shimmered as Lionel followed the ghost woman to the next courtyard, his mood darkening and his shoulders starting to slump a little. Despite his assurances he seemed terribly uncomfortable in the presence of their ghost guide. 
Where was the mess to fight? Why couldn't this have been more like Val's? It was so much easier to hit something than relive a past especially when Lionel was starting to suspect where this was going.

Her eyes blinked at the scene, and how unusual the way 'nobles' seemed to court each other. At least among her friends, courting took a few flowers and pleasant conversations first. Granted, such thoughts where to distract her mind for caring too much that Lionel had a rather full life before he died, so of course he had some sort of lover... but that'll be something to think about a bit later.

She was able to tell clearly his growing discomfort. Of course the struggle wouldn't be easy to overcome -- regardless of how strong you are mentally, these things were meant to bring almost anyone to their knees. She recalled how so many people she's been with have been brought to tears, weakened by their emotional damage. She didn't want to keep guessing, but she wanted to get him to start talking, so that they can be on the same page and not keep quiet. After all, he needed everything he could get, and she needed Val to have something to go off.

"Lionel... you don't look like you're doing too well... Val...?" She looked to Val, hoping she'd go to help comfort him before whatever hell broke loose...

She blinked a few times, snapping out of her own thoughts and looking over at Reiko "Vhat's up, Reiko?" she asked, wondering what she noticed.

She looked at Val with the same face of concern and gets closer to her. "We can't keep quiet about this... You know much more about him than I do, so you'll need to do a lot of the talking. I hope you know that... Make sure you stay close to his side, regardless of what happens. It's one thing to get over this with physical prowess, but to keep emotionally stable is another problem on its own..."

She nodded "Right... sorry for getting distracted by the environment" she said simply, as she picked up the pace to be next to Lionel.

Lionel didn’t even notice that Val was now walking next to him as he walked after Kaelyn.
The next courtyard was the same courtyard once more, though the weather was gloomy and the sky was full of heavy clouds that seemed to strain under the weight of the rain they carried but even so they held back their load, giving those in the yard a moment of peace.
The images were a little clearer than the others that preceded it though the other men and horses were still shimmery.
A 19 year old Lionel stood in the center of the courtyard, fully armored with his horse standing behind him. He was holding the hands of the Maid Kaelyn, who looked only slightly younger than their Kaelyn guide. Lionel kissed her hand and rubbed it with his thumb, admiring the engagement ring on her finger for the hundreth time.
“I promise, it will not be long,” he told her.
She didn’t seem nearly as bothered about him leaving as Lionel did but she nodded.
“Do your work honorably. I am sure that Richard will knight you for this mission,” she told him.
Lionel nodded and smiled. “And when I am knighted, we will finally find the time to wed. I promise this as well.”
“Peace, Lionel,” Richard said. He was standing a little ways behind Kaelyn. “I will care for her.”
“Are you certain, that there is nothing else I can do to finish my training?” Lionel asked. “Something that would keep me close to home that I might protect you and be nearer to her?”
“We have discussed this,” Richard said firmly.
Lionel flinched with the memory of his younger self.
“Of course, my King, I will make you proud.”
The Maid Kaelyn pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and tied it to one of the straps on Lionel’s pauldron, keeping the token close to its proper place on his right arm.
“You should go,” she said. “Go with my blessing and do not keep Sir Emerson waiting.”
He nodded, stole a kiss from her, and mounted his horse, leading the small group out of the courtyard, turning into mirages again as the courtyard started to rain.
The ghostly Kaelyn was becoming more tangible now, taking on translucency as opposed to her previous transparency. She was also already moving on but Lionel wasn’t following. He was just standing in the middle of the courtyard, staring at the spot where he had once stood.

There was some fear in his eyes, as he knew what she wanted him to relive. The source of his fears for his relationship with Val was in the next courtyard and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face that.

She blinked a few times at the scene, but she stops her mind from jumping to conclusions, and turns to Lionel, and deciding to ask him a basic question "Vhere did he send yu off to?"

He was quiet for a moment before responding quietly, "I was to protect a trade caravan through territory belonging to the Franks to reach a settlement in the Roman Empire. It was a quiet journey, uneventful."

She nodded lightly "I see, so a simple escort mission... I zhink I only had to do two of zhose in my lifetime" she stated simply, just to have a minor idle conversation

She walked over to the two steadily, hearing their conversation, but she was a bit discomforted by his pause here. It was good though, so she can finally make a bit more sense of why there hasn't been some twist. At least, not yet...

She joined the rest of them after letting them talk among each other and spoke her wonders.... "Is this where it ends? I'm a little surprised..."

"No," he said softly. "This is not where it ends."
He turned again to follow Kaelyn who, of course, wasn't waiting for them. She was already at the next archway, stepping through. 

The courtyard was gloomy again though it was less from the weather and more from the time of day. The evening sun was starting to touch the horizon through the clouds. It was still spring and the trees had clearly grown and so had Lionel. His past self had run in on horseback as they entered the courtyard, confirming the Lion’s suspicions.
“Why are you making me relive this Kaelyn?” he asked the guide. Clearly he had had enough but the guide didn’t respond as HER younger self watched from the covered hallway as the King went out to greet the 21 year old Lionel.
The first part of the conversation didn’t drift over to them but the actions were fairly clear.
The younger Lionel hopped off his horse with gusto and embraced his childhood friend who had not returned the gesture, rather played it off cool before saying something and handing Lionel something, pressing the item into the young man’s hand.
The boy seemed stunned as he held up the engagement ring and looked at it with confusion before looking from Richard to the Kaelyn in the distance. He started to shake with rage and grief, looking like he was ready to strike his friend but Richard stood there in his authority, saying something that made the younger Lionel flinch as tears came to his eyes.
“---tell me?” Lionel asked as the voices finally reached their ears.
“We sent a letter,” Richard said coldly. “It probably fell to bandits on its way to you.”
Lionel bowed his head, shaking while his horse shifted its weight in response to its master’s distress. He was clearly crying a little as he fought to restrain himself.
“She was MY fiance,” he tried to protest.
“She is now MY wife, Lionel,” Richard interrupted. “Put your horse away and lay this matter to rest.” The King put his hand on Lionel’s shoulder and told him softly, “I want you to be happy for me, brother. I could never have found such happiness without and it pains me that you will not look at what you have done. To be a knight is to bring joy to others and you have brought me incredible joy with your loyalty over the years. Besides, if you truly love her, you would want what is best for her. I pray that you understand.”
Lionel was still shaking but it was not his place to argue with his King. THAT much he had learned from the beginning.
“I would speak with her,” Lionel mumbled.
“Of course, I think that wise,” Richard said, patting Lionel on the back as they walked to the far side of the courtyard. “Once you are satisifed we will celebrate for on the morrow you will be knighted!”

The figures shimmered, leaving the three of them alone with Kaelyn’s ghost.

Her mind just stopped. Of course, with the way the events were being played, she suspected something like this, but to see it actually happen.... She could only imagine how much of a dagger in the heart it was to him, and thus, couldnt give a proper response to him for having to witness it through his memories.

She's stunned by this revelation, starting to realize how much the relationship with Val means to him... She can see the anguish carried by such a twist -- a betrayal between someone you trusted only to be covered in congratulations rather than spiteful words. It was a lot like what happened with Routier's case... people taking each other... she knew for a fact it wasn't to be put 1 in 1 -- the circumstances are certainly different, but it made the situation no more appropriate.

It made her uncomfortable, but she saw that there was more to be said.

"Lionel... whatever happens, keep a cool head. Val is here with you now..." She looks to Val, hoping she'll offer he reassurance.

She nodded, and quietly hugged her arm, to signify that she isnt going to leave him at this point, not trust simple words to convey the message. Giving him a short look of sympathy, before looking down the corridor, figuring by now that they're to keep walking down this hall till the memories fade out.

Lionel’s head was bowed as he thought on the things he had seen as he tried to keep his mind clear but Kaelyn’s ghost was standing in the courtyard, and Lionel couldn’t avoid taking a few steps toward her on the stone.
“What would you teach me from this Kaelyn?”
The ghost looked over at Val but said nothing, just watched his current fiance. Lionel shook his head furiously at the implications.
“No, if I feared she was like you I would not have asked for her hand.”
“If you did not fear that she would leave you then you would not be waiting for it and would have proceeded to wed her,” the Kaelyn finally spoke, the scent of blood on her breath mingling with the lavender. “You are waiting for her to leave you just as you are waiting to be told what is right from wrong from your leader because you cannot think for yourself.”
Lionel growled a little and started shaking.
“Even now,” she continued, “you cannot ignore the training of your youth and the orders of the King even as they haunt your dreams.”  

More shimmery voices and sounds drifted as the wind picked up, the sounds of battle and cries of pain and terror, but they were not the voices of men. Lionel staggered a little as they cut into his head and he covered his ears as his dreams became so much more real.

"I'm not going anywhere..." She said definitively, though the parts about being lead by the reigns of a leader forces her mind to look back at how she used to live, always tied to her commanders orders. Granted, she did challenge her commander often enough to be sure he was making the right choices, but she still never refused a direct order, and practically was raised by his words.

Lionel dimly heard Val through the swirling voices as he tried to stagger away from Kaelyn and the blood on her breath. He was trying to get the voices out of his head, closing his eyes tightly and tugging on his ears a little more aggressively to try and get the voices to stop, using Val's voice as a grounding point, something to focus on to bring himself back to reality despite how much it drained him to do so.

She looks back up at Lionel, seeing seem out of it, and thus, she decides to call out to him "Lionel.... Li-On-El.... Yu ok dear?" She said, wondering if he'll have any visible reaction to that, party so she doesnt look like an idiot.

She rushed over. It was clear something was going in his head and they couldn't know for sure -- but if this was the case with the other struggles then they'd have to keep trying until they broke through.

"Val, we have to keep at it before it's too much... He doesn't have to worry -- I trust his decisions and he can think for himself as needs be -- he does make his own decisions. After all, that'd be the only way he could make it this far, right? The ability to follow a leader's decision when you are not bound by fatal obligation is of your own accord ...
Even though I lead and like those around me to follow, it doesn't rule out free will. I'm not a dictator moreover a guide -- an organizer. I'm hoping you can hear me, Lionel... Val isn't going anywhere, just like the rest of us. I know she's sworn to her duties -- but I'm sure her persistence to stick to you is just as strong.

We can't control everything, but we can assure the truth to you when we've held it out. Val, tell him..."

He doubles over, bending his knees to stay upright as the weight of his actions settled squarely on his shoulders. He could hear Val and Reiko somewhere in the distance but the shimmer started to pick up around him, clearly visible as the voices reached Val and Reiko too making the empty courtyard ring with the sounds of slaughter.

She quickly went from hugging him, to putting her right arm under his shoulders to help get him back on his feet, listening to the sounds of the Slaughter in the background "Combat is always forever in the mind... huh...."

He seemed tired, clearly very worn, but it wasn't the sounds of war so much as the guilt. That much was so much heavier. The weight of knowing that he had done nothing to question his King because of the loyalty that had been drilled into his mind his entire life.
"Valinea... Forgive me for my foolish fear," he managed to get out.

"Dont vorry about it Lionel" She said, fully hugging him now "hafing fears is apart of being a person, and eferyone has more zhen a few"

She looked over to him and, hearing all the noises go by as as she seemed more focused on him solely. She closed her eyes and spoke to him.
"Having a fear is one thing... but what you do with it is what makes you who you are -- and determines your strength. And it doesn't have to be faced alone. After all, you've got someone by you who is willing to go to the ends of the world with you, right? A promise that you two must make... that's the bigger picture. So fear is not a concern unless it's never faced and fought."

Lionel contemplated that for a moment before things started to click. He winced, his brain still full of the voices that swirled around them while Kaelyn watched with a blank expression. 
"I never loved you," she hissed. "You were always a stepping stone. You are too weak to be anything more."
Lionel looked up at her sadly and shook his head.
"You never understood why I wanted to be a knight so badly," he grunted. 
Her visage flickered a little bit as the voices started to fade away. They would be back, he knew, but Kaelyn could not have known about the people he killed during the crusades. After all, she passed away before they had even started. No, this wasn't Kaelyn, even in her manipulation Kaelyn had been kind. One fight at a time.
"The demons that greet us," he forced out, "are not as convincing as the real thing but they serve their purpose. Just as the Devil tempted Eve and in so doing continued the plan." 
He managed to get to his feet as the voices faded away and he walked up to Kaelyn and cradled her face gently in his paws. 
"I never truly let you go," he whispered sadly, "I promised to never love again because of what you did to me and I have carried that promise as a grudge and it has made me tempt fate in asking the Dame to marry me but now that I can see you Kaelyn, I know that it was my fault, my own inability to let go that has weighed me down for so long."
He kissed her forehead.
"I forgive you for what you did and I pray you rest in peace. I am sorry it took me so long to do this."
She smiled at him, a little bit of blood on her lips as she melted in the breeze, her body carried away into smoke before the area too faded into nothing, leaving them in the blank empty of the overflow.

She blinked, watching the scene, deciding to give him a moment before saying anything, as to let his mind settle.

She sighed, relieve to see that go through...
"I guess it comes to show you never really get to see past some things until someone else gives you the chance to open your eyes to it... Or maybe we do, but some of us just can't look it in the eye...
Lionel, that's a lion's pride right there. Bravery in conquering fear."
She gave him a pat on the back, glad it was done with and moreso proud.

"Hm. I wondered many times before now why this world gave me this form. I thought perhaps it was a cruel joke this world chose to cast on me by making me into the creature for which my King was named, that perhaps this world was teasing me for being his shadow. To hear you say that Dame, it cheers me greatly."
He grunts and drops to a knee to catch his breath. It took more energy out of him to face all this than he had realized. 
"I did not intend for either of you to learn about me in this manner... I apologize if it was... uncomfortable to watch."

She nods "it's ok, I will judge yur past zhe same no matter how it's shown or framed to me, for no-matter yur past is, it vont change my opinion of yu now zhat much."  She said, kneeling down next to him, offering him a hand up "so shall ve go back home?"

Lionel gratefully takes it and gets to his feet shakily. 
"I am certainly in need of a good rest," he says, clearly very tired.

Reiko nodded to them both with a peppy smile~

"Yeah, let's head back... get him a drink or two and maybe a meal, yunno? Haha..."

Johnathon saunders in as usually a rather chipper  smile on his face as he looked around the area, A rather dark and dim place the promise of something like figures moving the back ground.

" Well these areas never get any less creepier do they." Chuckles as he makes his way further into the area. 

As Johnathon walks further in a numbing ticking and grinding sound flares in the background as Johnathon walks a shadow darkness seemingly envelops the area turning into the familiar alleys of a city broken break walls and debris everywhere  with splintering corridors the further down he saw, gears and machines placed near the walls start to form from the once shadowy walls humming away steam and smoke pouring from them as they do.

" Well this is certainly...new" Johnathon said as took a few steps back to look at the new scenery.

...Sirocco flips in and cringes feeling the tight ominous aura...

"Gods... This feeling... I've got a bad feeling about this..."

He looks onwards and sees Johnathon...

"Oi! John, where are we?"

As Odhran struts in behind Sirocco he feels uncomfortable.

"I think we're in a place we don't wanna be."