((Note: This story excerpt has a few art pieces with it, so I submitted it as art and the story can be found below. This takes place long before the events of Stained Glass, and after Farona and Yune first "met". (See: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7042802/1/Wild-Rose-Chronicles-of-the-Eight-Seals) This part covers the circumstances of how Yune and Farona came to travel together in the first place and will be referred to quite a bit in upcoming part 3 of Stained Glass.))

Stained Glass (Interlude 1): Freedom

“Re–Reporting in as requested, sir! About the incident at the Payon caves this afternoon…”

The captain of the Pronterean Guard stood with is back to the knightress and priest, armored nearly from head to foot, the long, regal red cape over his back matching the deep red hue of the drapes that he was facing, gloved hands behind his back.

The tension in the room was palpable.

After a pause, he finally turned around, narrowed grey eyes focused on the female lord knight beneath dark, furrowed brows. “You know why you were called here.”

It wasn’t a question. Farona swallowed. “Well… sort of?” she offered, dropping her saluting hand to her side. “I thought I would be reporting in to the chief at Payon, but…”

“But you were sent here,” he finished for her, voice stern. “And you do not know why.”

Her eyes momentarily darted to the motionless high priest standing at her side. He didn’t look even the slightest bit intimidated—in fact, he was still smiling and appearing completely at ease, arms tucked casually behind his back.

Her attention turned back to the captain. “The situation was taken care of,” she assured him quickly. “And I received aid from an elite who happened upon the battle. He uh… he’s here with me.”

She gestured to the young man beside her. The captain briefly turned his gaze to him. “Yes, Yune Hiraze of the Prontera church, was it? The knights guild is grateful for what you have done. Word of your quick action and prevention of casualties will be sent to the parish and of course, you will receive compensation for–”

“That will not be necessary,” the brunette priest interrupted.

Farona eyed him questioningly, but she could see nothing beyond the dark shields that blocked his eyes. Didn’t he want a reward?

The captain cleared his throat. “If you insist,” he acquiesced. “We implore that you at least take the treasures that Osiris left behind. You have earned them.”

Yune pulled the bag from his side and lifted it up. A few items jangled and clanked within. “These? I have no need of them.” Farona nearly fumbled the bag in surprise when Yune handed it to her. “She did as much as I did. She can have them.”

The captain’s eyebrows raised. “If you do not want to keep them, you may donate them to the knights guild–”

“You said they were mine, didn’t you?” Yune interjected, still grinning. “I can choose who to give them to then, can’t I?”

Farona was speechless—and so was the captain, it seemed. But he quickly regained his composure. “As you wish,” he grumbled. “Now, then… High priest, your assistance is appreciated. You may go.” His eyes flit back over to the knightress, who stiffened. “You, I am not finished with, however.”

“Y–Yes, sir,” she stammered. Then, she turned to the man at her side and offered her hand cordially. “Thank you for help, Mr. Hiraze.”

He made no move to take her hand—and no move to leave, either. Awkwardly, Farona dropped her gloved hand back to her side. Yune shifted on his feet, still wearing that same mysterious smile.

“I have a request to make,” he said. “But it can wait until after we discuss what happened in the caves.”

“We?” Farona repeated dumbly.

He bent his neck down slightly to look toward her—or she assumed so, anyway. The sunglasses made it impossible to tell. “We,” he confirmed. “The account can be given more accurately with both of us present, don’t you think?”

His smile quirked and her eyebrows raised. Farona turned back to the captain. The burly man’s arms were crossed, but he didn’t appear to be angry—just exasperated, perhaps?

“Very well,” he agreed reluctantly. His steely gaze turned back on the lady knight. “Reports say that an outbreak of undead zombies in Payon caused a bit of a stir earlier this afternoon. You were at the entrance to the Payon caves at the time?”

Farona nodded. “That’s right. I was about to head in to patrol when an acolyte ran out of the caves. He was in a panic and said there was a monster that didn’t belong there. Two of his friends were still inside. I went to find them immediately.”

“And why did you not contact the head of your division at Payon?”

She froze from the ice in his tone. “W–Well, sir, they were fighting undead in town. In the time it took me to get there from Archer Village, the monster might have–”

“Furthermore,” the captain cut in like a knife. “Even after the young trainees were rescued, you did not inform the guard. You proceeded to pursue and attack the monster, knowing full-well that you were up against something far out of your league.”

Farona winced. “I didn’t know if there were other adventurers in the caves or not! I didn’t think it was wise to let it just–”

“But you thought it wise to take on a boss monster. By yourself.”

She bowed her head, shame lighting her cheeks pink. Maybe she had been a bit too eager to prove herself. And she was going to pay for it now, wasn’t she? “My apologies, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“You were lucky,” he continued, briefly eying her companion, “that this rank-A high priest just happened to be around.”

Farona bit her lip. “Yes, I know.”

“Her sword work was actually very impressive.”

Both knights turned to look at the priest as he spoke. His smile had widened a tad, but he looked otherwise just as impassively casual as before.

“Be that as it may,” the captain grunted, standing tall as his attention turned back to the knightress. “You were out of line. Action will have to be taken.”

“Could you move me to another group?” Farona blurted before she could stop herself. “I’ll gladly go to another city if you think I can be of help else–”

“You will remain in Payon,” the captain interrupted sharply. “However, you will now patrol the caves under the guidance of two other knights at all times.”

Her mouth fell open and she nearly dropped the bag out of her hands. “What? But sir, I’m a lord knight now and–!”

“This is not open for discussion. Until we can be sure that you can conduct your duties properly, you will be under surveillance.” She made as if to respond, but a cold look from the captain made her think better of it. “Now… is there anything else about the situation that I should know about?”

He looked between them for an answer and Farona sighed. “Sir Malcom mentioned that he found a bloody branch. In the caves.”

That caught the captain’s attention. “I have not heard this. Where was it found?”

“Near the northwest end of the first level, where the mushrooms grow,” she explained. “This wasn’t an accident, sir. Someone summoned Osiris with a bloody branch. I think they took the broken branch for testing in Payon, but if you can reach Sir Malcom, I’m sure he can tell you more about it.”

“Yes,” the captain spoke, a graveness to his voice as he stroked his short, trimmed beard. “Very troubling. The bloody branch must have come from the underground market. They are forbidden.”

Farona nodded mutely.

“Anything else before you are dismissed?”

She was about to shake her head when Yune raised a hand. “There is one more thing,” he said all too pleasantly. “Miss lady knight here had a little bit of an issue with a familiar near the mouth of the caves. The wall there has a sizeable chunk collapsed. It may need repairing, though I’m sure they must have already found it.” He chuckled. “It’s hard to miss.”

Farona felt her face flame with embarrassment and barely-contained anger. He just… he just sold her out! She was planning to help clean it up, but that could jeopardize–!

“Again?” The captain was clearly not pleased. The boom of his voice was proof enough of that.

Farona could not even meet his eyes. “I’m sorry, sir!” she sputtered. “I really didn’t mean for anything to–”

“No excuses!” he interrupted. “You will hereby also attend sword training with the cadet knights until you learn how to handle one properly! Dismissed!”

Her heart sank, the color receding from her face. This had gone from bad to worse to worst. Lips drawing together, she dropped the bag of items down at Yune’s feet. “I don’t want them,” she told him through clenched teeth. And with that, she turned on heel to stalk out.

Or she would have, if a gloved hand had not landed on her shoulder. “Hold on,” Yune voiced, sounding all too amused. “I still have a request to make.”

Her eyes narrowed as she glared up at the smirking high priest. “And what does that have to do with me?”

“Everything.”

Her annoyance melted away to a confusion. “Huh?”

With his grip on her shoulder, he guided her back around to face the captain. The elder man looked just as puzzled, though his professionalism did not let it show as much.

“For your services, if you have a request, we at the knights guild will do our best to grant it to you,” he stated dutifully.

“Great!” Yune responded cheerfully. “It’s quite simple, really.” He patted Farona’s shoulder. “I would like to request the services of your knight here.”

Obviously, neither Farona nor the captain had been expecting that. “What?” they spouted in unison.

The high priest was completely unperturbed by the reaction. “As I said before, I was very impressed by her sword work. She’s fast, precise, and quite powerful. As an elite, I can pursue my own quests and endeavors. However, I have been in need of some reliable help. Support priests are not meant for battle, after all.”

Farona couldn’t wrap her head around this. She stared at Yune like he had grown three heads. First he gets her into even more trouble and now he wants to request her for a party? Was this guy crazy or was this all just a big joke to him?

“If you require assistance, we at the knights guild can offer you the best of best,” The captain boasted and then waved a hand dismissively. “Farona here has only recently ascended to the lord knight rankings and is not prepared for such trials. She has much to learn. I can assemble an adequate number of our best fighters here by evening if you would like to choose one that is more–”

“I want this one,” Yune stated firmly, but no less pleasantly. His grip on her shoulder squeezed once. “I see potential in her. And you and your entire guild have my word that she will be well taken care of.”

Farona turned her stunned eyes back to the captain. It was clear from the look on his face that he wanted to deny the request, but…

“Very well. Your request is granted.” His honor as a knight won out in the end, it seemed. “As long as she… agrees to these terms.”

Yune turned to look down at her with raised eyebrows. Farona hesitated briefly, looking back up at him. He wasn’t giving anything away. She took a breath and then nodded at the captain.

“Then it is done,” the captain sighed. “You are dismissed. Please report your departure with Madame Quintan on the way out. Have safe travels.”

“My thanks,” Yune bowed forward just slightly.

Farona saluted the captain. “Sir. Good day, sir.”

With that, Yune leaned down to pick up his fallen bag and followed Farona out of the Pronterean Guard captain’s quarters. Once the door was closed behind, they started down the hall of suits of armor in silence. Finally, unable to take the lack of an explanation, Farona suddenly stopped and turned around to face him.

“What was that about? Is this some kind of joke?” She frowned, her blue-green eyes searching the dark shades of his sunglasses for answers, but she found nothing. “I don’t get you at all! You just—-why would you—why me?”

His ever-present smile widened. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Farona threw her hands up. “I wouldn’t be asking if it was! I mean–we barely know each other! Why would you request me for… for whatever you’re doing?”

His head cocked to the side, the bunny ears on his headband flopping with the movement. “Because you’re different, Farona. You’re special.”



That stunned her into shocked silence. He wasn’t serious, right? She waited for him to laugh or crack some kind of joke, but nothing came.

“Well, you’d best decide where you want to go first,” he informed her, walking right by her open-mouthed form and flicking one of the rabbit ears on his head. “I’m all ears.”

“Buh—but…” she mumbled incoherently, spinning on heel. “I thought you needed help?”

“You wanted freedom away from that post in Payon, didn’t you?” he asked her, looking over his shoulder with a raised brow and a quip to his lips. “It’s yours now. And with an elite at your side, you have nothing to fear.”

She blinked, the realization slowly settling in. Freedom. The word repeated in her head, sinking in more and more.

He just… opened the doors for her, she realized. The doors to the world. The doors to finally proving herself. And she still had no idea why he would do such a thing, but…

Farona smiled broadly, clenching her hands as she hurried after him.

It was more than she ever could have hoped for.

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