Chapter 762: Lord Exia

"She bought quite a lot," commented Leonard slyly.

"Shut it," fired Igna looking towards Fenrir, she had quite the haul. 

"Follow me, I've brought my car," said the nobleman – the boot opened, her hands threw the boxes of juice, milk, snacks, and other invaluable expenditure inside, as vehemently stated, '-I want them for research, I ought to learn about the taste of the world.'

A phone rang five minutes into the journey. Igna sat in the passenger seat, carefully scanning the surrounding, a check onto the rearview mirror showed a beast playing with her prey, in other words, Fenrir juggling three pieces of chocolate. 'What's with the attitude?' he thought.

"Pardon me," fired Leonard, "-my wife's calling, mind if I pull over?"

"Go right ahead," said Igna, the white sedan turned, mounted the pavement, perfectly aligned under a tree, then rested, the radio played a few tunes – one of which was Aceline's newest single featuring Vorn.

The fingers hovered atop Jen's name, a few awkward looks to the parked car showed an unbothered Igna, '-why is she calling now?' he answered.

"About time!" fired through, "-Where are you, Leonard?"

"At work, what's the matter?"

"No, I was in town earlier," her tone sounded angry, "-and I saw you with a girl, are you cheating?"

"What the hell do you mean?" he facepalmed, not that she could see.

"Did you just facepalm?" 

'How in the…' the face slumped, words articulated noiselessly.

'Couples have a bad time,' observed Igna, '-I was worried for nothing,' Éclair had hacked into the man's phone, tapping the call as they spoke, '-how will you win this fight?' a map displayed over the charged lens, two dots at close proximities lit in green and yellow, green originator, yellow, recipient. 'And she hired a taxi to follow us,' a deeper look to the mirror past Fenrir's shoulder, gave onto a shady driver and a shadier passenger.

"Answer me, Leonard, where are you right now?"

"At the office?"

"Why did you reply in such an inquisitive tone," her voice sharpened, "-screw this," a door slammed, rocking the car, heavy stomps led to Leonard, she placed a hand around his shoulder, the man spun to horror, *slap,* his phone fell, chipped a corner and cracked the screen. 

A burning desire to revolt rose in the timid man's visage, he glared to an expression of woe, '-I trusted you,' read her disappointed frown.

"You headed somewhere?"

"To clean up a mess," he exhaled, "-don't cause trouble."

"Alright," Igna's reflection passed Fenrir's door window. She paid no mind, choosing to read instead. 

"Don't you have something to tell me!" argued Jen openly.

"Enough is enough," thundered across the mildly populated street, didn't help that the path behind led into a local commute and playground, "-stop causing a scene."

An annoyed shiver riled into, "-who the hell are you?" exclaimed without knowing who had spoken, the stares met on her saying, 'you'.

"Who am I?" he kept a straight face.

"Igna?" her posture stumbled, Leonard's cheeks burnt bright red; he kept his head to the ground, ashamed to stare at her and voice his opinion, "-explain," she made for his collar, "-LEONARD!" 

He slapped her palms, "-stop it. There's no reason to hit him. Look around, look at the commotion you've caused by being insecure. Are you daft?" he moved and grabbed her jaw, "-I don't enjoy pointless arguments. The man you slapped happens to be an employee of mine, as company policy states, I have to protect my workers," the grip tightened, "-wife or not, punishment is deserving to all."

"Stop," said Leonard, "-I'll explain what happened, thank you for stepping in," he threw a compassionate yet lonesome regard, "-it is how it is," hunched to pick the phone, "-personal and professional need be separated." The grip eased, the husband took charge, moved midway between his wife and Igna, "-care to leave us alone for a bit, I have important matters to attend to."

'What's he asking?' she retreated, '-am I the villain here?' the whispers grew audible, 

"-What a poor man."

"-who is that chick."

"-crazy much."

"-I feel for him."

'No, that's not what I mean,' she gulped, her fist clenched, '-say something, Leonard, tell them it's not my fault but yours…'

"The one responsible here is you," added Igna, "-scurry on home, we don't need a coward unable to trust her partner hanging around in public," her nose reddened, she dug her face into her elbow and ran, jumping into the taxi and darting for the unknown. 

"I apologize for her behavior."

"No harm done. I might have been too hard, I'm sorry if matters are awkward at home." 

"Don't sweat it," the painful expression forced a smile, "-I'll be fine, she'll be fine, we'll be fine."

Lights turned green; traffic moved at a steady pace. '-if matters are awkward at home,' went about his mind, '-no, not good,' he glanced the rearview mirror, an unlikely guest sat beside Fenrir, the tension, palpable, forced multiple exhales from the legendary beast. She wasn't one to care much for a stranger. 

Earlier, after Jen disappeared into the never-ending streets, a message kindly read, '-I need a ride to the Azure Wall, emergency summons from Mello.' There, without arguments, Leonard turned the car, made for their apartment, climbed the stairs, explained the situation lightly, and returned in the company of his wife, fully dressed in her uniform. An hour had passed, they were around three-quarters of the journey – transport buses were common on the highway, to and fro, occasional sirens dashed by. The overall landscape sloped gently towards the Azure Wall, a landmark worth its weight in gold, rose in the distance. 

"Igna."

"Jen."

"Good to see you in good spirits," she smiled nervously. 

"Same can't be said about you," the pupils twitched to Leonard with a slight sneer, her forehead crinkled.

"I said I was sorry for jumping to conclusion," her lips tightened, "-why are you in Hidros?"

"To work?" 

"To work," she repeated, "-I see," her face wandered to the changing outside.

"I'm happy for you," he said suddenly, "-the uniform, you're a wall guardian now, I'm glad to see the goal's been accomplished."

"Thank you, never thought you'd remember."

"How can I not, we were friends after all.'

"Were friends," her volume lowered, "-about-"

"Don't worry," he interjected, "-the past is long and gone, what's important is the future, more precisely, your future. Leonard and thee are married, cherish the relation, struggle, fight, and love one another, a bond sworn under the blessing of the God of Marriage mustn't be broken."

"Didn't you have a partner?" 

"Had a partner," he corrected, "-Alicia. She was the best lady I had ever met, strong and determine. Her beauty was unlike anything I'd seen, without her, I wouldn't have gotten where I am today. Things happened, and she was found dead, ruled a suicide… I know she was murdered, the evidence blatantly point… I'm sorry, forgive the rant."

"Must be rough," she said, "-I miss the academy days. We had so many friends, we were together…"

"I wouldn't say my time was enjoyable. You and Rena had it in for me, I don't know why, well, I do have my speculation. Scared I'd break the click."

"-I guess?" 

"What's happened to Rena and Lampard?"

"Last we heard they made for Lampard's hometown after graduation," added Leonard.

"I see," he stared at the incoming traffic, "-more importantly, what's happened to Anna, the top of class A."

"Her," she rolled her eyes.

"She's working at our guild," said Leonard awkwardly.

"She and Frost dated, right?"

"Yes, until he died. An unlucky expedition turned massacre, the team leader didn't account for the sudden level rise, turns out, all their potential recruits were slaughtered, nobody was ever found, Frost is gone, happened a few years ago. She's been very silent since, helps out, and is a great worker." Between the gossip and reminiscing of old days, camp Reforge rose a short distance away. The car neatly pulled into a private parking lot, '-reserved for officials,' read an imposing sign.

"Props to being a wall guardian," said Jen.

"There are a few things to handle before we meet the secondary contact," said Leonard, "-please visit the camp whilst I handle the rest."

"Sure," he watched, the wife and husband, albeit on bad terms earlier, walked in relative ease, laughing and chatting, a very wholesome display of affection.

"They truly are lovebirds," added Fenrir, "-the conversations in the car were too much for me to understand."

"Just talks of the past," he said. Speaking of past, the camp had expanded over the years, the current lot, flat around which laid dried grass and weeds, had paths leading to the eastern and western side of Reforge. He followed suit, taking the western entrance to the right, a larger street made to welcome trucks. Guard details weren't much to compliment, they marched, looking at the robust building and crowded openness of the yard. Aside from a few signs, the place was relatively well acquainted. No dormitories nor cafeteria, instead, the building altered into a marketplace for smiths of all kinds. Camp square, where once the military issued orders to adventurers, laid empty. Stalls set up shop, the military compound to the east divided into two sectors, and included a central guild Office. Returning fighters hauled heavy sacks, the loot and monster drops seemed profitable. 

"Igna," the shirt pulled, "-Igna."

"What is it, Fenrir?"

"The wall, I feel a bad energy, has the same smell as the ones in Draebala."

"Draebala… if they're involved, things are about to go bad," then, the observations made earlier linked, '-ambulances, Jen being called to duty,' he pushed through a large crowd, '-something must have happened,' they swam and fought through the wave, stepping foot outside, "-Igna," hailed from the right. Jen hurried into a pick-up truck which darted forth, Leonard hurried and panted, "-bad news."

"Take your time and breathe."

"The walls under attack from an unknown entity. We've issued a full-scale retreat; forget about meeting the second contact, the wall is the target."

"Understood," pillars of smoke rose beyond, the next wave of fighters cried.

"We're doomed."

"Run, we need to run."

"How is such a monster even able to live."

"I don't care how this looks, my wife's waiting for me."

Resolve firmed across Leonard's brows, "-you heard them, we need to go, now."

"Wait a moment," the pupils shimmered a deep crimson hue, "-Leonard, leave the monster to me," he smirked. Fenrir burst into her wolf form, her paws clawed, he leaped on her back and galloped.

'Tall wall,' said he telepathically.

'Hang on tight,' she sprinted, overtook Jen's transport, then leaped. Time froze on the way over, '-minions and their leader. Typical, arrangement for a boss-battle,' they landed, the ground carved and sent shockwaves at the wall's peak.

*Come forth, Vengeance,*

"-At your service, master."

"Annihilate the weaklings, I'll handle the big one."

"Your wish is my command." 

Meters away, an undead army of skeleton trampled over stray fighters, "-I'll cover, make for the wall," shouted a brazen leader. Cuts riddled the clothes, the armor was torn, and face bloodied.

"T-thank y-you," said the party members.

'The job of a leader is to protect his teammate,' the longsword rose courageously, *Slice,* instant death, he fell, blood sprouted, the incoming horde made short work. Deathly screams permeated, the stronger adventurers were further forward, dealing damage to a much scarier foe. 

"Are we dead?" they cowered, raising a hand to shield the incoming spear. Eyeless sockets locked and thrust, *gleam,* a gust blew past, obliterating the first wave. 

'Easy prey,' he dug into the ground, carved a fair chunk to stop the momentum, '-master said to destroy them,' a swipe of the hands summoned an array of magical circles, '-die.' Meteors rained.

'Good job, Vengeance,' the real threat approached in the distance. A robed undead leader made of bones wandered into sight, beside him were eight bystanders, each bore strange outfits and strong auras.

"Here we have come to conquer this world," he proclaimed deeply, the entourage bowed.

"Lord Exia, your strength knows no bound," they said. 

"Pitiful humans are to bow at my feet," the fighters were forced in prostration, "-tell me, is this the best your world has to offer?" thundered a monotonous voice. 

"No," leaped into the fray and stared the leader, "-doth thee wish to dance?"