Chapter Text
Rilea woke up in the infirmary a week after the battle. Her muscles were stiff so she didn’t move at first, but she eventually found the strength to sit up. Her shoulder was bandaged up and her arm was in a sling. She reached up to touch her face and felt tiny bandages over some cuts around her eye. She squinted at the bright lighting in the room and looked around. There were other citizens in beds adjacent to her, some of which had injuries much worse than her own.
“You’re awake!”
She looked over to the sound of the voice and saw Jasper walking into the tent, hands balancing two rationed meals. “Jasper,” she sighed with relief. She was glad he was still alive.
“You should be resting,” he chided as he sat down in the chair next to her bed. “You’re way too reckless, Rilea, you had me worried sick. Didn’t know if you were gonna wake up.”
“What day is it?” She asked as she rubbed the weariness from her eyes. “How long was I out?”
“Eight days.” Jasper’s scolding stopped and was replaced by concern. “You really had me worried, Ri, when you didn’t come back. Then I heard you were injured and on the brink. You should have let me go with you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Thought I could handle it.”
“But there are a lot of people alive because of you. Regardless of what anyone says, there are a lot of people who told me about what you did for them. A lot of people who thanked me because of what you did.”
Rilea ran her hand through her hair before pressing a hand to her injured shoulder. Feeling in her muscles had returned, at least, and she flexed her hand before starting to tap her fingers to her thumb. Motor function was restored to her hand at least, so there wasn’t any permanent damage.
“You wanna tell me what happened?”
“They didn’t tell you?”
“They told me about your injury, but that’s about it. I wanna hear your version.”
Jasper helped her adjust the bed so she could sit upright against the pillows. She stared quietly at the monitors she was hooked up to before she found it in her to recount what happened.
“I found everyone that I could, Jasp. I told them where to go, where help was waiting. Then I set myself up behind the front line, picking off any stragglers that broke through so that people had a better chance of making it to you alive,” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying not to get overwhelmed. “I guess I just got detected by those things—”
“Fallen,” Jasper said quietly. “They’re calling them the Fallen.”
“—whatever, the Fallen. Three of them rushed me and I managed to down two of them, but before I could make it back to cover, one of them shot at me, another knocked me back, and a third…” She closed her eyes tightly as she pressed a hand to her shoulder, the phantom of pain making her nerves erupt. “A third stunned me, flipped me on my back, and stabbed me in the shoulder.” She looked over at Jasper and she could see the sorrow on his face. She didn’t realize she had started crying. “I tried to kick it off of me and pull the blade out, but Jasp, it was just so damn strong.” She leaned back against the pillows and wiped furiously at her eyes. “And then he saved me.”
“Who saved you?” This seemed to pique Jasper’s interest.
“That… that Guardian. Maker, what’s his name? Rezyl, I think? The—The Titan that united everyone right before the Fallen arrived.”
Jasper huffed as he leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. “He’s been named the Last City’s hero,” he relayed. “Everyone here seems to think of him as some kind of god because of what he did. People like you, people who actually made a difference, they’re all just getting lost in the background.”
Rilea chuckled to herself. “I’m okay with that,” she sighed. “Give the fame to a familiar face. Someone people can look up to.” She looked over at Jasper to see him staring at her, eyebrows raised. “What? You know I’ve always hated the spotlight.”
Jasper shook his head and sighed. “Get some rest, maybe eat something, kiddo. You’ve earned it.”
“Jasp,” Rilea called after him as he went to leave the medical tent. “Stop calling me ‘kiddo.’”
He laughed heartily. “Not a chance.”
A few hours later she was discharged from the infirmary and walked outside into the sunlight, arm still in a sling and still in a bit of pain, but she wanted to get some fresh air and a walk. Her muscles ached from being in a bed for so long. She didn’t get far before she spotted the Titan. He was leaning against the rubble of a nearby building, and he caught sight of her, too. He pushed off the building and approached her, arms hanging loose by his sides.
“Got a minute?” He asked; she couldn’t ignore the butterflies in her stomach at the smooth tone of his voice. She nodded at him and he joined her on her stroll through the City.
“What could the ‘City’s Hero’ want with me?” She asked in a teasing tone. “How long have you been waiting for me to walk out of that medical tent?”
“I heard you woke up today,” he admitted. “Gotta say, I was really hoping you were gonna pull through. You were a wreck last I saw you.”
“Well, that tends to happen when you get stabbed.”
“I wanted to—” they both started at the same time, both of them laughing nervously.
“You first,” Rilea insisted.
“I wanted to thank you,” Rezyl said after a moment of silence. “You’re brave. I heard what you did for a lot of the people in this City. Not many people would risk their lives like you did.” When she didn’t respond right away and kept her eyes glued to the ground they were walking on, he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”
“Huh? O-Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She gave him a strained smile. Maker, she hated compliments. “Sorry, I’m just not used to getting praise. Protecting people... it's just always been my duty.”
“‘Your duty’?”
“I was the captain of my home’s guard. Earned the title when I finished my training at eighteen. That was a little more than ten years ago now.”
“Wow,” he whistled and folded his hands behind his back. “You’re young.”
“So?” Rilea scoffed.
“Who taught you? I saw you out there before things went to shit, you’ve got some skills that some Guardians don’t even utilize.”
“My father. He raised me. He was my whole world. He taught me marksmanship, hand to hand, self defense, everything I know. The captain before me, the man I arrived with, he helped my father teach me when he had politics to deal with. Jasper taught me a handful about engineering, too, he actually helped me design that shield I was using. I don't know if I'm going to be able to fix it now...”
Rezly gently placed his hand on her shoulder as they came to a courtyard, stopping their stroll and he turned to face her. She could feel his eyes taking in her face and she shifted a bit uncomfortably under the stare. She didn't like being analyzed like this. “When did he die?” He asked quietly.
Rilea’s heart sank. She should have known he would have picked up on her wording quickly. “Three years ago,” she sighed softly. “The wilds weren’t so kind to him.”
“I’m sorry.”
Silence fell between them as Rilea walked away from him, over to a bench in the courtyard and sat down. She rubbed her shoulder as pain returned. Rezyl walked back over to her and knelt down on one knee in front of her, arm resting on his knee as he looked up to catch her gaze.
“You’re wonderful,” he sighed with a smile. “You know that?”
His words caught her off guard. Her face flushed as she stared at him with wide eyes. “Ex-Excuse me?” She stuttered.
“You’re brave, strong, and humble. You probably saved more lives that I did that day, and yet you take none of the credit. What’s your name?”
“Why?” Her voice got quieter the more and more flustered she got.
“You know my name, you know who I am, and you… you are this hero in the background that no one knows. But I want to know you.”
Her eyes searched his for answers, but all she could read in his expression was compassion; true joy. “Rilea,” she whispered. “Rilea Fey.”
“Rilea…” The smile on his lips grew brighter and he reached over, clasping her hand in his. “Rilea, will you help me build this City? The people need someone like you. Someone to help everyone adjust to all the changes that are going to come.”
“Why?” She was so confused by this conversation, but her heart was racing and she felt warmth spread throughout her chest. Tears budded in the corners of her eyes. “Why me? I’m mortal, Rezyl, I only have one life to live. And look where protecting people has gotten me so far.” She pulled her hand out of his, gently too his wrist, and pressed his hand to her shoulder. His fingers gently curled over the joint and his thumb brushed across the edge of her collarbone.
“Because you are more selfless and braver than all of the Guardians I know, because you have one life to live. It’s refreshing. Can you just promise me one thing?”
She laughed lightly and brushed away some of the tears with her sleeve. “I suppose,” she said with a smile.
“Stop putting yourself in so much danger. I won’t always be there to get you out of it.”
She laughed and leaned back on the bench. “I guess I can do that. If you can do something for me.” Rezyl’s smile was contagious and intoxicating as he nodded at her. “I’ll help you, Rezyl, as long as you can promise me that you’re different from the rest of them. I’ve seen too many Risen—Iron Lords and Warlords—abusing their Light to trust any of you fully. Prove to me that you’re different from the rest of them.”
He pulled his hand away from her shoulder and stood to his feet, then cast a brilliant smile her way. “I really hope that I can.” He took a few steps away to leave when he suddenly stopped and turned back to her. “Oh, right, you had something to say, too. What was it?”
Rilea looked up at him with the smile on her lips. “Thank you,” she started. “Thank you for saving my life. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to officially meet you.”