Gracefall Chapter 8: Mercy

Read chapter 8 of Gracefall by arsy on NovelPedia.

They could see two men clad in steel armor, a sword at their hip as they pushed the gates open. In the middle of it stood a woman clad in white. Unlike the other two opening the gate doors, she had no armor. She had her right arm on her hip while her left arm rested on the pommel of her sword as she gazed at the two strangers. After a brief moment of silence, she gestured for them to come in with her head. Lucia and Ishkiel exchanged a few glances before they eventually walked up to the woman. The gate then shut behind them. The woman appeared to be about the same age as Lucia. She had long, refined gray hair down to waist length, cheerful round eyes with ashy irises, porcelain skin, and soft, elegant facial features. She was wearing a knee-length white dress with long cuffed sleeves and a loose skirt, white lace-up ankle boots, a gray leather belt around her waist, and a sword in a silver scabbard at her side. Lucia’s gaze lingered on her gleaming sword for a few moments. ‘A relic?’ Sticking out of the silver scabbard was a straight guard ending in sharp ends, a rough grip in the shape of a cylinder, and an oval-shaped pommel. along the hilt were intricate filigree-like engravings. Lucia then slid her eyes up to the woman’s silver hair. Something felt off…There was a faint glow around her head. When Lucia tried to focus on it, she felt subtle vibrations atop her head and noticed a slight ringing in her ears. She quickly lowered her gaze to look at the woman’s cheerful face, and when she did, the vibrations disappeared. The woman looked at the two of them with a smile on her face. Suddenly, before Lucia could think about the peculiar glow, the two guards from the gate began patting them down. A few moments later, they backed away and turned to the woman. “Other than their swords, all good. Lady Mercy.” Lucia threw a glance at the guard after hearing the unfamiliar name. ‘Lady Mercy?’ Mercy nodded at the guards. “Great, thank you!” The two guards bowed before walking back to the gate. The woman clad in white then turned toward the strangers. “So... Lucia and Ishkiel from Luminara, huh? I had heard that a winged humanoid creature decimated that city and its inhabitants.” Ishkiel blinked a few times before responding. “The city is pretty ruined, yes.” The woman’s gaze jumped between the two of them. “Well, first of all, Welcome to Starfall!” She said, lifting her right hand to point toward the bright sky. “As you can see, our sky is filled with stars, even during the day!” The two of them lifted their heads. Lucia smiled softly. “Quite beautiful, I must say.” Mercy chuckled. They gazed at the stars for a moment before looking back down. Suddenly, Mercy’s face turned solemn. “Anyway, the two of you...” she said, lifting her hand once more and pointing at them. “Are going to tell me exactly how you got here from Luminara.” A soft smile on her face. “But first...” she said as she leaned forward, elegantly bowing as the skirt of her dress swayed around her legs. The subtle glow atop her head now gone. “I am Lady Mercy, but you may simply call me Mercy.” Lucia and Ishkiel nodded, returning her smile. She then straightened up. Gazing down at Ishkiel’s ankle, she made a complicated expression. “Shall we get you fixed up?” “...Yes, please!” he replied. Shifting her gaze to his face, she said, “What do you say we get you two some food and shelter, then?” The two of them looked at each other and then back to Mercy. Lucia nodded. “Yes, sounds great! I’m starving...” Ishkiel giggled. “Yeah, me too!” Mercy’s gaze jumped between the two of them. “All right, follow me you hungry monsters!” The three of them chuckled. They stopped after a brief moment. Looking at them, Mercy smiled before turning around. She then began walking into the city. Lucia and Ishkiel swiftly followed her. The three of them walked on a cobblestone street, countless buildings along the way. Most of them were dark-colored two to three story brick buildings, with pointy tri