It was a battlefield. The soldiers were dragging their worn bodies. Nolan pulled his shield and threw it aside. It had holes on it so it was no use anymore.
“Nolan?” Ciara said.”
“Oh,” Nolan eyed Ciara. “Lady Ciara, I’ve never seen you, it has been five years.”
“You look awful,” Ciara said.
“I am,” Nolan nodded. “So you were here all the time?”
“Yes. I never thought I’d see you again. I thought...you guys were wiped out.”
“Yes, we were destroyed. No need to sugarcoat it, Lady Ciara.”
“I see. You have grown well, Nolan.”
“Hah, finally going to give in, my Lady?”
Her expression changed. She didn’t expect that answer.
“I thought you have given up.”
“Who said so?” he said. “I never did. Heck, part of the reason I am still standing because I want to see you. Looks like even in this dark world, there’d be some hope.”
“You do know that I have my duties.”
“I know. Doesn’t stop me from trying, sorry, I was turned stubborn by my family. Sorry.”
“I rejected you all these years, and you still keep clinging on my thighs. You know that I cannot be with anyone, and that won’t change.”
“You want to bet on that?” he said. “You already beat the shit of me for so many times, and even then you really did say that you hated it. Oh, and if you say it right now, then I wouldn’t believe you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“What’s not to understand? Here, let me tell you, Nolan Salvatore saw Ciara, and Nolan fell in love badly. To Nolan, it didn’t matter if she was burnt or not, and yes, Nolan has a thing for beautiful eyes, and a determined personality that would just spat at those who hate her. I like that.”
“Most would have given up, you know?”
“Not me,” he shook his head. “I never give up, and I never give in. I may fall today, but I will be standing up, and fighting again as long as I am not dead.”
“Don’t you get tired?”
“What about you? Do you get tired with the weight of the world on your back?”
“No, how could I?”
“See? How can I be tired when you are not? It would be shameful of me. Old Gil would kick my ass, Fez, and Ton would have murdered me.”
Her cheeks were redder than roses. She held on tightly to her hands.
“You are odd. Are you sure you fell for me not because of my burnt up body? Is it really the eyes?”
“I have no fetish for that.”
“Liar, no sane man would want me.”
“Oh please, don’t lie.”
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“They wanted my power, that’s all.”
“And I am genuine about my intentions.”
“You should really give up on me, Nolan. You are a good man, and you shouldn’t be so obsessed. With your appearance, I think women would want you.”
“Would you sleep with me?”
“I, what are you asking me?”
“Tsk, and besides, I am a loyal man. I just can’t give up on you, despite you stomping on the flowers I sent you, the love letters, the serenades, and the constant beating and telling me I am a creep, I just can’t give up. You have been rejecting me since then, and not once did we speak so much until today, honestly, my heart’s pounding, and I thank God I survive to experience the feeling of my crush chatting with me for a long time.”
“I just don’t understand this,” she said. “How many times do I have to reject you, Nolan Salvatore?”
“Who knows?” Nolan said. “I am asking why I would go this far, but to fall in love with the War Maiden that leads the heroes...that’s something I cherished greatly, knowing, that I had good eyes when it comes to women.”
“I think you are blind,” she said.
“Maybe?” he couldn’t help but smile. “I am really sorry, but I really can’t stop trying, my lady.”
“You don’t have to repeat that line,” Ciara said. “I get it, you won’t give up, and you are a strange person that fell in love with a burnt woman.”
“Yup, that should be it.”
She stared at him with cloudy eyes.
“So where are you going now?” Ciara said.
“Probably following your army, since we only have so few of us left.”
“I see. So, what do they call you now?”
“Excuse me?” Nolan said.
“I mean, you should be a veteran now, surely you have earned some nicknames?”
Nolan smiled, scratching the back of his head. “You really think too highly of me, milady. I may have survived this long, but it doesn’t mean that I have great titles like that. I only fight, like the guys with the same age as me, and like them, I am just a nobody, a soldier fighting for the war to save the light. I don’t have grand titles like that. If soldiers are given titles every time they last for years in the war, then there’d be so many heroes around.”
“I didn’t mean to offend,” Ciara said.
“Don’t worry,” Nolan said. “I don’t mind what they call me, or what their thoughts about me. I’m fine with the title that every soldier have in this current world.”
“Huh? Is that true?”
He looked at her. His eyes widened at the thought of her not knowing a common knowledge of the soldiers.
“Is that really odd? Everyone knows calls us like that, even the town folks know it.”
“I usually spend time with the officers...so I never knew despite the years. So what do they call those without titles but stand out?”
“Simply really, since most of us are soldiers who are ready to fight to the death, we are called just nobody. For example, they call me Nolan the Nobody, and this nobody doesn’t give up so easily. He would survive and fight for another day. Nolan the nobody is nothing special at all. The only good thing he has is that he had survived for too long.”
“Nolan the nobody...what an odd title.”
Ciara smiled and left for her tent, that smile of hers never leaving her face.