Kent wasn't home yet, but Kimen was certain that he would be back very soon. It had only been a couple days since the child had last seen him. The child sat in a chair next to an open window looking out into the street, book resting in his lap. This one was not for study this time, but for lesuire as Kimen felt he deserved something light after all that time spent studying and researching. His eyes however could not remain on the page for long though as he kept glancing outside, hoping to see the knight returning home from wherever he ventured off to. Kimen had a surprise waiting for him, after all and he was excited to present it to him.

Edmund stepped off the Truce ferry onto the docks of Shrike, and began walking down the streets towards Kent's forge. Slung over Edmund's shoulder was a large brown bag that was big enough that it was almost touched the ground beneath him. He sighed, realising who would most likely be there to answer the door, but, he couldn't let a death go unannounced. He had gone without any unexpected visits from the voice of the demon lord since the event, and he wasn't sure what to think about that. When Edmund finally arrived at the forge's entrance, he took a breath and knocked. "Excuse me, I noticed that you're closed, but, is there someone in there?"

With Kimen's anxious watch for Kent, Edmund had already been spotted approaching the forge long before he made it to the forge. Kimen put her book aside and hopped off of the chair, and made her way to greet him. "Mr. Edmund!" Kimen smiled cheerfully up at him as she opened the door. "I wasn't expecting to see you. Um... Mr. Kent isn't home at the moment. I thought he might have gone to see you but since you are here I guess not." She swung the door open further and stepped aside, welcoming Edmund to come inside. Kimen looked passed him briefly though, checking to see if maybe Kent was on his way and following just behind the man.

Edmund was worried that Kimen would be the one to answer the door, but he should have expected as much. Edmund took off the bag from his shoulders and knelt down in front of Kimen. He didn't really say anything. There was no point in trying to hide anything at first. Kimen was a smart child and they deserved to be spoken upfront to. He opened the bag, and pulled out Kent's gleaming sword. It was obvious the other object in the bag was his shield, judging by the shape. He offered the sword silently to Kimen.

The child merely stared as he tried to understand Edmund's actions, not comprehending the significance at first. Kimen hesitently took the sword being offered to him, the heavy weight of it much more obvious once it was in the child's hands. "Mr. Edmund?" He tilted his head to the side then looked down at the weapon, then back at the man. His expression portraying nothing but confusion and concern as he tried to understand what was going on. "This is Mr. Kent's sword."

"This is the sword of a knight of the Legio Aurea," Edmund responded with, "It's the weapon of a true soldier that understands the risks, and is willing to do anything for a cause they believe in." He looked into Kimen's eyes, not wanting to say much more. "It was Sir Kent's sword, and he very much earned to keep it every single day, whether he believed it or not."

Kimen's brows knit. It was at this point that the child was beginning to understand thought every part of her being simply denied it. "M-Mr. Edmund." She swallowed, trying to let his words and actions mean what she thought it meant. Surely it was something else. It had to be. "This sword is really important to Mr. Kent! You should return it to him. H-he needs it back." Kimens hands shook a little as she held the sword back to him. Her eyes met with his. They were wide, and displaying all her fear and pain despite how calm Kimen was trying to be. In reality it felt more like she had just been punched in the stomach. "Please... give it back to him, Mr. Edmund."

Kimen remained silent for a long time. Standing numbly with his eyes fixed on Kent's sword and shield now resting against the stand. He could do nothing else but fight to keep his emotions calm and breathing steady as he tried to deny the reality of the situation he had found himself in. your question merely prolongued this pause as Kimen was still trying to sort through the present. His mind fumbled and groped at memories, throat tightening as he recalled each one with Kent. "Fear is a powerful tool." He said hoarsely, "But also a dangerous one." Kimen's eyes never left the sword and shield as he spoke.

A soft, reminiscent smile came across Edmund's face. "He would say something like that, wouldn't he?" He turned around, and anything that resembled joy was gone as quickly as it came. "But, it's exactly the kind of thing everyone needs to know. Kimen, Kent had forgotten his fear. He was blinded by living in the past. You see..." He sighed once more, "I... I told him of a demon that I knew, and... he just ran off. Immediately, all the teachings he had memorized from his past all came rushing back. I couldn't stop him..." Edmund didn't like speaking of it in such a way, but, it was the truth. "He wasn't prepared for the guardian that the demon had, and he died in his quest." Edmund looked up with a determination. "Kimen, remember your fear. Nobody is invincible. And, please, remember, hatred and revenge never works out in the end. It only makes you forget who you are."

The words being said. Kimen shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "No." She said, voice nothing but a strained whisper, "That's not true. It... can't be." She wrapped her arms about herself, squeezing tightly as if trying to to stop her whole world from falling apart. "He is not dead. He is not dead. You heard wrong." A single tear slipped down Kimen's cheek, the first to escape of the many she was trying to hold at bay. "Mr. Kent isn't dead. He can't be! He... he..." Kimen's words words were choked back by a sob, and two more tears fell. "He isn't. You'll see... he cant. ...He just can't!" Because it hurt too much to believe.

Edmund stood with a straight face as he watched. It showed concern, but not sadness. After a few moments, he spoke again, "Kimen, I'm sorry. There's no bringing him back. I've scried for him, but I can't find any trace of his life anywhere." He fell silent again before he asked a question, "Kimen, do you have anyone else to look after you? Mr. Jinsaka or somebody else in Shrike? I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone after having heard such news."

Kimen covered his ears, not wanting to listen to your claims, "I... I don't need anyone to look after me! I TOLD YOU HE IS NOT DEAD!" He cried out, sinking down to the floor and curling up into a ball. He shivered and shook as he quietly repeated his words over and over again, as if saying them enough times would make them true. "He's not. He's not. He's not. He's not. He's not..." Eventually, those words fell away to sobbing. And Kimen just remained there on the floor, crying.

Edmund was having a bit of trouble watching this. He turned his head to Kent's writing desk, which had a few verses written down and a half-finished holy book he had been doing in his spare time. As his eyes scanned the room, he realised how many things here were influenced by the knight and the life he had liven. It was no place to leave Kimen alone. Instead, Edmund merely crossed his legs, sat down, and waited for Kimen to speak again. His silver tongue didn't know what to say, so instead, he opted for simply being there. For someone to be there.

Everything felt surreal, as if this was all a part of some horrible nightmare and Kimen just had not woken up yet. She wanted to wake up though. She wanted to slip out of her bed and creep down the hall and hear Kent's snoring in his room. She would make breakfast for the two of them. And when he finally woke to the smell of food and wandered into the kitchen she would run to him give him a hug and forget all about this dream. Cruely though, Kimen was not waking up. The tears continued for a long time and the child made no effort to stop them. It was only when they had run dry and the child was to the point of hiccuping that Kimen finally looked up with swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks. She simply gave you a pained look, sniffling.

Edmund nodded. He understood the pain. The pain of not having someone there. The pain of seeing someone you cared about being torn out of your life and being left alone in the world. He hoped that Kimen understood that. Regardless, he didn't say anything. His nod was enough until there were words to speak again.

He didn't want to accept it, but this was reality. He couldn't keep ignoring it, but it was still painful to acknowlege -- excrutiatingly so. Kimen held his breath, hoping to quell the hiccups. His eyes drifting back to the sword and shield that once belonged to the man who he thought of like a father and suddenly he felt terribly alone.
Edmund stood up and looked down at Kimen. His hands fell pathetically by his side and he saw the crying child. He never had to talk to children before, generally he was treated as the child being talked down to. "Kimen, would you like me to stay for awhile? If not, I can leave you alone and make sure that some people drop by occasionally to keep you company."

Kimen stood up slowly and wordlessly, taking one long look at the house and all of Mr. Kent's belonging. She couldn't stay here alone, the idea of doing so at the moment seemed unbareable and yet, at the same time... "Mr. Edmund," Her words were soft, but held no inflection. "I don't want to impose upon you...but..."

"In your state, there's no such thing as imposing, Kimen. Feel free to ask whatever you wish." Edmund began to walk towards the door before he turned around to listen to Kimen's request.

As you started to make his way towards the door, Kimen followed feeling numb. One arm still wrapped tightly around himelf while the other wiped at his eyes in an effort to clear away any lingering wet drops on his chin.

Edmund understood. He didn't attempt to make conversation on the way towards Truce. He just needed to know that Kimen was safe. It was a shame that out of all of the potential casualties in this ordeal, it had to be Kimen specifically that was effected. Edmund was going to have some trouble living with this, but he always did. Somehow, Edmund always found a way to live with himself.