Non Serviam Chapter 14

A/N: This is a backpost of a chapter that I was missing

Chapter 14: Take Me to Church

“She only eats when you’re here,” Rias said.

I frowned. “Only?”

“Mmhm.” Rias sighed, idly flicking through a copy of The Art of War that Mittelt had thrown at her the other day. “Can you believe that Mittelt said that this book was ‘written for idiot nobles playing at war, just like you’? I feel attacked.”

I waited for her to continue about Asia, but instead she continued reading. I almost bought the disaffected look, but a moment later, her eyes flicked over to me then froze when our gazes met.

“You’re really trying to manipulate me?” I folded my arms.

Rias pouted. “Is it working?”

After picking up Asia from the airport, I’d informed Rias that we’d be staying at the condo in Kuoh until Asia decided otherwise. I’d expected pushback on that, but her only response had been a thumbs up sticker followed by a text to let me know I could use my card to buy whatever we needed.

Asia had grown…somewhat attached since then.

I made sure to check in with her twice a day at least, and I’d introduced her to the rest of the peerage as people she could trust or else they’d break my trust, but she hadn’t yet clicked. Koneko’s silent stare made Asia wilt, and she didn’t seem to know what to do at all with Kiba.

Nothing else needed to be said about Akeno and Mittelt.

Still, despite my decision to take Asia under my wing, I had other obligations. I’d shifted my class schedule accordingly and begged off of Rias’s supernatural side of the college until further notice.

To which Rias had replied, “That’s fine, that’s fine! Take care of your pure maiden! Honestly, Sona’s been talking to me about what we need to do to turn the college into a ‘rating games school worth of her name,’ and I think that would actually be pretty neat if we—”

Or something to that effect.

I got the feeling the kids were rooting for me for once. I was having trouble with…being the insider and helping another reticent young girl adjust to her new life with devils.

It made me feel unclean.

“If something’s wrong with Asia, just tell me,” I said. “Maybe save manipulation until after Mittelt hits you with The Prince.”

“More studying? Mou…” Rias pouted for a moment longer before dropping her playful demeanor and straightening in her seat. “I’m sorry but, I just…feel so useless with Asia.”

“You did well enough with me.”

Rias frowned at me. “Asia is completely different.”

I couldn’t argue. Really, I felt like Rias wouldn’t even want Asia as part of her peerage with the reticence, but now that Asia had been dumped on her lap, Rias felt responsible. The similarities to my own situation ended there. Asia was too meek to even try to strike out on her own, despite her fear of devils.

“You haven’t thrown Gaspar at her?” I asked.

Rias sighed. “He’s afraid of the clergy. They remind him of vampire hunters.”

“Ah.” I nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you!” Rias swamped me with another hug. I patted her back, but mentally, I was already focusing on this new problem.

Around me, Asia had seemed like she was adjusting. She was smiling more. I’d taken her to a few little boutique shops in Kuoh and she’d enjoyed a lot of Japanese sweets. She seemed flattered by the locals asking her for pictures, even. Even with the number of devils in Kuoh, blonde hair was incredibly uncommon.

Asia not eating unless I made her? A far worse sign.

It didn’t help with my internal conflict. If anything, I only felt more complicit in the system I wanted to escape.

So, what were two conflicted girls gonna do? The answer came to me so quickly I laughed.

“Hmm?” Rias peeked up at me, chin resting on my collarbone. “What’s funny, Tay?”

“I’m gonna take her out of the city,” I told Rias.

“Mmm. Okay. Make sure to bring someone with you for protection.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Well, I won’t make you.” Rias took a step back. “But it would make me feel better about your safety.”

“Now you’re manipulating me again,” I replied.

“Am not!” She stomped her foot. “I’m telling you how your actions would make me feel, if you feel manipulated by it, that just means you care. So there!”

Her playful pout couldn’t contain a grin leaking out of the corners of her mouth. I struggled against that thought valiantly, before letting out a sigh.

“I’ll ask Letty.”

It’s not like I was planning to run away.

“Great!”

This time, after I picked up Asia, we went to the train station instead of taking a car, because Asia loved the trains. I didn’t mention Letticia, who had agreed to shadow us from a distance.

“The girl needs some toughening up,” she’d said.

“Tell that to Rias,” had been my reply.

Letty had bowed her head to that. “Too kind for her own good.”

On that we could agree. Rias was too kind for my own good as well.

At the station, Asia hummed happily to herself as our train arrived. “It’s great that they’ve fixed the trains,” she said.

“Oh?” I guided her gently to the women’s car. Asia stiffened if any other devil moved in her direction, but she seemed to like it when I directed her. “What did they fix?”

“When I—” A pause, a tremble of clasped fingers. “When I left Rome, I had to take a train, and it was so late we almost got—we almost missed my flight. It’s good to see that the trains are on time again!”

She patted the seat next to her happily, as if petting a dog.

“Do the trains in Italy usually run slow?”

“Hmm?” Asia tilted her head at me, blonde hair glinting in the morning light. “I don’t know, I never rode one before.”

I took a moment to digest that, before replying, “You’ll be pleased to note that in Japan, the trains always run on time.”

She giggled. “Okay.”

I expected her to ask where we were headed, but instead, Asia just turned to look out the window as the train slowly left Kuoh behind, stop by stop. I’d decided to leave right after my talk with Rias, which had turned into the early morning on Earth. The whispering rasp of the wheels against the tracks formed a soft lullaby that almost lulled me back to sleep before we reached our stop.

“Here,” I told Asia. “We’re almost there.”

She followed happily, taking a small can of green tea without complaint as we left the station.

I’d taken us a town and half over, only about thirty minutes by rail. From there, we had just a long enough walk for Asia to finish her tea before we arrived at our destination.

“…Is this?” Asia seemed almost unsure what to say at first.

“There aren’t any churches in Kuoh.” I looked up at the small, whitewashed building. They looked different than I remembered, an ocean and a world away. “This was the closest one. It looks like we even made it in time for the service.”

Asia jolted, eyes jerking to me. She stared silently, seemingly unable to form words.

After a moment, I laughed. “Well? Want to go inside.”

“Is that…can we do that?”

“Why not?” I said. “It’s why we came.”

“Why did we come though?”

“Because where to people go, when they’re lost?”

To church.

That’s what I’d realized this morning with Rias.

Asia started towards the church, steps unsure. I placed a hand on her back again, slowly shepherding her across the empty street.

“Won’t it hurt?” Asia asked.

“If I need to leave, I’ll wait outside,” I replied.

Again, the two of us drew several glances, but here, Asia’s traditional habit fit right in. Several other women wore simple lace veils over their hair, and no one said a word as I escorted Asia through the doors.

Over my shoulder, I saw Letty watching us from the roof across the street for a moment before she flickered from sight.

Within the church, I exceeded my expectations by not immediately bursting into flame. I felt a pressure along my skin, like slipping underwater, but it didn’t hurt. Asia dipped her fingers in a small basin of water by the door as if by rote, before sinking to one knee and making the sign of the cross.

I blinked, half-forgotten memories slowly filtering back to me. I didn’t test the holy water, but I did genuflect—the word came back to me—before following Asia to the nearest pew. She gave me a confused look, to which I could only reply, “I went to church with my grandmother, before.”

Asia nodded. She folded down the kneeler before settling onto it, hands clasped, elbows on the back of the pew in front of us. Her lips began to move in near silent prayers.

Those gave me the occasional jolt, like pulling on a zap toy. Easy enough to ignore as the rest of the congregation slowly filtered into the building.

The church was small, only one aisle between two rows of pews, six deep. The windows were clear, except for the one behind the altar, which showed a scene I didn’t recognize in stained glass. Despite that, the people didn’t fill the room. Instead, one or two families took up each pew, leaving generous space in between them.

The priest walked out from a small door behind the altar, and the service began.

It hurt.

I was expecting it to hurt. I thought I could handle it, like I’d handled Freed, or my own prayers.

I was an idiot.

I lasted until the gospel, before quietly squeezing Asia on the shoulder, and doing my best not to stagger out of the doors. On the street, now half past seven, I pressed my back against the wall, sucking in gasps of air and trying not to sweat through my shirt.

“Jesus Christ.” The stab of that, my own words, was nothing by comparison. One time, I thought I’d experienced true, ten-out-of-ten pain. I wasn’t sure where I’d put this experience on my scale.

No lower than a nine.

I heard a soft tap as Letticia landed on the ground next to me. Somehow, no one on the street noticed. “You lasted longer than I thought you would.”

I ran a hand down my face. “How did Devils survive the war, if twelve people reciting the ‘Our Father’ feels like that?

“Battlefields are noisy things.” Letty shifted, skirt and petticoats shifting around her boots. “And death, the ultimate silence.”

I gave her another look at that. She seemed at ease, this close to the church. I wonder if she’d been on those battlefields, and witnessed the silence thereafter.

“It felt worse than with Freed.”

“His words are not a weapon,” Letticia told me. “Using them as such cheapens them.”

“Huh.”

“Did you find what you need?” she asked.

“I did this for Asia,” I replied.

Letty stared at me, eyes grey as slate and equally unimpressed.

I tilted my head back to look at the clear blue sky. “I don’t know what I was looking for.”

We waited in silence until the service ended. Asia exited the doors and immediately found me. This time, she didn’t even shy away from Letty.

“Taylor!” Asia clasped my hands. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now.” The pain faded quickly. “How about you?”

She smiled, bright and free. “Thank you for bringing me!”

“We can come again, if you want,” I said. “Next time…I might wait outside.”

“Of course!” Asia squeezed my fingers. “Oh, thank you so much!”

She bounced with excitement, pausing only as her stomach growled loudly.

“Hungry?” I asked.

Asia blushed. “Maybe, we could get something here, before heading back?”

“Sure.” I pushed myself off the wall. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Can we…” Asia pressed her feet against the sidewalk bashfully. “Can we go to the crepe stand…?”

“I would love to go to the crepe stand, Asia,” I said.