Aien saw an ocean. Pure blue from west to east. There were ships far away, pushed by a gentle breeze.

The large sea was above him… Was he falling? No… it is the sky, it seems. He found himself lying on a couch of white sheets. Was this Heaven?

Someone talked to him: “So you’re alive! How do you feel?”

“Alright, I think, but dizzy. Who may you be?” Aien answered.

“I am a medic.”

He looked around: there were people, more or less moving, more or less alive.

“You’ve been hurt badly... ” the medic said.

“I do feel pain indeed. Mostly my belly and my back, but about everywhere.”

There was a large and deep scar on his whole stomach… In fact, it went all the way around him.

“You’ve been cut in half. That’s a rare sight, especially in caving,” said the medic.

“I remember… there were light beams… But what about my team?”

“They left a while ago for their homes.”

“And what about the team we went to save?”

“Back too.”

“For how long have I been here?”

“Three months, I’d say.”

“Three…?”

His body was skinny and weak, as if no food went in for ages.

“Tissues take time to reconnect, even with magic,” said the medic.

“Your reward for the mission has already been sent to your home,” he added.

“My reward…?”

Wait, this was bad! His wife might have found out what he did! She wasn’t supposed to know before he told her. Plus, he should have come back only after a week, not three months…

“They should have given it to you, but you weren’t in shape, so they sent it. There were some medals and a lot of money as compensation. Oh, and they said the following :

“Courage is not the absence of fears, it is the ability to confront those fears. Heroism is the will to confront the fears of others.”

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“You won’t have to care about money for a while, it seems. How about you take some vacations?” said the medic.

“But the demons are still under us!” said Aien.

“It’s fine. They claimed the one you killed was most likely some kind of leader. They started studying the new species right away to find countermeasures to its attacks.”

“So the surface is safe?”

“In this area, most likely.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“At your service, Hero, sir.”

“I wish to go home. How do I leave?”

“Well, the carriages left two weeks ago, and the next caravan is in a week.”

“I would prefer to go home now. I’ll walk if I must.”

“You don’t mean it! You should recover for a few more days.”

“I can’t.”

He got up on his feet. He was so weak, he stumbled.

“Alright, fine. But at least take that.”

He gave him a crutch to help him walk, with some food in a light bag.

“Thank you, doctor.”

“If you’re asked, you don’t know me.”

“Alright.”

“May you find happiness where you head.”

“I already have.”

So he walked along the roads, one step at a time, helping himself with the wooden stick. He did many pauses, sitting on the side of the paths, eating from his bag, breathing the fresh air. It is really when you stop having access to something as simple as fresh air that you understand the value of it. We don’t know what we have until we lose it.

His wife must have believed he was dead… And she knew he was lying to her about his life. She must have been so mad… Or so sad… He didn’t even say goodbye properly.

At least she knew he was a Hero! That’s what he desired… He wanted her to be proud of being his wife… But what was the point if he died?

She must have cried.

Finally, a wooden cart driven by two horses passed by Aien on the road. He asked for a trip. The driver kindly accepted. He was a farmer, like him.

After a few hours, they arrived at Aien’s village. The evening set, and they started seeing the ocean of stars.

He was in front of his home. He paid his new friend with whatever he had left in his bag, then he petted the animals as thanks. The chariot then left, quietly, in the falling night.

He was in front of his door… An old brown wooden gate he had pushed so many times, and yet, for an instant, he thought he would never see again.

But then, he doubted.

Maybe she was mad… What if she hated him? She must have been hurt so much… Maybe her love was just gone? Did he still exist for her? Should he just go away? She would find someone else who will treat her better than he did.

Then, he heard fast steps behind him.

He turned around to see.

She jumped on him.

He lost balance, and they both fell on the green summer grass.

She hugged him tight, crying in his arms and the warm breeze.

THE END.

Thank you for reading

O.Tourres

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