Edited by: Flubbykin
It took us quite some time to reach the village – the sun was slowly preparing to die behind a horizon, but for now, it basked the area in blood-red light. The village itself was both huge, and small. How? It was huge in terms of size, but most of it was covered in farming fields. If you would count the actual houses and other buildings – there were very few of them, maybe few dozens of people lived here. Forty? Fifty? More or less.
For a moment we stopped on the hill watching
- “Now, that’s what I call nostalgia.” Gis barely whispered “… I never thought that I would return here. I didn’t want to.”
- “If you want we can just sleep one night on the road. Tomorrow we would simply move around it.” I tried to be as much of a support for Giselle as only I could.
- “No. This is fine. I can’t… I can’t be running from my past forever. Just… don’t expect a warm welcoming.”
- “Why? You were that naughty?” Lana teased. She didn’t know what dragoness lived through.
- “You could say so. When I left the village I killed a person or two. Or dozen.” She said quietly.
Priestess eyes almost popped out, yet she didn’t ask any other question. She didn’t have to. Gis said rest by her own.
- “You know, back then I was six years old, yet as I am not human my body was quite developed. I was never treated nicely here… or you can actually say I was abused… long story short – one thing happened, that thing lead to another and I killed around ten people.”
- “At age of six?” Lana just couldn’t believe “…Even if you were physically able to do that, your mentality was still that of a child! What could possibly…”
- “Lana…” I hissed angrily. It was not a good time for having this kind of conversation.
- “The only person I loved died.” Dragoness tone was almost cheerful. As if she was bragging about one of her journeys “… Villagers that I killed were indirectly responsible for that. Even now as I see this place, my hands are itchy.”
Indeed. Her hands were hovering very close to her blade, ready to bring it in a split second.
- “Even now… I want to see this place burn.”
- “I bet your father would be proud hearing your words.” I said coldly.
She snapped back.
- “Indeed. You are right. So very right.” She slapped horses with reins lightly, forcing them to resume our slow journey onward.
We drive down from the hill, because of the time, villagers were just heading down from the fields, they spotted us from afar. The travelers must have been rare here, in the end this village was located quite far from the main traveling route (the one that got recently blocked. Fire spirits, remember?). This is why we caused quite an uproar. They were wondering who we are. Merchants? That wish to buy and sell some goods? Workers with would help them on the field? Or maybe just by-passers which will leave some coin at local inn?
The first who approached were kids, they came running to chase the cart to the village’s entrance. But, as they noticed who was riding on the cart, they stopped, turned around and ran back to the adults yelling something about the “lady that they were talking about”.
I thought that they would start acting mad. You know, yelling, setting torches on fire, bringing pitchforks – you know, regular villager stuff. Yet, they were just standing there quietly.
The cart stopped, dragoness jumped off it first.
- “Told you, not much to see here…” she said as she started walking past the people “… dirty huts, lots of fields, the barman sells drinks mixed with water… well, the previous one did. You know, after I left there was a vacancy on this particular job.”
She moved to one of the villagers.
- “Old man Henry?” she asked after a moment, as if she was trying to remember the name.
- “Yes, miss.”
- “Miss? You never called me this way before.”
- “We… needed some time to…”
- “Keep it to yourself. Where is mister Maso?” she cut his speech
- “He died. One year ago.”
- “Ohh.” She was actually taken aback.
From what I know there were only two more humans which were somewhat nice to her. She never talked much about her past, but it was rather obvious that the person she asked for just now was one of those two.
- “But miss Margaret still lives at the edge of the forest, so if you want to meet her… On the other hand, lately she got bit… hostile.”
- “Auntie Margaret?” Giselle squinted her eyes “… what did you do to her?!” she was on the edge of bursting.
- “Nothing! We promise! It’s just…”
- “If I would find out you laid a finger on her…” she pointed her finger on man’s chest and started walking onward, pushing him further and further till man’s back hit the wall of the house.
I quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her forcefully back – and I have to admit – that almost cost me an arm.
- “Giselle. Calm down.”
- “How can you say that!? Do you have any idea of what they…”
I delivered a fast slap on her cheek. And once again I believed that it hurt me more. The stinging-like burning sensation spread across my palm.
- “Better?” I asked in calm, reassuring tone.
- “Better.” She said after taking two or three deep breath “.. thanks babe.”
- “You are welcome. If you would need another slap feel free to ask. Might deliver it somewhere else though.”
I mocked her on purpose, for I know what was coming next. A quick jab in my gut. Now, we were even.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
- “Auntie. What’s with her.” Gis asked in a tone that didn’t really sounded like a question
- “Getting older. She has troubles with memory, she mixes potion, prefers being lonely, gets grumpy. We are afraid that…”
- “Don’t say that.” She hissed
- “She may not have much time left.” Man finished regardless.
I could almost hear how her stomach traveled to her throat. How she became speechless, how her mouth became dry in a split of a second. Just imagine – at the time you actually decided to face your past and deal with problems you discover that the people you counted on are gone. Or almost gone.
- “I see.” She said surprisingly calmly “… I see.” But I knew that she wasn’t calm at all.
She took few steps back, turned around and started walking – far away – to the single hut standing on the edge of the forest.
- “G-Giselle!” the man called “…W-we are… we are sorry! You didn’t deserve what…”
- “It’s not about me, bastards.” She hissed one last time. A single tear was dancing on her lashes “… I don’t care what would happen to me. I cared only for my mother!”
And she resumed her quick march never to turn back again.
I thought that maybe she would find here peace. That she could find here forgiveness. No, not for the village. I hoped she could forgive herself. Yet, as a fire mage I felt it. The flame burning deep in her guts. I had no idea how she managed to hold it back.
Maybe, just maybe, because she tried being better than her father. Or because she wanted to make her mother proud. Regardless of the reason, she did very well walking away.
We walked in complete silence for half of an hour. Lanele was trying to say something, every now and then she was opening her mouth, yet every single time she shut them remaining silent. She knew, that no matter how much she wanted to help, there were no words which would bring her comfort.
Eventually, we reached the hut and knocked the heavy, oak door.
- “Go away!” a screechy, rude voice answered us. The throat of voice’s owner was damaged, as if she was dehydrated for past few days “… I have told you! I don’t want any visitors, food or…”
Giselle pushed the door anyway.
- “Or… or…” the woman kept repeating herself after seeing dragoness.
Gis entered first, we stayed by the door. That conversation was supposed to be as private as possible. I already felt bad for eavesdropping.
- “Hello, auntie.”
Never before I heard Gis speaking in such light, almost delicate tone, as if she was afraid that mere words could harm her.
- “I am dying, am I not?” woman asked more to herself than anybody else “… Yesss. Death is a merciful mistress. She allows us to say farewells, even if to mere shadows of our imaginations… Giselle, love, you are just as beautiful as I thought you would be at this age… well, of course you do, you are just my fantasy.”
- “No, auntie. I am really here.” I heard as she walked toward the bed where the witch was laying. I heard her pouring a glass of water, I heard as she helped her sit and drink it.
- “Gis… is that you? Is that really you?”
I didn’t have to look inside to know that the older woman laid her weak hand on Gis’s cheek.
- “Yes auntie.”
- “I am sorry, child. I am so, so sorry.”
- “Why? Auntie!? Of all the people? You and mister Maso were the only ones who...”
- “I failed you the most.” She stopped her “…I was the bloody witch of this hellhole. I should have take both of you into my house, I should have force those bastards into treating you with respect… no, into worshiping you! The two of you suffered so much for our sake, and then you suffered because of our stupidity… My child, my poor, poor child…”
- “No! You are wrong! You were giving us food when we couldn’t afford it! You gave us potions and protection which…”
- “Protection?” the older lady coughed. That cough turned into gasping for air and finally into choking “… What my protection did to you?”
- “You gave me love on par with my mom! I will NOT forgive you, auntie, for there is nothing to forgive!”
- “Is that… is that really what you think?”
I sensed her life force. Her fire was dying. Mere minutes left before it would be extinguished forever. Yet, somehow, the embers of her existence light up in stronger fire. Like the body breaking itself in the last effort. Giselle’s presence gave her strength to carry on their last conversation.
- “My young child… tell me, what happened to you? What your life become? Are you happy? Are you safe?”
- “Yes, auntie. Papa Jericho was very harsh to me, but he raised me well. He showed me how to handle most of the weapons. I became adventurer, just like him, I am helping people in need you know? I… I am a hero.”
Something very light dropped on the floor. Water? Tiny drops of water?
I see. Gisele started crying.
- “I am diving into darkest dungeons, you know? I am fighting scary monsters and protecting weaker people. I have dedicated my life to this goal, you know?”
- “My little, little child. Always so selfless. Always so stubborn to help others. Even if you would pay for it with your own health… Your mother would be so proud of you.”
- “I hope so, auntie, I am doing my best.”
- “Of course you do, you always did. But… You should remember to take care of yourself too… It would be bad if you would overdo something…”
- “I don’t have to, auntie, I have someone who does thinking for me.” I knew she smiled weakly.
- “Oh? Is that so? You found yourself a boy?”
- “Yes, auntie.”
- “What is he like?”
- “He is an asshole…” she chuckled “… he keeps mocking me and is being really rude… But he always takes care of me, and I know that he is being mean because he worries about me. He is very smart, magician – like yourself, you would like him…”
- “I see… I am sad I won’t get to know him… a shame, indeed.”
I wouldn’t walk in even if Gis called me.
- “Let me look at you, child.”
The light flame started dying again.
- “Yes... You are strong. So very strong. Stronger than any of us could ever hope to be…”
- “I train daily, auntie…”
- “That’s not what I was talking about, love… I am talking about this…” she laid hand on her chest “… you are good, as good as I remember you to be. Your heart burns with the same flame that I remember from the past. Listen to me now, love, listen to me well. Never change. Be the way you are. If you love someone – kiss him, if you hate someone, hit him. Stay true with what makes you the person you are. If you are happy dance till your legs would hurt, if you are angry – yell at the gods so loud that they would hear you in skies and tremble before your wrath. Life is short. Too short. No matter if you live for a day like a fly or for millennia like elves. When the time would come, you will always regret that there were no more years in you life, no more days in your years, no more hours in your day. Don’t think, act, like you always did. I am so proud of you. I am happy, that for that short, short period I could partake in shaping a creature as beautiful as yourself… Giselle… my love… I just want you to know, that seeing how you bear all the pain, you made me… you made all of us – a better people. Even if we realized it too late, even if we were not grateful enough… I am happy, and I love you, like a daughter that I never had.”
- “I love you too auntie…”
But her flame was already cold
- “Hey, auntie? Do you hear me? I love you! So please! Don’t be sad! Just.. hey! HEY! Don’t close your eyes! D-don’t! Zari! Zari, please! Come here quickly! The auntie! Auntie…”
I entered the room and walked toward her. Gis was sitting on the ground by the bed, from this perspective she looked so little, so tiny and petite.
I kneeled by her and forced her face on my chest.
She understood what happened.
And she started yelling. She started throwing her hands in aimless hits, and most of them landed on me, yet, they were so chaotic that they caused no harm at all. She was yelling, screaming at the gods, cursing the sun and blaming the stars. I didn’t know if they could hear her and I didn’t know if the sky trembled.
All I knew, is that in front of me lies a little, tiny girl, a lost and confused child that lost yet another person she lover. Another chapter of her life was closed is a very sad way.
All I could do was tighten my embrace around her and offer warmness of my body.
- “It’s ok, my princess, it’s ok now. Whatever would happen, I am here with you.”
I felt a light pain, as if a tiniest heart was poking my heart. Seeing Gis like that almost broke my heart. She was not supposed to be like this. Seeing her not laughing was simply not right.
It’s fine thought. Cry now, love, soon, I will make you smile. I will make you smile, or die trying.