Chapter 27: My Last Gift

Arcane sat in a cavern sealed by a sheet and magic with the sleeping form of the once Rose Princess, now Rose Queen. It had only been a few minutes since they arrived at this ‘safe’ location, and Arcane had just undone the magic that kept the princess asleep. The girl was already stirring, shaking her head and twitching in her sleep. After a few minutes she gasped and jumped to her feet, her claws extended and ears laid back.

“We’re safe.” Arcane said softly, watching as Annabelle looked around and sheathed her claws. The elfbeast girl did not completely relax, but she let herself put down her guard enough to talk. “Stay here.” Arcane continued as Annabelle walked towards the sheet.

“Why should I talk to you?” Annabelle growled. “You knocked me out somehow, didn’t you?”

“That’s correct.” Arcane agreed easily.

Annabelle whirled around and snarled at her, but stopped leaving. “So you want to talk now? Is that it? Are you going to give me some excuse for what you did? Well, I don’t want to hear it.” Annabelle crossed her arms and sniffed, looking away from Arcane but obviously listening for an apology or something.

“I’m leaving.” Arcane ignored what Annabelle had said, and simply stated what she intended to at the beginning. The elfbeast girl whirled around and stared at her, but Arcane continued before she could say anything. “This is the last chance we will have to talk in this life.”

“... Are you so sure I will lose?” Annabelle wondered aloud.

Arcane merely smiled back. “No. Even if you win, you will not be able to follow me where I am going.”

“The great desert is not so vast! If you can cross it once, then we will be able to…” Annabelle protested, but she was cut off by Arcane’s firm voice.

“Annabelle.” The Rose princess fell silent. “Sit, please.”

Annabelle looked at her for a long time, then walked over to the bed she had been sleeping on and sat down again. Arcane remained perched on a chair at the table, her hands folded in her lap and her back straight. The two looked at each other for a long time, before Annabelle broke the silence by raising her voice.

“Explain.”

Arcane nodded in agreement. “It is time for me to leave. The circumstances surrounding it are beyond either of our control; and my destination is not somewhere you can reach within your lifetime. Thus, this is indeed the last chance we will have to speak like this.”

“... how can you be so sure?” Annabelle asked, though inwardly she believed that the girl in front of her was speaking the truth. She did not know why or how she knew that, only that she believed it was.

Arcane herself watched the Rose Princess, softly shaking her head. “I cannot answer that.”

“I thought you hated secrets?” Annabelle argued.

“It is not my secret to share.” Arcane replied, truthfully though only barely.

“... So you’ll leave me, too.” Annabelle grieved, hanging her head. “So be it then… I’ll be fine on my own.”

Arcane looked at her, then looked towards the wall. “I couldn’t save your father.” She said softly.

“... I don’t believe you.” Annabelle snorted. “You’re strong; strong enough to kill the Black Prince. Of course you could have saved him.”

Arcane didn’t say anything, but shook her head softly. “Strength isn’t everything, Annabelle. No matter how strong we are, no matter how many people we kill, we still must bow to fate.”

“Don’t give me that.” Annabelle scoffed in reply. “We’re cultivators; we defy fate every day.”

Arcane did not reply, but bowed her head in apology. “I am sorry, Annabelle.”

“I don’t want your apology!” Annabelle shouted, jumping to her feet. “I want my father back!”

Arcane said nothing, but the former Rose princess started pacing around the room and worked herself up on her own. “I wanted Papa to see me grow up, I wanted him to congratulate me when I reached eighth tier. He would have been so proud, he always was. I wanted to get married, to a handsome and kind prince who would treat me gently like Papa treated mama. I wanted to have friends who treated me like equals, who weren’t afraid of my position but liked me for who I am. I wanted things to be normal! Was that too much to ask? Was it too much to want a nice, normal family life? Why did I have to be so talented, why did you have to show up, why did that black prince have to be so cruel? Why is life so unfair! Tell me, Arcane! Answer me! You always act like you know everything, so tell me!”

Panting, the Rose princess stopped right in front of Arcane, pointing at the girl before her with an outstretched claw. Arcane gently reached out and pulled the paw down, back to Annabelle’s side. “I do not know.”

“...” Annabelle remained silent, and Arcane gently shook her head towards the despondent girl in front of her.

“I don’t know why the world is unfair; I just know it is. No matter what it is we want, no matter how much we work towards success, there is always the chance that bad things will happen and destroy everything we worked so hard to build. There’s nothing we can do but accept that, and work hard again once it’s over.”

“That’s it?” Annabelle asked, collapsing onto the bed again. “That’s all you’ve got?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Arcane replied, nodding slowly.

“... That’s nothing. I’ve lost everything, do you hear me? Everything. My father… Papa’s dead. Jasmina, the first real friend I made, was killed because of me. My kingdom’s in ruins. Everyone I could trust is already killed, and all I have left are bootlickers and stupid nobles who just know how to avoid fighting. And then there’s you…” Annabelle paused and glared at Arcane. “I thought I could trust you, you know? I thought that if anything bad happened, you’d protect me, but Papa was right. I can’t trust you. I don’t know what you’re going to do, or what you want.”

“It hurts, you know?” Annabelle continued, shaking her head while clenching her paws. “To have that trust betrayed. I can almost see why some people say not to trust anyone. I don’t think I can take it again. For everyone I care about to turn against me. It really sucks… I hate it. But I guess I have nothing left to lose now.”

“If you believe that, you are a fool.” Arcane said sternly, yet without any trace of anger.

“How can I not?!” Annabelle wailed. “Tell me, what else do I have to lose?”

Arcane stood and threw the sheet aside, revealing a cave filled with elfbeasts huddled together, ragged and tired. “Look at them, Annabelle. Tell me, what do you see?”

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Annabelle glanced out and then thrust the sheet back into place. “A bunch of weaklings not even strong enough to die when they should. Just like me.”

“...” Arcane glared at her, then shook her head. “They aren’t like you at all. Every one of them lost more than you did. Brothers, sons, husbands, fathers… do you know how many corpses were left around that city of yours? Too many to count. Every one of them lost someone important to them, many more. They also lost their homes, their jobs, their food, their belongings.”

“Just like me.” Annabelle argued with a glare.

“Then why are they still moving, Annabelle? Why do they pick themselves up and march on? Do you think they expect their families to come back from the grave, their houses to be unburned? Of course not!” Arcane raised her voice slightly, but remained calm and determined. “They believe in something, Annabelle. They know their princess lives; they know their kingdom can survive. They believe that all their losses meant something.”

“They didn’t.” Annabelle snarled, slamming the table with her paw. “They died for nothing! The king is dead, the kingdom fallen! It’s over!”

“Perhaps it is, if you believe that.” Arcane replied, her voice soft again.

“What in the blazes do you mean by that?!” Annabelle shouted, rising to her feet again.

“That you are weaker than those peasants sitting out there.”

“You!!!”

“Listen, Annabelle!” Arcane snapped, pointing at the furious red head in front of her. “Every one of those people is still fighting, still determined to go on. They know there’s not much hope, they know how unlikely winning is, but they’re still fighting. Why aren’t you!?”

“How should I?” Annabelle wailed again, throwing her paws up in despair. “How can I fight the Black Prince, strongest cultivator in the world? It’s a fool’s errand. I can’t beat him. Nobody can.”

“Then don’t fight him alone. Gather allies, get stronger, find his weakness and seize it. It doesn’t matter. Just fight. If not for yourself, then for all those people who believe in you.” Arcane ordered, closed eyes boring into Annabelle.

“...” Annabelle remained silent for a while. Arcane did so as well, before making two cups appear in front of them and filling them both with water.

Annabelle took one, then grimaced as she drank. “Plain water?”

“My tastes, not yours.” Arcane replied impartially.

“I see.” she took another drink then shook her head. “Not so bad, honestly.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re really leaving?”

“Unfortunately.”

The pair sat in silence for a while. Finally, Annabelle nodded her head in agreement.

“Alright then.” She said suddenly. “Good riddance, then.”

“Still angry?” Arcane asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you blame me?” Annabelle replied with a similar expression.

Arcane thought about it for a second then shook her head.

“When are you leaving?” Annabelle asked, not looking at Arcane.

“I have some time left.” Arcane said back.

“... You can’t tell me how much?”

“Less than an hour.”

“I see.” Annabelle said, then drained her cup. “... I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Arcane asked, tilting her head.

“For… everything, over the past few days. I may not know why, but I’m sure you would have saved papa if you could. And… even if you chose not to, you still saved me and prevented the Prince from getting everything he wanted.” Annabelle explained, still looking away from Arcane.

“... This is unexpected.” Arcane commented, sipping her drink calmly while shaking her head.

“I’ve been acting like a blazing bull lately, haven’t I?” Annabelle smiled wryly. “I guess what I’m really trying to say is, thank you. For everything.”

“... I did what I did for my own reasons.” Arcane said, shaking her head to decline the thanks.

“Probably.” Annabelle said with a smile. “At first, I’m sure of it. But recently… I don’t think saving me was in your best interests, or helping everyone evacuate when I was acting like a child. So, sincerely, thank you, Arcane.”

Arcane bowed her head silently, saying nothing.

The two continued to drink while watching time flow, until Arcane reached to her back and pulled something off of it. Annabelle’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw what it was.

“Those artifacts…” Annabelle muttered in wonder. “They were invisible?”

“Not exactly.” Arcane corrected, holding Elucidation in her hands. “It’s close, though.”

The cyan haired girl looked at the blade closely, then set it on the table. Annabelle watched her, uncertain what was coming but eyeing the sword with fervent intensity.

“It’s name is Elucidation.” Arcane said, pushing it close to Annabelle, who reached out to touch it.

“Elucidation…” she muttered. “What does it mean?”

“To explain, or make comprehensible.” Arcane answered, then added. “Literally it can be translated as ‘to throw light upon’.”

“A sword of light… a fitting name.” Annabelle replied, smiling down at it.

Arcane watched her gently, then pushed the sword away from her. “A drop of blood on the jewel in the hilt, and insert a bit of your cultivation into the blade.”

“What?” Annabelle asked in shock.

“It’s twin I bound to myself, but the other I simply kept so that anyone could use it.” Arcane continued, looking at the blade softly. “Annabelle… the strength you thought you needed, if this will suffice…”

“There’s no way I can use this!” Annabelle yelled.

“It’s surprisingly easy, actually.” Arcane smiled. “You’ll know once you try it.”

“Arcane… how can I ever repay…” Annabelle stammered, but Arcane smiled and waved her off.

“It’s a gift. My last gift to you; the only thing you thought you lacked. It should raise your strength to the eighth tier; then you can fight that prince as an equal. Be careful, though… even as equals, you might not win.” Arcane explained in a soft voice, standing up and walking towards the sheet doorway. “Still, this gives you a chance to try. It’s all I can do… I wish you the best, my friend.”

“Arcane… This gift, I do humbly accept.” Annabelle said, standing up and grabbing Arcane’s hand. “I will kill that prince, with your aid. Thank you… thank you so much.”

Arcane looked back at her, smiling and full of hope. She frowned. “... I fear it will not be enough. You alone will be in grave danger if you fight him.”

“I have to. For my father.” Annabelle said, her face grim and determined. Seeing that, Arcane sighed and shook her head.

“Fine. Then, I have one last request.”

“Name it.” Annabelle replied instantly.

“If, heavens forbid, you fail; if your enemy is beyond you, and all hope is lost; if you must triumph, and there is no hope for survival but straight ahead…” Arcane started, her voice soft but firm. “Call my name, and ask. I don’t know if it will be possible, but… if I am close enough, I will hear you. And there will perhaps be something I can do.”

“... Are you sure?” Annabelle asked, her voice uncertain. “Don’t you have to leave?”

“I do.” Arcane replied firmly. “Yet… if I must, I will abandon my journey.”

Annabelle shook her head. “I can’t ask that of you.”

“Annabelle!” Arcane said sharply, glaring at the girl with closed eyes. “Please.”

Annabelle sighed and ducked her head once. Arcane smiled and handed Elucidation to her, patting her on the shoulder and stepping towards the sheet covering the entrance. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

Then she stepped through the curtain, without it moving aside. Stunned, Annabelle threw it out of the way and stared out into the cave, seeing nothing. “Arcane!” she shouted, running out and looking in every direction, but she did not even see a trace of the enigmatic girl who had been with her ever since that fateful day in the Great Desert.

Deadridge came up to her after she had been racing around for several minutes and was now standing in her room, staring at the glass sword that was inscribed with a single word.

“Is something the matter, your majesty?” he asked politely.

“She’s gone, Deadridge.” Annabelle replied, gently caressing the sword. “She’s gone.”

He stared at her, then saw the sword. His breath caught as he recognized it from seeing Arcane wield it once, then shook his head. Leaving Annabelle to her thoughts, he stepped out of the room and hung his head.

What this new omen meant, he could not tell.