A nightmare is often the most terrifying thing most people will encounter in their entire lives. Helpless to escape, the greatest of all tormentors bearing down upon everything, and darkness all around. Nightmares pale in comparison to the waking terrors plaguing the world, as there is no waking up and realizing it was just a scary dream.
That said, terrors of the waking world can become surreal as well in reverse, as an attempt to forget and bury the fear removes the realism of the event.
Maerin finds herself in the latter. She can’t remember at first where she is, nor how she ended up asleep hugging Lykha. The young fairy is still asleep, and Maerin looks around. Gyrryth is sleeping against the steering column of the trunk winder, and Kessa is on the other side of the two fairies sleeping in the front passenger seat. In the rear of the cockpit of the trunk winder, she finds Coco collapsed on the floor.
What is going on? Did we all… She tries to make sense of everything, but her isntincts kick in. “Coco!”
She eases Lykha down to the dash, climbing to her feet. She stumbles, as her legs are asleep, and she tests her wings before she actually jumps off of the dashboard. While also tingly and numb, her wings are much more cooperative than her legs, and she lifts into the air, flying with strain towards the teen. She nearly drops, checking the teen’s mouth and nose.
Fortunately, Coco is breathing, and she doesn’t seem to have fallen hard enough to bruise or cut herself, as if she laid down on the floor.
Purple flames…
Maerin shakes her head as an image flashes across her mind.
What was that? A memory?
She tries to focus and recall the last specific thing she can before waking up. She looks around, pondering everything. The trunk winder is shut down, and everyone seems to have fallen asleep at the same time.
Shadow…
Her eyes widen. Something’s coming back to her. A shadow in the darkness and haze ahead, as well as the smell of smoke and ash. The tangy, dry flavor of smoke still fills her nose, and the air feels especially dry and warm. She looks towards the windshield, suddenly blocking her arm over her eyes when the brightness of the sun nearly burns. Maerin grunts, grumbling, “I haven’t even been dr-...” She halts, looking at the windshield again in horror.
When’s the last time we saw direct sunlight? In the village, high above…?
She double-checks that Coco is alright, and then whirls and flies to the dashboard once more, pressing her face to the windshield as the metal bars over the transparent panes glisten in the sunlight.
Even now, dry leaves fall alongside ash, while glowing embers sprinkle the darker edges of what could easily be mistaken for a valley. For the last couple of months, the group Maerin is a part of has been journeying through the Great Forest of Zylodend with its mountainous colossal redwood trees that touch the very sky itself. Their destination was Lykha’s home village, which they managed to find.
However, deep in the forest as they are, the sunlight has to fight with all of the branches, plants, and leaves just to reach the ground. Maerin grew up in a different part of the forest closer to the desert than Lykha’s village, and she’s not allowed to return. So, she knows they’re nowhere near the edge of the forest.
Instead, a clearness has marked the forest as if a great eraser were dragged upon it, removing from existence all signs of the forest’s grand design. The path is nearly a mile wide, perfectly straight, and stained white and gray with mounds of ash where once ancient wooden monoliths stood. She looks as far along the side as she can through the side of the trunk winder near Gyrryth, and horror finds her.
Ahead of them, the erasure seems to stop in a clearing flattened and swirled like some aerial vehicle landed or took off.
Behind them, however, the path continues as far as she can see, revealing light behind them nearly as intense as the sunlight reaching them from above. The trunk winder is in the heart of a path of ended existence as ash falls like snow, blotting out the world around them. Maerin stumbles away from the windshield in a daze. She remembers.
A creature, cloaked in magic and shadow, adorned with a mantle of violet fire so intense, merely glimpsing it hurt her eyes. The air grew thin as unnatural flames drew in all of the oxygen faster than it could equalize through the air, stealing the very breath from their lips.
Maerin has never seen one. She’s only heard stories, and after being told that the avian reptilian she witnessed destroy Almunaicho was not, her mind clings to the only possibility of something so powerful.
The mature fairy calls, “M-Murmur?” She looks to where he -or rather, Rui-Buri- collapsed on the floor.
But, the armored warrior’s body isn’t present.
NO! No! Wh-Where is he!? Sh-SHE!? Di-...
Maerin screams at the top of her lungs, which startles everyone awake. They wearily rouse themselves, coughing briefly as they also process what’s going on.
But, there isn’t time. Maerin flies to Gyrryth, crying out, “Gyrryth! He’s gone! Sh-She kidnapped him! She betrayed us!”
Gyrryth tries to make sense of his words, clearly registering the urgency in her voice and looking around. “Sir Murtoa? Surely…” He looks to where the armored warrior’s body, regardless of occupant, was last known to be.
Lykha whimpers, “M-Mury?” Her eyes start to water, and Maerin realizes, in spite of her own fear, what she must do. She darts to Lykha, gripping the young fairy in a hug and forcefully preventing her from looking outside. “S-Stay calm, Lykha. W-We’ll…” Maerin trails off, her own doubt and worry choking her.
Coco asks, “Wh-... Wha’ happened?”
Maerin replies insincerely, “I don’t know. But, it looks like we’re alive.”
Kessa asks as she looks around, “Sir Murtoa?”
Maerin, again the most informed at the moment, glances at Gyrryth uneasily. She’s thankful that the lizardman spellshot is quick to pick up cues, and he climbs wearily to his feet. “I shall take a look around and verify he is not simply checking the perimeter. It is Sir Murtoa, after all.”
Maerin nods, and Coco awes, “Whoa…” She leans over the center portion of the dash, looking outside. “Wha’ squigbolt can…” She halts herself, glancing at Maerin and then at Lykha as the young fairy asks, “What? What is it?” She tries to push away from Maerin to look, but the mature fairy clings to Lykha, unsure what else to do.
Lykha manages to get the upper hand, though, squirming free enough to look and see the bright sunlit canyon between mountains of ashen wood. It, of course, is not a true canyon, but it is an unnaturally cleared swath of land piled with ash in a forest known for blotting out the sun.
Lykha whimpers, “M-... Mury?”
Gyrryth says gently from over them. “I’ll find him. Surely he will have some wisdom to share.” He begins walking rearward, and Lykha sniffles, wiping her nose. “I-... I’ll… I’ll come with you.” She hovers after, and Maerin stands up. She glances at Coco and Kessa, and Coco states as she massages her joints, “Gon’ hafta clean all the fi’edust out ‘fore we can move. ‘Bando says permiter sweeps more ‘fective wi’ more sweepas.” She follows Gyrryth and Lykha, and Kessa shrugs. “I can’t do quiet, sorry…” She follows as well, and Maerin sighs. She smiles, though, wanting answers as much as anyone else. She hovers after them, landing on Coco’s gearbag and standing on the flap and holding the strap. She feigns a grumble, “Well, if we’re all going, do me a favor, will ya?”
Coco coughs, nodding. “Aye. I’ll ‘llow it.” The teen murmurs, “Ye checked on me, didn’e ye?”
Maerin nods, surprised. “You knew?”
“I heard ye… ‘Fore you screamed. Th-... Thanks.”
Maerin smiles. “Of course, Coco.”
The group finds the rear ramp lowered, and Gyrryth kneels before stepping off of the platform. “Footprints. It appears Sir Murtoa was running.”
Maerin growls, “Or,... Rui-Buri.”
Gyrryth hums noncommittally. Either option is possible. They don’t have enough information yet to assume either way.
Coco asks, “We follow ‘Bando’s tracks then, ey?”
Gyrryth nods. He looks at the vehicle briefly. The forest is eerily tranquil around them for the moment, and there are no immediate signs of life. The only sounds present are the creaking and cracking of wood as molten glass beneath the ash cools and still-burning sections of the border trees pop and crackle.
And, true to what Maerin glimpsed from the front, the path continues far in the distance behind them, widening the further it gets away from the vehicle. The remaining heat is dry and a little stifling, and the ash is heavy in the distance. Gyrryth warns, “If your feet feel hot, retreat in your safe footsteps. It is possible there are coals or glass still cooling beneath the ash.”
Lykha whimpers, “I-... It… It was all real, wasn’t it?”
“I do not wish to deceive you, Gentle One, but I do not wish to speculate just yet.” After scanning their surroundings, Gyrryth starts walking cautiously in the path of Murtoa’s foot prints. Coco closes the vehicle up, saying as she does, “Blastie, ye betta be in there when we get back.”
Maerin remarks dryly, “You probably should’ve checked on her.”
Coco replies, “She was in me bed when we passed. She be fine.”
Kessa murmurs, “It’s… so quiet…” A distant pop echoes, resounding through the chasm between the surviving trees, falling to silence for a short while. Though more sun is reaching them than the last few weeks excluding the fairy village, smoke is visible high in the sky above them, being carried away by high up winds.
Maerin glances at Lykha, who is nervously looking around as she hovers near Gyrryth’s shoulder. She’s staying calm for the time being, but she’s visibly nervous and fearful. Even Gyrryth seems to be on edge, and Maerin feels a little less ashamed of her own anxious heart rate. She’s not the only one still afraid. They all know it, but they’re holding off acknowledging the reality as long as possible, for fear of not only frightening Lykha, but also to avoid giving life to the surreal and ethereal being none of them want to verify for certain the others saw.
Murtoa seems to have run to the front of the trunk winder, crouching briefly before jogging towards the dead-end clearing ahead.
However, it’s not truly a dead end, as a similar cleared path leads to another dead end at an angle off of the path towards the trunk winder. It’s easy enough to navigate, as there are two main paths leading away from the main path.
Something crunches under Coco’s boot, and she squeaks when a small flicker of light appears.
Gyrryth has one of his spelldusters drawn in an instant as the group is instantly put on guard. Lykha hides behind him, and Kessa glances nervously at Coco and Gyrryth, unsure what she should do.
However, the glow was just a small puff of embers from a small piece of brittle coal that Coco stepped on. She kneels to inspect it briefly, finding a small pointed chunk of glass that could have been a tooth, but is now crystallized and charred from intense heat.
Maerin remarks, “Oddly clean shape for rubble.”
Coco nods, looking up at Gyrryth. The drakyk nods thoughtfully, looking nearby at the massive pile of ash looming over them. He cautiously approaches, briefly kicking through the ash to disrupt the pile. Some of the ash slides, revealing a more structured form beneath the gossamer cover of dust. Similarly, it glistens with crystallization, as well as being stained with pitch black scoring.
And, though the bulbous shape is taller than Gyrryth by almost double, it becomes extremely clear.
It is a skull. Specifically, the skull of a colossus caught in fire hot enough to instantly vaporize its flesh and leave charred remains behind. Lykha, Coco, and Kessa gasp, and Gyrryth quickly scans around them again. He quickly says, “The village!” He begins jogging on the new path extending away from the clearing, and the others follow quickly. Lykha whimpers, “Gyrryth…?”
“Focus not on what was, Gentle One. Now, we focus on what is.”
After a fair distance, the group slows as a lone figure approaches them slowly and wearily. It’s fair to not recognize the figure at first. It stands as tall as a human, but is so coated and stained with ash and soot, he’s unrecognizable at first.
He coughs, continuing towards the group as he drags another humanoid body behind him and carries a small child in his other arm. He is wearing makeshift armor cobbled together from components serving function over protection, as the creatures he battles would be impossible to survive a direct impact from. And, he currently carries two swords on his hip and an assortment of gear suited to his improvisational combat techniques.
Lykha is the quickest to cry out, “MURY!” She flies to him as quickly as her magic and wings can carry her, throwing her body against her helmet as she cries, “I was so scared! P-Please tell me! Please tell me it was all just a nightmare! Please Mury! Please!”
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He coughs, all but limping forward as the others jog close to him, only having fallen behind Lykha because of her speed. Maerin asks cautiously, “Or, are you still…”
“Ten silvers per bomb. Seven if you’re in a good mood.” He requests, “Gyrryth, please take the child. Be gentle. I’m not sure if bones are broken.”
Gyrryth nods, holstering his pistol as he carefully extracts the little girl from Murtoa’s arms, and she whimpers weakly, though remains unconscious. Mury lets the other body, that of Sir Balleo, the young knight of the Holy Order, rest on the ground for a moment. He reaches into his gearbag as he coughs, pulling Lykha off of his helmet with a gentle hand. He asks as he hands her something, “Lykha, do you recognize this?”
Everyone watches on bated breath as Lykha gasps, holding the small trinket in her hands. To anyone else, it is a simple, elegant, and tiny necklace with a small white gem shaped like a flower, and magic sparkles that shimmer from it and fall like snow when the pendant is moved. Lykha’s eyes water anew, and she whimpers. “Snow flower…” She looks up at Murtoa, where her clothes rubbed some of the ash from his helmet. “Th-... This is my mother’s…!” She chokes up.
Murtoa nods. “I see. Rui-Buri couldn’t describe much, but she claimed she glimpsed a fairy outside of the vehicle.”
Gyrryth confirms, “Indeed. I saw a fairy as well, at the last moments. I… couldn’t be certain what happened after.”
Murtoa looks around them briefly. He remarks a little distantly, “You saw enough.” He then looks at Lykha, “Lykha…”
She flinches, gripping the necklace firmly in terror. Everyone else tenses. The one person more sensitive to Lykha than anyone else present is the human warrior who specializes in slaying the colossal beasts of the world. And yet, in this instance, he doesn’t hold back.
“What you all saw was it. That was a dragon.”
Lykha begins sobbing, sinking to a kneel on his hands. The others shift uneasily. However, he doesn’t stop there. “Lykha, is your mother a sage?”
She doesn’t seem to acknowledge him, and Maerin scolds a little sharply, “Mury! Is now the time?”
“It is. My current hypothesis is that Lykha’s mother is the only reason any of us are alive. From what I know, only a fairy’s wish would be powerful enough to withstand a direct hit from a dragon’s breath and protect others.”
Lykha looks up suddenly, still crying, but hope is quickly returning to her eyes. He nods. “If she managed to protect us, there’s a very good chance she’s alive. She also intentionally dropped that necklace in front of the trunk winder, which is why it was safe.” He looks down to the side. “I was able to help…”
Lykha whimpers, “Mury…”
Surprised, Maerin cocks her head. “Did… you come out here to…?”
He looks at the mature fairy, cutting her off, “Do you know how to make any pain killers or ointments, Maerin? The four of them were severely burned.”
“Four?” asks the confused fairy as she looks at Gyrryth, who is virtually unharmed, Lykha, who is kneeling on Murtoa’s hand, and Coco and Kessa, who don’t have a mark on them.
However, Murtoa opens his gearbage again with his free hand, revealing two more young fairies tucked carefully inside.
Lykha squeaks, “Seaevvi and Luness!?” Murtoa nods. Their clothes are similarly stained with ash and soot, as well as nearly disintegrated from being burned, and vicious burns mark their skin.
“Wait… You found all of these four… on the ground?” asks Kessa.
Murtoa nods.
“What about…?”
He shakes his head, and Kessa covers her mouth in horror.
“No one?” whispers Lykha.
“Sir Balleo was with the other three. I suspect he extracted who he could. Possibly with help.”
Lykha’s grip tightens on her mother’s necklace, and her eyes water. The human warrior stays on task, though. “We’ll bring them back to the winder for now. We’ll return to the base of the sacred grotto so you and the children can…”
Lykha snaps, “I’m not leaving you, Mury! You’re going after them, aren’t you!? The d-d-...” She swallows hard, redirecting, “...And my mother. You need help!”
There’s a brief pause, and Murtoa replies coldly, shocking everyone. “What use do you think you’lll be? You can’t even speak its name without…”
She screams at him as she hovers up to his eye level. “I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING! IT WON’T WORK!” She snarls as she points at him, “I know I’m limited, and I know I’m afraid. But…” Her eyes water and she fidgets with the necklace in her hands. “Everything I have is OUTSIDE of my village now. Everything that matters. If you can’t be there, it’s not home. If my mother is gone, it’s not home. If I’ll never see my friends again, it’s NOT home. I WON’T become a little lamb waiting for whatever thing I’m ALLOWED by the sages to do. I want to be with you. E-Even if… it means facing my fear.” Her face turns stern. “If I’ve learned anything on this journey, it’s that there is only one place that could possibly truly be safe from what I fear most. And, that’s alongside the one person who can kill it.”
“Then…”
“STOP! YOU. ARE. MURTOA OF LAKIA! I know you’re working towards it. Whatever your plan, IF anyone could ever kill it, it would only be you. Or… Us.” She sniffles, wiping her eyes. “A-... And then, maybe… I won’t have to be afraid anymore…I won’t have to fear… dragons…” She hugs herself, taking a deep breath. “I’m going with you. Even if I get in the way and get you killed. I’d rather die with you than lose you forever.” She blushes and sniffles, fidgeting, “Th-... That sounded smarter in my head. I don’t want to get you killed. B-But…”
Murtoa sighs. “If I can’t defeat it…”
“Everyone with you dies. I understand. I’ll be one of them. You can’t change my mind, Mury. I love you.” She hovers up and takes a seat on his shoulder, leaning against his helmet. “And, when we win,...”
“OI!” Coco finally barks, “Ye no cheatin’ this time, Bae! Meltin’ me face off ye only doable now!”
The others chuckle as the moment’s tension lightens a little. Murtoa, again focused, says, “Let’s get them to shelter. Whatever the case, we’re not fighting anything today.” He hands his gearbag to Coco, requesting, “Please carry the fairies, Coco. I’ll bring Sir Balleo.”
Coco nods. Gyrryth asks, “Should I…?”
“It’ll be fine. Our advantage right now is that it will be difficult to approach from beyond your range unseen. Coco didn’t bring any of her ranged weapons, and Kessa can use offensive magic if we’re in a bind. For once, I’m probably the least useful for defense.”
The group scoffs, and Maerin retorts with her arms crossed, still standing on Coco’s gear bag. “I noticed you didn’t mention me, Murmur.”
“Your sense of smell is still better than mine and you can fly. I’m being pragmatic.”
She smiles, “Feels nice, being more useful than Murtoa of Lakia.”
He chuckles, “We should be relatively safe. Like Kessa’s spell, magic is virtually devoid here for the time being, and any surviving wildlife and monsters have been driven far away. Not much to search in a sea of ash. Excuse me, Lykha.” He gingerly uses his finger to lift her by her hands into flight, guiding her off of his shoulder so he can kneel to lift Balleo. “Prioritize healing the elder sister, if you choose to heal. She might be able to aid you with healing magic.”
Gyrryth offers, “Sir Balleo is more likely to have been trained in healing spells.”
“Probably. But, it would likely upset his honor or something, though. He’s also the least injured.” Murtoa skillfully lifts Balleo onto his shoulders in a soldier-carry, continuing as he ensures he has a good center of gravity. “Eldest sister looks to be the worst off. I can only assume, but Sir Balleo would vow revenge against me as a knight if I allowed his sacrifice protecting them to be in vain.”
Gyrryth hums, but he agrees. “I suppose you are correct. The knight’s order has always been strict on their code.”
Murtoa nods. “‘A knight of the realm shall endeavor to be the last survivor, prioritizing the lives of those he can save. A single child saved can preserve a knight’s honor forever.”
Lykha smiles as she holds the necklace to her chest. However, she suddenly jolts to alertness. “Wait, you think Seaevvi is going to die?”
“I don’t know for sure. I’ve seen men die of less apparent wounds…”
Lykha growls in frustration. “Say so, sooner, Mury! OBVIOUSLY, I’m going to heal people. Kessa, can you heal the little girl?”
Kessa nods. “Of course.”
Lykha warns, “Don’t use dr-... THAT magic again.”
“I KNOW!” whines Kessa as she approaches Gyrryth. She reaches for the girl Gyrryth is cradling, and she hesitates. “Sir Murtoa?”
“The spell you used on me is safe.”
She nods. Coco points out, “Won’ their tricks be dry ‘cause o’ the actual… monsty?”
Lykha smiles with a small slump at Coco’s delicacy. But, she and Kessa look to Murtoa for guidance. “At best, effectiveness will be diminished. They won’t be any worse off if you can’t.” He begins walking back towards the trunk winder.
Lykha nods, kneeling next to the two young fairy sisters. She coos the spell gently as she casts healing on Seaevvi while Coco follows Murtoa, and Kessa performs her own healing spell on the little girl Gyrryth is carrying. “Pixies come forth and make it right. Heal this wound with all your might!” Lykha frowns in disappointment when the glow is significantly low, and the burns on Seaevvi only seem to respond a little, shrinking only slightly. Lykha breathes and attempts the same spell again. Kessa’s spell seems to be a touch spell, and she can continue it as long as she stays in contact, murmuring softly. Lykha tries to sustain her healing spell the way Maerin teaches her to sustain her flame and light spells. She can feel the tingle in her body as her energy is passing through her, weakening for drastically diminished results. When she feels the last of her magic -at least without passing out- drain, she relaxes. Seaevvi is better than she was, and she’s breathing a little more stably, but she’s far from perfect.
A moment later, Kessa stumbles a little, bringing a forearm to her forehead. “Whoa…” She squeaks, “I-... I don’t think I can…”
“It’s fine,” replies Murtoa. “Better than nothing.”
Maerin remarks dryly, “Aaaand, we don’t have any offensive magic other than Gyrryth now.”
Coco retorts with a chuckle, “Ye say tha’ li’e it woul’ve matta’d anyhow. Loo’s like that monsty gon’ be a problem if ‘e slurps tricks.”
Gyrryth remarks, “They are said to be the strongest beings in the world…”
Maerin scolds them, “Stop implying it! You think Lykha’s an idiot?”
“I-... I’ll be okay, Maerin. B-... Thank you all for trying though.” She looks up at Mury, growling, “I don’t appreciate that you lied to me, Mury.”
He looks over his shoulder towards Coco, who is holding his gear bag at chest level. “About what?”
“D-...Mm… YOU KNOW WHAT!”
“You’ve lived most of your life believing dragons don’t exist. What good would have come from me refuting that? I didn’t intend for you to ever encounter one.”
“WELL I HAVE NOW!”
“Yep.”
Lykha starts to growl in frustration, but Seaevvi groans, and Lykha looks down, dropping back to her knees. “Seaevvi!? Seaevvi! Do you remember me? I’m Lykha.”
The younger fairy moans wearily, struggling to shift. She opens her eyes slowly, blinking many times. “I… I feel… C-Cold…”
“Shh, it’ll be okay. We’re taking you home.”
“H-... Home? L-L-Lu…”
“Luness is here beside you.” Lykha takes the elder sister’s hand and guides it gently to Luness’s shoulder. “She’s alright. We’ll heal her as soon as we can.”
“H-H…” Seaevvi winces and strains, groaning in pain. Maerin hovers to and flops onto the edge of Murtoa’s gear bag, hanging from the side so it doesn’t get too crowded. She huffs a little, making sure she isn’t going to fall. She finds footing on one of the buckles on the front, sighing in satisfaction. She then offers Lykha a small phial. “Same we used on that paladin. It’ll keep ‘em both asleep so they don’t feel the pain.” She warns sternly, “Don’t inhale it, Lykha.”
The younger fairy retorts as she takes the phial, “I think I got it. Thank you.”
Maerin shrugs. “I’m just saying. It’s rather potent.”
Lykha reassures Seaevvi, “We’ll get you and Luness home safely, Seaevvi. Hang in there.” Just as she’s pulling the lid from the phial, Seaevvi asks weakly, “Wh-What about… Ms. Fairy…” She winces, whimpering in pain.
Lykha hesitates, stifling her own tears.
“Lykha…” His voice is reassuring and carves through the darkness to reach her, and Lykha glances at Murtoa. He’s not looking at her, but he seems to have known.
How? How did I get so lucky to meet him of all people?
She smiles and wipes away her tears, carefully holding the phial close to Seaevvi’s face so the vapors enter her nose, and she finally relaxes. Lykha closes the phial, and Maerin nods. “That should last long enough. Hold off unless someone else wakes up. That stuff eats our sense of smell.”
Lykha snaps her gaze to the mature fairy, and she waves dismissively, “Only for a short time. She’ll be fine.”
Lykha sighs and nods. She clutches her mother’s necklace once more as she watches the two younger fairies sleep. She relaxes and looks at the white gemstone flower in the center of the pendant.
My darling snow flower, the world is a big place. Too big for us fairies sometimes. It’s scary, but sometimes, we have to be scared. I was scared the first time I held you in my arms. I would relive that fear every day for the rest of my life if it came to it.
Lykha’s cheek feels warm as she remembers the conversation. Her eyes water. Murtoa suddenly remarks, “I think this is the quietest everyone’s been since we’ve met.”
Lykha glares at him as the others glance at each other and him as well. He looks over his shoulder at her, saying in a moderately light tone, “What? It’s true. Longest you and Coco have gone without bickering.”
Lykha bolts to her feet as her hand balls into a fist around the necklace. Coco hums nervously, and Lykha accuses, “Are you joking? NOW?”
Murtoa’s immediate nod nearly floors the young fairy. He replies, “Of course.”
“People are hurt, Mury! My mother…”
“You won’t get far if you cloud your vision every time you think about her.”
“Cloud my…” Lykha realizes what she means, and she wipes her tears, flying towards him to confront him from his front. “Sorry for having feelings!”
“I’m glad you do. But, despair is the most useless one.”
“Who says I’m-...!?”
Murtoa reveals his hand, which still has a bandage on it from where he drew blood for the spell they used to summon Rui-Buri. Lykha clutches her chest, resisting the urge to cry or explode at him.
He adds, “It’s NOT easy. You have time to change your mind right now. You know what I’m going to do, now. I can’t promise anything, other than that I will try. But, the facts we have right now say your mother is alive, and that she was wanted alive by our enemy. Our situation is good. Whatever reason it is, our job is to reach them, right? Easier to do if we can laugh or talk or even bicker. The occasional cry. But,...”
Lykha grips the necklace, “I need to stay hopeful, is what you’re saying.”
He nods. “I’d rather you be naive and hopeful than locked up in hopelessness and despair. No matter what you choose to do.”
“But… I’m not naive now… It… It’s… daunting.”
“Is it? How do we kill the dragon, then?”
“How should I know!?”
Murtoa shifts his stiffening joints in place of being able to shrug as he’s carrying the junior knight. “Agreed. We should probably figure that out before taking it on, right?”
Lykha stares at him, and Maerin scoffs. “THAT was a dumb joke, Murmur.”
Lykha glances at the mature fairy, and then looks back to Mury. He replies, “I’ve always wondered why I’m not more famous for my humor.”
Coco and Kessa both snicker, and Lykha cocks her head. The human warrior adds more gently, “Either it was always too late, or we HAVE to win, Lykha. We need to learn where they are in addition to how to kill the dragon before we can save her. I think I’m getting close, but I’m not there yet. If I have to demand payment from you, Lykha, it’s that I NEED you not to give up before we’ve even tried.”
Lykha smiles. “Alright… Your point is made. I-... I’ll try…”
She takes a deep breath and looks at the necklace one last time.
Mommy… Will I be like you when I grow up?
That’s up to you, Lykha. But, do you want to know who gave me strength when I needed it most?
H-Who?
Lykha can still remember her mother’s smile, and that she never got that answer. Nelrei was called away by the sages, and Lykha forgot about it.
For now, the strongest person she’s ever known is plenty of strength for Lykha. It feels a little unearned, but she carefully puts the necklace around her neck, tucking the pendant in under her shirt.
She then sighs, saying, “Coco wishes she had heart-to-heart conversations like this.”
Coco instantly shouts, “Oi! How’m’I gettin’ yanked in ye pran’gab!”
The group shares a chuckle, and Lykha instantly feels better. At her core, she knows Murtoa is right. His journey has not been without tragedy, and yet, he is the noble and unorthodox knight that he is.
A little fairy who still has a chance to save her mother should be able to take that lesson from him, if nothing else.
And, he’s always teaching her something.
***