Chapter Fifty: The Monolith

The walk to Magefell was slow, painful, more a plodding than anything. Most of them were limping, stabbed or wounded in several places. Yue saw dozens, hundreds of dead bodies on the road, belonging to both man and beast. She stared at what the Cult had done and smiled lightly.

She’d avenged them, at least a little.

This was just the first step in beating the Cult. TheCult would return, probably stronger, but for now, they’d dealt a blow to them.

Finally.

And now she had her boyfriend. He was still holding her as they both walked. He was often looking at her with gratification, but she could see guilt in his eyes too.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Yue, I…” Xander paused, his breath heaving. “I choked you. I can still feel my hands gripping your throat, of me squeezing, of your face when I—” He trailed off, unable to finish the statement.

“I forgive you, Xander,” Yue replied, her eyes tearing up. In truth, she didn’t know if she could ever rid herself of that vision either, but it wasn’t Xander’s fault, and she told him that.

“I know,” He said. “But it was still me doing it.”

“It was not you,” Yue chided. “It was High Mage Eldor. Don’t forget that.”

Alyx and Aster held each other up next to her and Alyx comforted Xander.

“We all don’t care,” She said. “We don’t blame you. So you shouldn’t either.”

Xander nodded. “Okay.”

Yue held him close.

— — —

Swimming in darkness. I know I’m asleep, dreaming maybe, but this feels so real. A face appears before me.

Th’ul’s. He’s crying, tears of blood running down his face. When he looks at me, he screams, an inhuman beastly scream that causes me to yell.

Th’ul moves towards me, sliding on the ground at a fast pace. I ack away screaming, and Th’ul’s mouth opens impossibly wide to swallow me up.

I wake up, sweating, my breath coming in gasps, my body still in pain.

Level 5, the now-familiar woman’s voice says in my head, and I would celebrate the milestone, except it just doesn’t feel like the right time.

“Hey, hey, calm down,” A soothing voice commands me. High Mage Aegon smiles and pats me on the shoulder.

“What happened?”

“Th’ul here rushed you to the hospital as quickly as he could. The mages here were afraid you would die, but they were able to heal you.”

“Where’s Xavier? How long was I out? Where are my friends?” I have endless questions in my head, and questions to those questions. My mind swirls with possibilities.

“Xavier is over there,” Th’ul points to the bed behind mine, where a prone form is sleeping.

“You were out for only about four hours.”

“Four hours!” I sputter. “That’s too much. There’s so much I could’ve done.”

“You needed to heal, and your body needs rest now,” High Mage Aegon chides. “You asked where your friends were, they are at the Magefell grounds, or at least most of them. They have to break the news of what happened to their fellow Warriors, and that isn’t easy. Anni, Sia, and Skai, though, are waiting outside for you, but Skai is probably just waiting for Xavier.”

I chuckle softly. “That checks out. And the Cult? Did we beat them?”

“No, the battle is far from over. But you’ve done a good thing. Because of you, The Vanguard has lost their evil captain, and a Cultist High Mage is dead. I have explained what happened to the High Mages, but they aren’t happy. You might have to tell them yourself.”

“So it’s over? For now, I mean.”

“Yes,” High Mage Aegon smiles. “We won. You can celebrate now. The Cuktists are on the rise, but so are you.”

“I got to level 5 today,” I say.

“That's great. I will warn you. The levels are harder to pass past this level. But I’m sure you can do it. Alright, I’ll call your friends now. I’m sure they’re dying to see you.”

He opens the door to the hospital and leaves, directing a few words to the silhouettes i see beyond the door, Sia rushes in, and seeing me, she hugs me. Anni and Skai come in soon after.

“You’re alive,” Sia breathes.

“Are you all okay?” I ask.

“Minor scratches,” Anni says. “The other wounds, the healing mages were able to fix. They’re all exhausted now.”

“Xavier isn’t awake yet?” Skai asks, concerned.

“No, but he’s fine as well,” I reply. “I’m just glad no one else had to die.”

“Me too,” Sia says.

As I lay on the bed, my friends above and beside me, I think back to everything that has happened since I awakened. I miss Jade, and I’d do anything to see her again, but I’m glad she wasn’t here for this. I don’t want her to die.

Moving here was worth it. As hard as life has been, I’ve never truly felt happy like this. The only thing missing to make this perfect would be Jade, but I’ll wait to see her. And as hard as it has been to lose friends, I’m just glad I got to meet them.

I’ve grown stronger this past month or so. It’s been a trying one, and that’s how I’ve grown. Everything is part of the process.

And I’ve made many new friends, and lost some of them. Except for Jade, I haven’t had any friends I’d consider close. Now, I have plenty.

Life is hard. But Life is good.

— — —

“We have some bad news,” Yue told the Vanguard as they all stood on the ground. Kol was to her left and Yiro to her right. They were the only people Yue had told about the Wolf’s death, and they both looked on the verge of tears, heartbroken, sad.

“Where’s the captain?” One warrior asked.

“That's what we need to talk about,” Yue said. “Today, something terrible has happened. Our captain, the Wolf, he…” She trailed off and looked at Kol. They’d been debating whether she should lie about what happened, but decided otherwise. The Vanguard needed to be transparent.

“The Wolf today, admitted to being part of the Cult of Dautha,” Yue exclaimed, and the Vanguard collectively gasped, beginning to murmur. Some of the Warriors clearly didn’t believe her. “He tried to kill me, Alyx, Aster, Neena, Artemis, and Xander; he was very close. In the end, we defeated him, but just barely. Vanguard, the Wolf, our captain, is dead. He committed horrible crimes, and he’s gone now.”

“Why should we believe you?” A man screamed from somewhere.

“Because the proof is there,” Kol said, standing next to her. “He was the murderer and we can prove it.” Kol began to talk, and Yue’s mind was captivated as he explained everything. “The murderer had to be someone who watched the match between Yue and Diamond, because Diamond was murdered during that fight. I have a list here of all the people who were there, but suffice it to say that there aren’t many names. Now we can cross out many names because there were people who could not have done the other murders.” He explained what some of the men and women had been doing at the time of Jos’ death and continued. “And isn’t it strange that just when the Wolf leaves, he sends assassins after Yue. And when he puts Spies protecting Yue, isn’t it such a large coincidence that they try to kill her twice?

“Of course not. The Wolf planned everything out. He is the only one who could’ve done these killings. When Cali died, who could’ve done the killing? The Vanguard members were all celebrating the first round and talking with each other. That is, except Cali herself, Eva, and the Wolf. Eva has been exempt from all charges. The Wolf, meanwhile, has not.”

“Then why did he let Yue make the speech?”

“Because he didn’t know what she would say. As soon as he knew, it was too late, and he couldn’t stop it. The evidence is there, my friends. The Wolf did the killing and he worshiped Dautha.” The crowd murmured again, but this time Yue knew they believed him. “Plus, you know, he did admit it in writing and we have his note we found in his cabin, blah blah.” The crowd gasped as he said this, and he smiled at Yue.

“Now is the time for healing,” He said.

The Vanguard wasn’t broken, but it was wounded. The next few hours proved this. They acted almost disorganized, like they couldn’t function without a leader. But at least they stuck together, and helped to let each other cope. Because of the twenty Vanguard Warriors who’d been killed in the battle, many in the Vanguard were mourning.

And so was Yue and her friends.

Artemis was not himself: he didn’t want to talk to anyone, and his eyes were completely numb, empty, nothing behind them. He seemed like he didn’t want to live, but was too lazy to do anything about it. Her other friends all seemed sad over what happened, as it had only just hit some of them tha Poli was truly dead.

Yue herself was feeling it too. As much as she didn’t know Poli, she was still a friend, and she’d still done her part in the Vanguard. It would be hard for Yue to never see her again, but that was what happened with Diamond too.

She and her friends stayed at a table, not talking, just mourning together silently, no tears, just emotions. It was a somber moment, but a sweet one as well, as they basked in each other’s companies and found comfort.

For once, since Diamond’s death, Yue felt like things could be okay, given time.

— — —

Xavier finally wakes up about an hour after me. He doesn’t want to talk much, instead choosing to rest a little.

I want to do something, and I might forget about it if I don’t do it now, so I head down the stairs of Zenyth until I arrive at a room I’ve only been in once before. Inside, I see the black outline of a man in the middle of the room. I offer the payment, and let the blackness surround me.

“Jade, my best friend,” I say anticipating the question. “Hi, Jade. It’s me, Zade, again, but you probably know that. How are you doing? Is everyone holding up okay? I fought in a battle today! I’m not joking, I swear.” I chuckle, then turn a little more serious. “It was horrible. There were these monsters like lizards and these others that I can’t explain. There was so much death.

“Anyway, we did win the battle. After that, I had to fight a mage who wanted to kill me. He was a High Mage, Jay! And now there’s a God who wants to use me to fight another God and this Cult and I’m just letting the current take me.

“As you can tell, so much has happened since you left, but one thing is the same. I still miss you. Every day. The only time I was glad you were gone was during the battle, because at least then you would live. I promise, I’ll come visit you if I ever can.

“You should see the friends I’ve made here. There are so many! A few of them died, killed by that one Cult I was talking about. There was one boy named Astil. You would’ve really liked him.

“Everything’s calm now, but it’s fake. The city isn’t broken, but it is bleeding. Now we have to fix it, and who knows how long that will take.

“I have a lot to tell you, but I feel like I can’t tell you it all now. Just remember that I still think about you every day, and one day I will return. That is all.” The blackness separated itself from me and I kneeled down on the ground.

Eva? I think, but I receive no answer. My guess is that she can’t reach me right now.

I stay in that room as long as I dare, just thinking about Jade. What is she doing now? How is it being a guard? She hadn’t been one for long before I left. And also I wonder how Chrome, Guilia, Torr, and Demien are doing. Chrome is amazing, and I miss her too. Hopefully, when I return I can see her too.

I feel very different than when I arrived here in Magefell. Because of everything that has happened recently, it’s not just my life that’s changed. I’ve changed. As far as I know, I’m still the purposefully annoying yet slightly funny person I was when I arrived, but I’ve lost all the innocence I had. Even though I’d killed my parents, I was still mostly ignorant and innocent, maybe even a little arrogant.

Not anymore. Well, maybe a little arrogant, but not the other two, for sure.

Eventually, I decide to head to my room. I want to talk to Master Thul, the man with almost the same name as my friend. It can’t be a coincidence, but I don’t want to prod, especially during this time.

My room looks exactly how it did when I left it in the morning, but somehow, it feels small for me, from a different lifetime. I’ve only gone through a battle, for Eva’s sake! Nothing should be this different.

And yet, I almost died and was recruited by a God. I wasn’t even sure I believed in a God before this. Now, I have magic I didn’t think I’d have for years, and I have an immortal being on my side. Everything is different. Everything has changed in the last twenty-four hours. It’s a strange thing to accept, but it is the truth.

Grabbing the book, I find that there are a few more chapters already in it. I flip through them in a hurry, and they seem interesting but I don’t have the time right now. When I summon master Thul, he appears in front of me, his face concerned.

“It’s been a long time since you called me. What has happened?”

I tell him everything, sparing no detail. Master Thul listens impassively, but I can tell he’s thinking hard. At the end, he shakes his head.

“That is a lot,” He admits. “Gods? Greater magic? I can feel it in you, but it’s so hard to comprehend. You lead a strange life, my student. But you did the right thing. Killing a High Mage might have repercussions, though.”

“How so?”

“You think everyone will be okay if one of the most powerful and well-respected mages is killed by a bunch of rowdy kids?” Master Thul asks. “You’ll be in a horrible political position. Plu, there will be many out to kill you. You must be aware of the risk. Although it seems like the worst has passed, there is still a lot to come. For now, though, we are all alive and well, and that is what is important.”

Stolen story; please report.

“I guess,” I reply. What he has said shocked me. I never thought about it, but it makes so much sense. What have we done? I know the answer: what was necessary, but now it feels flimsy. Could we have spared his life? Not at the cost of Xander’s life. Not at the cost of our own lives.

“Another thing, Zade.” Master Thul looks at me apologetically. “There is something us mages and teachers do not tell our students, but now that you have reached Level 5, it is time to tell you. When a mage-in-training reaches this level, it is unanimously decided that he should learn to do magic mostly on his own.”

“What are you saying?” I ask.

“I will not teach you anymore. You can still summon me if you need help with something, or even if you want me to teach you something in particular, but now is your time to learn. If you flip to the half-way point of your book, you will see that it will guide you through the intricacies of necromancy. You haven’t done much of it, but you will start focusing on it now.

“I…” I’m bewildered. Truthfully, I don’t know if I can or want to do it like this. “But you’ll always be here, right? For a chat?”

“Of course, Zade,” Master Thul smiles. “I’m still your teacher, just a secondary one. I’m still Master Thul.”

“Alright,” I grimace, knowing I’ll adjust to this just like I adjusted to everything else.

“Good. I’m glad we got that out of the way. Is there anything else you wanted to say?”

“Yes, actually. I haven’t used my EXP at all. I’m still not exactly sure what it’s for.”

“Let me show you,” Master Thul smiles. “Like your book said, they’re used for two main purposes. The first is to help improve and stretch your core, but you'll learn that as you go along. It is very important. The second way is more fun. Picture your skill in your head.”

I close my eyes and see my core. Thinking about my skill, I’m surprised to find a small tree next to my core now, with the name Burning Pillar below it, with several locks on them. They all have numbers on them, and the numbers vary from 25 all the way to 2500.

“That is your skill tree. Every skill you have will have a tree of its own. Now click on any one of the locks that has a number less than 50.”

I choose one that has the number 35 and click it. The lock twists and a small box appears there with the words: Burning Pillar available for 8 times before recharge.

“So it’s like an upgrade?” I ask.

“Exactly,” Master Thul responds. “Do not use all your EXP on that. Like I said, you will need it to flex your core. Now, I don’t think there’s anything else I need to say. If you need me, you know where to find me.

After Master Thul disappears, I gaze around the room I’ve only had for a month and lay on my bed. I have to get some much needed rest and—

Knock-knock.

I groan and walk towards the door. I open it to find Anni looking at me.

“Yue and I had agreed to meet us all up at Ember On The Waters. Come on, we don’t have much time.”

“But didn’t that place get destroyed?”

“No, it’s still standing,” Anni replies, grabbing my hands. “The others are waiting. Let’s go.”

— — —

It was a testament to the Vanguard’s resourcefulness that they seem to adjust to the Wolf being gone fairly quickly. Although the shock was still there, and the anger, most of the Warriors went about their Vanguard duties normally. It was almost midnight and most of the Warriors were asleep now.

Yue’s day wasn’t over yet, though.

She and her friends were gathered at the edge of the Vanguard grounds. They were heading for Ember On The Waters where they would see Zade and the others. Last she’d checked, he was alive and breathing, but hopefully he wasn’t too wounded. Xavier, too.

Artemis went with them reluctantly, only because they’d begged him to.

“What happens to the Vanguard now, Yue?” Neena asked.

“Parliament chooses a new leader from among our ranks, I reckon.”

“Maybe it’ll be you,” Neena said hopefully.

“I hope not,” Yue responded. “I’m not cut out to be captain of the Vanguard.” Neena wanted to protest, but seeing Yue’s face, she stayed silent.

They set off past the Vanguard grounds and into Magefell. As soon as they entered the city, Yue truly realized how great the destruction was. The closer they got to the market, the more broken windows and roofs there were. There were still many dead bodies on the ground, although the Magefell Guards and mages had been hard at work cleaning up the dead bodies to bury them after being identified. There was one man whimpering at her, trying to get her attention, but she could see he didn’t have long to live. As far as she could tell, the monsters’ dead bodies were gone.

“This is horrible,” Neena breathed. “How can anyone stand creating this?”

Yue agreed with her. Even if she aligned with the Cult, she didn’t know if she’d have the strength to do something this evil. The Cult had some logical points to their arguments but it was moments like these that proved in Yue’s mind that they were the villains. No hero would do this. How could Joanne agree to something like this? Yue hadn’t wanted to ask her, instead preserving their friendship and unity in the Vanguard, but she hoped to one day ask her.

Yue found destroyed houses about half a mile from the market. Only a few of them, but she felt bad for whoever was made homeless by it. Hopefully, the mages would be able to fix it, but she knew how hard they were working. They would be so exhausted and Yue doubted they would be able to keep it all up for too long.

The market finally came into view and Yue grimaced. The best word to describe what it looked like was alien. It just looked unfamiliar, like a country Yue had never been to. The inner ring, the stalls, had mostly been wiped out, the contents spread throughout the streets. The outside ring of stores and inns were half-destroyed, a select few untouched. Here, the dead bodies were mostly gone, with only a dozen or so Yue could see.

The green glow to the city felt more ghostly to Yue than anything now, like this city was haunted by what happened. The last time Magefell had been attacked was during the Mage Wars, and there Magefell had only been attacked by those already inside.

This was an unprecedented attack, and Yue shuddered to think of the political struggles this could cause. Other countries could see this as Magefell being weak, or it could prove that everyone was weaker than they thought. Either way, the repercussions would be great.

Ember On The Waters stood almost as a pillar of hope in the middle of the city’s gore. The ember shone brightly, showing the citizens that yes, Magefell was alive, and yes, Magefell had won the battle. Yue smiled softly as she looked at it.

Normally, when Yue needed to look at a part of Magefell to comfort her, she would look at the palaces. The black one representing the darkness—not something evil, just the substance—, and the white one representing light. They were a mystery to her—Yue didn’t know what was inside them—but they always stood there, on both sides of Magefell, almost like they were enveloping her in the world’s largest hug. That day, though, she found no comfort looking at the palaces. Not when there was the marble slab pitched right in the center of the marble.

It was dark as midnight, almost fifteen feet high, and on it were inscribed glowing, golden names. Each one from a citizen who had died. There were so many names. Every time someone went there looking for a relative, the name would disappear, its job done, to spread the message of those who had been lost. The men and women who went there did not leave without shedding tears.

Without waiting for her friends, she strode to the marble slab. There she scanned the names, not to find someone she knew, but to know those who had fallen. So that maybe they could be remembered.

Wes Terric.

S’amanta Nells.

Helz Gilio.

Jordil Kar’thun.

Magian Relthan.

Every name bit into Yue’s soul bittersweetly. Like everyone else around her, tears began to flow from her eyes and she let them flow. These people deserved the tears. Yue didn’t know any of these people, but she was still deeply affected by every single death. And if she was honest with herself, she preferred it like this. She loved being able to feel for those she’d never met.

A woman next to Yue touched a name on the slab and began sobbing.

“My son, my son! Why him? He was so young! Why couldn’t it be me?” The woman collapsed, beginning to scream. Yue’s small cries turned to sobs as she stared at the woman. She began to cry not just for those on this slab but for everyone who’d died. Diamond, Jos, Astil, Poli. Everyone she knew who had died. She cried for each of them.

Because they deserved it.

Her friends finally came over to comfort her, and they stood in a pile ,just hugging each other.

“There’s a name there,” Alyx whispered. “Jyll, She was one of me and Diamond’s best friends, and she didn’t deserve this.”

“None of them did,” Yue whimpered. “And thor families don’t deserve it either.”

“Or their friends.”

Eventually, the woman who’d been screaming for her son came over to her.

“Can I have a hug too? I need it.” Yue nodded and she joined them.

Slowly, others began to see and asked if they could embrace them. More and more people joined in and eventually Yue could count almost fifty people, strangers who didn’t know each other but who were united in loss and so comforted each other. As hard as this was to deal with, it was also one of the sweetest moments of Yue’s life.

The Magefell citizens cried unashamedly, uncaring that others saw their sorrow. There was no need to hide it here. Everyone was heartbroken.

Yue closed her eyes as the ears flowed, as she felt all the sorrow. This was life. It was pain, but it was healing. It was broken, but it was also fixed. It was sad, but it was also sweet.

This was what life was about. The small moments where one could share their own sorrows and vice versa, and where they comforted each other.

What was life without the friends who helped you get through it?

What was life without the strangers who saved you from the pits of despair?

— — —

There is one empty table at the inn, and it will fit all of us. Yue is already there, as are all her Vanguard friends. Both me and Xavier limped here, but we’re here now.

Even in the aftermath of the battle, I’m still in love with the night. I still find it beautiful and relaxing, and the air still makes me feel wonderful. I feel it on my face, and the night, ocean air makes me smile,

It will all be okay, even if it all seems messed up now.

Yue looks like she just spent the last hour crying, so I pose the question any sane person would.

“What’s with the sword on the table?” I ask, my eyebrows furrowed. Normally, one would put the sword under the table or next to a chair. The sword being placed on top confounds me.

“That’s the first thing you say?” She laughs. “You’re clearly unfazed by all this, aren’t you.”

“I wouldn’t say unfazed,” I shrug. “Just fazed in the right way.”

Yue rolls her eyes. “Sit.”

“Why are we here?” Xavier asks, sitting down next to me, Skai next to her, and Sia and Anni on the other side.

“I think we deserve a little time just to talk and relax. The world is messed up, so we need to alleviate the problem somehow.”

“I bet I can drink a pint faster than any of you,” Alyx bets.

“Deal,” I respond.

We all—except for Sia and Anni— order a drink from the familiar waitress whose name I’ve forgotten. She winks at Th’ul and walks away.

“You still with her?” Xavier asks.

“No. Mistress Anan caught us,” Th’ul responds. “She wasn’t the right fit anyway.”

“You need help,” Aster tells him.

“I know,” Th’ul responds. “But that’s what's fun.”

The waitress returns, bearing drinks.

“Nobody drink,” Alyx says. “Let me see if we all have the same amount.” She inspects the cups carefully. “Okay. Let’s do this. Three, two, one, drink!”

I chug the beer down. I’ve always been good at this. I beat Jade every single time I wanted to. Obviously, the times she won, I let her. I’m just nice that way.

Done with my drink in fifteen seconds, I slam the mug on the table triumphantly.

Alyx shakes her head at me, hands off an already empty cup.

“Ooh, I guess you lost, Zade,” She teases. “Maybe next time you can actually give me competition.”

Xavier is the next to finish his drink, and after that comes Yue. The others all finish in their own time, Artemis already ordering two more for him.

“Don’t drink too much,” Yue warns.

“Best way to forget my problems,” Artemis responds, already at the end of his second.

Conversation turns light very quickly. We all want to relax and have fun and so we ignore the world’s problems. I don’t remember the last time I didn’t have to worry about anything. Maybe it was when I had just arrived here or maybe it was before that. Either way, I like the peace. It really helps.

“So, Xavier told me you have a girlfriend, Zade,” Sia tells me.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” I groan, glaring at Xavier, who laughs out loud.

“Close enough. You like her and you know that.”

I scowl. “You don’t know anything. You haven’t even met her.”

“I approve anyway,” He grins, making me roll my eyes.

“What’s her name?” Sia asks.

“Jay,” I grit my teeth.

“So, a he?” Skai asks bewildered.

“No, he’s trying to hide the fact that her name is Jade, because it rhymes,” Xavier grins evilly.

“Zade and Jade?” Sia smiles. “That’s gorgeous.”

“Shut up,” I whisper.

“No, I’m serious.”

I glare at her anyways.

“What about you, Alyx? You got anyone?”

Alyx looks uncomfortably at the table and Aster puts her arm around her.

“You don’t need to talk if you don’t want to.”

“Thank you,” Alyx responds gratefully.

“Oh, Xavier, did you see S’Sammi during the battle?” Th’ul asks.

“She was there?”

“Who’s S’Sammi?” Skai asks.

“Oh, just Xavier’s crush!”

“What?”

— — —

Yue was truly happy talking with her friends. They’d been talking for a couple hours now, and they were probably way past drunk, but that was okay because they were together and for now that was all that mattered.

“Who do you think they’ll pick for captain of the Vanguard, Yue?” Zade asked her.

“Honestly, I think Kol will be the new Captain,” She responded. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“I still think you should be Captain.” Neena replied.

“Imagine having to call her Captain Sterkona,” Alyx laughed and Yue shivered.

“I mean, she’s already basically the leader of the Band,” Zade begins but Xavier interrupts him.

“The what?”

“The Band. It’s what I call us.”

“No,” Aster says. “Never say that again. That is a horrible name and now I hate being associated with you.”

“Hey! That stings!” Zade said in mock hurt, although he did seem disappointed.

“Shouldn’t have come up with that stupid name, then,” Aster replied. “Why would you even do that?”

“Because I’m getting tired of having to name you all in my head if I see you!” Zade exclaimed.

“And what’s wrong with my name?” Aster and Alyx asked at the same time.

“Nothing. Well, your name is kinda weird, Aster, but…”

“I’m done with this kid,” Aster groaned.

“I’m not that young!”

“Are you eighteen yet?” Aster asked.

“No,” Zade admitted.

“Then you’re a kid,” Aster finished. “You have no jurisdiction here. Basically everyone is older than you.”

Zade clearly wanted to retort but had nothing to say.

“I’m still pissed about this S’Sammi thing, just so you know,” Skai changed the subject. “I blame you, Xavier!”

“What did I do?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Skai replied, and Xavie grimaced.

“Zade, we need to talk,” Yue said, letting out what she’d been waiting to say. “About Eva. And you being the champion.”

“What is there to talk about?” He asked. “It’s pretty straightforward. My mission is to stop the Cult however I can.”

“How are you going to do that? How will the Goddess help you?”

“Well, I’ll keep practicing my magic and spreading the truth about the Cult. I’ll do everything I can to uncover those who belong to the Cult and kill them all.”

“That seems cruel,” Sia commented.

“They all deserve to die,” Zade said, face stony. “I’ll kill all of them. I’m on their radar now so they’ll be coming for me too. I’ll get them first.”

“And this Goddess. How does she fit in?” Aster asks.

“She’ll be helping me. She gave me better magic and she’ll communicate with me. I’m guessing she’ll also send things to help me. Of course, I’ll need your help too. I won’t be able to do it all alone.”

“Of course we’ll help you,” Yue reassured him. “But I would like to meet this Goddess, if I’ll be doing what she wants me to do.”

Zade cocked his head and listened to something.

“Eva says that one day she’ll show herself to all of us, but now is not the time. There are six Cultists currently here.”

Yue shivered. “They’re everywhere, aren’t they?”

“And the Cult is growing,” Zade agreed. “We need to keep an eye out at all times.”

“I’d prefer to keep them both, if you don’t mind,” Sia said nervously. Yue wondered what it meant until Zade laughed.

“That was good, Sia,” Zade laughed and Yue finally understood it.

“I don’t know if I liked that one,” Yue said.

“Who’s the pessimist now?” Zade asked.

“That literally made no sense.”

“But it sounded cool.”

“Zade, don’t even try,” Alyx interrupted him.

Zade huffed and crossed his arms.

“This is why I’m a pessimist,” He groaned.

“Still doesn’t make any sense.”

“Just shut up, will you?”

Alyx chuckled but did, in fact, shut up.

With the stupid but entertaining conversations they were having, the customers in the inn began to notice. Most of them were sad, teary-eyed, some hardened from the battle. But looking at Yue, Zade and their friends laughing, having fun, enjoying themselves in the midst of the tragedy, the customers slowly began to smile. To talk to each other. The inn began to feel like a proper inn again. Somewhere that was fun to be in. Soon, the noises turned from sobs to conversations and the Ember On The Waters felt normal again.

This was the lesson Yue had needed to learn, and now she knew it. No, everything was not okay. No, everything was not going to be okay. But if she let her problems drown her, then nothing would ever be okay. Laughter truly was the best medicine when she was feeling down, because if she didn’t laugh, she would cry, and if she started crying once, she wouldn’t stop.

It was good to laugh and talk when something bad happened, as long as it didn’t get in the way of mourning something in a healthy way, at least that was how she saw it. Life was about getting over obstacles, laughing when life wanted you to cry.

That was just the way of the world.

— — —

It’s getting late and we need to sleep. We’re all tired but satisfied, even artemis. He seems like he’s ready to smile a little, even though his eyes still look very haunted.

I look around at all my friends.

Xavier, my best friend. Yue, the girl who’s there for me. Anni, my little brother’s girlfriend. Sia, my newfound friend and companion in everything fun. Skai, my best friend’s girlfriend. Alyx and Aster, basically twins and basically insane. Xander, the man who’d do anything to protect us. Artemis, the broken man who only wants peace. And Neena, the most fragile yet the strongest here.

“So what do we do now?” I ask them, grinning.

“Anything we want,” Yue replies. “We have plenty of time now. Soon, we have to return to our lives. But for now, let’s just take this time and appreciate what we have. That's all that matters.”