Meriel stood outside the cabin watching the sun slowly begin to set in the distance. She loved the sunset…maybe more than she loved any other time of day. It was like watching a subtle and glorious end to something grand. Is that what Jessai’s death would feel like? She liked to think so: a gorgeous and hopeful end to something grand, and yet terrible. She was so caught up in the moment that she barely heard the shuffling behind her. A small cough led her to turn to see the source of the noise. She saw her mother walking behind her, she was carrying a large bag over her back and a hat on her head, hiding her ears. She looked at Meriel for a long moment, a silent explanation behind her sad smile.
“Mom?” Meriel asked.
“I’m all packed and…I’m about to go.”
“Mom, we talked about this! We can’t leave without-”
“Meriel, listen to me,” Jennifer interrupted, placing her hands on her daughters shoulders, “don’t try to stop me, sweetheart.” She sighed. “I’ve thought a lot about it and…and there’s just no other direction for me to go. I’m leaving for Serindal…tonight.”
“But Mom, they need us here! We’re going to kill Jessai and-”
“No dear…they need YOU here. You’re a bard…you’re young and filled with a spirit I lost a long time ago.” She replied, tears building up in her eyes.
“Wh-what?” Meriel asked. “You’re…leaving alone!?”
“My time is done, Meriel. The era I lived in is the one I belong in…not this one. But you? You have so much to live for…and you see a potential in these people that I no longer can. Call me bigoted if you wish. I won’t deny it. But it’s a truth I can’t escape.” Meriel wordlessly tried to protest. She reached out and touched her mom’s arm, but did not grab it nor did she plea. She simply stared a long moment, taking in her mother’s expression and determination. There seemed nothing else for it.
“…I’ll miss you, Mom.” Meriel whimpered, tears building up in her own eyes. Jennifer ran to her daughter and hugged her tightly, choking on a sob and shaking her head.
“We’ll see each other again, some day. Come to Serindal and find me there…”
“Will you be alright on your own? You’ll need a boat to escape.”
“I’ll travel North first into Valimar and take a boat from there to Serindal. I’ll be careful, trust me.” She smiled. “But you? You make the most of your gifts, Meriel…I love you so much.” She kissed her daughter on the cheek and stepped back, tears streaming down her face.
“I’ll find you Mom…I promise.”
“I know you will.” She choked. “You’re stronger than I am. Your father would be so proud of you…” Meriel’s mom paused a moment at the mention of her late husband and then took off her bag. She reached inside of it and began to shuffle around.
“Mom?”
“Just a second dear…I want to give you this.” She finally stood up straight again and was hiding something in her hand. “Turn around.” Meriel did so, and as she did, she saw something slip around her neck from behind, and it glimmered in the faint sunlight. As her mother locked it behind her neck, Meriel looked down to see it was a small gold necklace with a gemstone at the bottom carved in the shape of a red blooming rose. She recognized it as her mothers favorite necklace. Her dad gave it to her when they had gotten married. She hadn’t worn it once since the Cataclysm…she claimed she lost it.
“Mom! This is…it’s your…”
“I can’t wear it anymore, Meriel. It hurts too much to feel it around my neck. I want you to wear it now…think of me fondly dear. I know I was…I wasn’t the best mother to have around these last few years. I…I love you so much, Meriel and I…I was selfishly clinging to the past. I couldn’t realize just how beautiful and adventurous you’ve become. I may not like it but, this life…it might just suit you.” Meriel burst into tears and hugged her mother again, sniffing terribly.
“I love you, Mom…”
“I love you too, darling. I truly do.” She whispered.. With a hesitant sob, she turned and started walking to the East, towards the boarders of Valimar. Meriel watched her mother go, feeling the weight of her absence sit strongly on her heart and shoulders. She’d not been without her parents since the Cataclysm, and now she was finally on her own…able to make her own decisions…and her decision couldn’t be more clear. She would help in any way she could to defeat Jessai. She’d save Orcshire.
As she gazed off after her mother, another figure began to make its way up from the southern hill. She squinted hard to make him out, but beamed when she saw it was Grognor, climbing his way up the hillside.
“Grognor! It’s good to see you!” She called. There was no answer. “Great news! Blemish is almost back to normal. We’ll probably be ready to make a move o…Groggy? What’s wrong?” Grognor wasn’t looking at her as he walked towards the cabin. He had a desperate and wild look in his eye…a man with a mission.
“Who’s inside?” He asked.
“Titania is in her room taking a nap. Philip is giving Blemish a check up right now. Wh-why? Groggy, what’s going on?” She asked. Grognor didn’t answer her but just walked towards the cabin. She hurried after him and grabbed his elbow, bending down low enough to do it. “Grognor, you’re not yourself right now…do you need to talk?”
“…I need to see Titania. Now.” He forced her to let go and hurried inside. At the dining room table, Blemish was sitting with a piece of paper on the desk and he looked like he was drawing letters while Philip sat across from him fooling with some concoction. He looked up at Grognor and smiled, but the smile faded as he walked by.
“Something wrong, friend?” He asked.
“Yes…I need to see Titania.” He marched on, and Philips eyes followed him the whole way back to Titania’s bedroom. Meriel ran in and looked to Philip.
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“What’s gotten into him?” She asked.
“I don’t know…but something must’ve happened in town.” Blemish glanced between the two and then went back to his letters. He was focused on getting the hang of these letters. Titania had wanted to teach him how to read and write, and while he was interested, his mind was still going over how to kill Jessai. He didn’t want to admit he hadn’t come up with anything yet, but time was running out.
Grognor closed the door behind him as he saw Titania laying in her bed. She was sound asleep, her head rested on a large pillow and her armor tossed to the side. Without her armor and with only chest wraps to keep her breasts tied down, it was a fierce reminder that she was indeed female and not a beast. Sometimes Grognor forgot that there was a delicacy behind the fierce ogress. But now he had no time to admire physical traits…he had come for a purpose and he’d accomplish it. He walked to the bed and kicked it.
“Wake up.” Titania opened her eyes wearily and sat up, covering her top with a blanket.
“Jesus, Groggy…you gotta wake me now? What’s the big deal?”
“My mom is to be raped tomorrow night by Jessai…and my sister will be executed as well.” Titania froze in place and her eyes fell on Grognor who was trembling with fear but his eyes shimmered with determined fury.
“…You’re here to get Blemish…that’s the price for them, isn’t it?” Grognor inhaled deeply.
“…That’s the price for them.” He agreed.
“…So why wake me? You know I won’t just hand him over quietly.” Titania challenged.
“…I was hoping you’d have some kind of plan.” He grumbled. “You said we were going to kill Jessai. Well? Are we ready to?” Titania shook his head.
“Blemish isn’t fully recovered yet, and even if he was, he hasn’t come up with anything.” Titania muttered, leaning forward and bowing her head. “I’m sorry, Ethan.” Grognor nearly sank to his knees at the news and he leaned against the bed post in despair.
“…I don’t know what to do, Titania…I don’t…I can’t lose my sister. I can’t let my mom be…ravaged by that…that…MONSTER.” Titania looked at him carefully for a long moment and then she sighed deeply. She then stood and sat down on the floor. Grognor watched her for a moment as she reached under the bed and pulled out a wooden box. She slid it to Grognor who put it in his lap.
“Open that up…” Grognor did so and his breath caught in his throat. Inside was a steel marvel. With a polished finished and resting on red linin, it had a wooden handle with an old fashion air to it. A six shooter revolver sat within that box. A gun. During the early days of the cataclysm, everyone who owned a gun used them for self defense and to wage war on each other. Now, after so long with no way to manufacture more bullets or maintain them, guns were mostly a rarity now and were almost never used as weapons as ammo was so sparce. Most were sold as antiques or kept as souvenirs. Just looking at this revolver told Grognor it was worth a fortune.
“It belonged to my grandfather, who passed it to my dad, who gave it to me a year before the Cataclysm. It’s still fully loaded with six bullets. A rare find, huh?”
“Wh-why are you showing me this?” Grognor asked in disbelief.
“It might could buy you time.” She explained.
“Are you kidding? Six bullets won’t be enough to kill Jessai. I get searched any time I go to visit him…and when I do, it’s always by his request. If I just barged in, the orcs would know I was armed.”
“Then offer it as a gift. Trade it for time. It’s worth a fortune and could be worth something to that stupid orc.” Titania offered. “Look, either way I can’t use it. My hands are too large to use it properly.”
“Then give it to Blemish. Let him shoot Jessai after sneaking in!”
“Blemish’s never held a gun before. We can’t afford a novice to attempt to use it in an assassination.” Titania argued. Grognor weighed the options as he raised the gun from the box and inspected it.
“You’re really…really giving me this?”
“…I know our friendship is pretty much trashed, Groggy but…what’s happening to your family isn’t right. This is the least I can do to help you.” She explained. “I’m sure you can find a better use for that than letting it just sit in a box.” Grognor held the gun a long time and checked to see that it was indeed loaded. He then thought about the prospect. Offering it to Jessai would be a descent idea. It would be a rare treasure, and Jessai loved those.
But would it even mean anything? Jessai would likely take it anyway and celebrate by hacking off his sisters limbs. It wouldn’t change anything. He wanted Blemish and Titania…he wanted them for their release. A gun, no matter how valuable, just might not be enough. He looked at Titania. As she sat there, near naked and quiet, it dawned on him again how feminine she could appear…how vulnerable. Without her armor and weapons sitting on the floor like that, she didn’t seem so tall now…not so frightening. Grognor gripped the pistol tightly as he began weighing the options. Six shots…one was all he needed…just one…
“Grognor?” Titania asked. Grognor looked at Titania with a tearful and savage look.
“Our friendship…” he whispered “…do you really think it’s trashed?”
“…I dunno.” She explained. “I can’t bring myself to hate you and…and I still care about you. But right now it’s so hard to trust you.”
“…I understand.” He nodded, looking back at the gun. “I hoped…you might forgive me by now.”
“Ethan…” Titania smiled sadly. “…of course I forgive you.” Grognor closed his eyes and inhaled slowly as he felt tears roll down his cheeks and into his beard, the silence striking him in the heart.
“Thank you, David.” He whispered. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
Just one bullet…is all he needs.
“I think I know what to do.”
Grognor raised the pistol.