Stepping foot out of that room, Drenar had never been more anxious in his life. He’d just signed them up for the craziest thing he’d ever done in his life, and he felt his heart rate going through the roof. All his talk of taking on the world fell apart, as soon as he headed downstairs.
How was he going to do this?
With steely determination, friends, and an army of our own. He takes a deep breath and grasps the railing going to the guest quarters, and is eager to get some much-deserved rest after the lengthy day. But, he isn’t alone–he catches a whiff of cinnamon behind him, and Joey practically swirls into existence. How does she do that? “Hey, I hear the turmoil going on in your head. You don’t need to keep a brave face on at all times, you know. We’re all scared of trying to pull off something this big.”
“He doesn’t get scared, not really. Maybe a little anxious,” Julia chimes in just behind her and flexes lightly before wincing. “Damn, I am not as indestructible as I thought I was. It’s gonna be a few days before we’re in fighting form, aren’t we?”
“I mean, I could make some alchemical reagents to get you guys back on your feet faster, but some of the side effects suck. I don’t think it’s worth the price of admission,” Joey adds before they all head down the stairs. That cracked tiling where they had been training only a few days ago still needs fixing, he thinks with resignation. Nick is going to hold them to that one, and he had a feeling manual labor was going to be in their near future.
Plans for training, weapons, armor, equipment, and building an army of upstart youths were on the back burner, until they dealt with these small-time problems. Angela breezed down with them at the same time, along with James. Evan was still apparently talking to Jackie–seriously, how did those two make up? He hasn’t figured that one out, either. Julia had commented on it and she was just as mystified as he was. “I think we’ve got this, Joey. We always make plans.” His statement does nothing to calm James.
“Our plans suck, Drenar. Our plans usually involve us going from mortal peril to extreme mortal peril. Not for nothing, but one of these days, you’re going to take on more than you can handle, and get hurt badly,” James points out. “Let me make plans, from now on?”
“Where would the fun be, though?” Julia comments with a light smile. She’s never ceased to be an optimist, even given this particular week. They’re all in the commons area where a cozy couch and a few recliners are placed–someplace for downtime. Nick also has a healthy portion of DVDs and a decent TV–dragons apparently need entertainment, too. He browses through the stack, and laughs.
“Oh dear Fates, Nick, you are an action movie junkie. And hilariously cheesy bad ones, too.”
“How bad is bad?” Julia edges over and giggles. “Oh, this is hilariously bad.”
“Well, about every Chuck Norris movie under the sun, Bruce Willis, and Jason Statham, to name a few.” He places the DVD’s back, and the idea of watching a movie to just drown out the lurking dread inside his head might not be a bad idea. “Show of hands, 80’s or 90’s action?”
Apparently, people still love 80’s movies, and the cheesy one-liners of muscled lead men haven’t dulled with age–this was a foray into a different culture altogether, and they all laughed at the dated script. Julia had taken up residence on the opposite couch with James and Angela, and somehow had scrounged up popcorn.
It was just a mask, he thought distantly. He knew it by the way everyone talked quietly. Normal was gone. It was dead and buried. Training started in a couple of days, at his insistence. And of course, dropping out of school was also on the table. Well, that was one small thing he had to look forward to. I’ll never have to go to Barton’s lab lessons again. Worth it!
Oh, you’ll be working on training of a different sort, lad. And if you want to impress a certain alchemist, you might wanna change the subject. Alex’s warning comes a tad too late and Joey lets out an annoyed growl just next to him. His dragon just called him out again in front of her? Wanna know what he does love to study, though? Alex asks.
“Oh Alex, I would absolutely love to know!” She settles in and jabs him gently with an elbow into his ribs, and he groans. “Oops. Sorry, forgot you’re still healing.”
“I think you’re just leaning too hard into the dragon science part. Also, I enjoy studying applied sciences and manufacturing,” he adds with a smirk.
“Admirable. Maybe Kyle can make use of ya. He’s got some ideas.”
The movie ends, and most everyone has gone to small talk. James bowed out early and said he wanted to catch up with Kyle and Nick before bed. Julia and Angela said they were going to catch some sleep. Which was odd, because Julia had been wrapped around him last night…but given the nightmares on their doorstep, he wasn’t surprised. It just occurred to him it was just him and Joey in the room. It’s awkwardly quiet. Maybe it’s time to call it a day?
“Well, this is me, I guess,” he said with a yawn. He hasn’t felt this exhausted since…well, only last week. It might have been an entire lifetime away. She’d been sitting next to him, and kept glancing his way with curiosity. “I think I need to get some rest."
“Do you…have trouble sleeping? I mean, look at what happened over a single week,” she speaks barely above a whisper. He thinks back to last night’s replay in his head. Of the horrors of a war so close to home.
Of the man he’d killed, and the rest who had suffered life-threatening injuries. Or, just the simple reminder of the water going into his lungs.
“I had my first brush with the most awful thing in the world, six years ago. I had two years of bad dreams. I know she’s alive now, but…” he can’t find the words to describe how he felt about it. “She was in a coma the whole time. She was one step removed from death. This isn’t…quite as bad as that. But it’s bad enough that I’m glad I’m not alone. That’s not something I counted on, being a drakensoul. Never being alone in all my endeavors.”
Yeah, it’s nice to feel loved. At least it isn’t boring with you around, Alex adds in a sardonic beat. Joey clears her throat, and rose from the couch.
“Hey, can we talk about something?”
“Okay. What’s up?” She takes a deep breath and exhaled, and her whole body seems tense. He’d noticed it a couple of times throughout the evening, something must be bothering her.
“Drenar, there’s something you don’t know about me. Can we talk someplace private?”
“Yeah, let’s try the guest room.” This is leaving his stomach twisting in knots, what did she want to talk about that was leaving her this anxious? He could guess that it's something personal. But, what could be so personal that she wouldn’t talk about it in front of the others? Was she a…
No, there’s no way. Right? She can’t be. He makes sure to keep that thought as quiet as possible, since he doesn’t exactly know the limitations of her psionic ability. He’s not sure she does, either, based on what she’s told him thus far. He latches the guest room door closed, and she’s sitting on the bed, hands on her lap and gazing at him solemnly. “Um, look, I don’t want to lead you astray, Drenar. This is kind of a big deal.”
“Alright. How big a deal are we talking about?” Yep, this is the moment where she announces she’s an eldritch nightmare horror with a heart of gold, he can see that heel turn coming. Or a magical fox girl. Or a serial killer who had holed up in Asqualia and had accidentally done the right thing. Or any number of things that quite frankly, wouldn’t move the needle, because she’s already shown her determination, courage…and just a touch of acerbic wit that he kind of enjoys hearing from her. He throws all those thoughts aside when she stands up from the bed, and takes a step closer to him.
“The kind of deal breaker that will break how you view someone.” She bites her lip gently, and her hands fall by her side. “You might not look at me the same way again–”
“Joey, you just collectively saved our lives. You fought side by side with us against the deadliest dragon on the planet. There’s not a single thing you can tell me that would change my perception of you.”
“Really? Because I think this might.” He’d short-circuited anxiety and might have traded it for aggression. “How long have we known each other?”
“Four days.” It felt like a lifetime, though.
“You think that’s enough time to get a read on a person? What their values are? Or how dangerous they are? Can you really tell enough about a person in that short of a span to trust them?” Her expression softens a little.
“You do,” he points out. He has a standing theory on what’s about to go down in this room, and he’s hoping he hasn’t let that thought leak out. “Joey, look, you’re a sassy, dependable arcanist who I wish I could have met sooner in my life. Nothing’s changing that.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asks while shaking her head in disbelief.
“Because I am. And…I just figured it out. I figured out…who you are. And I think the answers’ been staring me in the face for a while now.” He straightens up and crosses that short distance of the lovingly crafted rustic wooden floor. “My mother handed you the second most important thing in her world to you, besides myself and Evan. She gave you Luminari. The symbol of the Valkyries. She would not have done that, unless she was sure it was the right call. You might not see it, but I do. And she did it, likely knowing everything there is to know about you. And maybe something you don’t know about yourself.”
Everything that he’s known about her starts to stitch together. The blank spots on the map begin to unfurl and become known. “I think that whatever we saw in the aether–she knew you well enough, too. All you ever needed was the confidence of a few good friends. And I think you’ve already found them. Which means, you can do almost anything, Joey. And I think you can do this.” She stands there, stunned, and then a barely present laugh sneaks by.
“You know, it’s strange…all the people that know about this one, have discovered it by accident, or were my family members. I’ve never outright…told anyone this one of my own choosing, you know? I’ve never wanted to, until today.” She wrings her hands and taps a foot anxiously on the floor. “So um, yeah, I’m gonna do this before my nerves fry, so, don’t freak out, okay?” Oh boy, the anxiety is back–well, there’s no going back now, after pulling out the vote of confidence. She takes a step back, and her eyes are closed in concentration.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The first thing he notes is that her hair grows slightly longer–and turns even brighter red than the strawberry color it normally is. Less subtle, was the rest, and he watches her human form melt away. His heart rate picks up–this wasn’t supposed to rattle him, it shouldn’t! The realization of the truth slowly sunk in as he watched small claws emerge on her hands and feet–and how her stance changed as her ankles elongated, and she stood gently on paw pads. He stood there solemnly as her form gave way to something he’d only read about in folklore legends...and about a thousand manga comics he’d read at more than a little bit of an obsessive pace in the past few years.
And then he realizes…he’s always known. It was sitting right in front of him from the beginning. Nick had made a comment about kitsune he'd questioned from the start, knowing he’d left a coy truth in sight. Her psionics are most certainly not normal. And she moved with an agility that couldn't possibly be human. All the pieces were there. He just had to put them together.
And It didn't change a thing in his mind. Well Alex, guess who’s getting set on fire in the near future?
It was nice knowing you, Drenar. I mean that with all the sincerity of my ethereal heart.
She opens her eyes, and they’re still mostly the same–with that deep lavender tint he’s always associated with her, and she clutches her tail anxiously. “Drenar, say something? Say that you understand.” He stands there, unable to form words that can even remotely come close to saying what he feels.
Words are too much for this one. He crosses that infinitely small distance between them before leaning in for a hug that she doesn’t shy away from. He can feel a roll of emotions coming off of her–anxiety, dread–and maybe, for the first time in her life, a sense of elation. The exchange lingers for a moment–it’s a strange sensation, how her fur is as soft as silk, and he can feel the faintest press of her nails at his back, and her breathing is calm and steady now.
She needed this moment—more than anything in the world.
“So, do I take that as a yes, you do understand? Or, that you have a thing for fur, or that we should explore the options here between us, or–”
“I think I need to start, by rolling my whole collection of Magic cards over to James in the morning.” She looks at him, head tilted in curiosity. He’s still getting used to that, and her teeth are a little sharper, and her ears perk up.
“Why’s that?”
“He said I’d fall for a magical fox girl. Turns out, he just filled out his bingo card. I didn’t see that one coming,” he adds as his lips crease into a smile that he can’t hide. She puts a hand to her muzzle and tries to hide a snerk sound, but fails. “The second thing we need to do? You and I need to go out to brunch.” She lets out a laugh that sounds more like a cackle.
“Dear gods, do you practice being adorkable, or does it just come naturally to you?”
“Well, if you’re gonna be using me as a test subject for dragon science, or as a blood bag for making life saving medical potions, I think you and I need to get to know each other a little better.” She’s practically in stitches trying to keep her composure, and failing.
“I just showed you the most terrifying secret I have, and you’re inviting me to brunch?!”
“Isn’t that what friends do?” he proposes with a smirk. “Besides, now that I know magical fox girls are a real thing in the world compared to…oh say, a couple of weeks ago, I really need to get more in touch with all the things and people I’ve missed. I mean, I can promise you, I’m not some weirdo.”
“Too late, that has already been established.” She pokes his nose gently with a finger–has she been paying attention to Julia? It feels like her presence is nearby, but he doesn’t know why he would think that. “So, you’re not freaked out that you might have an interest in someone who isn't fully human?” As if this could ever be even remotely more terrifying than Val’s manic singing, and she raises an eyebrow at that thought–how did he know she was still connected, anyway? It almost felt like Alex’s presence in the back of his mind.
“You're not getting rid of me that easily, also I’m only half human, by my accounting.” She waves her hand gently as if she half-agreed. “I’m guessing that you've gone incognito because…because people suck, and don't want to understand others as equals.” He did find it odd that he hadn't seen anyone else like her, until now. “I know enough from what I’ve heard from Nick that kitsune–well, uh, you–have had a bad run of luck in the past.”
“There's…a lot of history.” She lets out a soft breath that most wouldn't notice. This has taken all her courage to bring up, he realizes. “I don't want to unpack all of it just yet. There’s a lot. And I think you’ve got your share of stuff, too?”
He tries not to glance at his wrist. “You could say that.” He ponders over something, and the way Angela had been attached to her hip the past couple of days. “Angie knows, doesn't she?”
“Yep. Heart of crystal from that one. I really need to tell the rest of you guys, but…I wanted to tell you, first.” She smiles faintly and her tail swishes playfully. Should he take that as something to note? “Look, this one’s beyond secret, alright? I don’t think I need to ask you to hold this one close to your heart.”
“By the time I’m done ripping up the establishment, you won’t have to.” She scoffs that, and puts her hands on her hips.
“You really just enjoy taking on every task imaginable that could end up with an utter death wish, don’t you?”
“I know, it’s like some innate skill. I don’t even try, and I invoke the wrath of gods and megalomaniacs,” he shrugs. “You have to promise me one thing, Joey.”
Her tail twitches in anticipation. “Oh, having a girl make promises? That's dangerous.”
“We never let people define who we are. We’re the only people that get to decide that. No matter what happens.” She smiles playfully at that.
“You know something? I think I can hold to that one.”
With sleep no longer even remotely in his thoughts, he was content to just hang out and chat with her the rest of the night, until there was a mighty banging on the door. The kind of knock that only a certain tsundere–oh no…
“Hey, open up! You have to share the cinnamon stick Drenar, I know she’s in there!” Julia declares at the door. “You’ve known her for five minutes, and you two are already hooking up, you are such a teen!”
“Pot, meet kettle,” he retorts at the door, then motions to Joey whose fur is now bristled, and she looks like she’s a flight risk. “We are not currently, in any capacity, engaged in coitus.”
“He’s lying, totally a bunch of coitus happening in here, it means the room's off-limits!” He turns and feels death coming for him when Joey looks like a…well, a fox in the henhouse. {What, I had to make it sound believable!} she whispers through that link of theirs.
{Yeah Joey, that was totally not believable. Julia knows my lust drive is like, broken or something.} He would try to get Julia to just not bother and tell her in the morning, but she decides to take matters into her own hands.
The door handle cracks and Julia barges in, grinning from ear to ear. Joey is feebly trying to hide behind the bed. Julia goes slack-jawed, staring, and Drenar tries to sputter something that doesn’t sound like air escaping a flat tire. His effort fails spectacularly.
“Buh. Fox girls come in cinnamon flavors?!” It’s the most Julia thing she’s ever said. Joey’s ears flatten against her head, and she looks at Julia meekly.
“Um…they do?” she offers timidly. If his heart wasn’t about to lock up in cardiac arrest, he might have found it quite adorable. Julia practically vaults across the room to give Joey a loving hug, and simultaneously letting out a sound of utter delight.
“I have the bestest, cutest, most adorkable friends ever, and we will train like it’s an action movie montage, and look badass while doing it, and save the world!” He lets out a breath like he’s been holding his head underwater for too long. Joey looks like she’s trying to relax, but Julia is currently in ‘utterly endeared’ mode. He sees Angela leaning by the doorframe, smiling politely.
“Sorry Drenar, you weren’t the first to know. She’s alright. Though, I think you figured that out already.”
“How long were you guys lurking out there? I gotta commend you, even with the draconic hearing, I didn’t pick you two out.”
Angela sighs contentedly. “I know a dragon ninja.”
“Uh huh.” He can’t help but smirk at that one. Joey has finally given up resisting while Julia goes on about friendship, trips to a spa together, and plans for dragon science. He decides to interject a moment later. “Joey, meet our resident tsundere. Julia, meet Joey, a gal of many talents.” He lets out a soft laugh that feels like the dread, anxiety, and fear leaving his body at once. “And with sleep off the radar…what’s next?”
“Something a little less trauma-inducing. Group hug!” Julia proposes.
He sighs contentedly at Julia’s spirited idea. “No matter how much things change…some stuff stays the same.” After a little while, they all settle down into another round of spirited discussion, and Joey sits next to him, his hand firmly wrapped around hers. They might have monsters and corrupt institutions to bring down soon enough…
But this? This is one of those few treasured moments in between, that makes it all worth it.
The Legend of the Luminaires: End of Volume II
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