“First of all, I’d like to thank you again for saving us from the Horseman,” Penny says. “It was a timely rescue.”

Sylph chuckles. “I had sensed that our heroes were in trouble, and it is why that I had left my humble abode in order to save you from the threat.” Well, for one, Her abode is less than humble. Whilst the castle may be abandoned, it is still a castle, Ren thinks.

“How did you leave, though?” Ren asks. “I thought that your energy is the only thing keeping this barrier up.”

“Indeed, you are correct. It is because of that that I had to hurry back to Gyldon,” Sylph says. “I let you alight at Beville, since it seemed that that city was your temporary place of residence.”

“It was,” Gridel says. “Until the minister decided to throw us out.”

“Yes, well… I can imagine. Genmiol only has eyes for her own wealth,” Sylph says, a hint of distaste in her voice.

“Genmiol?” Ren asks.

“Genmiol of Gyldon,” Sylph says. “Otherwise known as Doraviel Berg.”

“Wait, she was from Gyldon?” Penny gapes.

Sylph hums. “Indeed. She was disillusioned by the idea of a life in agriculture, like much of her people here. She left for the nearby city of Beville, upon which she now builds her empire of wealth.”

Vane folds his arms, frowning. “It’s not much of an empire now, is it? There are corpses strewn about on the streets no matter where I looked.”

“Quite. Whilst the dead are among the minority, Beville certainly has become a rather depressing place to live in.”

“So… both Hal and that woman came from this village? Why is Hal so nice, and the woman so mean?” Tiv asks.

“Hal? You mean Gilroy?” Sylph raises Her head. Just a little bit. “Indeed, he is kind. Kinder than most humans that I have met. And believe me, I have met many.”

Hal’s real name is Gilroy, huh? Ren would never have thought.

“Gilroy…” Chief Grimm sighs. “It’s been a while since he returned to the village. He left for Beville an eon ago. I wonder what’s become of him now…”

“Hal’s…” Zan looks down at the ground, scuffing her soles against the wet moss. “Hal’s… gone. The Horseman killed him.”

“He’s gone?” Chief Grimm gazes over at her with that wistful gaze of his. “And he was killed by the Horseman, you say?”

“She is telling the truth,” Sylph interrupts. “His life force disappeared from the winds.” She bows Her head. “It is regrettable.”

“But Hal, or, uh, Gilroy…” Penny glances from Sylph to Chief Grimm, the latter with his head bowed and both hands around the emerald orb on his staff. It appears that Hal was someone respected and loved here. “He was conducting rituals and sacrificing people to the Horseman. But you say he’s kind. I can’t help but feel that there’s sort of a contradiction here…”

“Yes, and I can only wonder what was going through his mind,” Sylph says. “Maybe he believed that the abandoned children were worth more to be saved.”

It’s true that Tiv, Zan, and the others were unfairly treated, but it was still no reason to offer up other innocent humans as sacrifices. What was the point of that anyway? It’s not like the Horseman needed people to capture victims for him. The Horseman is perfectly capable of finding victims himself. Take the city of Beville, for starters.

Or… could it be that the Horseman didn’t have a choice, and that he needed Hal to bring him the sacrifices?

“What Hal’s done has been done,” Gridel says. “It’s unforgivable, teaching children to carry out such demonic rituals. The only way to put an end to this is to kill the Horseman once and for all and to stop the blight upon Frosgott.”

Ren can feel Sylph’s piercing gaze on them. It’s like she’s sizing each of them up, wondering whether they’re up to the task.

“And I believe you have retrieved the Horseman’s heart.” Sylph cranes her neck, now focussing her attention on the crystal in Penny’s arms. “That is it, is it not?”

“Yeah, it is,” Penny says. “But no matter how we hit it, it won’t break.”

Sylph smiles, Her whiskers twitching. “That is because it is encased in a layer of ice. Ice that is formed by strong magic.”

“Oh, so that means that Ren can burn it down?” Penny holds it out to him. Ren frowns. He doubts he’d be able to do anything, but he can certainly give it a try.

“No. This sort of ice is built to withstand the might of fire. There are only two ways to remove it.”

“What are the ways?” Tiv asks.

“One, is to force the mage who cast the spell to remove it. Only they would know the reverse spell to defrost it,” Sylph explains. “Two, the mage would have to… stop existing.”

A chill travels down Ren’s spine. Oh, he doesn’t like the sound of that. To stop existing would mean to die, wouldn’t it? If the mage wouldn’t listen to them, then they would need to… to murder them, is that it?

“I’m… hoping it won’t have to come to the second one,” Penny mumbles. “But the mage who put the spell on… it’s Hal, right? I mean, he’s the only mage I know that could have—”

“Gilroy does not use ice magic,” Chief Grimm says.

“Do not be quick to judge, Grimm,” Sylph says. “Gilroy may not have left this village knowing how to use ice magic, but he has been able to pick up some skills along the course of his studies in Beville.”

“One mage can use more than one type of magic?” Vane tilts his head in confusion. “Isn’t the element associated with the mage up to the affinity of their weapon?”

“It is. However, spirits in weapons are not stagnant. They may choose to learn, and through their education, they may be able to perform even more stunning feats. Of course, it is unlikely that spirits would be willing to learn, since they are used to their old ways.”

That makes some kind of sense, Ren thinks. If he can make Ifrit learn to spew water from its orb, or perhaps even whip out some blades of wind—like an actual wizard in video games—that would be incredibly cool.

“Despite your suspicions, however, I believe that Hal is not the mage who cast this spell. It bears someone else’s signature,” Sylph says. “In fact, its magic residue smells rather similar to that of Genmiol’s.”

Gridel takes a step forward, her lips pulled down into a frown. “Genmiol? You mean Minister Berg?”

Sylph nods. “The very same. I am not one to forget a scent, not since I have vowed to protect Gyldon. You are all my children, after all.”

Ren holds up a hand. “Um, we’re not residents of Gyldon, so, uh…”

“Truly? Has she not told you?” Sylph asks. “Your friend Gridel was born on this very land. That is, until Genmiol’s henchmen stole her away during a raid on the village.”

“Really?” Penny’s mouth opens to form an “O”. Ren’s jaw slackens, and Vane has gone rigid. Chief Grimm himself glances from Gridel, and back to Sylph, the latter of whom remains silent. Tiv and Zan exchange confused glances.

“Wait, what?” Out of all of them, Gridel appears the most shocked, with widened eyes and unsure steps. She walks towards Sylph till she’s inches from the altar. “I’ve been living in Gravelle for the longest time. I’ve known Queen Elvira for—”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Remember what I said, Gridel?” Sylph says, with a motherly tone. “I never forget the scent of my children.”

Gridel drops her gaze. “I… I didn’t know. I thought I had lost my family because of the Horseman of Death. That was what I had been told all my life.”

“It could be that that is what your Queen Elvira thought as well. Perhaps she found you alone, or with your kidnappers,” Sylph suggests. “But there is no doubt in my mind that you were born here.”

“Then… How was I…” Gridel shakes her head. “That’s a long distance between Frosgott and Gravelle. How did I get there?”

A moment of silence passes between them. Ren glances from Sylph, to Chief Grimm, before Vane clears his throat.

“If I recall correctly, we found you at the edge of the Ashen Plains, on the Shaded Shore,” Vane says. The Shaded Shore must be a beach of sorts. “It was my first time on a patrol trip, and we chanced upon a shipwreck during the trip. I think I was about… twelve at that time.”

Twelve, and already risking his life against the Horseman? When he was twelve, Ren was snug and safe at home, never needing to care about much other than his schoolwork, and what secondary school he would have liked to go to. How very different lives they lead…

“It was the first time I’d seen a ship of any sort, and I hadn’t quite expected to hear the sounds of someone crying from within,” Vane recounts. “My commanding officer went to investigate, and we found a child within, along with a few dead pirates.”

“So, it was pirates who stole her away?” Penny asks.

“It must have been the raid twenty years ago,” Chief Grimm says grimly. “A group of bandits had come, ordered by Genmiol, to take from Gyldon of the medicinal herbs that we grew. Genmiol had somehow put a dent in the barrier, and it was through this chink in our armour that the bandits entered and wreaked havoc.”

“Yes, I am entirely responsible for letting that attack happen,” Sylph says, a twinge of sorrow and regret in Her voice. “The citizens of Gyldon are not familiar with the flames of war and violence. If not for Gilroy’s magic, I doubt that the village would flourish and grow as much as it did. However, whilst the bandits beat a hasty retreat, we had sustained substantial losses.”

“And one of them was… Gridel?” Ren asks.

“Indeed. When they fled, the bandits took a child, although her parents were already… they had already perished.” Sylph averts her gaze. “It all happened too fast. I had my attention trained on the destruction wrought upon the village that I hadn’t noticed a child missing before it was too late.”

“The bandits probably sold you to the pirates, or took you out to sea themselves,” Chief Grimm says, turning to face Gridel. “Maybe they wanted you to become one of them, or perhaps they were going to sell you off. When you were taken from us, you were but six years old.”

“I don’t… remember any of this, though. It’s… You’re telling me that this is my hometown, and that I was born here and…” She trails off, but once again, no one says anything. The castle sinks into a heavy silence. “I… Quite frankly, I don’t know what to say.”

“You needn’t say anything, child,” Chief Grimm says, hobbling over to her, staff clacking against the mossy rock. “Gyldon welcomes you back with open arms. This is where you belong, after all, and you’ve made it back to us at last.”

Where she belongs… Chief Grimm seems rather sure of that fact.

When Gridel doesn’t respond, the Chief coughs. “I suppose it’s time for us to be getting back. We shall prepare a feast for your return, Gridel, and hold a festival in the town square for the Luminaries once the threat has been settled.” A kind smile spreads across his face. “Gyldon has been on the receiving end of Lady Luck’s blessings today.”

Gridel returns the smile, but Ren can tell it’s forced. Sylph endorses the celebrations, urging them to head back quickly, and rest their weary bones. Tiv and Zan look like they’re about to fall asleep standing, and Vane and Gridel ferry them out of the castle. Chief Grimm trots along, commenting on the cuteness of the “little ones”. If Tiv and Zan had any rebuttals, they are probably too tired to say anything.

Penny has not yet left. Instead, she remains looking up at Sylph, at Her magnificent body pulsing with green, the Horseman’s heart tucked under her arm.

“Is there something wrong?” Sylph asks.

“Well…” Penny thumbs the jagged edge of the crystal. “There’s just one last thing…”

“And what is that?”

“Why did Hal leave Gyldon?” Penny asks. “Like, for Berg, I know she left because of money’s temptations, but… why did Hal go, when he seemed so loyal to his hometown?”

Sylph hums. “Excellent question. It was one that I asked Gilroy—or Hal, as you know him—before he left.”

“You asked him?”

“He came up to me and prayed for good fortune before he went to Beville. When he was here, I asked him his reason, and he replied me with an answer befitting his person.”

“And that was…”

“That he wanted to stop Genmiol at all costs. He wanted to quell her ambitions, and to return her to Gyldon,” Sylph says. “His intentions were pure, but down the line, he must have been corrupted. Corrupted by the death and despair that he saw around him.”

Those bodies on the streets… Yeah, Ren saw them too. Buried under trash bags, under piles of snow, leaning against the walls of buildings and the corners of streets. For a man who grew up in such a sheltered place, in Gyldon, under a god’s direct protection, it is no wonder that he himself would fall into desperation and despair.

And when the Horseman promised Hal that he would protect the children, the victims of Berg’s tyrannical rule, he accepted the offer. Immediately. To raise an army that would stand guard outside the Horseman’s palace, in exchange for the Horseman sparing their lives when it came to the plague.

“Well, what is done is done,” Sylph says. “The only thing we can do now is to learn from the mistakes that he has made, and to look forward.”

“And that means… we’ve got to bring Berg down once and for all?” Ren says.

“Very much so.”

“In that case, may we leave the Horseman’s heart here?” Penny asks. “I think it’s best to keep it out of Berg’s reach for now.”

Sylph nods. “Of course. I will protect it till you return. As for Genmiol’s reformation… I leave this task in your capable hands, Luminaries.”

Penny sets the frosted heart on the altar before Sylph, the crystal gleaming green in the pulse of the light that the wyrm emits. Penny waves goodbye to Sylph, before turning her back and taking Ren’s arm. When they emerge, Vane is the one standing outside and waiting for them.

“The Chief has offered us his place to rest,” Vane says, “as well as some dinner.”

Penny grins, and Ren can almost see her drool leaking from the corners of her mouth. “That’s great. I don’t even remember the last time I ate. Also, where did Gridel and the kids go?”

“They fell asleep on the way back. Gridel said that she could handle it, and implored me to wait for you,” Vane says. The trio begins to make their way down the mountain, each step careful and sure. More… carefree and jovial.

“I never knew that you and Gridel shared that kind of history,” Penny says. “You’ve really got to tell us more, Vane.”

Vane shrugs. “It’s… There’s nothing much to say. I found her on the ship as a child, surrounded by dead bodies. She was unconscious for a few days, and when she woke up, she could not tell us a single thing about herself. Apart from her name, that is.”

“She lost her memories?”

“Seemed that way. Perhaps the raid, seeing her parents killed before her eyes, and being kidnapped… that must have been a lot for a child to take in.”

Penny lowers her gaze, voice unnaturally soft. “It must be. God, I can’t imagine that ever happening to me, you know?”

Neither can Ren. He had never been confronted with any life-and-death stuff. His grandparents are still alive and well, so are his parents, and so is Penny. He’s never had to attend anyone’s funeral, never had to deal with any sort of… grief.

Vane nods. “Yes, well, my parents have also perished before I got the chance to know them. I was not incredibly saddened by their deaths, or disappearances, to be more accurate. I had Queen Elvira and King Rayfel when I was growing up, after all.”

“Were you and Gridel close?” Penny asks. “I mean, as friends?”

“We were nothing more than colleagues, I would say. I hardly spoke to her before we started this journey,” Vane says. “She rose quickly through the ranks as another captain of Gravelle’s army, but she always seemed rather closed off from the rest of us.”

“Really? She doesn’t seem that way at all with us, though,” Ren comments.

Vane hums. “Perhaps not.”

They reach the base of the mountain, and they follow the dirt path back to the village, passing by the stone walls that surround the fields of medicinal herb bushes. The village is winding down for the day, with most of the farmers heading home, and the kids returning to their houses.

“That’s the Chief’s house.” Vane points out a rather large mansion atop a hill, the only house fitted with a black tiled roof and white, polished stone walls. It stands out amongst the other straw houses, as if its elevation already hasn’t made it as different as it could be.

Oh well, perhaps it’s time they grab some dinner and turn in for the night. Tomorrow, they can set out back to Beville and confront the minister once and for all.

*

Ren plods along the second floor of the massive house. Gridel left sometime during dinner, presumably to check up on Tiv and Zan. Her plate was virtually untouched, save for the bread, and she’s been gone awfully long. Ren thought that he ought to check up on her, and excused himself early as well.

“Are they asleep?”

Gridel looks up from where she’s sitting by the children’s bed, the two of them asleep under the blanket. Tiv is curled up in a foetal position, while Zan’s limbs are spread out like a star, throwing her arms and legs over Tiv. Gridel stands and steps away from the bed. “Yes, they are, but I assume that they would be hungry once they awaken.”

As soon as she’s out of the room, Ren shuts the door with a light click.

“Did you need something from me?” Gridel asks.

It’s only now, under dim light, that Ren sees her battle-hardened face, the weathered lines on her skin, much too many and deep for one so young. She peers curiously at him, as though she’s puzzling him out and trying to read his mind.

“No, not really. Just making sure you’re okay.”

“Why the sudden concern?” Gridel asks, but her tone is not accusatory. If anything, she sounds confused. “I’m fine, Ren. I don’t wish to worry you.”

“I’m just wondering whether you’re okay with all this,” Ren says. “I mean, about Gyldon being your hometown and how you lost your parents in a raid or something… It’s got to be a lot.”

Gridel nods. “It is, but… I think I will be all right.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

Ren hums. “If you’re sure. Are you hungry, by the way? You left halfway through the meal.”

“That I did, but I’m not hungry. Thank you for worrying.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Ren says, tilting his head. “That’s what friends do, right? Care for each other.”

Gridel bites her lip. “But you are—”

“The Luminary, yes, but I’m also your friend.”

“I… I suppose.” Gridel straightens her tunic, and glances away. “I think I will be going to bed now. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

They do. Ren bids her a quick good night, and she leaves with quickened steps. He yawns, cupping a hand over his mouth. He should totally get some sleep too. Tomorrow is going to be a long day; he can feel it in his bones.