When her tears finally began to slow down, Addie meekly squeezed out a question, “What now?”
“Now? I take you home.” Christena winced slightly, her chest seeming to be a bit sensitive after the beating Addie gave her on the ground and with the stick—though it seemed like she was trying to hide it. It was strange though, for her to do that, Addie thought.
She finished adjusting her position and snaked her right arm underneath Addie’s legs, then tightened her hold on Addie’s back with her other arm. Christena then stood up with a slight hiss as she pulled Addie up into a princess carry.
Addie didn’t know what to feel. Everything was so weird and chaotic now. Was this the same Christena that Addie had grown up with, playing with, and loving? Or was this the Christena from the basement, who wanted to hurt her?
For a while, the two of them were silent. Christena simply walked back to the village manor, and Addie watched the scenery pass by as she allowed herself to be carried. Exhaustion hit her now, and Addie had a hard time keeping her eyes open. She hadn’t slept in nearly two Binary cycles, now— two days of hardship. It was easy to fall back into this routine, the normalcy of just being carried by her maid.
It also felt disjointed, like she shouldn’t trust this woman or that she could be traumatized all over again any moment. That’s what kept her from closing her eyes completely. A slight anxiety in the back of her head that whispered, what if things went wrong.
“Where are we going now?” Addie finally broke the silence after they had been walking for around ten minutes.
“Home now, little Addie,” Christena answered simply.
“You said everyone was safe, but I saw you kill an old woman in the basement,” Addie replied in the same simple tone, as if she simply pointed out trees were green: an observation without venom.
“Do you perhaps mean this woman?” At that, a few feet in front of them, the visage of the old woman came into view. The elder waved her hand at the two of them with a bright smile, then dramatically sunk into the floor. Addie swore she read her lips which silently said, “I’m melting.”
“A fake!” Addie cried out in surprise. “But, I was hiding in the furnace! You knew I was there?”
“Oh, silly little Addie. Of course I knew you were in the basement with me. I baited you down there, after all.”
Addie just opened her mouth, not quite sure how to react, and angry at how easily she had been deceived.
“You tricked me!” She accused.
“Of course, I tricked you. I am bonded to a Slyfox you know? The creatures known to be masters of deception? Even those ‘fireballs’ I was throwing around at you, don’t tell me you didn’t notice they had no actual heat? All of my magic is illusory.” Christena’s foot crunched a leaf as they kept walking. They were nearing the village outskirts now, almost out of the forest completely.
Addie had known that Christena’s magic was illusory, she often teased Addie with it! But, Addie thought Christena had gained more power, or perhaps a second bond. Addie had been tricked from the beginning, she started to realize. But why? All of this hardship, for no reason? Somehow, that almost felt worse than Christena actually being evil.
Addie’s thoughts were interrupted as Christena started chuckling.
“Why are you laughing?” Addie frowned up at Christena.
“Nothing really. Just remembering how you are still a child. Though, maybe a bit too ruthless for one. You did nearly bash my brains out after all. That was not very childlike of you.”
Addie’s tone darkened, in direct contrast to Christena’s seemingly upbeat sarcasm, “I thought you were going to kill me.”
That sobered Christena right up, “Well, that would do it, I suppose.”
“If everything was just a big trick, how were you and Dad frozen in that big blue bubble?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil everything for you. I will tell you, though, your dad and I worked on this for months to come up with a good bonding initialization for you.” Christena’s face smiled in reminiscence.
Her dad had mentioned that, those many days ago when she begged him for a bond.
“I still don’t forgive you by the way.” Addie looked away and scowled. “I mean, I thought I was gonna die. I ran through the forest and a wolf almost ate me. If this was all just a big test, why did such awful things happen like that?” Addie felt a grudge forming.
Christena frowned. “When you bonded with that lizard-cat creature, your father and I were not expecting it. We had a separate bonded creature, a Krefft Mouse, ready for you. Sometimes, when a soul is in great turmoil, the strings of fate will unite a Lord or Lady with a bonded. In this case, it wasn’t intentional, but that scaly creature came to you, and after that, your dad and I lost all track of you. Then, things became dangerous.” Christena paused for a moment, considering.
“You know about cascades, right Addie?”
“That awful bedtime story where bad bond ignitions can make monsters?”
“That’s right,” Christena took a moment to catch her breath, still wincing from the bruises on her sides, then she continued, “Because your father and I didn’t know that the scaly cat thing would find you, we didn’t make it to your room in time to help with your bond ignition. We thought we had more time. I ran through the hallway, but you vanished just before I reached the room.”
Christena paused for a moment, to catch some of her breath. She then readjusted her arms, jostling Addie just a little bit.
“Since you are so young, and because we weren’t there to help you, we worried that the unexpected bond ignition with that other creature would cause you to cascade.”
“His name is Squishy.” Addie said, “He’s not ‘that other creature’.”
“Squishy, then,” Christena easily agreed.
Christena stopped walking and gently sat down on the dirt, Addie still in her lap. She let out a big trembling breath.
“Originally, we planned to have you stay in your room overnight, we would have snuck the Krefft Mouse into your room, and in secret I would have monitored your bond ignition to make sure it went smoothly. Then, you would have solved a quick few puzzles to get used to your new bond. Lastly, you would have ‘defeated me’ and then your dad and I would have revealed that you had passed the test.
“Instead, you vanished from your room after the bond ignition with Squishy, and we couldn’t find you for days. When we realized you were back in town, we hastily came up with a plan to make sure you hadn’t cascaded. Your father and I tried to think of the best ways to test all of your new powers, and make sure you hadn’t become something other than human.”
“Addie, I don’t know if you can understand, since you are still so young. But if you had cascaded...” Christena trailed off. “When you came back to town, it was more important that I tested your new powers, and made sure you hadn’t cascaded, rather than welcome you home.”
Addie flinched, that didn’t make any sense! After all of the hardship in the forest, Christena still thought Addie needed more struggle before she could go home? Addie turned her head away from Christena sharply and hmphed.
“I want you to understand, Addie. You could have been a danger to the town.”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Maybe Christena was the one who didn’t understand. Addie wouldn’t ever be a danger to the town.
Addie stewed with all of that information for a little while, refusing to speak or look at Christena.
“Addie...” Christena started.
Addie interrupted her, “So you didn’t let me get chased by an Aurwolf for no reason?” Addie asked.
“You were chased by!” Christena started to shout, with concern on her face. Then, she shook her head, “I’m sorry you went through so much, Addie. It was my failure as your guardian... I’m sorry.” The apology didn’t really make Addie feel any better.
They continued in silence for a little while; the entire time anger stirred in Addie’s chest. “Why did the test have to be so awful!? So many times, I thought I would die...” Before she knew it, Addie was crying again. Hot, ugly tears ran down her face.
With her uninjured hand, Addie tightly bunched up some of Christena’s maid uniform, trying to squeeze out all of her anger. That only made it worse, reminding Addie of her broken arm. “You broke my arm!” She accused.
Christena didn’t respond for a little while, looking up at the sky. “I’m sorry,” she finally said.
“It’s not okay.” Addie sniffled, “It’s really not okay.”
She scrunched up her face tightly as more tears fell. At some point, Christena stood back up with Addie still in her arms and continued back toward the manor. After a little while, Addie finally stopped crying, and the anger slowly started to fade as it was replaced by exhaustion. She wanted to sleep for a week. But, she hadn’t forgiven Christena, even if she was too tired to be angry.
After some time, Addie still wanted more answers. “How did you bait me?”
“I’m sorry?” Christena replied.
She turned her head a bit to look up at Christena, “You said you baited me into the basement. How did you do that?” Addie looked up at Christena’s face.
Christena smiled, then stopped walking for a moment. She looked down at her chest for something, then replied to Addie, “Well, I’ll show you. My hands are a bit full carrying you at the moment, could you reach your hand up into my left chest pocket?”
Without saying anything, Addie slowly used her uninjured right hand to reach up into Christena’s only pocket on her entire maid uniform.
Surprise filled Addie and her mouth formed into a shocked expression as her hands wrapped around something familiar. She finished pulling the item out from Christena’s pocket, and with shining eyes, she nearly yelled out, “It’s that strange bauble I found on your desk! I knew it was real. Mom tried to say it was my imagination or something.”
Addie admired the object in her hand and rotated it around. It looked exactly like it did the first time she saw it— a pure red crystal figurine of a Slyfox. The color of the gemstone that made up the bauble the same exact color as Fluffy’s eyes.
Chuckling, Christena said, “You can have it if you want. That item there was necessary as part of your bonding initialization, but all of its power has been used up, now. After you found that little trinket on my desk, it primed your soul to be ready for a bond ignition. Plus, after you found it, I knew you would keep investigating.” Christena’s lips upturned into a sly smile, “From there, it was just a matter of waiting until you came back and ‘overheard’ me talking about the basement.” Christena tilted and nodded her head a bit in acknowledgment, “Though, spying on me using the crawlspace like that? You are a clever little girl, Addie.”
Addie smiled genuinely for the first time all day, “The crawlspace is my favorite.” Then a serious melancholy overtook her face again, “But I guess you knew I was listening from the start anyways,” She grumbled.
“That’s right.”
Addie let out a frustrated sigh.
“Don’t worry little Addie, you still have plenty of time to learn.”
“What about the witch? And that giant deer, too!” Addie would be getting all the answers she wanted.
Christena snorted, then smiled, “It sounds like you had quite the adventure! And maybe encountered one of the only documented first-caste animals.” Christena said as she referenced the ranking of various magical creatures.
“Wow. I saw something like that?” Addie wondered aloud.
“Perhaps. You’ll have to tell me more about it.”
For a few minutes, Addie recounted her tale to Christena, about her rapid flight away from the manor and subsequent arrival deep in the forest. She complained about all the hardship she underwent, without sparing any of Christena’s feelings.
She told Christena about the massive trees, and about exploring her powers with Squishy. She talked about Realmspace and soul damage. She talked about the horror she felt when she thought the Aurwolf would eat her. She disgustingly recounted what it is like to eat raw fish. When she got to the tale of the witch and her bonded tree, Christena’s face betrayed nothing, no hint of detail or intrigue to mystery. Christena accepted the tale and just let Addie talk as she recounted all of her fears, wonders, and more from the last few days.
“The witch really scared me, you know. I thought she would never let me leave, and if I couldn’t leave, I worried if Dad would get hurt.”
Unsaid between the two of them was the implication that at the time, Christena herself was the danger Addie was talking about. Christena seemed to deflate at that.
“Addie,” Christena looked at Addie’s face, “I’m sorry. If only I had known a better way.”
Silence passed awkwardly, for a time, but eventually, Christena started talking again, easily falling back into her role as Addie’s teacher. “That ancient witch is well known to us. She’s lived in the village for nearly forty years. She looks just as old and scraggly now as she did back then, too. I was a tiny little girl when she moved in.” Christena explained.
Confusion writ itself across Addie’s face, “You know about her and just let her stay?” Addie asked accusingly.
“Nothing is ever that simple. Besides, she’s mostly harmless anyways.” Christena paused for a moment, considering how to explain, “It can be dangerous bonding to something so alien as a tree. Those minds hold complexities—while not necessarily more complex than you or I, so vastly different as to be nigh unfathomable—”
Addie interrupted, “What does unfathomable mean?”
“It means hard or impossible to understand.” Christena continued her explanation as she walked, “That witch’s mind has been warped by the tree she bonded too. Her body as well. I’m sure you yourself noticed changes when you bonded with Squishy.”
“When the witch bonded with her tree, she presumably slowed down her aging, mimicking the long lifespan of a tree. Her mind too, was changed. What is moral or immoral, just or unjust— such things don’t matter much to a tree. Minds? Minds can be changed and altered. What do you think does matter to a tree, Addie?” Christena questioned as she turned her lecture into a quiz.
“Uh, good sunlight or water?” Addie replied hesitatingly.
“Yes, but not exactly what I mean. Trees like hospitality. Now, the witch you met? She’ll do anything to be hospitable. Even if it means twisting her guests’ minds. Her very perception of hospitality is unquestionably alien. What is hospitable to a tree? I suspect, ‘hospitable’ might not even be the best word to use, as her view of it can trap us humans so easily. Trees share nutrients with their young, even commonly with saplings of other trees. Adult trees shade saplings from the harsh light until they mature, and the adults keep them alive with nutrients when they don’t have enough light as a result. By nature, trees nourish their young, overbearingly and without question. Trees never move about, after all. So, if a tree wanted to leave? To escape the protection of the grove? Well, such a thing is crazy to a tree. Nothing wrong with altering your mind until you accept your very own reality as madness, so long as you remain protected. This is how the witch thinks, and how she has been twisted and shaped into what she is.
She’s dangerous for sure, but ultimately harmless. If you had gotten stuck in her trance, she probably would have let you go after a time, but only after you had been nourished to supreme health. Ultimately, leaving that old hag alone is easier than uprooting her. Names are meaningless to trees, so she never speaks of having one, but we call her Hagal, after a myth for a keeper of ancient trees.
“Hagal,” Addie spoke the name aloud, “Huh. She really won’t tell you her real name?.
“It’s not so much that she won’t tell us her real name, more like she doesn’t even understand the concept of owning a name. Others can have names, she might even call you by yours. But the idea that she herself could have a name? That’s alien to her mind, now. Trees don’t communicate with names or sounds. Anything Hagal says to you as such should be remembered in this context: Hagal is only half human, now. She speaks to you in only half-remembered platitudes and as a vessel to work her magic on your mind. Trees communicate instantly, almost telepathically— through their roots. Perhaps you even felt as though she planted a root within your mind as she tried to twist your perceptions. What Hagal needs to learn is, while people love to rest under a canopy of leaves, they still ought to have the freedom to come and go.”
Addie thought about this for a while. It felt scarily accurate to the experience she had with Hagal the witch.
After that, Addie simply watched the trees pass by. She was content to be carried in Christena’s arms for now. Once they got home, though, Addie was going to take a long break from being around Christena.
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Anticipation sparked inside Addie as she saw the manor come into sight. She couldn’t wait to see Squishy.
“Hurry Christena! I want to see Squishy.” Addie started tapping Christena’s shoulder with her uninjured hand, as she emphasized her excitement. “Can’t you walk any faster?” Addie groaned out as if she would die from impatience, “I can see the door!”
Christena laughed, “Hold on for just a moment, we’re almost there.”
When they reached the door, Addie had a halting surge of anxiousness course through her. What if this was just another trap? Maybe Christena’s sudden change of heart was just as suspicious as it seemed, and she did plan to do something terrible to Addie, after all. Her breath hitched in her throat as Christena walked up the front steps, still carrying Addie in her arms. Before they even reached it, the door opened.
And Squishy jumped up from the entryway nigh instantaneously, while Addie’s father held the door ajar with a big grin on his face. Squishy landed on top of Addie, adding more weight to Christena who now carried Squishy by proxy of him sitting on Addie’s chest.
In the forest, Addie had managed to convince herself she felt safe in Christena’s arms. Despite that, only now did a certain weight fall off of Addie. She basked in the comfort only possible from the other half of her soul-bond. Her partner. Her magical companion. While she might have been before, now, she was truly safe, and all her doubts fell away.
The welcome home was so warm.