I thank the precious few of you who have checked out my work, read, and taken an interest. The ultimate goal of this blog was to diminish my aversion to publication, even for the unrefined, and to hopefully gain some feedback on how to improve my story. The first part of that has been a success. I am more willing to show others and to try and publish. The second part has been a colossal failure. I have gotten close to zero feedback and, ironically, only one message requesting that I keep going. I wanted to improve my story based on what others read and liked, however since that is clearly not going to happen, I will stop updates once the teaser has been released.
Chronicles of the Frozen Shade still needs a subtitle and will go through more revisions in the future before I try and publish it, so these are still just preliminary writings. It is my hope I can deliver a more polished and ultimately more enjoyable experience to those who might read if I can get it into print. I had wanted to keep talking about the world and expand it, however there has been little interest. If enough people enjoyed the Kernel of Insight or Character Spotlights I had done and wanted me to continue, I would with monthly/weekly updates, but that seems unlikely now. Either way, let me set the scene for the final chapter.
Last time, Agni has been beaten back. Aeon and his comrades are resting while Mina, Celine, and Daryl, are the only villagers in Gesthal to know how close their town came to annihilation. Now, it is time to make a choice. Will they stand with the lich or is he beyond forgiveness for his past crimes?
Please. Enjoy.
Chapter
21: Forgiveness
Warmth passed over Mina's face and her eyes snapped
open. "Mom?! Dad?!" she yelled, sitting bolt
upright. Breathing hard, she surveyed
her room. She was laying on her cot on the
floor in the attic. Celine was asleep on
the far side of the room in her bed, while Daryl was rubbing her eyes and
looking down at her from Mina's bed.
"Mina?
Wha....what happened?" she mumbled, falling back into the covers.
Wiping her sweat stained brow, Mina laid back down as
well, her breathing still heavy. She
blinked her eyes as a bright ray of sunshine landed on her face through the
attic window. "We...we went to
sleep and then..." she mumbled.
"Hey! Ya
decent in there?!"
Sitting up again, Mina's eyes widened and she put her
hands to her mouth. "Oh, crap! Celi, wake up!" she yelled, "We're
late for the morning shift!"
Pushing the attic's trap door open, Kano stuck his head inside and climbed
inside, carrying a large tray laden with three plates, three bowls, and three
mugs. "Ya may as well not,"
the bartender smirked as Celine blinked at him before trying to scramble out of
bed. "Morning shift is long
done."
"Uncle, I'm so sorry!" Mina stammered, crawling
out from under her sheets and looking into the innkeeper's eyes. "We...I don't know what happened, we've
never-"
"Don't worry...after what happened to Daryl, I don't
blame ya," Kano
chuckled. "I thought I heard
something upstairs last night...this mornin, Yuka and Nivtenc said the same. You girls were up talkin, weren'tcha?"
"We..." Daryl mumbled, holding her hand to her
chest, "I mean, I..."
"Hey, I told ya before, ya take the time ya need,
Daryl. I ain't gonna scold my girls for
bein good friends after all," the innkeeper let out a chuckle and stroked
his bushy orange beard. "Just be
ready for dinner, aright?"
"Old man..." Celine grunted, "Did you do
everything by yourself?"
"Got some offers from Yuka and Nivtenc to lend a
hand, but I ran this place before anyah ya were born and I'll keep runnin it
well after ya leave. So don't sweat
it."
"Uncle...thank you," Mina smiled and bowed her
head.
"Aright, enougha that. Here, eat and get dressed for later," Kano said, laying the
tray on the floor next to Mina before retreating downstairs.
When the sounds of his footfalls finally faded from
Mina's hearing, she let out a sigh and handed the plates, bowls, and mugs to Celine
and Daryl. "Another lie's been told
for us."
"Ain't exactly a lie," Celine shrugged,
"Besides...it'd be worse if we told him we'd seen two liches
battling."
"Worse for all of us," Daryl grunted, picking
at her food.
"Yeah, I suppose," Mina shook her head,
"So, what do we do now? I mean...do
we go back?"
"Goetian hells, I dunno..." Celine snorted,
"After what happened, I almost wanna forgive the bastard, but..."
"I miss Neri," Daryl chimed in, "But for
right now...for right now, I think I need to talk with my mom and Angelo."
"Huh?
So...did you figure out what you want to do?" Mina said through a
mouthful of porridge.
"Yeah," Daryl mumbled after swallowing her
egg. "Our encounter with the Blind
Sage helped me realize that...I'm not ready to bind myself to a Metronian. Not yet, at least. I...I want to take a bit more time to figure
things out for myself, do more training and...when I feel ready, I'll do it. Not because Angelo wants to push me into the
academy, but because...because I want to!"
"Well, you can count on us for support,
princess," Celine smirked, "And if Angelo gives you crap about it,
I've got a swift kick to his family jewels waiting."
Daryl snorted and nearly spat her water back into her
mug. Mina and Celine giggled as Daryl
choked back her water and swallowed it.
Her expression was sour when she glared at Celine, but it slowly flipped
into a smile. "So noble, lady
knightess...truly, no one has ever been so eloquent as thee."
"Well...can't say I was expecting that," Celine
shrugged and smirked. "But
seriously, do what you need for yourself before worrying about what he or your
mom want."
"And if you need to, stay here with us. I like having you over," Mina added.
"I'm not sure I want to steal your bed for two
nights in a row," Daryl chuckled.
"But, what about you two?
Aeon's still out there...are you going to talk to him about what
happened?"
For a few seconds, silence pervaded the attic, broken
only by the munching of the three girls on their food. Finally, Celine swallowed and said, "I
think I'll stick close to Yuka for now.
I might go back to Acacia to check on Feo and the other apocra...just to
make sure they're okay, but...well, I ain't angry at the bastard anymore...I
mean, shit, he did stick up for us, but still..."
"Oh..." Mina squeaked, holding her hands over
her mouth as soon as she realized what she had said.
"Course, if you wanna go back, I'll come with ya!"
Celine quickly added. "Whether or
not I forgive the ass, I'm with you till the end, Mina. So...don't decide whatcher gonna do because
of me."
"Heh," Mina rubbed under her nose and blushed,
"Thanks, Celi. I...if nothing else,
I need to clear the air with him. You
know...when he was fighting against Agni, I remembered the second time we
met. He told me one of the reasons he'd
saved me was because he had a mission here and if I was hurt or missing, it'd
cause problems for that. It
was...well..."
"Necessary?" Celine murmured.
"Yeah...and saving Gesthal was necessary too. Necessary for peace," She stuck out her
tongue in disgust. "I hate that
word. Necessary," she said, her
eyes narrowing and her voice growing smaller, "Ever since Bishop Charas
told me Agni probably wouldn't be punished for killing my family. Apparently, overlooking that was necessary to
prevent civil war."
"In my history books, people use it plenty of times
to justify bloodshed," Daryl added, "But then again...they were
always fighting on the right side, so..."
"Really, princess?" Celine groaned, covering
her eyes.
"Hey, I'm not stupid, okay, vagabond? After meeting Dem and Nerise, I've learned
not to take such things as a given anymore!"
"Still, you're right, Daryl," Mina
replied. "People use it to justify
a lot of things. I remember my dad
telling me it was necessary to travel all the roads he mapped so he could sell
the most accurate charts. That's why
people bought from him. So...I think I
understand Aeon a little, but I want to know the whole story. Why's Aeon keeping the peace? Why is it necessary for him?"
Mina's friends stared at her for a moment before Daryl
nodded. "Yeah, I understand wanting
to know all too well. Heh...reminds me
of us. You stuck up for me when that drunk
started beating me and I couldn't figure out why. I'd been mean to you for such a long
time..."
"You know now though, right?" Mina mumbled and
blushed.
"Yeah, but back then I didn't," she said,
sticking her tongue out at Mina. "I
guess I'm a little glad for the feeling.
We got to grow closer because I was...curious."
"Heh...I wonder if Aeon's like you at all, Mina,"
Celine snickered. "Why save a
homeless runaway? 'Because that's the
right thing to do!'" she grunted, making her voice more high pitched in an
effort to mimic Mina's.
"So what if it was the right thing to do? That's how my mother and father taught me to
treat others," Mina wrinkled her nose at Celine and snorted.
"Not saying it's a bad thing," Celine nodded,
"But...he didn't have to let us keep our memories. That wasn't necessary. And neither was saving me..."
"That's...different," Mina fidgeted in place
and blushed.
"Yeah, yeah," Celine shrugged before laying her
plate to the side and getting out of bed.
"Anyway, let's get dressed and head down. We should see how things stand after last
night."
"Agreed," Mina nodded, groaning as she got to
her feet and rubbing her sore arms and legs.
"Ugh...I feel stiff after all the running and fighting last
night."
"You feel stiff..." Daryl sneered, "I feel
like I can barely move...and I don't have another change of clothes!"
"Here," Celine tossed one of their leather
dresses over to Daryl. "Put it on
and stop complaining."
Stifling a smirk, Mina squeezed into her dress and
straightened her hair while Daryl grumbled to herself as she got dressed. Celine was the first one down the stairs with
the others following close behind. When
they got downstairs, the tavern was all but deserted, save for Vincent in his
Aridian garb, who was reclining in a corner, nursing a drink and sharpening his
serrated sword.
"Uncle?" Mina mumbled, peaking her head into
the kitchen and finding it empty, save for a pile of dishes soaking in a tub of
water.
"He stepped out to get some food from Aegle and
Devan," Vincent called to them.
The three girls tentatively stepped into the tavern and
headed over to the far wall. The boards
seemed to be fixed in place, as immovable as the day the tavern was
constructed. There was no sign of any
debris or the hole the garm had made when Vincent hurled it outside.
"So it got fixed, huh?" Celine shrugged.
"It would have to be, otherwise Kano would have said something," Daryl
snorted.
"What are you girls talking about?" Vincent
murmured, leaning forward with his face covered by sand flecked cloth. "Did something happen?"
The three girls stared at Vincent and Mina cocked her eye
at him. "What game are you playing,
Vincent?"
Holding a single finger up to his face, Vincent shushed
them. Pulling down the cloth around his
mouth, he said, "Remember, here I'm not Vincent. I'm Nivtenc.
As far as Gesthal is concerned, last night didn't happen."
"Oh...of course," Mina sighed, "Then, what
about Aeon and the others? Are
they-"
She was cut off by the door flying open and Aegle
lumbering inside holding the front half of a skinned aurox. Kano
followed after him, carrying the rear end.
"You girls are up already? Heh, that didn't take long," Kano snickered.
"You three okay?" Aegle mumbled, shrugging at
them, "Ya look a bit tired."
"Eh, don't worry, they were just having some lady
talk," Kano
cut him off.
"Uncle!" Mina squealed, her face turning bright
red.
"Eh, whatever," Aegle shrugged, "So, in
the storeroom?"
"Yep. It's the
only place with enough space," Kano
grunted, pushing the haunch of meat forward with Aegle scampering ahead to try
and keep from being flattened by it.
Within seconds, they disappeared behind the kitchen, though their grunts
and exertions could still be heard clearly.
"Best we talk about this at dinner," Vincent
said, covering his mouth again.
"I'll tell you anything you want then." When he had finished speaking, Vincent went
back to sharpening his sword.
Exchanging a glance with her two friends, Celine shrugged
and turned towards the kitchen. "Come
on. We may as well get things ready for
the dinner shift. The old man's busy and
we slept in so its the least we can do."
"What's this 'we' business, vagabond?" Daryl
snorted.
"Come on, you're helping too," Mina smirked and
hugged Daryl's arm, "Think of it as payment for your room."
"Hmph, some friends," Daryl raised her nose,
but before she could say anything else, her face melted into a smile. Celine punched Daryl's arm and together the
three headed towards the kitchen.
*
When the sun finally sank below the horizon, the tavern began
to fill up. Mina, Celine, and Daryl, had
been busy at work in the kitchen, preparing the newly sliced aurox meat Kano had bought from
Aegle and Devan for soup, cutlets, and sandwiches.
"How's it coming, girls?" Kano said, sticking his head into the
kitchen.
"Just about ready, uncle," Mina replied.
"Heh, it's been a while since we did the
cooking...they'd probably prefer yours," Celine snorted.
"Eh, one night won't kill them," Kano said, leaning
against the door frame and laying down a few different slips of paper. "The orders are here and everyone is
waiting. Daryl, if you want, you can
take a seat and eat. You don't need
to-"
"After all that's happened, I think I owe you this
much," Daryl cut him off.
"That's not what she said a few hours ago..."
Celine whispered to Mina, earning her a quick jab in the kidneys.
"Well, suit yourself. Angelo and the priest'sre here but I laid
down the law for him. He'll leave you
be," Kano
said.
"Hmmmm..." Mina looked down at the slips of
paper and furrowed her brow.
"Uncle, is Wrec not here tonight?"
"Oh, he's nursing a drink, but didn't want any
food," Kano
shrugged, "Guess he's still worried about his money situation." Mina bit her lip before heading out of
the kitchen. Kano caught her shoulder as she left. "Leave him be, Mina. If he wants help, he has to ask."
Shrugging her uncle off, Mina headed into the
tavern. Though less packed than usual,
it still had a number of men and women already drinking flagons of mead or cups
of wine. Vincent held his usual vigil in
the back, while Angelo and his priests were trying to look inconspicuous near
the door. Yuka had already begun
drinking alongside a few of the border guards and they were hollering and
laughing hard. Near the middle of the
tavern was a solitary table with a sullen-looking man sitting alone, with a single
drink in front of him. His bushy black
hair looked unkempt and he appeared to have gone unshaven for several
days. Mina heard a sigh as she pulled up
a chair and sat down across from him.
"Go away," Wrec snarled, a few patches of black
fur sprouting from his muscular arms.
"I don't want any food and I don't want your charity."
Mina sat for a moment and looked him over. Wrec's eyes were bloodshot and his teeth
seemed to have increased in size. Below
his jaw, what looked like a cut had formed that was almost the length of his
mouth.
"Even if you get your family the money they need,
it's not worth much if you get sick...or worse," Mina said with a sigh. "You've already cut yourself and haven't
had any sleep," she added, making Wrec finally look up and stare her in
the face. "Just swallow your pride
and eat. Otherwise, you won't be able to
work...or even hold your human form."
"I-!" Wrec jumped up and slammed his hands on
the table, his nails now as long as claws.
Mina never lost her composure, though her eyes did stray to the
claws. Wrec's eyes followed hers as the
other patrons looked over at the two of them.
Slowly returning to his seat, Wrec buried his face in his hands. "Aren't you scared?" he mumbled.
A coy smile crossed Mina's lips. "I've dealt with worse," she said,
reaching over and patting Wrec's arm.
"I'll see to it you get some food."
"I dunno how much longer I can stay here,
Mina," Wrec interjected.
"People are starting to get scared of me. Even the border guards. I hear them whispering..."
"People will do that...but you've done a lot for
Gesthal. Don't forget that. It goes a long way." Mina said, getting
to her feet. "You deserve a happy
ending."
Clasping his hands together, Wrec nodded and managed a weak
smile. "Th...thank you. And I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Mina shrugged, making
her way back to the kitchen. Along the
way back she passed Daryl who was having some difficulty balancing two trays of
food in her hands. When she stuck her
head into the kitchen, Mina saw Celine going through the food orders and
preparing the trays. Half a dozen were
laid out already.
"So, how'd it go?" Celine mumbled.
"Taking two of these to Wrec," Mina said,
balancing the six trays along her arms.
"Who do the rest go to?"
"Angelo and his flunkies," Celine smirked,
"By the way, did you see the princess?
She can barely handle-"
"Celi...!" Mina let out a groan, "You
know, you could let her prepare and you could wait on the tables."
"Eh, she volunteered," Celine snickered and
headed back to her preparations.
Rolling her eyes, Mina headed back into the tavern. She stopped to drop two trays off in front of
Wrec and kept moving, barely able to hear his "thank you," over the
other patrons' talking, drinking, and laughing.
With one quick movement, she laid down the four remaining trays in front
of Angelo and his priests. She turned to
leave without saying anything, however Angelo's hand snaked out and caught
hers.
"Mina...I...is Daryl," Angelo stammered.
Mina gave him a frosty glare. "I thought my uncle let you know the
situation."
"Look, we just wanna talk with her about it. I'm sure if we try again, we can-"
"Daryl will talk with you when she's ready," Mina said, jerking her hand free, "Not when
you are."
Angelo's face twisted into a scowl
and he got up and stared at Mina, his teeth grinding together as he looked for
the words to say. "Look," he
said, angry lines blossoming on his youthful forehead, "I was just trying
to help her! She has the skill to get
into the academy at Constantine
and become a great mage, but she needs to-"
"Are you doing this for her
sake though...or your own?" Mina countered.
Angelo's mouth dropped open and he
reared back and smacked Mina across the face.
"You don't know what you're-" he stopped when one of the other
priests jumped up and grabbed him.
"Angelo, stop! This isn't the way!" he growled.
Mina rubbed her cheek and looked
back at him. Slowly, realization dawned
on Angelo's face and his hands went limp in his comrade's grip. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Yes, I know," Mina said,
"But you did it anyway. To me and
to Daryl. I understand you want to make
things right, but Daryl needs to decide what's best for her. Not you."
Angelo fell into his seat and one of
the other priests got up and put a hand to Mina's face. White light flowed out of it and the redness
on her face disappeared immediately.
"Err...sorry about all this," he whispered.
"It's fine," Mina sighed,
turning to leave, "I'd rather he get angry at me than Daryl."
On her way back to the kitchen,
Daryl snuck up behind her and grabbed her hand.
"Hey," she said.
"Hi," Mina retorted. "Did you see all that?"
"Ummm...yeah. How many does that make? Five?" Daryl mumbled meekly.
"Haha, I don't keep
track," Mina giggled.
"You always take the hits meant
for me."
"It's okay," Mina patted
Daryl's shoulder and squeezed her hand.
"That's what friends do, right?"
Daryl smiled and squeezed Mina's
hand back. "Yeah...thanks."
"Okay, so did you finish with
the border guards?" Celine mumbled when they entered the kitchen again.
"Ummm...not quite...and Yuka
wants extra," Daryl stammered, laying a few silver coins down on the counter. "And some of Kano's vintage...whatever that is."
"You are not giving her my
uncle's brandy," Mina snorted at Celine.
"Might I recommend this," Kano said from behind
them, lowering a bottle in front of Mina's face.
"This?" Mina looked at the
label, which was marked 'Dry root ale.' "Uncle, this isn't alcohol."
"Tastes pretty similar though,
and ought to help her sleep easy tonight," Kano said, heading into the
kitchen, scooping up the coins Daryl had put down, and dropping them into the
satchel at his waist. "Girl seems
happy enough, but I can tell she's drinkin away some bad memories. This'll help her get some rest."
"Good call, old man,"
Celine nodded. "I'll help ya with
the border guards, seein as it'll take the princess ages to get it done."
"Celi..." Mina groaned and
slapped her forehead.
"Excuse me for being out of
practice, vagabond!" Daryl blushed red and stomped her feet.
"Yeah, yeah," Celine
droned, handing Daryl several trays before taking a few herself and handing one
to Mina, who carried the tray in one hand and the bottle in the other.
Celine led the way into the swathe
of border guards, carefully side stepping spilled drinks and laying out trays
for everyone still waiting on their food.
Daryl dropped off her trays at Morak's table, where the stone faced
guard captain was glaring at Yuka, who was sitting with Fak and half a dozen
other guardsmen at a table comprised almost entirely of empty mugs.
"In yer face!" Yuka let
out a belch and pointed at Fak.
"That's twelve in a row! Pay
up, boys!" Fak rolled his eyes while the other border guards begrudgingly
laid a small stack of gold and silver coins in front of Yuka.
"She drinks likea border
guard..." Fak grunted, holding his stomach.
"If that's so, how'd seven of
my best lose to a girl?" Morak called from his table.
"Ey, maybe Iyoughtta join
up," Yuka said, her words starting to slur together, "Teach you boys
a thingre twoabout fightin apocra'n other beasties."
"Goddess, you stink," Mina
hissed under her breath when she drew close to Yuka. Laying the bottle down in front of her, Mina
raised her voice and said, "This is my uncle's specialty. Enjoy."
"Ohhh, ale? Nice...though, I'da wanted somea that
brandy...well, whatever," Yuka said, popping the bottle's cork and chugging
the bottle in a single gulp while Mina cleared away some of the mugs to make
room for Yuka's food. "Huh..."
Yuka smacked her lips and her smile slowly faded. "I feel...weird..."
"You mean not
unconscious?" Celine snorted, eliciting a slew of chuckles from the border
guards.
"Well, there's that,
but..."
"You've drunk enough to kill
lesser men," Daryl mumbled, "Just finish your meal and go to
bed."
"Ey, my money, my choice,"
Yuka snapped before digging into her food.
"Something's wrong with that
girl," Morak muttered as Mina and the others picked up their used mugs.
"There's something wrong with
all of us, I think," Mina sighed, leading Celine and Daryl back into the
kitchen. There was one tray left.
"Good work, girls," Kano said, standing over
the stove and laying some meat into a frying pan, "But you didn't cook
enough so that we could eat. I'll take
care of that while you take out the last tray to Nivtenc, okay?"
"No problem, old man,"
Celine said, handing the tray off to Daryl.
"You can count on us,"
Daryl said, handing the tray off to Mina.
Mina looked down at it, then looked
up at her friends and uncle, who were smirking at her. "Oh for Shanadia's sake..." Mina
grumbled, heading back into the tavern and making her way to Vincent's table. He was drinking from his hip flask when he
saw her approach and quickly corked it when she stopped in front of him. "Here you go," Mina said.
"Thank you. I trust you have been well?"
"Drop the act," Mina
hissed, pulling up a seat, "There's enough people here that no one will be
listening to us. Now, what's happening
in Acacia?"
Clasping his hands together, Vincent
rested his chin on them. "The
meeting with the Telnumbran Elder Council went about as we expected," he
shrugged, "For now, Aeon's staying here. If Yuka leaves, we may have to follow and
shadow her for a while. For her safety
and for Serano's."
"Why not just force her to come
back? You have a decent excuse,"
Mina sighed, shaking her head. "I
mean...she wants to go back, doesn't she?
I can tell she misses Dem and even wants to-" Mina stopped when
Vincent held up a hand.
"Yes, we want her back,"
Vincent sighed, shaking his head, "But she's not the first who's had to
make this choice."
"What do you mean?" Mina
murmured.
"Aeon's had a few dozen allies
and apprentices over the years. Some
stay on, like me or Neri or Merkel.
Others leave. Sometimes it's
because they can't accept what Aeon does, sometimes they find better lives
elsewhere...sometimes Aeon's had to banish them to protect the rest of
us," he added darkly. "Either
way, this is Yuka's choice. We'll watch
over her to see that Canak's designs don't fall into the wrong hands, but
that's it."
"I...see," Mina mumbled,
"And the others?"
"Most of us have been
resting," Vincent said, pulling his flask out again and taking a sip
through an opening in the cloth covering his face. "Gadius, Dakon, and Echidna have been
tending to the wounded and Neri has spent some time trying to cheer up Dem. He was hoping Yuka'd come back."
"Uh-huh."
"But that's not what you're
really asking, is it?"
"Well..." Mina sat up and
looked away, "I mean..."
"Aeon returned to Acacia a few
hours ago. Some of my familiars saw
him. If you want a chance to talk,
tomorrow after noon might be your best time."
Mina nodded. Slowly, she looked up to see Vincent staring
at her expectantly. With a sigh, she
mumbled, "What do I say to him?"
Letting out a hearty laugh, Vincent
ruffled Mina's hair and shook his head, "That's not something I can tell
you," he said, pulling his hand back and resting his cheek on a balled up
fist. "But whatever you say, speak
to him honestly and don't hold back."
"Thanks," Mina nodded, her
eyes straying to the arm Vincent was using to hold himself up. "Ummm...how's your arm?"
"A bit stiff, but
alright," Vincent said, flexing his fingers, "Austa's a fantastic
healer, but even I'll need some time to completely recover. Lots of blood will make me good as new."
"Well, let me know if you ever
need to be topped off," Mina said, a slight smirk playing at her
lips. "That's what we waitresses
are here for." Before Vincent could
respond, Mina got to her feet and waved her goodbyes to him.
Making her way back to the kitchen,
she almost bumped into Celine and Daryl, who were carrying trays of food over
to an empty table. "Good
timing!" Celine said, putting her arm around Mina and shoving an extra
tray into her hands. "The old man
said he'd join us for dinner, so take a seat."
Blushing a little as she did, Mina
sat down and waited for Kano
to come out of the kitchen. He walked
with a slight spring in his step and an extra large tray laden with meat,
vegetables, and bread in his right hand.
In his left, Kano
carried a trifle made of fruits, bread, and cream. Laying the trifle down to one side, he sat
across from Mina, Celine, and Daryl and flashed them all a smile.
"Haha, it's been a while since
I've had the company of so many lovely ladies at my table."
Rolling her eyes, Mina put her hand
over her face. "Uncle..."
"It's been a while since we've
had time to eat together at all, actually," Celine smirked back.
"Ummm..." Daryl looked
from Kano to
the trifle and her face turned slightly red.
"Don't worry, I'm just teasin
ya," Kano
let out a laugh. "Still, it's been
a fair while since I've had this large a family to eat with. Figured I'd make somethin special for
ya."
Daryl's eyes lit up and she reached
for the trifle, only to have Celine slap it away. "Dessert comes after dinner,
princess. This isn't your mom's table,
after all."
"I just wanted a taste,
vagabond!"
Shaking her head, both Mina and Kano chuckled. "You two...ya remind me of my sister an
me back when she was here," Kano
muttered.
Mina looked back at her uncle as he
sliced into a chunk of aurox meat.
"What do you mean, uncle?"
"Well..." he said through
a mouthful of the juicy meat, "Shendoah and I would never agree. I'd be a bit like Celi, rough around the
edges, but still a little respectful...an Shendoah'd just do whatever fancied
her. Mind, she wasn't stupid or rude, but
she didn't hold back either. Dad always
said she was a bit reckless...course, that's what made her special, too."
"I don't think I've ever heard
you talk about Mina's mother," Daryl said, looking away from Celine.
Halfway to his mouth, Kano dropped a helping of
grilled vegetables. "Ehhh...there I
go. Never did think much," he
sighed, shaking his head. "This's
supposed to be a happy time, but I'm probably stirrin up bad memories, eh?"
he turned towards Mina.
"N-no!" Mina squealed,
"No, you're not, uncle. I'd love to
hear more about mom when she was younger!"
"Yeah! Like maybe how she met Mina's dad?"
Celine chimed in.
Kano nearly spat up his water when he heard
her. The middle aged man fell into a fit
of coughs and Mina jumped up and ran to his side, giving him a few firm whacks
on the back until he calmed down.
"Ummm...sorry, uncle. You don't have to-"
"No, no, it's just...I was a
bit surprised is all," he said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Come to think of it, did your parents
ever talk about this, Mina?"
"Errr...once or twice? Mostly I heard that you tried to kill my
dad," Mina stammered, her face turning beet red as she went back to her
seat. "I thought they were
joking."
Laughing hard, Kano slapped his knee. "Naw, that's pretty close to the truth! That stringy little bastard, Kelzin, was
equal parts bookish and mouthy. Loved to
talk about his travels when his face wasn't buried in one of those maps. Course, when he talked he'd often tell people
they were wrong about things, like the Telnumbrans or sights or-"
"Well they usually
were..." Mina snorted.
"Heh, causea that, he and I
nearly got into a brawl more than once, but Shendoah'd always break it up. She loved hearing about his travels...about
all the sights he'd seen," Kano
sighed, shaking his head and lowering his cup.
"An I'm a little ashamed to say I tried to break them up."
Mina's eyes widened slightly and
Celine leaned forward on her elbows, nibbling at her food as she listened. "Now things are getting good..."
"Yeah...Shendoah'd go to
Kelzin's table last, every day, and spend most of the morning and most of the
evening talkin with him. They'd chat
about all the sights he'd seen but also about what Shendoah did every day. They got on too well for my liking. So, I tried to scare Kelzin away. He stood his ground though and wouldn't
budge. He liked Shendoah too much to
just up and quit. So, we fought. He gave me a few bruises, but I broke his arm
and my sister nearly did the same to me when he limped back to the tavern. Shendoah nearly tossed me out on my ass for
it. After I agreed to lay off Kelzin, she
gave him a full month's free board to recover and took over charting his maps
while he healed. By then, things were
pretty clear. She would be leaving with
him."
The three girls looked on as Kano took another big
bite of aurox steak, equal parts intrigued, but also confused. "But...why, uncle? Why'd you hate my father so much?" Mina
muttered.
"I'd be lying if I said it
wasn't selfish," Kano
smirked, "Our dad was getting on in years and Shendoah practically ran
this inn. I was having a decent time in
the border guard and thought about traveling, maybe becoming a templar or
something. If Shendoah left though, I'd
have to take over here. It'd be my
responsibility, as the oldest."
Mina's chest tightened and she
swallowed hard. Before she could say
anything, Celine spoke up. "So you
wanted to break them up so you could go traveling?" Celine raised an
eyebrow. "Wow...you were a real
jerk."
"Hey, I was a young!" Kano snorted. "Anyway, I had other reasons. Kelzin did things differently. Saw the world in a different way than
others. That rubbed me the wrong
way. I wasn't gonna trust my sister to
someone like that. She could end up hurt
or worse!"
"But...they always spoke well
of you, uncle," Mina raised an eyebrow, "Both my mother and my
father."
"Well, we had time to make our
peace," Kano said, scooping a little trifle onto his empty tray,
"Little after you were born, actually," he winked at Mina, "Bein
away from her, I realized that I missed my sister more than I missed my
freedom. Then, one day she pops in
through my door with her husband, her caravan, and a baby girl. Hehe, I remember that day...we ended up
partying for a whole week to celebrate your birth," he chuckled, causing
Mina's face to glow red.
"So did you finally admit you
were wrong about Kelzin?" Daryl added.
"Oh, Seran, no!" Kano grunted, "He was a mouthy, bookish bastard. He did
get my sister into trouble. He did do things I didn't understand or
agree with," the innkeeper muttered, stroking his beard as he swallowed a
mouthful of trifle. "Course, that
didn't make him a bad person," he added, "That's why Shendoah fell
for him, I think. I wasn't wrong, but I
wasn't right...and I told him so to his face.
By the time they left, I got from'em a promise to return in a few years so
I could give'em a belated wedding gift.
Course-" Kano
stopped and began scooping trifle onto Mina, Celine, and Daryl's plates. "Best save what came next for another
time."
"Agni," Mina whispered to
Celine and Daryl, who nodded quickly.
"Say, old man...you didn't want
your sister to leave, but you don't seem to mind me and Mina chatting with the
travelers. What changed?" Celine
asked.
"Well, I can't stop ya, can
I?" Kano
shrugged, "Sides...ya gotta do things your own way. Shendoah hated me for trying to keep her here
and ran off with Kelzin. You three'll
all leave sooner or later. I'd rather ya
don't have bad memories when the time to leave comes. Cause there's always a place for you girls
here. Both in Gesthal and in my
inn."
"Wow, that's..." Daryl
stammered, wiping trifle from her face.
"Thank you."
"You're just a softie at
heart," Celine smiled at him, "But this place'll always be my
home. No matter where me and Mina
go."
"Huh?!" Mina whipped her
head around and glared at Celine.
"Well you are gonna leave this
place someday...no point in hiding it now," Celine shrugged, "And
you're not goin alone."
"Hehe, you three...you're
almost full grown. Still, don't be in
too much of a rush," Kano
said, rising from his spot at the end of the table. "If you're gonna go, go prepared."
"Uncle, where are you
going?" Mina called out to him.
"Well, I enjoyed our meal, but
the dishes won't do themselves, now, will they?" he replied before
disappearing into the kitchen.
"So..." Once Kano was out of earshot,
Celine whispered to Mina, "What did Vincent say?"
"Ummm...everything's okay in
Acacia. The others are resting,"
Mina said, fidgeting in place as she swallowed the last of her trifle. "And...while we were talking, I decided that
I I'm going back to Acacia tomorrow. I
need to talk with Aeon and after what my uncle said...I think I know what to
say."
"Do you want us to come with
you?" Daryl murmured.
"Not this time...please, let me
handle it myself," Mina replied.
"I'll be okay alone."
"Alright, but we might pop in
later...I wanna check on Feo," Celine added.
"And visit Neri," Daryl
said.
"Till then, we'll cover for
you," Celine nodded, giving Mina a slap on the back.
Mina smiled and pulled Celine's arm
around her. She hugged her tan skinned
sister and let out a slight giggle when Celine reached for her belly. "Hey!
Not after dinner!" she growled.
"What? Is this not the right time?"
"Honestly, vagabond..."
Daryl sighed, as the three descended into a fit of giggles.
*
"Well...here I am," Mina
said to herself. Taking a deep breath,
she passed through the iron door separating Acacia from the cold stone hall
leading to the outside. Despite the
clouds outside showering the countryside in grey, it was pleasant and sunny
inside Acacia. Stepping onto the soft
grass, Mina exhaled, "I never thought I'd be back here again."
"I'm sure glad you are
though."
Whipping her head around, she saw
Deminos in a sleeveless black tunic waiting next to the door, his back against
the wall and his arms folded across his chest.
"Hey," he waved to her with his bandaged right arm.
A smile came to Mina's lips and she
raised her hand to wave back. "Hey,
yourself. What are you doing out
here?"
"Waiting," Deminos
shrugged and stood up straight.
"For me?"
"For anyone, really,"
Deminos replied, "I've been waiting here after breakfast for the last few
days to see if any of you would come back.
Neri's visited with me a lot lately, but its..." he stopped short
and blushed, "Its been a little lonely here without you guys."
"Oh..." Mina blushed and
bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
''Nah, don't apologize,"
Deminos clapped Mina on the shoulder, "You've had your own things going
on. I just...miss hanging out. It'd be nice if we didn't have to be running
from the jaws of death to talk."
Mina felt her heart skip a beat and
her eyes widened. "Oh, shoot! I was so busy training, I forgot to...Dem,
I'm really sorry!"
"Eh, don't sweat it,"
Deminos put his left arm around Mina's shoulder and guided her throw the open
meadow. "I've been busy too, trying
to get rid of this damn thing," he held up his right arm, "But
still...if you want a sparring partner, I'd be happy to-"
"Yeah, let's do it! I just need to talk to Aeon first, and
then-" Mina stopped mid sentence and hung her head.
For a few seconds, they both frowned
and silence overtook them. Finally,
Deminos cleared his throat and said, "Whatever happens, you know you're my
friend, right?"
"Yeah, I know...and thanks,
Dem," Mina said, wrapping her fingers around Deminos's left hand. "You know...I cried when you left."
"Ah, c'mon..." Deminos
sighed, "Now I feel guilty."
"I...what I meant to say was I
missed you too," Mina said, feeling her cheeks burning red. "Even with Celi and Daryl, I remember
what it's like...being alone and saying goodbye and I...I'd miss you."
"Heh, well, at least somebody
would," Deminos snorted.
"So...umm...how's your
arm?" Mina stammered, averting her eyes from Deminos's face.
"Tingles a bit and is itchy in
places," Deminos said, dragging the black nails which stuck through his
bandages across his shoulder, "Aeon still needs to apply the full seal,
but I'm doing okay. In fact, I had a
dream after the battle about getting rid of this thing. Thanks to you, I think I have the materials I
need to do it, too."
"Hehe, you should thank
Seran. He's the one who let me keep the
scales."
Their conversation was interrupted
by a shrill whistle that bellowed forth from the forest next to them. Leaning against one of the trees was Gadius,
his bare chest almost glistening in the afternoon sunlight. "Having a little girl talk, are
we?" he called out to them.
"I swear, I'm going to kill him
someday," Deminos grunted, shaking with anger.
"Sure are!" Mina called
back, "But we've always got room for one more, if you want to join us,
Miss Gadi!"
Both Deminos and Gadius froze for a
moment. The jela-vey stared at Mina
before shaking his head and laughing.
"Perhaps another time! I've
still got to tend to the wounded, wash my hair, and find a hot man to share my
bed for the evening," he said, turning around and raising a hand to wave
goodbye. "Talk to you later,
ladies."
A smile formed on Mina's lips, while
Deminos's mouth dropped open.
"What...what just happened?"
"I gave him a taste of his own
medicine," Mina said, dragging the awestruck Deminos along towards Aeon's
crystalline tower. "You shouldn't
take him so seriously. He's just trying
to get a rise out of you."
"Yeah...I know..." Deminos
mumbled, hanging his head and looking at the grass. "I just...I hate being called that! He knows it and I...why does he-?!"
Deminos balled his hands into fists.
"Maybe it's his way of showing
he cares," Mina muttered. "It's
not perfect, but it's like Celi and Daryl.
They always insult each other, but when it matters-"
"Heh...so you're saying the two
of us are like your friends?" Deminos put a hand over his eyes. "Then...which one am I?"
"Probably Daryl," Mina
smiled at him. "You have an
attitude, but you care about and protect others. You wouldn't abandon us," she extended
her hand to Deminos.
Blushing hard, Deminos took her
hand. "Well, at least I'm the smart
one," he snickered.
"Dem..." Mina sighed.
"What?! It's true!" Deminos let out a laugh,
"Umm...but don't tell Daryl I said that..."
"Heh, I understand," Mina
chuckled, "Anyway, when she comes back, you should teach her a little
about conjuring, Dem. She's been under a
lot of stress and worried about binding herself to a Metronian and...maybe you
could talk with her. She's already made
a decision for now, but I think...you could help."
"Yeah, yeah, I...wait...when?" Deminos stopped in
place. "When she comes back?
Then..."
"I haven't made any decisions
yet, but...I think Celi and Daryl'll be back sometime," Mina said. They came to a stop just outside the large
crystalline doors leading into Aeon's citadel.
"We...kinda owe you, after all."
"Alright!" Deminos leapt
into the air and let out a shout.
"It's not forever, but I'll take it!" he said, lifting Mina
off the ground in a hug.
"Woah!" he set Mina down quickly as his arms began to
tremble. "Dammit...still need to
get stronger."
"Maybe Celi can train you
instead of Gadius, eh?" Mina elbowed Deminos in his side.
"Maybe," Deminos smiled
and scratched the back of his head with his bandaged hand. "So...do you want me to go with
you?"
"I think I've got it covered
this time," Mina replied.
"So...what are you gonna
say?"
"My uncle said something to me
that struck a chord. Thinking back on
all the adventures we've had..." Mina looked into Deminos's eyes and
smiled, "I realized that all of you are different from us in a lot of
ways. But...that doesn't make you
bad...and even if I don't agree with what Aeon did, maybe..." she stopped
and shook her head. "Ugh, I had
this all composed last night, but-" she stopped when Deminos put his hands
on either side of Mina's shoulders.
"Then don't waste time telling
me," Deminos said, pushing Mina over to the door. "Tell him."
Sparing a single glance back at
Deminos, who gave her a thumbs up, Mina put her hand to the frozen door. Though it was cool to the touch, it wasn't so
cold that it was painful. She put her
shoulder against the door and slowly managed to force it open enough for her to
slip through.
Inside the icy citadel, the light
from outside caused the interior to shine, as if hundreds of diamonds were
embedded in the walls. The air was thick
with frost, yet it was not uncomfortably cold and rainbows danced off the
crystals and the snowflakes in the air.
Breathing out a stream of air which
was briefly visible before dissipating, Mina walked over to the familiar spiral
stairway in the center of the tower.
Stepping onto the first stair, she waited for a few seconds before
chuckling to herself.
"It's been a while," she
whispered, stomping down on the stair.
Immediately, the icy stairwell began to move up, rotating around the
edge of the tower and carrying Mina up to the top.
As she was carried up, Mina looked
over the banister separating the stairs from the long drop down. A gentle wind blew through the tower,
ruffling her emerald hair, and she took a deep breath. "Okay...I can do this," she
mumbled, spying the walkway around the top of the tower where Aeon
resided. The stairwell deposited her at
the top, with the frosted over wooden doors leading to Aeon's lab on the far
right of the walkway and the passageway leading to Aeon's room on the far
left. To her surprise, the ice block
which usually barred entry into Aeon's room was nowhere to be seen.
A light gale bellowed forth from the
room and Mina shivered, tiny bumps rising on her skin as the cold air wafted
past her. Holding out her hand, she
focused on the energy in her stomach and diverted it into her palm. Rubbing her fingers together, Mina used the
heat to spark a tiny flame in her hand.
Guiding more leyline energy to her hand, Mina coaxed the flame into
rising higher and held it close to her, a defense against the cold.
Holding her flame with her left
hand, Mina ran her right hand along the wall and followed it to Aeon's
room. Her flame flickered violently as
she drew nearer to the gale.
nevertheless, Mina stuck her head inside.
The room was just as she remembered
it, with much of the walls being dominated by frost tinged books. A roaring fire was in Aeon's fireplace,
illuminating the rusted sword over the mantle and the pillar in the far corner
holding Aeon's locket. Kinana was
covered in a long robe of pink silk as she knelt over the fireplace, a kettle
roaring on the flames. The large,
comfortable looking bed in the far corner of the room that she and Aeon shared
looked unused for days. The center of
the room was dominated by a huge circular table, with Aeon seated in the
middle, leaning back in an armchair as he poured over papers that were strewn
across the table. The papers he held to
his face shielded Aeon from sight, but Mina could tell it was him from the blue
tinged skin, covered in frost, of the hands holding the papers.
"Aeon!" the lich lowered
the papers slightly to reveal short, spiky blue hair and a set of emerald eyes,
which seemed uncharacteristically tired.
Laying a ceramic cup on the table,
Kinana poured a white, milky substance into it before placing a greenish brown
container next to it. Gingerly, she
unscrewed the top of the container and fished a brown powder out of it before
placing it into the cup. She stirred it
with her fingers until the milky substance had turned dark brown.
"Here. Drink," she said, pushing the cup over
to Aeon.
"You know I don't need any of
that, Kinana."
"Sure, I know..." Kinana
said, biting her lip, her gold eyes boring into Aeon's emerald eyes. "You
don't need food. Or rest. Or sleep...but I can tell you want it."
"Kinana..."
"Just shut up and take
it," she sighed, "It's the same cocoa we had when we stayed on
Yanzibet. It'll give you energy."
"There's no time, Ki-"
"Then make time!" Kinana
put her hand down on the table with enough force to shake the ceramic cup. "You almost died in that last battle and
you've been working nonstop ever since!
Look, I can put up with you not wanting to sleep with me for a while,
but you'll kill yourself if you continue!"
"I won't die...there is still
too much to do," Aeon snorted.
"Then where's the harm in a
little cocoa?" Kinana narrowed her eyes at him. Aeon paused for a moment before laying down
his papers, closing his eyes, and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Very well," he said with
a sigh, taking the cup and sipping from it.
As he was drinking, Mina saw that behind the papers he wasn't wearing
any armor. His frozen muscles were
exposed for the world to see, alongside the hole which had been carved in his
chest. Laying the cup down, Aeon smacked
his lips, which were a little cracked from the heat. "Haha...it's good," he chuckled,
flashing Kinana a slight smile.
"Reminds me of simpler times."
Kinana let out a sigh and sat on the
arm of Aeon's chair. Wrapping her arms
around Aeon's head, she hugged him tight and he returned her embrace.
Mina's heart thudded in her chest
and she felt her cheeks burning, nevertheless she cautiously raised her hand
and wrapped on the polished crystal outside the room. A dull thump echoed through the chamber,
barely audible, but Aeon and Kinana turned their heads to face her nonetheless.
"Hi," Mina waved at them,
closing her fingers around the flame in her palm as the gale subsided.
"Little Mina..." Kinana
whispered.
"I have been expecting
you," Aeon sighed, rising slowly from his seat, revealing a set of burlap
pants covering his legs and armored boots adorning his feet, "Though,
perhaps not so soon," he added, ambling over to the front of the
table. As he walked, his body began to
crackle as bone and cloth began to form over his frostbitten, blue skin.
"You don't need to do
that!" Mina hurriedly called out, as half of Aeon's skull had already
covered his human face. "I can see
you're tired, Aeon...it's alright to talk as a human, isn't it?"
Looking down at his half formed
skeletal body, Aeon nodded and the bones melted away into puffs of snow,
returning him to his human body.
"You have much to say, I presume?" Aeon muttered.
"Yeah," Mina nodded,
stepping into the room and staring Aeon straight in the eyes.
"Fine..." Aeon murmured,
running a hand over his face before pressing his brittle, frigid hair back,
"But let me go first, Minava.
Though there is much I would like to tell you..." his hand and his
eyes moved towards the hole in his chest, "Know that I consider you my
comrade and I trust you. Though we have
known one another for only a short time, you are as dear to me as Yuka or
Deminos. I...am sorry for what has
happened. And...you have been a good
apprentice."
With her cheeks glowing red and her
heart threatening to explode from her chest, Mina took a deep breath and
nodded. "That's...that's good to
know. Thank you," she said, her
voice sounding much calmer than she felt, "As for me...well...these last
few days, I've had a lot of time to think." Mina turned to face Kinana,
who chose that moment to examine the ceiling tiles. "And I want to ask you why you do the
things you do. Why do you do what's
necessary?"
"Because someone has to,"
Aeon replied almost immediately.
"That's not an answer!"
Mina narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "You told me after we got back from the
Shokudo mountains that you did it because of someone else. I want to know the whole story!"
Aeon blinked at her then sighed and
shook his head. "Do you remember
when we were fighting Denad, Minava?
Back in the Bay
of Bendak?"
"Of course! That was our first journey together,"
Mina replied.
"I did not kill him...but would
you have been upset if I had?"
"No," Mina shook her head,
"It's easy to brush off someone's life when they're trying to kill you. I know that's not right, but-"
"But you are correct,"
Aeon mumbled, a large throne of ice forming behind him which he fell back
into. Kinana moved next to the seat and
put her hand on Aeon's shoulder.
"That mentality is how I grew up.
I had to brush off crimes I committed in order to keep myself going. I had to steal to survive and eventually, I
had to kill...to me, it was neither good nor bad. Simply the only way I knew how to live. However, that changed when I met
someone."
Mina could see Kinana visibly
tense. She pulled her wings tight around
her and bit her lip, looking over at the fire while Aeon gingerly put his hand
over hers.
"I met a woman named Lucia. When I was attacked by a group carrying a
grudge against me, she stepped in and saved my life. No one else would have, but her beliefs had
driven her to protect even a wretch like me."
"Her beliefs?" Mina
murmured.
"Yes. You see, when the battle was over, she
refused to kill my attackers. She told
me that she had seen enough death and that every life was precious...and that
was why she saved mine."
Aeon stopped and a few seconds
passed in silence with only the crackling of the fire breaking the
stillness. Mina balled her hands into a
fist. "Even I know that's just
idealism. Some people are
too...too..."
"Yes, I know...yet, foolish or
not, Lucia desperately wanted to believe that.
And she held onto those ideals tenaciously," Aeon shrugged, "I
set out with her because, if nothing else, I could rely on her not to kill me
in my sleep. Slowly, we grew
close-"
Aeon stopped and Mina heard a slight
cracking. Looking closely, she spied
Kinana's nails digging into his frozen skin.
The succubus noticed the break in the conversation and looked back at
Aeon. Her eyes widened when she saw the scars
in his skin and tried to pull away, but Aeon held her fast, a tiny smile
playing on his lips.
"Anyway, I honored Lucia's
beliefs as we traveled and also took to sparing my opponents. After we traveled together for a year or so,
she told me about her family's misfortune and why she had taken her oath. She also told me that she, herself, had never
taken another life. However, as the
years dragged on, she began to struggle with her ideals. She held fast to her beliefs for a time, only
to find the people she spared continuing to hurt others. Lucia lamented this to me and our other
comrades, questioning if the only way to truly save the innocent was to take
the lives of the wicked. Her despondency
spoke to me, I suppose. She was the
first person I could call a true comrade.
And our group was the only family I had ever known. Her sadness moved me...so, I decided to do
what she could not. What no one else,
even amongst our comrades, would do. My
hands were already stained with blood, so I took the burden of doing what was
necessary for peace unto myself."
"Then she cut out your
heart," Kinana spat, biting down on her lip after she spoke. Mina's eyes drifted to the hole in Aeon's
chest, but she said nothing.
A few seconds passed and Aeon's hand
made its way up to his chest, rubbing his fingers around the perimeter of his
wound. "Yes...she did. We had traveled for many years and done many
jobs together. On our final mission, we
were tasked with retrieving a relic.
However, as we tried to return it, a small army of bandits descended on
the town we were taking refuge in. We
would have all died if I had not invoked the relic's power. In doing so, I was transformed..." Aeon
held out his hand and rainbow colored light danced from his fingertips briefly
before stopping. "I slew the
bandits...however in doing so, I destroyed the town and the surrounding
countryside. I thought I was in the
right...however Lucia disagreed. And so,
to protect the villagers, she finally did what she thought was necessary."
Mina's eyes widened and she
swallowed hard. "But...if that's
the case..."
"Doesn't make sense, does
it?" Aeon shook his head and smirked.
"Why hold onto those ideals even after being betrayed? Hmmm, even now, I question the path I took. You see, even though she killed me, I did not
die. The power I had gained...it
transformed me into what you see before you.
When I awoke from my death, I was determined to control this power and prove
to her that I was still the same man...I wanted her to know that I still held
true to our ideals. I wanted her to love
me again," Aeon stopped for a moment and squeezed Kinana's hands. "In the end, I was unable to change
things between us. However, for most of
my life, Lucia and her ideals were the only things I had ever truly believed
in. I could not simply toss aside the
beliefs we had both championed. Lucia
was gone...and no one else would step up to protect others. No one else could do what was necessary. No one but me."
"That's why he saved me,"
Kinana whispered, wiping at her eyes before bending down to kiss Aeon's
cheek. "No one else would,
so-"
"That is not the only reason I
saved you, Kina," Aeon said, pressing his lips against hers as they
exchanged a kiss.
Blushing hard, Mina fidgeted in
place. "Still...it seems like a
hard life to lead."
"It was...and it is," Aeon
replied.
"Then...can I ask...are you
happy?"
Both Aeon and Kinana looked taken
aback by the question. Aeon's eyes
widened and he raised one of his frozen eyebrows. "Am I...happy?"
"What do you mean, Mina?"
Kinana mumbled.
"Fighting without being
thanked, keeping all these secrets, having to kill people to keep the peace...I
get why you're doing it now," Mina murmured, keeping her eyes fixed on
Aeon's, "But it's not what you want, is it?"
For a full minute, silence pervaded
the room. Aeon's confusion melted away
into contemplation. Lowering his eyes,
Aeon rattled his fingers against his skull
Kinana opened her mouth to speak,
but thought better of it. She took a seat
on one of Aeon's unused arm rests and kept her golden eyes on the frozen man.
Closing his eyes, Aeon's solemn
expression melted into a tiny smirk.
Then a chuckle escaped his throat and he looked back up at Mina. "It's been a long time since someone asked
me that," He let out a short laugh and shook his head, "It's a
difficult question to answer. I don't
take a great deal of joy in doing what's necessary," Aeon said, squeezing
Kinana's hand and smiling at Mina, "I never have. Even back then. However...in a way, I am happy. I have to control my emotions much of the
time to keep my powers in check and I've done a lot of things I'm not proud
of. Still...seeing Deminos, Yuka, and
Nerise grow...watching Dakon and Echidna raise their children...assisting Gadius
with his research and his love while going on adventures with Vincent...and
then having a family to come home to after my battles...somehow, it all feels
worthwhile," he said, wrapping his arm around Kinana and leaning against
her side, while she stroked his frigid hair.
"Hmmm...I thought so,"
Mina said.
"I've got to admit, the first
question I was expecting...but not the second," Aeon retorted, rising from
his chair and staring down at Mina.
"Why'd you want to know?"
"Well...last night I talked with
me uncle and...in a way, you remind me of someone I loved," Mina said,
nodding her head at Aeon. "You do
things differently than a lot of people.
When we first met and...even after what happened with Canak, I thought
you were wrong just because of how you were, but...that's not fair. You do things differently, but that doesn't
make it wrong. All three of us have had
things forced on us and we've made the best of it. Sometimes that means we get to make lots of
happy memories," Mina said, smiling at Kinana before turning back to Aeon,
"And sometimes we have to do things we hate just to keep going."
"Hmmm...I see now," Aeon
nodded. "Then, let me ask you
something, Minava. Have you forgiven
me?"
Mina didn't blink as he spoke, but his
words were heavy in her ears. Taking a
deep breath, she shook her head.
"No...like I said, what you do isn't always wrong, but it isn't
always right either. And what you did to
Canak and his people wasn't right. I
understand why you did it, just like I understand why you saved Gesthal, but...I
still can't forgive you."
Aeon smirked and placed his hand on
Mina's head. "Good," he said,
ruffling her hair. "That's one of
the reasons I know I can trust you. Just
like all the others...you help keep me honest."
"The others?"
"You aren't the only one to
doubt, Minava," Aeon shook his head.
"Kina, Neri, Weiss, Vincent, Gadius, Dakon, Echidna, Karl, Fadol,
Vallen, Raith, Keira, Yuka, Deminos..." his voice shifted slightly and he
pulled his hand away. "My allies,
old and new, understand that blind faith is not worthy of trust. People who think, are."
Mina and Aeon exchanged glances for
a few seconds before Mina exhaled sharply and held her sides. "That was...harder than I thought it
would be," she said weakly, putting her hands over her thumping heart.
"I'm glad you came back,"
Aeon said, kneeling down so that they were on even height. "Though I wish things had gone
differently, Mina. For both you and
Yuka."
Mina's heart skipped a beat when she
heard Aeon say her name.
"Ummm...teacher...?" she stammered.
"Huh?" Aeon raised an
eyebrow.
"I didn't come here to say
goodbye...well, I would if things had gone differently, but-" Mina
mumbled, feeling color rise to her cheeks.
"I...I'd still like to learn from you...if that's okay?"
"Yes!" Before Mina could
blink, Kinana darted over to her and Aeon, wrapping her arms and her wings
around both of them, squishing all three of them together in a gigantic
hug. "Haha, she's coming back!"
"Miss...I mean...Kinana!"
Mina squealed.
"Hahahaha," Aeon let out a
hearty laugh and gave Kinana's waist a squeeze.
When the succubus finally pulled back enough that Mina could move, she
saw Aeon holding out a hand.
"Welcome back, Mina."
Looking from Aeon's hand to the
man's smiling face, Mina allowed herself a smirk and walked past Aeon's hand,
giving him a hug of her own before pulling away. "Things will be different...but I'm glad
to be back," she said, nodding at him.
"So...what's next?"
"Once I'm rested, I will teach
you how to merge the four elements you know to create new elements. Like my ice," Aeon said, holding out his
hand as a mixture of wind and water swirled together and crystallized into a
tiny sculpture of Kinana.
"Aeon..." Kinana groaned
and quickly jerked it out of his hand.
"I meant...well...for all of
you," Mina quickly interjected.
"What will happen now that Agni's on the run?"
"Ah. Well, for now, we have been given time to
recuperate," Aeon sighed, getting back to his feet, "We will assist
in the hunt as best we can, but Master Dezolis is still uneasy about leaving
the border undefended. So, I have
volunteered to stay here a bit longer."
"Hmph...convenient," Mina
smirked.
"That's what I said,"
Kinana added coyly.
"I'm glad you're staying though..."
she exhaled, "Anyway, I said what I wanted to, so I'll give you two some
time alone. To rest..." Mina
mumbled, her face turning red as she spoke.
"Much appreciated," Kinana
giggled.
"Just don't forget to come
back," Aeon said.
"I won't!" Mina called,
before skirting through the doorway leading out of the room.
She bolted for the stairs and only
stopped when she was on her way down.
Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might pop, but a laugh
escaped her throat as she rode down.
Wiping at a stray tear in her eye, she turned her gaze upwards. The wind from earlier had not reappeared,
however a gentle snowfall had begun to fill the tower, sending cascades of
light all around as she traveled down.
Making her way outside, Mina stopped
halfway through the large doors of Aeon's citadel when she heard a feminine
screech. Dashing towards the sound, she
saw Deminos on his stomach at the edge of the forest, with Celine sitting on
his back and twisting his leg behind him, while Daryl watched from a seat on
the grass.
"Okay, okay, I give! This is not what I had in mind when I
suggested we spar!" Deminos whined.
"What?! I ain't like the princess! I don't have any magic to use, so I gotta use
my fists!"
Mina slowed to a jog as she
approached them and covered her face with her hands, struggling to hold in her
laughter. Taking a deep breath, she
composed herself and put her hands on her hips.
"Hey!" Celine, Daryl, and
Deminos all looked up at her. "What
are you doing?! I can't take you
anywhere, can I?!"
"Oh! Ummmm...we were..." Celine blushed and
looked down at the ground.
"Throwing my back out is what
you were doing!" Deminos grumbled, rubbing his back and his leg as he
staggered to his feet.
"We wanted to know where you
were, but he wouldn't tell us," Daryl said, winking at Mina, "So,
Celine challenged him to a sparring match.
I guess it wasn't what he had in mind, haha," she giggled.
Rolling her eyes, Mina allowed
herself a snicker, while Deminos and Celine blushed. "You know," Mina said, putting a
hand on Deminos's shoulder. "If you
want a sparring partner, I'm free today."
As she spoke, she held out her hand and a tiny whirlwind formed in her
palm.
"You...you serious?"
Deminos panted.
"I'll be back for more training
in a few days," Mina smiled, "But that doesn't mean we can't get a
little practice in now."
"Heh, alright! I ain't gonna go easy on you, though!"
Deminos smirked, raising his hands.
Water started forming around them, drawn from the air and the ground.
"Let's go," Mina retorted,
holding a flame in one hand and a small twister in the other.
