4 days later, August 15th. The Kingdom of Arintarr isn’t doing so well with the death of the king. A war has started among the people, a civil war. So far it hasn't been a full scale battle, but the kingdom is divided. The Night Witch Supporters, feeling that Dolland should have died for his transgressions and secrets hidden from the public, feel that the Night Witches are good enough to run the kingdom as they've run Axenvail, Davencore and Sorncoliv. Then there's the Anirio Supporters, those that think the Night Witches are evil and feel the young Prince Tekali and Queen Beneliva Anirio should run the kingdom.
Julie is in the armory of Moonshine Run listening to a news report of the current protests and aggression across the Kingdom of Arintarr, she knows that it will be a matter of time before the entire country gets involved and voices opinions. Seh dreads the inevitable war heading to Arinarr. The figure she saw in the fog of battle at Arintar 4 days ago, now she's sure who it was. Guerre Porteur, the Lord of War. The irony, fighting against and killing the king in an attempt to prevent major wars from happening again, and she becomes the cause of it. Julie never wanted this, but she didn’t exactly expect the division either. The dark skinned leader looks at her broken sword.
Ingenium. Julie’s Blade. Forged by a skilled bladesmith long before her birth. A Blade forged with Ior and Veringandl. It's lovely blade used to create terror in Julie's hands, used to forge alliances, used to cut down her enemies and foes before her time here on Roan. It’s lovely blade is tarnished. Broken. Snapped in twain by the king's trident. It was no more than just a wall decoration rather than a faithful tool. While looking at the blade, it felt almost as if it was looking back, alive but dying.
“Master, I can’t feel. What happened to me?”
Julie holds the blade silently feeling as if for a moment, this old friend of hers was speaking. Her heart ached.
“We had been through everything together. Many years ago, when you were just a child, your master gave me to you. I was once his blade. For 18 years I've served by our side as an indispensable tool.”
The icy blue eyed woman looks up and down her shattered friend. Remembering the day she first got him. She was 11 years old and in a school for sword fighting. She was top of the class. Though Julie wanted to be a field nurse, it was mandatory she take a sword fighting class. At the end of the year, when all classes were done and over her teacher asked her to come by after school. The teacher was a man, tall and well built, yet old. He had gray in his hair and beard. This veteran of Malenteria named “Xibelanq” had pointed the young Stoneheardt to look at a sword on the wall, it was his weapon in battle. Ingenium was the blade. Xibelanq tells Julie that the sword meant a lot to him and served him well, and that he can feel the sword's spirit and thoughts well. He states that the sword chooses Julie as her master next, then the old man takes the sword off the wall and hands it to Julie stating that if she ever needs a good friend to fight with, Ingenium will be there.
“When you needed me most in the war, I was at your side to cut down any enemy, when you needed me to protect yourself in the cruel world, I was the one you could turn to. I have been through every low and every high. When your friends in the war left you to pass onto the next existence, I was there at your hip or in your hands.”
Julie sheds a small tear, the grief of her past and of this tool that had been with her through everything breaking was getting to her, she was aware it was a sword. But it wasn't just a sword. It was her sword. It was her Ingenium. A tear falls onto the broken, shimmering blade of Ingenium as Julie stands.
“Do not cry, master. I may be unusable, but I am always here for you”
The curly haired Malenerian walks to a wall, the wall meant for where Ingenium was to be hung but never was. She takes her battered friend and sets him onto his perch, the blade kept up by hooks under the guard
“Did I not serve you well, master? I hope I did.”
“Goodbye, old friend” Julie said with much sadness, looking at the blade that had seen her through many hard times.
“Goodbye, master. I hope to be of use to you again, one day”
Julie wipes the tears from her eyes and looks on the sword for a while longer, remembering her time with it. The claiming of food from Dravencore, Celeste's test of strength, fighting Fennish -Ra, the attacks on the castle and all the training for it. The malo-Goxian war. She almost lets out a soft sob but restrains herself. It was just a sword after all. Though it was her sword. Soon enough, the Malenterian woman leaves the armory and heads to the kitchen. Ingenium remains there, on the wall.
“I can’t see you, master.”
***
Julie heads to the kitchen, mentally drained from the past 5 days. She makes coffee silently and thinks to herself. All the time she spent in the war, all the time spent training in Malenteria, almost all her life. Ingenium was there. Her sword, her friend. A reminder of her power, a reminder of her hope and strength, her skill. And it wasn't only that that weighed on her. The peoples whose bodies are still being gathered and counted since the attack. The riot did not only happen at the castle, it happened in markets too afterwards. Fights broke out as people on both supporters and opposers argued. Tensions in the kingdom are high, and may spread country wide. Julie may have very well started a civil war. And she knows it.
“What have I done? I didn't think it would be this bad. I wanted to fix the future for generations, not break it. Even if Dollansd did cause the Malo-Goxian war Should i have done this?” Julie wonders to herself and to you. She doesn't feel as if she's just let herself down, but you all as well, her guild, her daughter.
After some silent sipping, Emarru enters the room in a casual shirt and Jasmine, Julie's sister behind her. The twin Malenterian rushes over and hugs her sister, worried what she might have done in spite of the news.
“Did you hear, Boss? The new death toll,” Emarru asked.
The broken hearted Malenterian shook her head and held Jasmine, her sister being a house of comfort for her in the moment, the only thing keeping this usually strong woman from breaking down was her will to not let herself do so.
“260 injured, 123 dead”
The Witches' heart sank more, 123. One hundred twenty-three lives lost and ruined.
“You didn't cause them Sis, honest. You didn't kill them yourself, other people did.”
“Ah might as well have”
Jacklynn looks over at Emarru and sighs.The Night Witches aren't in a good place right now. Their leader is disillusioned and their morale is low. The future is uncertain for them, as each day Arintarr seems inching closer and closer to a cataclysmic war.
“Don’t give up, Julie.” a voice pierced the Malenterians mind, its high pitch and tone was hopeful. It was the Daystar, Anzyu.
“Whats there to hold on to, Anzyu? I’ve fucked up my daughters future. I wanted to make the world better, not fuck it up more.”
“Julie, with peace, must come war. To become better, things must first become worse”
Julie is left silent thinking to herself, she had become disillusioned. What she thought was the right move to make to help everyone’s future, turned out to be the worst move imaginable. She expected the kingdom or even the country to go into a recession, but never a country wide civil war. Julie had non desire to continue her goal anymore, she's caused the complete opposite of what her initial goal was. But she knew that rather than running from this, she needs to face it head on, make it better. Jack walks over and lays a hand on his mother figures shoulder, calling to her with concern.
“Mama?” Jack said. “Are you okay?”
There's a bit of silence from the large dark skinned woman. She looks at Jack and fixes her glasses on her face. The young Yanjung ninja looks back and offers a half full smile to the despairing mother. Seeing Jack’s smile gave Julie some little sliver a glimmer of joy and hope, even if she was able to tell it wasn't a truthful smile. She remembers why she started this. Rose. it gives her strength to get back up and do what must be done.
“Ah’m gonna take a long while out of Guild work. Spend time with my daughter, maybe go on a short journey in a few days.”
“I heard there's an interesting tower with a dragon around. Might be a Dragon Horde.” Emarru speaks up.
“That will act as my first day back in the Guild, ‘Ah’ll slay the dragon and we can take from the hoard to fund us for a time”
Emarru and Ierra nod, they understand the strain poor Julie is dealing with and experiencing currently. They, and everyone else knows that while Julie being hands off in the guild will be hard for a bit, she needs the time. Shane even agrees, though he makes no outward comment or agreement.
The rest of the day Julie had kept away from the TV to stop herself from hearing the ever increasing numbers and horrors that were happening. She spent the time with Rose, her daughter. Training and teaching her how to fight with magic and sword. Helping fuel her creativity with magic as well. She played with and even colored with her daughter too. The large Malenterian woman had a break from Guildwork that she wanted to take, and all of it was going to be spent on her daughter. The next day, the Witch Leader found herself awake before her daughter. She sat up and looked at her white haired daughter, rubbing her head and smiling at her innocence. She could only hope her daughter grows up well, learns the right lessons, becomes better than she, her own mother, is. All Julie wants is her child to prosper and grow. But in this world, it will be hard. She’s got many fears for her daughter, the world is scary. This world is cruel. But despite this world, she has hope for her daughter.
“It will be hard ta teach her the right things when ah’m doin what ‘ah am,” Julie acknowledges. “Ah gotta try.”
The loving mother kisses Rose’s head and moves her hair from her face. The pale haired Malenterian child lays there, sound asleep and cuddling her black, bean sack cat Mr. Cuddles. Julie always forgets why she does what she does, the horrible things, why she fights. And then Rose is there to remind her. For some mothers, their child brings them into reality, stops them from doing something they would have normally done for their sake. For Julie, it was a realization. A fear that took hold of her for her child, one that pushed her to act on something she'd never usually do, all for the sake of her future being safe and better. Not just her, her entire generation.
Julie gets up from the bed and stretches. Julie looks in the mirror and turns her body, checking herself out. She felt confident in herself, though she’s riddled with scars from the Malo-Goxian war and larger than most, she knows she rocks it. She shrugs one shoulder and tilts her head making a sultry look in the mirror.
“Mama’s got it,” Julie says as she chuckles and gets her clothing shorted out.
She decides to wear some sweat pants and a gray t-shirt, opting for a more casual look. To the kitchen the mother goes to make herself a cup of dark brown addiction juice, coffee. For a moment, Julie takes in the day, the day of an average morning. Not as Black Widow, not as leader of the Night witches. A day as Julie Cassandra Faith Stoneheardt. It was liberating, as if an elephant's weight had been taken off of her chest. She felt happy, very happy.
“Is this what it would feel like without the guild?” Julie thinks to herself.
And so she thinks and watches the coffee get made. She can tell she’d be happier. Would Rose? Probably since she gets to see her mother all the time and much less stressed. But is it worth it? Is it worth breaking the Guild up? Ceasing all her actions to try and make Arrintarr better. She didn't know what to do.
Sometime later, little Rose walks out of Julie’s room holding her plush cat, Mr. Cuddles, by the arm dragging him along the floor as she tiredly walked to the kitchen. Rose knows by now that if her mother is gone, she’s either in the kitchen making coffee, talking to the others, or out on a mission. To her sleepy delight, Rose finds her mom not gone or talking, but indeed, making coffee. With a tired yawn she steps over and hugs her mother as the large leader of the Night Witches rubs her daughters head affectionately.
“Mornin’ Rose.” Julie said, “Sleep well?”
The tied child nods and lays her head against Julie’s leg. Julie takes a moment to decide if she should talk to Rose about her recent thoughts about disbanding the night witches. It very well could be a teachable moment to her daughter on communication. So the blue eyed mother leans down and picks up her sleepy daughter. Small, innocent Rose clings to Julie and lays her head on her mothers shoulder.
“Rose, Mama’s been thinkin ‘bout somethin’” Julie said, pushing her glasses up on her face.
“What is it Mama?”
“What if Mama stops goin out? Ah’m thinkin of stoppin the guild” Julie asked, pulling her head back and adjusting Rose so she can look at her mother. “Ah’d be around a lo more ta play”
“Iz thought you hewp peopew” Rose asked confused, tilting her little head to the side.
The black haired woman looks at her now done cup of coffee and thinks about how to word her next sentence. After a while, she looks back at Rose to talk.
“Rose, Mama tried to help people. But Mama didn’t, she hurt people instead. Many people got hurt by Mama.” Julie said sincerely.
“Why?” Rose asked, the inquisitive child she is.
“Not everyone thinks what mama did is gonna help. And a lot of people are fighting with other people that think mama did,”
Rose looks at her mother and blinks twice before answering.
“Why Mama give up? You taught me to never do dat.”
Julie realized at that moment, Rose was right. She was trying to give up on her goal. She recalls having this very same realization before. But it still sticks.
“I can't give up,” the Night Witch thought to herself.
But even her daughter is telling her that she cant give up, that just fuels her with even more determination.
“You're right Rose, Mama can't!”
Rose nods happily.
“But Iz do wana see mama more, Iz mis mama,” Rose said, clinging to her mother.
Her mother smiles kindly at little Rose, kissing her head and lifting the child into the air.
“But Ah’mma still Take the break ah was gonna, Ah need some rest before she gets back inta the guild.”
“Okay Mama!”
Rose hugs her mother once more before being set down on the ground and making her way to a seat on the table and sitting down, waiting for some breakfast. The Mother in eyewear looks over and smiles.
“What do ya want for breakfast, Rose?”
“Eggs!” Rose yelled out excitedly. “Iz want om-el-et!”
“Omelets, got it. Mama will make ya one.” Julie said with a motherly smile.
“Yay!” Rose exclaimed while kicking her feet.
And so, The Malenterian Mother begins to make breakfast for her and her daughter. Over time, others like Emarru, Ierra, and Jason woke up. Feeling rather good today, Julie decides to make breakfast for the whole guild. Oddly enough, it felt gratifying to have done so and to hear everyone's thanks and compliments. Even Jason and Shane give compliments to Julie's cooking. She enjoys the moments where she feels like a mom. Not just to Rose, but to everyone. IT was a nice Morale boost for her in a moment where she felt at her lowest. With her daughter supporting her staying in the Guild, and the feeling of being appreciated in her mind, Stoneheardt felt that she could take on the world already.
