As the green fire died down, there was something green glistening among the embers. Theanore went to see it, worrying that Bellchime hadn’t burned, and she would have to renew her pyre.
Instead of the body of the fairy, there was a green jewel in the fire. It shone with a brilliant green light.
“System, what is this?” Asked Theanore. She didn’t trust the system, not anymore. But so far, the system had only withheld information from her twice. There was a chance it couldn’t lie to her.
Condensed fairy heart. The most expensive item for enchantments. The enchantment that can be put on it is level 9999 on Wizard Odious’ scale.
Such a level existed? She really needed to go check out chapter 17. But Bellchime deserved something better than for her heart to be turned into an enchanted item. She deserved a proper burial.
“System, if I bury Bellchime’s heart, will she try to kill the plants growing over it?” Asked Theanore worried. There was only one place where Bellchime would feel at home. The place which she was created to defend.
No, Bellchime has passed over. Only her magic remains.
“She is in a better place?” Asked Theanore, hopefully.
If Hell is a better place than the forest of fireflies…
Now Theanore teared up. Bellchime was suffering immediately. There was only one plant she wished to bury her heart under. The apple tree. Going back inside the grotto, she made a beeline to the apple tree, and she dug a small, shallow hole.
Bellchime’s heart was small, it didn’t need much space. Then she placed the heart inside the soil and buried it. Afterward, she placed her hands together like a tent, the way her father Crassus always made them do before a meal.
“Bellchime, I am sorry for taking you away from your home. I ask forgiveness for making you a boss monster accidentally. I hope you forgive me and fly to Heaven. Fly, Bellchime! Fly!”
Then a green light enveloped her apple tree. A small ball of light broke off and landed on Theanore’s nose, tickling it.
“You forgive me then, Bellchime?” Asked Theanore the light. It flew to her forehead and rubbed itself there. Like glitter, it disappeared, but the light around the sapling remained.
It was shaped like vines, but there were thorns there as well. Theanore made to touch one, but it moved away from her before she hurt herself.
Skill unlocked: Ghost whisperer.
Theanore the nymph has shown compassion to the soul of Bellchime the fairy. And the fairy, normally an evil fiend, had felt kindness for the first time in her existence. As a result, Bellchime leaves behind a level 90 protective aura around the dungeon core, also known as Theanore’s apple tree.
Ghost aura acquired:
Bellchime the fairy flies to Heaven as we speak. She leaves her wretchedness behind so that she could guard Theanore the nymph even from beyond the grave. The only one who the ghost aura won’t harm is Theanore herself. I suggest you replant the catnip somewhere else, Theanore.
“Right, I’ll do it,” said Theanore, and she began to dig out the roots of the catnip. The ghost aura seemed to understand Theanore’s intentions because it uprooted the second bush on its own.
“Thank you, Bellchime. I will move your house here. Would you like that?” No response followed, and Theanore’s spirit dampened a little. But Bellchime was going to Heaven now. That at least was something.
Even so, Theanore moved the mud house to the apple tree. The vines crawled inside. Theanore petted the stem of the ghost aura and pretended she was petting Bellchime. She really hoped Bellchime didn’t get lost on her way up.
Then she went to search for her father and Marinus. She found them marinating some Mundyd steaks with herbs from her garden. They were going to grill them, she knew.
There were some vegetables that were already cut up and, in a pan, sizzling away. The night has fallen, and the fireflies were out and about. That made her remember the apple tree’s new guardian.
“We figured we can make a special dinner in Bellchime’s honor,” said Marinus as he finally saw Theanore. “A proper send-off.”
Theanore rushed to him and hugged him. She gave each of his cheeks a kiss, and the merman blushed. Crassus coughed, and Theanore released Marinus. Her father had long talks with her about what was proper and what was not regarding Marinus.
“Bellchime went to Heaven, and she left me a level 90 ghost aura protection around the apple tree. Best if neither of you go near it. I need to tell the murder muffins too!” She said, and then she jumped, and she rushed to the pool where she was sure she would see them.
Rip and Hiss were curled together by the pool. There were fishtails around them. For some reason, that was the only part that they wouldn’t eat from a fish. They looked at her with eyes filled with guilt, and Theanore knelt before them and extended her hand.
The murder muffins both sniffed at it and rubbed their heads against it. Then Theanore spoke.
“Bellchime was too young to die. She was a newborn,” she said sternly, and the two murder muffins bowed their heads.
“But you both were acting in self-defense. And do you know what? She flew to Heaven!”
Both murder muffins looked at her with doubt in their eyes. Then Theanore giggled.
“She even left me a level 90 ghost aura protection around my apple tree. But don’t worry! I replanted the catnip next to the pumpkin patch where her house used to be.”
Both murder muffins calmed down and Hiss licked Theanore’s hand and gave her finger a slight, gentle, bite.
“Oh, don’t be like that. You will still be the main protectors of the grotto. But Bellchime had to leave her evil ways for a good cause, or she would have stayed in Hell.”
Hiss whipped her tail and swatted Theanore in the nose, and she meowed. Had Theanore been able to understand her, she would have heard this:
That evil thing deserves to stay there.
But Theanore couldn’t, and so, she began to pet both of the murder muffins while dodging their tails which tried to hit her on the nose. Laughing all the while.
