The feeling of getting cold feet began to set in as Jake and Helena approached Mur’s Hall. The sounds of training echoed from within and as usual, a number of Oryks sat around outside. Injured or cast out, they all waited for either treatment or the final decision that would affect their lives. Jake felt for those forced to wait outside. The sounds of training were likely quite painful to listen to knowing full well they would be forced to join the lower-ranked teams. Mur wasn’t so kind to give second chances to those he tossed out. Even if they were a star pupil- he was true to his ways and word.
Helena led the way up the stairs and paused in front of the doorway. Her fingers slid into the slot of the door and then she looked over her shoulder toward Jake. The boy took in a long, slow, deep breath. He stilled the thumping heart in his chest and quieted the gremlins bitting at his mind. He was nervous. More nervous than he had ever felt before. So nervous that his stomach was twitching and clenching. He felt sick and his head was light. It felt surreal. Like this was all a dream and he would snap out of it at any moment.
But unfortunately, real life wasn’t so kind or easy. Jake gave Helena a nod and the woman smoothly slid the door open. The noise of training spilled out into the courtyard. The slapping of wood, stone, along with the outcries of strength and effort. Mur’s teaching echoed as his voice bellowed through the open air. His massive body glided between mats, his arms lashing out occasionally to punish those who deserved the corrections. As he turned around the edge of a pair of mats and his eyes picked up on the two new guests, Mur stopped in his tracks. His eyes glazed over Jake and Helena, and then one could see him look for Darius and Lydia. Not seeing either, his expression darkened. Mur’s eyes lowered to the objects cradled in Jake’s arms.
“Stop!” He belted. In unison, the fights on the mats came to a halt. Whether the students were clashing or swinging, their bodies froze in place briefly before separating. They quickly returned to their resting corners as Mur ordered the Healers to perform their tasks. He motioned for Jake and Helena to enter the Hall and moved to meet them.
“You’ve returned,” he said. His eyes continued to look for the other two missing personnel for only a few moments before he stared into Helena’s uncovered eyes. He wasn’t excited to see them. Almost as if he knew what was coming. “The nest?”
“It has been dealt with,” Helena answered for Jake, her eyes unblinking as her lips moved. Mur nodded and looked down at Jake. Then, he looked at the broken elven blades again. He stared at them. Hard.
“Clear the Hall!” He shouted. The students all looked at him, their eyes and faces full of confusion. When he didn’t see or hear movement, Mur sucked in a breath and hollered. “NOW!”
His voice was both a thunderous boom and an order. Those within the hall scurried to their feet and hustled towards the door. A brief moment of congestion occurred as the students rushed to escape the demon’s wrath. After the stampede, two students lingered behind, flanking the door as they looked towards Mur. He verified that the Hall was empty and then addressed them.
“Close the door. Let no one in until I say otherwise.” The two students bowed at the waist before stepping out. One pulled the door closed behind her, leaving the trio to themselves. Mur waited another breath before he motioned for Jake and Helena to follow him. They walked to the front of the hall where Mur’s comfortable set of cushions were placed. He handed Jake and Helena theirs before sitting down on his own. Out of respect, Jake set the blades in front of Mur. The demon stared down at them, his face a mixture of concealed but visible pain and anger. All four of his hands were clutched tight.
“How did it happen?” He asked, not shying from the harsh details. He wanted to know. He needed to know. The fact that he asked without hesitation answered all of Jake’s questions when it came to the relationship of the Elf and Demonkin. Jake hadn’t met Darius until he had been introduced by Mur. However, the number of Elves within the village was slim. Jake had only seen four in total, including Darius. For Mur to have known the Elf both by name and profession, and to have trusted him with Jake’s training, there was no other explanation than a strong friendship of some kind.
The only question was who would speak. Jake looked to Helena, wondering if she wanted to do the honors. However, she gestured for him to do it. Likely because Jake had seen the actual final moment. After the canister exploded, Helena was out of it. Her memory might have been fuzzy or non-existent in the moments following. Jake nodded and straightened his back. He took in a breath, steeled his racing heart, and began to speak.
“After we arrived at the nest, we agreed on a plan of attack. Darius would stand as a vanguard a short distance from the entrance, down a slight ramp, and I would protect Helena by the entrance. Lydia drew her spell and when we were in place, Darius threw the canister.” Jake paused for a moment as he folded his hands together on top of his legs. He stared down at the mats, revisiting his memory to ensure he spoke the proper details. Mur remained silent, his eyes boring into Jake’s chest as he waited patiently.
“Helena hit the canister with her magic and the catalyst inside activated. It exploded as intended but the shockwave blew us all off our feet. The cavern shook and threatened to collapse, forcing myself and Helena to take cover. She hid within the tunnel. I was exposed but used some rocks to protect myself. I don’t know what happened to Darius during the explosion.” Jake paused again as he let his mind play through the explosion to the next moment.
“When I recovered, still dazed and a bit out of it, I checked on the Maedra. They were largely hurt but their numbers were still high. I checked on Helena and saw that she was alive and safe. Injured but nothing major. The exit had a partial collapse but was still open. But Darius…” Jake trailed off, biting his lip as he remembered the next sight. The sight that pretty much sealed the Elf’s fate.
“Speak, boy,” Mur said softly, tense and stubbornly holding his emotions in as he awaited the details.
“The ceiling had fallen onto the ramp, breaking it partially and also blocking it on my side. Darius had ordered Helena to seal my magic so I wasn’t able to heal nor could I use my magic to get to him. I asked Helena to use the second spell that would cleanse the mana in the air, but the paper holding the sigil had ripped during the explosion… We couldn’t cast it.” Jake looked to Helena, who sat straight with a stiff expression. Mur glanced at her but she met that gaze without blinking. She knew her mistake and would not run from it. What was done, was done. There was no changing the past. Mur nodded lightly and then motioned for Jake to continue.
“I ordered Helena into the tunnel and tried to get to Darius even without my magic, but the gap in the ramp was too much. So, I tried to break the seal Helena had placed on me. After some effort I was able to shatter the spell but it had taken a lot out of me and the sudden released caused mana poisoning within myself, so I needed to tend to that. By the time I was finished…” Jake looked down again, his hands spreading and gripping the fabric of his pants. The boy breathed in slowly again, controlling his emotions. As he exhaled, his tense shoulders relaxed.
“The Maedra had overpowered him. They had broken one arm and overwhelmed him. He was killed right in front of me. There wasn’t anything I could do, even with magic.”
The air went still and quiet. Mur’s lips pressed together as he stared at Jake. Jake looked up, meeting those eyes to show that he was finished. Mur frowned and his eyes lowered to the two blades. He reached out, his fingers slowly brushing over the silvery edges of the broken weapons. He didn’t pick them up, nor did he grab them. He only let himself savor the feeling of familiarity that they brought him.
“He wasn’t the best of Elves, nor was he a great friend…” Mur muttered quietly. “But he cared deeply about this world. He may have been rough around the edges but he cared more for the future than anyone I know. To have died fighting for that cause of his…” Mur’s fingers stopped, settling on the hilt of one of the blades. He smiled softly, retracting his hand as he sat up.
“He is lucky. Lucky to have died in such a way.” Mur gripped onto his own legs and blinked a few times, fighting to maintain his composure. Jake could see the demon was on a knife’s edge. There were stories behind those words. A lifetime of friendship, most likely. Something Jake envied.
“I’m sorry, Mur. Delmu-... Darius-” Helena corrected herself but Mur raised a hand. She grimaced for a moment, nodded, and continued. “Delmuth… he was a Guiding Light within this place. For many. For you. I only wish there was more I could have done.” Helena lowered her head, bowing slightly as she pleaded for some form of forgiveness. Jake’s hands curled as he too wondered if there was more he could have done. If only he had been faster. If only he could have been stronger…
“Raise your head, Light Priestess.” Mur leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a firm squeeze and nudged her upright. “There is little that can be done when fate’s bell rings. It was his time and as I said, he is lucky for it to have been during such a moment. For many warriors, they die in far less admirable moments.” Mur’s eyes then turned to Jake, who was staring at the floor in front of himself. Mur reached out and planted a hand firmly on his head.
“This makes two for you, does it not?” Mur whispered. Jake closed his eyes, squeezing them tight as he nodded. “I know you did all you could. As one of my best, and one of the students I am most proud of, I know that is true without even being there.” Mur’s hand slid down Jake’s face. A fat, thick, calloused finger hooked the boy’s chin and forced him to look up. Jake did as he was made to and met Mur’s fierce eyes.
“Do not blame yourself. Either of you.” He flashed a glance towards Helena, but then returned his eyes to Jake. “You’ve done well to return and tell me of Darius’s passing. That is more than I could ask for. I am thankful that Darius had such allies with him.” Mur pulled his hand away and straightened his back, his face clearing of sadness as he collected himself.
“The nest was cleared. Darius’s sacrifice was not in vain. Understand?”
Helena once more bowed her head slightly. Jake nodded. Mur nodded afterwards before turning to his right. He grabbed onto a small glass bottle and a set of little cups. He plucked four of the cups. He placed them out, one for each of them and one in the middle of Jake and Helena. It sat just beside the two blades. Then, he pulled the cork from the bottle. A rough aroma struck at Jake’s nose, causing him to scrunch it slightly. Mur filled the four small cups until they were three quarters of the way full before replacing the cork and setting the bottle to the side.
“To the fallen,” Mur’s fingers wrapped around his cup as he raised it up. Helena followed his gesture and Jake found himself doing the same. “Almien!” he said, the elven word nimbly sliding off his tongue.
“Almien!” Helena and Jake echoed the word, their glasses tapping together in the air over the top of the fourth. Then, they downed their drinks. The liquid tasted of a mixture of cinnamon and fire, the spicy drink burning as it slid down Jake’s throat. He squinted and his face shook as he gasped from the harsh flavor. Mur began to laugh and Helena giggled a bit, both enjoying his reaction.
“That was rough.” Jake coughed a few times as he recovered.
“Quite,” Mur grinned as he reached for the fourth glass. He raised it and bowed his head, closing his eyes for a few seconds. Then, he emptied the glass in a single gulp. Without even flinching, he lowered it to the floor and tapped it twice against the wood. “Be at peace, old friend.” Mur mumbled faintly. Jake didn’t say a word and offered his glass as Mur began to collect them. He returned the alcohol off to the side and motioned for Jake to take the blades away. The boy gathered them up, placing them off to his right and out of the way.
“So? The canister worked but the cleansing spell did not. How did you clear the nest?” Mur moved quickly onto the next topic, not wanting to dwell on the negative emotion. Darius may have passed and while it certainly would require healing, there was still work to be done. At Mur’s question, Helena once more motioned to Jake. It seemed that while Jake wanted her to speak for him, it didn’t make much sense. She had spent most of their time at the nest in the tunnel.
“I killed them,” Jake said flatly. Mur blinked as he stared at the boy. Confused, but not quite surprised.
“With your magic?” He asked. Jake hummed for a moment but shook his head.
“Not entirely. I utilized my sword skills along with magic to clear the horde. The canister had killed the majority of those within the cavern. Those remaining were mostly injured or still a bit unsteady. I just took advantage of that.” Jake avoided giving away key details, like the curse mark that showed up on his chest and the overwhelming amount of mana he had felt rushing through him. The fight was nothing like he had ever experienced and the sheer amount of power he had felt was terrifying. While he wasn’t keen on secrets, he didn’t feel the need to share such details.
“Interesting,” Mur muttered, raising a hand to his chin. “You’ve grown quite strong within just a few day's time. Darius’s teachings must have been quite helpful.” Jake nodded, fully agreeing.
“The Sword Singer style he taught me was very handy. Using magic with it was easy and I felt a strong connection with my mana during the fight. Transitioning between sword and spell was seamless.” Jake had felt the power of the Sword Singer style. While he still needed practice he felt confident that his comfort and strength with the style would only get better with time. As he was now, fighting the Maedra would be easy. Even so he would need to be careful. His magic was strong but he couldn’t rely on the curse mark to provide strength in every fight. Jake would need to train and cultivate to achieve that level of power on his own without the aid of the curse mark.
“So, he did teach it to you,” Mur muttered with a soft hum. “I wondered if he would. Your affinity for such a style was quite high. If it wasn’t for your leniency on magic, I would have directed you to him sooner. But, I am thankful for it. You will do him proud, no doubt.”
“Yes, Master. I will do my best.” Jake lowered his head, bowing out of respect. Mur nodded and huffed.
“You killed them all, then? Every one of them?” He asked. Jake nodded.
“Every one of them. Afterward, we had Lydia draw another cleansing sigil for us to activate. We cleansed the cavern’s mana and then made our way back.” With that, the tale was done. Mur let out a faint sigh as Jake finished and his arms folded over his chest. He stared at the two of them for a long time, likely thinking of what to do next.
“Is Lydia okay?” He looked to Helena with his question. She smiled.
“She is fine. Shaken but she will recover. The girl was attached to Delmuth and he did much for her but she is strong. Sadly, she is familiar with loss.” Helena answered with the truth, her words a bit heavy toward the end but necessary. Mur frowned and sighed again.
“It seems that when the Maedra are involved, everyone is,” he muttered. A true statement. So far since Jake learned of the Maedra’s existence he had faced nothing but death and hardship. Such beings were the personification of death it seemed. Wherever there was Maedra, there would be death and pain.
“What will you two do now?” Mur asked, once more looking to Helena. Jake was uncertain which “two” Mur was referring to, but he assumed he meant Helena and Lydia. Jake may have been a new addition to the party but he was just that- new. On top of that, he technically was only a temporary addition. Jake joined them in order to train with Darius and then he would go off on his own afterward. His time spent with Helena and Lydia was not expected to be long.
“We will return to the Etherwood. His family will want to know.” It seemed Helena had already made up her mind to leave. The Etherwood was likely Darius’s homeland or home forest from the sound of the name.
“I thought as much. Will you return his blades?” Mur looked over at Jake and then at the two broken swords. Jake blinked a few times before he realized that his assumption that he’d be able to keep them wasn’t quite set in stone. Aside from Darius’s pack, the blades were the only items left of the fallen Elf. Everything else was gone.
“No,” Helena said with another smile on her face. “The boy will keep them. I know he will make good use of them here. Delmuth would hate to learn that his tools were turned into ornaments.” She let out a giggle and Mur let out a laugh of his own. Jake felt a bit uncomfortable because of how relieved he felt that he’d be able to keep the blades. They were a fine pair. To give them up would truly be a waste.
“Wait, if Lydia leaves- then who will make the cleansing spell? What about the canisters?” Jake realized the problem if those two decided to leave. While magic could be replicated with practice and learning, Lydia and Helena were the only two that Jake knew of who could make the cleansing spell. On top of that, they were the only two who knew how to make or where to get the canisters. Without them, clearing the nests would be next to impossible. Even if Jake could clear them with his own strength he had no way to cleanse the mana. Sure he had seen the spell in action but he hadn’t exactly studied the sigil and committed it to memory. He’d only had a brief glance at the thing.
Helena must have been prepared to answer such questions, as she glanced over to Mur before meeting Jake’s eyes.
“You, my boy, are going to learn the spell. And Mur will introduce you to the maker of the canisters,” she said with her soft smile.
Ah, a passing of the torch it seem. Jake felt his shoulders grow heavy and his fingers gripped at the cloth of his pants again. He felt uncomfortable once more beneath their heavy gazes. Those expectant looks and confident smiles made it clear that they would be entrusting the details to him. The responsibility of clearing out the Maedra and protecting the village would be firmly placed in his hands. It would be on him to carry Darius’s will on. The Council had given Jake freedom but these two were about to give him the tools he would need. With his experience in clearing the nest added into the mix- there would be no excuses allowed.
He would need to produce results or Ewana would fall to the dark. There was no hiding from that fact now. Jake might have been able to weasel out of direct blame before. Now, he would be the one put to the stake if he failed.
“Oh. That’s… quite a bit,” he muttered as he looked between the two of them. “Are you sure?” He wanted to make sure there was no doubt in their minds with their decisions. If he had it his way, Jake would have picked someone with more age. More experience.
“If Helena believes in you and trusts you, then so will I.” Mur seemed set to follow the steps of his friend. Darius had gifted Jake with skill. Helena would give him knowledge. Mur would give him chance.
Jake felt his stomach twist as he looked down at the two elven blades by his side. He also instinctively grabbed onto the dwarven blade on his hip, the weapon forged for him by Hulgrok who also gave him chance. There were so many people who were now pushing him forward, supporting him, trusting him. Their eyes were on him, their hands nudging him forward. He had allies he could believe in and fight beside. Friends and family he could return home to. A reason to fight and the developing strength to do so.
In that moment, he felt a ghastly hand on his shoulder. A firm grip. A hand he hadn’t quite felt in some time. Not since he was a young child. He could almost see the hand and the face behind it. While there were no words, Jake could only imagine what the man would say to him. All he wondered was whether or not that man would be proud of him. Jake clenched his jaw and stared at his reflection in the elven blades. He stared long and hard into them, looking into the piercing eyes on the other side of those mirrors.
“I’ll do what I can,” Jake finally said. He felt a lump in his throat as he spoke, causing his voice to waver a bit. He looked up at Helena and Mur, his hands still tightly wrapped around the fabric of his pants. “For you all, and for the village.”
“I know you will,” Mur said with a smirk.
“As do I,” Helena added.
Jake smiled and bowed his head slightly.
“Thank you two for helping me and for trusting me. I will do everything to meet those expectations.” He let his head hang for a long breath, his hair draping over his neck and face. When he rose back up, Mur was grinning.
“You’re growing, boy. It is a pleasure to see it.” He laughed as he rose to his feet. Helena followed suit, with Jake trailing. “Well, the Maedra will not wait for conversation. You both have much to do and I have students to teach. Jake, come tomorrow. I will take you to the man who will support you with the canisters. Helena, I will prepare something for the Elves. Will you give me time to make it?”
“I will. We will stay until we are sure Jake is ready.” Mur led the way to the door as Helena spoke. Jake quickly picked up Darius’s blades and followed behind the two, trailing in their shadows quietly.
“Very well. I will do my best to have it ready in time. Do you have a place to rest?” He grabbed the door, pausing to look at Helena. She nodded.
“We will stay with Jake. He has plenty of room for us and it will make the next few days of preparation much easier.”
“Good to hear,” Mur smirked as he pulled open the door. “Thank you. Both of you. And I wish you both fortune and glory.” Mur stepped aside, clearing the way. Helena stepped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“We will come back, Mur. There is much to be done here. Many Lost and those in need of Guidance.”
“Ever the hard worker, Light Priestess.” Mur laughed again as Helena stepped outside. Jake eyed him for a moment before stepping out after her. “Jake.” Mur called just as he stepped through the doorway. Jake stopped in his tracks.
“Continue to grow. Continue to learn. There is much to this world and you will face many tests. Whatever you do, do not let your failures stop you. Understand?” Mur's words were heavy and a bit vague, as if on purpose. Jake bit down on the inside of his cheek for a moment as he ruminated over their meaning.
“Understood, Master.” Without turning back, Jake stepped off and hurried to catch up to Helena, who was walking off without him. Again.
“Alright, my pupils! Break time is over!” Mur’s voice boomed through the air, shattering the peaceful silence of the courtyard. The students, who had been kicked out and were scattered around the building, all snapped to their feet. Just as they had rushed out of the Hall to escape Mur’s yelling, they now rushed back towards it to avoid being cut out. Mur let out a loud, healthy laugh as he watched them scamper back into his Hall. Like a proud dad, he loomed over them in the doorway. Once the last student was through, he grabbed the handle and slid his door closed.
Jake matched Helena’s stride as they left the Scout Compound, the two of them moving at a brisk but comfortable pace back to the home. With the difficult task of speaking to Mur now out of the way, Jake’s mind quickly moved on to the next, new issue- dealing with the burden of expectations looming on his shoulders. The Council had given him freedom, expecting him to produce the result of killing enough Maedra to give Ewana time to build up its forces and eventually gain enough strength to protect itself. Yae was expecting him to come home healthy every time he left, while Tul and Xul expected him not to make their sister upset.
Now, Helena and Mur were expecting him to pick up their mission in the tunnels. While it aligned with what the Council wanted and he could deal with both at the same time, they were leaving it to him exclusively. It was now open knowledge that Helena and Lydia would be leaving. How soon that was, Jake had no idea. Helena had been vague with that determination. Mur, obviously, would also be hands-off with his form of help. Other than introducing Jake to the canister maker, whoever that was, Mur would be restrained by his job as a Scout Instructor. Expecting anything from him other than the occasional bit of advice was stupid. Mur likely would only become a front-line asset if the Maedra just so happened to breach the tunnels around the village. Even then, Jake wondered if the demon would fight or be kept in reserves.
The boy let out a sigh as they walked. Helena glanced down at him for a moment but said nothing. Instead, Jake spoke up to kill the silence. He found it suffocating, honestly.
“You two are leaving me with quite a lot of responsibility,” Jake muttered, wondering if it may sway Helena’s thinking if only a little bit. Maybe she might reconsider putting so much on his plate at once.
“You have proven yourself capable, Jake. Knowing you will be here to continue our mission eases my mind.” Instead of giving him pity, Jake felt the pressure on him increase and his shoulders drooped a bit more.
“Thanks. I’m glad to provide that peace of mind,” he rumbled before letting out another sigh. Helena smirked at him, her lips curling mischeviously as she looked at him.
“You will do fine, boy. Trust in yourself and in what you have learned. I will ensure you are left with adequate preparation for the fights ahead. Lydia is also very good teacher, believe it or not.” She must have decided to add the last part as a jab. Jake couldn’t see it as anything but.
“I’m sure she is,” he groaned. The idea of having the Halfling teach him anything came across as a bit absurd. She was far to reliant on Helena and Jake thought of her as a child. The fact that Lydia was older than him was baffling. Darius’s labeling of her as a mascot was done in earnest. Helena must have thought her bout of teasing was enough as her expression softened.
“You will do fine, Jake,” she said with certainty. “Darius trusted you and Mur has shown the same. So, I will also place my trust in you. I will teach you all that I know to help you. After that, it will be up to you.”
“I’m scared of failing. I know what happens if I make a mistake and I hate knowing there are lives on the line.” He spoke from his heart, airing out his fears to the woman. She let him speak and then looked at him.
“Will you not fight, then? With those lives in your hands, will you choose to do nothing with them and hide them from the danger, hoping that it never comes?” Her question was far harsher than Jake was ready for. The insinuations within it made him frown, but she was asking because she already knew the consequences of the wrong answer.
Jake could fight, lose more friends, but kill the Maedra. Or he could hide his friends and those he cared about away, never going back into the tunnels and using his strength to simply keep the Maedra at bay. But, he would eventually fail. There was no arguing that the Maedra would come. One day, they would outsmart him. They would overwhelm him. He would sit on his hands but the Maedra would adapt to beat whatever defenses he made. It was in their nature.
It was all they knew to do.
“I have no choice but to fight,” he answered. His answer itself was a lie- there was always a choice. Jake could even leave the Ravine without looking back, something he had fumbled with multiple times already. However, with all of the eyes on him and so many people placing their bets on him, there was no way he could up and leave them. Giving up now was the same as letting the Maedra win. And he would die before he let that happen. His desire for revenge wasn’t so fake.
“Then you must continue to struggle.” Helena spoke strongly, loud and clear. “Your foe is not easy to overcome but as long as you are willing to risk all you hold dear, they can be beaten.”
At her words, a question came to his mind. One he had been wondering for a while, and one that honestly would determine how futile this all was.
“Helena,” he muttered. “Have you ever seen the Maedra be completely eradicated from somewhere?” He asked with a bit of nervousness, unsure if he even wanted to know the answer to what he himself had asked. The Maedra were an everpresent threat. From what he had learned and from a few assumptions he had made, the Maedra weren’t just in the Ravine. They were everywhere. Every dark dungeon, every black pit, every cave that ran too deep. Maedra lived within the very heart of the planet, growing and feeding off raw mana like parasites. Eliminating them was truly an impossible task. Containing them was not.
“I have.” After a long pause, Helena finally answered. “Maedra do not exist in much of the Dwarven and Elven territories to the West and North. They have cleared much of their dungeons and caverns, their races both actively hunting down the beasts in hopes of one day killing them off for good.”
With her answer, Jake felt relief. He didn’t know the extent of the Elf and Dwarf campaigns nor did he know the cost of them. However, the knowledge that it was possible to push the Maedra back and snuff out their reach was motivating. It meant that success was obtainable. Though it would be difficult and take a long time, the Ravine could eventually become a safe and truly habitable place. Jake didn’t quite know how far the Ravine stretched in either direction but in time, and over the course of many generations, the Oryks could at some point fully cleanse it of Maedra. So long as they were given the tools and knowledge to do it.
That was Jakes inevitable goal. The Ravine would not be his final resting place. This was only the beginning of his journey, of his life. He was learning so much within its dark walls but the World was vast. The stories his father had told him were of much greener and vibrant places. There were many more races out there than just Oryks. There were many more beasts to fight other than Maedra. He had plenty of life left to live, and he would eventually find his way to those places.
“Do you think these people can do it too?” Jake asked, looking out towards Ewana as he asked. Helena, giving a brief reminder that she too was human and not all knowing, shrugged.
“I am unsure but I do hope so. A world without creatures like the Maedra are what we should all strive to earn.”
“One day, then,” Jake mumbled. Helena let out a soft hum to agree.
“One day. Until then, we must continue our struggle. And you, my friend, have quite the struggle ahead.” Helena smirked as they turned the corner to the home. Jake sighed as he heard shouting- Tul and Xul were arguing loudly, their voices carrying through the air of the peaceful neighborhood.
“It seems so, but those two aren’t much of a hassle. It’s the other one that pains me.” Indeed, Tul and Xul were easy to manage. Yae’s constant shifts in mood and her sharp eye always kept him on his toes. He was never quite sure what she would say next or what she would do. Her one constant, though, was her faith in him. She made her worries known and made it very clear that she hated his constant fighting. However, it was never much of a surprise to her whenever he walked back to the door. As if she knew all along he would be fine.
“She cares deeply for you. You should be thankful for such a person in your life.” Her response once more begged another question. Did she too have someone she cared for? He felt like he knew the answer but was afraid to ask. Her relationship with Darius was a clouded one. In his death, she had shown little outward sorrow. She had shown pain, discomfort, and sadness for his passing. However, she had not cried. Almost as if she was bottling that emotion up and locking it away, playing the strong face for those around her.
Jake stopped walking. Helena continued to move forward until she realized he wasn’t moving forward anymore. She too stopped, turning to look at him with a puzzled expression.
“Jake?” She asked. He settled his eyes on her, eyeing her with a stern look.
“Are you okay?” He asked. Her mouth parted, as if to answer quickly. But Jake’s serious tone caused her to pause. Her lips pressed together, tightly, and her eyes lowered to the blades in his hands.
She was quiet for a long time, the sounds of Xul and Tul arguing the only noises hitting Jake’s eardrums. Yet, everyone else had always shown him patience. So he would do the same for her.
“...He was a Guiding Light. For Lydia. For myself.” Her voice carried, though her tone was soft. “I cared for him deeply and strived to help him achieve his goals. He was a joy in my life and I hoped I could bring him the same… but he was always looking ahead. To the next fight, to the next person who needed him. All I could do was support him and keep him safe.” Her eyes lowered and her hands curled into fists.
“But, I am aware of my faults. My weaknesses are many. Seeing you fight beside him with such vigor and confidence made me jealous, but I know my place. I know my duty is to support those like him. Like you.” Her eyes raised and she walked over to Jake. She smiled at him, her eyes wet.
“I see him in you. Your eyes are like his. Your desire is like his. Your drive is like his. The only difference is that your potential is far greater. And I know he would want nothing more than for me to fan your flame and strengthen your light.” She knelt down a bit, lowering herself to be level with Jake. She wasn’t much taller but the height change was enough to remind Jake of his youth.
“You burn bright, like a sun. I will not allow such brightness to fade.” She placed a hand on his cheek and her bright eyes blinked a few times as her cheeks flushed with color. “For him, I will do all I can to help you.”
Her touch was warm and comforting. The touch of a woman who cared not just for herself, but deeply for those she loved. Her voice was soft and calm, collected and revealing nothing of the inner storms that lurked behind her eyes. Wet eyes which firmly worked to keep back the dam of her sorrow as she reeled over the loss of her love. Jake could hear it. It was faint but he could hear it in her words. Her pain.
On the outside, Helena wore a smile and kept her head high.
But on the inside, she was screaming louder than anyone else.
