HOME | DD

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 55: LOVE

                It was dark. He could tell, because his eyes were no longer empty pits. It wasn’t his skull that was rotting. The screams resounded all around him, echoing against the invisible walls of the nightmare. The inescapable walk was now a chance to look up at the stars, defiant against the blackness. The silver light told stories that did belong to him: Rose’s carrot bread, Aldous’ laughter, Bayard’s advice, Malia’s bold kiss and her intensely red cheeks afterwards. Those were his.
                He didn’t recognize the corpses on the floor anymore, but he knew who they were, what they were: someone else’s nightmare. For how long had he been carrying a stranger’s grief? Gorken hadn’t killed his friends. He hadn’t betrayed his family. He hadn’t broken the world. The man standing in voiceless despair, staring at his own gory hands, had. The guardian who had failed to protect. The guardian who had forsaken his blood and cursed himself into oblivion. The guardian whose vacant green eyes were still nailed to a white maiden and a small silver child.
                Gorken thought about reaching out to the fractured man, about placing a comforting hand on his ancestor’s shoulder. Before he could decide whether that would be the right thing to do, he woke up.
                The dim morning breezed into the quiet room and caressed his sleeping companions. Gorken yearned to gaze at the remnants of the night sky, to silently thank the stars for their guidance. On his way to the balcony, he heard Aldous’ grunts and knew the redhead would spend an unpleasant day dealing with the aftermath of his drinking. Gorken’s calm was a grateful prayer; somehow he had ended up surrounded by invaluable treasures, and he would keep them safe at all costs.

                A couple of hours later, when Malia woke up, she was greeted by large yellow eyes hovering over her. “You’re finally awake!” Hedera said eagerly.
                “…Good morning?” Malia yawned; all of a sudden she was too well aware of her unwashed face and very likely bedhead.
“Yeah, good morning.” Hedera sat on the edge of the bed, “I wanted to ask you something.”
                “Ask away.”
                “How do humans know they’re in love with someone? I heard you and Gorken talking last night so, how does it feel? How can you tell?”
                Malia kicked the blankets off her legs in an attempt to divert attention from her blushed face, “You were awake?”
                “Yes, but Lico told me to be polite and pretend we were asleep. So how did you know you were in love with Gorken?”
                Realizing Hedera wouldn’t postpone the conversation, Malia assessed her surroundings. Aldous and Licorice weren’t in the room, and Gorken was talking with Bayard in the balcony; it was as good a chance as any to humor the ancient demon. “I can’t speak for all of humanity, but… How do I put it?” For as important a presence as Gorken had been in her life, she had never confined her emotions with words beyond love. “I suppose he makes me feel like I could do anything. When I’m with him I can become the strongest person in the world.”
                “I see.” Hedera nodded, “Anything else?”
                “There are tons of other things! I always want to be around him, he makes me feel safe but also a bit nervous, I like his scent, and his touch, and he always knows what to say to cheer me up, but when he needs cheering up he’s the cutest and…” Malia paused, “…Why do you ask?”
                “No reason!”
                Hedera was so human that sometimes it was easy to forget she was a demon, but she was indeed an ancient demon of the earth. And demons are strangers to falsehood. It wasn’t surprising that she was such an incompetent liar. The princess stared at her inhuman friend; she was used to having Hedera around, but it only took a few seconds of looking to discover anew what a majestic, fierce creature she was. Her lean body was solid, its colors the lushest of forests, her eyes molten gold… and her expression the most juvenile of childish embarrassments.
                “No reason then.” Malia conceded, unwilling to mortify her companion any further, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to transform into a presentable person.”
                “…Thank you for answering my question.” Hedera mumbled just before Malia left for the washroom.
                “You’re very welcome.” She smiled.

                That same day Frida summoned them to her study, true to the Eirian customary hate of unnecessary delays. “Last you were here, you were an outsider.” The queen greeted her niece, “Now you’re a true Eirian. Let us pick up where we left off: convince me then, that I must help you in your endeavor.”
                “You’re misremembering, aunt Frida. I took your words to heart, and I’ve thanked the heavens every dawn since for my Eirian blood. You will help us, because Justice was your answer.” Malia lost a bit of her nerve, “…I hope taking advantage of your coming of age answer isn’t improper.”
                “Do not belittle me.” Frida’s chin was high, “I chose my answer knowing full well what it meant. The hammer of justice is a heavy burden for those who wield it and a crushing punishment for those who defy it. I’ve never once regretted it.” The queen smirked, “I’m pleased to hear you did listen. It would seem our family’s fate is to be bound by vague notions… though your mother’s ‘love’ remains the vaguest still.”
                “I don’t know about that…” Malia stopped herself from questioning her own answer in front of the queen.
                “Vagueness doesn’t win wars, but plans do.” Frida tapped the table, “Let us talk of dates and numbers, of strategy and logistics, so that my counselors will not deem me mad when I present your scheme. Well, our scheme now.” She gifted the human rebels at the table a nod.
                Queen Frida and her two generals spent long hours making sense of what Malia and her party intended to do. They spoke of maps and sieges, of Ellwood’s apprentices and of the spell protecting the great northern wall, of stone seals, of a white maiden and her dragon, of soldiers and truces, and of a silver witch whose lair was to remain a guarded secret.
                “With that settled,” Frida’s shoulders were as straight as usual, even though Malia could barely contain the impulse to rest her head on the table, “Your group will decide the starting date. Once my counselors approve this undertaking, we’ll wait for your signal, since you’re adamant on dealing with Kadem and the human rebellion on your own. Given the nature of the white maiden’s power, I do not care to send powerful magicians her way for her to turn against us. You’ll deal with the stone seals as you wish. We’ll do the military heavy lifting.”
                “I see no problem with that.” Gorken agreed.
                “Neither do I.” Malia did her best not to sound tired. She didn’t get why she could walk for days on end without a problem, and yet she was having issues keeping down her yawns after only a few hours of arrangements that should have been exhilarating. Maybe my master was right and I am dimwitted. “Thank you for everything, aunt Frida.”
                “There’s no need to thank me, dear. Keep my answer in mind, and whatever I do shall never take you unawares. You’re dismissed.” The queen stood up and headed to the exit, “You’re free to yawn now.”
                Malia thought her head would implode from sheer shame, but Aldous did what he did best and quickly dissipated her unease in favor of boldly recounting how much of an accomplishment it had been for him not to barf in front of the Eirian monarch. His hangover had a firm grip of his bodily functions, so Bayard and Hedera offered to join him for a relaxing break in the gardens… preferably next to a pond. The princess took the chance to indulge in a perfumed, soothing bath now that their departure from the southern palace was near.

                Gorken and Licorice returned to their shared chamber first; the human had taken a strong liking to his spot in the balcony, so he stared at the scenery from it in enjoyable silence, and the ancient demon accompanied him. Many hushed, pleasant minutes had come and gone when Licorice talked, “My sister asked me to interrogate you. She wants to know how you knew you were in love with the princess, but she was bashful to ask you herself because she thinks you two aren’t ‘close enough’, whatever that means.”
                “Doesn’t telling me that defeat the purpose of her asking you to do it?” Gorken felt sorry for Hedera.
                “If she insists on acting like a human, I’ll treat her as such. What I know of her feelings I know through our bond. She didn’t tell me not to tell you, so it’s on her.”
                “You’re ruthless.” Gorken chuckled.
                “So are you.” Licorice said, “I feel we’re alike.”
                That picked Gorken’s interest, “How so?”
                “We both like noisy individuals, despite not being noisy ourselves. We both know how to appreciate silence. And we know how to savor revenge. Now answer the question please. I’ll fulfill the mission Hedera assigned me.”
                Maybe we are alike. “If Hedera’s bashful about it… she probably already knows how it feels to be in love.”
                “I agree.” Licorice nodded, “Hedera is more akin to you humans than me, but I seem to understand humans better than she does. Regardless, my task is to deliver your reply, so please go ahead.”
                “Still ruthless, huh? Fine.” Gorken returned his stare to the far off sky, as if it would grant him some eloquence he lacked. “I guess when I’m with Malia… I feel the world is a kinder place… I feel like anything is possible.”

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 55: LOVE

                It was dark. He could tell, because his eyes were no longer empty pits. It wasn’t his skull that was rotting. The screams resounded all around him, echoing against the invisible walls of the nightmare. The inescapable walk was now a chance to look up at the stars, defiant against the blackness. The silver light told stories that did belong to him: Rose’s carrot bread, Aldous’ laughter, Bayard’s advice, Malia’s bold kiss and her intensely red cheeks afterwards. Those were his.
                He didn’t recognize the corpses on the floor anymore, but he knew who they were, what they were: someone else’s nightmare. For how long had he been carrying a stranger’s grief? Gorken hadn’t killed his friends. He hadn’t betrayed his family. He hadn’t broken the world. The man standing in voiceless despair, staring at his own gory hands, had. The guardian who had failed to protect. The guardian who had forsaken his blood and cursed himself into oblivion. The guardian whose vacant green eyes were still nailed to a white maiden and a small silver child.
                Gorken thought about reaching out to the fractured man, about placing a comforting hand on his ancestor’s shoulder. Before he could decide whether that would be the right thing to do, he woke up.
                The dim morning breezed into the quiet room and caressed his sleeping companions. Gorken yearned to gaze at the remnants of the night sky, to silently thank the stars for their guidance. On his way to the balcony, he heard Aldous’ grunts and knew the redhead would spend an unpleasant day dealing with the aftermath of his drinking. Gorken’s calm was a grateful prayer; somehow he had ended up surrounded by invaluable treasures, and he would keep them safe at all costs.

                A couple of hours later, when Malia woke up, she was greeted by large yellow eyes hovering over her. “You’re finally awake!” Hedera said eagerly.
                “…Good morning?” Malia yawned; all of a sudden she was too well aware of her unwashed face and very likely bedhead.
“Yeah, good morning.” Hedera sat on the edge of the bed, “I wanted to ask you something.”
                “Ask away.”
                “How do humans know they’re in love with someone? I heard you and Gorken talking last night so, how does it feel? How can you tell?”
                Malia kicked the blankets off her legs in an attempt to divert attention from her blushed face, “You were awake?”
                “Yes, but Lico told me to be polite and pretend we were asleep. So how did you know you were in love with Gorken?”
                Realizing Hedera wouldn’t postpone the conversation, Malia assessed her surroundings. Aldous and Licorice weren’t in the room, and Gorken was talking with Bayard in the balcony; it was as good a chance as any to humor the ancient demon. “I can’t speak for all of humanity, but… How do I put it?” For as important a presence as Gorken had been in her life, she had never confined her emotions with words beyond love. “I suppose he makes me feel like I could do anything. When I’m with him I can become the strongest person in the world.”
                “I see.” Hedera nodded, “Anything else?”
                “There are tons of other things! I always want to be around him, he makes me feel safe but also a bit nervous, I like his scent, and his touch, and he always knows what to say to cheer me up, but when he needs cheering up he’s the cutest and…” Malia paused, “…Why do you ask?”
                “No reason!”
                Hedera was so human that sometimes it was easy to forget she was a demon, but she was indeed an ancient demon of the earth. And demons are strangers to falsehood. It wasn’t surprising that she was such an incompetent liar. The princess stared at her inhuman friend; she was used to having Hedera around, but it only took a few seconds of looking to discover anew what a majestic, fierce creature she was. Her lean body was solid, its colors the lushest of forests, her eyes molten gold… and her expression the most juvenile of childish embarrassments.
                “No reason then.” Malia conceded, unwilling to mortify her companion any further, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to transform into a presentable person.”
                “…Thank you for answering my question.” Hedera mumbled just before Malia left for the washroom.
                “You’re very welcome.” She smiled.

                That same day Frida summoned them to her study, true to the Eirian customary hate of unnecessary delays. “Last you were here, you were an outsider.” The queen greeted her niece, “Now you’re a true Eirian. Let us pick up where we left off: convince me then, that I must help you in your endeavor.”
                “You’re misremembering, aunt Frida. I took your words to heart, and I’ve thanked the heavens every dawn since for my Eirian blood. You will help us, because Justice was your answer.” Malia lost a bit of her nerve, “…I hope taking advantage of your coming of age answer isn’t improper.”
                “Do not belittle me.” Frida’s chin was high, “I chose my answer knowing full well what it meant. The hammer of justice is a heavy burden for those who wield it and a crushing punishment for those who defy it. I’ve never once regretted it.” The queen smirked, “I’m pleased to hear you did listen. It would seem our family’s fate is to be bound by vague notions… though your mother’s ‘love’ remains the vaguest still.”
                “I don’t know about that…” Malia stopped herself from questioning her own answer in front of the queen.
                “Vagueness doesn’t win wars, but plans do.” Frida tapped the table, “Let us talk of dates and numbers, of strategy and logistics, so that my counselors will not deem me mad when I present your scheme. Well, our scheme now.” She gifted the human rebels at the table a nod.
                Queen Frida and her two generals spent long hours making sense of what Malia and her party intended to do. They spoke of maps and sieges, of Ellwood’s apprentices and of the spell protecting the great northern wall, of stone seals, of a white maiden and her dragon, of soldiers and truces, and of a silver witch whose lair was to remain a guarded secret.
                “With that settled,” Frida’s shoulders were as straight as usual, even though Malia could barely contain the impulse to rest her head on the table, “Your group will decide the starting date. Once my counselors approve this undertaking, we’ll wait for your signal, since you’re adamant on dealing with Kadem and the human rebellion on your own. Given the nature of the white maiden’s power, I do not care to send powerful magicians her way for her to turn against us. You’ll deal with the stone seals as you wish. We’ll do the military heavy lifting.”
                “I see no problem with that.” Gorken agreed.
                “Neither do I.” Malia did her best not to sound tired. She didn’t get why she could walk for days on end without a problem, and yet she was having issues keeping down her yawns after only a few hours of arrangements that should have been exhilarating. Maybe my master was right and I am dimwitted. “Thank you for everything, aunt Frida.”
                “There’s no need to thank me, dear. Keep my answer in mind, and whatever I do shall never take you unawares. You’re dismissed.” The queen stood up and headed to the exit, “You’re free to yawn now.”
                Malia thought her head would implode from sheer shame, but Aldous did what he did best and quickly dissipated her unease in favor of boldly recounting how much of an accomplishment it had been for him not to barf in front of the Eirian monarch. His hangover had a firm grip of his bodily functions, so Bayard and Hedera offered to join him for a relaxing break in the gardens… preferably next to a pond. The princess took the chance to indulge in a perfumed, soothing bath now that their departure from the southern palace was near.

                Gorken and Licorice returned to their shared chamber first; the human had taken a strong liking to his spot in the balcony, so he stared at the scenery from it in enjoyable silence, and the ancient demon accompanied him. Many hushed, pleasant minutes had come and gone when Licorice talked, “My sister asked me to interrogate you. She wants to know how you knew you were in love with the princess, but she was bashful to ask you herself because she thinks you two aren’t ‘close enough’, whatever that means.”
                “Doesn’t telling me that defeat the purpose of her asking you to do it?” Gorken felt sorry for Hedera.
                “If she insists on acting like a human, I’ll treat her as such. What I know of her feelings I know through our bond. She didn’t tell me not to tell you, so it’s on her.”
                “You’re ruthless.” Gorken chuckled.
                “So are you.” Licorice said, “I feel we’re alike.”
                That picked Gorken’s interest, “How so?”
                “We both like noisy individuals, despite not being noisy ourselves. We both know how to appreciate silence. And we know how to savor revenge. Now answer the question please. I’ll fulfill the mission Hedera assigned me.”
                Maybe we are alike. “If Hedera’s bashful about it… she probably already knows how it feels to be in love.”
                “I agree.” Licorice nodded, “Hedera is more akin to you humans than me, but I seem to understand humans better than she does. Regardless, my task is to deliver your reply, so please go ahead.”
                “Still ruthless, huh? Fine.” Gorken returned his stare to the far off sky, as if it would grant him some eloquence he lacked. “I guess when I’m with Malia… I feel the world is a kinder place… I feel like anything is possible.”