Chapter 135: Chapter 135 - Home ( Part 1 )
The worn stone road led them further down the hill into the valley below.
As Jennie, Roxy, and Snow reached the outskirts of the village, the setting sun was swallowed up by the distant western mountains, coloring the sky with dazzling shades of orange and crimson.
A cool wind was blowing in the village streets.
Unlike the prosperous cities which the girls visited on their way here, Ashvale seemed painfully modest.
Almost all houses were made of rough gray stones mined in the nearby mountains. The weather-beaten wooden roofs had dark chimneys puffing out thin smoke plumes into the evening sky.
Small vegetable gardens could be seen next to most of the houses.
Children chased each other in the streets, playing with their homemade wooden toys.
The sounds of the old blacksmith rhythmically hitting glowing iron against an anvil.
The smell of fresh bread came from a little bakery nearby.
For a short while...
Everything seemed peaceful.
But there was a sense of invisible melancholy under that layer of peace.
Many houses stood empty and abandoned.
Some windows were boarded up.
Abandoned mine entrances were staring at the village like silent graves.
The prosperity that used to bring those mines had long gone away.
Jennie carefully observed everything.
"This village..."
"It looks sad."
Snow nodded.
"Mountains give life."
"And take it away."
The Divine Wolf slowly scanned the surrounding cliffs with his eyes.
"There used to be a lot more people here."
Roxy was completely silent.
Each familiar sight took another forgotten memory from deep within her heart.
That little bakery...
She used to steal warm bread when she was a child.
The old stone well...
It once swallowed her whole but then her laughing father saved her.
The big oak tree proudly standing in the center of the village square...
Her mother once hung a swing on one of its branches.
Her breath gradually became ragged.
Jennie noticed that.
Without any words, she slowed down her steps and matched the pace of Roxy.
THEIR ARRIVAL did not go unnoticed.
A young boy with a basket full of firewood was walking down the middle of the street.
He stopped and looked at Roxy.
His eyes widened.
The basket fell out of his hands and the firewood spilled onto the ground.
"Huh...?"
He rubbed his eyes.
"...Miss Roxy?"
The words sounded as a whisper.
Nearby villagers turned their heads towards the source of the voice.
One by one...
Their conversations ended.
The old blacksmith put down his hammer.
A woman hanging her laundry paused mid-action.
The baker went out of his shop.
The children stopped playing.
Silence fell across the village square.
All the eyes were fixed on the silver-haired young mage standing besides Jennie.
Roxy uncomfortably lowered her head.
She didn’t expect anyone to recognize her.
Ten years...
Ten long years had passed.
Children grew into adults.
Adults grew old.
Of course...
They couldn’t remember her anymore.
An old man slowly walked towards Roxy, supported with a wooden cane.
His clouded eyes carefully studied Roxy’s face.
He blinked several times.
"...No..."
"It can’t be..."
His voice trembled.
"Little... Roxy?"
Roxy cautiously lifted her head.
The old man’s face was suddenly familiar to her.
He used to own the general store of the village.
Whenever her mother wasn’t looking, he used to give her candies.
"...Mr. Rowan?"
The old man dropped his cane.
"It really is you..."
His eyes were filling with tears.
"My goodness..."
"You came back..."
The word quickly spread through the village like wildfire.
"Roxy’s alive!"
"She’s back!"
"The little mage is home!"
Doors of nearby houses were quickly opening.
People were running out.
In seconds...
The three girls found themselves surrounded by the villagers.
Some of them were looking at them in utter disbelief.
Others were whispering to each other.
Many were just standing motionlessly.
No one knew what to say.
The child whom they mourned for ten years...
Is now standing before them alive.
An old woman pushed her way through the crowd.
Her gray hair was pulled into a loose braid. Deep wrinkles were carved into her kind face.
The moment she saw Roxy...
She covered her mouth with her hand.
Tears were immediately flooding her cheeks.
"Oh..."
"My little girl..."
Without thinking twice, she tightly hugged Roxy.
Roxy froze.
"...Grandma Mira?"
The old lady nodded several times.
"You’re alive..."
"You’re really alive..."
"I’ve been praying every year..."
"I’ve been praying that the mountains protected you..."
Soon...
Another old lady started crying.
Then another one.
Several old villagers were quietly wiping their tears.
Even some men looked away.
Jennie was watching all this silently.
She expected joy.
But she never expected sorrow.
There was something about this reunion that felt...
Unfinished.
As if all of them had the same secret burden on their souls.
Snow quietly leaned closer to Jennie.
"They are happy."
"...But they also feel guilty."
Jennie barely nodded.
She noticed.
No one asked Roxy where she had been.
No one was celebrating.
No one was smiling.
Instead...
They were looking at her with regret.
As if they believed that they let her down.
Roxy looked around confused.
"I..."
"I don’t understand."
"You all..."
"...remember me?"
Mr. Rowan tried to laugh despite the tears in his eyes.
"Forget you?"
"Child..."
"How could we ever forget you?"
"You were the brightest little troublemaker this village ever had."
Another old lady laughed through her tears.
"You used to chase chickens with a wooden stick to become a knight."
Roxy’s cheeks burned.
"I-I was six!"
"You used to climb rooftops."
"You used to steal apples."
"You accidentally blew up the school chimney."
Roxy quickly pointed at herself.
"That was not my fault!"
"I just sneezed while casting magic!"
The villagers laughed.
The laugh was sincere.
For the first time since their arrival...
Peacefulness came back into the square.
Even Jennie smiled.
"So you’ve always been troublesome."
Roxy pouted.
"I’ve become a responsible adult."
Snow looked at Jennie.
"Should we tell her?"
Jennie shook her head.
"Let her live in illusion."
Snow nodded seriously.
"A wise choice."
Roxy folded her arms on her chest.
"I can hear you both."
This light moment eased all the tension for them.
But...
Jennie kept observing the villagers.
With each smile...
Their eyes eventually fell on the old mines.
On the mountains.
On Roxy.
The guilt kept coming back.
There was still something they weren’t ready to say.
Something which everyone in the village knew.
Something that Roxy hasn’t learned yet.
As the laughter gradually faded away, the villagers exchanged uneasy glances between each other.
Nobody seemed ready to be the first one to speak.
Nobody knew how to welcome home the little girl who they believed was lost forever.
And nobody had the courage to tell her that the truth she has been searching her whole life was right here in Ashvale... since the night she left.
The laughter in the village square gradually quietened.
The villagers began lowering their heads again.
What should have been a joyful reunion had turned into an unpleasant silence.
Jennie instantly noticed it.
Every time Roxy tried to smile at people, those people grimaced.
It was as if everybody knew some secret.
Some secret no one wanted to say out loud.
An old man with neatly combed white hair carefully approached them.
Unlike the rest, the old man did not stoop despite his advanced age.
He wore simple brown robes, and a wooden cane in his right hand.
His calm eyes were full of wisdom...
And remorse.
People gave way to him silently.
Snow commented,
"The village elder."
The old man stopped in front of Roxy.
He looked at her for several moments...
His eyes started watering.
"So..."
"You finally came back home."
Roxy smiled politely.
"...Elder Harold."
The old man nodded kindly.
"You still remembered me."
"You used to scold me when I was playing on the rooftops."
The old man smiled.
"And you always disobeyed."
"...No."
"I did not."
The smile left his face in a second.
The old man turned to Jennie and Snow.
"You must be her friends."
Jennie bowed.
"My name is Jennie."
"This is Snow."
Snow carelessly raised one paw.
"Good evening."
The old man looked at them for some time and said quietly.
"This talk does not belong in the middle of the street."
He turned to Roxy.
"Please..."
"Come with me."
The village elder’s house stood on top of a small hill near Ashvale.
It was a modest house.
Bookcases lined its walls.
Pressed mountain flowers hung from wooden beams.
A stone fireplace gently crackled in the corner, heating the room despite the mountain cold.
The smell of herbal tea hung in the air.
Everything here felt peaceful.
Almost cozy.
Jennie silently admired the room.
Someone kept this place clean for many years.
The old man carefully prepared four cups of tea.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not from the old age.
From fear.
He put a cup of tea before Roxy.
"...Chamomile."
"You always hated bitter tea."
Roxy blinked.
"You still remembered..."
"I remembered all of you."
The old man sat in his chair.
Silence filled the room.
No one took their tea.
The old man closed his eyes.
"...I have waited ten years for this talk."
Roxy’s smile faded slowly.
She knew what awaited her.
The old man took a deep breath.
"...Roxy."
"There is something you deserve to know."
Her fingers gripped the warm teacup tightly.
"...About my parents?"
The elder nodded.
"...Yes."
Roxy lowered her eyes.
"I know."
"They abandoned me."
"I don’t blame them anymore."
"They were probably scared..."
"They probably could not protect a child with uncontrolled magic..."
"So..."
"It’s alright."
It was deathly silent in the room.
The old man shook his head slowly.
"...No."
Roxy looked at him confused.
"...No?"
The old man’s voice trembled.
"They never abandoned you."
These words sounded loudly through the room.
For a moment...
Roxy looked at him confused.
Unable to understand.
"What...?"
"They..."
The old man lowered his head.
"...Never abandoned you."
Roxy laughed awkwardly.
"...That’s impossible."
"I waited for them."
"They never came."
"They abandoned me."
Tears flowed from the old man’s eyes.
"No."
"They could not."
Roxy’s smile disappeared.
"What... do you mean?"
The old man closed his eyes.
As if trying to close the wound he opened long time ago.
"Ten years ago..."
"Lord Barthus Greymane found out about your magical abilities."
Jennie frowned.
Barthus.
That was his name.
"He believed that the girl capable of controlling mana would be a good weapon."
"He demanded that your parents handed you over to him."
Roxy whispered,
"...Weapon?"
The old man nodded.
"He did not see children."
"He saw tools."
"He wanted to raise you under his control."
"He promised money."
"Power."
"Nobility."
"But..."
A smile appeared on his lips.
"Your father laughed."
Roxy was stunned.
"He told Barthus..."
’My daughter isn’t a weapon.’
’She is our future.’
The old man’s voice cracked.
"And your mother..."
"...She supported him."
"They refused together."
The air in the room cooled.
Outside...
Wind whistled loudly near the window panes.
The old man continued.
"That day..."
"Barthus sent his soldiers."
"They surrounded your house."
Roxy’s breathing became irregular.
"No..."
The old man squeezed his hands.
"Your father fought them alone."
"He knew he would not manage to defeat them."
"He wanted to buy some time."
Tears were flowing from the old man’s face.
"Your mother took you to the basement."
"There was an ancient escape tunnel under the house."
"She hid you there."
Roxy’s eyes widened.
Memories she forgot long ago suddenly flashed in her head.
Darkness.
Hands of her mother shaking.
The smell of smoke.
Someone crying.
"...Run."
Distant voice echoed in her mind.
"...Live."
Roxy stopped breathing.
"No..."
The old man continued, crying.
"She kissed your forehead."
"She told you not to make a sound."
"Then..."
"She closed the hidden door."
Roxy slowly got up from her place.
"No..."
"No..."
"Stop..."
The old man could not.
Not anymore.
"The soldiers burst into the house."
"Your father..."
"...He died defending the door."
"Your mother..."
"...She stayed with you until the end."
The teacup fell from Roxy’s hands.
It shattered on the wooden floor.
Hot tea splashed around the room.
Roxy did not notice.
"No..."
"They..."
"They promised..."
"They promised..."
"They promised we’d always stay together..."
The old man lowered his head.
"They fulfilled that promise."
"They stayed."
"So you could leave."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the fire did not seem to warm anymore.
Roxy backed away.
Every memory she had been keeping for ten years...
Collapsing before her.
"They..."
"...They did not abandon me?"
The old man shook his head slowly.
"Never."
"They loved you more than themselves."
"They sacrificed their fate for yours."
Roxy’s knees gave way.
She collapsed on the floor.
Her whole body shivered uncontrollably.
"...Then..."
"...Why?"
Her voice cracked.
"Why..."
"...Nobody..."
"...told me the truth?"
The old man closed his eyes.
His shoulders trembled with guilt.
"Because..."
"We were cowards."
No one said anything.
The old man continued in a whisper.
"We knew what kind of girl you were."
"You loved your parents more than anyone else."
"If you had known the truth..."
"You would return to us."
"You would fight Lord Barthus."
"You would die."
"So..."
"The entire village decided."
"We let you think..."
"...That you had been abandoned."
Roxy stared at him.
Unable to say anything.
The old man bowed his head almost touching the floor.
"I am sorry."
"We betrayed your trust."
"But..."
"We wanted you to live."
Silence.
Total silence.
Roxy’s world was collapsing piece by piece.
For ten years...
She had been carrying the grief of being abandoned.
For ten years...
She had hated herself.
Asked herself why her parents had never come back.
Now she knew the truth.
They had never abandoned her.
They died protecting her.
Too much information for her.
Endless tears were streaming down her face, as the last illusion she was holding shattered into pieces.
And next to her, Jennie silently watched her friend breaking under the burden of a love she had just discovered.
