Chapter 136: Chapter 136 - Home ( Part 2 )
The room was completely silent.
Apart from the sound of flames crackling in the fireplace.
Roxy still sat motionlessly on the wooden floor, tears rolling down her cheeks. The smashed tea cup still lied somewhere near.
Jennie silently kneeled next to her but did not say anything.
Some hurts needed to be voiced before being healed.
Village elder Harold took a deep breath.
"There is still more that you should know."
Slowly, Roxy lifted up her wet face.
"...Please."
"I want to hear everything."
Harold closed his eyes.
Those memories hurt.
Not only her.
All of those who had survived that night.
"...Very well."
"It happened ten years ago."
"The summer was barely starting."
Back then Ashvale was quite another place.
There were still working mines.
Tradesmen used to visit the village.
Kids playing and laughing everywhere.
Although it was humble life, everyone was living peacefully.
Among them...
There was one little girl.
Young Roxy.
She always had so many questions.
Laughed louder than everyone else.
And had incredible gift.
Even without any knowledge about magic...
Mana would naturally gather around her.
Flowers would bloom where she was walking.
Tiny lights would dance around her fingers when she got excited.
Sometimes...
When she cried...
Rain clouds would gather above the village.
At first it seemed that it was just coincidence.
Until village priest looked at her.
"He told..."
Harold whispered,
"...that he had never seen a child with so much mana in her."
Jennie listened.
Even Excalibur remained silent.
Harold continued.
"Word had got round."
"Not because they wanted to harm anyone."
"But because they were proud."
"They thought that Ashvale produced future great mage."
Snow quietly sighed.
"Pride is sometimes reaching wrong ears."
Harold nodded.
"It was."
Several weeks after...
Procession of black carriages came from Greymane Castle.
Their banner bore silver wolf crest of lord Barthus.
Whole village gathered in the square.
Lord Barthus himself came out from the carriage.
Tall.
Well-dressed.
Noble.
His smile seemed friendly.
But his eyes...
Didn’t bear any warmth at all.
"They were eyes of person estimating the price of everything he saw."
Harold’s voice hardened.
"He looked at people as merchants look at livestock."
Lord Barthus asked only one question.
"Where is the child?"
Everyone clearly understood whom he meant.
Father of Roxy, Daniel stepped forward.
Brawny miner with tough hands and kind soul.
Beside him stood his wife Amelia.
Clutching the hand of young Roxy.
Barthus smiled politely.
"I’ve heard so many good stories about your daughter."
"This talent shouldn’t be wasted in poor mining village."
"I will take care of her myself."
"She will become court mage."
"You will get money."
"Noble title."
"And comfortable life."
For many villagers...
It sounded quite generously.
But Daniel noticed one thing.
Lord Barthus never even asked what Roxy herself wanted.
He had already made his choice.
For him, she was not a child anymore.
She was his property.
Daniel calmly shook his head.
"No."
Barthus blinked.
"...I beg your pardon?"
"My daughter belongs to us."
Silent fell upon the square.
Barthus smiled.
"You misunderstand."
"I am not asking."
Daniel looked at him straight.
"Then my answer won’t change."
"No."
Amelia stood by the side of her husband.
"Our daughter will decide her own destiny."
Barthus looked at them both.
His smile did not falter.
"I see."
He turned around.
"Very well."
"I wish you won’t regret your choice."
His carriage left.
Villagers thought that everything ended in peaceful way.
Harold lowered his head.
"That was not the case."
In that evening...
Ashvale celebrated summer festival.
Children were chasing fireflies in fields.
Lanterns illuminated each street.
Musicians were playing merry songs.
Little Roxy laughed as her father lifted her to his shoulders.
Pointing to the stars, she said excitedly.
"Dad!"
"I want to study magic!"
Daniel laughed.
"Then study."
"But there is one thing."
"What?"
"No matter how strong you become..."
"Always protect people."
Roxy happily nodded.
"I promise!"
Amelia smiled warmly watching them.
Harold voice trembled.
"...That was the last time when I saw them smile."
Near midnight...
Village slept.
Dark clouds covered moon.
Suddenly...
Torch lights appeared among the trees.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Barthus had come back.
This time...
He had brought with him his soldiers.
Silently they surrounded Daniel’s house.
Steel swords glittered in torchlights.
Archers took position on the roofs nearby.
There was no escape.
In the house...
First to wake up was Amelia.
She heard armored steps outside.
She understood everything.
"They came."
Daniel was already trying to reach for his old pickaxe.
It was not knight weapon.
It was just the only one that he had.
He looked at his wife.
Neither spoke.
Neither cried.
Both knew.
Amelia rushed to Roxy’s room.
Young girl was sleeping.
Gently waking her up, she said.
"Honey..."
"We are going to play game."
With sleepy eyes, Roxy rubbed her face.
"Game?"
Amelia forced herself to smile despite the tears in her eyes.
"Yes."
"You have to keep very quiet."
"Can you do that for Mommy?"
Roxy nodded.
"I can."
Amelia led her into cellar of the house.
Behind some barrels was wooden hatch.
She lifted it up.
Long and narrow tunnel was lying under her feet.
"That old escape tunnel..."
Harold whispered.
"It was made to escape the earthquake."
Amelia kneeled before her little girl.
Her hands were shaking desperately.
She kissed Roxy’s forehead.
How hard as she tried...
She couldn’t stop crying.
Roxy reached out with her little hands.
"Mom?"
"Why are you crying?"
Amelia clung her as tight as she could.
Because she already knew...
It would be for the last time.
Above them...
Door to their house exploded inwards.
Soldiers stormed inside.
Daniel roared.
Steel clashed.
Furniture broke.
Sounds of battle resonated inside the house.
Amelia gently pushed Roxy into tunnel.
"No matter what..."
"Do not come out."
"Keep running."
Roxy started crying.
"I don’t want to!"
"I want to stay with you!"
Amelia smiled with tears streaming down her face.
"My brave little girl..."
"You must survive."
Gently, she closed the hatch.
Darkness enveloped tunnel.
Last sight of Roxy...
Was smile of her mother wet with tears.
Last sound she heard...
Before sounds of battle ate away everything...
Was one word.
"Live."
Harold lowered his head.
The room became silent.
Roxy body shivered uncontrollably as forgotten memory came back with crystal clearness.
For ten years she knew nothing except darkness.
Now...
She finally remembered her mother’s face.
And last word said with all maternal love.
Silence.
Nobody else in the elder’s house dared utter another word.
Except for the crackling of firewood and trembling breaths of Roxy.
Her mind refused to accept the truth.
For ten years...
She thought she was unwanted child.
For ten years...
She believed her parents left her on purpose.
But now...
She understood that all those years of painful thoughts and beliefs were lies.
Not because her parents lied to her.
Because they loved her too much.
Roxy slowly lifted her teary eyes.
"...Where..."
Her voice barely managed to escape her lips.
"...Where is my house?"
Village elder looked at her with pain.
He already knew the reason why she came.
"...Follow the northern path."
"It is located on the edge of our village."
"Nothing has been touched."
"We... couldn’t."
Roxy slowly rose up.
Her legs were shaky.
Jennie immediately reached out to help her.
Roxy gently shook her head.
"...I need..."
"I need to see it."
Jennie silently nodded.
"I will come with you."
Snow stood without any word.
Three silently left the elder’s house.
Outside...
It was already getting dark.
Small lanterns hung outside every home of the village Ashvale.
Normally, these lamps were making this village look cozy.
Tonight...
Everything looked painfully lonely.
Villagers silently watched how Roxy passed.
Nobody tried to stop her.
Nobody tried to comfort her.
Somebody silently bowed his or her head.
Others were wiping tears from their eyes.
Grandmother Mira silently prayed as Roxy left through the northern road.
Even children sensed something was wrong.
Their laughter started disappearing bit by bit.
It seems whole village mourned with her.
Northern path went away from the houses.
Grass had already reclaimed most parts of old stone path.
Wild flowers bloomed in places where footprints disappeared a long time ago.
The more they moved ahead...
The more silent the world was becoming.
There was only wind left.
Roxy recognized everything.
"...I used to race butterflies here..."
She whispered.
Nobody responded to her.
She kept moving.
"...Dad always carried me across this stream..."
This little wooden bridge still was standing.
It was old and weathered.
But somehow it still was standing.
Just like her memories.
She slowly crossed it.
In front of her...
Lay single hill overlooking the valley.
On top of it...
Ruins.
Roxy stopped breathing.
Nothing was there anymore.
Little wooden house where she used to live no longer existed.
Only charred stone foundation of the house remained.
Walls of this house had fallen many years ago.
Charred wooden beams of walls were laying on the ground, partially covered by moss and wild grass.
Rusty iron kettle was resting near place where fireplace once was located.
Crooked chimney was leaning towards the night sky.
Nature slowly took over everything.
But it couldn’t wipe out marks of the fire.
Roxy was staring.
She wasn’t moving.
Her eyes were wandering around the ruins.
"There..."
She whispered.
"...That’s where Mom baked bread."
Several steps.
"...Dad built me a swing..."
Only the tree was standing there.
Rope of the swing rotted long time ago.
Another step.
"...My room..."
Nothing was there anymore.
Only ashes buried under layers of soil.
Memories came flooding back.
Laughing of her mother.
Warm hands of her father.
Meals for the whole family.
Rainy afternoons.
Lessons of magic.
Birthday cakes.
Ordinary days.
Happier days.
All gone.
Forever.
Roxy’s knees gave out.
She fell down on the cold ground.
"...No..."
Her voice broke.
"...No..."
She scratched ground with her nails.
As if trying to find something desperately.
"...Mom..."
Silence was responding.
"...Dad..."
Only wind was replying.
Her shoulders began trembling.
And then...
Everything she had been hiding for ten years finally exploded inside her.
"I’M SORRY!"
Her heartbreaking scream echoed through the valley.
"I’M SORRY!"
"I THOUGHT..."
"I THOUGHT YOU LEFT ME!"
"I HATED YOU!"
"I WAS ANGRY!"
"I KEPT WAITING!"
"I KEPT WONDERING WHY I WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
Tears poured from her eyes endlessly on blackened stones.
"I’M SORRY!"
"I DIDN’T KNOW!"
"I DIDN’T REMEMBER!"
"I’M SORRY!"
Her voice was becoming hoarse.
She was crying as that little girl which she used to be.
Not the talented mage.
Not Jennie’s friend.
Just...
The girl who had lost her parents.
The mountains were carrying her cries into the endless night.
Even wind seemed to cry with her.
Jennie quietly watched.
She knew this kind of grief.
One thousand years ago...
She watched as her comrades died one by one.
She buried friends.
Mentors.
Students.
Entire kingdoms.
She knew something very important.
There were no words able to ease this pain.
No speech.
No advice.
No promises.
Some pains couldn’t be healed with words.
They required only presence.
Jennie slowly approached.
She carefully lowered herself besides Roxy.
Not saying a single word...
She carefully hugged her.
Roxy froze for only a moment.
Then she pressed her face against the shoulder of Jennie.
She cried even more.
Her hands desperately were grabbing Jennie’s cloak.
As if fearing to be abandoned once again.
Jennie just held her.
Her hug was warm.
Steady.
Protective.
She gently ran her hands through Roxy’s silver hair.
Still...
She didn’t say a single word.
Sometimes...
Silence was softer comfort than any words.
Heavy shadow slowly appeared.
Snow.
Divine Wolf silently approached Roxy from the other side.
Not transforming into smaller beast, he revealed a part of himself.
He lowered his huge white head until it touched the ground besides her.
Soft fur of his body brushed her arm.
Warm.
Comforting.
Protective.
Roxy instinctively reached out.
Trembling fingers got lost in his thick fur.
Snow closed his eyes.
He didn’t say anything.
He just stayed.
As ancient protector watching over two precious beings.
Moon slowly rose above the western mountains.
Silvery light bathed the ruins of little house.
Three beings remained there.
The broken girl mourning her parents whom she found only now.
The reincarnated Sword King silently hugging her best friend.
And ancient Divine Beast protecting them both.
Nobody was speaking.
Words weren’t necessary.
Wind was carrying away Roxy’s cries into the endless night, but for the first time in ten years...
She wasn’t alone anymore.
