Chapter 144: Chapter 144 - Watcher ( Part 1)
The early morning rays lit up the ashvale mountains in a warm golden light.
For the first time in decades, the village was waking up with peace.
The mines were quiet.
There was no yelling of overseers.
There was no marching of soldiers asking for unreasonable taxes.
Instead, there was the more pleasant sound of laughter that could be heard in the valley.
The children were running around each other laughing and playing in the new rebuilt houses.
The blacksmiths were hammering glowing pieces of steel, but not for making weapons, but for building farming tools.
The women were hanging their laundry outside and trading bread and vegetables with their neighbors.
The scars of the past were still there.
But they were healing.
Jennie silently stood at the edge of the square of the village with a warm smile on her face.
She was rebuilding places during her last life as Leonis.
Cities arose from the Great Demon War.
And somehow...
Watching how one little village smiles brings more pleasure than any grand victory.
Snow calmly lay down next to her.
"I liked the Ashvale of this version more."
Jennie chuckles.
"So did I."
Roxy came with three wooden cups of tea with herbs inside.
"I thought we should leave after breakfast."
Jennie takes a cup.
"We will."
Roxy looks around the village.
Now the people looked at her with smiles and warmth.
She waved back to the people who called out to her.
"Come back again."
"Elder Sister Roxy!"
I will.
An old woman came to her holding the blue scarf in her hands.
They were trembling a little with excitement.
"This was owned by your mother."
Roxy froze.
"My... mother?"
The woman nods.
"We found it after the fire."
"We couldn’t bear to throw it away."
"So we kept it."
"For the day you return."
Slowly...
Roxy takes the scarf.
It has a faint smell of cedar.
In a corner, there were little embroidered blue flowers.
She remembers them.
Once she had watched her mother sitting by candlelight and stitching these little blue flowers.
Tears silently start falling from her eyes.
"Thank you..."
The woman hugged her.
"Your parents would be proud of you."
Roxy silently starts crying on the old woman’s shoulders.
This time...
Not with sadness.
But with gratitude.
Meanwhile...
Captain Ron was standing at the castle gates with the remaining Greymane Knights.
The former soldiers took off the crest of House Greymane from their armor.
Instead...
Every one of them wore a simple white ribbon on his or her arm.
It is the sign that they will work for the people until the royal court appoints new leaders.
Ron bows.
"Lady Jennie."
Jennie shakes her head instantly.
"I’m not a lady."
He smiles faintly.
"Very well."
"Miss Jennie."
"I need to say sorry to you."
"For being your soldier for many years after Lord Barthus."
Jennie looked at him for some time.
Then she smiles.
"You chose the right path in the end."
"And that’s the most important thing."
Ron nods.
"I won’t waste the second chance that you gave us."
By noon...
The villagers gathered near the western gate.
Wagons with various supplies were ready for travel.
Bread.
Dried fruits.
Herbs from the mountains.
Blankets.
Much more than three travelers can carry with them.
Harold scratched his beard.
"We might pack too many things."
Snow peeks into one of the wagons.
"There are twelve wheels of cheese."
Harold blinks.
"...Is it too many?"
Snow’s tail wags violently.
"No."
Jennie laughs.
"I guessed that you’ll say that."
Everyone laughed together with them.
The mood around became wonderful.
Even though all that they had gone through...
They could still laugh.
Jennie loved this sound.
Before leaving...
Roxy silently walks away from the crowd.
She goes up the familiar mountain way that overlooks the valley.
The morning breeze carried the smell of wildflowers.
She knew where to go.
Jennie saw it.
Silently...
She and Snow walked behind Roxy.
Neither of them wished Roxy to be alone.
But neither wished to disturb her.
The two graves with fresh flowers around them lay under the great cedar tree that overlooked the valley.
Someone from the village took care of these graves all this time.
Roxy slowly kneeled down.
For some time...
She just looked at the graves.
The silence around wasn’t painful anymore.
It was peaceful.
She unfolds the blue scarf.
Then gently puts it on the graves.
"I finally brought it here."
Her voice trembling a little.
"I didn’t even know that it survived."
The breeze softly lifts one corner of the cloth, then gently sets it down.
Roxy smiles.
"You really saved me."
She closes her eyes.
"When I first found out the truth..."
"I wanted revenge."
"I thought that killing Barthus will help me feel better."
She shakes her head.
"But I was wrong."
Her hand touches the cold stone.
"I understand that now."
"You didn’t die so I could hate."
"You died so I could live."
A tear falls from her eyes.
She doesn’t wipe it off.
It falls to the ground and disappears among the grass.
"I’m still clumsy."
"I’m still loud."
"And I still make Jennie worry too much."
A little laugh escapes her lips.
"But..."
"I’m happy."
She looks up at the bright blue sky.
"I found people who became my family."
She looks at the path where Jennie and Snow silently stand.
Jennie smiles gently when their eyes meet.
Snow awkwardly pretends to be observing a butterfly.
Roxy laughs.
"They aren’t good at pretending they’re not watching."
Snow clears throat loudly.
"I heard nothing."
Jennie covers her mouth and tries not to laugh.
Roxy slowly stands up.
She puts the bouquet of fresh mountain lilies that are her mother’s favorite flowers before the graves.
"I’ll keep traveling."
"I’ll become an even better mage."
"I’ll protect the people."
So...
She takes one deep breath.
"...Please, don’t worry about me anymore."
The breeze answers softly.
The branches of cedar gently sway above.
The sunlight filters through the leaves and dances on the graves like little stars.
For one heartbeat...
Roxy almost imagines two familiar faces under the tree smiling.
Not like ghosts.
Not as lingering souls.
Just as memories.
She smiles back.
Then bows deeply.
"Thank you..."
"...Mom."
"...Dad."
When she finally turns around...
She doesn’t look back.
Not because she wants to forget them.
But because she doesn’t want to stay forever in the past.
The mountain path lies ahead of her.
The future waits there.
Jennie starts walking alongside Roxy.
"Ready?"
Roxy nods with confidence.
"More than ever."
Snow stretches his legs.
"So..."
"Where are we going next?"
Jennie looks at the distant western horizon.
Beyond the mountains...
Under the gathering clouds...
One more Divine Sword woke up.
She rests her hand on Excalibur.
"To wherever the wind leads us."
The three friends walk down the mountain road.
Behind them...
The bells of Ashvale ring one more time in farewell.
Before them...
The western sky is clear.
But far on the horizon...
The dark clouds gather.
The mountain road seemed to stretch for infinity underneath the afternoon sky.
The reconstructed Ashvale was rapidly disappearing behind the rolling hills, the stone houses growing smaller with every step.
The sound of children laughing slowly faded in the distance.
All that was left of Ashvale was the sound of the western wind.
As usual, Jennie walked in the front.
Her silvery hair rustled with every breeze, while Excalibur and Leviathan lay quietly at her waist.
Having gone through so much in Ashvale, she surprisingly felt serene now.
Not because evil was vanquished.
There will always be another tyrant.
Another monster.
Another fight waiting further down the road.
But today...
One village could smile again.
Sometimes...
That was enough.
Following behind her was Snow, his paws comfortably resting under the fluffy fur.
From time to time, he sniffed at the mountain air before happily wagging his tail.
"So..."
Snow lazily said.
"Anyone else hungry yet?"
Jennie giggled without looking back at him.
"We ate our breakfast less than an hour ago."
"I know."
"But I’m hungry again."
Roxy couldn’t help but smile.
"You are impossible."
"I would rather call myself an efficient eater."
"There is no such term."
"There is now."
The three continued their way under the bright blue sky.
For the first time in many days...
This trip seemed to become lighter.
Approaching a small ridge overlooking the valley, Jennie abruptly stopped.
The landscape was stunning.
Unending forests led to distant mountains.
The silver river reflecting the sunlight looked like flowing glass.
Flowers dancing in the wind.
Roxy slowly walked up beside her.
"It really is beautiful."
Jennie nodded in agreement.
"I think your parents would have liked this view."
Roxy smiled softly.
"I think so too."
For some time, the two girls didn’t speak at all.
Sometimes...
Silence spoke louder than words.
However, Roxy took a deep breath.
"Jennie."
"Hm?"
"...Thank you."
Jennie turned towards her.
"For what?"
Roxy smiled softly.
"You really have to ask?"
Looking up towards distant mountains, she continued.
"When I came back to life..."
"I thought that all I would find was pain."
She looked down.
"I was so afraid."
"I was afraid that I might lose myself."
Her fingers tightened around the staff.
"And when I learned the truth..."
"I wanted revenge."
"I wanted Barthus to suffer."
Closing her eyes, she whispered.
"And if you hadn’t stopped me..."
Her voice shook a little.
"I would have crossed the line that I couldn’t take back."
Jennie didn’t interrupt her.
She knew that Roxy wasn’t done.
"You have given me something that my parents wished to give me."
"A future."
Roxy smiled through her misty eyes.
"You helped me to learn how to live again."
The mountain breeze gently blew between the two girls.
Jennie smiled warmly.
"You give me too much credit."
"No."
"You don’t."
"You have stayed with me when I was crying."
"You have listened."
"You never judged me."
"You have protected me."
Roxy smiled softly.
"And you cooked for me every day."
Jennie scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"I couldn’t let you burn dinner."
"Hey!"
"I burned it only twice."
Snow raised one paw.
"Eight times."
"It wasn’t eight!"
"It definitely was eight!"
Jennie giggled.
"I stopped counting after the fifth."
Roxy pouted.
"You two have plotted this."
"We have definitely plotted this."
Snow nodded proudly.
The laughter died into a comfortable silence.
Then...
Jennie gently laid one hand upon Roxy’s shoulder.
Her smile was warm.
Gentle.
Almost sisterly.
"You don’t need to thank me."
Roxy blinked.
Jennie looked straight into her eyes.
"We are family now."
The phrase sounded so simple.
But it was full of warmth touching the deepest depths of Roxy’s soul.
Family.
Not companions.
Not traveling partners.
Family.
Her vision blurred.
Without thinking...
She approached and hugged Jennie tight.
Jennie smiled in surprise before hugging Roxy back softly.
"It’s okay."
Roxy hid her face in her shoulder.
"I’ve never heard someone to say that to me before."
"You hear it now."
The breeze quietly surrounded them.
Up above, the white clouds floated peacefully across the endless sky.
Several seconds later...
A loud coughing interrupted them.
"Ahem!"
Neither girl moved.
The second coughing sounded.
"AHEM!"
Still nothing.
Finally...
Snow put one paw dramatically over his chest.
"I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the fact..."
"...that there is also an incredibly handsome wolf standing right here."
Jennie slowly turned to him.
"...Handsome?"
Snow nodded proudly.
"Obviously."
Roxy dried her tears and giggled.
"Who told you that?"
"My reflection."
Jennie couldn’t stop giggling.
"Very reliable source."
"I trust him completely."
Snow puffed out his chest.
"And don’t forget..."
He made a heroic pose.
"...an incredibly handsome wolf."
Jennie smiled wickedly.
"I would say more ’adorable puppy.’"
Snow looked absolutely horror-stricken.
"...Puppy?"
Roxy quickly joined him.
"Actually..."
She examined him thoughtfully.
"I think she’s right."
"Puppy."
Snow looked absolutely horrified.
"I am an ancient Divine Beast!"
"The terror of forgotten ages!"
"The Nine-Tailed Divine Wolf!"
Jennie nodded seriously.
"Mhm."
"Cute puppy."
Snow gasped dramatically.
"My dignity..."
"...has died."
Roxy erupted into uncontrollable laughter.
Jennie joined in soon.
Even Snow stopped pretending to be upset.
His tail gave it away by wagging happily regardless.
"You two are impossible."
Jennie smiled sweetly.
"That’s what I’ve been told."
The afternoon slowly turned into evening.
The golden sunlight painted the mountain road with warm colors.
Three friends continued their way west together.
Behind them...
Ashvale found its peace at last.
Ahead...
A new adventure awaited.
Instinctively, Jennie laid one hand upon Excalibur.
The Divine Sword remained silent.
But she could still remember the words said in the hidden sanctuary.
"Tempest has awakened."
Somewhere...
Another bearer of the Divine Sword was walking under the same sky.
Whatever it would be - friend or foe...
Fate would bring them together sooner or later.
Snow looked up towards distant horizon.
"I feel..."
"The next adventure won’t be peaceful."
Roxy smiled confidently.
"Good."
"I think I’m ready now."
Jennie looked at both of them.
One of them was a clumsy but brilliant mage who found the strength to move on.
The other one was an ancient Divine Beast that always made her laugh when she needed it most.
None of them had been part of her life as Leonis.
But she couldn’t imagine this trip without them.
Gently smiling, she said.
"No matter what we will face..."
"...We will face it together."
The western wind replied with a soft whisper.
Under the endless sky three companions continued their way, leaving behind a past full of sorrow and moving towards a future build from trust, hope, laughter...
And the promise that no one of them ever will have to go alone again.
