Chapter 44 - Maulgore

  I held her tighter as she cried into my shoulder, feeling each tremor of grief ripple through her body. My heart broke for her; I wished I could take away all her sorrow and fears with just this embrace. The world outside tio spin on its axis while we remained coed in our own little sanctuary—a moment suspended in time where empathy reigned supreme.

  As I let loose the embrace, I felt the warmth of Isabel’s body linger, but her tears tio flow, uing. I instinctively reached for her right arm with my left hand, gently wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks with my right. The soft brush of my fingers against her skin seemed to momentarily ease her sorrow. I leaned in closer, tapping our foreheads together, and whispered softly, “Stay with me throughout the event. Alright?” She nodded, her eyes glistening with uears as she attempted tain her posure. Just then, Lily ehe se, settling herself behind me. I noticed her prese chose to focus on Isabel, who needed me more at that moment. However, as she sat down, Lily uedly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back against her, allowio rest against her chest. Her led atop my head, providing a sense of security amidst the emotional turmoil. “I thought you didn’t like her,” Lily whispered, her gaze fixed on Isabel, who was too absorbed in wiping away her tears to notice our exge. I tilted my head back slightly, making eye tact with Lily while still resting against her. “I still do. But—” I smiled instead of finishing my thought, hoping she would uand without needing further expnation. “I see,” she replied softly, gently pushing me upright so I could sit properly. At that moment, Idris, Eamon, and Fenris joined us o, their presence adding a sense of camaraderie to the gathering. “Hey, Isabel. Don’t cry,” Eamon said with an encing tone. “Yeah! You’re a strong girl!” Fenris chimed ihusiastically. “That’s right. If Tarian were here—” Idris began, but before he could finish his thought, Isabel interrupted him sharply. “If Tarian were here, then this would’ve never happened in the first pce!” she shouted, anger fring in her voibsp;Lily and I exged gnces but remained silent as the tension hung in the air. It was clear that emotions were running high. Leaning back slightly against Lily’s f presence, I whispered into her ear, “Do you know if anyone else from the family will be visiting?” She leaned forward, brushing my shoulder lightly as she whispered back spiratorially. “Hmm... if I recall correctly, Lady Aeliana, Lady Zephyra, and Lady Vespera along with their children will definitely show up today.” “But Lux! Why don’t you call me mommy?” Lily teased pyfully, snuggling deeper into my shoulder. My mi bnk. MOMMY? OUT OF ALL WORDS, YOU WAO CALL YOU MOMMY? *brain has stopped w* I never even called my own biological mother with such great effort – the woman who spent 9 months carrying me around like a human backpack, survived my teenage rebellion phase, and still loves me even after I sided with her brother-in-w and ended up giving absolutely no sh*t about my biological dad and accepted this unio be my sole guardian?– and you think I'll call YOU mommy? *mental eye roll so hard my imaginary eyeballs do a full 360* Damn woman, you're asking for too much. What's , you wao draw us in a family portrait? List you as my emergency tact? Buy you a "World's Best Mom" mug from the dolr store? I barely remember which side of the bed I woke up on this m! Ugh, whatever. I'll py along just onbsp;"Oh, alright then, Lil—I mean, mother," I replied, a genuine smile breaking through the facade I often wore. It felt good to let that warmth seep into my expression for a ge. Her face lit up with a smile that reached her eyes, and she ed her arms around my colrbone, pullio a tight embrace. I felt the familiar fort of her presehe softness of her hair brushing against my cheek as she snuggled her head against mine. For a fleeting moment, the world outside faded away. "Umhh," I mumbled, half-heartedly resisting the urge to melt into her warmth. "I'll be back." With that, I sprang up abruptly, breaking free from her grasp before she could respond. I dashed into the depths of the forest, leaving behind the cacophony of voices—Isabel’s sharp retorts, Idris’s booming ughter, Eamon’s witty ebacks, and Fenris’s low growls—as they tiheir spirited debate. Lily watched me go, her expression a mix of and fusion. As I plunged into the embrace of the forest, the m sun struggled to pee the thick opy above. The t trees loomed like a sentinels, their gnarled branches iwining to create a tapestry of shadows that danced on the ground below. The air grew cooler and heavier with each step I took, the vibrant sounds of life outside muffled by the dense foliage surrounding me. “VELES!” I shouted into the stillness, my voice eg off the bark-cd giants. “I summon you!” The words felt charged with urgency as they pierced through the silenbsp;In response, a swirling storm of blue sand began to coalesce before me. It twisted and twirled in ahereal dail Veles emerged from its depths in his human form. He was a sight to behold—wild hair tousled like a tempest and eyes sparkling with mischief. “LUMIIIII!” he bellowed joyously as he lunged forward to envelop me in a bear hug. “FINALLY MAN! I was getting worried!” His exuberance was iious as he squeezed me tighter than I thought possible. I gasped for breath, struggling against his grip. “Hey, get off of me!” I excimed, ughter bubbling up despite my protests. Finally managing to push him away, I caught my breath and looked into his pyful eyes. “Okay, okay,” he ceded, raising his hands in mock surrender as if he were about to be arrested for overzealous affe. His grin was wide and bright. " you summon My and Mylo—I mean, Drake—for me?" I requested, maintaining a straight face as I met Veles's gaze. He regarded me with a bemused smile, l his hands as if to signal his willio ply, though the slight irritation was spicuous instantly morphing into crete vexation. With a dramatic roll of his eyes, he pced both hands on his hips, turning slightly away from me. "Fine, whatever," he huffed, the words dripping with relut acceptance. In a swift motion, he snapped his fiwice, the sound sharp and decisive. In an instant, two swirling blue sand storms erupted at Veles's sides, their vibrant hues trasting starkly against the muted greens of the forest. Veles stood firmly in the middle, arms crossed and a frowched on his face as if he were an unwilling partit in this ritual. From the tempestuous whirls emerged Drake on one side, his familiar figure cutting through the chaos with ease, while My materialized oher. The moment they id eyes oheir faces lit up with urained joy. They rushed forward, enveloping me in a tight embrace that spoke volumes—words were unnecessary in this moment of e. We held onto each other for what felt like ay before relutly letting go. Our smiles were sincere and knowing; we shared an unspoken uanding of the challehat y ahead. Behind us, Veles stood like a sentinel, arms still crossed and his expression a blend of annoyand spleen. I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of anticipatiole over us. Gng down for a brief moment to gather my thoughts, I raised my head and broke the silence. "So," I began, shrugging my shoulders lightly to shake off the tension that had built up. I tilted my head to the right and beed Veles to join us. "As I was saying," I began, only to be abruptly interrupted by Veles. "To think you're still wearing that sapphire neckce," he remarked, a hint of disbelief c his tone. I instinctively touched the cool surface of the neckce, feeling its weight against my skin. "Oh?" I replied, arg an eyebrow in pyful challenge. My and Mylo shot Veles a disapproving gre, their expressions mirr the irritation that hung in the air. Veles merely rolled his eyes and fell silent, a smirk tugging at the ers of his mouth. "Well, whatever," I said, shaking off the moment. "As I was saying, I have a pn. We’re going to kill Xerxes." The decration hung heavily in the air, and all eyes widened in shock. Just as Mylo opened his mouth to crify, I pressed on. "Xerxes—the one who cimed we’re going through the same ordeal. He’s ected to my father—my uncle, rather. Oh and, my Uncle's i in this mess, but there’s still much I o uncover from him. Setting that aside for now, your task is to iigate the ‘Artifact of Lirania’ and gather information about Xerxes and any of my aors who dabbled in bck magic or exhibited suspicious behavior. Additionally, look into Domino's enemies—anyone harb ill iions toward Domino, whether they reside within its borders or beyond." I paused for breath, gauging their reas before tinuing. "Furthermore, I want to rally support from the witches, the lythropes, and perhaps even meraries—anyone you know who might assist us in mounting a rebellion." "WHAT?" came the collective outburst from the trio. "REBELLION?" My and Mylo echoed in unison, their voices tinged with disbelief. "Wait...why—" Veles began to interject, but I cut him off. "As for the i lives caught in this turmoil," I tinued resolutely, "we’ll rong individuals capable of strug underground shelters or bunkers for their prote. We’ll determine roles once we have a prehensive list of supporters. The reason for this rebellion is simple: my family will undoubtedly fight for the throne, leading to bloodshed one way or another. If I cim the throne aore Kior to its flory, we then hand Domino over to a worthy ruler and move forward. But right now, Domino is not in good hands—not even slightly. I suspect that what I learn about Xerxes will be far from patable." I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my words settle over us like a shroud. "So prepare yourselves for this rebellioo work as swiftly as possible—use whatever means necessary but e remains discreet. Whatever game we’re pying here, our ultimate goal is to cim Domino." The trio exged doubtful gnces before My and Mylo each other in silent agreement. Together they responded with vi: "Uood, Yhness." "Haah..." Veles exhaled dramatically, tousling his shoulder-length hair in exasperation. "Whatever you say, I suppose." He stood with his hands on his hips and shrugged nontly. I offered a faint smile, feeling a flicker of doubt gnawing at me beh my resolve. "We’ll see you ter, Yhness," My said brightly as she shared a smile with Mylo. In an instant, she enveloped me in a warm hug before they both vanished into thin air alongside Veles. As I stood there, enveloped iillness of the forest, my thoughts drifted aimlessly, tangled in a web of uainty. The air was thick with an eerie silence, interrupted only by the soft rustle of leaves swaying in a whispering breeze. Sunlight struggled to pee the dense opy above, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor, where the rich, loamy earth mingled with the st of damp moss and deg foliage. It was a moment suspended in time— *Growl* *Growl* *Snort* The sounds sliced through the quiet like daggers—low and guttural, eg off the arees surrounding me. Instinctively, I khat remaining still would only increase my ces of being prey...With a surge of adrenaline c through my veins, I turo front whatever beast lurked in the shadows. And there it was—a Maulgore. This monstrous creature resembled a bear but was far more terrifying. Its massive body was cloaked in shaggy fur that bore varying shades of brown—deep umber blending into lighter chestnut, each strand glistening as if slicked with sweat from its exertions. But it was its eyes that held my gaze...fiery red orbs burning with insatiable hunger and intelligence, glinting like molten coals. Before I could fully prehend its presehe Maulgore lu me...powerful limbs propelling it forward with arming speed. Its massive paw swiped through the air, a blur of muscle and menabsp;"DRAGON FLAME!" I shouted, my voice eg through the trees like thunder. With fierce determination, I thrust my arms forward, aligning my index fingers while allowing the rest to fan out slightly—an a gesture imbued with power as my body tilted to the right. Fire erupted from my fiips in a brilliant torrent—a bzing inferno that licked at the air with an insatiable hunger of its own. The fmes roared to life, bright and fierce, illuminating the forest as if it were daybreak in a world cloaked in night. My hair whipped back from my face as heat surged forward, creating a wall of fire that surged toward the Maulgore with uing ferocity. The sight was devastating; time seemed to freeze as I watched the inferno e everything in its path...The tranquil forest transformed into a hellscape—trees ignited like kindling, their trunks bing and splintering uhe assault of fmes. The Maulgore let out a horrific scream—a sound so raw and filled with agony that it pierced through the air. The fire spread rapidly...dev underbrush and climbing higher into trees as if they were mere morsels for this ravenous beast of fme. I stood transfixed by the spectacle—the midnight green foliage transformed into rivers e and yellow, flowing like molten gold through the heart of the forest. All my thoughts evaporated in the face of this destru... But then came the screams—the anguished cries of the Maulgore echoed around me, reverberating off every tree trunk and rock. Each wail struck deep; guilt washed over me like cold water casg down a mountainside. With a sudden thud, my body crumpled to the ground as weakness overtook me; my limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. My gaze fell to the forest floor...colors bleeding together into indistinct shapes. My head hung low. The fmes that had surged forth began to retreat like sunlight dimming at dusk...They reached back toward me as if drawn by an invisible tether. The fire danced around me befradually extinguishing itself...leaving behind only charred remnants where ohere had been life. As silence recimed its dominiohe forest once more...I sat amidst the ashes. The Maulgore y defeated at my feet, ed by its own ferocity while I grappled with what it meant to wield such power—and what it cost to unleash it upon an unsuspeg world...To be tinued...