Chapter 196: Book 2 Epilogue

Chapter 196: Book 2 Epilogue

...and then the Little Guardian sent his captured monsters across the null-water. They dove down, almost too fast to see, their wings buzzing and fluttering so loudly that I could hear them from where I watched, Valera said, her voice loud and excited - though far less excited than the sounds she was making implied. Still, there was enough excitement to go around. Noise after noise was marked by sharp gasps and squeals by the little ones. Their grubby hands burrowed into the piles of berries placed in front of them, pulling out great handfuls and munching down with wide mouths and even wider eyes.

They looked better than before; they were better than before. No longer plagued by bouts of panic and helplessness at night, with terrible emotions that held down their limbs and froze them in place - not even the newest of them, those that Elara had only recently been able to save from the Nature Cores dwindling spore-mist. They had fallen in with one another, taking their cues from those who had been saved before them.

The adults didnt always do nearly so well, though they hid their pain from the others better than the tiny gremlins did, only letting it out when they thought nobody was paying attention.

And then, and then? one of the little tykes prompted. It was kinda cute.

And then he beat back the monsters on the shores, sending them running and buying us enough time to continue on our quest to destroy the evil Nature Core, Valera answered, resulting in another round of high-pitched cheers. Cores werent really evil, she didnt think. Instinctually predatory, maybe, but evil? Probably not.

Children loved a story of good versus evil, though, and this was an evil that they knew well.

Seeing that Elara had returned with another set of survivors, Valera decided that it was time to wrap things up.

Thatll be it for today, though. Looks like Im needed - but later, I can tell you the story of the Little Guardian and the Golem.

Most of them had been there for that one personally, but - if anything - that made the story even dearer to their tiny hearts. Like they were heroes by proxy.

Some of them certainly seemed to believe it. Valera didnt argue with that. As far as she was concerned, after what they went through, they were all little heroes.

Standing up to a chorus of disappointment and protests, Valera left to confer with Verdant Groves most recent - and currently, only - Seeker. The girl, though the term girl did little to describe what she had become, turned to meet Valera with her ever-present elegance of movement.

Valera couldnt deny being a little jealous of that, as much as she loved the speed that mana infusion had given her.

So? Valera asked. Is it done?

Its done, Elara confirmed, looking satisfied with herself. As of today, the city is free of spore-mist in full.

Hearing her quiet announcement, a few nearby citizens let out far less quiet cheers, relieved smiles breaking out on their faces. After accepting their congratulations and suffering through a few admittedly rather awkward hugs, Elara turned towards the older Seeker again with an expectant look on her face.

So when do we go? the girl asked, eager to move on to the remaining tasks.

Valera shared in that urgency. There was a lot to do: ensuring the city was safe and supplied, finding the Little Guardian, responding to Virtuns sabotage

Its coming down! she heard a voice shout, followed by a resounding crack. Valera moved faster, zipping through the tunnel until she reached the edge of a crowd. Its members were equipped with an odd mixture of professional and slapdash equipment; pickaxes and chisels and hammers mixed with what could generously be described as large rocks tied to sticks.

Still, it was enough to get the job done; with the work of a few days and many hands to do it with, the danger of the tunnel was almost entirely gone. Some parts had been methodically collapsed, letting the null-water flood in. In the places where that didnt work - or was simply too dangerous, given null-waters effects - the tunnel was filled with debris. With the state of the city, there was more than enough to go around.

Pushing through the crowd, Valera found her way to Doran and Erik. The two had taken it upon themselves to lead the efforts in the tunnels, Doran due to his mana-enhanced strength and Erik his ability to organize the volunteers. Consequently, Dorans face was lined with sweat and grime while Eriks was relatively clean.

Kala had been right; Doran wasnt happy to hear that there was still more work to be done.

He still agreed.

The next day, Valera found herself sitting down with a gaggle of children again. Her promise of later had been interpreted as tomorrow, and there was little that she could do to deny so many tiny, hopeful faces. Again, they sat with plates covered in the fruits of the forest, little mouths devouring the food in overstuffed handfuls.

Their smiles did much to blot out the memory of another little face, black and green and twisted in death - made that terrible failure a little easier to swallow. These, at least, had been saved.

...and, using the power he stole from the Nature Core, the Little Guardian took the evil Golem away, forcing it down into the depths below Verdant Grove for one final battle, Valera dramatically intoned, bemused by the number of adults that had found their way to the edges of the crowd. They listened, nearly as rapt as the children themselves.

Despite the difference in age, the story meant just as much to them as it did their younger counterparts.

Did he win? a precocious little gremlin asked.

Did he win? Valera sputtered, as if affronted by the question. You tell me, she said, pointing out of a nearby window, the boards nailed over it long since removed, towards the forest of blue and gold. Towards an army of plant-shaped monsters, grown in a few instants and shackled by the Little Guardians power.

He did, the child whispered, the sentence becoming garbled as a berry found its way into his mouth.

That he did, Valera replied, nodding sagely. And now, just like in the stories, that tiny snake is slithering around in the darkness again. Stronger than ever, and searching for nightmares to overcome.

But dont worry; as long as a single child carries a [Little Guardians Totem] around their neck, the Little Guardian will always know the way home.

Truth or not, the story meant a lot to the children; like they would always be connected to the snake that saved them.

And for all Valera knew, it might have been the truth anyway.

The little snake always seemed to surprise her that way.