451. About power, 8

(Rose)

I returned to our temporary home. I looked for the sword of Licht on the way down and it took me a little longer than expected to find it.

Blume wasn’t too worried that I returned later than expected.

R - How have you been little rose?

B - Growing steadily. The earth below tastes quite good. What about you up there?

R - The landscape is whimsical in a dismal way, as I expected. I though had an unexpected surprise however...

B - Wait...

The brambles loaded with small roses stretch toward me, as if they were inspecting me, or sniffing me.

B - Are you cheating on me?

R - Her... That’s really not the right way to put it.

My reply didn’t matter. She’s giggling at her own joke already.

R - Priest survived.

B - What happened up there?

R - I think he agreed to go his own way.

B - Did he say anything about their beliefs? Domination of gods over men, the usual?

R - No, nothing. I think the only thing he said was basically a ‘’Fuck you Rose’’.

B - Sounds unusually tolerant for what I know of them.

R - I guess. It was odd... At least, we both had no will to fight each other. So maybe a little more peace and tolerance will follow.

B - Says the proud godslayer.

I think she will rub that one in for a few more times in the future.

R - Feelings evolve. I have an ideal of peace and harmony. But I do like that nickname and a good fight once in a while, I won’t lie.

B - You’re a very bad rose.

R - Says the Pflanzen Teufel.

She imitates a sadistic laugh at that.

~

As the days go, we get better.

Colours finally begin to grow back in my hair at the roots, and my skin looks better as well.

Blume’s flesh pod grew big. It’s still mostly water inside though.

Then at some point, on a random day, I remembered a promise I made.

I had forgotten about it for a while.

I was supposed to meet Zeslinry and Myls back in Türkiye, around this time of the year. I explain that to Blume.

R - So, could you send a message to the lord of nightmares?

B - Such an odd name.

R - I just call her Nightmare usually. She’s a good friend of mine.

B - Well, I can try to send a message but it’s not something I’m used to. What would you like to say to her?

I begin to read a long letter I wrote.

B - Wait,wait, hold on your horses Rose. I can’t say that much. I can blast a few simple ideas or words, but not so much. We don’t really have radios.

R - Oh...

I’m a little disappointed, but there are limits to everyone’s abilities.

That leaves us with a few different options.

R - You still haven’t recycled the wings you had made...

B - Would you like to use them?

R - No, I wouldn’t be fast enough. It would take me months to go and return. I thought you might?

B - I’d rather not abandon my work here.

R - I could watch over it while you’re away. Or even take care of it to some extent.

That idea bugs even Blume herself. It just sprung in my mind. Blume is considering it.

B - Hm... We could make a kind of cord between you and the pod, so you would feed it like an umbilical cord to a placenta outside of your body. However, you humans need to move around a lot, so I’m not sure putting you on such a leash would be wise. I would rather put it into a slumber for the while I’m away.

R - Okay then. Would I still feed the earth and open mouth you have there?

B - You could, but slower.

I wanted to help, but it didn’t quite made sense there. I’d be in the way. Nonetheless, she agreed.

~

Blume stretched her wings, and grew outside of the earth.

A strange animal, made only with four wings, and a single rose in-between.

She couldn’t speak to me in this form, and there was no point developing that ability just for this moment.

This strange animal jumped onto my shoulder. I caressed it and carried it outside. Under the grey sky from the ashes in the distance. There she spread her wings and herself.

She jumped away, and flew rapidly in the distance toward the setting sun.

There foes my kind flower. To meet the lord of nightmares in a distant land.

I miss the birds I’ve known before for a moment as I see her go up there.

She’s probably the oddest of them all.

I like that thought.

I expect her to get along quite easily with Nightmare, but I could be wrong. Blume will stretch an invisible thread behind her as she goes, like the one we had with Dragod once upon a time. So that if anything should happen to her, her mind and memory could be pulled back and return safe around here to reincarnate. I don’t expect anything tragic happening, but who knows what still lies out there.

Meanwhile... I’ll be on my own for a little while, and I have an idea I want to experiment.

And for that, I’m plucking out little bits of Blume’s rosebush.

While she’s away, and steadily growing her body in this soil, I want to try growing something in the forsaken land behind the new mountains.

I have one last shard of the NPP wish stone, which Blume spared at the time of the end of all. I want to try to use the remaining power, my last wish on that stone, to try growing flowers out there.

I spend a few days getting myself ready for the expedition.

I’m well equipped and healthier.

Though I am a little bored of eating cans of things turned as tasty as boiled old cardboard. Very old cardboard.

At least I’m not too hungry, but I would love some mediterranean fruits and european game.

I should have asked Blume to bring me back some good food on her way back.

I’m seeing my mood improving as well. I feel myself smiling more.

My heart is steady. My legs and shoulder are firm as I stand up and walk.

I’m heading toward the mountain path I’ve already scouted the other day.

I wonder what Blume will be seeing meanwhile.

~