Sakku’s Tale

Elian didn't really know what to do. The sound of her sobbing and the shattering of her tears on the dirty floor was something he had no idea how to deal with. He was just thrust into this alien world, and now here he was, sitting with a half-eaten sandwich next to a crying girl... What should he do?

"It... It's... okay to... cry." He stuttered, trying to come up with something, instinctively reaching out and rubbing her head.

Her sudden reaction was unexpected, causing Elian to jump in his seat as the little girl transformed back into her animal form in a loud puff, leaving behind a cloud of white smoke for a moment. But Sakku didn't really pull away, and he could continue rubbing her head and back, realizing just how soft she was. It reminded him of his old friend from when he was just a child... Miri. A little stray cat who hung out where he lived, always letting him pet her whenever she popped up in the neighborhood. It was such a good feeling back then, having a friend... and right now, it was just as great and relaxing petting Sakku's fluffy body, forgetting about the whole dying and appearing in this land part of the day.

"Mm..." After a long minute, Sakku finally exhaled loudly, wiping her face with her tiny paws. "I'm good now... thank you."

"Um... I guess..." He stopped stroking her.

"I didn't say it was enough..." Sakku added when Elian pulled back his hand and watched as she climbed into his lap, curling up like a kitten and waiting for him to continue. "It helps; you have a good touch, Elian."

"Um... Thanks?"

Sitting there, gently stroking her fur, it was like trying to placate a frightened cat, making him forget the surreality of his situation. This quiet, hypnotic state didn't last long, though, as Sakku began speaking, letting her thoughts spill out. Elian knew when to remain silent, and he simply listened, letting her tell her story. Sometimes, talking about it as if she were nothing but an observer was as good as any therapy.

"We summoned a Hero four years ago... You know. He was young, full of vitality and power; we could tell the moment he appeared. It was exactly what we needed against the horrible magic of Natalia the Everliving. Ah..." She flinched, looking at him with a weak smile, "Sorry, I forgot you don't know who that is either... Um... In short, she was an ancient queen who ruled Susaria centuries ago. She died after her own children rebelled against her despotic rule, but her last words told about her return."

"As usual..." Elian muttered, letting her continue.

"It did come true; she returned as a lich queen, and death spread around Susaria wherever she looked. We enjoyed more than two hundred years of peace before her reappearance, and we were not ready. Village after village was decimated by her, and all those who died returned as mindless minions, enthralled by her wicked magic! We were desperate, so we resorted to our ancient magic and summoned a Hero..." It was that moment when Elian could no longer hold back his questions, coming to him multiple times already.

"So... You summoned heroes before? You described it well, so I assume this is not the first time it has happened."

"No, it wasn't the first time." Sakku nodded, "Throughout Susaria's long history, there have been multiple periods in which a Hero was summoned. The first summoning occurred a very long time ago when the First Hero, Susaria, came to our world and defeated the dragons that had lorded over the land. They were enslaving every other race, but the First Hero chased them away, and nobody had seen a dragon ever since! He unified the land, and thus, Susaria was born. One continent, one kingdom... That was his legacy."

"There are no other kingdoms here?" Elian asked, surprised, finding it a bit hard to believe.

"No. The current dynasty still has Susaria's blood, and they lead what remains of our people. There were always different regions, um, how do you say it in your world... Ah, yes, there were different states! But they were always under the rule of the Susarian Dynasty."

"Let me guess..." Elian muttered, running his fingers through his hair, "This predecessor of mine persuaded some of these states to join him in a revolution? Thus, now, there is an active rebellion, and he is aiming for the throne, yes?"

"Y-yes." She nodded, looking at him, amazed he had figured it out, "But he turned evil; you have to believe me! It is not as simple as wanting to rebel and turn some of the regions free from the king's rule! Peace returned after defeating the Lich Queen, and we could have finally started rebuilding... The land was tired, exhausted, and ravaged by the war... and it was time for the Hero to return home."

"Huh? You can send me back?"

"I... I can not... I'm..." She stuttered, trying to put her thoughts into words, but her eyes began tearing up. That was when Elian started gently stroking her body once again, calming the little pink furball once again.

"Slowly... take a deep breath. So... You could have sent him back, but not me. Why?"

"The summoning ritual is complex and requires ten ryuin to make it work. At the minimum..." Sakku muttered, gulping down her tears, "Our bodies are special, and it was our ancestors who developed this method in the first place. No others could ever make it work, but believe me, many tried. Sending someone back is even more complicated than summoning them, as it requires the individual to be experienced and in tune with the world and the cosmos. I can not send you back all alone..."

"I see..." Elian whispered, thinking and realizing that Sakku had mentioned that she was the last ryuin. "Then summoning me here was also a miracle in itself, was it not?"

"Yes!" She nodded, sounding much more excited all of a sudden, "We didn't know it would work!"

"What would have happened if you failed?"

"I would have died," she stated clearly, making Elian gulp, realizing how desperate she was. She risked dying just to summon a Hero? Even when the previous one turned out to be trying to take over their world? Wait... She said it was time for his predecessor to return home... Did he...? Watching her much happier expression pained Elian to ask, but he had to know.

"What happened to you? Your people?" He spoke softly, looking at her, as the melancholy returned and replaced her good mood, which had had no time to bloom. 

"We were getting ready to send him home. He would have been fine; he wouldn't have been in danger when he arrived home, but he didn't want to leave. We didn't know what he was planning yet... He asked for a little time before we performed the ritual so he could bid his goodbyes to the land and the friends he had made among the people. Then, one night, I woke up in our village, surrounded by flames and dark figures everywhere, killing us... No matter how much we pleaded, cried, or begged, they slaughtered everybody. I don't remember how I escaped; I just ran. I ran like an animal, not thinking..."

Elian gently continued stroking her back, even after Sakku had fallen silent, no longer speaking but instead whining, sounding like a little puppy in pain. It was hard to listen to her, and he had the instinct to hug her closely, but he didn't know what she would think about that. So he just continued petting her, thinking about what she said.

Others would probably doubt her story, but Elian did not. Watching her, she looked honest, maybe too honest. She made him feel like she was acting like a dog would act, and in his life, he had never seen a dog that wasn't honest with its feelings. He could read it from her face when she was happy or excited; when she was sad, her tears would fall at once, without reservation. He could feel it... the little creature in his lap was genuine in everything she said, without any ulterior motive behind her actions.

What she went through was telling enough. Whoever they summoned probably came with a similar experience to his. Thinking he had died... There was a part of him that understood why someone would be terrified of returning, even if they were told they would be all right. Especially after being... special. After experiencing what it was to be a Hero. But to resort to genocide? Just so nobody remains to send him back? That was a different story altogether. He immediately guessed it, but hearing it from her confirmed his first thoughts...

"How am I supposed to fight someone like him? You said it was four years ago when you summoned him? I am a bit behind, no?"

"Yes, but," She sniffled, wiping her eyes, "Every Hero is unique! It is not just your body being blessed by the cosmic space between our two worlds! You can train and learn much faster thanks to it. When Dalen arrived, the Lich Queen had been ravaging our world for more than six years. He trained with incredible speed, rising to such a strength that he could defeat her. Plus..."

"Plus?"

"Every Hero comes with an Aspect, ready to blossom."

"Ah, I remember you mentioning that word!" Elian exclaimed, snapping his finger, "What does that mean? I can transform into something?"

"At a high enough mastery, yes!" She nodded, bobbing her head, "The Aspect is what gives you your abilities! Our greatest warriors all have their own Aspects; they awaken them through rigorous training, but because a Hero's body is already blessed, you already have it!"

"I do? I don't feel anything." He answered, looking down at his hands, trying to find something within himself, but he was never one who meditated and had no idea what feeling to look for. "What Aspect did this Dalen have?" He asked in the end, though Sakku's answer shocked him...

"A dragon."