The Savior's Bloom

Perla released a soft sigh. “You’re brimming with questions today, aren’t you? A simple fireball would have been enough to drive it off, don’t you think? You were never in any true peril. Tigers only kill out of necessity.” A peculiar smile played on her lips. “They are intelligent animals. It was your own screaming that agitated it.” Her gaze fell to Cera’s arm, drawn to the deep, four-clawed gash marring her skin. “Be thankful that isn’t on your face.”

“We should head for home. Unless you’d prefer to wait for its mate to come seeking retribution?”

A persistent, throbbing ache began to settle into Cera’s muscles, yet she noticed her stride was swifter on the return journey. The confrontation, for all its brevity, had left her feeling utterly depleted of vitality.

Whenever she thought Perla’s attention was elsewhere, Cera would steal a look at her mentor. She hadn't experienced a genuine fear of death during the tiger encounter—at least, not in the same way she had when the inferno had first claimed her and delivered her to this world. A chill traced a path down her spine at the memory.

“Tomorrow, you will kill three of them,” Perla announced, her tone matter-of-fact.

“What?”

“You did almost no practicing today. The sole reason I’m taking you back now is that your wound will become infected if it goes untreated. Take this as a warning. If you fail to recover properly, you will only accumulate more injuries.”

The same relentless focus Cera had once found admirable in Perla now soured into something that felt oppressive, and a hot surge of anger flared in her chest. So both siblings are completely unhinged? she thought with a flash of bitterness. It must be catching. Besides, she had successfully killed the tiger, hadn’t she? In her own estimation, that was a clear victory.

Perla’s voice softened unexpectedly. “Get on my back, Cera. You have a great distance to cover. You should get some rest.”

Cera did as she was told, her own indignation subsiding at the surprising maternal quality that had entered Perla’s tone.

“Hey, Perla?”

“Mm?”

“The secret of the technique… it’s the sheer, desperate will to live, isn’t it?” Cera murmured, the understanding dawning on her as she spoke. “The words and the hand motions are just tools for concentration.”

A faint smile touched Perla’s profile. “You’ve worked it out.”

“Did you go through something similar? The first time you discovered it?”

Perla remained silent for a considerable time. She simply continued her steady march forward, her hold on Cera’s legs secure.

“Yes. When I was eight years old. That was the first time I ever wandered into this place.”

Cera’s eyes widened. “But how did you manage that?”

“The previous clan chief gave Cy a scroll that was meant to instruct him about this realm. But Cy never had any patience for dusty old artifacts.” Perla’s lip twisted into a wry smirk. “So I helped myself to it. To this day, he still hasn’t realized it’s gone.”

“But—the ancient writing—”

“It is my native language,” Perla said with a grin. “I’ve always had an aptitude for linguistics.”

“So, you’re a child prodigy,” Cera concluded.

“That’s a bold statement, coming from you.”

“So, what happened when you were eight…?”

Perla sighed again, the sound heavy with the weight of memory. The journey before them was long indeed. Recounting a fragment of her past wouldn’t slow them down, though it was not a story she took any pleasure in telling.

“Cy and I slipped away to the meadows when no one was looking. We had heard a rumor—that a particular herb grew deep within tiger territory, an herb that could cure our grandmother. We set out to retrieve it, without a single shred of common sense between the two of us.”

Perla’s gaze seemed to turn inward, focused on a memory that remained painfully vivid. “Such an herb does exist. It is called the Savior’s Bloom, and it blossoms only once every thousand years, when the world’s fate hangs in the balance between good and evil. It is capable of healing almost any injury or illness.” Her smile was brittle. “And there is only ever one in existence at a time.”

“So we went, and we actually managed to find it. I tucked it into my pocket. But just as we were turning to go, three tigers ambushed us. They may not possess human logic, but they have a spiritual awareness all their own,” she said, her voice lowering to a near whisper. “Cy was only five at the time, you know. He managed to set one of them ablaze, but the remaining two were more than he could handle. They were closing in. I shoved him behind me, and when the tigers leaped, they got me instead. One of them tore into my stomach while the other’s claws slashed the side of my head.”

“And you…?” Cera gasped, her own wound feeling trivial in comparison to such a horrifying account.

“I still have no idea how I did it,” Perla admitted, her voice colored by a deep, persistent disbelief. “Some god must have been watching over us that day. I stared down those two tigers, and as they struck me, they just… ruptured. From the inside out. Cy told me what happened after I blacked out. The sight of it scarred him. He has never allowed me to set foot in these meadows since.”

Cera could hear a trace of resentment in her voice, but Perla’s vacant smile soon returned. “The sky is getting dark. I’ll increase our speed.”

“...What became of the herb?”

“My grandmother passed away,” Perla said, her voice suddenly flat and emotionless. “Cy used the herb on me. It’s a shame. I could never raise him the way she would have.”

“But you… you had your entire life still to live,” Cera protested.

“And I have had plenty of lives before this one,” Perla retorted. “I just can’t recall any of them.”

“I think it’s a wonderful thing that you are alive,” Cera told her with sincerity. “And I think Cy should let you fight.”

“Why should he?” Perla said, her voice hollow. “I am the reason our grandmother died.”

“You can’t hold yourself responsible for that. That was—” Cera searched for the right words.

“I was the one who told Cy about the Savior’s Bloom. I had read about it. I read far too much as a child—it was like a disease. All those books filled my head with ideas.” Perla’s voice was thick with self-mockery. “I thought I was invincible. But that is a feeling you only find in stories. In the real world, you are quickly cut down to size.”

“So it’s the same in this world, then?” Cera said quietly. “Even though this is supposed to be Reverie.”

“This is not the world you visit when you sleep,” Perla said, her tone sharp and quick. “This place is infinitely more real.”

“Figures.” Cera had long ago abandoned the fantasy that this was some kind of peaceful dream world. She was here, after all, to fight in a war.

“You have dedication, I will grant you that,” Perla observed. “I did not expect you to hold out for this long.”

“I don’t understand why I was given this ability,” Cera confessed, “but I feel I must use it for something good.”

“I imagine that is precisely why it was given to you,” Perla mused. “Carmine’s golden years are far behind him, but his insight is as keen as it ever was.”

“How could he have possibly known? I’ve only just met him.”

“Old Carmine is a fox,” Perla said, rolling her eyes. “He has likely been anticipating your arrival for a very long time. I’m only speculating, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Never underestimate that old man.”

Cera managed a brave smile. “I hope he’s anticipating a victory.”

“You believe he is sending you out to be killed?” Perla seemed to ponder the thought. “That would be a new low, even for him. He once displayed a woman’s skull to her own vile children just to prove a point. His tactics can be… crude.”

Cera chewed on her lip. The mental image was horrific.

“But underneath all the years and the teasing, Carmine is a good man. He’s been hoping for a champion to inherit his legacy for years. To hell with gender roles.”

“His legacy?”

“He was a master assassin,” Perla said with a laugh. “A killer in the night. He mostly targeted arrogant fools who had too many enemies, but every so often he would eliminate a true warrior just to make a statement.”

“You think I’m going to become a killer in the night?” Cera asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

“Well, we are in a war—and it will likely be fought during the day. So, at the very least, you should aim to be a killer in the afternoon.”

Cera gave Perla a playful nudge, but the older girl suddenly lost her footing, cursing as she regained her balance. “Alright,” Perla panted, “that’s enough piggybacking for one day.”

“Are you all right?!” Cera hovered near her, noting the flush in Perla’s cheeks with concern.

“I’m fine,” Perla said through clenched teeth. They started to walk alongside each other.

After a moment, Perla sighed. “My stamina is decent, but it’s nowhere near Cy’s. Because he’s a boy.” She clicked her tongue in irritation. “Tch.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. From what I’ve witnessed, both of you are still in a completely different league than me.”

“Aren’t you the charmer?” Perla teased. “Haven’t you noticed him training his children every day? He spars with them relentlessly. Sometimes he even forgoes meals for it, which is in direct violation of my orders.”

“Why do you compare yourself to him so much?”

“Why?” A line appeared between Perla’s brows. “I compare myself to all of them. What other standard do I have? The only things I get to practice on are tigers and deer and bullfrogs.”

“I don’t really compare myself to other people,” Cera said with honesty. “I suppose you could consider it a weakness. I’m not particularly competitive. My sole motivation is to improve for my own benefit. It’s the reason I despised science in school and never earned good marks in it.”

“You seemed to know quite a bit about those tigers,” Perla noted slyly.

Cera hesitated. “I suppose some of the information must have stuck. And, you know… tigers are cute.”

“Hm.”

Cera glanced warily at her arm. “Uh—not that those tigers were cute,” she corrected herself hastily. The tight dressing had muted the pain to a steady throb, but it was still very much there.

“I wouldn’t call it a weakness.”

“Huh?” Cera turned to see the older girl studying her with an inscrutable expression.

“Not being competitive. At least you won’t be eaten alive by envy for what other people possess.” Perla looked away before Cera could interpret her meaning.

Her mentor’s next words were spoken so softly they were nearly lost to the air.

“Perhaps that is why Carmine chose you. Because you don’t allow the light of others to cast a shadow upon your own.”

They continued on in silence for some time, each absorbed in her own thoughts.

They both had much to contemplate, but the path that stretched before them was clear and straight.