Friends

It took her several hours to learn how to heal the others. She somehow pieced it together from bits and pieces of her memories, of the feelings of the magical vibrations. Turns out healing is based on something she’d attribute to water. A calming, caressing song that she could perceive, but not even hear. It didn’t help that her magic often only seemed to work when she was angry, frustrated or desperate.

“Can’t you try to resurrect someone?” one of the villagers asked, hope in his voice. It was so much hope that it almost hurt Nia.

“Have you seen how inept she is? Your people will probably start to rot before she figured out, how to resurrect someone. If that’s even possible.” Sonja sounded even more frustrated than her.

“We can try to ask Luaria when we see her. Or rather she can ask Luaria when she sees her,” Tina interjected diplomatically. “Where’s the Larim?”

Some smiled politely, nodded and gave thanks, while others looked doubtful and sad or even disappointed. One of the villagers pointed in a direction. “It’s the mountain over there, you practically can’t miss it.”

It was almost impossible to see a mountain from inside a forest, but there was a gray wall barely visible through the canopy. Nia sighed. The fastest way would be to cut through the underbrush, instead of continuing along the road, but they had no other choice. They had a deadline after all. A deadline to walk right into a trap, with a slight chance of being able to speak to the actual goddess, and return home. Maybe.

“Wish us luck,” she told the and started to walk off the road. They’d probably need a lot of it.

“Well, good bye then,” Tina said before following her. There was no answer.

They walked silently, the only sound they heard were their steps ruffling the leaves on the forest floor. Nia didn’t even hear birds, though she never had. Only now did she notice how strange their absence was. She could only hope that this wasn’t a predator hiding in the bushes around them. Hostile fauna or flora was the last thing they needed right now.

“I guess you’re not in the mood right now,” Tina whispered after a while, “but do you want to continue your training?”

“I’m not sure whether it will do any good.” Her answer sounded like she felt: gloomy.

The gloomy saint. In another world. Hey, there’s another book title. Her own thoughts weren’t funny anymore.

“I think it does.”

“What good will two or three days of training be?”

Tina fell silent for a moment. “Have you ever thought about what we’ll do after defeating the dark goddess?”

“We’re going home, aren’t we?” They’d just ask Luaria to send them back, and …

“What if we can’t go home?” Nia stopped and looked at Tina. “What if Luaria is so weak, that we have to stay in this world?”

“Stay? Here?” For a moment, her thoughts stopped. She hadn’t even thought about that possibility.

“Yes. Think about it.” Tina gestured the way they had come. “Qiin was the one who told us that we could go back. But we have no idea what Luaria is really like. There’s no guarantee that she will or can sent us back.”

The others didn’t look at her. Had they all considered that possibility already? Had she really been the only one that hadn’t thought of that?

“If there is no way back for us, then we’ll have to fend for ourselves. Most people of this world are against us, after the stunt Saesquar pulled.”

“I …” Nia gulped and looked at her hands. “No, I … haven’t thought of that.”

“But you should. You can’t always make spur of the moment decisions.”

Nia sighed and looked to the mountain that looked so very far away. “I guess you’re right.”

“Good.” Tina patted her head. “You also need the strength to protect yourself and what’s important to you.”

“I know. I just don't think that two days will make a difference.”

“They do. And they will.”

Nia sighed and gave into her fate. “Okay. But just a little. I still need to be able to move afterwards.” She didn’t believe the villagers would come after them again, but it paid to be careful. Especially since there was still the chance of hostile fauna showing up. Especially since they had left the normal roads.

“Of course,” Tina promised with a smile.

“Here, let me help you with this.” Ralf said and took her sword. Then he wrapped a few linen straps around it.

“Thank you. That was getting heavy.”

“Oh, I’m not carrying it.” He grinned and walked over to her, then he put a strap over her shoulder and fastened the sword to her back. “There. That’s better, ain’t it?”

“If your definition of better is worse, then yes.” Nia shook her head, but turned back to the mountain. It was a strange feeling, having something rigid that touched her backside with each step.

“And now,” Tina started to walk faster, "since we have no idea, how far away the mountain is, let’s jog.” She fell into a somewhat natural pace.

At least Nia wasn’t the only one that grumbled before following her.

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Over the course of the next three days, they either walked or jogged to the mountain. Nia also got used to exercising, and there were moments when she felt good, running.

In her old life she’d heard of this runner’s high, but hadn’t ever experienced it. It’s really impressive how the body can drug itself. And it’s completely legal. If it weren’t so hard, then I’m sure more people would do it.

It was just too bad, that their provisions had run out, and they had to slow their pace. It didn’t help, that the terrain had begun to slope upwards. When Nia looked to the sky, worried. The planet was a bit shy of touching the sun and would probably start to eat into the bright disc that illuminated the world within the next day or so. The period of darkness was almost upon them.

“Look.” Tina had stopped and pointed into the distance. “I think that’s our target.”

Nia turned to look in the direction Tina pointed and squinted. There was a structure build, or maybe even etched, into the side of the mountain. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered a monastery from earth that looked very similar.

“The probability that it’s a trap has shot past the definitely mark,” she murmured, uneasily. “I hope it’s not a double trap of some kind.”

“But it’s our only chance.” Sonja walked next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s do this. Together.”

Nia gulped and nodded, despite having this very nervous feeling in her chest. “I guess … hope is the last thing to die. And it would be fitting if it perishes at the location of our last hope.”

“Look at it like this,” Sonja said, grinning. “Hope wouldn’t even be able to perish, if it was somewhere else.”

“If that was supposed to be motivational, try again.” Nia frowned.

“I’m just saying, that hope is at least in front of us. What good would hope be, if it was somewhere we couldn’t reach?”

A wry half-smile crept onto Nia’s lips. “You’re right.” At least, there was hope.

“I guess, we’ll need another day to reach that,” Ralf said, grimly. “We might want to rest somewhere around here. I don’t think there’ll be a good place on the mountain slope.” He was looking around, probably trying to find a good spot.

“Nia … I need to talk to you,” Tom blurted out. “In private.”

What? Why all of a sudden? Nia stared at him. He was quite open with me in the burned village, and he was right. What else does he have to tell me? And in private?

Sonja eyed him suspiciously, squinting.

“It’s not what you think. Maybe.” He sighed. “It won’t take long, I promise.”

There was a hint of a smile on Sonja’s lips. “Okay. I’ll give you a few moments to get intimate.”

Tom turned beet red. “Sonja!”

His girlfriend just laughed in answer.

“I think I found a good spot.” Ralf pointed with his thumb over his shoulder.

“Good, let’s go.” Sonja nodded at them and steered Tina and Ralf into the indicated direction.

Nia watched them walk away. She had no idea what to say to Tom and waited. The boy didn’t meet her eyes. The resulting silence quickly turned awkward. More than once. In fact it took it for a spin. So much so that it got dizzy and started vomiting awkward rainbows.

“You know,” Tom finally said in a low voice, “I wanted to apologize. The way I acted was … uncalled for.”

Nia turned fully to him, wondering what brought this on. And what exactly he was referring to. “What are you talking about?” Her voice was quiet. Neutral.

“I am talking about the very beginning. I acted out of line. Toward Sonja. And toward you.”

He wasn’t wrong about that, but for her it had already been water under the bridge. They had all moved on already. They had to.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Her question was gentle, expressing simply curiosity.

Tom scratched the back of his head. “I guess it’s because there’s a good chance that we won’t survive what’s coming. I don’t want to have any regrets.”

“I see.” Nia looked away from him. Telling him now that it was no big deal was probably wrong. Especially since it was a big deal for him. She had to acknowledge his change. “Thanks for telling me.”

Tom smiled slightly at her. “I told you that I am a scumbag. And it took me long enough to realize. I already apologized to Sonja as well.” He turned away from her and looked at where the rest had gone. “She told me that you’re the reason she gave me another chance. And that she appreciates the apology. So, I wanted to say:Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. You were the one that changed, after all. It’s you that deserves your thanks the most.”

He smiled at her. “The journey with you all made me realize something.”

Please, don’t say that you love me! Please!

“It’s that I had a very toxic friend group back home.”

Phew. Wait, what?

“We defined ourselves, our group, by ostracizing others. Because we were united in keeping them out, in insulting them, in exploiting them, we found a sense of belonging to each other.” He sighed and shook his head. “But it hits different, if you belong, because you work toward a common goal. Even if that goal might see us all wiped out at the end.”

Nia was speechless. That’s actually very profound insight.

Tom turned his head to her once more, and grinned. “I know it sounds pretty selfish right now, but please do your best. Don’t lose to that dark lady. Because I don’t want to lose these new friends I made. Including you.”

He then walked away without looking at her.

Tears stung in Nia’s eyes as she stared at his retreating back. “Of course I’ll do my best,” she murmured. “I don’t want to lose my friends either. Including you.”

Saesquar had fully realized one of her goals, but Nia didn’t care. She’d do everything in her power to protect them, even if it would cost her who she was.