After the Dust Settles, Another Journey Begins

I woke up in a dark tent barely lit by an exterior lamp. I lay still for a long time, staring up at the tattered tent roof. I sat up slowly and gently touched my shoulder. The freshly patched wound stung, and the burning pain only grew worse as I moved to grab the sword at my left.

The shiny sword was covered in faint marks, left behind by countless strikes made the day before. I gently swiped my gloved hand over the blade before grabbing the hilt. I lifted the sword and slipped it into the small holder on my back.

I affixed the other weapons to my body with no hassle, knowing ‘I’ve’ done this every day for the past few months. I adjusted the ties on my hair and the goggles placed on my head before stepping out.

The large cave was now dead silent. I snuffed out the lamp’s light and walked out of the cave through the dark right tunnel, the sound of my footsteps echoing around me in the darkness.

As I stepped out, the bright, blinding sunlight attacked my eyes. I walked forward and into a wide stretch of bright green grass that crunched under every step. I heard rapid footsteps approaching from behind me. I continued onward without turning back.

“Miss… Miss Velda! Please wait!”

I can’t stop— I have to keep going. Anywhere and everywhere, until I find a way to kill the queen. Until I find a way to save Finley.

Memories of Finley’s early childhood in her grandfather’s house invaded my mind. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the darkness of my eyelids to stop the remembrance. The grass behind me crunched under someone’s footsteps.

No, that wouldn’t be fair to her. They’re her memories, not mine.

“Stop walking, or you’re gonna get hurt.”

I froze and opened my eyes. In front of me was a large rock reaching up to my knee. I stepped back and bumped into something.

“Miss Velda…”

I turned around to face my solemn followers. The bags under their eyes that averted my gaze told me they’d gotten about as much sleep as I had. I felt bad for avoiding them, but the anger rising in my chest refused to be ignored.

“Why are you two still here? You should’ve left with the others… at least then you’d be safe. So just… stop following me.”

I turned back and sighed. I walked around the rock and continued on my aimless journey. I could see a dense forest to my left and towering mountains to my right. My pursuers caught up to me, walking beside me at slower paces.

“We stayed because we wanted to. You cannot send us away, not after what we went through together.”

“Vivian is right. Finley was— is my companion, she has been for much longer than you. If anyone should save her, it’s me.”

I walked on silently. Part of me wanted to speak, but the lump in my throat prevented me from doing so.

I can’t help but feel angry. I don’t really even want to, but this body… with it came her stubbornness. Thanks, Finley.

“Miss Velda, please, we can work together. We are stronger that way, do you not see that? If things go wrong, you will need assistance to keep Finley’s body safe while you retrieve her soul.”

Soul… It’s much worse than that. They’ll never understand.

I halted my steps and turned my head to the side.

“And who will keep you safe?”

I heard footsteps to my left as Matthias came into view. I looked at him from the corner of my eye, and he refused to meet my gaze.

“We’ll keep each other safe.”

Matthias sighed and turned to face me, his gaze focused on mine.

“Look. Finley has a lot of trust issues. She’s been that way since we were kids.”

My gaze shifted to the tall grass beneath me. I clenched and unclenched my fists, and I began to notice my grinding teeth.

“But… you’re not her. You’re just trapped inside her body. You know, I’m… grateful for what you’re doing.”

Matthias tightly clutched the strap of his quiver. I could see his eyes wavering slightly as he spoke.

“Because of you, she still has a chance. You just… need to put aside your fears and insecurities. We all do.”

Vivian walked forward and stopped beside me. She pushed aside the hair that lightly covered her scar and touched the medallion that kept her cloak tightly held around her shoulders.

“If we had worked together from the beginning, we might not have ended up in this situation. So I’m requesting… as a friend… that we make this journey together.”

I stared at the man with my mouth nearly agape. His usual rough and uninviting atmosphere had all but crumbled away in an instant.

A flash of a memory invaded my mind. A younger, kind-faced Matthias stood a distance away, his relaxed expression shifting to one of pure shock. I closed my eyes and forced the memory back.

“What Eris did… maybe I can do it to her. Pull both Finley’s and her… ‘sources’… out.”

I looked from Matthias to Vivian and back. I adjusted the goggles on my head and mustered an awkward smile.

“Of course, there’s still the problem of the knight. If he gets to me before I can get to her, it’s an almost guaranteed loss.”

I could see Matthias straighten his back and Vivian clasp her hands. I smiled wider, doing my best to use one of Finley’s confident smiles.

“Since you’re insisting, I’m gonna need you two to watch my back. Is that a deal?”

Vivian turned to look at Matthias, and he crossed his arms with a frown.

“That was the plan from the start.”

I raised an eyebrow, and Matthias’s expression softened. I let out a small exasperated laugh and felt the tension slowly fade from my body. I walked forward, making sure to bump Matthias’s shoulder with mine as I passed.

My companions followed close behind me as we walked farther into the plains. The distant sky was bright and cloudless, letting the sun bathe us with its warmth. Matthias pulled out a sketchy map covered in blank spots and held it up for us to see.

He pointed to a blank corner where the forest and mountains met. Vivian nodded to me in approval, and I gestured for Matthias to lead the way. A short walk away, we found a yellowish dirt road splitting the plains and decided to make it our new path forward.

The cool winds lessened the heat of the distant sun as we traveled on, side by side.