The Way Home

By now, it was time for Lilin and Annie to head back to the castle. Lilin had her things packed and was loading them onto the cart when she heard Euwelyn's voice. She finished loading Annie's things into the cabin before turning towards it. She saw Euwelyn, a bit frazzled from the rush towards the carriage, and holding a piece of parchment.

"Lilin! I'm glad, I was able to catch you just before you left," Euwelyn managed to breathe out between gasps for breath. "Th-The Air General responded, a-and we have a proper plan for the external assault."

Lilin nodded, turning to Euwelyn and folding her arms. "What is it?"

"Well, the Air General has contacted the other Generals, and... The plan is simple. I'm going to start a frontal assault with my clay constructs. Once the King has left the throne room, you'll need to make it in and absorb the Mana. The other Generals will be there to add to the frontal assault if the King isn't being lured out, and once he's out, they'll be moving to the throne room to bring the King back in for the final fight."

Lilin thought for a moment, trying to spot any holes in the plan. She quickly came up with one. "Hey, wait. Why don't we just keep the fight out of the throne room? Why bring him back in?"

Euwelyn gulped. "It's... In case I fail. I'm the weakest of the Generals, so... It's not an impossibility. If the real me dies, then... Well, he'd be headed back to the throne room. So, we're planning as if I were to fall in battle. That way, more Generals can converge on the King in the throne room than we could get outside of the castle."

Lilin sighed, her anxiety building with each moment longer she considered the plan. "Fine. Alright, I'll... I'll do what I can. But you BETTER not die, okay? Annie would be pissed! Or, she'd be sad. I'd be pissed."

Euwelyn nodded, forcing a smile. "I'll do my best, too! Now, get back safely! We'll be there in a few days. Be ready as soon as you possibly can be, travel time isn't an exact science!"

Lilin nodded, then climbed into the carriage. She shut the door behind her, then slapped the wall of the carriage to indicate she was in. The driver, the same kindly man from before, didn't need the indication, but he waited for it before he grabbed the reins and got the carriage moving. Lilin sat beside Annie, resting her chin in her hand as she began to lose herself in the thoughts of the plan.

Despite doing nothing but rest for the last few days, Lilin was somehow exhausted. The rhythmic bumping of the carriage, the quiet atmosphere, and the presence of Annie all helped to lull her into a relaxing daze. It was the calm before the storm. Lilin knew she couldn't back down now, she had promised to do her best... But what was her best? She didn't know if she could stand up to her father- let alone knowingly betray him. What if she couldn't absorb the Mana? What if she lost to her father? What if everything went badly, and Euwelyn died before anything could happen? What if they couldn't prepare everything in time, the throne room was too well-guarded when the assault happened, and they were caught in the act of betrayal after everybody else died?

"Lilin, dear?" Annie's voice pierced through the rush of thoughts, opening a way for Lilin's mind to surface and gasp for air amid the waves of despair. "What's wrong?"

Lilin shook her head, taking several seconds to process the question. Annie had asked her what was wrong. That meant she had to respond with information regarding what was troubling her. Right. Slowly. Deep breath. "It's... About the plan. There's so much that can go wrong, a-and... I don't know if it's the best plan, I don't know if it'll work, I don't know if I'll be able to do it, and...!"

Annie stopped Lilin by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Dear, hold on a moment."

Lilin scowled. "Don't interrupt me!"

Annie didn't back down, though. "No, dear. Take a moment, breathe. You've been holding your breath, and I don't think you've noticed."

Lilin's scowl broke, and she realized her chest felt like it was aching. She slowly took a few deep breaths. The physical tension started to wane a bit, but her mind wasn't any better yet. She looked up at Annie, expecting more.

"Good. Now, dear, I want you to go through your fears one at a time. It's much easier to handle when we don't try to bunch up what's scaring us."

"Alright, sure," Lilin relented. "First thing, I don't know if I can fight my dad."

"...Ah. That's a tough one to start with..."

"Yeah, I know, but it's the first one. What do you have to say to that?"

Annie paused to consider. She didn't want to give a half-effort answer, but she couldn't be too sure about something wrong. Measuring her words, she spoke carefully. "Well, dear, I can't say I have an absolute answer, but... You've been changing so quickly in so many ways. Who's to say you won't change again by then? When the time comes, I know you'll be up to it. It's okay to worry, that's what helps you change. Just... Believe in yourself, and I promise it will work out better than you expect."

Lilin didn't feel much better, but what Annie said checked out well enough that she felt like she should move on. "Alright, next is what happens if I can't absorb the Mana."

Annie shrugged. "That one's... A little outside of my scope, dear. But, after what little I've learned, I think you and Euwelyn were right. You're the only person who has a chance of absorbing it, and I believe you can do it. Like I said, I'll be there with you the whole way. If something goes wrong, I can call for somebody who can help you."

Lilin... Felt a little better at that, actually. Even if Annie wouldn't be of much help, the thought that she would at least be there to get somebody else to help if things went poorly was reassuring. Maybe this was working?

As the two continued to talk, rain began to pitter and patter against the carriage.. Lilin felt the relief slowly creeping into her body, and the strange exhaustion returned.

"Hey, can I ask something kinda... Weird?" Lilin asked.

"Of course, dear," Annie replied without hesitation.

"Is there... Any reason that I would be so tired right now? I've spent the last few days resting, and I've barely done anything today. Why am I exhausted?"

Annie giggled. "Dear... That's what it's like to make tough emotional decisions."

"But, I shouldn't be this tired. I haven't done anything that tough."

"I beg to differ, dear. You've had to go against everything you've ever learned or been taught, and now you have to try and plan for the future while doing that. I'd be quite exhausted in your place, honestly. Now, if you're so tired, why don't you lean on my shoulder? We've got a little while before we make it to the castle, I'll make sure to straighten your hair before you see the King, alright?"

Lilin would normally feel offended by such an offer, but... That sounded really, really good right now. "Fine," she said after a moment of hesitation, "but you better keep my hair straight."

"Of course, dear," Annie said with no hesitation once more. "Now, rest your eyes, dear."

Lilin slowly leaned to the side, then let her head lean down and rest against Annie's shoulders. They were warm, and... Strangely soft. She had expected them to be all boney, but they were quite pleasant to lean on. Sooner than she expected, she found her eyelids drifting shut. Soon after, sleep overtook her, and she started to breathe evenly once more.

This would be the last time Annie would be alive to see such a peaceful expression on Lilin's face.