Protection (2)

They stuck around carefully picking up the crystals using their levitation magic. The fact that the crystal finally did not exist had begun to sink in.

It meant that Heilke, Xander. The people in the small towns. Everyone would be safe from the cruel fate. Tears started to drip down August’s face.

He’d never see the exact father he knew ever again.

Heilke noticed this and embraced August in her arms. She did not offer words of comfort, just caressed him in silence. He did not know why, but that triggered a splurge of tears. He felt his mind was clear. There was not a true reason for him to cry. The reasons felt so silly. Even so, he could not help but wail, and wail, stopping to catch his breath and wail again. He cried until his nose was blocked and he needed to take breaths from his mouth, and cried until he could not breathe. He cried until the gentle touch of Heilke’s had lulled him to sleep.

“It’s over now. You did well.”

*

August woke to a ceiling he was unfamiliar with, and an extra warmth in the bed he was unfamiliar with. He turned to the source to come face to face with Heilke.

“You’re awake? I had to lug you from the cave to here, you know? What are you making a maiden like me do?” she said jokingly.

August froze. He only managed to get out an “I’m so sorry.”

Heilke laughed in response. “I’m just kidding. Besides, I have strength in magic, so really, I did not break a sweat.”

August pulled the blankets higher to cover his face, just enough to see Heilke. “Why are you—no. Why am I here? Where am I?”

“You’re in my guest room. Since you fell asleep at the cave.”

Flashes of what happened began to return to August. He blushed in embarrassment. “Thank you, Heilke.”

“Not a problem at all.”

August buried his face within the blankets, to which Heilke hugged him through.

“Hey August?”

Muffled through the blanket, August said, “Yeah?”

“What do you think we should do with the abundance of crystal shards? It has a lot of remaining magic and I don’t think we can simply trade them with the dwarves.”

August thought long and hard. “Do you think the spell could work? Just on a smaller scale?”

“I don’t think it should work as magic circles are supposed to be as big as the crystal. But it doesn’t hurt to try.”

Heilke pulled out a shard from the air and analysed it. She is in shock.

“I never knew this. A miniature version of the circle would be here, instead of a bit of the original version.”

“You never knew this?”

“It never occurred to me because no one would be insane enough to break mana crystals. I suppose it makes sense, since magic circles aren’t engraved onto the crystal itself.”

They hear a knock on the door.

“Lady Heilke? Lord Vin Gardner?”

“Yes Susie?”

“You have a summons.”

Heilke flipped the blanket off her and walked towards the door.

It was the Crown Prince who summoned the two.

He cleared his throt.

“I applaud you for your achievement. You have convinced me. Soft power is an effective technique, and healing as opposed to the violent nature of the monsters was a good idea. You may continue with that.”

“Your Highness,” Heilke said. “I have news for you.”

Harold immediately put on a stern face.

“We destroyed the crystal just yesterday.”

“What did you just say?” Prince Harold asked, anger audibly rising.

Before things escalated too much, August said, “It shouldn’t be a problem. We still have methods.”

Heilke and August went around small towns. They would give out the shards to anyone who asked for it, or those who would need it. Heilke would introduce the crystal, while August would demonstrate how to use it.

“Who would want to try the effects?”

Generally, a child with scrapes from trips would go up to them. While the pieces were still called ‘shards’, August had smoothed out some of them when noticed the amount of children who wanted them. He would hand a rounded one to the child while he held a full shard, and demonstrated what to do with it. Every time without fail, the scabs would disappear from the child’s knees

Many townsfolk would come after to try some for themselves. It was gratifying to see others use your product with great enthusiasm.

Soon enough, the two found their way to the place where they first shared a room.

“Hello,” Heilke said to the innkeeper. “Two rooms please.”

She places 4 copper coins and a shard on the desk.

“Righty-o.” The innkeeper searched a drawer, then took out one key. “Sorry lads. Only one room available tonight. Are you still doomin’ our town?” the innkeeper asked jokingly.

Heilke laughed. “This shard is an invitation. Do come to our wedding.”

“Sonnyboy, prevent your wife from running rampant so much.”

This time, August did not deny her status as his wife. “She’s not running rampant,” he said with a grin.

Two children came into the inn.

“Matilda! Manas! You’re here!” Heilke gave the two children a hug.

“Thank you for giving me an arm! I think I can beat the sir for sure now.”

August snorted. That child was as witty as ever.

Heilke handed each child one of the shards August had made safe.

“Make sure you thank that sir for the shards,” Heilke said.

“Thank you,” the two children said to August with a bow, a little mindlessly like the way children usually are when they repeat something.

“No worries,” he replied with a smile.

*

It was time to share the crystals within the capital.

First it was Renée and Francis. Their engagement rings shone.

“Congratulations, Francis. We both did it,” August said.

“We sure did.”

August held out his hand for a handshake. When Francis returned it, August gripped his hand and transferred the shard to Francis.

“It’s a healing shard. And an invitation to our wedding. You better come.”

Francis laughed. “Of course.”

“You’re done inviting Francis?” Heilke asked.

“Yes. And you with Renée?”

“Yes. Let’s go onto the next people.”

August and Heilke went around tirelessly to invite people. Marie, Xander, the swordsmanship teacher, the magic teacher, everyone. Even Malther Wayne, one of the people who harassed Heilke. August wanted to rub in his face how a different attitude would change how someone else would perceive him.

By the end of the week, everyone in the capital had a shard. August breathed a sigh of relief.

“We did it, didn’t we?”

“Yes. We sure did.”