Meeting You

“Their deaths are on you, Darius!”

Darius, a young soldier, is thrown into the wall of a building by a fellow soldier. Before the soldier can continue the attack, their captain grabs ­him.

“Enough! Don’t disrespect their deaths any more than you have. All able bodies help bury them. Darius, my office.”

At the center of camp are over 500 corpses from Darius’s team. They were slaughtered by a squadron of orcs, fairies, and other humanoids. It could have been avoided with the press of a button, but Darius refused to do so.

The bridge was being used by civilians at the time. All of them creatures such as fairies, orcs, and any other creature near the forest. Had he pressed the button, they would have been slaughtered by the humans.

Darius was discharged soon after the slaughter.

The war ended within the year, both sides agreeing to white peace after death ravaged their people and ending two years of battle.

“How are we today?” A tall woman in a white coat speaks to Darius.

He sits inside a white padded room. Weeks after his discharge, he was admitted to the local hospital of his kingdom by the guards who saved Darius from jumping off a bridge. Six months have passed, but his state has not changed.

“Please. Kill me.” Darius mutters.

The doctor kneels in front of him. His arms are strapped into his jacket, else he would find a way to harm himself.

“Darius. All those who died, none of that was your fault.”

“It was.” Darius mutters. “But I couldn’t let all those people die… I’m sorry.”

Darius sobs. The pile of bodies, their painful screams never leaving his mind.

“I will return tomorrow. But I’d like to give you this.” The doctor left a letter in front of Darius.

Darius sits up after an hour, deciding to read the letter left behind by the doctor.

Dear Darius,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’ve been searching for you since the war ended. During the war, your courageous act saved my life and that of many others. I’ve no doubt you will face hardship because of it. But from all those you saved, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope I can someday repay you, but for now please accept this letter and blessing.

Yours truly,

Aileen.

A small flower made of magic blooms from the sheet of paper and pops like a firework. Strange magic for a human, but beautiful, nonetheless.

Tears fall onto the letter, blurring some of the letters.

“Would you like to write back?” The doctor said, she smiled as Darius nodded.

Aileen,

Thank you for the letter. It meant a lot to me. I would appreciate it if you wrote to me more.

Best,

Darius.

Dear Darius,

I’d love to write to you more but I’m not sure what to write about. I’d like to get to know you better. To begin, now that the war is over, what do you do and what would you like to do? As for me, I currently work as a nurse. I’d like to travel more. Unfortunately, that isn’t possible right now. If I could, I’d like to go to see the floating gardens, the dragon roosts south of Dike, and the traveling circus. That’s just a start, our world is full of wonders. I hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,

Aileen.

A year and a half passed. In this time Darius is released from the hospital and he returns to a life of normalcy. His days are busy, but he always looked forward to letters from Aileen.

Today, he has returned to the hospital for a scheduled checkup.

“You look great, Darius.” Doctor Silvia said.

“Thank you. I feel much better.”

“But you seem anxious. Is something wrong?”

Darius hands doctor Silvia a letter.

Dear Darius,

Your exploits as an adventurer have even reached Aletheia. I’m so proud of you for all the help you have given to those in need. The world needs more adventurers like you! I’d like to make a personal request. I can’t pay much, but I would appreciate it. Before making my request, I’d like to meet you. I have written my address on the back of this letter. I hope you will accept.

Best wishes,

Aileen.

“A meeting… are you in love with this girl?” Doctor Silvia asks.

Darius drops his head. “I know it’s foolish.”

“I wouldn’t say so. This could be the first step towards something beautiful. I for one say you go.”

“What if something goes wrong?”

“That will always be a possibility, but you should have more confidence in yourself. Say, Darius, wouldn’t you regret not meeting the girl you’re in love with?”

And so, Darius finds himself on a journey south of his kingdom on dragon back. Miniature dragons are common in his kingdom, Dike, after they conquered them millennia ago.

Arriving in Aletheia, Darius becomes nervous. The kingdom lives up to the rumors. A kingdom of art, as shown by the statues, drawings, and performances on the streets. There are even floating walkways for people to use with more art pieces floating in between them.

It’s wonderful, but Darius makes his way to Aileen’s home.

After a knock, he hears a beautiful voice from inside. “Coming!”

The door swings, Darius’s heart springing from his chest as it does.

He’s met by a beautiful woman just shorter than him. She’s thin, with long white hair, green eyes, and fair skin. She wears a common chiton; it compliments her body and attractive features.

“Darius!” Aileen smiles. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”

“N-nice to meet you as well. You’re…”

Aileen giggles as she pulls Darius inside. “Have a seat, I’ll make tea. Oh! Remember?” Aileen holds her finger out.

Darius smiles and presses his finger against hers, their magic combines and a dim orange light glows between them. Aileen giggles as she leaves for the tea.

Darius sits in the living room as Aileen enters her kitchen. It’s simple with two couches, a large table, and paintings on the walls. On the table there is a well sized chest, its placement is odd, but it could be part of Aileen’s request.

Their conversation as they drink is natural and enjoyable. Speaking with each other after their two year long exchange of letters is a dream come true, and Darius finds it easy to speak with her.

Easy to fall for her.

“Thank you again for coming, I know the journey from Dike is far.”

“It is, but I couldn’t refuse. What request do you have for me?”

Aileen becomes serious and nervous. “Well… I’m sorry Darius. There are two reasons I called you here. I’m actually moving soon, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to write often.”

“That’s fine, where are you moving to?”

“Far… But I wanted to meet you beforehand, I’m glad I did. Again, I’m sorry.”

Although saddened, Darius doesn’t pry further. He is satisfied having met her, even if he may lose his love today. “No need, I’ll make sure to complete your request.”

“Thank you. I just need you to take this chest to a river north of Pono. It’s called the Anubis River. Place the chest there, that is all.”

Darius nods but can’t help noticing the emotion in Aileen’s eyes. “Will parting with this chest make you sad?”

“Hm? Oh, I’m so sorry.” Aileen wipes a tear away. “It is precious to me, but it’s time to let go. I ask that you not open it. I won’t hate you if you do, but I’d appreciate it.”

“I won’t open it I promise.”

“Thank you. You seem sad as well, is something wrong?”

“I… I’m going to miss you.”

Aileen smiles. “As will I. But this may not be goodbye.” Aileen stands and offers Darius a hand.

Darius stands and accepts her hand, smiling at his love. “Fear not, I’ll have this done within the month.”

“I trust you will. Thank you. Oh! I did have something for you as thanks.” As Aileen rushes to find her payment for Darius, her foot slams against the table, sending the chest on top flying off. “No!”

Aileen’s body limps over, Darius catches her in time before she hits the ground. “Are you ok… what?” Aileen’s body is cold and light, and soon begins to dissipate. “What is this?”

Darius looks over to the chest, sensing powerful magic coming from under the flipped over chest. He rests Aileen’s body on the ground, and crawls over to the chest. Careful as he can be, he lifts the chest and gasps.

Underneath is a tiny woman with wings, a fairy. She covers her face as he raises the chest, kneeling and attempting to cast magic to hide her body but her loss of composure makes it impossible.

“Aileen?”

The fairy raises her head, tears falling from her eyes, and nods.