Death and Howls Part Twenty-Seven: The Drag of Gathering Life Stones!

Darwin:

Staring numbly at the map on my kitchen table, my oldest kid had gone from five years old to sixteen years old in mere minutes. Dealing with that had been mind boggling, Fel and Wisty barreling towards my current life in a mere three years. Fuck, I had barely became an adult. Another bitter thought bit me in the ass, a corrupted cave system always proving to be the bane of my existence. Mor and Torg walked into my quarters. Torg bore a shaken up expression, his eyes refusing to meet mine. Mor teased him with a nudge of my shoulder. Packing up my worn leather back, a mine of life stones were calling us.

“Mor, mind your manners.” I snapped stiffly, my long hair annoying the shit out of me. “You didn’t have your kid go from a young child to a damn teenager. Hell, we are going to be grandparents in three years if we aren’t careful.” Leaning forward with an apologetic smile, Mor drummed his fingers on the table.

“Sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to throw you off. That wouldn’t be a terrible thing, would it?” He pointed out with a million dollar smile, his armor glinting in the early morning sun. “When you win, the perfect environment should be rendered for such simple pleasures. Isn’t that the main goal?” Scratching the back of my neck, the soft leather of my jacket grazed my palm upon me lowering my hand. Parts of the statement were correct, my lips pressing into a pensive frown. Their lives would be up to them, all of it boiling down to how in love they fell in love with each other. A teacup hit the floor, a hurt Fel crashing out of the cabin. Cursing under my breath, a grave mistake had been made. Chasing after her, a cold stop paralyzed me.

“If you hate me for what is natural, then leave me alone.” She shot back hotly, a cool gust blowing her hair up. “I don’t need you!” Sprinting towards the stables, her silky emerald gown fluttered with every footfall away from me. Begging for her to slow down, the heels of her boots moved faster. Hopping onto Dusk, a cloud of dirt obscured the direction she took off in. Helios placed me on his back, the twins hollering for me to slow down becoming background noise. Kicking off the ground, Dusk wasn’t too far ahead. Flying straight for the corrupted cave system, dread sank into my stomach. The twins’ dragons caught up to me, one of them tossing me my scythe. Parenting proved difficult in moments like this, my honest emotions shattering Fel’s heart. Calling out her name, her ears pinned back with sharp fury.

“Fel, you did nothing wrong!” I pleaded my case over the wild winds, her wet eyes meeting mine. “Haven’t we always been honest with each other! You have to give me a minute to get used to it! Don’t you have to get used to it yourself!” Hovering in the sky to permit me to catch up, her lips mouthed a silent apology. A fireball hit Dusk’s wings, horror rounding my eyes. Leaping off of Helios, a couple of finger snaps had him flying out of the way. Landing clumsily behind her, trembles claimed both of our bodies as I guided the crashing dragon into an open circle. Burying her body in mine, bones cracked with every roll. A thick tree trunk caught us, Fel seeming to lack any injuries. Releasing her, feverish words flooded from her lips.

“Help out Dusk. Please help out Dusk!” She begged endlessly, a ball of healing magic floating to life at the end of my palm. Hopping to my feet, a twisted ankle threatened to send me crashing to my knees. Limping over to Dusk, my hands hovered over her burned wing. Focusing on the spell, leathery tissue weaved itself back together. Tracing the nasty scar, the ash in the air reeked of a dragon hunter. A cut covered face stared back up at me from the puddle by my feet, Fel approaching me cautiously. Smashing into me, her emotions soaked my shoulders. Draping my arms around her shoulders, Helios guided the twins to our location. Sliding off, raw looks of disgust darted around the circle. Fel clung onto my blouse, branches crunching a few hundred yards ringing alarm bells in our minds. Brandishing our weapons, masked dragon hunters came into view. Sensing hundreds of flaming arrows, crossbows were at the ready.

“Hunting the right hand man of the king's dragon is a fool’s quest! Furthermore, you shot down my daughter's dragon. Way to go, dumb ass.” I taunted them with a sadistic grin, Dusk hiding Fel underneath her wing. “Pray to the Heavens that I take mercy upon you.” Golden lightning crackled down my staff, sleek emerald masks surfaces shimmering in the flashes. Wishing that Phantom was here, flashes of Helios getting hurt paralyzed me.

“Dad! Wake up!” Fel called out, her voice ripping me out of my mental torture. “Everyone needs you.” Releasing a hellish storm of lightning, precision struck them down. Cooking them to ash, fright widened Fel’s eyes. Unsure of what to do, she had seen the darkness that claimed me. Not just her, the twins had witnessed it in all of its glory. Bowing my head in shame, not one word could be spoken. The surge in my powers have been rather uncontrollable as of late, a quake claiming my hands. Time slowed around me, another energy rising behind me. Moving out of the way at the last possible second, the serrated blade sliced through my hair with ease. Fel flicked a dagger into his throat, the body decaying to ash. A sympathetic smile met my own dejected expression. Shaking off the trauma, Fel required my help. Stopping me from comforting her, determination glittered in her eyes.

“You have been cracking quite a bit lately. Maybe you should let others help out. Save your energy. Someone needs to purify the cave. That bleak energy is sickening me all the way out here.” She assured me with a nervous grin, her maturity throwing me off. Then again, she had always been mature. What was wrong with me? Mor patted my back, his words of comfort falling on deaf ears. Wishing that I had Phantom or Acer to talk to, Fel didn’t need the weight of my wounds on her shoulders. Shivering in place, it took everything for me not to slap his hand away.

“Fel isn’t wrong. You haven’t been the same since Phantom and you returned from whatever that shit show was.” He pointed out freely, Torg nodding behind him. “Friends are there for you to talk to. Vulnerability isn’t weakness.” Brushing him off, a task required our attention. Donning my brightest smile, disbelief was all I received as I climbed onto Helios back. Please don’t break down in front of my kid! Be strong, damn it!

“Pow wow all you fucking want but I have to purify a freaking a cave system. Probably run into another god.” I fumed bitterly, no one moving during my evident meltdown. “Lord knows that my good luck is utter bullshit. Who's counting?” Dusk brought Fel up to my level, her palms pressing together.

“I am going home. Sorry for being a b-” She began, my hand ruffling her hair causing her to relax. Flashing her real smile, a happy memory floated into our memory necklace. Burying her into a bear hug, Fel would never be a burden in my eyes.

“Be careful.” I whispered gently into her ear, her embrace strengthening. “I love you, Fel.” Releasing her, silent tears stained my cheeks. Watching her fly back home stung, most of me knowing that it was for the better. Drawing a long breath, such an interaction reminded me of the reward and its endgame. Clearing my throat, the twins hopped onto their dragons. Raring to go, the cavern wasn’t too far from here. Pushing off with me, the trees blew back. Leafs floated into the air, Helios stabilizing himself. Keeping in contact with Dusk, the updates kept me sane. Light air became heavy with darkness, navy energy swirling from the approaching section of the forest. Floating over the energy, a flip off their backs adjoined with us pulling purifying gas masks over our faces dropped us straight into the thick of it. Energy dispersed the second the dragons flew off to safety, bark chipping away the second I slammed the map against the tree. Pricking my finger on a sharp piece of bark, one smear of blood illuminated a pathway to the cave. Watching flames devour the map, an irate huff puffed out my cheeks. Magic certainly was a fickle beast, hollow footfalls sinking the rock of dread deeper into my stomach. Keeping my scythe at the ready, trauma had one benefit. Boy did it leave you jumping around in the best way possible. A blunt object smashed into the back of my head, a rotten stench being the last thing I remember.

Groaning awake, a pounding migraine throbbed violently. Chains rattled with every movement, the lack of mask permitted the rotting air to paralyze my muscles. Cursing under my breath, even the god within me couldn’t break out of his shell. Cutting my palm on the closet rock, one slam of my palm over a crack poured enough of my blood into the cool rock. A glow blinded me, the air becoming clearer by the second. Mumbling a healing spell, nothing worked. Growling in frustration, a crystal spider scurried up to me with an iridescent ball. Dropping it into my palm, a warmth coursed through me. Most aches or wounds repaired themselves, lightning crackling to life. Heating up the metal to the point of melting, a quick cool down shattered it to bits. Sitting up while massaging my forehead, the migraine could not be spared. Using the wall to struggle to my feet, a bout of vomit flew up my throat. Splashing inches from my boots, more of those spiders brought over my scythe. Forming an arrow, screams of the twins whipped me out of my mental torture. Tucking what had to be a life stone into my boot, my friends needed my help. Crashing through the tunnels, the little spiders moved kept just out of sight. Huffing the whole way there, a hulking black obsidian spider slumbered in the shadow of the now silver cave. Tripping over thick sickly green silk, a far too gone heart barely beat in its shell of a body. Scanning the space, Mor and Torg wiggled in thick bundles with wild protests. Placing my mouth to my lips, a crack on the end of the front leg glistened with my blood. Feeling the back of my head, a mixture of fresh and dried blood coated my finger. Apparently the healing didn’t make it that far either. How wonderful, I thought sarcastically to myself. Realizing why that didn’t purify shit, magic had such odd rules. Silencing themselves, a bit of hope returned to their eyes. Creeping along the wall, not one breath escaped my lips. Hitting the cave floor with a dull thud, an army crawl brought me underneath its shadow. Rolling onto my back, a long crack enticed me. Getting onto my knees, one tug had me in the belly of the beast. Inching along the side, the jagged sides made it easy to maneuver along without getting noticed. Kicking my scythe into my mouth, waves of acid crashed beneath me upon the spider waking up. Picking up speed, time wasn’t on my hands. Violent thrashes threatened to throw me into the pit of acid, a layer of sweat glistening to life on my skin. Bad luck sure seemed attached to me, an idea coming to mind. Letting go with the next thrash, a couple of flips had me that much closer to its heart. Snatching a large shard, a few spins around it had a wicked grin spreading ear to ear. Landing gracefully onto the top of its heart, purifying energy swirling around my body. Slamming the tip into the thumping tissue, neon green ooze soaked me to the bone.

“Purify what was made dark!” I chanted while spitting out the ooze, seizures resulting in me clinging onto the handle of my scythe for dear life. “Fuck, I don’t want to die.” Bright light blinded me, inky rivers cascading from my nostrils. Why did this have to hurt so freaking much! Gritting my teeth through the bulk of it, his body began to crumble away. A lasso made of spider webs floated around my waist, relief crashing over me the second the tissue gave out underneath me. Rancid air lashed at my cheeks, Torg caught me in his arms. Lowering me down, his frantic frets going in one ear and out the other. Tracking the spiders, the life stones were calling them. Shoving him off of me, my feet couldn’t move fast enough. Sprinting after them, about ten were required. Mor skidded up to me, adventure twinkling in his eyes. Struggling to keep up, weakness claimed my muscles. Torg caught me before I collapsed, his arms placing me on his back. Skidding to a rough stop, thousands of life stones shimmered in the glow of the early morning sun.

“How many do we need?” Mor queried with a comforting smile, his fingers drumming on his legs. Shooting out a firm ten, Torg motioned for him to get to it. Glancing back at me, uncertainty mixed poorly with the exhaustion in his eyes. Both of us had been pushed to our limits, Mor realizing what needed to happen.

“I am going to bring these back to the bag.” He choked out awkwardly, his hands nearly fumbling what he had gathered. Giving us space, Torg sat me down on a large silver crystal. Plopping down across from me, tears swam in his eyes. Wiping them away with desperation, his violent sobs shattered my heart into tiny pieces.

“Why did Wisty have to grow up so fast, damn it!” He screamed into his palms, my body proving to be too weak to comfort him. “I wanted to have years of fun and years of fond memories. Mother Nature robbed me of that! Do you feel like that?” Nodding my head in agreement, the words hurt too much to say. Silent tears of my own stained my cheeks, a tremble claiming my hands. Losing the opportunity to see them flourish royally sucked, my lips pressing into a thin line.

“If it means anything, my heart aches for what can’t be. Feel the anger. Feel everything because they will probably have a family of their own within three years. I am barely an adult and had my first kids.” I pointed out with my genuine smile, his sobs slowing to a stop. “The best we can do is support them when the time comes. No matter how old they look or are, they will always be our children.” Nodding in agreement with me this time, a welcome silence hung between us. Mor tripped back in with a full bag, wood and our breakfast cupped underneath both arms. Preparing a fire pit a few feet from us, a ball of my flames illuminated it in seconds. Humming while getting the cooking station ready, Mor seemed in high spirits as of late.

“Why are you singing to the gods?’ I teased playfully, a crooked smirk stealing his attention. “Your family isn’t expanding, is it?” Cutting into the fish with a brief nope, his twinkling eyes met mine. Waiting with bated breath, Torg sank further into his inner turmoil. Picking up on the dynamic of them, Torg seemed to brood in his moods.

“Seeing Torg open up with someone else with me is quite enlightening.” He mused graciously while chugging away on dinner. “Mr. Moody over there tends to be a private little hermit.” Shooting him a death glare, a hearty chuckle tumbled from my lips. Brothers, such an peculiar dynamic. Torg relaxed visibly, a benign conversation becoming exactly what this soul needed. Adding in what I could, laughter soon bounced off the walls. Connection had never been my strong suit back home but here it came easy as breathing. Lottie’s many attempts to teach me about it failed spectacularly, a nudge on my shoulder bringing me back to the conversation. A plate of fish waited for me, the heavenly scent causing my stomach to growl. Digging in with compliments, Mor perked up brighter than I thought possible. Bragging about how he went about it, Lottie would be proud of how well I was getting along with everyone. Memories of the bullies haunted me, cruel words cutting deep. Fighting back tears, the brunt of them stemming from how I met her. Being bought should never have been a sore point, ordinary eyes not spotting the love in the action. So few people saw the agony Lottie trudged through to get to where she was. So few people picked up her pieces, broken weeps haunting many of her evenings. After all that struggle, Lottie came out better from it. Maybe it was my turn to come out better from all the agony and sorrow. Praying to the gods to allow me to keep this up, something had to give in my downward spiral.