Chapter 10: Roses
27th of Solis
When compared with other villages the Heroes had visited, Heartwood was a bustling city, and it seemed like they'd arrived in the middle of a festival. The city was covered with ribbons and banners, many of which had stars painted on them, and a band played in the town square. Aelita pointed to a large tree on the east side of town, which she identified as a vhenadahl. This particular tree was covered in unlit lanterns, and the branches shaded the gate, over which hung a colorful banner, though the teenagers were too far away to read it. "This must be a very special holiday for the elves to take the time to decorate the vhenadahl." Aelita commented.
"I think the people of Heartwood will take any opportunity they can get to celebrate." Odd shrugged. He leaned back on his heels. "As the name suggests, they're in love with love. I wouldn't put it past them to be celebrating some preteen's first kiss."
Jeremie opened his book bag and read through his calendar. "No, tonight is a special celebration of the stars, I think." Reading a few more pages, he added, "It says here that the inhabitants of Heartwood have star charts that are so accurate they can predict when shooting stars will fall."
Aelita smiled. "The elves had a similar holiday, back in the days of Elvhenan." She looked back to the vhenadahl with a dreamy expression. "They said that if you were to watch the stars fall while sitting at the base of the vhenadahl, you were sure to find your one true love!"
Laura rolled her eyes. "There is nothing special about stars or shooting stars. They won't lead you to love, or treasure, or enlightenment." She said flatly, clearly not impressed.
William laughed. "Why so glum, Your Highness? Don't you believe in love?"
"Love in it of itself? Yes. That falling stars will lead you to someone you'll love for the rest of your life and never falter from? No." The Fair elaborated. It was a fairly grim outlook. "Anyway, we're only two days from Kadic now. We can't afford to stop anymore."
Yumi shook her head. "We haven't run into any of Xana's constructs, or any more of her agents. I don't see why we can't stop here." She rubbed a sore spot on her back. "Besides, I can't remember the last time I slept in a real bed."
"The rest of us can remember the last time you slept in a real bed," Odd muttered, and Yumi threatened to slap him.
Ulrich looked at Jeremie. "Yumi's right. We've been walking nonstop for days. We deserve a chance to rest."
Jeremie looked like he was about to disagree, but Odd motioned discreetly to Aelita. "You heard the elf. This is probably the most romantic holiday for the wilders." He murmured. Continuing in a low voice he added, "there are bound to be lots of fun things to do for two in Heartwood…" Jeremie considered this.
The Wise Man glanced quickly at the Outcast and then around the rest of the group and nodded. "I'm inclined to agree with Yumi and Ulrich."
Laura huffed, not at all discreetly. "Fine. Fine! Go gallivanting about this gods-forsaken city if that's what you want. Just know that with this romantic atmosphere, disaster is in the cards!" She spun around on her heel, and headed back to the aravel. "Do whatever you want, Jeremie."
William leaned in closer to Jeremie. "Go for it! Don't put up with her passive aggressive deer shit!" He then turned and followed Laura back to the aravel.
Yumi, Ulrich, Odd and Aelita looked anxiously at Jeremie. The Wise Man smiled. "I guess we're staying for the festival. But first things first—we have to warn the mayor that the dark elves are on the move." He declared. A small cheer escaped them.
As Jeremie went inside the town hall to speak to the mayor while Aelita, Odd, Ulrich and Yumi watched as the inhabitants of Heartwood set up the festival. Odd nudged Ulrich, and then subtly motioned towards Yumi. "Go on, man. Make your move." He pressured quietly.
Aelita nodded. "It's painfully obvious that you like her, Ulrich. There's no better time than now to ask her." She grinned. "Jeremie agreed to let us stay in the city for the festival, and if Xana has her way, this dry streak won't last long."
With Odd and Aelita pressuring him, Ulrich gathered his courage and turned to Yumi. "So, uh, Yumi. Since we've got the night off and everything, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe… go out with me?" He asked with a fire burning behind his cheeks. Nervous, he slammed his eyes shut, preparing for what he felt was his inevitable rejection.
Yumi smiled brightly. "I'd love to,"
Ulrich opened his eyes. "Say what?" He asked, and then smiled. "That's great!"
Dhaune watched as Xana planned her attacks against the northern colonies, hoping to box in the King, who had been confirmed to be taking refuge in Carthage. The former slave looked to the pool of holy water collected from the priestesses at the Temple of the Destruction Mother, and she walked over to it. She performed a simple spell Xana had shown her, and dunked her head into the water.
Opening her eyes, she could see Yumi, and she felt a painful weight in her heart grow heavier when she saw a smile on her former lover's face. That weight transformed into a raging fire when Dhaune observed the Mercenary approach Yumi and take her hand. Strange emotions filled the general. Had Yumi moved on so quickly? Why had she moved on to Ulrich? Was she trying to make Dhaune angry and jealous?
Dhaune pulled her head from the pool of water, knowing there was only one option. "Matron Mother?" She called.
Xana looked up, and she smiled at Dhaune. "Yes, General?"
"It would seem that the Colonist and the Mercenary are still travelling together. Do I have your permission to send constructs after them?" Dhaune asked, not letting on that she felt jealous and betrayed.
Xana cursed. "Yes, of course. Do whatever you have to do." She waved her off.
Dhaune bowed politely, and she left the war room, stopping to look at herself in the mirror. She'd put on weight after being promoted, and her leather armor showed off her newfound curves. Her blond hair was tied up in a bun. Her face, she noted harshly, was still nothing worth fawning over. The general went to the Overseer and ordered a group of monsters to target the brown-haired Hero, Ulrich Stern.
Aelita and Jeremy walked along one of the streets of Heartwood, admiring the decorations and talking quietly as they made their way to a tavern with open air seating. "…I find it very interesting that the inhabitants of Heartwood use the stars to tell time. I mean, I have charted stars, and they're always constant, but to dictate your calendar on stars? It really is peculiar." Jeremie said to Aelita as they sat down at a table.
Aelita sat up straighter. "You've charted stars? I wish I knew how to read star maps." She leaned forward. "The elves put a lot of stock into stars, too. We say our destinies are written among them, as well as other things."
Jeremie opened his mouth to say something when a human man walked by them. "Hey, blondie! What are you doing with a knife eared savage?" He shouted.
Aelita eyed him angrily. "Don't listen to him, Aelita. You're better than that." Jeremie warned her. She looked back to him with a smile, and she lifted her hand slightly off the table. The cobblestone street the man walked on encased his foot, and he struggled to escape. "Aelita! What are you doing?" Jeremie whispered a bit more harshly than intended. She turned away to continue watching the man. A cart rolled by with a barrel of water, and Aelita slammed her hand on the table. The cobblestone rippled and the cart bounced hard, spilling water onto the street. At the same time the cobblestone trap released the man in the middle of his latest effort to free his leg, sending him tumbling to the ground and straight into the newly created puddle of mud.
She started laughing, and Jeremie laughed too. The Outcast looked back to the Wise Man. "What were you saying, lethallin?"
Wanting to avoid the crowded city, Ulrich and Yumi sat at the edge of a lake on the Western Plains. They could still see Heartwood, and they could see the edge of the Scarwood Forest. "It's really hot right now. It'll probably be warm tonight too." Yumi said, watching the sky as the blue faded into pink and orange.
"Yeah, probably." Ulrich replied, watching her out of the corner of his eye. When she looked back at him, he swiftly pushed her into the lake. A short shriek ended with a large splash and Ulrich walked closer to the edge of the water laughing as Yumi surfaced. She surfaced and blew a wet strand of hair from her face, narrowing her eyes.
"So, that's how you want to play, huh?" She teased before yanking on Ulrich's leg. He landed beside her with a loud splash and came up only a moment later, spitting out the water he'd sucked in. Taking no pity on the boy, Yumi splashed warm water onto him, and he returned the favor. She pushed him under, and he pulled her leg out from under her, sending her back under. She came up for air a moment after Ulrich and, partially gasping and partially laughing, swam to the edge of the lake with Ulrich beside her.
With considerable effort, they pulled themselves with their sodden clothing out of the lake and came face to face with five of Xana's roaches. "Oh, not these things again! They're so creepy," She complained.
Ulrich looked to Yumi nervously. "I left my katanna back at the aravel. I didn't expect Xana to attack during a festival."
Yumi looked back at him. "So? Haven't you learned anything from our sparing contests?"
He frowned, and the two stood to face their attackers. With a nod between them, Ulrich ran one way, attracting the attention of the constructs and a second later Yumi maneuvered away to strike from behind. One of the roaches tried to fire its laser at Ulrich and he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the pulse of destructive light as the extra weight robbed him of some strength. Racing towards it, he kicked the construct into the lake just before it could fire again. It sparked, and struggled a bit before it finally sank beneath the surface. "Yumi! They're weak to water!" He shouted as he continued to battle his wet clothing in the process of avoiding getting shot.
She nodded, and took a deep breath in. She focused her telekinesis on the water in the lake and created a large bubble, carefully maneuvering it over the constructs. She dropped it suddenly, mentally exhausted. The constructs looked like they were having seizures before they collapsed on the plains. Yumi also collapsed; falling to her knees, her head in immense pain.
Ulrich watched her go down and rushed to her side, pausing only to grab one of the monsters' corpses after hearing the mechanical noise of a crab construct and seeing it taking aim. He slid towards her, holding the construct in front of him and blocked the laser that had been aimed for Yumi. "Get up! We've got three crabs headed our way!" He ordered while scrambling back into a standing position. Yumi struggled to stand.
Odd climbed a tree to watch the sun set. He looked at Laura and William, who sat around the campfire. Laura had refused to allow Jeremie to bring the aravel into Heartwood, so it still remained hidden in the Scarwood Forest, near a cliff that overlooked the Western Plains. Their horse, Rorkal, grazed free, clearly happy to be free of the aravel. "How do you think their dates are going?" Odd shouted down from his perch, the silence driving him mad.
"It isn't a date," The other two said sharply and simultaneously. They looked quickly towards one another, surprised that they were on the same page.
Odd laughed loudly. "Oh, please! Those four are obviously crushing big time. I just can't believe the guys had the balls to ask them out." He tapped his chest. "I'm not saying that I didn't pressure them or anything. But still, it is rare when they listen to me."
Laura raised her shoulders in anger. "It's rare when they listen to you? Jeremie listens to you every time he reads a map! I'm the one no one listens to!" She clenched her fists. "Gods! I feel like a total Cassandra! Just you watch—something will go wrong tonight and it won't be long before I'm right about Aelita, too!" She covered her mouth in shock.
William sat up. "Why? Did you see something in the future regarding Aelita?" He asked.
She shook her head. "No, not a vision, per se. Just a… feeling." She clarified. "I am just hesitant to believe that the elves can sense demons, and did you see the staff she carries? It has a skull on it, for Minerva's sake!"
Odd looked up to the sky. "She says she named it Murray."
"Who cares, Odd?" Laura asked.
William looked at Laura intently. "Do you think that we should be more cautious around her, Your Highness?"
"Yes, but don't make it too obvious. I'm still trying to figure out what she could be hiding." Laura advised.
The Scout suddenly sat up when he saw a flash on the horizon, and he jumped down from the tree. He ran to the edge of the cliff, and he searched the horizon. "There! I see some of Xana's constructs!" He shouted, running to grab his bow and quiver. "Quickly! We can't let them destroy the city!"
Dhaune walked through the labyrinthine passages of the Matron's estate, knowing exactly where she was going. She wondered how many times she would walk those halls before the Destructor claimed her soul.
Her head jerked up as Dhaune heard the familiar sound of Yumi's laugh, and she started paying more attention to her surroundings. She thought she saw Yumi run out into the courtyard, home to prickly subterranean bushes and glowing mushrooms. The iron gate to the back alleys creaked open, despite having been locked before. She bolted through the gate, giving chase to her intruder.
The general chased a ghost for at least an hour before realizing she'd run a complete circle, and had returned to the courtyard. This time, however, it was not empty. Hiroki sat, tending to the plants as he had been ordered. "Hiroki, come here." Dhaune ordered. Hiroki jumped up and ran to Dhaune. She fell to her knees and buried her face into his hair, holding him tightly. For a moment, she convinced herself she held Yumi, but such fantasies could only be indulged for so long. "Get back to work." She said sharply.
Hiroki was fed up with Dhaune's sudden mood changes. This hadn't been the first time she'd hugged him, only to dismiss him cruelly. "My sister is coming for me! She won't stand for this!" He shouted.
"I know that your sister is coming for you, Hiroki." Dhaune said as she walked inside. "And I will be here when she does."
Yumi, after dumping water on the roaches and managing to stand up, was only trying her best not to get hit. Despite the lingering tiredness and headache, it was far easier for her than she thought as the crabs seemed to have targeted Ulrich. He had managed to evade them mostly, but he, too, was tiring. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," He said, panting. One of the crabs fired a laser at him and while he dodged the laser, he wasn't able to dodge its leg, which struck him hard in the arm.
She threw one of her fans, but the crab moved out of its way easily. "Neither do I," She huffed. The crab knocked Yumi aside then turned away from her and joined the others in focusing their lasers on Ulrich. By this time, Ulrich had recovered enough to turn over and see his fate. Unable to dodge or block their attacks, he stood as still as a deer when face-to-face with a hunter. "No! Ulrich, run!" Yumi shouted. When he didn't move she closed her eyes, trying to fight through the exhaustion to tap her telekinesis again.
The center crab was hit with an arrow, stopping it from firing. The other two crabs still fired, striking Ulrich and sending him flying into the lake, writhing in pain. A second later a fireball incinerated the crab on the far left, and William sliced at the leg of the final crab to bring it down. He stabbed the symbol on the crab's head and it collapsed into a pile of sparking parts.
William ran to Yumi while Laura waded into the water and fished Ulrich out enough to inspect his wounds. "Some of your physical wounds aren't as bad as they could be." She said as she began to heal the laser burns, "I think your arm has been dislocated though, and your ankle may have been sprained too." She diagnosed. "I can't heal those kinds of wounds. We need to get you to the aravel where I can properly bandage you."
William helped Yumi to her feet. "What about you, Yumi? Are you hurt?" He asked.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just tired." She said. "This was weird. It was like the monsters were specifically targeting Ulrich."
While William went to help Laura with Ulrich, Odd examined the crab he had shot. He snatched a piece of tattered fabric off of its leg. "Does this mean anything to you?" He asked the Colonist, throwing her the fabric.
She unwrapped it, and inside was a river stone in the shape of a koi fish. "Dhaune," She muttered, and she looked up. "Xana didn't send these monsters. Dhaune did."
Laura draped Ulrich's arm over her shoulder, and William supported his other side. "Are you sure, Yumi?"
She nodded. "I gave this stone to Dhaune. She sent this with the crabs because she wanted me to know who sent them." She didn't mention why Dhaune had done such a thing. They all knew. "Let's go back to the aravel. I don't want to look at this place anymore." Together they hobbled off and soon they were back at camp where Laura finished patching up Ulrich's arm. His ankle did not appear to be sprained, though it did ache. Yumi quietly asked Laura to leave so she could talk to Ulrich alone. "Some date, huh?" She asked, trying to keep her tone lighthearted.
"I couldn't have known that we would be ambushed by drow constructs." Ulrich said defensively, "If I had, I would've brought my katanna."
"This isn't about that, Ulrich!" She said sharply. "This is about Dhaune—look!" She showed him the river rock. "Dhaune sent those things there to kill you! Even if you had brought your katanna, we still would've been ambushed and we still would've been hurt!"
Ulrich huffed as he examined his arm. "It may not have ended so badly,"
Yumi folded her arms across her chest. "It may have ended worse!" She shouted. She shook her head. "I… didn't want to fight, Ulrich. I just came to tell you that we… can't do this."
He sat up straighter. "What do you mean, 'we can't do this'?" He demanded.
"Dhaune isn't just a slave anymore, Ulrich! She has power and influence!" The Colonist yelled. "She has to die before I can continue on with my life. And… that includes my love life. It's too dangerous to get close to me now." Yumi stood, not giving Ulrich a chance to reply. She walked out of the aravel, her heart carrying a thousand pound weight.
Night had finally fallen, and the stars were starting to appear. Jeremie and Aelita sat beneath the aravel, which after having its lanterns lit, now stood in the elven quarter of the city alone. Aelita cautiously moved closer to Jeremie, and he did the same. "Look! The first shooting star!" Aelita exclaimed, pointing to the silver streak that danced across the sky.
"You know, Aelita, humans often make wishes on shooting stars." Jeremie said.
"I didn't know that. Are you going to make a wish, Jeremie?" She asked.
He blushed, and looked up to the sky as another shooting star skated across the sky. He silently wished upon it, and smiled at Aelita. Aelita, being a wilder, made no wish on the falling star, but instead prayed to the Creator that they meant what she thought. She bit her lip and looked at Jeremie from the corner of her eye, even though he no longer watched her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and she wove her fingers into his.
It felt right.