Author's Notes

The twentieth chapter is here! I have managed to write 50k words in the span of about 2 weeks, and that is a lot by my standards. Also, the giddiness is back! Not as powerful as it used to be, but it's there nonetheless.

Anywho, on with the story!

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Thoma's POV

I had the dream again, and I woke up from it this time. I can't recall any parts of it now. Just flames. Flames and death. I was just siting there on the bed, panting. My heart was racing, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. The moonlight filtered through the crude walls of the house. Need to replace those soon...

I sighed and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. I heard a soft whisper on the bed beside mine. "Thomas?" I turned to look at Sarah. Her usual poker face was nowhere to be seen, and her silver eyes glittered with worry. "What's wrong?" I smiled at her. "Nothing. Bad dream is all." She nodded, but didn't go back to sleep.

She sat up on her bed, facing me. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head, "I can't. Don't remember any of it." She placed her hand on my thigh. I looked at her and she smiled. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" I shook my head. "No. At least not until I calm down." She nodded, looking away for a second.

Then she stood up and put on her helmet. "Come on." I smiled at her. "We're going outside?" She gave me a mischievous smile. "Don't think I didn't see you do it with Lila." I felt a blush rise on my face and got up. She took my hand and guided me outside. There were very few monsters, most of them not even aware of our presence.

Sarah took me to a small clearing in the woods, one with a tulip planted on the center. "Sit down, Tom." I smiled. She never called me that, nobody did. "What are we doing?" She placed her elbows on her criss-crossed knees and rested her chin on her open palms. "Talking. I want to know you better."

I nodded, sitting down and getting into a more comfortable position. Maybe this'll help calm me down enough to sleep. "How do we start?" She looked up a the moon. "I don't know. Maybe I should start. What do you want to know about me?" She turned back to me as she spoke the last sentence.

I thought for a moment. "Where are you from?" "The skeleton clan, born and raised in veridon city. The largest skeleton city and home to the king's castle." I nodded. "Is it my turn now?" She smiled and nodded. "How do you feel?" This was a weird question. For as long as I'd known Sarah she had never once spoken about feelings. Except for that time when we were trapped in the mine...

"Tired. Scared and... tired." She nodded, not pressing any further. "My turn to answer." I thought about my options for a few seconds. "What was your life like before... this?" She smiled. "Monotone. Boring. It was the same thing every day, wake up, go report, guard this, defend that. Return, eat, sleep, repeat." I nodded.

We spent a few hours talking. Our game of twenty questions turned into us just talking and sharing stories. I didn't have many to tell, just some where she wasn't around, like when Eba helped me gather logs. "I was supposed to teach her how to use a bow. And she was going to teach me to carve."

I smiled. "I'm sure she hasn't forgotten. You guys just haven't had much time." We ended up laying down side by side, staring at the moon. After some time, Sarah shifted closer and rested her head against mine. "How do you feel now?" I turned to look into her gorgeous silver eyes. "Better. I feel like I can finally sleep now." She smiled. "And... what about me? How do you feel about me?"

There was a light blush on her cheeks, and her eyes shifted away slightly. I placed my hand on her cheek. "You are the best, most beautiful, complex person I have ever met. The bravest, and strongest of us." She looked in my eyes, searching for doubt that wasn't there. Looking for any sign of a lie. To no avail.

She flashed me a timid smile I had never seen on her before. "And you are the smartest, most caring person in my life. I'm glad I met you, Thomas." She grasped my hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. I returned the gesture and pulled her closer, to the point that she was resting on my shoulder.

We gazed at the stars for a long time, just the two of us, until we both fell asleep.

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Simon's POV

I woke up against the side of the wall, and it took me a second to gather my bearings. Immediately after, I started fiddling with an old proyect. Folding and twisting and rearranging gears. It had rested unfinished for two years because I had lost my inspiration. I used to fiddle with it every morning, but I hadn't touched it since a few days ago.

After a few minutes, I heard Iza move, and looked up. She was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, sitting up on the bed. I returned to my little gizmo. I heard her stretch, and I felt her curious gaze on me. "Hi." I looked up, smiling. "Hi. How do you feel?" She made a quick inspection of her limbs before turning back to me.

"Alright, I think. There are some burns here and there, but not as many as I thought there would be. And most of the bruises and cuts are healing properly." I returned to my task. "I healed the burns that were visible. There are some beneath your clothes that I didn't treat. I didn't want you waking up to find my hand under your shirt."

She giggled, and the melodic sound made something in my heart shift. "Where is... Thomas? And... Sarah?" I could tell she was having some trouble remembering their names, and I just now realized that they weren't here. "They probably just went hunting. They do that, sometimes, just wander off together."

She nodded and got into a more comfortable position. "Why don't you sit up here? It's more comfortable." I stared at her. "You are awfully trusting for someone who just got nuked." She smiled. "And you are awfully nice for someone who had to sleep on the floor because of me." We stared at each other smiling.

Finally, I got up and sat at the edge of the bed. "You need anything?" She opened her mouth and then closed it again, probably thinking better of something. After another brief hesitation, she spoke up. "What are you working on?" I turned back to the jumble of metal plates in my hands. "It's... an old proyect of mine. I decided to finish it once and for all."

She nodded. Then she began to tie her dark brown shoulder-length hair into a tall ponytail. "What are we going to have for breakfast?" I turned back to my device. "Whatever the two lovebirds bring us." She giggled again, and I felt the shift deep within my heart.

I found my muse again.

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Eba's POV

Last night I had a small problem. The itching in my head returned, but thankfully not as strongly as the first time. I decided to take a bath in the middle of the night so nobody noticed. Simon had made extra blankets from the wool, so I borrowed one to use as a towel. It was refreshing, washing my hair in the lake with the moon shining down.

There was a small island in the middle of the lake, so I warped there. I sat down and stared into the night sky, examining every speck of light. The moon looked beautiful that night. I rested on the tallest rock of the island, drying myself out. After a few moments, I decided to build something here. Somewhere to rest.

I left once I was dry and jumped into my clothes. I warped back home and noticed Thomas and Sarah had gone too. I didn't know if I wanted to look for them or sleep. I thought that maybe they needed a bath too, and decided to sleep instead. When I woke up, I noticed that they hadn't come back. This worried me.

Simon and the new girl were chatting away, seemingly without realizing I was awake. "Umm... wh-Where is... Thomas and Sarah?" They turned around. "I'm pretty sure they went hunting." I shook my head. "They had been gone since last night." Iza looked surprised, and Simon raised an eyebrow, his eyes as expressionless as always.

I felt the blush hot on my cheeks, and mumbled the rest. "I-I had gone to take a bath... and when I came back they weren't here..." Simon nodded and stood up. "Let's go find them. I'm sure they're not hurt since Sarah took her helmet, and she never parts from her bow, but you never know. They might have gotten lost somehow."

I nodded, and the girl tried to stand up. Immediately, Simon was by her side, gently pushing her back down. "You still need rest. Your wounds might get infected." The girl smiled and pushed him away playfully. "I'm a medic. If I say I can go, then I'll go." Simon feigned dislike and 'tsk'd disaprovinlgy. His eyes were bright, brighter than I had ever seen.

"Fine, but if you get blown up again then I won't help you." Iza giggled and extended her arm for him to help her up. "If I get blown up again, I don't think anyone will be able to help me." Slowly, they worked together to stand her up. Her shirt was broken in a few places, but not too much. The bandages were covering her up anyways. Her jeans were ripped at the knees, but I'm pretty sure that was intentional. She also wore boots.

She tested her legs, stomping down and nodding to herself. "Right. I probably shouldn't run, but I can walk without any issue." Simon nodded, and guided her out. Iza's arm was looped around his outstretched elbow in a 'gentlemanly' fashion. I followed them through the door.

It took us a few hours, but we eventually found Thomas and Sarah curled up and sleeping on a clearing in the forest. Simon said that we probably shouldn't bother them. I stared for a while, capturing the moment. I knew what I wanted to draw once Thomas got me my notebook.

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Unknown POV

I messed with my flame for a while, creating all sorts of shapes. I know he died, I was there. I saw him. This must mean he is on his last life. The light is almost gone. The thought made me smile. It felt good to burn that village to the ground. But I wouldn't be able to slay him like this. No matter how powerful I am, we will always die.

The slime girl almost saw me. If she had, that would have probably put a dent in my plans. But I sicced the monsters on her. They didn't hesitate to attack. I smiled again. How easy it is to bend the simple ind of these monsters. To make them do my bidding.

Our fight has gone on for more than a thousand years, an endless cycle of life and death. But I broke the cycle. Now I have time to prepare, to gather an army. I rested against an old, unused portal, it's tough obsidian cool. Using my black flames, I lit the portal, and the gateway appeared. It was time to take over one of the three realms.

Time to end our fight for good.

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Author's Notes

Ughhh... I have a mild headache! :(((

I hope you liked this chapter. It was a bit difficult for me to finish, but I managed.

Anywho, thank you for your time, and good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb