Viridescent Shadows
By Daring D.D. Danger
Epilogue: Viridescent Shadows
April, 1645
The door slammed shut. Maven hung up her weapons and cloak.
"So, what did I miss?" I asked, making Maven jump.
"Christabella! One of these times I'm going to actually kill you." Maven said.
"I thought my fake death during the witch attack would've gotten that out of your system."
"I just can't believe your stupid plan worked… well, kind of." Maven scratched her head. "You did burn down a third of Trolberg."
"I do feel bad about that, you know."
"Well once you died in the city center, the people insisted that the mayor should've listened to me. They ended up throwing him out of town and they asked me to be mayor instead."
"Are you going to do it?" I inquired.
"I already told them yes. I also convinced the church to leave."
"Very nice!" I cheered.
"I do have one more thing to show you." Maven went over to her table and unrolled a scroll of some sort.
"Are those building plans?" I asked.
"I want the people of this village to be educated. I doubt it'll happen soon, but this is the design I'll leave behind for the Trolberg library. It's even going to have a secret room for magic books. Perhaps I'll have my future apprentice build it, once the village is growing again."
"So you think Trolberg will be okay, I take it?"
"We have a port, Christabella, of course we'll be fine."
"Maven, I think I'm going to stop going by Christabella. I'm not sure what I'll go by instead yet."
"You don't want to be seen as the witch that destroyed the town, I take it."
"I kind of wish that name would just be forgotten." I replied.
"I'll see if I can work my magic on that, but I may just have one more use for it."
"Do whatever you need to, I suppose." I said.
"What's next for you, Marra?" Maven asked.
"I think this village can only support two Marra right now anyway. I suppose myself and Eunice will be fine in that regard. I think I want to stick around and see that library though." I said.
"So you plan to outlive me, then." Maven said.
"I suppose so. That's strange to think about. I guess I'll outlive everyone I know."
"I have already done so, if it makes you feel better." Maven said.
"Can I ask you one more thing?" I suddenly recalled. "Have you ever heard the name Huld before?"
"I have- only legends, though. She was a witch who supposedly created an undead army of girls."
"A Marra who died recently told me she helped kill Huld, and she was able to grow blades from her body."
"Marra don't have abilities like that, or they aren't supposed to. Unfortunately a lot of texts on magic have been destroyed. The few that remain likely are in hiding with the few remaining witches in this world."
"That's about what I expected." I said, disappointed. "I suppose that's all I needed to say."
"Have a good afterlife." Maven said.
"I'll see you in your dreams." I replied.
"I'd like to see you try." With that I flew out of the lock in her door.
Trolberg, 1735
I landed on a tree-branch overlooking Trolberg. The village I grew up in was now a city with stone walls, and soon a library, just as Maven promised. Suddenly, another Marra landed next to me.
"Nice night, don't you think?" Eunice asked.
"It is. How's the new girl doing?"
"Lucia will be a good Marra. Honestly, Patience needed another Marra her age too, so I think we made the right choice."
"Are you calling us old?" I asked.
"Yes, actually I am."
"Hey, are you ever going to tell me what Alma told you that night?" I asked.
"I will. Not today, though." Eunice looked down. "I don't think I'll ever get over her."
"Sure you will." I said.
"Honestly, I think my time being a Marra is almost up." Eunice said.
"Slow down now, I'm not ready to be the head Marra of Trolberg."
"I'll hang around a bit longer. Can I ask a dumb question now?"
"Sure." I was admittedly curious.
"You've been around for over 90 years, and every day I've known you, you have put your hair in the exact same style. Why?"
"Oh, my friend Mirabel always did my hair this way, two pigtails."
"Ah, the girl you were obviously in love with. I guess neither of us have moved on." Eunice said. I put my head down, one pigtail falling to either side of my head.
Trolberg, Present Day
Snow was beginning to fall onto the roof of the Trolberg library. The town was unrecognizable from the one I'd grown up in. I suppose that was honestly a plus to being conditionally immortal. I loved the lights and sounds that filled the air at night. Cars fascinated me, although I'd decided to never get in one again not long after they first arrived in Trolberg. There had been a bad crash the other night, actually. Someone had died.
"You're not very stealthy for a Marra, Kelly!" I said to the girl trying to sneak up behind me.
"Fine, you got me." Kelly sat down next to me. "I can tell you're thinking about something."
"I am. About the blue haired girl." I said.
"The one who's afraid of bikes?" Kelly asked.
"No, the other blue haired girl in Trolberg." I said sarcastically.
"Her name is Hilda." Kelly said. "Why do you care so much about her?"
"It's not that I care about her, or her dead mother. I just, sort of can relate to losing people."
"You are the oldest Marra in Trolberg." Kelly said.
"That's true. I still don't want to talk about my life, though." I said.
"You'll have to tell someone eventually." Kelly said.
"That's also true. I need to pass on a story to the oldest Marra, once they are going to be in charge." I said.
"What if we don't make the next oldest Marra in charge once you go?" Kelly said, and I immediately laughed.
"What are you girls going to do? Vote?" I laughed.
"Why not?" Kelly said.
"Well, if you do it that way, you'll probably be head Marra, Kelly." A moment of silence passed.
"Maybe I should just tell you, then." I said. "I've been a Marra since 1645."
"Really!?" Kelly said.
"Yes. You've signed up for a long story, you better get comfortable."
To Be Continued in Viridescent Shadows II: The Nightmarish Nine