Hey, I didn't think I'd get a chapter out at all this week! Who else feels like dancing? Heh.
Seriously, though…
So, quick recap before covering comments…
In the last chapter, it was revealed how much Magiya is really torn up by everything that's happened. Nythera came to visit Magiya and said a few sharp words to her, causing them to scream at each other for a few minutes.
No, really, that's all that happened last chapter.
Responses…
Kindro15: Wow, thank you so much! I wish you luck with whatever story you choose to stick to. ^^ I will certainly try to drop a few clues about my writing tips as we go, but I don't know how helpful they might be to you. O.o I'll do my best, though. ^^
And, on to the rest of the scene that was supposed to happen last chapter. Please enjoy.
"Fine!" I thundered, standing up so quickly my chair toppled over backwards onto the wooden floor. "You want to know what happened? Krieger was being a fucking womanizer like he was born to be, and I gave him a piece of my damn mind! He over-fucking-reacted and is acting like a stupid ass, and is being all silent, moody, and emo! Rolith was all like 'Why'd you do that?' and told me that I was gonna fucking die alone and that nobody would care! So you tell me, Nythera, what in the fuck happened there?" By the end, I was screaming almost to the point where my voice was ready to break, and I could barely see my long-time friend at all because my sight was so blurry.
For one of perhaps two times I had ever seen her in this way, Nythera was silent. It wasn't a good silence, but nor was it necessarily bad. If I didn't know any better (and I really didn't), I'd say it was a stunned silence. Nythera just stared at me in shock, then she stood too and walked around the main room, running a slim hand through her dark bangs.
"Lore, Magiya, and I thought I screwed up when I tried to destroy Warlic… You've really fucked up."
"Thanks so much."
With all of the anger and energy suddenly just draining from my body, I closed my eyes briefly, sinking unexpectedly wearily into the chair I had only just vacated. My head fell back, and I ran my fingers through my hair. Nythera was still taken aback at my outburst, and after another moment of just standing there, she slowly sat too, taking a moment before speaking or saying anything to me.
"Well, you know what has to happen now," she said quietly, crossing her arms in a feeble imitation of how she had been when she walked in.
"No. I don't."
"Never let it be said that you have people skills."
"I never did," I murmured as I leaned forward again to hang my head in my hands. "I know I screwed up, bad. But I don't know what to do to fix it! I've never… never had to deal with this before," I said uncomfortably. The word 'this' was accompanied by an uncertain hand gesture that indicated the whole situation that was going on. I stayed leaned forward in my chair, my elbows resting on my knees, and my hands clasped together tightly. It was difficult in the extreme to admit to anyone or anything that I didn't know what to do, but more than that, it was humiliating.
I felt my long-time friend gently run her hand over my shoulderblade from where she sat slightly across and to the right of my chair. I could tell she was unsure about what to do, because typically, the powerful young half-dragoness just shrugged off other people crying. But she trusted me in the same way I did her, and tried to comfort me, at least. I was grateful. It didn't really help, but all the same, it was a thoughtful act, and I appreciated it.
"Magiya, why didn't you just ask someone?" Nythera asked softly, but still bluntly as she removed her hand. I've said before that this was what I liked about her.
"There was nobody I could trust to know the whole story," I replied quietly, and just as concisely.
"You could have asked me."
"…"
I stayed silent. She was right; I could have asked her at any point in time, and because she could be extremely closemouthed when she chose to be, she would have kept my issue between just us. I was just a little bit ashamed that asking someone had never even been considered by my subconscious.
But silence is only temporary, a bandage on a raw spot. It never lasts.
"Do you know what you have to do?" Nythera prodded gently, but still in a slightly businesslike manner. Mutely, still clinging to that small bandage that would have to be torn off eventually, I shook my head slowly. My vision was getting blurry again, and in a sudden burst of frustration I scrubbed the heel of my hand across my eyes once more, a little harder than last time. But after a few moments, the tears returned.
Nythera grabbed my shoulders loosely and pulled me upwards so I was sitting with my back straight in the chair, and looked me in the eye. I was sure I must have looked hellish, with my eyes red and watery and my hair tangled and messy hanging around my face, but to her credit, Nythera didn't even blink.
"You've got to apologize to Artix," she told me softly, her voice firm and quiet. This was the calmest I could ever remember seeing Nythera, and a guilty pang in my chest told me she was right.
Not only apologize to him, but admit your mistake, and offer to do whatever you can to fix it, murmured the voice in the back of my mind. That thing was really starting to become a nuisance.
"I don't want to."
My voice was small, and if I were watching this scene from outside my body, I would probably have been unable to reconcile this voice with my normal tone. It sounded almost like a whine, and I'm ashamed to say now that it came from my mouth.
"You have to," pressed Nythera.
"No I don't," I said obstinately. It was just like in the battle at Moonridge; I knew I was going to give in at some point, but it wasn't going to be without a fight. Though… with how mentally exhausted and dejected I was, it wouldn't be long.
"If you want anything in life to return to normal," said Nythera sharply, scowling slightly (as usual), "You are going to go straight to Amityvale, find Artix, and apologize to him, dammit!"
"I don't even know where Amityvale is!"
What a feeble excuse.
"The griffin by the guardian tower knows," barked my friend. "You just tell him where you want to go!"
"I'm not going to ride that thing, the turbulence is awful!"
"Magiya!" Nythera exclaimed, her eyes flashing as her small dragon wings flapped in severe agitation. "Get your wimpy ass out to Falconreach, get on that griffin, go to Amityvale, and just apologize to Artix already! The longer you put it off, the less likely you will be to do it, and the longer this will drag on with you being a little bitch hiding in your house!" Once again, Nythera's bluntness caught me by surprise, and it stung more than it should have. I gritted my teeth as I winced, looking at the floor again. Nythera wordlessly glared at me from where she sat across from me, refusing to back down. In this respect, I knew she could match me step for step; she was just as stubborn as I was about some things. I remained quiet for several long moments before slowly raising my face to look her in the eye, and I nodded once.
A faint apologetic smile brushed across her lips, and it was then that we both knew we had an unspoken agreement.
That didn't mean I had to like it, of course.
But… I knew what I had to do now.
Go to Amityvale, murmured the voice in my mind. Find Krieger, and apologize to him. You remember when you had to ask for his help in the Ice Valley? Do you remember what that felt like? That humility? Try to do that again when you apologize. Release your pride for a moment.
I wasn't ready to, I protested mutely as Nythera and I stood at the same time. I wasn't ready to apologize to him. Not yet.
If you wait until you think you're ready, you'll wait your whole life, it reminded me gently. I conceded that it was right, if unwillingly.
I remained standing there as Nythera quietly stepped out, closing the door behind her. Her purpose here was done, and she wanted to return to Warlic's field in order to pester him to let her learn void magic some more. After all, that was her usual pastime. I returned to my bedroom, gingerly picking through my closet for a clean robe that I liked. A slim-fitting silver one caught my eye, and I pulled it out, planning to change into it after a much-needed bath. I wasn't going to show up before Krieger looking like I had been through hell and back, after all.
Behind my small cottage, the woods were thicker there than almost any place else in Lore. However, through these close-packed trees there ran a wide, deep, clear stream that was ideal for either drinking or washing. I intended to use it for the latter. I retrieved a bar of soap and a towel from my washroom before heading out to the aforementioned stream. I felt strangely… content. I wasn't fazed by the prospect of apologizing to the man who annoyed the hell out of me, and may or may not be my worst enemy. The big black horse in the paddock to the side of my house lifted his head in mild interest, gazing at me with intelligent brown eyes that seemed to say 'I knew it.' I stuck my tongue out at him before reaching the creek.
After glancing around warily for any stalkers that might be hanging around, I quickly slipped out of my current outfit, hurriedly sinking beneath the chilling water until only my head was above the surface before the shock from the cold could set in. I gritted my teeth as the first shiver racked my body, and reluctantly reached out of the stream to grab the soap which still lay on the shore. I bathed quickly and efficiently, having no desire to stay in the icy stream any longer than absolutely necessary. When I had finished cleaning my body, I scrubbed my hair mercilessly, then leaned back in the water so that my darkened brown hair flowed out behind me, following the path of the current.
Once I had finished, I made a mad dash for the shore, nabbing my towel and wrapping it around my torso so it would stay for a minute while I wrung the water out of my hair. After that I quickly returned to my house, fully drying off and changing into the silver robe I had chosen.
Why do I care so much about how I look in front of him? I wondered idly as I delicately brushed imaginary lint off the robe. I shouldn't.
When I was finally satisfied with my not-out-of-the-ordinary appearance, I picked up my staff from where it usually leaned against the wall beside the front door, and cautiously stepped outside. The air was just as chilling as it had been before, and I looked over at the black stallion who hadn't noticeably moved. He snorted in greeting before going back to munching on the grass. He seemed far more personable than I was, that's for sure.
Shaking my head slightly, I started on the mile-long trek to Falconreach through the forest, almost absently ducking and avoiding the low branches, bushes, and thorn vines that lined the small deer trail leading back to the huge town. I was feeling… pretty confident, actually. It was such a foreign feeling as of late that it made my skin prickle. I used to feel like this so often before several months ago, when all this started… I inadvertently increased my pace.
I didn't allow my robe to catch on anything. I could have walked this path blindfolded, knowing exactly where each and every briar bush or loose twig was; being able to see it only made it doubly easy. I let my hips swish to the left at the right moment to avoid sweeping against the stump that was less than twenty feet from the edge of the forest. Upon emerging, the light of an early winter snow nearly blinded me for a moment, but I didn't stop, only continuing along the road leading into Falconreach. Ash waved briefly to me from where he stood by Lim's weapon smith shop, talking to Twilly, and I gave a little sort of half-wave in return, ducking my head slightly. I climbed the steep trail that led up to the Guardian Tower, passed several Guardians sparring with each other, and reached the small bluff where a large griffin rested. The intelligent beast turned its magnificent head to gaze at me with big, dark, intelligent eyes that were not dissimilar to those of the black horse back home. It had always seemed to me that animals or people with those types of eyes could stare right through your soul if they felt so inclined.
Tentatively, I approached, stretching out a hand to gingerly stroke his soft feathers on his face above his beak. He pushed his nose into my hand, making me smile. This Griffin had never given me any reason to fear him or use more caution than needed around him, but I maintained that it was unwise to become careless among those who could, if pushed, be dangerous.
"Hey, Sweet," I murmured, running my hands adoringly over his feathers as he rested his huge head in my arms. The Guardians had trained him well. I was sure he must have had a name, but I had never heard it. Therefore, I nicknamed him whatever non-embarrassing nickname popped into my head at the moment. "Feel like taking me somewhere?" In answer, the griffin turned his head towards the map of Lore spread out on the big sign next to him, and then looked back at me. I paused, and then said with more conviction than I think I really felt, "Amityvale, please." The massive bird-lion creature looked at me for a moment more, his piercing black eyes feeling like they were burning holes in my head.
I know what you're doing, they seemed to say. They offered no approval or denial of anything more.
With that, the griffin rose to his feet—paws?—and unfolded only one wing, the one furthest from me. The invitation was clear: Getting on? With a slight smirk, I scrambled in a rather undignified way up onto the red-gold saddle strapped to his back, and then held my wooden staff lengthwise between my palms before suddenly pressing my hands together, causing the staff to vanish temporarily. This done, I securely fastened my arms around the griffin's neck as he suddenly launched himself off the small platform at the edge of the bluff, and then we were sailing through the air at speeds arrows couldn't match.
And somehow… the wind carried my worries and fears away with it.
And so, here you all go. Magiya is on her way.
I'd like to take a second to thank everyone who has reviewed, read, or subscribed. I am really, truly pleased to see how well this fanfiction is doing despite the fandom of Dragonfable not being the most popular. ^^
If anyone's curious, my motivation for writing tends to stem from… *wait for it*…
Juice.
Yes, juice. Pineapple-Orange-Banana juice, to be exact. ^^" I think it's really great.
But no, seriously, most of where I get my ideas from? Movies. I'll watch a movie I think might be good from the previews, and if an idea hits during the movie, I'll pause it, write the idea down, and continue. When the movie is over, I scroll through the ideas, fine-trim a few of them or delete them altogether, and even get a few more strikes during this process. Then I select the one that most appeals to me, and build off of it. If I don't like that, I start over.
Maybe there's a more productive way of doing this… if there is, I don't care. I like my way. X3
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and my senseless babbling, and have a good week or three. ^^"
Thanks for reading. ^^
Juliet
