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2nd of Madan, 126 Year of the Tree

Home at last

by Gael

The next morning, we gathered in front of our rooms. With the apology behind us, we were all quite eager to begin the journey home. However, our plans would hit an unexpected snag.
 
Standing beside Luke was the Fey maiden I had seen him with at the party. He introduced her as Lumiria—a political prisoner sent by her father to Nimmerhold to help maintain peace between her realm and Nevermore. Moved by her plight and desire for freedom, Luke insisted on bringing her back with us to Wolf’s Run.
 
Now, as you can imagine, there were a few issues with that plan. Starting with the fact that by removing her from the castle without first addressing the delicate political issues at hand, we could very well be sparking the very war that her presence was preventing. Sadly it was the hard truth of the matter that, like Ileas before her, her sacrifice was saving countless lives. Though of course that didn’t make it any less tragic.
 
The second issue at hand was the risk of angering the High King. As our previous dealings with him had made one thing perfectly clear. His ego was as brittle as glass. And he could very well see us spiriting Lumiria away as a direct insult towards him.
Which would risk us shifting his wrath towards us, and by extension Keralon, once again. And between you and me, I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of returning in just a few months to grovel at his feet for forgiveness once more.
 
But beyond the threat of political fallout, there was also Hayley.
 
From the moment Luke voiced his plan, the look on her face made her stance on it crystal clear. And given Luke’s romantic history, her skepticism, especially toward Lumiria, was entirely justified.
 
Eventually though, Luke's persistence won us over. In an effort to keep things discreet, we asked him to please transform Lumiria into an animal for now. As the guards would most likely stop us otherwise. Lumiria requested for something a bit more dramatic and exotic in nature, like a tiger. But ultimately they agreed on a pink cat instead.
 
To make our return as smooth as possible, we sought help from one of the few allies we trusted in the castle: Lady Vivienne.
 
When asked, she readably agreed to help us without hesitation. Though not wanting to be in her debt, Alistan wisely offered the silver coin he had won in the melee as tribute. And with a sidelong glance at the pink feline nestled in Luke’s arms, Vivienne opened the portal.
 
We stepped out into the middle a sunlit field, much to the surprise of a few nearby farmers. Thankfully, they informed us that we were only a few kilometers from Keralon. Just a short walk from home.
 
Seeing the keep again after such a long time felt a bit surreal. Not helped by its stunning transformation. For during our absence the construction we’d commissioned had finally been completed, and our modest stronghold had nearly doubled in size.
 
As we approached, the front doors suddenly burst open and Dynia came running.
 
Her dark hair streamed behind her as she ran toward us. Her smile radiant and unguarded. I froze for a moment, heart pounding. She was even more beautiful than I remembered.
 
She stopped just in front of us, cheeks slightly flushed, and welcomed us home. I greeted her in turn, awkwardly and most likely blushing myself as she took my hand. With Alistan and Hayley exchanging smug looks that they didn’t bother to hide.
 
Dynia wasn’t alone however. Following closely behind her was a young girl; around fifteen if I had to guess. It took me a moment before I finally recognized her as Anna, the child we had met in Rosebloom on our way to Keralon.
 
Shy but resolute, she approached Luke and handed him a letter from her grandfather, Hector. A request for Luke to take Anna as his magical apprentice. Delighted at the opportunity to teach the next generation (and maybe start poaching promising talent from Keralon’s academy), Luke proclaimed that he’d be honoured to teach her everything he knew.
 
But just as the wholesome moment settled, Luke suddenly yelped in pain.
 
In a jealous fit, Lumiria, still in her cat form, had raked his hand with her claws, drawing blood. She then transformed back, clutching her head in pain as Hayley turned on her, furious at the attack on her brother.
 
Now, I’ll admit that I’m not as practiced as Luke is when it comes to women. But I did grow up with two younger sisters. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that when two women are arguing, the quickest way to unite them is for a man to jump in and offer his opinion. So I decided to leave that particular spiderweb for Luke to untangle, as I simply smiled at Dynia and walked with her toward Wolf’s Rest.
 
Toward home.

Continue reading...

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  22. The Journal Entry’s title
  23. The Journal Entry’s title
  24. The battle for Ravensfield part 2
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  26. The Journal Entry’s title
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  29. The fall of Robert Talespinner
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  70. Entering the King' Tomb
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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2025 [en] | Anvil Time: 12:22, Aug 6 2025