Chapter 7: Reunion

Chapter 7



         As gross and mucky as I felt, you’d think the first thing I’d to would be to take a long, hot shower. Or maybe a bath. With bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles. Instead, I had flopped down onto the bed immediately. I didn’t even bother to get under the covers at first, just laying there on top of the comforter, thinking nothing, breathing in the blissfully cool air of the inn. To circulate and chill the air of the entire inn, the aura collection crystal on top of the building must have been pretty large, and capable of collecting and converting much more aura than the kind of crystal you’d find on top of a house. Some part of my mind starting doing calculations, but the numbers trailed off into silence as I dozed, unwilling to really let my mind focus on anything. Lisa eventually returned with two bags full of fresh clothing, hygiene supplies, and a few other essentials, and I mustered up enough energy to dig out a clean pair of pajamas and snuggle under the sheets.

         I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling. Most of the room was white, except for the wooden paneling on the lower half of the walls. There was a long, plain dresser, a nightstand with a lamp in between the two beds, and a circular table with a couple of chairs. The window had the curtains drawn shut, so most of the summer sunlight was shut out. That suited me, I’d had enough of the sun for one day. I supposed the room was intended to be sort of plain, able to cater to any type of person who may be staying in it. To me, it just felt sort of cold and lonely. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t unappreciative. The warmth Mr. Richard and Miss (Mrs? Ms? Were they married? I had forgotten to see if she was wearing a ring,) Lisa had shown me in letting me stay here and caring for me was something I didn’t think I’d ever be able to repay them for. It’s just… I missed my violet walls and carpet. I missed all my books, and my bed. I missed being in my room, and compared to that, this room just seemed…empty.

         I shut my eyes, willing myself to rest instead of thinking about what I’d lost. I managed to doze a little, but it seemed like every time I really managed to fall asleep, the previous night would start replaying in a dream, and I’d jerk myself awake. I was still so tired though, that I couldn’t get myself out of the bed, and would just drift off again. I saw my parents’ corpses again and again, watched as my imagination dreamed up how Sandra must have died, heard that jerk Sever’s cruel voice over and over… It wasn’t until my dreaming wandered to my walk with Reim in the forest, and his memory pushed away all the bad things, that I actually fell fully asleep.



         I blinked my eyes open sometime later, in the early evening. I just sort of groaned for a moment. All the aching and pain I had felt before was apparently just a precursor. Once I had relaxed, my muscles had stiffened up, and every ache and pain felt about ten times worse. My legs and chest in particular hurt as if I’d been beaten. I slowly sat up and rolled my shoulders, trying to stretch out a bit. I was still exhausted, but I felt like I’d had enough sleep. Even so, I strongly considered just laying back down, curling up in a ball, and crying. My mind was somewhat refreshed from sleep, so it had plenty of attention to spare dwelling on what I’d lost. Tears filled my eyes, and I thought I was going to start sobbing uncontrollably again. By chance, I glanced to my right, at the nightstand. I had left Reim’s water vial sitting on it. I stared at it for a moment, and in my mind, I heard him say again, “You should be fine if you keep going.”

         He was right. I couldn’t just lay here and mourn, as much as my sore body wanted to. I had to get up and keep going. Besides, I didn’t want Reim to come back and see me being all mopey and broken and… I kinda smelled too.

         Reim had saved my life. I refused to let him see me like a broken victim, whether I was one or not. He’d see someone who, thanks to him, had a chance to be alive that she never would have had without him. He’d see that his bravery and kindness wasn’t some meaningless gesture, given only so that the one he protected had more opportunity to cry.

         Besides… Reim was sad enough. I had seen it in his soul. He didn’t need my sadness adding to that. “Nope!” I said aloud, throwing the sheets off of me and wiping my eyes. “He’s going to see me smiling. He deserves that.” I stood up and stretched…then fell back down on my butt on the bed. “Owww…” I groaned, letting my head tilt to one side and rolling my shoulders. “Ok, maybe I should take it slow,” I muttered to myself.

         After sitting there for a moment, indulging my aching body with non-movement for just a little longer, I got back to my feet and rummaged in the bags Lisa had brought me, and got out everything I would need. Then I went into the bathroom and took a long, blissfully hot shower.



         By the time I had gotten out, the whole bathroom was filled with steam, and the air felt humid and clammy. I walked out brushing my hair, looking at my appearance in the mirror over the dresser. I had chosen a deep violet tunic shirt, the kind that stretches down to the hips with long sleeves that are extra wide at the end. Sure, it was long sleeved, but with them being open at the end, and all being made of light fabric, it wouldn’t be too hot to wear. I wore a black belt over the shirt right at my belly, and black stretch pants that ended just above my ankles. I thought I looked nice. Miss./Mrs./Ms. Lisa had good taste in clothing, and she had guessed my size perfectly. Maybe she was used to doing that sort of thing for people. I put the hairbrush down, and my stomach growled audibly. I blinked. The last time I had eaten was dinner the night before. I glanced toward the window, and saw light from the setting sun in the gap of the curtains. “Oh wow… I haven’t eaten in almost a full day.” I mused.

         I stepped into the black slip-on shoes Lisa (I was done thinking multiple honorifics,) had bought me and headed for the door. They should have been serving dinner downstairs in the hall, and I’d already been told I was getting dinner, whether I liked it or not. As I opened the door, I heard voices talking in the hallway, and for some reason I became so anxious that I froze with the door only cracked.

         “Yeah, she walked in here this morning, looking as homely and forlorn as you please.” Lisa voice said. “Not a scratch on her though.”

         “Hahah.” A man’s voice. My heart started beating faster. “Well, she had some help last night. Had she been alone, I don’t think she would have made it here.”

         Oh spirits. A man who knew I’d escaped, and had been helped. A man who knew about the attack, and where to find me. I felt myself start shaking, felt sweat break out on my forehead. I quickly backed away from the door, looking around for some means of escape.

         “Help? What kinda help? She arrived here by herself.” Lisa asked.

         “Well, to be honest, I can’t really say. I’m not entirely sure myself, but uh, I’m pretty sure her help got sidetracked on the way. Maybe went back as a distraction or something, since she’s still being hunted,” The man answered.

         No. Nononononono. I was beginning to panic. The only other way out was the window, but I was on the third floor. Jumping from that high up seemed like a very unwise idea.

         They were close enough that I heard their footsteps, and my heart rate doubled. Logic suddenly went out the window, as I crossed the room and prepared to throw myself out after it.

         “You know more than you’re letting on, I think. What's the matter, boss keepin'  your mouth shut?" Lisa asked.

         "Don't feel bad. He won't even tell me, and I was there." Amy's voice answered.

         Wait...What? My hand still on the curtains, I slowly turned back toward the door. My mouth spoke before checking in with my brain. "Amy?"

         "Natalie!" Amy shouted. I heard her break out into a run and burst into the door. She was still wearing the same outfit she had the night before, and her hair looked messy and tangled, but she wasn't hurt.

Amt. My best friend. She was ok.

         "Amy!" I rushed toward her, and we tightly hugged each other. I burst into tears immediately. I couldn't help it. Something in my heart snapped when I saw her, and I couldn’t have stopped myself from crying anymore than I could have stopped from breathing.

         "Darn it, why do you always have to cry so easy? Now you got me started!" Amy whined while trying not to sob.

         I couldn't answer. I was too busy bawling my eyes out. I wasn't the only survivor.

         I wasn't alone.



         It took us a minute or two to finally calm down. I sniffled, wiping happy tears from my eyes. "How'd you get away?"

         Amy wiped her eyes as well, smile as bright and wide as ever. "My brother showed up right when the attack started. He got me out, but he pretty much had to drag me to keep me from coming to find you."

         "Chris came back?" I asked in surprise. Amy's older brother had left a few years before, claiming he was going to join some army. Now that I thought about it..."North Star. That's who he joined, right?"

         "Mm-hmm." Amy nodded happily. "And this guy here is his boss!" Amy stepped aside and held her arms out, presenting the man still standing in the doorway next to Lisa. "Natalie, allow me to introduce Seph Dokori, one of North Star's generals."

         He was a tall man, a little over six feet, and had a lanky build. He wore black boots and slacks, with a black button up shirt tucked into his pants, with the top few buttons undone. He had a gray belt, and on his head was a black fedora with a gray strip just above the brim. He took off his hat and bowed to me, looking thoroughly amused. His face had some stubble, and along with his untidy black hair, it made him look handsome in a roguish sort of way. I could feel his aura as well, and wow, it was strong. I hadn't ever felt such a strong spirit before. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Natalie."

         "Oh, uh, you as well, Mr. Seph." I said. I sort of nodded and hunched my shoulders in a bow. I wasn't sure if he was doing it to be funny, or if they actually stilled bowed and such where he came from. I probably should have curtsied or something.

         "Oh, spirits, no." Seph answered, replacing his hat. "Just Seph is fine." He had a sort of impish, mischievous grin. "I heard you had a rough night, but you look good."

         "Seph, are you hitting on my friend? 'Cuz she probably won't get it." Amy put a hand up next to her mouth on my side, like she were trying to speak quietly and not let me hear it. Then she spoke in an exaggerated whisper that everyone in the room could here, "she's never had a boyfriend before."

         I blushed and looked angrily at Amy, but Seph just cackled. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. Don't get me wrong, she's cute, but, no, I'm not hitting on your friend. Just glad to see she's in once piece and well cared for."

         "Speaking of being cared for," Lisa chimed in, "how about I bring you two ladies some food from the dining room, so you can chat up here and be in some peace?"

         "Oh, that would be awesome!" Amy answered instantly. "I'm so hungry, I considered eating Seph's face."

         Seph cackled again. "Hey now, why eat my face?" He turned and looked into the bathroom, where the conveniently placed mirror was right across from him. He surveyed himself, and rubbed his chin. "Well, maybe I can see why, it's a damn sexy face."

         Amy rolled her eyes, still grinning ear to ear. Then she raised a fist and shook it threateningly at him. "I'm gonna hurt you, Seph."

         That elicited another cackle from him. "Yeah, yeah. Well, you two have fun, I've got some boring, responsible adult stuff to do. Hey, bill me for whatever they need, okay?" He said to Lisa.

         Lisa shook her head. "No, no, it's fine, these two are on us. Besides, as much as you all have helped us? Your money's no good here." She turned to us and smiled. "I'll be right back with some dinner for you two."

         "Thank you," we both said at once, though mine was more polite, and Amy's was more... well...loud.

         Lisa turned and left, leaving us in the room alone with Seph for a moment. He turned his gaze to me. "Seriously though, it's good to see you made it. Even with your, ah, protector there, you were in a tight spot there at the end."

         "Huh?" I answered, staring at him in confusion. "You mean, you were there? You saw that?"

         "Who do you think was controlling that giant snake?" He winked, tapped a finger to his hat by way of parting, then left and shut the door behind him.

         That giant snake... I thought back to the night before. It took me a moment, but I remembered Reim throwing a bomb up in the air to catch the attention of something massive and black. It had been a snake, hadn't it? If Seph was strong enough to use that level of conjuration magic by himself, and still look perfectly fine and energetic the next day... Wow.

         "Pft. Such a show off." Amy said. "Thinks he's such a big deal just because he can make gigantic creatures and stuff using dark aura."

         "Well... you said he was a general, right?" I asked, still feeling somewhat in awe. "Doesn't that mean he is a big deal?"

         "Oh, sure." Amy replied. "He just has way too much fun reminding everyone about it." She was smiling despite her complaining. Amy had always been a great judge of character. If she liked this Seph person, I trusted that it meant he was a good guy.

         "I see."

         Amy raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

         "No, I'm just really glad to see you again." I shook my head. "I was scared I never would."

         Amy gave a big, toothy grin. "Oh come on, you really think I'd die before I managed to get you a boyfriend?"

         "Again with the boyfriend stuff! What is it with you!?" I shouted, and we both started laughing too hard to continue to conversation.



         Before long, we were both sitting on the beds, (it seemed more comfortable than the chairs at the table,) eating the food brought for us. Some fruits, some vegetables, a few sandwiches... little stuff like that. As hungry as I was, it tasted like heaven. And, well, Amy being Amy, she seemed to enjoy it even more. "So, Natalie, how'd you get away? Seph seems to know something, but he won't say it."

         I swallowed my food and thought for a moment. "Well... you probably won't believe me. I bet that's why Seph didn't say it either."

         Amy stared. "Natalie. You're, like, the worst liar ever. It'd be pretty obvious whether or not you're being honest."

         "Oh, be quiet." I snapped, taking another bite of fruit. "Well, first Sandra showed up. She kind of, um... blasted someone right through my bedroom window."

         Amy blinked. "She did what now?”

         I grinned and told her about what had happened. I told her about who Sandra claimed to be, I told her about Sever, (who she agreed was a big jerk,) and then I told her about Reim. As soon as I mentioned him, Amy's eyes got wide, and she stopped eating and just stared. I told her everything. from seeing him in my house, to him pushing me out of the way of the charging soldier, to my trying to heal him in the forest, right up to him rushing back to protect me from the oncoming pursuers.

         "Woah... by the spirits..." Amy said in awe. "Like, you're sure? Seriously? It was really the Azure Demon?"

         I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. And his name is Reim."

         Amy smirked. "That rhymes. It's like you're reciting poetry when you say it."

         "Isn't it?" I agreed, also grinning.

         "Hm... was he cute?"

         "What? Well, I mean..." I started blushing and looked down at my plate, pushing the food around a little. "...I... I guess he was, yeah."

         "Ooohhh." Amy said, now sounding even more intrigued. "What did he look like?"

         I told her.

         "Huh... Weird." She mused, putting down her empty plate. "You'd think he'd look older."

         "Oh, well, he's older than that, but his body isn't." I explained, putting down my plate, even though there was still some food left on it. I was stuffed. Lisa had brought us enough good to feed my whole family.

         "Eh?" Amy's face looked thoroughly confused.

         I shook my head and waved my had in front of me like I was shooing a fly. "It's complicated. His body is sixteen-ish, but Reim's been in other bodies before. It's how they live."

         "They steal bodies?" she asked.

         "No, they get born into them. Like... reborn with a new mother every time their old body dies." I said. There was no point trying to get technical. It would take far too long to explain, and Amy still probably wouldn't get it. I mean, it's not that Amy is stupid, but... well, it's best to keep things simple around her. She gets easily confused. Besides, it wasn’t as if I was an expert or anything.

         "Oh. Oh, that's pretty cool." Amy reached over and grabbed my plate to finish eating what I didn't. Honestly, where did she keep it all!? She was built like a stick!

         "What about you?" I asked. "You said Chris saved you, but you didn't give me any details beyond that."

         "Hm..." She laid down on her bed, stretching out and leaving the plate on her belly. "Well, when I woke up, I heard some fighting outside. I got up and ran to the door and saw Mom going berserk. She was fighting three of them at once, and was holding her own pretty well." I thought about Amy's mom. She was a fierce woman, despite having a slender frame like her daughter. Amy's father had left them years ago, not long after she was born, and her mother worked hard to fill the gap he left. "I heard her scream 'Go, get her out of here!' and then Chris comes out from the side and grabs me. I didn't really... I didn't want to leave her, but... It's kind of hard to say no to my mom. She held them off for a while, but, from what Seph tells me, they eventually got to her."

         "By the spirits..." I said sadly, laying down and stretching out on my bed too.

         "Yeah..." Amy said sadly. "Anyway, Chris got me out of town and to their temporary base or whatever outside of Xander. Which, by the way, was where most of the fighting happened. Only a small portion got sent to White Meadow... That's why it took so long for Seph and his crew to help us. They were too busy fighting them in and around Xander, and didn't even realize they'd attacked us until it was... kinda too late."

         We were both quiet for a bit. Both of our lives had been destroyed right in front of us. At least we still had each other. That didn't so much lessen the pain, as much as put a bit of relief and joy alongside it. Finally I said "Well... at least when you last saw her, your mother was being the fierce, strong woman she always was. She went down fighting."

         "Yeah." Amy said with a hint of pride. "Meanwhile, you finally got your knight in shining armor, more or less."

         I snorted. "More like a ninja in a blue coat."

         "Hey, a hero is a hero, right?" Amy countered.

         I smiled a little. "Yeah."

         "Plus, you're right, he is pretty cute. Definitely your type."

         I blinked, then sat up and stared at her. Her eyes were closed, but she was smiling broadly. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I had to lie in front of Lisa, because Seph doesn't think it's smart for the people here to know the Azure Demon is around, but he told me everything he found out. Through his snake, he saw Reim defending you against four of Guardian's people, including their boss Sever."

         "You... but... how do you know I'm right about him being cute?" I sputtered.

         She opened one eye and looked at me. "Oh, when we had just gotten into town and were about to look for you, I spotted someone coming out of the forest. I pointed him out to Seph, and he was all like 'By the spirits, that's him!'"

         "He's here!?" I asked.

         Amy nodded and closed her eye. "He was hurt really bad though. He was barely on his feet, and I don't think he was really conscious. He kept trying to punch Seph while he was guiding him to the hospital, but eventually he just passed out. It's okay though, Seph's people are taking care of him. Seph promised he'll be fine."

         I sagged and just stared at her with my mouth open. "You knew... the whole time..."

         She shrugged. "I just wanted to hear what you thought about him." Her grin widened. "I didn't expect you to actually admit you thought he was good looking. I think you might have one of those damsel-hero crushes going."

         "Oh, be quiet!" I said and threw a pillow at her. It hit her in the head, and she picked it up and threw it back. We throw pillows at each other for a bit, then just collapsed into giggles. I was embarrassed, but I didn't really care. I was far too happy to have my friend back. I guess I'd never actually lost her, but, I believed I had. Knowing I was wrong about that, knowing my best friend was still here for me to laugh and cry with... it made me feel like some of the wounds inside my heart were healing already.

         Honestly though... a crush on Reim... That was just silly. I had only just met him. Which, with a pang of guilt, reminded me that he had also only just met me, and had managed to get wounded so badly he couldn’t even walk. That would mean he’d been hurt even worse than when he saved me in White Meadow.

         That night, I pleaded to the spirits to watch over him, and whatever mages Seph had tending to him, and promised myself again that he’d never see me as some broken, barely salvaged survivor of a destroyed town. He’d see me, Natalie, the girl whose life he saved. And he’d see me smiling about it. He deserved that.