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“It does.”
“You have never faltered on your promises to me, but today I make you one. I will be by your side always; you can always count on me. The road ahead is going to be steep but I am going to be right next to you for all of it.”
He smiles softly at me, his face relaxing a little more as he lowers his forehead to meet mine. “The Gods knew exactly what they were doing.”
I smile and we meet in a kiss.
He takes his horn and his hands circle me and he pulls me close. It feels like heaven to finally be able to be this close once more. Our lips taste one another as we cement our bond. The meaning much deeper than we can ever express.
After we pull apart, we find everyone in the welcoming room. Faz is holding Valeria and my mother is rocking Gordian slowly. The whole scene is still unreal.
I go to my mother who is closest. “Mom. How are you and how is he?” I place my lips on his forehead and he makes a little noise at me. My heart sings.
Oh joy, you beautiful thing.
“An angel as usual.” She says with so much fondness. I smile at her appreciatively, brushing her arm.
My mother may not say it but I can see it in her eyes whenever she is looking at me at times, her guilt. She hasn’t forgiven herself for leaving me and my brother.
Even though we’ve had a few conversations about it. She practically had no choice in the matter and as a parent, I have a different perspective now. If my absence was going to save my children and I thought I was doing the best for them by being absent, then I would.
I don’t agree but I understand. We were all pawns to the Gods and Goddesses, all just pieces to be moved. But it is the portion we have been dealt and dwelling on things that started a millennium ago won’t help.
“Thank you, mama.” I kiss her cheek before I move to Valeria. She cries when she sees me and I take her. Igor appears next to me then, and he kisses the top of her head. Only deep fondness for his daughter.
The door opens then and Zod walks in. “We are late.”
Igor turns with a glare to his cousin. But I hand the baby to Nani’s waiting hands.
We are out soon after, Owa next to us. She is coming to the event. She came very early in the morning to prepare Igor and myself and you can still smell the faint incense on Igor if you inhale him close enough. The children are left with Hani, my mother, and Nani. They volunteered to remain behind, saying they have no interest in the long journey and they are more than content to remain behind.
Hannah walks beside me and Zod walks on the other side of Igor.
We find a blue dragon and a brown-ish one waiting at the top of the mountain. The citizens of Modo are in the assembly. And it is wise the dragon did not come down until it’s safe.
Igor escorts me to see my sister before I leave. I need to let her know we are leaving. Though she is still not awake, I keep her updated with everything that’s happening. In a way, my sister was my first friend.
Igor’s hand on my back keeps me upright as I walk into her recovering room, but he remains out of the door. She is in Owa’s incense room. Her body is almost completely transformed. Only paws remain.
Watching the transformation has been hard. At first it was witnessing her shedding all her fur until she was just skin everywhere. Then her features turned gradually. Her caramel skin no longer looks like a chicken everywhere and it is turning smooth and there is now color in her lips and her eyebrows finally took shape. I take her one paw that is laying on her stomach and bring it to my lips.
“Hey, beautiful girl.” I say. “I hope you are still well in there. I hope mom told you, today is finally the day. Igor is going to fight for all our futures.” I swallow before I continue. “I’m a little nervous, sister. I still don’t trust others here.”
I continue telling her about my hopes and the day before I finally kiss her goodbye and I leave.
All too quickly we must leave and we set for our journey.
The high skies are a different experience as Igor holds me steady to his chest. And I find that I enjoy the view from top. I get to see part of the vast Dali River and we even see some sea creatures. One of them a serpent creature as big as a tree.
By the time we inch closer to the venue and the wall begins appearing, I have an even greater appreciation for Igor and what he has been doing. The atmosphere is different out in the vast barren lands of this realm. And I have seen more than my share of strange new creatures.
The venue is already full of orcs and the arena is separated clearly from this vantage point. You can clearly see the green of the Bonos, the pale to browns of the Modo, the dark grey of the Soko and the dragons, all in dragon form.
It makes me wonder why they aren’t shifting. It is very interesting that these creatures have been in this realm forever without their neighbours knowing they can shift to a human-like form.
We can hear the rumbling of the arena all the way from here, and as we descend, each part is engaging in what I can best describe as a competition in war cries.
Gremlo and Langa sit like the Kings they are amidst their warriors, commanding them in their war cries, axes and spears in hand, armoured and armed to the teeth. The Sokos are quiet in comparison. Most of them don’t have sounds in their section.
