The Rush to The Rush
As the halfling's tirade faded into the distance, Shaze turned her attention back to the half-charred form of Asaag. Willing her Mana to continue its work, his wounds became less life threatening, but it was clear that there would be a great deal of scarring, as the wounds began to resolve themselves into feathery lightning patterns across his back and one of his arms. Asaag's breathing steadied, but, perhaps as a mercy, he remained unconcious.
Shaze sighed as the glow of her Mana faded, "Harper," she began, looking to the masked man at the rear of the boat, "we should make a stop at Ceford. I think it's time we let Bruz go home." She turned to the young Ghask boy, who choked in surprise, "But we're on an adventure! I've been having so much fun hanging out with my big sister; I'm not ready to go home, and besides, didn't it get melted by the volcano?" Bruz's eyes grew distant with the memory of the day he first left Galtar.
Shaze shook her head, "No, dear. From what your cousin says, it sounds like your home and your family must be safe and sound. I don't think she would lie to you about that. Besides, they've been chasing us all these months to get you back, I think. As much as I hate to say it, it will be safer for us if you go home. Asaag and I have...Borrowed your Narrative for long enough. We should be more responsible for our own fates from here on."
"We'll stop at Ceford long enough to charter a ship to Lorukh," Harper cut in, "After that, we're moving on, regardless of whether you've taken care of the boy. I don't have time to waste on coddling him." Rhoz'Kesk levelled a sharp glare in his direction, while Bruz puffed his chest in a show of dominance as a response.
"Besides, Bruz," Shaze retrieved the boy's attention from Harper with a gentle hand, "don't you think your family misses you? I'm sure your father would be happy to have you home, and you would be able to tell him so many stories about the adventure we've been on."
Bruz started in on a response, but was disarmed by the pleading in Shaze's eyes. He lowered his head, "She said that you're the bad guys," he whispered with uncertainty, "but we've just been going on adventures and having fun, and Rhoz is teaching me how to fight, and to be super sneaky, and you showed me a bunch of magic - I mean, I can't use magic - not yet anyway, but it's been super cool. You're not really bad guys, are you?" Bruz's eyes shimmered, moisture gathering near their outer edges.
"Oh, darling," Shaze laid a hand on Bruz's head, "I wish that was a simple question to answer. You know that we're doing all this to save the world from something terrible. Asaag and I," she paused a moment, looking over her wounded partner, "We carry a great burden, a secret of sorts, that has been hidden from this world for a very long time." Shaze's eyes wandered out toward the open sea, as though searching, distant, "We've done things, and will probably do more things, that the stories you know would say make us into villains. When we are done, the world will not remember us as being kind, and they will not think what we have done is a mercy to them. It will change the world forever, and it will almost certainly make it a more dangerous place to live. This, I will probably never live long enough to stop regretting. But if we should stop, or gods forbid, fail, then this world stands no chance of surviving . Asaag and I, we're fighting to give the world a chance, knowing that we'll absolutely be written as the villains of this story. Our deeds will be called evil and vile, and we will be remembered as murderers and harbingers of catastrophe." She reached out to squeeze Bruz's hand, "But, if you know the truth, dear, then it's all worth it. I don't care if the world knows the truth, they can remember us however they need to in order to move on after our work is done, but I would love for you to remember moments like these," she gestured out to the ocean, stretching on to the horizon with the sun slowly rising in the dawn, "the moments where we're out on the open ocean, having an adventure, seeing the sun rise again. Do you think you can remember me like that?"
Bruz sniffled an odd, chortling sort of sniffle, and wiped the wetness from around his eyes, before lunging in to wrap his arms around Shaze's neck, "I know you're a good lady, Aunty Shaze."
Shaze siezed for a moment in surprise before allowing one of her arms to wrap gently beneath Bruz's shoulders as mist began welling in her eyes, "I try dear. I really do."
Shaze sighed as the glow of her Mana faded, "Harper," she began, looking to the masked man at the rear of the boat, "we should make a stop at Ceford. I think it's time we let Bruz go home." She turned to the young Ghask boy, who choked in surprise, "But we're on an adventure! I've been having so much fun hanging out with my big sister; I'm not ready to go home, and besides, didn't it get melted by the volcano?" Bruz's eyes grew distant with the memory of the day he first left Galtar.
Shaze shook her head, "No, dear. From what your cousin says, it sounds like your home and your family must be safe and sound. I don't think she would lie to you about that. Besides, they've been chasing us all these months to get you back, I think. As much as I hate to say it, it will be safer for us if you go home. Asaag and I have...Borrowed your Narrative for long enough. We should be more responsible for our own fates from here on."
"We'll stop at Ceford long enough to charter a ship to Lorukh," Harper cut in, "After that, we're moving on, regardless of whether you've taken care of the boy. I don't have time to waste on coddling him." Rhoz'Kesk levelled a sharp glare in his direction, while Bruz puffed his chest in a show of dominance as a response.
"Besides, Bruz," Shaze retrieved the boy's attention from Harper with a gentle hand, "don't you think your family misses you? I'm sure your father would be happy to have you home, and you would be able to tell him so many stories about the adventure we've been on."
Bruz started in on a response, but was disarmed by the pleading in Shaze's eyes. He lowered his head, "She said that you're the bad guys," he whispered with uncertainty, "but we've just been going on adventures and having fun, and Rhoz is teaching me how to fight, and to be super sneaky, and you showed me a bunch of magic - I mean, I can't use magic - not yet anyway, but it's been super cool. You're not really bad guys, are you?" Bruz's eyes shimmered, moisture gathering near their outer edges.
"Oh, darling," Shaze laid a hand on Bruz's head, "I wish that was a simple question to answer. You know that we're doing all this to save the world from something terrible. Asaag and I," she paused a moment, looking over her wounded partner, "We carry a great burden, a secret of sorts, that has been hidden from this world for a very long time." Shaze's eyes wandered out toward the open sea, as though searching, distant, "We've done things, and will probably do more things, that the stories you know would say make us into villains. When we are done, the world will not remember us as being kind, and they will not think what we have done is a mercy to them. It will change the world forever, and it will almost certainly make it a more dangerous place to live. This, I will probably never live long enough to stop regretting. But if we should stop, or gods forbid, fail, then this world stands no chance of surviving . Asaag and I, we're fighting to give the world a chance, knowing that we'll absolutely be written as the villains of this story. Our deeds will be called evil and vile, and we will be remembered as murderers and harbingers of catastrophe." She reached out to squeeze Bruz's hand, "But, if you know the truth, dear, then it's all worth it. I don't care if the world knows the truth, they can remember us however they need to in order to move on after our work is done, but I would love for you to remember moments like these," she gestured out to the ocean, stretching on to the horizon with the sun slowly rising in the dawn, "the moments where we're out on the open ocean, having an adventure, seeing the sun rise again. Do you think you can remember me like that?"
Bruz sniffled an odd, chortling sort of sniffle, and wiped the wetness from around his eyes, before lunging in to wrap his arms around Shaze's neck, "I know you're a good lady, Aunty Shaze."
Shaze siezed for a moment in surprise before allowing one of her arms to wrap gently beneath Bruz's shoulders as mist began welling in her eyes, "I try dear. I really do."
What a manipulative witch.