Chapter 24: Chapter Twenty-Three: A Short Break

“And where might you be off to?”
Ignis questioned.
“If you think that I’d not notice your presence, then you still have a lot of training to do, young Valdus. Your Essence even at rest is far too easy to sense.”

Valdus froze, turning around from where he stood to find Ignis suddenly standing by the entrance of his den.

“W-what- why do you ask?”
Valdus stuttered.

“You look anxious to leave. I believe it would be better for you to rest another night, here in the canyon, as I surmise you are yet to have planned your next steps...”
Ignis replied.
“...am I wrong?”

“I-...”
Valdus paused.
“Fine...you’re right... I was about to leave without saying anything...and without a plan...”

He held his arm and leaned with his back against a wall, staring at the ground.

“Ace followed Hackett through Caligra, so for the time being I’m on my own. I know I can keep in touch, thanks to the Wisps, but...what I want to ask, or...should have asked months ago... It would just feel rude without it being face-to-face now. And, sure, I want to continue forward, and I want to save Kaenrae, but... Without anyone else, it...”
Valdus began to confess.
“...it...almost feels scary, and lonely, all of a sudden. I thought I was used to being alone, always wanting to be alone, but-... In the past I tried to be on my own, but I’ve seen what it’s like out there. I’m not ready to fight on my own, not yet at least. I also keep seeing glimpses of similarities to home, and yet time and time again am reminded that this world is different, far different from the one I came from. I’ve gotten to experience things that I could never - things I could only dream of. Fighting by someone’s side, meeting all these new creatures I’ve never seen before, and hell, even surviving after facing death! I’ve met dragons, the Fangs and Wisps...learnt about the Celestials...found home within the havens... There’s just-... Fuck, it’s been a lot, and I’ve only just now taken a step back to think!”

Valdus held a hand to his face and struggled to process his thoughts and emotions, overcome by how much he’d been through in less than a year.

Ignis sighed and sat beside Valdus.
“One step at a time... You’ve fought well. First, you should be proud of yourself. Very proud...”

Valdus glanced at Ignis, then heaved a heavy, shaky sigh, rubbing his own arm as he sat down as well. Curious, Ignis then asked if he was homesick.

Valdus glanced away after that, mumbling for a moment before replying.
“I don’t...ever want to go back to that place... Anyone I knew from my home- the realm I came from, I never really spoke to... I mean- I spoke...obviously...just...not about personal things. Not even with friends... Even felt distant from my own mother... She cared for me, and I loved her as a mother, and yet...”

“Perhaps I should have refrained.”
Ignis responded softly.

“N-no, it helps to talk!”
Valdus muttered.
“I’ve just...somehow felt more at home in the havens - in this realm - despite the dangers.”

“I see... But as I said, young Valdus, you should first be proud of yourself, with how far you’ve come. It is only natural to feel overwhelmed when you look back, as it is to be afraid of loneliness and uncertainty. But whichever way you face, the Canyon of Flames will forever be a home to you. I am forever happy to offer my company, as are the many others who call this place home.”
Ignis spoke.
“You will always find yourself welcome. You have my word.”

Valdus gave a small smile and a chuckle, looking back up at Ignis.
“Thank you.”

“There we go, that’s the smile we need to see!”
Ignis laughed and tapped Valdus’s forehead with his claw.

“H-hey! Hehe.”
Valdus laughed as well, placing his hands on his forehead.

 

Meanwhile, in the forest...

“...and you still continue to leave during your shift! We have no clue when a creature may decide to attack the forest, and we must ensure that we are safeguarded! You’ve seen the state Caligra is in, now that you ran off, have you not?”
Vuryth scolded.

“You’re just mad because you want me.”
Alterion smirked.

“In any situation, hitting on your boss is not a good idea.”
Vuryth responded, glaring down at Alterion.

“You didn’t deny it!”
Alterion humoured.

“How does Sailus even deal with you...?”
Vuryth exhaled, holding a wing to her face.

“What about Sailus?”
Alterion asked.

“You- How could you dare forget! She is the current Forest Celestial - my superior! She is the one who finalised the decision in hiring you idiots...!”
Vuryth said.

“Insulting your boss now, are you?”
Alterion mocked.

“N-no, never! H-how dare-! I would never act in such a way toward my mistress!”
Vuryth snapped.
“Her choices stand true, which in the end includes you and your brother being hired.”

“Why thank you, I knew I’d be reliable for this job.”
Alterion responded.

Vuryth seethed, a sharp noise leaving her throat as her feathers became ruffled.

“Ah, fuck...”
Alterion smiled blankly.

 

Meanwhile, back in Caligra...

“Rebuild the village?”
Ace shouted.

“An idea from a friend. Said it should work.”
Hackett responded.
“Does seem plausible...”

Hackett walked ahead through the desert, and Ace followed. They soon arrived at what seemed to be the ruins of the old village. From among the rubble, a woman stood up, and approached the two warriors.

“Looks like you're still alive, Hackett!”
The woman called.

Hackett gave a small chuckle and turned to look at Ace.

"This is Silf, the friend I mentioned. Don’t mind her rough exterior, she’s a really nice person, once she gets to know you."
Hackett introduced.

"Hey! Keep sayin’ shit like that and I’ll take that arm of yours away!"
Silf shouted at him.

Silf then put on a proud grin. Her dark brown hair flowed down at shoulder length, done up in a ponytail. She adjusted the goggles on her head and swung her rifle behind her back. She then pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

“Now, you chumps better not stand around like a knocked out Drekk. You’re helpin’ me build too.”
Silf ordered.

“Well, I intend to assist either way, but...”
Ace replied.
“...I’m still wondering how we’re going to get this to work.”

“Many of the villagers survived, the majority uninjured. They want to rebuild their homes, too. Silf helped them get to safety, while we fought Drach’t.”
Hackett explained.

“I’m sure they’ll be glad to hear the news.”
Silf spoke.

Silf then began walking ahead, and Ace and Hackett followed. They arrived at a group of worried villagers gathered among rubble. A few stepped out, noticing the familiar faces.

“Oh, thank the Ancestors!!”
A villager called.

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“These two pricks have slain Drach’t. Caligra should finally be safe...er, for now.”
Silf explained.

The villagers began to cheer, thanking the trio. Silf then began to explain the situation in Caligra, and the requirements to rebuild their village. The villagers eagerly accepted and began the reconstruction immediately.

 

A month later, back in the Canyon of Flames...

“A party...?”
Valdus tilted his head a little.

“Indeed. News of Drach’t’s defeat, thanks to Hackett and Ace’s efforts, has spread far and wide. We have also received reports that Corrupt activity has lowered quite recently. All the more reason to be at ease.”
Ignis replied.

“The scouts were actually planning for the Canyon Festival for quite a while, as well.”
Mythriln intervened, before whispering to Valdus.
“We actually planned this as an excuse to get tipsy without Lilith beating us up...”

“Hehe...I guess it wouldn’t be too bad! I just haven’t really been to a party this big before.”
Valdus mumbled.

“Well, if it’s your first, there is no harm in giving it a chance. After all, there’s no need to sing, dance, or do much of the like. You’re simply meant to just enjoy it!”
Ignis tapped Valdus on the forehead and grinned.

“H-hey! All right, all right!”
Valdus laughed.

Mythriln chuckled and rushed off to his scouts. Valdus followed, and noticed decorations being placed around and food being laid out. Majority of the dragons were gathering around to help prepare the party. Meanwhile, Lilith sat by, watching. Valdus walked over and sat beside her.

“Hey, Lilith, about a month ago-”
Valdus called.
“Did you get to talk to Mythriln, before Ace and I left for Caligra?”

Lilith giggled and replied.
“That I did. We’ve gotten to speak a lot more since then, and I believe I have you to thank for that. Though...there is still a lot more I’ve been wanting to say to him...”

“Hm? What would that be?”
Valdus asked again, simply curious.

Lilith suddenly blushed and mumbled.
“S-shut up...! It wasn’t much...”

I’ll assume my question is answered.
Valdus thought and chuckled, halting his queries.

After a brief silence, the scouts then suddenly flew up and lit the sky with sparks of fire. The other party-goers roared and cheered with joy, signalling the start of the party.

“Looks like the festival’s begun!”
Lilith cheered and leaped forward to join in.

Valdus sighed and sat back. Only a moment later, Ignis quietly sat beside him and placed down some food for two.

“Not one to party out there, are we?”
Ignis spoke.

“Hehe, yeah. I remember back in my- the realm I came from, in high school- I mean...with other kids around my age now, I was always considered to be really outgoing, but I didn’t really like being in the spotlight too much. Some people liked seeing me like that, but...I for some reason tried to get out of it. Getting attention is praise I’ll admit is great, but...sometimes it’s too much for me. Guess I’m just...too tied to how things were before then... How I was, back then... A-anyway, for parties and stuff, I mostly just sit back!”
Valdus responded.
“Bit o’ food...maybe a drink...and perhaps just watch the sky...”

“We each have our own pace. It’s good to find your own, and of course, it is always a delight to take a break from things - to just sit back, however you like.”
Ignis smiled and continued.
“Especially after the outbreaks from all the Corruption... But, as I said, we are here to enjoy ourselves. The food is splendid!”

“Heh, I can just tell by the look and smell!”
Valdus laughed.

Ignis chuckled with amusement, then began eating. Valdus quickly joined in right after.

 

The skies above the canyon continued to be lit with vibrant flames of joy. Everyone continued to enjoy the respite as much as they could, each in their own ways. Alterion had stopped by in the canyon as well, and Nazarim had arrived too.

“Party invitations reached the forest, and we got a vacation!”
Nazarim cheered.
“Well...a reluctant vacation, in regard to the fact that Vuryth almost tried to fire this idiot...”

Alterion gave a thumbs-up and continued slurping the cup of noodles he had with him.

“The fu- Where’d you get instant noodles from...?”
Valdus asked.

“I have my ways of supplying him with them.”
Nazarim instead replied.
“He tends to chug through every cup I get him, and the ones he still hasn’t eaten he stashes. I advise you never to touch them, though.”

“Right... I’ll keep that in mind.”
Valdus spoke.

“Well, there are other foods and drinks around if you wish to try. Welcome to the party, you two.”
Ignis greeted Alterion and Nazarim.

Nazarim grinned, but Alterion simply continued slurping the noodles.

 

The festival had gone on throughout the majority of the day, falling over into night. Although the festivity continued on, it began to slow down a little, as a few had left the central area to rest. Alterion and Nazarim had returned to the forest, whilst the majority of the inhabitants of the canyon had returned to their dens. Mythriln was chatting with Lilith while the scouts conversed and ate. Meanwhile, Valdus still sat quietly with Ignis.

“Ugh... That was a bad idea...!”
Valdus groaned.

“I warned you, but you just kept on drinking. You’re lucky we had juice, though. I doubt you’d be one to be drinking any alcohol.”
Ignis snickered.

“Yup... Not sure if it’s the same in Eldoria, but...urp- Back in my realm, consumption of alcohol was restricted by age. I’m...still not of age yet... Gotta be eighteen.”
Valdus responded.
“Was fun, though! Hehe.”

“And you are...currently sixteen, no?”
Ignis sighed and spoke.
“That aside, perhaps with the festival over, would you like to talk more tomorrow about the worries you had some time ago?”

“Actually...I’d been trying to figure out a good time to talk about it all...”
Valdus replied.
“Right now there’s one thing in particular on-mind.”

“Is it about Kaenrae?”
Ignis asked.

Valdus simply nodded. Ignis sighed again, and patted him on the head with his tail. Valdus curled up a bit into a ball, and snuggled the large dragon’s tail.

“He will be waiting for you, and I suspect you’re waiting for the chance to meet him too. Take your time to prepare yourself, so that when the time comes, you’ll know where to go, straight away.”
Ignis comforted Valdus.
“Until then, I feel there is much more we should talk about.”

Valdus took in a deep breath and let out a sigh. Amidst that thinking, he found himself beginning to drift off. Ignis simply watched with a warm smile, letting Valdus rest, before gently picking him up - still clinging to the dragon's tail - and carried Valdus back to his den.

“I pray to the Ancestors for your happiness...”
Ignis muttered, gently laying down by the fireplace within his den, and curled up.
“...as well as Kaenrae’s... I wish there was more I could do...”

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