Wuxia Mtl
Chapter 1194 They Never Left
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It was a pity I was finally learning the names after what happened, but these druids that came from afar looking a new home, which had been destroyed by the Blighters before, they finally revealed themselves to me, and also their identities and names.
"I was never given a name because my mother died at birth and my father wasn't there," the old lady said. "The Forest raised me, but the kids known me as Grandma Jannis. It is nice to meet you again, and talk to you directly, dear goddess. It is an honor."
"I am Rudras," said the young man. "And… uh, well, I was adopted by them too."
"And… I'm Judith," sighed the black-haired girl.
"T-Thank you for telling me your names," I nodded. "And I'm… Elayne. Perhaps you knew already, but that is my name. This is my daughter Elena, and that is Mark."
"Thanks for protecting our home…" Elena thanked, with an empathetic expression.
"Yeah, thank you… And I'm very sorry for your loss," Mark seemed very depressed.
"What were their names?" I wondered.
The Earth Spirits gathered around the ground, slowly opening the ground, one centimeter at a time, as the corpses of these two druids that died in battle were slowly and gently embraced by the ground.
"The youngest… Emilio," said Grandmother Jannis. "A beautiful child of an even more beautiful heart. Talented and playful, his sense of humor always lifted our mood. It is… a great tragedy that such a young child, with a future ahead of him, had to die before this old woman…"
"And the oldest of us all, Grandpa Jose, he was the wisest of us all," said Rudras. "He tried to stop that sorcerer on his own, but… that monster ended tricking him."
"He was the strongest of us all…" said Judith. "And also our father. Or well, even without being related to blood… To me, he was like our father. I still can't believe he's not alive anymore, even less… little Emilio."
"…"
I didn't know what else to say, honestly. If I say anything else, I think I would be being too intrusive into their personal lives, and that wasn't really my intention.
But although I didn't say any other word, I let the spirits do the talking, they gathered in droves around the bodies, as the flowers kept growing over them, slowly, they were being embraced by my Domain.
They had asked me that if they could bury them in my Domain before, I had been slightly shocked they wanted that, because based in the amount of spiritual energy left behind in their corpses, it meant my Domain would most likely absorb them.
It would technically not leave anything behind…
Yet they insisted, saying that such a thing would be the best, to become one with my Domain, and one with Nature…
I couldn't reject their request, after everything they did.
These people, even if I finally got to learn their names, were now my family too.
And I would love them, and welcome them in my home, for all my life, after what they've done for me.
And after what they have sacrificed…
FLASH!
Then, I felt something.
The two orbs in my pocket, the little pearls left behind by the Black and the Red Capped Faes, they were glowing faintly.
"Hm?"
I felt something, a sudden presence, as if they were asking me something, to do something…
This little, remaining will.
They wanted to be buried with these two druids.
But why?
"…"
As I glanced at the pearls, I sighed.
I can't do this without asking them.
"These two pearls… they're the little thing that my Protective Fae left behind," I explained to the three druids. "Within them, I can feel a small presence, a little will. It wants… they want to be buried with your family. I thought I should ask you first, if that's okay with you or not."
The druids glanced at one another in silence for a few seconds.
"Those are the Spiritual Soul Cores of Faes," Grandma Jannis immediately knew what they were. "There's… no soul in them at the moment, but… could it be? Perhaps… Hah, but even then… it would all be left to fate. Yes, you may bury them with my family. They will bring no harm."
"Really?" I asked, looking at Rudras and Judith. "Is it ok with you?"
"They are also what was left of those that died protecting your Domain, right, goddess? Then I believe it's fine," nodded Rudras.
"Yes… Fae are precious, innocent and pure…" said Judith. "I'm sure they want to protect them in the afterlife."
"Thank you…"
I kneeled in front of the burying bodies, now completely covered with flowers, and placed the two pearls on top of each other.
They glowed brightly, slowly merging with the bodies, at the same time as the ground completely covered their bodies, and more flowers popped up on top, alongside grass.
In front of them, the druids placed two wooden statues. One of a squirrel, and another of a turtle. There were no names inscribed on them, but ancient runes, that might mean their names.
"May you rest in peace…" I sighed, shedding a few tears, which quickly turned into many. I couldn't stop crying, grabbing the grass tightly as the druids glanced me break down.
"G-Goddess…" Rudras gasped, walking to my side.
"Y-You don't need to cry…" Judith muttered.
"I'm sorry… It's my fault, it's all my fault…" I kept crying, I couldn't stop. "I'm so sorry for letting you down…"
"My goodness, there's nothing to be sorry about…"
Grandma Jannis sat down by my side, hugging me with her frail arms, her hands, filled with wrinkles, were warm.
"This was not your fault, goddess," she smiled gently. "Don't blame yourself for what has already happened. Emilio and Jose, they died doing what they wanted. They knew the risks… We knew the risks, yet we jumped into battle and into danger. Fully knowing that one of us might die in the process. Such is life when you fight to protect your home."
"Jannis…"
"If anything, please feel a bit happy," Jannis smiled, showing that she was missing several teeth. "Emilio and Jose are not truly dead! I can feel it! Can't you? their Nature Souls… they have now merged with your Domain."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Eh?"
FLAAASH! Find more chapters on empire
And then I realized.
Their presences…
They never left.
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