Two days later…
Aulora, sitting in Zetto's wagon, drained a waterskin and let out a relieved sigh.
"…A-and that's basically how we ended up here," she finished.
"Wow! That's amazing, all you've survived, Auntie Aulora!" Ora exclaimed, eyes wide, climbing up to sit beside her. "I wish I could be as strong as you!"
"A-Auntie?! Do I really look that old?" Aulora asked in disbelief, making everyone chuckle for a moment.
But the laughter didn't last long; the air was heavy with tension.
I'm not strong. I'm just a coward who got insanely lucky and had a bit of willpower to survive all of this in one piece. Maybe you don't see it, but they do, Aulora thought, glancing at Zetto and his group before shyly looking away. Her expression fell into sadness.
"Anyway, I'm glad we got to you in time. Seriously… what made you think it was a good idea to wander into the desert without any stuff?" Zetto asked, surprised
"We thought we'd find you quickly! But it turns out we reached the deserts before you!" Aulora replied, a bit annoyed. "By the way… why didn't you go by sea? It would've been faster, although… uh… probably more dangerous."
"We didn't have the time. And besides, we chose a specific route to save the rest of Varii and Tiriga," he said, holding Tae's hand a little tighter. The tigress stared at the floor, lips trembling, eyes watering. Her face showed a mix of sadness, anger, frustration, bitterness, and sorrow.
"Tae…" Maghra tried to calm her, but she could tell the tigress was too consumed by emotion.
"Why the hell didn't you protect them?!" Tae shouted, standing and stepping toward Aulora. "Tell me! How can you be such a pathetic weakling? How dare you show your face here when so many Tiriga died because of your fearfulness?"
"Auntie Tae," Ora said, her voice shaking, "don't shout so loud… I'm scared."
"Tae, maybe calm down a little…" Zetto tried to say something, but Tae cut in.
"Calm down?! You're taking her side in this situation instead of supporting me? Who even is she? Some random girl from Atoria! How do we know she's not a spy?"
"It's not that I'm not supporting you," Zetto replied, trying to comfort her, "but you can't blame her for everything."
"No, she's right," Aulora said grimly. Her lips trembled. "But it's not like I don't regret it. I… I just wanted a break from the academy's duties, and then – suddenly – I got dragged into this whole rebellion because Gerai started the uprising from A-Arun–" she began calmly, but something inside her broke. She couldn't hold it in. Memories of Rai returned to her, filling her mind and heart with a bitter yet warm mix of nostalgia and melancholy. "Do you think I haven't lost anyone too, damn it?! That I just joined Tiriga to ruin everyone's lives?! All this time, I didn't even know what the hell I was doing! I tried to help them however I could, but I couldn't – I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone, and that's exactly why they died. How you can be so sure that I don't think about it?! Don't think about how many children lost their fathers, how many wives lost their husbands?! Who the hell do you think I am? Living with that knowledge is enough for punishment! I'm doing everything I can to make it right, but if you want… fine. Leave me. I don't care anymore! My life has no meaning! I have no goals or ambitions left, so I might as well die here!"
After the last words, Aulora broke down into even stronger sobs. Tae's lips quivered, and she too began crying. Overwhelmed by stress, fear, and the intensity of the argument, Ora also burst into tears. Zetto and the still-quiet, serious Maghra tried to calm them down.
Zetto looked at Aulora with compassion, though seeing Tae crying was crushing. Watching her heartfelt tears felt like someone was cutting his heart out from the inside.
"Aulora," he said gently. "You shouldn't carry the full blame for their deaths. This is Atoria's fault, not yours. I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this. If I were in your place, I wouldn't know what to do either. Don't worry – no one's going to kick you out. You can feel at home here. Now, excuse me for a moment," he said, walking over to Tae and taking her hand. He motioned to a spot next to Ora. Sitting between them, he began comforting them both, telling them everything would be okay. They both leaned into him – Ora like a daughter seeking comfort from her dad in a quick hug, and Tae pressing her head against his chest. Zetto ran his fingers through her hair.
Aulora looked over at Maghra sitting across from her.
"Don't worry, it'll get better," the dog-woman said with a smile. "We have a strong, bonded pack. We Varii are very empathetic, so I think sooner or later you'll feel at home here - even if it takes a bit longer because of your past experiences.
Aulora moved over to sit next to Maghra.
"I don't want to bother them," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I keep causing problems… maybe I really shouldn't have been here."
"Don't say things like that," Maghra replied with a smile. "Anyone who can't find their place here is welcome. Losing someone isn't easy, especially when you start blaming yourself."
Aulora's lips trembled.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again. "I really wanted to help them, b-but I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone. On the way here, we fought that sea monster. I barely managed to attack something that wanted to eat us. I'm hopeless – I'm no use to anyone. I'll just get in your way."
"No, not at all. I'd call it more like sensitivity, but what do I know?," Maghra said with a grin. Aulora lifted her eyes, which sparkled faintly with a tiny glimmer of hope and surprise. "I've told you before – you'll feel at home here sooner or later. And if you need a practical reason… we don't have many people who can fight. We can't rely entirely on Zetto. Anyone who can use a weapon or magic, even a little, will come in handy."
Aulora didn't respond. The young mage just thanked her silently and then stared off into the distance, lost in thought.
At the same time, Zetto felt Tae melt into him, pressing closer as if seeking all the comfort she could.
"Zetto," she said, looking at him seriously, tears still streaking her cheeks. "Promise me you'll never leave me. I don't want to lose you either, understand? You can't take risks like before. Please… say it… my dad… he…" Tae clenched her teeth. "From the very start, I knew this rebellion was a stupid idea! He could have waited and joined us later, but no – he had to insist, as always. And look how it ended?"
"I promise you that, Tae," Zetto spoke softly, his voice full of feeling, as he looked her straight in the eyes. "I'll always be by your side. And please don't judge him too harshly. I think he had his reasons. Maybe he bought us some time? What if they had sent an entire army after us – maybe not one, but two or three teams of heroes? Even I might not have been able to handle it if they had struck from every side at once. Or maybe I'm wrong…"
"There's no point in trying to explain this reckless act!" Tae tried to raise her voice but couldn't. She looked exhausted. "My dad just got carried away with pride. He didn't want to see Tiriga die outside of battle, not in the final fight. It doesn't matter…" Tae started crying again.
Zetto hugged her as tightly as he could. Ora, unsure what to do and a little confused by the situation, realized one thing: auntie Tae was crying because her dad had died, and she needed comfort. The little girl stood and sat beside Tae, gently leaning against her, trying to support her as much as she could.
"I'm glad I met you," she whispered shakily between sobs.
Zetto gave a small, gentle smile.
"Me too," he answered honestly. Maghra glanced at the Messenger –though he remained calm, his eyes reflected a deep sadness, an abyss in which rays of hope still lingered. Maghra felt some of it too, and decided to lift Aulora's spirits while he comforted Ora and Tae.
For the rest of the time, they sat in silence. A heavy, almost ghostly quiet settled over them, weighed down by grief, unspoken words, and gnawing despair.
Tae, drained from everything, didn't even notice when she fell asleep, leaning against Zetto's shoulder. Ora moved again, sitting beside the Messenger, chatting with him. She asked questions about everything and nothing, laughing as she went, simply enjoying being there. Her energy brought a fresh, positive note to the crushing gloom. Aulora watched the little owl-girl as she enthusiastically talked to Zetto, and a faint, amused smile spread across the magician's face.
Hours passed. Ora took a sip of water, her throat dry from all the talking. Tae slept on. After wandering through her own thoughts for a long while, Aulora began a conversation with Maghra. Varii soon had Aulora laughing, cracking a joke and turning the conversation to lighter, everyday things, giving the mage a short break from thinking about recent events.
"Zetto!" Alice called. "If I'm not mistaken, we're very close to the heart of the desert – we could stop here."
Zetto woke Tae.
Everyone got out into the open sand. The Tiriga began unloading their things. Zetto counted everyone: seventeen Tiriga including Tae, seven Varii including Maghra, one zombie, and three humans.
He exchanged uncertain looks with the others and sighed.
Let's hope we make it through. No, we will make it. Now it's time to see if the Demon King will keep his promise.