Chapter narrated by: Ali
Date: I don't know, I'm a bit tired. Even gods get tired.
Come on Ali, you just need to take a breath. Use the lungs of this mortal body and pull air in and then let it out. Simple. Very simple.
It should be that simple, but it was not.
No matter how much air I pulled in, I still felt that I needed more, and there was also this annoying sound in the chest of this homunculus.
Thump-thump.
It was speeding up, and every time I remembered the alley the sound got louder and faster.
Thump-thump thump-thump.
The light not obeying.
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
And the…
No, Ali, don't think of it — you are just making whatever malfunction this body is having worse.
Just think about the cake in your hands, the cake that you used so much of your very important time to get. Think about giving Lira the cake, not about the alley.
Oh, I can already imagine it: Lira taking a piece of the cake, savoring what you obtained with your hard effort, and saying something like:
"Oh Ali, you are wonderful. You have been a mortal so little yet you were able to go on an adventure alone and bring such an amazing reward with you. You are much, much better than my boring companion — we should leave her and continue just the two of us."
Then she will get close to me, give me a big hug, and look at me with those beautiful and wonderful… red eyes…
Thump-thump.
Red, just as the eyes of Mini Lira…
Thump-thump thump-thump.
Just as the eyes of the woman in the alley had…
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
…the same eyes that looked completely unbothered after turning those men into…
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
Breathe, Ali. Breathe.
Just breathe in and breathe out. In and out. In. Out. In. Out. IN. OUT.
I repeated it in my head countless times, but it was not helping — this mortal body was definitely failing.
Now it was not only the sound in the chest and the lack of air; my legs were shaking and unresponsive. If I did not take a seat soon I would probably end up on the ground.
And that is not something proper for someone such as myself.
I looked for a place to rest until this body stopped failing me but found only a fountain nearby.
The fountain was cold and hard, undeserving of someone such as me, but it would need to suffice for now.
At the center stood a statue — a man in big armor holding a sword. Its base had a name written on it, something like the great adventurer Kadin, Kuden, something like that.
I do wonder what this Kalen did to deserve a statue before I did. It was unfair — this mortal gets a statue and I get to have my powers failing me and to…
Thump-thump thump-thump.
…Almost die…
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
I don't know what to think. I didn't want this. I didn't want to see any of it. I didn't want to feel so utterly powerless.
If this is what it means to be mortal then I don't want to be one anymore.
Thump-thump.
I just want this sound in my chest to stop and to find Lira.
I was staring at my hands — the hands that failed me today — when I felt someone touching my shoulder.
Thump-thump thump-thump.
White hair.
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
Red eyes.
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
It was Lira.
Thump-thump thump-thump.
It was just Lira.
Breathe, Ali. Breathe.
She seemed worried, standing in front of me with that worried face of hers. That is one of the things I love most about her — how expressive her face is.
"Ali, are you alr—"
I didn't let her finish before launching myself at her, hugging her tightly.
Lira seemed a bit taken aback by my actions — surprising, given that she has been with me her entire life — but that didn't matter right now.
Lira hugged me back, and for a moment everything was perfect. Lira was here, and the annoying sound and the lack of air were not.
That moment ended when my oracle decided she needed to break it with a question.
"Ali, what happened?"
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
—------------------------------
It all happened so fast.
One moment I was discussing with a mortal why they should totally give me the cake, as it would be a very appreciated offering.
He just laughed and asked who I thought I was.
I know I am acting as a mortal and that my acting skills are as exceptional as every other skill of mine. Yet this mortal should still be able to tell how important I was with just a look.
Nonetheless, Mini Lira and I were not going to give up just because he told us to get lost and return only if we had the money.
We were having a very serious and important cake-planning reunion when they appeared.
A group of men with sour expressions were looking straight at us.
They were staring at us without even blinking. I know I am wonderful and gorgeous and breathtaking, but I am a taken goddess.
Then I realized they were not staring at me — they were watching Mini Lira.
I gripped her hand harder. This was bad, but we were still in a market filled with people. Surely they would not attempt anything too risky.
Right?
Well, mortal irrationality will never stop amazing me, because they were in fact attempting something in a market full of people in broad daylight.
They were coming for us. Men like them should not pose a real problem for a goddess such as myself, but it would still be preferable to go find the guards.
It is still too early to marvel these humans with my power and draw too much attention.
"Mini Lira, we need to—" I was not able to finish before the little girl broke free from my grip and started running.
"Warmth Lady, we need to run from the grumpy men! Mommy told me where to go, so just follow me!" said the little girl before I could protest.
The title "Mini Lira" was fitting — she had the same energy my oracle had when she was a little girl.
But.
"Wait, Mini Lira! We need to go find the guards!"
Unlike my oracle, this kid did not hear a word I said.
She just kept running.
So I did the only rational and responsible thing I had left: I ran after her.
To my incredibly bad luck, before I could catch the girl, she had led us further and further from the crowd of the market into a dark alley with a dead end.
"Mini Lira, what are we doing here?!" It came out a bit weaker and without the authority I intended, as this body was still catching its breath from all the running.
"Mommy told me that we needed to come here if the grumpy men appeared."
What kind of mother tells her child to go to a dark alley?
"We have to go, Mini Lira, before those men catch up."
But it was already too late. They were already blocking the only entry and exit of the alley.
Now it was just a long corridor with three stone walls — one to my left, another to my right, and one at my back.
This might have been an awkward spot for any mortal. Lucky for me, I was not a mortal.
"Get behind me, Mini Lira."
It was a bit earlier than I wanted, but these men were getting closer and closer, so I prayed Lira would not mind all the attention we would draw after this feat of mine.
Mini Lira safely behind me, I extended my arm and began concentrating. I just hoped I would not overdo it. After all, this was the first time I had used light magic.
It should be easy, though — I am Aelith, goddess of light and warmth. This should be no problem for someone as wonderful as me.
Light began to gather at the tip of my extended arm. As expected of someone like me.
The men stopped walking and seemed to take a defensive position.
I shot a beam of light that drove them back and called the attention of Reval's guards, who came quickly and arrested all of them. As a token for my bravery and talent, they also gifted us the cake, which we ate in celebration with Mini Lira before finding her mother. Word spread of my actions.
It should have been that easy. I am a goddess — that is what should have happened.
Except… that was not what happened. Only a spark came out of my hand, my vision blurring slightly.
The men looked confused but continued getting closer.
This was it.
This was it?
How is this it?!
I am a goddess. THE goddess of light and warmth. Warmth obeyed my will as I commanded it.
So why?
Why is it that I have never been able to control the other part of my domain?
I always knew light did not obey me the same way warmth did, yet I always believed it was because I had never put real effort into using it.
But only now, when a child is in danger because of my actions, do I realize that is not it.
The light part of my domain responded as it always did. Not at all.
I had always felt it distant, in contrast to warmth, which came to me naturally.
Could something else be happening?
That didn't matter right now — the men were getting closer, and the one in front pulled out a knife.
For the first time, I heard that annoying sound.
Thump-thump thump-thump.
This was it. I was going back to the veil.
But if I could, I would buy as much time for Mini Lira as possible — use this homunculus as a shield and hope someone came to save her.
My hopes were answered instantly.
Unfortunately, the one who answered them was a monster.
A woman dropped from the rooftops and landed in front of us.
Calling her tall would be an understatement. She was a giant, towering over me. On her back she carried an enormous sword with a phrase engraved into it:
"I regret weakness."
But it was not the sword or the height that caught my attention. It was two things.
First: she had the same white hair and red eyes as Lira and Mini Lira.
Second: what she did next.
One moment she was standing sideways as the man with the knife charged toward us. The next she was in front of us, her back blocking our view, and a dry sound came from one of the walls.
Crack.
Who was she? A single punch and she sent that man flying into the wall in the blink of an eye.
"Mommy!!" said Mini Lira.
Mommy?
This was her mother?
"Hello, princess. Did you have a fun time playing with the warmth lady?" the woman spoke.
Wait… playing?
What did she mean by playing? We almost died!
"Yes! But we spent a lot of the time looking for a way to get a cake instead of looking for you. Sorry for that, Mommy."
The woman just laughed. This would have looked like a normal interaction between a mother and her daughter if we ignored the context.
Which, that this goddess may remind you, is that we almost died.
"It's okay, princess. What matters is that you had a fun time. And as a prize for winning the game, how about we go get that cake afterward?"
Winning? Prize? What was she talking about?
"Yay! I want the cake!" Said Mini Lira.
"Alright, my heart. Mommy just needs to finish some things with these guys, and then we go, alright?" Mini Lira nodded, and the woman turned toward me with a completely different tone from the one she had used with her daughter. "You — cover her eyes and ears. This will not be a show for her age."
I used my hands to cover Mini Lira's ears and eyes.
Not because I was scared of this woman's terrifying look. Maybe I was — but even for someone as me, that was understandable.
"So it was the Calabria that was after my daughter, hmm?" the woman spoke to the man in front of her. "I knew someone was after her, but to think you would all fall for a trap as obvious as this."
She moved fast. One second she was in front of me, the next she was slamming one of the men against the wall and grabbing another by the neck.
"Truly disappointing. I thought your boss and I had a deal. Looks like I'll need to pay a visit."
The hand gripping the man by the neck squeezed, and the head and body were no longer together.
From that point on, everything unfolded too quickly for me to process.
The woman moved in flashes, and the alley filled with wet sounds of bodies dropping.
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
There it was again — the annoying sound, louder this time, but everything felt muffled, as if I were watching through the veil.
The sound of the woman punching the men until their bodies had the same consistency as mashed potatoes.
The walls cracking as bodies were thrown against them again and again.
It was… I had no words for this. I only knew I hated it. But the blood and the cracking walls were not the worst part.
The worst was when one of the men — his leg twisted at an unnatural angle — began crawling toward me.
He was desperate. The further he crawled, the slower he got, until he simply stopped and looked at me.
I watched life leave his eyes. I felt the warmth leave his body.
Then his head fell and hit the floor.
I wanted to vomit.
I wanted to cry.
Yet the only thing I could do was close my eyes and listen to the screams and the sound of it all.
It didn't last long. That gave me no comfort.
I did not open my eyes until the only sound left was the footsteps of the woman coming toward us.
She was looking at me with that same frightening expression as before. Not a single drop of blood was on her, even though she had used only her hands.
She gently picked up Mini Lira and pressed her head against her chest. "You did great, my love. How about we go for that cake now?"
A muffled cheer came from Mini Lira, her head held secure against the woman's chest, kept from seeing the alley or anything else.
"Good. Let's go." She walked through the alley with complete calm, stepping around the blood and bodies.
She stopped at the exit. "You — come with us."
The way she said it left me very few options.
I walked through the alley, now painted red — the same red as Lira's eyes that I love so much, which now made me want to vomit.
I followed them to the cake stand. I was not paying much attention when the woman threw two gold coins at the vendor and took two cakes.
She set Mini Lira down and picked up the cakes, then stepped close to me.
"Here you go — for playing with my daughter." She handed me one of the cakes, then leaned in and whispered in my ear. "One word and I'll come after you. Understood?"
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
"Yes." It was the only thing I could say.
She stepped away with Mini Lira on one arm and the cake in the other.
"Good. Anni, say bye-bye to the warmth lady, okay? We need to go now."
"Bye-bye, warmth lady! I hope we play again sometime." And the two of them left.
But the sound in my chest did not.
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
It's okay, Ali. You just need to take the cake and go find Lira and her dull partner.
Thump-thump thump-thump.
You just have to breathe, Ali. Breathe.
—----------------------------
"Ali, what happened?"
Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
I just hugged Lira tighter.
"Nothing, Lira."
"Are you sure? Don't you want to talk about it?"
"Just hug me, Lira." I said. "Please."
Lira did not say another word. She just hugged me tighter.