Ashes and Kingdoms

In the days that followed, the line continued to move west with a cursory detour.

Lena always showed up at night, and Finn and I, sometimes even Nellis, had a slightly unmeshed conversation, as usual, while continuing our directions.

Food is reduced every day, children's feet are scratched and horses lose weight. Still, I couldn't offend the stupidity of going straight down the street. At first, children who believed in the adults began to become defiant with vain suspicious eyes three days later.

I can't walk anymore, I don't like it, I'm hungry, I'm going home! - A child sitting around on the side of the road, a child who wakes up eclampsia and summons with gold cuts. Or a child who pushes and silences upside down and doesn't answer whatever he says. The elderly, who were overwhelmed at first, are also tired and unable to afford it, and thrust it with a swordswallowing attitude. And the child cries again. That vicious circle made Igross and Oandus grumpy and Fauna unable to hide their fatigue, making the atmosphere increasingly killer.

Among other things, it was salvation for Finn that Nellis and Mac continue to be positive. Either way, if you bring frustration and despair through the night, Lena might stop showing up. If you lose the directions, all of them will have to be together and exposed to the wild.

On the fourth day, it rained like a chase. It wasn't as heavy a rain as it was, so running into the shade spared me a lot of wetness, but it was enough to annihilate everyone to the bottom.

The northern hinterland is only clear in sunny weather, but cloudy or rainy weather makes it irresistibly gloomy. The ground is prone to muddy and, unlike the streets, unpaved areas quickly turn into muddy semi-masher areas. The fog covers everything, the vision is painted gray, and the moisture gently chills around the clothes and hair.

We couldn't move on from under the trees snoozing through the rain, and the line had to wait for the weather to recover.

Igross was holding Farnayne to her knees and making her tell some stories again, but not many children listened to her very carefully. Many nodded and sobbed, and Fauna ran out of words to soothe, continuing to mechanically pound her back while holding one child. Oandus pressed silently with a scared face and continued to build a roof with tree branches in an attempt to secure a somewhat dry place. It doesn't have a very vocal atmosphere.

Finn, Mac and Nellis managed to arouse energy among themselves, and on this occasion, they were trying to make themselves think that it was no big deal to find jobs like repairing shoes, inspecting luggage and checking food, and that it wasn't as bad as rain.

So after a gloomy day, the tired faces fell asleep early.

Finn, on the first watch by way of example, whispered thanks when he noticed Mac was still awake.

"Mac, thanks to you, I'm really helping. Thanks."

"It's each other, Brother Finn"

Mac flaunts his shoulder with a grown-up trick. Soon he started to call himself Nellis. Finn laughs a little, scratching Mac's hair off. Mac grinned bitterly as illuminated, but unusual for a boy his age, he didn't hate such tricks.

Mac looked around and made sure everyone was completely asleep before cutting out in a whisper.

"... you know, I was wondering... was Brother Finn a great man in the Legion?

"No way. Do I look like that?

When Finn was surprised, Mac tilted his neck, "I don't know," he said.

"'Cause there are other grownups older than you, like your uncle and aunt and a guy named Igross, and you seem to be in command."

"Oh, that's... because that's what I said"

Answering to twinkle, Finn lay his eyes down. Two letters of responsibility, once again heavy on the shoulder.

Finn told him about his situation at Nanais and how he had decided to "come back to life” because of one reason, and thus leave Nanais, and then he looked up and continued.

"Now... I wonder if there's a big reason why the Spirit who guides me is going to meet me. I think it's time to come out."

A fluttering white shadow appeared as Finn turned his eyes to the dark as he said it, as if it had been a signal. Mac's jaw falls off. Finn laughed small and pounded Mac's head, "I'm gonna drop my eyeballs," he said, then walked over to Lena.

"Evening."

Lena greets him with a blush, and, alas, looks at Mac like that. Finn looked back and called in with a bitter smile.

"Come on. It's a good opportunity, so let me introduce you. I told you before, it's Lena."

"Nice to meet you."

Fluffy and Lena smile. In the meantime, Mac blushed to his ear.

"Oh, you know, me, uh"

Too much wandering was hilarious, and Finn struggled to bite off a laugh. I manage to keep a serious voice while I get a strange look.

"Mac, if I get hurt and I can't stay up in the middle of the night like this, you or Nellis can ask me the way instead."

In the wake of the trifle of words thrown at him, Mac shuddered. The face that looked up at Finn is pale in an instant. Finn deliberately responded in a tone of abandonment.

"Please, Deputy Maxentius."

…………

Mac opened his mouth whenever he said something, but in the end it swallowed, instead accepting with a faint voice that he "got it" small.

(You're a strong guy)

Reliable and sad at the same time. I remember when I was about his age and Finn's chest hurt. Just when they had just been taken over by Oandus' house. Don't be shy, trying to be a good boy, I never carried this burden, although it was just a little breathless life.

As if to represent Finn's heart like that, Lena walked over to Mac and softly embraced him. Mac opens his eyes to surprise, blushing but returning a snack and a hug. When I buried my face on Lena's shoulder, there were tears in both her eyes.

Slightly, when Lena gently loosened her arms, Mac rubbed his eyes against the back of his hand with a smell of light.

"... oh, you know"

To deceive, follow and push the words out. As Lena tilted her little neck and peered into Mac's face, he rushed to turn his gaze towards Finn.

"If Lena is a spirit, I wonder if we can dry the ground around here a bit or something. If the chicks catch a cold, it's tough."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that."

Lena answered with regret. Mac looks distracted, I don't mind, but somehow I say something to the basket. Lena smiled lonely.

"Because that kind of power is sealed. But I won't dry the ground, but I can do enough to keep those kids from catching a cold. Because all of those kids are what they're supposed to be prepared for."

As I say, Lena already spreads her arms and does the trick of vaguely enveloping the entire camp. At the same time, Finn and Mac looked at each other with a slight warmth in their body.

"Now it's okay"

As Lena grinned, Mac thanked her for the corn and then asked as if she had thought of it.

"You said it was sealed. Can't you solve that? I've heard stories about travelers who helped spirits trapped in caves."

For the first time since I was told, Finn also noticed and sees Lena. If it's a seal my parents put on, I felt it was easier to help than a spirit trapped in a bad wizard. but Lena shook her head small.

"It's not like there's no way to unseal it... I don't want it. Because it takes a very... very big sacrifice. So you can just keep doing this."

"But"

Finn took control of Mac, who tried to eat him down.

"Come on, Mac. We're the only ones who can help Lena by unsealing her. Strong things she doesn't want herself to do are going to make the same mistakes that people did back in the day."

Mac was still a dissatisfied face even when he was told. I tend to think it's a good thing to be free, reflexively, if you ask me. Especially if it is with the Spirit. But there is no price at all for making something happen. Sometimes it is necessary to put it on the scale and give up.

Mac didn't seem to even think about it that far, but still, he backed down with an inadmissible "Okay."

"Well, and"

I really coughed up, and Finn took out the map.

"I wonder how far we can go tomorrow. Today, after all, I could barely move on."

The slight light emitted by Lena illuminates the map. Peeping into Finn's hand, Lena glanced at the map with her finger. I already did more than half the journey from Tetna to Winnea, not to mention I made the roundabout. Now from a little north, I'm just about to go around to Winnea.

"Now, here it is. If we were to proceed tomorrow..."

Lena frowned, stretching her back and looking around. Finn also gets anxious and frowns because he seems to take more time to stare than usual.

"You got something?

"Yeah... it's hard ahead"

Lena turned back to the map and moved her fingers.

"If we go southwest from here to Winnea, we're going to be close to the streets... we have dark families around here. I think they're looking around. But if you want to go straight west and travel all the way north or west of Winnea before you go in, there's a human being there."

"How long?

"I don't know, maybe ten or twenty. Looks like we're moving. When I saw it yesterday, I wasn't here."

To Lena's words, Finn and Mac looked at each other.

"I wonder if it's the same as us," Mac says confidently.

"I hope so, but if you've come traveling through this rain, how physically fit are you or in a horse or front carriage? I don't think it's the same situation."

Finn roared and stared at the map. But how much effort has been put into gaze, a third way will never appear. You have to choose one of them. Dark beasts or unidentified humans? Of course, it's up to the latter.

"We'll have to pray."

Finn snapped and folded the map. Then when I looked up, Lena and Mac were all together and looked at him worried. Finn blinks his eyes and laughs bitterly.

"Don't look like that, both of you. Either way, we don't have a choice. Unless you can fly in the sky or dive under the ground, but if you're going to proceed with this facial rash, you just have to go for Winnea from the north side."

To Finn's words, Mac nods silently, too. Finn went on to encourage himself.

"You can't fight the Dark Beast in the end, but if your opponent is human... even a bandit, there's nothing you can take from us, and if you negotiate, you might miss it. Or simply the same refugees as us, and this kind of talk could end in a struggle to get over it. Come on, Mac, you should get some sleep."

That's it, he came up with a joke unexpectedly.

"I would say sleeping kids grow up. Or don't you have to stay tall?

"Become..., I'm going to bed! I'm gonna get you out of here in the morning!

As soon as he was ready, Mac said, turning his back angrily. That's exciting, ignoring Finn's voice teasing him, he lay down to fall when he returned to the camp.

As Finn was grinning dull, Lena spread the grin with pleasure on the side.

"Finn doesn't have to grow taller anymore?

"Um, I wonder if you'd like me to stretch a little more. But even if I don't have to sleep, it'll be enough, just like always."

Finn says out of his way and pockets the map. So he realized, and he saw Lena.

"You don't sleep?

"I'm the one sleeping during the day," replied Lena, ridiculously. "Because the ground isn't quiet enough during the day to stay awake. People's thoughts are starving, and I can't do it very much."

"... well. That's too bad."

"What?

"I thought you couldn't see the blue sky. It's a nice place around here on a sunny day....... you wanted to show me the sea of nanice. Until the horizon, it's really nothing. As the light reflects on the waves and is dazzling, the addition or subtraction of sunlight changes the color to blue and green. The water is almost transparent when the waves strike, and the belly of the little fish glows sometimes."

I should have spoken to make you listen, but when I realized it, I was completely lost in memories. The nostalgic sight brightened up and it seemed to me that I was in exactly my home sea right now.

No, Finn's consciousness did stand in the nanice of the past. Days spent looking at the face of the sea, which shifts from season to season, into a world that once was full of light. And I was aware that Lena was standing beside me.

The sound of a wave to return, the voice of a sea urchin. Clear skies and sea plains that shine in the light of the sun.

She sees the same view, too.

(- But this isn't real)

Close your eyes with the pain of being cut off. Lifting his eyelids again, it was a tree stand at night wet in the rain. Only Lena next door is no different than in the illusion.

"I saw it, too."

Lena whispered, staring into Finn's eyes.

"Your favorite view. Your eyes must still reflect that ocean."

Soft fingers touch cheeks. Unable to bear the weight of his grief, Finn closed his eyes and deposited his forehead firmly on Lena's forehead.

"Finn, that ocean is in you. It never disappears. Never."

Lena's voice whispered, very gentle to her ears.