Starry Resonance Ch. 10

"It must be as they say," Lydia said. "Most likely they'll send repayment and aid for anyone who was affected by it. A tragedy, but hopefully something good can come out of it."

"Well, we have you with us now, so I'd say we're already being repaid," the man old man said with a laugh neither she nor Michael shared.

Awkwardly coughing, the old man increased his pace until they finally reach the couples new home.

"Here we are, any--"

"That will be all for now, please go attend to your duties," Lydia said with a tone that allowed no discussion.

The old man looked from Lydia to Michael, who towered next to her, and gulped before saying, "Please find me if you ever need anything." He then left the couple to their own devices.

Lydia went into the house and sat at the first chair she found.

"You can't blame yourself," Michael said as he came to stand next to her.

"I brought upon the destruction of my own people, how is it not my fault!? Killed by the same woman I had in my home and willingly healed. Did she not understand the consequences of summoning a dungeon here? Did she even care?"

When Lydia had first met the goddess of dragons, there was nothing but good impressions. Deep down she knew the starchild was kind-natured, even if possibly ruthless as it goes with her kind. But that still didn't forgive ignorance.

"This is why sending Julius to them is a mistake."

"Please, don't start."

"No, Lydia. I'm done arguing. It's time I did something."

When Lydia looked up, Michael had determination carved upon his hard brow.

"Pray tell, then, what your plan is," she asked, emotionally defeated.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going after him. I'll drag his drunk ass back here if I have too. It's not like he can overpower me."

"And then what? Have him be a drunk here?" Lydia said tiredly. "I forbid you from doing so. I've lost enough already."

"Are you hearing yourself? You prefer his death over anything else."

"That is not what I--"

"Then what is it that you do mean? That simple blast could have killed him already for all we know, and somehow you're still set on letting him enter that world as he is."

How did she make him see? Lydia couldn't think of anything.

"Are you leaving me then? After all these years being my 'sworn protector'?"

"Oh don't give me that bull crap Lydia. You know I will always be by your side, but I know the difference between my emotions and duty, something you should work on."

Lydia stood hard enough to push her chair onto the floor. The loud clatter combined with her voice.

"You don't get to tell me about duty!" she screamed as she stabbed a finger in Michale's chest. "I'm a starchild, a goddess! The goddess of villages! Do you know what that means? What my responsibilities are? How it tears at my very core to fail to protect those who follow me? My subjects come before anything else Michael, be it you or Julius! It is who I am, it is who I always will be!"

Michael stood in place, pinning her with a hard stare Lydia couldn't discern. She didn't care though. More and more tears began to spill as she released all her pent-up frustration and shame at failing to save her people. Her disappointment and sadness at her confidant failing to understand the weight she carried and blaming her for it.

Of course, that wasn't what he was doing, really. He was just a father worried for his son. She understood as much. Yet her words couldn't be stopped, the gratification at telling them all encompassing. They had been growing since that explosion, pushed on by Michael's insistence.

"We can discuss this when I come back with our son," was all Michael said.

He turned rigidly and left through the door without a second glance back.

Lydia screamed and pushed the table behind her onto the ground.

"Go then you addled-brained fool!" she said, but no answer came.

The goddess was left panting by herself in the quiet house. She stood in place for what seemed like hours, and when she finally managed to calm down enough began to move for the bedroom. A knock stopped her though, and when she opened the door, found one of the villagers tending to a wound with more people forming a small line behind him.

Having no other choice, she brought him in with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and got to work.

----------

"I can walk on my own," Nelimir yelled through rushing wind. After his body had been paralyzed, the darker elf lifted him up in her arms with ease before exiting the throne room. He had expected to find the rest of the castle, instead what greeted them was a magnificent forest with impossible trees of varying colors.

"Could you keep up with me? Besides, I enjoy carrying you," the darker elf said normally--somehow she could talk without raising the voice and be heard through all the sounds surrounding them.

He couldn't refute her. How was such a small woman so strong? They were dropping down massive waterfalls, jumping lightly over the surface of violent rivers, climbing mountains at a running pace. She was barely out of breath. He was struggling to not scream after every impossible feat.

It was still a marvel to see the world through the eyes of someone who clearly far surpassed him, at least. Someone who was part of the world he would eventually join.

Nelimir had asked the darker else where such strength came from, but she refused to answer just like she refused to say anything about herself.

"I, on the other hand, don't quite enjoy being treated like this," he said.

"No?" the darker elf asked sadly, her ears dropping down.

Why in the stars do I suddenly feel horrible?

"I mean, it's not that I don't enjoy it. It's embarrassing, you know?"

The darker elf laughed. "You and your silly customs. What is embarrassing about being helped by someone stronger than you?"

Nelimir thought the question over seriously, and the conclusion was clear. This woman didn't see the world through his own lenses. Neither of any human, most likely. She reminded him a bit of Haradrield, but his fiancée seemed less...wild, was the only word he could think off. Someone who could more easily blend into other customs.

"You promise me she'll be okay?" he asked.

"That is what I--" the darker elf abruptly plummeted at high speeds from the tree branch she was about to jump from before a massive shadow burst through it like air. The wooden explosion followed splinters falling around them along with the massive top of the broken trunk slowly creaking down.

Nelimir tried to see what was happening, but his body shifted speeds much too fast for his eyes to follow.

"Strengthen your muscles!" the darker elf yelled.

He did as told, pouring in starlight, and she immediately speed up. So did what was following them.

It was obvious why she had told him to make his body stronger. There was no way he could have endured the shifting high speeds with his normal body. Though endurance didn't help to follow everything that was happening.

Not that there was much to follow as the encounter didn't last long, the darker elf giving a roar before coming to a stop.

Right after, the upper broken half of the tree landed with crash along the body of a massive snake cut in half.

"Stars protect us," Nelimir said as he looked at the reptilian mouth that could probably swallow Allsworth whole. "Is that part of the dungeon?" He couldn't imagine anyone in the guild surviving a fight against something like that.

"Not exactly, you can find beasts such as this on the outside."

Nelimir felt his guts grow cold. Was this how Yvain felt when he fought the 'dragon'? The leader of Draconian's Tavern was suddenly not so upset over not leaving Empryon so soon. What if he was on his own? How would he even begin to fight this thing?

"Do you see why I must take you to Yvain now?" the darker elf said with a snicker. "Do not be afraid. I will make sure you are safe."

"But is Haradriel safe with a beast like that roaming this place?" Nelimir asked with alarm.

The darker elf's expression turned sour as she rolled her eyes. "For the last time, yes she will be safe. The room she is in is separate from this one. Nothing from here can go in there."

Nelimir nodded to himself, still stunned form what he had just experienced, "That's good."

The darker elf shook her head with an exasperated laugh, "You are really weak this time around."