Ailith’s mind was racing, searching for a way to end this quickly, but she was coming up blank; she wasn’t sure they were going to survive this. She watched helplessly as Talus fell unconscious a second time, trapped between Makias and his two ghouls, Xiv at his side. Ailith itched with the urge to join them, but there was no way she was leaving Feyra’s side. Ailith was so painfully aware that she couldn’t stop any of the magic attacks Makias was targeting them with from hitting Feyra. She became more and more aware of the fact every time Feyra gasped with pain as acid burned her skin, but there was no way she was leaving Feyra alone. Ailith struck out with her cane again, watching the inky vines unwind from her arms, wrap around the cane, and whip out to strike Makias.
Makias moved and muttered a few words, a fog settling over the battleground, obscuring everything and everyone. Ailith panicked when Feyra disappeared next to her, entirely lost from view. The coughing and retching sounds were the only way Ailith knew where Feyra was and she focused in on them, clutching her staff helplessly. From somewhere above her, Ailith heard Ace shout in a language she didn’t understand and the cloud was dispelled almost as suddenly as it had appeared. Ailith glanced at Feyra when she popped back into view, taking in her pale face and wheezing breaths with a sense of dread.
The battleground materialized in front of them again, Talus rising to his feet once more, wounds covering his body. Xiv crouched next to him, Talus’ healing necklace clasped in their hand. Makias chuckled at the sight, the raspy, evil sound echoing through the room. He moved his arms jerkily, a faint green glow growing around his hands. Ailith had seen her friends in action enough times to recognize that Makias was casting another spell, but she was helpless to stop it. Three glowing green darts of energy streaked the short distance to Talus, slamming into his body and dropping him to the ground once more, chest smoking.
Xiv struck back with spells of their own, but Makias was too powerful. Ailith watched in horror as Makias sprayed Xiv and Talus with acid, Xiv stopping most of it with their shield. Talus on the other hand twitched as the acid burned his skin before falling unnaturally still. Ailith waited for Talus to get up, for Xiv to heal him, for something… but nothing happened. Talus remained still on the ground as Xiv stood up, facing Makias alone. Ailith felt rage course through her veins, red hot and visceral. Her and Feyra’s next attacks were almost simultaneous – Feyra knocking Makias to one knee with two arrows, Ailith sending him onto all fours with an explosive strike of her cane. They both watched as Xiv retreated a couple steps, ignoring the two ghouls as they struck at them.
Extending their arm, Xiv exposed the tattoo the former king of Andersil was gracious enough to get on their behalf. Ailith watched as a cone of ice and snow erupted from Xiv, engulfing Makias and the ghouls, encasing them in ice. For a few breaths, nobody moved. Breaking the stillness, Ace rushed towards Talus with a sob, landing next to him in a heap. Xiv lowered their arm, letting it hang loosely at their side as they surveyed the scene in front of them. Ailith turned first to Feyra, raking her eyes over the wounds covering her body.
“Are you okay?” Ailith’s voice sounded off even to her own ears, too loud in the silence of the aftermath. Her eyes searched Feyra’s face, watching the shock turn into something resembling embarrassment, almost as if she hadn’t expected Ailith to be paying attention or ask the question in the first place. Ridiculous, Ailith thought. Feyra was always her first thought, her first concern.
“Oh, um.” Feyra’s eyes darted away from Ailith’s stare. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m more worried about Talus right now.” Fuck – Talus. Ailith’s face burned with shame at having forgotten, however briefly, that their friend was lying dead only a short distance away.
“Right. Yeah, of course.” Ailith moved away from Feyra, both of them turning to run to where Xiv and Ace had gathered around Talus’s body. Feyra immediately put an arm around Ace, offering comfort as best she could. Ailith crouched at Talus’s head, staring at her friend’s face, insides squirming as Feyra’s words echoed in her head. Ailith waited with bated breath as Ace whispered, “not yet,” and pushed the diamond into Talus’s chest. She felt a moment of panic when the diamond didn’t disappear like it had with Xiv, but it dissipated quickly when Talus drew in a gasping breath, eyes focusing on the ceiling above him. Ace sobbed with relief while Feyra and Xiv visibly sagged, their tense muscles finally relaxing.
“Hey buddy,” Ailith said softly, “you fucking died.” It was enough to earn a small chuckle from Talus, the sound ringing in her ears.
“We did it though, right? He’s dead?” Talus was hoarse, his deep voice cracking slightly. They all turned to where the swath of ice cut through the greenery of the room, the shapes of Makias and the ghouls glittering slightly in the light. “Oh. Guess that answers that question.” Their laughter bounced off the walls of the room, a welcome cacophony. Ailith watched their little group, huddled together with the snow spreading out from where they sat. It felt poetic somehow, like a symbol of them cutting their way through the world and its bullshit. Ailith found herself adding this moment to the steadily growing bank of memories she had of her little found family, and could only hope to keep making memories with them for as long as they would have her.
Here, There, and Everywhere 