Year 74.2

  *Emma returns to the watery realm from before. She spots something floating in the distance and runs toward it. The water seems to go deeper as she goes further out, reaching up to her waist. As she reaches her limits, she finds a stuffed dragon. She grabs hold of it, and all of her travels in Mithrun, with Lily, return to her. Ending with the Devil's words.*

  Emma: Spike.*Smiles.* But who was that man at the end?

  *A child crying in the distance makes Emma turn around. She starts walking toward the ruins again, but after what seems like hours, she still hasn’t been able to reach them. The water still rests at her waist. She stops and turns to her left, as though something calls to her. An owl-like spirit sits atop a tree in the distance. Emma reaches the tree to find a baby doll. She picks it up, and it turns into a glowing replica of Kimmy. As she grows older, Emma watches. Emma smiles as her daughter reaches adulthood. *

  Emma: Kimmy… Where are you? *tears form*

  *As Emma’s rage begins to boil, her eyes turn purple, and the water levels recede. The area around her turns into a meadow, and she falls to her knees.*

  Emma: *Out of breath* What was that?

  *Emma’s memories of when she shredded the doppelganger return to her.*

  *In the Silverwind household.*

  Rodney: *Tipsy* I’ll be honest. I thought about just running away. *Hick* But I’m glad I stayed. You’re alright, Elwin.

  Elwin: I wasn’t worried about that. Emma would’ve tracked you down. Assuming she thought you might be a problem later. Out of the living elves, she is the best tracker alive. Even before whatever happened.

  *Doil sits nervously next to Emma, holding tightly onto his stuffed dragon.*

  Holly: Aunt Emma will be alright. Dad used to read me stories about her travels. My favorite was the one about the Ice Bowl. Emma and her Party…

  *As Holly tells the story, Emma’s world begins to get hotter. She looks forward to seeing Gareth and his men. She watches herself lose control and slaughter all of Gareth’s men. With it, her memories of Levi return to her. Leading to Ruddy and Falicia as well. But every time she looks at Ariella, she only sees a black fuzzy silhouette. Her memories of Inferna end with her seeing the Devil again.*

  Emma: Why can I see him in my memories? I can’t remember anything about him… I need to find Kimmy…

  *The water recedes quickly, leaving behind a desert. The sun beams down and Emma covers her eyes.*

  Kimmy: Mama.

  *Emma looks around, looking for Kimmy.*

  Emma: Kimmy?!

  *Emma jolts upright as she wakes up in her cousin's home again.*

  Emma: Kimmy?!

  *Doil and Holly jump as Elwin enters the room.*

  Elwin: If I remember correctly. She was your daughter, right? A half-elf?

  Emma: Yes. I need to find her.

  Elwin: From what Uncle said. You hid her somewhere not even the gods could find her.

  Emma: I need to go north.

  Wendy: And how are you going to do that? Hmm?

  *Emma looks up at Wendy.*

  Wendy: I don’t mean to be rude. But you have half-baked memories. If she is a half-elf, then you have a few centuries before she’ll pass.

  Emma: How do you know that?

  Elwin: Wendy’s mother died due to childbirth. Her brother was a halfling.

  Wendy: Adam. We kept him hidden. He looked like an elf, so none of us knew until his tree wouldn’t grow. But Elwin’s point is. You have time, Emma.

  Emma: *Nods* Yeah. You’re right. I remember her asking to go see a water show. She was so happy to go until. Someone entered the room.

  Wendy: For tonight, you three will stay here. We’ll figure things out tomorrow.

  *Rodney falls asleep, leaning over the table. Doil sleeps in the guest room while Emma rests on the couch, petting Lily on her chest. Lily’s body pulses as she breathes.*

  *The next morning, everyone is awoken by the sounds of knocking. Elwin enters the door in a huff.*

  Elwin: I’m coming! I’m coming!

  *The banging continues until he answers the door. A group of guards wait outside, and their captain stands in the doorway.*

  Elwin: Captain Howard. What brings you here today?

  Howard: I’m the one asking questions today. I heard you have a Protected child who stayed here last night.

  *Howard looks past Elwin. Elwin walks inside and looks at Emma.*

  Elwin: Emma, what’s this about a protected child?

  *Howard barges in behind Elwin, one of the guards beside him.*

  Guard: Her. She is the one I saw, Captain.

  *Howard looks at Emma.*

  Howard: Duke James is requiring your presence. We are unaware of any protected children in the city and need you to answer some questions. For now, you and the child will come with us. Don’t worry. His identity will stay concealed from just you and the Duke. But he isn’t available until tonight, and we can’t have you wandering. Even if you are staying with a noble.

  Elwin: I wouldn’t argue, Emma. Captain Howard doesn’t like elves, but he is true to his word.

  Howard: Not like you elves who hide information.

  Emma: Okay.

  Wendy: Captain. Emma here was my patient last night. So she might still be weak.

  *Emma starts to stand*

  Emma: No. I’m fine.

  *Emma falls forward, and Howard picks her up off the floor. He tosses her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Elwin scoops up Lily and follows the Captain on his way out. Doil follows obediently beside Emma.*

  Elwin: I’ll watch over Lily until you get back.

  Emma: Thanks!

  *Emma and Doil are brought to a waiting room until they’re called to an office, the Ruler of this region, Duke James. The larger man sits back in his chair laughing, and another man sits across from him. As the man turns around, his smile fades to a look of confusion. Alabaster sits in the chair, looking at Emma.*

  James: What’s wrong, Alabaster?

  Alabaster: Elf. What’s your name?

  Emma: Emma. Emma Silvashade. My father was Goren Silvashade. And my.

  *Alabaster rocks his head.*

  Alabaster: That’s why. I met your old man not too long ago.

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  James: Well, with that out of the way, I need to know what’s going on with the child. I was told you used magic to hide his appearance.

  Doil: I wanted fruit!

  *Alabaster whispers in James’s ear, and he makes a sinister smile.*

  *Emma’s eyes widen as she looks at James, silenced by Doil’s outburst.*

  James: *Chuckles* Yes, I read the report. Continue, Elf. Who are his parents?

  Emma: They asked to stay anonymous.

  *James raises his hands and guards block the door.*

  James: Since you’re unaware. Any and all protected children must report to every city they pass. This way, if they go missing, we can track their path… It’s been rumored that he had a Halfling child. Argon, that is.

  James: So we did some digging and discovered he had a relationship with a Demon, they would’ve had a child around her passing. The tombstone only mentioned she died of illness.

  *Emma’s eyes spark as she responds angrily.*

  Emma: What do you want?

  James: Good, so you understand then. In exchange for me allowing that. Thing. To live in my city, you’ll work for me.

  Emma: *Grits teeth* We. Didn’t plan on living here.

  James: See, and there you go, misunderstanding again. You’re already here.

  *James stands and approaches the two. His frame towers over both of them.*

  James: That means you owe me. And while you’re working. I’ll make sure the boy stays in the city.

  *Emma realizes she can’t get out of this situation and yields.*

  Emma: How would you like me to address you, my lord?

  James: *Smiles* Simple. Stay with your family. You’ll receive it by mail. Any and all information you need will be in them. You may leave now.

  *James watches the two walk away, then goes back to talking to Alabaster. Emma and Doil return to the Silverwind household. Elwin and Wendy sit at the table.*

  Emma: What happened to Rodney?

  Elwin: After you left, another guard showed up and escorted him out of the city. Something about him should be lucky he wasn’t brought in as well.

  Emma: Yeah. They found out who Doil is.

  Doil: Does that mean I still need to go by Doil?

  Emma: *Smiles* Only if you want to.

  Doil: You can call me it. But only until Dad comes home.

  Emma: *Sigh* Hey, bud. We need to talk.

  Wendy: We’re going to head upstairs for a bit.

  Emma: Thank you.

  *Emma tells Doil about his father. Explaining it all piece by piece. Doil looks at her patiently, waiting for his turn to speak.*

  Emma: Well? Are you okay? Arthur?

  Doil: I know. Daddy told me a long time ago.” When you leave here, it will be after I’m gone.”

  *Tears form in Doil’s eyes, but his smile stays.*

  Doil: So I just have to wait until he comes back. Daddy always comes back…

  *Doil walks away. Emma watches him, and she turns to see Spike. She picks him up and starts to follow. She stops at the door of the bedroom he’s sleeping in. She hears him sniffling. She knocks, but Doil doesn’t respond. He pretends to be asleep. She places a spike by his chest, and he sneakily grabs hold of the stuffed animal, squeezing it tightly. As Emma walks away, he sits up.*

  Doil: Why do parents have to die?

  Emma: Because agebound humanoids are very fragile. The older you get, the weaker your body becomes.

  Doil: What is Agebound?

  Emma: Aside from elves with spirits, everyone is bound to die due to old age.

  Doil: Like Lily?

  Emma: Yes. Lily is my spirit.

  Doil: That sounds lonely.

  Emma: *Smiles* It can be. I’m going to go talk to Wendy, holler if you need me, okay?

  Doil: *Nods* Emma.

  *Emma turns around.*

  Doil: Can I go by Arthur again?

  Emma: Yes, Arthur.

  *Emma walks out of the room, and Wendy and Elwin wait just up the stairs.*

  Wendy: Can I say something?

  Emma: *Turns* Sure.

  Wendy: He’s a halfling. And you don’t have any obligation to keep him safe.

  Emma: I’ll remind you my. DAUGH-TER. Is a half-elf.

  *Elwin grabs Emma by the arm and takes her into the other room. Her eyes begin to glow.*

  Elwin: Wendy doesn’t mean anything by it. She just doesn’t care for any other race. She doesn’t hate them, but doesn’t feel the need to go out of her way to help them. Unless there is money involved.

  Emma: I’d like to think she’s smart enough to think. Why won’t they just come after you two if I didn’t agree?

  Elwin: She made a good point. If you had arrived alone, there wouldn’t have been any problems. Answer me this: whose life is at risk?

  *Emma glares at Elwin.*

  Emma: I can find another place to stay.

  Elwin: Emma, please.

  Wendy: Where are you going to go?

  *Emma stops at the door, the handle firmly in her grasp.*

  Emma: Elwin. You mentioned before. Seers are elves of two moons. I can’t remember everything yet, but Lily has a lot of purple. Do you have any spell books?

  Elwin: No, unfortunately.

  Wendy: The Greyleaf’s do. They stocked up on elven items before the borders got closed off. I can bring you in the morning. While I don’t share your love for halflings, I can’t leave a child in the cold.

  Emma: I’ll see about getting my own place. The road was empty when we got here, I assume because the houses are empty?

  Wendy: No, we can cast minor spells on this road specifically. Once a week, some of us gather to clean up the area. Wait another few days and it’ll lose its charm.

  *The next morning, Emma receives an envelope with a description of someone. After talking with Arthur, she heads out, wearing a cloak to cover her ears.*

  Emma thinking: This would be so much easier if I were able to stealth. Or if Lily could help.

  *She reaches the market and stops at a small bakery. A boy sits out front selling wooden figures.*

  Boy: Excuse me, miss.

  *Emma looks down, and the boy with blue eyes and soft red hair smiles up at her. She spots a small dragon-looking figure and picks it up.*

  Boy: Five copper pieces.

  *Emma hands him a silver coin and smiles. She steps into the bakery, and the boy reaches for her but stops and sits back down. A Human male walks out, his bigger frame barely fits through the doorway.*

  Man: Welcome to Gilbert's Goodies.

  *He gestures towards Emma.*

  Gilbert: I see you bought one of my son’s carvings. Thank you for that. Would you like a…

  *Gilbert turns around before dropping to the ground, Emma removes her blade from the back of his neck, before leaving through the front door. The boy reaches up.*

  Boy: Miss, you accidentally gave me a silver coin.

  *Emma quickly loses the boy in the crowd, and he turns toward his father. He opens the door and runs in excitedly. Soon after, he comes out of the room screaming.*

  *Emma returns to her cousin’s residence just as Arthur and Holly are sitting down to eat.*

  Arthur: Emma! You’re back!

  *Arthur runs to the door excitedly and sees the dread on Emma’s face.*

  Arthur: Emma?

  Elwin: Oh, Emma. I got some good news about a small place up the road.

  *Elwin enters the room, and as he notices the atmosphere, he stops.*

  Elwin: What happened?

  Holly: She never said.

  Emma: I’m fine. I. I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’m sorry, Elwin, what about a place?

  Elwin: I don’t have much time to talk, but the Mistle’s just lost their business. It’s unfortunate, but their home is going to be available in a few weeks. I can put in a good word for you if you’d like. It’s the least I can do.

  Emma: Yeah, go ahead.

  *Elwin excitedly runs out of the house. Emma sits up and wipes her tears away.*

  Emma: Hey, Arthur. I’m going to step out for a bit, okay?

  *Arthur is distracted as Holly tells him about the house. Emma steps outside, looks up, and sighs before heading off. As night falls, Emma returns, and the sound of the door causes Elwin and Wendy to turn around. Emma’s face droops from exhaustion and stress.*

  Elwin: So it sounds like they already have plans for the house.

  Emma: Yeah… I’ll need to look at something to put food on the table, but at least I have somewhere safe for Arthur.

  Elwin: Wait, so you do have those houses then?

  Emma: Yes, I just got back from talking with the Mistle’s. Joshua and Marieanne aren’t bothered by halflings and have offered to watch over him for me.

  Wendy: If you can’t afford food, how are you affording the payments?

  Emma: I explained it to James and managed to allow the Mistle’s to stay living there in exchange for them watching over Arthur. Marieanne asked for a couple more days to move furniture, but she’s beyond happy to help.

  Elwin: I can imagine. You saved their lives. It’s not common, but when an Elven noble loses their assets, they go into slavery to pay off debts.

  *The next morning, Emma and Arthur go to meet Joshua and Marieanne. Marianne opens the door for them with a smile.*

  Marieanne: You must be Arthur, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard a lot of good things.

  Emma: Is Joshua here?

  Marieanne: No, there was an incident at the market recently. A baker was killed in broad daylight, and people think it was an assassination for Duke James.

  Emma: Yeah, you mentioned something yesterday, I remember now. *Pats Arthur’s back.*

  Arthur: Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Arthur Shadescale.

  *Arthur squeezes Spike tightly against his chest.*

  Marieanne: Is this the wonderful spike I heard so much about?

  *Arthur looks up and smiles*

  Arthur: Yeah, he reminds me of my Mom, because my dad put two of her scales in his heart.

  Emma:*Surprised* You never told me that.

  Arthur: Because you didn’t ask.

  Emma: Marieanne didn’t ask, though. *Giggles*

  Arthur:*Looks to Marieanne* Yeah, but she seems nice.

  *Emma looks at Marieanne and rolls her eyes with a smile.*

  Marieanne: I just finished baking some breakfast biscuits. I put berries in them as well.

  *Arthur gasps with excitement as they follow her in. Emma looks over to see Elwin watching her. He waves as she enters, and she waves back with a smile. The house is almost identical in layout to her cousin’s home. She walks into the dining area to see Arthur happily eating biscuits with Marieanne.*

  Emma: I’m going to go get the rest of your things, Arthur. Okay?

  *Arthur continues to shovel biscuits in his mouth, setting some aside for Spike. Marieanne smiles and looks at Emma.*

  Marieanne: I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’ll show him to his room when he is ready.

  Emma: Okay.

  *Emma heads back over to Elwin’s, as she answers the door with a bag, he hands it to Emma.*

  Elwin: You’ll still come by for dinners, right?

  Emma: Of course. I don’t dislike Wendy, but I’m not comfortable living in the same house as her.

  Elwin: Understandable. *Grin* The humans here in the city celebrate the end of each week by getting together for dinner.

  Emma: I’m aware. Ruddy told me about it when he visited Loswor.

  *Elwin and Emma hug before she returns to her new home. Marieanne and Arthur sit at the table talking. Arthur turns to Emma.*

  Arthur: Marie told me that Joshua used to run a bakery.

  Emma: Marie? *Looks to Marieanne.*

  Marieanne: He said my full name was too long. *Smiles*

  Emma: Oh, Okay. Well, here is your bag. Take it to your room, please.

  *Arthur happily takes his bag and runs upstairs.*

  Emma: Marieanne. I’ll be in the Cellar if anyone needs me.

  Marieanne: Understood. Should I tell you when Dinner is ready?

  Emma: Actually, let me know when Joshua returns. I’d like to con.. I mean, speak to him.

  *Marieanne nods as Emma heads through a door leading downstairs. In the cellar, she’s turned the large open space into a training area for her and her magic. She unleashes her knives, and they hum as they all spin around the pillars. She walks over to the other side of the room, where Lily rests. Her chest moves as she breathes, and Emma smiles.*

  Emma: Good morning, Lily.