A Light After Endless Darkness

Epoiloug

A young woman was standing next to a tree, staring into the sunset as a sword, dug in the dirt, glinted in the fading light.

An old man approached her, touching the battered, broken bark. "What are you still doing here?"

"Just thinking," the girl shrugged as her light red haired billowed around her in the wind.

"About Habe?" Asked the old man. The woman did not respond. "You're going to look for her, aren't you?"

She sighed. "Yes. I have to, master. You know that, don't you?"

"And there's nothing I can say to convince you to stay here and let me search for her instead?"

She smiled sadly. "Sorry."

There was a pause. "Do you know," he said, "that I knew it would come to this when I rescued you?"

"Huh?"

"Indeed. I always knew you would need to have your own hero's journey, but... I don't know. I suppose I tried to pretend I didn't. I tried to convince myself that if I kept you distracted, with... with balls and friends and food, then... then perhaps...

The woman touched the old man's hand. "You were wonderful," she told him. "You helped me escape. You showed me there is light. And... the balls weren't that bad," she added with the ghost of a laugh.

The old man almost smiled. "Elizabeth... when are you going to leave?"

"As soon as Hagen finishes packing, I guess. And once I've taught Aynna a few things about her sword."

"Before you go... I'd like to teach you magic."

"Really?" Gasped the woman.

"Truly. I can't send you out with nothing more than a sword. Speaking of which..." the old man reached into his robes and extracted a black metal sword.

"Is that...?"

"Zarix's sword. You defeated him. By rites, it is yours."

The young woman slowly took it, then walked over and unearthed the sword that was stuck in the ground. They were very similar, except one was black and one was silver.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

"... thank you."

The young woman started to say something, but looked at the swords and fell silent.

She smiled.