The New Story

Chapter 39

The room was silent for a few moments when Audrielle's words were sinking in.

"It makes a lot more sense of how you learned dark magic first.  We were all so sure it was going to be the purest form of it all.  There is probably a lot more to each magic that we can't teach you, and you will surpass all of us very quickly.  But it seems you were born into all this.  Without a choice.  Are you alright with that?"  Genta looked up at Audrielle.  Audrielle never thought about being alright with it.  She just assumed that it was the right thing to do.  She knew now if she wasn't all into this then Ren's last hope would be for nothing.  This was who she was and what she was supposed to do.  She had a purpose.  And she was going to give it everything she had.

"I am.  And now I have a more clear view of the future.  I'm ready to do whatever it takes to finally free Allion," Audrielle assured everyone.  This new sense of understanding she had was enlightening.  But she wonders what it was that Ren wanted to say when Audrielle was regaining consciousness.  

Genta took Audrielle's hand.  "You saved my life.  You are already becoming the leader you were suppose to be.  And thanks to you I will be able to live to see the world you are meant to create.  You are someone that is worth following."  Genta was holding back grateful tears.  Audrielle was glad she was finally able to protect someone close to her.  The people around her right now.  Even though the time they've known each other has been short.  But she was gathering a family around her and starting to feel like she belonged here.  It warmed her heart.  She pulled Genta into a hug.

"I will protect those close to me with my life.  And I will do my best for all of you.  Because you and your child deserve a world where you can be free."  Audrielle pulled away and gave her a smile.  

Genta looked over at her baby who had started to cry again.  Felix handed her Alwyn with a huge smile on his face.  He had his family back.  She stroked Alwyns head and began to shush him.  

"Let me get Alwyn cleaned up and ready to be fed," Lexani said.  Genta nodded and handed Alwyn over to Lexani who went to clean him and cut the cord hanging from his stomach.  "You should get cleaned up as well.  Felix could you help her, there is a bath in the back over there," Lexani motioned toward a door in the back left side of the room.  He nodded and began to help up his wife.

"Let's give Genta time to rest.  Yei has been out this whole time to meet with the King of Anthropina.  Telling him of your arrival and progress so far.  She should be back soon and there is a lot for her to catch up on," Keoat suggested.  Solxa told Audrielle that they were going to take a break from training at the moment because the next thing requires a lot of explaining and full focus.  Everyone was tired and it was a good time for people to rest up.  There was a lot to do for the future and not a moment to waste.

Before Audrielle went to bed she wondered if she should speak with Keoat.  It seems things were once again left off without her explaining to him how she feels.  But everytime she was around him she doesn't know how she feels.  At the start of this whole journey before he found out his sister died Audrielle was going to tell him the same thing.  She had feelings for him for a long time before that.  Since the time in the Academy when he kissed her.  Then he apologized for it and never spoke of it again.  But in this whole mess of losing her mother, him losing his sister.  This new journey they were on she pushed her feelings back.  She didn't know if she could do that much longer.  

She decided that for the moment she couldn't focus on that.  In this time she had other things she needed to focus on.  Like a some good sleep so that she could start on the last part of her dark magic training.  And then start on her light magic training.  Her body was heavy when she fell on the bed.  Her hair was starting to get long again already but for the time being she decided not to think about it.  The bed seemed to encase her and the moment she closed her eyes she fell into sleep.

This was the first night in awhile that she has had a nightmare.  It seems crazy considering all the things that have been going on that none have made an appearance in her dreams.  But her mother's face was all she could see.  Her mother repeating to her that she was being forgotten.  Audrielle assured her that this wasn't true.  But the hurt in her mother's eyes was so real she seemed paralyzed.  

"You couldn't protect me, your own mother.  But you muster up the power to save this woman you just met?"  Her mother gave her an accusing glare.

"I'm sorry.  But I didn't have any power back then," Audrielle tried to explain.  Her mother scoffed.

"You had power the moment you were born!  I gave birth to you and slowly died because of it.  At least the death I got was not the slow and painful one that was destined for me by you."

Audrielle's heart was breaking hearing this.  Tears flowed down her face and she fell to her knees and placed her hands on the ground.  She scrunched up her fists and begged for her mothers forgiveness.  

Then all of a sudden she was shaken awake.

"Audrielle are you alright?"  A familiar voice was heard in the distance of her consciousness as she was mustered awake.  She groaned, but as her mind came back to her she shot awake and looked around.  Her mother was nowhere in sight but Keoat was sitting there at the edge of her bed.

"I could hear you crying in your sleep in here and I wanted to make sure you were alright," Keoat gave her a concerned look.  Audrielle wiped her eyes and gave him an assuring smile.  

"I'm alright, just a bad dream," she waved him away.

"Well do you want to talk about it?"  He asked.  She thought about it for a moment.  She knew she could tell him anything.  But things seemed different between them.  Could she still talk to him like her best friend?

"Well, my mother was in my dream.  She was accusing me of not being able to save her."  Audrielle decided to tell him.  She knew it would make her feel better.

"Well what happened was out of your control.  You didn't know the Queen was going to attack the town.  You didn't know that an attack was coming our way.  Me and you are lucky to be alive.  Your mother would never accuse you of never being able to save her.  You know because you were there to at least hear her last words.  Your mother is not living in your head.  She is living in your heart.  And all she wanted was to see you smile," Keoat pointed to Audrielle's heart.  She knew that he was right.  She knew that she could trust him with her feelings.  And that he could make her feel better.  No matter what happened he would always be Keoat.  And she wanted him in her life, and maybe in a different way wouldn't be so bad.

There was a rush that came over her and she decided to grab him and pull him toward her.  The moment his lips met hers she felt like fire was warming up her entire body.  This was different than it was with Kralim.  She wanted this more than anything.  Keoat she felt was meant for her.  He kissed her back immediately, and when they pulled away she uttered three words.

"I love you."