Lucid Nightmares - Fated Flowers Saga

Ch 32: Worm Hunting

The emptiness in my chest is a new feeling. I have felt sad before, but this was different than before. It was something I expected grief to feel like. It's a deep loss that presses against your mind as a constant reminder of what you no longer possess.

I lost the one I believed I loved. And I fear he'll never come back.

I returned to the group with my head down and wanted to avoid questions as to why my eyes were red. As expected, nobody bothered to even spare me a look. I want to assume it's because everybody is busy, but Maya wasn't.

She seems interested in talking up Orferio.

In hindsight, Orferio and I's relationship was a strange one. We had the framework for the chemistry of romance, but I wasn't taught to understand how the equations fit together. I understood the concept, but couldn't go deeper.

Oh God it hurts.

The sight of the Cerulean camp did nothing to boost my mood.

I am greeted with the sight of horrifying destruction serving as a stark reminder that we're at war. Their beautiful ships were cracked open like eggshells with thick smoke still rising from the cockpits. Ash floats through the air like snow as embers simmer underneath the hulking bodies of the ships. A flash of silver sends a shiver down my spine as I remember the poles I sinfully and stupidly danced on.

Please God, can you tell me why I'm stupid?

We spend an hour walking through the destruction and debris before finally reaching their official base of operations. We enter a ring of huts made of metal sheets and dark tarps. Small fire pits sit outside their huts with gleaming pots and pans hovering around them. Blocks of machinery hide behind the huts, humming quietly with spinning fans inside its complicated wiring.

The Cerluneans gather around us as we reach the heart of the refuge. Their glittering suits are torn and stained with dirt. Metal masks cover their nose and mouth with tubes snaking around their exposed necks. Some wear protective gloves while others appear to be wearing shiny hazmat suits with their faces shielded with glass. I realize the Cerulean people are taller than us, by at least a foot, with luminous eyes.

Norman turns to us once we reach the center of the small clearing. "If you wish for us to fight in your battle," he begins, the wrinkles of age visible on his skin despite his young complexion. A man with scars of wisdom. "There is something we wish of you."

"As long as it's reasonable," Orferio warns, crossing his arms over his chest. His gaze is cool as if our scene earlier had not mattered to him. It's like he's already forgotten about us.

Shut up, Juliette. Not everything is about you. He needs to be strong now. There's a war going on.

"You must never... never bother us with your foolish feud again."

Orferio bristles.

"Second..." Norman raises two fingers, "you must help us rebuild our homes so we may be united with our brethren in the Warbelt. Third, we must build a means of communication to reach our brethren in the far reaches. Fourth, we will avenge our fallen brothers. We will destroy the Shadows together."

Orferio and Max share a look before nodding. Orferio turns back to Norman and raises a finger for each answer he gives, "Fair enough, that's unlikely, absolutely, and definitely."

Maya watches with an expressionless face. She glances briefly at Nevaeh who watches interestedly from the sidelines.

Norman nods, "That's more than I expected of you." He offers his hand and takes Max by the forearm to shake like warriors. It reminds me of what the Vikings did when greeting a brother. Norman shakes Orferio's arm as well. Orferio says something barely intelligible and causes Norman to laugh uproariously.