"Another shadow has disappeared, Frelgyo," Warkmon announced.
He didn't like that. It had no relation with the other shadows, who had been accusing each other of the disappearances. Somehow, it confirmed his suspicions, as far as it hadn't just been an accident. In fact, it had been at the front, so there might be a fairy involved. However, it was strange that it had happened without any warning.
The rest of the shadows looked at each other. It wasn't so exceptional that one of them died, although not without a reason, without any clues as to why. Besides, it was becoming too common. Until now, they believed it was some kind of internal fight, and they still couldn't rule it out, but fear was starting to gain strength in their corrupted souls.
"It isn't known how it happened, but we suppose it was a fairy, or several. Soon after, they launched an attack, and destroyed our positions, thousands of our trees. It's evident that they knew that our comrade had been killed," explained Hlegtor, the area manager under whose command the missing shadow was.
"I guess you all understand what it means. We have to take precautions. Go two by two. At least, we have to find out if they really have any weapons against us," Warkmon ordered.
The rest nodded, although not very happy with that order. It certainly made sense, it was a more than necessary precaution, but it was very troublesome in practice. It was very difficult for two shadows to get along, unless one was far superior to the other, and simply commanded it.
Elendnas stared again at the stars from the window, the stars he had seen beside her more than ten years ago.
He found his situation frustrating. On the one hand, he couldn't forget someone whom he would probably never see again, someone for whom, perhaps, he was nothing more than a kind of doll. He hadn't quite understood it, but they had explained to him something like that.
On the other hand, he had to stay there. He was a mighty level 100 warrior, someone who should be on the front lines, helping in the fight against corruption. However, it was impossible for him.
The curse that had nearly killed him would not allow it. She had saved him, but curing him was something else entirely.
He had all his skills and spells, but his level was equivalent to 70, maybe less. Besides, he couldn't fight for long without exhausting himself, without suffering deeply.
Worse, contact with the miasma reacted with his curse, so rendering him almost unable to move. He couldn't get anywhere near the corrupted areas.
"If only she were here, with me..." he sighed.
It was true that he wasn't alone. His sister lived there, and his friends. Even his level was enough to move around that area. But that didn't stop him from feeling terribly frustrated.
He sighed again. At least, that night both moons were hidden. The moons made him think of her, of Luna Dorada, since she had told him that a part of her name meant moon in a foreign language.
He sighed once more. Even without moons, he remembered her. He couldn't forget her blue eyes. Her silky blonde hair. Her attractive and powerful figure. Her nose. Her lips. Her beautiful ears, with the most seductive tips. Her incomparable smile. Her enthusiasm for the simplest things. Her courage, especially brilliant when she saved him. Her ability to interact with other, to make friends. Her heart, which was capable even of having more than one sister. Her kindness even to him, who was cursed. Her powerful but gentle hands. Her contagious laugh.
"Goldmi," he whispered into the night.
Tears ran down his cheeks again, in spite of having promised himself never to cry again. But he couldn't help it. The desperation of knowing that he would surely never see her again gripped his soul.
There were times when he still allowed himself to hope, but this wasn't one of them. That night, he only felt excruciating pain in his heart.
She opened her eyes slowly. They were blue and deep. Her wings were also blue. Her hair too. It was logical, as it was her favorite color, the color of her Aunt Omi. Well, she was actually her sister now, but to her, she would always be her aunt.
"Welcome sister. Your blue is beautiful. There is so much love in it," a fairy, predominantly purple, greeted her.
Still sleepy, she was surprised that a fairy was calling her 'sister', so she looked at her confused. That fairy laughed. It was a habitual reaction.
"Now, you are a fairy, like us."
The newborn fairy looked back, so discovering her beautiful blue wings, that she moved with curiosity. Then, she looked at her hands, at her reflection in the water, at her body of a girl who was not even ten. Her hair was braided into a long braid, like Aunt Omi's when she had saved him.
"I have grown up!"
"Yes, sister. Welcome," repeated the purple fairy, with a big smile.
"Where is aunt Omi?"
"Ah, so soon and you already have a purpose. Go, find her. You'll surely find her."
The blue fairy didn't hesitate. She left the spring behind, and walked the paths as if she had known them forever.
She really had no idea where those paths led. Nor did she know the many areas near which she passed. But it didn't matter. She felt a presence calling her. A little further. Toward the left. To the right. Again to the left.
She was a very young fairy. She had transformed from a tremendously younger spirit than it is usual in fairies. But there are no written rules or laws that stipulate it. A spirit transforms into a fairy when the time comes, not before or after. And, for her, it had already arrived.
She kept on advancing, until she reached a place near where the path had severed its ties with the world, for that part of the world had been corrupted. She looked at it with distaste, but no longer with fear. Even, in that look, there was defiance against that corruption that had once frightened her.
But that wasn't her destination, but a nearby one, a place that bordered on the corruption, that was fighting against it. She took a fork in the road and flied along it. The fairy gradually merged with the jungle, until she got there completely.
She felt life, nature, plants, animals, and, out of all of them, she felt a special presence, one that had a deep connection to her. She didn't hesitate to head there.
"Aunt Omi! I'm back!" she shouted towards the jungle.