The ride back home was rather quiet. I spent a few moments with Lavian and Savina before I noticed it was getting too late in the day for comfort. After saying my good-byes, I resummoned Rakka and hitched him to the now empty wagon. We rode in silence for a good thirty minutes, until Voxea finally broke the silence.
[So...Lavian and Savina don't really look a like do they]?
[No. Lavian adopted Savina ages ago. My parents say Savina just showed up on Lavian's doorstep one day out of the blue. They spent a whole week looking around town for Savina's parents until they decided to just raise her as their own], I replied.
[That's sweet of them...and she grew to be a binder then? I saw the drajule on her dresser], Voxea asked.
[Yup. Her partner was this cute purple rat majimonster with a lantern for a tail, forget what it was called though. Lavian was incredibly proud of her when her ability appeared, alerted the recruiters and everything].
[Huh...well I suppose I should just skip the pleasantries at this point. What happened to her?], Voxea asked with concern and curiosity.
I immediately stopped Rakka as Voxea posed the question. A tight feeling developed in my chest as I recalled a painful memory, the roar of an unknown and the sound of her screams.
[It's a not a good story, Voxea...], I replied in a sad voice.
[It probably isn't, but a truly powerful maji is able to confront one's past, live in the present and grab hold of all possible futures. And the first step in doing so, is to figure out if one's past mistakes can be fixed or not], Voxea proclaimed in a comforting tone.
[What makes you think it was mine?], I asked a little defensively.
[Just now].
[...]
I let out a verbal sigh before responding, [Alright I suppose, it will help pass the time as we ride back anyways].
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About seven years ago, Savina and I were the best of friends growing up, but we were as different as different could be. I wasn't always the spitfire and wild one I am today, rather I was the quiet and scaredycat type. Savina on the other hand was bold, energetic and courageous. We complimented each other, like mint leaves and mutton.
We spent practically minute we could by each other's side. Whether it was running, swimming, even studying things together, we were always by each other's side. I was even there when Savina became a binder by binding her partner, Sparkler. But, our friendship was forever stalled due to Monster's Night.
Seven years ago, Savina and I were playing in the woods just like we would any other day. We knew that evening was going to be Monster's Night, but we couldn't resist the temptation of sneaking away from our respective homes to go and play together. The two of us ended up deciding to play hide-and-seek that day, a bad call to make.
Savina ended up hiding a little too well that day, even remembering to control her breathing so I couldn't find her through my hearing. I did eventually managed to find her, but it was too late.
The sun was already setting by the time we were reunited and even though we ran as fast we could, the two of us were still stuck outside when the sun has fully disappeared; Monster's Night had begun.
Luckily no monsters were attacking us yet, unluckily, I could hear them all around us. It's one thing being stuck in woods alone at night, it's another thing altogether when you can hear dozens of majimonsters fighting each other, attacking local wildlife and people in mindless frenzy.
The constant noise terrified my young mind to the point that I just stopped dead in my tracks and started screaming. Savina managed to calm me down, but the noise I made earlier alerted wild majimonsters to our position. Whether it was out of concern for me or just her own recklessness, she told me to run for help while she would hold them off. Foolishly, I believed her and ran. The last thing I saw of her was a bright purple flash and the roars of thousands.
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[I managed to get back in time, but in all the confusion, I was quickly placed into a safe room until sun up. The next morning, I ran back to where we split up and found her there laying in the snow. At first I was relieved, but then I noticed she was unmoving. My friend didn't die that night, but it wasn't her anymore. After that, Lavian started buying those barrels of alcohol from my family.], I finished with a sigh. I did feel a bit better about sharing my story with Voxea, hopefully this doesn't become a running trend in the future though.
[Hmmmm], I heard Voxea ponder in my head.
[What?], I asked.
[Odd question: did you by any chance hear this sound when you ran away and in subsequent years]?
After saying that loaded question, an all to familiar roar sounded in my head. It was like knives in a chunk of ice, unpleasant and painful. I flinched at the sound.
[Yes, why do you bring up this scarring moment], I asked in a grumpy tone.
[In that case, we can save her].
"What?!", I shouted as I fell off Rakka due to shock.