-Break-
Location: Mable House
Opening his eyes, the young boy Setanta turns his head slowly from side to side to figure out where he is, and as he does, he notices he is lying on a bed in the middle of an isolated room.
Moments after he wakes, Mable Lux walks into to room, and says, "I see my little doggy awake."
As she moves over to Setanta, he takes a few moments to look her up and down.
Φ She has shining golden hair, that have blue stars scattered throughout it.
On her head, there are little golden four-pointed star birth marks that wrap around her forehead, they also continue down her neck and probably through the rest of her body.
Her ears are long, and they have star birthmarks on them as well. They hang downwards normally, which makes them blend into her hair, but as she speaks with more excitement, the ears flip up, making them far more noticeable.
But the most noticeable thing is her two giant blue pits where her eyes are supposed to be. Staring inside them, it looks like they are filled with tiny little stars.
It doesn't remind me of anything that I have ever seen in my life, it feels completely unnatural. Or at the very least different from the things I known.
Φ Mable puts her hands on her face and swings her head side to side, saying, "You've been staring at me up and down. Am I really so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off of me? GABI, GET IN HERE!"
The man with the jester costume walks in and says, "What are you screaming about so early in the morning?"
"This child thinks I am pretty."
"Of course he does, since you are?"
Turning her head away, she says, "Well, you never say it, so how am I supposed to know."
Putting his hands over his mask, Gabi says, "Not this again."
Turning to Setanta, she says, "Oh, I forgot about introductions. I am the great sage humans like to call Cordum, but my actually name is Mable Lux, and that man over there is piece of shit who hasn't proposed yet."
"I AM NOT READY!"
"THEN WHEN WILL YOU BE? IT'S BEEN OVER 500 YEARS!"
Facing Setanta, again, she says, "Just like you could probably guess, neither of us are humans, we have to be from near extinct races like the beastkin currently. I am a Seer, and well, Gabi doesn't matter."
Gabi moves up to Mable and says, "You're being mean. Stop disrespecting me!"
"I am disrespecting you no less than that atrocious outfit you decided to put on."
"Hey, kids like jesters, so I am sure he will enjoy it."
"Not one kid has liked that in every single century we have been alive!"
Setanta, with a weak and pathetic voice, says, "My people, what has happened to them?"
Both Maple and Gabi compose themselves, then she says, "Setanta, I think it would be better if you didn't think about such things right now. I would suggest focusing on recovery."
Under his breath, he mutters, "Please, I need to know."
Mable reaches out to hold his hand, but he pulls it back and says, "I won't be able to sleep without knowing."
With a far more serious expression, Mable says, "The empire of Louernia was defeated by the armies of Charles Animus in a decisive final battle outside the providence of Murias.
They proceeded to rampage through Tir na n-iontas, taking and burning all they wanted. The only rule given was that no beastkin could leave with them as prisoners, though they could do whatever they wanted with them before they left.
Lots of beastkin were slaughtered, though the bodies don't match the numbers of beastkin in the empire, so I am sure many have escaped, including some of the Red Branch houses."
Hearing this, Setanta tosses his blanket onto Mable and tries to move forward, saying, "I need to return back to Gorias."
He moves slowly as his body can barely support his weight anymore, so Mable grabs him and says, "You can't be doing things like that, you idiot."
"Minagrain is still there, I saw her wave to me. She might still be alive; I need to go see her."
"I can't let you do that."
Setanta generates ice on his body, which pushes Mable off, and he says, "I don't have time for this I need to move."
He hobbles forward, but Gabi slams him onto the floor and says, "I don't care if you're a child or an ancient hero, no one will hurt Mable like this!"
Mable moves over to Gabi and says, "Let go of him!"
"So, he can hurt you a second time?"
With a smile, she says, "Please trust me."
He removes his hand from Setanta, and Mable picks up the boy's body, then says, "Setanta. Give me a moment."
Under her lips, she mutters something, then in the two blue pits in her eyes, they reshape themselves to something that takes on an almost mystical pattern, but in the end, it all looks like two giant glowing crystal stars in her eyes.
They contain all of the little wonders there were within those blue voids before, and the very look of them is so beautiful that some light returns to Setanta's eyes just by looking.
With her eyes in this state, she looks into the distance, then moments later she turns her head to Setanta and mutters another sentence under her breath before touching Setanta.
Then she says, "Seers have numerous abilities like you beastkin, and now I am going to share to you all I just saw with these eyes of mine."
Suddenly, through Setanta's mind, an image of Gorias appears, and he sees everything in its current state, including Minagrains' burnt and dead body.
Seeing all of this causes Setanta to throw up on the ground in front of himself, then looking at the floor he says, "It's my fault, it's my fault that they lost this battle, that they lost this war. If I had been there, they wouldn't have died. If only I had gone to the battlefield, I could have defeated them all, I could have saved everyone.
My squad, my people, my house, my family, my master, my father, my brother, my wife, all those who could have existed. I have failed them far beyond anything that can ever be forgiven."
Mable tries to hold Setanta, but he pushes her away and says, "Why did you save me? Minagrain was there, and so many others who deserved to live far more than me. Why do I get to stay in his house? While so many of them are living in fear and horror at the collapse of everything they know, this isn't fair. I should be dead!"
Mable slaps Setanta across the face and says, "Never say such words."
Hugging him, she says, "That isn't true."
With his rage building, Setanta says, "IT IS!"
Ice starts to emanate from his body, freezing Mable.
"If only I had never saved those humans, if only I had followed my father's instructions, I would have struck down Charles Animus. I would have saved everyone!"
The ice continues to grow, and as it does, Mable puts both her hands on Setanta's face and makes him focus on her. "Setanta, the reason I came for you is because I ran into a little married couple while staking out the human camp, and their a single human and his wife begged me to come look if you had escaped; The man you saved Aurelius.
Aurelius has gone on about the impact of countless lives in the time he has left here and has made great efforts using his connection to Charles to reduce the suffering beastkin have received. You choose correctly, Setanta."
Crying, Setanta says as he still freezes her, "But I allowed the legacy of my people to fade into nonexistence for a second time in our history. I didn't fight to protect all of these things that I love and have loved me."
"A legacy is simply what one passes down to the next in this world. Blood, love, kindness, dreams, support, and works, and all of that has been passed down to you who love your people so much.
And Setanta Ó Faoláin Cú Culainn, I can tell just by looking on you, you've already passed enough into the future to be one of the greatest men to ever exist. And I have made the decision to stay with you for as long as you want me to."
"But what if I fail again? And fail the both of you just as much as my people."
"Don't get cocky with me brat. Don't think for a second you could ever have enough strength to ruin mine or Gabi's life, and besides, you're talking to a woman who has failed more times than anyone, yet I am still known as the great sage."
Setanta buries his head in her chest and cries, and then Gabi touches her frozen body. His spirit energy decreases, and all of the ice on her body turns into water.
Clapping her hand, Mable says, "Now time for some food!"
Moving outside the room, she quickly grabs something and walks back in, saying, "Taste this."
It is a gord-shaped plant that smells nasty to Setanta.
With a proud smile, she says, "This happens to be one of my experiments, a plant that grows back super quick regardless of soil quality. It could one day be used to end world hunger.
She cuts off a piece and places it in Setanta's mouth, and as he chews it, he says, "That's nastier than Ibar's feet."
Turning to Gabi, she says, "Hey, you said it was delicious."
"I lied to make you feel better."
Mable jumps on Gabi and starts to hit him in the head, and seeing all of this, Setanta starts to laugh and cry.
Φ I have experienced so much through Setanta, and I can guarantee one thing. If it wasn't for Mable, he would have been broken beyond repair.
Through Setanta's body, I reach out my hand, and say as my hair turns silver, "I know there is still more far more to this story between all of them."
Suddenly, the view playing out before me starts to become distorted, and then a bunch of images and voices flash through my mind endlessly like a torrent of memories.
It's not your fault.
Please kill me!
Isn't she cute?
My name is Emer.
I will never allow you to break me.
On this day vow your spear to me Setanta!
I love you Mom.
I would like to hear the end of that story.
I am pregnant.
You have always been my best friend, even now.
This child feels like a bad omen.
I am really your child.
Nothing is wrong.
My name is Orlando, and I will never allow abuse to happen in front of me!
I will prove that even a copy can surpass the original.
A generation of revival, yet we still keep all the hatred that led to our downfall.
Why? Why would you forgive me?
Brother, even if you never are happy again, please stand by everyone because I know that these bonds can be rebuilt.
You truly would have ended your life if you didn't.
My hatred of you has nothing to do with that child.
I think I have found my dream.
I will never regret meeting you.
You destroyed what I love the most, and for that,t I will never forgive you.
Setanta you-.
My curse is getting worse, so please, Setanta, kill me.
I tried my best; I tried to gain the best possible future, but I wasn't able to. My entire life was a mistake, I should have never been born. I am so sorry, Setanta.
As these words flow into my head, I try to make sense of them, and little by little, they become clearer to me. "I will grasp them; I will grasp you, Wolfie."
In front of me, I see Wolfie in a distorted form lying over a body, and then moments later, from his body, snow and ice pour out to such an unnatural and extreme extent that the Continent around him freezes.
Seeing this sight, I reach out my hand in this dreamscape filled with memories, but as I do, I am grabbed and flung onto the ground.
Looking at the person in front of me, I see an old grown man with his right eye being the exact same as Mable's, but the eye has cracks within it.
Looking down at me, the muscular man with unruly hair both on his head and his face says, "You have had fun rooting through my memories, haven't you Orb?"
With shock in overtaking my face, I say, "Setanta?"