One Year Prior
Far far into the main continent was a country on the eastern border known as the Boiling East. It was a land of vast volcanic and mountainous landscapes and active volcanoes. The soil was a mix of red and black, giving its beaches the most beautiful and warm beaches year round. Within the largest mountain, which sat in the center of the country and was once an active volcano, there was a dragon's lair like no other!
It was larger, wider, and deeper than all others of its kind! It was so large that when the volcano began to fill too high with his massive wealth of treasure, it had to be hollowed out to make room. And so the volcano was dug out, nearly to the limits of its walls. When they could dig no further, they dug down and wide until the treasure filled the massive rock like many small mountains and rolling hills.
Treasure of all kinds, from the most ancient of golds to the most precious of gems, armor, weapons, and magic items whose names had long been lost to time. And all of them were stacked upon piles upon piles of one another, but each one was cataloged and categorized and known by name, color, style, and date acquired.
Within the hoard, a plethora of Kobolds scurried around like worker ants, sorting, cataloging, categorizing, cleaning, decorating, and adding even more treasures to the ever-growing piles. While others dug deeper into the earth to make more room, others set to work on brewing foods that were far stronger in spices than they needed to be.
The only light coming into the glittering cave came from the very tip of the volcano above and a few magic torches that continued to burn without fuel. The treasure only needed to reflect the few lights around to illuminate the deep cave. Many wide and tall tunnels went deep into the earth, going who knows where? Only the kobolds and their king knew.
As the small dragons worked tirelessly, their progress came to a grinding halt. They heard giant footsteps coming out of one of the tunnels, soon followed by the sound of something large being dragged. Eventually, the source showed itself, and it was revealed to be four true dragons. Three were alive, and one was dead, being dragged by two. A white dragon and a green dragon dragged the body of a black dragon while a blue dragon shuffled behind them.
Once they had entered, they placed the body down upon one of the few spots in the cave, which had nothing covering it. Then the white dragon spoke, and speaking to the green dragon, it said, "Finally! For a rotting corpse, sister Anaya sure is heavy, eh, sister Akara."
The green dragon, Akara, stretched out her seems and shook her hide while agreeing, "Must be all those sweets she's been gorging on, brother Fuar."
Their calm conversation was halted when the blue dragon broke down before the body of the black dragon and began to bellow out a wail of sadness. The blue dragon cried so loud and so long that the white dragon, Fura, yelled at him, "Oh, stop your blubbering, brother Langdedrosa! She's dead; that's good, amen."
The blue dragon, Langdedrosa, calmed down enough to speak, and through his sniffles, he wept, "B-But sister Anaya ha-has been slain! It makes me so sad!", all while crying again and shedding tears so powerful that they fell like buckets of water all around, causing any kobolds near to flee for fear of being drowned.
Akara rolled her eyes at her brother's reaction and griped, "Why do you even care, brother Langdedrosa? She doesn't even like you."
"I'm just surprised she didn't croak sooner.", Fura agreed, chuckling coldly in his throat.
This triggered Langdedrosa's anger, and he furiously hissed and snapped at his brother, saying, "Show some respect for our sister, brother Fuar!"
Fuar pushed him back and, with a cold breath, hissed back, "How about you get over yourself, you pissy little-!"
"Who are you calling pissy!?", Langdedrosa snapped as both spread their wings to intimidate.
Only for both to hit Akara as she screeched, "Watch your damn wings, you little runts!"
"Watch your face!", both dragons shot back at her.
"Enough! All of you!", came a loud, assertive, commanding, and booming voice from the piles of treasure.
All three dragons instantly stopped their squabble as they saw the treasure horde rising into the air. There, a huge shape pulled itself free from under the gold and revealed itself to be another dragon, bigger and stronger than all the others--the true king of this horde, an Ancient Red Dragon!
His body was huge, muscular, and brimming with untapped potential, like a volcano on the brink of erupting! Just one hand was nearly the size of the blue dragon's head, with deep black claws. His scales were deep seas of different reds with a cool cream underbelly. They were layered and stacked over one another like layers of tenfold shields that were equal parts defense and offense, sharp and serrated like the rocks and jagged peaks of volcanic mountains.
His eyes are like two burning embers, amber in color, holding years of wisdom and experience. Sharp and calm yet ferocious and focused, he is a truly perceptive creature. His long, winding tail still lays under tons of precious metals, and his strong wings are tucked neatly at his sides.
His teeth were sharp and charred black from the fire that smoked in his throat and exited through his nostrils. Gold and gems stuck to or melted to several parts of his body, giving him a golden gleam when viewed from certain angles. He was one of the few creatures to stand the test of time and nature.
The other dragons bowed in shame and said in unison, "Sorry, brother Uvain."
Uvain snorted at their apology; turning his head, he told them, "Humble yourselves; father has arrived."
All eyes looked upon the largest mound of gold and gems where a single large chair crafted from oak sat upon it. Within a moment, a deep black fog seeped in from nowhere and everywhere, making the Kobolds flee in fear or do everything they could not to touch it. It collects upon the chair and quickly forms into the silhouette of a man-shaped being, leaning back into it with a calm yet upright posture. The gleaming treasure shrouded his face and body, obscuring everything but his general shape. The four dragons gathered around the chair and bowed deeply before the figure, waiting to be addressed.
"Children.", the figure finally spoke.
"Exalted father. Welcome back.", all four dragons greeted him.
The father turned his head towards the corpse of Anaya and said, "I see your sister has been slain."
"Unfortunately she has.", Uvain reluctantly spoke up when his siblings refused.
The father sighs and says, leaning towards the dragon, "I see I'll have to use that spell again. And here I hoped to go one century without one of you dying."
The man then spread his hands out and began to make certain motions while chanting something under his breath. A sigil glowed under Anaya's body, soon followed by several others. They all glowed strange colors, and a bright column of light shot out and enveloped the body! The rot and decay were purged in seconds, while the injuries healed and vanished. The corpse looked fresh but still dead until the light returned to the sunken eyes and the first breath of life returned.
Anaya had returned from the dead and let this be known with a panicked cry! She thrashed and whipped about like a dying fish as the sigils disappeared from underneath, acting more like a scared animal than someone who had just been bought back to life.
She fought and screamed for a time more until Uvain held her down and told her in a commanding tone, "At ease, sister Anaya. You have returned."
Anaya finally calmed down from her panic, and Uvain released her from underfoot. Slowly, she got up, sitting down while breathing heavily and saying in a dazed tone, "I…I was dead. I saw the hells and Tiamat. She was calling me, pulling me. Whispering things to me, things of what to do to me. It scared me.", making the other dragon's shiver in fear.
"Be calm, my child. You are free from her clutches once more.", the father said in a slow yet calm tone.
Anaya looked up at him like a child just awakened from sleep and asked, "Father?"
The father nodded and assured her, "Yes, my dear Anaya, I have brought you back from the dead once more."
After Anaya collects herself, she gets up, bows deeply, and says in gratitude, "My most humble thanks to you."
The father regards this with a body as he looks upon his other children and tells them, "Now, I expect all of you to be more careful in the future. I can only cast this spell once every one hundred years. If any of you expire, you will not come back. Then Tiamat will truly own your souls."
"We understand father. We will be more careful in the future.", all five dragons say simultaneously.
Making the father nod in acceptance before morphing back into smoke and disappearing into nothing. The moment he left, Anaya took a harsh expression on her face, turned around, and trotted towards the exit tunnel.
Just before she got to the hole, Uvain stopped her by grabbing her tail and rhetorically asking her, "And just where do you think you're going, sister Anaya?"
Anaya yanks her tail away and says in a disrespectful tone, "I'm going over the rainbow; where the fuck do you think I'm going, brother Uvain! I'm going down to that sorry little town and making all those little shits scream like they never have before! Alongside that, gods damn Chosen Touched Basil, ripping him piece after piece until the hells stop their eternal war to stand in the silence of his screaming!", she snarled as her throat filled and leaked out fresh acid that boiled the ground.
"Sister Anaya got killed by a Chosen Touched?", Akara questions silently to his other siblings.
Fura scoffs and whispers, "Lucky. The last time I died, I got killed by a group of Sky Giants."
"A Royal Devil slew me.", Langdedrosa brags in a small voice, making the other two glare at him.
"And get yourself killed again? I don't think so. You know what father said and what he has been saying to us, no?", Uvain tells off his sister while speaking down to her.
Anaya snarled a hiss at him and asked back rhetorically, "Are you implying I'll get myself killed again, brother Uvain?"
Uvain snorted hot embers while walking around her and stated, "While the other races may consider us no different from animals, let us not degrade ourselves to acting as such. Think rationally, sister Anaya." Moving around to her face, he inquired while getting into it, "The human has fought and bested you once before. Who's to say he won't be able to succeed again and with more efficiency?"
Anaya pushes him off and says assuredly, "I say! And I say that he won't beat me a second time. He merely got lucky, nothing else!", she insisted.
"Is that so?", Uvain asks.
"Yes!", Anaya insisted again.
"Are you sure?", Uvain put more pressure behind the question.
"Yes.", Anaya replied with less enthusiasm.
"Are you absolutely sure, sister?", Uvain growled, getting into her face and making her shrink away and down from his height. "I thought so.", he snorted like an exasperated, wiser sibling.
Pulling away from the cornered dragon, Uvain told her while turning around and speaking over his shoulder with poise and wisdom, "Let us bide our time until it is best to strike back. You especially. This isn't the first Chosen Touched we've dealt with, and it won't be the last."
Anaya looked at him with a turn of expression between acceptance and fight. Her face contorted so much that she looked constipated. But ultimately, seeing her elder and stronger brother looking down on her from his hoard, she caved and yelled, "Fine! You win. I'll just go back to my horde and brood."
Just before leaving again, her other siblings called out to her, first hearing her sister say, "Oh, sister dearest.", Knowing the wording and tone of voice, she knew she was going to get ragged on, but she would show no weakness, so she looked over her shoulder as Akara told her, "Don't stress; eat too many sweets when you get back home after your disastrous and embarrassing battle."
"You wouldn't want to lose your ability to fly after stuffing your face in shame!", Fura added as Langdedrosa tried not to laugh.
Anaya growled, jumped around, and yelled while spreading her wings in a wide stance, "Eat shit, the lot of you!", all before turning around and flying into the tunnel.
As the three dragons bellowed out belly laughter for several minutes, Akara was the first to calm down. Wiping tears away, she commented, "I'm glad she's back."
"As am I, sister Akara.", Langdedrosa giggles.
"I love messing with her. Don't you brother Langdedrosa?", Fura asks while trying to catch his breath.
"You three.", Uvain's assertive and fiery voice cut through their merriment.
"Y-Yes, brother Uvain?", they all asked in unison, seeing the gargantuan dragon sit upon the second tallest mound of treasure.
Looking down at them with glowing eyes of fury, he snapped, "Get. OUT!"
Akara rolled her eyes, trying to play off her nervous stutter, as she dismissively said, "Fine! Be that way! I'll go back to my elves.", She then left through one tunnel.
"I'll return to the South Ice Sea.", Fura tried to say calmly while speed-walking out of another tunnel.
All that was left was Langdedrosa, who now had his brother's full ire upon him and massive pools of sweat dripping down his face. He excused himself in a terrified tone, "I think a flock of fat sheep are calling my name! See ya later!", while dashing out a different tunnel.
Once Uvain was left, the Kobolds began to restart their work. Only for Uvain to grow increasingly irritated for no apparent reason, snarling until he finally snapped and yelled, "Cinders!"
Very quickly, an older Kobold, who looked similar to Uvain, ran up to him and bowed deeply, saying, "Yes, my lord Uvain."
"Where is that succubus?", Uvain demanded.
"She has just arrived, my lord. I shall--" Cinders began to say until the succubus, as mentioned earlier, announced herself.
"No need. I'll let myself in.", said a tall, slender female humanoid creature.
She looked exactly like a human woman apart from her red skin and devilish features ranging from a whipping tail, wanking horns, claws, hooves, and fangs. Long, straight black hair framed her face with green eyes. She also wore a very revealing and provocative outfit, leaving very little to the imagination.
"Succubus.", Uvain said as he sat up straight to acknowledge her.
"I have a name, fire cock.", The succubus grunted.
"Did I ask?", Uvain inferred as the succubus narrowed her eyes on him. Uvain snorted at her boldness and inquired, "Did you procure what I tasked you with?"
"No.", replied the sexy she-devil.
"No?", Uvain repeated.
"I failed.", she adds.
"What do you mean you failed?", Uvain demanded, slamming his fist so hard upon his horde that a nearby pile of treasure fell flat.
"I lost, I fumbled the ball, I tripped at the finish line. Take your pick.", she sasses the dragon.
Uvain growled as he brought his head down to her, just one eye larger than her, and demanded in a snare, "How did you fail!? Your one and only task was to acquire the seed from that Chosen Touched! What's the point of having a succubus if you can't suck!"
The succubus made a disgusted sound in her throat and told him in exasperation, "I don't know what to tell you! I'm just as shocked as you are! Once those humans finished rebuilding their stinking town, I tried to seduce that human at their celebration of your sister's death, but to no avail."
Uvain raised an eyebrow and asked, "Seduction is the one thing you're good at; how did it backfire!? Was he gay?"
The succubus took her head while waving her hand and explained, "No, if that were the case, it would've been an easy fix. It's like he was immune to my magical charm no matter what I tried. He might have some sort of mental protection that not even you, with your All-Seeing Eye, could view."
"Don't push your luck, little devil!", Uvain warned while puffing smoke at her. He leaned his head upon his hand and thought aloud, "I guess I'll have to try a different approach."
But then the she-devil put on a wry smile and added, "Though I did get something else, just in case.", described the ancient dragon's attention, and he turned his gaze back to her as she told him, "During the battle with your sister, Anaya, that human was severely injured several times. Lost tons of blood, bone, and flesh. And I managed to get some."
"How much?", Uvain asks her, getting increasingly curious.
The succubus then made a flapping motion with her wings as if to pull a sheet off of something, and standing next to her was a barrel keg where she showed it off and said, "One Butt Ton full. Can you make that work?"
Uvain smiled with all of his charred black teeth and said vigorously, "My dear, you have somehow managed to redeem yourself. Well done."
As the dragon took the barrel away, the succubus coughed loudly, grabbing his attention as she said, "Ahem! I hope you didn't forget our deal?"
Uvain rolled his eyes and dug through one of his many piles of treasure, where he pulled out a very oddly shaped blood-red stone between his claws. There, he placed the stone into the succubus's hands, which were bigger than her torso, and told her, "The heart of Mephisto, as promised.", He waved her off while holding up the barrel and said dismissively, "Now return to the hells. I'll summon you if I need you."
With that, the succubus disappeared in a plume of fire and smoke. Once she had left, the Kobald Cinders came out of his hiding place, hiding from the ire of his master and the terrifying she-devil. He carefully asked, "My lord? What are you planning?"
Uvain made a dark chuckle in his throat like a rumbling volcano as he took the barrel over to his alchemy kit setting it beside the table; he told the small dragon, "Something no dragon, devil, or mortal has ever thought up before.", turning back to his subordinate he asked rhetorically, "You know how powerful the children of a Chosen Touched are, yes?", Cinders agrees with a nod. Uvain tells him, "Well, why not create my own powerful child from such a being? After all, my mate will be going into heat very soon."
Saying this, Uvain began to mix the barrel's contents with a plethora of different-colored chemicals, which went through many different tubes and pipes, boiling or cooling, before eventually dripping off into a separate vial, where the concoction settled on a cool gold color. Uvain smiled with satisfaction at seeing this until a new voice called for his attention.
"Master Uvain!", a gruff voice called to him.
Uvain turned his eyes to the voice and saw an orc standing at the foot of his treasure horde. The orc looked like a human, but bigger, green, far more muscular, with tusks like a pig, black hair made into dreadlocks, red eyes, and sharp, short pointed ears. He had only four fingers and toes and, wore crude armor made of scrapes melted together with the hides of animals and people used for insulation. Mainly covering the groin and chest with a crude helmet on his head.
Uvain smiled at the orc and said, "Commander Crunch. What news do you bring?"
Crunch took a knee and bowed before him, reporting, "The North West end has been overthrown, and an outpost has been established. Half of the Boiling East is now under your rule!"
Uvain grinned with all his teeth and said, "Excellent work, Commander Crunch. Recruit more troops and begin to overtake the Southeast end. Soon, the Kingdom of Red Hot Sand will fall, and the Boiling East will be all mine!"
"Glory be to the Horrific Uvain the Red!", Crunch proclaimed, and the Kobolds cheered in agreement.
Just as the Orc was about to leave, Uvain caught him and said, "Ah, and one more thing, Commander Crunch, For doing such an excellent job, I have decided to reward you."
"A reward? For me?", Crunch asked shyly, confused but also happy.
Uvain then transferred some of the golden chemicals into a much smaller flask and handed it off to the orc while offering, "Here, take it.", Crunch took the flask, looking at it weirdly; Uvain instructed him, "When next you mate with your strongest female, have her drink this, and she shall produce the strongest children ever!"
Crunch bowed deeply and said with a voice full of gratitude, "Thank you, my Master."
Once the Orc left, carefully holding the vial, Uvain looked at a single picture hanging on the wall of his volcano and began to speak to it, saying, "All according to plan. First the boiling East, and soon this whole world will finally be under our thumb, father. Just as it always should have been.", He said this to the picture, which had faded over the centuries, while carving his claw through a map on the wall beside the picture.
xXx
Present Day
Moving to the Far Lands, in the eternal thunderstorm that crashed and raged against the Devil King's Castle, the king himself sat upon his throne in a blissful state of tranquility as he listened to the rain outside. His eyes closed and his posture calm, until a bolt of lightning struck and his eyes opened with his posture stiff. He senses that something big has changed, something he hadn't expected.
Then, the doors of his throne room were opened, and a dark figure in thick robes came into the room and knelt before him. Upon showing his respect, the figure said to the king, "My lord, I bring unfortunate news." He said this in a tone that didn't sound sad at all.
"Speak.", the king instructed him.
"One of your seven calamities, Lady Charlotte, has been slain.", the figure told him in a tone that held no emotions.
The Devil King huffed and said in annoyance, "So she has failed me. Pitty."
"How shall we react to this?", the figure asked excitedly.
The King considers this and eventually instructs, "For now, we shall bide our time. There is no need to rush into unnecessary conflict. We shall watch the Chosen Touched and make our moves accordingly.", Seeing the figure twitching with excitement, he leans in and asserts, "Is that clear?"
The figure collects himself, bows, and replies, "Crystal."
Just before he left the throne room, he inquired of the king, "Just out of curiosity, my Leigh. How are the rest of us Calamities supposed to be ranked?"
"Anyone under Charlotte has taken her place and so on.", the king answers him.
The Calamity smiles under his thick hood, bows deeply, and says with gratitude, "Many thanks to you, my lord. Many thanks indeed."
xXx
Within the quiet sanctum of the Dauntless Kingdom, the king sat on his throne, thinking of many things to do and many things to come. Fighting a two-way war and being the largest kingdom in the world was no small task. But he did it with grace and power! As he sat pondering in the well-lit room, a set of fast footsteps could be heard running through his hallway and into his throne room, where the doors were flung open, and a breathless young man in a courier outfit ran in.
"My lord! My lord!", the young man exclaimed as he ran and knelt before the king.
"Calm yourself and speak calmly.", the king instructed in a firm tone.
As the young man took a deep breath, he told the king, "Wonderful news of the highest order! One of the Seven Calamities has been successfully slain!"
"Of the Devil King?", the king inquired, leaning forward a bit in intrigue.
The man nodded rapidly and exclaimed, "Yes-yes, my king! Oh, what a joyous day it is! The forces of evil have lost their grip! Now is the time to strike!"
But before the boy could go running off into battle, the king raised his hand, stopping him and asserts, "Ease on, young one. Just because an army lost its general doesn't mean it's lost its whole flank. While this does give us an opening we must use it smartly. For now we have other issues.", looking around the room as he began to grip the armrest of his chair, the king demanded in a yell, "Where is my wayward son?! He was supposed to be sent off to the Kingdom of Red Hot Sand!"
The young man shrinks before the fuming kingbad meekly replies, "I…am not sure, your Majesty."
The King growls as he slumps back into his seat and tells him, "Find him and send him off! If he wants any chance at self-repair.", But the young man stays put, so the king yells while pounding his armrest, "Well!? What are you waiting for!?"
"There was one other thing, your Highness.", The young man's mom said in a small voice, only getting an irritated growl in response. The young man took that as his cue and informed him, "The Calamity was slain by, and this is just a rumor, a Chosen Touched."
"A Chosen Touched?", the king asked, his curiosity peaked as he calmed down a bit. The young man nodded, and the king thought about it momentarily before commanding, "Send forth for the wizard and then find my son!"
The young man bows again before running off to the mage to find any sign of the prince. After several minutes of waiting, the aged wizard finally hobbles into the throne room, assisted by Rocky. After standing at the King's feet, he greets him warmly.
"Gimbal.", said the king.
"Jef-.", Gimbal tried to say before getting cut off.
The king told him gruffly, "I told you to address me in the proper terms, wizard. I am no longer your young charge."
Gimbal smiles wryly and bows before saying, "Very well, your Highness. What do you require of me? My spells, my potions, my alchemy skills, my insight in a matter?", he offered.
"Your answer.", the king replied, making the wizard look at him confused. "Did you have any prior knowledge of a Chosen Touched?" the king asked, getting straight to the point.
Rocky began to sweat and tense up. He knew it was only a matter of time before this happened--he just knew it! And when the kingdom went to knocking on Basil's door, the first ones he'll blame were them! Sure, his master could beat him, but him!? He'd get creamed! He was glad the king wasn't asking him; he'd crack under that intimidating helmet in one second. Hopefully, his master would pull through.
Gimbal smiled knowingly and rambled, "I have knowledge of many things, my lord. Things that had been, things that were, things as they are, things to be, things that may happen, things in the unknown."
The king groaned in frustration and slapped his face, waving them off, "Never mind. I shall simply send an investigation to Ash End. You are dismissed."
Gimbal bows with Rocky, and the two exit the throne room. After they are a reasonable distance away, Rocky turns to ask his master about what he did, only for the old wizard to smile and wink at him. When they left the throne room, the king looked behind himself to where the four legendary weapons of the Dauntless Kingdom hung. They had disappeared right under his nose, but they hadn't been stolen since, and in a moment, they returned. Has someone summoned them? Surly not his son of all people, surely not.
xXx
After the battle with Charlotte had ended, the next thing everyone had to do was pick up the pieces and help those in need. The Bugbears were the least injured and aided in the clean-up or demolition. The Lizard Men had to be thawed out of the ice and returned to the swamp to heal, meaning that their building skills would have to wait. Myeon, Melon, Hagson, and Bow were all healed by Elliot after he woke up and returned home. He depleted all his magic to heal as many other people as he could using the sigil from Basil.
Melon flew off to hunt and heal, Myeon stayed to help the town, and Bow aided as well. When Gossamer finally came back from wherever he had been thrown, he also began healing people, including the Halflings, Small Torah, and Marigold. Marigold would have a word with her party after running from a crisis, but her first goal was to find Basil, as he had vanished.
After asking around to every person and creature that knew him, including the fairies, she began walking back to his home, where it used to be, until a few friends met her. It was Teto and Wrinkles riding Broomy. Since Charlotte died, the spell she used to disenchant Broomy was canceled. It seemed that the three of them were also looking for Basil, so she hopped on, riding off in search.
When they reached the man's land, they didn't take long to locate him. Getting off Broomy and telling the other three to stay back, she made her way to the man sitting upon the hill overlooking where his home once stood. When she approached him, she noticed that not only had he taken no notice of her, despite the fact she wasn't trying to, but also that he was hugging a Rock bee drone in between his knees and stomach like a security plushie and that he was cutting his hair with a pair of scissors. Right now, his hair looks like it did back when they first met almost three years ago.
Marigold had no idea how to approach him, so she dumbly blurted out, "You…cut your hair."
Basil finally noticed her, and when he heard that, he turned his gaze away and asked, in disappointment, "Do you…not like it?"
Marigold realized she struck something and wildly flailed her arms while apologetically explaining, "Wha-? No no no! I didn't say that! I was just surprised. You never seemed to want to cut it before."
"Well, it needed a trim. And besides…she ruined it.", Basil said the last part with a shiver running down his spine.
Sitting down beside him as he pushed his hand through his short hair, Marigold carefully asked in an understanding tone, "She's still gotten you, eh?"
Basil shook his head around, like he was trying to shake a thought or memory from it, and eventually blurted out while curling into himself, "I thought I'd be over her, especially after literally killing her. But I guess I was wrong again...I'm not as strong as I think."
"Do be ridiculous; of course you are. You faced against the person who caused you so much pain and won! That sounds pretty strong to me.", Marigold tried to assure him.
Basil looked at her weakly and said, "But I don't feel that way. I just feel…like I did before. Small, out of control…scared." He said the last part while hiding his face.
"And that's why you cut it?", Marigold asked, looking at the cut locks of black hair littering the grass and his clothing.
"Because in a sick way, it made me feel comfortable, despite where it comes from.", Basil told her with a sad laugh in his throat, a bit mellowed out into something that sounded like a whimper.
Marigold leaned against the man and, resting her cheek on his hunched-over back, told him, "Well, a seed doesn't become a tree in a day. And you're still growing, right?"
This seemed to get to the man, and he gave a very long and sad sigh as he finally uncurled from himself and begrudgingly admitted, "I guess. But I'm also scared of something else.", this piqued the woman's interest. She took her face off him to listen as he stressed to her, "She…wasn't supposed to be here. In this world. And if what she said is true, could anybody else I know be here?", after saying this, he shut his eyes and shook his head again while squeaking on in anguish, "God, I don't want to think about it."
Marigold thought about what to say to him next or how to talk to him. But somehow, for the first time since they met, the words came naturally to her, and she said to him with no hesitation, "Well, whatever happens from here on, you won't be facing it alone."
This struck a chord with Basil; hearing this, he calmed down much more than before. He calmed down so much that eventually, he melted beside Marigold, leaning against her as she leaned back, and so he finally relaxed in the moment. Not worrying about the what ifs or when wills of the world or his life. Just now was enough, and it was bliss. Even allowing the Rock bee drone to fly free from his restrictive grasp and soar through the air once more as they both looked on at the vast world before them.
The End….for now.