Alaric and Zanuba walked side by side along a path surrounded by lush trees. The weather was bright and sunny, with the gentle sunlight warming them as if offering a bit of comfort after the heavy events they had endured. The wind whispered softly, caressing the dense foliage and swaying the branches. Yet, Zanuba's mood was not as bright as the day. Her face remained somber, and her gaze was vacant, drowned in sorrow after losing Harith, the only person who had protected her.
Alaric, usually cheerful and full of silly antics, felt somewhat awkward. He was not the type to easily comfort others, especially a young child who had just lost someone close. Time and again, he stole glances at Zanuba, hoping to find a moment to speak or crack a silly joke. But every time he looked, he found only Zanuba's gloomy expression.
With an unbearable look of confusion, Alaric finally decided to suggest a break. "How about we rest by the lake for a while?" he asked, trying to sound cheerful even though he felt a bit uneasy inside.
Zanuba merely nodded without saying a word. She followed Alaric without much reaction, walking as if she were not fully present.
By the lake, Alaric took a water bottle from his bag and began to drink, while Zanuba sat beside him, still immersed in her silence. Alaric furrowed his brow, feeling frustrated with the situation. "I'm a wizard who has lived for hundreds of years, but why does comforting a child seem harder than fighting Tigeria?" he muttered to himself.
Alaric then decided to take a different approach. If conversation didn't work, perhaps a bit of magic would help. Quickly, he waved his hand, recited an incantation, and summoned a large stone golem that emerged from the ground with a rumble.
The golem was tall and large, made of solid stone. Alaric looked at Zanuba, hoping that this small spectacle might divert her attention from her grief. "Look, Zanuba!" he called out enthusiastically, "I've instructed this golem to make a sandcastle for you!"
The large golem began to move with stiff but impressive motions. Its big hands scooped up sand from the lake's edge and carefully shaped it into a small sandcastle. Alaric stood proudly beside it, as if he had just created a masterpiece. "Tadaa!" he said with a wide grin, "Isn't it great?"
Zanuba merely glanced briefly at the sandcastle and then returned to staring at the lake with a cold expression. Her face remained unchanged, and Alaric felt as if all his efforts had been in vain.
However, Alaric did not give up. "Alright," he said to himself, "If the sandcastle isn't interesting enough, maybe we need to create something bigger."
With renewed enthusiasm, Alaric gave the golem a new command. "Hey, Golem, make a horse statue now!"
The golem began to shape a horse statue out of sand. However, the result was far from perfect. The horse's head looked too large, and its tail… well, it resembled more of a giant broom than a horse's tail. Alaric, seeing this, could only slap his forehead. "Ah, that's not what I meant!" he shouted, though he tried to remain positive in front of Zanuba.
Zanuba looked again, and this time, her vacant stare was accompanied by a slight tug at the corners of her lips. Perhaps the strange horse statue had amused her a bit, though she did not laugh.
Feeling that he was almost achieving his goal, Alaric gave his golem another silly command. "Okay, now try making a dollhouse… but make it funny!"
The golem began working again, but the result was disappointing once more. The house it made looked like a mound of sand with a few random holes meant to be windows. Instead of being cute, the house looked like a giant rat's nest. Alaric could only look at it in despair.
"Alright, golem, you're really bad at architecture," Alaric said, shaking his head. But he wasn't ready to give up. He decided to use a more ridiculous approach.
"Now, do something funnier!" he said with enthusiasm.
The golem complied and started doing strange movements. It hopped awkwardly, swung its arms like a dancer out of rhythm, even tried to do somersaults. Of course, as a large stone creature, the result was quite chaotic. Each time the golem attempted a somersault, it fell with a loud "dumph," sending a cloud of sand into the air.
Watching the golem's increasingly ridiculous antics, Alaric nearly burst into laughter. "Come on, golem! You can do better than that!" he cheered, even though deep down he knew his golem had reached its peak of silliness.
But Zanuba remained seated, her gaze still cold. Alaric began to feel a little desperate. "What on earth do I need to do to make you smile?" he murmured softly, nearly giving up.
Yet, Alaric was not the type to easily surrender. With a deep breath, he stopped his golem and let the magic fade, leaving a pile of messy sand. Then, with a little more effort, he cast another spell. This time, ten small white rabbits appeared around Zanuba. They hopped cutely, running up to the girl.
Seeing the rabbits, Zanuba's frozen heart began to thaw. Unconsciously, the corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile. She reached out and stroked one of the approaching rabbits. It felt soft under her touch, and for the first time since Harith's death, Zanuba felt a small warmth in her heart.
Seeing that smile, Alaric felt an immense sense of joy. "Finally!" he exclaimed with relief, his face brightening up again. "See? These rabbits are far better than that stupid golem, right?"
Zanuba's small smile was more than enough for Alaric. He sat beside her, and together they enjoyed that small moment, watching the rabbits play around them.
After a while, Alaric decided to strike up a conversation. "So, Zanuba... tell me a little about yourself. We haven't really gotten to know each other well, have we?"
Zanuba looked at the lake for a moment before finally speaking in a soft voice. "I... I am Zanuba Squire Guillemete, daughter of the Kingdom of Gama. But... now I have no place to return to."
Alaric nodded slowly, not wanting to press further on wounds that might not have fully healed. "I'm Alaric Iceborn," he replied, trying to sound casual. "An old elf who has wandered for hundreds of years, and I might have lost track of how long. But... well, here I am now."
They fell silent for a moment, enjoying the calming quiet before Zanuba finally asked something she had long wanted to know. "How old are you really?" she asked with curiosity. "Your magic is so powerful. I've never seen anything like it; even the strongest wizards in my kingdom couldn't wield as many spells as you did against Tigeria. I'm curious, how long have you lived to master such magic?"
Alaric smiled slightly, feeling a bit proud but also playful with his answer. "Hmm, how about I ask you this? How long has your kingdom been around?"
Zanuba thought for a moment, then replied, "From what I know... more than 500 years."
Alaric chuckled softly. "Well, I'm older than your kingdom," he said with a proud yet playful tone. "And look at me, I still look young, right?" Alaric said with a little laugh.
Zanuba looked at Alaric skeptically. "Is that true?"
Alaric put on a mock-offended face, "Do I look like a liar?"
Zanuba narrowed her eyes, looking at Alaric with suspicion, "Yes, you do seem like a liar."
Alaric laughed heartily, followed by Zanuba who also laughed softly. The atmosphere, once filled with sadness, now became lighter. They enjoyed the easy conversation, accompanied by the beautiful view of the lake.
After some time, Alaric and Zanuba prepared to continue their journey. As Alaric called the rabbits back into his magic, Zanuba, now looking more cheerful, asked, "Where are we going next?"
Alaric flashed a mischievous smile. "Direwitch."
With renewed energy and slightly lighter hearts, they continued their journey, leaving the beautiful lake behind.