(Rose)
I woke up in Blume's soft embrace. She's sweet to me. In more ways than one...
When I told her that, she finished the sentence before I did. It has become a joke for her. I always say that apparently.
R - I'm so sorry for hurting you Blume. I don't know how to say it best, but I am, and I hope... Well I hope a lot of things.
B - I wish it had gone a different way, but you didn't hurt me truly. Don't worry about that past body. What I am, only feels sad that you feel guilty for what pain and torment pushed you to do. I don't care for your responsibility in what happened.
R - In that... You show what feels to me as lack of humanity, yet I mean this in the kindest and admirable way. Somewhere I think you shouldn't forgive me. That it would be fair.
B - I understand, but I don't like you feeling guilty much more than you do for me. If you want to blame something, then blame your pain at the time. If someone, then blame the dark one. It's not wrong either... Rose, it does not matter to me what you did in that moment of panic.
I hug her. Thank you. Thank you... You're too kind to me.
R - I will overcome this guilt then. I love you, oh kind one.
B - What matters to me, remains the same.
Your love for me.
~
We prepare ourselves to journey toward Europe.
Though before we go, now is time to open the egg.
R - It's not a normal animal anyway. So obviously, it's waiting for something. It has waited all this time for me to make it hatch.
B - You're probably right. Let's try then. I'll be careful.
And Blume slowly grows out from under my clothes and surrounds the egg with vines. They're very slender but they will grow.
The egg is tightly held. It gets fissures here and there. Blume cautiously proceeds to open it.
We might meet a new friend.
Who knows?
~
Oh dragons, faeries, birds.
It hatched. This long yet thin snake raised its pale head and opened grand dark eyes. It has a juvenile look, and little horns that look like buds on its head and back.
It's just a long and slim snake? It's looking at us, opening its cute mouth like snakes do. Its tongue doesn't look Y shaped.
After a minute looking at each other, it lost interest in us and turned around, and began to slither away.
I expected a pet. It doesn't look like this animal will need my help at all though.
Once it reached the soil, it dug a small hole with its head, curled up, and stood there apparently sleeping.
Blume is laughing inside. I had expectations that are now showered down by a sleepy snake. It wasn't a bird that would try to follow me.
Well then, we can say our goodbyes and leave. We'll leave it be and tell about it to our friends, that's all.
I feel good and confident. I know somewhere else that Licht does too and smiles. Aunt Licht...
I feel happy.
I lace my new shoes and set off. The snake is still sleeping in a corner of my greenhouse. I go see our friends across the crops and square. Their square. Well, it's essentially their town now.
Zeslinry and I hug ourselves goodbye.
They have plans for years to come, to rebuilt cultures and recycle every ruins in town.
Myls hugs me and Blume separately. She also keeps one of her flowers for herself. I'm surprised.
And all Blume says to explain is,
B - We became friends while you were resting. She's a good girl.
And in a few years at most, she'll surely follow my steps out in the empty world full of oddities. She seems eager to travel too.
And so we finally leave on that peaceful day. We will head toward the tunnel of the Queen, and then to the continent.
~
Walking freely, Blume on my skin again, I'm happy.
R - I'm so glad you returned to me Blume. Licht was right... Did you know the Dragon made some kind of copies of me?
B - I did. I did not like that.
R - Well, I guess they're her problem now... Should we try to find another failsafe on our way?
B - I think our pact still stands, however we shouldn't dismiss new opportunities if we find them.
We'll see what arises on our way. We have a long road ahead. No clear goal but the journey itself, and being together along.
R - I love you.
The road unfolds, endless. Wrecks of old vehicles remain by the sides, left untouched or invaded by giant mushrooms that eat metals and plastics.
Somewhere south lies in the woods a kind of Dragon-god, at odds with its first child, who looks like me but older. Just behind us in the north west, live our dearest friends.
Ahead of us for thousands of miles lies a world mostly deserted yet unknown.
The new world awaits. I've only scratched an edge of its surface for the two years or so since I arrived.
Let's explore further.
~