T. A. Star
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2 - Judgment
🕑 Added 2024-02-28 01:00:03 +0000 UTC
Paul was nervous as he led the way up to the roof, taking the green-tinted lift up the dozens of floors. It wasn’t the fact that he was uncertain about Phoenix finding the area interesting; if anything, her curiosity was the one predictable thing about her. No, his nerves currently came from the person he knew was likely to be there already.
“Elder Flower will not be unkind to Little Miss,” Orebela spoke in his mind in an attempt at reassurance, “Potentially judgmental but not cruel.”
“It’s the judgment that I’m worried about,” Paul silently replied, sparing a glance down at his apprentice who was currently trying to wrangle her curls into the large braid she often wore. The Paladin knew that his potential scion would need to meet the rest of his family and he figured getting it done sooner rather than later might help both sides come to understand one another better.
“Wayland is Head of the House,” Orebela interjected in his thoughts, “No family member can deny your will.”
“No, but Phoenix might change her mind and I can’t, nor would even attempt to, force her to accept. She’s already shown me often enough that she doesn’t like the attention my station brings and I don’t want her to come to regret being bound to a family she can’t get along with.”
“This One does not think the others will change the Little Miss’ mind if the stares and whispers during the expedition did not,” the Familiar pointed out, “Little Miss is loyal to Wayland.”
He wasn’t sure he agreed with that first part but didn’t argue as they arrived at the roof. The glass door opened to a small open area that almost seemed like a tiny cafe with small tables and a few chairs spread out and surrounded by vertical walls of lush greenery. Each of the tables bore fresh flowers in their center and the fragrance hit both of them as they stepped out onto the roof.
“Woah,” Phoenix half-whispered as her head swiveled to take in the scenery and he gestured for her to follow him as he turned to walk to the right and lead her through the sprawling garden.
Arches covered in flowering vines, small trees bearing various fruits, and blossoming hedges created magical trails for them to idly wander through. The mix of colors was often breathtaking and Paul never grew tired of visiting this small paradise among the frozen wasteland.
As they came to a small intersection of the paths near the center, he pulled out a small [Water Shard] from an inconspicuous jar that sat partially covered by hedge leaves in one of the corners and placed the Shard in the engraved circle of runes in the center of the two paths.
The mentor held up a hand to forestall Phoenix’s incoming question and said with a small grin. “Just watch,” he advised and a moment later the Shard seemed to melt into the enchantment diagram only to suddenly eject a stream of magical water up into the air and out over the various botanical walls to spray a gentle rain over them without causing the paths themselves to get drenched. The effect was dazzling as light refracted off the flowers and water droplets and Phoenix began laughing.
His smile became wider at the joy finally lighting up her face. The joy he had been able to cause. Paul had never felt like this before as he watched his ward excitedly place a hand under the spray and gently touch the petals on the various flowers she had likely never seen before. Being able to pause and look at the world that had become so dull to him through her eyes, eyes that had seen almost as much hurt and sorrow as he had, yet still found wonder had given him a new perspective.
He wanted to feed that awe and watch her grow into someone who could spread that joy to others as well. Not just find her own happiness but become the hero that he knew she was capable of becoming. To become for others what she had already become for him: the light in the darkness.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you smile like that since you were a small child,” a raspy slightly feminine voice said from nearby and he stood straighter to turn and look at the person he thought they’d eventually run into up here.
The frail-looking runeforged woman covered in blue rune markings was slightly hunched over and observing him carefully. As her blue eyes slid over towards Phoenix who was still giggling at the rainbows, he took a step forward to place himself between the two as a clear unspoken message that he would shield his apprentice from the elder if need be.
A wry grin broke out across the recently wrinkling face before asking him, “Are you going to just stand there all intimidating and not even introduce me to the Protégé of our Lord? It seems like you haven’t changed as much as I had hoped. Have you, Pouty Paul?”
A cackle behind him caused him to groan internally as Phoenix practically lost her ability to breathe from laughter at the childish moniker. Instead of answering the elder he begrudgingly made the introductions, “This is Phoenix Fraser who, as I’m sure you already know, has been my Protégé since about a month before my return to Tulimeir.”
He turned to look at the redhead who had finally collected herself enough to give a small bow in the local custom of a fingers-closed flat palm over the heart before the hand left to continue the bowing gesture and rest back at her side as she straightened, “Phoenix, this is my great great great aunt, Noble Pualani Wayland.”
Phoenix raised a brow at him and then gently extended her aura in the greeting he had shown her before for them to better understand one another without words needing to be passed. The single raised brow became two as she looked from the older woman then back at him before asking, “Emerald Caste?”
“Why is that surprising?” the old woman questioned and Paul saw the trap for what it was.
“I, um, well I just haven’t met many and thought-”
“Thought that if someone looked as old as I do then they must be a Mundane?” Pualani interjected, causing the Wayfarer to flush scarlet.
It was the older woman’s turn to cackle at the humor of the situation and Paul pointed out, “She’s mostly met Adventurers and not many live to see old age, Lan-Lan.”
“Well from what your sister has complained to me about, she has you to blame for that lack of exposure,” the elder countered before turning and gesturing for both of them to follow her, “Come. Let’s go sit and talk.”
Phoenix glanced at him uncertainly and despite what he wanted to do, he nodded the okay for her to follow, trailing after her in turn as his aunt explained while walking, “As my young upstart nephew so graciously implied is that I am, in fact, not a risk-seeking Adventurer anymore and am extremely old for a mortal.”
His Protégé covered her mouth in an attempt to smother the laughter and he rolled his eyes again which he often found himself doing with the annoyingly passive-aggressive woman, “Should I apologize for the truth?” he shot back, used to dealing with the back-and-forth that happened every time they crossed paths.
“No dear, I have long dismissed the notion of you having any sense of tact in conversation.”
A snort escaped past Phoenix’s hand and he gave her a flat look that didn’t seem to help her gain better control as her body shook in the effort not to laugh. As they reached a small hidden nook where a table with a trio of chairs sat, a suspicious number he thought, Pualani gestured for the pair of them to sit as she claimed one of them.
“Now, I’ve reached that point, young one, where healing magic has lost its grip on me,” the elder explained for Phoenix’s sake, “I’m the oldest living Wayland currently at 512 years and likely don’t have many more left in me but that’s nothing to worry about now, you hear?”
“That’s incredible,” the Wayfarer surprised them by saying before quickly clarifying, “I mean, that’s such an impossible age for me to even fathom when my world didn’t have magic to prolong life like that. We considered a fifth of that to be a generously long life.”
“And it is, by Mundane standards. Casters are the odd ones,” Pualani replied with a grin.
“Wait, if you’ve had over five hundred years to cultivate your Caste, why aren’t you Ruby already?” Phoenix asked, “I’ve heard people say Paul would likely reach it soon and he’s only 64.”
“He’ll be 65 next month,” the auntie outed to his further annoyance before saying, “But he’s also an Adventurer that doesn’t use Monster Seeds to advance. The challenges of combat push Aspect abilities faster and harder than most other professions.”
“I didn’t sense any Monster Seeds in your aura,” the Astromancer pointed out.
“No, but I’ve run out of challenges here and have no more desire to seek them out. I am but a humble gardener now and have lived a longer life than I think most mortals come to find out they don’t actually desire. Only my descendants remain, no generational peers that grew beside me and my spouses have already left this world long ago.”
“What about Fen?” Paul remembered to ask, glancing around for the man who was never too far from the woman, “Where is he anyways?”
The elder gave a soft smile, “Oh, he’s tending to some of the Frostroses on the other side of the garden. I think he’s come to accept my choices and has simply been enjoying these final years with me before his next big adventure.
“I’m honestly ready for my own end now,” the runeforged admitted, then turned to address Phoenix, “And despite what my nephew might think or try telling you later, it is a relief to see that he finally found someone to share his private life with. Though, I think most of the family were expecting a more mature woman with a higher Caste level and the potential position of spouse rather than scion.”
Paul almost wanted to growl at the woman who had the gall to claim he was the one without any tact, “I told Pati that-”
“I know exactly what you told her,” the elder interrupted again, flicking her long dark braids over a shoulder, “And we both thought it odd that you just skipped that whole part of growing up,” then her smile seemed to soften as she admitted to Phoenix, “I am glad nonetheless that he was lucky enough to have you enter his life, young one.”
The Paladin blinked, actually at a loss for words at the normally cantankerous woman’s admission as his apprentice replied bashfully, “It was more of a stumble, trip, and face-plant into his life. I’d probably be dead more times than I could count if I hadn’t met him when I did,” the Wayfarer glanced up at him and teased, “He’s actually a lot more reliable than he seems.”
The elder laughed aloud, and Paul knew everything would work out when the woman proclaimed to him, “If this young one can say that to your face then she will do well as a Scion of Wayland.”
“So you’re telling me that you solo-killed a Sapphire Caste monster by having it crush you to death?” Dazien asked incredulously as Phoenix was drawing out the ritual diagram on the smooth stone surface of the room they used before at the Wayland estate. Her party leader had been asking her questions almost nonstop while they were together since she had revealed her [Waypoint] ability the day before.
Phoenix surprisingly slept rather soundly after having spent the remainder of the evening and well into the night talking with Paulani and learning more about House Wayland and Paul as a stubborn child that she could easily picture with the stories the elder aunt told. She had awoken around midday to find her party waiting for her in the lower levels and ready to unlock one last ability.
“Well, that wasn’t exactly my plan,” Phoenix muttered in slight embarrassment, recalling her second Sapphire Caste fight, “Honestly, I’m lucky it even died.”
“That has to be the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever heard anyone ever undertake before,” the party leader said disapprovingly, then asked in a softer tone, “I understand that you were upset after dying again during the siren raid… but why would you do that? Why would you run off for days without telling anyone, just to get yourself killed?”
The Astromancer glanced up from her ritual work to meet his eyes which spoke volumes of the hurt, betrayal, and concern he felt and tried to keep out of his aura. She glanced over at the others who were chatting quietly amongst themselves then confided in her friend, “I was angry…”
“Like I said, I understand that you were angry at Arktis but that doesn’t mean-”
“No,” she interrupted, quickly clarifying, “I was angry at myself.”
“What? Why? You didn’t do anything wrong!” he said firmly in her defense.
The Wayfarer shook her head as she returned to drawing out the diagram with a glowing finger, “I was angry for being killed so easily,” she explained, “I had been training for months, trying to get stronger, to be useful to you and the others.”
“You’re not a tool to be used,” Dazien said with obvious concern, “Your value shouldn't be measured by how useful you think you’ve been but even so, you have been immensely valuable to not only our party but the entire city.”
“I know that now,” she replied and offered him a small smile, “It was just hard to see at the time. Priest Jacob has helped me work through some things and I’ll be meeting him again tomorrow.”
She stood up, gestured towards the completed ritual, and asked in a more playful tone, “Ready to finish off your abilities now? We wouldn’t want you slacking and falling further behind.”
He shook his head and rebutted, “I’m not the one who steps backward by taking unnecessary risks and getting themselves killed.”
“Hey, I did kill that Sapphire monster and I helped with the Emerald Caster. I made a bold move and it succeeded,” she pointed out in her defense.
“There’s a fine line between boldness and recklessness. Now that you know the cost, I hope you will be less of the latter.” Once she looked properly apologetic and nodded in agreement, he held up the [Judgment Spirit Gem] she had offered him back in Tulisuda and was demanding he use now, “Are you certain you want to just give this to me? We won't stop being friends just because you make the smart choice of selling it instead.”
“I think the best judgment I could make with it is making sure everyone in my party can cultivate to the next Caste,” she replied with a grin, “Plus, hopefully, it manifests some awesome foresight ability that will help you in making better choices rather than trying to pick a fight with an Emerald Caste Paladin of the Avenger just ‘cause you thought I died.”
“You did die! Remember?” he said incredulously.
She shrugged and said, “I got better.”
The Defender took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm his retort, before settling on saying, “Let's just get this done so we can go train you to die less.”
Comments
Siddharth Patel
Oooh I would love to see more interaction between phoenix and Paul's family! They bring a lot of lightness to the story! Great chapter!!!
Custus
Thanks for the chapter!
