The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Chapter One-Hundred-Two: Honoring the Fallen – Part One

Dawn arrived with a heavy heart since we couldn’t put off the funeral anymore. Together, we traveled to the graveyard's remnants, and I looked out at the sea of somber faces. The sky was painted in soft, muted, melancholy hues as the sun peeked over the horizon, casting long shadows amongst the headstones.    

The air was heavy with grief and sadness as the whisper of a morning breeze carried the scent of dew and fresh earth.     

I stood among the gathered crowd with my friends. We all felt the collective sorrow encroaching from all sides—Team Quella included. Everywhere I looked, I saw faces etched with pain. Their eyes were reddened from crying.    

But unity?   

It was there. Our mourning was shared by all.  We did not have to endure this alone.    

Sera stood at the forefront and tightly gripped her flute as she stared at us. Her back was straight, but her shoulders trembled slightly.    

“No language in existence holds enough words to express my feelings. I’m sure you all share it.” Like mine, her teary eyes were red and swollen. Her voice was like malleable putty—soft and unsteady.  “We are here to remember those we have lost and to honor their lives. Friends… Family… Lovers… They may be gone, but they will be immortalized within our memories and hearts.” Her words cut through the silence. “So, let us do that. Let us remember them so that we may never forget them.”   

“The dryad was the first to approach me,” I said, starting it off. “I wasn’t the kindest to that sweet girl. I wanted to brush her off, but she gave me her flower. She changed me for the better. She believed in me. And not a day will go by that I will not think of her love and courage, for she is a shining star that illuminated a dark corner of my heart.”   

Someone else spoke. And then another. Voices continued until everyone had said their fill. There were tears—yes. And there were eyes filled with raw pain as the words felt like daggers through the heart since this meant accepting the truth. Yet laughter, smiles, joy, and camaraderie of remembering the ones we lost made this close-knit group even closer.     

“I was there at the beginning,” said Sera as she closed us out. “The Eagle Yew was just a sapling with many years ahead of it. I watched it grow from nothing into the haven that we all called our beloved home. I’ve seen its struggles. I’ve borne witness to its challenges. And I was honored to observe its success and how it thrived and nurtured the recreation of Vredi Forest. It…was so beautiful.” Sera’s voice trembled like the string of a violin. “However, it is not lost to us. Aello… Lord Aetos, if you would…”  

Aello walked to the front and held Aetos’s flower pot. The eagle was short and small, but his presence commanded attention from everyone as he extended a wing to the little red-eyed elf standing beside Aello. Yew was still shy. Her tiny frame was trembling with emotion as she wiped her tear-stained cheeks. Her grief was palpable in the way she clutched her heart.     

For all the hurt we felt…   

The pain was much more severe for her.     

“The Eagle Yew as we know it is no more. The great tree has worked tirelessly for a thousand years without rest, so it has more than earned its respite. However, that is not the whole story, for a portion of the Eagle Yew still survives. My friends and family, I introduce you to the Eagle Yew’s reincarnation, Yew Vredi.”   

Oohs and ahhs spread throughout the crowd.  

“The… The feelings of the Eagle Yew flow through me. I harbor its thoughts and emotions. Please believe me when I say the Eagle Yew has no regrets. Its death is not one to mourn because it was not in pain. From the beginning… From… From the beginning,” Yew stuttered. I walked beside her and encouraged her with a hand on her shoulder. Yew took a breath, closed her eyes, and focused.    

She’s brave. I know this isn’t easy.   

“From the beginning, the Eagle Yew had one objective: to protect what it loved. So… Please… When you think upon the Eagle Yew, do let sadness infect your hearts because it would not have wanted that.” Yew raised a small hand to the sky and smiled. “Let your heart be filled with joy. Recall the good times we shared within the village and continue to live for your happiness because the Eagle Yew desired that. The best gift we can give it is to smile and face the future without regret… It is not easy. I want to cry. I want to lay down and not move.”    

Yew shook her head.   

“I can’t do that, though. We don’t have to do this alone because we aren’t alone. Aetos Village was a tight-knit community that embodied the values of Vredi Forest, where everyone was family. And family sticks together. That’s what we have to do. So… So, if you see someone struggling, please help them. We must support each other. That… That is what the Eagle Yew have wanted…” Yew’s voice and mannerisms betrayed her false bravado, but she held resolute.    

“Sister.” Sera raised her flute. “Play with me. We must have a proper send-off.”   

“Of course, Sera.”   

Susize… I’m not you. I know I’ll never be you. You aren’t looking down on me, but if you were…   

I carefully held the beloved instrument to my lips.    

Could you abscond your hatred and… And watch me? I love this forest more than I ever thought possible. If nothing else… I want you to know that much. I’ll protect what you love. I swear I will, Susize…   

Sera started us in our grandest rendition of Vredi’s Lullaby.  The first notes drifted into the morning air as soft and haunting, and each following note created a bridge between the living and dead. Swirling mana gently encircled Sera and myself as the magic gently jumped from griever to griever.    

We felt the spirits of those we had lost surround us. Perhaps it was a placebo effect. Maybe it was what we wanted to feel...  

But to us...  

It was real.  

I swore I saw the dryad in the distance. I saw that little frame—those thin vines hiding the flower I had placed at the grave. The girl's form was wispy and faint, flickering like a light without enough electricity.    

She became more ethereal near the end, and the swirling mana ascended skyward like a blanket of warmth.    

Sera and I played with all the passion, love, and sorrow we had, knowing this was the most precious gift we could send off the dead with.     

As the final notes of the lullaby faded into the dawn, a profound silence settled over the graveyard. It was a silence filled with unspoken words--with memories of laughter and tears-- with the promise that we would carry on.   

I felt a sense of peace as we stood together in the early morning light. We had honored the fallen, celebrated their lives, and vowed to remember them. And in the music... In the tears... In the shared sorrow...   

We had found a way to heal.   

Are you proud of me, little dryad?   

I felt a familiar hand grab mine. Sekh rested her armored head against my shoulder and rubbed my palm. “You did good, Mila.”   

“My lord… Believe me,” said Tris when she took my other hand. “Your love for the village is as real as the water that flows through the river. You did them well, and they are smiling.”   

“I…” I looked at Yew. She clenched her fists and bit her lips. No one would blame her for harboring a desire to be strong.  

So did I…   

The villagers saw me as a role model, so I…   

So I had to fulfill that role—for their sake.     

*****

*****

After the funeral, I returned to the medical tent with Tris, Primrose, Yew, and Sekh. Quella and her friends had said a few words before leaving to discuss the obvious, which was what Sera, Aetos, and Aello were doing.    

Tris opened a [Skyview] window, and we saw their conversation.    

“Have you considered my offer?” asked Sera. She held the flower pot in her lap. “You and the others will be safe at my home. The forest is unknown—unnamed, even. You cannot find it on any map. It’s safe. I can teleport you there.”   

“I must know what you want, my princess, before I answer that.”   

“Looking after me before yourself?”   

“That is what I promised your sister, although… No. I won’t say it. The past is the past. We must face the present and future.”   

“Even if it’s scary?”   

“Doubly so, my princess. Recall little Yew’s heartfelt speech. We are not alone. You do not have to face it by yourself. The past will always be there. Yet, the future is not set in stone. It can be what you want to be. I… I was too hasty. I should not have said those things. Nor should I have had those…” Aetos didn’t finish it because Sera touched his head. She rubbed his tiny beak, and he rubbed his head against her hand like a dog.    

“I feared the future because I didn’t want to lose anyone. I thought the loss was inevitable, but that’s before I met Mila and Yew.” Sera fondly smiled. “That’s two new Vredis. Two that…I never thought they'd come into my life. There may be more hidden, so I want to search for them. Far and wide—across the world, if I must. Yet…”   

“There is something you must do.”   

“Gloria and Meruria must suffer the consequences. What they did cannot be forgiven. I almost lost you, Lord Aetos… I almost lost this village. Another irreparable link to the past was nearly severed before my eyes.”   

“This injustice cannot stand.”   

“You won’t talk me out of it?” Sera sounded surprised.    

“You’re an adult, my princess. I can guide you, but your choices are yours to make. I…share your feelings. I want nothing more than to make them pay for insolent arrogance. Yet look at me.” Aetos spread his wings. “I am weak and powerless.”   

“No. You were never weak. You’ve always been the strongest Great Eagle.”   

The eagle smiled. “Your words have always been kind, my princess. Still, as much as I wish to accompany you as I did your sister in the past… I have other obligations to fulfill.”   

“The villagers.”   

“Indeed. My children need me, my princess, so I will leave this to you and Lord Springfield.” Aetos touched Sera’s cheek with his wing as she rubbed his head.    

“High Blessing, we shall talk with the rest. This decision involves everyone, so they must share their thoughts."  

“Of course. That’s fine. I’m glad the village has an elder like you, Aello.”   

Tris closed the [Skyview] window and said she would track their conversation in the background.    

We’re about to be interrupted in ten seconds.  

“I’m glad they have a plan. Sera’s forest is the best place for them. Besides, it’s easier to move a small group instead of having a whole village.”   

“Lord Springfield? Are you in here?” came a voice from outside the tent—right on cue.     

“Keeth? Yes, we are. You may enter.”    

“The new prosthetics are finished,” he announced, pushing past the flap. Quella was with him. “I equipped them with a quick-release latch separate from the primary component. What happened will not be repeated. Is now a good time? For the surgery, I mean?”   

“Tris?”   

“Niva’s vitals are still stable, my lord. She has ‘recovered’ physically from her injuries, so there is no risk of her body suddenly giving out.”   

“Keeth?”   

“I can do it, Lord Springfield. With Tris’s help, I’m certain it’ll be finished in half the time since we’ve done it before. I know what to look out for.”   

“Then I don’t have any reason to refuse. Thank you again for doing this.” I retrieved my flute and made three wooden puppet clones. “Use your new anesthesia magic to keep Niva under. Watch her like a hawk.”  

The three nodded. One gently lifted Niva, and Primrose, Tris, and the other puppets followed Keeth to an operating tent nearby, leaving Quella with us.    

“How are you feeling?” Quella asked as I made another clone of Tris. My Beacon of Wisdom took control.     

“I’m hanging in there. Funerals are always hard.”   

“They are. Elly and Melusine are trying to keep their spirits up. She was really moved by Vredi’s Lullaby.”   

“It’s a lovely song.”   

“It is. And you played it magnificently. Your love for the forest is genuine. Those impartial emotions flowed through your music. Anyone—even the deaf—could feel it.”   

“That reassures me a little. Thank you, Quella.”   

“Mila, look.” I turned to Tilde at Sekh's behest, and her eyes were struggling to open. She quietly groaned. I held her hands and whispered.   

“Come on, Tilde… You can do it… Please, wake up. You’re almost there…”   

“Well… If… If it’s for my…Master… I… can’t keep her waiting…” The voice was nearly silent.    

“Tilde!”   

It took ten more seconds for her eyes to open. Sekh grabbed a glass of water while Tris helped her sit up.    

“How long was…” Tilde coughed twice and spat bile across her blanket.    

“That can wait. Drink and quench your throat,” said Sekh, holding the cup to Tilde’s lips. “Don’t try to grab it. I know you can barely feel your fingers.”   

“Is it…that obvious?”   

“A fairy’s nerves are more interconnected than any other humanoid species because their wings are integral. Damage sustained to them spreads to the body,” revealed Tris.    

“Do I…still have them? I can’t feel them.”   

“You do. Don’t be alarmed, my lord. The damage is not permanent.”   

“I guess I got more fucked up than I thought. Ha… It…feels so weird… I can move two toes, but that’s it.”   

“Weird or not, you’re back, Tilde.”   

“That’s right, Master… I’m… Your lovey-dovey head maid is back!” Her positivity was forced since it was followed by three more coughs and a groan.   

“Then my cute head maid must take an extended break until she gets better.”   

“But—”   

Bonk!   

“No buts, Tilde. Listen to me. Please, take it easy. Focus on recovering.”   

Tilde opened her mouth to protest, but she surrendered and drank more water. “Okay. I…guess being pampered isn’t the worst thing in the world… Hey, can you catch me up to speed? I think I have a good idea.” She struggled to point at Yew.  “That’s the Eagle Yew. She has your hair and Little Miss Wrath’s eye color. I don’t see the tree, but considering your uniqueness, Master, I know the chimerization event occurred. Let me guess, it flowed into the graveyard?”   

“Right on the money.”   

“And you aren’t freaking out I just said chimera, so you know what my Master is.”   

“Amazing deduction.” Quella was impressed.     

“I can’t take all the credit. ‘Quella knows our lord is a chimera’ was dazzling the ceiling in shining waypoints. Master wouldn’t reveal something like that without a damn good reason. We’re also in a tent, not the village. The tree was healing when we last saw it… It’s not here, so something unexpected happened. Something that required Tris to involve the Essence of Wrath. The only unknown was…Remy? Did I get that right?”    

The space beside me quivered, and Remy manifested. She immediately kneeled at my feet. Tilde remained silent while I told her of our victory over her. Who knew what transpired through her mind until she spoke what I didn’t expect.    

I thought she’d have shown concern since the mysterious Remy was my rapist, however…   

“Congratulations on taking the first step of your revenge, Master. I bet it feels good as hell.”    

I smirked and rubbed her head. “You’re goddamn right it does. It feels so euphoric.”   

“Now, you can put your worries about dulling your resolve to rest because they won’t lose their edge anymore. There’s one thing…” Tilde looked at Sekh.    

“It’s as you suspect.”   

“You’re okay with that?”   

“It was surprising,” admitted Quella. “To be honest… I’m not sure what to feel.”   

“Do you feel out of place? Scared? Nervous?”   

“Maybe a little of the first? Sekh, I…”   

“We do not have to be friends,” said Sekh, speaking plainly. “You may hate me for my sins or despise me for what I wrought upon Faedornia, but do not forget our goal. If nothing else, we must be allies who strive to kill the one we despise the most. Your discomfort should subside if you think of this as nothing more than a temporary partnership.”   

“It’s not like that—”   

“It is,” interrupted Sekh. “My feelings will not be hurt, so do not concern yourself with pretending to be friendly to mask your uneasiness.” She was blunt.    

“Niva?”   

“She’s in surgery.”   

“Okay. So, that leaves you, huh?” She looked at Yew. “You’re a little cutie, aren’t you? I’m Tilde.”   

“I’m… I’m Yew Vredi. It’s nice to meet you.” Yew was still nervous, even though she had shown so much bravado during that speech. That probably took a lot out of her—her social battery was drained.    

“Likewise. So, I know I look like this, but I am a capable maid. If you need snacks or cookies... Well, I’m your gal,” she said with a wink. “Hmm? Master? What’s wrong? You look serious. Don’t worry. I’m not going to overexert myself. That’s the last thing we need.”   

“It’s not that. Tilde, I’ve seen Remy’s memories. I had nothing to do with unlocking [Conferment]. That was all Meruria. She somehow…undid a seal or lock or something.”   

“That’s…”   

“There’s more. You swore I’m the Transcendent Dark Lord, right?”   

“Don’t tell me…”   

“Mmm… Those three words never showed up in any memory. No one knows more about the void than Meruria. Remy had thought I was making it up.”   

“But that’s not right!” Tilde protested. “That’s my whole mission! I was supposed to just…live. And wait. And wait. And wait until the right person appeared. Searching for the Transcendent Dark Lord was my mission. I got the signal, and I was teleported a second later. That’s how we met! That wouldn’t have happened if— So—” Tilde suddenly became quiet. She took a few deep breaths and controlled her emotions. "Do you still have that unreadable title?”   

“I do. It’s still gibberish. I can’t make sense of it.”   

“Then that must be it. Master, I promise—”   

“I know you didn’t lie to me. So, I believe you. If Meruria can unlock things sealed away by the void... Maybe the Transcendent Dark Lord is one of those? A lock must be opened before the title becomes active.”   

Tilde strained her mind until she coughed. She drank more water and sighed. “That’s gotta be it. I don’t know how you’re gonna reach the void. It’s too dangerous.”   

“It is. Remy’s memories don’t show how Meruria manipulated it. Even if I can warp there… I won’t. Not without being sufficiently prepared for the dangers. Either way, that’s something for the far future. We gotta take it one step at a time, right?”   

“Uh-huh! That’s right. I’m glad my Master still has a sharp, pretty head on her shoulders.”   

“Only because I was taught by the best!”   

“Hehe! Keep the charming compliments coming! I feel myself getting stronger already.”   

“You got it,” I replied, rubbing her hair. Now, it was time to investigate another mystery-- one I refused to let remain unanswered. “Ira can’t lie to me, can she?” I asked Tris.   

“Ira? I guess it’s better than Essence of Wrath,” commented Tilde.    

“She can’t, my lord.”   

That’s all I need to hear. Time to finally get the truth...