In the evening, after Kael had enough rest, he woke up, told Aria to get some sleep and walked out of the room to get some air.
As he left, his eyes fell on the little girl sitting on her chair.
The girl seemed to have noticed some movements as well and,
“Hero Kael?”
She questioned with an uncertain look on her face.
“Selina.”
Kael smiled as he walked towards her and knelt next to her.
“Did you rest well?”
Selina questioned, her voice sounding much more mature than the 10-year-old girl she was.
“Yes, I did.”
Kael smiled, then, he questioned.
“Why are you sitting here alone? Didn’t your grandpa tell you not to leave your room on your own?”
“I’m waiting for Grandpa,”
Selina replied calmly.
“Do you always wait for your grandpa like this?”
Kael questioned curiously.
“Yes!”
Selina answered with a big smile on her face. Clearly, she loved talking about her grandpa.
“Doesn’t it get lonely, waiting here by yourself? Do you feel scared?”
“Nope.”
Selina shook her head.
“Grandpa says the house is safe.
And it’s not scary if you don’t see it. I just think everything looks pretty.”
Kael’s chest tightened at her words, but he kept his smile.
“That’s a smart way to think.”
He praised.
“Grandpa says I’m smart.”
Selina nodded. Soon, however, she shook her head.
“But not smart like grown-ups. I don’t wanna be that smart. They always look tired.”
At those words, Kael laughed softly.
“You’re pretty wise for a ten-year-old.”
He commented.
“Wise?”
She scrunched up her nose.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re good at understanding things.”
“Hehe~ Grandpa says that too.
He says I understand things better than most people because I listen more.
I like listening to people.”
“Is that so…?”
Kael smiled.
Honestly, he didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
He, however, didn’t have to worry about that. It seemed like little Selina had a lot to say.
“You know,”
She spoke after a small pause, her voice soft,
“My town wasn’t always like this. It used to be happy. Really, really happy.
I always used to hear people laughing. Grandpa said they had shiny eyes when they smiled. I don’t know what shiny eyes look like, but I think it means they were really happy.”
Selina started,
“Grandpa used to take me to the market. It smelled so good there—the bread and flowers and candy! People always said hi to me. They even gave me fruits and candies to eat!”
“It sounds like a wonderful time.”
Kael answered, his eyes observing Selina’s expressions.
“It was,”
Selina nodded. The girl, however, wasn’t done yet. She seemed to have a lot to talk about.
“And during festivals, Grandpa would take me flying on his magic beast.”
“You flew on top of a flying beast?”
Kael raised his eyebrow in surprise.
“Yes! Grandpa’s Beast! Grandpa says he has beautiful purple feathers, and he also has the power to create clouds and lightning! And his lightning doesn’t hurt me because Grandpa says he loves me! I love him too!”
“Do you not feel fear at all…?”
Kael was taken aback by the girl’s braveness.
“Not at all! Grandpa holds me tight when we fly, so I am not scared. It was so much fun!
When we flew, Grandpa would also tell me about the lights and the dancing and the colors in the sky. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel how pretty they were.”
Seeing her enthusiasm, even Kael smiled, but then, Selina’s smile faded a little, and she lowered her head.
“But now… it’s different.
I do not hear laughter anymore.
Everything feels sad.”
Then suddenly, Selina reached out. Kael held her hand, and she called out.
“Hero Kael, you are here to save us, right?
Like in those stories my grandpa tells me, where the Hero defeats sadness and brings laughter everywhere, you are going to bring laughter back here as well, right?”
At her questions, Kael’s throat tightened, he gently held Selina’s hands and,
“I will. I will do everything I can to save your town.”
“So you will bring laughter back?”
Selina questioned, her face brightening up instantly as if she had complete trust in the Hero.
Kael smiled inwardly.
To think the first person who would look at him with those trusting eyes was a blind 10-year-old child.
This, however, only made the weight of the gaze even heavier.
“I will. I promise.”
He nodded.
“Yay!”
Selina exclaimed in joy. Kael smiled.
As Selina and Kael conversed for a little longer, Tobias returned.
“Was she waiting for me again?”
Tobias questioned after he and Kael tucked the little girl in her bed.
“She loves you a lot.”
Kael answered with a smile, and hearing those words, a big hearty smile appeared on Tobias’s face.
“She loves everyone. She is a child with a golden heart.”
“I can see that.”
Kael nodded.
“Did you sleep well?”
Tobias questioned, and Kael nodded.
Then, Kael questioned directly.
“I would like to hear about the current situation.”
“I understand.”
Tobias nodded. Then, he pointed at the chair and signaled Kael to sit. Kael nodded. The two sat on the chairs, and Tobias started.
“Our walls are holding for now, but the northern gate is the weakest. We’ve patched it up as best we can, but it won’t withstand another large attack.
We still have enough supplies to last a month, but before that, we need to survive the next attack.”
Kael nodded as he heard Tobias’s words with a solemn look on his face.
“The people are on edge. Both the townfolks and the tamers are full of uncertainty and fear. The situation is… bad.”
He continued, providing detailed reports about the situation. He answered every question Kael asked with clarity, showing just how deeply he understood the challenges his town faced.
Kael listened intently, comparing the information Tobias provided with what he already knew.
At the same time, he also noted how capable Tobias was. He was like a pillar holding the town together for months, refusing to give in no matter what.
But now… even he looked tired.
Once Tobias was done reporting everything, Kael decided to discuss the plan he had come up with to save Estwyn with Tobias, to see if he had anything to add.
Tobias, obviously, was glad to help. As the discussion started, Kael began,
“Our main goal is to get rid of all the corrupted beasts no matter what. Yes, defending the town is possible, but we cannot be on the defensive forever. We need a permanent solution, a solution that would ease people’s hearts and push them to return to their daily lives. And, of course, we need to make sure we achieve all this with the minimum possible casualties.
So what I was thinking was to…”
Tobias observed as Kael revealed all his plans. The more the Hero spoke, the more Tobias felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time,
Hope.
With Kael’s every word, Tobias’s opinion about him changed. At first, he only thought of him as a young man playing hero, but now… to Tobias, Kael looked no different than Lord Feraos himself.
By the time Kael finished, Tobias’s gaze had completely changed.
The tired look in his eyes had disappeared, replaced with a hopeful, almost fervent gaze.
It was actually possible!
His town… his people…
With the Hero sent by Lord Feraos…
They all could be saved!
…
AN:
*Tobias*
*Selina*