Chapter 36: Homecoming

The teams returned in the Order building safely, but many of them were terribly injured. Edmund, due to using up his Blast of Judgment after he had just recovered from the previous one, had to lie in bed again, and even though this time he suffered less damage as he was already the final rank of the Keeper Class, he still did feel much pain. Nick recovered faster as he had used Blast of the Moon only once, by tricking Erik into using the Blast of the Sun first, and dodging the shot. Shiba, Diana, Olivia, and the ‘sisters’ were completely drained. They all got stuck to their beds. The one who was the least injured but still had received wounds was Goldmund Steinbock – the son of Goatee Bill, as it turned out.

Everyone gasped when they saw the ‘traitor’ (as they believed him to be) back in the Order mansion, but when Goatee smiled and explained the situation – that his son Goldmund had a Grandmaster mission and was gone for thirteen years, and that the Order members were made to believe that he was a traitor as a part of the mission – everyone got happy to welcome their brave and loyal companion back. After all, he was the Saturn Celestial Lord, and he was one of their old members, a part of the Order since his very birth! But the happiest of all was still one small girl who had secretly adored Goldmund for all this time, and could never believe he was ever a traitor. She had a firm faith it was just some misunderstanding, and so great was her joy when she found out she was right…

“Goldie!!!”

Erisa yelled at full force once saw her beloved boy back. She dashed at him and squeezed him in her feeble arms.

“Erisa, you’ve grown so much…”

Goldmund chuckled and rubbed her head as if she were still that three-year-old kid he had picked up in a destroyed town when he was only eleven and had gone on a mission… After finding that lonely orphan crying, he had picked her up and brought her to the Order. He had raised her on his own, with the help of his father. So, for three years, the girl grew with him and fell in love with him deeply. She saw him not only as the dearest friend but a caretaker… and even more.

“I’ve missed you so much, Goldie!” Erisa sobbed out, wetting his shirt with her tears, “Everyone… said you were a traitor… but I didn’t believe! I knew you were good and kind. You’d never betray us. I knew you’d come back!”

“Haha, I’ve missed you too, tiny,” Goldmund tightly hugged her. A broad smile covered his face as he felt the little child’s warmth.

“Goldie…” Erisa sobbed.

“You’ve grown so much, Erisa,” Goldmund grinned at her when the first wave of happiness and tears passed. “I’ve kept a photo of ours for all these thirteen years and to see how tiny you were back then…”

He showed her the photo where they were depicted – he was only fourteen in there, and she was no more than six, just woken up and still carrying her teddy bear she used to sleep with.

“Hehe, such a lovely photo of ours, huh Goldie? By the way, I’ve still got that teddy bear!” Erisa showed him the teddy bear toy she had put on the counter nearby.

“You still have that?” Goldmund laughed, “Who would’ve thought!”

“Well, I couldn’t get rid of it. After all, you gifted it to me on my sixth birthday, before you left…” tears gathered in Erisa’s eyes again as she watched the teddy bear she held. She pressed it to her chest. “After all, you had made it on your own, for me. Since then, I decided to pursue the Keeper Class, and I learned how to mimic the Builder Art! I also make things – little ones, true, but it’s still something!”

“Really? How wonderful! So… don’t tell me those earphones of my dad were partly your job too?” Goldmund recalled the Artificial Telepathy System they used in the battle back in the mansion of the Braun. “Alone, he wouldn’t make something so complex”.

“Yes, I helped! A little, though…”

“My little genius… You’ve indeed become so skilled! To make such a thing…”

Goldmund kissed her on the head. Erisa’s cheeks flushed up with happiness.

“By the way, Goldmund…”

“Hmm?”

“Will you sing to me your lullaby again? Now that you’re back…”

“Oh? You’ve missed my lullaby too?! Aren’t you too big for that already?”

“Please!” Erisa looked up at him with puppy eyes, “I missed your lullaby so much… when you left…”

Goldmund chuckled and shook his head. He stared into the girl’s pleading eyes for a while, then embraced her in his arms and began with his soft, deep voice:

“Hear my voice,

My powerful chant,

That’s my lullaby…

Baby, baby, sleep on tight

Under the starry sky…

Springs shall go and winters come

That’s a matter of time…

But don’t lose the fire that burns in your heart

And the spirit that moves your mind…

Darkness around and the light inside

Burning bold and strong

To later on sparkle warm and bright

And fend all the demons off…[1]”

Erisa snuggled with him, closed her eyes and began listening to the song she used to listen to when she was still very small, and this warm voice which used to sing it to her back then. Her eyes filled with tears, and goose-bumps ran all over her skin – remembrances struck her, remembrances of the sweet past, which she thought had gone, but she kept her faith and waited for thirteen years for them to return.

And she waited not in vain. He was back.

Goldmund was back…

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[1] The song is a passage from “Edmund’s Lullaby”, written specifically for the Zodiac Circle book. Lyrics were written by the author, and the song was performed by a French singer-songwriter Lisa Schettner. Her website is available at: www.lisaschettner.com