A Healing Lake

The High Fairy approached Epione offering his hands for her to give the baby chimera to him which she obliged, "This is something that you don't see often nowadays, especially with the disappearance of the magic race." He bent his knees so that he could sit down on the ground. Gesturing for Epione to sit down next to him, "Would you be so kind if you could lend me your hand for a bit, darling?" Offering his hand to Epione who placed her hands on his before laying the baby chimera on his lap in a more comfortable. The high fairy placed his free hand on top of the baby chimera before a pale green light wash over the baby chimera. Casimir was curious and sat close by but not too close in case he disturbed them.

Automatically, Epione knew what the high fairy was going to do. But she conceded herself to him for the sake of the baby chimera. She could feel her mana taken away. She braced herself. It was a similar feeling to what the Duke had done to her when she was younger but it didn't hurt at all. There was only mild discomfort from her stomach region as her mana retreated from her body. This was a surprise; she had expected a more painful sensation. Casimir looked at the exchange with an excited gusto, but he didn't quite understand the process of it, "Just then mister just took my mana from my mana reservoir to heal the chimera." Epione knew that Casimir wouldn't understand so she basically explained what was happening. It was an internal exchange between the two of them so naturally, people without mana couldn't see the exchange.

The baby chimera groggily woke up before stretching its wings and trotting over to Epione. Laying on her lap, "Correct! The chimera was made from her wings so it's natural that her mana is the one to heal it." The high fairy clapped as he congratulated Epione for her knowledge despite not being raised in the village, "Though it unfortunate your wings were taken away from you and left that horrendously huge scar on your back." This was news to Casimir who never knew of Epione's true heritage. It wasn't like it was a secret. This was never discussed between the two since Casimir didn't pry anything out of her.

The high fairy then pulled out a whistle which bought out three griffins, fearsome creatures, displaying beautiful plumage as well-kept coat that shone with a lustre seemly soft to the touch. "Griffins!" Casimir marvelled at the sight of griffins for the first time. Their eagle head was covered in glossy feathers having a beautiful brown colour with some underlying golden feathers. They were equipped with a pair of powerful feathered wings. After the wings, the feather faded into the tawny fur of a lion. The biggest and seemingly oldest one of the griffins squawked towards the two younger griffins who were playing with each other, nipping at each other feathers. This immediately made the younger griffins stand properly like proper griffins, awaiting orders. The high fairy spoke in a native tongue to the griffin that both Epione and Casimir were unfamiliar to their ears.

The older one of the young pair immediately walked up to Casimir placing their beak into his hand as if requesting something, "Oh! This is rare indeed." The high fairy spoke in a native tongue to the griffin that both Epione and Casimir were unfamiliar to their ears, "It rare for a griffin to take the initiative." Epione understood that griffins were a proud race that was backed with their courage, wisdom, and fortitude. In turn, meant that they need to pay respects to the griffin if anyone were to encounter one especially if it was the first meeting. The griffins moved past the high fairy before standing in front of them. Epione held the baby chimera in one arm before delicately grabbing a pleat of her skirt, hiking it up slightly before giving a curtsy. Casimir immediately followed her example and followed with a polite bow towards the griffins.

The High Fairy hopped onto one of the griffins while Epione and Casimir hopped on the others. They let out a screech as the sun rose, flapping their wings. They began soaring into the air. They were flying so fast that the wind whipped right past them that even Epione's hair was whisked back her back. The feeling of flying was revived again like never before. Eurphoic shivers ran throughout her body as she basked in the rising sun's light warmth before the griffin that she was riding on squawked as if warning her before it began spinning in circles doing crazy stunts to appease the girl on its back. Epione released a sigh, forgetting the events that happen not too long ago. She released her grip on the griffin falling from a devasting height that could kill anyone. The griffin was confused to feel that there was no weight on its back to find Epione was falling and immediately gave chase.

Epione laughed as she fell, throwing her head back and yelling into the winds. Arms spread wide to the winds. There was a bitterness that lingered in her heart where she should be soaring in the air with her wings. But there was an absence. The wind let behind kisses against her shoulder where the luminous wings joined at her shoulder blade extending all the way to her mid-back. The sun painted everything in her sight in all shades of gold. There was a certain beauty in watching the world come to life in the midst of the air.

Epione was immediately caught by Casimir who held onto her with a deathly tight grip, "Why did you do that!" He scolded the saddened Epione who could only gasp breathlessly after the free-falling staring into the horizon as if she would do it all over again. He felt terrified for the girl who would forgo her safety at a moment's notice. The high fairy came to their side to check up on them, but he didn't seem to worry about Epione who was able to fall to her death, "How are you not concerned that she nearly killed herself?" Casimir scolded the ancient high fairy but he seems to be stunned to see that both of them seem to be dazzled by the sun but the older man to a much lesser extent than Epione. They were like moths attracted to a flame. The flame being the sun.

The high fairy gripped the fur of the Griffin before he turned to Casimir who was restraining Epione, "It seems that it seems the symptoms are more severe for young Epione." They continued their way to the Ferdinand County since that would be the safest location for Epione was exhibiting symptoms that were completely unknown to Casimir, "High fairies who have been stripped of their wings use mounts to be able to traverse the skies are ultimately asking to kill themselves." The high fairy vaguely explained as he tried to focus on navigating down to the ground safely before would harm himself. The loss of wings for high fairies would lead to a sort of mania to make wingless high fairies jump into the sky ultimately making them to killing themselves. The only way to avoid this mania was to remain on the ground where the mania was essentially non-existent.

Legends told that long before the magic war this mania plagued many wingless high fairies was that flight was of utmost importance since, they were being hunted for many generations for their potent magic as well as their bloodline. A High Fairy without wings is just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. So, it was considered better to kill oneself before others take them to decide their fate which is never good. The gods took pity on the helpless wingless High Fairies and designed them a painless death with this mania to give them peace of mind of the painful fate. After the magic war, the remaining wingless fairies had no threats to their lives and continued to live like humans forgetting their ancestral magical heritage.

They soon arrived at the Ferdinand County where they were welcomed warmly by the servant of the Ferdinand family. Epione was able to sober up from her stupor. Both Epione and Casimir were catered with some food for their long travels. However, the lord and lady were absent from the warm welcome. The High Fairy escort the two of them into the forest behind the mansion of the Ferdinand family where they were taken to the deepest parts of the forest where many magic folks weren't even present. Instead, there were Epione's parents who were submerged in a small lake that seem to have some healing properties, "Mother!" Her mother was in more critical condition compared to her father who was tending to her wounds.

He sat at the edge of the lake so that her mother could lay her head on his legs, "A chimera came into the county and your mother was trying to fight against it." He was haggard with exhaustion having to deal with the chimera wreaking havoc in the town along with the guilt of having to leave his daughter behind back into the capital, "I don't know how a chimera just suddenly appeared out of nowhere! I thought they were functionally extinct!" He gripped at his hands before mustering every fibre of control to calm himself as he gently caressed his beloved wife's face speaking words of recovery and health.

Epione hid the baby chimera in her arm away from her father's sight. She thought it was her fault since it was her magic that drew the chimeras here, "You can be at ease because the chimera is gone now." She was frightened for the baby chimera's life. The most dangerous chimera was killed by Casimir, so it meant that the cause of her mother's critical state was gone but if her father come to know that there was another one. He would go berserk. Epione could only evade bringing up the baby chimera to raise in the future until her mother was recovered and her father had forgotten this event.

It was unfortunate that Epione was raised in an environment where every person in her life only responded to her with anger. Every incident small or large. Every accident whether it be her own fault or another. Those people in her life would only respond in an aggressive tone that Epione could only evade, tolerate or bear the repercussion without complaining. Even if it was someone who wouldn't do something violent to her. She could only react in a defensive manner since she had been in survival mode all her life. She had never known comfort, security, or relaxation. For such a day was a blessing and rarely never happened for Epione who had never let her guard down even in what seemed like a safe home. It was an instinct that had permeated into her consciousness. She had been conditioned into a state of anxiousness even on quiet days.

Her father was stunned to hear that the chimera had been slain, "Who killed the chimera?" He was amazed to find that there was another person who had been able to kill such a ferocious beast. Many of the soldiers who had known peace all their life had never been trained in swordsmanship to kill magical beasts. Epione nudged over Casimir who shyly scratched the back of his head, "You killed the chimera?" He was surprised that Casimir was able to kill a beast, yet his physique deemed him much too weak for killing a magical beast such as a chimera which was very deemed a nuisance to himself to fight. He could potentially be a good candidate for mythical beast slaying judging from Casimir's good physique which could be built up to a standard that could kill those beasts with ease.

The high fairy entered the water to check on Epione's mother who groggily awoke from her recovery, "Your condition has improved compared to when you come into the forest." He climbed out of the water before using some magic to dry off his clothes, "Though unfortunately, the lack of magic in the atmosphere has weakened the effect of the healing pool drastically." He went and gestured for the man to take her out of the pool so that Epione could go in herself. Her condition though not physically injured had wounds that were inflicted on her. The melted skin of the mage that was smeared into her skin was eroding her own skin as well. Epione was dishevelled from all everything that happened today and began washing away the purple substance from her throat.

Epione dipped her feet into the water before scooping a bit of water into her hands to wash away the purple ooze that was left behind on her throat. The water was soothing the burn on her throat as well as other wounds that she didn't notice on herself. She placed the baby chimera on to a ledge of the lake where it was shallow enough for the chimera to toddle around. Casimir was also in the water to heal his own wounds gently splashing the water on his face to refreshing himself, "Wow, this water feels so good." He continued to splash the water all his body as the water continued to heal his wounds even the old one, especially his face. It had lessened the harshness of the scar on his face, but it still remained on his face. It was much smoother to the touch for Casimir who smiled to feel that it was healing albeit it was still prevalent on his face, "Epione, come into the water." Offering his hand to Epione who placed her hand into his before entering the water herself where the skin of her scars began to be more comfortable. Her back was eased back into a more comfortable level where it wouldn't bother her if she stretched her back fully.