Aftermath

There was a currently unused building by the gate the guards used to use, so we stopped there. Gin-me's sister was too tired to notice the horror I hid from William's sight. Meg opened the door to the building to reveal a mess hall, maybe big enough for thirty or fourty people. I sat the kids down on a bench so they could be with their families. Gin-me was hiding it, letting her sister rest against her left side, but she was in much pain. I could see it.

I started walking back to the door before Meg stopped me. "What now?"

"I'm going to run back to the rangers."

She nodded. "Okay."

"You and Terin should go back to Percy. If you see anyone else with nowhere to go, send them here. Try not to keep your mother waiting either. I made a promise."

"Yeah, you're right. See you, Ladon."

I nodded at Meg and Terin.

I exited the mess hall, running to the busted gate, growing tired from all the fire I moved. Before long, I made it back to Inowyn.

"Ladon, I saw Gerrikst fly away. Is it over?"

"He's gone, but the fire isn't. I need to get back to camp. I understand you can't do any more transporting, and you'd probably not want to be seen. If you want, you can travel back to my home. My bed will be free tonight."

"Okay. Be safe, okay?"

"As safe as time can allow."

She stared for a second, before taking a deep breath, then jumped up into the trees, out of sight. After three seconds, I could no longer feel her presence. I sighed before sprinting east, into the forest, moving as quickly as my legs would allow. Keeping this speed, I could probably make it to camp in less than an hour. Leaping over every small bush, avoiding every root and low branch, I kept running. Eventually my mind shut everything out, minus the direction I was heading. I was no longer paying attention to anything I heard, or smelt, or felt. Only what was ahead.

Just after I ran around a redwood, I saw the captain, Soras, Dannas, Yara, Lili, Karik, Roann, Lon, and several others. I nearly tripped stopping myself.

The small troop stopped, except for Dannas and Yara, who were now running to me.

The captain spoke first. "Ladon. You're here."

"Thank the gods! I thought you'd be dragon food," Dannas said.

Catching my breath, I looked at the captain. She, like everyone else, was wearing armor. "You came."

Before the captain spoke, Dannas interrupted. "Well of course we did. We couldn't just let you die out there."

Yara approached closer. She had her big shoulder sling pack. "Speaking of being out there. Are you okay? Any wounds?"

"I'm fine."

"Did you fight the dragon?" Dannas asked.

"No. I took the gamble, bluffed, and he left."

"What gamble?"

"I wasn't absolutely certain whether or not dragons could harm and kill demidragons. I found out tonight."

"Oh."

Soras approached, grabbed my shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright, Ladon."

"Thanks." I stepped back, to give myself some space for breath. "I can't say the same about Moltenbell. Yara, there's a couple people I want you to see."

Before Yara could reply, the captain interrupted. "Well let's get a move on then." She whistled a quick highpitched sound. "Rangers! Move quick and deft. We have a town to save."

We all started running through the forest together, most of us taking different paths in the same direction. In no time we made it out of the forest to see the burning walls. If it wasn't for the sky and the surroundings, one could think it was a rising sun far enough away.

"Rangers! Form up!" the captain commanded.

Everyone but me, the captain, Soras, and Yara moved into a rectangular formation. I stood off to the side, awkwardly unknowing what to do.

"Split!" 

They separated in half. Danas was on the left.

"Everyone on the left, look for survivors. If they don't have shelter, take them to one."

"Yes, Captain!" all the left shouted.

"There's a mess hall not far from the gate," I added. "It has plenty of room. There's likely more around town, maybe by the northern gate," 

"Thank you, Ladon," The captain responded, before turning back to the rangers. "Take the shelterless there."

"Yes, Captain!" They shouted once again.

"Everyone on the right, work on the fire. We can't stop fires of this size, but with water and dirt, you can stop the spread. That's what you'll do."

"Yes, Captain!" they shouted.

"Move!"

The two halves ran into the town, just before Yara, the captain, Soras, and I moved in. I brought them to the mess hall.

"Tonight will be a long night," Soras said.

"Sleepless nights are just as much a profession for me," Yara responded.

He nodded, before heading out.

"Yara?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"I have someone for you to see."

"Good timing. I have a feeling I'll be seeing many tonight."

I brought her in, leading her to Gin-me. Her little sister was asleep just beside her.

"Oh gods, what happened to you?" Yara rushed close.

Gin-me turned, tired, and sarcastic. "What do you think?"

Yara hesitated, half annoyed. "...Right. Let me look at your burns."

Gin-me shot a glare.

"Alright, do you want my help or not? You can just keep your burns, suffer the pain and heat for weeks everytime you move or touch anything, or put on clothes. Or . . . I could apply a cream, bandage you up, and you'll heal significantly quicker."

". . . Fine."

"Thank you."

"I'll be back," I said.

"Alright," Yara answered as she began to help Gin-me.

For some reason, the captain walked up to my burned ally.

I left heading for Terin's. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I saw rangers rushing about, shoveling dirt and dumping water on fires. Many were carrying and helping people. Others were checking whatever houses they could. I wanted to help, but I needed to make sure Percy was okay first, which meant taking him to Yara, even if he can't get immediate attention.

When I entered Terin's door, I saw him and Renny sitting by Percy, who was still on the large diningroom table.

"Ladon?" Terin asked. "How'd you do it so fast?"

"You're back already?" Renny added to the pile.

"The rangers were already on their way before I left. Our medic is here. I came to bring Percy to her."

"Oh, okay," said Terin

"Where's Jackmond?"

"He left, after I came back, to be with his family."

I nodded. After that, I carefully lifted Percy up, trying to minimize any pressure on his leg, while still holding the pillow. "You can come if you want."

"I-I think I'll just stay here; sleep before whatever tomorrow brings. I'll come later."

I nodded, then walked out with Percy in my arms.

I saw Lili levitate a large pile of rubble into a collection of rubble. It was dark there, but I could swear, if maybe for only a second, I saw the darkness move with it. Before I could be too compelled, I shook it off, and continued walking. I entered the mess hall, and laid him down on a table, placing the pillow under his head. He groanned and moaned, still unconscious.

Yara walked by, quickly giving orders to multiple rangers assisting her with the injured. She took a quick look as she passed, then looked again, with more attention.

"He wasn't here before, was he?"

"No. I just brought him in."

"Quickly give me the details. I have a lot of people to look after."

"I patched him up before you all got here. His leg is badly broken, hence the splint. I had to cauterize the wound. I wanted you to make sure he'll recover, and fix whatever I did wrong."

"Did you do anything wrong?"

"I don't know. I had to act fast, he was losing a lot of blood."

"I see. I'll look into it as soon as I can."

I nodded, just before she moved on.

"Lon, I need you to head back to camp, and get more cream, stitches, bandages, and prepared splints. Take Roann if you need to."

"Okay."

"Quickly."

I saw Lon run out, just as I turned.

She sighed for a long stretch of time, before saying to herself, "I'll need to be more sparing. There's just too many people for the supplies I have. I don't even want to imagine how many died."

Just now, I realized the room was already littered with people. Not all were injured, but most were. I began walking to her.

She slapped both sides of her face at once. "Focus, Yara. You have work to do."

I reached her. "Do you need help?"

"I've got plenty already. Your strengths are better used out there, not fetching. Thank you though."

I nodded, then jogged to the exit.

"Captain!"

I had just exited to see a distressed ranger by the captain.

"What is it?"

"A building caught from another because of the south wind. It caught faster than we could stop!"

"Was it already a lost cause before you got to it?"

"No, we had just stopped it from burning before that happened."

I stepped in. "Take me to it. I can lower the flames, long enough for someone to kill it."

The captain looked at me, nodded. "Get to it."

"Yes, Captain!" he shouted.

I nodded.

We sprinted off, west down the road. I followed just behind, keeping pace. Before long we reached a building, freshly burning, to the left of that mother's house, that was now burning to a crisp.

I extended my arms diagonally, my right hand high, and my left low. Focusing on the freshly burning house, I slowly brought my hands closer. As I did, the roaring flames began to shrink, losing their might, until my hands closed, killing the fire. I breathed heavily as other rangers started tossing dirt and water on the building to prevent it from recatching. That was more tiring than I thought. Now that I finished, it seemed as though there was less traveling among the streets; just rangers stopping the spread, no one else. I went back to the captain.

"Ladon, how'd it go?"

"We stopped it."

"Good. It seems as though all that's left is to treat the wounded, negate the spread, count the dead in the morning, and prepare to rebuild."

Soras returned. "I'd say about three quarters of the town was destroyed in the end, Senna."

She nodded slightly, repeatedly, staring at nothing. "If only it rained tonight too." She looked at me. "Is this your first time witnessing a dragon attack, Ladon?"

"I wandered for years. I've seen the aftermath more than once. Usually I'd pass a town that's been attacked."

"I see. In that case, good work today, Ranger. Nobody else would've been able to stop him. It's easy to assume the whole town would've perished without you."

"..."

"And… I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. You came quickly."

She nodded, seemingly agreeing.

Vice captain Soras spoke. "Rest up if you can, Ladon. If I recall, you're keeping a girl waiting. You'll need to leave bright and early in the morning to make up for it."

"Alright."

I walked north, taking a few turns before making it back to Meg's house. Step by step, I realized how tired I was. When I reached the door, I waited a moment, then knocked.

"W-who is it?!" I heard Meg's mother shout.

"It's me, Ladon!"

"Come in!"

I entered calmly; tiredly. I walked over to the kitchen and opened the same door as before. I knew they were there.

"Is it over? Are we safe?"

"The rangers are here. They've stopped all the fire they could. Much of the town will burn to ash, but they're here to help rebuild. You're safe."

"Thank the gods," her mother said.

"Don't thank them. Ladon made the dragon leave," Meg added.

Her mother looked perplexed, but tabled her questions anyway. "You'll need a bed then, I presume?"

"I won't say no to the offer."

"Good. You need a bed. I'm tired, so I'm going to go to mine." Meg's mother walked out of the room.

"I'll bring you to your room then," Meg said as she grabbed my wrist and started walking.

When we got up the stairs, she opened the door to the room. It was just as it was last time I was here, if not a little dustier. I took off my cloak, and detached my quiver, placing both by the bed.

"Woah." Meg said, seemingly in awe.

"Hm?"

"You've got armor now."

"Oh, yeah." I started taking it all off. I placed my armor by my other belongings.

"Can I ask you something?"

I sat down on the bed. "Sure."

"My mind is racing. I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakdown, ready to burst at any second. How are you so calm?"

I took a second to think. "Who said I was? I've done what I could do. My work is done. If I'm not at least somewhat calm, then I can't sleep. If I can't rest, I can't be of any use to anyone. Fortunately, being tired can help the process."

"So . . . are you? Calm? Right now."

"In action? Yes. In mind? No. I find the inner chatter has to wear itself out for my mind to rest."

"What if it can't? I don't know if I can sleep tonight."

I layed down. The bed was incredibly comfortable. "It would be more concerning if it was easy, considering what happened today."

"Should I be concerned for you then?"

"No."

She stepped in. "Why?"

"I don't need the concerns of others."

She got closer. "You help people so much. You can't worry about everyone and never care for yourself."

"I've been taking care of myself since I was a kid. Why can't I have both?"

"You can. But it's easier when you have people to help you. Sometimes it's better to have more than yourself." She sat on the edge of my bed.

Suddenly the bed felt less comfortable. I scooched to keep a little distance. "So I've heard."

"Then, for both of our sakes, let's not be alone tonight."

I froze. I couldn't think of any words. It was like my mind was speeding, though there weren't any thoughts.

She layed down on her side looking at me. She just stared. I looked at the ceiling, unsure of what to do. I could feel her eyes; her gaze. Her warmth. There was a certain amount of comfort, despite how uncomfortable I felt. Eventually, time's passing caused me to slowly look to my right; to her. She looked nervous, like she wasn't sure of something, but was also attempting to decipher something about me.

"H-have you ever liked anyone before?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you ever met someone you wanted to be with?"

"I usually prefer to be alone."

"I meant, romantically."

"... I don't . . . know."

"Is there anyone you currently like?"

I thought for a second, staring at the ceiling. "I haven't really had the time to think about it. Everything's been one disaster after another. I can't say I normally think about it."

She stared at me for a second, navigating something in her mind. "Do you… like… nevermind. How much time do you think you need to think about it?"

"I don't know."

"That's okay." She yawned. "Is it alright if I stay here tonight?"

I rolled on my side to face her. "If you want to. Your mother might have a few questions in the morning."

"That's alright. I'll deal with it."

 "Why do you want to sleep in this bed with me?"

She spoke through a yawn. "Comfort, I guess. You're warm, and safe. I trust you."

"I see."

She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, though she was making an effort. Something about her seemed uneasy.

"Hey, Ladon?"

"Hm?"

"C-can you hold me?"

"What?"

"I-I'm still a little shaken. It just . . . would be nice. It's okay if you don't want to."

I scooched closer, as she scooched lower, lining her head up with my chest rather than my face. I held her, my left arm going over her shoulder, and my right resting just above her head awkwardly. After a few moments, I let my hand rest on her head, holding her. Before I could think of anything to say, she started crying into me. All I could do was pat her head, and feel it. It was like her fear, sadness, everything was pouring from her eyes into my chest, to my heart. It was incredibly difficult. I kept comforting her anyway. After a while, her body trembled less, as she gradually calmed down, seemingly having cried the last bits out.

 She rose her head to look up at me. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"I got your shirt all wet."

"It's fine. It'll dry on its own."

"It might not be comfortable to sleep in now."

"I've slept in downpours, blizzards, and feverish nights. I'll be alright."

"Okay…"

We stared at each other in silence. I never noticed that I grew comfortable.

"Thank you, Ladon."

"It's been a rough time. I'm glad I could help."

"I'm sure it's been rough for you too."

"..."

"When was the last time you cried?"

"I got close, earlier today. Before that, it's been ten years."

"You never let yourself cry?"

"Hightened emotions never helped me move forward. Only actions."

"That's not healthy."

I yawned, having grown quite tired. "Maybe. All I know is, when my emotions are high, I don't think straight. Sometimes the consequences of that are regrettable."

"But if you never let it out, it'll alway stay in, with every new thing adding to it."

 "..."

"I'm gonna take that silence as me being right."

I fell asleep.