“Don’t think too hard on it. I wanted to come by and check your progress. It looks like adventure runs in the blood.” Mesu still lay there trying to get her breath back. Enya walked closer and reached out a hand. Mesu took it and stood up. The leaves stuck to her clothes. She wiped them off as best she could, noting how sore she was.
“Is that the only reason you’re here?”
“No. I’d like my stone back.” Enya reached out her hand. Mesu hesitated as she dug into the pouch. She held it in her hand for a bit. It was nothing out of the ordinary except for the color. When Mesu took into account how this world looked, the stone made sense being here. Mesu handed it over.
“Thank you. Now, we walk.”
“Where to?”
“There’s a village, not too far from here. I do want to warn you that we will look a little out of place here.” Enya turned around and started to walk away. Mesu almost caught up but stopped. She looked back at Liam’s body lying there. It was as peaceful as she had ever seen anyone. Her hands were still shaking as she was snapped back to what had just happened. Blood was dripping from her fingers from the killing blow.
“Don’t fear, granddaughter. We’ll get you cleaned up, and no one will know that you saved the world. It’s part of being a legend. We do what needs to be done to keep those we love safe. Speaking of which, your friends are fine. They escaped the tunnels and are going back to my home to recover.” Mesu looked up to see that Enya had also stopped moving, but a few yards away.
“What about me?”
“You. That’s something that we will discuss when we get to town.”
“Why not now?” Mesu felt a defiance that rivaled that of her youthful self.
“Fine, we can speak. I want you to stay here for now. You’ve traveled across an entire continent looking for something. You found it. I don’t mean me, I mean yourself. You started out strong and so sure. Then the doubt kicked in. Up to moments ago, you still weren’t sure. You have proved to yourself that you can do this and that you do belong doing this. As I said when I arrived, I wanted to check your progress. Mesu, you’re where you need to be, but you have so much further to go. Being here with the gifts I have given you, now you can start to realize your full potential.”
Mesu kept her head held up as she listened. The points along the journey were tests that she thought she failed. Now was the verification that she had passed. She took a deep breath in as things started to fall into place.
“Was this some trial? Just a test for me?” Mesu was frustrated, expecting the answer to be yes.
“No. None of the above. This is part of your destiny. I can’t tell you too much as it can alter the course of the future. You do have a say in this, and a lot can happen. Make the choices you wish and pass on the ones you don’t want to. That’s all I can say.” Enya kept the smile she had since beginning this conversation. Mesu calmed herself and searched for more meaning in Enya’s words. This was an opportunity she had not dreamed of having on the farm.
“Where do I go now?”
Enya shrugged.
“You go where you feel you want to go. I, personally, am going into town. There is a meal you can only get here that I quite enjoy.”
“Can you just freely move from these places? Go where you want when you want?”
“I can. There are many things I can do that you may learn about someday.” Enya turned around and started to walk away. Mesu looked over the landscape. The sky was still a shade of purple she had never seen. It was bright, but there didn’t appear to be a sun. There was no way to tell if it was night or day. None that she had known, at least. It was warm on her skin, which made her think it was daytime.
Mesu checked her side and back. Her weapons were still there. She still had some coins as well from her travels. It was easy for Mesu to catch up to Enya as her pace was slow.
“Will you be joining me on my journey?”
“No, I have other matters to attend to. I just wished to check up on you and take a break for a bit to eat.”
“Will I ever see my old group?”
“That depends on whether you want to or not. They will be hard to find from here, but it can be done.”
“Then that’s my mission going forward.”
“Is it now?” Enya smiled back at Mesu.