CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
This was unreal…
I couldn’t grasp what was happening no matter how hard I tried. Here Lucyna’s watchdog was, forfeiting his power to me? To me!
I stood there for a moment, stunned and unsure of what to do. This was the man who had brutally murdered me, following Lucyna's orders without question. And now he was pledging his allegiance to me? It didn't make any sense.
Overwhelmed, I rolled my shoulders back and unclenched my butt cheeks, as Jacidia would say. Whatever brought this on, I had to deal with it. In front of me was a reality I never saw coming, but this was here and now. And in the here and now, I had to make a very important decision—did I take his offer or tell him to shove it up his ass?
When Shaman Etorl brought me to the spirit world, I swore something inside me had changed. Enlightened, I had learned to understand there were two sides to everything. A bully wasn’t just a bully. I’d said this to Rufian, and I stood behind my words. People were complex.
If I truly believed in this, then I should be able to understand where Gerald was coming from…
Even the most ruthless of bullies were more complicated than they appeared to be. They often had deep-rooted insecurities which drove them to lash out at those around them. It was a coping mechanism that allowed them to feel powerful and superior; it made them feel as if they had some control over their lives.
It was our job to understand these complexities and offer forgiveness. Instead of looking at a bully with judgment and contempt, we should strive to see past their words and behavior. In offering understanding rather than scorn, we could help reshape the new world. Only then would Thalian be able to embrace its full potential for healing and growth, where everyone could thrive in a safe place of acceptance, kindness, and respect - regardless of background or identity.
Overlooking offenses sets forth a great precedent for the future worth looking forward to. Shaman Etorl had taught me this lesson in the spirit world, and I took that lesson to heart.
From cannibalistic orcs to city-burning dragons, Thalian needed a widespread revolution, and that was only possible if everyone abandoned this war mindset.
If it changed me, then there was hope out there for everyone else.
So I looked down at Gerald, feeling the sincerity in his gesture. This wasn't some trick or ploy - he truly meant what he was saying.
“Get up,” I finally said, my voice calm but emotionless. “I don't want you bowing to me like some kind of servant.”
“But… I am a servant…” he said in his deep grizzly voice.
“No, you’re not. You don’t serve Lucyna anymore. And I definitely don’t want you thinking you serve me. You stand for Thalian, that’s different. I know you want to do right by your people, but you need to do right by everyone. Humans, fae, orcs, goblins, and—”
“Dragons?” he interjected me, his fist tightening up at the thought.
“Yeah… even dragons. At least the redeemable ones. If you don’t, then all of this bloodshed will repeat itself. Peace has been temporary for the shortest amount of time. That’s because the races are flawed. They are afraid, territorial, whatever. I don’t really care for what brought all of this chaos on, because frankly, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just an excuse to kill each other relentlessly, and we need to do better as a whole. If you can’t grasp that, then I can’t have you on my team.”
“But… dragons are…”
“Shitty, I know. Naturally, you’d know that better than me. And look, I get it, but you need to let everything go. I don’t want you losing your shit if you see one in the fucking skies and go batshit crazy. I’ve seen what happens when you lose yourself. You become unstable. You tap into a default destructive mode, and I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder because of you.”
He paused, not saying a word as he soaked everything in.
“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, you just have to tell me you’ll try, and mean it.”
Gerald rose slowly to his feet, and nodded. “I understand,” he said softly. “Let me prove my loyalty to Thalian. I know I have much to make up for, but I swear to you that I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust. I have taken countless lives… too many to count. I want… to heal…with our goddess.”
I cracked my first smile and offered him my hand. “That’s good to hear.” He hesitated to take my hand, the simple gesture probably strange to him. When he met me halfway, he applied little grip, holding back his strength as best as he could.
I could tell, the dude’s hand was shaking.
“I am sorry…”
“All is forgiven,” I said, still trying to forgive and forget. It’d take time, and by the looks of it, Gerald was willing to wait. Given our new partnership, I would have invited him into my party, but trust was something that had to be earned, and I needed to see Gerald work toward it first.
I crushed his spear with my foot, symbolizing a new start between us. “Well, welcome aboard the disaster that is called my ultimate quest of salvation.” I chuckled light-heartedly. “Where you can get first class tickets to an absolute shit-show.”
His red beady eyes grew intensely “Where are these tickets?”
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. Egh, sounds like big boy on campus here doesn’t understand sarcasm very well, does he?
“Heh, nevermind. Before I forget to ask, does Lucyna have a way to track you?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about. But I have to ask, how the hell did you find me here anyway?” Just as I said that, I heard a howl from a distance…
Great, more cyber monsters. With my strength at atleast 80%, I readied my gears and prepared to unleash a few bots, but then the howl came again, and this time I recognized that I’d heard it before…
My eyes bulged and I held my breath—there was no way…
There she was, galloping my way, her bright white fur rippling in the wind. She had a huge smile on her face with her tongue sticking out, my brain still trying to accept the fact that she was here.
Three days of hearing that she wouldn’t come back, three days of people convincing me she was dead…
When she leaped into the air, I winced, thinking she was going to jump me. The girl was easily five times my size. Luckily she transformed into her humanoid form, still able to tackle me down.
