The Dragon's Flame Queen ✔

✔XXXIII - Alonzo, The Savior

Celia opened the luggage to have a look at the souvenirs that Seraphina had brought for her, there were a variety of plants in the bag which she recognized, some of the dried leaves were very rare. Some of them were excellent ointments for burns and wounds and the others could be used as spices. She carefully took them out and noticed a dried small shrub. She recognized it immediately. The shrub might have dried but if put in a jug of water, life would flourish in it again. It was very rare and it brought back her memories. Her village was filled with these types of plants before it was destroyed. Her hand shook as the gruesome images flashed before her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Seraphina nudged her and she tilted her head to her.

Seeing Celia so worked up, Seraphina asked again, "Are the herbs not of your liking?"

"No... They are good." Celia looked at the small plant and added, "I like this plant." She held the plant to her chest as she recalled how her father and mother used to tend their small garden.

"Ah! Then I shall ask the dwarves for more next time."

Celia's voice hardened as she reminded herself, this wasn't the time to get blown away with her emotions, "No need! It will be useless if I have to look after both you and the plants."

Seraphina pouted, "That's harsh! I was just being nice."

Celia huffed as she looked at Seraphina, who had suddenly started to act like a child. "It's just, this tree used to grow in my village."

Seraphina looked at her and said, "Then you must be missing your village." She thought for a moment and added, "Alright, after everything will finish, we'll go to your village."

Celia gave a weak smile as her face softened, "It was destroyed long ago."

Seraphina became quiet as she didn't know what to say, instead she tugged on her gown and fiddled with it. "I—"

"By both the wizards and the dragons." Celia finished as she started to unpack the rest of the luggage.

Seraphina looked at her with a worried face and now she understood why Celia didn't like her since the first day of their meeting. She had no choice but to go to the dragons and when Seraphina came, she had no choice but to serve her, a wizard. For the sake of the human nation, she had compromised her hatred for both of the races.

Celia let out a dry scoff, "They were so into battling against each other that they didn't notice the weak races like us were suffering. One blow of a wizard could turn a row of houses to dust in a wink and one flap of wings could rip the trees from their roots, yet... They didn't care if their actions were harming others or not."

Celia fisted her palms as if she was recalling each second of the trauma she had experienced. "All they wanted was to finish off the enemy regardless of the lives that had been wasted under their powers."

Seraphina didn't know if she could apologize for what the wizards had done. A mere apology wouldn't bring her family back, wouldn't bring her village back. She remembered how her own powers were so destructive that she had ended up destroying many houses and buildings. It may have never killed the innocents but what if she wasn't careful and had accidentally killed one. She shuddered at the thought.

She remembered her father's words. He used to scold her and always told her to be careful. 'Great powers give you greater responsibilities.' She didn't understand a thing that time but today she understood. The powerful races were here to protect the weak ones not harm them but each day, every single minute, they were misusing it.

"I have..." Seraphina began, "I have destroyed many towns, many houses, even ships."

Celia looked at her as Seraphina's eyes found the ground ashamed of what she had done all those years.