Kingdom of Life and Death (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 18: Earth always prevails [part 1]

Tryxin had been my friend since the first time we met. Her kindness, her tenderness had surprised me from the beginning. And I hadn't even discovered her power for healing, of thinking of others, of always caring for those she loved. She was truly magical.

She had taken care of me, when I was hurt, she had healed me. And I had failed her.

'Tryx, I'm so sorry,' I said, hugging her as tightly as I could.

Terra, the Earth Goddess, approached us, apparently grieving over what she was seeing.

'Dear Tryxin, you are safe,' the Goddess' tone seemed warm, gentle and honest.

'I don't know what happened, I didn't feel anything. I just fell asleep at the tent and then I woke up here.' Tryx said with fear in her voice.

'You are home,' Terra replied, causing tears to fall from my eyes.

Tryxin understood, she knew as much as I did.

'I'm sorry, I should have protected you,' I apologised, she had to forgive me. I had been so blinded with getting the signs that I had neglected the most important things.

'It's not your fault. It's not your fault at all, and look at me, I'm fine,' she assured me in her deep tone.

One more hug, two hugs, no hug was going to fill the void of never being able to hug her again.

'Queen of Crescendo, it is time for you to return to your world,' the Goddess left us long enough but it was not nearly enough.

'No, I'm not going back without her,' I replied, taking Tryx by the hands. 'It's not fair, she can't...'

'She is fine. She is safe,' the Goddess seemed to want to make me feel better for what deep inside she knew she could not.

'Gaia, listen,' Tryx stared at me, and I made sure to focus my attention completely on every beautiful detail of her face, her brown eyes, her sculpted nose, her full lips. 'Tell...' her words couldn't seem to get out of her. But Tryx was strong, she was very strong. 'Tell Polar that I will always love him, he was the best friend I could ever have and I will love him forever. Tell him to try to find what he's looking for, and if he finds it, to never let it go, because no one deserves to be happy more than him.'

I nodded but I couldn't get it out of my head how this would destroy Polar. He was a sensitive person, such a pure being that he would have to face the loss of one of the most important people in his life.

None of this was fair.

'And tell Galaga,' a sigh cut short her sentence. She lowered her eyes, regained her strength and looked at me again. 'Tell Galaga that I loved her with every fibre of my body and that won't change, ever. Tell her that I'm happy that she found the love that I couldn't give her. And that... and that I will miss her but that her finding me in the woods was the best thing that ever happened to me.'

My eyes couldn't hold the intensity of the tears, they blinded me, my breathing couldn't keep up with my heart.

I couldn't leave her here.

'Promise me you'll tell them,' she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

'I promise,' I said between sobs.

'And promise me you'll go all the way. I trust you. I always trusted you, from the first moment I saw you as Milaia outside the cave, do you remember? You were just as I had imagined you. Beautiful, strong, magical. And you never stopped being that. You gave me back more than my wings, you gave me back hope.'

I hugged her once more, I didn't want to let her go.

We parted for a moment and I saw her gaze wander behind me.