'~WARSICK: Behind The Mask~' Jefhalo Edition-Book 2

XV

Third Person POV:

One by one, Greenland had brought bodies on boats to their island, each body going to Greenlands hospitals, which each kingdom had one, even if it were just a small one. The same thing went for the Woodland. They brought the alive citizens to the hospitals but just dropped off the dead bodies along the shore for them to deal with later. As they brought back bodies, Greenland citizens stood back, their eyes wide with horror. Hundreds of dead bodies were just piled up in front of them. Some lost some limbs, their eyes, or all of their limbs. Either way, they were all covered in burns, their skin looking as if it were about to just fall off. The citizens who survived but were just unconscious would have severe burn marks all over their bodies. They'd still look quite . . . different . . . after the healing process anyways, but that's nothing Mrs. Windward can't fix right?

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    "I can't," she said. "What do you mean you can't?!" Good exclaimed at the short, wrinkly old lady in front of him. "I can't make them all look as they did before and revive the dead ones . . . it's too much magic," Mrs. Windward said. "B-but . . ." "Well, I could . . . ," she admitted. Goods eyes lit up. "b—but!" He got a little worried then, what could she possibly have to say? "It comes at a great price, Good. The last time I summoned Alba, the white dragon, to save Jef, and revived the whole of the Pumpkin kingdom, I lost something so important to me . . ." She got quiet, her eyes starting to water. Goods stomach sank. What did all of that magic usage take from her? "I—I lost my mother."

    Good hadn't expected that. How could using that magic take anything anyways from her? If she revived all of the Woodland, which would be much more magic than she used last time, what would she lose? What would happen to her? "I—I'm just afraid. I feel like my husband is next, after all, he's the only family I have left." "Don't you have any children?" Good asked, feeling bad for the poor lady. "Well, I did. I had a daughter, but she's long gone now . . . She got sick, and passed." "Oh, . . . I'm sorry," Good said to be nice, but he didn't really feel much empathy. "But what about Alba? Isn't he family to you?" Good asked with curiosity. "He's more of just a best friend to me," she said. The demon expected Alba to mean more to the witch but he nodded. What if the magic took Alba next if she went through with this?

    "King Good!" someone exclaimed from behind him. He was technically Retired King Good but close enough anyways. He didn't mind either. "Yes?" he said, turning around. A guard in armor held a body in their arms. Good immediately recognized him. Jef. Goods heart practically shattered. From his foot to knee, his left leg was gone. His wings that once used to be so beautiful, were shattered like glass. The only things left of them were sharp broken shards stuck to his back. His face was covered in blood — his whole body was. His right eye was drooping out of its socket, dusty dried blood flowing like a river from it. "He was under a crashed tower. We suspect his back is broken from it," the guard said, moving close to Good to hold out the body. "H–he . . ." Good could barely speak, his eyes glossy with tears once again.

    "H—he's alive, right?" The guards' next words practically killed Good. Good would never be the same again. "He's dead." Memories flooded into Goods mind — memories of where they were younger, in their twenties, hanging out like best friends. The dance . . . the confession . . . the everything! Goods mouth gaped open slightly, his eyelashes soaking with wet tears as they streamed down his face. He shook, slowly taking the body. He was terrified to look at Jef's face but did so anyway. Jef's eyes were open — dull. It looked as if all the life was sucked out of them. His body got all cold again, like it did when he was in the Woodland. He turned to Mrs. Windward, who looked terrified. He dropped to his knees, sobbing at this point. He begged her to revive Jef. It wouldn't take much magic right? "Please!" he pleaded, his eyes closed, hiccuping as he cried.

    Mrs. Windward sighed, closing her eyes. "Bring me . . . a—all the bodies you want revived or healed by tomorrow," she spoke. Good hugged her scrawny legs, thanking her multiple times as he soon buried his head into Jef's body's shoulder. He smelt like dust, blood, and death. His body was warm, but only because of the heat from the explosion and his recent death. The guard then spoke again. "King Ant has passed too, but the other rulers have survived." Good bit back more tears. His friend was dead and the rest were hurt, most likely extremely bad. "Oh, . . . and Hannah, King Ant and King Velvet's adopted child, survived. But King Andrews and Queen Evelyn's children did not."

    Good was given a guest room by Queen Jade. He was extremely grateful for it too as he'd have nowhere else to sleep. As he laid on the bed on his back, he had an emotionless expression on his face. He was used to having someone next to him but not anymore . . . not until tomorrow hopefully. What would Mrs. Windward lose from this though? Good turned to his side, deciding to close his eyes and enter dreaming.

    He was in a forest. The trees were white and swayed through the wind. The sky was a baby blue, the grass greener than he'd ever seen. Good walked through the tall grass. Flowers were sprinkled throughout the forest grounds too. The setting was very pleasant and calming. He then heard whispering in his ear. "I'll come back." Good turned around in shock. Who said that? "My dear son," he heard a lady say. Her voice was different from the whisper. He turned around to see his mother. It had been so long since he'd seen her. Her skin was pale, pampered with blush as her dark hair cascaded down her back. She still looked young — like how she did when Good was little. Good was too stunned to move. Why had she come to him in his dreams? And who else came? Who made that whisper?

    She walked up to him, her dark blue heels disappearing in the tall grass as she walked. She squeezed Good's cheeks. "Look how big you've gotten . . . ," she mumbled, making a quiet, "Aw," sound. His mother then hugged him, whispering in his ear. "You know the person behind the mask but there's more you haven't uncovered," she said, grabbing his hand to lead him through the forest. The grass soon turned to sand, the sky turning dark. She brought him to the beach he knew at the Woodland. There was Nikki . . . standing by a glowing body with a book in her hands. "She isn't who you think she is, Good."

    "What do you mean?" he asked. The world around him started to fade away. He panicked, begging his mother for more answers but she vanished. Good then woke up.

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Word count: 1274