Reborn

25: Reinstate

Breaks:

[L1,2 or 3] represents the beginning of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives. There is more than one past life, which is why I have put up the numbers. Though, these memories are usually told as she sleeps and Elena herself cannot remember them.

[/L1,2 or 3] represents the end of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives.

[P] represents the beginning of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

[/P] represents the end of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

~3~ is just a time skip

A/N: For some reason I Initially remembered the posting date of this chapter for tomorrow... Anyhow, here it is! I have some more lore for you guys! Slightly modified and built upon. Hopefully you'll find it interesting ;)

Enjoy!

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While I didn't know Grougal like Adamai had, something inside me still twisted painfully at the new reality. My heart hurt. 

I didn't want it to be real. 

But there was no denying what had been felt. 

The memory of that surge-like-heat was burned into my being. The last thing Grougal had been... that last flare of his power before it vanished completely. 

My hands clenched tight. Eyes shut tight against the tears that blurred my vision. At some point the ears of my hat had fallen flat, trembling faintly.

Grougal... he didn't win...? I... I wanted to get to know him. My kin. 

Real and found and- 

And gone. 

No one breathed. Even the fire seemed to shrink. Its crackle softening beneath the weight that settled over us. The night air pressed in heavily. Cold in a way that reached bone-deep.

Raw grief spilled out of Adamai. I could feel it just as clearly as I felt the heat of the fire at my side.  

He'd bowed his head, shoulders trembling. His claws pressed harder against his snout, dragging down until they met the corners of his mouth. He didn't sob- not loudly. The sound that escaped him was small, cracked, helpless- a sound that didn't belong to the dragon. 

Yugo's hand hovered uncertainly in the space between them, shaking. "Adamai..." He didn't finish. The word caught in his throat, crumbled apart halfway out. The ears of his hat drooped so quickly it made my chest tighten.

I wanted to say something. Anything. 

But what could I possibly offer? I may not have known Gorugal all that well but I knew grief. I knew pain. This wasn't going to go away with a few words- well said or not. There was nothing to say. 

A peep sounded. 

I looked to Yugo, curious and incredulous both. He blinked, met my eyes for a moment- to check if I had heard that too. Even the ears of our hats had raised slightly in our confusion. Then our eyes fell to the pocket on his tunic as the sound came again. 

Az rose out of the pocket, his wings still. But there was an impossibly blue feather on his tail- a familiar feather- lifting him up. Until it was suddenly plucked from amongst his tail feathers and Az squeaked again, this time with a note of pain. He fell and Yugo caught him reflexively.