Dragonsoul

Chapter 49

A peaceful quietude of the forest hid in itself the brewing storm that Leonie could sense deep down in her bones.

The uncomfortable sensation, the ominous feeling, made Leonie shiver as Amitola, Rimar, and her walked back home.

Toras had already set off gathering plants for the potion even though he was not sure if it would work, while others disappeared on their arranged tasks.

Leonie, on her part, felt drained, like a river which dried out from the heat. She was weak in such a measure that Rimar finally insisted on carrying her on his back.

That was how they arrived at the house, tired and unsure what their future held.

"Leonie!" Nald yelled the moment they stepped into the clearing next to the house.

"I was so worried about you! I mean, I know there were Hunters there and that they would never allow Autumn's father to hurt you, but I was still afraid something could have happened to you." Nald babbled.

"Shh, breathe, Nald, breathe," Leonie said, smiling gently at her brother.

"We are fine. We found a common ground with the Gatherers, and everything will be okay. Well, we will try to make everything okay," Leonie corrected herself as she did not wish to lie to her little brother.

He deserved to know the truth, to know that things might not turn out well, but that they would do everything in their power to make sure that darkness is defeated.

Nald nodded his head vigorously and thus proceeded to hug his mother tightly. As he went on to hug Rimar, the enormous dragon licked Nald's face with his tongue, which made Nald giggle.

"Ew, Rim! That's so disgusting!" he said, still chuckling.

Autumn slowly approached them, avoiding the dragon with shock burning in her eyes at the display between the dragon and her friend.

"I better go home," Autumn said dejectedly.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Nald said confidently.

"I guess so," Autumn said, unsure of what her father might do.

"Don't worry, my dear. I think your father will not be angry with you. I think we have managed to put all that Hunter-Gatherer nonsense aside, for now." Amitola said.

"Thank you," Autumn said and proceeded home with a much happier expression on her young face.

"Mom, what do you think darkness is? I mean, I keep seeing flickers and feeling its sinister intentions. However, I can never truly figure out its true nature." Leonie said.

"I am not sure, my dear, but it must be a power that is beyond the normal powers, such as the ones that pixies have or even the ones Toras possesses. That must be why even he can't fully comprehend it." Amitola said as they kept walking towards the house.

"But, how can we recognize evil if we don't know what it looks like?" Nald asked, confused.

"I am not sure, but we have to find a way as soon as possible. And Nald, until all this is over, I don't want you to go anywhere by yourself. The world has become a much more dangerous place than before." Amitola told Nald.

"But why can Leonie go wherever she wants?" Nald asked, pouting.

"First of all, she is rarely alone since Rimar is with her most of the time. Even when she is alone, she knows how to defend herself. Isn't she a better shot than all the other Hunters?" Amitola asked.

"Yes, she is." Nald agreed.

"With that settled, I think Nald and I should go take care of the animals while the two of you talk strategy. I'll fill him in on the whole troll situation as well so that he could be on the lookout." Amitola said, gesturing for Nald to follow her.

"Trolls! Wow, cool! What are they like? Are they big and ugly? What do they eat?" Nald's voice drifted out of Leonie's hearing as they moved away.

"I hope she doesn't tell him too much about the trolls. I don't want him to know what humans are capable of." Leonie said to Rimar.

"Your mother knows what she is doing. Have a little faith, Leonie." Rimar said.

"I know, I know, but that is all just a bit too much. I know I acted tough back there, but the truth is that the more we learn about the forces we will have to fight, the more terrified I feel." Leonie admitted.

"I know. You forget that we are linked, and I know everything that you are feeling intensely. I think that's a good thing. We should all be afraid. That will keep us alive." Rimar said.

"What do you mean?" Leonie asked, confused.

She thought that being afraid contaminated one's mind like a river tainted by waste, no longer healthy to use.

"What we often forget is that fear makes us more cautious. If you are not afraid of anything, you rush in, make mistakes. However, fear makes us smart. It makes us more inspired to find the best way out of a difficult situation." Rimar said.

Leonie contemplated Rimar's words for a few breaths. Upon realizing how true they were, she consented.

"Maybe you are right. However, I would feel so much better if we knew what exactly we are fighting. I mean, we can find a way to fight the trolls, but they are not the main problem. They are victims in this situation as much as we are. We need to find a way to stop those behind the sudden reemergence of trolls." Leonie said.

Rimar nodded his head in agreement as Leonie started pacing in front of him.

"However, to be able to stop them, we need to know who or what they are. Know thy enemy and all that. Do you have any idea who might be behind this?" Leonie asked, hopefully.

Being aware that Rimar and Toras were hiding something from her made her wonder if perhaps they knew who was actually behind it all.

"Leonie, I am hiding something big from you, but I can assure you that it's not the identity of darkness. It's something you are still not ready to hear." Rimar said as if reading her mind.

Leonie gritted her teeth in irritation. It was beyond vexing that they didn't think she was capable of dealing with whatever they were hiding.

On the other hand, she trusted Rimar. Perhaps the wisdom of all the dragons who ever existed was too much for a human to bear. Thus, Leonie decided to let go of her irritation and focus on the problem at hand.

"All right then. How do we find out what this force is?" Leonie asked.

"Help I might provide; from truth one should never hide," Airy said suddenly appearing in the form of mist before the confused human and the mighty dragon.

"Airy, I haven't seen you for so long and never like this. I thought you abandoned me." Leonie said.

"Elemental is never gone, just hidden from the sun. I should not be here, but in the right direction, I will steer." Airy said.

Leonie was relieved to hear that someone was finally going to divulge the truth to her. For years, it was all she wished for, and it was liberating to know that the answers were finally in her reach.

Suddenly a crackling sound was heard, and a small fiery shape appeared out of thin air.

"No, you shall not tell them all, it is not your call. Brothers and sisters don't agree, so let it be." Flame said.

"I am not here whole truth to throw, just what they need to know," Airy answered in defiance.

As Leonie observed the conversation, she wished that the powerful beings showed more appreciation for the ones who were not as powerful, and still did their best to make the world a better place.