"Survival is offten a matter of attitude first and reality second."
~ Comman saying among the Royal Rangers
As we walked through the trees, I realized that I was breathing a little easier than I was before. Aurelia wasn't going particularly fast through the trees and even with my bruised ribs it wasn't very hard to follow her.
Knowing that at least for the moment we were safe and that my relationship with Aurelia was in a good place, I could turn my mind to other tasks.
Like making a to-do list. I've always been told i should do that more often.
Note: Actually save Aurelia for good.
That is quite improbable, at the moment, but maybe we can go to some other kingdom and promise them a bunch of gold to fight for us.
Hm.
Note: Acquire enough gold to convince an entire kingdom to go to war for us.
I really wanted to start writing these notes down. My hand was halfway to my satchel before I thought better of it as I pushed a low-hanging branch out of my way.
Trying to write and hike seemed like a great combination for losing sight of Aurelia and getting lost. Besides, I only had that quill and ink, nothing like a pencil.
Note: Invent Pencils
"Chosen?"
"Hm?" I said absentmindedly.
Aurelia, who had stopped moving to turn and look at me, seemed to ignore my distracted tone and continued.
"Reinhardt should be waiting just around the hill."
I looked at our surroundings. It was getting dark, and it was pretty cold now, too. I saw that Aurelia had wrapped her arms around herself.
There was also a hill, still covered in trees like the rest of the forest.
Presumably with our resident knight on the other side.
Based on the idea that Aurelia just said that, my god, I am not paying attention.
Aurelia's tone grew a little more concerned. "Chosen? Are you in good health? You seem… absent."
I tried to adopt a carefree grin, but based on the princess's raised eyebrow, I could guess she didn't believe me.
"Don't worry about me, m'lady. I'm doing just peachy."
Aurelia frowned.
"What does a fruit have to do with this?"
I gave a huff of air before continuing. "It's a Chosen One thing. You wouldn't get it."
Her Royal Majesty proceeded to roll her eyes at that and turned away, continuing her walk over the hill.
Note: Start thinking before speaking.
With that note, I decided to shelve my note-taking for the time being.
As we started down the other side, I saw a familiar pile of armor lying next to a stump. Before I could say a word, an armorless Reinhardt stepped out from around a tree.
For a royal knight, the old man was pretty stealthy.
Ever vigilant, he still had a hand on his sword. As we walked forward out of the shadows, I saw his shoulders lower, and his grip loosen.
"My Lady, I am most glad that you returned in good health."
He turned to me and nodded, "Sir Chosen."
"Reinhardt." I tried a slight bow and regretted it instantly.
The knight frowned. "Are you well?"
I waved off his concern. "I just lost a little fight with a tree. Small to Medium bruise."
Reinhardt stood without saying a word.
The silence stretched onwards.
Have I mentioned I crack easily under pressure?
I decided my tough guy act was probably not fooling the actual tough guy here and threw my hands up (ow, mistake) in defeat.
"Alright, I got tossed like a salad and crashed into a log. Forgive me for trying to salvage what remains of my pride."
Aurelia glanced at me, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her mouth as she enjoyed my minor humiliation. "Don't worry, Chosen. Only a Northman would think less of you for failing to hide your wounds."
I rolled my eyes, "Oh, thank you, Princess. Your sympathy is truly a beacon of hope in these dark times. "
Reinhardt folded his arms, and his ice-blue eye glittered dangerously.
"It would do my lady well to remember that I am from the North, and that we are not all Bordermen."
Aurelia's eyes widened, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her expression, and her attempts to sputter out an apology were even better. It also wasn't really surprising that she punched me in the shoulder mid belly laugh.
"OW! I get it!"
Aurelia was red in the face, but Reinhardt just waved away her apology.
"You are not wrong my lady, we are a prideful people, particularly in regards to injury and battle."
Reinhardt looked at me, "However, in my experience, it is better to complain and be treated than to die to rotten flesh."
I nodded. "Thank you Reinhardt. I will endeavor to not perish prematurely."
Regards turned his attention to the near dark sky.
"We have about half an hour before true nightfall. It's too early and we are too lose to the castle to have a fire."
I frowned. I was still damp and Aurelia was even worse; but I couldn't deny Reinhardt had a point.
"Our cloaks will have to do. I will check the perimeter and be back shortly."
Without another word the knight faded into the shadows.
I looked at the pile of neatly laid armor. I realized he must have taken it off to move quieter.
I frowned.
Hey…
Wait a damn second.
I don't have a cloak.
Grandpa is going to let me freeze to death.
I glanced over at Aurelia.
Maybe she'll share her cloak? And while I'm wishing, can I get a million dollars and a laser gun?
But when I got a good look at the princess, I saw that she had bundled in her cloak, semi curled into a ball, shivering from the lingering river water.
My selfish desire melted. Who was I kidding, she needed it more than I did. I could handle the cold in my mostly dry clothes, but those flaming golfballs just burned her.
As the memory flashed in my mind, I felt a surge of feeling that I squished down. Aurelia was tough, she didn't need me playing helicopter. I just needed to do what was required then I could go… home.
Hm.
I've had this problem for a long time. Whenever I run into a problem or experience, I have a habit of blocking out everything until I deal with it.
Home.
How am I going to get home?
Let's say this is a dimensional issue. Throwing out all the horrible other concepts.
If whatever magic brought here can send me back, I'm still missing there.
That is if it hasn't been 1,000 years for every hour I spend here.
Let's hope not.
I need to really hope that I'm not lying in some hospital bed foaming at the mouth because I'm in some kind of coma. It's probably for the best that I consider this all to be real.
One life, no resets.
If I help Aurelia get her throne back, she can surely get someone who can do actual magic to send me home.
Alright.
Save Aurelia. Get her back in power. Have her send me back.
Very Machiavelli.
Man I really was not cold. In fact I was practically dry now.
Almost like—
I whipped my head away from the tree I had been staring at and looked at the offending clinger-on.
Almost like it could read my emotions, the Wisp fluttered away from where it had been hovering around me.
"You little—."
The red critter floated in what I could tell was a dejected manner, its flame mellowing.
I sighed, "I suppose I can't get rid of you, can I?"
The Wisp brightened, literally and figuratively.
I extended a hand and it nested like the others in my palm. It was warm, but not enough to hurt, like a lightbulb.
This one was about medium compared to the others, somewhere in the range of golf and ping pong ball.
"You got a name kid?" I said, in my best gruff yet softhearted coach voice.
The Wisp declined to comment, seeming content to float in my hand.
"Red? No not sidekicky enough. Ember? Too tough."
I looked at the expressionless sphere and thought longer.
"Sparky?"
This time I felt the Wisp get a little warmer.
"Sparky it is."
"You have a horrible method for naming."
I looked over to the not-so-sleepy Aurelia, who had turned towards me, still wrapped in her cloak.
"You can't pick a name based on its suitability for a squire. Besides you shouldn't name Wisps, they don't have the intelligence to appreciate it."
I lay a hand on my chest in mock horror.
"How dare you speak so insulting to my sidekick! Sparky is a loyal servant of the crown!"
Aurelia rolled her eyes and turned away.
I watched her for a moment, her shivering resumed the moment her nagging stopped.
Before I couldn't think myself out of it, I opened my big fat mouth.
"Hey."
The princess turned back again when she answered.
"Yes?"
I stretched out my hands, cradling the red ball that was Sparky.
"I'm pretty certain I got a good enough reign on this guy that he'll just warm you up without burning you."
If Sparky could nod I think whatever he did was the magic ball version of that.
Aurelia didn't say anything for a moment.
"That's… kind of you to offer."
I waited.
She lifted herself and sat down opposite me.
"It would be rude of me to decline a gift from the Chosen."
I nodded.
"Indeed."
Aurelia frowned.
"Kidding, just kidding. You can do whatever you want."
I lowered my hands, but Sparky kept floating where he was. Good ol' Sparky.
Aurelia started to look a little less in danger of hypothermia, color returning to her face. A light kindled in her strange violet eyes.
Not that I was staring.
Eventually Aurelia looked up from Sparky's light and stared me in the eyes, a sudden steel I wasn't expecting.
"You are a strange man Chosen."
"Thank you?"
"I am being sincere. You insist that you not the savior I summoned yet you have saved the life of my knight and I. You have a way with Spirits like a practiced Mage."
I couldn't say anything to explain myself. I didn't even know how I was controlling the Wisp.
"Despite your idiotic words and lack of decorum, you made me forget my loss if only for a short time. And now you share your flame with me. I think despite your protests you are a Chosen, if not the one I was expecting to resurrect."
After that, I was even more lost. I hadn't done anything worth that kind of praise.
Right?
I looked at the twirling form of my new sidekick for a long while.
Wouldn't anyone do what I did?
If I hadn't put on that display and faked our deaths, I'd have died too.
The desire to continue living wasn't heroism, no matter what Aurelia said.
But something she said nagged on the corner of my mind.
"Hey what did you mean by—."
But when I looked at her, Aurelia was laying against the hill, already asleep. Her silver-gold hair fallen across her face, glimmering in the Wisp's light.
I smiled.
"Nice job Sparky."
The spirit flared up at the compliment, evidently pleased with itself.
Even if I wasn't some kind of Chosen One, I still could do some good. That'd just have to be enough.
"Goodnight Sparky, goodnight Princess." I said, rolling over.
And with an ease I hadn't felt in a while, i fell asleep.