The Last Dainv

The flames spread across the entire wall, snaking outwards to consume the pulsating flesh that stuck to the walls. A cold puff of air insulated Gale from the heat, most likely conjured by Erin to also shield Kair.

Presence Between's tendrils spread throughout the castle above and beyond. The corruption residue that had stained the inside of the castle retreated but couldn't, and was eventually consumed as the flames reached them.

No more remnants came, as if they had expended all their remaining soldiers to attempt to stop him from attacking the growth. The only sound that could be heard, apart from the blazing flames, was the wails that came from the pathetic king.

Glancing over his shoulder, Gale saw Kair still poking at the boy's hollow cheeks with her small fingers. Her green eyes innocently held a curiosity towards the boy.

It was when the king's sobs grew louder that she broke out of her poking the boy.

"You ruined everything," the king hissed, glaring at Kair. "If you hadn't meddled, the Dark Hunter would never have come. You dirty child!"

Gale turned to watch the scene unfold. If the king made any sudden movements, he'd immediately cut him down.

As the king rose from his knees and palms, behind his waist was a dagger that glinted in the flames. A smile rose from his lips, one that didn't seem to fit what was happening. At that time, a wisp of ethereal thread poured out from the man's spine.

The ghastly deranged smile formed behind him. It was the same one that the knights had on their backs. A smile so twisted, resembling that of a human, yet not.

Did the corruption take root from the insanity of the lives of those infected, or was it the corruption that rooted those feelings that nibbled away at the sane?

Gale didn't know which one came first. Maybe Erin would know. But as a proud Cev Dainv, he didn't really care how insanity formed in those that were infected.

Before he could answer with his own blade, the wind answered first. A slice of air passed through the king.

For a couple of seconds, nothing happened.

Then the king's upper body slid off his lower half and collapsed to the floor in opposite directions. Blood, bone, guts, and everything inside spilled across the cobblestones in two halves. The deranged smile faded along with the life that was just taken.

Kair lowered her hand. Although she was a child, she was still, after all, the spirit of this world. She would have the right to choose to clean who she wanted to in a way that she saw fit.

Turning back to the boy beside her, Kair put a palm on his cheeks. A gentle breeze swirled around her and Erin, centering around the boy. A warmth spread throughout the surroundings, different from the fading blaze.

When the wind condensed, it dimly glowed green and wrapped around the boy. It flowed into him, returning some colour to his pale skin and some fat to his cheeks, but not enough.

Gale felt the boy's heart beat slowly grow stronger. No longer was it a faint pulse, but it beat in a way that told him the boy wanted to live.

Kair stood up from Erin's lap and brushed off her oversized dress. She looked at Gale. The world is cleansed. The last thing is for me to return to my leyline.

"What about him?" he asked.

Well, if the citizens of this kingdom want to continue living, then they need to take care of their new crowned king.

Gale nodded and turned to Erin. "Let's go."

They exited the church, climbed the prison stairs, and emerged into the castle courtyard. The bodies of the four knights still lay where they had fallen. Citizens had gathered at the destroyed inner gate, peering through the rubble to see what had happened inside. None dared to enter as they gazed at the fallen.

A blue outline formed around all three of them, lifting them off the ground. When they entered the night sky, a sphere of ice encased them to shield them from the turbulence.

Below them, Kulbran shrank rapidly. The desolate streets, the abandoned stalls, the iron gate that Gale had cut through. All of it became smaller and smaller until the entire city was just a tiny ant like thing in his vision.

Kair pointed northeast, toward the mountains that separated the lower lands from the upper valleys.

They flew in that direction, passing over the dead meadow where they had first tracked the remnants, over the forest where Gale had chased the shadow scout, over the boulder-strewn fields and the cliffs that led up to the mountain passes.

The sacred lands came into view where Erin had chosen to actually walk instead of float. The deep snow that covered everything in pristine white. From Kair's eyes, it would seem that this was her leyline.

Of course it was. Gale formed a small smile.

Erin descended slowly, touching them down on the snow at the edge of the sacred lands. Kair's feet didn't sink into the white powder. It was much colder in the upper valleys, yet Kair didn't seem to be cold at all.

In fact, the wind around her seemed to dance and throw up snow in a whirlwind around her, just like the first time he met her, and more as if greeting back its homeowner.

Her eyes closed, and the wind died down. She turned around to look at Gale and walked up to him. Her eyes stared up at him.

Was what I did to the king bad?

Gale crouched down to meet her at eye level. "The corruption had taken him. That means he was no longer a native of your land. He was a foreign hostile entity."

Kair's head tilted slightly.

"And all foreign hostile entities must be eliminated at all costs," Gale continued. "Isn't that right, Erin?"

"That is correct," Erin said from behind him. "There are no exceptions when it comes to the tide." She paused. "Except for a specific Cev Dainv who became rather attached to a pet. Do you two wish to hear the story?"

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Kair's eyes lit up. Yes!

Gale stood back up and took Kair's hand as they began walking across the sacred lands toward the centre of her leyline. Erin walked beside them, just as before.

"Master Lucid once encountered a corrupted beast during a cleansing operation in Quadrant 412," Erin began. "The beast was a demonic hound with three heads, each one capable of breathing a different element of destruction. Fire from the left head, ice from the right, and lightning from the centre."

Kair listened intently. Her feet produced no prints on the snow. Only two sets of footprints trailed behind them, Gale's and Erin's.

"The beast originated inherently from the corrupted plane and was responsible for the death of a single Dainv. And that single Dainv alone led Master Lucid to capture the beast. The battle lasted three days before Master Lucid was able to capture it."

Then what happened? Kair asked.

"Instead of delivering the killing blow, he severed the corruption's connection to the beast while leaving the beast itself alive."

"That's possible?" Gale asked.

"Do not ask me. Master Lucid never shared his methodology. I am merely stating historical facts. His eccentricities know no bounds for wanting to keep a corrupted beast as a pet."

A pet? What did he name it? Kair asked.

"He named it Orthrus, and it became his companion for the next several centuries." Erin paused. "Unfortunately, the demonic dog became vegetarian, much to Master Lucid's irritation."

Gale and Kair both laughed at the same time. "How come?" he asked.

"Researcher Cresta used Orthrus as an experimental subject to determine whether the dietary preferences of corrupted entities could be altered," Erin said. "She succeeded with Orthrus. However, her research concluded that the phenomenon was unique to Orthrus and not any other corrupted creature as it could not be replicated."

"Wait, so you're telling me Cresta force fed it veggies?" Gale said.

"Do not call her without a prefix. Her title is Researcher," Erin said.

"Fine fine, Researcher Cresta. So is that what she did?"

"Your phrasing of the research is barbaric. It was for science."

Is the doggy still alive?

"Orthus passed away during the ambush on Master Lucid," Erin said.

Oh. Kair said.

"But you know what, Kair?" Gale asked.

What?

"Orthus probably had so much so much veggies he ate and loved, just like the fruits that the gryphons eat in the mountain peaks."

Right. The veggies and fruits are very yummy.

"I ate some too, and I think my favourite is the giant grapes twice the size of your head."

Hahaha. Youmir said he had a hard time eating the small ones, so I made really big ones!

Gale ruffled her hair. "Good job. Very smart."

As they reached the centre of the leyline, the snow here was much deeper, enough so that even the snowshoes that Erin had conjured up for both of them sank until the snow reached their knees.

Presence Between tugged at him from above. A tiny dot in the sky turned into a familiar gryphon. And in an instant, Youmir landed with two other gryphons on his flank. The other two had red feathers tipped with a bronze colour at the end.

Young master Hathie, Youmir said. Grand Researcher Erin Weber. Young Kair, you've finally returned.

Kair took Gale's hand and smiled at him. Dragging his hand towards the centre of the flat snow land, his feet no longer sank as her wind guided him through the deep snow.

Youmir and his two flanking guardians remained where they had landed. Somehow, he could see them smiling at both of them.

When they reached the centre, Kair stopped walking. The wind gently picked up to throw up her long green hair. She turned and looked up at Gale.

This is my leyline. I think I need to go back to sleep now... I think.

Gale crouched down to meet her eyes one last time. "I feel like you want to say more."

Kair looked around, not meeting his eyes for a bit until she said, Thank you for helping me. I was alone for so long... and the shadows just kept chasing me. I'm sorry I hurt you.

Gale's hand reached out and patted her head gently, ruffling her green hair once more. "Are you proud that we beat the evil dark lord of this land?"

Kair smiled brightly at him. Very happy! And it was really fun!

"Fun, huh?"

Mhm! The stories were fun. Watching you fight was fun. The cold old lady was fun to listen to. Did I mention stories? She counted on her fingers as she listed each thing. Everything was fun!

"And now, another story was just added to the list of stories in the stars," Gale said, looking up at the starry sky. "The Dark Hunter with the young world spirit took down the evil dark lord that came to corrupt the lands."

Kair looked up at the sky, mimicking him. Our story is really up there too?

"Of course, and this story won't be forgotten."

For a moment, none of them talked. Her green eyes reflected the river of stars above and so did Gale's. A tug pulled him back to her attention.

Will I see you again?

"When the winds allow," Gale said.

The winds are mine, Kair said with a small pout. I'll make them allow it.

Gale laughed. "Then I guess we'll definitely meet again."

And next time, you better prepare more stories! Kair pointed at him sternly. I want to hear about more evil dark lords and heroes!

"I'll have so many stories you won't be able to stay awake for all of them."

I'm a world spirit. I don't need sleep.

"You literally just told me you're going to sleep."

Kair paused. Oh. I knew that. But that's different!

"Sure, sure." Gale squeezed her small hand softly. "I'll have more stories. I promise."

Kair suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her small arms around his torso, pressing her face against his chest in a tight hug.

Gale hugged her back. The wind swirled around them in a gentle breeze as snow swirled with them at the centre.

As Kair stepped back, her body began fading with tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. I'm not saying goodbye, ok? I'm really not.

"I'll see you again later," Gale softly said. "Make sure to take care of your world."

I will. Every one of them will get really fat. Even Youmir.

"I'd like to see that one day."

Kair laughed as the breeze suddenly picked up. See you when I wake up again, Dark Hunter.

When Gale shielded his eyes for a moment, Kair was no longer there. Just a spot where she once was.

[Mission Complete: Cleanse The Rift]

[Reward: 5000 points]

A sudden feeling engulfed Gale's entire body. A message telegraphed by the world itself that the exit rifts all around were going to close in a few days.

Their job here was done.

Gale stood up and walked back toward where Erin and the gryphons waited at the edge of the leyline. The footprint that led to the centre was the only visible proof that he had once walked with Kair to lead her to sleep. Maybe he should've said goodnight instead.

Definitely, next time.

Youmir lowered his massive head in a bow as Gale approached.

Young Master Hathie. Grand Researcher Erin Weber. On behalf of Kair and all her children, we thank you, Youmir said telepathically.

"We were just doing our job," Gale said.

A humble response from a humble Dainv. Youmir lowered the rest of his body. If you would allow it, we would be honoured to carry you back to where the exit rift awaits. It is the least we can offer in gratitude.

"We are truly grateful once again for your offer, Youmir. However, there is one more place left to visit," Erin said.

"Two places," Gale added.

Not a single expression was shown on Erin's face, but it seemed like she accepted it. He'd make her go back to Drovairt as the final stop even if he had to beg.

"We go back to Lonely Warm Peak first. And then to the child's desired destination," Erin said.

Then may you continue your tour in our lands. Once again, Grand Researcher Erin Weber, we remain indebted to the Dainv.

"There is no debt incurred. Our duty remains to cull the corruption," Erin said.

As you say so, Grand Researcher. I shall not argue with your peculiar methods. Youmir got up once again and moved to a bow once more along with the other two gryphons beside him. May you have a restful journey.

"May Vianne's wisdom give you guidance," Erin said.

And may Aurumn's warmth bless you in this cold world.

A blue outline formed on Gale and Erin once again. Lifting off the ground, the telekinesis quickly took them up to the starry sky. When they reached the desired altitude, Gale felt that he was floating in space as he was surrounded by tiny twinkling stars.

He swore to himself. The duty of the Dainv was to protect these stars.

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