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If Falin’s life is like a river, she has long since succumbed to being swept along by its flow. She takes every day as it comes. Whatever happens, she accepts it as her fate without resistance.
Her father said that sending her to the magic academy was for the best. And so she dried her tears and left her home with a smile. Laios said that he was leaving the village for her sake. And so she didn't try to convince him to stay, even though the thought of living without him was too painful to bear.
When the villagers began to bully and harass her, she was fine. She had Laios and her animal friends. Even the ghosts could be good company sometimes. When she didn't fit in at the magic academy, she was fine. She could sneak out and have exciting adventures on her own. Then Marcille arrived and she finally had a true friend. When she left the academy to go with Laios, she was fine. She was just overjoyed to finally reunite with her brother.
Even if there were many times when she felt lonely or lost or left behind… She was fine. She chose to be fine.
The way Falin sees it, she can’t change her lot in life but she can choose to embrace it warmly– both the good and the bad. Some might call it a passive existence, but she has never had any grand ambitions or desires. All she wants is to appreciate the wonderful things in this world with the ones that she loves.
(There are still moments when she questions herself. Is it really okay to be satisfied just like that? She has never found an answer. For better or for worse, Falin is simply herself.)
In the depths of the dungeon, when the Red Dragon was going to devour them all, she could suddenly see everything in startling clarity. Perhaps, it was only when facing a dragon, that the dragon within her could finally roar to life. She could accept any fate for herself but there were certain things she couldn't accept for Laios and Marcille. For the first time in her life, Falin decided to make a stand. She wouldn't yield.
Even if it means hurting someone else, I want my brother and Marcille to live.
Falin was a person who just drifted along with the current, never truly living for herself. Wasn't this a fitting end for someone like her? For Laios and Marcille, she would give up every part of herself. She would do anything for them. She would burn down the entire world if she had to. If she had to sacrifice herself so that they could live, it was fine.
She never expected to get a second chance. She never thought that so many people would band together to save her.
And yet, here she is, alive and well. She is whole, with some extra things that weren’t there before. Feathers cover her legs and chest, the blood of a dragon runs through her veins (which, for the record, is the coolest thing ever). Laios and Marcille are safe and sound. Really, she couldn’t possibly ask for anything else– that would just be greedy.
But this time, Falin doesn’t feel fine at all.
When Falin reaches the top of the hill, panting slightly, a stunning view of the Golden Country unfurls before her. The land is still slowly rising out of the water and the sheer magnificence makes her breath catch in her throat. Another new change to her body is that her vision has become perfect– she can appreciate the scenery without squinting. She sits on a soft patch of grass and lifts up her face to take in the cool breeze.
This is one of her favourite spots when she needs a quiet moment for herself. Sometimes, when she looks out at the horizon she feels a tug in her chest, as if it is calling to her and inviting her to discover what lies beyond it.
As she appreciates the view, it hits her once again just how drastically everything changed while her soul was sleeping deeply. Not just the world around her, but also the people.
There is a new light in Laios’ eyes. He stands taller and straighter, with a self-assured air. Falin knows he will be a wonderful king. Marcille seems more at peace with herself. As if her heart is much lighter now, finally unburdened. Her brother, Marcille and everyone else seem to have found their purpose, blazing forwards.
Falin is so incredibly proud of them all. But she can’t shake the feeling that she’s being left behind. She’s the only one who is still drifting along, unmoored. She doesn’t know where she fits into this beautiful, new world.
The sound of grass crunching underfoot startles her out of her thoughts and she turns around to see her brother cresting the hill.
When he sees her, he stops in surprise and says, “Falin? I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“I like coming to this place. The view is beautiful!” She pats the ground next to her and comes to sit beside her.
“Yeah. It is.” He lets out a laugh, “I came here to escape from Yaad for a bit.”
Falin frowns, “Is he bothering you?”
“No, not at all, it's just…” He stares out into the distance for a few moments before continuing, “It’s just a bit overwhelming sometimes. I really needed some time out.”
Falin feels for her brother. She knows this isn’t something he would have chosen for himself but the circumstances forced him to take up the mantle of king. These days, he seems so confident and it’s almost reassuring to know that even he has moments where it feels like too much. She’s not the only one.
She squeezes his hand, “Take all the time you need. You’re the most amazing person that I know. I’m sure you will be able to find a way to make this work. And most importantly, you have so many people by your side. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Her voice gets smaller and her grip on his hand tightens, “I’m here too. You know that I’m here for you, right?” And I have a place here with you… right?
“Of course I do. And I’m here for you, always.” He studies her face before asking gently, “Falin, are you alright?”
“Huh?” She quickly lets go of his hand, “What do you mean?”
“Well… I might be wrong but I’ve been getting the feeling that something has been bothering you recently. I’ve been meaning to ask but I wasn’t sure how.”
She isn’t surprised that he noticed. He might not be good at reading other people but when it comes to her, Laios always notices. Falin doesn’t see any point in pretending that she’s okay but she doesn’t know how to put this bizarre, twisting feeling in her chest into words.
She ends up saying, “I think I’ve spent enough time recovering now. Isn’t there any way I can be useful? You appointed Marcille as court mage, Kabru and Yaad are your advisors. I don’t have as many skills as they do but I’m sure I could do something…” She presses a finger to her chin in thought, “Maybe I can be the backup court mage? The court exorcist? The royal gravekeeper?”
Laios simply replies, “Do you want to do any of those things?”
“Huh?”
“I wouldn’t appoint you to any official role unless it was something you really wanted to do.”
Falin stares at him in confusion, “I just want to help. Are you saying you don’t think there’s anything I can do to help?”
“No! No, of course not.” Laios shifts so he’s facing her properly, “I’m just worried that you’re saying this because you feel like you have to not because you truly want to.”
At those words, Falin starts to feel frustration bubbling up within her, “Does it matter if I want to or not? So many people banded together just to get me back. You all went through so much just for my sake. How can I ever repay that?”
“We fought to get you back because we love and care about you. There is nothing to repay. All we wanted was for you to be alive and well. To live happily.” He places a hand on her shoulder and looks straight into her eyes, “You don’t have to worry about me or Marcille or anyone else. You don’t have to feel obliged or duty bound to do anything.”
His light gold eyes are a similar shade to her own, yet so different in the ways that matter. There’s a fire in them, a surety and determination that sets them ablaze. Those eyes pierce into her soul as he says the words that she has never even let herself consider before, “What is it that you really want, Falin?”
His words hit her like a punch to the gut. A single tear rolls down her face as Falin considers it and then finally whispers, “… I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever known.”
Laios panics and searches his pockets before producing a handkerchief embroidered with little walking mushrooms. “It’s alright if you don’t know right now.” He says as he gently wipes her face.
Distracted for a moment, Falin takes the handkerchief out of his hand and asks, “Where did you get this from?”
He grins, “Kabru gave it to me! Isn’t he a great guy?”
Admiring the delicate needlework, she says, “It’s so pretty!”
“You can keep it if you want.”
“No! It was a gift to you, I can’t take it.” She presses the handkerchief back into his hands.
Falin looks out at the majestic scenery. The towering columns of the buildings rising up from the ocean pierce the sky. Beyond everything, the horizon beckons her with the promise of untold adventures. She doesn’t know why but more tears start tumbling down her face.
Laios panics again and starts dabbing her face with the handkerchief, “Like you said to me earlier: You’re the most amazing person I know. You have plenty of time to figure everything out and so many people by your side.” He rubs her back and says, “It’s going to be alright, Falin.”
She glances at him, wondering if she will be able to voice the feeling beginning to sprout within her heart. Haltingly, she says, “Well… there are times when I look out at the horizon and I feel like it’s calling to me. I’m not sure what it means. I’m not sure if it’s calling to me or the blood of the dragon running through me.”
Her brother ponders her words for a few seconds then says, “Ever since you were really young, you used to say that you want to travel all over the world. You’ve always had an adventurous spirit.”
“But I used to say that because you would always talk about travelling and leaving the village… and I didn’t want to be left behind.” At that, Laios looks down and starts fidgeting with a blade of grass.
Falin continues, “I’ve really never been sure of the things I want to do… Most things I like were influenced by you or Marcille. And now, I can’t tell the difference between my own desires and those of the dragon.”
Laios suddenly looks up at her, “But surely…” His brows come together as he ponders, “When you were in chimaera form, the dragon’s soul completely overwhelmed your own. But we ate pretty much all of the dragon. There’s only a tiny bit of dragon left within you. Your soul would completely overwhelm that tiny bit.”
She sniffles, trying to suppress the tears threatening to spill from her stinging eyes. Her brother’s face appears blurry through the film of tears as she says, “But what if that tiny bit of dragon is enough to make a difference? What if my soul– my will– is just too weak?”
He shakes his head, “I really don’t think that’s the case and I also think… Maybe it doesn’t matter either way.”
“Huh?”
His eyes light up as he begins to explain, “Remember, when we were young we used to look for chrysalises and watch the butterflies emerge?”
Falin nods, “Yes, I remember.”
He starts gesturing with his hands excitedly as he talks. “The reason they form a chrysalis is because it serves as a layer of protection while the caterpillar turns into a butterfly. There are also some types of treasure insect and giant butterfly-dryad hybrids that form a chrysalis as a part of their life cycle. It’s a necessary step to achieve the final form they were always meant to have.”
“That’s so cool!” She loves it when he starts sharing his monster knowledge. She’s already so absorbed in what Laios is saying that the urge to cry starts to fade.
“It is! Well anyways, Marcille put you in a casing of ice to preserve your body until we could eat all of the dragon. When I saw you like that my first thought was that it looked like you were inside a chrysalis.”
He continues, “You emerged from that chrysalis slightly different to how you were before. Maybe this is the final form you were always meant to have. The dragon is a part of you now. It’s all you. You are nobody and nothing else except yourself.”
“A chrysalis…” She considers, “The final form I was always meant to have…”
A smile lights up her puffy, tear-streaked face like the sun emerging from behind a dark cloud, “That makes a lot of sense!”
He smiles back at her, “Maybe you’re still in the adjustment period before taking flight. A butterfly that just came out of its chrysalis, waiting for its wings to dry. And that’s okay! But if the horizon is calling to you, there’s nothing stopping you from answering that call and seeing where it takes you.” He ruffles her hair lightly, “If that’s what you want to do, of course.”
Suddenly, it all makes sense. She can’t believe the answer she was searching for was so simple, so obvious.
Is it really okay to be satisfied just like that? Yes, Falin thinks, of course it’s okay. But… It's also okay to want more.
She beams at Laios, “It’s true that I don’t really know what I want or like. But I think it would be exciting to go and visit a lot of places. Maybe, along the way, I might learn a bit about myself.”
“Really? That’s amazing! You better come back with loads of interesting stories!”
“Of course I will!”
Laios sighs wistfully, “Ah… I wish I could go with you…” He gazes out into the distance with such intense longing that something in her heart cracks. She has the luxury of going out into the world and discovering her dreams, but he is bound to this kingdom now.
After a few moments, he looks back at her, “But as long as you’re happy, Falin, so am I.”
Tears prick her eyes again, but this time they are tears of joy and relief. She pulls Laios into a hug. He holds her tightly and it feels so warm, giving her strength and making her feel like everything will work out.
“Thank you so much,” Falin whispers into his shoulder, “You’re the best big brother I could ever ask for.”
Falin can’t believe how lucky she is to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. She spent the past month telling her friends about her plans to go adventuring. The amount of support and encouragement she received in response was truly astonishing.
The first person she told was Marcille. She felt so nervous. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty– she thought she would pass out. What if Marcille was upset? What if she thought Falin was leaving her behind?
But Marcille smiled and said, “That sounds really exciting! I’m happy for you, Falin!” Then, she hesitated for a moment before cupping Falin’s face in her hands, “But please… don’t go away for too long. Come back to me.”
Warmth settled in Falin’s chest, spreading outwards from her heart. The same warmth she had always felt around Marcille.
Pulling her into a hug, she replied, “I will always come back to you. I promise!”
After that, Falin continued to visit her friends and tell them the news. She never expected them to be quite so thoughtful. Senshi offered to show her how to cook delicious meals on her travels. Chilchuck gave her a set of lockpicks and said he would teach her how to use them. Namari gifted her a beautiful dagger she made herself, ominously saying, ‘You never know when it will come in handy’ . Izutsumi just told her to beat up the dark magician if she ever meets him. Laios gave her his monster journal, asking her to fill in the blank pages with any new creatures she sees.
Her favourite gift came from Marcille, who gave her an intricate bracelet woven from her own hair and interlaced with little golden beads and protective charms. Falin promised to always wear it wherever she goes.
As for Shuro, she finally turned down his proposal– promising to visit him if she is ever travelling in the Eastern Islands. He seemed to take it well and Falin was glad they could still be friends.
Kabru’s reaction was the most surprising. There was a spark in his eyes like he had just had an epiphany, then he told her to meet him in a tavern in a few days time.
And now Falin is waiting in that tavern, wondering why he arranged this meeting. She really admires Kabru. He always has interesting things to say. He’s got the best people skills she has ever seen. Most of all, he gets along really well with her brother. She doesn’t have to worry about Laios anymore, not when he has so many reliable people by his side.
Ding ding!
The bell on the door rings and she turns to see Kabru entering with a short, silver-haired elf. She is sure she has seen that elf before. What was his name? It began with an M… right?
Falin frowns in thought for a few seconds before her eyes light up.
Mithrun! That was it.
When they notice her, she waves happily at them. Kabru waves back with a pleasant smile as he moves towards her table. Mithrun just raises his hand in her direction, but the corners of his mouth are ever so slightly tilted upwards.
After they greet each other, exchange pleasantries and order drinks, Kabru rests his arms on the table and says, “You’re probably wondering why I wanted us to meet like this. Well, to get straight to the point, I thought that you two could be the perfect adventuring buddies.”
“Huh?” That certainly was not what Falin was expecting to hear.
Mithrun seems confused too as he says, “Elaborate.”
Kabru grins, “It’s simple really. You both want to go adventuring but haven’t found any travel companions yet. With Mithrun’s teleportation and combat skills and Falin’s reinforcement, recovery and exorcism abilities, you are the perfect duo!”
Falin stares at Kabru in surprise, the wheels in her mind turning. As excited as she is about her new plans, her only problem is not being able to find anyone to travel with. She isn’t very proficient in fighting so she probably wouldn’t fare well on her own. There is also a more important reason: she doesn’t want to eat alone. From the time Laios left the village to when she met Marcille, Falin’s meals were a lonely affair. She tried to bear it nonchalantly but truthfully, it was bleak. It’s not an experience she wants to go through again.
She turns to Mithrun, “How come you want to go adventuring? You’re not going to go back with the Canaries?”
“You probably already know, but I was a dungeon lord and I had my desires devoured by a demon. I thought there wasn’t any meaning to my life anymore.” He smiles faintly, “So long as you’re alive, you will continue to have new desires … Kabru told me that. And I realised that it’s true. So I decided to take it slowly, every small desire at a time, and figure out what I really want.”
He rummages in his pocket and he takes out a handful of embroidered handkerchiefs, “The other Canaries suggested I find a hobby but it’s not as easy as it sounds. I learned how to make hand-pulled noodles. I tried making pottery. I even tried picking up embroidery again, I remember liking it before I became a dungeon lord.”
Falin casts her eye over the handkerchiefs on the table. Some of them are embroidered with flowers, others with fruit or dungeon monsters. The work is so fine and delicate.
“Wow! These are beautiful! Did you embroider these yourself?” She asks, her eyes wide with awe.
His cheeks go slightly pink, “Yes, I did.”
“That’s amazing!” Her eye catches on a handkerchief embroidered with little walking mushrooms, “Hey, this looks like the one Laios has.”
Kabru pipes up, “Yes! I gave one of these to him.”
Mithrun glances at her, “Would you like one, Falin?”
“Really?” Her eyes are wider than saucers now, sparking with delight, “Can I really have one?”
“Of course.” He rummages in his pocket again and takes out another neatly folded handkerchief, “How about this one?”
It has a stunning rendition of a Red Dragon in red and gold thread. Falin gasps in wonder, “I love it! Thank you so much!”
Mithrun looks at her warmly, “I’m not sure how much I enjoy embroidery… but gifting these to people is quite nice.” He shifts in his seat, “But, uh, going back to what I was saying before. I came to the conclusion that the best way to understand what I really want to do is to go adventuring. I’ve travelled to so many places with the Canaries but never truly appreciated them. I think… I think I regret that.”
Falin twists her hands in her lap, “Although my desires weren’t eaten by a demon or anything like that, I want to go travelling for similar reasons. I’ve never known what I really want to do. I’ve almost been drifting along through life. But I want to change. I want to go out into the world and learn about myself.”
She beams at Mithrun, “I would be honoured to go adventuring with you, if you’re okay with that.”
He looks uncomfortable, not quite meeting her eye, “I’m not the easiest person to travel with. You can ask Kabru. I lost the desire to eat or drink or sleep so I often forget to do those things until I pass out. Sometimes, I drain too much of my mana because I don’t realise I’ve reached my limit. I can be quite… burdensome.”
Kabru takes his hand gently, “Please don’t talk about yourself like that, Mithrun.”
Falin can’t even imagine how much Mithrun must have suffered– her heart breaks for him. She takes his other hand, “Yes, please don’t. We can prepare and eat our meals together, I can remind you to drink and sleep, if you pass out I can take care of you. Isn’t that what travelling companions are for? Isn’t that what friends are for? It is never a burden.”
A single tear pools in his eye as he whispers, “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
He smiles, the widest smile she has seen from him yet, and says, “Okay then. I would be honoured to go adventuring with you, Falin Touden.”
“Yes!” Kabru yells a bit too loudly. Silence falls in the tavern as everyone stares at him for an awkward moment before the low hum of chatter starts up again. “Sorry, I’m just so glad that this worked out.”
“I’m glad too.” Falin’s face is glowing with joy, “Thank you so much, Kabru”
Mithrun nods, “Yes, thank you Kabru… you’ve done so much for me. I really am grateful.”
Kabru shakes his head, although she can definitely detect a pleased glint in his eyes, “Nah, it’s nothing. Like Falin said, isn’t this what friends are for?”
Delighted, Falin clasps both of Mithrun’s hands in her own and declares, “Let’s discover ourselves together!”
“I look forward to it,” he replies.
His eye snags on her wrist and his lips part in surprise, “I haven’t seen one of those bracelets in a long while. Who gave that to you?”
“This?” She gestures at the bracelet woven from hair on her wrist, “Marcille gave it to me.”
Mithrun’s brows raise in surprise as he says, “Oh? Do you know the meaning behind such a gift?”
“There’s a meaning behind it?”
“Yes, it’s an ancient elvish tradition. When lovers are about to be parted for a long time, they exchange these bracelets. It’s a physical expression of their love, a promise to reunite and a reminder of each other while they are far apart. Some of them, like this one, also incorporate protective charms.”
“Lovers?” Falin exclaims. Her usually flushed face turns entirely red.
Kabru bursts into laughter.
Later that day, Falin is so flustered that she can’t sleep. All she can think of is the warmth in her heart whenever she is around Marcille. The way the world seems brighter when she smiles. The way she came into Falin’s lonely existence like the first rays of sun on the morning dew.
She knows that she is in love with Marcille– she has known for a while. And yet, she never considered the idea that Marcille might return her feelings. She never even allowed herself to consider it. She certainly never expected to receive a lover’s bracelet from her.
She finds it hard to understand why someone would be in love with her. Shuro’s proposal was a shock, and she still isn’t sure what exactly prompted him to do it. She almost accepted it simply because she never expected to receive another proposal again.
Mithrun could have been mistaken. Marcille could have made the bracelet for her without knowing the meaning behind it. If she brings this up and Marcille denies having any feelings for her, would it ruin their friendship? Would Falin be able to bear that?
Suddenly, Laios’ words surface in her mind. What is it that you really want, Falin?
When it comes to Marcille, there are lots of things that Falin wants– things that she never thought she could ever have. But she promised herself that she would change, that she would stop waiting for life to happen to her and go after the things that she wants.
So for the first time, Falin allows herself to have a sliver of hope.
It takes Falin a couple of weeks to strengthen her resolve enough to do something about her feelings. She is in Marcille’s room, carefully braiding her golden hair into a crown around her head as she sits in front of a mirror. Marcille happily chatters away as she works and she simply lets the words wash over her as she focuses on her task. She is going to miss this when she leaves.
Falin never had a reason to learn different hairstyles, preferring to keep her own hair short. However, that changed when Marcille lost the desire to look after her own hair– she has spent countless hours learning complicated braids and intricate updos, practising them to perfection.
Hair care is important for magic, magic is important to Marcille and Marcille is important to Falin. She wants Marcille’s beautiful hair to always be shining and supple. She wants her to always look and feel her best.
As she does the final touches on the braid, she notices the soft strands of hair curling at the nape of Marcille’s neck. She wonders what it would feel like to gently place a kiss there. She tends to have these sorts of thoughts around Marcille, usually dismissing them as silly fantasies. But not today. This time, she tries to hold onto that feeling of desire, of wanting, in the hopes it will give her the courage to lay bare her heart.
She smiles at Marcille in the mirror and places her hands on her shoulders, “I’ve finished. What do you think?”
Beaming, she replies, “It’s beautiful! Thank you so much!” Her face falls slightly as she adds, “I’m really going to miss this when you’re not around.”
Falin realises this is the perfect opening to broach the subject she’s been too afraid to bring up. It might be a cowardly way of thinking, but she’s glad that she’s leaving soon. Even if Marcille rejects her, they will both have time apart to get over it. Her heart starts galloping faster than a rampaging bicorn and her hands begin to tremble. But she takes a shaky breath, clenches her fists and tries to channel the courage of the dragon within her.
“I will really miss you too, Marcille.” She replies
“Really?”
“Of course!” She kneels down beside Marcille and takes something out of her pocket. “That’s why I want you to have this.”
She gently takes Marcille’s wrist and fastens a bracelet around it. It’s intricately woven from Falin’s ash blonde hair, interwoven with silver beads and protective charms– similar to the one she wore on her own wrist.
Marcille’s mouth drops open in surprise.
Falin continues speaking, not wanting to lose momentum and back out, “Mithrun told me there’s an ancient elven tradition where lovers exchange these bracelets before being parted for a long time. I wanted to give you a bracelet in return, so I asked for his help in making one.”
Marcille seems lost for words. Her eyes are so wide, not even blinking. Falin has always loved those verdant eyes – green like life itself. Looking into them makes her feel truly alive.
She squeezes Marcille’s hand to ground herself and says, “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I truly want. I’m still not sure about most things, but when it comes to you I know without a doubt. I want to wake up in the morning holding you in my arms. I want to cook you your favourite meals and eat them with you. I want to watch the sunrise with you. I want to gaze at the night sky with you and tell you that you shine brighter than any star.”
Falin gasps as tears start streaming down Marcille’s face. Panic seizes her for a terrifying moment. Has she ruined everything? But then Marcille kneels down on the floor in front of her and pulls her into a tight hug.
In between her sobs she manages to get out, “That– that was the most romantic thing I’ve heard in my entire life. And I– I want to do all of those things with you too.”
“You do?” Falin almost can’t believe her ears. It feels surreal.
Marcille just nods as she continues crying into her shoulder. Falin rubs her back, pressing her face into her neck. Even when her tears stop flowing, Falin doesn’t let go.
Eventually, Marcille whispers, “I saw it in one of my favourite books. The main couple exchanged bracelets made from their hair before one of them left on a long sea voyage. I thought it was so romantic and when I looked into it, I found that it was a real elven tradition.”
She is quiet for a few moments before adding, “I didn’t think that you would ever feel the same way about me. And I didn’t want to burden you by confessing my feelings before you left. But I still wanted my feelings to reach you somehow. I didn’t think you would ever find out what the bracelet means. I just wanted you to carry my love with you wherever you go.”
Falin holds her tighter as she replies, “I want you to carry my love with you too. I know it’s selfish to ask you to wait for me but I just… I just want a piece of me to always be with you.”
Pulling away, Marcille cups Falin’s face in her hands and exclaims, “Of course I will wait for you, you dummy!” She continues in a softer tone, “And I’m not the same person that I used to be. I’ve learnt how to let go. I’ve learnt that a part of loving someone is letting go when the time comes.
Her face is red and blotchy from crying but to Falin, she has never looked more beautiful as she smiles at her and says, “Just spread your wings, and know that you always have a place in my heart.” She quickly adds, “And please fly back to me.”
Falin brushes away a tear rolling down Marcille’s cheek, “Always.”
Her heart feels so full that it could burst. There was a time where she thought she could never love someone and have her feelings returned, yet here she is. It’s the best feeling in all the world, like she’s floating on a cloud.
It’s at this moment that she realises just how close they are. Marcille is basically sitting in her lap with her hands on her face and her nose dangerously close to hers. She glances at Marcille’s lips then looks away, feeling her face heat up.
“Say… uh…” Marcille begins, “You know all of those things you said you want to do with me? Are there any more things? Anything you want to do right now?” Her thumb lightly traces over Falin’s lips and it feels like dragon fire is running through her veins.
Falin replies, “Well… I also really want to do this,” and presses her lips against Marcille’s. She kisses her slowly and softly, making up for every single time she stopped herself from wanting this. It’s slightly salty from Marcille’s tears, but it’s perfect. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
She pulls back until their noses are brushing and whispers, “There are lots of other things I want to do, if you’ll let me show you.”
If Falin’s life is like a river, it is a river that will now flow into an ocean full of endless possibilities. She will take every day as it comes, charting her own course through the waters of fate. No matter how far she wanders, she can always return home to a warm meal with the people she loves.