Chapter Text
He was alive.
Garroth was there, everything where it was supposed to be. Her heart raced at the sight of him but her nerves lit up as well because of their last conversation.
It was then she noticed the translucent red flame in his hands.
Another relic.
It began to float out of his hands as she got closer and it came towards her.
The relic stopped in front of her stomach before moving inside her. Only she wasn’t affected by it this time at all.
No one spoke, tense confusion filling the air.
Hyria stepped out of her house and Aphmau quickly looked at her.
“Was that another relic? I don’t feel any different. Will the baby be okay?”
Hyria sighed. “They’ll be fine. It seems we have much to discuss. Come inside.”
They followed her inside and got settled on the couches around the lit fireplace.
“Now,” The old witch started, “What I am about to tell you, you’ll never find in any book ever written. Irene kept the truth of her life and wishes very private.
“Hyria,” Vylad interrupted, “Are you sure now is the right time for this?”
He knew something. The day she’d woken in Phoenix Drop was definitely no coincidence.
“Now is the perfect time,” She said before looking at Aphmau, “Judging by what has happened it appears she's done exactly what she set out to do.”
“What do you mean?” Aphmau asked.
“I knew Irene a long time ago. I was the last person to see her before she fell into slumber.”
“You’ve been alive for over nine hundred years?” Lucinda said in shock.
“Much longer than that, dear.”
She brushed off the surprise and returned to her usual irritation with her mother. “What does this have to do with the new relic?”
“Quiet, I will get to that. Irene, Menphia, Esmund, Enki, Kul’zak, and Shad worked together for years to make the world a better place until one day when they were forced to turn against Shad. Shad loved Irene deeply and Irene loved him back but their relationship was filled with conflict. Irene would throw Shad into different pocket realms to fight their battles but he eventually learned to break them using his relic. Enki, the Keeper, fell in love with Irene as well, causing conflict between the three. When Shad had a child with another, Irene was heartbroken and Enki, enraged for her. One day, without explanation Shad lost all reason. He ascended and turned into what we know as the Shadow Lord. Irene created the Irene Dimension with the intention to lock Shad there and in the end, the five other Divine Warriors banded together to rip Shad’s relic away from him and lock his soul away in the Nether. In the end, Irene could never love again and the other Divine all moved on and lived out the rest of their lives, leaving Irene alone in this world.” She paused. “Do you feel anything, Aphmau?”
A strange sense of despair had slowly crept into her mind as the story went on but it was a sad story. “I don’t know, sad?”
Hyria nodded. “Let me continue then, Irene came to me one day and said she wanted to be able to move on as well. She wanted to seal away her memories and go into slumber in the realm she created. She never told me why she suddenly wanted this but when Irene had her mind set there was no changing it. She separated her relic from her body and stored it in her realm. Before she removed her memories, she gave me a staff and said, ‘take this, when I'm needed in this world, place it somewhere that needs my help and I'll be woken from my slumber.’ Hundreds of years later, a young Shadow Knight came to my home, although he’d locked all emotion so far within himself, he still cared for his brother.”
“I didn’t think you meant I'd give him the help of the actual Irene,” Vylad said from the corner.
He brought her to Phoenix Drop? Wait, that meant–
“Aphmau, you are Lady Irene,” Hyria said.
“What?!” Everyone but the old witch and Vylad exclaimed at the same time.
“B– but I don’t remember any of that…”
“You need time, but it will come back.”
Her head was suddenly filled with intense pain. Thankfully she was already sitting because she doubled over as her surroundings faded from view and were replaced with a field, her hand on the ground as wheat sprouted up and a white-haired man took notes. She then fought alongside a blond before sparring with a dark skinned and red-haired meif’wa woman. Next were the walls of an older Scaleswind, not much different to what it was now, as she left the city beside a brunet who was missing one eye.
The last memory was of a dark haired man holding her.
As Hyria’s cottage came back to view, the pain slowly wore off and Garroth was on the ground in front of her.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
Aphmau nodded, catching her breath. “The memories.”
“All of them?” Katelyn asked with wide eyes.
“No, just a few.”
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Hyria told her.
Garroth stared at the witch sharply. “What does this all have to do with the new relic? Why did it go to her and why didn’t it affect her?”
“And why did Ivy have it?” Vylad added.
“Relics find someone of like personality or a member of the bloodline. The relic that went to you belonged to Shad.”
“The last members of Shad’s bloodline were the family of Falconclaw,” Lady Ro’Meave said, “But since the massacre there, they’re all most likely dead.”
“Aphmau, you are with child are you not?” Hyria asked.
“How did you know?”
“I knew the last time I saw you. Who is the father?”
“The former Lord of Falconclaw,” Aphmau answered hesitantly.
“They live?!” Lady Ro’Meave exclaimed, “Thank Irene! You have no idea the guilt I suffered knowing that Zane was the–”
“Mother,” Garroth interrupted, meeting Lady Ro'Meaves eyes as though he were telling her something.
She became choked with the realization. “Pardon me, I need to step outside.”
She got up and rushed outside, both of her sons following her.
“Well then, it's clear why the relic went to you,” Hyria said, “It didn’t, it went to your unborn child.” She smiled. “You made me promise to let you experience life without the burden of being Lady Irene and I believe you have. If you manage to regain your memories of me, come back to visit. I'd love to talk about old times again.”
Aphmau agreed before stepping outside to check on the Ro’Meaves. She stayed by the door silently when she noticed Lady Ro’Meaves red-rimmed eyes and Garroth and Vylad’s gradually raising voices.
“I’m talking about Aphmau and the baby!” Vylad shouted.
“Oh my little brother is going to give me relationship advice? Someone who never even admitted to liking a girl! This is a surprise.”
Vylad’s jaw tightened. “Don’t.”
“Garroth,” Their mother scolded.
Garroth sighed. “Sorry. But nothing changes the fact that it's my fault that that child will grow up fatherless.”
“Well as someone who never had a real one, you manage,” Vylad said, “The kid’s going to grow up with Aphmau and everyone else around her as a family and you can decide now whether you want to be a part of that.”
Their mother nodded. “I don’t know Aphmau, but I can tell you she's going to need all the help she can get and I saw how you look at each other. She needs you.”
They needed to talk.
"Garroth?” Aphmau asked.
Vylad looked at his brother warningly while their mother smiled and the two went back inside.
Aphmau approached him carefully but before they could get a word in, Vylad froze, panic stricken.
“What?” Aphmau asked.
“Laurance reached the Nether. He gave in.”
Dread filled her. “We have to get back to Phoenix Drop.”
“We’re not going after him,” Vylad said forcefully.
“But–”
“No,” Garroth said, “Especially not now.”
“Fine, but still, what if something happened that made it worse? We should get back as soon as possible.”
“Do I need to teleport us?” Lucinda asked, everyone else having quickly joined them outside due to the commotion.
“Please.”
“Alright, everyone grab hands.”
They did as she said, and within seconds they were back in the Phoenix Drop settlement. Lucinda’s knees buckled from the exhaustion but Garroth caught her before she could hit the ground.
Dmitri suddenly ran to them from Levin and Malachi’s house as the two young men stared.
“You’re back!” The young boy exclaimed, “We have to go back to the island! Something’s wrong”
“What happened?” Aphmau asked frantically, “Were you attacked?”
“No! It’s Isabell!”
“What?” Katelyn exclaimed fearfully.
“I don’t know, she sounded hurt and Zoey made me come here for you all.”
Passing Lucinda to Levin and Malachi so she could rest, the others rushed to the node and went through before running to the forming village.
In front of Zoey, Yip, and Isabell’s house, was Issa holding Dell besides Yip, Leona, and Travis.
“You’re here!” Yip exclaimed.
“What happened?” Katelyn asked immediately.
“She’s in labor,” Travis said, “Zoey said it’s early.”
“Oh my Irene,” Katelyn murmured, rushing inside as though she knew something they didn't.
Since when was she even pregnant? How did they miss that?
Aphmau followed Katelyn inside, Garroth trailing behind.
There, Isabell, hair mussed and sticking to her face, was on the bed crying as Katelyn got on the ground beside her, taking her hand and whispering.
Chad watched from the corner, silent for once while Brendan and Kiki sat at the end of the bed and Zoey prepared potions.
“Isabell, did you know?” Aphmau asked, “Did anyone?”
Isabell nodded. “Yes, Lucinda and Chad–” She grimaced, “And K– Katelyn the other day.”
The woman sobbed as a contraction came at full force.
“The contractions are too close, I have to check,” Kiki said, peering under her dress, “I see the head.”
Katelyn squeezed Isabell’s hand tighter and spoke quickly into her ear as she began to scream.
Aphmau froze, the realization that this would be her in a few months setting in. It must’ve shown on her face she realized when a comforting pressure wrapped around her hand and pulled her outside.
Lady Ro’Meave and Vylad were gone and Garroth and Aphmau sat beside each other with Travis, Yip, and Issa, the only sound being the screaming from inside and Zoey’s yells of “push”.
After what felt like hours, the screams stopped and were replaced with the cry of a newborn.
Zoey stepped outside.
“Is Isabell okay?” Aphmau asked quickly.
Zoey smiled. “Yes, come in.”
Isabell was sitting up now and covered as she cradled a small bundle. Katelyn was still beside her.
“How are you?” Aphmau asked.
She laughed weakly. “Exhausted.” She smiled down at the baby. “He’s beautiful.”
“Do you know what you’re going to name him? Garroth asked.
Isabell paused and looked at Kate unsurely for a moment before speaking as though it were a question, “Kacey.”
Katelyn’s eyes went wide but she nodded and Isabell smiled widely.
“Could we be alone?” The new mother asked.
“Of course.”
They all left, Katelyn not included. Zoey, Kiki, and Brendan stayed close outside of the house in case of anything but the others scattered.
Garroth took Aphmau’s hand and led her away.
“I’m sorry,” He said, “I was so caught up in myself and my own guilt. I–”
She shook her head. “No, it was terrible timing, I understand. Vylad promised me he wouldn’t tell you until I was ready to do it myself. And you have to know, nothing is your fault.”
Garroth took both of her hands in hers and her heart raced. “What’s done is done. I’m here now. I love you. And if you’ll have me, I'm yours.”
Aphmau grinned. Finally, years of unspoken pining had been said.
Without a word, she kissed him.