Page 27 of Taloned Heart

Lore raced across the rooftops like a woman born of wind. Her feet barely touched the shingles as she moved throughout the city and learned the new patterns and pathways that would lead her to where she wanted to go.

She had to turn back multiple times because the house she’d expected to be there was gone. But eventually she made it to her side of the city. The same place where she’d sat every single night, smoking her elfweed, talking to Goliath on the other side of the street.

As she sank down into her old spot, she shuddered at the sight in front of her. The home where Goliath had painted his rising sun was gone. The ashes still floated in the air when she sat down. They’d gathered on the rooftop like a fine layer of snow and no wind had blown them away yet.

She could still see him. He’d leaned out that window every time she was here, complaining about the smell of her smoke or laughing at the way she’d blown rings at him. He had been perfect. More than that, he’d been the best friend she’d ever had.

And now he was gone.

There was nothing she could do about it, and she knew she couldn’t pull him back from that dark place. How would she even find him? Would it be right to even do so? He had no body to return to, no life waiting for him.

And then she’d left. She’d headed out to the dragon isles and left all that they’d fought for and left everyone else under the rule of a woman that neither of them had really trusted. Margaret had betrayed them all, and it felt a little like Goliath had died for nothing.

That warmongering bitch would get what was coming to her. Lore would avenge the memory of her friend if only for this moment, staring at the home where he had rested his head.

Did Margaret even remember? Did she even know that she’d burned downhishouse? They’d all mourned him together. She’d seen Margaret’s face when she realized that her cause had been the catalyst to his death. She knew that Margaret felt guilt after she’d said goodbye to Goliath.

But in the end, had she done anything to make amends for it, or had she simply continued down the same path that had gotten him killed?

Shaking her head, she leaned back on her hands and stared up at the sky instead. “I miss you,” she whispered into the wind, hoping that her words would somehow find his spirit. “I’ve spent far too long looking up at the clouds and wanting to go anywhere but here. Now that I’m older, now that I’ve seen too much, I have realized that I didn’t appreciate what I had with you. Seeing you there in that window used to give me so much peace, and now I don’t even have that.”

Tears burned in her eyes, but she didn’t wipe them away. It felt good for them to drip down her cheeks, even if it meant he was gone. She needed this moment to break.

Sniffling, she eventually stopped herself. There was no use in crying about what had already happened. She had her moment, and now it was time to keep going.

Lore had hidden more than a few spelled items in her old attic room. Some of them would be useless by now. The magic only stuck for a short amount of time before the spells would unravel. But the potions were still good, and a few of the homemade bombs that she’d tried to get to work. They weren’t reliable, but they would do something when thrown at another person’s head.

Skittering over the roof, she went to the grimy window and pulled it open.

Only to freeze at what she saw inside.

It was supposed to be full of dust and strange creatures in jars. A small cot that was covered in bird droppings, after all this time, would rest against the back wall, where she’d hidden most of her things. The other shelving units were full of whatever nonsense the owner had forgotten about. Mostly creepy and terrifying things.

Except now, the room was clean. It was filled with colorful fabric and hand painted golden stars. A few orbs still danced in the air to give off light that sparkled through the swaths of fabric and made the stars look realistic. Toys littered the floor. Each one very colorful and depicting a different kind of magical creature. Some were dolls, others were puzzles, some even looked like they had to be put back together to be played with.

No bed. No darkness. Only a warm room full of light for children to play in.

So. They’d finally sold the house. Or perhaps the previous owner had died and someone had taken it upon themselves to turn the room into something that breathed again.

Still, it made her heart twist in her chest to realize the last bit of her childhood was gone. Lore and her mother had hidden in this attic for years, and now there was no one left. Her things were gone. Her cot. Not that any of the items left had any significant meaning, but they were still hers.

Now she had nowhere else to go. There was no bed waiting for her if this all failed. There was no hidden attic to hide in or a dwarf across the street who would share his dinner with her.

She was the goddess of this realm, a half elf born to change the very fabric of time. And the woman she had once been was gone.

Stepping away from the window, she let it close so no one inside the residence would question what was happening. She didn’t want to harm the safety of the family or make them feel as though this house wasn’t perfect for them. It clearly was.

Perhaps it had never been her home. Just the place for her to rest her head.

Staggering away, she stood at the edge of the roof and stared down at the cobblestone streets below. There was a time when those streets were full of Umbral Soldiers. Now, there were only a few magical creatures walking toward their homes. They kept their heads down, not wanting to be seen by anyone else. But they were there. Without shackles.

Her mind raced with the realization that this was what they’d been fighting for all along. A life for magical creatures without humans hunting them. And yes, this was actually a fix for the problem. Margaret wasn’t entirely wrong.

The magical creatures were now free. She’d just gone about it in the most bloodthirsty way possible.

Lore didn’t know how to fix this just yet. She didn’t know how to make it harder for the mortals to wrestle their way into control, but she also didn’t know how to get everyone to live side by side peacefully.

It was all... so much.

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