67 True power (1/2)
Part1
”What's wrong with her...?”
”I don't know... Maybe she used way more magic than we expected...”
Gustav and Ashley were waiting outside of the gates of the kingdom with a sleeping Evlin by their side. There was still no sign of Auren, Ria, Daren, or Lilith.
[Maybe she's dead... Should we start burying her?]
”Quiet Drya...”
[Just giving a suggestion... ]
”Ashley is it really ok for the three of us to just stay here like this...? What if more demons show up?”
”Then I'll just deal with them, just like I dealt with that big horse from before... Nothing much...”
”...”
Gustav couldn't stop worrying about Ashley. Ever since they reunited after going inside the mountain she has been acting like a completely different person.
During this kind of situation Ashley would say things like ”Let's find a safe place and observe the situation!” or ”Let's try to gather as much information as possible before moving on”. She always tried her best to think before she acts. With the way she was acting right now, so ready to pick a fight with the first enemy that showed up, it was almost like she was...
”Ashley...”
”Huh...?”
”Youre startting to sound like Evlin...”
”... Is that so...?”
Gustav could see it in her face. She was trying to hide it but she was extremely happy with that comment. However, for Gustav that was a terrible development. Evlin had a reckless side but she knew when it was time to take a break and actually think before she fighting. Mostly due to her sister being there to hold her back.
Ashley was Evlin's anchor that always held her back and stopped her from going too far. But now that Ashley was starting to act like Evlin, who was going to be her anchor? In fact, if they now had two Evlins and no Ashleys, who would be either of their anchors?
Gustav knew that he was a powerless man, and maybe a foolish man, but he refused to act like a blind man. Something was wrong with Ashley and he needed to get to the bottom of it.
”Ashley I think you should stop listening to the dryad...”
Ashley's early smile disappeared and she looked at him with cold eyes.
”Why would you say that...?”
”Ever since you fused with this dryad you have not been acting like yourself...”
”... Have I now?”
”...”
She was not happy with that remark. Fusing with the dryad was the best thing that happened to her in a long time, and now he wanted to make her feel bad about it, right after she saved their lives no less. Ashley was already starting to get on bad terms with Gustav, but now he was deliberately picking a fight with her, and she decided that she was done letting people get the best of her.
”Let me ask you this... Have I not carried my duty to come up with plans to secure the safety of our group?”
”...”
”Have I not done everything in my power to make sure we all reached our goal safe and sound?”
”...”
”When my little sister was in danger, did I not do everything I could to rescue her?”
”...”
”What exactly did I do that was so wrong?”
”...”
Gustav had a lot he wanted to say but he decided it would be better to keep observing for a little longer.
”You know... I think you might be jealous of me Gustav...”
”What...?”
”I mean think about it... Your big final goal all this time was always to prove your worth to the team... To be finally able to stand on the battlefield alongside Evie and the rest... But how many months have passed...? Two? Five? Ten? And you're still there in the back, just waiting your turn.”
”...”
”But me...? I didn't have to wait at all... I jumped into the opportunity! This dryad gave me the power to do what you wished you could have done years ago... I bet it must be just eating you up inside, isn't it...? The fact that you're literally the last one to join the battle team? The fact that the one member with no power actually managed to get ahead of you?”
”...”
”Come on... Admit it! You wish you were in my place right now! You're mad because you lost to me!”
”...”
Gustav just listened to her in silence.
[Ash... Something is wrong...]
”Huh...?”
[I can't feel any pain coming from him...]
”...?”
Gustav lifted his face and looked at Ashley right into her eyes.
”... That would have been the case a while ago...”
”...?”
”For the longest time, I hated my own weakness... I hated the fact that there was nothing I could do but watch as my friends fought to protect me... While all I could do was observe and pray that they would come back safely...”
”...”
[...]
”But I don't feel that way anymore... I know I'm not strong... But that doesn't mean I'm useless...”
”...”
”I may not have the power to fight... But when a young girl was feeling sad for not being able to reach the sky, I had the power to make that sadness go away...”
”...”
”When a young girl was feeling afraid for being alone because her sister was away from her, I had the power to keep her company until she felt better...”
[...]
”And when this young girl was feeling lost because she heard that many people were coming to try and harm her... I had the power to give her courage to help her stand up and face the fight...”
”...”
[...]