Fairyland Chronicles - Character Side Stories

[Summerstream]

(Total count for words and pages: [x])

The half-fey paladin looked at Amdusias as he fell. He died staring at Ezekiel, and his body vanished shortly after. Summerstream had caught the shield she had used wind magic to throw, and put it back on her arm. Vinda screeched aggressively at the dead fairy.

“Bloody hell. He deserved it.” she had scoffed, then she scanned the crowd that had been fighting the now deceased Amdusias. Towering over most of the group, she saw the eyes of one of the knight captains looking down at the dreamstone infused armour that was left behind. Her increased heart rate slowed, and she smiled faintly. It was over.

She looked to others in the crowd, her eyes staring from behind her glasses, and her wings flapping lightly behind her from relief. Some faces were shocked, others relieved. Summerstream breathed out and turned her back on the crowd to notice Cathrine standing with a pale complexion and a dazed shock showing on her face. She dismounted Vinda, and approached the taller, brown robed woman, and looked up at her.

“Cathrine, are you okay?” she asked, watching as Cathrine shifted her gaze to her. Summerstream saw the grief in the other woman's gaze as clearly as if she had felt it herself.

Cathrine McWren looked down at the fistful of bloody feathers, avoiding the half-fey's knowing stare, "Why is it, that so many victories are bittersweet?"

“It isn't a victory if it is bittersweet, in my opinion.” Summerstream spoke before she looked at the fist of bloody feathers. She froze. “Oh... OH. I-I'm so sorry...” Summerstream stammered, covering her mouth with her gauntlet. She paused for several minutes to search for the right words. It took her a moment to find them.

Summerstream finally said, looking to the sky. “I'm sure you will meet again when it comes to be your time to pass on to the next world.” She put her head over her breastplate , and closed her eyes. It wasn't a prayer, but she was wishing to the wind that Cathrine's fallen ally would find his way back to his rider's side one day. While her eyes were closed, she heard the traveller wander off. She opened her eyes and watched with unspoken sympathy. When she turned around, she saw a young swordsman running towards her.

“Lady Summerstreammm!” He was yelling, then shoved at her an envelope. “For you, from the Captain!”

“The hell? What does Rimino want this time...” Summerstream muttered as she used a dagger to swiftly open the letter that was just shoved at her. When she looked up, the swordsman was running down the street. She scoffed at his quick departure, then read.

“...Oh. That was fast. I still have my job.” Summerstream blinked, and started to make her way to the building that housed the Swordsman Association. As she walked, she pinned the silver leaf that she kept with the entire time in her bag. She felt the wind catch the cape behind her, and throw it in the air. Her wings twitched with pride as she walked.

Summerstream pushed open the door to the office to see the purple haired swordswoman looking outside and drumming her fingers on the desk impaitently.

“You know, I expected at least a small break before you called me. You wanted to see me, Rimino?” Summerstream asked as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“Yeeeeah. Got an assignment for 'ya- and I'd rather not deal with it. Ya dig?” Was the informal response she got from Rimino. Summerstream rubbed the side of her head just above her glasses and closed her eyes.

“Well, I got that much. You saw how everything resolved, so I'm free again.” Summerstream responded as she sat down on the chair.

“Yeah. And it's right back to work. You know, make sure no one looks at too closely and the like?” Rimino winked at the paladin. Summerstream cleared her throat and let her wings twitch in irritation. Rimino put a folder down on the table, and Summerstream took a gauntlet off before she took the folder in hand and opened it. It was a quick study.

“Sending me off to Rachel so I'm away from your sweet little brother? Mmm~ He's really fun~” Summerstream smirked and closed the folder. She saw Rimino's face darken, and Summerstream's smirk turned into a grin in response. Too easy.

“I swear to god Summer.” Rimino growled at Summerstream. “I'm covering for your sorry ass! Don't make me regret that.” Summerstream twitched her wings from amusement, and propped her head up on the table.

“Hehe~ So, why are you picking the unsanctified Paladin to go on this adventure to deal with the freaking priests who are too immature to deal with their own arguments?”

“Oh good! I don't have to even brief you.” Rimino smiled at Summerstream. Summerstream gazed at Rimino boredly before she responded with a sigh.

“Its a lost cause. There is little point in me dealing with it, Rimino.” Summerstream closed one eye, and stared at her with the other before sitting up straight. “Unless you really want to keep me away from your brother.”

“Okay, screw you. You go now, and if I hear you dwaddled, I'm reporting your ass to the church.” Rimino slammed her fist onto the desk. Summerstream chuckled, and gestured in the general direction of the satellite sister city known as Izlude.

“The international port is still destroyed from Amdusias, Rimino.” Summerstream reminded the sword captain with a sly smile. “It will take a week before it is operational again.” Rimino stared at Summerstream and swore under her breath. Summerstream calmly stood up, and moved towards the door with her wings flapping once behind her.

“I'll wait until the repairs are complete, then depart. Even if you report me to the church, I refuse to let them get close to me. We should head out to the bar one day.” Summerstream smiled at Rimino before she departed. With the folder safely tucked under her arm, she put her gauntlet back on.

It was the following day when Summerstream got the chance to speak to Lucretia before she departed to search for a new home. Lucretia had brought them to see the imprisoned Cimeies beforehand. Reilinn had great delight in torturing the fey before she went to speak to Lucretia. For some reason, she was the first one. Summerstream tapped her shield nerviously as she stood beside the Fey princess. She smiled faintly as she noticed that Lucretia's wings were fully grown again. Before she started speaking, she took her shield from her back and rested it on the ground before putting her hands on top of it to hold it in place. She could feel her wings twitching nervously behind her, She took a deep breath in before she started.

“Um... Right.” Summerstream felt Lucretia's curious gaze as she closed her eyes. “I'll be in Rachel in about a week's time, but, if you ever need a shield that you can trust, all you need to do is ask. The oath I swore to you before still stands, and it will until you say so, or until you pass on into the next life.” Summerstream opened her eyes after, and looked at Lucretia, before looking over her shoulder to glare at her twitching wings.

"I appreciate the offer." Lucretia responded, smiling. "I want to thank you for all that you've done for me; the sap, protection, everything."

"It was no problem, really." Summerstream smiled, and her wings twitched behind her, earning another glare. "...I was also wondering... When Faeheim is rebuilt, would it be possible for me to live there? I don't exactly think the humans will want me around, given my er... wings."

"I don't see why they wouldn't want you with so many of them buying our wings every month." She replied, somewhat miffed at the humans. "But you are welcome to live there when we rebuild!” Summerstream chuckled faintly with her response, but she understood the reasoning behind it. Even she had seen the fragments of broken wings scattered around the ironmonger in Prontera's square. Her wings flapped once in irritation at this memory, and recalled how Lucretia had to experience her wings being broken not once, but twice.

“Um.... the last thing was er.... howdoIusemywings.” Summerstream spoke in a rush, and her wings continued to flap unbidden behind her. She was beyond embarrassed for asking this. Lucretia took the time to explain that the wings were like a muscle, and that she didn't really know how to explain it to her. Summerstream understood, and the two spoke with each other for a few minutes as friends. Summerstream even thanked her for asking Cynbel to remove the seal on her, and how she would prevent the church from ever attempting to reseal her natural abilities. Lucretia had laughed in response before encouraging her, and Summerstream smiled warmly. Summerstream felt her insecurities melt away when she was in the company of the misunderstood fey princess. She knew that if the princess called upon her, she would take it on herself to wear her pride on her shield. Summerstream owed her that much.

When Summerstream finally had the chance to talk to Rimino at the bar, she hardly drank, and mulled over some documents that she had received. The handwriting was familiar, and told her of what a certain stalker was planning on doing about a particular golemancer. Of course she would help to the best of her abilities, and made her own mental note to see if she couldn't find anything out for him while she was trying to get the priests to not act like spoiled brats. Rimino was arguing at her about how plums were superior to oranges, which Summerstream countered with a clear head. Summerstream was halfway finished the drink that Rimino had bought for her before she excused herself to go home. Outside, she heard the leaves rustle before a voice sounded behind her.

“Your report?”

Summerstream stopped, and didn't look at the voice. “Everything resolved itself,” Summerstream lied. It was the same lie she had been feeding the shadows over the past month. “Lucretia simply used the humans to further her own goals.” She was surprised at how easily the lie rolled off her tongue.

“I'm surprised they took the bait as much as they did. Prontera also fell under siege?” The Shadow responded. Summerstream gritted her teeth at the familiar voice. She knew exactly who it was.

“Yes.” She responded after collecting her thoughts, but not too quickly, nor too slowly. She didn't want to give away the lie she had worked with Ezekiel to spin. “That was Amdusias wanting to kill Queen Pixie, Princess Lucretia, and Cynbel. I don't know what they plan to do now.” Summerstream put the folder that she held in her hands under her arm.

“We'll expect your written report soon. Rest easy for now. I'm sure it was a long and brutal assignment.”

“Yes.” Summerstream's wings twitched in irritation as she waved behind her and walked home. She sighed in relief once the eyes on her back were gone. The next days until her departure were spent studying various documents and making notes. Summerstream found she hardly had time to open her Edda to read from the scripture.

Summerstream weighed everything that she had learned as she boarded the airship bound for Rachel. She felt as if her shield was slightly heavier than normal, but didn't pay much attention to it. Her mind was focused on what could potentially be causing the priests to to fight amongst themselves.

The airship was over Yuno before the extra weight on her back vanished. Summerstream didn't move to the exit of the airship.

“Mummy, where are we going?”

“...Shit.”