Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 398 - 397 - Mending the Pieces

Fey wanted to go home!

She had been so happy when Big Brother came back long ago.  The world had become right again after he returned!  Her Sisters had been very nice but they could never be Big Brother in her heart.

Her grandparents had been always there for her too and they had helped back then.

When she became a Sky Realm, Big Brother had been so proud and praised her.  He also made sure she understood she would be starting over at the bottom in a way.  His words helped and the big Sisters were never more than a jade communication stone away.

There had been distance at first, but then things seemed to warm up after a decade and she had proven herself.  Her best friend Seely had been so nice for nearly 15 years.

Then something happened with Big Brother.  The sect broke off all connection to him and denied him aid.  She was never told everything but Shoti and Qing had simply said they could no longer stay.

Annabelle, usually the sweetest of the 3, was fuming.  She still hugged Fey tight but Fey felt lost.

Her world shattered more after that.  The Sisters that were closest to her began to sneer and demean her.  They belittled her and told her she was only at such a lofty status because of favoritism.

The elders of the Outer Sect, once so generous, became cold to her but still gave her missions.  They made her work alone and far from the sect.  She wanted to leave but there were still true friends talking to her via jade stone.

Senior Tyr and Lydia especially checked on her and were still warm.  They were real, right?

It was 1 to 2 years later that things changed.  Fey began to have strange dreams where everyone had been lying to her for years.  Her Sisters, her elders, grandparents, and even the Big Sisters!

They were only kind to her because of Big Brother.  Without him, she was nothing.  Without him, she was just a little girl with nothing of her own!

The visions of Big Brother started shortly after, but instead of the warm and wonderful kind, he was cold.  He said she had just been an experiment that went really well.  He wanted to use her as a test subject before trying it himself.

She railed against the visions and it was easy to ignore, but the whispers got stronger the more isolated her Sisters made her.  Finally, she came upon a demonic sacrifice cult.  They were humans sacrificing other humans, aether children, and some intelligent beasts to a demon to grant them power.

The demon was using a wicked technique that needed lots of blood from living subjects and they were very charismatic.  It seemed to break the final tether as she saw how the people were used by the demon as materials and nothing more.

Her cultivation skyrocketed and she suddenly could not be stopped.  The demon had taken a very long time to die.  The cult members did not survive either but they were just as bad as the demon.

She had been praised for her success but she had no interest in being at the sect anymore.  She took any missions that let her be alone and far away, alone was best.

She began to look terrible and hid it behind a cloak.  Some part of her felt it important to hide what she was becoming.

If there was a tiny voice yelling it was all lies and Big Brother was never like that, it was forgotten upon waking up.

Her body was aching all the time and it was getting harder not to kill people.  She was irritated all the time and found amusement in suffering.  It felt wrong but so right at the same time.

Then, it happened.  A man spoke to her about some petty fight between opposing powers.  She could not remember their names, none of her Sisters wanted to come so she had.  But that voice cut through it all as dark green eyes looked up at her.

She would never forget those eyes.

The hair was wrong and so were the robes, but the eyes were his!  It was him!

Something broke in her right then.  It demanded his blood, that he pay for all her suffering.

She had lashed out but he did not fight her.  He kept trying to talk but then he became monstrous.  It was not Big Brother but another illusion!  She wanted to believe that yet then she woke up.

It was like a fog was partially lifted and the last few years were the dream not reality.  Before she could assess what was going on, the wave of Qi washed over her and a massive dragon appeared.

She knew that dragon.  Unlike the eyes, it shattered the veil the heart demon had put over her.  Fey saw the chains on her soul and the life being drained from her.  She was broken.  She had betrayed Big Brother in her heart.

She wailed but then his voice and gentleness engulfed her.  The warmth flooded her body as it burned the heart demon within her.

"NO!  SHE IS MINE, MINE!  I ALMOST HAD HER!"  Terror filled her at that moment as Fey realized her soul had nearly been lost.  The emerald flames seared but she welcomed it as the heart demon wailed and then vertically slit emerald eyes appeared.

There was no mercy in them and no pause.  A vision of a godlike dragon that extended beyond the horizon filled her mind and Fey suddenly understood something.

Big Brother was turning into that!  He was becoming that mighty dragon!

Nothing could resist him and the chains shattered as the world went dark.

Fey was sweating but a cool cloth was placed on her head as a gentle song was hummed to keep her calm.  The voice made tears flow as she slowly opened her eyes.  Her vision was fuzzier than it should be but she saw him!

Dirty blonde hair, dark green eyes, and crimson robes!  Big brother had come!

"Good morning, Little Fey.  I am back and I am not leaving you again."  She tried to lean up but her body was so weak!  It felt so frail!  He smiled and gently hugged her.  She clung to him as tears poured out of her eyes and soul.

"I am home, Big Brother.  I am home!"  Fey croaked out the words but her heart never felt so full at that moment as in his arms.  Her family had come at last!

⬧⬧⬧⬧

Lind was angry.  He had never been so angry in his life before.  The only time he could compare to it was when the Demon Empire envoy had tried to take him from the Lotus Academy.

Even then, that anger felt paltry compared to now.

Fey was recovering physically.  He had studied the damage to her and with the help of the Lily Sect had found some herbs to create elixirs to aid that.  The body was easy, but the spirit was totally broken.

She never left his side.  She never touched her sword, and she never tried to concoct a pill.  The bright star had been dimmed and they had done it to her.  She had been totally alone and those that wanted to help were too far away or were barred from finding out.

Only one person could help her now and it was Lind.  No one else was coming.  Qing might be able to help but Fey was too fragile to travel yet.

He was in a simple training yard going through the motions of longsword combat.  His swipes cut the very air and sweat glistened on his upper body.  Fey watched and cheered him on but it was like she had regressed to being a little girl.

The heart demon had ravaged her spirit!

She had lost so much in her life and had to deal with his possible death for nearly a decade before he returned.  That scar had been the seed.  It had been the thing all of them had overlooked.

What would happen to someone cut off from their family once more?  Lind had been getting harsh lessons in the Floating Isles.  All he had accomplished seemed pure luck faced with the tragedies of the Elysium Plains and now Fey.

"I do believe that dummy can't harm anyone anymore, Master Frey."  A gentle male voice broke Lind out of his reverie as he saw he had reduced a mid grade 5 practice dummy to shavings.  A flash of guilt overcame him as he turned to see Bishyin.

He was still there but unlike any other envoy, he never bothered Lind.  Why had he come now?  He was no longer dressed in fine silks but chainmail armor and had a morning star at his waist.

It was all of very dark metal but his bright silver hair and lavender skin made the armor stand out.  Lind could appreciate the fine work as well.

Fey quickly ducked behind Lind which made him sad.  The Fierce Fairy was a point of pride for him.  She did not like the nickname at first but Lind had thought it cute so she loved it.

"Would you like a more lively target?"  The demon had silver eyes but they were far from cold.  In fact, Lind had seen such eyes before.  Another battle maniac.  Did he have some kind of curse?

Still, maybe a live fight would be better.

"Please."  Lind had Fey sit to the side safely while they assumed their stances.  Lind wore no armor but both of them knew he did not need any.  Despite the massive tier difference between them, it was a fight to be enjoyed.

Bishyin loosened the morning star and Lind narrowed his eyes.  There was a slight gap at the head most would miss but he did not.  He noted it and assumed the stance with the long sword.

"At your pleasure, Master Frey."  The demon smiled wide as the aura of a gentleman faded and a full blooded warrior replaced it.