BXBX NOVEL Chapter 414 413: Grievances
Jahi PoV
When we returned to Goron in two days time, we were greeted by the cold, yet frightened stares of the conquered people, all of whom were still scarred from the siege just over a week ago.
In that week, changes had been made to the city, the occupational force was only a day or two out, and reconstruction had already begun.
The more damaged parts of the city were being torn down and rebuilt, more complex housing being erected on the land to better fit this population.
Mom led Kolia, Nirinia, and Adelina off towards the palace, where she would get a report formulated for the Empress on everything that had happened so far as well as getting a report about the current state of Goron.
As for Anput, Leone and I, we were going towards the forges to have a break of our own, wanting to unwind and talk over everything that happened personally, to air out what we needed to in private together, so that we could move forwards better.
The Jackalkin was the one to show her anger the most, hammering away at an anvil as she forged a new blade as a way to regulate her emotions.
"I just felt so damn useless once again! It\'s like every enemy we encounter is better suited to be dealt with by magics instead of blades! Elemental attacks deal more damage to these creatures that cold steel, and what\'s my primary magic? Fucking metal! That\'s what I\'ve put my time into, and yet every single thing we fight is physically defensive!"
Leone pursed her lips, watching as Anput slammed her weighty hammer onto the anvil, sparks flying through the pit as she shaped out the curved blade she was forging.
"Even if I were to increase my Earth Magic, it\'s still either a blunt force spell or a sharp spell like my metal! As for my Fire Magic, well, that\'s the one that I struggle with the most!"
I sighed as Anput growled, her eyes flickering silver as her hammer fell once more.
"Anput, you\'ve still been an immense help in each fight despite that. Not everything is about dealing damage. Your Earth Magic provides excellent defense, as does your Metal Magic. As for most of our enemies being physically resistant, that might change soon. From what Mom said, the world is shifting once more, and I imagine that quite a few powerful people will succumb to the temptations of a Fiend.
Not everyone will be... immune to blades like those creatures were. I mean, a whole branch of the Fiends are dedicated to learning more about the arcane! That would encompass - no offense Leone - squishier mages in its majority. Most people focus on offense, meaning their defensive spells are weaker."
The Vampire Princess beside me sighed at that, but she nodded as she added "She\'s right, Anput. Being in a fight is more than just doing damage. Your magic is perfect for supporting; Earth Magic for defensive enchantments as well as slowing down the enemy - same for Metal as well - while your Fire Magic could be used to heal! Add onto all of that your skill with a blade, and you could be a really versatile fighter Anput! Capable of restraining your enemy, strengthening and defending yourself, healing yourself... In all honesty, you have some incredible potential if you were to stop belittling yourself and started applying yourself!"
Anput froze at that, her hammer resting in the air as she looked towards Leone, her silver eyes hard as she narrowed them at the Vampire.
Leone was blushing, but she met and held the glare Anput sent her, not backing down at all and standing by her words, wanting to use this confrontation to push Anput to do better.
Silence reigned inside the forging pit, and Anput lowered the hammer and spoke, her voice still.
"Belittling myself..?"
Gulping, Leone shivered slightly but remained firm, nodding her head.
"Yes! You constantly beat yourself down and claiming your useless! You\'re not useless! Realize that and push yourself to be better! To step away from being \'useless\' and grow stronger! You\'re constantly undervaluing yourself, Anput! Where\'s that pride that you used to display when we were younger? The arrogance and self assuredness that you were better than everyone else?! Why are you acting like some helpless puppy instead of the predator you used to be? Why?!"
Leone couldn\'t even yelp as Anput appeared before her in a blur of silver, her lips pulled into a snarl.
"I HATE that you\'re right, Leone... Fucking hells, I hate it..."
Her hand was grasping Leone by the chin, forcing the slightly taller Vampire to look down into her eyes.
Anput took a deep breath before releasing the Vampire, turning around and quietly returning to her anvil, where she scooped up the hammer and resumed her forging.
"You\'re right... Presented with situation after situation where I felt helpless, I... lost sight of that need to get stronger. First Kat, then the Fiends, now the creatures... each one knocked me down, and I never bothered to climb back up... I thought I had, but... I guess I hadn\'t."
A pang claimed my heart at the mention of her, and I grit my teeth as I too recalled just how helpless I felt after losing her.
It had been weeks - perhaps months - and I still felt terrible, that day haunting me whenever I caught a whiff of her scent, the sound of her giggles from afar...
Each reminder of her being gone was heart wrenching, but...
"When we get home, we need to apply ourselves fully to getting stronger. I can have the Legion going out to search for clues and leads on her, but... I don\'t think we can afford to go ourselves. Not when those creatures exist, and not when the Fiends are returning... At our current strength, we\'ll die if we try and face any of them. So..."
Leone nodded, her eyes pained as she muttered "We need to move forwards without her, for now. To hold out hope she\'ll return to us on her own, without our help... Too much is happening for us to ignore, even though we want too..."
We all fell quiet again, before the sounds Anput\'s hammer filled the air once more.