The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield
Chapter One-Hundred-Six: The Power of Warping – Part Two

**** Sekh’s Pov ****

It was a feeling that shouldn’t exist. The twisted, churning of my flames entangled me like a spider's thread, scorching me to cinders. I was stretched. Then I was thinned out before feeling wide. The oxymoronic sensations co-occurred until all I felt was…nothingness.   

Weightlessness…  

The invisible pathways connecting me to my lions had no sense of direction. I didn’t know how they worked because logic suggested the lions shouldn’t exist. Searching for ‘Sekh’ with Mila’s map would've returned six results had she not given them individual names.    

Suddenly, I saw the flickering hue of a setting sun. The smoke of a distant campfire ascended upward as I plummeted from the sky. Ichiha and Kokan looked up with Erin and Irisa while sharing their shocked expressions. Chax and Ginnie seemed more frightened than relieved.   

They hadn’t seen me with my armor. To them, I must be a stranger.   

That bald, muscular man must’ve been the Dark Lord of Justice. Those Lionfolk…   

No need to concern yourself, my lady. I'll handle the landing.  

 Flames curled around the muscular Lionfolk’s feet as she leapt into the air. She caught me in one fell swoop, then landed, using fire to soften the impact.   

“You’re Kengu, aren’t you?”  

“Indeed, my lady.” Kengu kneeled. The other three mimicked her. “We are relieved to see you safe!” they said in unison.   

“Sekh… You’re… You’re really here…” Irisa’s voice quivered. Erin’s tone wasn’t much steadier. Her teary eyes stained those soft cheeks. She audibly swallowed before it was too much. She ran and leaped, crying into my arms as I softly rubbed her hair. Irisa did the same, followed by her parents, who were so happy to see me.  

An unnatural feeling, but one I won’t deny.   

“I’m sorry it took so long, but I’m back. I’m finally back.” 

*****

*****

“There’s no need to be nervous,” I told Chax, sitting near Erin. The smiling girl held my arm, mimicking her half-sister. The lions had reverted to their beast forms to lay comfortably by the campfire. Their eyes never looked away for a moment.   

“You can tell?” Ginnie subtly jabbed Chax in the stomach, asking him to apologize in hushed whispers. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t act like this to someone who saved our lives.”  

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to see you two are safe. Really, I am.”  

“Oh, how my heart warms to see such a tearful reunion,” said Enele. It was almost comical seeing someone that muscular wipe his eyes with a handkerchief. Yet I felt his words were sincere. They weren’t for show or to make me drop my guard—the man had prayed for me. 

“Thank you,” I replied. “You know my name, but I’ll introduce myself. I’m Sekh.”  

“I am the Dark Lord of Justice, but you can call me Enele. There’s no need for formal titles. By the by, about your armor… Wouldn’t you be more comfortable taking it off?”  

“Perhaps, but it’s difficult. I find it hard to remove because it’s a source of comfort. Mila and Tris worked hard to make it.”  

“Eh? You just called Mila Mila,” exclaimed Irisa.   

“I did. I was conscious in the coffin. It gave me time to think about my life. About regrets and what I would’ve done differently. Mila’s not my Master. She’s not my liege, either. I don’t want those honorifics to define our relationship because she wants us to be equal. You can’t do that when titles imply an unneeded hierarchy.”  

“Woah… You sound like a completely different person.”  

“That’s not bad, isn’t it?”  

“Ah—no. I didn’t mean it like that.” Irisa backpedaled. “I like it. I’m sure Surtr told you, but Mila’s and mine relationship changed, too. For the better. I’m happy…to know I’m not the only one growing. I guess I’m trying to say I’m proud of you, Sekh.”  

“I’m proud of you, too.” Irisa giggled. “The same can be said for you.” I addressed the lions. “You’ve done admirable work.”  

“We aim to please, my lady,” said Kengu. “Thank you for granting us an evolution.”  

“Consider it a due reward. Or proof of my mastery over my flames.”  

“Is that how you’re here?” asked Erin. “Longtooth said something was gonna happen, but I didn’t expect you to just show up in the sky.”  

“The lions simultaneously emerged from the bracelets,” said Kokan. “They walked away, saying they had something important to do.”  

“You didn’t tell them anything?”  

“We did not want to get their hopes up, my lady.”  

“What do you mean? It sounds like you weren’t confident.” Ichiha looked concerned. “You didn’t risk hurting yourself, did you? After you’ve only just recovered?” 

“I share a telepathic connection with the lions,” I explained. “It’s always active, so I know their rough location. I used that link for something it’s not designed for. It’s teleporting without being beholden to normal standards. I’m unsure how many ‘rules’ I broke by forcing it to handle something I don’t think it was designed for. It’s like forcing a round peg into a square hole.”  

“That sounds dangerous…” Erin’s worried tone touched my heart.   

“It was, but I’ve confirmed it works. I know how to better control it.” I transitioned to telling them what had happened since Mila’s conversation with Irisa after fending off the attack on the tree. Team Quella was mentioned, but they were explained as mercenaries in the right spot at the right time.    

They were happy to hear about Tilde’s and Niva’s recovery. Ichiha said she had feared the worst when her daughter shared news of the attack. 

“You said the Eagle Yew has undergone reincarnation?” asked Enele.   

“I did. She’s now a High Elf named Yew. Mila and Sera are looking after her. Lord Aetos and the survivors have taken refuge in Sera’s forest until he finds a spot to plant his roots. I wish I could say the worst is over, but tomorrow’s meeting will decide our path. Niva will confront her past, Mila and Sera will hear whatever truth Gloria wishes to devise for herself, and… The third is why I’m here. Specifically, it’s for you.” I looked at Erin.   

“Me?” 

“Bart Barclay will most likely be present at the meeting. He’s your grandfather, Erin. Do you want to talk to him? Do you have anything you wish to say?”  

“I…” She went quiet before turning to the flames. “My mom didn’t tell me much about him. She… You know what she was like. I never thought a day like this would come. I mean, do they even know I’m alive?” She looked at her father for an answer.  

“I cannot tell you what to do,” he said.  

“What if you were me?”  

“I’d go.” Kokan paused. His history with Erin’s mother was blacker than night. Any mention of the topic probably darkened his outlook. Careful words were needed, not wanted. “I know it’s uncomfortable, but I think you’d regret passing the chance to meet him.”  

Ichiha echoed her husband, which Irisa copied. I saw arguments for and against it.   

Personally?  

I was the opposite of the equation. I cared for Erin, so I didn’t want to see her hurt—not physically, mentally, or emotionally. Nothing in life was guaranteed. This wariness could be a by-product of my past experiences, so it was probable this meeting would benefit her. 

Was it worth the risk?  

I could claim to act one way, but it was just that—a claim. I wasn’t in Erin’s shoes.    

Erin thought about it. She pondered in silence while the topic switched to Sera and Mila, eventually speaking up when there was a lull in the conversation.   

“I think you’re right, Dad. It won’t hurt to try. If it goes bad... I can be proud that I tried. It’s more than what they did. I can’t say it won’t hurt if they want nothing to do with me, but I don’t think I’ll lose much sleep over it.”  

Erin’s tail shivered as it briefly tickled mine—she wasn’t aware they brushed against each other.    

Those words weren’t false, yet they weren’t entirely truthful.  

Suddenly, something twitched. It wasn’t visible to anyone but me because it concerned the pathways linking me to the lions.   

“I hoped to bring you all to see Mila,” I said. “Unfortunately, the connection I used is weakening. It’s only stable enough to bring Erin. It then needs time to recover.”  

“How long will that take?” asked Enele.   

“A day, at least. Maybe two. Surtr’s working on refining it. Although…” I looked at Longtooth.   

“I believe we have the same idea, my lady.” The lion returned to Erin’s wrist as a bracelet. It caught fire, the inferno spreading across her body as it formed a light blue armor of flames. Longtooth’s necklace appeared clasped around Erin’s neck. Her ears and tail were enveloped by the same fire that created her new outfit.    

“That’s…cool.” Chax was speechless as Erin looked herself over.   

“That fortified the connection,” I said. “From this side, at least. It’s not enough to widen the corridor.”   

“What if I fuse with Kengu?”  

“The fault would then lie with my inexperience. I wish it weren't the case, but the most I can handle is one passenger. Don’t worry. It won’t remain a limitation for long if I can help it. Mila wants to see her family.”  

“Can you bring her after you take Erin back?”  

“… Possibly. Mila’s much stronger now. Her power may disrupt the passageway. I’ll try, though. I promise I’ll do everything I can to bring her next time.”   

“I know you will.”  

“Besides, the lions must remain here.  I don’t think the distance matters, but at least two must focus exclusively on being my anchor points. If they do, then I can appear wherever they are.”  

“That’s good to hear," Enele replied. “My scouts believe they’ve found Ichiha’s mother. They’re preparing a report, which should arrive tomorrow, if not the morning after.”  

"So, the search is almost over?” 

“Indeed. We’ve decided to camp here until it arrives. This spot has everything. A river is just over those hills, so if you need to refresh before your journey, I recommend it.” 

“Thank you, but that’s not needed.”  

“Kengu will send a message when the letter arrives. So, we’ll keep you informed. We’ll be fine.” Irisa hugged her sister. “Go do what you have to do, okay? Don’t worry about us. You’ve got to focus on this because this is what you want. Be strong. I know you can do it. Remember, no matter what happens, I—we love you.”  

Erin couldn’t help but cry upon hearing those words. Kokan’s broad chest softened those mumbled wails when he embraced his daughter. Ichiha's motherly affection touched my heart.   

For a moment…a brisk, fleeting moment…  

I saw myself… I saw the shadowy figure of my father holding my hand… The surroundings were a blanket of darkness...reminiscent of the curse binding me to chaos, but…   

That sight was a small glimmer…   

My mother was dead.   

My father was dead.  

The maid was dead—killed by my hands… By my actions…  

I didn’t sense Kokan’s approach.  “The offer stands for you,” he said, his large hand on my helmet. “We won’t replace what you lost, but this can be your home. Your past be damned, Sekh. You’re you, not who you used to be.”   

“I…want to be happy,” I confessed, looking at a mother who loved Erin all the same, even though the child wasn't her flesh and blood. “I want this to be the place I can return to. Mila desires the same. She…couldn’t be happy before, so she’s vowed to experience enough joy for the one who couldn’t.” The onis didn’t know anything about Michael Fenton. Mila didn’t see any benefit in dumping even more of a horrific past when no boon was to be gained. “After our work has finished… We’ll return. I swear we will because we belong here.”  

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”  

“We stopped by the academy you taught at.”  

“Oh?” Kokan removed his hand and tilted his head.   

“Mila was curious. I admit I was as well. No one knew you, though.”  

“Fifteen years is a long time, so that’s not surprising. They probably burned my employment records.”  

“We thought the same. Did Surtr inform you about the blisters?”  

“He did. We know Mila has a method to cure them, but the specifics elude us.”  

“It has to do with the Essence of Wrath.” My voice was low. “Their ice can reverse the damage caused by the flames. It won’t be long. Can you hang on?”  

“We will,” replied Kokan. He looked at his family. The tearful goodbye was about to end as Chax and Ginnie spoke to Erin. Those two genuinely cared for her, so I was happy to see Erin had made good friends. 

She hugged those two, and then her eyes landed on me.   

“I think we’re ready,” said Erin. She approached with Irisa.   

I nodded. Surtr?  

I am ready on my end, my lady.   

“We’ll see you soon, okay?” Irisa hugged me before stepping away. “Tell Mila we love her. And we can’t wait to see her.”  

“I will.” I grabbed Erin’s hand while lifting mine. Flames oozed from the ground, inscribing a magic circle as a fiery curtain enveloped us. Erin tightly clung to me for safety amid the frightening situation.   

This time, though…  

The return trip was much simpler. 

*****

*****

The curtain of flames entrapping us in this fiery cylinder dissolved like salt in water. 

“Eh? Is it done? I don’t feel that tingling feeling anymore.”   

“We’re here.”  

Erin opened her eyes. “Woah…” She looked all around the room as Longtooth released the fusion. She emerged as a Lionfolk while approaching Surtr, also in his humanoid form. He was the only one here.    

“It’s been some time, Elder Brother. I trust you’ve been well?”  

“I have. You’ve missed some glorious fights, my sister. I wish you could’ve seen our lady in glorious action. It was simply divine!”  

“Siblings? That’s the relationship you settled on?” Mila asked as she entered the room. Tris and Tilde were behind her. “I suppose Longtooth is the youngest.”  

“You’d be correct, Lord Springfield. It warms me to see you.” Longtooth turned to Erin, who had frozen upon seeing Mila. That smile foreshadowed her relieved heart as she ran to Mila, arms outstretched as wide as she could get them.   

“Mila! I missed you so much!” she cried, jumping into that inviting hug.  

“I missed you, too.”  

Erin looked at Tilde. The realization must’ve struck her like a speeding carriage. For so long, Tilde had been this embodiment of strength. I knew Erin saw her as someone who could do anything. Impossibility didn’t exist for this annoying, irritating fairy because she had answers to everything Erin could’ve asked her.   

So, to see her wheelchair-bound...  

“Oh, come on. It’s been a week or two, and you’re already crying? I’m not dead, Erin. Sekh would say I’m too annoying to be killed because death itself would be too irate after spending an hour with me. He’d put my soul back in my body and tell me to live a long life.”  

“But… But… You’re…”  

“I’m not stuck in this thing. I’m a fairy, you know.  We have wings, so we fly. It’s what we do. Give me a few weeks, and Pawsome Fables will take the world by storm! I need you to be in tip-top shape, okay? Tris?”  

Tris helped Tilde stand. Her legs were like unsteady towers, but she remained strong as Erin hugged her. “Come on, dry those eyes. It’s okay. You’re a big girl.”  

“Okay… I’m sorry. I…”  

“I know I worried you.” Erin helped Tilde into the chair. She landed with an exhausted groan, yet the smile never left her face.    

“I’m just happy everyone is okay.”   

“The same can be said for us,” replied Tris. “Are you thirsty? I have refreshments.”  

“Good idea. I want to hear about what you’ve been up to. Onwards to the table, Master! Lead the way!” 

We took our seats. Erin stared widely at the gargantuan pile of cookies that appeared a moment later. It was like an insurmountable mountain that couldn’t be conquered.   

We all looked at Tris. “I…couldn't help my excitement,” she said with a blush. “One thing led to another…and soon I had so many…”  

“Said no one ever. If it’s a problem, then it’s one I’ll have any day of the week. Come on! Dig in!”  

The lions had returned to their beast forms. They elegantly sat—paws adorably crossed—as Surtr quietly told Longtooth about my fights, even though she knew everything. Guess it was one thing to experience it via ‘feelings’—another thing to hear a detail-for-detail recant from someone personally involved.   

“Sekh said you’ve gotten much stronger. What did she mean by that?”  

“A lot’s happened,” replied Mila, revealing everything that has transpired since they parted at Plymoise. She summarized the boat trip, Niva’s declaration, skipped Michael Fenton, and exposed her feelings about the Eagle Yew and Aetos Village. It was almost a repeat of what I had told Erin, but she didn’t mind the repetition. “It was like something struck me. It’s just…something inside me began to cry out.”  

“Did it make you want to belong?” Mila nodded. “That’s what happened to me after I got these.” Erin touched her horns. “The connection I’ve been searching for so long finally had something to attach to. Well, that’s how Longtooth described it… I know Ichiha and Dad love me. Irisa and you do, too.  But I still have these insecure moments. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. Longtooth says that’s normal, too.”  

“It is. Don’t feel bad about experiencing it,” said Tilde, who slowly challenged the towering pile of cookies.    

Mila then moved into Team Quella. “The truth wasn’t what I thought. They suffered as I did. Quella knows the partial truth, but her team remains in the dark. I don’t hate them anymore. Quella had the chance to secure her loyalty to Meruria when Remy showed up, but she joined me, and we defeated her.”  

Erin didn’t know who that was. Or if she did, she’d forgotten, but Mila said Remy deserved her fate and left it at that. “The attacks on the Eagle Yew can be traced to her. She organized the latest assault to make me want to ask Meruria for help since she wants a Vredi to be indebted to her. A fight broke out inside the Eagle Yew. We won, of course. Yet you know the cost.”   

“But… Sekh said the Eagle Yew isn’t dead.”  

“That’s because she’s right. Yew’s the reincarnation. You’ll meet her soon. Team Quella, too. They’re good people, Erin. Say, do you want to see something cool?”  

“Eh?!” Erin blinked, gasping wildly as Mila vanished from sight.   

“Behind you.” Erin whipped her head around, but Mila had already warped. “Look up.” Mila stood upside down on the ceiling. She teleported to her chair.   

“Did you…” 

“Yep. Remy knew how to warp by using the void as a medium. Tris evolved during the fight, acquiring the power to recreate void skills. What I’ve done is something Remy couldn’t have accomplished in a thousand years. There’s more you should know…but that can come later. I want to hear about you. How was it traveling with Sera and Lord Enele?”  

“It was amazing, Mila! I wasn’t confident in myself. Lord Enele is so big, tall, and strong, but he’s really nice and kind. He likes to cook. Sera was nervous. Maybe more than me, but do you know what Irisa did?”  

“No. What?” smiled Mila, resting her chin on a delicate hand. She fondly looked upon her little sister as she recounted all the fun she had.   

“Irisa somehow got rid of that nervousness. It took a while for me to be brave enough to jump into the conversation, but I really like her.”  

“I’m glad you do.”  

Erin then talked about Chax and Ginnie. Those two felt 'separate' since their only connection to the family was Pawsome Fables, but she really liked them. They always looked out for her, so she wanted to adventure with them for the longest time. “I’m happy they’re traveling with us. They could’ve said no. Our little group could’ve dissolved when Lord Enele and Sera showed up, but it didn’t.”  

“That’s cause Pawsome Fables’s gonna take the world by storm. Can’t exactly do that if we don’t have a group,” said Tilde.    

“Do you think Sera would want to go on a quest?”  

“I’m sure she would. In fact, why don’t we ask her? She’s heading this way. Expect her arrival in sixteen seconds.” True to Tris’s word, Sera’s voice softly echoed from the door.   

“Mila? It’s me. Can I enter?”  

“The door’s unlocked.”   

Sera entered, the elf halting in place after seeing someone who wasn’t supposed to be here. “Erin?! But… How? Why? Weren’t you…”  

“Squee!!!!” cried Lei, who hopped uncontrollably. The slime bounced on the table and rubbed against Erin like a hyper puppy.   

“Hey there, buddy! Have you been good?”  

“Squeee!!!”   

“Haha! That tickles!”  

Sera entered, with Yew, Niva, and Primrose following behind. I told them what I had done, explaining that the lions are my version of coordinate crystals. “I told them this, but it’s like pushing a peg into a hole it’s not designed for.”  

Sera had a few questions, so I answered those the best I could as Yew skipped to Erin. “I’m Yew Vredi,” she said, hand outstretched. “Mila’s told me a lot about you, so it feels like we already know each other. I hope we can be friends.” 

“Yeah!” smiled Erin, accepting the handshake. “I’d like that, too.” From there, everyone broke into groups. Erin conversed with Yew, Tilde, and Lei. Primrose and Niva had to talk about something with Tris—probably concerning tomorrow, leaving Mila, Sera, and me to chat around the table. A certain gremlin maid had snatched the cookies when she rolled away like a thief in the night.   

“I see…” Sera looked over her shoulder. “Her grandfather, eh?”  

“Yes,” replied Mila. “My choice is obvious. I cannot stand the man for not sticking by his flesh and blood when she needed it. Yet… I killed Erin’s mother. She didn’t have long left. She was skin and bones. Emaciated beyond recovery. Her mind didn’t even see Erin as her daughter. I still wonder if that was even my choice to make. I…maybe another option could’ve presented itself. We’ll never know.”  

“Not everyone can be saved,” Sera said, holding Mila’s arm. “I know that better than anyone. Sometimes…fate is inevitable. From what you told me, she suffered a sickness of the mind. Those are the hardest to cure because we don’t really know why it happens.”  

“I want to hate him. I do. I really do. Yet a part of me thinks he did his best. I can’t always assume the worst. It’s…not healthy. Not for me, the ones I love, or my mind. That’s not to say I can live naively and think only of sunshine and rainbows. The world is cruel. But… I have more maturing to do, don’t I?”  

“We all do. We never stop growing from our first breath to the last. Sekh, did you speak with Lord Enele?”  

“He’s a powerful man.”  

“That’s all you felt?”  

“No. He’s humble. He wouldn’t hesitate to break bread with the poor or assist a beggar. He’s the type to share a drink with a downcast stranger to let them vent their worries. The strength he harbors isn’t meant for violent aspiration. The Dark Lord of Justice embodies a kind soul. I’d like to spar with him one day.”  

“Oh?” Sera raised an eyebrow.   

“Did that surprise you?”  

“A little. Think you can win?”  

“…” I kept silent.   

Could I win? The man’s power came from his judgments. He couldn’t carelessly wield it without suffering drastic consequences. So, to win a fight, I’d have to make him break his vows so the world would strip him of his power.   

“Not as I am now,” I replied.   

“As you are now? You’re not one to remain stagnant, are you?”  

“Stagnation means I would have remained the Sekh I didn’t like. I’ll strive to be a little bit better each day.” 

“Mmnn… That’s a good answer. I don’t want to brag, but I’m a powerhouse nowadays!” Sera flexed her biceps before giggling like a little girl. “Melee was my shortcoming until I rectified my weaknesses. I can’t compare to Beccy, though. We always said a serious punch from her could—”  

“Split a mountain,” finished Mila. “Lord Aetos shared stories when he gifted me your sister’s flute. His words were profound and vivid. The fallen queen’s physical strikes were noteworthy. A missed slash from that massive sword had cleaved the earth too many times. The shockwave alone felled the mightiest trees."  

“Haha. Yep. She’d go red in the cheeks whenever we teased her. Oh, speaking of that. How do you think Lord Enele will fare in that wooden gym thingie?”  

“He’s all muscle. He could probably max everything out.” Sera’s staff flashed, interrupting Mila.    

“That means the coordinate crystal has finished marking its location.” She stood. “We can leave at any time.”   

“Mind if I tag along?” asked Mila. “I haven’t been, so I’m curious to see it." 

“I just realized I hadn’t asked you to visit at all, have I?” Sera palmed her face, her tone dull. “That was dumb on my part, huh? I was so overwhelmed with everything that I forgot to invite you.”  

“It’s fine. We had a lot going on. Besides, I saw how you looked at [Wooden Gym].”  

“I admit it does seem…fun?”  

“It can be. So, I wanted to ask if I could use that and a playground spell Tris had made. You know, so the children can have something fun to do. They liked it the last time I cast it.”  

“A playground? I remember hearing something about that. But no—I don’t mind! Not one bit!” Sera asked if I wanted to go. I…didn’t feel like I had the right—nor did I deserve to intrude upon her home—a place where you were supposed to feel the safest. If she discovered the truth…and realized I had intruded upon her most sacred place…  

…  

“Thank you, but I was thinking of taking a bath. Perhaps next time?”  

“Of course.”  

“Umm… If you’re taking a bath…” We looked at Erin. “Can I join? Bathing in the river was one thing, but I miss having an actual tub.” I nodded. My reward was her smile. Tris would go since Mila was. Tilde was curious to see the forest, and Surtr joined to act as my proxy—however unneeded—leaving me, Erin, and Longtooth. We waved goodbye as the room cleared. After the door shut, we ventured towards the bathroom.   

It would be fun to spend some alone time with her like this because she wasn’t the only one who wanted to grow whatever relationship we had. Whether it was simply friendship or something more familial... 

I… 

The words I shared with Kokan entered my mind as the door silently opened.