Chapter 46: A Thank You Gift

Below, Rox and Areus watched in silence. Areus tried to throw another dagger for Benign’s assistance, but Rox held him back.

"He’ll manage."

"What?" Areus frowned.

Meanwhile, Benign counted thirty feet away from the ground. He grabbed his blade in case the soldiers found him. The firewing lowered itself to catch him, but its wings were still weak.

"Just worry about yourself." Benign said. "I’ll be fine."

His hand shot out and caught the returning dagger. The familiar blue glow spread over him, slowing his fall until he landed lightly on the ground.

The pounding in his chest slowed down. He raised his arms. "S-Safe!"

"Safe!" the child repeated the pose.

The soldier lowered himself to the ground. "Did you keep the bags I gave you in place?"

The slime child nodded and threw itself into his arms. Benign caught them. "Good job, soldier."

The moment the child hugged him, the glow spread over them as well. Their combined weight disappeared.

Benign bent his knees and leapt.

The Firewing swooped beneath them, and he landed on its back with the slime child still in his arms.

Together, they flew back toward the mountain.

"Mission complete." Benign jumped down from the Firewing with the slime child around his shoulders.

Areus’s jaw was still lowered. "Do you... do that often? Jumping off heights?"

"No, but I am trying to get used to it."

Rox grabbed the child from him. "You didn’t have to go back for it. It is just slime—"

The words hung in her throat when Benign’s expression darkened.

She looked away. "Let’s go back. We are done here."

Areus held the Firewing, enveloping it in his glow. With its weight gone, the exhausted creature flew almost entirely on Areus’s ability as they returned to base.

The return to headquarters felt strangely peaceful. The Firewing glided through the sky with tired wings but remained satisfied since Benign rested one hand on its neck.

"You did well today. You should rest."

The Firewing chirped once before landing outside the headquarters. Benign slid from the saddle and rubbed its neck again.

"I’ll bring you something good today. Maybe dried meat?"

The Firewing shook her long neck, ruffling its feathers.

"Fine. Fine. You only eat seeds." He sighed. "You are missing out."

Behind him, Areus landed lightly upon the grass while Rox walked past without a word. The slime she had returned to its previous blue blob state before disappearing beneath her sleeve.

"The information we got was useful," Rox said quietly. "Your plan was useful as well. The Firewing too."

Benign blinked. All those words, yet the main thing wasn’t there. "You’re welcome." He told her.

She continued walking without another word. The soldier looked toward Areus. "Is she always like this? Or just to me?"

"Always like this." Areus shrugged.

That reply appeased Benign. It would be unfair if he was the only one seeing the jerk side of a teammate.

The headquarters buzzed with activity. Messengers hurried between corridors carrying reports while the Protectors laughed amongst themselves.

Nobody looked terrified about the impending war tomorrow. That was likely because they didn’t know it was tomorrow. It almost felt like they were winning.

Benign spotted Zina first.

She hurried across the courtyard with two small bottles tucked beneath her arm. The smile on her face widened the closer she came.

"You made it back!" Her eyes immediately searched his body. "No injuries?"

Benign glanced at his wrist, but raised his eyes to hers again. "Nothing worth mentioning. Thanks."

She let out a relieved breath. "I thought arrows would fly everywhere when I heard you took your Firewing. How is she?"

Benign opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Apparently, he was the only one who didn’t know the gender of his Firewing.

"I should name her."

"Huh?" Zina tilted her head.

"Oh, nothing. And she’s doing okay. You could see her over there." He looked back at the area he just walked out from.

Before Benign could wonder out loud, Zina rushed ahead first. "Lady Alana!"

Benign followed. "What is the Lady doing with the Firewing?" He scratched his neck. "Was she worried about her too?"

When he reached Lady Alana, she stood a distance from the firewing, speaking to Zina, who had her arms wrapped around the lady.

Benign watched them with a soft smile. Zina calling the lady ’my lady Alana’ finally made sense. Zina excused herself a minute later and skipped away.

Benign covered the bruise he sustained from the arrows before approaching the lady.

The last two missions were relatively successful, so she likely had no complaints about his method. "My lady."

Her eyes rested briefly on Benign before shifting toward the Firewing beside him. "You returned safely."

"Yes. So did she." Benign reached for the Firewing and scratched beneath the Firewing’s beak.

Lady Alana nodded once. A smile forced its way to her lips. "Benign Cross."

The soldier’s smile faded from his lips, and something else settled in his chest. The tone. His eyes never left her face.

Her expression was oddly blank despite the smile on her face. As if she wasn’t actually looking at him.

"I received a letter from back home." Lady Alana continued, while bringing out a letter from her sleeve. "I received it while you were away."

She didn’t speak of what the letter said. That alone deepened Benign’s unease. Perhaps it carried news she didn’t know how to break.

From what he had first gathered, she might have been connected to Lyra. His gaze never left the pink envelope in her hand.

"Are you related to Lyra?" Benign asked instead. Depending on her answer, he would know if the news was about another glitch attack on the old Chief.

The Lady raised her eyes to meet his. She nodded once. "We shared a womb, but not a father. Still, I am really grateful for your assistance with the Chief. I did not know the glitches wouldn’t affect the Hero."

She looked away as she handed him the letter. "Here is the letter. Keep in mind that my sister is doing everything possible to get back."

"Get them back?" Benign repeated. He ripped the envelope open. A small bag fell out.

As he bent to pick it up, a faint metallic smell reached his nose. Blood. His fingers stopped.

"I am sorry," Lady Alana said softly.

He grabbed the envelope and gently opened it. The softness couldn’t be mistaken, yet nothing prepared him for what his eyes saw next.

Crimson feathers, and dozens of them.

Some feathers were large, or small, but all were broken. Blood still clumped together. Fresh blood.

Benign stared without speaking. His eyes shifted to the heading of the letter. It was written.

’A Thank You Gift.’

The Firewing beside him suddenly let out a strained cry as it flew into the air.