Rose pushed by another thick barrier of branches and finally stumbled out into the clearing she’d been expecting for days. The polite gas station attendant who’d given her directions had told her that the village was a half week’s hike from the edge of a dead-end logging road. It had been four days since she’d abandoned her truck and set out on foot, and she’d been on the verge of losing hope.
The village was similar to the rumors she’d heard in passing. Olympus was a grand name for a humble collection of log cabins and storage lean-tos. She wasn’t sure what she’d anticipated from the people who lived in the far-flung outpost, but hospitality was not it. Almost as soon as one of them spotted her, a tiny little spryte girl whose wide eyes made Rose’s heart flutter, the rest of them hurried over and began offering food, water, and a place to stay for the night.
“Really, that’s okay,” said Rose. “I brought camping supplies with me. I came looking for a friend, not to crash your peaceful existence.”
The man who’d been doing most of the talking frowned at her. His hand rested on the little girl’s head, slowly stroking her hair.
“A friend, you say?” asked the man. “Someone native to the village? We don’t get many visitors here.”
Rose took a moment to think about her phrasing. This was the last known location of Second Wind, or as he was known to most of the world, Zeus. It had been almost a year since the last reported sighting of him, a year that had given humanity a chance to catch its breath and start to rebuild.
“He would have been in the area close to a year ago,” said Rose.
She wanted to mention that he might also have arrived looking for, or in the company of Zeus, but she held her tongue. Until she knew who Second Wind was to them, it was better to take a more subtle approach.
Even the little she’d said seemed to be enough to lock up the lips of the villagers. They glanced around at each other, communicating with their eyes and expressions in the way that only a tight knit community could.
“We did have a visitor around that time,” said the man. “Who were you to him, exactly?”
Rose’s stomach twisted at the man’s phrasing. She opened her mouth to explain, but the words caught in her throat. It had been a year, but the memory of the last time she’d seen Malcolm still made her heart burn. He’d been so resolved in what he had to do, even knowing what it would probably mean for his own fate.
“She seems nice,” said the girl. “Can I show her where he is?”
The villagers looked at each other again, another resolution settled through wordless eye contact. Finally, the man who’d been doing the speaking gave a small nod with a matching smile.
The little girl took Rose’s hand, pulling her forward through the village. The buildings were small and rustic, but carefully constructed. She wanted to ask about the history of the place, but that could wait until after she’d seen and confirmed what her heart already suspected.
They passed through a small wall of trees with a thin trail leading through it. The girl glanced over her shoulder at Rose every couple of seconds, as though she was worried that she might disappear, regardless of whether Rose held her hand or not. It made Rose smile to see a young spryte so innocent and carefree.
They entered another clearing. Rose had been expecting a graveyard, but ahead of her was a large garden filled with a variety of vegetables suited for the hard conditions of the Canadian soil.
And there he was. Rose stared, blinking several times, not enough times to hold back the tears.
“…Malcolm.”
He looked up at her and performed a double take so perfect that it was almost comical.
“Rose?” His hands were covered in dirt, even under the fingernails. He looked healthy and happy, though seeing him alive in any state would have already been enough to dumbfound her. He wasn’t a demon anymore, either, which made Rose wonder about how his fight with Second Wind had gone. Well enough for him to be standing there, intact and breathing, apparently. Another question to stack on top of all the others, she decided.
Malcolm was careful as he made his way through the neatly maintained garden, but only to its edge. He practically threw himself the last few feet toward her, pulling her into a tight hug.
“I…” Rose shook her head. “I can’t believe it. You’ve been here, this entire time?”
“Yeah,” said Malcolm. The silence he left after his answer said more than the word.
“And Second Wind?”
Malcolm smiled sadly and shook his head.
“He’s dead,” he said. “We fought. It was one of those ‘two Malcolms enter, one Malcolm leaves’ type situations.”
Rose giggled and wiped away more tears.
“Well, you’re clearly still you,” she said. “Lame sense of humor and all.”
“Thanks for noticing,” he said.
There were so many questions that Rose wanted to ask, and in turn, so many that she knew he would ask her. She skipped over all of them to the last one, the only one that seemed to matter.
“Will you come back?” she asked. “With me? When I leave?”
He didn’t answer her for a long time.
“This is my exile,” Malcolm finally said. “I did what I could for the world by stopping Second Wind, but the damage he did will never be undone. All the people he killed… It was because I was arrogant enough to think that I could use my powers however I wanted.”
Rose nodded.
“I don’t disagree with that,” she said. “Especially the arrogant part. But things have changed over the past year, so much.”
“For both of us,” said Malcolm. The girl was standing next to him, and he reached down and rubbed her head affectionately.
“I don’t think you really understand,” said Rose. “Things are peaceful now. The Champion Authority has recovered. They have a ruling council of several champions, including Wax, Anna, and Greenthumb.”
“No Tapestry?”
Rose smiled and pretended she hadn’t heard his question.
“They also have a sister organization now called the Monster Authority,” she said. “Led by Shield Maiden and Fantasy. They work together with the champions to find better outcomes for demons and sprytes that are living peaceful lives.”
“And Tapestry?” Malcolm asked, stuck on the point.
“You ask about her, but not me?” said Rose, in a teasing voice. “My poor feelings are hurt.”
“I already know that you’re doing okay,” said Malcolm. “Better than okay. I was worried, the last time I saw you. You seemed like you’d put a lot of the past behind you, but…”
“I have put the past behind me,” said Rose. “I still carry the memories with me. But I’ve done a lot of growing over these past few months.”
Malcolm nodded. A couple of seconds passed by. Rose purposely stayed silent, loving the way it made him fidget.
“So what about Tapestry?” he said, almost demanding. “Come on. It’s not bad news, is it?”
“No,” said Rose. “It’s big news. Now, look… The two of us were both a little shaken after you left. We ended up sitting down and having a real discussion.”
“About me?” asked Malcolm.
Rose rolled her eyes.
“About lots of things,” she said. “Not everything is about you, Malcolm. The two of us actually have a lot in common outside having to put up with your foolishness. We’re friends now. Close friends.”
Malcolm grinned at her.
“So she’s doing okay then?” he asked.
“Better than just okay.” Rose reached into her pocket and pulled something out. Malcolm frowned in confusion as she passed it to him. It was a picture of a baby.
“She… found someone, then?” asked Malcolm. “I’m glad…”
He was happy for her, although also disappointed in a way that made him feel strange and more than a little selfish.
“The baby is three months old,” said Rose. “Do the math, you idiot.”