The Neverseen's Last Resort

60

Keefe

"What's going on?" Keefe asked, thrumming his fingers against his legs as he sat across from Livvy, who'd claimed he'd "need to sit for this". Something was definitely up--something the council believed would be better left secret. But Elwin was Foxfire's medic, so it wouldn't take long to figure out what had happened anyway. Keefe had been preparing for the worst during their entire walk, until they'd stopped on a small hill a good distance away from all the other patients. But he'd never have been prepared for what Livvy said next. 

"Elwin... lost his life during the battle." Keefe jumped to his feet. Elwin was dead? That meant the Neverseen had killed another one of Keefe's friends. Kenric, Calla, Mr. Forkle, and now... Elwin.  And Sophie... she'd hated Fitz for hurting Alvar--for killing Alvar, aka a member of the Neverseen. So what would happen when she learned Elwin was...? He choked back a sob, though tears still slipped down his cheeks. 

This was the same Elwin who had been childishly obsessed with stuffed toys and had even given Keefe his own beloved Mrs. Stinkbottom. This was the same Elwin who had saved Keefe's life on multiple occasions, as he'd saved Biana, Dex, Fitz, and Sophie all at some point. Elwin had been there since the beginning. And now... he was gone. Another loss for the Black Swan. They had Sophie back now, but at what cost? How many lives had been taken, how many wanderlings would be added to the forest? And though they had Sophie, she thought she worked with the Neverseen now, while there was no way of telling if this would be permanent. 

"I see why the council had wanted to keep this information quiet," Livvy said, steadying his trembling hands. He hadn't realized they'd been shaking, and he shoved them into his pockets. 

"I'm fine," he said, his tense self loosening as another question bubbled inside him. "Did you... see it happen?" 

Livvy looked at him, and when he refused to make eye contact, she tilted his head to face hers with a gentle hand. Her eyes were watering, a single tear falling down her cheek as she gave a sad smile. 

"Thank goodness, no. I believe it was that Babblos kid who had seen it happen." Jensi had seen it happen? Something churned inside Keefe. Jensi... While Keefe didn't really know him that well, he knew that he was far too young to get caught up in a war such like this. Then again, weren't they all? He couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like... to watch someone get brutally slaughtered before their own eyes. How had Jensi gotten into this mess? Last Keefe had known, Jensi still had yet to manifest.  Keefe made it a point to check up on Jensi later, get the full story from him. And ensure he was okay. 

Meanwhile, the silence between the two stretched on for what felt like forever, until Keefe decided, "I'm going go check on Sophie." Sighing, he dragged his feet back to where she lay, through the hills and grass, only to find... 

"Sophie!"

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"I don't know what's going on!" Sophie cried, tears waterfalling from her eyes as the golden bolts crackled around her, hitting the grass and lighting it with fire. Purple and gold flames towered above her, the warmth tickling her skin. While burning everything else in its path, it seemed to have no effect on her. 

"I don't... I don't know..." Her cries were cut off as the crackles were silenced. The purple and gold light the fire had created flickered off, and Sophie was once again in the dark--both literally, and figuratively. She sighed, collapsing to her knees in relief. But that relief didn't last as eleven regally dressed elves stepped up to Sophie, wearing each their own scowl. 

One woman stood before the rest, eyes glaring into Sophie as if trying to see her soul. She was holding some sort of gadget that looked strangely familiar, and it was covered in ice. Just like, Sophie realized, the grass was. She'd froze the fire with a gadget? The woman had bronze skin and brown waves for hair that fell past her shoulders. And her eyes glowed a beautiful aqua color.