The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 39: Rest

The rain fell down as they trudged through the mud, dripping wet. It had taken almost a month of walking with very little sleep, but they had finally reached Faralda. The city was in far better shape than it was when they left - the holes in the wall were repaired, and the gates were functioning. An elf and a goblin stood watch, bottles of liquor in their hand as they snickered and chuckled. When the goblin saw the adventurers, he spun and shouted something. The gate opened with a loud creak, the adventurers stepping into the town.

There were still signs of the war; small craters in the ground that hadn't been completely filled yet, abandoned homes left in charred ruins. But for the most part, it was kept safe. Goblins, elves, and humans mingled on the streets under their umbrellas as they shopped, occasionally stopping to exchange a few words. It was clear there was still tension, and even a few problematic humans. But it was far better than what they had expected.

"... P... Pock would have loved to see this," Pyrrha whispered quietly, her voice trembling. "This was something she always wanted..."

No one said a word. Silently they moved towards the Adventurer's Guild, ignoring the cheers as the city's new inhabitants began to take notice of them. They were considered heroes to the people of Faralda.

Those same cheers erupted when they entered the building, quickly falling silent as the thieves and common folk noticed the grim expressions the heroes wore. Not a single one of them was smiling, and they were covered in wounds. Verde was still slumped over Vao's back, her condition never improving, physically incapable of taking care of herself. Pip's body had scabs from where the debris cut into his skin during the fight with Mono, and Sasha's breathing was still awkward. Yin stepped up to the counter, leaning against it. Junior looked up from his cigar, quickly striding over.

"Hey...?" The crime boss stopped, his eyebrow furrowing. "... You alright, kid? You look like you just lost a fight with a giant-"

"Just... A room," Yin rasped. "Give me... A room..."

Junior nodded hesitantly before giving him a key, the healer trotting up the stairs with Vao following behind, leaving the others to finally rest downstairs. The lock clicked before he pushed it open, Vao setting Verde down carefully on one of the beds. He was much quieter than usual: a common theme with the company these days.

Yin opened his satchel and pulled out Jasper, resting her on the pillow before sitting down on the bed and lighting another cigarette, watching Vao begin to undress Verde. "The hell are you doing?"

"I-I... Th-think she went, m-mate..."

"Went...?"

The smell hit Yin. He scowled, turning his head and pinching his nose, not watching as Vao dug around for a napkin, bunching it in his wife's ruined robes. When he finished, he carefully covered her with the blanket before throwing the soiled clothes in the trash.

"... All d-done..."

Yin turned back around, watching as Vao lit his pipe, his eyes brimming with tears. The dullahan tugged his hair tie and let his ponytail fall away, his long hair matted with sweat and rain. He breathed out the smoke, the smell of marijuana sticking to his clothes. They didn't say a word for a long while. There was nothing to talk about. Verde was in a vegetative state, Pock had been eaten alive, Tim was gone, and they watched Summer die in front of them. They had seen it all together. There was no need to talk about it.

"... Wot are you going to do with her?" Vao suddenly growled. He was staring at Jasper.

"Wait for her to wake up," Yin answered bluntly, taking another breath from his cigarette.