NOVEL NEXT Ch. 81 – Aftermath Pt. 1
Now that the two gods have officially left the station, Maven was finally free to turn her attention toward Ela. The beautiful elf hadn’t moved so much as a muscle from the moment Kurga’s curse dug its fangs into her. She looked like a more beautiful Sleeping Beauty, though Maven doubted she could fix with her with something as simple as a kiss.
“Maven!”
Her companions called out to her in, worry audible in all their voices. Shayna and Fae’s voices rang especially loud, reflecting their intense desire to help. There hadn’t been much room for them to contribute in the fight between gods, so they really wanted to chip in now if they could. As two people who loved Maven more than anything, they really didn’t want to leave everything up to her.
Everyone quickly rushed to huddle up around Maven, directing concerned looks toward the gorgeous elf in Maven’s arms.
“Do you have any idea what that weirdo did to her?” Maven asked her companions.
When one’s knowledge failed them, it was often better to rely on the wisdom of others. Especially when your companions were two superhumans and two gods who helped birth an entire world.
“Hmmmm,” Kannon said as she tapped her chin with incongruous cuteness. As the resident expert on healing and blessings, Maven was quite hopeful that the eons old goddess would have a helpful perspective.
Doing her best to live up to Maven’s expectations, Kannon laid her tiny little hands on Ela’s pale face to try and determine what Kurga had done to her. Her hands shone with a gentle, pale glow as she performed her examination. Everyone just stared at the fairy in suspense, waiting in breathless anticipation for the results.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any good news…” Kannon said with her brow knit in consternation.
“Well don’t keep us waiting!” Maven pressed, impatience visible on her face.
The worried look on her face was so cute that Fae and Shayna almost lost themselves in it. Maven hadn’t known Ela all that long, but here she was: looking heartbroken and lost at her plight. She couldn’t bear the thought of the innocent little elf coming to any harm, not when she was around.
“I’ve never seen a curse like this before, not in all the years I’ve watched over Avalon. It’s different than the Darkness or Death ones I’m used to seeing around. Those are just cold, impersonal. Sure, you can use those to impede healing, decrease strength, or influence someone’s mind… But this one, it’s just pure hate and malice. And that pure malice has wormed its way all the way into Ela’s soul. Normal curses just don’t do that.”
Kannon gave the group the bad news with an apologetic expression, sending Maven into an angry spiral. Maven, in her desperation, turned to Henna. All in the hope that if the healing expert didn’t know what to do, maybe the closest thing to a curse expert would.
“What about you Henna, any ideas?”
“Hmmm…” The cute little ghost said, her worried expression mirroring the one Kannon sported just moments ago.
“It’s hard to say for sure exactly what a curse backed with divine power can do… especially when a god specializes in that. That curse has got its hooks in her soul, it’s dug its way in deep - changing her…… Into what, I have no idea. All that malice, all that power…… injected into the fragile soul of a simple elf. Not even the a god like me could possibly know what that would turn her into.”
“Then what do I do?!” Maven screamed, tears streaming down her face as she clutched at Ela.
She just couldn’t stand the thought of something horrible happening to Ela. She didn’t want to let that smug bastard win. She didn’t want him to get a single thing he wanted.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to do something, Young Miss… Just calm down. Take a deep breath and focus. Even if you can’t heal her completely, I’m sure you can help her. You helped me, after all. Even when you didn’t know what you were doing and were new to your power.”
Fae, somehow demonstrating more maturity than either of the ancient goddesses, gently encouraged Maven to act. That unfalteringly calm support of hers really helped sooth Maven, allowing her to pull out of her emotional spiral.
“You’re right… I can’t just rely on you guys for every time something goes wrong. I need to do something myself.”
Maven said with a cute sniffle, trying and failing get the tears to stop. Powerful as she was, Maven was just inexperienced young girl. There was no way she could keep her emotions under control, not after such an eventful day.
Even so, Maven was determined to save this one girl.