The Little General Who Could

[Flamebird]

The General was kept tightly fit like her. He was a middle aged man with a massive, intimidating frame. His short, black hair was orderly and tight as he nodded to Felicity. He seemed human, yet something abut him was far more imposing. Perhaps he had orc or even giant blood somewhere in his family tree? Either way, now, Felicity saw that his gaze was far from intimidating. His eyes were not glazed with wrath, and his stern features were not tight in rage.

"General Felicity Rhyolite?" Oh yeah, his voice was too deep be be a pure human. It was rather frightening.

"Yes." Felicity struggled not to choke, "And you are?"

"General Soot of the 59th." He jerked his head, supported by a thick neck, towards the door. "Follow me."

This man, about seven feet tall, had to bend to get through the small wooden door. The architecture of the hallway was quite impressive. Smooth stones with carvings of ancient happenings, structures, and figures. Felicity was positive she spotted some of the Thayne in there. As she gazed upon the walls of the skinny side hall, Soot spoke. "You lost your composure out there."

Felicity turned to him briefly, then looked down. Once again, the raw emotions began to bubble over as she desperately tried to shut them in. "Yes..."

"You are..." Soot breathed in sharply. Felicity looked through the corner of her eyes to see him crossing his muscular arms, "... Stressed. Anxious."

Felicity pulled her gaze towards the wall, running her fingers across the three dimensional carvings. "Are you here to belittle me?" She spat, her anger bubbling as she felt cornered.

"No," the man spoke. Felicity heard hi begin to pace back and forth. "Believe me, young one, I can tell when I see a tormented soul."

Felicity sharply turned to him, half hunkered as her loose strands of hair covered her face. "Oh yeah?! What i your concern over it!?"

Her saw between her strands of hair, that he was gazing at her softly. "You were wounded, and you never healed. And now, you carry a great weight on your shoulder."

Felicity lashed out with her arm, the rest of her body hunkering against the wall, "Stop!"

The large man stepped closer to her, looking completely unimpressed with her outbursts. "General Rhyolite, from what I hear you care very deeply for your men. You have quickly proved to be a considerate and quick witted leader. Whoever promoted you chose well.

Golden eyes flashed before Felicity's eyes. Her other hand fell against the wall. Shinsou...

"But," Soot lifted his finger, "You are clearly barely holding it together. Not a moment with me and you are cornered like a feral cat. Lashing out like one too."

"So?" Felicity barely breathed, tears flooding her eyes.

"I too joined the military at a young age, not even in my twenties." Soot lowered his hand. "I understand, being unable to develop properly." He lowered his head. "Here is my advice to you, General Rhyolite."

Felicity hastily tried to wipe the tears as fast as they fell, finally listening to General Soot's words.

"Take care of yourself as much as you take care of your men."

[Flamebird]

Two stones, half buried into the cool dirt, were rested against the tall, stone wall that isolated the left end of her property from all other's. The other sides of the yard were all bordered by the same wall. It was a relief, as Felicity needed to be alone for this. She The clouds made the sky turn darker, and Felicity could smell ashy rain in the air. Quite the coincidence. Felicity stood in front of the stones, her tools rested on a nearby weight lifting bench. The two stones in front of her, the names she engraved herself, were the first visible signs of her grief she let her hand craft.

Fulcrum Rhyolite, loyal father and uncle, 1773-1813.

Jonathan Rhyolite, Proud Soldier of the Coronian Rangers, 1793-1813.

Felicity clasped her shaking hands together. The cold winds rustled her proper, general-like uniform. As her messed up hair waved in the wet winds, Felicity turned to the first tomb. "U-uncle..."

In the distance, the low rumble of thunder was heard.

"Uncle Fulcrum, I..." She shut her eyes, wincing at the memories, "I remember when you came from from working the metalsmith shop in Deerhorn. You were always so tired, but you took the time for my cousin and me..."

She opened her eyes, tears already pounding the ground like it was already raining. "You were there from the very start! When my mother hated me, you took me in as your own, like your own child." Her back throbbed, "You were always telling us two to calm down, and that it took words rather than fists to solve a problem!" She raised her hands, balling them into fists with all her might, "Now, I don't know what to believe anymore!"

She shook her head as a higher pitched crackle resounded in the sky. "Uncle! I love you so much! I never was able to repay you! You took me in and I ran out the door the first chance I got! I'm sorry!"

She screamed at the tomb, which could not hear her, "I ran off with a mentor who turned out to be a murderer! I wasn't there for you! You fed me, clothed me, and I stubbornly ran off for - oh - I don't even know!" Felicity threw her hand, "Glory? Was that it? I don't know why I left you!"

She fell to her knees, her nice black leggings scrapping against the flooring. "And now you're gone! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I need you! But you're gone!"

The image of a middle aged man entered her mind. A middle aged man with thin, black hair with tints of grey. He always was so calm, so collected, even when Felicity and Jonathan came home cut and scraped from run ins with the townsfolk who did not take kindly to Felicity's existence. This man always lectured them, and he was strict at times, but he never raised his voice to the point of wrath. He was the one to defuse the anger Jonathan had, then Felicity picked up on. He was the one who laughed when Jonathan and Felicity kept pulling pranks on each other in unholy times in the morning. He was a good, kindhearted man... and now he was gone.

"I-I was..." Felicity's head was lowered to the ground as she spat, "I never thought about what you needed... You moved to Corone so I could have a better life, then I walked out... I was..."

Flashes of light dotted the sky, but were silent.

"A spoiled brat..."

A single drop of rain hit the ground.

[Flamebird]

Exhausted even more than after her break downs, a soaking wet Felicity pulled the door behind her as she barely walked into the house. Having panic attacks from the past she ran from was one thing. Facing up to that past and staring it in the eyes was another. Felicity was completely wrecked yet... she felt just a little bit better, somehow. Something was different now.

She knew what was wrong. She faced it. She took the time to acknowledge the pain she ran so far from, and she admitted her guilt. Furthermore, she was able to admit the painful truth - she could never make up for it.

Taking a single step on the oak floor, Felicity shook as she attempted to make it to her room. However, the second step in and she completely fell onto the floor. She was numb from the bitter cold, and her anxiety was raising her blood pressure. As her body and heart quaked in pain, she laid on the dusty, unswept floor with tears in her eyes. The ash rain pounded with the force of ten million arrows striking their targets. The thunder boomed with the intensity of the most powerful sword strikes. Ash and rain, tears of destruction. Would the past repeat itself?

Gweneal...

Gweneal promised he would never leave her side. He promised he would come back after the Great Thaynes dealt with him. Felicity believed it. The short yet long amount of time spent together, helping her train, getting to know each other... a deep connection was there that she never felt with anyone else. Yes, he would be back. Felicity was confident in this. She simply... missed him...

Then, there was Shinsou.

Shinsou, unlike her first teacher, took Felicity in due to her talents, not her failures. From the very beginning, he supported her. When no one else believed she could do it, Shinsou had her back. She encouraged her, promoted her to general, and took her undr his personal wing as his apprentice. She felt honored, she felt appreciated, she even felt the faint sensations of love... She yearned for his approval before he left, and she felt like their last moments created the opposite effect. If he never came back, was their last encounter with her as a failure to his legacy?

Where was he? Gweneal promised that he was alive, simply passed into some Telgradian dimension he could not see. The future was clouded, but Gweneal was so sure he would return to the Brotherhood in one piece. Felicity's eyes narrowed. Wherever he as, she was unable to help him. Wherever he was, it was the same as last time. He was just out of reach, or miles away, and she could do nothing but watch as he was demolished to nothing. Tears made her vision of the empty hallway blurred as she cried his name again. "Shinsou!"

But he never came.

Felicity closed her eyes, cursing again.