The Young Warrior: Fortuna's Promise

by Melody Song


Epilogue: Felix Monilia

“Fortuna! Fortuna!”

“Pharynx! Pharynx, come back!”

A cloaked figure looked up at the shouting, looking around for the source. They climbed up a tree and observed as two changelings burst through the undergrowth. Both were heavily injured and looked as though they’d been thrown into a wall.

“Fortuna! Tuney!” The first was screeching, his purple eyes scanning the vicinity in frantic worry.

“Pharynx, please-”

“No! She’s here! I know she’s here, she came down here, Fortuna!”

“Pharynx we’re probably miles away from where she landed by now!”

“I don’t care!” He yelled, wings buzzing as he lifted up into the air. “I’ll find her! She needs to come back, she can’t be gone! Fortuna!”

The creature seemed almost sympathetic to the scared changeling, but still hunkered down in the tree. Not getting found was more important, and they weren’t sure of either one’s skill set just yet. The purple and red one was tearing through the trees, still calling the name. Unfortunately, it was one the creature recognized. Though they didn’t know why this changeling was looking for her, they could take a guess.

“Pharynx, give it up!” The second changeling screamed, tears rolling down his face. “Pharynx, she’s… she’s not coming back…”

The first changeling stopped, before he turned to the second with a look that made it seem inevitable that he was going to hurt him. But then, his eyes widened, and he collapsed onto his haunches. The other stepped forwards and seemed to offer a hug.

“You remember what she told you, don’t you?” he asked softly. “We go to war…”

“...Knowing one day we might not come back.” The first spat angrily. “She had her whole life ahead of her, Thorax.”

“You do too. And you’re still here.” He lunged and hugged the other changeling tightly. “I regret being the reason she was hurt, but… but she saved me, Pharynx… she saved me so that you and I could still have each other, e-even if…”

“S-Shut up-”

“Even if she didn’t come back-”

No!” he pulled away from the second changeling’s hug. “I’m going to find her! We have to find her, the Hive needs a General!”

“Pharynx, you’re their General now.”

The creature seemed surprised, creeping forwards a little bit to see better. The two changelings stared at each other, then the red and black one reached and punched the other in the shoulder, knocking him over. He snarled and bared his fangs at him.

Fortuna is our General!” he insisted, then tore off again.

“Pharynx! Pharynx, wait! Please! You’re going to push yourself too hard, wait!”

The second changeling’s voice faded into the distance as he followed the other changeling. The figure deemed it safe and jumped down from the tree, looking around to check for more changelings. There were none that the figure could spot and no objects around were seeming to watch the figure, so they simply hung their head and continued on.

“Grief will do that to a creature.” The unknown creature murmured, glancing in the direction the two changelings had gone. “He will soon think clearly again. Hopefully the rest of his Hive will give him room to move on.”

With that, they continued on through the trees, hoping to find proper shelter before nightfall.

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It was late at night and the unknown creature was still moving. They wanted nothing more than to stop and rest, but they were wandering through the Everfree Forest. They knew if they stopped here, their next rest would be their last. There were far too many dangers lurking in the shadows of the Everfree, ones even they would not contend with.

The creature paused briefly to dig a canteen out of a satchel hidden under their cloak. As they took a sip, the moonlight shone through the dense trees for a moment. They stowed away the canteen again, but as they glanced down at their satchel, they spotted something silver glinting in a bush, reflecting the moon’s silvery light.

“What in the…?” They walked over to it cautiously.

The creature reached and carefully lifted up one end of the shining object. It was a silver necklace, glimmering without the need of light, a golden diamond embedded within it. Their eyes widened.

“Felix Monilia…” The creature gave it a tug, seeing it was caught on something. They pulled it out further, revealing a hole-covered hoof, which made their eyes widen. “It can’t be… Aureum in generali… no… Fortuna?”

They reached into the bush, feeling around within it for a few tense moments. The creature seemed to find what they were looking for, and plunged both forelegs in. After a minute of seeming to adjust their hold on something, they gently lifted out a large creature. A gold and silver themed changeling.

“F-Fortuna… it really is you…” The creature breathed, sitting down and checking over the golden general.

The changeling was limp, and the creature could see no breath, nor feel a pulse. They sighed softly, though it was barely audible, and ignited something under their cloak, a horn glowing with a green aura.

“It’s not what you were meant for, and it’s nothing compared to what you should have. But showing up at your home now with you on my back would raise many suspicions. This will have to do.” The creature murmured, cradling the limp changeling. “Hopefully the others will remember you despite it.”

The creature rose again, continuing to cradle Fortuna, and quickly used their magic to clear a space in between the trees, also using their hooves to knock away any rocks and twigs. They then laid Fortuna gently in the grass, placing the necklace on her chest. Their horn continued to glow and the clearing became momentarily awash in the unknown creature’s green aura, before it faded out, and the clearing returned to normal. The creature then brushed back Fortuna’s golden mane, running a hoof through it momentarily.

“You always were lucky until the very end, weren’t you?” They whispered, stifling a chuckle. “I can’t do much, but… may our ancestors carry you safely to Elysium, Fortuna… you should have lived long and had a fulfilling life. You were a great general… I hope whoever succeeds you knows you will always be the greatest.”

They then turned to leave, the hood of their cloak falling down as they moved. Then, the moonlight began to shine through the trees. The silver light illuminated the clearing, and the creature heading back into the forest. But before the creature could go much further, their attention was captured by a sudden, gentle glowing. They paused, silent, and nothing happened. Then, as they were about to continue on their way…

“M… Mi…” A soft voice tried to say, and the creature turned back around.

“What in Chrysalis’ name…?”

The End