Sorry, this one is a bit longer than normal
Alexa watched the sea swirl around redwake far below, her legs dangling over the side of the island. One of Redwake’s spires was destroyed by a recent skirmish there. She paused and looked up taking a bite out of a sky apple, then shivered, not used to cold air. The sun was slowly rising on the horizon. She couldn’t help but thinking, What did the sun see that they did not? It shines over the earth circling over and over again. She stood up, there was no way to find out so why ask those questions?
Alexa headed back towards Cirrus town, crossing a wooden bridge between the island she was on and the island Cirrus was on. The Myriad could be seen within the town, its branches reaching even further up than the sky islands did.
“Hey, you’re new around here right?” said an unfamiliar man walking up to Alexa.
Alexa paused glancing at him, he wore a simple outfit made with tight leathers and rubber boots. “Yes, I moved here with my daughter a few days ago,” Alexa replied, nodding towards the inn where she had begun to settle into.
“Well my name is Henry, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I would love to meet your daughter. I live around here but just got back from a trip,” Henry said smiling, his hand held out.
Alexa reached to shake his hand and began to talk, when a series of coughs erupted from her. She buckled down onto the bridge clenching her stomach. The sky apple she had been holding rolling off the bridge.
“Oh, vetex! Are you alright?” Henry said, helping her up.
“Yea, sorry. My name’s Alexa,” Alexa said, breath ragged.
“You should see a doctor, it doesn’t sound like you’re okay.”
“Yeah, I probably will,” Alexa sighed at her own weakness.
“Well, I hope you get better. And I hope to meet your daughter! Well, I have to get back to work, bye!” Henry shouted, starting to run off.
Alexa watched him leave before heading to the Inn. Cirrus town didn’t have very crowded streets but there were the occasional merchants and their sky vessels or Grand Navy wandering around. Thankfully Revanna had no grasp on this place.
Alexa arrived at the Inn, Abigail was outside playing with her fire magic. She had awakened her first mind during Alexa’s Imprisonment. “Honey, I’m back!”
“Where were you! Ever since you left for the mines I’ve been lonely, Grandma’s boring and when you finally get back we had to go somewhere else!” Abigail yelled, “And now you just get up and leave again!” She ran over and hugged Alexa, “Don’t leave me again,” Abigail sobbed.
“I’m sorry honey, I won’t leave you again. You’re right, it was inconsiderate for me to leave you alone in a strange place, even for only an hour.” Alexa said, trying to soothe Abigail.
“You were gone for eight months! You can’t ever leave me again!” Abigail bawled.
Alexa looked down at her daughter, fire magic suited her perfectly. A few people had looked over but then went to ignore them. eight months though? She thought it had only been six. “Let’s go inside honey, I’ll buy you some hot chocolate,” Alexa said, leading her daughter inside.
A week passed and Abigail turned 15. Alexa held a small party and gave Abigail a yellow wizard hat. They spent that day at the Myriad looking for books on magic, though on occasion Alexa would go into one of her coughing fits.
The next day Alexa took Abigail to the sky-ships. She refused to take off the wizard hat. The sky-ships were of the same kind and people were working on them and refilling their clouds. One man stood out to Alexa more than the others though. She recognized him.
“Hey, Abigail. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Who? Your boyfriend who saved you?” Abigail questioned.
“What! He’s not my boyfriend!” Alexa replied flustered.
“Yea, right.”
“Well anyways its not Steven, I met him about a week ago, he wanted me to introduce you to him.”
Abigail complied silently. The two girls went over and Alexa waved to Henry who stopped and waved back before coming over.
“Hello, Henry,” Alexa started, “I’d like you to meet my wonderful daughter, Abigail.”
“Its nice to meet you Abigail.” Henry said, nodding to Abigail.
Abigail pulled the wizard hat back and looked up at him. “Henry, I’m sorry to tell you, my Mom already has a boyfriend.”
Alexa looked flabbergasted, when Henry turned to look at her. It didn’t last long as another fit of coughs came over her. She barely managed to stand.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Alexa? It seems to be getting worse,” Henry said, coming to try and help her up.
“No, I’m honestly fine, I just need to rest,” Alexa said, smiling at Henry. She then turned and glared at her daughter, “And us two need to have a talk about manners.”
Alexa and Abigail headed home after that. Abigail sulked the entire way trying to hide her face from her mom, using the wizard hat. On the way back Alexa had two more coughing fits. They were getting more frequent.
As they returned Alexa turned towards her daughter, “I’m gonna sleep, we’ll talk about your manners tomorrow. I’m not feeling so well.”
“Okay Mom!” Abigail replied, happy to not have a stern talking to.
The next day Alexa wasn’t any better, she was worse. The innkeeper brought in some doctors to try and help, but it seemed she had contracted some kind of disease and her weakened body wasn’t able to fight it off.
Abigail spent the next few nights at her mother’s bedside watching her sleep. It was when she was most peaceful now. During the day she was in horrible condition coughing up a storm and not eating.
Three days after Alexa had become bedridden she looked into Abigail’s eyes. “Bring me my bag,” Alexa said hoarsely.
Abigail did as she was told, and handed the bag to her mother. Alexa fished inside for a moment before pulling out a large metal box. “Your father wanted you to have this before he left, I have no idea what’s inside but hopefully you will find out,” Alexa said while studying the box. She then erupted into a fit of coughs and dropped the box.
“Mom, you said you’d never leave me! Don’t act like you will now!” Abigail said, beginning to sob into her mother’s arm.
“I won’t ever leave you honey,” Alexa said, “You’re the sun that makes my world spin.”
Abigail bawled into her mother’s arm as Alexa closed her eyes for the last time.
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