The Burning of a Wish in Winter - Episode 10

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But before Oz could get to the frosty, Owen interrupted him.

Oz: Oi.

Owen: Ooh… I knew it. I’d been thinking you felt familiar.
Aren’t you that pathetic failure of a frosty?
Akira: You know this frosty?
Owen: Mhm. It’s the weakest of all the frosties in the Forest of Dreams. So weak that it’s even lost the ability to absorb the life essence of the dying humans in the forest. It’s grown weaker and weaker in such an unsightly manner.
I hadn’t seen you for so long that I thought you must’ve died. But it turns out that you’d just run off to a foreign land, like a loser with your tail between your legs.
I wouldn’t know if you have enough magical power left in you to tell who I am, but I sure can tell who you are. I love miserable little things like you.

I couldn’t tell if the frosty could even understand anything that Owen said, but it clearly could still feel fear. Its white body curled up and shrank in on itself.
Owen drew strange shapes in the air with the tip of his finger, and laughed mockingly with his cutting yet bewitching laughter.

Owen: This child was boring. But do you know what’s going to be a lot of fun for me? An unsightly fey like you, dying an unsightly death.
Die for me, frosty. Die for the sake of my entertainment.

Owen: « cur memini »

His smiling eyes curved like crescent moons. Once he was done talking, he wagged a long slender finger in the air.
Silently, ghostly shadows emerged and took the shape of pure white wolves that surrounded the frosty.
In unison, their lips curled with their fangs bared.

Beluga: (fearful whimpering) ……
Heathcliff: You’ll be alright. But you should close your eyes now.

[ Mauling sfx ]

It was all over in an instant.
The shadow of a frosty was torn apart in all directions, like cotton candy torn into pieces.
The frosty’s death throes were like the sound of a cold wind whistling, leaving behind bizarre echoes in its wake, even after it was no more.

Heathcliff: … Beluga, you can open your eyes now.
Beluga: Oh… Frosty’s gone…
… Thanks, Wizard san.
Owen: …… Hmph.
Well, that death rattle was pretty funny.

[ Strong wind sfx ]

But we had no time to rest. A sudden gust of fierce wind kicked up around us, like an oncoming blizzard.

Akira: (sputters) !?
Shylock: These winds are caused by the frosty’s death. Think of it as a notice to leave its abode as soon as possible.
Oz: I will return us to the mansion before we are forcibly expelled.

Oz: « voxnox »


[ Vera City Lord’s Mansion ]

Rutile: …… Oh, the blizzard’s stopped… Nevermind, we’re back in Emmett san’s mansion!
Akira: I’m glad we all made it back in one piece… Oz, thank you so much!

Just as we arrived, the door swung open.
A house attendant entered the room, accompanied by none other than…

Beluga: Maia san!
Maia: Beluga! Oh, heavens…!

Urgently, with a force that almost knocked over all of us and the attendant too, Maia rushed over and pulled Beluga into a fierce embrace.

Beluga: Oof…
Maia: Thank goodness! Oh, thank goodness! A messenger came from the lord’s mansion to tell me that you were taken away by a frosty. By the gods, I had such a fright…
You must’ve been so scared out there! Are you hurt? Did anything bad happen to you?
Beluga: I’m okay. All the Sage’s Wizards were looking after me.

Maia glanced up and around at all of us with Beluga still held tightly smushed in her arms.
Maia’s eyes had started to well and water. At the first sign of tears, Beluga gasped in surprise.

Maia: Oh, I don’t know how I could begin to repay you — I couldn’t possibly thank all of you enough……
Heathcliff: Don’t worry about it. It’s thanks enough to see that Beluga’s been returned to you safe and sound.

Maia brightened up at Heathcliff’s smile and his words. Hurriedly, she released Beluga from the embrace.

Maia: Oh… I’m sorry. I must have startled you with that hug out of nowhere.
Beluga: … No, it’s alright. I’m happy. I’m glad you were worried for me.

Timidly, Beluga wrapped her little arms around Maia. It was a meek hug, but Beluga was determined to give Maia a hug in return.

Beluga: …… And, um, I… I think, when we get back, I want to eat the bread you baked, Maia san.
Maia: ………!
Yes, of course, help yourself.
I can whip up some warm creamy soup for you too. And then if there’s any other dishes you want to eat, I’ll make them too. Anything for you.

We all watched this heartwarming scene unfold in front of us. Most of us looked happy, but some of us wore only our normal expressions.

Lennox quietly smiled. His smile reached his eyes.
Owen watched the scene unfold out of the corner of his eye, seemingly disinterested.
Heathcliff smiled a little smile.
It was a smile like a little silent prayer.


[ Vera City ]

Rutile: How nice that we could see Maia san again as soon as we returned! That must’ve reassured Beluga a lot.
Lennox: That’d be to Emmett’s credit. He sent a messenger out as soon as he heard that Beluga had been kidnapped.
Shylock: Indeed. It seems that he has a good head on his shoulders with his quick thinking. We can look forward to seeing Emmett grow into a wise lord, just like his friend Heathcliff.

Shino: (eating)
Man, these mince pies from Maia’s bakery are unbeatable.
Oz: As good as they are, we do not gobble up three pies all at once.
Cain: Wasn’t there some kind of candy where the rules say that you can only eat one a day?
Owen: That just means it’s perfect for eating all at once. It’s tastier that way.
(eats) (eating)
Lennox: All the pies were instantly demolished. And to think that Maia bothered to tell us that we could stash any leftover pies in a cool, dry place to save for later.

We walked Maia and Beluga back to their home. We were currently on our way to an unobtrusive spot for Oz to use his teleportation magic discreetly without alarming the locals.

Maia had given us delicious bread and baked goodies to take home with us as thanks for helping Beluga.
There was stollen and mince pie and so much more. Everything smelled wonderful as I cradled the bags of food in my arms.
I walked alongside Heathcliff with the smell of homely, baked goods wafting around us.

Akira: I think even with everything that’s happened… Beluga will continue making her matches, just to improve at her craft.
Heathcliff: I think so too. Even though she’s already stopped hoping for her parents to return for her, it’s not easy to give up on working towards becoming an idealised version of yourself at the drop of a hat.
Of course, it’d be best if she could come to terms with herself someday…
… It’s easy for us bystanders to say, but I know that for Beluga, it won’t be easy.
Akira: Heath…

He had an inscrutable, delicate smile. It was the bright kind of smile for when a person had grown close to others. Yet, it also seemed to have a darkness within it, perhaps something like self-reproach.
His eyes, the colour of rain, were quiet and kind. He must have been thinking far farther ahead than I had about what Beluga’s future might hold.

Akira: (… It couldn’t have been easy for Heath, either.)
(Having to accept that he’ll never be a human, that is…)

Shino: … Heath.
Heathcliff: Yes? Mfft…!
Shino: You eat one too. It’s mince pie. It’s not half bad.
Cain: Shino, you’re sometimes real rough with your lord. Heath, you okay?
Heathcliff: (muffled noises) …! (chewing) ……

Lennox: Oh. We can’t use magic in public here, so you can’t really eat while holding all those pies in your arms. Let me help carry them.
Rutile: How about we stop walking for a bit until you’re done eating, Heath? Oz sama, the sun has yet to set, right?
Oz: Yes. You may take your time eating.
Heathcliff: (swallows) … S-Sorry, everyone. I’m good.
Don’t go shoving food in my mouth, Shino, even if it’s really tasty.
Shino: Yup, real tasty. I’ma help myself to another.
Lennox: You’ve been eating so heartily since we left the bakery… That’s your fifth pie, isn’t it?
Shylock: Oh, here I thought I’d counted to six. Fufu, I envy the insatiable appetite of youth.

Cain: Owen, you’re on your sixth too, aren’t you? Don’t go pushing yourself either. You’re not young anymore, got it?
Owen: I’m still young too. I’ve used my magic to make my stomach young again.

Heathcliff: Ah…! Owen’s grabbed my pie!
Shino: Oi, give it back. Heath’s not even had half of it yet.
Owen: But that’s why I want it. If he’s going to leave half of it uneaten, then I’ll do the pie a favour and eat it all.
Lennox: It’s not about whether he’ll finish it, because right now he’s still eating it. Come on, give it ba— Oh, you’ve already sank your teeth into it…
Alright then. Heathcliff, if you don’t mind, you can have some of mine.
Rutile: And mine too!
Oz: And mine as well.
Heathcliff: Thank you very mu— Wait a second. Guys, it’s not like I’m craving meat pie…

Heathcliff suddenly found himself the centre of attention. He was confused, but he was also laughing in amusement at being handed three mince pies.

The cold wind whistled, carrying with the sound of children singing their youthful songs.
I thought it sounded just like Christmas carols.

There is no Santa Claus that can grant the wishes of children.
Wishes for the impossible are just that — impossible.
When Heathcliff was young, he had dreamed of days where he could live as a normal human, and perhaps those dreams may never come true.

Akira: (Even so… If he can laugh like this while being surrounded by other wizards…)
(Someday, I hope Heath can……)

Deep in my heart, I said a quiet prayer for him——
As I gazed upon the lively scene that unfolded before me.