The journey back to Elowen was made using Riku's teleportation stones again, appearing near the familiar oak tree just outside the village as dusk began to paint the sky in shades of orange and purple. This time, he brought all the kids with him, along with Lila and Sherry, so it was quite a party that returned back to Elowen
The moment the party rolled into view, Alia, who was walking around anxiously, rushed forward. Her face was etched with worry that melted into overwhelming relief as she saw the children, alive and well.
"My little ones!" she cried, tears streaming down her face as Elara, Finn, and the others tumbled out of the cart and into her embrace. "You're safe! You're truly safe!"
The children clung to her, a mixture of relief and exhaustion washing over them. "Sister Alia! They tried to hurt us!" Elara sobbed. "But then the sky opened!" Finn added, eyes wide as he tried to describe what had happened earlier.
Alia held them close, murmuring words of comfort. She looked up at Riku, Lila, and Sherry, her eyes filled with profound gratitude. "Riku… Lila… Sherry… I… I don't have the words. You saved them. You saved all of them." Though the previous blessing had healed her physical weakness, the stress had taken its toll, leaving her frail but immensely thankful.
"We all did our part, Sister Alia," Riku said gently. "Welcome home. To Elowen."
Barou stepped forward, clapping Riku on the shoulder. "Well done, lad. Well done, all of you." He looked at the group of children now reunited with Alia. "We've already cleared out the old storage house near the western hill, just as we discussed. It's simple, but clean and sturdy. Ready for you all."
With the help of several villagers who had gathered, Alia and the children were gently escorted to their new temporary home – a modest but solid building, already swept clean, with fresh straw bedding laid out and a small fire crackling warmly in the hearth. For the first time in days, the children looked truly safe, their small faces filled with laughter and joy just like every other child should have.
Later that evening, Riku found Barou sitting by the nearly completed foundation of the Light Church, staring into the distance.
"Quite the turn of events," Barou said without looking up as Riku approached. "Divine interventions, disgraced Vestarchs… Elowen's certainly not the quiet village it used to be."
"Seems that way," Riku agreed, sitting beside him.
"Lysaria being gone… it complicates things," Barou continued, rubbing his chin. "The church construction… we used the materials you brought, but ongoing costs, skilled labor for the finer details… without her Church connections, it'll be slower. More expensive."
Riku nodded. "I understand. But don't worry too much about the coin, Chief."
Barou raised an eyebrow. "Easy for you to say. Miracles don't pay the stonemasons."
"No," Riku conceded with a smile, "but Rennan will. Once he returns with those investors and the trade routes open up… Elowen will have more than enough gold to finish both churches and then some. We just need to be a little patient."
Barou looked at Riku's confident expression and sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "You always seem to have an answer, lad. Alright. We'll manage. We always do."
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Later that evening, Riku found Lila standing near the half-finished foundation of the Light Church, overseeing the placement of the last few stones for the day as the sun dipped below the horizon. The air was cool, carrying the scent of cut wood and damp earth.
"Looks like things are settling down," Riku commented, walking over to join her. He leaned against a stack of timber, watching the villagers pack up their tools.
Lila sighed, wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "For now. It feels like we just ran a race we didn't know we were in." She looked towards the empty space beside the Light Church foundation, where the Dark Temple was planned. "Vintross was… intense."
"Understatement," Riku chuckled softly. "It was complete madness compared to our peaceful life in Elowen. I was shaking in my boots when the divine figures came, especially the Herald of Judgement."
"You say that," Lila turned to him, a familiar glint of suspicion in her eyes, "but you have a habit of being conveniently present when the divine show up, but not really having to do anything with it. First Axia in our village, then the three figures in Vintross… Are you sure this mysterious monk of yours isn't pulling some strings?"
Riku just smiled, that infuriatingly calm smile. "Well, weren't you there as well?"
"Hey! Don't try to dodge the question and put it on me."
"Well. Maybe the monk just has good timing? Or maybe Elowen is just a magnet for celestial drama these days. Whatever it is, "
Lila rolled her eyes but smiled back. "Right. Celestial drama." She paused, her expression softening. "Seeing those kids on the posts… Elian… I really thought…"
"I know," Riku said quietly, his smile fading. "Me too. That wasn't supposed to happen." He looked out at the darkening fields. "This peaceful life I wanted… it keeps getting interrupted by people who think power means they can hurt others."
"Well, what I wanted to say was, though I felt anger and fury, I also somehow felt that everything was going to be alright. Maybe I just somehow knew that a miracle was going to come."
"And boy did it come," Lila said firmly.
"It was you again, right?"
"Fine, I might have played a small part. But you have to trust me that they came from the stones. I can't do anything on my own."Riku replied, looking away.
"Hah! I knew it! You, me, Sherry… even Lysaria, standing up to her own church." She sighed again, looking towards the road leading away from Elowen. "I hope she's alright in Luxia. It sounded like a big deal, escorting Elian, facing the council…"
"Lysaria's tougher than she looks," Riku reassured her. "And having the Herald of Judgment vouch for you isn't exactly bad for your career prospects. She'll land on her feet, probably higher than before."
"Maybe," Lila conceded. She kicked lightly at a loose stone. "Still… it feels strange without her here. Who am I going to argue with about window placements now?"
A quiet voice spoke up from behind them. "Perhaps I can offer an alternative perspective on architectural aesthetics?"
They turned to see Sherry approaching, her usual guarded expression softened slightly by the evening light. She stopped beside them, looking at the twin foundations.
"It's… an interesting choice," Sherry commented dryly, gesturing to the side-by-side plots. "Light and Shadow as neighbors. Very… symbolic."
"Riku's idea," Lila said, nudging him playfully. "He seems to think balance is important."
Sherry considered this, her gaze thoughtful. "Perhaps. My people have rarely known balance. Only survival." She looked towards the temporary orphanage shelter. "But these children… they deserve more than just survival. They deserve peace."
"We all do," Lila agreed softly. She looked at Riku, a hint of the memory of Vintross – the fear, the fight, the shared danger – passing between them. That brief kiss on the night before they left for Vintross felt like a lifetime ago, overshadowed by everything since.
"So," Lila asked, turning back to Riku, "what's next for Elowen? Now that the divine fireworks are over?"
Riku stretched, looking out at the village settling down for the night – the warm glow from windows, the distant sound of laughter from the inn, the fields resting under the rising moon.
"Next?" he echoed. "We finish these churches. We wait for Rennan and his investors – hopefully they haven't been scared off by rumors of plagues and divine judgment." He grinned. "We figure out how to mass-produce coolboxes and fizzy drinks. And maybe," his eyes twinkled, "we keep an eye out for returning bandits or disgruntled tax collectors."
Lila laughed, shaking her head. "So, the usual chaos then?"
"Something like that," Riku admitted. "It's not the quiet life I first pictured, that's for sure. It's louder, messier… more complicated." He looked from Lila to Sherry, then towards the village lights. "But maybe… maybe this kind of peace, the one you build and defend together, is the only kind worth having."
A comfortable silence settled between them, filled only by the chirping of crickets and the promise of a new day. The first major crisis had passed, leaving scars but also forging stronger bonds. The path ahead remained uncertain, shadowed by potential threats, but under the quiet stars, Elowen felt resilient, hopeful, and undeniably alive. And Riku, the reluctant hero, found himself looking forward to it.