The Systems Challenge-Chapter 399: Elin’s Decision

Elin couldn't help but feel surprised when she saw Jonas leaving the cave with Elmo over his shoulder by the time she'd reached two thirds of the distance to the cave.

At about that time, Elysia and Etaina flew down in their bird forms, Etaina perching on Elin's shoulder while Elysia landed on the branch of a nearby tree. Both looking well rested and in a pleasant mood.

"Would this be a good time to bring out our parents?" Elysia asked, sounding almost afraid that Elin would refuse.

Elin glanced back at Jonas, who was starting his climb to where Elin was, though he didn't show if he noticed Elysia and her sister or not. Although, Elin was pretty sure he had. As he seemed to notice a lot more than Elin knew she did herself.

"Sure," Elin replied, "Would you like to go in after them or would you rather I did that?"

Elin wasn't sure what Elysia would prefer, but thought she'd at least offer it to her. As Elin couldn't think of a better reunion for her and her parents than to be the one to let them know that they could come out of the cage they'd been in for who knew how long.

Not to mention how long it had to have been for them. As Elin could still remember how it felt like weeks when she'd been in the facet of the crystal for merely a single day. Something she'd rather not have repeat or that she'd wish on someone else. Although, someone like Douglas would be a person she'd be very tempted to let stay in there.

So, it wasn't exactly like she wouldn't not want everyone to not experience that, but she wasn't certain that she'd have the heart to do something like that.

Aside from the reasons Jonas gave, Elin was starting to agree with his suggestion about destroying the crystal when Elysia's parents were freed. If she encountered someone like Douglas again, the temptation to try and put them in there would probably drive her mad. So, she resolved to smash it as soon as the last occupants in it were released.

Elin set the crystal on the branch and turned the crystal to the first of the facet with the first of Elysia's parents, as the firebird considered Elin's proposal. Elin didn't want to push her, but thought it probably would be better to not suggest it to Etaina. Elin didn't want Etaina to forget a few key details, like she was confident the little bird would. Not that she planned on mentioning it out loud.

When Elin stepped back from the crystal, Elysia sighed, then flew down to where the crystal's shadow was cast and essentially melted into the shadow, though Elin thought for a moment that she saw something move up the light towards the crystal.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she at least felt fascinated by the effect.

While she waited, Elin turned to look at Jonas, who was still walking along steadily. Elin couldn't help but smirk at how unahppy Elmo would be to get carried like that. She wouldn't like it herself, but it certainly was how Jonas did things. As it at least left one hand open in the event he needed it.

Elin wasn't sure what attracted her gaze back to the shadow of the crystal, but when she looked back, she saw Elysia and another, older and bigger, firebird emerge from the shadow with her.

Then as they moved out of the shadow, Etaina flew down, her talons tearing into Elin's shoulder in her haste.

"Daddy!" Etaina cried, her tone sounding so full of longing that Elin was a little surprised when she didn't feel tears start to emerge from her eyes.

Elin watched the reunion of the birds, their wings spread around each other in clear embraces, which felt more human-like than bird-like. Though, Elin didn't feel like it was her place to say anything about it at all.

"Where's your mother?" the new bird asked as the embrace between the three birds ended.

"She's in another facet of the 12-colored crystal," Elysia replied.

The older bird sighed. "I'll go get her out then. Though... how do you enter the crystal?"

Elin didn't say anything as she merely turned the crystal so whoever entered would go to the correct facet. She was also doing her best to ignore the blood flowing down her shoulder. She figured she'd be able to easily take care of it, but doubted that it would be necessary to deal with in order to finish up what was going on here.

Handling it would only likely distract the others and Elin didn't want to do that.

"I'll do it, father," Elysia replied. "It'll be faster that way and there's no need for me to explain it when I hope that we won't have to face it again."

The older bird nodded, looking like he just wanted to be useful in some way. Which Elin could certainly understand. Even though it wasn't her place to say anything about the matter at hand for them.

Elysia then walked over to the shadow again and melted into it. Which freaked the older bird out.

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"Elysia!" he cried, looking like he was caught between being frozen and wanting to run over to where he'd last seen his daugther.

"She'll be okay," Elin assured him, squatting down next to him. "That's what it looked like when she went in to get you."

The bird looked at Elin, looking just a little more relaxed, but also like he was about ready to cry.

Etaina snuggled up against his side, looking to be on cloud nine with her father at her side. Which Elin could certainly appreciate.

Jonas was almost where they were when Elysia and another larger bird started to come out. This newer bird was larger than Elysia's father, though Elin heard that some female birds are larger than the male ones. She just couldn't be sure if this was an exception to the rule for firebirds or if that's what usually was the case.

"Paulin," the newer bird said, looking straight at the other larger bird. "It's been too long."

"It has Cassidy," he replied, almost like they hadn't been separated for who knew how long.

Elin wasn't sure if she should say anything, but when the two birds looked at her, she knew she probably would have to say something.

First the male bird, Paulin, looked at her, after which, the other bird followed suit.

"It looks like we have much to be grateful to you for," Paulin said.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Cassidy asked.

"If you'd be willing, could you help me carry him back to where we have our camp?" Jonas said, as he approached where Elin was, but was still a short distance away.

"Of course," Paulin said, his shape turning into that of a human, almost as if he had been wearing a firebird costume and just stepped out of it, regardless of the difference in mass and shape.

As the others took care of that, Elin turned back to the crystal pendant. She wasn't sure if it needed anything special to destroy it, but it wouldn't cost her much effort to find out if it could or couldn't be smashed with the rocks that were all around her in these mountains. Especially since they were at hand, so it would be a waste to not try it if they would work.

So, ignoring what the others were doing, Elin set the crystal on a flat stone and then picked up another large rock with both hands and brought it down on the crystal pendant. Hard.

Not that it had much effect. Elin wasn't sure if it just wasn't something that she couldn't see, but she lifted the same rock up again and smashed it down again on the pendant. Leaving a very noticeable crack this time.

Elin smiled at that. She wasn't sure how many more strikes it would take before it was completely unusable as the kind of mobile prison it was, but she at least felt confident that she'd be able to get it before she had to head back with the others to the camp where Kim had to be waiting for her.

So focused on her project Elin was, that she didn't even notice when a shadow came up from behind her. She was in the process of smashing the rock down on the heavily cracked crystal when a hand rested itself on her shoulder, making her lose her grip on the rock, which bounced off the rock near the crystal and rolled a little away.

Startled, Elin looked at who touched her and was shocked to find Kim looking at her, with a soft smile on her face.

"So, was this the reason you left the camp so early?" she asked, though the tenseness in her jaw made Elin wonder if she was only trying to put on a pleasant face at the moment.

Elin then looked back at the crystal that was heavily damaged, but not quite destroyed. Or at least as far as she was concerned. She wasn't sure how to respond to Kim's question, but was grateful when she was saved by Etaina.

"She helped us," she said, though she was still in her bird form. "She helped get mother and father out of that."

Kim glanced at the bird and Elin had to force herself to look at Kim again. Doing her best to push away the fears that were starting to cloud her mind and keep any rational thought from entering.

"Elin," Kim said, making Elin start to get the urge to stand up and just take off running. It wouldn't matter which direction, so long as she was moving away from Kim. "Whatever you say, I'll do my best to understand. I won't get upset with you."

Elin looked at Kim's eyes, not sure what to say or do. However, her mouth opened of its own accord at that moment.