Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 127: After the Battle

The battlefield lay silent, a graveyard of burned and blasted and broken creatures stretching as far as the eye could see. Black ash floated on the still air. In the distance, the mountain Calamity grumbled quietly, but the worst of it seemed to have passed. For now.

Ezra couldn’t help but eye the mountain with suspicion. Rav may have dispelled the impending eruption, but there was no telling when the mountain would be ready for round 2.

He stood at the heart of the devastation, his chest heaving as he lowered his spear. Bree and her father landed nearby, their wings folding carefully behind them. Bree’s face was a complex mix of relief and exhaustion, while her father’s eyes roamed over the wreckage with quiet disbelief.

"We did it," Ezra murmured. "Somehow."

As he spoke, the Starbeast embodiment of Alcor bowed its head and began to fade away into twinkling light.

[We work well together, Ezra.]

As he vanished into nothingness, Bree took a cautious step toward Ezra.

She wiped sweat from her brow. "A miracle," she said. "Or something close to it."

Her father, still towering and broad-shouldered despite his age, stepped forward. He regarded Ezra with a new softness.

"Your strength," he said, voice deep and resonant. "And that creature you summoned... it saved us all. Lad, who are you?"

Ezra shifted awkwardly, unused to praise from men like him. "I had help," he said, glancing back toward where Alcor was moments ago. "Every one of us. I’m not sure if we’d have fought this back otherwise..."

But already, Ezra’s thoughts were elsewhere. He turned, scanning the ruined battlefield frantically.

"Oberyn," he said. "Where is - "

There.

Collapsed on the outskirts of the battle, Oberyn lay half-buried in the dust. Ezra sprinted to him, falling to his knees and pulling Oberyn carefully into his arms.

"Oby," Ezra whispered, brushing dirt from his lover’s forehead. "Come on, wake up. Please."

For a moment, nothing. Then Oberyn stirred, a low groan rumbling from his throat. His golden eyes fluttered open, dazed but alive.

"Ezra..." Oberyn rasped.

Ezra laughed wetly, overwhelmed by emotion. He cradled Oberyn’s face in his hands, foreheads pressing together. The boys were dirty, sweaty, and fatigued - but they were alive.

"I’m here. I’m right here. You did so good, Oby. You saved us. You took out half that horde all by yourself, you know that? It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen!"

Oberyn’s arms wrapped weakly around Ezra’s neck, pulling him close. He didn’t have the strength to say much, but the look in his eyes said everything: relief, love, and the unbreakable bond they shared.

"You idiot," Oberyn finally managed, a hint of a smile breaking through the pain. "You’d have made it through no matter what. You’re not allowed to die without me."

Ezra chuckled through his tears. "Wasn’t planning on it."

They sat like that for a moment, clutching each other amid the ruin, until Bree’s voice broke in.

"Rav," she said, sharply. "Where is Rav?"

Ezra’s stomach dropped. He turned, facing her.

"He - " Ezra began, voice hoarse. "He fell. When he used his magic to cool the mountain, he used everything he had. I couldn’t catch him..."

Bree’s face paled. Without another word, she shot into the sky, wings beating furiously as she searched for her mentor.

Ezra watched her disappear into the sky, a knot of guilt tightening in his chest.

"Rav..." Oberyn groaned, his eyes lidded. "He...he’s the one we have to thank, huh? If that mountain erupted, there wouldn’t have been a battle to fight. Everything would have..."

Oberyn faltered, what strength he had left giving way.

Ezra stroked the Nephilim’s forehead. "Rest, Oby. You earned it."

As he laid his lover back on the ground, he couldn’t help but look over the curse mark that had grown so significantly.

It was ominous. The stretching black tendrils of the curse looked just like the twisted flesh of an Encephalim.

Bree’s father lingered, stepping forward with a grave expression. He crouched beside Oberyn and Ezra, his hands resting heavily on his knees.

"The Sage of Clouds," he said, thoughtfully. "When I was a younger man, I thought he was just a stupid, entitled brat."

Ezra stiffened, bracing for a rebuke.

"But you say he single-handedly stopped that thing from erupting?"

Bree’s father looked up to the top of the mountain. It still smouldered and thick black smoke spilled into the air.

"I’ll tell you kids," he said, his voice deepening. "I’m sure he is still stupid, entitled. He’s caused my family a lot of pain and that, I can’t ever forget. I lost a son because of Rav. My son, who died a hero. And now, nobody remembers he even existed but my family."

Ezra opened his mouth to say something in protest - to defend Rav. But Bree’s father had more to say.

"But today..." The man exhaled, shaking his head. "Today I see him clearly. A man who would give everything he has to protect strangers. That’s who he’s always been. Hmph."

He laid a heavy hand on Ezra’s shoulder.

"He’d better be alive," Bree’s father said. "So I can tell him. Tell him he’s earned my respect."

A soft chime echoed in Ezra’s mind.

[A father’s pain has been eased after many years. +15 Fulfillment Points]

Ezra blinked, a small smile touching his lips. For all the chaos, they were making progress.

"Rav’s going to be okay," Ezra said. Though he wasn’t sure, it’s what he wanted to believe. Rav was...Rav, after all. The Great Sage of the Clouds. The one who defeated the ’God of Storms’. Surely someone who killed a God could survive a little fall...

Ezra took a deep breath. Uncertainty gripped at his throat and churned his stomach. If only there were more he could have done...but he was falling too. If not for Oberyn, he’d certainly have died in all that chaos.

"So, who are you people to Rav and Bree anyway?" the aged Ave asked.

Ezra had a glimmer of light in his eyes, saving him from being swallowed by despair.

[You’re right, Ezra. Rav wouldn’t go down that easily, and Oberyn will be fine - after some rest.]

Ezra nodded. Alcor was right. Now was the time to focus on positive thoughts.

"Who are we to Rav, huh?" Ezra repeated the question, casting his eyes skyward. "Students, I suppose. Or rather...people who had nowhere else to go and nothing to guide them. Maybe we’re charity cases," Ezra chuckled.

"But it’s not about who we are to Rav. It’s...who Rav is to us," he said, his voice growing higher and more confident. "I know you and Rav have a tough history, but the Rav that stopped that mountain from erupting? That’s the only Rav I know. Yeah, he might have a bit of a childish side to him...but Rav’s a hero who would save anyone."

He startled himself as his words brought himself to tears. He was overcome with worry about his dear mentor and friend. The man who made everything possible.

He had Rav to thank for all his strength and all his successes, and he knew it.

It took a moment like this, though, to really appreciate Rav and the role he had in his life. In Oberyn’s.

Rav wasn’t just their hero - it was as the pompous Sage always said. Rav saved the entire world.

"He deserves your respect," Ezra said, his voice full of unwavering conviction. "I mean it."

Bree’s father closed his eyes, soaking in the warmth of the air. It had been unseasonably cold in the northern country, but in the wake of their battle, it finally began to warm.

"Ravager Hale..." he said quietly. "Perhaps you took my words long ago to heart. Perhaps you truly have become the man I knew you could be."

Away from them, and far above, Bree finally caught sight of movement below. A flash of white against the scorched black earth. Rav.

He was sprawled awkwardly in a shallow crater, his clothes torn, his fluffy tail twitching weakly. As Bree landed hard beside him, Rav tried to push himself upright, only to stumble again. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Ugh," Rav groaned, coughing as he grinned up at her through a bloody lip. "A cat always lands on his feet... eventually."

Bree knelt, steadying him under the arm, careful not to jostle him too much.

"You’re an idiot," she muttered, blinking back tears.

"What do you mean!?" Rav snapped, clutching his sides in pain. "I’ll have you know I happen to be the..."

Bree brushed the hair plastered against his forehead from his face and looked down at her, fighting back tears as relief overcame her. Rav was alive and well - well enough, anyway.

"You’ll have to watch that tone," she advised him, a playful hum to her voice. "I’ll have you know my father is right over there, and he’s going to want to chat with you."

With Bree’s help, Rav limped back toward the battered remnants of their little group. The battle was over, but the real fight, Ezra knew, was only just beginning.