#destiny drones

“Go on and take your leisure,” Baba Yaga instructed. “You’ve earned it. Don’t stray too far though. Don’t leave the Spiral. We’ll be in touch soon enough.”

“Alright,” Destiny answered, head still spinning. She had been expecting instructions along those lines. Back to “normal,” for now. She turned back to her companions as Baba Yaga retreated to her office and Fitzhume returned to his desk. Destiny stood surrounded by Mellori, Myrna, and Catherine, and she knew they weren't all returning to the same place. “I guess this is where we split up,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness. 

“Are you okay, DreamWielder?” Catherine asked, concerned as she always was. Destiny was often rather shaken up after a quest, and usually asked her best friend to stick around for a while to discuss everything.

“I’m actually doing alright. I know we saved the entire Spiral again, but honestly I was more freaked when Myrna almost punched the Empress.” (Catherine laughed at that, while Myrna huffed.) “You should go talk to Alhazred. Give the Order of the Fang an update. I’m sure they’ll call us back here soon, let’s be normal for now. I’m gonna go get all my things from my dorm. I was supposed to do that before we left.”

“About that,” Myrna interjected. After months at home, her accent was even stronger than it was when Destiny first met her. “I’ll be collecting my things and saying my goodbyes as well. Tarrack agreed to take me on as a student once again, and I am needed in Polaris. I cannot be around Ravenwood anymore, anyway. Knowing that Professor Drake and Headmaster Ambrose lied to me all these years, I can’t stand it.”

Destiny’s heart sank a little. She'd known when she'd graduated that things were going to begin changing, but she hadn’t realized it would be so soon. “That sounds really great, Myr. I’ll miss you, though. And you’re telling Shawna, not me.”

“Of course,” Myrna responded. The usually stoic Polarian had tears forming in her eyes, and they all fell quiet.

Catherine took the silence as an opportunity to say her goodbyes. She hugged Destiny tightly, and promised to come see her the next day. Then she turned to the others. “Mellori, it was an honor adventuring with you! Good luck at Ravenwood, I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” She offered her hand, and Mellori shook it with a smile of her own.

“Looking forward to it,” the younger girl responded with a grin.

“Myrna, it was really nice to see you again, I hope this won’t be the last time. And honestly, I think you’ll do incredible things for your people. You’re their lost princess, I saw the hope you brought them.” Catherine held up her arms gingerly, unsure if Myrna would accept a hug.

The Thaumaturge allowed it, embracing the Sorcerer briefly. “Thank you, Catherine. I hope to see you again as well.”

Catherine gave Destiny one last hug before leaving the group for the world door, pulling out a key and stepping through to Krokotopia.

“Mellori, come on,” Destiny beckoned as she turned back to her remaining friends. “We’ll bring you to Ravenwood.”

“I don’t need a chaperone,” Mellori groaned, crossing her arms in annoyance.

“We’re going back there anyway, and you should be introduced to everyone properly. Seems like Baba Yaga has already spoken to Ambrose, so we’ll bring you right to Mr Lincoln and then Professor Wu. And we’ll introduce you to Shawna and Neela. I'm not chaperoning you, I’m being a friend.”

“Okay, I guess that doesn’t sound terrible,” Mellori agreed sheepishly, and the three of them followed Catherine’s path to the world door.

They ascended the platform, and Destiny reached into her satchel and pulled out the correct spiral key. She inserted it into the lock and opened the door, gesturing for the others to go first. They stepped out into Bartleby, and Destiny frowned, seeing the dead leaves scattered around the floor of his chamber. An odd, tingly pit formed in her stomach. Something felt…off. She could tell he’d gotten worse.

When they stepped outside, she could hear the great tree groaning. She couldn't understand him, but she was distracted by Shawna before she could stop to try. The fairy was hovering in front of Bartleby and chatting with Arthur Wethersfield, but she looked up at the sight of her friends emerging.

“Destiny! Myrna! How was Polaris? Who’s this? I’m Shawna, I’m a Theurgist! And a fairy. I’m from Avalon. Where are you from?”

Destiny laughed at her friend’s familiarly fast speech. She and Myrna both embraced the third member of their trio eagerly. “We missed you, Shawna,” Destiny smiled. “This is Mellori, she’s from Polaris as well, and she’s come here to study Theurgy.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mellori added, offering a hand.

Shawna grabbed it and shook it enthusiastically. “Alright! That’s amazing! Let’s go see Moolinda! She’ll be glad to meet you!”

“Mr Lincoln first,” Destiny interjected. “She has to fill out the paperwork.”

“You do that,” Myrna smiled weakly, her resolve clearly weakened by seeing her best friend again. “I must return to my dorm.”

Destiny nodded. “I’ll send her your way when we’re done,” she whispered. Myrna gave a small smile before leaving.

Shawna waved goodbye as she led Mellori to where Mr Lincoln stood, explaining Ravenwood to the new girl like she once had to Destiny. Mellori listened intently as she filled out the consent and allergy forms, and snipped off a lock of her hair. As soon as they were done, Shawna immediately guided Mellori over to the Life School before Mr Lincoln could even finish his welcome speech.

Destiny half listened to Shawna’s continued explanation as she followed. Shawna GoldHeart and Abby Doodle each had signature RA welcome speeches that worked very well, but they both gave the same one every time. And as much as Destiny loved her friend, she could only listen to the same speech so many times. As her mind wandered, she considered all that she had to get done before she was inevitably summoned again. Besides fully leaving Ravenwood, she had to catch up with Neela, at the very least. But she made a note to go visit Alia as well. The Diviner would definitely want to meet Qyburn, both as a scholar of Astral magic, and as a fellow Celestian. Most of all, though, Destiny really wanted to find Malorn. She hadn’t spoken to him at all since her graduation, even though she had really intended to seek him out before leaving for Polaris. Everything he’d said to her had broken her heart, and his promise to wait for her had remained at the top of her mind. Now, she really needed to see him, both because he was one of her best friends, and because she was realizing that she wanted to be more than that.

She’d had a crush on him for years now. Ever since he'd picked her up and spun her around in circles when she came home with the Spiral Cup all those years ago. She’d been thirteen going on fourteen, he’d been fifteen, and she’d suddenly begun to see him in a brand new light. Destiny had largely been able to ignore her feelings, though Catherine heard all about them on many sleepless nights in foreign worlds. Destiny had, in turn, happily listened to Catherine talk about her own crush back in Krokotopia, Tiye. 

After a moment, she realized talking to Malorn was her easiest goal. Under the pretense of saying “hi” to Ivan, Destiny walked out farther past the Life School for a moment, craning her neck to look around to the Death School’s chasm. She spotted him conducting class with a number of apprentices. She’d talk to him as soon as she could, but for now she led her friends inside.

Destiny was the one to introduce Mellori to Professor Wu, and she was glad to see that Mellori seemed to perk up as the conversation continued and she saw she would not be stuck in with the novices. Instead, she’d be assessed and placed in the correct classes for her skill level. Moolinda seemed to take a liking to Mellori, and dismissed the older girls so she could talk more with her new student. Shawna looked excited to start the typical barrage of questions Destiny always answered after returning from a quest, but Destiny stopped her.

“Is Neela around?” she asked first. “I think she and Mellori will get along.”

“Oh I wish! They totally will, won’t they? But no, she’s off in the Sunken City. She’s collecting samples and stuff for Dworgyn. I offered to come, but she said she wanted to fight the Grub herself. She’ll be back tomorrow. But I can’t wait! Tell me all about Polaris! Mellori said you totally saved the world!”

“I’ll explain everything, but you need to talk to Myrna first. She has some big news, and you should hear it from her.”

Shawna frowned, a rare expression for her. “Okay,” she agreed, dropping down to her feet from her previously fluttering wings. Destiny watched her head back to the dorms, knowing they'd have to face the reality of their trio splitting up sooner rather than later. She was not looking forward to it.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by another familiar voice. “Dez!” it called, and Destiny smiled. She turned back towards it and saw Malorn running right for her. He nearly knocked her over with the force of his hug, catching her off guard for once. Usually the bells on his hat let her know he was nearby.

“Hi,” she giggled, holding on to him tightly for stability’s sake. And also because she was very glad to see him. “I missed you. I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye, as soon as Myrna heard ‘Polaris’ she was ready to go.”

“It’s okay, Dez, really,” he murmured in her ear before pulling back slightly, still not letting go of her. “Don’t apologize for saving us yet again. And I figured as much when I heard her screaming at Cyrus about the key.”

“Yeah. She’s decided to move back permanently. She’s packing up her dorm now. I’ve gotta do the same.”

“Are you sure you’re up to that right now?” he asked, concerned, and she faltered. 

She wasn’t, she realized. Myrna was packing up to go back home, but that dorm was all Destiny had ever known as home. In the orphanage, she’d shared a room with ten other girls and had almost no possessions of her own. It had been the only home she’d known for eleven long years, but it had never really been hers. Her dorm and all she’d acquired to decorate it were the first things that had ever fully belonged to her. She had gold saved up, so she could buy a house. But all of a sudden, the realization that she had to leave her first real home was setting in, and she began to cry.

Malorn quickly reached up and wiped her tears away. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to do it right away. Let’s go back to my place. You kind of look like you need a nap.”

“Are you sure?” she sniffed, trying to hold her voice steady. “I mean, I can just go back to my dorm. I can sleep there”

“Dez,” he said softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear and cupping her cheek. Her heart melted a little. He'd always called her that, and he’d always been the only one who did. “I told you at your graduation that I’d be here for you. Here I am. C’mon, let me do this for you. I’ll make us some food, too. Seriously, I’m happy to.”

“Okay,” she sniffed and grabbed his hand tightly. She’d realized that she absolutely did not want to let go of him. He led her gently towards the tunnel to the Commons, on the way to Olde Town. Destiny ducked her head as everyone they passed stared at her. She hated her reputation, and hated the way everyone seemed to revere her. Everyone called her a hero, sure, and she was proud of what she’d done for the most part, but all she’d ever wanted was to fit in. When she’d first enrolled, she’d thought she finally would, but as soon as she became Ambrose’s favorite student, that dream was dashed. And even in the Spiral, her eyes and her visions still set her apart.

Malorn didn't treat her differently, though. He never had. He’d always been kind to her, and he’d always understood her. Even now, he just guided her down the familiar route to his apartment, unlocking the door and leading her inside. He led her to his bedroom without a second thought and pulled back the rumpled covers, finally releasing her hand. Her own hand felt empty now. “Sleep please, Dez,” he begged. “You’re crashing right now, I can tell.”

She couldn't argue, so she unlaced her boots, pulled off her satchel and coat, piled them on a chair with her staff, and climbed into his bed at his insistence. His sheets smelled like him, fresh grave dirt and the Wisterian cologne he’d taken a liking to after she’d gotten him a bottle as a souvenir. She closed her eyes and slipped into slumber quickly, not noticing his smile as he watched her drift off.

Dreams came, as they always did, but these ones were bad. She saw flashes of Malistaire stealing Bartleby’s eye, of the great tree’s roots drying up, and of a grove of smaller white trees that had already died, floating in the aethyr. She saw herself standing in the grove, growing roots from her feet and branches from her arms, surrounded by dead husks of all the school trees. Raven looked over the scene with a disapproving glare.

Destiny began to panic, until suddenly a voice called and she was startled awake. “Destiny, it’s okay! You were having a nightmare.”

She opened her eyes with a start to see Malorn crouched down to her eye level, his hand on her shoulder. It was dark outside the window, and he’d taken off his own shoes, hat, and outer layers. She could smell something cooking.

Realizing her cheeks were wet, Destiny sat up quickly, wiping her eyes and pushing back her now horribly tangled curls. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them as she breathed heavily. “I’m fine. I have them a lot,” she admitted. “They’re like my visions, but they’re not always as literal. The dreams are usually more symbolic of something coming or that’s already happened, but the visions show me events exactly as they play out.”

Malorn sat down on the bed as well, looking at her sympathetically. “That sounds pretty terrifying,” he offered with a frown. 

She snorted. “Yeah. I’ve had them since I was a kid back on Earth. They weren’t so clear back then, since there wasn’t much mana, but they still made me weird. I was so excited when I came here and thought I had an explanation, but I’m still a freak. No one else has these visions, and no one knows why I do.”

“Hey, you’re not a freak. I’ve always thought your visions were cool. You’re powerful, that’s all.”

“I never wanted to be powerful. I just wanted to be normal. But everyone’s always known I’m not. They pick me out and tear me apart for it. Like, when I was a kid, I had this crush on a boy at school, and I thought he liked me, too. But one time, when I thought he was gonna kiss me under the slide, he rolled his eyes back in his head and started screaming. He was making fun of me. That’s how everyone treated me. It’s not much better coming here and having everyone still think my visions are weird, and being scared of me, or jealous that I’m Ambrose’s pet.”

She’d brought up her feelings about the subject to Malorn before, but never in depth like this. Destiny looked up and met his eyes, half expecting him to look confused or annoyed. She knew she should be grateful for being naturally gifted, but she really just wanted to be like everyone else. At this point, though, she knew full well that would never happen. 

The only thing in Malorn’s eyes, however, was kindness. He was quiet for a moment, thinking, before he began to speak. “There’s this girl who was here before you. Her name was Maria CloudCoin. She was a Diviner, and I had the biggest crush on her years ago, back before Malistaire left. Right after he did, everyone was really suspicious of his students. I mean, you saw some of it, but it was even worse early on. And she really, really thought we were going to follow in his footsteps. Right after Ambrose asked me to start teaching everyone who didn’t move to independent study, she marched right up to me and said she knew that I was recruiting new students to be in Malistaire’s evil army. She smacked me, right there in Ravenwood, and she got in really big trouble with Cyrus. I think he got her expelled. But after that, people still seemed to take her accusations seriously. Most people are over it now, and they all seem to like me well enough, but I still have to explain myself sometimes, especially since Duncan left. And I’m glad that I have this job. I like teaching young students. But I still feel like I’m carrying all this weight on my shoulders just to still be called evil. I know it’s not the same, but… I get it Dez, you know? And you never have to apologize for how you feel. Not to me.”

Destiny’s tears returned as she listened to Malorn’s story. She lowered her knees to sit cross-legged, reaching out her hands to take his. “I’m sorry, Malorn. I didn’t realize you were still dealing with that.”

“It’s not really common anymore, mostly thanks to you. People generally seem to like me now, I think. They like you, too. They’re just a little intimidated.”

Destiny sighed. “Of course they like you, you’re amazing. I don’t think they’ll come around the same way for me.”

“Sure they will. One day, everyone’s going to recognize all the amazing things I’ve always seen in you." 

“Well, thank you. I hope you’re right,” she responded simply, beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by Malorn’s confidence in her good qualities.

“I know I am,” he grinned. “They will come around. And not just because you’re beautiful, because according to Neela that’s a part of why everyone came around on me. I don’t think that’s fully true, though.”

This caught Destiny completely off guard. “You think I’m beautiful?”

“I don’t just think you’re beautiful, Dez,” he remarked so casually she thought she might die, “It's an objective fact.”

Destiny let out a high pitched laugh, trying to cover how fast her heart was beating. “Thank you for saying that, if it’s true. But what do you mean about Neela?” 

She knew exactly what he meant. Malorn was really cute, and all the novices noticed it. Neela had mentioned her classmates being jealous of Destiny and Malorn’s friendship, and Destiny had personally observed plenty of young students attempting to flirt with him. But she hadn’t realized Malorn knew about all that.

“I meant that Neela told me there are some kids that choose to be Necromancers because they think I’m cute. But seriously, I think she’s just messing with me.”

“No,” Destiny sighed, “she’s right. I’ve seen it too. It makes sense, you are really cute.”

Malorn’s tan cheeks tinged with pink, and she realized they’ve just made their position rather compromising. “Really?” he asked, suddenly very awkward, and Destiny buried her face in her palms to hide her own blush.

“Yeah, of course,” she responded, though it’s garbled a little by her hands. “You’ve got that mysterious vibe, you know? And you are good-looking.” She finally looked up to see him grinning like an idiot.

“You think so? You’re not messing with me?”

She rolled her eyes and moved again, sitting up on her knees. “Of course not. I have eyes. And I know you. How come I’m supposed to just accept that I’m beautiful, but you don’t believe you’re cute?”

He laughed, and seemed to speak before he could catch himself. “Because I and everyone else in the world have eyes, too. But I’m trying to figure out if I'm cute enough that you wouldn’t mind if I-” he cut himself off, looking embarrassed.

“If you what?” she asked, breathless as her heart skipped a beat.

“If I kissed you,” he said finally, breaking her gaze. “I’m sorry, Dez, I made it weird.”

Destiny's brain went blank. She could only stare at Malorn for a moment as she slowly processed that he was harboring the same feelings for her that she felt for him. As it finally clicked in her mind, she immediately reached up to touch his cheek. “Actually,” she began shyly, “I’d really like it if you kissed me right now.”

He instantly looked up at her, searching her eyes to make sure she was serious. When he saw that she was, he quickly leaned forward to capture her lips with his, one hand beside her on the mattress for balance as the other cupped her jaw. Her hands found their way to his jaw as well, and she smiled as she kissed him back enthusiastically.

When they finally broke the kiss, she couldn't do anything but stare into his eyes, an uncontrollable smile on her face. He seemed much the same, planting another brief kiss on her lips.

“Stay the night here,” he offered. “I made varenyky, like you showed me a few months ago. It’s all ready. And tomorrow, I’ll help you clean out your dorm. But you really deserve to just rest, and relax.”

“Oh, Malorn,” she sighed, “thank you.” She was a little overwhelmed by his care. Varenyky, cooked just like the nuns made it, had always been her favorite food, especially when she was upset. She’d shown him how to make it a little while after her defeat of Morganthe, when he’d wanted to help her cope with her guilt over Azteca and everything else. She was honored he’d remembered how to make it. 

“I really appreciate it,” she continued, “but I don’t want to impose on you. You don't have to always take care of me or anything.” She wasn’t quite sure how they stood. Was he offering out of obligation? Did he really want her to stay? Were they still just friends, or did he also want to be something more? She felt like she had to clarify. If she assumed, she could ruin everything.

“Destiny,” he snorted, taking a hold of her hands, “I offered. I told you I’m here for you, and I mean it. I like taking care of you, and I know you’d do the same for me. You’ll have to get used to this if we’re going to… well you know.”

“If we’re going to what?” she asked, her stomach fluttering. She really hoped she knew where this was going.

“Well, I’d like to ask you to be my girlfriend. And I was really hoping you’d say yes. But if you do, you’ll definitely have to get used to me taking care of you when you need it.”

Destiny beamed. She couldn't help it. “Okay, fine. I accept your terms, Ashthorn.”

Destiny had only ever heard stories of Sylvia Drake. Of course, she’d been on a mission to defeat the woman’s husband for over a year, so that had obviously led to a few run-ins with him. But Sylvia was a mysterious figure, known only to Destiny through the recollections of Shawna and the other residents of Wizard City. Still, she felt wrong raiding the late Professor Drake’s tomb to trap her spirit in a tiny little crystal. If her whole quest was to stop Malistaire’s mad plan to resurrect her, shouldn’t Destiny also let her rest?

But Cyrus was her professor, the adult in charge, and Sylvia’s brother-in-law, so she followed his instructions dutifully, ignoring the uneasy feeling in her stomach. Catherine stayed behind at Cyrus’s order. He didn't trust the younger girl with anything, especially not Sylvia’s spirit.

As she took the portal to the Necropolis, Destiny felt the spirits of Old Dragonspyre calling to her, begging to be heard, making every step she took heavier. She’d never been in a Spiral World so full of history and death, and her visions were becoming more and more frequent because of it. She could feel the stories swirling in the air, and she was too afraid to ask Cyrus if he could too, if that was the real reason why he wouldn't venture past the Basilica. 

She battled her way through the tomb’s defenses on autopilot, summoning familiar monsters to dispense with the hostile ones, until she reached the top floor. Her head ached as she gazed upon the coffin, and as she stepped forward she saw a dark figure appear. A final defense, she assumed, until it spoke.

“Malistaire?” the figure called, and Destiny’s blood ran cold. “Is that you? Have you come for me? It’s so cold here...so dark, and I’m so alone...”

That was not the voice of a spirit tasked with guarding a tomb. Destiny had never heard it before, but she knew the voice was Sylvia’s. The figure looked up at her, and its eyes began to burn. 

“You’re not my Malistaire!” it screeched, “What have you done to him?! I won’t harm him... You’ll never get me to betray my beloved husband!”

The wraith lunged at her, attacking ferociously as Destiny desperately fought back. It felt so wrong to hurt this… this thing that used to be Sylvia, but she had to. Their duel raged on until Destiny finally dispelled her guilt and summoned a great Orthrus to defeat the wraith. It worked, and she watched, relieved, as the darkness rushed out of the figure and Sylvia’s true spirit was left standing. 

The relief turned to fear, however, when she realized where the darkness was headed. It slammed into her, and she could feel it coursing through her as the magic within her swelled up to greet it.

She blinked, and found herself in a lovely Wizard City home, one she’d only ever seen from the outside when older students pointed it out. The Drake house. The master bedroom, specifically, with its curtains half drawn and a dying Sylvia Drake nestled in the bed. A version of Malistaire Destiny had only seen in portraits sat beside it, tears streaming down his face as he held his wife’s hand. Headmaster Ambrose stood on the other side, muttering under his breath and performing spell after spell in an attempt to heal her. Destiny sensed that she was watching time progress quickly, that this scene played out for weeks, perhaps even months, on end, and she wished desperately to leave. This was private. She had no right to be watching.

Time seemed to even out, and Sylvia looked awful. Her face was pale and sunken in, and her whole body was constantly being wracked by her horrible, hacking cough. The circles beneath Malistaire’s eyes were just as dark as his wife’s, and he looked terrible. Ambrose finally lowered his hands, great fear sadness in his eyes. 

“There’s nothing more I can do, Malistaire,” he whispered, “her time has come. I’ll give you privacy for...” he paused, choking up. “For her...her last moments.”

The headmaster left, tears disappearing into his thick beard, and Sylvia stopped a now furious Malistaire from following. 

“My love,” she rasped, “he’s right. You and I know better than anyone that these are forces we cannot overcome.”

Malistaire sobbed, holding his wife’s now boney hands tightly in his own, “I love you my darling, I’ll fix this. I’ll bring you back.”

“No,” she coughed, “Malistaire no, let me go. No one can overcome death. Just be with me now.”

He pressed his head to hers, and she smiled, closing her eyes. Destiny looked away, tears in her own eyes as she listened to Sylvia breathe her final labored breaths. The room was silent - Why isn’t this horrible vision over? - and Destiny slowly turned back to see Malistaire shaking with grief and rage.

“I am the Master of Death, I will bring you back, my love. We will be together again,” he vowed, and the vision began to dissipate.

Blinking again, Destiny found herself back in Sylvia’s tomb. Immediately, she collapsed to the floor under the weight of what she was just forced to witness. Shaking with tears and fear, overwhelmed by the unfair events she’d been thrust into, and the responsibility she’d been given, she remained there until she could breathe properly again. 

Sylvia’s ghost stood over her, looking concerned. Destiny stared at her. How could this healthy and rosy woman be the same one she just saw die? 

“Are you alright, dear?” Sylvia asked, and Destiny couldn't answer. She could only gaze at the ghost with sadness and remorse as she reached out with the knowledge crystal Cyrus gave her and captured the spirit within it. A strange badge fell to the ground, and Destiny pocketed it mindlessly alongside the crystal that she refused to think about. 

She remained on her knees in the tomb for a few moments more, attempting to push everything down and come back to the task at hand. Finally, she wiped her cheeks and rose, turning around to return to Cyrus. She knew she couldn't tell him what she just saw, and focused on planning what she’d say instead. The little things were all that kept her from losing her mind.