Spirits of the Earth

Stepping through the door, Eckhart was immediately taken aback. He hadn't stepped into the hostel's hallway as he expected, instead stepping into a cozy looking bedroom. "W-what?" he stammered out loud. "Where am I?"

"It surprised me the first time too."

Eckhart froze. The voice alone was enough to bring back memories, both good and bad. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he looked in the direction of her voice. His sister stood in the corner of the room, hands behind her back. "Hildegarde..."

The boy met her gaze, then broke it. Emotions surged through him. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he was at a loss how to start. Finally, after a few minutes, he spoke.

"...What on earth are you wearing?"

"Sweet Ansgar, that dress is fucking gaudy. I hope she kept the receipt for that thing."

Hildegarde's heart skipped a beat- it had been years since she'd heard his voice. His apparent disdain for her dress was irksome, but she'd let it slide this time. "I cant fuck this up by being sour with him. I can talk to him about clothes later."

She stepped towards her younger brother apprehensively. "It's my favorite." she said simply. Now standing in front of him she looked up into his eyes. "You're taller than me." she stated, shifting on her feet uncomfortably. "That's... New."

Eckhart's breathing grew sharp as Hildegarde approached him. His heart raced, every emotion he'd been holding back bubbling to the surface. "This isn't happening. I can't deal with this."

"She's been looking out for you, even after everything that happened." a small voice reminded him. "She loves you."

The healer looked down at his sister, unsure of what to do or say. For a brief moment Eckhart raised his arms as if to hug her, but he stopped halfway through the gesture. His arms fell limply to his side, and he looked away. "Yeah." he said quietly. "Last time we were the same height..."

"Damnit, I need to say something."

Swallowing nervously, the boy looked his sister in the eyes. "Are..." he began, his voice shaky. "Are we... Okay?"

Hildegarde nodded hastily. "Yeah." she said breathlessly. "Yeah, we're cool." The girl looked away. "I'm... I have things I need to answer for." she said, sounding unsure of herself.

"How the fuck am I supposed to say this?"

After a moment, Hildegarde straightened up. "Come on." she said, grabbing Eckhart gently by the shoulder. "We shouldn't talk about this in Adelaide's room." With that, she would lead her brother out of the apartment and into the hall.

Eckhart flinched at his sisters touch, panic spreading through him. "Calm down." he told himself. "If she was going to hurt you, she wouldn't need to touch you to do it." Taking a deep breath, Eckhart relaxed his shoulders, allowing himself to be led out of the room.

It was odd. Eckhart had always imagined Hildegarde was living in some kind of palace, and he was taken aback by the dimly lit hallways she was leading him through. "Is this a hotel?" he thought as he and his sister ascended a staircase. "It's so... Dingy."

Finally, his sister opened a door and led him inside. There wasn't much to it- just the bare necessities. She motioned to the couch, and Eckhart gingerly sat down. Hildegarde followed suit, and the two siblings stared at each other, both seemingly at a loss for words.

Hildegarde stared at Eckhart, unsure of where to begin. There were so many things that needed to be said, and the young woman could feel a rising sense of dread. "This is Eckhart." she reminded herself. "He can't do anything to me."

"Unless Kaida was right about him."

Pushing that thought out of her head, Hildegarde forced herself to speak. "I'm sorry. The things I said and did..." The woman's voice shook, as if her life depended on the words she was saying. "... It was wrong. I never should have done those things to you." She looked at her brother, eyes pleading. "Can... Can we start over?"

"Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes."

Eckhart's eyes widened, his mind racing.

"It's an act. She's not sorry." was his first thought. "You cannot believe a word she says."

"Let her back in." was his second thought. "You'll never forgive yourself if you don't."

"Hildegarde is a very violent, angry person." was his third thought. "Do you really want to upset her? It'd be suicide, especially if she's sincere."

Eckhart swallowed, giving his older sister a timid look. "I can't pretend it never happened. Things are never going to go back to how they were." Hildegarde blinked, and Eckhart quickly continued. "I... I really want to fix this, but-" Tears began to roll down the boy's face. "-But we need to be honest with each other, okay?"

Hildegarde's heart fell like a stone. "No no no no no! This can't be happening!" She blinked in disbelief. "It's not fair! I didn't know what I was doing back then, how can he hold it against me?"

Then her brother relented, and started to cry. Hildegarde looked at him, feelings of guilt spreading through her like a poison. "That's how." it occurred to her. "He's worse than when I left him." The gang leader stared at her lap. She genuinely believed that she had changed as a person since she'd left Hyoite, but seeing the fruits of her actions like this was... Humiliating.

"I can't treat my Friends well and my family like shit." she decided. "I need to fix this."

Shifting her position on the couch, Hildegarde wrapped her arms around Eckhart. She tried to put a lot of unsaid emotions into the embrace, hoping her brother would understand. "I'm alright with that." she whispered. "Things will be different from now on. I promise."

She closed her eyes, feeling tears rolling down her cheek. "Everything is going to be okay now."

It wasn't the reaction Eckhart expected. His sister's embrace caught the boy off guard, and he let out a small gasp of fear. "What- what is this? Some kind of trick?"

Then she spoke to him- comforted him- and Eckhart broke. He clumsily returned the embrace, tears falling like rain. "I- I'm sorry..." he sobbed, arms wrapped tightly around his sisters body. His voice shook uncontrollably. "I-I really m-missed you Hilda..."

Tears began to fall freely from Hildegarde's face, causing her mascara to run. "I missed you too Ecks." she said softly. She sniffled, pulling away from the embrace. "I want you to stay here with me until Spider and his gang have been crushed." she said, looking her brother in the eyes. "It's the only way I know you'll be safe."

"I'm never letting you out if my sight again, Ecks. I never should have left you behind."

Eckhart wiped his nose on his sleeve. "O-okay..." he said shakily. It was clear that the boy was trying to regain his composure, but it wasn't working out for him too well. His nose was running, and his eyes were red and puffy. "Wait... Does that mean they're still after me?"

"Why? Why is it always me?"

Hildegarde nodded apologetically. "Yeah." she said softly. "From what my spy has told me, the assassin named Wasp has gone rogue and is obsessed with killing you or something." Upon seeing the look on her brother's face, Hildegarde immediately switched gears. "Don't worry! I'll have her killed in no time."

"Okay, let's talk about something else."

Hildegarde clasped her hands together. "So!" she said enthusiastically. "Tell me about this kitty of yours. I never took you for a cat person, I always thought you wanted a seal."

Eckhart's heart began to race, mouth thinning. "Sweet Ansgar, why?" The boy's mind began to race, different scenarios involving the assassin playing out in his head. "What if she follows me here? I don't want Hildegarde to be put in danger because of me!"

His sisters reassurance snapped him out of it. "Come on Eckhart, remember who your sister is. Wasp wouldn't be able to beat her- not even the dragon could do that."

Then Hildegarde asked about his cat- which was odd, because he wasn't sure how she knew about that. "Then again, I'm not sure how she knew the exact room I was staying in either..." Eckhart sniffled. "Um, well she's actually my familiar..." he began. "Her name is Belladonna, and I'm helping her to rescue her old master's soul from an evil faery guy because they wanted forbidden knowledge and they didn't know that they had to pay for it." 

Eckhart looked away, feeling embarrassed. "There really is no way I can explain that without sounding crazy, huh?"

Hildegarde stared blankly at her brother. "Wait, wait." she said, motioning with her hands for the boy to stop. "What? So, does she still have forbidden knowledge? Do you have forbidden knowledge now? Like, you gotta explain this to me better, okay?"

Eckhart went red in the face. "Um, yes. Both me and her have forbidden knowledge now. She wrote it all down in a book for somebody to find, and that somebody was me. So, I, uh, have to help her now..."

Eckhart paused. "Um... Wait, so, where am I going to be staying? Cats are allowed in the building, right? Bella will kill me if she doesn't have a bed to sleep on..."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it." Hildegarde said, waving her hand dismissively. "You'll be downstairs, Room 108. I imagine Addie's getting your stuff from Maestoso as we speak."

"That doorstop was literally the greatest birthday present I've ever given somebody."

"Now, tell me more about this tome of forbidden knowledge." she said, getting slightly impatient. "What kind of information is in it?"

"I never got forbidden knowledge. What makes you so special?"

Eckhart nodded, relieved. "So, this is like a hotel. That's good to hear." His brows furrowed. "Gosh, I hope Bella is okay with staying here a while. I don't want her to get mad..."

Hildegarde's sudden fixation on Maladies caught him off-guard- but at the same time, it wasn't unexpected. "You're jealous of me, aren't you? You haven't changed as much as I thought..."

"It's all herbal remedies. Like, I can cure lycanthropy with strawberries and thyme now." The boy's eyes narrowed. "Pretty useful thing for me to have, all things considered."

For the briefest moment, Hildegarde looked shocked. She regained her composure almost immediately, and smiled sweetly at her brother. "That's great!" she said enthusiastically. "That must give you a real edge over other healers, huh?"

"Stupid. I can't be bitter, that will drive him away from me. No, I gotta be supportive."

"You know, I bet Alderon and Taza would love to see that book!" Hildegarde said excitedly. "Oh, I cannot wait to introduce you to everybody!"

Eckhart was utterly taken aback by his sisters acceptance. "Oh..." he thought, feeling rather silly. "I guess she's not jealous..." He smiled, nodding. "Yeah! I mean my powers have grown a little bit too. I can mess with the nervous system now!"

"You suck at that power though." a voice in his head reminded him. "Don't sell yourself too well."

Scratching his head, Eckhart laughed softly. "Hahaha, well, I'd need to ask Bella if it's okay for them to read it, but sure!" He gave his sister an odd look. "Um... How long to you think it will take to kill Wasp?"

"Oh, pffft, no time at all." Hildegarde said dismissively. "A week maybe?"

"You're never leaving, Ecks. You'll make too many friends, your heart won't be able to take it."

Hildegarde beamed at her brother. "Now, nerves are neat, but I need to know..." The woman leaned in closer to her brother. "Can you fix broken bones yet?"

"I'm going to act super proud of him when he says yes." she told herself, smiling inwardly. "I gotta make up for all the years I spent harping on him not being able to do it."

Just when he thought his sister had changed, she did it again. Eckhart's heart sank like a stone, and he pulled away from Hildegarde angrily. "I can't." he said bitterly. "You know that."

The healer looked at his sister, his gaze cold. "Do you enjoy hurting me? Is that the real reason you brought me here?"

Hildegarde's eyes widened. "No..." she said softly. "No, please..." The gang leader's breath grew shallow, and she buried her face into her hands. "Ecks please, I didn't- I didn't know..."

"I can't lose him! He's too important!"

She looked up at her brother, an apologetic grimace on her face. "I- I just thought it had been so long that- that you must have figured it out!" she said a bit too loudly. "I'm sorry! Just... just..." Hildegarde's eyes began to water. "Kaida told me-"

"Kaida told you what?" Eckhart yelled. "That I'm not really a healer? That she wants me to surpass you? What the fuck did she say?"

Hildegarde stood up, shocked by her brother's change in demeanor. "I... What? No!" she yelled back. "She told me you had were stronger than I thought you were! Never anything about surpassing me! Where are you getting this from?"

Eckhart folded his arms, now feeling unsure of himself. "She visited me a few months ago. She said you two were working together, I just... Kinda figured you knew..."

The boy looked at his feet. "Sweet Ansgar, I'm really sorry I yelled..."

Hildegarde sighed, letting her shoulders relax. 'Don't be. Honestly... I kinda deserved it." She shook her head, sitting back down next to Eckhart. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and gripped his hand in hers. "Did... She hurt you?"

"I told that scaly cunt to stay away from him! She is so getting chlorine'd next time I see her!"

Eckhart held his sister's hand, glad for the comfort it brought. "No, she didn't hurt me."

"Except when I asked her to." the healer reminded himself. "She seemed to enjoy that..."

"She just wanted to... Train me? Or something?" Eckhart sighed. "I got her to leave eventually, I got upset and threw a pot at her..." The boy gripped his sisters hand tighter. "I've had nightmares where she comes back and kills me."

Hildegarde stared at her brother, a grin spreading across her face. "Wait, you threw a pot at her? And then she ran away?" What had been silent laughter became giggling as the woman imagined the scene in her head. "Holy shit, that is too funny!"

Speaking through her nose, Hildegarde put on a passable impression of Kaida's voice. "Wait! Just let me corrupt you! Don't throw kitchenware at me, that's my only weakness!" She threw back her head in laughter. "Hahaha! Oh my god Ecks, that is the greatest thing I've heard all month!"

Eckhart tried and failed to hold back his laughter. Doubling over, the boy snickered madly. "Ahahaha! Sweet Ansgar, you sound exactly like her!" he said, nearly running out of breath. "But- but you need to do the body language too!"

Eckhart forced himself to stop laughing, and gave his sister a crazed grin. He tilted his head to the side. "Now Hildegarde, I may be an all-powerful dragon, yes. However, spending time with healers and interrogating them on one-time patients is not beneath me in the slightest." the boy said in a high pitched, nasally voice. He tilted his head even farther. "You're misremembering things Cranberry, I never tried to kill you. Now, believe me when I tell you that you don't have healing magic."

Eckhart straightened his neck, grinning. "That's how you do Kaida."

By the time Eckhart had finished, Hildegarde was in hysterics. She sunk into the couch, chest heaving. "Oh god Ecks, you gotta stop!" she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I- I can't breath!" 

"Oh yeah... I don't actually need to breathe, do I?"

Still snickering, she punched her brother on the shoulder affectionately. "Eckhart, this is gonna sound stupid and shit but..." She looked the younger boy in the eyes. "I'm proud of you, man. Not everybody can say they've scared away a dragon."

Eckhart pulled an ornate looking pouch out of his pocket, grinning. "I stole her wallet too."

Hildegarde ran her hand through her hair, a stupefied grin on her face. "Wow. I'm... Wow." She blinked, looking at the coin purse. "Ecks, that is awesome. I haven't been this impressed since I found out Terry punched a-"

"Terry."

Hildegarde abruptly stood up. "Ohmygod!" she cried. "I'm supposed to be on a date with Terrence right now!"

"I can't let him think I forgot him! He'd never look at me the same way again!"

Eckhart's eyes lit up as he quickly got out of his seat. "You have a boyfriend? Hilda, that's great!" He paused. "Um... You have some..." Eckhart motioned around his eyes. "Uh, your mascara..."

Hildegarde gasped and quickly went to check in her mirror. "Fuck!" she yelled. "It took me an hour to get ready! I don't have time to re-apply it!"

The woman stormed into her bedroom, grabbing a damp cloth she had used while bathing that morning, and wiped off her face. Walking back into the living room, she looked into the mirror again. "I guess I'll just have to make do without it." She threw back her head. "Sweet Ansgar, this is awful!"

"Nonono! Hilda, you look great!" Eckhart said hurriedly. "Now go! You're already late!"

"Oh Ansgar, this is so exciting! I wonder how long they've been going out for?"

The boy shooed his sister out the door. "Go!"

Hildegarde turned to look at her brother before walking out the door. "Ecks, stay here. I'll have somebody here in a bit so you don't have to be by yourself, okay?" She gave the boy a hug, squeezing him tightly. "I promise we'll talk more when I get back, okay?"

Eckhart returned the hug, grinning wildly. "It's really good to have you back, Hilda..." He broke the embrace, and shoved his sister out the door and into the hallway. "But you need to go or you'll be late!"

"Alright, I'm going!" Hildegarde laughed. She shot her brother one last smile. "I'll talk to you later Ecks!"

With that, Hildegarde would run down the stairs. "Oh fuck, oh fuck! I can't believe I forgot Terry! I'm an awful person!"

The woman stopped in front of Room 215, poking her head through the door. "Yo Alderon!" she yelled. "Go hang out with my kid brother, he's in my room!" Not waiting for a response, Hildegarde would rush out of the building.

"I'm gonna do it today. After this fuck-up, I owe it to him."