Once more…

Once more...

His sword slipped from his shaking hands. The blade pierced the earth inches from the head of the Titan King.

The old geezer's good eye still burned with rage. Even now, everything below his neck was growing back.

"Again?" The man in the armour groaned.

Despite his fatigue and wounds, he found the energy to cave in the King's skull with his boot. Just in case, he stomped on it again and it finally turned to ash. Satisfied, he recalled the directions he'd been given.

"Highest hill in a sea of gold..." said the man in armour.

The songs and myths didn't do this place justice. Endless fields of golden wheat. Clean air. A cloudless purple sky. Weaving through falling stars, shimmering whales let out lethargic groans.

It was fantastical and exotic, and he hated it.

Spotting the biggest hill, he started to move again.

Every step tested his patience.

The soft earth clung to his boots, loose sand getting between his toes somehow. His armour grew heavier the higher up the hill he went. The whale cries were obnoxious, and the smell of wheat reminded him how far away from home he was.

This is paradise to some people? Seriously?

Despite his gripes, he didn't dare stop walking. The thought didn't even occur to him. One foot in front of the other and repeat. That was all that mattered. The hilltop was all that mattered.

Because she was there.

Legs quaking with effort and sweat matting his clothes to his skin, he finally reached the top.

Gasping for air, he lifted his gaze.

Countless falling stars streaked across the never-ending void and plummeted to the horizon. The twisted branches of a truly massive tree clawed at the sky as if try and catch them. Its bark was bleached white enough to glow in the light and its star-shaped leaves were the darkest black.

Watching them drift down towards the ground, he discarded his helmet. He then spread his arms and sucked in a breath.

"I... made it!" he shouted to the heavens.

His voice swept over the swaying fields, carried by winds. Letting the echoes sweep over him, he smirked.

"In your face... you damn... fantasy world..."

Eyes heavy under the burden of exhaustion, he gave in and let himself fall.

Expecting the hard impact of the ground, he was surprised when hands caught him and gently laid him down. Carefully, as if he were a precious object, his head was lifted and placed on something soft.

When he opened his eyes, she was there.

Brown skin caught the golden glow of the fields. Black hair flowed like ink and tumbled off her shoulders. Clothed in a sleeveless sundress, she observed him with those amber eyes as he rested in her lap. Concern and surprise were etched into her perfect features.

The wind blew. The scent of cedarwood and lavender wafted off her. It was lovely. It was soothing.

His irritation dissipated right away.

Lost in it, he was silent for longer than he meant to be.

"You really crossed over... You must be insane," she murmured.

He reached up with fingers clad in the iron of his gauntlet. As he caressed her cheek, a wonderful smile blossomed over her face. He returned that smile... and sharply flicked her forehead.

She yelped and reeled back, howling in pain.

"I come all this way and that's the first thing you say to me? There was a titan horde down there. Not an army. Not a mob. A horde. And before that there were the hellfire monks. Hellfire. Do you have any idea-"

She silenced him with a hand over his mouth. Glaring, she then pinched his nose closed with her other hand.

He flailed wildly, struggling for air.

"Harming a maiden's face... you clearly desire death. I'll grant it to you." His struggles increased but she kept her grip strong. "Regret your decision in the after-"

Screaming suddenly, she leapt to her feet as if stung. His head hit the ground and he groaned in pain.

She frantically wiped her palm on her dress.

"You licked me!" she screeched.

"My life was on the line!"

"You wouldn't have died! Just passed out for a bit!"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Wait. Let's just... This is supposed to be our reunion, right? I expected this to be, I don't know, more romantic or something."

She nodded slowly. "Romance sounds appropriate. Whispering sweet nothings and all that."

"That. That's the stuff. That's how I pictured this going down."

"... Then why did you flick me?"

"... This place sucks. I was annoyed."

"This is a literal paradise. A garden of the divines. Mortals write songs about his place."

He snorted.

"It's hot, there's no electricity, everything smells like wheat, there are monsters everywhere."

"Those were guardians."

"They tried to eat me. That's a monster. Also, where are the toilets? Where do you-"

"I'm not answering that!"

"Fine. Okay. That was my bad. Do-over?"

She sighed and sat down, her back against the trunk of the tree. She straightened her legs and patted her lap expectantly. He nodded and lay down.

With her smiling down at him, the atmosphere was back to how he had imagined it.

The sweat still made him itch. The armour was still heavy. And in the distance, he could hear the cries of the obnoxious star whales.

But none of that mattered.

She was here. He was there. They were together.

Now that he was relaxed, fatigue assailed his body. He ignored it.

After a long moment, she began to fidget.

"What now?" she asked.

"I'm... not sure."

"Aren't you the expert?"

"This is all second-hand information. Uh... I think we're supposed to just sit."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

She poked his cheek. "That seems dreadfully boring."

"That's the point apparently," he said. "You're supposed to be fine being bored together. Just enjoying each other's company."

"Oh."

A few moments passed.

He frowned. "They made it sound way better than this. I think I've been conned."

She grinned. "Let's talk then."

Stifling a yawn, he looked at her sceptically. "About?"

"Nothing. Everything. Big things. Small things. Just... things."

"Oh! Vague and unhelpful? I like it."

She fluttered her eyes at him. "I knew you would."

Her hand slipped into his. He traced his fingers along the lines of her palm.

The act helped him keep his eyes open.

"Uh... then let's talk about the sky," he said.

She looked up. "What about it?"

"Is it always purple?"

Laughing, she nodded. "It is. Is it some other colour where you come from?"

He smirked. "Yeah. It's blue."

"What?"

"Yup. Bluest blue you've ever seen."

"Amazing... But why?"

He froze. "... Why is the sky blue?"

"Yes."

He wracked his brain. There was an answer. He'd been told it before. He dug through the mist of sleep clouding his thoughts.

"Uh... something about water droplets."

"... Did you make that up?"

"What? No! I just don't know how to explain it!"

She gave him a pitying smile. "I see..."

"Look, it has something to do with water droplets and light and..."

Her smile grew wider and he stopped himself.

"... You already knew."

"That I did."

"... Was I at least kinda right?"

She shrugged. "More or less. The information I browsed seems to agree."

"Why were you looking up information on that stuff? My world's pretty boring compared to..."

He gestured to the fields with his free hand.

"All this."

"That world is boring," she smiled. "But you're there, so I don't mind."

Something in his chest tightened. He resisted the urge to grin like a fool.

"... Scary. You almost swept me off my feet."

She raised a brow. "Almost?"

"Fine. You did."

A leaf swayed in the wind and gently drifted down to them. He couldn't feel her hand anymore.

"... Hm. Think this is my limit."

The smile on her face withered. She squeezed his hand tighter, but he didn't squeeze back.

"Sooner than I thought..."

He let out a weak laugh. "Sorry... I really thought I could hold out longer."

The weight of this world was too much for those not welcomed here.

She shook her head, desperately holding on to the tears welling up in her eyes.

"This is fine. It's more than enough..."

The ache of his wounds was gone. He was finally able to smile at her properly.

"It really was nice. Finally seeing you, I mean."

Her shaking hand gripped his tighter.

"You can still leave. I can come with you. We can-"

The moment she tried to stand; the world shook. The falling stars froze in the sky. The wheat around her began to wither.

He shook his head. "You can't. It's against the rules."

Reluctantly, tears flowing freely now, she slumped back against the tree. The rumbling stopped. The stars fell. The withered grass regained its sheen.

"All of that for half an hour..." she sniffed.

He grinned. "Worth it."

"Idiot."

"And I'd do it again."

"You'll fight the monks and the titans?"

"A hundred times. A thousand times. No matter how many times I'm reset, I'll fight them and find you."

"No..." she wiped her tears and smiled. "I'll find you. Next time, I'll definitely come to you first."

He grinned. "That would break the rules, wouldn't it?"

She rested her forehead against his.

A warmth spread through his body. For just a moment, he could feel again.

"I'll find a loophole. I'm a genius after all."

"Yeah... yeah, you are..."

His feet began to crumble, flecks drifting away as he progressively turned to ash.

"Alright... that's a promise then," he said, eyes growing dim. "Bring snacks."

She laughed. "I'm not doing that."

"It's my dying wish."

"Make your own damn snacks."

"Fine. I'll make those cheese twists you like."

"With the spicy sauce?"

"The spiciest of sauces."

"I'm really motivated now."

He closed his eyes and let his body go slack.

"Right... this is just like... how we first met..." he grinned. "You said whatever you liked then left me hanging."

"Don't you dare-"

"I love you."

She punched his arm.

"Ha! Didn't... feel a... thing..."

And then he was dust

With a bitter smile, she watched as the wind took him, scattering his remains over the fields.

"... You're so petty."