Chapter Text
When the light breaches the walls of the Goldcliff City Trust, the ruckus of a panicking city entrapped in a single building dims and then snuffs out, silence meeting the story and song that have come to meet them.
Hecuba Roughridge sits in the lobby, not crying, not shouting, just holding her son. The only hint that there is more in her mind is the way her fingers are tight on Mookie's shirt, the way her eyes don't quite focus on the window but somewhere a little bit further, a little bit too far.
And then they see it. A century they never knew even could exist, a century of fear and escape and determination that it would not end. A century that ended on this plane, seven people creating seven items and Lucretia, making her choice and shepherding her friends to a new life as she took on the burdens of the world.
Hecuba Roughridge remembers the day that Merle had arrived on that beach, a little forgetful and a little uncertain of where he'd come from. She knows where the stories link up, at least for the two of them.
Mookie twists in her arms, eyes that had been wet with worry and fear almost glowing with the sudden hope the song brought.
He says, "Dad won't let anything happen to Mavis." There isn't a question, her son is eight but he knows this with a clarity that Hecuba cannot match.
Hecuba tries her best to smile. "Not if he has a say in it." She is afraid he doesn't. He is, without a doubt, in the thick of things in Neverwinter, on the moon base, somewhere that is not the streets that her daughter is wandering and lost in.
Merle Highchurch. She had thought once that she might love him. She had only lost Mavis' father two years before her clan had arranged their marriage, but he had always been kind, been amusing, been someone she could see herself falling in love with before she realized that there were parts of him missing and broken and unexplained that she could never work past. It wasn't surprising when he left, but it still hurt.
It was nice to have an explanation.
There is no movement outside, the city streets void of the monsters they could now remember seeing, and Hecuba hopes against hope that Mavis is safe.
She lets Mookie go a few minutes later, watches carefully as he finds a group of children in a corner playing hoop and stick and joins in. Then she tracks down a member of the militia and asks again after her daughter, name Mavis Roughridge, has anyone seen her, did she get in without us somehow. The answers are still no.
Hecuba does not cry. She will not cry. Her child is not gone.
"I'm looking for Mavis' family!" A voice shouts through the crowd, and Hecuba runs. Mookie makes it there first, and there isn't even anytime for surprise as they see a woman- a half elf- made of cherry wood, leaves and blooms in her hair.
"Where's Mavis," Hecuba demands without a second of thought, "where's my daughter."
"We have her, safe and sound, myself and my girlfriend." The dryad explains. "We're on our way to Neverwinter, but we didn't want to leave her behind in the city with no protection. We'll keep her out of the fight there, I promise."
Hecuba nods. "And who... are you?"
She laughs. "Our names are Sloane and Hurley. I'm sure if you ask around, someone can tell you about us." She casts her eyes around the growing circle that is watching their conversation, and Hecuba does the same, but when she looks back, Sloane is gone.
Mookie grabs her hand, grinning up at her. "Told you, Mom."
She grips his hand tighter. "Yes, you did."
Her daughter is going to Neverwinter. Her estranged husband is somewhere thereabouts. Two dryads- with a story that she's about to hunt down from some resident of this city- are watching her. And her son is holding her hand, safe and sound.
She sits back down in the place she had sat earlier, watches Mookie tell someone, "That was my dad! Merle is my dad!"
The human he's talking to laughs. "You know, I actually met him! Magnus Burnsides tried to steal a magnet from my store when they were in Goldcliff trying to get the Gaia Sash from the Raven!"
"That was wild," Another voice pipes in, a gnome peeking through the crowd. "I was in the crowd when they raced, you know, I watched Taako win!"
The room chatters on about them. Hecuba sits quietly still until an officer approaches. "I'm pretty sure that's your son over there? The one talking about Merle Highchurch being his dad."
"He's not lying," Hecuba says sharply.
"I didn't think he was!" The guy defends. "It's just- that means you're his wife? You married him. That's so weird. You married an alien."
It's just the right touch of disbelief for this moment, and she can't help but start laughing, because of everything hat has happened today, this is the last straw. She married an alien. Oh gods, this is ridiculous.
"I guess I did," she finally responds. "Say, do you know anything about two people named Hurley and Sloane? Because apparently they saved my daughter and are taking her to Neverwinter."
It's the officer's turn to laugh. "Holy shit, really? That's fucking amazing. That's- gods, that's hilarious."
He tells her all about his old coworker and her not so secret criminal girlfriend, how the Raven- Sloane- found the Gaia Sash and they both eventually became the tree in the town square.
"I thought they were in there," he tells her. If you walk by, sometimes I swear I could hear them laughing. And it just- the tree feels present, alive- aware? I guess they stepped out and decided to help."
"I'm glad they did," Hecuba sighs. Odd hands for her daughter to be in, but not bad ones.
There's a commotion going on at the door, and the man beside her excuses himself to walk over to it. Hecuba gestures her son back over, wary.
And then her stone of farspeech rings, and Mavis' voice echoes through. "Mom? Mom, you there?"
"Mavis," Hecuba lets her shoulders fall, relaxing for the first time since this day started. "Thank the gods, you're alright, you're in Neverwinter? I-"
"I'm fine, Mom," Mavis cuts her off, "I stayed out of the battlefield-" someone giggles in the background, "-and I'm with Dad and his crew, everything is fine-"
"Hi everyone!" Mookie yells into the stone, and there's a tiny chorus of hellos back, and then Merle's voice saying, "That's Mookie, everyone, that's-" and then Mavis' frustrated sigh.
"Guys, can I talk to my mother in peace?!"
The background noises and voices hush, to Hecuba's amusement.
"Anyway," her daughter sighs, "main points- everyone is fine, there's a bit of partying going on, but I'll make sure that I get back to Goldcliff tomorrow with Hurley and Sloane, I'll find you at the hotel?"
"Sure, dear," Hecuba laughs again. "Thank you. I love you."
"I love you too, Mom." Mavis' voice is soft. "I'll see you two tomorrow."
The stone clicks off right as the commotion at the door halts with a blast of light as the doors open, an authoritative voice yelling, "Its all over, they beat the Hunger, we're safe!"
And there's a roar of excitement as people start streaming out, as they fill the streets with shouting and singing and fun, and Hecuba sweeps Mookie into her arms even though he's a bit too big, and this is when she cries.