41. Campaign 5- Gift Freedom

"Now you need to be very careful going anywhere near a forge," Mirabel said sternly, her usual playful nature gone and in its place a strictness that reminded Dolores of their abuela. It was honestly startling how much of Mirabel was gone in that moment, replaced by the stern matriarch of the Madrigal family: her narrowed eyes, her firm steady words, her body language that all said with a thunderous roar "Do not question me on this".

Glancing at Antonio and Camilo she could see that it wasn't just her that had noticed the changes.

"A forge is a very dangerous place," Mirabel continued. "The fires are hotter than anything you have ever touched; my teachers had me observe for 6 months before I was allowed to try making simple daggers. And the items I make are enchanted which require even hotter flames. And then there are all the different tools." Mirabel hefted up her hammer. "It this fell on your toes it would shatter them." She clipped the hammer back onto her belt. "And if I am working on a sword or a spear... well, you can imagine how dangerous those can be. Then there are sparks... all of my clothing is treated to resist heat and flames but if you get too close...

She cut herself off, shaking her head. "The point is you three will stay right there and let me work. You will not take a step closer, even if I look like I'm in danger."

"Mira-" Camilo began.

"I mean it. I am trained to do this and to handle potential injuries. My babies are enchanted to help me. You will get in the way."

That was the difference though between abuela and Mirabel: the latter was actually explaining WHY things were the way they were. Why they had to obey her commands. With abuela it was just 'Do this'. Her commands were treated like the sun rising in the east: to be expected. Mirabel, on the other hand, for all her strictness, took the time to explain to everyone what was going on. WHY she was being so stern.

Mirabel respected them.

"Now, the first thing we need to do is decide on what you want," Mirabel said, glancing at Antonio. "You remember what we talked about?"

The little boy nodded. "Don't do armor as I'll just grow out of it."

Dolores smirked at that; Antonio had been all excited to get a breastplate or some greeves but realized that it wouldn't be any fun if they only lasted a year or too.

"But," he continued, "I'm not sure mama and papa would let me have a weapon."

"They wouldn't," Mirabel said. "Which is why I am thinking a shield. It will be big-" she held out her hands, showing that it would be about half as tall as Antonio was currently, maybe slightly bigger, "-but all of my stuff gets featherweight runes engraved on them so you won't have to worry about that. And as you get older it can become a small forearm shield or I can work out how to integrate it in with a bigger shield or armor. You like that?"

Antonio bobbed his head up and down rapidly. "That would be great, Mira!"

Dolores and Camilo shared a look; for Antonio's gift ceremony Mirabel had decided that her gift to him would be one of her enchanted works, made into a loyal pet that would be there for Antonio. Their hermano thought it was just a fun new friend; the siblings knew that Mirabel was giving Antonio protection. She'd mentioned that she wanted to do the same for all them, having begun work on something for Luisa, but Dolores and Camilo agreed that Antonio should get first dibs.

They weren't going to tell Antonio that though... no, let him have sweet dreams and fantasies that the world was a nice place. Let him believe for a bit more that he was always safe.

Mirabel began to heat up an ingot, fashioning the 'baby' that would make sure he was able to do just that.

MC MC MC MC

"So," Ulika said as she poked her head up over the roof and smiled at the sight of Isabella sitting on the tiles, her knees pulled up to her chest and her eyes staring down through the evening shadows to where Mirabel was working away. "This is a pretty good spot to watch," she said with a casual smile, easily throwing herself up and onto the roof.

"Watch what?" Isabella said softly.

"Life," Ulika said as she settled down next to Isabella. Had someone looked up they would have thought the two quite a pair. Ulika was tall, with green skin and corded muscles, wearing leather armor and thick-soled boots. Isabella, while having height, still looked short next to Ulika. She was wearing another one of her nice dresses though it was a bit dirty from her sneaking up on the roof. Her heels were sitting off to the side, her caramel colored toes sticking up from the bottom of her dress. Even with her hair hanging down in front of her face like a curtain she still looked so cute Ulika was sure her teeth were going to begin to rot.

"I don't need to climb up here to watch life go by," Isabella stated with a sigh. "I've been on the outside looking in ever since I was a little girl."

"I can imagine," Ulika said.

"You really can't," Isabella said but there wasn't any real fire in her words. "Even before I got my gift I was put on a pedestal. The perfect little girl." She let out an annoyed huff. "Only Tio Bruno would joke that I wasn't the most beautiful and wondrous baby ever born. Delighted in telling everyone about how stinky my diapers would get." She looked up at the stars. "I used to get so upset when he'd do that but after him and Mirabel left... I realized how much I missed having someone who didn't expect me to be perfect."

Ulika didn't say a word, merely leaning back, Casita actually shifting slightly so she didn't have to risk falling. She gave the house a pat, silently wishing it would save its strength; she knew that the Bureau was trying to help her, give her the strength she was lacking and she didn't need her wasting what energy she had on making the roof a bit more comfortable.

"I'm sorry I insulted you," Isabella stated.

"Like I told you those weren't insults."

"Maybe... but I still meant to insult you. Does it matter what someone says if their intention was to hurt?"

"...yeah," Ulika said, honestly impressed that Isabella had come to that realization. There were people that lived an entire life who never understood that sometimes it was what was being put behind words that mattered more than the words themselves. Anton had told them more than once that a magic user could speak in gibberish but if they put enough direction behind the nonsense a spell would still work. The same was true with insults."Thank you."

Isabella glanced at her. "Hmmm."

"What?"

"Not, 'its okay' or 'you're forgiven'. Thank you... accept the apology but that doesn't fix things."

"No, it doesn't."

The eldest of Mirabel's sisters was silent for several long moments. "I really messed up with Mira, didn't I?"

"Both of you did," Ulika commented. "You are rather alike."

"Maybe in some things," Isabella said. "But she's braver than me. I'm... I'm a coward." Isabella watched as Mirabel finished at her forge and began to pack things up; it would be time for supper soon. "I got mad at her for leaving but I want to leave so badly. But,... I just stay here." She looked out at the mountains that surrounded the valley. "Even before I realized how big the world was I wanted to see more than this valley. I... i don't want to... die here.

"I know that's horrible to say because this is home. And I have a good life-" Ulika forced her jaw to remain shut, "-so what right do I have to complain? There are people out there that are starving. That are scared that tomorrow they might be killed. Who don't have a roof over their head... or one to sit on." She smiled, an actual smile and not one of her practiced forced ones, and patted Casita. "I'm grateful for all I've been given. I'm blessed." She fell silent, looking down at the village. "And yet... it feels like..."

"A golden cage?" Ulika asked.

"...yes," Isabella got out, tears gathering in her eyes. "And it's my own fault because I'm a coward. I... I can't tell my family... I have power. Not my gift. I mean that I am supposed to be the next head of the family and that should mean something! I should be able to tell abuela that we are changing things because I am the leader of the family now but every time I want to open my mouth I... I can't speak." She shook her head. "I can't even tell them I don't want to marry Mariano."

"You should," Ulika said. "Tell them he isn't right for you. That you don't want someone so tall or short or muscular or anything like that."

"They wouldn't accept that."

"They will if they love you."

"The family... they won't let me be with who I want."

Ulika scoffed at that. "Come on, of course they will." She turned so she was facing Isabella, motioning for her to do the same. "Practice on me."

Isabella swallowed at that. "I-"

"Come on, better me than your family, right?" She smiled and Isabella nodded her head, shaking slightly. But when she didn't begin to speak Ulika decided to begin leading the conversation. "So... you don't want to marry Mariano. That's okay, we can find someone that works better for you. Should they be shorter than Mariano?"

"...no."

"More muscular? Less?"

Isabella shook her head.

"Talk more or less?"

Isabella shrugged.

"Well, how would your paramour be different from Mariano? What don't you like about him?"

Isabella squeezed her eyes shut. "He...he's... a he."

"...oh." Ulika quickly reached out and patted Isabella on the shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't... if I knew I wouldn't have forced the issue." Isabella cringed and Ulika grimaced, seeing how the young woman was taking her words. "There is nothing wrong with being attracted to women, of course. Honestly I never saw the fuss when it came to penises anyway. All hanging out and flopping about."

Isabella gasped at that before snorting, pressing her hands to her mouth as she struggled between continuing to cry and laughing.

Ulika, seeing a chance to help, decided to press. "All hairy... and smelly too. I've been doused by skunk demons and not smelled as bad as some men's pits do!" Isabella let out a bark of laughter at that; completely improper and harsh and yet so beautiful. "And they complain about women getting heavier but have you seen how many of them get guts? At least when we gain weight it can go to all the right places. With them it's either the belly or the ass and not in a good way!"

Isabella gasped, trying to catch her breath thanks to her laughter. When she did she got out, "Well, I'm not too into curves anyway, male or female. Prefer muscles myself-" Her eyes widened the moment she said that and she ducked her head in embarrassment. "Uh... forget I said that."

"Why?" Ulika asked. "You like what you like. If you wanted a bit strong man your family wouldn't bat an eye... why does it matter if you want a big strong woman?"

"I... it's just not expected..."

"Expected?" Ulika said. "Expected? Heh... the expected is utterly boring. Me personally?" She leaned back and, to Isabella's surprise, began to sing. "I just want something unexpected. Something strange, something new. It doesn't need to be that perfect, just let me try something different... what else can I do?"

And with that she grabbed Isabella's hand and yanked her off her feet and rushing towards the edge of the roof. "Slow it down, slow it down!" Isabella cried out as Ulika leapt down, grabbing the ledge with her free hand and swinging them through an open window into Casita before racing towards Bruno's door, it swinging open. "I'm good, Slow it down, slow it down!" Ulika though continued to drag her along through the Bureau, heading to another door. "Hold up, Slow it down, slow it down!" The door opened and Isabella's eyes widened as she realized it was a portal to someplace decidedly NOT the valley. "Let's stay, Slow it down, slow it down!"

But Ulika dragged them in and Isabella looked about with wild eyes as she realized they were in a forest full of trees so large the trunks were as large as Casita. One of them had a door in fact and looking behind she realized they's entered the wooded realm through another of those doors. There were glowing mushrooms all around them, lighting up the forest with all sorts of colors.

"I fight battle after battle, fight in the Fall to bring downfall. Spend my days stuck in a saddle, even as the new gives out its call!" She finally let go of Isabella and leapt onto a massive mushroom, a cloud of spores rising up even as Ulika's body glowed and orc-shaped phantoms appeared behind her, twirling about in time with her singing. "Why must we plan when it's better to live in the moment?"

"Do you know where you're going?" Isabella asked only to step on another mushroom, its squishy surface bouncing her up to Ulika. "WHOA!"

"Why must everyone be worried about always be perfect? It just needed to be? Now don't you see?" Ulika stomped her foot, causing them both to be sent flying into the air, spinning through a cloud of pollen and spores. "I want to ride the hurricane! Dive the depths, climb the vines!"

"This isn't fine!" Isabella said... though even to her ears her complaints sounded forced.

"Explore a wreck or find a mountain to climb! And I'll push right through! What else can I do?"

They landed on a large tree branch and the winds shifted, causing the clouds to move and the moon to shine... and its lights made the pollen on them glow, causing the two to light up in a wild variety of colors.

"Aren't you tired of always feeling blue?" Ulika asked softly. "Always careful, always cautious, just afraid to do? Don't you wanna just feel something new? I hate the fake, I want something true, don't you?"

And to Isabella's shock... yes, she did.

"Ever since I was born I had to live someone else's dream, be what Isabella they saw in their eyes."

"How could that ever be fair to you?"

"All I want is to be the me I could be. I just want to move on and rise!"

"Then you should rise!"Isabella nodded, a smile growing on her face. "Through the roof to the skies, let's go!"

And with that she leapt without fear, Ulika following her, Isabella thrusting out her hands and summoning vines to catch them and fling them through the trees, their glowing bodies streaking through the air.

"I want to ride the hurricane! Dive the depths, climb the vines! Explore a wreck or find a mountain to climb! And I'll push through! What else can I do?" Isabella focused and another mushroom grew right where she wanted to land, bouncing them up into the air. "What can you do when you are deeply, madly, truly in the moment?"

"Seize the moment, keep goin'!" Ulika cheered.

"What can you do when you know who you wanna be is imperfect? But I'll still be okay! Hey, everybody clear the way, woo! I'm comin' through with a new feel!"

"You're comin' through with that!"

Isabella and Ulika landed on a tree branch and the two began to dance together. "Making waves, changing minds! The way is clearer 'cause you're here, and well..." Isabella grabbed Ulika's hands and held them up to their faces. "I owe this all to you! What else can I do?"

"Show 'em what you can do!"

"What else can we do?"

"There's nothing we can't do!"

"What else can we do?"

Ulika smiled, leaning down. "I can think of one thing..."

And with that she bridged the gap and kissed Isabella.

After a moment… Isabella happily kissed her back.