Sometimes you've to curl the finger to get the butter out

#212 limply stood up, slowly invigorating with strength; his wound had already been closed, and just by being in the vicinity of the Queen, his entire being was slowly revitalizing with strength.

Queen Golden looked past the foes and onto the trembling Khadija. She was so afraid that she could not understand properly what was going on. She stood extremely traumatized, holding only the string of her bow drawn without the arrow, her eyes dancing from one person to another.

"Get her," Queen Golden said, her voice enraged but quiet.

#212 flew past her in a flurry of motion.

"Where do you think you're going?" Roop said, as one of her straps shot right at his neck.

Queen Golden stepped forward as Roop and Shahrukh were pressed against the ground, the ground shattered below in a net of cracks. Shahrukh struggled, flicking his staff to summon frost, but it was of no help.

"WE CAN'T FACE HER RIGHT NOW, ROOP!" He shouted at Roop, who was getting buried deeper and deeper into the ground.

"GET READY," Shahrukh raised his finger, and suddenly the whole world was engulfed in a thick snowstorm. The winds appeared out of nowhere, blanketing everything to zero visibility; he then vanished along with Roop.

#212 laid his wing down for Khadija to get up. He had a deep, satisfied expression of peace on his face; his Queen had personally come to save them.

He could burst into tears at any time, but it felt inappropriate in the wake of the current moment.

Aatish opened her eyes and walked to Amawas, her head hanging down in deep sadness. She said nothing and picked her Aapi up. Then placed her on #212 and strapped the belt around her tight, Amawas's lone yellow eye following along.

"#212, you will follow my wind," Queen Golden said, as she took flight. The entire Khandaq and its landscape, everything paled in beauty in comparison to her majesty.

She thrust the wind back and took flight as #212 followed. Aatish was the third. No one spoke anything; Khadija had #212's feathers clenched tightly between her palms.

**********

The journey back home was an emotional one. Aatish and Khadija were solemn and silent, tears flowing behind them from time to time. #212 didn't speak either. They flew in the Queen's wind. After the destructive mission, Queen Golden had brought them much-needed hope and salvation.

They passed by the Cloudfloud's location, but he wasn't there. Sehra looked extremely beautiful from above. Khadija wondered if there ever had been a larger continent instead of scattered small oases here and there that supported the magical societies.

After passing by some more of these tiny islands of life, they finally reached home. The inexplicable feeling of peace and warmth that the entire grove radiated rushed through their battered bodies and souls.

The familiar winds caressed their wounds and enveloped their hearts. It had been one hell of a mission, and they had come back alive. One by one, they all settled down. Aatish carried Isra and Amawas off #212 and then sat beside a tree and closed her eyes; the battle had been the hardest for her.

Her eyes lingered on Queen Golden, who was talking to Hira, and she pushed herself up, and slowly walked to the Queen and bent down; this gesture attracted all the gazes right at her.

Khadija and Isra were already deep asleep on the fluffy leaf mattresses.

Aatish had her eyes stuck to the ground. The respect she had for Queen Golden could not be put into words, but right now, she had to make a statement, be bold.

She stretched her arm, summoned a familiar-looking artifact in her hand, then placed it at the Queen's steps. The artifact immediately attracted the gazes of every living creature in its vicinity.

"We sacrificed ourselves for you, my Queen," Aatish said, her voice scratchy from tiredness. Then she stayed quiet, looking at the ground for some long moments.

Images of her Bhaijaan and Amawas passed through her mind.

Then she summoned a set of beautiful long leaves that had a deep red glow to them and placed them at Queen's steps as well.

Queen Golden stepped back, completely stupefied. She looked at Hira.

"We brushed against death several times for you, almost lost the girls, almost lost #212... But we have brought forth a chance that you will not take for granted, My Queen, now that you have the artifact back." Tears rolling down Aatish's cheeks, she felt deeply ashamed and trembled slightly talking to the Queen. Although she was saying nothing even remotely offensive, Aatish couldn't help but feel that she was constantly overstepping.

She gulped, swallowing whatever she was about to say next, and summoned another artifact, this one looked like an empty bark, that had a deep yellow glow.

"Aatish child, where... these are.."

"Yes, my Queen, We met a helper during our mission. I also have the artifacts of Luminaaras and Gloomchimmers, my Queen," Aatish said, then continued after a pause.

"Shahrukh Bhaijaan is the helper, my Queen. He pledged for you before he handed me the artifacts, then told me to trust him, and I do, my Queen. Shahrukh is one of the strongest of us all and the noblest. He told me to convince you to reunite all the free societies of Sehra under your rule if they are willing and stand up against the oppression of the sovereigns once and for all. I will support you with all my being, and so will my siblings, I assure you, but you cannot back off now, my Queen. Be the herald of change like Bhaijaan Qatan always saw you to be."

Queen Golden looked at Aatish for a long few moments.

Then she cleared her throat and said,

"Thank you, Aatish. You may go and rest. Get your aapi to her full strength, and I promise we will talk about it again."

Aatish nodded, wiped her eyes, and then walked away.

************

It was a grand day for the bees, probably the most meaningful one in long centuries. The medic bees along with Gimpi's herbal soup had done a wonderful job at revitalizing everyone with energy, they were all sitting around their beautiful built campfire, all cozied up, with warm smiles to their faces.

Isra and Khadija had woken up aswell, Even Queen Golden sat beside them, only gimpi was missing. Apparently he had been preparing a surprise for the whole team and noone was allowed to travel beyond the mushroom giant in the grove.

The crow had come aswell, sitting silently beside the moving flame, staring at it, once again, noone questioned or asked it anything, they simply came to terms with his presence.

"So guys even the mushroom giant was extremely terrified of that granny tree, i mean he was constantly staring at her, she munched on the whole fish, then told me a random story that i did not even need to hear," Haniya had just finished the story, 

"Oh wait till you find her husband Haniya" Queen Golden said enthusiastically, sitting among them like an old friend,

"Wait, Naani amma has a husband?" Haniya asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh yes! My mother once took me to him when i was a child, centuries ago, would you believe that he actually lured my Mother, the Queen, into solving a sinister puzzle that took her three whole years, by the time she had found the last clue, he had run away, I vividly remember Queen Ember sending legions of troops into the grove, even Hira was looking for it" She looked at Hira who laughed and nodded.

Queen Golden continued

"We never found him, he had simply vanished into the deep grove," 

"Wow... " Said Haniya, completely bewildered. 

The group continued chattering, their sonorous laughters illuminated the grove with life.

Little Zar-e-zameen's playing upon their heads, jumping and flying.

Some trees away, Amawas was still laying almost completely petrified, dark thoughts filling her mind, her entire left arm and face had been returned back to normal but the rest of her body was taking its time.

Aatish was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly the grass parted infront of her and tiny figure of Gimpi emerged, he had been constantly checking upon her, bringing her breads and fruits. 

"Whaat do you want now,?" Asked Amawas,

"How you feel?" Gimpi replied.

"For the last time you little fat raddish i am fi-" Amawas stopped midway as she realized something.

"Wait Gimpi." She called him by his name for the first time, and that made gimpi's eyes lit up.

"I actually have something for you" 

Amawas summoned two heavy duffelbags filled to the brim with kibblers, they fell down and kibblers rolled over to gimpi's feet, each marbel almost reaching to his tiny knees.

He picked one up curiously and asked

"What this?" 

"This, is your earning, we earned alot from your honey soup during our mission Gimpi" Amawas said, emotions rising up within her heart, warming it.

She was about to recieve a heartfelt thankyou, but Gimpi placed the kibbler down on the ground and kicked it with his tiny feet, it flew past Amawas.

"You think i work for money?" The little cute Gimpi asked, furiouously.

"No Gimpi, i did not mean to" Amawas said but Gimpi interjected.

"I work for friends and family without of any cost, keep kibblers away from me, want the honey soup? good, want something else, good, but never give money, my mother ran away with me from her village do you know why?" 

Amawas was petrified now emotionally too. 

She shook her head

"My father sold me for a fruit to a big creature, for three kibblers, he loved money so much, my mother grabbed me when i was small ran away here to the grove and i now serve the bees because they my family" Gimpi had taken it to the heart.

"Please gimpi, i didn't mean to.." Amawas said, 

Gimpi took a deep breath and sat down, he waved his hand and a tiny servant creature that looked like laathi, it was probably someone from his family, took out two jars of herbal honey soup, placed one infront of him and the other infront of Amawas.

"If you want apologize drink it and get better" Gimpi said, trying his best to not look up directly at Amawas, Gimpi had only one aim in life, and that was to take care of his huge family as best as he can, and today he had to curl his finger to get the butter out.