Chapter 69: Oh… but I don’t think we have sacred mountains

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Oh... but I don’t think we have sacred mountains Before Isabella could even process the situation, Ophelia let out a dramatic sob and came charging toward her like an emotional warthog. Isabella blinked. Wait. WAIT. The woman was going in for a hug. "OH—" Glimora, sensing the danger of an incoming full-body impact, SCREECHED and scrambled out of Isabella’s arms with the speed of a possessed squirrel. And then—before Isabella could even react— THE LITTLE MONSTER CLIMBED ONTO HER HEAD. HER HEAD. HER. HEAD. "WHAT THE ACTUAL—" Ophelia slammed into Isabella’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, her weight nearly knocking Isabella off balance. Meanwhile, Glimora clung to Isabella’s hair like it was the last tree branch on Earth, staring down at Ophelia with wide, panicked eyes. Isabella, however, was frozen in absolute horror. She slowly lifted her hands. One touch confirmed it. There was a living, breathing, fluffy creature on top of her ICONIC head. "...GLIMORA?" The little animal let out a small, nervous chirp. "WHY ARE YOU ON MY HEAD?" Ophelia, still ugly crying into Isabella’s shoulder, was completely unaware of the crisis happening above her. "Y-YOU LEFT YESTERDAY AND NEVER CAME BACK!" Ophelia wailed. "I WAITED ALL DAY, AND THEN THE NIGHT, AND YOU NEVER SHOWED UP! WE THOUGHT—W-WE THOUGHT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU!" Isabella, still processing the personal betrayal of having something ON HER HEAD, slowly blinked. Then she realized, she told Ophelia to wait for her yesterday, that she was going to be back soon. So it was only understandable she was reacting this way. Isabella could only play along because there was no way she was about to tell Ophelia, what exactly she went to do. "Wait," she said. "You mean to tell me you all thought I was dead because I went to pick herbs?" "YES!" Ophelia sobbed harder. Isabella gasped, offended beyond belief. "You thought I would just DIE? Me? Over what? Leaves?" Ophelia pulled back slightly, her tear-streaked face full of genuine heartbreak. "You don’t understand! You’ve never disappeared for so long before! Even Sheila was worried! Even the King was worried!" Isabella paused, she’s only been here for like a week but... "...The King?" "Yes! Even Kian! He—he even sent men out to look for you!" Oh. OH. For the first time, Isabella felt an unfamiliar emotion. Guilt? No. That wasn’t quite right. Maybe... mild concern. She peered down at Ophelia’s distress, then slowly reached up and grabbed Glimora from her head, bringing the little creature down to eye level. Glimora stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Isabella narrowed her own. "You BETRAYED ME." The little animal chirped innocently. Isabella sighed dramatically. "Fine. Fine. I’ll forgive you. BUT ONLY because I don’t have the time for emotional damage today." She turned back to Ophelia, who was still crying but now blinking at Isabella with watery confusion. "Ophelia," Isabella said seriously, "I hear you. I truly do. But let’s be real—if anyone’s going to die tragically in the wilderness, it won’t be me. It will be the wilderness that dies." Ophelia sniffled. "I—" "But!" Isabella continued, flipping her hair, "Since the entire village apparently mourned my disappearance, I suppose I shall bless them with my return." (No one said it was the entire village ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ) She turned dramatically, Glimora clutched to her chest, and began walking toward the village, tossing over her shoulder— "Now come on, we have a search party to cancel." Ophelia was still wiping her swollen eyes as she trudged beside Isabella, sniffling every few steps. "I really thought you were dead." "Again," Isabella sighed, flipping her hair, which was now finally free from Glimora’s betrayal, "why do you all have so little faith in me? If I ever disappear for a long time, assume I’m conquering something, not dying." "But you were just picking herbs." "Exactly." Isabella huffed. "And yet you all decided I had perished. Tragic. Embarrassing, even." Ophelia sighed but didn’t argue. Instead, her eyes finally landed on the small white creature nestled in Isabella’s arms. A slow, suspicious expression spread across her face. "Okay, but... what is that?" Isabella grinned, smug. "This?" She lifted Glimora slightly. "This is my pet." Ophelia squinted. "Your pet?" "Yes," Isabella confirmed, turning slightly so the sun hit Glimora’s fur just right, making her glow like a divine beast. "I saved her, and now she is mine. We are bonded forever. It’s very dramatic and meaningful." Ophelia crossed her arms. "And what... exactly is she?" Silence. A very long silence. Isabella blinked. Ophelia blinked. Glimora chirped. "...She’s," Isabella started confidently, only to realize mid-sentence that she had no idea. Ophelia raised an eyebrow. Isabella refused to look weak. So she did what anyone with unwavering confidence would do— SHE IMPROVISED. "She’s, um..." Isabella coughed. "She’s a... rare sacred mountain creature." Ophelia’s big, round eyes blinked in confusion. "Oh... but I don’t think we have sacred mountains." "That’s why she’s rare," Isabella said smoothly, flipping her hair like this was obvious. Ophelia gasped softly. "Ohhh... that makes sense!" She leaned in, tilting her head. "But... what does she eat? Is she okay? She’s so tiny, I feel like the wind could just—whoosh!—carry her away!" Glimora, as if offended by the suggestion, let out a dramatic little chirp. Isabella held her closer, protective. "She eats... whatever I give her. Obviously." Ophelia gasped again, clutching her hands together. "Wow! So she trusts you that much already? That’s so amazing, Isabella!" Isabella grinned, pleased. "Of course she does. I saved her. Now she is mine. Forever." Ophelia nodded eagerly. "She’s really beautiful... like a little cloud! What’s her name?" "Her name is Glimora," Isabella announced proudly, giving the creature an extra little cuddle. Ophelia clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "Glimoraaa~ That’s so pretty!" She gently tapped Glimora’s tiny head with a finger, her voice soft. "Hello, little Glimora. Welcome to our home!" Glimora chirped again, apparently approving of the greeting. Isabella nodded to herself, satisfied. Everything was going exactly as it should. "But then—" "No ’but’s. She’s mine now. I have claimed her. It’s already decided." Ophelia tilted her head. "But what if she grows into some kind of giant beast that eats people?" Isabella scoffed. "Then I’ll simply train her to eat my enemies." Ophelia paused. "...Okay, fair." They kept walking, the stone village bustling around them as people glanced at them curiously. Isabella, of course, paid them no mind. Let them look. She was a vision, and they should be grateful for it. As they approached the stone palace, Ophelia wiped her eyes and looked up at Isabella with quiet admiration. "Did you come all this way just to find me?" Isabella paused for dramatic effect, then flipped her hair with a radiant smile. "Obviously." Ophelia blinked, touched. "Really?" "Yes," Isabella continued smoothly. "I sensed distress in the air, a great disturbance in the universe. My heart simply knew—I had to come. Fate guided me here." Ophelia gasped softly. "That’s... so kind of you, Isabella." "Yes, I am," Isabella agreed, accepting the compliment with grace. Ophelia sniffled, her expression softening. "I was really worried about you, you know?" "I know, darling," Isabella said, placing a hand over her heart. "But see? I’m here, alive, and still incredibly stunning. No need to cry." Ophelia giggled through her sniffles, the tension in her shoulders easing. "I’m glad you came." "Of course, you are," Isabella said with a dazzling smile. "I’m an experience." As they entered the palace waiting room, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the air. Before Isabella could even breathe, a figure suddenly burst into view. Her long white hair bounced with every step as she ran straight towards them. Isabella barely had time to react before—