Felicia pulled her arms above her head and let out a long sigh as she let the book fall onto her chest. Staring up at the ceiling of her room, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was too early to sleep, and even if she wanted to, she hadn't even changed or cleaned herself yet. Besides, she wasn't really tired, just bored. The book was nice, but she wasn't in the mood to lay back and read right now, there was too much on her mind.

Ray was so serious when he talked to her about the upcoming excursion, even more serious than usual. Felicia swung her legs off the bed and placed her hands onto her head, nervously drumming her feet with a worried groan. Getting up, she set the book aside. Would she have to fight others? Face against insurgents? Would she need to kill somebody? Pacing back in forth, she hugged onto her body. She had trained to fight, right? That's what the lessons were used for, to kill others. She squirmed as the thought plagued her mind; killing monsters was hard enough, the blood, the screams, the suffering, it was already overwhelming.

Felicia shut her eyes and shook her head. This was too much, but she made a promise, not only to Ray, but herself. When the time came, she would face the problems in front of her and help people when she could, save the people that she could. Everyone always told her that her ether would be useful, not only as a tool of destruction but as a way to save lives. Felicia moved to a cabinet standing at the back of her room. She didn't even know what she could do with her ether, the limits of it or the downfalls. In all honesty, not knowing that much about herself was troubling.

Opening the cabinet, she looked at the contents inside. A set of light armour stood inside, a neatly polished breastplate sitting in the middle with two bracers on either side of it. The greaves on the bottom lay on top of each other. Beside the armour leaned a sword with an ornate black and silver scabbard. Felicia picked it up and unsheathed the blade. It's weight felt strangely familiar yet still alien to her grip. The tightly wound wire wrapping on the hand and a half length hilt along with the incredible balance of the blade felt comfortable in her hand. An intricate swept guard gave way to a thin and straight four centimeter wide blade with a diamond cross section and distilled taper.

Felicia softly smiled as she examined the initials scrawled into the base of the blade, F.D, Floyd’s initials. Ray gave this to her a few years ago as a gift for her 18th birthday, even though she told him it wasn't necessary to get her anything. Floyd had made it, and as Floyd usually did, he made it beautifully. It was ironic, the artistic and delicate design on something with a purpose so grotesque. She heard from one of the smiths that it was Kashire's idea, but she never got to ask him about it. While it wasn't something she asked for or really wanted, it made her happy to receive it. Ray was weirdly awkward when he handed it to her, she had never seen him like that before. Even so, she enjoyed being able to accept it from him, and the small smile on his face when she accepted it made her even happier.

Sheathing the blade, the guard clinked against the metal locket of the scabbard. She gently placed the sword back in the cabinet and closed its doors. Dusk creeped through her window, just enough light to see what was in her room. Moving over to the candle on her table, she let out a deep exhale.

She raised her hand outwards and thought about lighting it for a second. Flames exploded from the wick, flaring outwards. Felicia jumped with surprise and quickly waved her hands, trying to put the fire out before it burnt her belongings. It slowly flickered out, lightly licking the wood table as she sat down with an exasperated sigh. It was a thought, literally a thought that brought that flame into existence. She had leaked minuscule, near insignificant amounts of ether from her arm and somehow managed to mess it up. Maybe she needed to concentrate more to light it properly, although the last time she tried that it didn't turn out well; she spent weeks apologizing to the librarians for losing those books. Fire wasn’t her strong suit, then again, nothing really was.

What was the point of having this much power if she couldn't even light a candle properly? Concentrating only brought more ether flow and letting it come naturally produced unpredictable results. Could something like that really be useful? Wouldn't she just end up hurting others again? Felicia shrank downwards and curled up in the gloomy shadows, looking dully at the smooth grey floor. Her father always told her she would do amazing things with this power, so why hadn't she? Maybe the upcoming assignment would let her prove that. Maybe.

~

Maria stared into the dim fading sunset from her balcony, admiring the beautiful collage of orange, pink, and yellow. Soft clouds blurred the light, illuminating like foggy lanterns. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as a breeze softly blew her hair. Her lips parted slowly as she gazed at the distant ground below; it was quite the drop to the streets. She used to be scared of heights like this, the prospect of helplessly falling downwards. Now, the fear was a distant memory.

Getting up from the banister, she wandered back into her room. The candle next to her flickered, illuminating the mess around her. Shaking her head, Maria bent down to pick up some papers that were blown onto the floor. Which ones were these? Flowers? Unfinished landscapes? Examining the roughly sketched lines, she managed to decipher what they were. Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, she set the papers underneath a stack that was already sitting on the desk next to her.

Maria's mind wandered as she took a seat against the wall, staring out the window in front of her. The curtains drifted weightlessly as she absently traced the locket on her neck. Times like this really made her wish that she actually had something to do aside from drown in her own thoughts. Whistling wind reached her ears as she focused. The stick of graphite on her desk flew upwards as she concentrated on it. Maria moved it towards her with precise sustained gusts of air. She dissipated the wind underneath it, letting it drop into her palm. Her hand tingled as faint pinpricks faded up her arm.

With a sigh, Maria tossed the graphite back onto the desk, letting it fall with a light clatter. Practicing ether manipulation seemed like a good idea to pass the time, but she couldn't concentrate right now. Besides, she didn't want to bring her sword out for practical application. She straightened her hair and frowned as she examined the length of it. The strands were getting a bit too long, especially when not tied back, she would’ve been scolded for that. A somber smile crept onto her face as she let the locks of mahogany hair fall through her fingers.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, snapping her back to the current.

"Maria?"

Recognizing the voice, she got up to her feet with a tired grunt. The door creaked as she pulled it open and shielded her eyes from the candlelight of the hallway.

"Hello Raynauld, what is it?"

Raynauld paused and looked her dead in the eyes.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

Maria stepped to the side, gesturing him inwards.

"Not at all, make yourself comfortable."

She closed the door behind him as he entered, furrowing her eyebrows as she thought. His tone had a sense of dread hidden in it, what would warrant this type of approach? Maria leaned against the wall, scanning Raynauld's body posture as he stood in the middle of the floor. She waited for him to speak.

"... We're heading out in a few days."

"For an assignment?"

He nodded and looked out the window, avoiding her gaze.

"Yes, we're following up on leads."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Scouts spotted Haureulman."

Maria's eyes widened as she processed the information.

"Oh."

Raynauld shifted his footing.

"Tylocke was also with him, we'll be taking them both out."

Maria gently walked over to the bed and took a seat.

"After all this time, why did they show up now?"

"I don't know."

Putting a hand on her chin, Maria silently nodded. Raynauld scratched his head and moved towards the window.

"Everybody will be taking part in this."

"Felicia included?"

"Yes."

Maria shook her head and sat up straight.

"She doesn't have a part in this."

"This isn't about the connections we have, it's about the duty we need to fulfill."

The room sat in an uncomfortable silence as Raynauld continued to look out the windows, the curtains obscuring his face from Maria.

"Our duty, huh?"

He took one last look out of the room as he turned to Maria.

"What was that? I didn’t catch it."

"Nothing, I'll be ready, just tell me when we're departing."

Raynauld opened the door, letting the bright light back in once again as Maria sat up from the bed.

"Take care Raynauld."

"You too Maria."

The door closed shut and Maria let the silence fill her ears. She walked over to the candle and grabbed onto the wick, extinguishing it. The calluses on her hand limited the pain as the room went dark. Haureulman, she hadn't heard his name in so long. When was the last time she saw him? Was it during the battle of Liskarm? She wished that wasn't her final impression of him before he deserted. Despite that, she couldn't bring herself to hate him, not after all that he went through, what she went through. Even so, Raynauld was right: she had a duty and obligation to fulfill. Maria let out a laugh, she was being lectured by someone 10 years younger than her, just like he always did.

A frown came back onto her face as her mind drifted back to the fact Felicia was coming along. She wasn’t meant for this, especially considering who and what Haureulman and Tylocke were. Felicia was still a girl, and she looked like it as well. Everything from her light and near perfect complexion, her fair and slender frame, her vivacious nature around Raynauld, and her cutely timid personality made her stand out enough on the upper floors, let alone the battlefield. How could someone who looked and acted so innocent be pulled into a role like this? What did it matter that she had potential? Maria’s thoughts rushed through her as she sighed and looked upwards, realizing what she was doing. It was no use, nothing she would do could help. She fell back onto the bed, closing her eyes and letting past memories fill her vision in a foggy veil.

~

Raynauld walked through the empty hallways, letting out a deep exhale. She received the news as he thought she would, and was as ambiguous as ever. Conversations with Maria never lasted too long, and usually ended hastily without a clear idea of her feelings. It didn't matter, what she thought wasn't his business. He heard from Floyd that she used to be more active, more energetic. It was hard to envision her racing around the city grounds, avoiding the guards so she could be alone. Even back then she was known as the best duelist in the kingdom, the reputation she earned as the 'archangel' was a mix of renown and mysticism.

In all honesty, Raynauld wanted to test himself against her, find out how well he could hold up in a one on one situation against a skilled opponent. Only one person had gotten the opportunity of being taught by her, and they wasted it. Shaking his head, he brushed the thought away. It was better to not think about those aspects of the past. Although, how much did Maria think about it? Her student betrayed her, Haureulman deserted, and she lost her battalion and comrades in battle. Surely she must have some feelings about it, but if she did Raynauld never noticed it.

Letting out a sigh, he quickened his pace, he was delving into things he shouldn’t. She would deal with her problems, she always did. He frowned thinking back to the conversation. Was she right about Felicia? She probably wasn't completely prepared, but he would be there for her. He was ordered to that after all, train her, teach her, and protect her. Being the daughter of a high priest brought a lot of special treatment her way, but she didn't seem to take advantage of it.

Felicia always seemed to be thinking about something else no matter what she was doing. While she obviously was trying her best to improve during training, her focus slipped too easily. It was a bit frustrating at times, but she was a good person at heart, a bit too good. The optimism she held always astounded Raynauld; every time they went on assignments she always rushed ahead, eager to find places she could help. Thankfully, they never ran into situations where she was needed to help those that were suffering. It was his job to protect her from the terrors outside the walls, but it was also his responsibility to have her grow.

Maybe he was too soft on her, for example, allowing her to keep her terrible sleep schedule. The way Raynauld was taught was strict and rigorous, but it paid off. Being pulled from a town outside the Divine City and inducted into the army was extremely hard, and usually those who were ended up as foot soldiers. He was lucky that his skill was acknowledged by nobles and he was given the opportunity to prove himself.

The candles on the wall flickered as he walked by, the crawler oil in them slowly burning a bright orange light. The smooth pearlescent white floor underneath the blue carpet dully shone underneath the fire. The sun had set fully now and the stars blanketed the blue sky outside the windows. Raynauld let out a sigh as he leaned against the large windowsill from the hallway. The city below was glimmering with light, bustling with people enjoying the night life. The hallway he stood in hovered imidair, long pillars connecting it to the ground. It was a mystery how the weight of the upper floors was held up so steadily, but they also had the floating bridges and islands which were an even bigger mystery.

Raynauld remembered walking through the outer segment of the lower levels, watching the joy on every person's face as he walked by. Even the poorest people in the city lived happy lives, working, eating, and celebrating regularly. The struggle for food was nonexistent thanks to the ether in the ground which caused everything to grow at an accelerated rate. Amazingly, the growth never overtook the white stone of the buildings on the upper levels.

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Lower level architecture varied greatly from upper levels, but nobody knew why. The buildings below were made out of treated wood and stone, similar to the homes outside the walls yet still much more sophisticated. Somehow, even with all the knowledge tucked away in the upper floors, the process of building the place was unknown, and there weren’t any pre-existing maps present. It reportedly took years for the first people to map out the entire city, and those maps weren't completely accurate either. Most people stayed in their sectors, only moving around small amounts.

Raynauld didn't even know what most of the upper floor had to offer; he only stayed in the central levels. There was no need to venture out further, he had everything he needed where he was. Despite the amount of people bustling below him, that was only one portion of the city. A majority of the housing was still vacant, both on the lower and upper levels. The sheer amount of people the Divine City had the capacity to shelter within it was hard to envision.

Everyone seemed to just accept the mysteries of the majestic place. There was the flowing water in the bridges that never ran out yet constantly moved at a set pace, there was the boats which floated along in the water which remained completely stable and knew where you wanted to go, there was the islands above that all had different types of plants and weather conditions that people loved to study, and then there was the crystal in the centre of it all.

It was widely accepted that the giant glowing crystal in the middle of the ground was what powered all of the city. Energy radiated from it as it floated midair, showering the surroundings with blue light. Not only was there the central crystal, but also smaller ones that formed in the catacombs below. Those crystals were handed to soldiers on pendants and gave the ability to teleport extremely long distances. Raynauld examined the one around his neck, the light from it pulsing softly. It felt weightless yet had a feeling of empowerment.

It wasn't just the crystal doing that, the whole place felt like it empowered him. Maybe it did, who really knew. That was always the question, wasn't it? Raynauld smiled, remembering Felicia's constant probing after she read the books in the library. It was always the same answer again and again, but she continued to ask.

Footsteps approached Raynauld from further down the hallway. He turned to see Kashire walking his way, his bronze mask glowing orange in the light. He was still wearing his cloak and padded leather shirt.

"Hello Kashire, what are you doing?"

"Walking."

Raynauld sighed as he looked back out to the ground floor from a window. Kashire leaned on the wall beside him.

"It's night out, right?"

"Yes, the sun just set a few minutes ago."

Kashire paused and crossed his arms.

"What's it look like from here? The city."

Raynauld paused to think for a moment.

"It's... There's houses below us, far below us with people running through the streets, some islands in the distance glowing with light, and the bridges in the distance with their waterfalls."

Kashire nodded and let out a barely audible sigh.

"What colour is it?"

"Which part?"

"All of it."

Raynauld looked back out, examining the collage in front of him.

"A lot of blue."

Kashire snorted and let out a small laugh.

"That's all you can muster?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

He stopped and tilted his head upwards.

"Blue... Huh, I forgot what blue looks like."

Raynauld turned away from the view to look at Kashire.

"You forgot?"

"Well, it's been a long time, all I remember is grey."

"Grey?"

Kashire flexed his fingers in front of his mask.

"Everything I 'see' is in grey, like little silhouettes. Honestly it's a bit dull."

"Can you sense everyone below us?"

He paused for a second, tilting his head downwards.

"Nope, too far."

Raynauld nodded and peeked over the window again.

"What do I look like to you?"

"Grey."

Raynauld sighed again, realizing he should've expected that answer.

"How do the asleep people look compared to the awake ones?"

Kashire shrugged.

"It's hard to tell, I have to focus on them."

"How did you notice Felicia then?"

"It's impossible to not notice her."

Raynauld paused and got up from the ledge.

"What do you mean?"

Kashire let out a long exhale.

"It's like looking directly into the sun if that makes sense."

"That bright?"

"Do you really think I know the answer to that?"

Kashire shook his head and shifted his feet.

"The amount of ether that girl has, she's a walking crystal."

Raynauld nodded, remembering their training sessions. She was powerful, really powerful. If she could control all of that energy, everything would be trivial to her. It was obvious she was holding back, but maybe that was for the better. Kashire stood up straight and adjusted his tattered and worn cloak.

"Have her focus on siphoning ether, that would prove useful."

"She should train on using her own powers first."

"That's still her power isn't it?"

Kashire moved past Raynauld and down the carpeted corridor.

"See you later Raynauld."

"Good night Kashire."

Raynauld watched Kashire as he looked upwards while he walked down the hallway. His footsteps were light yet deliberate, careful and completely planned out. Despite being blind, he had more control of his movements than most people. A small group of nobles moved past Raynauld as he continued to stare out the window. Maybe Kashire was right, Felicia would benefit from training to siphon her ether to others, she always wanted to help people anyways.

Footsteps clicked through the hallway behind Raynauld. He turned around, seeing a small man in royal robes approaching him. A royal messenger, seemingly one that had business with him. The man stood up to full height, his eyes stern and jaw locked.

"Lord Duran has a message for you."

"What is it?"

"He would like to speak in person, please follow me."

Lord Duran was the head of the reconnaissance branch, and being called by him meant there was new information, or maybe new orders. Raynauld nodded and straightened upwards, adjusting his clothing as he followed the messenger through the hallways. The robes that the man wore barely didn't brush the ground, the stark white cloth accented with vibrant blue lines. Raynauld hoped that this meeting wasn't formal and his own clothing was acceptable.

The corridor opened up to a cavernous rounded room, adorned with blue carpets with golden trim. Great spiraling staircases led up and down on all sides, giving way to more hallways and bridges. At the top of it all was a magnificent chandelier, adorned with silver and blue crystals, painting the whole ceiling in a glimmering reflection. Footsteps from a bridge above Raynauld sounded as laughter echoed through the air.

The messenger moved up stairs to the left of him and Raynauld followed. The orange candles melded with the slight blue tinge from above as they continued upwards. They entered the doorway on the third floor, emerging onto an open bridge. Cool air ruffled Raynauld's long hair as he stepped onto the raft in front of him. It started moving as soon as both men were on board, it's white floor remaining level as it floated upstream.

Duran had his offices located on the island of the emerald forest. The buildings his team worked in were carved into the gigantic trees which made up the entire place. The trees were at least 15 meters in radius, if not more. It must've taken centuries for those trees to grow, not to mention stay in perfect shape. Each of the floating islands held their own biosphere, from forests to floating pockets of freshwater. Raynauld visited the island of blossoming trees often when Felicia urged him to go there when she needed to study, even though she never got work done while looking at the scenery. The petals fell year round but the ground seemingly was never completely covered in them.

The bridge gave a good view of the whole city. Raynauld looked down, seeing a large portion completely dark and the other filled with life. However, even in darkness the city looked peaceful. A smell of cedar wafted over as they neared the island in front of them, the trees looking like mountains as they approached. The raft came to a slow halt as they got off and moved into the woods.

A sturdy wooden path showed them the way into the forest. Raynauld had no idea why Duran would choose this place as his centre of operations, especially when places like this were a popular destination to the denizens of the lower levels. Technically anyone in the Divine City was free to go where they pleased, but the general populace generally stayed off the central upper floors.

Large wooden lodges lined the tree's trunks as they progressed up a sturdy log bridge. It looked cozy inside, maybe they were good to relax in. The main building stood tall up ahead, the windows in the giant tree in front of Raynauld emitting a warm glow. It was hard to discern how far the actual building went up the tree, or how far down it went. A deer ran by in a flash on the ground below, gracefully moving through the underbrush.

Large roughly hewn doors of bark beckoned Raynauld inwards towards the beautifully carved interiors. Everything was a part of the tree itself; the craftsmanship was exquisite. The messenger walked ahead towards a room underneath twin stairs that lined the walls. He swung the door open and gestured for Raynauld to enter. The inside was dimly lit as a dark skinned man furiously wrote on a long piece of paper. He wore a messy buttoned shirt which was stained with bits of dirt and mud.

"Ah Raynauld, you received my summons."

"Yes lord Duran, what do you need?"

Duran stood up and looked out the window behind him, staring over the distant walls.

"The scouting group has not returned, they were supposed to be back two hours ago."

"Maybe they're late?"

"They're never late."

He turned back to Raynauld, his stern expression looking similar to a glare.

"We can only fear the worst, and we must take action."

Raynauld nodded as Duran continued.

"You leave midday tomorrow to the town of Genstem. Investigate the area and pick the trail back up."

Raynauld looked downwards, trying to mask his surprise.

"Isn't this a bit sudden? Shouldn't we get more information and prepare for a bit longer?"

Duran shook his head and planted his hands on the table.

"We cannot allow them to escape again, they're too dangerous to roam free. Besides, they must pay for their crimes one way or another."

Raynauld nodded in affirmation, standing up straight.

"Yes sir, I'll inform everyone else."

Duran nodded and looked back out the window. Raynauld turned to leave before he was interrupted.

"Oh, before I forget, Lord Illumnianoire requested a report on his daughter."

Raynauld paused, carefully thinking before continuing.

"She's progressing quite well in both hand to hand combat and ether manipulation."

Duran gave a slight nod as Raynauld hesitantly continued.

"Why didn't he talk to her himself? Does he want me to tell him directly?"

"He only asked for me to relay a short report, probably has enough on his hands."

Duran turned back around and looked Raynauld dead in the eyes.

"I know this may be repetitive, but remember, it is imperative you succeed in this assignment. Too many people have suffered at the hands of these traitors, and they must be brought to justice."

He turned around and looked out the window.

"This assignment will only end once they have been dealt with."

Raynauld stayed silent for a moment before moving to the exit.

"Yes sir, thank you Lord Duran."

"Good luck Raynauld."

The office door creaked shut as Raynauld left. He let a sigh out as the wind tunneled through the trees.

~

The stars glimmered in the sky and the twin moons shone softly as Felicia watched them from the observatory. It was gorgeous, the intricate web of lights that tangled themselves in the blue night. A brisk chill of wind blew into her face, causing her to wince; the large open balcony didn't offer much protection from that. She carefully peered below, barely able to discern the buildings below from the streets. Up here, she couldn't hear any of the commotion, only the wind and her breaths.

The constellations had changed since she was up here last, the image of Arqious's Serpent was now gone over the horizon, replaced with the Dove of Saint Germain. It used to confuse Felicia so much when her mother pointed out the constellations; how could something so abstract make up a recognizable image? It took her a long while to find the pictures herself, but she got there eventually. The memories of being up here flashed in her mind. The images went through her head, the warmth of the blanket, those kind eyes, her small smile. The sky blurred as Felicia felt her eyes well up.

Are you up there?

She always told her that there was someone watching down on them, was she watching her now?

Felicia quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and took another look at the sky. It encompassed everything, she could get lost in it if she wanted to, even if she was already lost as is. Felicia shook her head as her breath shuddered in her throat, it was better not to think about the past, it never brought any good. Even so, the stars never changed.

The sound of quiet footsteps sounded behind Felicia, causing her to startle. She quickly whipped around, seeing a bronze faceplate in front of her.

"Hello."

"Oh, Kashire, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I... nothing I guess."

He let out a chuckle followed by a sigh before he leaned on the handrail in front of Felicia.

"What are you doing all the way up here?"

"I was looking at the stars, why are you here though?"

"Because you were here."

Felicia looked up surprised.

"You followed me?"

He snorted and turned towards her.

"Please, I'm not a stalker, I sensed you and I was bored."

"Oh... of course, sorry."

He sighed again before taking a seat on the opposite side of the bench to her.

"So tell me, why were you crying?"

Felicia shrunk in her seat, pulling her arms close to her body.

"You heard that?"

"Yeah, I have good hearing you know."

She nodded, tucking her legs close to her chest.

"I... would rather not talk about it."

Kashire crossed his legs and stretched his arms behind his head, the roughly hewn clothing scratching against his cloak.

"No worries, I get it."

A breeze flew past them, whistling as it went past. Felicia took another look at the sky, searching the little dots for some meaning. Kashire's voice sounded next to her.

"What interests you so much about the stars?"

"Umm, I don't really know how to put it."

"Humor me."

She straightened her back and set her hands down onto the bench.

"I'm not sure why it's so interesting to me, they’re just little lights. Sometimes they can form patterns, sometimes people pretend there's patterns to follow. Either way, it just looks... beautiful."

Kashire nodded as Felicia went on.

"The festival of light is happening tomorrow night, I saw some people preparing the flowers for it."

"Ah, that, I’ve heard of it.”

Felicia smiled and looked at the floor.

"I remember seeing it years ago, it looked so different back then.”

The lights of the city below her flickered dimly as she let herself continue to smile. Kashire nodded and rose from his seat, stretching his legs out.

"I'm sure it'll look good."

Felicia ducked away, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I'm rambling aren't I?"

"Stop being so timid, you're not a child, act like it."

"I- um, yeah."

He let out a sigh and moved towards the exit, the gilded glass doors swinging open as he left. Felicia smiled a little at that comment.

"Try not to spend all night up here."

"Mhm."

Felicia looked back up at the vastness above her once again.

Just a few more minutes, I'll be done in a bit.