"Everything's ready?"

"Seems like it."

"Then let's go."

The usual group of three was about to depart to their next destination, but before they did, they turned toward the house member they were leaving behind.

"Sirius, we're returning later. I just hope you won't go into the sea, so just in case, I've notified the sirens about you."

Orion crouched and rubbed the dog's sides.

"There's kibble and water right next to the door, so eat when you want alright?"

Then, Amelia came to pat his head.

"Don't play too much that you exhaust yourself."

The last one to caress Sirius was Karteira.

The dog look at them while wiggling his long tail, before turning around toward the house.

"Alright, with that said, let's move out."

"Well, you say that, but we're simply waiting in Auro while you go east, isn't it?"

Amelia said while walking through the portal, right behind Orion.

"It won't take long anyway. I've got more stamina than before, so I won't need that many breaks."

Orion said.

"Around an hour should be enough. The coast isn't that far."

The three came out of the portal, and it closed behind them.

After Orion's birthday, the sisters returned to the fairy realm. First they needed to talk with Tiohr-nam about multiple things again, but also because they knew this trip to Bandir would be a mental test for Amelia, just like their own 'errand' a month ago.

This was something she had to go through.

"You can either stay here, or go around town. Just..."

He walked to Amelia and placed a hand on her head, looking directly into her eyes.

"Be prepared. I am sure it won't be easy."

"Right."

She nodded, watched by a worried Karteira.

"Then, I'm going. Once this is done, we're moving toward Turric. I think a good walk will be necessary, so we'll go slowly toward it after we're done in Bandir."

Orion removed his hand, and looked toward Karteira. He nodded at her, implying something in the line of 'I'll leave her to you.' and left the wooden house.

And without waiting, Orion was on his way for Bandir.

"Amelia."

"What?"

Karteira had a feeling that Amelia was a little out of it.

"Do you not want to go anymore? Are you regretting that choice?"

But she did not receive an answer.

"If you don't talk, I'm going to pester you until you do. Either you talk to me, or you go outside with me."

She finally got a reaction from her.

*sigh*

"Fine."

Amelia sighed and shrugged, before sitting on one of the chairs.

"I don't know how I feel right now. I want to know more, but I also don't want to. I don't want to learn things that could change me."

"We've already decided to go against the Apostle that attacked the village. That should have been enough. We had no need to go to that burned place at all."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

She grabbed her head between her hands and placed her elbows on the table.

"Why are we even going there for? There's nothing, only death."

But Karteira shook her head.

"Of course there's not just that. There might be things you can only remember by going there. Things that could help you learning more about the enemy, a weakness of sort, or just learning more about your mother could be a huge moment for you."

"Why? She's dead too."

"If I've retained one thing, it is that life isn't as black and white as it seems. You appearing in our realm is such a case. We were ready to die at any moment if not for your arrival. Maybe you will remember her last words, maybe more, I don't know, but it's not a reason to push away your past."

Karteira closed her eyes, and brought up her trump card.

"Amelia, what about Orion's parents?"

"..."

She removed her hands from her face and crossed her arms on the table.

"He told us right? They're technically dead. But they are still around. Don't you think your mother could also be a part of you? Are you going to throw her away?"

Amelia stood up and walked toward Karteira. She stopped millimeters from her face and stared right in her eyes, seemingly furious.

They remained like this for a moment, until Amelia closed her eyes, and turned her face away.

"You're right. I don't know why I feel like this. Sorry about that."

She took a step back, and smiled sadly.

"I wouldn't want to ignore your advice anyway, so I'll-"

Amelia slapped both of her cheeks at the same time, forcing her thoughts to return to normal.

"Do my best. Thanks."

"No problem. I'm your friend, so I will support you until the end."

"Sure. You want to go outside until Orion returns?"

Karteira nodded, and smiled at her.

"I'll follow you."

And just like that, they both left the wooden house of Auro's woods. Both girls went around town until the moment to leave was upon them.

~

The two usual shadows emerged from the darkness.

"She's decided to go there. Now that we've learned about the resonance, are you sure we can let them go?"

The woman on the right spoke. She was the one who went to help Orion personally.

"We won't do anything. like I said, we need to remain hidden as much as possible."

"I know that, but they are at risk now. Are we really letting them be?"

It was a hard choice, but nothing could be done.

"We're talking about-"

"Stop. I know what you want to say, but my choice will not change."

'This is so wrong.'

Her friend was adamant on not helping. The incident happening to Orion would be the only time she would put her life in danger.

"You did it once, can't you do it twice?"

"No."

"Fine."

She gave up persuading her friend.

"But I have this strange sensation that she will find out soon enough. That her life was all a lie."

"A lie... did it now?"

Noticing a reaction, she pushed a little further.

"You know it is. Maybe she will not understand everything, but what will you do if she happens to remember everything? Aren't you in trouble if that happens?"

"..."

"Of course you are. Sorry for asking."

The cloaked woman on the left stood up and approached her friend.

"What do you expect me to do? I'm shouldn't have done what I did, sure. That much I can agree with. But you don't have the same view I have on the world that I do. I've seen way more than you could ever imagine."

"I know, and I never said that it wasn't rough on you. What I want to say is that it is simply too terrible and unfair."

What seemed like a heated argument was in fact their only way to have a real conversation without hiding their feelings.

"Of course it is. She wasn't ready, and I still feel that she isn't. I saw her fail so many times I just wished it was someone else at this point!"

Tears began to fall from the woman's face.

"I wasn't talking only about her. I was talking about you too. How many time and for how long are you going to endure it? Isn't you heart already broken by now?"

"..."

She wiped her tears away and sat back on her chair.

"Not yet. I will rest only when the Scourge is gone from existence. Until it isn't, I can't stop, or else, all the sacrifices will be in vain."

"Av-"

"Don't you dare speak that name. Don't you dare."

A strong pressure emanated from her, shutting the mouth of the woman on the left immediately.

"My bad. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Don't invite such a thing, or this will literally be the end."

"Living in here is quite boring honestly. There's nothing to do. Can you blame me for bothering you every now and then?"

"Changing subjects... fine, I'll let it slide."

The woman on the right clenched her fist and did a victory pose, but discretely.

As other topics were exchanged, only one thought remained in one of them.

'Let's hope she will not learn too much.'

~

Orion arrived near the east coast. It wasn't as hot as the desert, and the air was way colder than he expected.

The sea wasn't that beautiful compared to Hocride's, but it was still blue.

Looking in the distance, he noticed something incredibly strange. In the darkest part of the sea, he saw a creature resembling a snake with white scale move around. And it wasn't small.

The shadow it casted under the water was massive, and Orion didn't know what to do, or what to think.

'It's bigger than Tiohr-nam, and she's already a massive tree. What in the world is this thing?'

Just as he thought that, two yellow eyes stared at him from the distance.

The water violently shook, and split itself in half, as a monster emerged from it.

Anyone seeing this scene would either run in panic, or faint on the spot. But to Orion's surprise, he wasn't scared or apprehensive of the being.

The two stared at each other for a minute, until the earth shook from the footsteps of the giant being.

Once it judged the distance to be enough, it dropped its lower body and approached its head toward Orion.

The voice of a stern old man echoed in his mind.

"You. Why can I smell the dragon and lamia essence on you?"

Orion shook his head.

"If you tell me who you are first, I'll answer."

"Oooh. You have the dragon's speech. Interesting."

As they stared at each other, the sea closed itself, and giant waves came crashing on the shores.

Velridar, the Remnant of Strength and father of the dragons and lamias, and Orion, last survivor of the angel and demon faction, met at that moment.