‘Dear Mom,
I know the reporters are going to want to hear the full story, so you can show this to them if you want. I just don’t really have enough time to make a stop back to Aecara and it turns out there’s no telephone lines this far down Caelia! I guess I’m not surprised, it’s just a little strange, you know? I’ve grown up with all this new technology so close to me… it was easy to forget that not everyone was the same way.
I want to help these people—everyone in Aedrisea. I… don’t really know how, but I know that’s what I want to do. It might even be my purpose. Is that why you asked me to go out there? Did you know all of this would happen..?
I’ve already told you the stories, but if you’re going to let the reporters see this, then I don’t mind retelling it. When you first introduced me to Virse—told me she’d be my new bodyguard, that I’d be leaving Aecara to find my purpose—I honestly had no idea what to think. She’s warming up to me! I think. I’m actually not really sure. I mean, I feel like we can have a pretty good conversation going, but just as soon as she realizes that, she locks herself back up. Do you think it has something to do with me, or the situation, or… maybe whatever she’s left behind..?
We met Sera when we visited Lord Iankas (by the way, do you know him? Arrika thought she remembered him, and he said he knew you and Dad). She was super excited to join us—she said she’s hoping to learn more about where she came from, or even find her family. I hope she can. I know we’ll all be keeping an eye out for anything.
After that, well, you know—we went to that spot he told me to go, that hill that overlooked the Mare. Tucked up in there, forgotten by just about everything, was the Citadel of Reneta. I remember what you said when I told you the first time—how we were her “heirs,” meant to complete the task that she and her siblings couldn’t. I still don’t know exactly what you meant by that, but we’re definitely fixing the place up. I hope that, one day, it can be a home for those who don’t think they have one… a glimmer of hope to all those who need it.
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The three of us traveled down to the Grand Crossing after that, meeting Alrynn and Kezati. Alrynn is a lot like Virse, I think—he doesn’t talk about his past a lot, but he’s still really friendly. He does his best to keep us all out of trouble and he’s apparently pretty good at picking up on things that might lead to danger. Kezati didn’t take long to warm up to us, though. Virse almost punched him once—okay, several times—because of his personality, but I think he just wants to see where life takes him, you know? It sounds like it’s gotten him in trouble before, but I really think he just doesn’t want to take things too seriously.
And then… there’s Yllnor. Wait, that probably sounds like I don’t like her. That’s not true! I think she’s great! She knows a lot about nature and natural remedies. Some of the things she made for me actually seemed to work better than the other medicines you make me take for the side effects of temptation. She says that she knew King Zanrel and Lady Elysrainne when they were younger, and I—and the others—believe her. (By the way, she told us that temptation didn’t exist back then. Isn’t that weird? I mean, I’d think it would be worse before the Fallen One was banished…) She doesn’t remember how she ended up apparently being asleep for over a thousand years, though. Maybe that’s something else she’ll find along the way.
I don’t know where our path is going to lead us, but I know this is only the beginning of it. Together, we’re going to do great things… save lives. I almost feel like we might end up saving the world, but that can’t be right. Life isn’t like one of those fairytales you’d tell me when I got sick.
Then again, all of this would’ve seemed impossible before I turned fifteen. So I guess anything can happen then, huh?
I’ll come visit soon,
Emeron’