“Do you remember anything else that happened?” Deka asked Kaara,

“They took good care of me when I was an old lady.”

“What about the scroll’s riddle at the end? What did you answer?”

Kaara put a finger to her lip, “I don’t remember what I answered, but I know it was wrong.”

Deka sighed, pinching his brow, “So none of us have progressed then. Very well, I can change scrolls now.”

“Hold on.” Arik said, “I’m not so sure we should be doing this anymore. Especially if it’s gonna make Kar-Kar cry!”

“I’m fine Arik, really.”

“But-”

Kaara smiled, “I only cried because it was over. It was a pleasant dream in the end.”

Amaro saw Deka in the corner of his eye, lost in thought, “What’s on your mind, Prince?”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with. If Kaara has failed as well, there is no point in dwelling on what happened in the dream. Arik, if you have an issue with the scrolls you can opt out of this. I’ve already made you well aware of the risks.”

“I’m sayin’ we should take this to the adults. We’re clearly out of our depths here.”

“There’s more glory to be had by figuring it out for ourselves.”

“So that’s what it’s about,” Amaro said, “You want to decipher the scrolls to add another feather in your cap as a young prodigy.”

Deka glared at him, “And so what if I am? As I said I can handle this, but if you wish to opt out you may do so.”

“And would your father trust you to handle this yourself?” Amaro said.

He watched Deka’s jaw flicker. Him and Deka were not too different after all.

“The path to greatness is about exceeding expectations, not just meeting them.”

“If I may,” Anitus said, raising his hand.

“Speak, Anitus.”

“I am on Deka’s side here. If those scrolls hold power, but the worst they can do to us is give us a bad dream, then there’s no harm in continuing to use them. Sparring matches with weapons are far more dangerous than some lousy scroll, so there’s no need to come crying to the adults. Especially when none of us will be able to do so when the Siren Ceremony comes.”

Amaro racked his brain for a counterargument, but could not think of anything compelling enough.

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“I think Anitus is right for once,” Kaara said.

“‘For once?’” Anitus said, crossing his arms.

“If there’s no harm in the end, but these scrolls are important to discovering some big secret, then I wanna know. Plus, it was my dream that led me to those scrolls. I dunno what the meaning of it is, but I want to find out. If Deka thinks the adults will take them away from us, then I trust that. I wanna know what’s going on and why a ghost led me to them. I can’t do that if they take those scrolls away.”

Rorik sighed, “Whatever Kaara decides is my decision as well. She’s the reason we have these things in the first place, and no one is forcing us to be here.”

Arik looked between the two of them, “Well if that’s the way it is, then I guess I can’t protest it. If it’s fine with Kaara it’s fine with me.”

Amaro looked to his siblings, “Are you staying?”

Anitus gave him a look of conviction, “I got past Absuos’s roar, I can get past this. Isn’t that right, Raktus?”

“Of course! Next time I see that sea monster I’m gonna tie its three necks into a knot!”

“Then if we are all in agreement, I will read from the second scroll.”

Everyone nodded.

“Good.” Deka said, unfurling a new scroll, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed xio is king. In the land of eyes, the one-eyed xio is only a humble beggar. The xio who listens will never know poverty, but they will never taste lordship. But those that can touch the heart will never bow to its beating, but rather dance to its rhythm. And to those that reek of sulfur, you may hope that the springtime rains can wash the blood away. But we have forgotten how.

Amaro’s vision tunneled again.

He opened his eyes, the light and warmth of the sun blinding him.

“You’re not going to hit it from this far away,” an unfamiliar voice said over his shoulder.

He turned to see the beautiful brown eyes of a human woman.

“Watch, and be amazed, Veronica,” Amaro hissed under his breath, carefully drawing his bow, and taking aim.

Veronica? Why did he know her name? And when did he learn to use a bow?

He peered through the thicket, making sure the arrow’s path was clear.

“Poor thing, it probably doesn’t even know it’s being hunted,” Veronica said, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“It’s just a rabbit, you don’t need to feel sorry for it,” He mumbled, tracking the brown mammal as it hopped about.

“I wonder if the rabbit has kids.”

“Good. They’ll carry on its legacy..”

Veronica snickered, “You know, you become quite grumpy when you hunt.”

“You become rather loud when I hunt.”

Why did he know what to say? He tried to remember what he knew about this woman. He had met Veronica a few years ago in the province of Orion. They were both Planehoppers, but Lithiria was their home in the end. After some time working for the guild, he and her had taken up residence in a humble river town called Owl Catch.

They were lovers.

Amaro loosed his arrow. It went wide, much to Veronica’s amusement.

“Don’t be so quick to laugh.” He said, swiping a finger through the air and forcing the arrow to hook and pin the rabbit to a tree by its neck.

The legs of the rabbit kicked violently before slowing down to a full stop as its blood began to stain the tree bark.

“Good shot! I knew you could do it,” Veronica said with a clap.

“Thanks for your unwavering support, darling,” Amaro replied. He knew he had been aiming to kill it painlessly with a headshot, but he missed.

Veronica bowed dramatically, “You are quite welcome. I guess that’s why you’re called ‘Mark’ in the end right? You never miss it!”

Mark? That’s right, that’s what his name was.