The bar was as busy as usual — Tabitha, preoccupied with the several patrons demanding her attention, didn’t notice Raine and Nikolay walk in.

Which was a good thing, because both of them were soaking wet, and left a small water trail behind them as they walked upstairs to their room. A later problem, provided that a staggering drunk didn’t slip over the water and break their neck.

“You shower first,” Nikolay said once they closed the door behind them. “I have… other things to attend to.”

Raine nodded, eager to get out of his soaked clothes.

Once they were notably drier and more presentable, Raine and Nikolay walked back down to greet Tabitha.

“We’re back,” Raine said, trying not to startle Tabitha.

His efforts were probably in vain, though, because Tabitha didn’t even bat an eye at his voice coming from behind her.

“I noticed,” she replied with a cheeky grin. “It’s pretty hard to miss a pair of drenched strays walk in, especially when they draw half of the tavern’s attention.”

“Sorry…” Raine sheepishly fidgeted with his sleeve. “We won’t be diving into any bodies of water again anytime soon, if that’s comforting to hear.”

Tabitha heartily laughed at his mollifying tone. “I’m not actually mad at you two. It took a couple of swipes with the mop, and the water was all gone. I’d be a pretty terrible hostess if I berated my exhausted-looking tenants. Come, have a rest in the quieter corner here. I’ll bring over some drinks.”

They gladly accepted Tabitha’s instructions and allowed themselves to be ushered into a booth in the corner of the tavern.

“Thanks for everything,” Raine sighed as he let his aching legs rest. “You didn’t have to.”

“I gotta tuck in the tavern’s troublemakers before they cause any more trouble,” Tabitha joked. “Otherwise I’ll be giving myself twice the workload.”

“We’ll be getting out of your hair pretty soon, don’t worry. Since we’ve already done what we need to, it won’t be long before we have to leave Aurelinne Village.”

“You’re leaving so soon?” Tabitha chucked lightheartedly. “I was just getting used to having two extra pairs of hands to take care of everything for me.”

“Ah, you’re giving us a little too much credit. You handle everything just fine without us, really,” Raine modestly replied. “I just wish that we had something to give you in return for all your help.”

“It’s not a problem at all, hon. You’ve done more than your share by making my day. Rarely gets this exciting around this tiny town; most of the snobby big shots visiting Aurelinne Village don’t tend to mix with us locals. Where are you two headed next?”

Raine deliberated for a moment, trying to recall the marks that Nikolay drew on their map. “I think… we’ll be heading west. Our next destination is in the middle of a large forest, south of Marque.”

At least this time, the Temple of Light didn’t have nearly as dangerous of a path to reach it, compared to diving a hundred metres below the sea.

“Oh, you’re heading west? That means you’ll pass the Great Kosiran Bridge. It’s a lovely sightseeing area — though I’m sure you two aren’t travelling for the sights — where you can see both Marque and Veritas on opposite sides. I wouldn’t bet on your chances of being able to stay for long, since it also serves as the main pathway for visitors travelling between the two main capitals.”

“It’ll be nice to have a break from endless grassy plains. Have you been before?”

“Only a handful of times. I occasionally have to talk with the merchants at Marque about the tavern’s alcohol shipments. It’s a hassle to make the trip, though; I wish Kosira would open up more major ports outside of Marque. Of course, Veritas’ government would rather cut off a limb than let so many outsiders into their city,” Tabitha chuckled at the thought. “They can’t even stand the presence of their own non-sorcerer kin.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Everything has to pass through Marque in order to leave or enter?” Raine thought back to the city’s disorganised and ungoverned state. “That’s… concerning.”

“Couldn’t agree with you more, but that’s just how it’s been for as long as anybody can remember. Lotta things have to change to re-correct history, and it’s as hard to convince Marque to change as it is with Veritas. One’s under too strict surveillance, and the other’s long given up on trying to establish rules.”

Raine must’ve looked too troubled about Kosira’s affairs, because Tabitha quickly lightened up the mood.

“But that has nothing to do with travellers like you,” Tabitha grinned. “Regular civilians can barely lift a finger against it, let alone people who just stepped foot into our land.”

That would normally hold true for any other visitor to Kosira, but Raine was pretty sure being prophecy-bound to this land meant something. Besides that, he also had the company of possibly the most powerful sorcerer that ever existed. Who coincidentally had job experience in leading a revolution.

Speaking of, Nikolay hadn’t said anything in a while. At some point, he’d felt pressure on his side, but didn’t bother to check what caused it.

Raine looked to his right to see Nikolay’s head nestled on his shoulder. Nikolay’s black hair had fallen away from his face, giving Raine a clear view of him. It was almost surreal how Nikolay’s sleeping face made him seem far less serious. He looked like an average 23-year-old man, without the burden of the several hundred years that he had lived.

Raine smiled to himself as he stared at Nikolay’s peaceful face. He made a mental note to always stay up later from now on.

—

An agonising bird’s cry drifted through the forest, a hauntingly beautiful melody that resonated deep within his chest. Drawn by some unknown force, Raine slowly drifted towards the sound.

Pushing past the thick forestry, he reached a small clearing devoid of trees. In the centre, an ethereal phoenix lay unmoving on the grass. Milky blue strands flowed from its body, akin to feathers on a bird.

Sheets of moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting an otherworldly glow onto the creature. Its beak tucked into its chest; the cries were now muffled, soft warbles. Long, azure wings splayed across the ground, mist rolling off in waves. They looked oddly familiar, but Raine couldn’t pinpoint the source of the feeling.

As he neared the phoenix, Raine quickly realised the reason behind its cries. One wing was bent at an awkward angle and lay limp in the grass. The feathers stuck out haphazardly, its light blue stained with a contrasting crimson red.

His heart and body instinctively tugged him towards the injured bird. Grass rustled as it parted ways for him. The intruding sound alerted the phoenix, who instantly stopped its cries and jerked its head upwards. It regarded Raine with a smoking white eye, and then took off in the opposite direction.

He followed the phoenix through the forest, leaping over branches and rocks, traversing across small streams, weaving through densely populated tree trunks. Each step did nothing to close the gap between them, regardless of how hard he tried to speed up.

Eventually, the trees fell away from his vision, revealing the edge of a cliff. The phoenix paused and spread its single healthy wing, preparing itself to dive off. Although it was only a brief moment, Raine could close the distance between them.

His hand reached out, stretching as far as he physically could. This time, he would catch it. This time, he’d finally get all the answers he was looking for.

Fingers outstretched, feet teetering on the edge of the cliff, he slowly inched closer and closer. And then-

—

Raine woke up earlier than usual. The sun had just risen above the horizon, and the clock on his bedside table indicated that it was 7 in the morning.

“Go me,” Raine rejoiced with a yawn. “I’ve finally adjusted to a normal sleep schedule without needing an alarm.”

In celebration, he hopped out of bed and immediately went to get changed. His triumph fuelled his entire morning routine, putting an energetic bounce in his step as he went through the motions.

“I’m practically as much of a morning person as Kolya,” he cheerfully said as he finger-gunned his reflection in the mirror.

At the mention of Nikolay, his smile faltered a little. Usually, Nikolay would still be in their room at this time.

Raine went to open the door and then paused. He stepped backwards with a frown.

All of their borrowed scuba gear, along with their bag of meagre findings from the underwater ruins, had disappeared.

Nikolay must’ve left to return everything, but why wouldn’t he wait for Raine? That was a lot of stuff to carry, not to mention how heavy the tanks were. And Nikolay was out like a light last night — if that was Raine, he’d be way too exhausted to wake up so early and walk all the way to the old man’s house.

Shaking the doubts away for now, Raine shut the door behind him and walked downstairs.

“Hey, Tabitha,” Raine tiredly waved.

Tabitha looked back at him. “Hey. If you’re wondering, Nikolay went off somewhere before the sun rose. I only caught him as he was leaving, while I was going to set up the bar.”

“Did he say anything about where he was headed?”

“No,” Tabitha shook her head. “He looked like he was in a daze. Even if I called out to him, I don’t think I’d get a response. Wherever he is, it must be taking a while, though. Been a while since the sun’s risen.”