Before I head home, I make sure to stop by the garrison. Going inside, I can tell how overworked they are, there's hardly anyone there. The handful of guards watch me as I head straight for Frank, where he's talking to someone near the far end of the room. He obviously notices me too, but I stand back and wait for him to finish.

The person he's talking to looks like a merchant, and between my ears and Riko's I can easily pick up on the conversation. Apparently he manages a warehouse. Claire taught me a little about that when we were going over business stuff. From the sounds of it, some people stole things from his warehouse.

That makes me frown. Why do people need to steal things? Don't they have any other choice? Maybe they're too scared to go into the forest to gather, so they can't make any money to live, so they need to steal instead? Because humans will steal to get by, so they can survive. What an unpleasant thought...

When the man finishes and leaves, he looks down on me, his expression more confused than disgusted. I must really look strange, so clean but still dressed like a peasant. I feel like this is going to cause problems at some point, but there are more important things now.

Walking up to Frank, I wave for him to lean down a little. There are so few guards today that there aren't any nearby, but I still don't want to talk too loud. Crouching down, he greets me a little uncertainly, almost outright wary. "Good day, Aria. Is there anything you need today?"

"Good day, Mister Frank," I try to greet him extra respectfully, and sort of feel like I should curtsy here, like I was taught, but push the thought away because that would probably make him think I'm even weirder, if that's even possible at this point. "Actually, umm, yes. But first, I wanted to thank you. For, you know, believing me. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you about that in so long. Like I said in that letter, I got pretty hurt that day, and, well, it took a while to heal..."

"No worries," he chuckles easily and pats my head to stop my rambling. "Your warning really saved us. By the way, when the nobles came asking about what happened, I didn't tell them about you specifically. I figure getting their attention on you probably wouldn't be any good for you, right? So I just told them some girl told me."

That makes me smile. Even though Reena somehow messed with the guards' memories of the event to hide my identity, I'm glad that at least this time, Frank thought things through enough to try to keep my secrets. "Thanks a lot, Frank. You're right, I really don't want too much attention on me. She wants me to stay... umm..." There should be a word for this. "Not sticking out."

"Inconspicuous," he fills in for me, with a low laugh.

"Y-yeah, inconspicuous. So thanks a lot for that." I nod, then move on. "So anyway... Today, I actually have another warning." His eyebrows draw down lower, worried. "On Shanaday, there are going to be some changes in the forest, and you'll start seeing more activity from the animals and monsters, so you should be ready for that. It should last a few days, maybe a week, it's a little hard to say for sure."

Hearing that, Frank nods seriously. I think with everything that's happened, he really takes my words to heart now. It doesn't feel like he really treats me like a kid anymore though. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing... "Alright, thank you for the warning. I'll make sure to keep everyone on guard for it. Is that all?"

"Yeah, that's all. Thanks a lot, for everything."

"I should be the one thanking you." This time, he does ruffle my hair playfully. "Now, get going."

"Yeah." With a nod and a wave, I head back out of the barracks. When I reach the street, Riko's already there, waiting. She jumps up into my arms so I can carry her back to the orphanage to recover the lightning mana we used to help the other kids.

However, another idea pops into my head, something I've never had a chance to do before. It's just a couple blocks over, so I go to the bar where Emily works. I really don't want to bother her while she's working and make her boss mad, so I just peek in the doorway. I spot her running back and forth, serving food and drinks to the people inside. The sight makes me smile, I'm so glad she found something more than just the endless gathering in the forest she did before.

With those thoughts in mind, I head back home.

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Approaching the front of the orphanage, I let Riko down so she can run inside herself. Normally, there wouldn't be that many kids around yet, but a lot of them are still staying home sick. Once Riko pulls some mana from her well and passes it over to me, she should have room to pull back and convert the lightning. She takes off, going around to any kids that have recovered to take the leftover lightning mana.

Since she doesn't need me for anything this time, I go up to my room and drop my things under my bed, organizing them and rolling up some clean bandages from the pile of them I've built up under my bed, so I'll be ready to pack tomorrow.

After that, I just continue as usual, meditating and practicing with controlling my mana, interrupted only by Emily and my dinner's arrival, before eventually turning in for the night.

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"Alright, so..." I mumble to myself quietly. "I need to talk to them." It's Nuvoday morning, my last day before the battle, and I really need to finish talking to everyone and properly finish that conversation, those explanations from four weeks ago. I already talked to Eryk yesterday, and John earlier this morning when he dropped off my breakfast.

Of course, he already knew most of it, so he just brushed off my explanation and said he knows it's complicated, and promised to keep watching out for me. It's amazing how understanding he is about everything.

So that leaves Beth and... Marrianne... To start, I head down into the central district, Emily at my side since she's also off work today, and we arrive at the clinic before too long. Standing at the front, I'm a little nervous. It's not a day I'm scheduled for counseling, and I'm not hurt. I'm worried about bothering Beth by showing up like this without a good reason...

No, Beth definitely cares enough to talk to me, even if I show up randomly like this.

...Right?

Of course she does! I assure myself, thinking back on how angry she was at Mister Fredricson when she brought me back home that one time. I grab Emily's hand and head inside before I can talk myself out of it.

"Aria?" Nina asks from her seat once we walk through the door. "Is something wrong?" I cringe a little. The way her eyes are searching me for injuries, it's clear that even just showing up worries her...

"N-no, I'm fine," I assure her quickly. "I just, umm, had something I wanted to talk to Miss Beth about. Is that alright?"

She obviously sees how nervous I am asking, because she smiles and answers, "Of course it's fine. She's free right now, head on in."

"Thank you, Miss Nina." She just laughs a little as I bow, and her smile eases a lot of my worry. I turn to Emily, and she grins, but it looks a little stiff. I think she was worried too...

We move into the back room, where Beth is sitting, already turned to the door. "Aria?"

"I'm fine." My hands go up immediately to stop her from worrying. "Hi, I, umm, I just wanted to talk about something today."

"Oh." She looks surprised, but smiles anyway. "That's fine, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, it's sort of... private?" I offer awkwardly. She picks up my meaning immediately, and so does Taylor. She's only turned halfway to him when he's already rising from his chair.

"Thanks, honey." He shrugs it off, then heads out. "Now, what is it, Aria?" Beth asks after having me sit like usual. I squeeze Emily's hand a little tighter, my own kind of sweaty.

"Well, I wanted to talk more about what I told you last month. I never really finished explaining to everyone and uhh-" Oh, I totally forgot about this part. "A-actually, I have something I have to do, so I won't be here for counseling tomorrow."

"Ok...?" she clearly doesn't get why I'm changing topics all of a sudden.

"Well, it's something dangerous," I admit. "That's why I wanted to finish talking about this."

Hearing that, Beth sits up straighter. "Dangerous? Why would you do something dangerous?"

"I have to. I'm sorry, but I can't really talk about it."

"Oh, Aria..." Beth frowns at me, leaning closer. "You aren't being forced into something, are you? It's fine, you can talk to me." I shake my head and say I'm sorry again. "You came to talk about Reena, didn't you? Don't tell me she's making you do something like that, is she?"

I bite my lip. Beth sounds so worried about me, but this isn't what I wanted to talk about... I can't tell her it's Reena, that wouldn't be fair to her, to blame something like that on her. But I can't tell Beth it's not Reena either, that would be way too suspicious... "I'm sorry, Miss Beth. I really can't talk about it."

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"Aria..." she sighs, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry... I just wanted you to know that's why I wanted to talk to you. It's not actually what I wanted to talk about..."

Beth groans quietly, her hand moving to rub my head. "I don't know what you're mixed up in, Aria, but it's no good. Even if it is a command from Reena, it's still wrong. No one should force a child like you to do anything dangerous, not even a god."

I can't say anything. It's not that I'm being forced...

We sit in heavy silence, and I glance at Emily, who has held her tongue this whole time. Even she said she didn't want me to go. And Reena. Beth and Eryk and even Francis. Everyone around me, whether they know the whole truth or not, just keeps saying that I shouldn't do it. That I'm too young. That I don't owe the program anything.

I get it. I'm small and weak and even if it's my own fault, the abuse they put me through haunts my dreams every night. And I... I really hate them for it...

But that's not the point. It's not about the program. Not about the government, or the war, or any of that. It is my duty. Because I'm a rail unit. Rail units go to war. It's what we're for, why we exist. If I didn't go...

I grit my teeth and growl, "Anyway, I wanted to tell you about Reena, that's why I'm here."

"Aria? What's wrong?" Beth looks confused.

"Come on, it's fine," Emily suddenly speaks up out of nowhere. When I turn to glare at her-

I stop, only now realizing that I'm shaking, angry tears in my eyes. I don't have any fire mana, why am I so angry? Is it because Beth was telling me not to go? But she doesn't even know about the battles, she's just worried about me. There's no reason to be mad about that. I shake my head.

"Aria?" Beth prods me gently, a hand approaching my cheek.

I open and close my mouth, but I can't say anything. I'm too mad and confused. I shouldn't be. What's wrong with me? I don't know, I can't think. I can't- can't-

Reena's advice jumps back to mind. I stand up. "I- I can't. Have to- I'm taking a walk."

"Aria?" When I start to turn away, Emily pulls on my hand to stop me. I try to yank my hand away. She holds tight, and I end up pulling her off balance before Beth catches her.

Emily starts to say something, but Beth just pushes her to move with me. We walk quickly out of the office. I'm practically rushing for the door to the street, but I hear Beth tell Taylor she'll be right back. Then I get outside, and start going.

I move fast, focusing on my feet and my breathing. I still don't know why it helps, but after a few blocks, my heart slows. The anger starts to fade, and I don't feel so overwhelmed anymore. I slow down, my head more clear. Emily, who I've been dragging along, sees that I'm feeling better, and finally releases my hand.

After we walk a bit further, Beth asks, "So, would you like to talk about that?" Her tone is gentle and encouraging, which helps me keep calm.

"It's something Reena taught me," I murmur, conscious of the other people in the street. "When I get overwhelmed, she said to go for a walk or something to calm down." I don't know why, it doesn't feel so embarrassing telling Beth about it, like it did when I thought about telling Eryk. Because she's my counselor? She is the one I always tell about all of my feelings that I don't usually talk about with Eryk...

"Oh." Beth blinks, obviously surprised, but then smiles. "That's good advice. It's a much better outlet for your feelings than some things people do." With a small gesture, she gets us to turn back toward the clinic. "Keep doing that, it'll help a lot as you get older and things get more stressful." After considering for a few moments, she worriedly adds, "Especially since you're already under a lot more pressure than a girl your age should be."

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A short walk later, we get back to the clinic, heading into the office again, where Beth asks, "Now, why were you so angry earlier?"

I frown. "I don't know. I can't think of any reason I should have gotten so angry. I just... did." It's been a long time since I've been so uncertain about my own feelings. No wonder why I was so confused and overwhelmed...

"Mm, that's fine," Beth assures me, stroking my hair soothingly. "We don't always know why we feel the way we do. Especially at your age. When that happens, just try to calm down, like you learned. Trying to figure it out when you're already overwhelmed won't do you any good. Think about things more once you've cleared your head, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll do that." I smile shyly, suddenly receiving more advice like this. "Thank you, Miss Beth." When she tilts her head meaningfully toward Emily, it reminds me - I turn and hug her. "Sorry for pulling you like that earlier," I apologize.

She giggles. "It's fine, Aria." She pats my head, then I return my attention to Beth again.

"So, Aria, what did you come here to talk about?" she asks.

"I just wanted to tell you more about, you know..." I know we're alone, but I still lower my voice a little. "...being an angel. I was pretty out of it when I told you all, so I didn't really make things as clear as I should have."

Beth nods, but doesn't interrupt, so I go on. "Basically, she didn't mark me like normal. She doesn't want me to be like her servant or anything, she marked me to help me."

Here, Beth finally cuts in. "To help you? How?"

"Mmm, that's kind of..." She wants to help me survive, even though there isn't much she can actually do to help with that. "I can't talk about some of it..." I scratch my cheek awkwardly and glance away. "But she's also helped me with other things too. Like, she saved me when- err," I cut short. The first thing that came to mind was when she saved me from Mister Fredricson, but I don't really want to tell her about that because it would upset her again... "I mean, she taught me how to calm down when I'm overwhelmed," I add lamely.

Beth purses her lips slightly, considering my words. Did she guess what I was going to say first? "A-anyway, she's helped me out in different ways, that's why she marked me. I mentioned this before - she has something she wants me to do, but she said I'm too young and won't tell me what it is. I guess she's going to tell me when I'm older?" I'm basically thinking aloud with that guess, I don't have any real idea what she's thinking for sure.

"When you're older? Then what..." Beth shakes her head, then gestures for me to go on.

"So, whatever Reena is planning, she needs to keep it hidden from the other gods for some reason, and she had to mark me differently than normal. I'm not clear on the details, but I do know that normally marks don't let you talk to your god, which hers does."

That one surprises her. "Wait, you can talk to Reena? At any time?"

"Yes." I answer clearly. I give her a few moments to calm down from the shock of that.

Then Beth asks, "She isn't listening right now, is she?" She actually looks a bit worried all of a sudden.

"Huh?" Why would- "Oh, no, she can't listen to me all the time, only when I channel my mark."

"Hmm?" she tilts her head and I realize I'm using terms she's completely unfamiliar with. I haven't explained anything about magic to her after all.

"Uhh... It has to do with my powers. The way it all works is really complicated. But basically, I can make my mark appear and disappear whenever I want, and Reena is only aware of what's happening around me when I do."

"Huh, that's... very strange..." Beth murmurs. She looks away, eyes squinting like she's focusing on something.

"What's strange?" I question, confused by her response.

"I swear I've heard a couple stories about angels, I definitely don't recall them having the ability to hide their marks in any of them..."

"They..." I stare. "Oh."

"Aria?"

Beth looks a bit worried by my response, so I clear my throat and explain. "So umm, like I said, she had to mark me differently. I guess part of that has to do with me being able to make my mark appear at will. Otherwise..." Just the thought makes me shiver. "No wonder she did it like this, if I couldn't hide it, life would be impossible..."

For just a moment, I consider it - Going back to the rail unit program, Reena's mark plain on my face, and I have to shake the entire thought from my head to keep from completely panicking. "A-anyway... That must be why I can hide my mark. I have to avoid the attention of the other gods, and everyone else," I add under my breath, "or they'll find out that she's planning something. That's what I meant when I told you I need to stay secret."

"Oh, wow. That's... concerning..." Beth suddenly looks uncomfortable as she considers that.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you about that. So please don't mention it to anyone?"

After a few moments longer, she asks, "What about Reena? Aren't you worried about her and her plan? For her to hide things from the other gods... Even Baro..." She whispers the last part to herself, but I catch it anyway.

I blink a few times, caught off guard, even though I feel like I shouldn't be. "Miss Beth, are you a follower of Baro?" I ask.

She immediately looks a bit guilty. "I don't want to bring my own religious opinions into this but... yes. I am a doctor," she shrugs a little with her words. Then she explains, "As you could probably guess, it's extremely common for doctors to favor the god of health."

I nod. "Yeah, that makes sense. Even Emily prayed to Baro when I was hurt before." I glance her way when I mention her, and she jolts at the sudden attention.

Beth sighs. "Honestly, I find it suspicious that she wants to hide something from Baro. It makes me worry she's up to no good."

"Eryk said the same thing..." I reply automatically. "Oh, but you don't have to worry about that," I assure her right after. "She said that it's actually alright if Baro finds out about me." When Beth cocks her head a little, I explain better. "She said that while most of the gods can't know she's up to something, it should be fine if Baro, Lila, and Shana find out."

Beth lets out a small breath, visibly relieved. "That does make me much less worried." She puts some more thought into it, before going on. "So, the lower gods are fine, and... Shana? Why Shana?"

"I thought the exact same thing," I admit with a big shrug. "But I have no idea what she's planning, so I have no way to guess." It's a little frustrating, but it has to be really important if she's being so secretive...

"Well, just be careful, Aria. Whatever you're involved in, stay safe, alright?"

I nod strongly. "I'll do my best."

"That's a good girl," she smiles softly and rubs my head. "That's it, right?" I nod again, and she says, "Then go on."

"Yeah." I stand up, taking Emily's hand again, then I bow. "Thanks again, Miss Beth."

"You're welcome, Aria," she responds with another gentle, comforting smile, and sends us on our way.