Mother and Father always said that we didn’t stay in Dreokpis because of their past. I knew that they were slaves, and it would only make sense that they wouldn’t want to return to the kingdom.

But they had never told me how vast and beautiful it was.

Why would they ever want to leave? This is an economic powerhouse. Realizing this, I couldn’t help but think about Kamrvhm, the dwarf kingdom and about Ishne Nalore the elven kingdom.

Why didn’t they want to go into the elven kingdom? Wouldn’t it be so much better for them than anything else?

“Young miss?” Miyako, my maid, called out. “You are staring too hard into the cake.” She smiled and I couldn’t help but redden a bit. I put down the piece of cake on the plate and gave the luxurious looking shop a look. There were other people sitting and eating in the shop.

“Excuse me, Miyako.” I apologized for my strange behavior and drank a bit of my tea. The sweetness of it reminded me of Amara.

In truth almost everything reminded me of her. Especially everything that was sweet.

The harsher truth was how everyone who knew her simply moved on. Koll especially, as she was his only friend for a very long time. How could someone just move on after you lose someone close to you? How can you simply ‘wake up’ like Koll had told me.

“You are doing it again.”

I bit my bottom lip and reluctantly moved the cake to the side.

“Dante or Amara?”

“Amara.”

Miyako hummed. But she didn’t say anything, giving me space.

“I still don’t understand how everyone just moves on…” I took a nearby fork and started to play with the cake. “How does Charlotte, James and Koll, especially Koll don’t break down like… Dante…” I stopped messing with the cake, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth after mentioning Dante. I looked at a clock in the far away corner of the room.

It was only morning and he would only wake at the beginning of noon. “I simply don’t understand.”

“...Some people experience grief in different ways… Even the madam and sir experience it. Though they may not show it…” Miyako spoke slowly as if she was treading on thin ice.

I kept a natural expression. But I couldn’t help but tighten my grip on the fork as I put pressure on the cake. “Come now Miyako, stop it, you know what I think.”

“I know that despite how they show themselves. They still have emotions.” Miyako persisted.

I closed my eyes and nodded.

What is the point if you don’t show your emotions, even to yourself?

“It seems as if you know how people should react in such cases.” I started naturally. “It sounds as if you experienced it yourself in the past.” I threw out a bait. If she were to deny me, I would simply say that it sounded like it.

“Indeed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I responded. But I wanted to hear the differences in the reactions. After all, I couldn't envision her reaction to a loved one dying as my parents did. “It must have been hard.”

Miyako looked at me and her gaze softened, making my heart crumple a bit. “It was. When we were slaves under house Stanlire. My brother, he grew tired of the heir’s torture, and one day we found him in the kitchen, his arms cut.” She spoke so quietly that when she finished a shiver passed through my spine.

I swallowed spit. “I-I’m sorry Miyako, I-I. I’m sorry.”

She gave me a small sad smile. “The days after, I felt hollow. But I kept on doing my duties. Cleaning. Cooking. It helped me focus. I have to admit. Koll is handling it all in stride. It actually feels as if he is glad that she is dead with how well he is doing.” The maid winced and her large ears fell. “Please don’t tell that I said it to anyone young miss.”

I smiled and nodded. “I’m just glad that we are thinking the same about him. I… I don’t think that he is happy that she is dead, I simply think that… Well he said that he was always running away, and that Amara made him realize that there is no need to run away. But I don’t get it.”

Miyako hummed. “I don’t either… Dante on the other hand is taking it way too hard. I’m surprised at the resiliency of his parents. Over a month has passed and yet he still seems… You know.”

I nodded. “I’m not giving up on him. No matter how much Father and Mother show their disapproval.” I declared and Miyako nodded with a smile.

After eating the cake and going on a little stroll through the streets, it became noon. We both made our way down into the lower streets where Dante had been living in a large two story wooden building.

On the first floor we found Koll hammering away at some projects, already well into his work in his new smithy. He gave us half a glance and a grunt as a greeting. On the second floor we only found Charlotte as James has apparently already gone to his guard duty.

“Oh, hey Eleanor, Miyako.” Charlotte greeted us weekly. She looked frail, as if she wasn’t meeting well. “He’s awake. You can go and say hi.” She slowly massaged her eyes.

Her sight made my heart sink. I couldn’t help but feel the world beneath me disappear every time I saw them. It was just like in the attack on the town. I couldn’t do anything. “How are you?”

Charlotte looked up to me and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just fine. Maybe a little tired but that's all.” She started to sho me away towards Dante and I complied.

Opening the door to his rather small room, which had a bed and a dresser. Dante was still in his bed, the light that passed through the small window shined on his snow colored hair. He didn’t turn to face me, instead he stayed silent as he usually did.

“Hey.” I greeted cautiously and closed the door behind me, leaving Miyako with Charlotte. I sat on the bed and looked down at him.

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He was looking straight into the wooden wall. His eyes unflinching.

The feeling of helplessness returned.

What could I say that I haven't already said in the last month? What could I do to help him? Losing Amara was already bad enough, would I lose my only friend too?

“I saw street performers today. Some kids were annoying the adults and making a ruckus. So the performers decided to create flame dragons to chase them.” I told him what I saw, trying to see him smile even a bit.

But he didn’t even flinch. In truth he made me want to shiver. It almost felt as if I was staring at a corpse.

I’m not giving up.

“My father and Mother are saying that soon they will send me to school. They said that they will make sure that I would be in the class that is appropriate to my level of knowledge. So I guess I will be seeing a lot of old guys soon enough.” I jested. But he only closed his eyes.

My heartbeat quickened. I had nothing more to say.

I bit my lips. “I’m not giving up on you.” I continued. “So please don’t give up on yourself.” he clenched his hand weakly.

Keep going.

“I don’t know what I would do if I would lose you.” I found myself speaking the truth. “You taught me… You taught me how to fight, how to stand up for myself. So please just…” I reached out to him and grabbed his shoulder, my heart going out for him. “Fight. You are better than this.”

He stayed still. Even when I lifted my hand from him, he did not move.

I slowly walked to the door and at the moment I was about to open it I stopped. I turned around and felt my chest burn as I stared down at his lump, hidden by the blanket.

I wanted to scream. To shout. ‘Get up’ or even drag him, punch him if I would have to.

And why can’t I?

“Get up.”

He didn’t move.

I walked up to him, grabbed him with both my arms and dragged him off the bed without mana. “I said. Get. Up.” I grunted with every pull until he flopped from the bed to the floor with a thud. He winced and did nothing else.

He looked like a marionette without it’s strings.

I felt my chest get heavy. “By the dragons get up!” I whimpered and grabbed him by the armpits trying to grab him with me outside his room. I felt my eyes start to sting and get blurry. “I don’t want to lose you too!”

He shivered and I continued towards the door. Before I opened it, it opened by itself, revealing Miyako. But Charlotte wasn’t in sight. “What is the plan young miss?”

The plan?

“We are getting him out.”

Quietly closing his door. I left Dante in Miyako’s arms and said goodbye to Charlotte. Telling her that Dante wanted to be alone in his room. But not telling her that I took him. On the first floor however, Koll and I didn’t need to say anything to each other.

He gave Dante one look and grunted. “If Charlotte comes and asks I’ll tell ‘er ta calm down and that ‘es in good arms. Now go.” He turned and continued his smithing. While some of the customers looked at Dante who was still in Miyako’s arms.

Dante was clearly not outside for a very long time. The moment the sun hit his face, he covered his eyes with his hands. I told Miyako to put him on the ground, half expecting him to flop.

But he stood. Although he was looking at the door of his home.

I grabbed his arm and pulled gently. “Come on.”

At first I didn’t know what I was doing. But Dreokpis was so full of so many things that all I had to do was to show him. With every street performer, with every shop that offered beast hides, magic tools, or even weapons Dante’s gaze grew livelier.

We slowly did our way up the mountain, looking at the more refined shops and attractions. “And here is my favorite place.” We went by a bakery. And even though I saw my smile reflected on his face, I didn’t stay because I knew he did not like sweets.

“Thanks El.” He said after a while with a small smile on his face. “I think I should get back home before my mom gets really worried.”

Although he was smiling, he had bags under his eyes. And he often seemed to glaze over, looking at nothing. “Alright.” I relented. “But. We are meeting up tomorrow.” I punched him playfully on his arm. “No excuses.”

My punch made him chuckle. “Who are you and what have you done with El?”

“Shadup.” I punched him again.

We started to make our way down the mountain when some of the marketplace announcers started to speak and offer out their news invention, as they apparently have been doing before we even reached Dreokpis.

“Come and see the transportation of the future! No more expensive portals! A new opportunity for all those who seek a well paying job and the chance to see new places! The steam engine!” The announcer barely knew how to show the new invention, and he simply shouted out what seemed to make people get interested in it.

But it did catch Dante’s attention. And from the way he started to sweat slightly, it seemed as if it catched more than his simple attention.

We made our way to the stand on which the ‘steam engine’ stood, alongside with a couple of mechanisms that were ran by it.

The steam engine. A product of metal and mana crystals melded together to create energy from conjured steem, was a bit awe inspiring.

The powered wheels did seem to have their usages. If rodes could be built for the ideas the man was suggesting, there could truly be a good use for that form of transportation. Along with his other ideas of aerial transportation. He was calling them trains and blimps.

But when he started to speak of the eleven years old creator. The ‘genius’ of house Goldbrook, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Hey, let’s leave, he’s going to start and speak about him for a while now. Trust me I know.” I told Dante and pulled him, but he didn’t move.

“I want to hear about him.” He whispered. The stare he was giving the steam engine almost seemed possessed.

I pressed my lips and stayed silent. Opting to watch his reaction as the man continued to talk about the young ‘genius.’ Of how he had these ideas at the fresh age of five, and even helped in both the process of theoretical and physical creation.

Ha! Nothing more than a probable propaganda between houses. They must have stolen the idea from some nobody and put it all on their kid. Probably to use him as a bargaining chip in marriage, or to make themselves look better. Not to mention the marketing possibilities on it all. I gave the steam engine another look.

No more need for portals…

After a few long minutes the man had finished his presentation, and started to repeat it again for the new crowd. Dante looked stricken for some reason. While I knew that he wouldn’t tell, I still wanted to know. “Seems as if it really shocked you.”

Dante shook. “Oh. Yeah.”

“Yeah?” I echoed him and he stilled.

He turned to look at me slowly. “...What are the chances that a kid manages to create something like that?”

I smiled at him gently. I closened and whispered in his ear. “Zero.” I took a couple of steps back and watched him blink. “It’s a ruse, just to make themselves look better as a house. They must have made someone shut up about his idea while stealing it for themselves.” I explained it to him in a low tone.

After all, I didn't want others to hear me or my reasoning.

He hummed, and looked with furrowed eyebrows at the steam engine, clearly thinking about it.

I bumped into him and pulled him with me. “Don’t think of it too much. Nothing to think of.”

“...Yeah…”

The three of us made our way back to his home. Though it was more like I was dragging him with me. I didn’t know what really made him get obsessed with the contraption so quickly. But I guessed that it was better than him acting like a dead man walking.

Anything was better than that.

When we reached his home, James, who seemed to be fresh from guard duty, and Koll were on the first floor. They both looked at Dante with wide eyes, who just seemed to snap back to reality.

“You- Hey how are you kiddo?” James gushed, he made his way to Dante and gave him a hug. I took a few steps to the side to give them their moment, trying my best to not show any sign of wanting a hug too.

You are not their daughter.

“I’m… Better. I… Yeah.” He was fumbling with his words until Koll came to his side and gave him a smack on the back.

“Good ta see ya back brat.”

“Yeah… Good to be back.” Dante gave a small smile. Nothing like his old radiant one. But it was something.

That steam engine really gave him a slap to the face. I realized.

“James!” Charlotte shouted from upstairs, from the sound of her footsteps she was coming down. “Dante hasn’t been answering through the door, and I don't know wh-” She stopped as she looked at us all.

For a moment she looked like a fish, as she opened her mouth and closed it, looking at us all. “Hi deary?”

“Hey mom, sorry, El kidnapped me.”

“No I- Well I borrowed him for a stroll.”

Koll huffed and jabbed James with his elbow. “A ‘stroll’.”

“I could attest to it being a normal stroll.” Miyako intervened from the side, not hiding her smile. Although she gave me an out from Koll’s crude remarks, I did give him an eye roll to show that he wasn’t funny.

Charlotte wiped her hair from her sweaty face. “Good, good. Be sure to borrow him as much as you want Eleanor. Just tell me next time? Please?”

My ears started to warm up as she looked at me with her large begging eyes. “Yes, of course.” I affirmed and turned to Dante. “Tomorrow?”

He smiled. “If I don’t get out of bed… Well you know what to do.”

We both chuckled. “If you don’t I’ll beat you up.”

“You could try. But I might make you cry, crybaby.” He teased and put his tongue out playfully.

I opened my mouth only to shut it. You have been crying more than me!

“Ya been cryin’ more than she’s ever cried brat.”

From there it rolled into all out banter. And even with Miyako's small protest, that my parents would not agree to this. I stayed for dinner. It was delightful.

There was no silence, no simple eating Like I was used to.

It was fun. And Dante seemed the better for it.

When Miyako and I made it home on the upper level of the mountain. It was already dusk. And although Miyako hadn’t said anything, she was stiff with anxiety. “I’ll take the blame Miyako, don’t worry.”

She stayed silent, but seemed to relax, if only by a bit.

Before we opened the door, it opened. Father stood in its entrance. “Inside.”

Even though I internally stiffened. I kept my back straight and my head high as I entered.