A few hours later, they were all seated in the large yet somehow small living room of Zen’s family. After they had seen Zalia come inside a complete mess being supported by the others, the family had somehow found places to be that weren’t in sight.

Zen was there too, looking a little confused but supportive. A state of affairs that Zalia was more than used to seeing in the young man.

“What now?” Zen asked.

They had just finished explaining that Glemp’s people would not help in the war, something that didn’t surprise Zen at all. Perhaps he had already tried to convince them.

“We go back, do what we can. Though… we did see some of the Astar on our way here. I have a strange feeling that they are a part of this somehow. Why else would they be in Endaria now of all times?” Zalia said.

“The Astar? What were they like?” Zen asked, leaning forwards.

“Well… strange. They had an aura that was much too strong for their rank, floated along and had runes covering their skin. The aura felt… careless and cold. Sterile.”

“I would have liked to see them,” Zen murmured, leaning back in his chair.

“It wasn’t really anything special. They vanished as soon as we tried talking to them,” Ember added in.

Zalia looked at Aylie who was looking strangely between her and Ember.

“What is it?” she asked.

“You… both are different,” Aylie whispered.

Zalia frowned.

“Different?” she asked.

“Like there is a bridge,” Aylie murmured.

Like there is a bridge?

Then it struck her. Aylie was talking about the bond that had formed between them.

“Like there is a bridge?” Zen asked, his confusion deepening even further.

“A…bond,” Zalia explained.

“Alright, someone better explain. What exactly happened in the short time between you leaving to see Glemp and coming back here?” Zen asked.

“A bonding experience,” Ember supplied unhelpfully.

“I’d rather not talk about it just yet,” Zalia added.

“Alright, sure. I just hope you’re all okay?” Zen said.

“Yeah, we’re good. Much better, actually.”

“Just working some things out Zen, nothing to worry about,” Ember explained, smiling warmly at Zalia.

Zalia looked at that warm smile and found herself looking quickly away, a slight heat rising to her face.

That was something she was not used to.

“Do you think the Heat and Stone people will be alright with taking in more refugees?” Zalia asked, changing the subject.

“I think so, yeah. They seem okay with the few people I do bring back when I venture out to Endaria now and then. They might have some problems with it if it becomes too many people though,” Zen answered, looking deep in thought for his own part.

Zalia really should have asked him about the current situation between the refugees here and the Heat and Stone people before she went and asked Glemp about joining the war. He probably knew them better than she did now that he had spent so long in the mountain.

“Well, there is that at least. I think the army will be happier being able to send people here rather than south towards the desert. At least this is somewhat close to the kingdom and with a known place of safety. I’ve no idea what destination the people going south are moving towards. Though, it is a longer trek I guess,” Zalia said.

“And it gets less dangerous the further north you go. We saw fewer demons and corruption from the rituals coming up this way. It is way worse down south,” Ember added, her tone taking on a sadness.

Zalia knew Ember did all she could to help the people of Endaria but she also knew Ember would never think it was enough.

“You do all you can Ember, no one can ask more of you,” Zalia said, finding Ember looking away from her own warm smile.

“I know, I know. I still see so much bad happening out there despite my best efforts,” Ember murmured.

“Did you know people have started calling her Saint Ember,” Zalia said to Zen.

“Saint Ember?” he asked incredulously.

“Hey!” Ember protested.

“Right? I mean they aren’t wrong but still. It was quite funny to hear the first time,” Zalia said.

“You’re one to talk, walking around blessing them like some kind of priest,” Ember shot back.

“Priest?” Zen asked in confusion.

“Oh, I may have a friend or two who are gods and call on them to give guidance to people every now and then, but that doesn’t make me a priest. Unlike Aylie, who according to her classes actually is a priestess,” Zalia said.

“You have a statue!” Aylie announced.

Zalia buried her face into her hands. Betrayed, betrayed by the one she saved.

“A statue!” Zen said, bursting into laughter.

“Yeah, a bloody statue. Guess who’s fault that is?” Zalia muttered.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Indis,” Zen guessed immediately.

“Yep! You somehow managed to avoid all mention whatsoever though. Unfair I say,” Zalia added.

“Hey, that is unfair. Why don’t you have to deal with any of this statue and saint nonsense?” Ember said, narrowing her eyes at Zen.

“Well… some of the people here do treat me with an unnerving amount of respect,” Zen said.

“It’s what happens when you save them, apparently. Just don’t get to the point where they start worshipping you,” Zalia whispered, shivering.

“I don’t know if I would call it worshipping,” Ember argued.

“No? They built a statue,” Zalia said.

“Well… alright I’ll concede that. At least they haven’t started making sacrifices to you?” Ember said.

Zalia stared at her.

Ember stared back.

“Why would you even put those words out into the world?” Zalia asked.

Ember just smiled.

This time Zalia didn’t look away, narrowing her eyes at Ember.

They hadn’t spoken about the bond yet, specifically what they could now do. Sensing each other's emotions was… somehow different to her being able to do it with Boreal. It felt a little more personal.

Maybe that was because Boreal wore her emotions in the way she stood, through posture and positioning. She wasn’t hard to read at all, to Zalia at least.

People were different, she hadn’t ever been very good at reading people so having the ability to now… well, it was different.

“I guess we’re going to have to walk all the way back down south now,” Zalia said.

“Yeah, seems like it. Anything you want to check out on the way down?” Ember asked.

“Actually, yeah. There is that town…” Zalia trailed off.

Damn her memory sucked sometimes.

“Ostoss!” she said, remembering, “Ostoss. Tristan lives… lived? There, remember?”

“Oh! Yeah, Tristan. Shit, I’ve not been up this far north since the ritual went off. I do wonder if he is doing okay. From what I remember that town was pretty shored up, not a small number of guards there. They might be doing okay,” Ember said.

“There were a few good people there. Many of them I fought with against the first corrupted I met,” Zalia murmured.

“Bloody corrupted,” Ember muttered.

“What has happened to them anyways?” Zalia asked.

She realised she hadn’t seen any of the madmen since coming back to Endaria.

“Oh, you see them here and there. Most of them went back to the capital, I think, though some still run around committing atrocities,” Ember said, vitriol in her voice.

Zalia couldn’t just hear the emotion, but feel it from the woman too.

“We need to talk,” Zalia sent to her.

Ember nodded very slightly, in agreement with her.

Naturally, Zalia allowed her own emotions to get through to Ember as well. They hadn’t just formed a bond in name but reality as well. Ember had been there for Zalia more than a few times, the most recent time being quite significant.

“Alright,” Ember sent back.

Zalia sat back and got comfortable.

“We can sense each others emotions and locations… how do you feel about that?” Zalia asked telepathically.

“I have no issue with it, I trust you… as long as you have no issue with it?” Ember replied.

“None at all. It’s just, well, a little new to me. We don’t have anything like this where I come from. Even if we did I would have been the last person to form one. Coming here has changed me quite a lot, to be honest,” Zalia sent back.

“And less than you might think. I’m glad to have formed a bond with you, you’re one of the most caring people I’ve ever met, despite your tendency to hide it,” Ember sent.

Zalia felt her face flushing at the compliment.

“Thank you. I just didn’t want to overstep my bounds with the bond is all,” Zalia sent.

“Don’t be silly. One wouldn’t have formed if I didn’t also want it. I’d let you know if you overstepped,” Ember sent.

“Are you two okay?” Zen asked.

Zalia blinked, realising she had been staring into Ember’s eyes and Ember had been staring back. How had she not realised the vibrant brown of Ember’s eyes glowed so brightly by firelight before?

“Yeah, fine, fine,” Zalia said.

Boreal was currently so close to the fire that Zalia feared she might try and slide into it. She was also a little more scared that she might actually be able to do that without being harmed. With Aylie resting on Boreal's side on the floor and two of her closest friends by her side, Zalia felt… better.

She had definitely had times in the past weeks in Endaria when she had felt good but with the constant background threat of that memory hiding in her vault gone, a weight had been lifted from her. Accepting it had turned it from an unmanageable misery sometimes, to a dampener she could cope with.

Her friend had died, but they had died for a purpose they believed in, for a reason. She had to make sure that the purpose they had died for wasn't abandoned.

Delphi, Ro-ak and the collective had put their trust in Zalia to come back one day and restore Cormaine to the beautiful world it had once been.

She could see it now, beautiful glittering lakes, expansive forests and the cities of the Bathar that were half stone and half plant. They had lived with nature unlike any race, other than the Heat and Stone denizens, in Endaria did.

The image flashed away and Zalia realised it had come from the other memory in her vault, the one given to her by the collective before she had left.

She would go back and she would free Cormaine. She would save Ro-ak once more.

The starlight wolf had been right. Coming up north had brought her toward the first step of her goals. She knew what she wanted to do, now she just had to find a way to do it. The first step of that was to beat back the demon invasion in Endaria, she was sure of it. Then, she could convince whichever armies remained to continue the fight into Cormaine. To root out the base of the problem. To make sure another invasion never happened again.

Ember was watching her again, perhaps having felt the decision she had just come to through her emotions.

“Zen, if we send refugees your way, will you make sure to take care of them?” Zalia asked.

“I…”

She could see what he wanted to say. He wanted to say he would come with them, help them in their tasks. He wanted to say he would fight with them for the kingdom.

They both knew it wasn’t true. In reality, he wanted to stay with his family and protect them. He was a lover not a fighter.

“I will, yes.”

“Good. When we go to Ostoss, we might end up sending quite a few people back your way if they still live. Otherwise, we might also end up having the army send refugees up this way just until we can manage to take back the kingdom. Obviously I’ll talk with Glemp about it before we leave,” Zalia added.

“And… when will you be leaving?” Zen asked.

Zalia met Ember’s eyes and an agreement passed between them.

“We should leave tomorrow morning. There is still much to be done and every day we wait will be lives lost,” Zalia replied.

“I thought as much, though I wish you’d stay longer I do understand,” Zen said.

“I know, I wish we could stay longer too,” Zalia said softly.

“Besides, it’s not like this is the last time we will see you Zen,” Ember said cheerfully.

“I don’t like the way you say that,” Zen mumbled.

“Well, not to worry. I’ll keep Zalia safe,” Ember informed him.

“Oh? You’ll keep me safe huh?” Zalia asked.

“Of course, who else?” Ember scoffed.

“Well, I look forward to it.”

“I’ll bet you do,” Ember teased.