Sienna floated around aimlessly in the lake. She sighed. Everything was going well, at least she thought so. There were a few kinks in the plan, like how was she supposed to generate enough water to cover all three angles? She knew she used to be capable of doing that, but now? Sienna looked at her right arm. Though it was healed, it was still weak. She was still crippled from the last fight with Sha’al.

“Titus, do you think I’ll ever be as strong as Ma and Da?” Sienna whispered.

Titus rose to the surface. He nudged Sienna gently. A smile crossed her face.

“You’re right. No point in worrying about it. I’m different from them. I have more allies on my side than them. While I couldn’t do things their way, I can do things my way. And my way is trusting those around me to do just as great things.” She rolled onto her stomach and swam back to shore. “Thank you, Titus.”

Eren sat at the edge of the lake. “This plan of yours. Do you really think it’s going to work?”

“I have every bit of faith in you, Naomi, and Archer to make it possible. I know I didn’t want to work with you all at first, but it isn’t possible to defeat Sha’al alone. Not at the cost of losing everyone in my tribe. With you three fighting him, I can protect my people better.” Sienna heaved herself up onto the ground. “It’s not so wrong to hope, is it?”

“Self-doubt getting at you again?”

“Yes,” Sienna said with a chuckle. “It’s terrifying. I’ve never felt this way before. I knew everything would rest on my shoulders, like it did my parents, but it’s different now. It’s a burden I share with you, Naomi, and Archer.”

“And you worry you’re going to be the one that fails?” Eren rested her head on Sienna’s shoulder.

“Yes.” Sienna wrapped her arm around Eren’s waist, enjoying the warmth of the moment. “After this, the Fisherman Tribe will host a feast so large that the other tribes will be able to eat for a month and there will still be leftovers. You’re invited.”

Eren laughed. “That sounds amazing. My mom and mentor would love it.”

Sienna closed her eyes and took in the warmth of the sun. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“I’m excited for you to meet Gabriel. He loves using a spear, and you’d prove to be a good challenge for him. You would totally kick his butt.” Eren looked into Sienna’s eyes. “Plus it’d be good entertainment for me.”

This time it was Sienna’s turn to laugh. “Now I definitely need to get the strength back in my right arm.”

“Good things happen to those who wait.” Eren’s stomach grumbled loudly.

“Let’s go eat.” Sienna rose to her feet and held out her hand to Eren.

Eren gleefully clasped it, and the two walked side by side back to the village that rested on the lake. Sienna looked at it with awe. In such a short time, it went from a pile of rubble to its former glory.

The walk over the bridges was nice. It felt right to finally walk over the water again. It felt right to walk on them. She was at home on the water. Her tribe was at home on the water. They all looked much happier on the water, rather than on the land. She smiled as she passed her tribesmen by. The colour returned to the lake. The peacefulness also returned, even though it would not last for long. But this time, this village would not be turned into a pile of rubble. It would stand in the threat of Sha’al. There is nothing Sienna wouldn’t do to protect this place she created. This was her home, and he would not destroy it again.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Sienna and Eren entered a house. The smell of freshly cooked fish wafted through the air.

“Welcome in,” Naomi called from the kitchen. “I just finished cooking this fish up. I hope you enjoy it!” They grabbed a few plates and set the fish upon them in equally cut pieces. Then proceed to garnish the fish with some unknown herbs. Naomi walked over to the table and placed the plates down. “Here you go.” They quickly rushed back over to the wood stove to grab silverware they had set aside. “Now here you go.”

“Thank you,” Sienna said as she sat down. “This is amazing.” The knife sliced through the fish with ease. When she brought it up to her mouth, she inhaled the different scents. It was a whole new world to her and she wasn’t sure what they were. It was a delicate yet delicious taste. The fish melted in her mouth. “This is amazing,” she said again. She wanted so desperately to just inhale the fish right off the plate, but doing so would be improper. Piece after piece she chewed and swallowed, and each piece was just as amazing as the last.

“Sienna’s right. You really outdo yourself as a chef. Your grandmother would be proud of you,” Eren said.

Naomi’s fork fell and clattered against the plate. “Yeah… she would be.”

“Is something wrong?” Sienna asked. She set her fork and knife horizontally across the plate.

“No. Nothing. Just realised I haven’t seen my family in quite some time. I hope they’re doing okay.” Naomi picked her fork back up. “My grandma is an amazing chef. Everyone around the tribe tastes her cooking at feasts. She usually makes seven different dishes, but at the last feast she only made one dish.” Their hands shook as they lifted a small piece of the fish up to their mouth.

“You’ll be able to see them soon,” Sienna said with a smile, hoping it would cheer Naomi right up.

“That’s true. I wonder what they’ll think of me. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person since I last saw them, even though it’s only been two months.” Naomi cleared her plate in a few moments.

“I don’t think it’s weird to feel that way. I’ve grown as a person since meeting you and Eren,” Sienna said as she glanced at Eren. “I can’t remember the last time I ate a meal like this with people, and it’s thanks to you all.”

Naomi’s cheeks flushed as their smile doubled in size. “As much as I hate Sha’al for all he’s done, I am thankful because without him causing harm, I would have never met you and Eren. It’s weird to think that we’d all just be going about our daily life and never meet each other if it wasn’t for him.”

“That’s true,” Eren said. “As much as I hate him for killing my father and his comrades, I do think that him being here made it possible for me to cast away my pride and work with others. I also would have never learned about my fire magic, and Isla wouldn’t have quadrupled in size.” She laughed as she finished speaking.

“Thank you for making this place feel like home again.” Sienna grabbed the dirty plates from Naomi and Eren and set them on the counter. “I know I’m repeating myself, but it wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

“Does this mean I can finally hug you two?” Naomi asked, a devilish grin on their face.

Sienna and Eren glanced at each other.

“Fine. Just this once though.”

Naomi wrapped their arms around Eren and Sienna. Sienna lifted her arms, but she hesitated to embrace Naomi back. She felt Eren’s arms wrap around her, and the self doubt vanished. She wrapped her arms around the two enjoying the sacred warmth that they created in this moment. And they stood there with only the sound of the lake underneath to fill the silence.

“I never thought this day would come,” Naomi said as they all released each other. “Eren finally let me hug her, and I got to hug you.”

Sienna looked down at her boots. “I think I foresee more of these hugs in my future.”

“Then you’re a psychic!” Naomi cheered. They ran over to the dirty dishes. “I’ll clean this mess up. You just get some rest for training tomorrow.”

“Fine by me.” Sienna left the dining room and walked down the hall. She had the largest bedroom, yet it felt the most empty compared to the others. There was no warmth here. There was no Eren lying on the ground in a sleeping bag, listening to her ramble forever about trees.

Though, Sienna herself wasn’t quite sure how she possessed all that knowledge. Trees were common enough in the plains, but she hardly ever bothered to learn about them. It’s not something she learned while being the head of the tribe.

She wrapped herself up in her blankets. “Good night, Titus,” she whispered. “I’ll see you in the morning.