“Soliene, please wait!”

The Numaran turned around as she made her way out of the Monastery, the Harpen’s words stilling the rushing thoughts in her head for a couple seconds. She watched as Nyal chased her, wings flapping in an attempt to further get her attention. Before they could catch up to her, Soliene started walking again, her pace slow so that Nyal could catch up. When the Harpen finally did, they stepped in front of her and gave a look they believed to be fierce.

Soliene just found it adorable.

“I’m coming with you!” the Vessel of Death told her. Those words fully grabbed the Numaran’s attention. “I’m not letting you go to Barborasa alone! It’s dangerous, and people want you dead for reasons I don’t know, and I want to prevent that.”

“Nyal…” Soliene whispered. She briefly looked back to the Monastery, and then the Harpen. “It’s just as dangerous for you to be there. It would be better for you to stay here.”

“It’s not! Klaus will just find me again if I stay here for too long,” Nyal replied, stomping her talons against the ground and giving a strong flap with her wings. “If I stay here a ton of people might get hurt. I don’t want to hurt people again! Not after what happened to you.”

Soliene gasped as she heard those words, those being all the clues she needed to find out why Nyal was asking her. Looking deeper into Nyal’s expression, she could feel a hint of sadness hidden behind the determination on her face. She thought the Harpen would have figured out she wasn’t the one responsible for those events. Soliene’s mind first turned to Lilac, then to Klaus, and then back to New Numar, all of which were more responsible for her lost eye in one way or another.

“Nyal, what happened isn’t your fault,” She said, hand reflexively going to her eye socket.

“No, it is. If Lilac and I hadn’t dragged you into this you would have been completely fine,” Nyal told her. She hung her head, the earlier confidence fading away to show melancholy. “Your eye is gone because Pho burnt it away, and Pho is a part of me. You would have likely never gotten into that situation if it wasn’t for us too. We… Lilac and I both put you in danger.”

Soliene didn’t have anything to say, heart tracing her body from her eye down to her heart in contemplation. As much as she wanted to deny what had been presented to her, the truth had been put before her. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to hate Nyal in the same way she did Lilac or Klaus, despite that. She made to speak and say so, and then stopped herself in worry that what she was saying might also mean forgiving a Perciple. Was she really able to do that?

A look at Nyal told her everything. The frown the Harpen held did not fit her, and if it meant wiping that frown away she would willing forgive both Lilac and Il’jan’i.

“Nyal, whatever part you or Lilac played in losing my eye is… forgiven,” She said, the last word having to be forced out. Nyal looked up at her confused, Pho simply watching from inside the harpen in shock. “I mean, it was scary, and I would have rather kept it then loss it, but that is okay. If it wasn’t for everything, I wouldn’t have found out where my father was,” She gave a soft smile to the harpen. “So don’t feel obligated to do anything for me. You and… Lilac are completely forgiven.”

“She… she is able to do that?” Pho asked in awe. “I didn’t think she was able to do that.”

Nyal ignored the phoenix, staring at Soliene trying to figure out what expression her emotions would let her show. What she landed on was a smile, though it was laced with guilt. A part of her felt unable to accept Soliene’s forgiveness, but she pushed those thoughts to the side. That caused the guilt to slowly fall away from her face, being replaced by the same confidence she had held earlier.

“Thanks… but I’m still coming with you!” Nyal replied. “I wanna make sure you get to your dad safe and sound.”

“Despite the fact it would mean putting your search for your own parents on hold?” Soliene asked.

“We don’t know where my mommy and daddy are. We do know where your daddy is,” Nyal reminded her, refusing to let her facade fall again as she reminded herself of her own situation. “I don’t want you to be separated from them any longer. Also, wouldn’t it be less dangerous having a vessel and oracle along to help?”

Soliene was about to respond, only to watch as a small burst of flame consumed Nyal. It disappeared as soon as it came, the Numaran able to see Pho was now in control. She had seen it before during Nyal’s Acamese lessons, but it still frightened her. The change of individuality before her also brought a change of expression. Pho seemed more relaxed, and despite being older than her, Soliene could feel an almost motherly quality to the phoenix.

“Just let her do this. It will save you a lot of time,” Pho told her. “Her heart is too set on joining you, no matter how much of a whim the decision was made on.”

“I… okay, fine,” Soliene replied, sighing. Pho gave Nyal control back, the young hen cheering as she emerged from her own fire. “Also, please don’t do that in the middle of a city. I can feel the eyes on us.”

Nyal turned her attention away from Soliene to her surroundings, only then noticing that a couple people were watching her. Her expression grew sheepish, tails lowering to further sell her embarrassment. She let out a nervous chuckle, her left talons tracing the stone under her feet. There was an attempt made to look back at Soliene but she couldn’t see the Numaran’s eyes. They instead fell closer to her lower chest or upper stomach.

“Hehehe, whoops,” Nyal said.

Soliene rolled her eyes, shook her head, and patted the harpen on the head. “Let's get something to eat before we head out. It’s gonna take a long time to get to Barborasa.”

Nyal nodded, stepping to the side and allowing Soliene to take the lead as they headed away from the monastery. As they started descending the stairs leading to it, the hen started to hum a little. The song’s beat was uneven, sounding as if it was made on the spot. Despite that, the Numaran easily joined in, a slight chuckle being heard from time to time in her voice as they made their way.

----------------------------------------

“So the reason Reine can’t do anything to Pierzè is because of its religious significance?” Nyal asked before taking another bite of the sandwich Soliene had grabbed for her, the two currently sitting in a quiet alley. “Is Originism really that powerful?”

“Yep. It’s widely believed from Reine, to Ekra Eshan, to New Numar,” Soliene explained, biting into an apple. “I guarantee you nearly everyone in Reine’s armed forces believes it. Imagine trying to tell them to bring down the very symbol of their religion,” she took another bite, crossing her legs. “It’s easier to just let it be, especially since Pierzè and Reine are on good terms anyways. Their shared faith is also a form of pushback against Acamus’ tyranny.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“It is?” Nyal questioned. Soliene nodded at the question, and the harpen tilted their head. “I don’t exactly understand. It isn’t a military force, so it can’t fight. How does faith play into the Eternal War?”

Soliene lookee at Nyal, and then at the building opposite of them. “Acamus seeks the destruction of our races, and for that it must make sure those who live in it are blind. They burn, kill, and ban anything that would threaten that. They control by stripping away freedom.”

Nyal felt her heart sink a bit, terror entering her soul at what Soliene described. She looked to her wings, her mind linking what the Numaran said to the likes of being unable to fly. To have something that felt so essential to being her - to being a harpen - stripped from her felt unbelievable. Feeling like she needed to protect them, she brought her wings close to her stomach and sat so her legs protected them. They felt so much more vulnerable now then she had ever known.

“That is why, while Reine is controlling in its own way, it grants the freedom of religion,” Soliene continued. Nyal nervously looked at her, unable to let go of the fear her own mind had placed itself in. “The same for its freedom of art, and to some extent a freedom of self. You have a harpen opera singer specifically to thank for that last part. She has done wonders for Reine’s morale in the past few months.”

“I feel sorry for Lilac,” Nyal replied, her words catching Soliene wildly off guard. “It sounds like she grew up in a really horrible place.”

Soliene wasn’t sure whether to be upset at Nyal’s words or jealous. Her heart decided instead on being upset not at Nyal, but at her parents. The hen’s feelings were clearly born from a lack of information, and one Pho seemed obliged to keep. It was unacceptable, and Soliene decided that if no one else was going to approach the topic with her she would do it herself.

“She didn’t just grow up in Acamus,” She said, hands digging into the apple. “Her family was part of the problem. The Perciple’s have long been their ‘Ministers of Military Affairs’. Every captured harpen, Numaran, or Reine citizen is executed by them directly,” her hands dug into the apple further, creating a visible tear in its skin. “Knowing the amount of lives she and her parents have taken, can you still feel sorry for her?”

“Yes,” Nyal repliee. Soliene’s eyes went wide. “Because she never got the chance to learn otherwise. Lilac is only just discovering what it is like to be a good person.”

Soliene opened her mouth a random sound leaving it instead of a coherent word. She wasn’t sure how to approach what Nyal had just said. No matter how much she wanted to rebut the hen’s claims, something prevented her. So, looking in the opposite direction of Nyal, she bit her lip and considered what the hen had said. She forced herself to bite the apple again after a couple minutes, heart sinking in resignation.

“I… I guess,” She conceded, slowly chewing on the chunks of apple in her mouth. Her eye darted across everything as her mind searched for a change in topic. “Hey, you never told me much about your family. What are your parents like?”

Nyal didn’t notice the way Soliene flinched at her own words, the harpen allowing her head to fall. She forced a smile, telling herself that she had to be happy because those around her weren’t. In the same way she had the smile, she pushed her thoughts of her parents to the front of her mind. Thinking about how normal things had felt over two weeks ago hurt her inside. At no point did she notice the way her eyes started to fill with tears.

“Well, mommy sold toys and clothes she made in the villages we visited. She is really kind, and likes talking with other parents,” Nyal explained, letting her back rest against the wall. “Dad? Not entirely sure. He says I’m too young to know what it is he does. His family has a long military record, though.”

“Isn’t it possible that is what he does now, then?” Soliene asked, her words hesitant and fearful.

“I don’t think so. We wouldn’t move around as much if we did, I think,” Nyal answered, shaking her head. “Only thing mom told me about his job is that it involves interacting with people more directly. Maybe he is an artisan, but I’ve never seen him make anything outside of food.”

Nyal could barely hold the faux smile up, the will it took more than she felt capable of. Her head hung, chin touching her collarbone. As much as thinking of her parents brought her joy, it also reminded her that they weren’t present. They hadn’t been in Makaus, or in the plains on the journey to Pierzè, and she saw them inside the city proper. All because one man wanted her dead for a reason no one was telling her.

Which also left the question on if she could truly die. Nyal shuddered at the thought, still trying to put together her thoughts on dying the first time. One moment she would laugh it off, and tell herself it meant she needn’t worry. The next she was hit by the horrid realization that for about a day she had no longer existed. It was frightening yet relieving, and for her sake she couldn’t decide on which emotion she felt was most true.

At that moment, it leaned more towards frightening.

“I missed them,” She stated, all emotion vanishing from her voice. “I miss sitting by lakes and rivers, teasing daddy about his fear of water. I miss watching mom make toys or clothes. I miss their faces, their voices,” she slouched forward. “Is it possible I’ll never see them again?”

Nyal felt a hand touch the side of her neck, the harpen looking at Soliene. The Numaran’s hand slid from the side of the neck to the back - lack of depth perception causing her to miss her target - and wrapped her other arm around the hen’s chest. Nyal sat there confused, not realizing that tears had started falling from her face until one ran close to her lips. A crave for comfort caused her to lean into Soliene, brushing their feathers against the fabric she wore.

“We will. You can count on it,” Soliene told her. “Whether Klaus is holding them hostage or something else happened, we will find your parents. It may be tomorrow, it could be months from now, but we will.”

They stayed silent as Soliene comforted the harpen, unsure of whether bringing up Nyal’s parents was a good move. She could at least say that they seemed to be good individuals, for all she could judge them on failing to mention why Acamus and their people were dangerous. If getting Nyal to them made the harpen happy, she would do it. Perhaps then she could tell them… something. She wasn’t quite sure, but the heavy blush under her fur as she hugged Nyal meant something. Perhaps her father would know what it was.

When the two finally separated, Nyal immediately noticed the blush. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t see the way Soliene’s skin turned red under her skin, her expression said it all. The hen was similarly confused, but had to admit it looked… cute on her. She gave herself a nod, inwardly acknowledging that her friend and Acamese teacher did indeed look cute. It was a strange but unmistakably pleasant thought.

She could hear Pho snickering inside her.

“U-um, you enjoy what I got for you?” Soliene asked, pulling her mask up in embarrassment.

“Yeah, it was tasty,” Nyal replied, a softer joy present in her voice. “Where did you get it?”

Soliene turned her head left, then right, and then looked to the ground as she rubbed the back of her head. “I’m not sure. I kind of just found a place and… took it.”

“Took it?” Nyal asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked at the remnants of her sandwich, which had been reduced to bread crust and crumbs. “Oh, right. Neither of us have any Cestinas right now.”

“You’re not gonna get on her about stealing food?” Pho asked. Nyal gives a subtle shrug, the phoenix snickering more. “I’m certain your father would get on you for that.”

“I was hungry,” Nyal mumbled. “Also, it was a really good sandwich.”

“Yes, it was,” the phoenix replied. “Will have to give compliments to the chef… if they don’t try and have us arrested first.”

Following that, harpen and Numaran sat there, enjoying the sun and the sounds of people moving around. After over two weeks of nothing but the Reine wilderness around them, it was a nice change. A change they would have enjoyed for far longer, if they didn’t have a goal in mind. Neither knew how far the journey to Barborasa would take, and in that time it was likely they wouldn’t see civilization for all of it. For that reason, they did their absolute best to enjoy and take in every single sound they could rightfully associate with the civilized world, in case it was the last one of them ever heard it.