They traveled long for days avoiding anima and marauders. They had to somewhere they hadn’t before somewhere were the marauders couldn’t find them.

“The journey will take longer.” said Iota to Zeno’s barely conscious body. “We have to go around the Sagrarian Forest.”

Dirt is whipped up under the treads of the vehicle. .

The vehicle stalls and stops. They continued on foot.

Iota spots ruins through the mist. He trudged there. They decided to take refuge there, not that they had much of a choice. Their food was running out, they were weary and their bodies were on the point of giving out.

They go into a building. The floor breaks no doubt from decades or centuries of decay and isolation.

Iota goes forward dragging Zeno into a sturdier looking building. He heads lower until they are below ground level into the basement for better shelter from the storm. To his surprise there is a hole in the cracking concrete basement walls with a faint glow coming from within. Iota continues inwards shouldering Zeno. Bioluminescent plants glowing a faint blue hang from the ceiling. Iota leans against a wall tired. As his eyes close, figures surround him. They have white robes and wearing hoods that obscure their faces. Is this death he wonders before drifting off to a place far, far away.

When he awoke he was lying down in a bed. He looked around in the dim light. He was in some sort of stone hut, there was a faint light shining from the ceiling. He looked closer at it. It was a mesh cage of sorts made of tiny insects glowing brightly from their abdomens.

He sat up and winced in pain. He caught a glimpse of his arm from the corner of his eye. It was bandaged and wrapped tightly in clean linen. There was something viscous underneath it but he couldn’t tell what it was. He got up and shuffled slowly to the opening of the hut

He drew aside the cloth door revealing a clearing. His hut was part of a larger group of huts. Everything was illuminated by the glowing bugs as well aside from some glowing crystals that dotted the cavern ceiling.

Iota remembered falling unconscious and seeing shadowy white dressed figures although it was all so blurry. His sight confirmed that it wasn’t a dream. To his left there was a large field. Channels of water ran through the field. A central walkway cut through the center leading to an opening on the other side of the field. Several robed workers worked there, planting seeds, tilling the soil while others plucked green knee high plants sparsely spread across the watery soil.

One of them walked up to him with a smile.

“Welcome, you were collapsed for some time. My name is Licht, may I ask what your name is.”

“Iota” he replied.

“Your injuries are not light it would be -”

“ -Where’s Zeno.?” said Iota interrupting Licht.

“Your friend is safe, he is healing.”

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Licht led him to Zeno.

It was a large hut in the center of the village.

Zeno was propped up and he was facing one of the villagers. The villager was old and wrinkled. Is he some sort of village elder? Thought Iota.

He looked at Iota as he walked in.

“Welcome traveler, you arrived at the perfect time, join us.” He pointed to a pillow next to Zeno. “Although, you should be resting, I think it would be hard to persuade you.”

“We were surprised to know that you have a blessed Nemrire.” Said the elder.

“My name is Honaly, I am the chief of this village.”

“Blessed? Why would the people responsible for the end of the world be blessed.”

Chief Honaly's face was full of surprise. “What are you going on about, the Nemrire were the ones who saved us. During the war, humanity was doomed. The Nemrire was a wealthy organisation originally called Nemrire Corporations, they were the only ones that didn’t abandon us. The richest of the great nations that had started the war departed in great ships. They left humanity to die and fester in the world they had caused. The Nemrire stayed behind at first things went well. The anima were rampant then but they created a safe haven for generations.”

Iota and Zeno were both shocked.

“Where is the safe haven now?”

Chief Honaly lowered his head in what might have been shame. “It was destroyed, not by anima or the environment but by people. . .Everyone blamed them for the disaster even though they were the only ones who had the option to leave but didn’t”

Iota looked at Zeno. Zeno had fought to clear his family’s name for a long time while believing they had wronged the world.

“This is a lot to take in.” Said Zeno quietly, his voice barely a whisper.

“Take as much time as you would like.” Said Chief Honaly eagerly. “We are honored to have you here!”

Zeno was in another hut a bit behind his.

Zeno was surrounded by the villagers.

Zeno was breathing heavily, his face drenched in sweat. One of them took a cloth from his forehead and drenched it in a bowl of water before placing it back.

His wounds had also been tended too.

“He is very ill,”Said one of them.

Iota’s face was white. Iota never realized how badly injured Zeno had been.

Had he been keeping it from him the entire time…

“How long will it take for him to recover.” asked Iota hesitantly. Fearing the worst he almost didn’t dare to ask.

“He’s been poisoned, his wounds won’t heal easily.” Said the same person now holding a con to Zeno’s chest.

“Time will tell if he gets better. You should rest as well your wounds while not as grave are not to be taken lightly”

Iota begrudgingly went back to his hut and soon fell asleep.

Over the next couple of days Iota began to slowly heal. For food they ate the various vegetables and various plants that had been ground up. It wasn’t good but it was far better than no good.

Licht would often visit him with a wide smile on his face.

“I am so honored to be able to have a Nemrire in our village. “ He said one day.

“Well then why aren’t you with him” Retorted Iota.

“He is healing, only a few people are allowed to see him.But I apologize. You also are dearly welcome after all you saved him and for that you have my sincerest gratitude.”

After a couple more days he asked to help out in the fields and the villagers accepted.

He didn’t ask because he wanted to help them or pay them back for their hospitality. He did it to stay in shape. He had to maintain and build up his strength.

Licht was delighted and very thankful to Iota for deciding to help them.

The plants were loosely rooted to the soft water filled soil allowing them to be easily pulled.

He helped rebuild a collapsing hut as well. It was the living quarters of a family. There were few possessions inside aside from beds and a table. A stuffed toy was in one of the corners.

The back wall of the hut was crumbling. He along with a few others begun by knocking it down and clearing away the rubble. They laid a muddy substance down and placed roughly hewn out rocks on it slowly building up the wall. He wouldn’t have been able to help a couple of days ago but he was stronger now he was getting better.

He was gathering some glowing insects with a net for light used to make lanterns when he heard a commotion. He walked over to a gathering of people. One of the villagers had fallen. It was Licht. He was on the ground, his right leg bloody and misshapen. A rock had fallen from the ceiling and crushed it.

Licht had tears streaming from his face. “I’m all right, I’m all right.” He wailed.

Licht was carried soon after off into a hut hopping on one foot.