Talon’s POV

Elian of Gresha was someone who inspired a number of confusing emotions within me. After years of dwelling in a world where the only noise and colors to be found were on the battlefield, I had at first reacted to his overwhelming overtures of friendship with discomfort and aggression. And yet. Somehow. His persistence slowly won me over. Perhaps it was his stubborn kindness or rare talent and skill, but over the span of a great deal of time and effort the idea of killing them became…discomforting to me.

Elian had established themself as someone well-worthy of my respect. A rival. A…a friend? He would call me his friend. I suppose those two Greshans were the closest things to friends I had. Ha. My younger self would think I had grown soft, certainly.

Despite my younger self’s beliefs, however, I now had a difficult time calling either Elian or Nania ‘soft.’ Naive, perhaps. Self-sabotagingly kind? That was certainly fitting descriptor for Elian. But to call them soft felt inaccurate. Both possessed within themselves a drive to push themselves past their limits and grow stronger, and unlike Kite, did not use training as an excuse for attention. Even without me, I had a feeling they’d still be pursuing these paths. And both hid something within themselves. Something I had only rarely glimpsed in Elian, and only suspected existed within Nania. A ferocity, a wildness. Sometimes I wondered if Elian was not simply being kind out of the goodness of his own heart. If he were just as capable of being cruel like I could be, and were deliberately choosing not to. If he could just as easily choose to kill, if the mood ever struck them.

Then a time such as this would come along, and Elian would make curious decisions that made me wonder if I had completely misjudged them, and he weren’t just the fool to end all fools after all. For example, right now, as I stood outside of his house.

His house. In Gresha City. Which contained his family, who I assumed Elian cared for. And for some reason, I had chosen to follow Elian here, neither of us questioning the sanity of the plan. No, wait, that’s wrong— I had every reason to sneak into the city of my hated enemy! Elian was being the complete moron, for not realizing what an awful idea this was and stopping me earlier! Seriously, what the Hell, Elian!?

“Elian. What the absolute Hell?” I hissed to them.

“Trust me, Tal. It’ll be easier to sneak you in during the night than the morning.”

“Not that. I agree with you there. I mean introducing an Angran warrior to your family.” I quickly began to reassess the list of people I assumed Elian cared for.

“Oh. That.” He laughed a little. “Well, you haven’t tried to kill me or Nia yet, have you?”

“Yes I have. Several times.”

“Not since we first met, then!”

I sighed, pressing a hand to my forehead. I swear. This fool was one of a kind. I had no doubts he could stop me from hurting his family, if I chose to harm them, if Elian chose to go all out. But it wasn’t his confidence in himself that made them act like this, it was his foolish confidence in me!

It made me wonder, not for the first time, why he was so hellbent on choosing me as his friend. Surely he wasn;t like this with every person he met…? Trying to act so friendly with so many people made my head spin and stomach churn.

If I had really kicked up a fuss, I was sure he wouldn’t go through with this. If I had just turned and left then and there, Elian would be disappointed, but he’d also be unwilling to cause a scene or seriously stop me. He…cared about my safety. As strange as the concept was. He cared not just for my prowess in battle, but for...me. Or so it seemed.

If Elian was so damn intent on trusting me unconditionally, it made me feel…strange, to betray that trust. Survival was one matter, but it was cowardly and dishonorable to do such a thing here and now. And I had to admit. I was somewhat curious about the city. This sort of opportunity was rare for any Angran, especially me. So while Elian chose to trust me, I chose to play along with them, as he dragged me towards his house.

Elian seemed to spend much more time in his family home than I did. Apparently while Greshan soldiers were expected to put in a certain amount of hours both training and patrolling, he was also expected to continue living at home and helping with various chores around the city. The city could only devote enough resources for a few prodigies to dedicate themselves to the army and nothing else. Knowing how much time Elian spent sneaking into the woods, I wasn’t entirely certain which type of soldier he was.

Now I stood in the doorway of Elian’s family home, at the end of a trail through freshly-harvested fields. The house was larger than a normal Angran home, and constructed very differently, with clay bricks rather than wood or monster armor. Its interior seemed to glow with a sort of warmth, and voices were barely audible from beyond the door. Elian wasted little time in opening the door and announcing, “We’re here!”

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For a brief moment I had an opportunity to observe the cluttered interior of Elian’s home, before a few figures obstructed the doorway. The largest of them, I guessed, was Elian’s mother. For some reason I hadn’t expected her to look this way, but she bore a striking resemblance to her child. She didn’t share Elian’s wide, bright eyes and pudgy face, but she was a tall and broad woman with scarred and calloused hands. It was clear who Elian had inherited his physical strength and work ethic from. Still, despite her sterner appearance, I saw laugh lines in the wrinkles on her face. Beside her, almost behind her, were two of Elian’s younger siblings—an older girl who shared her mother’s darker brown hair, and a young boy with Elian’s eyes hiding behind his mother’s skirts.

“Ellie! You’re finally back home for Harvest Festival, at last! Cutting it close this time!” she chuckled. Then her hard gaze turned to me. “And…this would be…?” Immediately, I guessed that she knew, or at least suspected. But the tenseness of the moment, and the plans I was already making to flee this place, were instantly cut by the two children echoing her. One of them older, more suspicious, the other younger with eyes wider and more innocent than even Elian’s.

“What? Ellie actually came back?”

“Brought someone?”

“Of course your sibling would come back, Raike,” the mother chided. Then I heard her next words bite like subtle thorns hiding under silky leaves. “Family is important. Especially during the Harvest Festival.”

Whether she knew I was Angran or not didn’t matter, I realized. I was unwelcome. I shrunk back, ready to slip away, but Elian grabbed my cloak, a very forced smile stuck on his face as he stared his mother in the eye.

“Mother, Raike, Arene,” he said, his voice edged like iron, “this is a friend of mine. I met him in the army and we’ve been training together a lot. He doesn’t talk much, so be nice.”

“A friend of yours? You do have a talent for finding…interesting acquaintances, Ellie,” Elian’s mother mused, looking me over again with a critical eye. She opened her mouth again, but her daughter quickly interrupted her.

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“Mother. Dinner’s going to get cold,” the girl, Raike, snapped. I blinked. She was speaking up in my defense?

Elian’s mother sighed. “Elian, come in--”

“Okay,” Elian said, dragging me inside as well. I noticed that he kept his body between his mother and me. Before she could say anything, he brought me over to one of his younger brothers. “Hey, Perene. This is my buddy Tal. Wanna ask him about the cool bow and arrows he has?”

Perene immediately looked up from the game he had been playing with another of Elian’s siblings, eyes sparkling with glee. “I can?” Elian nodded.

As Perene assaulted me with a barrage of questions, my mind was still stuck on the sheer number of siblings Elian had. So many… I quickly jabbed them with my elbow, getting them to look at me. My friend turned to me with wide, hurt eyes, which prompted me to scoff.

“You’ve had worse.” Between the little brat still listing questions and his melodramatic eldest brother, I wasn’t sure which was more annoying. I could only pray I didn't have to deal with too many. I asked Elian, “How many siblings do you have?”

“Mean,” he muttered, then counted out names on his fingers. “Raike, Perene, Meyna, Kerri, Arene…five siblings.”

“Five…siblings…” My head spun.

“Ahem. Elian.” My friend’s mother interrupted our conversation, fixing him with a stern glare. Elian shot me a sheepish smile.

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Elian showed me to the room he shared with his younger sister. “You can stay here until we start eating,” he volunteered. “Ma, er, wanted to talk with me. So—”

“This is fine,” I quickly said. In all honesty, this was a great deal more comfortable than interacting with six children, while navigating whatever went on in Elian’s parents’ heads. Those rare times I visited the Angra-Fyr Village, my presence tended to stir up some commotion, but it was always quieter than this one small household. I needed some time to rest and prepare myself for the city. Falling into the stances and motions of Flame Arts was easy for me, until Elian returned, smiling and apologetic, informing me that the family wanted me to stay in Elian’s room to eat my meal.

I told Elian that it was fine. That he didn’t need to sit and eat with me. That I would be quite happy to eat alone. And I was. Dinner with brats screaming and adults staring at me, judging me. It was a sight I was used to, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed seeking it out. I was fully content to eat my meal alone, the quality of the food was enough to amaze me-- and I mean that quite genuinely. Spiced flatbread, grilled fish, vegetable broth soups. Such a variety of food wasn’t available in my village, and I wasn’t as skilled a cook as Elian’s parents apparently were. The scent alone was enough to make my mouth water. The flavor was divine. Maybe food like this could convince me Crown Naruune did favor this city, a little.

…I was fine. I was content. It’s just…the noise of the family drifted down the hall, disturbing me. Distracting me. I set aside my empty dishes and crept down the hall, towards the source of the noise, peering around the corner to spy on the happy family.

…They were laughing. There was no air of awkwardness or resentment lingering above them, killing all attempts at conversation. No deathly silence, in which anger festered like an infected wound. It was so…strange.

Dizziness assaulted my head, and I found myself falling down on my rear. The family stopped talking at the noise. Quickly, I escaped back to Elian’s room.

I had only a few moments before someone would check on me, from the pounding of feet in the halls. The urge was strong to break something, kill something. Normally when I felt this urge I’d find a monster to kill, but that wasn’t an option this time. This was my best chance to infiltrate the city and observe it. I was already inside, I couldn’t leave and squander this chance. So instead, I did a quick breathing exercise. Then a girl, only a few years younger than myself, burst into the room. The suddenness of her entrance startled me, as I snapped into a fighting stance. Then my mind briefly went blank.

A—? No. No, this girl looked completely different. There was no way to mistake the two. This girl was chubby where Asha was stick thin, wavy brown hair to contrast Asha’s straight black. That stubborn look in the dark brown eyes was the same, though. As would their ages be, had Asha not… Briefly, I wondered if this girl, Raike, could have been friends with Asha, had she lived.

“Are you okay?” she asked. She didn’t seem thrilled with my presence here, her question more fuelled by curiosity than pity.

“Get out,” I told her. Firmly, but not cruelly or coldly. If she was honest with her intentions, then I would be as well. My blunt manner didn’t dissuade her a bit, however.

“You looked really bothered. Like you had a bad dream.”

“And how would you know that?” I asked.

Raike shrugged. “Ellie looks the same way sometimes, when they wake up,” she said.

I glared at her, but she refused to back down. The girl was…sharper than I had anticipated. Was all of Elian’s family so unnervingly perceptive? Were they just trying to be polite by not pointing out what they knew? Or were they planning something for when I left, and they were no longer bound by the laws of hospitality?

“Actually. I’m done with the dishes,” I said, jerking my chin in the direction of the tray lined with a plate and bowl. She squinted at me, still suspicious, but an interruption came before our staredown could last much longer.

“Ray, what are you doing here? You haven’t finished your chores,” Elian said, coming up behind her.

Raike stuck out her tongue at her older brother. “You never do your chores, big brother! You’re never around for them!”

“Because I’ve got more important things to do. Now go.”

“Is this the friend you’re always hanging out with instead?” Raike needled. Elian only rolled his eyes, shoving the tray into her hands.

“Go,” he repeated, firmly. She stuck out her tongue, and finally left. It was curious, seeing how they interacted. So different from how me and my family did, whenever we had to. Elian took up his sister’s place in the doorway. He didn’t step into his own room. At this, I gave him a look.

“...You wanna step outside and spar?” he asked. Rather than curiosity, I saw concern in his eyes, an emotion which created a sharp stab in my gut. I looked down at the floor, avoiding his expression.

“No. Not tonight. I should conserve my energy,” I said, then sat on the floor.

“You can sit on the bed, if you want.”

I raised an eyebrow at Elian. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“Why do you always ask that—? Do you want me to seduce you?”

My face grew hot. “What? No—”

Elian threw a hand over his eyes, melodramatically. “I’m so sorry, Fifi! Another heartbroken victim to add to my—ow!” He yelped as I pinched his ear.

“Well, clearly someone’s feeling better,” he grumbled. I didn’t admit it out loud, but I did. Elian’s antics were annoying, but annoyance was a safe emotion to feel.

“You sure you don’t want the bed, though? Raike’s bed, not mine. She volunteered it to you,” he asked, rubbing his much-abused ear. I just shook my head, glad the darkness hid my face somewhat.

“It’s fine. I actually prefer the floor,” I said, sitting back down.

“Well… Okay. Weird.” He sat down on the bed, as I leaned against the wall.

“...Elian?”

“Mm?”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

I opened my mouth to respond, only for a dam to form in my throat.

Why did you want to become friends with me?

Why did you bring me here, and treat me with such warmth? Even with our pact, even with our rivalry, why would you go to such lengths?

Why would you trust me with Nania, with your family, with your younger sister?

Why did I feel those things in my head and my heart and my gut? Why do you make me feel those things?

Why do you try so hard to reach me? Why do you c…?

All were the things I wanted to ask. But for some reason, the words refused to leave my throat. So instead I struggled to swallow them, closed my mouth around them and gulped them down. They would not sit well in my stomach, along with those other strange feelings, but I was used to ignoring such things. So I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Nothing. Goodnight.”

“...Goodnight, Talon. We’re gonna have a good day tomorrow.”

I sighed. Alright, Elian. It’s too exhausting to argue with you about those sorts of things.