It was truly a testament of willpower when, despite Ione showing incredible athleticism, Daniah, Osmen, Trikka and Kraylin still attempted to pursue her in their aim to shut her up.

Well, at least they don’t want to kill me.

They seemed to be under the impression that Ione confided in Amahn, and that the nun didn't care. Which was the furthest thing from the truth as Amahn, frequently, would ask Ione if she was okay, or settling well after class. Although, she was, despite the attempted bullying.

She would always know when they were around, [Spatial Awareness] proved valuable many times, and used in conjunction with [Running] allowed Ione to avoid any insults or violent acts of aggression. Unfortunately, she didn’t get any new skills from it, but she held out hope that she just needed to use them more.

One day, she had allowed them to corner her outside to hurl, what amounted to in their minds, vicious insults, to which Ione decided to speak right over. Not in a cruel way, of course, she validated their feelings to their increasing consternation.

“I wish you guys spent as much time worrying about me, worrying about your school work.” Ione said, with the cadence of a disappointed parent.

“Fuck you,” growled Daniah.

“Hey!” Ione held her hands palms up. “All I'm saying is that you guys are driven and very passionate when you choose to be. You even pay more attention to me in class than Sister Amahn.” Honestly, their glares were getting ridiculous.

Osmen bit out, “maybe if you didn't speak so much we wouldn't be looking at you.”

“Guys, I'm not gonna stop asking questions in class. Don't you want to learn?”

“What's the point if we'll end up as homemakers or mothers anyways?” Kraylin furrowed her brow.

That brought Ione up short. The idea of having Homemaker as a class was so foreign to her that she didn't even think about the futures of the children growing up in the orphanage.

How could she save everybody from impending death, if she couldn't even save children from forced class servitude?

It saddened her to think of all the wasted potential.

“Then don't choose Homemaker when the option comes up.”

“We won't have many options,” Daniah grunted. “Most of our skills are ‘specially for Homemakers.”

“Well, mine aren’t.” Ione chirped.

Kraylin looked at her, puzzled. “What do you me-”

“Um, what the fuck?” Osmen interrupted, “Daniah, Kraylin. Get the knife-ear to shut up! Why are you talking to her?” She pointed at Trikka, “and why are you so quiet. C’mon guys! She's an elf. The e-n-e-m-y.” She spelled out.

Well, there goes chance number one.

Ione scratched the back of her head. “Okay, well. I gotta go, nice talking to you all, chat again soon?” Ione asked conversationally.

“What? No, Daniah, catch her before she runs away again!” Osmen exclaimed.

Daniah looked at Osmen, then to Ione, that brief moment of hesitation allowed the young girl to quickly side sweep them, their protests faded into the distance as Ione used [Dash]. She soon found herself far away from the group.

If she was any other kid, she definitely would have had a face full of knuckle-sandwich. There was no doubt in her mind that they would have physically harassed her if she didn't have the skills she did. With that said, while Ione wasn't going to give them a pass on it, she would try to curb their antics. She knew they could be better. Do better. Particularly for her own gain.

Initially, Ione had planned for scrumptious payback. Yet, she realized that she needed allies; more of them. Sure, she had Coranne, Fellis, and tentatively Amahn, but that was such a small grouping that it was negligible for what she had planned to do outside of Whisperwind. If she could cultivate more people to her small circle, then she had more people to rely on. Ione recognized the value in allies, even if she preferred working alone.

The white-haired girl had seen potential in the group. Daniah was fearless and could throw a punch, Osmen was the thinker; she was the one who came up with the plans, Kraylin was a realist, although pessimistic, and Trikka seemed observant, content to hang back and gain information. They just had to have a teacher.

How ironic would it be to gain loyal followers from the girls who had tried to bully her? Who would then go on to save people, rather than hurt? Who would follow a ‘filthy elf’ when her race was the very reason they wanted her gone in the first place?

These three chances were for her just as much as it was for them. She wanted to secure their favor as soon as possible, and with a few well placed words here and there, she could sow some discord within the group, and then be there to bring them together again.

It would be perfect.

Osmen’s Perspective

Osmen paced in front of Daniah and Kraylin. Trikka was in the bathroom and Ione was nowhere to be found. The group gave chase for all of 10 seconds before they quickly realized that they couldn't catch up.

They were situated near a tree close to the orphanage, taking refuge from the sun’s rays.

Osmen whipped her blonde hair around as she gestured wildly, having an internal monologue while Daniah and Kraylin shared apprehensive glances.

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“Um…Osmen? Are you okay?” Kraylin asked. Daniah raised her brows.

Osmen glared at the both of them, “Yes! I’m fine! So! Completely! Fine!”

“Did you want to talk about it?” Kraylin ventured. Daniah squinted at her in a ‘what the fuck are you doing’ look.

“No. I don’t. Let’s just wait for Trikka and then figure things out.” She turned away, still gesturing at the inner monologue happening in her head.

She couldn't make sense of the elven girl. Every confrontation resulted in bewilderment and anger. The younger girl didn't seem mad, or scared or confused; she seemed amused. Ione asked questions the way she imagined how someone who cared would; searching for truth and knowledge into why they were doing what they were doing. She was nice. Kind. Understanding. She could see the slight shift in the other girls. How they dragged their feet when she pulled them towards Ione for their latest encounter. How they actually talked together, as opposed to talking down to the elf. Daniah’s hesitation, Trikka’s complete and utter silence.

Slowly, but surely, the strength of her group dwindled as the elf infiltrated their lives.

Osmen had to do something about it. Just in time too, as Trikka returned from the bathroom, flicking her wet hands as she sat down beside Kraylin.

“Okay, now that it’s all of us, I have an idea.”

Trikka groaned. Osmen’s face flushed as she stared at the brown haired girl, “Do you have something you wanna say?” She ground out.

“I just- I’m getting tired of bothering the elf. She’s all you talk about these days and I feel like it’s just not worth it anymore.”

“Didn’t you want her to shut up too?” Osmen exploded, “weren't you the one who started this in the first place? You were the one who suggested cornering her in the bathroom!”

“Yeah, and now I've changed my mind. You see what she can do, don’t you? She doesn't even get scared because she knows we can’t do anything about it. She’s faster than us and Daniah can’t even land a punch. All I'm saying is that maybe we should cut our losses and just put up with it. We’re getting our classes soon, right? A little over 6 months from now and we’ll start leaving the orphanage.”

“Yeah I agree, is it really so bad to just wait it out?” Kraylin added.

Osmen looked at them, mouth agape. “Am I hearing this right? For real, you guys aren't pranking me?”

Kraylin, Trikka and Daniah silently stared, too nervous to say anything.

“Seriously? You guys are quitting? You’re quitters? What have we come to?” Osmen looked up at the sky, and then back to her friends, pleading, “I feel like you guys are abandoning me.” Her eyes teared up.

Trikka’s mouth dropped. “Abandoning you?” She pointed at Osmen, “you’re abandoning us! We just don’t see a point in bothering Ione anymore. Like, what? You can’t wait until you get your class and leave? Are you impatient?”

“I’m not!” Osmen screeched, red-faced, “I’m not abandoning you, but I can’t wait. You guys were babies when bad things happened to your families. You don’t know what they’re like. I-” She looked up at the cloudless azure sky, “I saw them kill my parents. I saw it all. I heard them. I was 5 and the memories of that night still haunt me and Ione is one of them.” Her breath shuddered as tears silently slipped down her cheeks. “She’s one of them and I could handle it when I saw her every now and again, I could ignore her. But, now I can’t and now I’m forced to listen to her speak every day and every day I'm reminded of that night…every day.”

Kraylin got up and consolingly rubbed Osmen’s back, murmuring, “sorry.”

Daniah spoke up, “I’m sorry Osmen, I know the knife-ear grates on your nerves and gives you bad memories, but I don’t want to keep going after her. Maybe it’s because I was too young to remember, it’s just- she really hasn't done anything to me, personally?”

The blonde girl glared at Daniah while Trikka raised a brow, “Daniah, that’s kind of insensitive.”

“I’m not trying to be!” She held her palms up, “look at it from my perspective, She hasn't done anything to me; she hasn't called me a mean name, she hasn't tried to punch me, she hasn't tried to hurt me in any way.”

“Yes she has! She is hurting us! All of us!” Osmen’s hands flew around her face, “look at us. Look at our group. We’re breaking apart. She’s doing this!”

Kraylin’s brows knit in concern, “Osmen, she’s 8.”

“Well, she’s doing it. I don’t care how old she is.” Osmen sniffed.

The group fell silent. The uneasy atmosphere left them with little else to talk about without making it too obvious that the subject was trying to be changed. Osmen decided to try again.

“I’m thinking of enlisting Jahren’s help.”

Kraylin jerked her hand back, as if burned, “What the fuck, Osmen?”

Trikka stared. “We don’t need to get anybody else involved. And you know he likes you. Isn’t that, I don’t know, using him?”

“I’ll make it worth his while,” She brushed her off, “just trust me, and this way you guys don’t have to do anything. It’ll all be him.” She smiled.

“I don’t know…” Daniah trailed off.

Kraylin had her finger on her mouth, and Trikka was looking in the direction Jahren was in.

“C’mon guys! This is the best solution. You all don’t want to be involved anymore so what’s the problem?”

The slight breeze ruffled their clothing as each girl was lost in thought, Osmen, however couldn't be more pleased with herself. To get someone completely unrelated would most surely throw Ione off her game, and once she realized she was dealing with more people, maybe then she would listen to Osmen. If that didn't work, she’d target the small red headed girl that hovered around the elf whenever she saw Ione hanging around with the rest of the 8-year-olds.

“Fine,” Kraylin said, resigned.

Osmen looked to Trikka, and then to Daniah until both nodded. Osmen beamed, “I promise you guys, you won’t regret it!”

“Yea, yea,” Daniah waved her arm as she stood up, “I’m hungry, let’s see about getting snacks.”

“Oh, good idea!” Trikka said, hurriedly following Daniah.

“I’ll join you guys soon, don’t wait up!” Osmen exclaimed as she bounded towards Jahren.

The remaining girls shared a meaningful look before Trikka and Daniah went inside the orphanage in search of their snacks.

If Osmen, Trikka, or Daniah had turned around, they would have seen Kraylin watching Osmen’s retreating form until eventually, she would lower her head in disappointment, and then follow Daniah and Trikka inside.

??? Perspective

A being recognized the soul that flew past them; this one they had already sent down to Terrestria. They looked over to their old friend and gestured in the soul’s direction, as if asking, ‘you want this one to join?’

Their friend nodded.

‘Even though it has been here already?’

They nodded again.

The being shrugged and gently grasped the soul as if they were handling a newborn babe. They softly placed the glowing orb into the ‘to be reincarnated’ pile. With a slight sigh, they turned back to their friend and both shared a glance. They trusted their friend, sure that they knew what they were doing.

Both beings shared a brief feeling of hope, before each went back to their respective duties.

‘No rest for the wicked,’ the being thought.