“Venix?” I breathed in pure shock. “What are you…how are you…?”

Venix.

I…hadn’t seen him up and about in months. The last I had seen of the Antium, he had still been in a coma after the last ditch attack he had resorted to during the battle at Caer Drarrow.

When did he wake up?

“Oh, hey,” Renauld said behind me, sounding completely relaxed. “What are you doing here?” I whipped around to stare at the Gnoll in near accusation. He raised his hands defensively at my stare.

“You knew?” I said in exasperation. “When were you going to tell me that Venix was awake?”

“Hey, I only found out while you were in the countryside,” Renauld said, shrugging. “It just hadn’t come up yet.”

“Do not blame the healer, Hart,” Venix said from behind me, drawing my attention. When I looked back at the Antium samurai, I saw that he had removed his hood, allowing his antennae to bob in the night air. “I have…intentionally kept myself out of sight.”

I blinked at that. Intentionally kept himself out of sight? Had he been trying to hide in Elderwyck?

What was that about?

I took a closer look at him, now that my shock was fading. Even in the dim light of the alleyway, I could see that the mighty warrior looked…different than I remembered him.

Diminished. Weaker.

He might still be as tall as ever, but he wasn’t quite as broad as he had been. I didn’t know how Antium physiology worked, but I suppose they had muscles just like the rest of us monkey-men.

Excuse me.

Monkey and fox men.

His muscles must have atrophied from disuse in his coma. Not only was he less physically imposing, but there was a dullness to his exposed chitin that hadn’t been there before the assault on Caer Drarrow. That dullness seemed to have transferred to himself as well, since Venix looked…

Tired, was the best word.

There was an exhaustion evident in both his posture and face that I had never seen before.

My brow creased in concern, meeting Venix’s eyes. “Are you alright?”

Venix…sighed, a new sound from the warrior. “I will be,” He said, a low, deep thrum obvious in his voice. “Eventually. But it shall take time before I recover from my…actions, and their results.”

I nodded slowly then. “Well, I…wish you a speedy recovery then,” I said, somewhat lamely. “What brings you here?”

Venix, as was typical of the Antium, was unfazed by my awkwardness. “You,” He said bluntly. “The Grey-Sworn has told me of your decision to exit this conflict. I wish to join you on your travels. On one condition.”

I tilted my head in bafflement before my eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Did Grey put you up to this?” I said in annoyance. “Everyone coming can take care of ourselves, you know. We don’t need a chaperone.”

To my surprise, Venix shook his head sharply. “No. My Sworn did not ask this of me. Rather, I asked his leave to accompany you,” He fell silent for a moment, before continuing almost reluctantly. “I am…diminished. My level has not fallen, but my overall strength has. Dramatically. I am not…worthy of serving as Yojimbo to Greycton of the Shadowed Sun. I shall travel the land, honing the edge of my blade until I am fit to return to his side,” One side of his chitinous lips rose in an almost self-deprecating smirk. “How fitting, then, that my Sworn’s own apprentice leaves on his own journey. I…request that I be allowed to travel with you.”

I breathed out then, my indignation falling away to be replaced with sympathetic understanding. I exchanged a glance with Renauld. The Gnoll man shrugged at me, all but saying he had no problem.

I…didn’t either, actually.

But first…

“I mean, I have no problem with that,” I said carefully, my eyes turning back to Venix. “But what was your ‘condition’?”

Venix nodded once more, a slight pleased cast to his features. “It is simple. I am given to understand that your cohort does not have a destination in mind. I ask that I am allowed to make my case as to a possible one.”

My eyebrows rose, before I motioned for him to keep going with one hand. “Sure, I don’t mind. Where were you wanting to go?”

A more genuine smile stole of over his lips then, as the Antium man relaxed slightly. “Kawamara,” He said in satisfaction. “The Land of Rivers. The birthplace of Lady Honoka, and the land that forged me into the warrior that I…was.”

I winced at the bitterness in his voice, but still…

That…that was a good idea.

I think?

I cupped my chin in one hand. “I…don’t know much about Kawamara,” I mused to myself.

Unexpectedly, it was Renauld who answered me. “It’s a chain of islands that lie some distance off the west coast of the continent,” He said, causing me to turn to him in surprise. The Gnoll was tapping his chin in thought. “Kind of in a north-western direction from Elderwyck itself. They’re human, but not aligned with the Kingdom of Herztal, which has historically pissed the Kingdom off. And…I mean, I say islands, but it’s really more a chain of small continents. They’re not even a fraction the size of the main one, but it’s still not very small. They can’t match either the Kingdom or the Principality in strength, but they’re not weak. My understanding is that they’ve got their own thing going on, for the most part.”

“And most importantly,” Venix interrupted. “They are entirely disconnected from the Herztalian Civil War. There are still…regional conflicts and disputes, but nothing to the extent of this one. If you wish to escape from the unrest on the main continent…there is nowhere better to go.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I nodded slowly. “Well…other than beyond the northern mountains,” I pointed out tentatively. That…had been a thought kicking around in the back of my mind. I hadn’t forgotten the offer of that weird…snake spirit thing, about seeking him out for answers. I’d been reluctant about that, though, as it had seemed to be a bit of a gamble.

Venix didn’t even blink before answering me it came so swiftly. “I would not follow into that frozen hell,” He said bluntly. “My kind cannot function in that environment.”

“Yeah…” Renauld drawled. “I’m not sure I would go either. I can ‘function’,” He said with air quotes. “In snow that deep. But honestly, I don’t wanna. I like the idea of Kawamara better.”

This time, it was my turn to hold up my hands. “It was just an idea,” I said defensively. “And I wasn’t being serious about it.”

Much.

“I…think I’m fine with Kawamara,” I said, thinking out loud. “Yeah…yeah. As long as the others are okay with it, then…I guess we’re going to go to Kawamara.”

…………………………..

After that, we broke up for the night. Renauld was going to stay at the clinic and keep working as a Healer before we left, and Venix had wandered away without so much as a goodbye. I guess he was going to keep doing…whatever he was here in Elderwyck for.

It was nice to see that the Antium samurai hadn’t changed much in temperament from his extended coma.

Still just as enigmatic as ever.

As for myself, I headed back to the Reef. I didn’t really have anywhere else to go, to be frank. I probably could have bedded down in the guard headquarters, if I had asked Grey. He might have been happy to have me there.

But I didn't want to deal with the attention, so back to my favorite pirate ship it was.

To my relief, the three people I had left behind were still lounging in the Captain’s quarters, if not a bit…drunker. When I broached the subject of possibly going to Kawamara for what was essentially becoming our ‘escape’ from Elderwyck, they didn’t have a problem with the destination. It was just another port to Bella, while Liora had just shrugged in languid apathy. I was getting the impression she had accepted my impression to accompany us more for the company itself than anything we intended to do.

However, even through his growing inebriation, Azarus had looked strangely excited at the idea of going to Kawamara. He was happy to explain why when I asked.

“Heard lots of stories about the place,” He mused over a glass of grog. By that point, he and Bella had mowed through all of her good booze and had needed to move on to the swill they brewed on board.

You know, the stuff we had tended to also use as deck cleaner, back on my old tenure on the Reef.

“I, uh, had an uncle once who told me some stories ‘bout the place,” Azarus said, eyes briefly flickering towards Liora. The Gnoll carefully didn’t react to the attention physically, but I still felt her own zero in on the dwarf. I was a bit surprised that Azarus knew about Liora’s relationship to Baldric, but I figured that Grey must have said something to him. “When I was a lad, at least. He told me all about some crazy duels that went on in that place when he was younger. It always sounded…magical.” There was a distant wistfulness in my friend's voice that I had never heard before.

I suppose even dwarves were nostalgic for their younger years sometimes.

So I ended up bunking down in the hold of the Reef, in a mirror of where I had stayed those months ago. I even managed to claim the same berth I had been using them then. One thing was different, though. Fade wasn’t here with me.

But I knew he was in good hands. Or, well.

Paws.

Good thing I was here too because I didn’t want to deal with the attention that being among the soldiers and guards would bring, much less the refugees. At least among the pirates of the Reef I felt comfortable. None of them had so much as given me a side-eye for either my new looks or my exploits against Rhazal and Nerexxa, even though they had to know by now. I didn’t get any questions either.

God, it was nice.

The solitude out in the countryside freeing Sculpted had been fulfilling, but I was still human damnit. We were social animals, and needed social contact in order to…well.

Heal, I guess.

Over the next few days, I would split my time either helping to prepare the Reef for departure with the rest of the crew, or preparing for my ritual with Grey. My mentor was looking increasingly frazzled from the pressures of the occupation, but he always made time for me. We were progressing pretty well, and I think the both of us were enjoying the time spent getting back to what might be the bedrock of our relationship.

Teacher and student.

It was…relaxing.

Still, all good things had to come to an end. Three days after we’d started our preparations for the Ascension Ritual, we finished drawing up the plans for my own personalized version of it.

Now it was time to assemble it.

One problem, though.

“We are, in fact, in the middle of a half-destroyed city,” Grey pointed out wryly, leaning back in his chair. “It might be a…touch difficult, to procure the materials we’ve lined out here.”

I flicked my eyes up from the sheaves of parchment rolled out on his desk, that we had spent days meticulously detailing out runic scripts on. I paused as his words penetrated. “Ah.”

“Indeed. Ah.”

The both of us sat in embarrassed silence for a moment, as the depths of just how much we’d jumped the gun settled us. I suppose it was…possible that we’d been so excited about the work of the Ritual that we’d…overlooked the practicals of it.

Grey gave me an almost pleading look after a moment. “Please don’t tell Honoka about this,” He nearly groaned. “I’m afraid I might never live it down.”

“Too late,” A smug, familiar voice sounded from behind my back as I heard the door open behind me. Grey slumped in place across from me. I twisted in my chair, an amused, embarrassed smile on my face as I prepared to greet the woman who was nominally my personal Healer. The smile froze on my face at the sight of her, because she wasn’t alone.

The still masked and leather-clad form of Sylvia was trailing behind her.

I kept my breath even as the two women who meant so much to Grey and I walked into the room.

“While you two were in here drafting, I saw to the materials you’d need,” Honoka continued smugly, not pausing in her stride as she carried a sack up to the desk. With a clang, she dropped the apparently hefty canvas bag on the desk. I winced at the noise it made. “You would be lost without me, old man.”

Grey gave the bag a blank look for a moment. “But…” He said slowly. “What do you know about Magi rituals…?”

Honoka rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t be a fool. I just snuck in and looked at your notes to learn what you needed,” She admitted shamelessly, nodding at the design for my ritual. “Everything should be in there.”

I remained silent while Honoka and Grey bantered, doing my best not to direct any attention at Sylvia. I noticed that she was doing the same thing, but I knew her tells in a way she no longer knew mine. I mentally shook off the pang that thought caused me.

Meanwhile, Grey had opened the bag and was rifling through it, muttering to himself. After a few minutes of looking, he looked up and gave Honoka a smile. “Thank you, old friend,” He said with a smile. “This is, indeed, all we need. I can get started on the circle at any time. I’ve already set up an Isolation Chamber in an unused room of the manse. Come along Nathan. I believe we can do this as soon as today.” With that, Grey picked up the sack and walked around the desk, giving his daughter a brief hug which she returned as he passed her.

I stood up as well with a thankful smile to Honoka. She returned it, a slightly melancholy tint to it. “Thanks, Honoka,” I said softly.

“Anytime, boy,” She returned, just as softly.

As I walked past her towards the door, following Grey, I was stopped by the sound of a voice that had yet to speak up yet.

“Wait,” I heard a soft, silvery voice say. Both Grey and I froze in place, dread growing in my breast.

That had been directed at me.

“Sir Hart, if you don’t mind,” Sylvia continued in a quiet tone. “I would like to speak to you for a moment. Alone.”

I met Grey’s eyes from his position in front of me, where he had turned around. Without a word, my mentor nodded over my shoulder at his daughter and stepped through the door. Moments later, Honoka followed after him.

I was still frozen in place, terrified of even turning around.

“Please turn around, Sir Hart,” Sylvia said softly. I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and did as she asked.

She’d taken off her mask. This…was the first time I’d seen her face…since I’d confessed to her unconscious form, before I left to face Rhazal.

God, I missed her.

She studied me for a minute. “There are some things I’d like to ask you. If you don’t mind.”

I nodded slowly at her, deeply missing my middle ring right about now. I licked my lips and finally spoke up.

“Go ahead.”