Fae woke up with a long yawn as she stretched her arms up in the air, feeling a tiny headache to her right temple

"You're finally awake" She heard Avalynn say, turning her head to her right as she gave her a stern look for a split second

"Yes?" The Devil tilted her head to the side in curiosity about the disapproval she had gotten from her friend

"Never mind" Fae replied, rubbing her temple as she closed her eyes to grunt

"How long was I out?" She asked while her hands went on to rub her eyes

"Hm" Avalynn looked up with her index finger on her lips

"I'd say a couple of hours, perhaps a bit more" She then looked at Fae and her drowsy nap face, the expression she carried on it prompted a chuckle out of the devil

"What?" The sleepy woman asked while her eyes were as narrowed as they could be

"Nothing" Avalynn responded, giving her friend a tilt of her head alongside a wide smile, Fae on the other hand sighed and grabbed her phone before getting back on her feet

"Let's get back to the inn" She said, pursing her lips as she continued to rub her eye with her free hand while her other put her phone back in her pocket leaving the earphones to dangle down, reaching a tiny bit past her knee

"Here" After putting her phone back, Fae gave Avalynn a hand to lift her up, one that the latter accepted with a warm smile

"Thanks" And a grateful tone too

"You're welcome" Fae nodded with the usual frown Avalynn saw her have ever since they'd met, but this time it didn't bother her as much seeing how her friend had such a blissful nap

"I think I'll stay here a little before going back" She told Fae

"Oh" Fae looked at her for a split second before putting a hand on her waist

"Why not? are you up to something?" Fae's question made Avalynn snicker as she looked aside

"It's just that I don't feel very comfortable being around so many humans" She replied

"I guess it will take a little bit of time to get used to" The devil added, in a way Fae could understand where she was coming from, whether it was the fear of having her true nature found out or perhaps it was the reality that she was different from all of those around

Though Fae herself could commend the devil's intention to stray away from her evil nature, and for that she didn't mind her company one bit

"If you want, I can stay a bit more with you" Fae retorted, bringing a warm smile to her devilish friend as she put a hand on her chest

"Oh you're such a sweetheart Fae" She told her, gazing deep into her brown eyes

"But don't you worry about me now, I'll just look for something and then head back" Fae wasn't entirely convinced as she eyed Avalynn down and then up

"Alright then" Though she didn't want to press further

"Just be sure to come back for the night, and take care of yourself" Fae spoke to her friend with crossed arms and a severe look, prompting Avalynn to laugh softly

"Of course I will, see you when I see you" And then the two separated with a wave, Fae on her way back wondered what she of all people be looking for, while Avalynn forgot to ask Fae about the artifact that was used to play that orchestral piece, both sighed at their forgetfulness

Fae walked on and on back on the path that led her to that place where they rested, taking in a deep breath of the clean air within the forest, she only realized it now but it unsurprisingly felt much fresher than the one back in her world

Even with that said, Fae looked down, she missed her old world, even if there weren't many things that she was fond of back there, she still did, she wondered just how worried the couple of people who cared about her were

Letting out a sigh, she truly from the bottom of her heart hoped that the Dryad held some answers to the questions that were at hand, looking up at the orange sky, Fae thought about discussing with the others about starting their voyage tomorrow morning

Although as that decision passed through her mind, she felt something amiss in her surroundings, making her look around in curiosity while her hand was on her chest

It felt like an insane amount of energy was piled up on one spot, it was a feeling akin to the one she was submitted under when she destroyed those two dungeon cores

She looked at the lake to her right, but no, it didn't seem to be there, with narrowed eyes and pursed lips she then looked to her left to find a hill with a cliff that overlooked that same lake

That suspicious energy seemed to be at the end of the cliff, and Fae felt ever so curious at the semblance of that feeling, if it was another core out in the open, then she had to do something about it

Making a detour around the hill looking for a path up took Fae a couple of minutes, and climbing said hill took her even more, but she didn't mind as her mind was solely set on that little dot of energy that seemed to stand out from her surroundings

Fae didn't even question why would she be attracted to that source of energy, the thought of it being a trap did cross her mind but then again, who would hate her that badly?

The only people she could think that might want her dead would be relatives of the baron, but she did believe that Sofia would take care of things like that, not because she liked Fae personally but more because she saw her as a valuable asset

In fact, as Fae was soon to arrive on top of the hill, she was surprised that the queen didn't force her to be shackled to Flora, or perhaps there was more to it than Fae knew

Deciding to shake the thought off her mind, Fae went on to walk towards that cliff that oversaw that blue lake, pushing leaves and bushes away from her path as she went on through them

As she finally left the wooded area, Fae could see a white woman with long black hair seated on a rock at the very edge of that cliff, wearing a dress matching her hair color that reached the very soil her feet were on, although what really caught Fae's attention was that the woman was seemingly painting the scenery under the cliff, the lake that was embraced by the arms of the woods with the blue horizon above

Getting close to her, Fae was quite impressed by the quality of the painting, it reminded her of the painting gallery she once visited with her grandfather back when she was just a teen, and although some painting prices were outrageous, she felt like the one being made in front of her was worth quite the price tag

"Uh, Hey there" Fae awkwardly muttered out loud to get the woman's attention

And that she did as the unnamed lady turned around with parted lips and an arched eyebrow, locking eyes with Fae using her green pupils

"Hello...?" The greeting that Fae received felt like more of a question, although as the woman's eyes slowly drifted down to gaze at Fae's blade, she swiftly got up to her feet

"Do I know you?" The young woman inquired, stepping back once

"Oh I mean you no harm, please don't get me wrong" Fae replied quickly with her hands up in the air, although even with that, the other woman was hardly convinced

"Here" Fae went on to untie the leather straps around the sheath of her sword, prompting the woman to raise an eyebrow as she spectated what to her, was a weird stranger

"You can have my sword if it makes you feel better" Fae went on to extend her sheathed weapon that she grabbed from the base of the blade

"You know what" The other woman had a growing smile on her face, one that Fae felt like it was out of pity

"You can keep it, you don't look bad and if you really wanted to do me any harm I doubt I could protect myself anyway" She went on to sit back on that rock to examine the details of her own painting, by her side was a palette that had multiple dots of colored paint

Fae on the other side was quite surprised by how quickly the woman threw in the towel

"If my parents sent you then tell them I'll be back when I want to" The woman went on to say while paying no attention to what Fae was doing behind her, her green eyes too busy criticizing her own work

On one side Fae felt like the young lady in front of her sounded like quite the spoiled child, but even so, she still felt that burning sensation of a huge amount of magick coming right from the woman seated on the rock, either it was emanating from the woman, or from something the woman was carrying herself

"I'm sorry but I think you're mistaken, I don't know your family" Fae retorted, gaining back her attention again as she gave it to her with wide eyes while she got up

"Oh, my apologies, sincerely" She told Fae with a raised eyebrow and a guilty tone, maybe she wasn't as much of a brat as she initially thought

"It's just that every time I leave the house my parents send someone to get me back, I hope you can forgive my presumption" She then added with a hand on her chest and pursed lips on her face

"It's alright, no harm done" Fae dismissed the misunderstanding with a wave of her hand and a polite smile on her face

"Thank you for being so understanding, my name is Rheya" She told Fae who as the woman was close to her now, could see that Rheya had quite a pale face alongside barely visible bags under her eyes

"And I'm Fae, it's nice to meet you" She replied while Rheya copied the same polite smile to give it back

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"It is nice to meet you too Fae" A fraction of a silent second passed on before Rheya broke it

"So um" She didn't really know what to say beyond formal greetings

"What might you be doing here, Fae?" She went on to ask her with crossed arms and an arched eyebrow

"Oh, uh" Fae couldn't really tell her the truth, but she didn't have to lie either

"I actually came here with a friend, now she's busy so I was just walking by myself until I noticed you paint that" Fae gestured at the painting of nature below

"I was curious so I wanted to see it up close" Fae could tell that Rheya wasn't quite convinced yet, failing at hiding her doubt that was all over her face

"Well, suit yourself friend" She shrugged as she then walked back to the rock she was previously seated on

"Though I have yet to be done with it" She added

"Really?" Fae was a bit taken aback

"It looks great to me" She remarked, to Fae the painting looked done and great

"No, I think it needs something" Rheya softly muttered

"Though what that something is" She then frowned

"Now that, is a mystery to me" Rubbing her chin, she kept staring at her work with quite the unsatisfied look

Fae on the other hand stood behind her with crossed arms and a tilted head, she couldn't really understand why Rheya didn't like her piece of work

"Um" She then meekly turned her head to lock eyes with Fae

"You said you liked it, right?" She inquired of Fae, who quickly gave her a sharp nod

"May I ask you why?" She gestured with an open hand as she gave the not-so-stranger Fae her question

"Hm" Fae rubbed her chin as she examined the painting

"Well, for starters I like the color tone, but what I'm very into was how you drew the reflections of the trees on the lake" She explained, Rheya had a small smile upon hearing those words

"Though just like I can't explain why music makes me feel nice, I can't do the same with art in the form of drawings and paintings" Fae shrugged

"Even if I can separate good art from bad art, I can't really say why I like the good art so much" She continued, having Rheya's full attention

"Maybe because it evokes emotions?" Fae's answer sounded like a question the more she spoke

"I was going to say that, yes" Rheya responded with a small smile, one that the other imitated

"But we should most likely start by defining what art even is" She told Fae, the latter noticing that Rheya didn't seem on guard anymore, progress on Fae's investigation if anything

"What does your mind say about it, Fae?" Her expression was on the brink of beaming like a sun from how excited she seemed about the ongoing conversation

"Hm" Fae looked aside for a second, she never really thought too much about it so she has yet to find an answer to give

"It's just my opinion, but" Her eyes drifted back unto her conversation partner's own green pupils

"Well for starters, art is just the creation of something out of either imagination or something physical" Fae started, rubbing her chin as she looked aside "You could conceptualize a scene in your head, a scenario or a story and then materialize them into being onto a canvas or even a piece of paper" She spoke slowly "But that still doesn't give art value, because art in and of itself doesn't possess any value" Then her brown eyes darted back to Rheya "Its value is what it does to the onlooker, the observer" She stated, gesturing to the painting that was in front of the two

"For example, I like your painting because it makes me feel nice, it is soft to the eyes with its cold tone and gives me a sense of relief per se, if you understand?" She told the painter who replied with a small smile and a slow node, Fae continued "But what if somebody else looked at it and was reminded of their sweet and happy childhood life with their parents, living in a small house next to a river just like the one you yourself painted" Fae nodded at the painting as she spoke further "Its impact on me could never be compared to what it did to that person, they would hold your creation much closer to heart than I would" She said with her shoulders shrugging

"Stories and whole ideologies can be transported through art to people, changing their entire views on certain things, with sometimes not even a word uttered" She added on, her eyes slightly widening "Art has a huge potential to influence both our mind and hearts, to even raise the morals of armies and to turn one's despair into a torch to rally behind" And although Fae was ever so serious with those words, Rheya couldn't help but chuckle, prompting Fae to raise an eyebrow

"Sorry its just, the way you spoke about turning despair into hope sounded a bit like fantasy to me" Fae pursed her lips, because ever since she was thrown into this world everything was fantasy for her

"Well... It might seem like that, but" Fae walked slowly around Rheya and towards the latter's painting, facing her with her back as Rheya herself was a bit afraid that she angered Fae with her comment, since she was the one with the sword

"There was a country I knew little of, one colonized by an invading force that kept putting pressure on the people to extinguish their desire for independence, and within the enslaved people was one poet, his words encouraged the people to never give up the fight, no matter how dark it was" Fae stated, slowly unsheathing her sword to then rest the blade on the palm of her free hand "He was very well known within the country, the words he wrote were shared around and used as a mean to cope against their shackled fate" The reflection of her face was displayed in purity on the clean blade "His sheer poems were such a disturbance to the invaders that they had to imprison him, with his fate being to be beheaded publicly, and he knew that his end was coming very soon oh so well while in the dark disgusting cell they kept him in" Fae added with a hint of sorrow in her voice, until suddenly slicing the air and aiming the sword at Rheya, prompting her to widen her eyes as she didn't even notice until the blade was ever so close to her face

"What would you do, in his place?" Fae asked sharply, Rheya on the other hand was left in quite the trance

"I-I'm not so sure" She said meekly to Fae, who then swirled her sword before sheathing it back as she gazed down at the speechless painter

"He had resolve, a strong will, but most importantly hope in his people" Fae spoke, turning back to the painting "He knew his death was inevitable, and even then he did not despair, he knew what he needed to do" Fae grabbed something as she slowly turned to Rheya, showing her said item "Art" She briefly said, her hand holding the recently used paintbrush "He used a stick as a quill and his own blood as ink" She continued, doing slow stabbing motions unto her forearm with the wooden end of the brush "And he left his people a poem on the walls of the place he had his very last sleep in, and on the day of his execution, he reached out to his kin and reassured them as if he was the one being forced to witness their execution" Fae then looked down "The poem he left on the cells got out to the public, and was used as a war cry and as a torch for the people to rally behind" She slowly put back the paintbrush "They thought of making an example to insubordination, but in reality they just ignited the fire that melted the people's shackles" She then looked at the ever so attentive Rheya deep into her green eyes

"And the beginning of their fight for freedom started with the death of that poet, dying just as he lived" Fae then smiled at Rheya "Turning despair, into hope"

The silence that lasted a couple of seconds was broken by Rheya's curiosity "And did they ever got it?"

Fae slowly nodded as she smiled "It took years and the blood of many, but they did get their freedom after a century of being under total oppression" She then turned to look aside at the distance "And to immortalize what ignited their undying flame, the poem the man left was turned into the anthem of the country, that, Rheya" She turned her head back to look at her with a smile plastered on her face "Is the true potential of Art"

There was no words exchanged for a moment after that, only the two's speechless eye contact before the painter felt the need to clap gently with her eyes still slightly widened, Fae smirked as she then took on to perform an over the top bow that prompted a chuckle out of the other

"You sure know how to perform a story" She told Fae as the latter chuckled

"Right, I'll be sure to keep that in mind as a change of career if I ever fail in my current endeavors" She said sarcastically getting a laugh out of Rheya

"Really though!" She exclaimed to Fae as she get up from the rock she was sitting on "At first I truly felt like you were speaking nonsense" She added as she grabbed the hands of the surprised Fae "But the story you just told me touched my heart, friend!" Putting a hand on her chest, she spoke sincere words "And I for one feel the same way you do, Art is nothing if it doesn't make the onlooker feel or think"

Fae chuckled as she freed herself from Rheya's grasp to then grab her from her arm and gently push her "Personal space buddy" She muttered to Rheya who nervously laughed

"Sorry I think I got too excited hehe" She apologized before getting a smile from Fae and a wave from her physically dismissing the issue

"Don't worry about it, I'm happy you enjoyed our little talk" She replied, getting a quick nod from the smiling Rheya

"Very much so, in truth it's been a lifetime since I had such an enjoyable conversation" Rheya responded to Fae with a sincere tone "You see my parents aren't very fond of my hobby, they think it is much more important to focus on getting married and the such" She then sighed "They truly want the best for me, but their expectations often feel like a lump in my throat, ugh whatever, I'm in a good mood for once so I shan't allow it to go away so soon" She said in a valiant tone with her hands on her sides and giving herself a confident nod getting a chuckle out of Fae

"Hah, well it is getting a bit late so you if you want I can help you carry all of this back to your home" Fae offered a help that made Rheya sigh in relief

"I would much appreciate it friend since the trip here was torture for my back, Although please do give me just a minute to rest" She replied to Fae before sitting back down on the rock, seemingly catching her breath which made Fae raise an eyebrow

"Is something wrong?" She told her before approaching the latter slowly

"I, well..." Rheya looked for the appropriate words as she lifted her eyes to make contact with Fae's "I'm not sure myself, I've been like this most of my life" She added "Any activity that I do just results in extreme exhaustion, and nobody seems to know why" Rheya shrugged as she spoke while breathing heavily, letting out a grunt before adjusting the way she was seated

"Sorry to hear that" Fae said with a touch of sadness in her voice, one that prompted Rheya to chuckle

"Thank you, but apart from the constant fatigue it is of no harm, at least I hope so" She said with a forced smile while Fae looked at her for a second before nodding "Right well, let me pick up my things-" Rheya added before trying to get up, an attempt that immediately made her lose balance before Fae swiftly moved in to keep her standing with her arms around her "Ahaha... I seem to have strongly overestimated my capabilities" She said with a soft chuckle while Fae sighed, gently helping her back to her seat and pointing at her with a stern finger

"You stay put" Rheya laughed as she held her pained temple, not before replying slyly "Understood mother"

Fae then went on to pack up Rheya's bag and fold the canvas, it was surprisingly pretty conveniently made while her bag was pretty light, it was pretty worrisome about how this light weight caused so much trouble for her new friend

After a while they went onto their walk back to the capital, with Fae carrying all the things Rheya brought with her even though she much disapproved of it as she showed it on most of the walk

"Really I tell you I'm fine I really do feel better" She told Fae who chuckled and shook her head

"It's fine stop worrying so much, besides we're almost there anyway" Fae spoke quite sternly, darkness taking place of the enlightening day as the citizens of the capital went on to start their walk back home, among them the duo that had just entered said place, Rheya explained how her home was situated in the inner ring, where all nobles of the city lived with the palace itself not too far off from the center

"Ah quite the silver spoon we were born with huh?" Fae said with a smirk as the two arrived at Rheya's home, to say it screamed nobility would be an understatement, bigger than the average villa that were spread around the inner ring of the city of Rose

"Please don't tease me like that" Rheya replied with a nervous chuckle, both were standing in front of the fence gate that lead to the frontal garden of the residence

"Well I guess that'll be all then" Fae said, gently handing Rheya's belongings back to her

"I guess so" The artist replied, Staring at Fae for a couple of silent seconds "Are you sure you don't want to stay and drink something?" She asked a question that Fae already gave the answer to earlier on their walk back home

"Sorry but like I said, I already spent too much time out I wouldn't want to worry my friends for too long" Fae said with an apologetic tone, one that Rheya smiled at

"Alright I understand, they're lucky to have you as a friend" She replied to Fae, who laughed before answering

"I'll be sure to make them aware of that, thank you" She gave the painter a small smile before adding more unto her words "What about you though, do you feel better?" She asked

Rheya smiled and quickly nodded "I really do, and weirdly enough I've actually never felt better this fast after being so exhausted" She shrugged while Fae gazed at Rheya's green eyes for a moment, deep in thought

"Well, all's well that ends well I suppose" Fae said, extending an open hand to Rheya with a polite smile, one that Rheya reciprocated quite quickly

"I had a really good time Fae, I hope we can do this again" Rheya exclaimed as she shook Fae's hand

"Of course, If I ever pass by Rose again I'll visit as soon as possible"

And with that the duo parted ways, Rheya on one hand couldn't wait until she would meet Fae again while never feeling so energized and rejuvenated in her life, the other however had one thing still very deeply rooted in her mind, about that insane amount of energy she felt from something Rheya was carrying, Fae entered a backalley with nobody around, and looked at the hand she shook with Rheya's own hand

And then snapped her finger to summon that tiny flame that she used to light her cigarette many a time

"HOLY-!" The dark and empty alleyway suddenly was illuminating by the force of a thousand suns as the yell of a woman could be heard from within