The silence of the world around us became all encompassing.

The faint thundering of my sluggish heart beat and my sense of dread grew like a storm over the undulating Wild Lands. All around the two of us, the long grass stood still and stable. Such a fragile plant was mocking me, as my new Trait—Calm Meditation in Chaos—wasn’t helping me keep me sane and stable.

A desire to flee, to escape, grew within, but my limbs wouldn’t respond. They were shaking, offering none of the strength which normally I relied upon. I longed to be like the smoke, or the bird flitting through the nearby copse of trees, free and able to escape the heaviness of the ground, but a heaviness within my chest dragged me down.

My throat ached. A sour taste washing away the fresh air I had so recently felt blessed to breathe.

Even though that beautiful face looked at me with a soft gaze, I couldn’t help but feel the dangerous depths hidden. Her first declaration to me—My groom, long have I awaited for your arrival—said in that soft musical tone, chilled me. My fingers were frozen, far more than they should’ve been due to the fresh air which had once been here.

Now the air felt frozen, like it wanted to consume me.

The world started shaking, yet none of the trees or grass rustled or creaked.

‘I’m sorry,’ that soft melodic voice said, ‘long have I awaited, long have I dreamed of this day, and in my haste and eagerness in seeing you, I misspoke.’

Warmth wrapped itself around me, supporting me.

I looked up and found two beautiful eyes; eyes which shone like the night sky, a beauty I hadn’t grown tired of even after all of these hard and harrowing years. And even after all of these years, every time I looked up at them I thought of Silver Moon and her warm hand, and her lifeless, pleading eyes.

Eyes which filled my dreams with nightmares.

But eyes which I was sure that would no longer haunt me.

Instead, I was sure that those beautiful eyes, filled with wonder and hope and the expanse of the night sky, which looked upon me with such tenderness, would fill my dreams. Those eyes were housed within a beautiful face with skin which showed that she had lived a harsh life.

Yet, at the same time, her skin held a softness which made those beautiful eyes shine all the brighter.

‘Who are you?’ I asked, my voice rough, sourness still filling my mouth.

‘Have you not yet used your Detailed Analysis?’

I shook my head. I had long since stopped using my Analysis after finding it got me into trouble.

‘Use it. Tell me what you see.’

I activated my Detailed Analysis.

Name: Whirling Cloud

Concept: First Daughter and Seer of the Kestrel Clan

Traits:

‎ Oracle: ?

‎ Tribal Leadership: ?

‎ Spear Goddess: ?

System Traits:

‎ Detailed Analysis

‎ Secure Sense Making System

‎ Standard Messaging System

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‘You’re a Three Trait? And you’re a leader? How can that be?’

She looked at me sadly, ‘I had hoped your situation would mean you would not be caught up in such discrimination.’

‘No, no, please, you misunderstand.’ I blurted out.

Why was it seeing people in sadness always brought this out in me? I had thought that maybe the long years of toil and fear and constant battles would’ve cured me of it. But seeing such beautiful eyes stop shining with hope and start glinting with tears… It was too much for me.

‘All I know is what I have seen and been taught.’

‘But what of your other world heritage?’

A bark of laughter escaped my throat.‘What do you mean?’

She cocked her head slightly, ‘have you not come from another world?’

‘How did you know? It’s a secret I’ve not told anyone.’

‘What’s my first trait?’

I had already forgotten as the shock of seeing a Three Trait as a leader surprised me. So I used Detailed Analysis on her again. ‘Oracle.’

‘That is a special trait which only those who are born with can use. That is why it’s first on my list.’

‘Is not being mana capable a birthed trait? Why, then, is it fourth on my list?’

‘It’s an adaptative birthed trait, as you call it, which means it can change. Oracle isn’t an adaptive trait. It’s either is or isn’t.’

‘I’ve never heard of the Oracle trait before.’ I said, realising that I was trying to avoid the topic of me coming from another world. ‘No. Sorry. We have time to talk about that at a later date.’ As I said it, I realised I had made a promise not only to continue talking to her but also seeing her on another day. Beyond that, I realised that I was even looking forward to the discussion.

It took a moment for Whirling Cloud to make the same realisation. When it did, she smiled, a smile which shone as bright as the sun. ‘I look forward to being able to talk to you more, my groom.’

Then the heaviness within me fell once more.

She must’ve seen something about me change as her expression changed, becoming softer and more tender again. Still supporting me, she brought a hand up to my cheek and cupped it gently, stroking it with her thumb.

‘In time, my beloved, in time. Alas, I have issues of speaking before my time. It is the Curse of the Oracle. My self is sometimes unstuck in time, and the more important and heavier the cause, the more the self is affected.

‘And this is a heavy day, and you are important to me. It is all I can do, right now, my beloved, not to kiss you. For though I sense all those futures within me, I know that I am not there yet. For this is where our future starts.’

I looked at her carefully. Taking care, and using my Sneaky-Beaky Lookie and Scoutie Trait, I could tell she was holding herself back. There was a tension in her shoulders, hidden beneath the cloak, but noticeable in subtle ways. She also was looking, and smiling, at me with a softness I’d seen many love-struck people use before, but her neck was tense. And the smile occasionally flickered as she tried to rein it in.

‘Shall we end it here,’ I said.

Her face fell. ‘Okay.’

She let go of me and spun around. As she did, I could’ve sworn her eyes well with tears. Her shoulders slumped, and she trudged back through the grass she had trampled on the way to me.

‘No!‘ I shouted, speaking much louder than expected. ’Not forever. Just for tonight.’

With that, she stopped trudging. Her shoulders eased slightly, yet she didn’t turn around. Her arm came up and rubbed at her face.

‘Tomorrow.’ I promised her. ‘Tonight, I need to settle my troops. All of this is new to them. They need me.’

She nodded her head, almost imperceptibly from the back, but with Sneaky-Beaky Lookie and Scoutie I easily saw it. When she started back up to the camp, there was a lightness in her steps. It was almost as if she was trying her best not to skip in joy.

I smiled, watching her climb up the slight rise to her camp. When she got to the four armoured and rectangular shielded guards, she turned round. I could only guess at her facial expression, as she was too far away to notice, but she waved at me. A large, expressive wave.

With a light chuckle, I smiled again and raised my arm in a half-hearted wave. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but for the first time since I started this new life of mine, I was looking forward to the promise of something.

So with a light heart, and what I was sure was a big smile on my face, I headed towards the detachment waiting for me.