It was a wonder that they stuck together. But amidst the arguing, the fighting, and occasional half-joking threats, there was care and concern and kindness. Somewhere. She may have had to squint sometimes, but it was there.
Domenique, especially when she got opportunities to practice magic, wasn’t really with them. She tended to avoid the others. Samone mostly talked to Imre, occasionally to the point of ignoring anyone else. The differences between Fauna meeting her and several years after was subtle enough it was only worth noting in hindsight; the weight of the expectations no one realized. Lydia always remained the same, bright and energetic. It seemed every time she came over she had a new idea for something—which were, similarly, always rejected. Fauna couldn’t say she talked too much to Kiah. She often made it clear that her role was protecting the prince and little more than that, even if she did seem to get along with Casper and Minne. Dimas, at first, was quiet, but he quickly warmed up to all of them. As long as they avoided heated arguments, he was one of the talkative ones among them.
What about Imre, then? Well, he was the one that brought them together—the common thread between them. He was often the one to quell any disagreements before things got out of control, or point out in other ways if someone went too far. Beyond that… he was a good listener, one Fauna felt like she could talk to no matter what. They grew a bond that way; being each other’s pillars, holding each other up from the sidelines. Nokae seemed fitting for it, though it was a title they never truly adopted.
Nothing defined them all, though, as the time they spent traveling together—a turn of events that were, contrary to how Lydia would retell it, completely mundane. And could barely be described as “turn of events” so much as “the same events, with slightly different results.”
It started the same as anything before she made her suggestion; everyone in the dining room, holding casual conversations, waiting for when Dimas would get there.
Casper’s greeting was what silenced the rest of them, giving the Qizarn prince a grin when he opened the door. “Seems you’re a bit early today! Getting used to the layout of things?”
“Yeah…” was the quiet response.
Minne offered a smile, too, until it faded when she actually looked up at him. She touched a spot under her eye as some part of a silent question; Dimas mirrored the movement and, realizing what she “asked” about, shrugged.
And they all knew silence spoke louder than any words.
They also knew that Lydia was the only one that could even consider breaking it without making it worse. That is, by having no situational awareness, and acting like it never happened at all. “Now that we’re all here, I’ve got another idea!”
“No,” was Samone’s quick response.
“You haven’t even heard what it is yet!”
“And given the other things you’ve tried to get us to do, I don’t need to. I know it’s going to be ridiculous. And stupid. And probably deadly.”
Minne smiled again, something that showed a deeper understanding. “Well, I would like to hear what you’ve come up with.”
“This one is good, I promise!” Lydia said, beaming. “It’s in Pagetri—kinda nearby! Or closer than some of the other options, anyway. Close enough we can do it before Dimas has to go home again. And it’ll be fun! With a lot of exploring!” She paused, as if it really built up tension, then announced, “It’ll be… to find a manticore!”
Silence. Then, Kiah laughed. “You really are stupid, aren’t you?”
Fauna phrased it in a… much nicer way. “There… aren’t any in Seothia anymore.”
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“They… hunted them for their ichor, didn’t they..?” Dimas asked hesitantly as he sat down.
Imre gave a grim nod. “It was like hunting for sport before the Saint-King. After he took the throne, it was far too late to do anything about it…”
“Well, if it was obviously possible, then it wouldn’t be fun, now would it?” Lydia defended. “The whole point is to do something no one else has!”
“Because it’s impossible,” Samone grumbled. “No one else is as stupid as you are.”
“Say what you’d like, though it’s not going to make much of a difference,” Casper remarked. “Lydia’s actually talked to us about this beforehand. We all think it’s a good idea.”
“All,” Domenique repeated. “That wouldn’t happen to… not mean what I think it does?”
Minne nodded. “We’ve talked to Odelle, Kesem, Kamila, and Andrew. They came to the same conclusion we did.”
“That they wanted to subtly kill off their kids?” Kiah retorted. “Because this is what this sounds like. You can’t honestly tell me they look like they could handle that kind of traveling!”
Casper explained it in a clear and calm way. “They might not be ready now, but they’d never be without experience.” He addressed all of them as he continued, “In one way or another, you will become the people leading the future of Seothia. And you can’t be prepared for something like that by studying alone—just knowledge isn’t going to get you far. It takes experience, too. You all know that I traveled a lot when I was your age. That firsthand experience, the close look into the lives of my future subjects… I know that it’s helped me just as much, if not more, than any of my grandfather’s words.” He smirked. “I even got a wife out of it.”
Minne’s comment seemed to be just as much of a response to him as a statement for the rest of them. “You never know who might need your help along the way. It only takes a little to change a life.”
“When you say you talked with Mother,” Dimas began, “what did she say, exactly..? This seems… kind of dangerous…”
“Of course it is!” Lydia said. “It's an adventure! That’s what makes it fun!”
That very clearly did nothing to make him feel any more confident in the fact.
Minne gave a thoughtful answer. “Her idea was nearly the same as the others—it’s a chance to grow. While there may be dangers involved… we think this would be a good start in taking things slowly. She mentioned you’ve been helping with Zofie and that this could help give you different opportunities to practice.”
“I can’t go,” Samone remarked nonchalantly. “I don’t care what he said. I have practice with Tyche when I get back and I’d much rather do that than whatever Lydia calls fun.”
“That’s the thing,” Casper responded just as casually. “You don’t always get to choose what you’ve been doing. Your magic practice has been pushed back for this, too. What Minne told Dimas applies to you and Domenique too, you know. I’ve already said that there’s a limit to what practical knowledge can teach you.”
Samone looked ready to argue before something in Imre’s eyes got her to resign to her fate. “Fine…”
Fauna realized what it might’ve been for, too. “Tyche’s taught you Light magic, hasn’t she? Wouldn’t that mean you could help against the Skiá?”
“Of course she did,” Samone said. “That and Truth magic is basically the foundation of everything the Lysha does.”
“This has to be one of the stupidest things you’ve tried to do,” Kiah sighed. “Casper, there’s going to be seven of us. Only two might be able to do anything if we run into trouble. The two decent healers aren’t going to mean anything with three deadweights.”
“I’ve done this before, you know,” Lydia grumbled. “It’s not that dangerous! I can handle my own! And I bet Imre and Fauna could, too. Nothing would ever realize they were there with how quiet they are!”
Fauna’s sheepish chuckle was enough of a response for both of them.
“We’ve made up our minds about this, Kiah,” Casper said. “There’s nothing to worry about. Everything that we have the power of controlling we have under our control. Just focus on enjoying the time out of the territory, all of you—see for yourself what you’ll one day be guiding. As long as you act smart and don’t try to get yourselves into any trouble, you’ll be fine. I can assure you of that.”
Minne nodded. “Tomorrow morning would give you enough time to prepare for it. Make sure you have everything you’ll need before then.”