It was awful thinking about a giant Gate right in the middle of the Heart. Laell had tried to reassure him that one of that size wouldn’t be possible without an enchanting circle and that drawing one right in the middle of Heart would draw much unwanted attention. Therefore the chances of it happening would be much smaller.

As they set a brutal pace back to the capital, Ral let the worry gnaw at him. It was better than thinking about anything else. After Aris confronted him about Mikol, they had dropped the issue. Perhaps she had accepted the fact that they needed Mikol’s help if a Gate did open over the Heart - there were much more people there compared to Gymor. It would be a nightmare if the Bringers managed to open a large Gate in the densest area.

They found clothing for the Yscian and almost completely covered his appearance, completing it with a deep hood and cloth mask that covered the bottom half of his face. Rask explained that Mikol had hidden in the shadows for the most part while during their brief travels together, but now they were going to be in a city, that option was out of the question. They disguised Mikol and he was riding with Rask to help them with the end of their world and yet Ral couldn’t bring himself to talk to him.

The brave, stubborn, and resolute sibling was his sister. He gripped the reins tighter. He was just a foolish coward.

They had ridden for two days straight and their horses were beginning to grow weary. Both relief and dread filled Ral when he saw the first signs that they were approaching the Heart. During their brief periods of rest, they discussed what they needed to do once they reached the capital. Ral had been running it through his mind as a distraction.

First, they had to see if a Gate was present. The estimated size and the population density would mean it is very obvious if one was opened. If it had been opened, the only thing they would concentrate on doing was to close it.

“You need to be right next to me, if that’s the case,” Aris had pointed out. Ral had no arguments. He couldn’t be distracted any more.

If the Gate hadn’t opened, it would simultaneously be a good and bad thing - it meant they had a chance of preventing a disaster, but it would complicate things. Aris, Laell and Rask would need to track down the Bringers and stop them. Verne and Ral would have to convince the people in the city to evacuate. Mikol would have to go into hiding and prevent being discovered until he was needed to fight.

All of this was contingent on the plots of Laell’s map being accurate. It wasn’t that Ral didn’t trust the runist or his own sister, but it was difficult believing something he couldn’t see. Ral scratched his chin at the thought. He was turning into Verne.

“What’s wrong?” Aris’s voice floated in his ear, surprising him. She had given up trying to ride in her corporeal form.

“I was just wondering how Verne is holding up,” Ral admitted. They were far enough back - with the clamor of hoofs and wind rushing by, nobody could hear them.

“He’s fine.”

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“Better than me, you mean,” Ral said dryly.

“You read my mind, brother.”

Ral rolled his eyes but made no rebuke. She wasn’t wrong.

“I’m sorry,” Aris said after several heartbeats. “I shouldn’t have said anything about Mikol. I know you’re trying to work it out.”

“I forgive you,” Ral said.

“You always do.”

“And I always will,” he murmured. “You care about me. I thank you, little moon. We shared a womb, we share a sky. Maybe we only really need each other.”

Aris fell silent again for a long stretch of time. “I’m only alive because of ties to someone else,” she finally said in his ear. “We need other people in our lives.”

“This is the exact opposite of what you said a few days ago.”

“Well I changed my mind,” Aris said tartly. “Deal with it. And besides, if he tries anything, he’s at a disadvantage here. I’m still able to punch him in the face.”

Ral was unsure if his sister could fully comprehend just how fast Mikol was able to move as she wasn’t able to see him, but he didn’t say anything as it was the thought that counts. They continued in silence, passing by fields and farms that surrounded the Heart of Gaia. They started to see more houses, more people and more guards as the sun began to set. Torches were being lit and from the brief moments of passing by citizens of the Heart, Ral had the impression that this was just a normal night for all of them.

“I don’t sense anything,” Aris said in his ear, confirming what he felt. “Not yet anyway.”

They slowed to a trot and then to a walk as they approached the city entrance. They let their exhausted horses retire to the stables situated just outside the northern entrance - the same one they acquired their mounts at the beginning of their trip.

“Good evening to you, my lord,” the stablehand said to Verne. The stablehand recognized them as they had their mounts prepared by him earlier that week.

“Anything happen while we were gone?” Ral asked. He said it with an easy smile.

“If you don’t count the lovely Marha rejecting me for the sixth time, no sir,” the stablehand replied cheerfully.

“Ah, she’ll come around someday,” Ral laughed. He then sobered and exchanged a look with Verne. The Sekrelli shook his head. Ral patted the stablehand on the shoulder. “Hey, promise me something, will you? If something happens, promise me you’ll take your fastest horses and run. Take your family, take Marha, and get out of here as fast as you can.”

“Sir…” the young stablehand stared at him, wide eyed. “Does this have something to do with those Gates?”

“I can’t rightly say,” Ral said. “But be safe, alright?”

He felt just as awful walking away from the puzzled stablehand.

“Is that how you’re gonna convince all of them to leave?” an invisible Aris asked incredulously at his shoulder. “Cryptic remarks?”

“I’m open to better ideas.” None of them were going to believe them.

Aris made a frustrated noise as they approached the city entrance, the guards there also recognizing Verne. The Sekrelli had hurried ahead to make up some sort of excuse for Mikol.

“Little moon, they won’t need to be evacuated if you prevent the Gate from opening in the first place,” he muttered. “I’m sorry, but you have a more difficult job this time.”