As the first rays of sunshine filtered through the window, Elt awoke with a start. His face was covered with sweat and his eyes were wide as saucers. His hand went to his chest as memories of last night flooded his mind. His fingers searched for any hint of damage to him from last night. A hole in his chest, blood, anything. But no matter where his hand moved onto his muscular chest, he could find no evidence of what happened last night.

Panic slowly left him as he observed his surroundings. It didn't take long for him to recognize the room he was in. The single good bed in the middle of a spartan room he was lying in. The single window in the wall to his right that had some specks of dust on it. The slightly adjar wooden door to his right. A single wax candle with its wick shortened to almost a stump sitting on a counter to his right.

"Th-The orphanage?" Elt groaned as he sat up in his bed. It was only now that he noticed his armor and shirt were missing, though his chest hadn't been bandaged at all. The sound of the door opening made him turn his head toward the door. His red bangs of hair fell around his eyes, blocking his blue iris from direct line of sight. He saw one of the orphans, a dirty blonde named Max, carrying a tray of food in with him. When Elt's eyes met the boy's he could see the surprise, shock, and elation all move across his face at the sight of him.

'Wait...no...there's only surprise there. How can I tell-'

"El's awake!" Elt's thoughts were interrupted by Maxwell yelling down in the hallway. Immediately, a veritable tide of orphans came rushing into the room. Two girls led the pack, the brown haired Lisia and the blonde Emiyu. They were the first to reach his bed, climbing up and stopping with their faces dangerously close to his own.

"El, what happened?!" Lisia shouted, one of her hands grabbing at Elt's arm.

"You were laying on the floor of the church," Emiyu's quiet voice was just as worried as her friend's.

"And so were our big sisters!"

"You all had these weird things in your chest."

"And you all were so quiet and-"

Elt's head kept darting side to side as each girl kept talking in turn. Coupled with the cacophony from the other children, anyone else in Elt's position would have trouble keeping up with all the noise and questions.

But...no.

Even though there were at least thirty children in the room all calling his name. Even though there were two of them right next to his head, both trying to get his attention. Even though he had just awoken from a dreamless sleep caused by something that, by all rights, should've killed him...he had no trouble keeping up with all the questions and emotions flying through the room.

He could feel them all. The happiness the children felt at him being alright. The dread at thinking he wouldn't wake up. The powerlessness from not understanding what was going on, and not knowing how to help. The worry that he, Sasha, and Primera would-

His eyes widened and he sat up further in the bed. He focused onto Lisia with panic in his eyes, "You found me in the church with Sasha and Primera?! Are they alright?! Where are they are?! How long have I been sleep for?"

"Only the whole night," it happened in an instant. All the children in the room quieted down until it was completely silent. Not even Lisia or Emiyu dared to speak, expressions serene as if someone had placed gentle hands over their mouths. Elt's eyes were drawn to the door as he heard soft footsteps approaching his room. He leaned forward as the owner of this orphanage stepped into the room. And the second she did Elt felt his breath hitch. Sasha's emerald green hair swished as she turned to face Elt and the orphans. Her smile seemed brighter than ever as the two locked gazes. Her voice was serene yet still managed to dominate the room, "It's good to see you're alright, Elt. Everyone was really worried about you, you know."

"Sa-Sasha," Elt's eyes examined her body, searching for wounds or anything that would indicate she'd been hurt. Her upper body was covered by puffy white priestess garbs, with only her shoulder being open to the air. Her white skin seemed shine in the sunlight, while her arms were covered by white sleeves ending in blue cuff links. A pencil skirt covered up her lower area, but left her thighs out for all to see. Black stockings ran from her lower thighs down to her dark blue boots. A cleric's white and blue hat sat atop her head. Remembering where he had been stabbed, he focused his eyes on her chest...but soon realized his mistake. He turned away as his cheeks blushed, "I'm-I'm glad you're alright."

If Sasha noticed him staring, she didn't seem to mind. She just kept smiling while walking over to the left side of his bed. The orphans all shared knowing looks and started to file out of the room. Maxwell left the plate of food on the countertop near the candle, waving goodbye as he followed everyone else out. Lisia patted Emiyu on her arm and said, "Come on, Emi! Lets go get El's stuff ready for him!"

"O-Ok,' Emi looked at Elt for a moment before moving to follow her friend out of the room. The blonde took her brown haired friend's hand as the two ran out the door. Sasha's eyes followed them as they left, one of her dainty hands waving goodbye.

Once they were left alone, Sasha sat down besides Elt on the bed. She looked him in the eyes while a relieved sigh left her. She placed one hand onto Elt's shoulder which made the boy's blush get worse. However, he managed to control his emotions and spoke clearly, "Are you...sure you're alright, Sasha?"

She nodded, "Yes. But I'm more worried about you."

"Don't be, I'm fine. But, I guess that's the thing isn't it? I'm just fine," Elt placed a hand over his chest.

Sasha scrutinized his bare chest, watching as his diaphragm rose and fell with each breath he took. Part of her did notice how muscular Elt had gotten since he started training, but she put that to the back of her mind. Instead she tried to find any hint of injury but could find nothing, "Everyone said that you had a hole in your chest when they brought you here. We both did. But now..."

"Now they're gone," Elt finished for her. Sasha put one hand on her own chest, frown deepening as she did so. Elt put a hand to his head, "It's weird. I can remember everything that happened clearly. I had just given Merse some documents Lady Wilmarina wanted her to have and was on my way home."

He felt something strange coming from Sasha's direction and turned to look at her. She was looking away from him, preventing him from looking at her face. But, somehow, he knew that she was feeling...

'But...why would Sasha...and how would I-'

"And what happened next?" he was broken from his thoughts by Sasha's curious tone. She was looking at him now, her expression back to normal. He stared at her with his confusion evident on his face. She tilted her head to the side, "Is something wrong, El?"

"N-No," Elt cleared his throat and got back on track, "A-After that I...well...I'm not sure. I remember stopping to look behind me. Think it was because I felt someone...watching me. But no was there. And when I turned around...that's when it happens. Something pierces my chest and...and then it all goes black. I think...I think whoever did it said...something. But...no. No I can't remember more than that."

Elt shook his head as he finished his tale. Sasha, eyes furrowed in thought, pursed her lips while slowly nodding, "That is similar to what happened to Primera and I." Elt turned his concerned eyes onto her, silently asking for an explanation. Sasha held his gaze as she spoke, "We were in the church last night when it happened. She had stopped by to say hello but was going to leave when the sun came up. I had just finished my nightly prayer when she told me someone was here. I turned and saw...a man. An old man. He had on a pitch black cloak and seemed hurt. I offered him help but Primera said he was dangerous."

Sasha put her hands in her lap while her body shivered at the memory of last night, "She was the one who noticed that he was carrying you on his back. After that I looked away for a second. One second. But that was enough. He stabbed me with...something. I can't remember what it was, as I blacked out a second later. But it was probably the same thing he used on you. And likely Primera."

"Primera? Is she alright?"

"I believe so. The children said she woke up before us. She's the one that calmed them down and carried us out of the church. I woke up sitting in a chair in my room across from this one. I probably have her to thank for that," Sasha shrugged, "But the children said that she left after she made sure we were safe. She'll likely come back later on for her usual visit."

Sighing, Elt's expression softened and the tension in his body left. He nodded his head, "Good. Good. So, none of us are hurt. But then...what happened to us? If that man was behind this then...why? Where is he?"

Sasha shook her head, "I don't know. None of the children saw anyone like him around when they found us. And he didn't leave any footprints for us to follow."

"Did you at least see his face?"

"Nothing concrete. Except that his eyes were gold. I think...I'm not sure."

Silence fell over them both. Neither could think of anything else to say. And even if they did, it likely wouldn't help them get to the bottom of this mystery. All they knew was that a strange old man attacked them last night, and now they were completely fine while he was nowhere to be seen. Elt felt ashamed at himself for letting something like this happen. Wasn't he training to be able to prevent things like this from happening? To be able to defeat people who threaten him and his friends? Yet his opponent defeated so easily. He wasn't even able to react in time. But if he had then maybe Sasha and Primera wouldn't have been attacked.

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Elt felt a soft hand touch he shoulder. He turned to see Sasha looking at him with concern. Her eyes moved down to his hand and he followed her gaze. His hands were clenching the cover tight enough to make his arms shake. Embarrassed, he let go of the cover and turned away from Sasha. Her lips curled into a small smile before she waved a hand at her counter near Elt's bed, "Well, at least the children are alright. Whoever that was only had interest in the three of us. Now, why don't you eat your breakfast before it gets cold?"

"Ah, right," Elt turned to the left and reached for the plate on the counter. He picked it up, placed it in his lap, then picked up the fork and knife. The moment he laid his eyes on the plate, they widened to the size of the saucer he was looking at.

Freshly fried eggs, chicken legs, green peas, and buttered bread. A full meal that he would only expect to see at a fancy feast. Not even the soldiers got to eat food this good. They usually just got the plainest rations with the basics to keep them alive. And he knew that Sasha's orphanage was only barely managing to stay afloat. Yet, this...this feast was sitting in front of him.

"I...I can't eat this!" Elt shook his head in panic as he looked up at Sasha, "You-You probably dug into your reserves to make this. This should be given to the kids. Or you should eat it. You-"

"El," Sasha's tone was enough to make him clam up. She kept her smile but something about it made his spine tingle, "it's fine. We'll be fine. Trust me."

That strangeness again. That feeling that Sasha's words didn't match with her emotions. The feeling that she was hiding something. Something important. He didn't know how he could tell that. Or why he felt so certain that it was true. But...but...

He put his knife and fork down, ignoring the temptation to dig into the plate in front of him immediately. He stared at Sasha with a stern gaze, "What's going on, Sasha?"

"El?" she blinked and titled her head in confusion.

"I know something's going on here. I can feel that you're not telling me everything. In fact...that's something I've kind of noticed. Ever since I woke up, I can...tell what you're feeling. Not just you, but all the kids as well. Worry, happiness, uncertainty, guilt. I can...I can...sense them. I don't know why. I can't even tell if it's real or I'm just crazy. But...but still I...I can't just sit here and ignore it."

His gaze became firm as he stared down Sasha Fullmoon, "Tell me the truth, Sasha. Please."

Sasha's smile faded. Her lips fell into a line as her expression turned from confusion to understanding. She looked at the plate that Elt had in his lap then back at Elt. He didn't move an inch. His expression remained firm in the face of her actions. Sasha breathed in then let out a small sigh, "I should've known I couldn't keep anything hidden from you. Though, I'm not mad about it. If anything, I'm happy you noticed. Like you always do."

"Sasha?" Elt questioned as Sasha stood up from the bed.

She walked to the window in the room, stopping on front of it with her back to Elt. She stared at the sky as she spoke, "Do you remember when I told you I can't hear the Chief God anymore? That she stopped talking to me? That I ceased to be a Hero?"

"Y-Yes? What about it?" Elt asked, eyes glued to Sasha's back.

Sasha was silent but Elt heard the sound of fabric sliding down skin. He saw as Sasha pushed the upper part of her dress down her shoulders. Elt start to blush and moved to get out of the bed, "Sasha! What are you-"

Elt heard a church bell ring.

Then, in a flash of golden light, six pure white wings sprouted from Sasha's back. The wings spread out into the air and sent feathers falling across the room. Elt was rooted to the spot as he stared at the spectacle, eyes locked onto the three pairs of bird like wings. They flapped in the air for a moment before folding inward as Sasha turned to Elt. When she did, he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

She was smiling.

And it was the brightest, most genuine smile he had seen since he met her.

"She's back," Sasha voice was filled with clarity and joy. Tears of happiness fell from her eyes while her smile grew wider, "The Chief God. I can hear her again."

Elt stared in awe, barely able to comprehend the radiant wings sprouting from Sasha's back. The six pairs looked completely natural, as if she'd had them since the day she was born. He got out of bed and started to walk toward the still smiling Sasha, "You...you have...wings?"

Sasha nodded while tears of joy continued to fall from her eyes. Her hands held onto her dress while as she explained, "Ever since I woke up, I started to feel it. The sense that I'm not alone. That She is with me. And when I focused on that feeling...these grew from my back."

Elt slowly approached Sasha's wings, one hand reaching toward the beautiful white wings in front of him. He hesitated at the last second and glanced at Sasha, "So-sorry. C-Can I-"

"Oh, go ahead," Sasha turned until her back was facing Elt. She let her wings flair out, blatantly ignoring how Elt's only article of clothing was his trousers. Or how she was letting her dress down in front of him. She was suddenly happy that Elt couldn't see her face, lest he notice her blushing cheeks.

Elt swallowed audibly, stepping forward and holding both hands out toward Sasha's wings. The pure white appendages were stock still as he approached. The second the tips of his fingers touched them, he gasped, "They're so soft."

He started to run his hands along the tops of the middle pair of wings. He moved as if in a trance, hands gently rubbing at the tops and pulling at the pinions. His mouth hung open as he spoke, "It's like...like touching a cloud. I don't know how that makes sense but...they're so soft and fluffy. Can you fly with these?"

"I think so," Sasha did her best to keep her voice level. She didn't want to let Elt know how good him touching her wings felt, "But I haven't tried yet. I might later."

Elt didn't notice her tone. He just hummed while he continued rubbing her wings. One of his hands traveled up to where it connected to her back. His finger brushed against the exposed skin. Sasha barely contained a surprised yelp at the feeling of Elt's warmth against her back. That shook Elt from his trance. He suddenly realized what he was doing and quickly backed away, "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't. I was just surprised," Sasha assured him as she turned around. Her wings folded into themselves as he pulled her dress up over her shoulders. They didn't look at each other with Elt scratching at his cheek while Sasha looked at the floor. After a few minutes, she held out her hand with her palm facing up, "And the reason I told you not to worry about the food is because I can do this too."

In an instant, an entire coin purse appeared in Sasha's outstretched hand. Elt nearly tripped over his own feet, managing to remain standing through pure luck. He looked at the bulging sack of coins with even more reverence, "Is-is that-"

"A coin purse filled with enough gold, silver, and copper to keep the orphanage fed for three months straight? While having enough left over to get this place repaired and expanded on? Yes. Yes it is," a smug confidence radiated from Sasha as she finally turned to face Elt. She pulled the coin purse toward her chest and held it in both hands, "I discovered I could do this since I woke up. But I wasn't sure if I should tell you because...I'm not sure what's happening either. But what I do know is that, regardless of what happened last night, the Chief God is with me again. Which means these things I can do now...they may be a blessing from Her. And if they are, then my gratitude to her knows no bounds."

Sasha's smile widened and she cutely tilted her head, "So, please, don't worry about us, El. Go ahead and eat your fill. I promise I'll have more for you when you next visit."

Elt was speechless. Then without hesitation he stepped forward and threw his arms around Sasha. She froze but didn't pull away as he hugged her tightly. His lips curled into a happy smile of his own, "Alright. But promise me that you won't push yourself too hard. I know you're strong, and whatever has happened to you has just made you stronger. But I'm still gonna worry about you. Because someone has to."

Sasha hugged Elt back but didn't say a word. Mainly because she didn't want to let him hear how happy she was that he was hugging her. Once again, she was happy he couldn't see her blushing face.

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Elt left after eating and getting his armor on. While the kids, especially Lisia and Emi, didn't want him to leave, he reminded them that he had to go to training. He couldn't just miss a day of his job, could he? He said goodbye to everyone and left right when it hit early morning. Though as he left, he still couldn't shake a specific worry regarding Sasha. While she had confided in him about her "changes" there was something else that she was hiding. He didn't ask about it at the time though because...he didn't think it could be true.

What was that feeling?

That Sasha...liked him.

And not in the "like a friend" or "like a little brother" kind of way.

But...like-like him.

But that couldn't be true. He was probably just overreacting. Whatever had happened to him was probably just him over thinking how she hugged him. Or let him touch her wings. Or didn't mind that he sort of saw her without her upper clothes on.

Yeah, just...overreacting.

He figured that the walk to the barracks would be enough to clear his head. But...

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"Oh, what's this?"

"That's my coin purse! I can't believe I lost it! Thank you so much young man."

"Oh, you're welcome ma'am. But Immmph!"

"Hugging you is the least I could do."

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"Aaarghh!"

"Sorry, sir. Are you-"

"Stop right there! Good job, son! We've been trying to catch this thief all day long."

"Thief?"

"He's been stealing rations from the people for weeks now. He's always evaded us, but we finally caught him. All thanks to you, son. Here. The reward. Two hundred silver."

"Wait, but I didn't-"

"No need to be modest. Use that and have some fun, kid."

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Smooch.

"Uwaa!~"

"Thanks for always protecting us from the monsters, Mr. Knight. Bye-bye!~"

"Wait-but-I'm not-not officially-and she's gone."

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"Hey, Elt. How's it...what happened to you?" Marcus, a trainee with a shock of blue hair, stood up as Elt walked into the barracks. The inside of the stone structure was filled with men young and old. Most weren't wearing their armor, but all had a weapon waiting nearby. All were either padded or sheathed, with a few no longer as shiny as they were when first in use. A couple of the younger trainees stopped to watch Elt as he trundled into the barracks.

The red haired boy had his head hung low with a sack of jangling coins in one hand, and a couple of scrolls in the other. He walked over to where Marcus was standing and sat down with a frustrated sigh, "Lots of things."

"Is that a coin purse in your hand?" Ray, another trainee who was taller than Elt, spoke while examining the bag, "Why did you bring that with you?"

"I didn't know what else to do with it. One of the guards gave it to me for stopping a thief," Elt leaned back against the stone wall of the barracks.

"Wait, you stopped a thief?"

Elt shook his head, "Not really. Just bumped into him and he tripped. But the guards wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain."

"And you're complaining about that," Marcus shook his head, "Only you, Elt. Wait...then what are those scrolls in your other hand?"

Elt held up the objects in question, "Letters of introduction. Apparently, there are a five traveling sword masters in town. Each one is looking for an apprentice, and they sent their servants out to find someone worthy. I ran into all five of them."

"What?!" Marcus and Ray sad in unison. Ray shook his head, his own burgundy hair moving with him, "How-wha-Elt. What kind of ritual did you do last night to get that kind of luck?"

"I didn't do anything! All this is just happening today and I don't know why!"

"Well, why are you so upset about it? If you ask me, you should be happy. Anybody else would kill to get that kind of luck."

"I-I just...urgh. It just doesn't feel right to me. These letters should've gone to people who deserve them. Not a random trainee like me," he shook his head and held the scrolls out to Ray.

Ray didn't hesitate to snatch all five of them from Elt. He smiled while reading the scrolls with one hand and grabbing the halberd next to him with the other, "If you say so. Mind polishing my weapon while I read these?"

"Sure," Elt shrugged, smiling as he took the offered weapon. However, the moment the halberd fall into his hands a bright light exploded from his palms. Marcus, Ray, and him all stared in awe as a silver light ran up and down the halberd. It illuminated their faces while it removed all the dust, grime, and damage from the weapon. Within two seconds the halberd looked like it had just gotten out of the forge. Its edge shined in the light of the sun and torches on the walls.

All three boys blinked in unison.

Elt's mouth was agape in shock.

Marcus moved around to Elt's side, took out his own dagger, and then held it out to him, "Mind doing this one, too?"