Reial peered at the glittering shapes streaking through the skies. “Another patrol?” He muttered.

Charette managed to catch a glimpse of the dragoons before they were out line of sight. They were probably nothing more than a bronze and white twinkle to her. “Kind of rare to see two in one day.”

He nodded. “Where do you think they’re heading?”

“Probably some city.”

Informative. Reial watched the gleaming shapes disappear behind a wall of gray clouds in the distance. Was it going to snow again? It had just gotten warm! Why couldn't the weather in Aunesfern make up its mind? Better enjoy it while it lasts. He thought bitterly.

Thanks to the implementation of his plan, the cold weather didn’t matter as much. Progress was smoother, and there were fewer bumps on the road. The warm shift also helped in making their walks bearable. It felt more like late autumn than a true winter. Cold enough to see your breath, but not yet ready to snow. He preferred it that way.

“Are you good?” He asked her.

“Yeah. Can I see your scarf?”

Digging into his bag blindly, he felt around for the fabric. Handing it over to her, Charette quickly wrapped it around her neck and mouth. “Thanks.”

Scorch yipped at the sight of the scarf. He must have found it amusing to find something that matched his colors. Like a child who finds their name written in a textbook. Reial couldn’t exactly relate to that, their names were more sacred and personal. One-offs, in a sense. Though that didn’t stop him from hearing of such things on the Sygnal.

Then the silence returned. That new, haunting silence that hung over Reial like a storm cloud. One of inadequacy. He had never considered himself much of a conversationalist. Sure, he could hold a discussion for a minute or two, though that was usually with the help and tutors he was forced to interact with daily.

Reial knew they only listened to him because their parents were paying them. He wasn’t as charismatic as his mother or father, nor was he as engaging as them whenever they floated around topics. They were fun to speak to, and they could make people happy just with words alone.

He wanted to know what that felt like. To know that everything you said wasn’t just an excuse to distract yourself from your own thoughts. Was he deserving of such a simple pleasure?

That day in Macoula weighed heavily on his mind. Not because he didn’t enjoy it, but because he loved it. It had temporarily freed him from his oppressive thoughts, brought his sister happiness, and purpose to his day. Why wasn’t he allowed to know what that felt like every day instead of this? No, he knew the reason why. He was just too afraid to admit it.

Did Charette enjoy the silence, or was she busy reminiscing about their day in Macoula? Wishing that she could experience that same, intoxicating joy that he so desperately missed. Perhaps she was angry he couldn’t be as chatty and carefree as he had been then, but that wasn’t who he was. That’s who he dreamed he could be every day.

“Sorry for being boring.” Reial apologized

Charette regarded him with a curious glance. “You aren’t boring.”

“Yes, I am. I don’t have anything to talk about.”

“That doesn’t make you boring. If anything, it shows that you put more thought into what you’re about to say.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

“Besides,” She continued. “we won’t always have something to talk about.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

Charette folded her arms. “Sometimes, but if you think about something for too long, you’ll only make it worse. I say it’s better to enjoy these moments of silence. Forcing yourself to talk can lead to making silence preferable. At least, that’s what Yi’Len used to say.”

“Her wisdom astonishes me sometimes.”

Charette grinned. “I know right?”

Whether it was her words that helped alleviate his anxiety or her grin, he didn’t know. However, he wasn’t sure if he could grow accustomed to the silence. It would continue to make him feel self-conscious. Until… Until what?

This time around, the silence was more bearable, with small conversations peppered throughout their walk. They usually revolved around the odd broadcast they found and shared with one another, or a city Charette thought looked pretty at night. She talked about those more excitedly, saying how she wanted to go and visit them someday. Someday was right, the challenge was if he was in the right headspace by then.

The town they stopped at next was small, unnoteworthy place all things considered. Save for a rusted statue of a four-limbed creature that faintly resembled a nezerine. They exited the town as soon as they entered it, as it lacked a plaza to rest at.

Reial carried Charette and Scorch three-fourths of the way to the final stop after much insistence. He was concerned that it would start snowing again. It never did, and the clouds passed harmlessly overhead. Thankfully, the air warmed too. Leading back to the dreamy, spring weather people often fantasized about. And unfortunately for him, the birds’ singing.

He gazed up at the imposing redwoods, searching for the culprits. His Veil Sight flickering from branch to branch, finding Nether Dwellers in the guise of feathered creatures crying their little hearts out. Empyreans, they’re annoying.

It made him miss the solemn air of Macoula. At least there the dwelling things knew to keep quiet. He’d rather listen to that voice badger him about his idiocy than give them another minute of his time.

“Can I just Stride us the rest of the way there?” He suggested.

Charette frowned. “You said you’d only take us this far.”

“I know, it’s just that…”

She arched a questioning brow.

“The birds.”

“The birds…?”

He nodded. “They’re being loud.”

Charette stared at him for a long moment, then snorted. “That’s why you always looked so grumpy?”

Grumpy? “What do you mean?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I thought you were angry about something I did. Not because of some dumb birds.”

About something she did? Why would she think that? “Sorry, I just don’t like their ‘singing’.” He explained.

“Why?”

“It’s grating. I’d rather have Scorch bark in my ears than listen to them scream.”

Stolen story; please report.

An explosion of noise hit Reial as he was immediately assaulted by Scorch’s shrill barks. He stumbled to the side with fright, his heart racing as he looked onto the drog that was now standing at his full height. “Scorch! What was that for?” He yelled, his ears ringing.

The drog lifted his paw, jabbing it at him then at Charette as if trying to explain something.

“I didn’t mean it literally!” Reial sighed. “Please, don’t do that again.”

Scorch nodded then got back onto all fours. Charette pet him with an almost evil looking grin, congratulating him on how serious he had taken his request. Reial had to be more careful with what he said. Eight years and the drog was still full of surprises.

The ringing in his ear did partially block out the singing, so he was at least thankful for that much. Charette said something he couldn’t quite catch. Something about a dragoon maybe? Whatever it was, she went on about it for a while.

Then the bushes began to rustle. He would’ve paid it no mind if it weren’t for how vigorous they shook. As if something was trying to uproot them. Reial watched as the rustling grew closer and closer to them, following their every footstep. Almost methodically.

In an instant, they stopped and started up on the other side. The birds’ singing was enough to muffle the sound of them, which would explain why Scorch and Charette didn’t notice it.

Reial scanned the area, peering past the thick foliage and finding…gold? Why would there be gold in a forest? Not just gold, he could make out the glimmer of polished metal too, and was that a sash? As soon as he made out those details, they were gone, and the rustling began again on the far side of the forest. Could it be a phantom wyrm?

He whirled around, sparks flying everywhere as he felt the volatile energy surge around him. Whatever it was, he was ready for its attack.

“What’s wrong?” Charette asked, suddenly alarmed.

Reial caught another glimpse of the entity. It moved fast, faster than he could keep track, even with his Veil Sight. Nothing could be this elusive, save for…

As soon as the rustling had started, it ceased. Did their voices scare it off? He kept an eye out for any further disturbances, his grasp on Veil Seeing never slipping for a moment. Being able to control his perception of time did come in handy, though even that had limited applications.

An hour crawled by, drawing out more and more Essence like a trickle of water. He often wondered how long he could keep seeing with these eyes. An entire day, a week maybe?

“Something’s up,” Charette realized.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because your eyes have been glowing for over an hour now!” She yelled, pointing at them. “I’m not blind, you know. Can’t you tell me what you’re so afraid of?”

“Something’s following us.”

Charette stiffened. “Is it a person?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean you’re ‘not sure’? You’re a Veil Seer!”

“A Veil Seer who couldn’t get a good look at what was hiding behind some bushes,” Reial explained. “Whatever it was, it’s gone.”

Charette cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at some shrubs. “Can you at least describe what you saw?”

“I saw some iron and gold.”

“Iron and gold? Sounds like a hatchling.”

“Probably.”

The tension in her posture eased ever so slightly. “It’s a bit early for their parents to be teaching them how to fly, isn’t it?

“Perhaps they don’t know any better?”

After a lull in their exchange, Charette spoke. “Where do you want to go after Thírion?” She inquired.

“Anywhere sounds good.”

“Anywhere specific?”

“No.”

“Really? No place at all?”

He shrugged. “Maybe the Remnants.”

“You don’t sound very excited about it.”

He just wanted things to be right in life. “Because I’m still deciding on which one to see first.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

“What about you? Where do you want to go after Thírion?” He asked.

“How about Khaantan?”

“How about a place that speaks Aunesfernish.”

She frowned. “They speak Aunesfernish.”

“A dialect of it. Besides, we’ll just stand out there.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

What was wrong with that? Was it little more than an excuse to stay, or was there some other reason that eluded him? Hyvas, why couldn’t he better understand himself?

“Not a thing. Khaantan it is.”

Charette, again, regarded him with that curious expression of hers. Strange, it seemed more…sad. No, that’s what it always looked like, right? “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to feel forced.”

Forced? “No, it’s all right with me," he lied.

----------------------------------------

Reial chased his sister through their mother’s garden, weaving around flower bushes and white-leaved shrubs. They passed Jadica, who was tending to the plants while keeping a watchful hazel eye on them. Hailing from Yusandross, she was unnaturally tall, even for a girl in her late teens. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail that brushed against the small of her back. It still came as a surprise to him that someone could grow their hair so long.

Unlike the rest of the help, Jadica was more welcoming. She wasn’t as formal as the other servants, she was what Reial imagined it was like to have an aunt. They’d never grown up with more family than their parents, so having someone who treated them sweetly yet at the same time friendly was refreshing.

“Charette, make sure you aren’t too rough on your brother!” She called after them.

Despite Reial being on the chase, Charette had a tendency of pulling mean pranks. They zipped around the garden like aspiring Striders, leaping over slow-growing ferns and exotic plants that could open and close their mouths at will. Reial and Charette had taken to calling them Nether Dwellers on account of their dark pigmentation and red mouths.

Jadica shrieked as they failed yet another one of their jumps, stomping down on a vibrant white and blue-rimmed flower in the process. “Be careful!”

A man appeared out of thin air, ruby sparks trailing behind him as their laughter ceased. Reial and Charette cheered, throwing themselves against his white shirt. Their small hands clinging to the golden hem. Reial chanted the man’s name repeatedly, however all he could hear was the deafening rush of water.

“Where were you?” Reial heard himself ask.

The man smirked as he reached behind his back and pulled out two small bags of golden drops. “One of my friends back in Khaantan whipped up a new batch of drops. Says it’s a new recipe.”

Reial and Charette eagerly accepted a small plastic bag each and unfurled the soft metallic wire keeping them fresh. He quickly popped one into his mouth and smiled. His tastebuds responded positively to the new flavors that melted on his tongue. Honey-milk instead of the usual butterscotch rolled more smoothly over his tongue like a wave of sugar. The gummy texture was superior to that of the hard-candy variant, which tended to suppress the flavor in its hard shell. All in all, he loved it.

Jadica got up from her spot excitedly, regarding the man with a tender smile. “You’re late.”

“I got a bit caught up along the way.” He said nonchalantly, passing a hand through his short blonde hair. Khaantanese?

“You’re a Strider, what could’ve possibly kept you up?

His lips tightened. “I was…visiting a friend.”

“Was it Jezbrahn?”

“Yeah. Sorry”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “What’s his obsession with you? Doesn’t he know you have a job?”

“Of course, he does! Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a good fight or two with a friend!”

Jadica said something in perfect Khaantanese. Wait, she knew how to speak Khaantanese? It almost sounded Aunesfernish.

The man grinned sheepishly. “Or fifty, I’m sorry.”

Reial and Charette stood watching, chewing on the newly concocted golden drops. “Tell your friend to make more. They’re really good!” Charette praised.

“They’re much better than the ones you usually buy us.” Reial agreed.

The man turned to face them. His face was…distorted. No matter how Reial looked at him, he couldn’t make out his features clearly. He assumed he was handsome though, considering he spoke perfect Aunesfernish and was well-groomed. So why those verdant green eyes? That hair, that fair skin. Those were the marks of a pure-blooded Khaantanese. He should’ve remembered him, but he didn’t.

“I’ll make sure to tell her that. It might finally convince her to start selling.”

Jadica opened her mouth and the sound of rushing water assaulted Reial again. “—Lyle has been looking for you.”

“What does he need this time?”

“He said he wanted to speak to you in private.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know, he wouldn’t say.”

Groaning, he rubbed a hand across his face. “I just got back from Khaantan, and he already wants to see me?”

Jadica frowned and said something. More water. “—you know how he hates overworking you. Please, don’t act like this in front of the children.”

He sighed. “Sorry, I’ve just been stressed. First, Renuw, then Geschen. He doesn’t tell me what I should be looking for, just to keep an eye out. I wish he could be transparent.”

Jadica put a hand on his. Such a tender, loving touch. Did she know him intimately? “If it bothers you that much, we can talk about it.”

He considered it for a moment, his eyes hesitant. “I’m fine, Jad.”

Something wet dripped against Reial’s nose. He looked up, but the sky was perfectly clear. A beautiful summer day.

Jadica pulled her hand back from his, embarrassed. “All right, but if you ever feel like talking about it, I’m here.”

“Thank you.”

Reial felt around the empty bag, disappointed. He’d run out of drops. Charette tossed the plastic bag on the ground, making Jadica yelp as she came to pick it up.

“Don’t just throw your trash on the ground, Charette! You insult the Almagests by treating their world so poorly.”

Charette wilted at her outburst. “Sorry, I won’t do it again.”

The man laughed, but for some reason, it reminded Reial of the crack of thunder. “She’s just a child, Jad. You shouldn’t reprimand her so harshly.”

“Teaching them manners is my job.”

A wave of exhaustion hit Reial, making him nearly tumble to the ground. He held himself up but felt another drop of water hit his face. Then another and another, before he finally opened his eyes and found himself lying on the floor of the Aunesfernish forest. Rain poured down in great sheets, drenching his sleeping bag and belongings as thunder crashed in the distance. Great.