Rene and I sit at her home. She’s chopping up food for the stew as I clean my armor. We sit in the quiet as I listen to the calm sound of the bubbling of the water on the stove. The home is warm and cozy from the crisp nighttime air we just came back in from. I feel my eyes becoming heavy from the trancing sounds in the home. When we arrived home, Rene was acting strange, like she was much more irritable than normal for her. She bolted to her room, disappeared for a short period, and came out later, much happier, like she normally is. She was off the walls with joy and that’s when she began to cook dinner.

“Emmy, how are you doing?” I hear Rene’s voice cut through the trance.

“W-what?” I ask her, slapping my cheeks to wake myself up and happy to hear her try to talk to me again.

“She walks from behind the counter to sit next to me on her couch.

“I asked how you are doing?” She stares at me, looking me over.

I get a good look at her eyes, the best I have gotten in the time I’ve been here. They are deep purple with a glassy film to them. I have noticed that before how she always seems to have a fog over them.

“Are you okay?” I ask her and her eyes go wide and she seems to flinch away.

“What do you mean?” Her eyes narrow a little before going back to normal.

“Your eyes?” Then she stands up, but before she turns away, I saw how wide her eyes went.

“My eyes are fine.” Then she walks over to the stove and turns it off. The flame from the enchanted stone goes off.

“Rene?” I ask her and I stand up and walk over to her.

“Let’s eat, then head to bed. We have to get up early.” Rene stirs the ladle in the pot.

Then she spoons the soup into two porcelain bowls. The smell is divine and distracts me from her to remind me how hungry I am.

Rene goes into her room, shutting the door behind her, leaving me in silence and confusion.

“Did I say something wrong?” I ask the walls, but I don’t receive an answer.

I eat in silence before finally heading off to our beds. I bathe myself in the washroom, soaking the stress of the past weeks down the drain. Getting out, I grab a towel from a rack and look at myself in the mirror. My long white hair hangs to my shoulders. My odd pink eyes mixed with raven black flecks stare back at me like always. Two fresh scars line my shoulders, and my hands also have recent scars.

They’re ugly, with jagged edges and bright pink on my pale skin. Maybe I should have taken Rene’s offer to heal them. Seeing them gives me this constant reminder of everything these bastards have put me through helps get me through the day. Looking back in the mirror, I see my angular face looking back at me, reminding me it’s not my favorite feature. It just looks weird with my thin frame, dainty hands, and scrawny arms. My small nose fits so strangely on my face, my eyes sit just slightly too far up. After some self-loathing I finish cleaning up, I pull my hair into a tail, put on the new red pjs Rene bought, then snuff out the enchanted candle and lie down, covering my legs with the thin sheet.

Thinking back to what has become of my life to this moment has my nerves fried. Why did all this happen? That’s what my goal is. To learn why and make whoever decided this was okay will pay for it. I’ll protect everyone from the Embers and their so-called New World, that I promise. My eyes grow heavy as the wear and tear of the past weeks finally sink in.

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Daylight comes earlier than I want. The soreness of my muscles ache, but Rene’s healing is a lifesaver. I’d for sure be in way worse shape without it. Turning my feet off the side of the bed, I dress in my armor and boots, then head to the bathroom.

“Emmy! Good morning. Glad you’re up. It’s almost time to head out. We’ll stop by Rogner’s, then it’s off to the city gate to meet with Alva and the rest.” Rene zips up her bag and slumps it over her shoulder.

She snaps. “I almost forgot that we need to stop by and pick up some supplies for you, including a toothbrush and other essentials.” She slaps my back.

“I’ll get ya set up nicely, so let’s head out, Emmy!” She opens the door, and I follow her out.

“Thanks, Rene. I appreciate what you’ve done for me so far. Really.” I tell her.

She nods, a massive grin on her face. “Don’t worry, that pretty head of yours. You will pay me back in full, that I promise.” She smirks evilly.

We reach the city’s main gate after grabbing food and packing supplies. I grabbed a few spare undershirts in case something happens to my armor, a new brush for my teeth, I got toiletries, and the other essentials.

“Okay, we’re here, Emmy. Just around this corner is the gate,” Rene states while pointing with a little bounce.

We round the corner, and Alva, Levi, Sakura, Lamden, and Ezekiel, with his entourage of guards, are all at the gate talking. Rene and I approach them, moving through the crowds and carriages coming through the gate.

Ezekiel turns to us and smiles his handsome grin. “Ah, finally, you have arrived. Good, I was just giving everybody updates on their missions.” He says.

“Anything for us?” Rene asks cocking her head.

He shakes his head. “Nothing new for you. I filled Alva in on what must be done. So You guys, be safe on your journey.”

Rene has a smug smile on her lips. “Careful, Zeke. You almost sound like you care for my well-being.”

The king waves her off. “Yes, Rene, we wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Then he smiles.

“Please be safe and return home in one piece, Rene.” He pats her on the head.

The king turns toward me, a more grim look in his hard eyes. “Emelia, you listen to Alva. She is going to train you during your journey. So listen carefully. You can learn a lot from her.”

I give a nod. “I will, sir.”

He raises his voice so the surrounding people can hear. “Very good. Have an incredible and safe journey, all of you.”

“Yes, sir!” We all salute, one hand on our hearts.

“Then make this kingdom proud. Go show the Embers why they should not pick a fight with The Cardinal Kingdom!”

The crowd claps and roars to life.

After his speech, Ezekiel walks off back toward the castle.

Rene claps her hands. “Well, Emmy, it’s time to go. Let’s talk to Alva and Levi and see what they say.”

With a nod, we walk toward the two. Alva looks up at us and away from Levi.

“Rene, Emelia, glad you got here. Levi and I were discussing the travel plans to the Kukri Mountains.” Alva says.

Levi speaks up." Honestly, we can grab horses from Mr. Mantras’s stable. It could cut the two-day walk time to one."

“Horses are fine. I don’t see why we wouldn’t take them.” Rene shrugs.

Alva nods. “I agree that we’ll stop at Mantras in the Hizen Province, then take the horses to Madrin and get passage through to the mountaintop.”

“Let’s get going, guys!” Rene says, turning on her heels and heading to the city gate.

“Emmy, let’s go!” Rene stops, turns, grabs me by the wrist, and drags me toward the gate.

Rene stops at the gate after I tug free. “Rene, I can walk, you know?”

She scoffs dramatically, then shakes her head. “Then walk. We gotta get to the horses as soon as we can.”

There is that strange irritability again with her.

Looking behind me, I see Alva and Levi following us close behind after we alk for a while. The city has gotten smaller as we all exit the capital grounds. We dodge more merchant carts and people walking the mountain path to the capitol as we make our way to Hizen.

Well, this should be fun. I’m going to go meet the Queen of the freaking Sylphans! Man, I wish I could tell Lucy she would have freaked out.

The four of us walk in silence most of the way to Hizen. The stable hands greeted us as they saddled us with some beautiful horses. Levi took a grey horse with a beautiful black mane, Alva took a gorgeous blonde one with a brown mane, and Rene and I got on the same red horse since I never had time to ride one back at Bladesfall.

We said our goodbyes to the stable hands and set off to begin the journey toward Manor City.

Taking one more look back to the now-distant capital. I can’t help but feel a longing that I didn’t get to explore more of it. There will be more chances after we return from this mission. Honestly, I don’t know, but I hope I will. The capital is amazing.

With that thought, I ready myself for the long journey ahead.