"Seriously, what were you thinking?" Elric shook his head. "Oh right, you weren't."

"S-Shut up!" Aston shouted; cheeks bright red as he urged his horse to go faster so he wouldn't have to deal with Elric.

It wasn't long before Cetri caught up on her cheetah.

"Hey, you lasted way longer than I expected." Cetri beamed. It was true; they had only expected him to last mere seconds, yet he managed several minutes. He had decided against using fire and opted for water instead. After all, cats don't like water, right? It seemed to sour their mood at the very least, causing them to fight with less vigor. It worked for a little while.

Aston shrugged it off, refusing to meet the Cathruli's gaze.

Their little detour to the city of Cathruli had put them nearly due north of Losufea. From there, they would travel southeast, heading back into Fae territory before emerging near Zetheria's borders. Cutting through the rest of Cathrul would prove difficult with its deep snow. Cetri had given vivid depictions of how cold it was there. She insisted your big toe would freeze right off just stepping foot into the tundra. Perhaps hers would, considering she wore sandals.

They traveled for a couple of days over the beige rocky territory of Cathrul before finally spotting the familiar trees of the Forlorn Forest. Immediately, a light breeze could be felt, cooling them off from the harsh desert heat. It was the first time Cetri had felt such a breeze, causing her to shiver and wrap her arms around herself.

"Here," Isla offered, unfastening her cloak and handing it to Cetri who eagerly took it. For as great as the Cathruli pride was, it meant little in the cold.

"Thanks!" Cetri beamed, sighing in relief at the newfound warmth.

Night fell as they set up camp. Cetri offered to hunt for dinner to create a Cathruli specialty, but Notus quickly dismissed the idea, saying the creatures of the forest were sacred, not to be used as food. Alas, they once again had to rely on Aston. Notus tried to refuse but was forced by Isla after she noticed how weak and pale he had become.

"What kind of place is Zetheria?" Aston asked, leaning his back against a tree after finishing his food.

Silence fell over the group.

"I'm not... entirely sure." Gwyneth bit her lip. "It's described as a cursed kingdom — a place which the elements cannot reach. It is heavily guarded, and few are permitted to enter. We have several records throughout history, the earliest of which depict some sort of 'forbidden technology.' More recent records depict that this 'technology' is all but extinct."

"If only certain people are allowed to enter, why build a wall?" Aston asked.

"That is exactly why it is so troubling..."

"What is 'technology'?" Elric asked.

Gwyneth shrugged. "That's what the Zetherians call it, anyway. Our books describe them as inventions that increase the quality of life. Any further details were prohibited from being mentioned, due to the curse."

"Yeah, because the land got cursed shortly after this 'technology' was invented," Cetri explained. "As for examples, maybe that shield is one of them?" Cetri pointed to the shield at Elric's side. "We still have no idea how it works, and it's pretty old considering we have records of other similar devices. It would match up with the old Aecerian records."

"So. it's a dead kingdom relying on Elric's shield. What do we know about the king?" Aston asked.

"Nothing. Not a clue." Gwyneth sighed. "The Zetherians are very secretive about their rulers—"

"He's an old man with no wife and no heirs. Never married," Isla cut in, to everyone's shock.

"How do you know...?" Elric asked.

"My mother told me." Isla gazed down at her hands that were neatly folded into her lap.

"Was she a Zetherian?" Gwyneth cocked her head to the side.

"No, not that I know of. I was so young at the time that I hadn't thought to ask where she learned it."

There was that awkward silence that usually followed any time Isla's past was brought up.

"So how did you all meet? I don't think you ever really explained that." Cetri crossed her arms behind her head before leaning back and realizing there was nothing to support her. Thankfully, she was quick to recover.

"Elric and I were childhood friends," Gwyneth began, smiling at the memory. "His father is an advisor to my father. Isla began training as my maid when I was around nine. Aston followed the year after once he discovered his magic."

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"I see, I see." Cetri nodded. "I still don't understand why Aston grew up in a castle."

"Because he's our savior. Shouldn't he get recognition for what he will bring? Or at least, that's what the others would say."

"But that's exactly it! He hasn't even done anything yet! You're serving the feast before the hunt!"

Isla shimmied away from the conversation until she was just outside hearing range. Letting out a deep sigh, she allowed herself to relax in the wind's embrace. It was good to be back in the forest. Maybe she should stay. After all, nobody would notice her absence—

"What's bothering you?" Elric asked, taking a seat next to her, causing her to jump in her seat.

"You scared me!" she exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart hoping to steady its beating. "Nothing is bothering me. I'm fine." If it had been Gwyneth, she knew this lie wouldn't work.

"Then why are you here by yourself, hm?" He took his gaze off her to glance up at the sky. Through the cracks in the forest, he could see that the moon had begun to wane.

She didn't know how to answer. The feelings within her were bubbling up, and she knew they would burst at the worst possible time. Elric was her safest option to let loose on.

"How much did I miss?" She turned away, willing the forming tears to dissipate. She made the mistake of looking back at the camp, where she saw Gwyneth pinned to the ground by an overzealous Cetri who was holding one of Gwyneth's scimitars. Was she trying to cut her hair? How did the conversation go from Aston to hair? Then again, this was Gwyneth.

Elric quickly caught onto the situation. "Not much, honestly." He winced as Isla began to full-blown cry. He silently cursed himself for being awful at cheering others up.

"It's because I'm a stupid Fae, isn't it?! If I could have just endured the heat a little longer, then I wouldn't have been left behind... Left... behind... Always being... left... behind..." Her eyes widened as she began to shake violently. She grabbed her head in her hands, willing the voices of her past to stop. But they were right, weren't they? What use was she to the Aecerians? She would always and forever be a monster to them.

"Isla!" Elric shouted, grabbing her shoulders harshly to steady her. It was no use, the tears kept streaming as sweat poured down her face. He hadn't seen her like this since one of the first times she vaguely mentioned her past. There was a lot she never told the others, and Elric desperately wanted to know what she had been through. What could have been so bad to warrant such a reaction?

"L-Let go! Don't touch me!" She shrieked, her voice sounding foreign in such a tone. "Let me go! Let me go home!"

Without thinking, Elric pulled her into an embrace. Gently stroking her back and muffling her tears in his chest, he spoke quietly to her, but loud enough for her to hear over her crying. "You're not being replaced. You could never be replaced. It doesn't matter who or what you are; you're our friend. I don't know what you've been through, but you're safe now. You're safe with us. We'll protect you, always."

Isla sniffled, her shaking finally starting to ease as she pulled back a bit. "T-Thank you..." She wiped her eyes. Realization of what had just happened struck, as she quickly inched herself away from Elric. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for..."

Elric shook his head. "You should open up to us more often."

"Same goes for you." She let out a slight chuckle. "You've been oddly quiet since we left Cathrul. Did something happen?"

Elric exhaled sharply, thinking back to Mitra and Cetri's farewell. He would be a hypocrite not to speak up, wouldn't he? "My sister."

"Noella?"

"The only reason I was allowed to pursue knighthood is because she agreed to carry on father's legacy."

Isla nodded having heard this piece of information several times in the past.

"But I'm the older sibling. Shouldn't I have stepped up to take responsibility to give her a brighter future just like Mitra did for Cetri?"

"She made her decision."

"She's nine and thinks the world of me! Of course, she would have agreed as much." Elric sighed, pinching his temples.

Isla shook her head. "You don't know that. And besides, you can always back out at any time and pursue your father's career, correct?"

Elric paused. "And what if she suffers silently while I get to pursue my dream? I would never have the chance to make amends!"

"Then I'll be there to slap you on the back for being ignorant of the signs!" Isla said confidently, causing Elric to laugh.

"You always were good at picking up when others are down, huh? All right; I feel better knowing you'll be there."

Isla beamed as the two made their way back to camp.

---

"Wake up! WAKE up!"

Aston found himself forcefully shaken awake. He could have sworn his whole body was lifted from the ground.

"What's wrong with yo-" he didn't finish his sentence as a gust of wind swept his hair across his face. Pushing his hair out of the way, he saw Gwyneth peaking behind Elric who held his shield up. And a furious Notus flew towards him. Cetri was quick to knock him back with her hammer.

"What are you doing?!" Gwyneth shouted walking out from behind Elric.

Notus laughed humorlessly. "I'm stopping you from killing the King of Zetheria! He's our world's only hope! Our true savior!"

"You're crazy!"

"Does he have magic?" Isla asked, genuinely curious.

Notus turned to answer her. "No, but he has something better." He turned back to Gwyneth. "What would you humans know about magic besides how to steal it?! The world would be better off without your lot!"

Aston charged at him while he was off guard, pinning him to the ground. To his surprise, Notus used fire magic, burning Aston's arm and causing him to jump away.

Notus flew up in the sky and Isla readied her bow. To her surprise, the arrow went straight through his wing. Aston summoned a vine around Notus' leg and pulled him back down. Gwyneth used her scimitar to wrap it around Notus' neck and hold him in place. All she had to do was yank a little harder, and it would be over. Guilt overwhelmed her, opting to just hold him down in place.

"Please! Stop!" Isla begged. "Perhaps you can explain it to us—"

"You might understand, but they never will." Notus spat, using all of his strength to try to force his way out but to no avail. "After all, one of them is Aecerian royalty — a descendant of he who committed the great sin."

"What are you talking about?" Gwyneth's focus wavered just as the Fae had intended, and he broke free. Cetri had the opportunity to land a fatal blow, but hesitated, remembering what would become of her. And so, Aston soared through the air before summoning a dagger and piercing Notus' heart. The Fae glowed a blindingly bright white light before dissipating into nothing. A faint glow encompassed Aston.

"Aston... Are you...?" Gwyneth hesitated.

The boy in question shook his head and backed away, staring down at his hands.

So that's what it felt like to kill someone.