A quasi-familiar scent greeted Nene and Nila when they entered the Warden's house: the smell of fried eggs. Kora was sitting at her table, legs crossed and eyes closed. Beside her, Adanara was trying to imitate her, but couldn’t help looking around nervously. Oto was in a corner with his back to them, busy doing some chore hidden by his figure.

«Ada? What are you doing?», Nila asked.

«We’re meditating»

Kora growled. The witch got scared, stiffened and closed her eyes, squeezing them into a grimace.

«I-I thought you needed a quiet spot to do so»

Adanara peeped at her teacher, then turned to them and shrugged. Nene walked towards Oto, curious to see what he was up to. The tasty smell was coming from his direction. She saw he was tinkering with a cleaver on a stone slab. The rock was resting on other smaller stones so that it wouldn’t touch the wooden floor, but there was no flame. Lighting a fire up there was a guarantee of burning the place down, and yet somehow Oto's omelette sizzled in a satisfying way.

«Oto, how... Where is the fire?»

«Isn’t that cool?! There’s no fire! Kora can heat the griddle with her mind!»

«With Salisander's gift», she corrected him, annoyed.

«Don't distract her, or it will get cold!»

«I can very easily heat your "griddle", meditate and make conversation at the same time»

«Then why must I remain silent?», Adanara complained.

Kora hit her shoulder with the butt of her spear. Adanara whined, but fearing she would be hit again, she shut her mouth.

«Because you are like a child who wants to run when you don’t even know how to stand yet»

«Look», Oto said, showing Nene a wooden bowl. «Fairies don't use plates or cutlery»

«What are you cooking?», she asked.

«Some guys came and gave Kora some eggs. So I chopped up that big insect, mixed everything together and made an omelette. Smells good!»

«The insect?!», Nila turned pale. «Do you want to… eat it?!»

«You have my permission», Kora misunderstood. «We treat visitors with respect. It is customary to gift incense and dance for guests. Sadly, my people are afraid of you. Most don't even dare to come to the sanctuary these days»

«Oh… S-sorry about that…»

«Don't apologise. Since the invaders came, mistrust has poisoned Tuatha»

Oto was revved up, happy to express himself in the kitchen again. He was lolling his head left and right to the rhythm of a non-existent melody as he used the flat side of the cleaver to flip his very good-looking omelette. If that disgusting insect was really in there, he must have minced it up properly, since its presence wasn't even noticeable. However, everybody knew that it was somewhere in there, and that was enough to make someone puke.

«Nene, listen up! Kora said she doesn't cook food!»

«The Flow has filled the forest with everything we could wish for. There is no need to burn an egg before eating it»

«Master, if you don't need to cook food, why are you helping him?», Adanara asked.

«It is not in my interest to change your habits, no matter how unhealthy»

«Unhealthy? How can you say that if you've never tried it?»

«Would you ever eat charred bark?»

The Warden opened a single eye and gave her disciple a satisfied grin, looking strongly convinced of what she was saying. A strange tension, a rivalry, or perhaps an understanding was being born between the two of them.

«I wouldn't eat bark in any way, master. I ain’t stupid»

Kora hit her again with the spear handle on the sternum. Adanara muttered a series of curses before closing her eyes once more.

«Um, Oto…», Nene said. «Is that enough for everyone?»

«Yes, don't worry. Look, there's a lot of it!»

«Oh… Great…?»

She sought support from Nila, who however made a disgusted face and walked away, pretending to be busy looking for something in her luggage. Nene almost panicked and looked around for an excuse to escape. Resigned, she sat at the table with Kora and Adanara. The Warden opened one eye to observe her, so she seized the opportunity.

«We met the hunter, Goro, downstairs, in the sanctuary», she said.

«Goro is a long-time friend», she replied. «His son often came to play with Warden Tera»

«Tera is a child?!», Adanara asked.

«Not for long. When he returns from his initiation he will be a full-fledged Warden»

«Wait a moment, master, did you send a child on a long and far away journey...»

Adanara did not finish the sentence. She looked at Nene, who couldn't understand her thoughts but was sure it was something unpleasant. She pouted and the witch closed her eyes again.

«... Forget it»

«You got something to say?», she grumbled.

«Not at all. I guess I have no right to judge other people's culture when the Church raises... well, you»

«I'm not a child!», she complained.

«Of course not»

«Tera is eight, he's old enough», the Warden intervened. «He is also being escorted by some of our best hunters. He will return with the gift of flame and one day he will take my place»

«What will you do, then, master? Crocheting?»

«I don't know what a “crocheting” is. I think I will stay here, to educate the young»

«Wait, what?! You like children?»

«Teaching them meditation and discipline is one of my greatest joys»

«Oh, of course... and I was trying to figure you playing with them like a kind grandma»

«When a child plays too much, it grows up grumpy and disobedient, like you», Kora replied. «There is always time to play, even when we get older. Also, I’m still in my prime»

«Ada never wanted to study», Nila said, from the back of the room. «She preferred to tease the priest, rather than listen to him»

«Hey, you too!»

«Focus», the Warden ordered, raising her spear.

Oto sat next to Nene and left wooden bowls on the table containing a portion of his abominable omelette each. The scent and appearance were inviting, but the awareness of what it contained surpassed even the hunger.

«Did you really put that disgusting thing in there?», Adanara asked.

«Of course. It smelled like… um… like something edible»

The witch shrugged and grabbed a bowl. With a grimace, she brought a piece of omelette to her mouth. Nene watched her while holding her breath, expecting a disgusted reaction. Instead, Adanara's face relaxed as she chewed.

«How... How can it be good?»

«Are you kidding me?!»

«I'm serious. Have some»

Oto's hopeful look was the final blow. Nene mustered her courage, closed her eyes, and took a small bite. The familiar flavour of fried eggs contrasted with a totally unfamiliar one, salty, slightly pungent, and truly pleasant. She reopened her eyes to find Oto staring at her, waiting for a verdict.

«How did you manage? It’s really good»

«Jiriel never cooks at home», the boy grumbled. «I had to learn»

«Master, you try it too. Don't make me beg you»

The Warden looked at the bowl fearfully. She sniffed the contents with a disgusted look, although for different reasons.

«Burnt bark…», she whispered.

«C’mon, it's a unique opportunity! You don't get human visitors cooking for you every day»

Kora frowned at Adanara and growled through gritted teeth, exasperated. She took a bowl, sniffed once more, then tore off a tiny piece and brought it on her tongue.

«So? Not bad, uh?», the witch teased her.

Kora’s eyes widened. For an instant she looked around, as if confused, her gaze moving from Oto, to the grizzle, to the bowl. Her ears twitched in frenetic motions, she even cracked a smile.

«It can't be…»

«Do you like it?», Oto asked.

«How is it possible? You burned some perfectly fine food on a hot stone and now… it's even better?»

«You mean you liked it?»

«So, master? Who was right?»

Kora abandoned all pretence of decorum and began to stuff her face. Only Nila remained on the sidelines, adamant about not wanting to eat the horrifying creature that Oto had transformed into a delicious meal. The Warden gobbled her food in an instant. Adanara provoked her again by inviting her to eat Nila's portion as well, but she, although obviously tempted, refused as if driven by some sense of pride.

«Let's talk about the issue of Warden Moka», Kora said.

«Right now?», Adanara complained.

«Yes, now. My people suffer because of war every day»

«Of course… I'm sorry…»

Kora smiled at the witch's sincere contrition. In an instant, she turned serious again and stared at Nene.

«Tomorrow we will go to the cave and try to heal him»

«Speaking of which, perhaps there is a less risky way to do it»

Nila got closer. She refused Oto's offer of food and sat next to Nene, which made her feel under tremendous pressure. There was no unanimity on how to handle that matter, and she was at the centre of everyone's expectations, being a fundamental part of Adanara’s ritual.

«I'm listening», the Warden said.

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«We just need a drop of blood from the damned. Therefore, if the dragon is embedded in resin, we could dig down to expose a small portion of its body. We will only release it completely once it’s healed»

«Do you think we hadn't thought of that?!». Adanara said.

Kora held a hand in front of her face, forcing her to be quiet.

«Unfortunately that's not possible», she explained. «I inspected the cave. Moka isn't just buried. That prison goes beyond my understanding. I'm not even sure I can open it, but digging is not an option»

«To be sure, w-we should try», Nila observed.

«I won't risk any more lives digging into that cave», Kora replied.

«Master, if... if it doesn’t work, what would you do?»

She sighed deeply. She looked out of the cabin. The last lights of the sunset allowed her to glimpse the mountains on the horizon, as well as distant and unknown places.

«I will lead my people towards sunrise. The forest there is dangerous and inhospitable, but we know of no other land. We can't risk travelling into unknown territory»

«What's going on in the east?»

«The Evil One», Nene deduced. «The further you move away from the Principality, the bigger its influence grows»

«The lair of the flame spirit is located in a dense forest, dark and full of monsters», the Warden said. «Only Warden initiates and their escorts venture there. For generations we have taught children to fear that place, and now…»

Kora looked first at Adanara, then at Nene. Her eyes were filled with sadness and resignation. She turned her back to them, her voice becoming deep, almost a whisper.

«I will understand if you don't want to help us»

Silence fell. The risk was just too great to proceed with that plan. It was in their best interest to leave. The Lightbringers were forced to expand, fleeing from the hostile lands in the east. It was likely that once they had reclaimed the Cloud Folk's territory, they would have transferred the rest of their population and sought friendly relations with Kumhar, but what would have become of Kora and her people? The Cloud Folk would have been chased from their home in the sky, to migrate to the same place from which their enemies were fleeing. Despite their mysterious knowledge, they seemed unable to deal with the Evil One, therefore it was unlikely they could succeed where the descendants of a regiment of Knights of the Church had failed.

«Can you promise to keep us safe?»

Nila broke the silence. Nene was surprised, even incredulous. She was sure she had misunderstood, given the discussion the two of them had earlier.

«I can only promise that I will do everything in my power to do so», Kora replied. «As I said, if things take a turn for the worse, I will get your companions to safety and then I will destroy the cave from the inside. If Moka can't come back to his senses, it's better if he doesn't come back at all»

«I'll go», Nila insisted. «Me and Nene. And you will protect us from the d-dragon, in case of need»

«Wait a minute, what about me?!», Adanara said. «Don't decide stuff on your own! Nene, you tell her!»

«I thought you were against it», she intervened.

«I wanna help too!», Oto said.

«N-no, the fewer the merrier», Nila explained. «T-there's no point in bringing more than two people»

«So... will you help me?», Kora asked hopefully.

«Nene is fundamental for the ritual, and I am the most practised in doing it», the witch replied. «Nila, I'll go»

«No! I-I will!»

«You stubborn, dense… Fine! Coin toss!»

Adanara rummaged through her pockets. She took out an old octagonal metal coin. Nene looked at it curiously, having never seen anything like it, decorated with complex geometric patterns on both faces.

«Don't even try! I-I know you're very good at cheating!»

«Okay, then Nene tosses it. Nene?»

The witch handed her the coin. She grabbed it and looked at both sisters. She had somehow been nominated judge of a cross-or-head game, with their lives potentially at stake. She looked at the coin, rubbed its sharp edge, and took a breath, as well as a difficult decision.

«The side with the curved figures is the cross, the other the head. All right? I'll take head», Adanara explained.

Nila nodded. Nene tossed the coin into the air. It whirled several times before landing in her hand. She picked it up quickly and covered it. The game was very common in the Principality. The cadets of the Inquisition were taught that its origin derived from a primitive belief, one of the first testimonies of contact between humanity and the Evil One. Apparently, in the past, the damned were believed to be simply insane, and it was therefore said that anyone who distanced themself from the cross lost their head.

What both sisters seemed to ignore was that Adanara wasn't the only one good at cheating. In the past, during her training, Nene had often faced sister Liaria, who used that game as an excuse to take advantage of sister Elora's good heart, betting their lunches on the toss. The situation had degenerated to the point that Nene had come up with a creative way to dissuade her: challenging her to her own game. In case of defeat, Liaria would have given up begging from Elora. After some practice, Nene had become good enough to beat Liaria on a daily basis, and soon that obnoxious brat had grown bored and given up altogether.

The coin in her hand was unknown to her. She hadn't had enough time to memorise its patterns, and she had even less time to decide whether to show the sisters the coin as it fell or to rotate it a single time blindly, according to the rules of the game. Fortunately, that coin had two easily distinguishable sides. On the back of her hand, she felt the angular shapes that marked the head. She then rotated it before revealing the coin.

«I won!», Adanara cheered. «I'll go»

«Ada, please!»

«Stop it, it’s set. Also... you're not the only one who's worried, you know?»

Adanara walked to her sister and hugged her tight. Nila initially tried to push her away but finally gave up. She closed her eyes and held back tears.

«I won't leave you. I promise»

«I-I'm counting on it...»

Kora meanwhile had retreated to a corner. She picked up a small canvas sack from a cabinet and returned to them. She had a deeply moved expression and gulped loudly before speaking.

«You are friends of Tuatha. Let me offer you a gift»

«No need, master, you're already teaching me a lot»

The Warden ignored her and picked a single, large seed from the bag. It was the size of a walnut but resembled a common grain of wheat. She handed it to Nila who accepted it, confused.

«What is it?» Nene asked.

«A buttercorn seed»

«A what?»

Kora gently took Nila by the hand and closed her fingers around the seed. Nila didn’t budge, such was the religiosity that that gesture conveyed, although incomprehensible.

«W-why do you give me a seed? Why me?»

«Buttercorn seeds are very rare. We Warden keep them for difficult times. From one of these a sacred plant can be born, whose songs are sung, capable of feeding an entire tribe with its fruits»

«W-wait… I can't accept it. You should use it for your people!»

«The buttercorn has very deep roots and grows only in moist soil. We could never grow it up here even if we wanted to. Unfortunately, it is of no use to us, if we fail to drive away the invaders»

«I see. Thanks, but… why me?»

Kora looked at Oto and smiled. She held out a hand, inviting him to stand up. The boy obeyed, intrigued.

«We Wardens keep these seeds not only for our people. If another tribe suffers from hunger, we gift them one so they can start again in a new land. You are offering us what you hold most dear, so it’s right that I do the same. If we don't come back, this seed is yours»

«When you all come back in one piece, I-I'll give it back to you», Nila objected, sulkily.

«If the case arises, Nila, I hope you will share the fruits of buttercorn with my people. That seed is the only one I have left»

«There won't be any need... right?», Oto asked.

«It will be my duty to make sure of it»

«Master, stop it. My sister is the sensitive kind, you will make her worry», Adanara said. «Nila, think about where you want to plant it, so when we get back to Kumhar we can… I don't know, start a farm, or whatever. The mayor said we can own land, did he? We are citizens, now»

«Yes. B-but I want you to be there too, okay? You p-promised»

«Nene, do you really wanna go?», Oto asked.

«I do», she replied. «Don't worry, Kora will be with us. We will be safe»

Lying wasn't her strong suit. She tried not to overdo it, not to say too much, or the truth would have emerged: she was terrified and not at all confident that Kora could actually protect them. The cave was narrow and deep, making it difficult for her and Adanara to escape from it. Their best bet was that there was no need to resort to extreme methods.

The Warden, unlike her, seemed emotionless, convinced that she wanted to take that risk, aware that she would probably end up a martyr, an act so extreme that not even the Church would have approved of, except if to get rid of the Evil One from oneself.

«We'll go to the prison in the morning», Kora explained. «I advise you to bring only what’s essential»

«I need a knife, or something sharp, and a transparent glass object or similar»

«You will have both. And you?»

«Me? I already have everything I need», Nene replied.

«Excellent. Rest, tonight. Tomorrow we will decide the fate of my people. We will have to be vigilant»

“Or rather, lucky”, Nene thought. What they needed was a massive dose of good luck. She had omitted her prayers for a long time, but that seemed like a good instance to start again. It was hypocritical to pray to the Archangel after violating His teachings, but deep in her heart she hoped that He, in His immense wisdom, would have understood and had mercy on her.

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

It was already dark when Nene lit one of the candles she had brought with her. She was supposed to spare them in case of necessity during their journey, but that night she felt the need for her rites more than ever. That night could have been her last. She had camped away from everyone on purpose, to avoid disturbing them. On the opposite side of the room, the sisters were sleeping next to each other. Kora was in the centre of the room, curled up like a cat. Oto was lying down next to her. The boy had sulked at Nene after her decision to assist the Warden. She couldn’t blame him, assuming it was his way of reacting to a tense situation, but at the same time, she felt alone. Was it selfish of her to risk her life even though there were people who cared about her? Probably, but she couldn’t care less at that moment. All she wanted was for something to comfort her. Perhaps prayer would have succeeded in doing so.

She knelt in front of the candle. She considered what to say, or rather, think during her silent prayer. Should she have asked for forgiveness for her blasphemous actions? It wouldn't have made much sense, since forgiveness required sincere repentance, and she, though still harbouring doubts, had decided to give Adanara a chance, and was continuing to do so. Likewise, begging the Archangel to watch over her in a time of need, after having betrayed Him more than once, would have been yet another disrespectful act on her part. She wondered if Jiriel would have minded being prayed to, but something told her that had she asked, she would have been laughed at.

Discouraged, she blew out the candle and lay down on the floor. Kora's hut was draughty, the night wind whistled strong and cold, so she covered herself up to her head. She was unable to sleep, however, not only because of the noises but also because of fear.

After a few minutes spent musing, she heard soft footsteps heading towards her. She didn't waste time thinking and sat up straight away. She looked around and saw a figure in the dim light, a few metres away from her, who froze on the spot

«It's me», Nila said.

«Oh… Sorry…»

She realised she had been holding her breath. She was visibly nervous, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She had attempted to imitate Adanara, to convey confidence to her companions, but failed miserably.

«C-can I?»

Nila remained still, as if frightened. Nene collapsed to the ground, covered her face with her arm and forced herself not to cry.

«Of course», she replied.

Nila moved closer again. She got down on all fours and crawled next to her. Then she stood staring at her.

«It's cold. C-can I have some blanket?»

«What?!»

«Make room for me, please. I'm freezing»

Without waiting for a response, Nila lay down next to her and snuggled under her blanket. They found themselves squeezed together. After a few moments, however, the heat from her body reached Nene, causing her discomfort and relief at the same time.

«Don't you want to be with your sister?», she asked.

«She's asleep. God, you… Y-you're phenomenal at ruining the mood…»

«Sorry»

She apologised even though she wasn't sure what she had done wrong. Unfortunately, at that time she had a single thought, impossible to get rid of: the fear of dying. Anxiety and her emotions were about to erupt. She gulped loudly, not wanting to worry Nila any more than she already had.

«Nene, come here», she ordered.

«Uh?»

Before she could collect her thoughts, Nila gently brought her to her chest and wrapped her in a warm embrace. Nene began to tremble, wondering why Nila was doing that to her, wasting all her effort. She felt like she was on the verge of breaking down, so why push her even further to the edge?

«Let me go…», she complained.

«Being a-afraid is normal», Nila said, ignoring her. «Don't keep it all inside»

«But... You are worried and... Oto...»

«How Oto and I feel is nothing compared to what you're going through»

She gritted her teeth and tensed every muscle. She grabbed Nila's arm and squeezed it with all her strength. Her emotions let loose. Her throat tightened, she breathed raggedly, her face became a mask of tears.

«I'm scared», she mumbled.

Nila said nothing. She caressed the back of her neck, holding her close. Nene sobbed for a few moments in the silence.

The extremely intense outburst began to wane. Her emotions gradually quieted, only faint tremors and Nila's warmth remained.

«Better?»

«I think so…»

«I saw you with the candle, I thought you were praying... That you were having a hard time»

«I feel lost without the Archangel», she confessed.

«I admit that I-I'm not the best person to talk to about that, but… When Ada said that stupid thing, about starting a farm, me and her, I thought about it. M-maybe we'll never manage, but... I want you to be there, in case we do»

«Really?»

«I m-mean it. Can you imagine Ada working at a farm?»

«Can I? No, not at all», she chuckled.

«See? So, I'm counting on you. You could stay at m-my farm. We’ll cultivate the… the…»

«Buttercorn»

«What a stupid name»

Nene noticed that she was still holding Nila's arm. She was definitely hurting her. She let go but didn't dare ask her anything about it. She was afraid of ruining the mood again, as she had just been reproached for.

«I’m no farmer either», she admitted.

«Nor am I. W-we will have to learn, work for a few years with the farmers of Kumhar. It’s a long-term project. S-so it's better to start early»

«Yes»

«And then between the sowing season and the harvesting one, we will travel. We will go to s-see my father's birthplace»

«Are you sure that’s how it works?»

«I hope so. W-what do you think?»

«Save a spot for me», she replied. «I want to be there»

«G-good. You will be there»

Nila’s words hit her like a rock. Fantasising about the future had been enough to distract her from the present, despite everything. However, going back to reality felt different than she expected. She was still tremendously scared, but there was something else in her heart: the will to survive. She didn't want that conversation to become words thrown to the wind. She wanted to live and see what would have happened next, the farm, the plant with the ridiculous name, and God knows what else.

Nene clutched against Nila. She nestled her head under her chin. She closed her eyes, and finally, exhausted, she managed to relax and get drowsy. Nila’s breath in her hair lulled her to sleep.