Ranvir let Frija down from his shoulders as they entered the orphanage’s garden. Her red hair flared behind her as she belted across the grass, Menace following close behind. Meanwhile, Ranvir entered the building, listening to determine where the others were.

He could hear a lesson going on upstairs. The older kids spent a bit of time helping the younger ones to read and write. Ranvir thought they also practiced arithmetic, but couldn’t remember off the cuff.

Elsewhere in the house, he heard quiet singing. He recognized the voice as Elpir’s, even if it took him a moment. A quick scan revealed Amalia was with her. For a minute, he stood there listening to her singing and feeling like a voyeur, yet unable to tear himself away.

“Ranvir,” Kyriake said, appearing around the corner. “You came.”

He had a moment of dysphoria at seeing the older woman without her hair tied away. Without the basic armor she usually wore, even if it was simply a formality, made her seem more human. Without the rigidity of the armor and strict sense of structure her carefully maintained hair gave her, she was simply a woman.

Her hair was longer than Ranvir’d realized, flowing down past her chest in waves a darker color than he’d expected now that the light wasn’t gleaming off it. She didn’t look old. In fact, Ranvir would guess she was quite a bit older than her appearance suggested.

Korfyi had figured out that some people lived for a long time and multiple scholars had studied the phenomenon, though they hadn’t yet figured out the truth. At least, not publicly. If Kyriake hadn’t figured it out, she’d at the very least slowed her aging. Either that or she wasn’t as old as Ranvir suspected she was.

“Yeah,” he rubbed his hand on his thigh awkwardly, feeling twice put off by overhearing what appeared to be an intimate moment between Elpir and Amalia, as well as Kyriake’s startling new appearance. “I sensed your call on the lines.”

“Amalia said you would,” she replied. “I just didn’t figure anyone would monitor the lines that closely to catch it that quickly.”

Ranvir shrugged, glancing across the clothes again. She wore a simple tunic and skirt ending at her knees. Though her new clothes revealed she wasn’t nearly stiff as the image he’d created in his mind, she was certainly still as strong. A scar curved around one calf before disappearing from view. He could also clearly see the muscles of her thighs bunching just above the knee before disappearing underneath the loose skirt.

Skirts weren’t a thing Ranvir ever got comfortable with. Men and women wore them on Korfyi, or at least in Legea, but he hadn’t been able to shake the notions he’d grown up with.

“Are you okay?” Kyriake asked, cocking her head, which caused her hair to bounce slightly, the wavy texture bobbing for a moment.

“I think listening to Elpir and Amalia is putting me off a little,” Ranvir admitted, feeling flushed.

“Oh? Are they… Should I ask what they are doing?”

Ranvir shook his head. “Elpir’s singing.”

Kyriake gave him a long look. “Well, we could probably make our way over now. They’ll join us when ready.”

Ranvir nodded in agreement before realizing he didn’t know what she was talking about. “Where are we going?”

“Ione invited everyone to dinner,” Kyriake explained, stepping past him into entry to put on her shoes. She must’ve been borrowing clothes, because she was finally putting on something familiar to Ranvir. Her boots were muddy and built from tough hide. They didn’t at all fit with the rest of her civilian outfit.

She sighed, looking down at them, then turned to him. “Is it dry outside?”

Ranvir blinked, water dripping from his nose. “It’s not raining, but no.”

“Too bad,” she muttered and quickly stomped into the boots. Ranvir frowned, looking at her. The combination of regular clothes and combat boots only sought to further challenge his dysphoric senses.

Stepping out of the building, she glanced over her shoulder. “You coming?” She smiled, the light played over her features, further washing away what signs of age she held. In some ways, the darker hair and relaxed features sort of reminded him of Elpir. Though her jaw was too strong and nose too bold.

He nodded and went with her. Frija followed behind, exploring with Menace.

“So, how are your plans coming together?” Kyriake asked as they splashed over puddles on the paved streets.

Ranvir frowned and considered. “I’m probably going to sell the katapetra I got from the fold,” he sighed and made a face. “I’d love to keep it, advance to Urityon, but if I’m going to fix this issue with my spirit, then I can’t risk it being overfull or exhausted from advancement.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“High tier katapetra can be hard to sell,” Kyriake advised. “Mostly, the ones who want them don’t need to buy them. Occasionally, you can sell a few to a merchant, but they’re mostly good for successful advancement past Kistios. Even then a Tier 15 is excessive. I have a few strings I can pull. I might find a buyer, but it won’t be quick.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Ranvir replied, nodding to her. That was about when they ran out of paved road and they started squelching through the mud. Moments later, Frija fired past them, sliding onto her knees in the mud, splashing sludge onto her chest, neck, and face. Menace followed, a little more stately and a little more hesitant. Frija giggled and threw a mud pie after him. He hissed in annoyance and dodged away from her.

It took them a while to get to Ione’s, mostly because Ranvir had to help Frija up when she suddenly lost all ability to balance whenever she got too close to a puddle or pit of mud.

“You look horrible,” Ione muttered as she opened the door.

Ranvir was already cleaning off, all by himself, just the rampant mana in his system wetting the mud stuck to him enough that it was thinning. Frija was caked in mud from head to heel. Menace wasn’t much better. Only Kyriake had escaped somewhat unscathed.

“I know. Can we borrow a towel?” Ranvir asked.

“Don’t bother, we’ll be sitting on the porch,” Ione informed him. He nodded and made his way around her mansion. Arriving on the other side, they found the porch already equipped with tea and cakes. One of her gardeners was messing with some of Ione’s plants in the near-distance.

“This is cozy,” Kyriake said as she surveyed the area. “You’ve done well for yourself.”

Ione shrugged. “I got lucky.”

“Right,” Ranvir nodded and tapped his jaw. Ione returned the gesture, Kyriake thirding it while Frija blew raspberries at them and ran off to steal berries from the bushes.

“Ione,” Kyriake offered her hand to the even older woman. “It’s good to finally meet you. Amalia’s talked a lot about you.”

“Has she now?” Ione asked.

Ranvir poured all of them some tea, took a cake and cup, then leaned back in the chair. The weather had continued the trend from the morning and it was clear skies all the way to the horizon. He let out a quiet breath of relief, enjoying the snacks while the two women talked.

He zoned them out, keeping half an eye on Frija so she didn’t make too much trouble, but otherwise relaxed.

“How do feel about Elpir and Amalia? I gather you’ve known Amalia for a long time,” he overhead Ione ask.

“I’ve known Amalia since she joined the Sentinels. I’m happy that they’re forging a life together. After what happened with my sister and her husband, I’ve long wished to see my niece happy.”

Ranvir snorted tea through his nose and choked on a bit of the cake. Leaning forward and coughing, he glanced at her, blinking a few times. “You’re Elpir’s aunt?”

“Yes, why else would I know so much about another scout in the Sentinels? Did you not realize?”

“I didn’t really think about it, to be honest.”

It was right around then, Ranvir heard Amalia and Elpir making their way around the building. Apparently, they already knew they were gathering on the patio. Another round of greeting and servings of cakes and tea before more mindless chatter filled the space.

Elpir and Kyriake are related, Ranvir wondered, glancing between the two. I guess there are some similarities. I still think Kyriake’s hair’s too light, but maybe… he shook his head and returned to tea.

“So, Ranvir,” Elpir said.

Oh shit, he thought internally.

“I heard you were going back to that weird other place?”

He nodded. “I need some way to rein in the mana in my spirit. I could either completely change Amanaris again, this time to accommodate water, wind, and sand mana. Which is a bad idea, or I need to get other powers.”

“And you’re going alone?”

“No, I’m taking Frija. The place is pretty harmless. I didn’t sense anyone that strong within the city we visited last time, so I don’t think I’ll have to worry.”

“Have you considered taking Vasso with you?”

“Not really.”

There was a beat of silence, so Ranvir snuck another bite of cake and slurp of tea. Amalia chuckled and elbowed Elpir in the side.

“Would you mind taking him with you?”

Ranvir shrugged. “That might actually be good. I’m sure he’d like to see something different and Frija would probably enjoy having a friend along,” he smiled at her. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Vasso was a good kid, quiet, but. Perhaps that was fine. He was whip-smart as well, understanding and learning quickly. “That reminds me,” Ranvir said, pointing a finger at Ione. “I’m probably going to need a permanent translation item. Perhaps you know someone who could help me commission it?”

Ione waved him off. “That’s not an issue, dear.”

Amalia broke into full on chuckles as Elpir seemed to flail, her arms slightly raised. Finally, her fiancee bailed her out. “Ranvir, she’s asking if you’ve considered adopting Vasso.”

Ranvir hadn’t. He put the tea down and leaned back in his seat, turning to look at Elpir. “Are you sure? I’m not exactly home all the time.”

“You already get along. He looks up to you, and you could provide him a better home than being just another kid living with me.”

Ranvir let his mouth open for a while. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about it some, but he could come along on the trip. A sort of trial run, I guess?”

Elpir smiled brilliantly. “That would be wonderful.”

Ione, however, raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you worried he won’t fit in with you and Frija?”

Ranvir scrunched his nose. “No. My family is what I make it.”

“From the mouths of babes,” Kyriake laughed. “That’s a good one. Maybe you could learn something from him!”

Ione flushed a deep red and got up from her chair and stepped inside. Ranvir pondered their words for a moment, but then Frija came running up.

“Daddy! Daddy! Look!” she was holding up a half-eaten berry from which a worm was sticking out. “Isn’t disgusting?” she asked, excitably grimacing as she showed it off.

“Frija, did you eat the berry?”

“Argh, ew! No, Menace did.”

Sure enough, the kitten was eying the remainder avidly.

“I don’t think that’s good for him,” Ranvir hedged. “We should probably throw it away,” he retrieved a treat from his pocket-space and traded the berry for it. “Give this to him instead.”

“Come, Menace!” Frija laughed, running off among the rows, cat chasing her excitedly.