Fairyland Chronicles - Character Side Stories

[Aaronock]

Lucretia and Cynbel had left him and Summer there outside on the breezy day in Louyang. A spell casted upon the home while they spoke alone kept gave her the ability to leave in safety with the other fae inside. Anger almost overcame him, till the stalker realized her actions mirrored his own. He assuredly did the same in the very recent past with the choice to follow Lucretia instead of his fellow humans. The both of them acting in tandem trying to find their own way to protect the other.

Even though Lucretia split from them, Ezekiel found himself appreciative of the time spent. It helped to clear his mind and the lingering doubts he held. The world certainly had grown around the man, but now he actually found himself footholds and little pathways through it. No longer fearful of what it all meant, he would navigate it as he always had, using all the tools and tricks he picked up to this day.

After the spell on the home wore off, Summer and him went back inside. Slumping in a corner, Ezekiel found it important he tell Summer of his own marriage while his only companion made him tea. Not in the mood to remove himself from his position, Ezekiel took the tea with his right hand and sat it to the side to cool. Then his fingers reached for something inside his jacket. The story becoming easier each time he told it. Somehow, that brought a small bit of peace inside him. Finally, he pinched an object and pulled it from a hidden pocket.

"You see this, it's a ring, my marriage ring." He held it out for Summer to see. "I'm not a happily married man, and the only reason you see me talking to you today is due to the strange crack in the center. I wonder now, after meeting Odin twice, if luck was just on my side, or if the gods had use for me." He chose not to tell her, but he had already learned that the answer no longer mattered. It was simply how it was meant to be.

Summer’s understanding always brought about comfort for Ezekiel. She didn’t even think to question why he did not find any solace with his contracted and married partner. He then explained that he had met Odin once before his appearance at Prontera. He spoke of how the god descended upon him and two others in Rachel's Sancturary, leaving his message to them, which later echoed in the streets as Surtur’s fire threatened to incinerate the entire capital town of Rune Midgard. Those words, he recalled them, warning them of Lucretia, find the Cloaked Schemer, and subdue them both. But he could not recall for certain upon which meeting that Odin informed them never to let Lucretia and the Cloaked Schemer meet.

With Ezekiel’s points made, Summer suggested they get to work. The ninja clan they held as allies would find themselves dispatched, searching for any of the three fairies they had to meet now. They discussed what to do should they meet any of them, if they found their fellow humans, and the possibility of finding an audience with Pixie.

And with that, Ezekiel found himself in need to take care of one final act before he could stay seated in Louyang. A message sent in private to Cat McWren, the only one he felt some need to justify his actions to. The only one who could possibly believe the facts thrown in front of her. Somehow, in her own way, she did strangely care for the rogue, but Ezekiel yet didn’t know to view her as ally or foe. Out in the fields of Mjolnir, they met. Ezekiel on the high and rocky ground, with Cat in the forest below. Little bugs chittered, and the wolves howled in the distance. They stood, staring back at one another, and talked. They discussed the situation, and came to a deal. Despite Cat wanting the rogue to tell her of his plans, the man would deny her. Simply stating, “Your part in this battle is not with me this time.”

Instead, Ezekiel found himself forced to take in possession of a little Deviruchi by the name of “Mash.” Apparently, the little pet had his uses. The method to find Cat or Galoo could help him in this battle if he simply needed to send them a message, or the battle took a turn for the worst. The little devilish monster would learn his part later, as when it got tossed across the cliff, and up to Ezekiel, he fainted from pure fright.

What did the rogue receive in exchange? Cat would stand by him and his facts as presented should all their paths cross against Amdusias. If the other party believed in those facts, then proper justice could find itself served. Ezekiel needed nothing more than to keep his contracts straight.

She’d leave him with a final message, “Idiot kid, I already said I'd protect you,” the words few, but all the ones that needed sharing.

With that, he gave his thanks, his goodbyes, and took the Deviruchi in tow on his shoulder. Beginning his trek back to the secret hideaway in Louyang. There, in that hidden space, Summer's and his own plans would finalize themselves.

[Summerstream]

((I'm sorry I wrote a book ;A; ))

“Kyaa!!! M-make it stop...! D-d-damnit...” The scream had been heard through Nifleheim.

The nightmare had happened again, and she had screamed all the same. She was sitting bolt upright under one of two torches that illuminated her prison, her breath coming in short, rapid gasps, and tears she was vaguely aware of rolling down her cheeks. She pulled in the pale beige scarf she was laying on to try to calm down, knowing it would be about half an hour until she was calm enough to function. The scarf was not enough to stop her from trembling against the cold stone, readily felt through her silk uniform. Her head rested on the wall as she tried to regain control of her racing heart, and her irregular breathing.

The only times she was able to sleep properly was when the father of her two kids was sleeping beside her. Often she would fall asleep to him stroking her hair and telling her that she was safe. That no bad dreams would come that night. And she believed him, because it worked. The scarf was a gift from him when he came to visit her when she had gotten sick while pregnant, and she treasured it. The dreams still came with sleep when he wasn't there, but they felt more bearable when she had the scarf with her. It gave her a little more courage than she had possessed before. Even still, her shallow gasps filled the stone room, mixed in with the sobs that she could barely manage. Slowly, she felt her heart calm down with the knowledge she was alone, and the knowledge that at the moment, she just needed to eat.

When the first sets of voices reached her ears, her breathing was simply heavy. The violent trembling had calmed down to quiet shivers, and her crying had stopped what felt like hours ago. She raised her head, and saw Kotori enter the room first. Summerstream felt her thoughts kick in. If they saw her dressed not in her Paladin armor, but her Ninja uniform, what would they do? A cold panic gripped her, but the weariness in her bones balanced it into sharpened senses. The others in the party filed into the room. The brown-cloaked traveller named Cutty had offered her a ride on her peco peco, and was waiting for her to respond.

Summerstream slowly realized as she looked around the group that she trusted no one there. That realization was enough to light the fuse on her barely quelled panic.

“Ah... I guess the way is cleared. Thank you, I guess.” she mumbled, glancing around. She gripped the round object she kept hidden in her sash. A movement in the shadows calmed her panic, and she smiled coyly.

“However, now I must leave. Bye-bye~” Summerstream moved swiftly, whipping the round object at the ground. Chaos followed. Smoke filled the room, and her rescuers were attacked by the shinobi hiding in the shadows. Summerstream did not stay to see what happened.

She followed the route that Lucretia had pushed her on. Down the burned staircase and through the now-empty hallway. She had to get to the main gate. As she sprinted down the main corridor, she saw Lucretia and Ezekiel standing under the gate. Ezekiel was carrying Cynbel on his back. She slowed her sprint to a light jog, feeling her legs cramping, and her stomach growl in protest. Her vision darkened for a moment from the sprint, and she gripped the wall for a moment to wait for it to pass. When she approached, she felt Lucretia stare at her hard. Ignoring it, she waved at Ezekiel. He offered a tight smile, and the three walked towards the main door. Rapid footfalls made her look over her shoulder, and she stopped to stand between Lucretia and Ezekiel, and the people who had rescued her from the tower. She noted that Kotori and Cutty had moved to stand a little bit closer to the two fairies, Ezekiel, and herself.

It was only a few dozen heartbeats later that she heard Lucretia thank Ezekiel and kiss him. She instinctively put her arm up, and glares coldly at everyone.

They were not her allies, they most certainly were not to be trusted.

She barely heard Lucretia summon Midnight Jack to attack the others, and she was the last to leave the castle. A faint, but tired smile was etched on her face. Once outside, she told Ezekiel to let her carry Cynbel on her back. She felt weak from hunger, and from thirst, but it would have to wait until they were safe.

When she saw Amdusias, her gaze hardened. She could tell that it was he who had deployed those heros, and he confirmed it with his mutterings. Once he was well out of earshot, she looked to the group. “Ezekiel, let us head to my home in Louyang. There are many people there, and no one will have time to ask every person if they saw us.” Summerstream decided, her voice hard. She asked Lucretia to transport them to save walking across the field, and being seen.

The next couple hours passed by like clouds on a jet stream, and her last memory was asking Ezekiel to knock her out so she wouldn't dream. Shit, did his punch hurt.

The next day, two major things happened. The first was their return to the castle to look for evidence. The second was Cynbel waking up, and Lucretia fleeing the city.

Summerstream had shown Lucretia the main gauche that she used to destroy the machination that had framed her. The dread on her face was enough to sign away the fact that she had been attempting to tell Lucretia the truth. The paladin understood why she was angry, having twins and a lover herself. They arrived to the castle to find the entrance sealed. Summerstream did not pay much attention to what Lucretia had said, but she paid attention to her surroundings. It felt like there were eyes on them, and she hesitated to speak up. How else would she be able to explain the sensations? Her eyes narrowed as they returned to the entrance, with the knowledge confirmed that Lucretia had spies in her castle. Lucretia seemed to understand what she had done, and that made Summerstream feel a lot better. It would make it easier to defend her, when the time came. She just prayed that the time would never come. The entrance had been sealed after they had entered, causing dread to settle on the small party. Summerstream cursed herself mentally, and looked over at Ezekiel. Amdusias had still been in the castle.

Lucretia had stepped outside when Cynbel had woken up, and requested to speak to him alone. Summerstream and Ezekiel stepped outside to give the two former lovers some privacy. It took only minutes for the barrier around the house to be raised, and Summerstream was leaning against the wood frame of the door to listen for any signs of attack. Ezekiel had gone to find another entrance, which Summerstream knew did not exist. When the barrier was gone, they returned inside to see that Lucretia and Cynbel were no longer there.

Summerstream's mind was reeling, and she took a moment to gather her thoughts while Ezekiel had decided to explain about his situation. She had listened, for the most part, but she did not find it strange. Yggdrasil's priests would have had her marry the knight that fathered her children if the religion was still active. It made it easy to simply nod, and get what was going in her head in motion.

Morikage were their allies. They were the only people that she and Ezekiel could turn to for help right now. Summerstream smiled, and then sighed wistfully. They were traitors to everyone but the ninja clan.

Later in the day, Ezekiel had returned with a Deviruchi, slung over his shoulder. Summerstream blinked at his appearance, and tilted her head. Where the heck had be been, anyways?

“Ezekiel, why do you have a deviruchi.”

“Was forced to drag it home with me after talking to Cat last night. His name is Mash.” Ezekiel replied, and the paladin would blink, looking up from the letter she had been writing.

“Cat?” she asked. Who was this Cat person?

“Uh, well, that's what I call her; she has weird nicknames for me too, like 'Kid' and 'Sora'. She introduced herself as Cat to me. Whatever, not as if aliases are never a thing. It was take the deviruchi, or she'd try to kill me.”

“Right, uh...” Was all Summerstream could manage to say. “I see.” She looked back to what she was writing in front of her. “As long as no one saw you returning, suppose.” She was writing in Japanese, so she propped her head on her left fist, and continued to write. She felt tired.

“Of course not, man of the shadows and all that.” He would flick the deviruchi's side to wake it, “I'll take him somewhere you won't have to hear him squeal.”

“The backyard should be fine, but if it helps me stay awake, all the better.” Summerstream replied, looking at the letter with a bored expression. It was hiding her exhaustion, at least that was what she thought.

“If you prefer to hear him talk, I'm happy to handle business here.” Ezekiel probably sat down to speak to the deviruchi.

“I'm writing in Japanese, so I don't mind.” Summerstream noted, looking at the letter she had been writing. She couldn't quite focus on the words fully, but she knew what she had written. It was short, but she shook her head to try to read it over. She managed to see the sentences properly.

'I just wanted to let you know I am okay. We're planning out the next steps, and we will keep you posted, Sarutana.'

Short, simple, and to the point. She was alive, and in one piece, for the most part. Ezekiel's voice caused her to glance up to look over at him. He was feeding Mash a few shoots.

“You really should just get some sleep. Not going to be in your best shape if you don't rest.”

Fear gripped her, and it showed in her expression. She immediately looked back at the letter and pushed her glasses up with her fingers. “I do not like sleeping.” She heard her voice as if she was watching from the side. Mentally, she was thankful that the bandages on her throat hid her swallows. Summerstream didn't see Ezekiel's frown, but she heard his voice. It made her hand holding the letter tremble.

“Okay, let me put this stupid thing up to bed. Then, you tell me why you don't like sleeping. Guess it's my turn to play the listening ear.”

Dread made her jaw set itself, and her voice came out a whisker above a whisper. “If.... If I have to.”

After explaining to Ezekiel, and making them both something to eat, she went to lay down herself. Summerstream cuddled the brown scarf that she placed over her pillow, and willed a peaceful sleep to come. It started the moment she heard Mash's shrieks fade away.

The dream always started the same way. She had left home on the first day of winter to watch the snowflakes, and play in the snowdrifts that were formed from everyone clearing the paths to their doors. She was eight years old again, and she was staring at the sky with plate eyes.

The snow crunched behind her. It always did. The child Summerstream turned to see five boys, all older than she was. They weren't holding anything.

“Hey there~ We should play a game~” the first boy called out.

“Oh, what do you want to play, Wu?” the shortest one asked.

“Oh why don't we play Demon Hunters,” Wu suggested. Summerstream saw a malicious glare directed at her, and she started to step backwards. She bumped into one of the other boys.

“I-I don't want to play with you.” she said defiantly, unable to conceal her fear. The boy behind her roughly shoved her towards an alley.

“Oh, and demons do not want to be hunted~ We boys are the hunters, and you, half-breed, are the demon!”

“No...” Her voice died in her throat, her eyes moving quickly for an escape route. It was a dead end behind her, and the boys blocked the exit. She swallowed roughly. There were never any adults out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an object coming at her. It struck her just over her ear, knocking her to the ground, darkening her vision, and scattering it with stars.

“S-stop..!!” she screamed, moving her arms to protect her face and head. They didn't stop, and instead, continued relentlessly. She could feel her bones breaking, and she screamed in pain. No adults ever came to her aid. The last blow she remembered was to the back of her head.

It was then she sat bolt upright and screamed, sweating, and her heart racing.. Her breathing caught in her throat, and tears streamed down her face. She pulled her knees up, and used them to stiffle her sobbing, broken by her hyperventilating. Summerstream felt alone as her hand absently moved to the scarf.

Only this time, Ezekiel slid open the door to her room, still in his own bed clothes.

[Validon]

(Minor introduction to Seikakuna plus stuff that happened during last night's event. Don't know if this is the right spot for it either but here goes. :D)

The young, grey-haired huntress stumbled back out of the Kafra's teleportation spell, just as clumsily as she did when she had been brought to Rachel not a few hours earlier. The Kafra representation standing there in the midst of Payon chuckled softly at the girl's apparent clumsiness.

"Still not used to the teleportation spells we use?" The huntress gave a weary shake of the head.

"N-not really, eheh..." After having chased the mysterious cloaked stranger across the deserts surrounding Rachel and Thor Volcano, she was feeling rather worn out. Even as a young, able-bodied huntress, she never expected the chase to end the way it did, and neither did she expect any of the strange mechanical creatures that she and the other people who had come to investigate Thor Volcano to be as dangerous as they were.

I was lucky to have escaped with my life, haa..., she thought to herself as she walked wearily towards her home in the northern part of Payon. It was a rather small house with only the basics: a living room, a kitchen, and two beds tucked into the corner of a small bedroom. As she opened the door to the house, the sight of her adopted uncle met her eyes. Asleep... again.

"Heeeeey, Uncle~!" The huntress skipped into the room, with a slight bit more spring in her step now that she was safe at home. The man in the bed rolled over a bit, blinking his eyes wearily.

"...Huh, Seika, you're back..." He gave out a massive yawn, then tried to sit up in his bed. "So, I assume that means your first adventure was a success?" Though tired, he tried to give a small smile of encouragement to the young huntress, who responded rather quickly.

"Weeeeeeell... soooooorta." She folded her arms and swayed back and forth a little, trying to gather her thoughts on what just happened. "There was this weird cloaked guy with a bunch of... uh... robotos, or something like that, and they were making a lot of noise and digging. And then they all tried killing us, and I couldn't even put a dent in them." At this point, Seikakuna was gesturing a bit wildly as she talked, possibly a little too excited at the events from earlier. "And then and then, we chased the cloaked guy, but he was using all sorta of crazy magic to try to stop us. I was afraid I was going to get fried several times over!" Her excitement gave way to a small bit of fear as she remembered such things as having to dodge between literal meteors as she and the others were pursing the mysterious cloaked person.

"He got away in the end, though, but one of the other people who was trying to chase him said he's a really dangerous man and that he might try killing us all." The huntress stopped bouncing up and down at this point, and looked down at the ground. "...That's kinda scary, you know. I-I don't want to end up like mom and dad..." Her uncle slowly took this all in, and closed his eyes in thought.

"...Hrrm... it sounds like you have gotten into something way over your head. Although, interesting, the things that happen here in Rune-Midgart." He slowly got up, limping over the kitchen in order to make a meal, while Seikakuna merely fidgeted in place, not commenting on his ever-present injury.

"It's scary, though. I didn't think THAT would be my first adventure. That's something that only happens with heroes who are big and strong and can easily take down bad guys like that!" The uncle chuckled at this, shaking his head.

"Sometimes you end up running before learning to walk, Seikakuna. Don't forget that. Although..." He sighed wistfully. "You should still be careful. For your second adventure, don't try and be a hero. You are still young, and have a lot to learn. As I said last night, I want you to explore and learn about the world, but you must be careful." He turned to her and gave her a stern look. "You do understand this, correct?"

"Y-yes Uncle..." Seikakuna's expression visibly darkened, mostly out of disappointment. Granted, he had not said she couldn't explore at all, but she did want to try being a hero... even if she wasn't ready.

[Yurrechire]

The evening sun slithered over a tangle of blonde hair on the couch, turned it to gold with touches of crimson. Cat had tried to straighten out the mess, but the locks clung to her rough hands like spiderwebs, and, after a time, she left them alone.

The hapless woman now sat in the armchair beside the prone figure, chin-in-hand, holding a dutiful vigil. It wasn't supposed to be this way-- words were supposed to work, when it came to your own allies. Still, McWren found herself using fists more and more often to get the point across. This was not good.

Just like the wanted notices in the paper were not good, and the wild hunt that the gray-armored fey was mounting against the stupid kid she sought to protect. Sora got into things way over his head, that was true, but he did not deserve harm.

He deserved to be as he once was, a bright-eyed shadow slip amidst the towering columns of the underground cemetery, playing hide and seek with the dark. A bit of memory dislodged itself, sharp splinter- getting stuck in the softer underbelly of McWren's mind. She shook her head violently, letting go of the thought.

Slumped back in the chair, resuming her quiet study of unconscious Reilinn's bruised face.

====


A steaming plateful of scones rested atop a rock bench in a small forest shrine, complete with a jar of jam and a note.

The note read thusly: "Oh Midget of Great Tanking Abilities and Nuking Prowess! Forgive the transgressions of this puny human, and allow her to witness the joy of Your Smiting Skills once again!"

The scones were, of course, poisoned-- Yet the note seemed sincere.

Time passed, morning-turning to afternoon, before a puff of fairy dust signaled the arrival of intended target. A minute, steel-encased fey strolled into the shrine as if he owned the place, which, upon second thought, he probably did. Having read the note, Amdusias murmured something, stroking his ego, and picked up one of the scones.

Took a bite

Dropped like a brick.

Some quarter of an hour later, the tenacious brown-robed figure returned to the scene of the crime, gaze-casting about with only a faintest of hopes. Today, however, the dark god was with her, for, lo! There! A knocked-out midget on the floor!

Reaching into her belt pouch, McWren withdrew two items-- a pair of tweezers and a glass flask, acquired from a Juno sage by the name of Aurora. The small, faintly stirring body got gingerly lowered into the flask; the flask-stoppered. One Pissed-Off-Fairy-Grenade was ready to go!

Afternoon turned to evening, and as the fey regained his senses, he noticed that the gentle swaying of his glass prison was more of a jerking, galloping motion.. That cold began to permeate the insides of the flask.
For so it was, that McWren and her trusty Cookie travelled swiftly and with great intent, threatening the physical well-being of many a Kafra associate, and covering truly monumental distances from the temperate forest that the flower fey called their home.

Upon the barren wastes the rider and her mount stalked, finding at the very long last the track of the great ice wolf, the horror of Lutie fields! The bugger almost ate Cookie on a number of occasions, and now was payback time. McWren shook the flask vigorously for a time, before launching it into Garm’s face.

The Pissed-Off-Fairy-Grenade exploded upon impact, releasing a steaming, full-sized Amdusias .

"Sick'im, midget!" Called McWren with great enthusiasm, spurring the bird to get the hell out of Dodge.

====


The dream popped like a soap bubble, startling Cat from her slouch in the burgundy chair. Beside the woman’s outstretched legs, the body-imprinted sofa was conspicuously empty.

“… Now I’m dreaming about them, too? For the love of the unholy, this is getting ridiculous.”

[Aaronock]

Ezekiel Stalker – a man on the run from the law. He stared at his portrait on the front page of the Midgard Times at the table in a hidden house of Louyang. A few blinks, but not much pause for emotion. The Rogue's Guild would certainly stand by him, and not give any information to Amdusias. After all, it was they who taught him the value of information and secrecy, and that some of them held so much value that a person went down fighting keeping them in his heart.

Mash stood over the table, paws over the top and pushing his head forward to glance at the paper as well. The man did not care what the pet thought of the news, as it only mattered that the Deviruchi followed his orders. The little Deviruchi only had to listen to direction, if given the word, the little black devil would run post haste to Catherine McWren. Easy, and they rehearsed this every morning, because Ezekiel did not want to think of failure as an option on his next mission.

Summer and him completed their planning recently, and now the rogue sat restless. The books in the home read in Chinese, and he didn't know a lick of that. He could have found amusement if any of the books had any pictures, but they also lacked that. The rest of the shelves filled in with Children's Books. No point in wasting time reading those, why bother putting himself through such personal torture? Two people could only play so many games of Poker, Go Fish, and War. The man could only amuse himself juggling daggers on his fingers for so long. A walk outside would do wonders, if only he could gain reprieve to take it.

But he couldn't be bothered to do that. Too much risk, but what else to do? Ezekiel stretched out, legs poking out of the other side of the table, arms back, and head cocked up to the ceiling. His eyes closed and he sat there for a few minutes. Mash had climbed his way onto the table and began shuffling the newspaper. After a few flips of the pages within, Ezekiel had a flash of an idea!

Before Odin's first visit, he meant to handle a very important bit of personal business. The habit of getting caught up in a situation, plus his personal aversion to writing letters kept the task from getting done. However, there existed a final caveat, the one that made him shiver simply upon the moment the thought pricked his mind. This letter would find itself addressed to his wife.

After the shiver went down his spine, he sat right up, straight as a plank. To the side next to the Deviruchi, Ezekiel found a pen and some leftover paper from the other night’s plans. Before writing however, the man considered his feelings about her. It was only fair he looked back the marks she left in his life. A year away from her had certainly helped him gain a more nuanced view of the lady. But where did one begin, other than the beginning? To him, she represented a ghost, one he thought he slew the day he ran from home those many years ago, but found out two and half years ago that some ghosts never found themselves peace.

He didn’t know better back then at 12, or was it 13? Actually, it went back further than that. As a boy, he had everything in his noble family. Never had to want, anytime he did, the desire found itself fulfilled the following evening. His parents spoiled their only child, but did so because they truly believed their boy would help them rise higher in esteem and rank among the merchant classes of Alberta. They would work hard to groom him for the position, their child only had to listen, and he could continue living a life full of easy contentment.

It did not last, at a party when the child turned 7, he met a girl of the same age, and higher rank. Her family sat even higher at the top of the mountain. In their social circle, she stood heiress to the highest piles of cash, gold, and every other physical need one could imagine. Murmurs from the other nobles spoke of how people ran from her. Her parents tried to find her the perfect boy to arrange her with, but she threw fits the moment after introduction. Now both families sat afar, watching their interactions, ready to pounce on their children should they act out of their station. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. The girl simply spoke of her life and her dreams, and he only half acknowledged them. Perhaps that became the first mistake. The girl would often invite the boy over for visits as often as her parents let her. Every visit the same, she'd speak for hours on end and he just looking as if he cared and listened.

About a three years later his parents thrilled, came to their dear young boy and smothered him in hugs, kisses, and joy. The girl had just begged to have his hand in marriage. That was final, and her parents would not argue with her if it assured her happiness, and the prospect future heirs. The boy found himself as the girl’s new possession. Deep underneath, he loathed the decision, since he had no say in it. And he began to see how people in his social ranking truly treated one another.

People did not live as people, they were commodities to trade and sell out to one another. If he went and married this girl, he could live as he always had...possibly. However, they’d both live by selfish whim, using all those around to keep themselves at the top, and enrich their already “heavenly” lifestyle further. What good did living as such do for others, including himself?

The questions swirled, but he had time to ponder answers, their date of marriage would come a couple of years later yet. That day arrived, and the money with it. All for daughter to marry the other family’s son. It came as a convenience, the girl’s parents knew if they didn’t enrich the other’s family, then no agreement ever came. The boy eyed that money from far away, and saw it locked into a safe. He learned skills of wit recently from fellow boys in the street, and learned how to prowl in shadows, to watch, listen, and when to strike. That boy had plans to leave his life, before finding the doors of freedom closed to him.

Ezekiel immediately shut his thoughts there. Rubbing the temples of his forehead and standing up, and reminding himself he did not live in that time anymore. The hidden place in Louyang came back into focus, and he noticed Mash had managed to start chomping on the newspaper. A faint smile crossed his face, he picked up the Deviruchi by one of his horns, and fed him some shoots and a piece of candy. The little thing had mouth agape in confusion, but Ezekiel appreciated this distraction.

That letter would wait one more day. For when Mash finished eating, Ezekiel found a new task. One that would grant him another day’s reprieve from the onerous task on the table. The Deviruchi would find himself cleaned and polished this evening. He could only hope the little horned devil appreciated his efforts.

[Summerstream]

(Beep beep)

“ACK!! Oww....”

The impact from falling off the branch she was napping on jarred her awake. Rubbing her head, she looked up at the branch two meters above her, then at the leaves she had piled to cushion her fall. The paladin felt more refreshed than she had been before closing her eyes to rest on the tree branch. Summerstream figured out that the fall would jarr her awake, and keep her nightmares from haunting her.

At least, assuming she had a tree she could hide in. The hiding place in Louyang had only one tree she could safely perch in, and even that was risky. A groan escaped, and she pulled herself to her feet. There would probably be a bruise on her hip later. Her feet took her inside the building, and she poked her head into the room that Ezekiel was using to sleep. He was still out cold, partially due to her, which she regretted deeply. With a quiet sigh, she went into her room to make herself look presentable – some powder to hide the features that had caused the boys to beat her, the lotus shape on her forehead, her darker eyes, and after a moment's hesitation, she took out a small white container with two wells and stared at it, before opening it. Inside, a pair of brown contacts.

“...Considering what's going on, I'll have to...” she whispered, and opened it, staring at the silver mirror. With a squint, she took off her glasses and dipped her fingers in the small pot of water, and inserted them, blinking rapidly after each insertion. Summerstream winced as they slid into place, and her vision cleared. It looked like a completely different woman was staring back at her. She smiled faintly, then changed into her more traditional garb, a simple navy blue qi pao, with a single slit up the left leg and a dark orange dragon design tracing its way up the right. She then left quietly, carefully closing the door, and went to the market.

Once in the market, a newspaper was shoved into her hands by a passing boy, and she looked down at it. She almost swore, but bit her lip. Staring at her was a picture of her, wearing her armor, among a sketched picture of Ezekiel, and images of Lucretia and Cynbel. Instead of looking at it more, she folded it and calmly put it under her arm with a faint smile, before continuing on her way through the market. An hour later, she returned to the hideout with basic medicines, and some food. In another bag, she had buns that had just been baked. She was happy with her haul, and put the items away.

The picture of her family caught itself in the corner of her eye, and she turned to stare at it. Bushido hugging her from behind, and in their arms they were both holding Tyr and Freyr, both two at the time. The four of them all wore happy smiles on her face. She thought back to the paper that laid on the table, and her nightmares. Her eyes watered slightly.

“Half-breed.... Do I really belong with them?”

Her voice was barely a whisper, when she realized she did not have the answer to her own question. Summerstream picked up the picture frame to look at it, then set it back down. She returned to her room to remove the contacts, and to put her glasses back on. The next thing she did, was return to her tree perch.

Her soft sobs were hidden by the rustling leaves.

[Validon]

(RP shenanigans led to this, and this'll lead to an absence from the next RP event or two. :D)

The door to the small house in the midst of Payon opened slowly, and the young huntress, Seikakuna, looked inside carefully. Her uncle was sitting at the table, staring out the window. "Oh, you're back so soon, Seika? I would have thought your hunt would have lasted a bit longer." He chuckled a bit, then motioned to the other chair nearby. "Come here, sit." Seikakuna fidgeted, looking a bit nervous, moreso than she usually did around the house. Her uncle, sharp-eyed as ever, laughed quite a bit at her nervousness.

"Oho, does something have you down, Seika? Come on, you can tell me, it's fine." Seikakuna shuffled inside, hands behind her back, and she quietly sat down. She started to try speaking a few times, and got her words tumbled and mixed and scattered.

"W-well, you see... I mean I want to... Uncle I... Uncle I'll be going away for awhile." Her uncle slowly nodded his head, but his eyebrows furrowed.

"Did you find a new adventure out there while on the hunt?" She shook her head.

"No no, it's still about that fairy. I gotta track her down, she still has Payon to answer for." She gave him a small grin, though. "Don't worry too much about it, I'm going to get someone from the village to look after you. I might be a couple weeks, but it'll all be fine. Just uh..." Her grin dropped to a sorrowful glance. "...I'm sorry for leaving again so soon, and I'm not sure when I'll return, either..."

"...I see." Her uncle nodded and this again, frowning. "...Seika, I do not know what you are doing, but I can tell it is certainly no simple-minded adventure. It's dangerous to travel alone like you are. You do realize..."

"I'll be fine! I'll have Mae with me, and my bow!" Seikakuna smiles again with a nod. "With them by my side, I'll be fine~. Besides, I'll be suuuper careful on the trip, I won't let anyone get the drop on me!" Her enthusiasm for adventure was showing again, much to her uncle's chargin.

"Even so, Seika, I swore to your father I would care for you if anything were to happen to him. I don't want you to go out and put yourself in danger like this!" His voice was rather serious and angry, which for a brief second made Seikakuna reel. But only for a second.

"I know!" She suddenly shouted rather angrily back. "But if I don't do anything and just sit here, the wrong people might try to follow the same leads, and people are going to get hurt! I need to do this! Please, I couldn't help Payon, and I've tried so hard to help you, but let me help others for once, okay?" Her uncle was taken aback at her sudden outburst. This... meant something to her, didn't it?

"...What is it you intend to do, though?" Seikakuna bit her tongue for a moment, thinking of how best to answer this.

"I'm going to chase down the bad guys," she finally said. "I'm going to find out where they went, and I'm going to confront that fairy face to face. I might find nothing, but if I can at least try to get ahead of that other fairy..." She closed her eyes and nodded. "It's worth the risk. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. And I'm not alone in this, there's people who're going to help." Her uncle still looked at her rather seriously... before giving a soft sigh.

"...You have your parents' spirits in you. They were brave souls, who would go to the ends of the earth to try and help those in need. If that is the calling you are drawn to, I would be a fool to not let you walk the road of your parents. However..." he trailed off. "The road they walked led to death, because they got in over their heads. You must be certain that the road you walk does not end that way. I would never forgive myself if you were hurt, Seika..." The young huntress stammered for a bit.

"U-uncle... no worries." She gave him a firm nod. "I'll come back alive and well! I wouldn't forgive myself if I left you here without ever returning!" She almost jumps on top of him as she attempted to give him a massive hug.

"S-Seika, be careful...!" Her uncle winced a bit at how hard she was squeezing him, before finally gasping for breath as she let go.

"S-sorry, Uncle!" She giggled a bit, but she did feel bad. After all, she would be away for some time. Who knows what her adventure would bring? Only time will tell...

[Summerstream]

(>:D)

“You carried me here when I was unconscious!”

“I state the point further.”

“Nnn.... P-please -”

“I will hear no more, if all you are to do is beg. Leave me. I have to ensure your tracks are burnt.”

Summerstream stared quietly at the man sitting behind his desk rifling through papers before she turned on her heel and exited the room, sliding the door shut a little too quickly, causing a slam to be heard through the majority of the building. To think that man that was sitting there was the same she married two years ago. She gritted her teeth as she walked down the hallway with a hand on her stomach, her heavy footfalls echoing. Various servants ducked out of her way, lest be shoved roughly to the side.

Her thoughts drifted to Ezekiel being cramped inside yet another building, and sighed irritably. Mind you, this time she was in the same situation, as her wonderful husband forbade both of them from leaving the building. She had a little more freedom to roam, but even she wasn't allowed to go out into the forests surrounding the village they had moved their hiding spot to. She irritably slid open the door to her room and looked inside. There wasn't even a spec of dust in it, still the same as it was when she left once she was well. On the desk was a small black box, and she opened it to have two rings staring back at her. She snapped the box shut and dropped it on the desk in disgust before throwing herself onto her bed to stare at the ceiling.

“I'll die before I wear those willingly. I can't believe I married such an insensitive prick of a human!” She took one of the pillows near her and threw it at the wall, before slamming her fist into the mattress, and left it there for a few minutes, letting her anger pass. Once her mind cleared, she looked down at her clenched hand, which had grown sticky. She opened it, and looked at her palm to see that her nails had dug in, and left cuts. With a quiet 'tsk', she got up and pulled from her bag the medicine supplies she had gotten the day before. The wounds weren't deep, so she just bound it with a cloth strip. Easy enough. She put the small bag away, then looked around the room. Emotional talons grasped at her heart as she paced the small room. Underneath it all, she felt a painful sorrow. Summerstream removed gingerly from her bag the portrait of her family and stared at it as she walked. “At least it is me and not my kids,” she murmured as she passed her own desk, and set the frame down onto it, and took the box with her wedding rings into her hand. She continued pacing.

Her pacing feet lead her from her room to where Ezekiel was brought to. She paused, hearing his own feet brush floor in his own pacing. After biting her lip, she knocked and slid open the door.

“Eze-” She didn't even get his name out.

"You know, perhaps I should watch my words, but you must know there is a boiling anger I'm doing my best at this moment to suppress!” The master rogue had rounded on her in an instant. Summerstream took a startled half step back, before entering fully, and sliding the door shut behind her. He looked damn annoyed.

"I should kick your ass for sending us both to this beautiful forest prison!" Summerstream felt something in her snap, and she straightened up, before she told herself to calm down. She breathed her emotions out in a sigh before she replied.

“Go ahead and scream and yell at me! Its not like I'm unused to being beaten up by humans!” Barely quelled in her rage, Summerstream somehow managed to not yell at Ezekiel. She bit her tongue, hard. No point in snapping.

“Gods, you sound as if I'm going to never talk to you again. I am not so stupid as to turn away our alliance over nothing.” It was Ezekiel's turn to sigh, and Summerstream ground her teeth again before grumbling.

“Yeah, I made a mistake.” She leaned against the wall, still fuming, “I'm not good at dealing with these... situations.”Summerstream looked at the black box she was clutching in her injured hand. Meanwhile, Ezekiel had sat down on his bed to stop his own pacing, and crossed his arms.

“Fair enough, and I've dealt with them, so let me explain how running from the law works.” He paused for effect. “You don't get to live like you used to, in comfort. You keep your eyes open at all times. The land becomes your master.” He nodded his head in the direction of her husband's office. “However, if I did not settle a deal with that man fast, he would have killed me.”

Believe me, I know.

Summerstream had wanted to say that. She had been sitting there behind her husband the entire time. She had seen his hand twitch towards his daggers. Her eyes closed, and she threw the black box with her wedding rings inside at him. Instead, she simply spoke six words.

“Open it, and figure out why.”

“Sorry, I get what these are, but I don't understand the meaning.” Ezekiel had replied after opening the box and examining the contents. He tossed the box back at her after examining the box itself.

“That man you spoke with was my husband.”

“And he seems like the type of guy to make cut and dry deals. I had to make one fast with him because, unfortunately, I do not stand on equal footing. That much he also knew. The man is scrupulous, but I do not understand your own feelings. I guess you can't explain them here.”

She simply shook her head in response. “I had asked him after you left to give you permission to go outside. He told me no.” She crossed her arms, and looked at the ceiling. She could hear movement over her head, and she stared right at the spot if was coming from. The sound moved away.

“I don't blame him, he's a careful man to lead a bunch like this,” Ezekiel sighed as if to gather his thoughts, “You sit at a precarious position. I don't know your feelings, and cannot get them from you. But I think I stress heavily now if you continue this path with me then you cannot be guaranteed safety.” Summerstream looked back at him as he stared straight at her before continuing, “In other words this man can protect you, and perhaps even integrate you into normal human society-”

Summerstream stopped listening, Ezekiel's voice fading as she felt her blood turn to ice. She gripped her arms, trying to tone down her body language. He mentioned Lucretia somewhere in there, but she met his response with a cold chuckle. Her gaze was hard, and cold.

“Integrate with the people who left me half-dead in an alley?” Summerstream spat, “Integrate with the people who sealed my other side so I wouldn't scare people? You do realize what you were asking, right?” She paused to smile coldly at Ezekiel. She let a few seconds pass before she continued with a simple sentence. Her hatred for what had been done to her overshadowed her tone. Summerstream realized for a moment that she was feeling the same way that Lucretia had been before.

“I do not trust humans easily.”

“In other words, you don't care about the potential costs.” Summerstream heard Ezekiel chuckle, “Very well, but I just figured you needed to know the choices in front of you. Coming with me any further now means no easy turn backs. You better be ready that things will turn upside down for you more than they have already.”

Summerstream closed her eyes, and pictured the sons she had been forced to tell their father to take. She pictured their faces, and their reactions once she returned home. Would they still readily accept her? Her head shook a little, and she opened her eyes to stare into Ezekiel's eyes. There was no hesitation in her gaze.

“Considering everything my life has been? I don't trust these people, even if I have them to thank for my standing here today.” Summerstream declared, her voice that had grown cold before was full of conviction. She straightened up, and raised her head. “I will go with you. We are the best hope that Lucretia has for getting through this alive. We have to protect her from Amdusias.”

Ezekiel started to stare at her. She watched his gaze search her face, and judge her body language. It was several minutes before he spoke again.

“Freedom doesn't mean happiness, but it does mean a way forward. Fine, we'll make sure Lucretia isn't harmed by Amdusias. The plans haven't changed there.”

Summerstream smiled, and put her head against the wood support behind her. “I would much rather fight for my happiness, than have it given to me in a silver platter.” She looked at Ezekiel with a motherly gaze. “You can take the reins. Just tell me what needs doing.”

[Summerstream]

(....Double posting /otl)

“..Thank you... Really.”

“You owe me.”

Back and forth, a comforting stroking motion was lulling her to sleep. It was the last sensation she had as she drifted off into her dreams after murmuring the three words. She was curled into a pillow, her head resting on another. Fitting, considering the childish way she had been lulled to sleep. If anyone walked into the room when she slept like this, it would look innocent. Fighting the urge to collapse, she had begged, Ezekiel to help her fall asleep. She couldn't let the people in the small village find out about her sleeping trouble. Summerstream wouldn't let herself be blamed for waking everyone.

She couldn't take her nightmares anymore.

It was the trick that Bushido had done for her before. Petting her head as she drifted off to help trick her mind into thinking she was safe. Somehow, in the few minutes it took for her to pass out, it worked.

She opened her eyes blinking at a wooden ceiling.

'How odd. That's not what my roof looks like,' Summerstream thought, before becoming aware of a familiar, dull ache in her hips and neck. When she sat up, she took in her surroundings; a vase with fragrant lavender in it, crutches leaning against the night table, a medicine bowl to the side on a round table, warmth from the fire that crackled in a small hearth, and a mirror that was on the wall. She blinked, and it took the survey of the room to realize that she was dreaming. Her bandages were fresh, she noted, as she reached for the nearby crutches and used them to help herself to her feet.

She winced as her feet brushed the cold floor and took her weight. Trembling from the effort, she went over to the window to look outside. Lanterns were being hung from long lines in the square as snowflakes drifted down onto the workers. She felt a smile form on her face as she half-limped and half hobbled out of the room she had woken in, and down the hall. Her child self needed to lean against the wall only twice to catch her breath, continuing with gritted teeth after each time.

“Ah! Summerstream, you're awake. I was about to bring you something to eat in case you were too sore from therapy yesterday.” A familiar voice sounded, and she looked in its direction. Sitting there at the table with a cup of tea was a large man with vibrant red hair. He spoke in Chinese as he looked at her with a warm gaze.

The words came faster than she remembered they did. “I'm a little sore, but I think it is from the cold. I saw that they were hanging lanterns outside. What are they for?”

“They're celebrating the new year tonight. Come, sit down.” The man said, gesturing to a chair with two pillows on it. Summerstream limped over to the chair before sitting down in it. She was given two balls of herbs, and a cup of warm tea. Obediently, she took the herbs first, and used the tea to help them down. After, she grimaced at the taste, and she looked at the man again. He had gotten up to fill a bowl with rice, and add some vegetables to the mixture. She recognized the 'c' shape, and tried not to lick her lips in anticipation. It was stir fried bitter melon with soy sauce.

“Can we go see it? I've never seen it!” Summerstream asked with a grin as he came back over, setting the bowl and chop sticks in front of her. After murmuring a quick thank you, she picked the chopsticks up to start eating. Her hands trembled from the effort, making it hard to grip the melon and shovel it with the rice, but she refused to have to use a spoon like she had before. She was recovering! She was able to do this!

“We shall see. You still have to work on your upper body strength. Don't think I didn't see you take those breaks!” he teased with a warm smile.

Summerstream huffed, her mouth too full to reply. The man laughed at her face and patted her on the head gently. “Oh don't make that face! I'll take you to see it. You've been working really hard these past few months.”

She swallowed and giggled. “Yaaay~” Summerstream sounded pleased. The man rubbed her on the head again, and went back to looking at the papers in front of him, and Summerstream ate in silence. She could feel the dull ache in her neck and hips fade away, and she set the empty bowl back onto the table with her chopsticks laid neatly over the rim.

The man had noticed this, and smiled. “Good. I'll bring this into the kitchen for you, and then let's start for the day. We still have a bit to go before you can walk without the crutches.” Summerstream nodded. She knew where to go; down the hall and into the second room on the right. Standing with the crutches, she made her way to the hall, before moving with the man. Out of habit, she looked into the other rooms. A young man was recovering from a sword wound, and a young lady was sound asleep. Right now, she was like them, being treated for injuries. A little more than a year ago, she was helping them too, with the man's wife. Making sure they were comfortable, that everything was okay. Occasionally there was the odd person who couldn't be helped, so she spent their last days with them, singing like the man's wife had taught her, and trying to make the time they had left comfortable.

Summerstream thought of the people she had helped as the man helped her through her exercises. She wasn't doing this just for herself. She was doing this so that she could keep helping. The man had told her that she would have a limp for the rest of her life because he found her so late. She didn't blame him for being too slow. She blamed herself for being unable to defend herself.

Late morning turned to afternoon, and she was breathing hard by the end.

“That is good for today. Now, do you want to go to your first festival?”

“Yes~” Summerstream replied enthusiastically. She was bone tired, but mention of the festival made her fatigue fade for the moment. After changing into something warm, and comfortable, the man crouched down. Summerstream pulled herself onto his shoulders, and sat there.

“Let me know if it gets too cold. You'll be in pain tomorrow if you catch a chill.”

Summerstream nodded. “Okay, Earl~” she giggled, hugging his head as they went outside. She towered over everyone, and had the best view of the festivities. Her eyes were wide, straining to take in everything.

The lanterns that were hung were lit, casting beautiful red light over the crowd. A drum beat steadily, and people handed red envelopes to each other. Some people were peeling oranges, and others were sharing fortunes. Everyone wore a smile on their face, and red on their bodies. A boy had even offered her one of the orange, and she peeled it after thanking him. The citrus taste surprised her, but it was tangy and enjoyably sweet at the same time. She never had an orange before.

The rest of the festival was lost in a blur of memories, but she knew that she enjoyed herself. When her head returned to her pillow, weariness took her consciousness swiftly. The sleep she had was comfortable, a hard day of work rewarded by the new year.

If only every night could be like this.

Summerstream blinked awake and yawned, stretching like a cat. Her neck ached faintly, reminding her of her dream. After rubbing her eyes, she put her glasses on and looked around the room. Light was shining in through the windows, light, golden rays leaving long, dark shadows on the tatami mat floor. She was alone.

“Mnnngh~” Summerstream groaned as she stretched, arching her back, feeling various joints crack. She blinked repeatedly, confused. “What time is it....?”

Her thoughts drifted back to her dream as she went to look outside. The sun was in the western sky, already about a quarter of the way from its highest point towards the horizon. She blinked, taking a moment to figure out how long she had slept for. Honestly? She had no idea, but however long she had slept for made her feel refreshed.

“Earl, shit, I wonder how you'd react to everything,” Summerstream mused as she leaned out the open window. She had a perfect view of the little village they had moved their hiding place to. “After all, I had only run away to protect your daughter. She will be turning fifteen this year/” She folded her arms on the still and rested her chin on her arms, and closed her eyes. The wind played with the leaves of the trees, rustling both the leaves, and catching her bangs. She could hear the whispers among them.

“Why did a human like you take me in, Earl? Why would you risk your life and family just to make sure I survived?” Summerstream whispered. She focused hard on her memories, scrambled from years of sleep deprivation. The only clear memory that ever hinted at anything, was the picture of her parents, Earl, and his wife each holding a beautiful, white flower. She had asked if she could keep the picture.

The name of this flower was forgotten, but she knew it was important that she did not forget it. She put her forehead on the still to try to recall the name, then sighed in vain. She looked towards the journal that was open on her desk. Summerstream flipped to the beginning of it, and took out the old image.

“Mama, Dad, Earl and Emmy.” Summerstream tapped the image as she said the names, but she did not remember the name of the flower. Her mother had just been starting to show, and she blinked. “Is that me making her stomach large?” She furrowed her brows again.

Why was the name of this flower so important?

Her whispers, meanwhile, remained unanswered. They had blended in perfectly with the wind rustling the leaves in the trees.

[Validon]

The figure of a grey-haired huntress slowly came into view by one of the guardsmen around the town of Rachel. She seemed to be walking rather slowly, tired but still hanging on. Her falcon was perched on her shoulder, keeping a close lookout while her owner was busying trying to drag her feet. One of the guardsmen ran towards her and grabbed her by the arm before slinging her over his shoulder (causing the falcon to fly up in a semi-confused way).

"H-hey, what're you..." The huntress was confused at the sudden action, while the guardsman just huffed.

"I'm bringing you to town, you look like you're about to pass out. It would be bad if I let someone in the desert die on my watch." The huntress was still a little delirious, but she could understand that.

"T-thanks..." The guardsman would give a sharp nod and carried her into the town. The huntress soon recognized the streets and buildings as the guardsman carried her towards one of the inns around the town. It was the same town that she and a few other people had chased the mysterious cloaked schemer into yet failed to capture. She was a bit surprised to return here so suddenly, but at the same time wondered if there was a little more meaning to this town than at first glance.

The guardsman dropped her off at the inn and gave a quick salute before heading back to his post. The huntress, Seikakuna, took the time to talk to the innkeeper and request a room. Thankfully, even after the steep price she had to pay to get to Amatsu, she had enough money for room and board for awhile, and if worst came to worst, she could go hunt and try to earn some extra money that way. She could have also easily decided to go home. After all, she had her uncle to return to, to try to explain what had happened, and to try to seek guidance on how to best proceed.

But she had openly defied the fairy, Amdusias. She stood directly between him and the two fugitives who he had been tracking down in Amatsu. If she returned to Payon now, she risked getting caught and captured by him and his lot. For now, all she could do was stay away, to keep her uncle from being found and taken too. He had done nothing wrong, of course, but if she was captured, who's to say he wouldn't be brought in too? It was a risk she didn't want to take.

She slumped into the room she had rented, laying down on the bed with a quick sigh. It was a small room, with a window over looking some of the markets. Her falcon landed on the bed next to her, staring at her with small, serious eyes.

"...I know, Mae, we're in trouble now..." The falcon merely flapped her wings and climbed onto her chest, scratching at it a little. "H-hey, Mae, that tickles! Maeee!" The falcon continued, not seeming to care too much about her owner's reactions. Eventually Seikakuna grabbed her and put her down on the bed beside her. "Thaaat's enough out of you! Time out, time out!" She laughed a bit before sitting back up. A little humor like this would go a long way to help. Now then, she couldn't just lay here all day. Just a quick rest, and she needed to be back up on her feet. She looked around for something to write on, and something to write with, before quickly getting to work on writing a letter, much like a letter she had previously sent while at Amatsu.

Dear Catherine,

Well, if you got my last letter, you'll know I was able to run into Ezekiel and Summerstream in Amatsu, but since I didn't see you there, maybe you didn't get it. I'll explain things again, just in case. When I ran into them, they threatened me, made me swear not to go report to Amdusias. I never was going to anyways, so I easily agreed to that, but they were a little scary about it. They also told me about why Lucretia was in Payon, and about the duplicate Moonlight Flower Bell. I never knew our elders even had it, I thought it was locked away in the caves. That bell is really important, and they said I needed to go track it down and break it before someone else uses it. I was given a list of names, but I don't know if you know any of them. I'll mention them in a second.

I was going to wait for you to come to Amatsu as I asked in the previous letter, but Amdusias came and tracked down Ezekiel and Summerstream with a bunch of adventurers. I recognized one of them, Aja, she was there at the whole mess with Thor's Volcano too. She questioned his actions, and I tried getting in the way before he could try capturing them. We probably gave just enough of a distraction to help them get out of there. Then everyone chased them into the forests. It was hard trying to follow after them, and they ran all over the place, but a bunch of us were able to follow them into a portal some strange voice made. After that, though, I didn't know where they went. The portal led into a desert, but I guess we came out too late, because we didn't see where they'd gone off to. I saw Rachel in the distance, though, so I just went there while I had the chance. I think everyone else for the most part used butterfly wings or something to get out. I don't carry those on me, so I was less lucky...

I'm staying here in Rachel now, because I'm pretty sure if I go anywhere where Amdusias will be, he'll try to arrest me for getting in his way. I want to find Ezekiel and Summerstream, but I'm sure they'll be fine... wherever they are in this desert. Hopefully you haven't wasted your time going to Amatsu when no one's there now, because I need to talk to you here in Rachel. Nikki, Sacerdos, Galoo, Reilinn, and Ciar, they're the ones I'm looking for. One of them has the bell, but I don't know which one, and I need your help. We can talk more when you get here, there's a lot more to discuss and I don't want this letter to be too long. Sorry for dragging you into this, too. Rachel's a bit out of the way, eheh.

Safe travels, and godspeed!

Seikakuna

With the letter written, Seikakuna quickly folded it up with a smile. Things would turn out right. They had to, didn't they?