An Earned Rest (1/2)

"Ah!" Felkin suddenly sat upwards, panting heavily and covered in cold sweat. "What? What is-" He exclaimed in a panic, as he reached upwards to remove the thing that was covering his eyes. "Hey, hey! Calm down." A voice reassured him nearby. Felkin stopped his flailing, before calmly removing the blindfold on his face but covering his eyes with one hand, due to not being unaccustomed to the light. "Where... are we?" Felkin remarked, as the room started to be clearer in his view. "Woah!" He said, as he saw the radiant landscape outside the window. Felkin tried to sit up but he was unable to, and instead he fell backwards onto the bed. "Oh." He exclaimed.

"You shouldn't stand up yet." Kieron said, from a chair beside the bed and standing over him. "Kieron. Where... What happened?" Felkin asked, rubbing his head. "Don't worry. We're... safe now." Kieron replied. "Wait... The battle. Are you alright? The others... are they safe?" Felkin tried to stand up once more, but was unable to. "Don't worry. They're here, they're safe. You... should rest. You... were the one most injured for all of us, and because of you, we all got home safe." Kieron answered.

Felkin breathed a sigh of relief. He then quickly looked at the sides of the bed, and then snatched his sword from the ground. He held up the sword but then the memory of the battle jolted him, and he lost the strength to grip his weapon, with it falling onto the ground. "Ack!" He exclaimed, as memories of searing flames and his own agonized scream which was alien to him came rushing in. As he opened his eyes, he frantically rubbed and checked his arms and his face, breathing heavily while doing so. "Hey, you're fine. Calm down. Breathe." Kieron said, while grasping his shoulders. His inhalation and exhalation became slower and slower until becoming normal. His eyes were dilated but returned to normal as he calmed down. "I'm... calm. I'm okay." Felkin remarked calmly.

Kieron then let go of his shoulders and returned to her chair. Felkin then looked up at his arms once more. "My arms and my body..." He exclaimed. "Yeah, they healed." She replied. "I've healed before, but... I didn't expect to recover from... Well, that." said Felkin. "Honestly... We didn't either." Kieron said quietly, Felkin looked up and saw faint tear stains below her eyes. The door then opened with Yuria and Iris checking up on Felkin. "He's..." Iris remarked but Yuria exclaimed: "You're awake!" She ran up with open arms and hugged Felkin who was surprised, but reciprocated and patted her back. "Hey..." He greeted them. "We... Didn't think you were going to make it! You... Looked like a crispy piece of bacon!" Yuria exclaimed, suddenly bawling and hugging Felkin tighter.

"Hmph." Kieron remarked, with a frown. "Hey, it's okay. I'm... okay now. Back to normal." Felkin comforted. "Yeah, I'm alright now." Said Yuria, wiping tears and snot from her face with her arm and walking back. "I'm sorry to say that you haven't recovered fully yet. With the hours after we recovered you, you've been in and out of consciousness. Your body is still healing. And... the effects are visibly apparent." Iris handed a nearby mirror from the wall to Felkin who inspected his appearance using it. "Huh." He exclaimed. The effects of the battle did not leave him unscathed, who had burns on his face and on his arms. He had one above his right eye on his forehead, and one patch on his cheek. He also had the marks beneath his shoulders, near his elbows and the middle of his forearms unintentionally forming a pattern.

"This..." Felkin had a small smile. "Unexpected response." Iris remarked. "Why... do you seem happy?" Yuria asked. "It's..." Felkin sighed. "A reminder of what happened. A memento of a failure. I... want something from the past that I can still hold onto. Besides, I've lost the wound you stitched up already." He said to Kieron with a smile, attempting to light up the mood after his dreary words. "That's... Not a normal response!" Kieron said, lightly punching Felkin's shoulder. "Ow... Alright, alright. I'm sorry..." He remarked, but they were both smiling. Though Felkin did not realize it, Kieron was reminded of Grisham and his burns.

"Well, you shouldn't be moving around or standing up too much. " Said Iris. "Figures." Felkin answered. "That goes the same for you." Iris turned towards Yuria and grasped her shoulder. "Ope." Yuria exclaimed. "She should still be resting but she was antsy ever since you and Metas were brought in here, so she was spending time walking around and going in and out of you two's rooms instead of getting some rest." Iris said towards Felkin. "Yep. She was pretty worried about you." Kieron added. "I see..." Felkin remarked. "Well, I better get her back to her room. You haven't eaten or drank anything so I think I'll bring some from downstairs. Also, there's another reason why you shouldn't get out of bed. When we brought you here, we just put a blanket over your body. Because everybody was so preoccupied, we never uh... Got the chance to put clothes on you. So... keep that in mind." Said Iris, before the two of them exited the room.

Felkin retreated and pulled the blanket up and covered himself up to his eyes; hiding himself, flustered. He then turned over on his back under the covers. "I'll just get some clothes for you to change into." Said Kieron, standing up. Suddenly, Felkin's sword began to coil and twist in on itself and scratched the wooden floorboards. "Is... there something wrong?" Kieron asked. Felkin's hands were clenched, and then he pounded on the soft bed with his fists. "I... I lost..." Felkin remarked, with tears streaming down his face. "Hey..." Kieron exclaimed. "I... couldn't win. I couldn't beat her..." Felkin remarked, with his sword reflecting his emotions, seemingly twisting in agony.

"You... saved us. It was because of you that we survived. You protected us. You did well." Kieron answered. "But... How? When you came back for me... How did you escape, did you fight them off?" Felkin asked. "No. We... were in a desperate attempt to rescue you, but we couldn't. Right before an attack hit me, I... made a plea to her. To that being. Somehow, I... convinced her to let us go." "You... Talked her... out of it?" Felkin said, flabbergasted and bewildered. It was as if a knot he had unknowingly untied within himself due to the revelation. "But wait, she just you guys off, without any conditions or demands?" He asked.

"Well... She said that she would give us a week of reprieve. But only so we can recover and give her a "better show". And that the heirs of fire will recover only so she can make a better decision after a fair contest from them." Kieron answered. "Then! We aren't free from danger yet! If I managed to beat her..." "Then you and your friends would have been overwhelmed by the might of an entire army of that nation." Nox's spectral form interrupted Felkin's words. "Nox. I was going to ask if you guys were fine, but it seems like you two are alright..." Felkin exclaimed. "Well... we are already dead..." Solis appeared and remarked. "Hmph." Said Nox.

"They expended quite a bit of energy transporting us through the realms." Said Kieron. "Thank you, for doing that for us. I'll also have to thank you or whoever was the one who healed me..." Felkin answered, calmed. "Actually... The ones here ran out of magic transporting us, and they also spent some of it healing Metas. You were in such a dismal state that... You were the only one capable of healing yourself." Kieron answered. "Huh." Felkin remarked. "I know that even if we won we probably won't make it out, but... Losing... sucks." He added. "The consequences could still have been dire. Inciting a war from an entire nation... Maybe this outcome was something that would be hard to prevent." Solis answered. "Maybe..." Felkin said to himself. "With thanking the others, I think you can do that yourself." Said Kieron, as more footsteps neared the door.

The door opened: N, Asralyn and Ellyn entered. "Hey, we heard that you were awake." Said N. "I... am awake." Felkin remarked. "Are you... alright?" Ellyn asked. "I don't think I can move much, and some parts of me haven't seemed to heal. But... I'm fine." He responded, sitting up. "You... Even though it was unintentional, you helped saved me. For that, thank you. And also... thanks for... helping my brother." Asralyn shyly remarked, holding her hand out which Felkin shook. "You're... welcome. With Metas, I admit even though I don't know him much, he's helped me a great deal. Last I saw him he was pretty hurt. Is he... alright?" Felkin asked.

"He's been conscious, but now he's asleep." Said N. "Well, if you need anything..." Ellyn remarked. "Well Iris said she was fetching food and water and a set of clothes, so that's all I need for now, but I have a question." Said Felkin. "Hmm? What is it?" Kieron asked. "What's with the blindfold? Is it to suprise me? I'm... confused." Felkin asked, perplexed. "Ah, oh. That was because of the particular type of of magical energy coursing through your body. See, when we retrieved you, your eyes were fully exposed. Because your eyelids were um..." N started to explain. "I remember. I couldn't close my eyes because my eyelids were burnt off. But what happened next?" Felkin asked. "The energy of the abyss that's coursing through your veins, it's what healed you." N exclaimed. 'Then... without my knowledge, 'she' must've...' Felkin thought.

"But as a result of that, the energy leaked out of your eyes, and it was dangerous for all of us to be around you without your eyes covered." Nox exclaimed. "I see. I'm sorry I caused that much trouble for you guys." Felkin remarked. "No, no... No problem." N remarked, waving the issue away. "If you don't need anything..." N remarked. "You... can go." Felkin replied, as the three awkwardly stood in the doorway. Asralyn went first, then Ellyn and then N followed suit. Iris then entered the room with a tray with a plate of food and a glass of water on it. "Do want anything else to eat? Or is this fine?" Iris asked. "It's fine." Felkin remarked as Iris laid the tray on his bedside table. "I've also gathered some basic male clothing, if you want anything else, there's a few more clothes in this, and the other rooms here in the second floor." Iris remarked.

"Okay. Thank you." Said Felkin as Iris handed him a set of clothes that were folded over her elbow. As Iris exited the room, Felkin examined the tray of food and the clothes and turned towards Kieron who was looking at him, Solis and Nox retreated back into the weapon. "Do you need..." "I don't need help with this stuff. But, thank you." Felkin answered. "Alright, just yell if you need anything." Said Kieron, standing up and exiting the room. She closed the door behind her and she leaned on it while sighing deeply. She turned her head behind her, before walking out to the railing and stairs.

"I heard he's awake." Serafion said, still scribbling some notes while seated downstairs. "Yeah, we told you." Ellyn exclaimed. "Hmph... Just making polite conversation." Serafion tiredly remarked. "This place is getting too crowded..." She muttered under her breath. "He's ... recovering. Not fully healed, but he'll be fine." Kieron exclaimed. "Well... Don't know the boy much, but still good to hear." Serafion answered, still not looking up.

Downstairs, there was Ellyn, Iris and Serafion simply hanging about, trying to relax or to kill time as the others recover. In the room where Metas was lying, Asralyn and N were watching over him. In the last upstairs room, Yuria lay on the bed but could not sleep. Kieron stared into the distance with the occupied house she was therein reminding her of her time she was in Grisham's group, the time she was with the bandits, and the time she spent in the desert temple. But she shook off her thoughts as memories of the tragedies of the past came flooding back. She then walked past the two rooms looking into them. She saw Yuria lying down on the bed, but was still worried and awake. She then looked into the other room and saw Metas stirring as N and Asralyn watching over him.

Alone in the room, Felkin took the tray and laid it onto his lap. He picked up the cup of water with one hand. "Oh!" He unexpectedly struggled and supported the full glass with both of his hands as he was unable to carry it up with only one hand. He drank a few heavy gulps of water before laying it back down on the tray and looking towards the food. On the plate, there was a tough piece of bread, slices of ham, and a small block of cheese. He picked up and ate a bite from each individually, and then took the knife and fork from the tray and cut up the bread into slices. 'Each of this is good individually, but...' He then sliced the cheese and put a piece of it, and a piece of meat in between two sliced pieces of bread. He ate the whole thing in a few swift bites and was delighted with the result. "Mmm..." He remarked. He carried the tray and placed it back on the bedside table, but then saw crumbs from the bed had fallen all over him.

While carrying the folded clothes in his armpit, he held onto the bed frame with his other hand for support, he then stood up and brushed off the crumbs from himself. While still holding onto the bed, he put on each article of clothing. Cloth underpants, a pair of trousers, and then a plain tunic shirt. He looked at his sword at the ground and he picked it up and looked at it with great familiarity like it was a part of himself. He sat back on the bed and leaned on the wall while fully extending his legs. "Hope these will last a while..." Felkin said to himself inspecting his new clothes. 'The clothes the people from the desert gave me, they're gone. And the clothes I had before... I don't know where they came from, maybe they were the ones I wore where 'I' came from.' He then raised his sword and looked at his own arms. "My arms..." 'I lost them in that fight... With every battle, I keep getting hurt badly. But due to the power of the abyss, I healed myself. But did the power of darkness speed up me healing naturally? Or does it create new parts from the darkness itself?' Felkin asked himself.

'If I get cut up or cut in half... Which part would I heal from? The one connected to my head? What if I was cut cleanly in half down the nose?' The thoughts of these potential eviscerations intruded upon his mind. "Heurgh..." Felkin shook his head and his thoughts away. "Are you alright in there?" Kieron asked. Felkin stood up and walked up to the door holding his sword. "I'm done." He remarked as he opened the door. "Hello." Kieron greeted. "Hey." Felkin answered, walking back, and trying to pick up the tray with one hand while still holding his sword with one hand. "Hmph..." The tray on Felkin's hand wobbled as he struggled to lift it upwards, and the strain of the action was present on his face. "Whoa." Kieron caught the tray before its contents toppled over. "I can-" Felkin exclaimed in reaction to her catching the tray, but as he turned towards her, his frustration cooled. "Can't do it." He sighed. "Thanks for the help." Felkin remarked.

"No problem." Said Kieron. They exited the room with Kieron carrying Felkin's tray, and with Felkin himself trying to maintain balance while walking. "I think he's awake too if you want to see him. I'll just be bringing this downstairs." Kieron remarked, walking with Felkin's tray. "Thanks again." Felkin exclaimed. He then walked across the hall towards Metas' room. He looked into Yuria's room where she raised her head briefly and cheerily waved towards him before her head fell back down. He did a little wave in return. "If he's not holed up in a dungeon being fished for information, he'd be on the run, though knowing him that would be unlikely. If that's not the case I'm afraid the kingdom's council put him up to something." Metas exclaimed to Asralyn. "Afraid? But isn't that a good thing then? That he's not in a torture chamber somewhere or being tried for crimes he hasn't committed?" Asralyn asked. "I won't underestimate them..." Metas remarked as Felkin stepped into their room.

"Good to see you're up." N said, standing near the doorway. Metas and Asralyn then turned towards Felkin. "Was I... interrupting something?" He asked them. "No, no. It's fine. Come in." Metas waved Felkin over. He walked up to Metas and Asralyn who was standing near his bed. "How... are you faring?" Felkin asked, observing Metas' current state. His torso and arm was covered in bandages, as well as a bandage wrapped around his head. "It seems like you're doing better than me..." Metas replied sarcastically before chuckling weakly. "Well you're doing well enough to crack jokes." Asralyn remarked, patting Metas' shoulder. "Ack! Don't... Hmph..." Metas exclaimed.

"How... long have I been unconscious?" Felkin asked. "About half a day? I can't judge time well here... And if its compared to the passage of time in the realm of the human kingdom Lodeleth, if we go there right now, we couldn't tell the accurate time of day." N remarked. "Wait, if time is slowed in the different realms... Can't we stay here or in a place where we can prepare for much longer than the seven day time limit?" Asralyn asked. "Huh, you're catching on with all this pretty quick." Metas remarked. "Hmph..." Asralyn remarked, annoyed. "I'm afraid not." N answered. "How so?" Felkin asked. "How can I put this simply..." N thought to himself tapping his finger against his temple.

"Aha!" He said in realization, pointing upwards. He then created a projection of light before him. With the flash of orange light, Felkin reactively stepped backwards. "Whoa, you alright?" Metas asked. "Yes I was just... surprised." Felkin answered. "Oh, sorry. Can I still?" N asked. "Please continue." Felkin answered. The light then formed into shapes, two spheres seperated by a space between them and a wall of squiggly lines that covered the radius of each sphere. "Let's say that these two spheres are two separate worlds, in this example this one on the left is where we are right now... and this one on the right is the realm of flames. Time flows the same between all realms, er... Most of them anyway." N went in front of the static projection of light and was pointing at it as he discussed. "This wall in between and around the realms is the one causing the distortions in time we experience. That's because, when we travel through the realms, we cross through the void sea and become displaced because of its nature of distortion." He remarked.

"Then how were the heirs of flame instantly transported by the court?" Kieron walked into the room but the voice was from her weapon which glowed a faint blue. "Nox, is that you?" Felkin asked. "Yes, listening and answering questions is still in our capability even without expending a great deal of energy to project a form for ourselves." He answered. "So the heirs appeared or disappeared rather, in a flash of orange light?" N asked. "Yes." "I remember it that way." "Yeah." "I think so." Felkin, Metas, Kieron and Asralyn answered, in that order. "The magic used to transport the heirs was probably an instant one, not needing to cross the distortion void." N surmised, and he pointed at one of the orange spheres creating a green dot of light. "And..." N snapped his fingers and the dot disappeared and appeared on the other sphere. "Instant." He exclaimed. "And if they have the ability to transmit us instantly... That means we can't delay, and we can't escape..." Metas remarked.

"That also means... You... need... to... rest!" Asralyn exclaimed. "Yeah, yeah." Metas remarked. "There... must be some way to stop it from happening... Combat should be a last resort, fighting's only going to prove a big risk to everyone..." Solis remarked, the ivory shotel glowing gold as she spoke. "What are the other possible ways of traversing to the fire realm?" Felkin asked. "Intending to take the fight directly to them instead of trying to avoid it? Interesting..." N answered. "Not neccessarily. But to those of us that aren't heirs, we might need a way to travel there reliably without the difficulty we experienced earlier." Felkin replied.

"Well, placing a spell or rune markings in two places as well as a specific large scale location like this is possible. Though its a pretty difficult endeavor and takes too long to do. You could also find or construct a gateway but those are rare and hard to find, and also hard to create. But I only have some bare knowledge on the topic..." N remarked. "But is there some kind of magic, maybe something that can prevent them from being transported and anchor them here?" Kieron asked. "I'm afraid not, the transportation aspect seems to be directly tied to their very being. If their transportation magic is only applicable to the heirs of flame, the effects of their power are as inseperable to the heirs as their powers to manipulate flame are." N answered. "As inseperable as our powers of flame, huh." Metas remarked. "Hmm." Felkin exclaimed.

"I... have a question." said Nox. "What is it?" N asked. "Are there any cities in this... realm?" "Yes, there's civilization, and Folia, the city of the Balance-Tenders along with a few other places." "So you can place the magic to transport this place anywhere in the realm. But if the magic was placed in a populated city in the human kingdom, why place the magic herein the middle of the wild?" Nox asked. "You'd have to ask Jura for that since he was the one who decided that this was the place. But knowing him, it's probably that he'd just wanted to be left alone in the middle of nowhere." N remarked. "This is... hard to process." Asralyn exclaimed. "My head's hurting..." Metas remarked.

"Maybe it would be best if we continued this discussion downstairs with the others?" Kieron suggested. "That might be for the best." N answered. They soon started to leave from the room with N leading and Asralyn being the last one to follow. "Get some sleep." She said to him as they left the room. Metas turned over towards the wall and sighed. The Ruler's Regalia was placed on the corner of the wall beside him, he felt safer with it next to him. He clutched it and felt the cold steel in his fingertips and then tried to snap his fingers to calm himself, but his fingers had not the strength to do so. Metas then closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Iris and Ellyn looked up as the group went down the stairs. "Hmm... Jura isn't here yet. Strange, I expect him to be here by now..." N said to himself. "There... aren't enough chairs here." Kieron remarked. "On the bright side, you don't have to get ones for us." Nox said. "You... 're right." Solis replied, begrudgingly. "I can help with that." Iris exclaimed. As she stood from leaning on the wall, a creak could be heard before she walked towards the upstairs. "I'll... help." Felkin said, laying down his sword gently and leaning it on a wall and watching it close before walking back up. "Me too." Said Asralyn. "Let me help too." Kieron remarked. "I think I can help with that as well." N replied.

"Do you guys need more help?" Ellyn asked. "I think our numbers are sufficient." Said Iris. "It wouldn't be fair for those who already seated to get chairs for those who aren't." Said Felkin. "We can handle it." Said Kieron. "Thank you for offering help." N exclaimed. The five of them walked up the stairs in silence, with the four of them walking up once more. "Hmph..." Serafion did not look up from her books but hid and stifled a laugh. "Excuse me, but... was that... you?" Ellyn asked. "No. Certainly not. How presumptous of you to presume." Serafion answered, hiding her face. From the first floor, their awkward and disorganized cooperation could be faintly heard.

"So there's... Four of us..." Kieron remarked. "How many chairs are there for each of the rooms here..." Felkin exclaimed. "I can do without sitting down if there's not enough chairs." Iris remarked. "Hmm. I can do without it as well." Said N. "No, its not fair to you guys." Said Felkin. "Yeah, there's enough chairs here right?" Asralyn remarked. "In that case... Hup!" said Iris. "Whoa! Are you sure you can lift all that?" Felkin asked her. "The real question is will it fit through the door..." Kieron wondered. Iris' slow heavy steps could be heard as she walked forward, and then could be heard stopping before N remarked: "Yep, two chairs aren't going to fit through that door." "No problem." Iris remarked, putting down one chair with a thud, and pushing it through the doorway, putting down the other chair she carried and picked up the first chair before going down the stairs. "I'm going back for that other chair, you all can go pick up the other ones.

The remaining four then entered the second room where Yuria was in. "Hey guys." Yuria greeted still lying down. "Rest!" Ellyn chimed in from downstairs. "I will!" Yuria replied. "Alright. Two chairs here, should be enough for us downstairs." Said Felkin. "Would it be faster for us here to pair up and take one chair in this room, or for the other pair to go to the other room and take one chair there instead?" Asralyn asked. "Because we won't fit through the door at the same time? Sounds logical..." N remarked. "We'll take care of the chair here." Said Kieron. "Right." Asralyn answered.

"Hmph." Felkin lifted up the wooden chair and appeared to be struggling. "Need help?" Kieron asked him. "Yes." Felkin replied. "Alright back up, watch where you're going..." said Kieron. "I am. Walk slowly please." Felkin answered as he walked backwards carrying the chair which Kieron also carried as they made their way down the stairs. "Whoa, you're suprisingly strong!" Asralyn remarked as she helped N carry the chair. Iris had already picked up the second chair and brought it to the first floor. They then sat on the chairs they placed on the ground and went silent. "So anybody... want food?" N asked.

"As I've said, food would be wasted on me as I don't require it." Iris remarked. "I have not the stomach for too much food..." Said Serafion. "I've... eaten already." Ellyn remarked. "Maybe later." Kieron remarked. "We... lost the chance to eat or even taste any foods, so you guys better not take this for granted." Solis remarked. "I admit, some of the meals and delicacies we've seen seem quite scrumptious." Nox answered. "Mhrm." Felkin had his mouth filled with the food Kieron had brought down earlier. "See, he's got the right idea." Solis exclaimed. "With the number of people here, even if those recovering would eat two meals a day..." N exclaimed. "Hrarmp Rohm? (What's wrong?)" Felkin asked. "It's just that there's been so little traffic around here for so long, that our regular supply of food and... supplies can't keep up. We'll need to do a supply run soon." N remarked.

"I've been meaning to ask. You look taller, maybe. A little bigger. Was it something that had to do with what happened earlier during our travel?" Kieron asked. "Ah, I forgot to mention it earlier, but I've actually grown." N said smugly. "Well, evidently. But your expression states that its a kind differing from normal?" Serafion stated. "Well, obviously. Due to my actions earlier, I've... grown and advanced my name!" The boy remarked proudly to the silence and confusion of the others. "Ah, I know this! I've read a book here that says that some beings have no names bestowed upon them, and that they'd have to grow and earn them." Ellyn remarked. "Good eye!" N proudly exclaimed.

"Hmm. That is... interesting." Serafion remarked. 'He's... a non-human, best if I didn't forget that. But... I feel a warmth from him that I find lacking from my previous "compatriots". All of us here are strangers banding together only for survival, but... This is a far cry from the court where all of us had a knife in each other's back, twisting or easing our grip if necessary.' Serafion looked up, with a faint smile. "Wait, if your name grew or changed as you did the same... Do we call you something different now?" Felkin asked. "Indeed! My name did change! From this point on... You shall call me En!" The boy exclaimed. "Uhh... excuse me for asking, but what exactly changed?" Asralyn asked. "Well, there's an 'e' as the first letter now. See?" The boy turned around and pulled the scruff of his shirt down and revealed another letter added onto his name.

"Good... Your name is pronounced exactly the same!" Felkin exclaimed. "Uh... thanks?" En replied. The people there were in awkward silence, with the others ocasionally drinking water while Felkin finished his food. "Wait. I remember our battlefield from earlier. There was Iris, Kieron, uh..." "Asralyn." She answered. "There's Asralyn, the blind swordsman, Metas and that woman. But I distinctly remember a boy that was supposed to be rescued as well. I... don't see him here, where is he?" Felkin asked. "Oh, I forgot to mention one of the results of the negotiations are that the heirs of flame were returned to where they were before they were transported to the realm of flames..." Said Kieron. "So he's been returned to somewhere... I don't know him but I'm concerned." Felkin answered.

"So were we, but... Since we don't know where exactly he was before the transportation..." Ellyn remarked. "We decided that it was too big of a risk to go out and search for him, knowing the kingdom would be on high alert and would be sending patrols out looking for us." said Serafion. "You might think that us not doing that is cruel-" "No. Not at all. Risking your life to go out and search for someone... I understand why you guys would do it." Felkin cut off Asralyn. "Another question, they said seven days after what happened earlier is the time you guys would be transported. Are we going to have to just be prepared and guess the exact time?" Felkin asked. "About that..." "We have... this." Asralyn and Iris remarked. They extended one of their arms palm facing upwards and then a shape formed on their wrists. An orange hourglass of light, made up of seven bars, the top bar of which was already reduced by half. "Nifty, right?" En exclaimed.

"Metas has one as well." Ellyn remarked. "At least they'll be ready. Though... Seven days is not a lot to prepare on, nor is it a long time for comfort..." Serafion exclaimed. More silence followed as the group mostly kept to themselves. "So... what do we do now?" Felkin asked. "We rest, recuperate, prepare. Lay low until things get better I guess... You guys are free to do what you want." En remarked. "I'm... going upstairs." Asralyn remarked. "I'm... going to check up on Yuria." said Ellyn. "I'm going to stay here and recharge for a while." Iris said, standing still. "I'm not going anywhere..." Serafion remarked. "I think I'll go outside, get some fresh air." Felkin remarked, picking up his sword in the corner. "Just... don't stray too far, you might go to the edge of a cliff and sink into a pit of leaves." En exclaimed. "I'll be careful." Felkin stated, opening the door and walking outside. Kieron looked around as Iris and Asralyn went upstairs and hesitated, before following Felkin outside.

He stepped across the soft ground and took a deep breath of the breezy wind. "Hey." He said towards Kieron. "Curious how even in another realm, we can still breath the same air as we regularly do." She exclaimed. "Well now that you mention it!" En loudly said towards them from inside. "There's also many realms that's not just difficult to breath in, many are also inhospitable to life altogether! For instance there's a realm entirely underwater, and there's one so thick with smog, you can barely see in front of your face!" He added. "That's... surprisingly informative." Kieron exclaimed. "There's... some slight differences I've noticed in the air." said Felkin. He sniffed the air and thought for a moment. "The desert air was sandy and dry. The realm of flames smelled like ash and coal, and was hot. The human realm is a mixture, but depends on where you would be currently. But here... It's fresh and pure." Felkin remarked.

He then held his sword forward and extended it vertically upwards, before retracting it to original length. He walked a few more steps and looked around and savored the sight. He continued walking around the area before he suddenly fell to the ground seated cross-legged. "Hey, what's wrong?" Kieron ran up to him and asked. "Nothing, just... just a little tired." Felkin remarked, breathing heavily and had sweat running down his face. "We should go back inside if-" "I'm... I'm fine." Felkin remarked, using his sword to stick in the ground and lift himself up, and then wiping sweat off from his face with his arm. "Tsk." He exclaimed as his sweat stung his burns.

He then held his sword with both hands and bent his legs to assume a stance. Felkin then did a few practice swings facing away from Kieron. "So... What are your next plans?" She remarked. "I... can't leave them be. I... won't walk away. I'm staying here along with them until the deadline and into the realm of flames. After that I... don't know." He exclaimed. Felkin stepped further forward, slashing the air and extending his sword, grazing the leafy ground. Flashes of the fight beforehand sparked in his mind, and instilled each strike of his with rage. "Well if you're staying... Then I'm staying!" Kieron exclaimed.

"You're... Staying? It isn't safe, going back there... You of all people should know to stay away, especially because you're not involved. I'm... Far too entrenched into all this, somehow. I can't walk away from this, but you still can." He remarked, still slashing his sword at the air all the while. "Dangerous? You're also putting yourself in danger! And... Even if you didn't need to involve yourself in it, you would be helping them anyway. Right?" Kieron exclaimed. Felkin gritted his teeth, and then took more steps forward slashing to the left and to the right, extending and retracting his sword. "You... assume. But you and I... are different. When I'm hit, I can still get up! If you're hit..." Felkin slammed his sword down onto the ground sending up a shower of white leaves in the air. He then stopped swinging his sword.

"You... say that. But you get hurt the same as us, feel anger and sadness... You're not the type of person to back down because something is dangerous, and I want you to see that I'm not too. You're expecting me to just let you run into danger, when I've already seen what happens when I let you go towards that same danger. I'm... Not leaving you behind!" She remarked. As Kieron spoke, Felkin walked forward and held his sword tighter. But as she finished her words, he stopped walking.

"You're... Tsk." Felkin sighed, he felt his foot was above an outcropping, which had a drop off of an unknown height, concealed by the cover of foliage. "Forgive me. You're right." He said, as he turned around and walked towards her. "I admit... I... Don't want to see or let you get hurt. But... You feel the exact same way. And I can't ignore your feelings. So... Let's make a promise." He exclaimed. Felkin then held his hand forward. She held it and both of them gripped each others' forearms tightly. "If we're going to stick together... Then we're going to watch each others backs. If we do that... We'll be able to keep each other safe!" Felkin exclaimed.

Kieron then changed their grip, raising her hand and Felkin's so that both of their forearms pointed diagonally upwards. "Right!" She remarked. They then released each others' grip. "We... need to prepare. I know I need to rest, and recover to get back to my full strength. But... I can't sit still the whole week." Felkin said, walking backwards from Kieron. He walked back towards the drop off and held his sword with both hands and extended it downwards towards the unseen depth. Though, it took only a second to strike the shallow bottom. He then retracted his sword back. "So... do you want to train?" Kieron asked. "Train?" Felkin replied.

"Practice fight, sharpen your skills, hone your reflexes?" She remarked. "Ah! Yes, training... Are we going to do it right now?" He responded. "Are you... alright? Are you in a good enough shape?" Kieron remarked. "Truthfully, not really. But... I want to be ready, I am ready!" Felkin exclaimed, twirling, and readying his sword in his hand. Kieron brought out the ivory shotel and handled it readily. "Are we going to fight? I mean... even if we're holding back, wouldn't we be in danger of hurting each other?" He asked. 'I remember Rennon sparring with me from the get-go... I'm pretty sure he didn't care and would think I was complacent if he got a hit on me...' Kieron thought to herself. "Well... Only if we're complacent, otherwise we'd be able to keep our guards and defend ourselves, don't you think?" She remarked with a smile.

"Confidence... It's better to be confident to be anxious... I like it!" Felkin exclaimed, rushing in with his sword raised with a smile. Felkin slashed horizontally with his sword and Kieron quickly ducked out of the way. He swiftly thrusted his sword towards the ground but Kieron swiftly rolled out of the way and in an instant, was right behind him. "Ah..." Felkin remarked as Kieron's weapon neared the back of his neck. "You're out." She whispered in his ear. He went silent and was flustered. "Well... I would have healed from that." Felkin stammered, walking forward.

"A hit is a hit, it's going to be an injury whether or not you heal. You know, you shouldn't be relying on your healing so much, and think about avoiding the attack instead." Kieron said, lowering her weapon. "I... do try to dodge. I've avoided plenty of attacks before." Felkin remarked. "But you should take it more seriously. You never know how hard an attack will hit, and you don't know if your magic will run out or it stops working... You'd go down." Kieron remarked. "Hmm..." Felkin exclaimed.

"She's right you know..." said Solis. "Yikes, I forgot you guys for one second." said Kieron, surprised. "If you're not taking training as serious as the real thing, what good does it serve?" Solis asked. "Alright, alright. I see your guys' points." said Felkin. He then turned around and remarked: "I'm ready." "If we're practicing dodging, I have something I have in mind." Kieron exclaimed. She rummaged through her pockets and produced a handful of tiny stones, smaller than her fingers. "Please don't tell me you're going to throw those at me." Felkin said, raising his other palm to cover his face. "Lower your hand. It's a dodging challenge, remember?" She remarked.

"Alright." Felkin replied, lowering his hand. Flick! Using her fingers, she flicked her fingers and sent out one of the stones at the speed of a speeding arrow. "Hmph." Felkin observed with a keen eye, and deftly avoided the projectile. "Good dodge!" She then flicked two stones in quick succession with Felkin stepping to the side and swiftly ducking to avoid the second stone. "How about..." She quickly shot two stones at once towards him. "This!" He sidestepped quickly and hopped, avoiding the second stone which was aimed low to the ground. Felkin reverted to a serious and focused expression, straining his senses and reflexes. But as he landed, Kieron quickly shot three stones consecutively. Felkin rolled forward and avoided the first two projectiles, and then moved his head slightly to avoid the third stone. He stood up, having ended up right in front of Kieron. "There." He exclaimed. But from her hand, she concealed a single stone which she shot upwards towards Felkin.

Without looking, he swiftly shot out his hand and stopped it. "I thought I said not to block." She said with a smle. "I didn't." Felkin raised his hand and showed her the stone caught between his fingers. "Impressive." Kieron said, as Felkin dropped the stone and they walked away a slight distance from each other. "But what if the stone was poisoned?" Kieron asked, somewhat jokingly. "I... think I'd be able to tell if something was added or if it was dipped in a poison. I believe your point still stands, but you're kind of stretching it." Felkin said with a smile. Kieron then picked up a few of the stones she threw that she could still spot off the ground. "So, what's next?" Felkin asked as Kieron finished picking up the stones. "Confident, huh." "I'd... rather run towards challenge than shy away from it." Felkin exclaimed.

"Alright for this next one... Step away a bit." She remarked. "Alright..." Felkin said, complying. "Then close your eyes." "Are you... going to shoot me while my eyes are closed?" Felkin said, bewildered. "Well, what if you're in a dark room. Or if your enemy is hidden from view. You can't exactly rely on your sight for everything." Kieron remarked. Felkin inhaled and exhaled and then closed his eyes. "You have to rely on all of your senses, not just your vision. Listen close, hear the footsteps of your attacker, their breathing, the movements of their hands through the air and the rustling of their clothes." Kieron said whilst walking parallel to where Felkin was standing.

"When I... was a bandit, a pillager... I... We were on the edge of life and death constantly, we had to hold on every advantage to survive, and a small misstep could mean being left behind or succumbing to a small wound due to an untreated infection. We couldn't afford to be complacent, because the consequences would be death or capture." Flick! Flick! Felkin avoided one shot, but got struck in the face by the small pebble. "Hmph." He remarked. 'I... couldn't hear how the second stone was thrown because it was thrown at the same time from her same hand. Both of them were flicked from between the same two fingers as I can tell. The only difference is the amount of force and the exact spot on where she struck the stones...' Felkin thought to himself.

"Others... Could silence their movements, quiet their breathing and move as soundlessly as possible. We could emulate them, so we both had to enhance our senses... Sniff out the sense of the fabrics of their clothes, the smell of the metal of their weapons. And for some... they exude unbearable stenches that you need not to be an expert to sense." Kieron then swiftly ducked down, and then the noise of a thud hitting the leaves on the ground. 'She... moved. She dropped or removed something. Her boots maybe? To move more quietly? I... can't sense her now. She could be anywhere. Could she really move that quietly.' Felkin turned his head from side to side, trying to listen or sense Kieron's location. 'Even if she could move silently, the movements of the grass below her would make noise. Listen! For the movements of the fabrics of her clothes, and the rustling of her weapon...' More seconds of silence passed. And even though only mere moments elapsed, for Felkin it felt like an eternity.

'I knew it. There.' Kieron then blasted three consecutive shots towards him. 'From where she is right now, she would likely...' Felkin dashed and bolted quickly, avoiding the pebbles which were shot towards where Felkin was. 'She shot them all towards where I was... so If I get out of the way I could avoid all of them at once.' Felkin thought as he ran and circled around towards Kieron. 'If I go behind her... She can't hit me!' Felkin ran faster than Kieron could turn, and then reached the area behind her. She quickly swung around and raising her hand and readied her fingers to strike at the stone. But still with his eyes closed, Felkin took Kieron's hand and moved it as she flicked, causing the stone to fly elsewhere. Felkin had gripped Kieron's hand with some intensity, but then let go of her hand tenderly. "You... didn't move." Felkin exclaimed with a smile.

"Correct. Your intuition served you well." Kieron said, as Felkin opened his eyes. "You ducked down, held your breath and became as quiet as possible, and hoped that I would run around and try to search for an unseen attacker." He remarked. "Good that you saw through my ruse. Some enemies use certain tactics to distract and confuse you, you need to rely more on your senses and use your smarts as well." Kieron remarked. "For a moment there, you almost had me." Said Felkin. "I'm curious, 'how' did you figure out where I was..." Kieron remarked.

"I followed your advice. First I tried to listen close to any sound that you could possibly make... But when I couldn't hear you well enough, I remembered the next thing you said, scent. I sensed you as you smelled different from the surrounding foliage." Felkin remarked. "S-Smell?" Kieron remarked, sniffing herself and her clothes. "Uh, oh! No, no... Actually, you smell quite nice?" Felkin tried to defuse the situation, though confused. "Oh. Thanks?" Kieron replied. "Well, comparatively uh..." Felkin continued. "I... think you've said too much already." Nox remarked. "You were probably one wrong word away from something happening to you..." Solis exclaimed.

"Guys... I'm going to need your powers for this next part." Kieron said to her weapon, the shotel then glowing with gold and blue light. "Uh... Kieron?" Felkin asked. "I think its time we practiced and tried to simulate a real fight, a difficult fight..." Kieron exclaimed. "Alright, I'm ready." Felkin said, readying his sword. "Dodge... this!" She exclaimed, slashing her shotel and sending golden arcs of energy towards Felkin. He quickly dashed away as the blasts struck the leafy ground. "Hey guys! Try not to hit the house or damage too much of the land alright!" En said from within the house. "Alright!" "We will!" Felkin and Kieron remarked. She then swept her weapon in the ground in front of her, creating a wave of ice that Felkin deftly leapt over. He then slammed his sword onto the ice below him, and then was swiftly running and gaining on Kieron's position. She then ran backwards, and sent three horizontal golden crescents towards him.

Felkin didn't stop running but instead quickly slid on his back to avoid the first crescent, swiftly flipped over the second one, bending his legs and leaping over the third projectile. "Hah!" Kieron then shot a spray of ice shards towards him before he landed. "Hmph!" Felkin then used his sword to shoot out to the side before retracting it towards the point of the blade and pulled himself out of the way. As Kieron readied her weapon once more, Felkin coiled his sword and struck the ground, sending himself flying into the air above Kieron.

"While you were asleep, I've been doing some training of my own too!" She then sent three spinning rings of light towards Felkin who extended his sword upwards and took advantage of a gust of wind to catch the breeze, causing him to be blown upwards and avoiding the golden blasts of light. Felkin then aimed at the ground nearby Kieron and extended his sword downwards. She avoided his blade, but Felkin used his sword to anchor into the ground and pull himself down towards Kieron. He cushioned his fall by coiling and blasting at the ground with his blade, he then raised his head and was at eye-level towards her. She then struck the ground in front of her with her shotel, creating large ice shards that entrapped and encased Felkin in ice. Felkin slashed around him and then broke the ice that covered him. "Hmph!" He covered his eyes with one hand as a harsh blinding orb of light rose upwards.

'Where... Is she?' Felkin thought as the light was bearing down upon him, and he could hear the swift shuffling in the leaves of Kieron's movement. But even though Felkin's eyes were closed, he could see Kieron's form of light rushing towards him. "There!" He stepped to the side and dodged Kieron's slash and raised his sword to her throat. "How..." She remarked as Felkin seemingly effortlessly dodged her attack. Kieron lowered her weapon to her waist as Felkin had a confident smirk. "Hnh." She then swiftly jumped back and rushed in, her weapon aimed towards Felkin's throat. He then caught her arm and lowered it as she raised her weapon to Kieron's neck. "Concede?" He asked huffing and puffing, out of breath. "Yep. Phew, that was a good dodge." Kieron said as Felkin let go of her arm and walked backwards.

"I told you, I try." Felkin replied, out of breath. "You... dodged like you saw it coming even though you were blinded. You... mentioned an ability of seeing someone's light... Did you use that ability again?" She asked. "Uh... Maybe, I don't know." Felkin remarked. Kieron stepped closer, until she was face to face with him. "What... is it?" Felkin inched away, perplexed. "Your eyes... I think they changed color again." She remarked. "Wait, are they doing it again?" He said, covering his eyes. "No, it's not of the dangerous bright crimson we saw earlier... It looks slightly maroon, or maybe burgundy?" Kieron exclaimed, stepping back. "I'm... not sure what those colors exactly look like. But from your words, maybe something between red or brown?" Felkin asked.

"That's... Interesting, the type of power or energy you're using is reflected within your eyes." Solis remarked. "They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, maybe as you absorb energies, they are suffused to your body and soul..." Nox exclaimed. "Oh! I remember your eyes glowing gold and blue when you first unlocked the ability of this weapon!" Kieron remarked. "Yeah..." Felkin said weakly, his body slightly drooping. "Hey, hey Felkin. You okay? Stay with me pal." Kieron remarked. "I'm... just a little tired." He remarked, and as he fell towards the ground, Kieron caught him. "Thanks..." Felkin remarked, as Kieron slowly lowered him to the ground, but she supported his head on her leg as she seated cross-legged. "I can handle... I can... on my own..." He said weakly.

"You did good. It's my fault that you tired yourself so much. We shouldn't have trained that hard." Kieron said softly. "We should have stopped it earlier..." Nox remarked. "Well, they were having fun... And you were too." Solis exclaimed. "We. Including me and you." Nox answered. Felkin tried in vain to force his eyes to open and struggled from sleeping or becoming unconscious. "It's alright. You... can rest." Kieron remarked. Felkin breathed out deeply and then closed his eyes, seeming to be in a peaceful and restful state. "You... probably won't be able to carry him in inside." Nox remarked. "We should wake him before he rests for too long, so that he can sleep longer undisturbed." Said Solis. "You think? I think we shouldn't disturb him." Kieron remarked.

"I agree with that to an extent... But we'd have to wake him eventually." Nox answered. "I know, I know. But let's just... leave him be a while." Said Kieron. "He seems... normal. Just like anyone else. We look up to people, view them highly, and put them in pedestals. But those guys, me and Felkin... we're just people. We try to be strong and tough, but we get beat down, we get hurt." Kieron said softly, running her fingers along his hair. She then peacefully watched the landscape, the breeze flowing through the white leaves, rustling through the foliage. Occasionally looking towards at the flying creatures in the air, and admiring the titanic tree and the bright light shining from above.

Back inside the house, Serafion was drinking from a cup of tea En had prepared for her. "Ah... I suppose no common tea will have the same quality I had in the castle, but this'll do." She remarked to herself. "Hmm... Tea..." Iris exclaimed. "You want some? I'll pour you a cup." Serafion said towards her. "Oh, no. I... don't drink. Anything. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten or drank anything my whole life. But even if I did so, I don't think I'd be able to taste it... Not to mention what possible negative effects it could have to my internal components..." Iris remarked. "Hm. Suit yourself." Serafion said, pouring her cup full once more. She then leaned forward and looked towards Iris. "You... are an automaton right? I may have to examine you closely sometime..." She added. "I'm... going to keep my distance." Iris said, walking back and leaning onto her corner.

Ellyn walked downstairs and looked outside. "I heard the commotion earlier. Are they still outside?" She asked them. "They haven't been out THAT long..." En remarked, digging around in the cabinets and behind the counter. "Want some tea? It tastes better while its still hot." Serafion offered Ellyn. "No... thank you." Ellyn declined. "They... Should go back in the house, its gonna be dark soon..." En exclaimed. "Dark? I thought this realm didn't have a nighttime and only had a continous radiant day." Serafion remarked. "Not to mention, its been bright all yesterday right?" Ellyn remarked. "Well... The thing most similar to it is the day and night to humans. But it isn't really the same because the sun and moon hold no dominion in this realm, and there is no sunrise and sunset." En exclaimed, bringing out the remaining stores of food and drink, along with a few candles on individual candle holders on the counter.

"Well... if it's not day and night... Then what's causing the dark?" Serafion asked. "Well, the darkness you normally see isn't really 'caused' but rather its from the lack of light, sunlight. So without the sun, there wouldn't be a day and night for you guys... There would just be night." En remarked. "So by a lack of a light source, you mean that giant tree is going to go out?" Ellyn asked, looking out of the window towards the towering tree. "Hmm... It's like... The moon still remains even in nighttime does it not? The tree will still be alight, but the landscape will be bathed in darkness. There's more things out there to beware of than sinking into a bottomless pit of leaves." En said, bringing out the candle holders and laying them all around, on the cabinets, the windowsill, and the small tables on the sides of the room.

"If the tree remains alight, then why does everything else become dark if the source of the landscape being lit is not removed or snuffed out?" Iris asked, looking out towards the walls and ceiling of the vast cavernous space, the area seeming to be exuding light. "Well, even though the tree casts a bright and powerful radiance, its not enough to give light to even the far reaches of the realm. The light being given off by the tree constitutes as energy. Faint energy that is being absorbed by the stones of the realm, and the leaves on the ground. As the light falls down onto them, they absorb and store its energy, and give it off. But after a while, they run out of the light that they have absorbed and take a while to regain it again."Said En. "Thus explaining the lapse of lightlessness in the realm." Iris remarked.

Asralyn walked down the stairs, and looked around and saw En walking around the room and laying the candles down. "Is something happening outside? I peeked out of the windows but I think I heard fighting so I ran down right away." She exclaimed. "No, no... Felkin and Kieron are just training outside." said Ellyn. "Hmph, I should've went along with them." Metas remarked. "Despite being in a worse condition?" Asralyn asked. "I don't plan on doing nothing but lying down in bed for the whole week. If I spend this whole time not doing any training, I'd get complacent and I'd be going in whatever comes next unprepared and ill-equipped for combat, anything more than a light jog would give my body a shock..." Metas remarked. "I know that! It's just you can never be too careful, especially because you were just recently injured! I've endured the training of the knights too." Asralyn exclaimed.

"You couldn't sleep?" Ellyn asked him. "I... just spent all of the time from when I was brought here til now sleeping. And besides, even if I wanted to, the racket outside kept me awake." He answered. "Speaking of them outside, can somebody call those two inside?" Said En. "Stay here, I'll call them over." Ellyn remarked. "Can anyone else here help me with these?" En asked, pushing forward a few of the candle holders towards the others. "I'll help." "Me too." Iris and Asralyn went to the counter which was filled to the brim with plates of food and the assorted items En had brought out. "Take these upstairs, and lay one of them in the tables of every room, including one in the bathroom. If nobody's going to stay in one of the rooms upstairs, we don't need to light them for now." He instructed.

Asralyn and Iris both took two, one for each hand and almost bumped into each other as they tried to go up the stairs. "Uh... hey." Asralyn remarked. "Hello?" Iris exclaimed. "You... go ahead." Asralyn said, backing up to allow Iris to go up the stairs first and her following to place the unlit candles in the upstairs room. "Hmph..." Metas carefully sat down on one of the chairs, trying not to reopen his wounds and strain himself. "Tea?" Serafion offered. "It's... you again..." Metas remarked, recognizing her. "That sounds like a no..." Serafion said, disheartened. "I'm sorry but I'll have to refuse that offer." He answered. "Alright." Serafion remarked, sighing.

Ellyn walked out of the door and called out towards Kieron and Felkin. "Hey guys! En is telling us that you should go back inside, because its going to be dark soon!" "Alright!" Kieron said back. "Mnh... Mhm..." Felkin began to stir. "What...?" He muttered, confused. "Wake up, apparently they need us to go back because it'll be dark soon." Kieron remarked down towards Felkin. "Uh, oh!" Felkin quickly stood up and picked up his sword, flustered and slightly embarrassed. "Thanks or sorry... for the trouble." He remarked. "It's no problem, really I-" Kieron stood up and patted off her legs but then as she tried to walk, she stumbled and then fell towards Felkin. "Whoa!" He caught her by the shoulders, and she held onto one of his arms for support. "I'm... fine, my legs just fell asleep for a while, that's it." She remarked, trying to shake away Felkin. "Allow... me." He exclaimed, with a serious and earnest expression.

Kieron nodded, and both of them walked back towards the house with her holding onto his arm. "I take it you were watching over me since I was retrieved from that realm. You... probably haven't gotten much rest or sleep since." He remarked. "Well... I got a little..." said Kieron. The both of them then walked forward before they no longer needed each others assistance and went independently. Ellyn followed by the other two entered the house once more. "Hey." "Hey." Metas and Felkin greeted each other. "So... What's this about being dark soon?" Kieron asked. Ellyn then gestured her hand towards En. "Uh... It's like the day and night of this realm." The boy remarked, not wanting to explain the whole topic again.

"How exactly can you tell when it'll happen? I don't see anything different from the tree as it was earlier." Ellyn asked him. "You have an approximate knowledge of the time of day even though you can't see the outside, right? Spend enough time in a realm, then predicting the environmental conditions would be the same." He answered. "But with the sun you could see where it is depending on the time, and looking at the up you can see how late the day is from the color of the sky." Felkin remarked, catching on quickly. "That is correct. But, there's some visual indications to the phenomena..." En said, pointing towards the tree. "Hey, look!" Ellyn pointed towards it as well. "Woah..." Kieron remarked. "Hmm... Interesting..." Nox remarked, as he and Solis emerged to look at the sight ahead.

'When darkness came, we had to prepare for the impending curse. Even in this land of light, darkness is inevitable.' Solis thought, silently lamenting the past. Felkin was quietly surprised and went towards the window. Serafion and Metas stood from their seats to look outside to witness what was happening. Iris and Asralyn then arrived downstairs, both were curious to what the group was looking towards. "What are you guys..." The latter remarked when they both saw it. Starting from the base of the tree of light, the entire landscape and leafy ground which glowed bright white started to darken and lose its light. The tree remained alight but was now a solitary and haunting tower amidst the darkness crawling and spreading outwards away from it. "It's coming towards us..." Asralyn remarked. "It looks that way, but its actually just the land losing its light and taking time to regain it once again. Like a cup full of water being tipped over and spilled, only to require more time to be filled up once more." En exclaimed.

"But why does the land not simply continously absorb light and be perpetually alight? Would it not be like a cup overflowing with water which does not need to be tipped over to refill?" Iris asked while watching darkness envelop the landscape. "The leaves of the realm are all litter from the branches of the Great Tree. Because they've fallen off and disconnected from the source, they're incomplete and can't glow with light unless they discharge all of the remaining light they have within them. And... before we get too distracted, we need to light the candles before it gets dark here as well." En said, walking away from the windows and back towards the counter. "Can someone help me find the matches, can't seem to see them anywhere..." He remarked. "If the only thing you need are these candles here to be lit, then..." Metas snapped his fingers with great effort, and a tiny flame appeared above his fingertips.

Felkin heard the flame sparking from Metas and turned around, he was wary of the fire. Metas then slowly stood up and started to light each candle around the room with his small flame. "Hey, you shouldn't be doing that. You're spending your energy using your flame, not to mention you could set your bandages on fire." Asralyn remarked. "It's... just a small flame. And you better be able to think of an alternative way to light these candles, or use your own flame." He answered. "Hmph. I was able to use my flames already, I even used it to defend myself and help rescue you." said Asralyn, slightly frustrated. "I didn't say you can't. I just said if you could, why don't you do it right now." Metas said, lighting another candle.

Asralyn walked towards the last candle near the windowsill and raised her hands over it. "Hmm..." She focused and strained her fingers, but no flames emerged from her fingers. The others except Felkin were still watching as the wave of darkness neared and passed through the house. Metas walked up to Asralyn who tried to use her flames with no avail, and lit the candle in front of her and walked away without a word. "Here!" En remarked, raising a box of matches he had procured. "And... all of the candles are lit. No matter, the ones upstairs can still be ignited." He remarked. "Even if Metas couldn't use his flames and we had no matches, I still could have used my flames instead." Iris remarked, turning away from the window as the darkness passed them.

The others then walked back from the windows as well. "There it goes..." Serafion remarked, watching the darkness spread past them from the windows of the other side of the house. Felkin looked around and saw the candles around the room, they were like dancing droplets of fire, small in size but volatile. Sensing his discomfort, Kieron voiced her concern. "All these candles, are they really necessary? Aren't they a fire hazard?" She asked. "Well, it might as well be pitch black outside except the faint light from the tree. We'd probably just need to be careful then." En exclaimed. "If a fire started, I'd be able to redirect some of the flames." Metas said, waving his hand and making the flames on the candles to sway slightly. "And if that doesn't work, we could just freeze over and extinguish the flames with my ice." Nox remarked.

"You don't have to... Thanks guys, its really no problem." Felkin exclaimed. En then broke the ensuing silence by clasping his hands together and exclaiming: "Well, nothing left to do except to eat I suppose." He said loudly. "Hmm... I guess so." Metas remarked. "I suppose it couldn't hurt?" Ellyn exclaimed. "Perfect, I was beginning to become a bit peckish..." said Serafion. "Good. Time for you to eat as well. If you're not sleeping, you better be eating." Asralyn said to her brother. "Hmph. Depends on what's being served." Metas exclaimed gruffly. "Are you a picky person?" Serafion asked him. "Huh. Why do you ask?" He asked. "No reason in particular." She responded.

"I'll eat anything. Eating is for survival. I've eaten roasted grubs and mice on stick, nothing much can deter me. But... I do have my preferences." Metas said thinking fondly of food. "Well, here's what we got so you better choose." En remarked. "That counter looks cramped... Do we need a table to-" "I'm on it." Ellyn was interrupted by Iris who went upstairs to grab a table. "Oh, and... I think you also better wake up Yuria." She added. "Alright." Iris responded. Metas, Felkin, Kieron and Serafion then went towards the counter to see the food that remained in stock. "Hmm... Let's see." Kieron remarked.

"Have you eaten yet today? I was thinking that you didn't have much time to eat since you were busy watching over me." said Felkin. "Now that I think of it, I haven't really eaten since that soup we had together in the village." She remarked. "Hmm... This'll do." Metas said to himself, as he picked up a plate. "Is that fish? That's the food of your preference?" Serafion asked him. "Uh... Yeah. Why... do you ask?" Metas remarked, confused. "Oh, nothing, nothing..." Serafion answered.

Upstairs, Iris grabbed an empty wooden table and held it vertically to allow it to fit through the door. She then walked up to the other room and knocked on the open door. "Yuria, wake up!" She remarked. "Wha- What? Oh!" Yuria was woken up from a snoreful slumber. She jumped up from her bed and then walked out of her room. "Why... Why is it so dark all of a sudden?" She asked. "Just imagine nighttime, but... here." Ellyn remarked. "Oh... okay." Yuria remarked. Iris then flipped the table gently down on the center of the room. Felkin and Kieron then laid their plates on the newly lowered table, and pulled chairs for them to sit on. "Hmm... It looks like there aren't enough-" "Chairs. I'll get them." Iris replied to En. He then took one of the candles and set them on the table.

Felkin saw the flame and had a close eye on it, but with the company near him, his worries were eased though he still kept one eye on it. Ellyn placed her plate down onto the table, then pulled herself a chair. En, Serafion and Asralyn then followed suit. "What did you guys get?" En asked them. "I'm... not too familiar with food, so I just trusted my senses. I chose the one that seemed the largest and most filling, and the one with the most desirable aroma..." Felkin said. "Oh, roasted fowl with gravy! Good choice!" En answered.

Iris came down the stairs and brought chairs with her for the others to sit on. "How about you Kieron?" Felkin asked. "We used to have little options in terms of food, but when we had the funds I preferred more 'sweeter' foods and confectionaries were too expensive... So I prefer these: fruits and honey with bread." Said Kieron. "Mhm... I also have a sweet tooth, but... No meat?" En asked. "This is enough, I don't want to eat too much or I'll get too full." Kieron remarked. "What's wrong with eating too much food?" Felkin asked. "I agree, what's wrong with it?" Yuria said, putting down her plate on the table which was piled high with cooked meats, breads and greens. "I... prefer not to get fat, we need to be light and nimble in a fight. But... I think you specifically need all the food you can get." Kieron said, observing Yuria's condition.

"Hromph... Armph..." Yuria was chomping away at the stack of food. "But a good diet, one that will last a warrior through any situation consists of various important components. Meats, vegetables... Protein, calories and nutrients-" Metas was then interrupted by Asralyn who took a moment from eating a mix of roasted pork and vegetables with cutlery to elbow him. "Yes, but..." Kieron was flustered and silent for a while. "Then... I'll have some other foods now." She remarked. "In that case, have this." Felkin was chewing on a drumstick of the fowl, and tore off the other leg to give to Kieron.

"Don't... mind if I do..." Kieron said quietly, but seeing Felkin's bright expression made her smile as well. She chewed off a piece from the fowl, and then had a smirk. She then tore off a piece from the stalk of grapes, and handed it over to Felkin. Kieron picked off a grape and shoved it into her mouth while looking at Felkin. He observed, and was able to eat a grape without confusion. "Oh! This is pretty sweet..." He exclaimed.

As the others continued to eat, Iris simply stood and watched from the corner. From the ones in the room, only Serafion, Asralyn and Metas used cutlery while the others preferred to use their hands. "Hey Ellyn, what do you prefer to eat?" En asked her. "Look at what I'm eating. I prefer these roasted foods on stick. The reason... is self explanatory." Ellyn said, in between chewing on a piece of cooked meat on a thin wooden stick. "Well, I started to practice on how to use using utensils with both hands when I had my prosthetic arm... But I can't put it to use right now. Wait, I can still use a fork if its only the fork..." Ellyn remarked.

"You... had a prosthetic arm? A functioning one?" Asralyn asked her. "Yeah, I had one made for me by my old man. It was almost like a real arm, I could use it fully like one, though I couldn't exactly feel using it..." Ellyn remarked. "I was just thinking, when the knights get a grave injury, or lose a limb they get retired. With technology like this we could... I just realized that we've been branded enemies of the state." Asralyn remarked. "Well, I'd say that its good that the kingdom does not have its hands on that piece of technology, but... It's important to remember that the kingdom is more than its leaders..." Serafion remarked. "I admit... The knights have done a lot of good for the people, but it doesn't excuse what 'they' are doing..." Metas remarked, his words filled with spite.

"This... will take some getting used to, huh." Asralyn said to herself. "Welcome to the fringes of society!" Yuria cheerfully exclaimed. "Er... Where is your arm now?" Asralyn asked Ellyn. "Oh, I lost it. It broke in a battle we had yesterday. I... wish I still had it..." Ellyn exclaimed. "Oh... That's too bad." Asralyn answered. "Hey, child... Do you... need to eat food?" Serafion asked En who was happily eating along. "Actually I don't need sustenance to survive. I just simply... enjoy eating." En remarked, before wolfing down a stick of bread. "Aren't you just wasting food then?" Yuria asked him. "Hey! This is my food, I will eat it as I please. And need I remind you guys, you are the ones eating up all of the food here, and we're the ones who are spending up our resources by letting you guys stay in 'my' house." En exclaimed.

"Jeez, sorry..." Yuria remarked. "Well... Is it really 'your' house? Seems like to me, Jura owns the place." Ellyn exclaimed, holding back a smile. "Excuse me! I've been living here for about the same time as he... Surely I've got some say in preserving its resources and dealing with guests!" En replied. "Alright, alright. That's enough." Kieron exclaimed. "Hmph..." En was in a huff. "Hey kid, you seem open to trying new things. Do you want a cup of tea?" Serafion asked Felkin. "I noticed the others refused your offer, do you think it's good?" Felkin asked her. "Well, you could like it." Kieron exclaimed. "I hear... it's good for you." Said Ellyn. "Don't discount what you haven't tried yet. But... I have tried it. Not to my taste." said Metas. "I think I've tried it before. I liked drinking muddy rainwater from the road more." Yuria remarked.

"Hmph! It must have been brewed incorrectly, or with stale leaves. Conversely, the quality of the tea itself might have also been poor..." Serafion remarked. "Or they just could have not liked tea..." En exclaimed. "Finally! Someone who agrees with me." said Serafion. "Oh, not me. I don't like tea either." said En. Felkin then bravely and hesitantly grabbed a tea cup from the kitchen, and placed it on the table. "I... have my own opinion, and they have theirs. But the only way for you to tell, is by trying it yourself." Serafion said, pouring tea. Felkin gulped, before slurping and downing the teacup in one swig.

All of them including Iris, watched intently as he did so. Felkin lowered the teacup, and placed it onto the table. "So..." En remarked. "It's not bad!" Felkin exclaimed. "Hah! I told you-" "It tastes just like water!" Felkin's words dashed Serafion's hopes. "Oh..." She exclaimed. Iris was leaning forward curiously watching them all. "Uh... Hey! Even if you're not going to eat, you should still join in with us!" Felkin noticed and called her over. "I'd... just take up unnecessary space. And... Its not right for me to sit on the table with the rest of the others. As I was created to be a servant, my purpose states so." Iris remarked. "Ah that's nonsense! Sit! All of us have been telling stories and chatting all night, regardless of our purposes or statuses, you should come and chat!" En exclaimed.

"Hmm..." Iris remarked, unsure. "All of us here, we all had original purposes, and paths set ahead of us, and original fates. But now... we've all been taken off course and... none of that matters here. We're just... equals, sharing a meal." said Kieron."What... Can I contribute, what I experience and think... They're far removed from..." Iris exclaimed. "I... Can feel your emotions. If I can sense something, then we are able to be at an understanding... And we're not as dissimilar as you think." En remarked, his eyes glowing orange and his hand extended forward. "I suppose... I can try..." Iris remarked, walking forward meekly and sitting down on one of the wooden chairs around the table with a loud thud. She sat shyly with her hands on her lap and said: "Well... What now?" "It's typical custom to share conversation with each other around the table, not only with your world, but plenty of other realms as well." En remarked.

"You've given tell of your purpose coming here, er... To the kingdom. You said you were searching for your origins. Have you made any progress?" Felkin asked. "I regret to say, that I've made no headway or gained any relevant information since we've met. I made my way to this kingdom and traced the source of my origin, here. But all of this about the realm of flames and the heirs, I feel they're connected somehow but I don't know how..." Iris answered. "We... Don't really know where you came from. Well you probably don't know, but... Who you were before you came here... If you do want to share that is." Kieron exclaimed.

"Well I first came into being, or... Gained awareness a decade ago. I was part of an experiment, a study to create an artificial being by humans. Though, I think my creator set me on a different course, a different path than I was created for... I think was originally created for this kingdom, but I ended up elsewhere, taken by my maker. For a while I was ordered and commanded to protect and serve the people of that land, and assisted in menial tasks and chores. But I grew curious... and my creator vanished, so I traced my roots here. If... this talk is too much and too heavy..." Iris remarked. "No... It's alright for us, if you don't want to continue, it's your choice." En remarked. "I... think I've said enough for now..." Iris remarked.

"Serafion, do you have any information on any research projects or experiments that sound familiar to her case?" Metas asked. "It's true that I was responsible for overseeing many of the research works that the kingdom underwent, but creating artificial mechanical humans using flame... Its not something I was directly involved with conducting or overseeing... Though I may have heard a thing or two about it, but I'll need my memory to be jogged..." Serafion remarked. "That's... fine. Thank you... all of you." Iris replied.

"I'm... trying to search for my origins too. Where I came from, I... don't even have memories before a few days ago. But... Even if I never find out, I think I'm going to be okay. Because now... I'm forging my own path, meeting new people and making new memories! But even so... I'm going to find out who I was and where I came from!" Felkin exclaimed. "I suggest we make a toast!" En exclaimed. "A toast?" Felkin asked. "It's a practice where we take our glasses, raise them up high, somebody says a few words, we clink them together and proclaim 'cheers!' as a sign of celebration. Well... usually it's with adults with glasses of alcohol, but... We don't need that... But who's up for it anyway!" En remarked. "Well..." "Sure, I guess." "Couldn't hurt." "Hmph, why not." "Yeah, let's do it!" Metas, Asralyn, Kieron, Ellyn and Yuria said respectively.

"For... New times' sake." Serafion remarked. "Felkin?" En asked. "Yeah." Felkin said, grabbing his glass of water. "Let's raise our glasses. To newfound friends, to a new alliance, and to all of our continued survival!" En remarked. "Uh..." "Yeah?" The others confusedly remarked. "Cheers!" En exclaimed. "Uh, oh!" Iris hastily grabbed a spare teacup and clinked it with the others' glasses as they clinked them together as well. "Cheers!" They all yelled, including Iris who had a wide smile.

Their jolly voices were loud amidst the silence of the tranquil landscape outside. Iris lowered her teacup, but had a longing gaze towards the steaming pot of tea. "You've had eyes on the tea for a while, why don't you take a sip?" Serafion remarked. "Oh no. I... don't know what kind of negative effects liquid would have inside my system. But its just... I've admired the aroma of tea since I've poured it countless times. I've always wondered how it would taste..." Iris remarked. Ellyn snapped her fingers and exclaimed: "That's it! My old man said that most of tasting food and drink is done by smell alone. That means you're already almost know its taste, all you need is actually taking a sip yourself." "You... you've been given an olfactory sense... Tell me Iris, do you think your creator cares for you?" Serafion asked.

"Honestly, I'm... not sure. But he gave me the command to be kind and protect others, and was the only one I can somewhat call 'father'." Iris remarked. "If he... gave you a sense of smell, and you think he cares for you... Then he would want you to enjoy and experience life to the fullest. Eating food and drinking... uh, drink are one of life's wonders and pleasures, to be deprived of it is to be deprived of an aspect of living." Serafion exclaimed. "Maybe... one sip couldn't hurt?" Iris remarked, pushing her teacup forward to be poured. "If anything happens, you'll be responsible." En said towards Serafion as she poured. "Well I'm sure my expertise can help fix basic waterclogged machinery, but if something goes south, I'll need help." She answered. "Maybe I can help." Ellyn remarked.

"Suddenly I'm not feeling so confident-" "Don't worry, go on!" Serafion said to Iris. She then immediately took a gulp of the teacup suddenly. "That... was illogical and a decision that lacked preparation." Iris said, her eyes wide with surprise and concern. "Uh... are you alright?" Asralyn asked. For a few seconds, Iris maintained her expression until a fwoosh! sound erupted from within her. "Hello?" Yuria asked. "That was... amazing! I could feel and taste the enriching leaves, the clarity and flow of the water, and the slight tones of-" "Yeah!" Serafion stood up and gave her a high five.

"Whew. I thought she was a goner after drinking that." Yuria exclaimed. "Hmph..." Serafion pouted, amidst the chuckling and laughter of the others. But then, a breeze blew through the gaps and cracks in the windows and sent the flame of the table candle to momentarily flare up before returning to normal. Felkin reflexively jolted back in response and was alert. "Hey, hey. Are you okay?" Kieron asked, concerned. "No, no. I just got a little surprised by the fire." Felkin answered, dismissively. "I'll remove the candle." En exclaimed. "No, it's no problem really. It's kind of irrational, really." Felkin replied.

"No. It's completely rational. For what he experienced, an aversion to flames is to be expected. Fear is a mechanism for humans to avoid that which is dangerous and threatening to them. I was taught that." Metas remarked. "But... Fear is only a reflex, a biological factor that is animalistic and is not reflective of the actual factual truth, and muddles our intuition and thinking. We must overcome and move past our fears... But never to ignore them." He added. "Overcome my fears..." Felkin remarked, as the orange glow of the candle reflected in his eyes. "I... know that this tiny flame can't burn me. That it poses no great danger, even more so as more people are watching it. But I can't help that... My mind and my body have become automatically wary of it." He exclaimed. "You... have to take control of it. There are some things you should be wary of and avoid, but there are others that you shouldn't or can be endured. Seperate them, and make your decisions rationally, based on what you know what will or won't affect you." Said Metas.

Felkin closed his eyes. 'Raging violent and harmful flames to be avoided strategically and with clarity... While the small flames of the candle, cannot hurt me... I will not let my all-encompassing fear of flames decide my choice before I myself does...' He then opened his eyes and inched his open palm towards the candle. With one swift motion, he swept his hand over the flame, extinguishing it. "Woah..." They watched as the candlelight reflected in his eyes disappeared but was then replaced by the fierce orange glow of his pupils, having changed color after he absorbed the flame. "That's cool..." Yuria marveled.

Felkin then raised his sword and gently moved it until it was above the unlit candle. And with a flick of his wrist, his sword glowed with orange light for a mere moment, and with a bursting sound the candle was alight once more. Felkin looked down at the lit candle, and lowered his sword. His eyes became brown once more. All of the others had their gazes affixed until Felkin lowered his sword and finished his display. Felkin let out a loud exhale, having seemingly held his breath for a time. "Wow, I..." Kieron remarked. "Quite the display." Serafion exclaimed. "This must be what you did at the battle last night." Ellyn remarked. "Your ability to absorb and utilize energy is... Remarkable." Said Iris. "Someone who's not from Lodeleth utilizing the power of flame..." Asralyn remarked.

"Well... I don't know for sure that I wasn't born in the kingdom..." Felkin exclaimed. "But it seems apparent that your method of using flame is different, as the ones from the kingdom can produce it without a source... An outsider making use of the kingdom's pride is sure to rile the nobles up." Serafion remarked, joyfully. "Hmm..." Metas exclaimed. He then raised his left hand holding his spear up and then snapped his fingers, causing his weapon to glow orange until he snapped his fingers again and caused it to become inert once more. "Hey... This isn't a competition..." Yuria exclaimed. "I'm not saying anything." Metas remarked with a slight smirk. "I believe you might have one over me on that regard..." Felkin said, smiling.