“TsuYa!” she suddenly shrieked, finding her feet. In a blind rush of emotion, she ran at him...

For a long while, there was no sound within the chamber except for the soft sobs of JouKa that came every now and then. TsuYa couldn’t bear to look at her. Couldn’t tear his dark eyes from the streaks of shadow that were drawn across the crystal tiles of the floor. Something within him felt heavy – not victorious at all.

But… KoGuRai is our enemy. He wouldn’t have hesitated to strike me or LuShi down. How can I even question if what I did was right?

It had come as warrior’s instinct. Strike while the enemy was unaware. Maybe it was a little underhanded. But when the life of people was at stake, there was no such thing as hesitation. TsuYa wanted to tell himself that he had struck to defend others… and not to fulfill his own bloodthirsty desires to see KoGuRai beat down and defeated.

If it was the right thing… then why do I feel so rotten about it?

Aur’s large golden form was sitting, unmoved next to JouKa’s collapsed form in the doorway. Though he outwardly showed little trace of true emotion, the way he sat by the girl’s side, whiskered nose poking down at her bowed head, was almost a posture of concern and care. Every now and then, his tail flicked up and down, golden eyes never blinking.

Man… I just never win.

Zazo had come to stand at his side, in turn. Her white fur was frosted with the glitter of blue and silver light as it streamed from the runes above and below. Her mouth was open in a lolling half-pant as one large paw lifted. Placed on the right spot in the small of his back, she nearly threw TsuYa flat on his face.

“Argh! Zazo! What was that for?” his protest broke the silence as he turned and shot a glower at the She Wolf.

-You fight well, Earthian. Don’t doubt that you did what you had to do,- she informed him.

I wish everyone saw it that way.

-There is, however, just one thing you have overlooked.-

And what is that?

-The Sygnus boy,- Zazo’s tail flipped back and forth, encouraging him to lift his head and look around the chamber.

TsuYa did. And he saw that LuShi was no where to be found. He made sure, turning around and around in the strange runic light. But time and time again, his eyes told him the same thing.

“He’s gone!?” the warrior sputtered out loud. “Where did he go?”

“I do believe I saw the boy travel through one of the Pathways during the last moments of your fight,” Aur lifted his head slowly, ears tilted forward.

“Did you see which one?” TsuYa asked. As his gaze brushed over the ornate designs that scrolled over the floor, he realized that there were quite a few of the strange, pulsing tiles. It was an assumption that led him to believe that the Pathway that Aur mentioned was tied to the glowing spots on the ground.

“Yes. I did. There is nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about? How about the fact that LuShi’s just flickered off somewhere that we don’t have any clue about… and he’s now getting further and further away. Again!” the warrior scowled, spreading his hands in a wide motion over his head.

-Relax,- Zazo snuffed. -We caught the Sygnus boy once. We can catch him again.-

“Yeah, but now, he’s so far away from Ceiswyr, how are we supposed to get him back to the Islands?”

“Who cares,” came the broken reply from where JouKa slumped next to the doorway.

“What?” TsuYa turned slowly, displeasure written over his face.

“I said… who cares…” she wiped her face on the hem of her cloak and shook her head. Her face was all red and streaked from crying… and fighting the show of tears. There was bitterness. And anger. And a mesh of a million other emotions there.

For a moment, TsuYa didn’t want to argue with her. Afterall, he was the one that had caused the pain that was written in her face. In the next moment, he shook his head out with a balled fist and dark, slitted eyes.

“Look. I don’t know what you came here for, JouKa. But I’m here to find and secure LuShi… and to bring him back home safely,” the young warrior told her, pacing a few steps closer. “I don’t know what sort of connection that you have with KoGuRai. And I don’t care. The man’s a monster… our enemy. And if he gets in the way of us again, I’ll kil–”

“TsuYa!” she suddenly shrieked, finding her feet. In a blind rush of emotion, she ran at him and slammed both of her fists against his chest. Again. And again. Sobbing and cursing him before shoving away one final time and rushing out the door of the chamber.

“JouKa..?” Aur’s deep voice rumbled after her.

But she didn’t stop. The warrior, the wolf and the lion were left standing in the chamber, staring at where her pale form had vanished into the darkness beyond the threshold.

“This isn’t going well at all,” Aur sighed finally.

“I told you that we shouldn’t have brought her. She’s nothing but trouble,” TsuYa snuffed with crossed arms at Zazo.

-If I do recall, it was the girl who just saved your life.-

“What are you talking about? I had everything under control!” he protested.

-Of course,- the She Wolf loped a few steps across the chamber, nosing the glowing tile where the Champion had vanished.

Suddenly, there came a high pitched scream from outside of the doorway. Before any of them could respond to the sound, JouKa came running back in with a wide-eyed look. “Esgyll! They’re swarmin’ the place outside! Won’t be much time before they notice tha doorway!”

TsuYa choked, “We better get moving then. Which of the portals did you say LuShi stepped on, Aur?”

“Wait! I don’t want ta go with you!” JouKa spat at him, far more vicious than he had ever seen before.

“Where else do you think you can go, JouKa?” he retorted with a deep scowl.

Her eyes flickered towards the tile where KoGuRai vanished.

“You gotta be kidding me!”

“What if I’m not?” she lifted her chin with a defiant scowl in his direction.

“I don’t get you! The guy would have killed us!” he argued.

But she would have none of it. She simply turned away with a bitter murmur, “Of course you wouldn’t understand.”

As TsuYa made a step forward to retort, the runes along the walls suddenly grew stunningly bright. Gone was the pale silver sheen and the angry blue glow. A pure white light touched every tile, every rune, lighting it with a strange, otherworldly radiance. Somehow, TsuYa could sense this was how the chamber was meant to be.

In the center of it all, a shape began to take form. JouKa scrambled a few paces back, her eyes wide as the light began to draw in on itself, pulsing and growing with each breath. A long slender neck stretched upwards, lifting the wedge-shaped Dragon’s head, bright teal eyes reflecting down on them with an unreadable expression.

“Lord Zemi?” the words rolled out of TsuYa’s mouth before he knew what he was saying. Head craned back, he watched the great white Dragon form, taking a shape much like what he was used to seeing a long time ago in the Host Gate.

It feels like it’s been decades since that time… with all that’s happened in between.

-It’s about time you showed up,- Zazo shook out her fur disdainfully with glowering eyes. -This has turned out to be a real mess, Zemi. The Sygnus boy is gone again. He’s been very difficult to capture.-

Great… I bet he’s here to chew us out for screwing everything up.

“As I figured he’d be,” Zemi lowered his head to peer at the group in the chamber. There was something about the way he spoke that left TsuYa to think that the Arweinydd had something more on his mind than coming there to ream them for mistakes.

“I see that the Dreigiau had knowledge of the Cynosure, then?” Aur spoke slowly, his golden eyes reflecting the light from above.

“I had a few ideas about this place. But not exactly what it was, no,” Zemi replied. “Now that I do know… I’m here to seal this place and its power away once you’ve gotten where you need to go.”

“What? Why?” JouKa demanded, forgetting exactly who she was talking to, obviously.

Zemi, however, didn’t seem to take much offense for it. Instead he blew a soft breath in her direction, a deep rumbling sound purring through his voice, “Because now Zeromus is aware of the Cynosure, too. The last thing that I want is for him to have access to something that will allow him to send his troops out of the Inner Realms.”

“So… this place really is a rift?” TsuYa asked with a frown.

“Not just a rift… but hundreds of rifts,” the Dreigiau replied. “Could you imagine what Zeromus could do with this means of transportation for himself and his creatures?”

TsuYa didn’t say anything more. He just shivered and kept his dark thoughts to himself.

“Exactly,” Zemi bobbed his head slowly. “That’s why I’m closing it down once you’ve gone through to follow Lucci.”

-Then how are you thinking we’re supposed to be coming back?- Zazo spoke sharply, a thought that hadn’t dawned upon TsuYa just yet. -We don’t even know where that portal will take us. What if we get dumped far outside of the Inner Realm somewhere? You going to send Dragons searching us out or something?-

“Eventually. Maybe,” Zemi answered.

What? What does he mean by MAYBE? Is he just sending us out there to be stranded?

TsuYa balled his fist, eyes glittering sharply at the shape of the white Dragon. The head turned toward him, responding, as always, to the heat of his thought. Zemi shook out his long white mane and blinked before speaking again.

“I will not leave you to be stranded,” his words were simple.

“But aren’t we supposed to bring LuShi back to the Islands?” TsuYa inquired, picking his words carefully and fighting back his frustration. It wasn’t a good idea to yell at the Arweinydd who could simply choose to cast him off into the black void at a personal whim.

“There’s been a change of plans,” Zemi spoke slowly. The weight of the words were immense, almost knocking the breath out of everyone in the chamber. Everyone except Zazo, of course.

JouKa had forgotten her anger and was peering over at TsuYa with a concerned, questioning look. The young warrior could only shake his head and shrug, fighting to keep his temper from showing on his face. Aur remained silent, his tail flipping back and forth occasionally. Either he had known about what Zemi was coming to say or he didn’t care much about it to begin with.

When the obvious question was not asked, Zemi took it as his cue to continue, “Things are becoming more dangerous in Ceiswyr. I don’t think that it’s safe for Lucci to stay there. It’s obvious that Zeromus will do everything he can, even send his Champion, to take Lucci away from us and turn him to his own bidding.”

TsuYa pursed his lips with a scowl of deep displeasure.

“You were there, TsuYa, when they attempted to wake Lucci’s power in the worst possible way,” the Dreigiau said quietly. “The child is facing the aftereffects of that attempt. It has not been easy for him or anyone around him… and I fear that more attempts will be made as long as Lucci remains within Zeromus’ grasp in the Inner Realms.”

“So why didn’t you just load ‘im up on a Dragon and send ‘im to Wyndor?” JouKa asked, putting a hand on her hip.

Is she not afraid of mouthing ANYONE?

“That’s a pretty obvious place to send him. Right to where danger can follow and find those who have Migrated… the one safe spot for the people that still remains hidden,” Aur spoke quietly.

“Yes, that’s true,” Zemi nodded lowly. “But also, I think that Lucci is taking on a pro-active attempt to stop this war from its source. I’m very sure that he is seeking something that will allow use to strike at Zeromus and take him down for good.”

“Mmmmm….” a sound rumbled in the back of Aur’s throat. But he didn’t speak.

“You mean there’s something we can use to defeat Zeromus?” TsuYa’s eyes widened.

“Maybe.”

“Like… kill-kill? Like DEAD?” JouKa chimed in, coming to stand next to him.

“It’s very possible,” the Dreigiau answered.

“Why didn’t anyone mention something as big as this before?” the warrior asked with a furrow of his brow. Something about this seemed unusual to him, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

“Because we didn’t know if we could find the items that would make the defeat of Zeromus possible,” Zemi replied slowly. “But it would seem that now, he’s found some outside… help… that’s revealing the information that we need to make it happen.”

Another rumble rose from the back of Aur’s throat. TsuYa couldn’t tell if it was a growl… or what it meant. But there was an exchange of looks between the Guardian and the Arweinydd that followed shortly after. When Aur finally turned to look away, there was a submissiveness to the motion of his head.

-Then we can finally beat some sense into Zerom… and end this ridiculous battle,- Zazo snuffed. -What do we have to do, Zemi?-

“I need for all of you to follow after Lucci, just as you have been. Do not try to capture and return him, however,” the Arweinydd ordered. “I want, instead, for you to do what you can to keep him safe from any attempts Zeromus may send after him. And to make sure that Lucci finds what he needs to help us end this war.”

JouKa nodded slowly, “Sounds good to me.”

“Yeah…” TsuYa rubbed the back of his head with a frown.

Almost too good. I wonder what sort of information LuShi is getting… and where he’s getting it from? Why didn’t Zemi just send us out there instead of letting the boy Sygnus wander around in the middle of all this danger?

Though Aur’s head was still bent away from the Dreigiau, his voice rose one more time, “Zemi… are you certain about this?”

“I am most certain,” the Arweinydd replied, teal eyes bright as they focused on his Apprentice, “And I am appointing TsuYa as the leader of this mission.”

“Me?” the warrior’s eyes widened. All questions flew straight out of his mind at the thought of new-found responsibility. And position.

“Yes, you, TsuYa. Are you up to it?”

TsuYa straightened, his chin lifting. It was all he could do not to let his smirk show, “Oh, most certainly, Lord Zemi. I’ll get it done!”

Something about his poise abruptly reminded AsaHi of the first time she had seen him on that morning long, long ago.

AsaHi was walking out in the gardens when she first felt it. Though she wasn’t magic-natured like a lot of the people around her and couldn’t always sense things that they could, there were certain things that she could feel. Usually, the things she sensed were directly associated to Dragons.

About 90% of the time, that Dragon would be Zemi. Just like AsaHi knew it was now.

I wonder what’s going on?

There was always something about the way he felt that set Zemi apart from the other Dragons. AsaHi never knew how exactly to explain it – it was as if there was something vast and overwhelmingly indefinite that resided within an outer design of a Dragon. Sometimes she thought that it was only because of this outer design that she could sense things about him at all… and usually the things she sensed were fragments.

Emotions that weren’t quite whole. Streams of communication that were almost thoughts, but not quite. And something deeper beyond, that was nameless and extraordinary in a beautiful and frightening way.

AsaHi crept quietly around the corner of the hedge and peered into an area that always reminded her of a courtyard. Though it was still part of the gardens, it was a little more open here with small well-kept trees and rows of multicolored flowers blooming between. A small waterfall trickled into a tiny pool in the center of it all where the flickers of light under the surface of water spoke of fish.

Zemi Dreigiau sat crouching over the calm end of the pool, as if inspecting his reflection. Something about his poise abruptly reminded AsaHi of the first time she had seen him on that morning long, long ago. But when his eyes flickered up to see her, all likeness to her memory vanished. There was no doubt that the Arweinydd had already changed immeasurably since those first days… and still continued to do so as he grew to understand more about the Earthian people.

“Zemi?” her voice carried out over the trickle of water.

The concern and question in her voice must have been obvious because the Dreigiau motioned AsaHi forward with the wave of one hand. More and more lately, when she would come near, it felt as if Zemi would attempt to make himself appear as gentle as he could.

“Hi… AsaHi?” the Dreigiau said as he rose to greet her approach. “It’s a great day out, isn’t it?”

The girl crossed her arms knowing that anytime Zemi started out with small talk, something far bigger was going on underneath it all. And she could sense it… a strange feeling about him that had not been part of his emotions before. She didn’t know what it meant, though.

“Yeah, it’s real nice,” AsaHi replied, playing along.

It was evident to them both that no one was fooled.

“Is everything okay?” he finally asked, leaning casually against the trunk of a nearby tree. The way the shadows fell over his face, the glitter of his eyes was alarming for a moment.

“I was going to ask you that,” the girl replied, holding her breath until the sensation of unease passed.

She had learned that was the best thing to do during the moments where she found herself quite tentative of the Dreigiau and these times were becoming more frequent as the taint on the land below had grown. As if being so close to the essence of Chaos was also affecting Zemi in unknown ways. Usually, it was a fleeting thing that others rarely seemed to catch.

Zemi drew in a deep breath and frowned. She could tell by the curve of his mouth that he was weighing his options carefully. Whether he would tell her the truth or tell her what would make her more comfortable to hear.

A tiny pang crisscrossed over the surface of the air between them. It was nearly imperceptible. But AsaHi caught it. With a blink of her green eyes she could name it.

Guilt?

The girl’s chin lifted, peering up at the Arweinydd. It was one of the few times that she had sensed that emotion from him.

“Zemi…” AsaHi spoke softly, “What did you do?”

He gave a long, compliant sigh and murmured a string of words under his breath.

“I can’t hear you?”

“I said…” the Dreigiau repeated, raising his voice. “I’m not sure if you’ll understand.”

“I might not,” the girl replied walking a few steps closer before leaning down to pick up a small stone. With a flick of her wrist, she skipped it over the pool. “But, something’s bothering you, Zemi. You know you can’t hide it from me.”

He sighed again, standing silent and watching the final ripples vanish from the surface of the pool. Finally, when he spoke, she found herself not expecting the direction he was going in, “It’s about Lucci.”

“Okay…” AsaHi covered her surprise with a slow sound.

“You know how Zento’s been pressuring me to tell him when Zazo and TsuYa will bring Lucci home?” Zemi asked. The big lead up.

“Yes. I know. Why?”

“Well… the truth is… they’ve been out there so long because…” the Dreigiau shook his head. “This is going to sound crazy to you.”

“Zemi…” she chided.

“Because I’ve been helping Lucci run away from them,” Zemi finished, biting off the words quickly. His teal eyes rested on AsaHi’s face, watching for her reaction.

It was one of absolute astonishment.

“You’ve been doing what!?” She ran a hundred of things back and forth through her mind, trying to figure out why. But in the end, the Arweinydd’s reasoning left her dumbfounded. The girl stopped her initial outburst, gathered her thoughts and began to pick her words carefully, “I don’t think I understand. Why would you do something like that, Zemi?”

“Because he may be the only one of us that can end this war,” the Dreigiau replied with a somber look.

“You’re talking about those items from the Time Before, aren’t you, Zemi? The things Aur told us about?” AsaHi asked. Then she turned her head, thinking back for a moment. “Lucci knows about them, too. Doesn’t he?”

“Yes. How did you know?” it was Zemi’s turn to be surprised.

Not wanting to explain everything she had seen on the day of the last meeting, the girl shook her head, “Just a good guess?”

“You’re right,” the Dreigiau nodded. “Lucci does know about the items… but more importantly, seems to know where to go to find them.”

“So that’s why he ran away..?” AsaHi pursed her lips.

“Yes. I believe so. He’s looking for a way to defeat Zeromus, too. And I don’t think we should stop him, AsaHi,” Zemi peered at her with a meaningful intensity.

She shook her head, “Zemi… don’t you think it’s dangerous to let him go out there all by himself to the surface? The place is swarming with Zeromus’ Marked and who knows what else! He may be this Sygnus-in-the-making you’re so worried about. But first and foremost, he’s still just a boy!”

The Arweinydd drooped a little. “You sound like Zento. I thought you had more faith in Lucci than that.”

“Of course I have faith in Lucci!” she protested. “But there’s a lot of things that could go wrong!”

Zemi lifted up his hands, motioning for her to let him speak. “I know. That’s why I sent capable guardians with him.”

“You mean TsuYa and Zazo?”

“Yes. Aur and JouKa have joined them as well,” he told her.

“But I thought you sent them out there to bring Lucci back?” AsaHi tilted her head with a frown.

“Well… that’s where things start to get a little sticky,” Zemi gave a sheepish look.

“Sticky?” she sucked in a breath between her teeth with a long disapproving face. “Zemiiiii… what did you do?”

“I…” the Dreigiau looked the other way, “I sent them out with the idea that they were going to bring Lucci back to the Islands. But I had always intended for them to help him instead. I just knew that if I said that from the outset, Zento would pitch a fit… and TsuYa may not have agreed to going. So… I let them think they were chasing Lucci… while I helped him to stay ahead of them, no matter how fast they followed. Well, until they got to the place where I wanted them all to meet up.”

“Where was that?”

“It’s called the Cynosure and was rumored to have been built in the Time Before,” Zemi explained. “Basically, it’s a place where many rifts come together… that will allow you to travel all over the world almost instantaneously.”

AsaHi’s mouth opened at the thought of such a thing. “But, why would they need to go to the Cynosure?”

“Because, the place that Lucci needs to go is outside the Inner Realms. Any other means of travel, even Dragon, wouldn’t take him there as quickly as he’d need.”

“Ah…?”

“So right now, they have all traveled beyond the reach of the Inner Realms. Beyond my reach of influence,” Zemi told her somberly.

“Do they know that they’re supposed to be helping Lucci now?”

“Yes. Now they know… and chose to go of their own will. I made sure to send a good group with him. He should be safe enough,” the Dreigiau arched an eyebrow, studying her reaction to the whole story. And hoping to find some hint of approval.

AsaHi could only sigh and run her fingers through her hair. What was done was done. Maybe Zemi was far more knowledgeable than she was on these matters. But that didn’t change the fact that he had manipulated the situation and led people to believe one thing while doing another.

“You don’t approve,” Zemi looked disappointed.

“I don’t know how I feel,” AsaHi told him truthfully. Part of her wanted to lecture the Dreigiau. To tell him how he had once again manipulated people without their knowing. And how terribly wrong it was.

But the other part of her knew, just by seeing him. By being there and sensing what she sensed… that these things Zemi already knew. And he knew well enough to feel guilt. To be ashamed of his actions. He seemed to be suffering internally already, without her adding to it.

Despite that all… he had chosen to tell her the truth. And she knew that even for the Dreigiau, that took a lot of guts.

For a while, he watched the circling of fish reflect under the surface of the water. Then the Arweinydd shook his head, admitting through bared fangs, “I don’t want to send Lucci, or anyone, out there into this situation. But until I can find a better answer, all that I have left is to watch my brother destroy everything that I care about. One by one. Until it’s all gone. He’s already taken Nefol. Then the Inner Realms. He’s not going to stop with this, AsaHi.”

She turned to watch him with a pained expression. This time AsaHi did approach and throw her arms around him – yearning to squeeze away the pain she could sense locked in the depths of his words.

He’s always hurting so much… Trying so hard. But always hurting. I wish I could fix something… anything… and make it better again.

Zemi placed a large hand on the top of her head. A soft smile had replaced his scowl.

I wish I could take him back to the days when he was so free…

“AsaHi…” his gravely voice sounded in her ears. “You do. Thank you.”

He didn’t say anything more. And neither did she. Just an embrace and the longing for peace… in the land. In the mind. And in the heart.

The Athrylith croaked, a pained light to his eyes. “Is Tsu not going to be alright?”

SoYa could hear the air whoosh out of Father’s lungs as the warrior caught himself on his palms against the railing of the practice yard. Fighting to keep his face, the winged man shoved himself back into the fray a mere moment later.

But SoYa had already backed off. He released his hold over the mind powers that they had been sparring with.

“That was a good shot, SoYa,” Father said with a quavering smile. “You’re really getting a good grasp on this lesson.”

“Father…” the Athrylith intoned quietly, hinting in one word that he knew something else was going on. Something that had left his father in a state of preoccupation and worry for days on end.

His mind’s so far away, he can’t even spar properly. I know he’s worried about Tsu… but I wonder why this much?

When the winged man saw that his son was putting away the sparring equipment, he gave a slow frown. A frown that seemed to show his age, just for that moment. “SoYa… are we calling it so soon? You were just starting to get moving!”

Tsu’s been down to the Mainland for weeks at a time on his own and Father never fretted this much.

The Athrylith shook his head gently, brushing his fingers through his thick curly hair. It was all coming out of the tie-back he had tried to put it in before sparring. It wasn’t quite the warrior’s knot that his father wore. But it was the closest thing to it that an Athrylith such as himself could hope to earn.

Despite the disappointment churning around him, Father didn’t push the issue. He simply walked over and splashed water from the bowl over his face and dried it on the waiting towel. Quickly, SoYa approached in imitation, hoping to catch his father in conversation before the winged man was swept off to do something more pressing.

Father arched an eyebrow, catching a glimpse of the expression on his son’s face. Not being one to wait around, he started, “SoYa… is there something on your mind?”

“Actually, Father,” the Athrylith toweled off his face, bright green eyes peering over the soft cloth. “That’s what I was going to ask you.”

“Me? Why?” he gave a short laugh. Just like SoYa knew he would.

“Your not up to snuff with your sparring,” he joked. It was something that Father often would say when either he or Tsu were daydreaming off and not paying proper attention during lessons.

“Is that so?” a slow smile crossed the winged man’s face. It was a relief to see. Father spent far more time with a furrowed brow than a warm grin lately. And it wasn’t like him.

“Yeah,” SoYa smiled in return. But then the smile faded. “You’re worried about Tsu, aren’t you?”

The Champion glanced over at his son and gave a grimace. “You could tell?”

“Of course… I was trained by the best?” the Athrylith broke a gentle grin.

Father laughed, long and low, clapping one hand on his son’s shoulder. He shook his head for a while, the lines at the corners of his eyes softening just a bit.

SoYa leaned back against the fence, taking a drink from the bottles that had been set out for them earlier. Lately, his sparring outfit had begun to look more and more like his father’s. With the warm weather coming in, and no real physical weapons being used, that usually included a pair of loose knickers and a tank top shirt.

Father also leaned against the fence, peering out over the distant compound. The laughter was gone again, short lived. It seemed like he was trying to figure out the best way to begin. SoYa didn’t interrupt… in fact, he was just happy to know that Father would consider discussing something with him at all.

“It’s not just about this trip,” the winged man finally said, folding his hands in front of him along the wooden surface.

The Athrylith glanced over, giving all of his attention while leaving as much room as he could for Father to continue. If there was any area that they were alike, it was in how neither of them liked to burden others with the troubles that weighed on their shoulders. And even when there was a willingness to discuss things, words came hard and slow.

“I thought…” Father struggled shaking his head. “I thought when Aur created the amulet for Tsu that everything would be alright. Maybe I was being foolish to believe that something like that could cure him completely. But he hasn’t had any more bad dreams. The dark patch on his chest hasn’t changed. He’s been able to leave the Island without worry for over a year now. So when I hear that Tsu might not be well, still, it was a real shock to me.”

“Shock…?” SoYa echoed, a numbness creeping over his body as he digested his father’s words. After a moment, he was able to swallow down the heavy lump in his throat.

“You didn’t know about it either, then?” Father glanced over at him, watching his reaction.

“No…” the Athrylith croaked, a pained light to his eyes. “Is Tsu not going to be alright?”

The winged man balled one fist and took in a ragged breath. “I’m sorry, SoYa. I probably shouldn’t have said anything to you…”

SoYa shook his head mutely. It was an awful thing to hear. But then, he wanted to know. He wanted to be able to share in his father’s burden of knowledge. He wanted to be there for his brother if Tsu really was still in trouble.

Maybe there’s a chance we can find a real cure then…

“SoYa…” Father’s sad eyes flickered over to him. There was little doubt that he knew exactly what his son had been thinking. “You’re always the optimistic one. I’m glad…”

“Where did you hear that Tsu was still sick?” SoYa asked thoughtfully. “Just like you, all this time I thought he was doing better?”

The winged man drew in a deep breath and rubbed his cheek with one hand. “Zazo told me about it… after the attack on the Islands.”

“Really? Zazo?”

“Yeah. I’m curious about that, too. She always seems to have one eye on Tsu, especially when things get dangerous,” he mused. “Makes me wonder why Zemi sent both of them out together to bring LuShi back.”

Poor Tsu. Zazo’s got her eye on him?

SoYa gave a short laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“No.. nothing…” he waved one hand sheepishly. “Keep going… what else did she say to you?”

“Nothing definitive,” Father sighed. “Just that she could sense things in Tsu that were changing. She said he would keep changing… and that nothing but the destruction of Zeromus would be able to cure him for good.”

“Oh…” SoYa frowned. The lump had come back in his throat, making it hard for him to say anything.

It’s true. There’s things about Tsu that just seem… weird. Like how he was able to throw Father off of him during that the training we had. Almost as if he was a whole lot stronger all the sudden. I wonder what it means.

“She also said not to give up on him. That Tsu had a strong, fighting will,” Father was obviously having a lot of trouble speaking at this point.

“He does!” SoYa offered quickly, trying to ease up on the bad tension. “She’s right about that, Father. Tsu won’t back down from a fight… he never backs down from anything. So he’s not going to give up on this either, no matter what’s happening to him.”

Father nodded, blinking back his emotion. His hand opened and closed, hanging over the side of the fence. His breath was choked as he fought to regulate his outside reactions.  When he finally spoke again, his usually fearless voice was broken, “It’s my fault, isn’t it, SoYa? It’s because I left you when you were younger…?”

“What?” genuine shock echoed in the word. Staggered, he could only stare at his father’s grieved features.

“Maybe if I hadn’t left… Tsu wouldn’t have…”

“Father… no! Don’t you blame yourself for this!” SoYa quickly stepped over and grasped the winged man’s shoulder. “What happened… years ago when you first Awakened… that wasn’t your fault. It was the Council who ran you out. It was KoGuRai who lied. You did the best that you could do!”

He wasn’t too sure how to go about addressing this. Most of what he learned about what happened to Father during the years that he had vanished from Nefol was through Aunt SaRa. Father himself rarely ever spoke about the experience… but SoYa knew that there was a lot of pain associated with the first Awakening. And a lot of regret that Father felt having been exiled and forced to leave himself and TsuYa behind.

Never did either of the sons blame their father for what had befallen them in their life. Never did they even consider pointing a finger at the absence of their father as a cause for the strife that they had to endure in his loss. They were just happy to have their father back in their life again… even if it was in such a dark time.

Despite that, I’ve known that Father’s blamed himself for what’s happened to Tsu. That’s why he’s always fought so hard to find an answer to help him.

And now, despite all the best efforts made, TsuYa still wasn’t cured. SoYa could understand why Father would feel discouraged and full of remorse.

Father sighed and waved one hand in front of his chest. “All that I’ve done has never been good enough.”

SoYa shook his head slowly, “Tsu wouldn’t want to hear you talking like this. Don’t doom him to loss – you can bet that he’s going to fight this till the end. Even what he’s out there doing right now is a form of him fighting against this. And we need to be fighting along side with him.”

Father hunched over the fence railing for a moment. When he answered, it was slow and composed. “You’re right, SoYa. He’s going to rely on me to keep it together. I can’t let him down on my end.”

SoYa stood quietly, feeling the soft summer breeze on his back. He wanted to add something more to the conversation, but Father seemed lost in thoughts. And he felt like the most important words had already been put out on the floor. So he just remained quiet company, hoping that something he said would be uplifting to his father’s spirits.

After a while of silence, the sound of approaching footfalls drew their attention. Down the path, they caught a glimmer of blue and gold – which could only belong to one figure.

“‘Dako?” Father lifted his head, watching the approach. With one deft leap, he cleared the top of the fence and strode out to meet his old friend.

SoYa chose to use the proper gate and followed at a distance. He could hear the two exchange a quick greeting before somber talk came.

But then again, with Kudako, everything is somber talk.

As he approached, he could better hear what was being said.

“I know you will not like what I’m going to say,” Kudako leaned back on one heel, giving his once-student a stern look. “But you must hold yourself together better than you have been. The people here rely on you to lead and fight.”

“I know, ‘Dako. I’m trying…”

“Very well,” the Dragon nodded. “There is news of your son and the search party.”

Father straightened instantly, “Is everything okay?”

“They are fine, Zento,” Kudako replied. “They had a run-in somewhere in the mountains, but it seems your son was victorious against KoGuRai.”

“That’s wonderful!” the winged man smiled slowly.

“Yes, well, that’s not all of it.”

“What else?”

“It seems the path of their travels has taken them beyond the boundaries of the Inner Realms,” Kudako intoned slowly.

SoYa blinked in surprise. He could see surprise on Father’s face, too.

They’ve gone that far? But they have only been away for a week and some days!

“They’ve gone into the Spiral?” Father asked quickly.

“No. Lord Zemi gave the idea that they’ve gone somewhere else. Not the Spiral,” the Dragon shook his head, giving the closest thing to a shrug that he would.

“How can that be?”

“I am not the one to ask for clarification, Zento. I’m just relaying what Lord Zemi spoke.”

“Zemiiii…” Father gave a frustrated sigh, running his fingers through his hair and leaning back on one foot. He seemed to think for a moment, peering up at the passing cloud banks. Then he sighed again. “Alright. I’ll go see what that Dreigiau is up to now. I just wish he’d tell me these things… especially when they have to do with my son.”

Kudako nodded curtly, but said nothing else. There was a gleam in the Dragon’s golden eyes that said that his silence was there for a good reason.

Though Father seemed like he was about to walk off in his usual hurry, he paused. Turning slowly, he gave SoYa a soft smile and a soft mind-touch that spoke his thanks and his love.

Then with a flourish of feathers, ZenToYa strode off towards the Dreigiau’s chambers.

“AsaHi... is it really smart to... wake up... a sleeping Dragon?” the Athrylith choked.

Brunswik was perched out on the edge of the Island, making all the trees around him look tiny in comparison. His vast bulk was packaged down with items and supplies that were shipped to and from Wyndor and the friendly tribes of the Spiral. Despite this, the huge crimson Dragon seemed completely unhindered. In fact, as AsaHi came walking up to him, she found that he was very much asleep.

“Brunswik?” she called softly. It was always a good idea to give him a heads up before approaching him asleep, AsaHi had learned. Brunswik had a habit of rolling over in his sleep… sometimes with people standing there.

A deep rumble shook the ground around her feet. For a moment, she looked alarmed. Then she realized… the Dragon was just snoring.

AsaHi sighed and hopped up on his huge claw. Walking over, she placed her hands on the giant snout and pushed. “Brunswik? Wake up?” “Uhhh… AsaHi?” a quiet voice came from behind.

“Oh?” The girl turned around to see SoYa’s concerned face peering up at her.

Inevitably, her gaze strayed past that when she noted that he had just come from a sparring session. There was a towel still wrapped around his neck and he was dressed down in a warrior’s sparing garb… which did a lot to accent some of the finer points of his torso.

It’s hard to believe he was ever such a bookworm!

AsaHi giggled her approval, despite herself.

SoYa’s face flushed a little as he tugged on the towel, “Heeeey… what are you laughing at?”

“Noooothing?” she grinned, hopping down from her perch on the Dragon’s claw. With a gentle sound, she came over and wrapped her arms around her Promised and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “You’ve been at practice today?”

“Yeah, with Father,” he told her, tilting his head down slightly and putting one arm around her slender shoulders. “What about you?”

“I just got done talking to Zemi,” AsaHi said. Then, she suddenly wished that she hadn’t. Afterall, sometimes SoYa seemed sensitive about the talks that she and Zemi had when they were on their own. Not that he didn’t trust her to do the right thing… but sometimes everything between the three of them was all just hard, still.

Surprisingly, SoYa didn’t pull away. It was almost as if he was seeking her closeness for the moment. “Oh… what did he say?”

“He was upset about… things,” AsaHi answered with a frown. “I don’t think he told me everything, though. He seems to be keeping a lot to himself.”

“Yeah…” SoYa murmured, laying his cheek on the top of her head. “Same with Father.”

“Why? Is something wrong with Zento?” she peered up at him, then wrapped one of his longer curls around her finger. She adored how his hair looked now that he had started to grow it out.

“He was upset, too. About Tsu… and just all sorts of stuff,” her Promised told her. “Kudako came and told him some more bad news. So I guess Father’s gone to duke it out with Zemi right now.”

AsaHi sighed. “They’ve really been at odds lately, haven’t they?”

“Father and Zemi?”

“Yeah.”

“Now that you mention it… yes,” SoYa frowned and pulled back from her a little. His face was concerned. “I think it’s really hard on them both. Father’s always been Zemi’s biggest support… so now that they’re not seeing eye to eye. And in the middle of this war, too.”

“That’s really not good,” AsaHi said quietly.

“Well, hopefully they’ll work it out between themselves.”

“You think there’s a chance in that?” she arched an eyebrow, taking a step away from him.

“I don’t know?”

AsaHi caught her hands in his and began to swing them back and forth between them. It was something that she used to do a lot when they were younger… and she could see by the hint of a smile on SoYa’s face that he remembered with fondness.

“So what are you up to?” he asked, squeezing her hands gently.

“Oh! That’s right… I was going to give this letter to Brunswik!” the girl turned quickly, dropping his hands. “Thanks for reminding me.”

SoYa looked a tad disappointed. But he was used to her sudden turns and just nodded.

Hopping back up on the Dragon’s claw, she proceeded to push on his snout again. “Brunswik! You big lazy! Wake up!”

The ground shook again as the Dragon rumbled. One golden eye fluttered open and SoYa startled back as the pupil dilated then shrank to a slit, focusing on the two of them.

“AsaHi… is it really smart to… wake up… a sleeping Dragon?” the Athrylith choked.

“I was having such nice dreams, too,” Brunswik’s huge voice vibrated up through her hands, a pleasant feeling quiver through all of AsaHi’s body. “Ahh… smoked perth. How I miss it.”

The girl just laughed, a soft, silvery sound. “Are you dreaming of food again?”

“What else is worth dreaming of, Morh-AsaHi?” the Dragon lifted his head and shook out his mane.

AsaHi just laughed again. Despite his initial alarm, SoYa was also grinning. Brunswik’s laid-back nature just had that effect on people.

“Are you going to be our mail Dragon for this week, Brunswik?” the girl asked.

“That’s right. I am,” the crimson sighed deeply.

“Something happen?”

“Aww… I just messed up on flight formations again,” Brunswik told her. “I don’t get the point in all of this formal stuff that KaiShi wants us trained in. I mean, when I’m out fighting things, last thing I’m going to think about is staying one wing’s width away from the Dragon on my right.”

SoYa laughed again, “That sounds like me. I can’t ever get all this war talk right.”

“You too, Master SoYa?” the Dragon tilted his head. “Odd… I thought the eldest son of ZenToYa would have been–”

Watching SoYa’s face fall, AsaHi intercepted, “Brunswik… not everyone is always interested in the same things as their parents were. SoYa has a lot of talent in other areas, though.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. The Athrylith. Dragons speak highly of your power,” Brunswik went on chatting, completely oblivious.

“Uhn… thanks?” her Promised rubbed the back of his head with a frown.

Don’t worry, SoYa… he often doesn’t think before he speaks.

AsaHi’s eyes slipped sideways to watch the Athrylith’s startled reaction. It wasn’t often that she attempted what they called “mindspeak”. In fact, she really couldn’t mindspeak at all… it was more the fact that if she tried to concentrate her thoughts towards SoYa, very often he could “hear” what she was trying to think.

She knew that usually, SoYa refused to listen in on other people’s thoughts and emotions. At least, he rarely did on purpose. But every now and then, he had told her, there was someone who would think “loudly” or feel “loudly” and he couldn’t help but pick up things that they so freely broadcasted.

TsuYa was one of the loud ones, SoYa had said. Which always seemed strange to AsaHi… considering TsuYa was externally so quiet and unemotional.

The Athrylith glanced at her, obviously having received her broadcast. He never looked very certain as to how he should respond when she surprised him with things like that. But this time, he just gave a slow nod signifying that he understood.

It’s really not so bad having Athrylith as a Promised…

She didn’t know if SoYa had picked up that thought or not. But she gave him the biggest grin she could.

“So, is there something I can do for you, today… as official Mail Dragon, in flight to Wyndor this afternoon?” Brunswik finally turned the conversation back to the original topic. It had only taken five minutes before he realized he had gone so far astray.

“Yes, actually, I have a letter to send,” the girl told him.

“It’s the yellow sack over there on the ground,” Brunswik pointed his nose towards it.

“Thanks!” AsaHi gave him a final pat on the nose before she hopped down to put the letter in the sack.

“Who are you writing to, AsaHi? Aunt SaRa?” SoYa watched her with a puzzled face.

“No… but you really should! How long has it been since you’ve written anyone there?” the girl chided him with a glance over her shoulder.

“Well… uh…”

“Don’t give me the excuse that your handwriting is bad, either. I’ve seen it. It’s lovely,” she waved a finger in his face.

SoYa coughed and turned the conversation back to his question, “So who are you writing?”

“To Suzume?”

“Oooh..?” the word held a note of something unanticipated… but made sense once he considered it. “That’s nice of you.”

“Yes… since Lucci hasn’t been able to write to her in a while. Since he’s been sick. And now that he’s gone, I thought that I’d let her know why he hasn’t responded,” the girl’s face blanched a little.

“Yeah…” SoYa frowned slowly. “I bet that wasn’t easy…”

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever written,” AsaHi sighed with a nod. “She’s waiting and waiting for this war to be over so that she can see him again.”

The Athrylith didn’t say anything. His face just fell sad at the thought, as if it hadn’t been something he had considered before that moment. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. “We’re doing everything we can to make that happen.”

The girl walked over and wrapped her hands around his arm. “I know, SoYa. It’s not easy… everyone’s trying so hard. And it feels like all the answers are so far away. For us all… even Zemi.”

The rumbling through the ground told them that Brunswik had gone back to sleep already. So the two of them took their leave, arm in arm, walking across the Island. It was something they had done often back along the streets of Nefol. AsaHi had loved to walk the market streets and see all the color and smell all the foods. Living in a Gathering in her young years, she had never quite gotten accustomed to the sights and sounds of a city.

Now, they were there, on an Island in the sky. So far away from home. But still together. And finding the same comfort within each other as they had always found. Maybe even more now… for it wasn’t hard to see how much they had both grown since the day they first left Nefol. And even though they had changed… there was something about their changes that complimented each other.

AsaHi had discovered so much about SoYa… what he really was… who he was meant to be… and the hidden strength that lay behind his gentle eyes. And she had learned so much about herself… at first, seemingly magic less, but in truth holding power over the Dragons of their world… the power to help guide and overcome the Chaos that threatened Zemi Dreigiau.

“It’s hard to believe… how far we’ve come,” AsaHi whispered, peering out over the rise of the distant hills.

“I know…” SoYa replied, sensing the flow and depth of her thoughts. “A year ago… I would have never imagined myself here. Like this.”

“Me either,” she laid her head against his shoulder.

“I guess that’s why we have to keep believing in things to come. There’s so much we can’t see yet. The best we can do is walk forward with hope… and help others do the same,” the Athrylith spoke vaguely.

AsaHi smiled. Something about the words were just like SoYa to say… but their depth still took her by surprise.

“SoYa,” she murmured, turning around to face him. “I love you.”

Her head tilted back as AsaHi stood up on her toes. And they shared a simple kiss.

“I know that a leader has to sacrifice for his people… but Zemi… haven’t I given you enough?”

“I’ve been expecting you, ZenToYa,” the Arweinydd’s voice fell from the lofty throne above. The scent of flowers was strong in the air and the sunlight played down through the fluttering leaves. As if nothing terrible at all was going on in all the world.

When Zento had been younger, these things would have impressed him. Zemi knew that, and seemed to remember the eager youth that he had raised back in the Host Gate from childhood. But the last twenty some years since the Awakening had changed Zento.

I’m not that kid anymore, Zemi… I have children of my own. A family. There are some things in life that are more important than your games.

Even before his Awakening, the death of his beloved wife had been a terrible, sobering wake-up call. From that point on, the carefree boy-man that he had been for most of his life had been forced to grow up and mature. To juggle the roles of being a single father and a leader of the greatest nation in the Inner Realms.

And in both accounts, I’ve failed to come through.

And now, Zento stood before the Dreigiau’s throne, fighting back bitterness that gripped his chest. Again. Once again, his family was being put at risk for the whims of the Arweinydd who seemed to understand very little about what it meant to have children. To have a family to love and worry for.

Sure. You slap the title “sister” on Zazo and Zeni and create a make-shift family. But it’s not the same. You can’t possibly understand.

It hurt. It hurt because he was constantly torn between his duty to the Arweinydd who raised him from a boy… who taught him secrets that no other had ever known… who lifted him up from an orphan to be the High Guide over all of Nefol. Everything he had was touched by Zemi’s influence and teaching.

And now, as he stood at the foot of the throne, the winged man realized that there was so much anger between them. Never before had Zento felt pangs of misunderstood bitterness towards his Patron. And it seemed that every time he turned around, Zemi was doing something else that made his quiet anger grow.

Zemi sat with one leg hooked over the arm of the throne, leaning back in a casual manner. There was nothing mighty in the way he sat… as if he knew enough to realize that should he attempt to pull any formality at that point, that Zento would have had it right there.

Cutting right to the chase, Zento frowned, “What’s this I’ve heard about the search party going beyond the reach of the Inner Realms?”

The Dreigiau nodded and rightened himself on the throne, “I figured Kudako would bring you the news. Yes, the search party has left the Inner Realms to pursue Lucci.”

“How? Did they go through the Passage?”

“No…”

“Then how? It’s not possible to leave the Inner Realms without traveling through the Passage, Zemi,” Zento put his hands on his hips, wings bristling behind him.

“Zento… relax. If you don’t unwind, you’re going to spring yourself rash,” Zemi murmured folding his hands in front of his chin.

“I want answers, Zemi. I’m tired of being the last one to know!”

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re not the last to know… you’re one of the first, in fact,” the Dreigiau winced. There was a strangely subdued look to his face. Like a puppy who had just chewed up the slipper and was trying to find the best way to admit it.

Only, this was a very… big… puppy.

“Okay. Spill it,” Zento pressured, with a deep scowl on his face.

“Will it make you content if I do?” Zemi frowned in return, a slight glitter in his teal eyes.

“Yes.”

“No… it won’t,” the Dreigiau got up from the throne and paced slowly down the stairs.

Zento fell silent, watching. Anger was momentarily replaced with curiosity.

“Anything that I tell you will just feed your anger towards me,” Zemi intoned, waving his hands. “Anything that I don’t tell you will just feed your anger doubly towards me. Zento, I’ve gotten to a point where no matter what I do, I lose. And I don’t know where to take it.”

“Look, I didn’t come here to talk about me…”

“I know. You’re here to chastise at me for putting your son at risk.”

Zento closed his mouth, pressing it into a firm line.

“But I want you to know that it’s a risk that your son chose to take of his own free will. Never did I force him to go,” Zemi waved a hand in the air. “In fact, he was the one that volunteered from the start.”

“Maybe,” Zento’s frown deepened. “But I bet you everything that Tsu is out there acting without knowing the whole story.”

It was Zemi’s turn to fall silent.

“Isn’t he, Zemi Dreigiau?” the winged man thrust one finger forward. “You do to him just like you’ve always done to me. Send us out to fight your battles for you, blindly. Or make us believe you’re trying to achieve one thing, maybe something that we’d like to see happen, while actually working to do something completely different.”

“If you’re still sore about what happened in the Spiral, it all worked out, yes?” the Arweinydd told him with spread hands.

“Yes. That worked out. But what about–”

“And I told you time and again that if you were patient, that your family would come to be with you in Ceiswyr. That has happened, yes?”

“Zemi! It’s not always about the outcomes!” Zento threw both of his hands over his head in exasperation. “You know what your problem is? You only see things based on results. You totally discount the experience and pain that happens on the way to get those results. But that’s not how Earthians work!”

The Dreigiau opened his mouth as if to speak, but the Champion continued, not allowing it.

“Our memories… our very souls… are made up of the passage of time. Of experience. Of what happens day to day,” the winged man shook his head. “Sure, it’s great that you built a beautiful place for your people to thrive. That is a wonderful outcome. But Zemi, if it hurts people along the way to achieve it… and especially if it hurts the people closest to you… maybe you’re going about it all wrong!”

Silence fell over the gardens. A low flying cloud found the perfect time to scuttle down and block away the warmth of the sun. Zento’s chin was up, body posed in a defiant manner. His mind was filled with images of his past… of all the things that had been spurred on by the Dreigiau that had led to this today. Bitterness. Anger. Reproach.

The feeling of shock and horror as he experienced his Awakening, never having been warned of it’s coming. The feeling of fear and exile as he was hunted down like a beast by his own people, none of them knowing what it meant to have wings.

The feeling of deep loss and regret in being forced so far away from his two young sons… the knowledge that he had lost so much time with them. That he was never able to see his youngest boy grow up… that he was never there for TsuYa. And now… TsuYa was sent so far away, into dangerous lands of unknown… chasing the one thing that was destined to destroy them all.

A tempest of emotion swelled from his soul, filling the gardens with a darkness that was more than the shadows of passing clouds. The hurt and pain and suffering of a Champion’s endless sacrifice for his Arweinydd. All which had seemed to have gone unnoticed… with nothing but the goals in mind. Nothing but the next big project. The next city to be established. The bringing of great things to all the other people… everyone except for himself.

And for that moment, Zento chose to be selfish. His voice was full of pain and regret, face hurt and accusing, “I know that a leader has to sacrifice for his people… but Zemi… haven’t I given you enough?”

A despairing, stricken expression flooded Zemi’s face in response. For the first time ever, Zento could feel it — a true trickle of emotion… of deep remorse and sorrow… breaking through the light and shadow of the Dreigiau’s mind.

Of course, the Arweinydd had hints of emotion before that Zento could sense. But most of them were shallow, fickle and fleeting. This… was something far deeper. Far more real. Almost Earthian in nature.

“Oh, Zento… I’m so sorry,” Zemi’s voice cracked. His hands lifted, as if to cover his face, but he didn’t seem to know what the expression meant or how to complete it. So he left them extended, almost a motion of pleading. Searching for guidance. Searching for forgiveness.

Zento felt a pang rush through his chest. No matter how angry he was… no matter how much he felt that Zemi may have been in the wrong… he still cared deeply for the Dreigiau. And the way that the Arweinydd was responding showed that Zemi also cared very deeply for the sacrifice and pain that he had subjected his Champion to.

“Things have not been working out the way I thought they would at all,” the Dreigiau admitted with a thick voice. “In fact, they may be far worse off than I’ve been letting on.”

A ripple of fear rushed over Zento’s body. He didn’t know whether to be afraid, concerned or angry. But so far, anger had done nothing but blind him to the emotions of others… when he was the one who was scolding Zemi for doing that very same thing.

Maybe… Zemi hasn’t been telling me things… because he doesn’t think I’ll be very receptive towards anything he has to say. Then… whose fault is it that I don’t know these things? Is it my own?

The winged man dropped his eyes, a shroud of silence washing away the tension. Silence and understanding of his own shortcomings. Because the truth was, though he was the Champion of the Dreigiau, he had no idea what it was like to be standing in Zemi’s shoes right that moment… or would he ever.

“Alright, Zemi…” Zento peered up with a softness in his eyes. “Tell me what’s going on. I’ll do my best to listen.”

The Arweinydd’s expression responded to the change in Zento’s approach instantly. There was a hint of pain… but also a hint of hope. As if he was dearly yearning for the help and support of his Champion and just didn’t know how to traverse the boundaries that had been placed between them.

“Okay. Let’s talk,” Zemi finally said, looking thankful. He walked over and stat down on the stone steps that lead up to the throne.

Zento followed suit, settling down on the steps next to his Patron. Glancing over, he took a deep breath, the anger and frustration slowly draining out of his frame. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was making a right choice for someone else.

And as the Arweinydd began to explain, the Champion listened.