"For three days our parents yelled at each other, Mom wanted to try and get us both off the planet and out of the system entirely but Dad wouldn't hear it. He worked for the temple and kept saying it wasn't any use, that they'd find us anyway. In the end, she only took me." Ryou nursed the warm drink that Mana handed him as he finished the story. They had all moved to the common area when they realized his explanation was going to be a long one, Atemu and Mana making for a rapt audience and Seth... not so much but at least he still listening attentively even if his emotionless blue eyes did unnerve Ryou a bit. Okay, a lot. But it was at least tempered by having his sister leaning against his arm with her head resting on his shoulder and their hands still wrapped tightly together as though trying to make up for eight years missed all at once.
"So what happened then?" Mana asked, leaning forward so far in her chair that she was in danger of falling off. Ryou rubbed the back of his neck and thought that it figured Mana would be the one to ask about the part of the story he wasn't exactly ready to tell yet. Even less so in unfamiliar company.
He shrugged. "She succeeded. Mostly. We made it to Cyest and then she also paid a smuggler to take us– um, to take me to the closest system. I ended up on Eisen where Atemu found me." He looked away and hoped the five year gap in the story hadn't sounded as obvious to everyone else as it did to him. Fortunately, Mana's questions took a different route.
"And what happened to Kisara?" It really was a wonder she hadn't fallen off her poor chair.
Kisara looked slightly embarrassed at the question and hesitated before saying something briefly in Drakonic to Mana and then turning to Ryou and saying something decidedly longer. He asked a question back in confusion and she ducked her head, fiddling nervously with her hair as she answered. Comprehension dawned on his face and Kisara poked him and nodded in Mana's direction.
"Sorry! She understands because it's part of her ability but she can't speak Common yet." He hesitated until his sister poked him again and said something that sounded like encouragement. "Though, she says she was taken by the temple shortly after I left..." His voice turned thick and he turned back to Kisara and whispered something quiet and desperate and the woman shook her head, shushing him and wrapping him tightly in her arms while he clung to her, shoulders shaking until he was able to look up again, offering apologies and wiping at his eyes.
"Sorry," he continued finally, "she also says she'll tell you everything you want to know when she learns."
The chair finally did tip, nearly toppling right to the floor but for Mana's quick reflexes and she steadied the seat and plopped back onto it, her eyes never leaving the pair and a huge smile lighting her face.
"Promise?" she asked Kisara directly.
The priestess smiled back, just as brightly and carefully mimicked the word, the syllables not quiet lining up correctly, but the sentiment true just the same.
"Promise."
VII.
"How did you ever..."
"After you left, there was nothing worth feeling."
A/N: Toyed with the idea of rewriting this sequence entirely but decided not to. Glad I kept it as is, actually. I think I like it this way XD Also added a bit to the end and now it feels way more finished.