Kirim danced around the demon tree in a way that might be interpreted by one who didn't know about her, as some form of strengthening the tree. In fact, she was draining more energy from the tree while she was dancing. Her movements kept her joints moving smoothly, and her muscles from deteriorating. She grew stronger every day because of her dancing. She only neglected it once since her pugilism teacher taught her how to dance. That was the first night she arrived in the light lands.

It took her four hours of the night to get back above 70% of her energy capacity. It was depressing how long it took. It wasn't slowed by her dancing either because she understood that physical and spiritual energy were different. Her spiritual energy could fuel her physical energy, but it couldn't work the other way around without serious damage to herself.

She finally stopped from dancing around the tree after the four hour mark and stared at it, observing its state of health. The pitch-black bark was turning a light gray. The leaves which were vibrant moist red originally had turned a dry light brown in colour. They were starting to litter the ground and crunch beneath her feet. The tree was already mostly dead, trying to drain more energy from the land nearby, but she was also preventing it from having much of a reach. If it did have its reach allowed, it would destroy the forest. She smoothed where her striking dummy from earlier in the day ways into a seat and sat down. The stars in the night sky above were stunning. She had never seen that before arriving in the light lands. She hadn't taken the chance to appreciate the sky of the light lands since arriving.

She knew the sky was a blindingly bright blue during the day when weather was clear, that weather could make the sky varying levels of gray instead of the dull black she was used to in the dark lands. The twilight sky was beautiful for her and she watched the whole time as the sky progressively went from blue, to yellow, to orange, red and back until the sky faded into dark blue and black. The black sky yielded to show some form of light which was the most fascinating to her. The twinkling little lights above made her wonder just what was outside of their world, how much existed beyond her reach.

"Kirim?"

Kirii's voice was frightened as he approached.

"I'm over here."

Kirim's response sounded refreshed.

"You sound better. I was worried about you."

Kirim gave him a smile as he walked up beside her.

"No need to worry about me."

She noticed that he was shivering a little. The air was a little cool, but not enough to make her think it was worth shivering. She wondered if Kirii was afraid of the dark. She was simply fascinated by it in contrast. She understood that one who was used to being bathed in light all the time could be afraid of the dark, but it was beautiful having the bits of light in the dark. The dark lands to her were so boring. Red, brown, black and generally dark colours were all over the place in the dark lands. A bit of light made the darkness infinitely more beautiful to her, and the only times she ever saw it back home, were when she was practicing magic and the energy exploded from failure.

"Does the sky look different in the dark lands?"

Kirim gave a few seconds between hearing those words and replying to think about how to describe the difference.

"The sky here is infinitely more beautiful. In the dark lands, the sky is always dark. Dark red, dark brown, black...it's boring and always felt like a ceiling far above my head, but within reach. The sky here in the light lands is so much more colourful and bright. Even during night time here, it's infinitely more beautiful. The lights in the sky brighten it up so much and it makes me wonder what's beyond the sky, what's making that light so far in the distance? Existence is so massive, and the sky here makes me feel so tiny in such a good way compared to what might be out there."

Kirii looked from her to the sky and the shivering calmed down, eventually stopping as he appreciated the view above with her.

"I never thought of the sky that way..."

Kirim smiled.

"I guess that teaches you a little more about our culture. Typically we're very thoughtful of our surroundings, and very thoughtful of the future. Something that my father has taught me consistently since I first got into learning directly, is that the blood elves are always planning several generations into the future. We are close with emperor Vector, but in fact we do not share his goal of pillaging from the light lands. We are disappointed in him not believing in us to study the light lands and alter our lands so we can provide farm lands for our people. So we don't need to keep fighting among each other. Us blood elves are taught from a young age to be as strong as possible so that we can keep the other species of the dark lands in line. We're taught to be as strong as we are, so that we can handle our responsibility and to keep the favor of Vector."

Kirii's mouth hung open, and after she finished saying what she said, he gulped back the saliva which built while his mouth hung open.

"So...blood elves are actually allies of the light lands?"

Kirim nodded and pulled Kirii down to the seat by the hand and shuffled over so they could both comfortably sit on it. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"We are allies of the light lands. You're even a born resident here. I should have seen it coming, but I thought the plans were incredibly far from this. I hadn't given it much thought until just now that those lessons from my father might have some clue as to what was happening on this side of the mountains. If I think hard enough, I might even remember something about dad saying something about lost children existing from our tribe, intentionally ported over to the light lands when at the age of ten if they are enough of a prodigy. Now that I think on it, my nineth birth year...at the turn of the year, my father taught me all of this. He and my mother weren't strong enough to send me over here. They wanted me to come to this side of the mountains willingly, under Vector's blessing."

Kirii grew concerned as he saw Kirim struggle with her facial expressions as she fought with her mind for memories.

"Are you okay?"

Kirim sighed and shook her head.

"I feel like...I'm prodding at a seal too strong for me to release. As if I'm peeling the bare minimum off. Maybe...I'm not supposed to have these lessons from that year so clear to me. I might have to stop there and let it be. With time I'll be strong enough to release the seal all at once, but right now I'm too weak, too young."

Kirii looked from her face to his hands which he opened palm up toward his face.

"If you're too weak...then I'm nothing but a disappointment. If we're from the same tribe there, sent here to help the people of the light lands, then what good am I if I'm so weak?"

Kirim gave him a glare and snorted in a way she picked up from Rithi.

"Stop talking badly about yourself. Consider yourself right now as if you were just starting to learn how to be a blood elf. Of course you're weak. I'm weak. We will grow stronger with time. I started learning to be a blood elf properly at 5. So you're 6 years in my past right now, just starting on the path to becoming an amazing blood elf. Set a goal. Aim to be...better than me at melee weapons. They're not my strongest suit, because I lack physical strength due to my constitution as a female blood elf. Aim to be prodigy level over the next six years. Aim to be stronger than I will be in six years. The stronger your drive to reach a goal, the greater our potential. I grew up wanting to be like my mother and father, just like you want to be like your mother. I want to be an excellent hunter with the greatest perception of range like my father, but I also want to be the strongest magic user the world has ever experienced like my mother. Both were good with daggers and short swords, but only my father was strong enough to overwhelm anyone at short range. Neither of my parents are good enough in close proximity to handle an adult pugilist. I will grow to be stronger than both of them in that sense, growing up learning how to be a pugilist and honing my body to at least endure melee altercations with pugilists."

Kirim's scolding by the end caught up to her and she realized how it might have sounded and she felt embarrassed. She curled up, burying her face from sight on all angles besides below her. Kirii snickered. As he realized how much she cared.

"I'm not sure I like being told what to do by you when we're so close in age, but I guess I am just a 5 year old to you as far as what we are. I am curious though...what would you describe my goal to be if we focus on my physical abilities over magical?"

"Dragon knight."

Kirii shrugged.

"That sounds familiar. They're the ones that fight the integrity knights once in a while over the mountains right?"

Kirim hummed in affirmative.

"Dragon knights are typically men from our tribe or from another tribe of human tamers. They're the very best of our melee fighters or the very best at the bow, so they can handle a fight against those overpowered integrity knights."

Kirii nearly deflated over the realization.

"I think that might be at least a little out of my reach..."

Kirim fixed him with another glare.

"Don't limit yourself so quickly. I already told you to aim high."

He sighed understanding he was already disappointing her.

"Don't worry about impressing me. Just don't limit your goals. Aim for the very lights up there if you want. Aim for something you might even think unattainable. You might just reach it. But tell me...do you still want to have the same sacred task as your mother? Or would you like something more suited to what you want to cultivate as your strength?"

Kirii thought it over. He couldn't decide. Part of him wanted to be like his mother, but part of him wanted to fulfill his role as what he was.

"If you can't decide right now, don't worry about it just yet. You have a bit of time to decide. And think about it this way – do you want to fulfill the male or female role of one from our tribe? Because that's how you're approaching this at the moment. Your inherent strengths versus your mother's."

Kirii smiled after he heard those words.

"I guess that makes the answer easy."

Kirim gave him a confused look.

"What makes it easy? We blood elves are able to change our bodies at a young age so long as our soul is ready. If you want to be like your mother, you can. It's not easy to choose unless you really think you're incapable of changing your body to the other type."

Kirii's smile immediately changed. He covered his head and rocked back and forth.

"Why...why would you tell me that...? Of course that would make the decision hard for me...!"

Kirim wrapped an arm around Kirii's waist and tried to comfort him.

"That's something we're traditionally told at 5 years old. You deserve the right as one taught our traditions the choice to become exactly who you want to be."

Kirii cried. His cry grew into a wail. He said incomprehensible words, but eventually he said something that clicked.

"Now I know...why mama was confused so often..."

Kirii didn't know why that clicked with her, but shortly after, she felt as if she were being watched. She looked in the direction of where the gaze felt to be coming from. The demon tree. There, a little above head height on the tree, there was a glowing, pale expressionless face.

"One has broken taboo code 184."

With those words, the face disappeared. Kirim didn't know what to do. Why did that face show up? Taboo code 184? What was that? She was utterly confused, but her mind rapidly worked to piece recent information together. Taboo. There was something with the light landers called the taboo index connected to their religion. A taboo was broken from the taboo index? What was it that set it off? And there were at least 184 code cases. Just how strict was the taboo index?

Kirim had a horrible feeling creeping up on her, remembering that Alice had mentioned integrity knights getting involved when the taboo index was broken. Kirii stared where the face had been with a horrified expression. Kirim didn't know how long his expression had been like that, but she had a feeling he at least knew what they were in for.

"What does that mean? What's going to happen?"

Kirii trembled enough that Kirim could feel it through their seat. It must have absolutely life altering consequences to break the taboo index for such a reaction...perhaps death sentence. She comforted him and brought him home for the rest of the night since Kirii had become unresponsive.

She couldn't stop thinking about it. She sat facing Kirii as he slept in the bed. Of course she couldn't get any rest. Her body was aching by the time morning came along. She decided she was going to go back to the cave where Alice showed the long dead integrity knight encased in ice, just in case there might be something she could use there. She left the house immediately as the dark of night began to recede.

Upon exiting the house, she was face to knee with a giant of a human in brilliantly shining armour which made her feel the end had come for her. She looked up and saw the lifeless eyes she recognized of an integrity knight who had chased her when she first learned to ride Rithi. He had silky ashen hair, gray eyes and the firmness of his skin could place him no older than his mid twenties. He was attractive by human standards under the armour, but otherwise he was the very embodiment of her greatest fear. Simply drawing the sword at his hip could end her life.

"U-uhm...greetings, mister integrity knight."

"You are unit 9248762, resident previously of the dark lands who has accepted the sacred task of freelancer. You have committed taboo 184 of the Axiom church's taboo index. This crime is punishable by death or ascension. Choose your punishment."

Kirim wanted to fight back, to do anything but her fear rooted her in place. Thankfully at least her mouth worked a little and asked a question she wanted to know the answer to.

"C-can...I ask what...the taboo I broke was...? I am unaware...of the taboos within the index..."

It took some effort, but the words were conveyed properly. She waited for his response.

"Unaware of the taboos within the index. This makes punishment less severe, however your crime is not determinable as something less punishing. Taboo 184 is the act of altering the basic understanding of life functions in a light lander."

Kirim understood somewhat what that meant.

"Can...I explain myself first? To confirm whether I'm still eligible to be punished for this taboo...?"

She was desperate. She didn't want him to draw his sword but she also wasn't ready to face death or the unknown ascension she was told of.

"You have one chance to explain yourself."

She sighed in relief, but her body still trembled from head to toe. Simply being in the presence of an integrity knight was horrifying since she had been chased down by the very one in front of her before, with him aiming to take her life.

"The person who I committed the taboo toward is one of my kinsmen...his mother made an agreement with me which is part of traditions she and I share to be faithfully in full. She requested to me that I teach our traditions to her son, and that's part of our traditions. I taught that in faith that it was fulfilling our agreement and I had no idea it was taboo. In our traditions it is normal to be able to change our bodies to fit our minds. Should we forsake our traditions while living in this land?"

The integrity knight didn't miss a beat, and she was surprised she had clearly conveyed her explanation.

"Your traditions in themselves are not an offense to the taboo index. The true issue with unit 9248762 is that you slayed two dozen of your own and did not report this immediately to the Axiom church. Murder of any kind without explanation is not allowed in the light lands. Murder is a taboo punishable only with death."

"Wa-wait! I can explain that one too!"

"Only one explanation may be heard. Unit 9248762 is hereby given the sentencing of death."

He slowly drew his blade, and Kirim stared at the blade, every memory she had flashing within the reflection of that clear polished blade. It almost felt like a waste that her blood would dirty such a beautiful blade. But she was fond of the life she had lived. She loved her family, she managed to meet people she could relate with, and she changed the lives of some people who were important to her. An intense bout of regret hung over her in the moment the integrity knight leveled the blade at her neck. She wanted to live more, do more, achieve more. She wanted to save the light lands according to the wishes of her tribe. She wanted to finish fulfilling her promise to Kirito. She wanted to fall in love and have a child of her own. She wanted to grow old and die of old age.

"Master integrity knight? I thought the integrity knights were more virtuous and informed. Could you kindly spare miss Kirim the chance to inform your uninformed self why you are wrong about one key detail to your death sentence on her?"

Those words came from a familiar voice, but with a totally unfamiliar tone. It was Vector. She had never heard him angry before. A whole other level of fear coursed through Kirim and she soiled herself in that moment.

"The dark lands god Vector...I am not prepared for a fight with one of your stature. I will complete as you request, however another chance will not be given to this child."

Vector smiled and pulled Kirim to her feet. She was nearly unconscious of herself and surroundings from the overload of fear.

"Pull yourself together kiddo. I told your parents I would always watch over your safety but this is a little much. You're grown enough you should be able to handle this much. After all, you intend to follow through with that blood elf tradition of building toward my ultimate betrayal. I'm very much looking forward to how my favourite daughter will try to kill me in the future. Right now, you need to give this sad excuse of an integrity knight your explanation on why you killed the goblins in the cave connecting the light and dark lands."

Kirim stayed unconscious, but the words poured out of her mouth like her mind was verbally vomitting. The monotone of her voice would throw off any unsuspecting.

"The goblins were slain in protection of the child Alice who was under the care of myself, Kirim. We informed Alice's father the head priest of the local church like she mentioned immediately after exiting the cave and going to meet Kirii. We have fulfilled all requirements to make this not a taboo yet you attack myself with intent to kill even with my having joined the light by accepting a sacred task. This body and soul must be useless to that highest minister Administrator according to your lack of information when this body can be used for her studies-"

At that point Kirim suddenly stopped, and slumped over unconscious. Vector dropped her there like she was a corpse and sighed.

"And there you have it. Total incompetence. This is why I despise you integrity knights. Uninformed, and always working to eliminate anything from my side of the world even if it comes in peace or aid. I'd like her to be treated well. I want some entertainment, after all. This land of light stands not one chance in putting an end to me without what she can give this land, after all. Bring exactly what you learned here to that wench in Centoria. Oh, and treating her well does not mean turning her into an integrity knight."

Vector disappeared and the integrity knight was left with Kirim at his feet. Several people were exiting their homes at that moment, most rubbing their eyes clear of sleep. The scene of the integrity knight with a familiar person on the ground swiftly woke everyone who saw. Most bowed immediately in respect of the integrity knight while Alice sprinted over to her and fell to her knees beside Kirim. She could only tell still who was who between Kirim and Kirii because of the clothes they wore. Kirim's clothes were dignified and felt like something a royal of Centoria would wear, while Kirii wore rags his mother made him for his sacred task. There were apparently a lot of hand downs Kirito had made for herself while growing up and Kirii shouldn't have trouble fitting into them, but Alice worried that Kirito's old clothes would make him look like a girl.

Kirim coughed violently, clutching at her stomach with one hand and holding a hand to her chest with the other. She felt as if she were hit hard enough to break all her ribs and have her stomach permanently damaged.

"What happened here?! How are you feeling? Your status...you need emergency level healing!"

Alice began chanting sacred arts immediately which were putting her under immense strain. She wasn't strong enough to perform emergency level healing yet.

"Cease, child. Stand back so you do not stand in potential harm's way."

The integrity knight knelt down and silently mouthed the highest level targeted healing sacred art on Kirim. She recovered fairly quickly.

"Vector was unkind to this of his children. She is a traitor to her land. While this would normally mean she would be taken immediately to the highest minister Administrator, dark god Vector threatened retribution if she wasn't treated fairly here. Taking her to highest minister Administrator would unfold into a condition he absolutely staked his threats on. Worry not, I will not harm this child further unless she commits another taboo."

His monotonous voice sent chills through those who heard, but the healing sacred magic healed all of the damage Kirim had sustained in hardly any time at all. The integrity knight stood up and climbed onto the back of the dragon which had gone unnoticed by Kirim so far.

"Is...is Kirim alright, sir integrity knight?"

A nod in return was all he offered. The dragon he rode flapped its wings and stirred the crowd to back away before they flew off toward Centoria.

"Kirim? Kirim?!"

Alice shook Kirim by the shoulders when the integrity knight was gone and when Kirim's eyes fluttered open, glancing around for evidence of the integrity knight, Alice wanted to cry. Kirim could have died and Alice would have lost her newest friend. She hugged Kirim tightly and tears sat at the edges of her eyes.

"I thought you were...I thought you were...!"

Kirim's head still throbbed from her head hitting the stone ground beneath here, but she pushed herself to a sitting position and brushed Alice's hair to the sides to see her face.

"I-I'm...okay..."

Kirim found that she was struggling with her voice. It felt difficult to bring it forth. She made herself salivate a little and swallowed it down, then tried to say some more.

"Wh-what...what...happened...? L-last I-I-I r-remem-ember...w-was s-seeing...an in-in-integrity kni-knight..."

Kirim's expression went from calming to absolute terror again. But then her mind pieced together what else happened besides what happened after she lost consciousness. Her eyes grew wider in her terror and she looked around frantically for signs of Vector having been there. The only evidence was a menacingly familiar energy hanging in the air.

"We all got outside only in time to see mister integrity knight standing over you...did he do anything to you?! What happened?!"

Kirim tried going over it in her head again. She was struggling with keeping her recent memories in her grasp. She decided it would be easiest to transfer her words in thoughts to Alice instead. Other villagers ended up starting to leave while Kirim's explanation leaked out into the air around them instead of straight to Alice's mind.

I noticed it getting bright outside so I stepped outside this morning and found mister integrity knight standing there right outside the door. He told me I had committed taboo twice, but he was misinformed about me breaking taboo, and I don't recall clearing it up...I don't remember how I got hurt, but for some reason I have a strong feeling emperor Vector was here to convince mister knight to let me off...

The mere mention of Vector in a way for much of the village's adult population to hear made them all freeze in place and stare in bewilderment.

"...mister integrity knight wasn't the one who hurt you, Kirim. Whoever it was that saved you...hurt you. Enough mister integrity knight had to use the highest level healing sacred art to save your life."

The realization left Kirim speechless and staring at the sky. Vector had hurt her. Someone who was the next closest thing to family she knew. He had given her so much care and attention while she was growing up, growing her into as strong a person as she could be. It was possible that the travellers who taught her outside talents from the village were sent by him, or he directed them to the blood elf settlement. It was all speculation, and she might never know how it all came to be.

Kirim knew one thing about her current situation. Vector wasn't her ally anymore. He might protect her from unfair death, but he was likely using her without her knowing. How was she supposed to know her actions and thoughts were her own?

With a heavy sigh, she sat herself up and relied on Alice for support until her trembling legs decided they would calm down. Just as she was on her feet, arms wrapped around her waist and she felt a pressure on her back.

"Don't...don't leave us. Please...don't leave us."

Those words belonged to Kirii. Kirim found her strength as soon as she was more concerned about someone else than herself. Kirii was a baby in comparison to her upbringing. He needed her. She removed his arms from her waist, stood herself up and hugged Kirii.

"I won't leave you... We might need to leave this village at some point, but I will stay with you for certain... If others leave this village with us, then that would be fantastic... But you and myself are my top priority... You are my only family here..."

She was short of breath, heaving at the end of her sentences. Her mind wasn't solid yet. Part of her was still subconsciously reeling at the energy left behind by Vector. It was like the heaviest blanket smothering her, holding her down.

"That's right. We're family. So please rely on me however you can. Tell me how I can help you. Just keep on telling me. I want you to rely on me. We're both young. I'm not nearly as experienced at things as you, but you're teaching me and surely there are things you can teach me only I can do. So please, tell me what to do so you can rely on me."

It was Kirii's first time being so vocal around her. She stared in surprise and his firm confident expression made her feel like she could rely on him.

"I will hold you to that... Please support me..."