Gregor shone the tiny flashlight from Mrs. Cormaci down into the foaming moat, some hundred feet below where he leaned on the parapet that bordered the grounds of the Fount-residence. Though it was not much better out here. Out here, he just raked his brain how he was supposed to explain his being more than four days late to his family, yet he could not think of a single sensible excuse that would not involve excessive lying.

"There you are", a voice called from behind and Gregor spotted Howard approaching. His hair was disheveled and beneath his eyes were large purple circles.

"What did they say?" Suddenly, a wave of fear hit Gregor and his mind flew back to the bulky pair of guards who had nearly lifted Dalia off the ground when seizing her, after her elaborate confession. He recalled Luxa's determined pushing the adults out of the way to slip into the central hall, his glimpse at Howard and Stellovet, whom their parents had attempted to send away. I would rather be kidnapped again, Stellovet's enraged cry rang in his ears and the accusing yet concerned look of her father.

Gregor had left first. He had not been able to take the loaded atmosphere of the improvised trial for more than ten minutes, not if he didn't have to. He had gone to check on Hera instead. She had barely made the way here, and Thanatos had had to carry her for the last bit, but she had made it – and Gregor was happy there was at least one piece of good news. For as much of an uproar Dalia's story had caused, about Hera's and her babies' instant permission to stay nobody had even attempted to argue.

"You will not believe this."

Gregor's heart sank at once. Though as discouraging as the phrase sounded, suddenly he spotted the shimmer in Howard's sunken eyes. "Stellovet... she was incredible. I have never seen her advocate so passionately for anything... or even so much as openly disagree with our parents. She..."

"She won the trial", it sounded from behind Howard and Gregor peeked around him to spot the Death Rider strolling in their direction. "I have to say, Howard, I underestimated your sister."

"As much as it shames me... so did I."

Gregor twitched. "What... did she do?" He recalled the frail yet strong shape of Stellovet at Dalia's side, her braid had nearly fallen apart and from the way her parents had looked at her, they had probably never seen her so dirty and disheveled. Not that she had cared much.

"She lit some nice fires under your parents' asses, is what she did", the Death Rider grinned and Howard threw him a glare. "When Dalia announced she would accept any punishment, Stellovet suggested for the punishment to be no punishment. It sent the room into a frenzy, as you might have guessed."

"But... they didn't really agree on that, did they?"

"They let her stay!", another voice called from the entrance and Gregor spotted Luxa now darted out towards them, somewhat awkwardly followed by a young guard with a clunky helmet and a second, considerably older one who barely kept up. "Not so fast, Your Highness", he cried and Luxa barely prevented a laugh.

"Oh, they did... though they would not have without you."

Gregor looked back and forth between the two and suddenly wished he hadn't left so early after all.

"Well, it was a sensible suggestion", Luxa tilted her head though she looked exceedingly pleased with herself. With a side glance at the visibly confused Gregor she elaborated – "Stellovet and Howard had made it clear they would not watch her be executed and when nobody could come up with a way to punish her in a reasonable yet appropriate way I asked if Stellovet was willing to vouch for her. You should have seen York's face when she immediately fired out she was. So... I suggested to, instead of throwing her into prison, put her under house arrest here. It would be a shame for Stellovet to lose such an intelligent educator, would it not? And it's not like she is known to be violent or dangerous."

Gregor blinked and Dalia's strained face flashed before his inner eye, "Wait, so... nothing changes for her? She gets to go back to the very same job she hates under the very same people she –"

"No, no!", Luxa cut him off, "that is specifically what should NOT be the case from now on. The things she hates, I mean. Or so Stellovet and Howard promised earlier. And you should have seen York's and Susannah's faces when Stellovet repeated what Dalia said and did by the lake. Susannah actually caved and apologized in the name of her family, for causing so much harm. And though York is too proud to admit it, I am certain even he will not take this lightly. He just will not speak of it openly."

Gregor took a second to close his agape-standing mouth. "Really?" As much as it shamed him, even he had not expected the people back here to listen to Dalia. But perhaps... his gaze darted to the entrance, perhaps all was not lost, after all.

"I believe it genuinely shocked our parents to be indirectly responsible for the actions of a traitor", Howard mumbled. "This will keep mother awake for weeks..."

Gregor suppressed a sigh. Of course, it was that part that made them care so much. Of course, betrayal was one of the worst possible crimes down here, so it shouldn't come as a surprise they would try their hardest to extinguish it at its root.

His gaze trailed down to the foaming moat and he wondered how much treason was committed down here. It had been some year and a half since he had first set foot in the Underland and he had already experienced it twice. Only this time, they had actually... what? Gregor frowned. Saved the traitor? Redeem them, was perhaps the better word.

Though, would they all, especially Stellovet, not have acted as they had, Dalia would have died. The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.

Then again, her whole story chilled him to the bone, perhaps because it seemed too... real. Gregor focused on the fantastical structure of the Fount mansion that towered behind Luxa, on her silvery-blond hair with the loose strand that fell into her face. Her nigh-uncomfortably pale skin, the light violet of her eyes. Could it be he so far had not fully processed the Underland was an actual real place, that existed in the same universe as his family's apartment, his school, Central Park, as the bustling, beeping, much too crowded, much too noisy streets of New York City? Gregor nearly laughed. Well, if so, could anyone honestly blame him?

"Is she... alright, then?"

Luxa and Howard nodded simultaneously. "I believe she is with Stellovet, they have... much to discuss. Oh and", Luxa excitedly beamed at him, "Susannah agreed to allow Dalia to bring her brother to live in the residence. So far, he has stayed in the school, yet it is much more comfortable here."

"In the school?", Gregor frowned, "Is it like... a boarding school?"

Luxa frowned. "I have not heard the term before... yet if it refers to children whose parents must either work or have passed away living in school and receive education, then yes."

Gregor nodded. "We have that in the Overland too, but it's not so common... I think. At least where I live."

Briefly, he recalled that flyer he had found on the kitchen table once, during summer break after he had graduated elementary school. His mom had never brought it up to him, he had never found out why, but he vividly remembered the bold, bright letters over the rustic photo of an old building with distinct, brick-red walls, reading "St. Benedict's Preparatory School", and a little further down – "Ranked among the best middle schools with boarding service in New York".

His gaze trailed up and he suddenly wondered why his mom had never brought it up. Why she hadn't sent him there. His dad had been working then, and from how well he remembered the flyer, he wagered they could have afforded it. If his mom would have sent him to a boarding school he would be there now. Having fun with the other kids, perhaps. Who knew, maybe he would have even gotten into some kind of club or sport. Maybe he would be sending letters, pictures of trophies, pictures of him and his team, grinning in unison after some grand victory, back home regularly. His gaze met Luxa's smiling eyes. If his mom would have sent him to a boarding school, he would have never fallen into the Underland. He would have never ridden a bat, or talked to giant cockroaches and rats... he would have never met Luxa.

But of course not. Gregor forced himself back into reality. He was being stupid. Even if his mom would have sent him to a boarding school, she would have transferred him back as soon as his dad vanished. Without his income, she would have not been able to afford it, and without his dad around, Gregor was the only one who could watch his sisters. He released a silent sigh. Perhaps all this really was as inevitable as it seemed. Perhaps for him, all roads truly led to the Underland.

Before he could wonder whether he considered that a good or bad thing, Luxa interrupted his thoughts. "Both schools in Regalia, and the one here at the Fount too, offer to harbor the children. It is impractical for most commoners to keep their children at home. At school, they are professionally protected and cared for."

Gregor nodded. He hadn't considered the safety aspect of it all, though, of course, here, that would be the parents' top priority.

"Howard, you should come."

They all looked at the entrance when another figure strolled out, also accompanied by a guard. "Mother expects a more thorough retelling of events, and I believe she expects you."

Howard eyed Stellovet, how Gregor thought, somewhat amused. She still had not changed out of her quest attire, and not tidied up her hair either.

"I must go then", Howard glanced back, "There is hardly anyone who can do this for me." Gregor eyed his hung shoulders and took in how overall miserable Howard looked.

"Well, I'm sure it won't be so bad. What about your dad, though?", he looked back at Stellovet, "is... he not curious?"

Howard stiffened. "I doubt he would want to see me."

Gregor frowned. Yet before he could ask, the Death Rider, who had chatted away with Luxa's assigned guards, popped up behind Howard. "He's not worth your time, then."

Howard twisted and put on his offended face, yet the outcast cut him off. "Geez, you all make such a big deal out of this whole "expectations"-thing, and when your parents get mad for not meeting said expectations. Why do you even give a damn?"

Gregor looked back and forth between Howard and the Death Rider, his face must have given away his confusion for the outcast groaned. "His father is angry with him over his decision to become a doctor instead of taking over the administration of the Fount as he wanted. So what, gee, big deal."

"I mean, it is a – wait, how do YOU know this?"

"It is only as big a deal as you make of it", the outcast blissfully ignored his question. "Like, you go on and on about making your parents happy, but what even for?"

"What are you... saying?" Stellovet stepped at her brother's side, both gazed at the outcast with bewilderment.

He only rolled his eye. "Look, I get it, okay? I know how it's like to feel like you have no choice but to do what others expect of you. Though... if being an outcast has taught me anything, it was that it is bullshit. All of it. It's not... their life, is it? It's yours. And you're the only one who can decide what to do with it."

"But at what cost?", Howard mumbled, "I have attempted to follow my heart, yet if it costs the love of my father, is it still worth it?"

"It certainly is", the outcast's expression grew grim. "I mean, I never said it would be easy. But sometimes you have to do what's best for you. The people who truly love you will support you all the same, and those who do not support you... well", he snorted, "let's say, it filters them out, those who do not deserve to be loved by you."

All of them, Howard and Stellovet, Luxa, and Gregor too, stared at the outcast with wide eyes. Even the guards who had assembled in the back peered over to them.

The Death Rider eyed them all for a heartbeat, then groaned. "MAN! Why is this so hard to understand?" Then his mouth shut and Gregor thought he heard him mumble – "Okay, maybe it was hard to understand", to himself, then clear his throat. "My point is, don't let others dictate your life, even if they are your parents. It only makes you miserable. And I believe we have just witnessed a vivid demonstration of what such misery can lead to."

"Do you mean to say we could become like Dalia?"

Before the outcast could reply to Howard, his sister had his arm. "It was her discontent with the world and what it pushed her to be, that led to all of this." She looked down. "Who knows what it would do to the rest of us if we try to keep it in for long enough?"

"So is my point", the Death Rider eyed her pensively. "Don't let it happen again... please."

Gregor swallowed as Howard and Stellovet exchanged glances, then nodded. For a second he thought what shone in the outcast's eye was melancholy.

"Let us go", Howard finally turned and Stellovet grabbed him by the arm. She turned to glance back and suddenly stopped. "Will you leave us now?"

The outcast nodded. "My job here is done, and frankly, I've had enough drama for now." For the first time, Gregor thought he actually related to him.

"... oh." Stellovet's smile dropped at once. "Will you not return soon?"

The Death Rider's eye narrowed. "I'm not sure. Probably not. I...", he twitched and leaned on the parapet. "I don't know. We'll see."

Gregor eyed him and suddenly made himself aware just how out of place he must feel here. He wasn't part of society, yet there were members of it asking him to stay. Some openly like Stellovet, some silently like Luxa's large eyes that had not left him since his announcement. Talk about being torn between two worlds.

"I... see." Stellovet clearly disliked the answer yet didn't protest further.

"You... have the gratitude of us all", Howard said stiffly, "without you, this mission would not have succeeded. We owe you much. So...", he looked back and forth between Gregor and the outcast, "Fly you high, wherever your, eh... more than questionable but who am I to judge – paths may take you."

The outcast grinned. "I do enjoy my questionable paths quite a bit." He looked around then raised his hand to salute. "Fly you high!"

Then, faster than any of them could properly register, Stellovet released her grip on Howard's arm and darted at the Death Rider. She nearly bumped into the more than a head taller outcast and Gregor thought she squeezed something into his hand. He understood not a single of her quietly whispered words before she turned around again and dashed past Howard, towards the residence, her loose braid trailing behind, until she disappeared through the gate. Her assigned guard was barely able to follow.

Howard stared at the outcast with bewilderment, then in the direction where she had disappeared. Gregor was certain he heard him mumble "sisters...", before he shot a last smile and wave at Gregor, Luxa, and the outcast, and disappeared after her.

The three of them exchanged glances. "Don't lose hope, will you?" Luxa looked up at him when the Death Rider placed a hand on her shoulder. "Especially in yourself. Dalia's... not your fault", he did not look at her, "she made her choice for herself, you are not to blame for that."

Luxa remained silent for a while. All Gregor heard was the distant sound of the water beneath breaking on stone. "I will remember it."

The outcast looked up.

"I will remember it", repeated Luxa, "what... you did for us. And I want you to know that...", she cleared her throat and raised her chin, "it will not have been in vain. I admit it was... not easy to accept you were on our side yet you have proven your loyalty, you have...", she cleared her throat again and averted her eyes, "earned our... my trust. For however smart this decision will turn out, I want you to know. And never forget it."

Gregor thought this was the first time he saw the veteran outcast truly speechless. He stared at Luxa with a widened eye, his mouth opened yet before he could say anything, his head darted around and moments later Thanatos whizzed over their heads, then landed beside his bond. "Ares and Aurora are on their way", he remarked in Gregor's and Luxa's direction, "I just spoke to them. They will be ready to begin the journey back to Regalia with the two of you soon." For a moment the black and white bat stared at the three who were still visibly shaken. "Did I... miss something?"

"Nothing", the Death Rider shook his head yet Luxa interrupted, "I just informed him you... both of you, of course, have hereby earned our loyalty and our trust. We owe you much, and not only Howard feels inclined to thank you." She gave both the flier and the rider a respectful nod.

"Any... time", Thanatos mumbled and threw the outcast a glance. "Well, would you like to get going? I think I know a place to stay for us for tonight."

"Would you not at least like to stay overnight?"

Gregor stiffened at Luxa's plea. If the outcasts agreed, she would force the two of them to stay too, and then he would be even later than he already was. Luckily, the Death Rider shook his head. "No, thanks."

"Not really our place here", his flier added and he scooped up his backpack he had leaned on the parapet, then mounted up. "Fly you high."

"Fly you high!", Luxa called and took a leap at the parapet after Thanatos had lifted off. "We will see you again, will we not?"

The Death Rider did not reply. His flier circled above their heads once and Gregor barely remembered to call his own "Fly you high!" before they darted out of sight into the darkness.

Luxa and he stood there for a long time, leaned on the parapet side by side, glancing after the outcasts. "Will we see him again?" Her voice was so quiet Gregor barely heard her.

"I think so", he squinted and suddenly registered even his own heart stung at the prospect of never seeing them again. It was strange, for some reason they were not part of society, perhaps even criminals of some sort, though at the same time Gregor thought they were still part of... well, their team. Their little group of somewhat randomly thrown-together people who had a strange tendency to end up on quests together. Questers, the word he had used popped into his mind and he smiled. "I mean, he is part of us now."

"Of the questers?"

Gregor nodded. "And remember, he still owes us a story. Of how he overcame his perception issue. He promised to tell us, remember?" Luxa nodded.

"Perhaps we should wait for Ares and Aurora inside", she mumbled a few minutes later. "York and Susannah will want to send guards with us anyway, for the trip back. And most likely see us off properly."

Gregor swallowed. "Yeah maybe... Hey, do you think I can still talk to Dalia before we leave? I haven't seen her since the trial."

"In that case, let us go in", Luxa pushed herself off the parapet. "She... I hope things will truly change, you know? For her struggle to not have been in vain. Judging by how she most likely intended to become a martyr for her cause, this would probably be the worst-case scenario for her."

Gregor nodded as they strolled towards the gate together, where Luxa's guards still waited. The older one had started playing some sort of crap game with the two who were supposed to stand guard by the door.

"Perhaps the hardest part was not the trial", Luxa muttered quietly, "perhaps it will be what follows." She blinked. "I have not considered that when I suggested this form of consequence."

"You mean they will give her a hard time? The other servants and such?"

"The common people might be more resentful for they know not the whole story. Then again, I have heard some of them speak of her as a role model and advocate for justice too. Most likely they hope her actions will have an impact on their lives and how they are treated as well."

Gregor gave her an encouraging smile. "Hey, who knows? Maybe this was the first step towards some sort of better future for everyone."

"I hope so", Luxa muttered then gave the guards a wave. The younger one sighed and pulled his companion up by the arm who relinquished his game not without protest. The two led Gregor and Luxa back into the residence.

"Will your parents be angry with you?", Luxa asked out of the blue, "For being so late. I know they will be angry with me, back in Regalia. The council will be enraged, and Vikus most likely worried beyond reason."

Gregor nodded and opened his mouth, then shut it again. He had still not come up with a sensible excuse. Not for staying away, not for breaking the expensive flashlight. Oh well, he suddenly pressed his lips together. "Hey, we had good reason, didn't we?" The Death Rider's words about expectations popped back into his head and he gave Luxa the most encouraging smile he could muster. "Maybe... that's what really matters."

ooo

The rough soles of Henry's heavy boots pounded against the stone as he ran, and against his vibrating eardrums, the sound illuminated the path ahead. The echo of his steps was nearly synched with the beat of his frantic heart. He paused not for a moment to ponder on where he was or what was chasing behind, all he knew for certain was that if he stopped running now it would catch up to him. It would catch up and it would... would...

Henry quickened his steps until his surroundings blurred into nothingness, all he registered was the path ahead and the pitch-darkness. Though he was not scared of the dark, not anymore. Not as long as he still could hear.

Henry heaved and the realization he would not be able to keep this pace up for much longer flashed in his head when he heard rushing water ahead. He mobilized the last of his strength and darted forward like an arrow, out of the narrow dark tunnel and onto a shallow beach.

Ahead, for as far as he could see, stretched the calmly breaking, glowing waves of water. The waterway? Henry did not even now stop to ponder. His soles whirled up fine sand and finally broke the surface of the quietly ebbing, shallow water. He could not stop or it would catch him. He could not stop, not even here.

At first, Henry could still run. His boots soaked with water and quickly he had to slow down until he forced the weight of his heavy, fur-cladded legs through knee-deep, then waist-deep water. When it reached up to his chest he could barely move anymore. Lights sparked before his eye and his hands helplessly beat the glowing waves that suddenly seemed just as hostile as whatever had chased him here. The water was not soothing, Henry panted, desperately attempting to move, it was smothering, like quicksand it pulled at him, rendered him immobile and defenseless.

Help, he meant to scream yet the water covered his mouth now. Had the level risen? Help, panic flashed through him and he thought he would pass out any second. But nobody came.

Henry sensed his drifting hair around his head and perceived the water that surrounded him dim until it turned into black, stinking goo. The disgusting mass pulled at him like a weight, like deadly quicksand, and would not let go. He blinked one last time before his head was engulfed.

The black mass swallowed him like a voracious mouth, Henry attempted to scream yet only took in water in the process. I will die, it flashed in his mind and his body grew limp. I will die. Nobody will come.

His mouth opened to scream when he sensed a sharp tug, then he was yanked up by his arms, up and out of the water. Henry twined dazedly, only moments later he recognized the familiar pair of talons that had clawed him up. A wave of relief hit him and he could have screamed in joy. Instead, he tightly grasped the claws holding him by the shoulders and smiled.

What he saw beneath looked like water again, dark, murky water that raged, producing larger waves like wet fingers, stretching to pull him back under. Foaming drops hit his face yet Thanatos undauntedly gained altitude until they were a good amount out of reach of the water. Out of reach of –

Henry cried when something yanked him out of his sleep with a hefty push. His eye darted open and he sat upright in a heartbeat, it took him a second to take in his surroundings... and Thanatos at his side, who must have pushed him. "You sounded like you had a nightmare", his flier mumbled and Henry fell backward with a groan. "Kind of."

"Kind of?"

His eye fell shut and as he focused, he still heard the sounds of rushing waves beneath them. It coated the cave in dim, pleasant light, for the glow reflected all the way into here. How long had he slept? There was no way to tell, but a day or so might have passed after they had left the Fount. They had found shelter in this cave by the coast of the waterway, a few hours flight from the city.

Something about being in such an environment felt so familiar yet Henry was too tired to bother digging in his memory. "It was a nightmare at first." He pressed his lips together, then hesitantly retold the dream as well as he could. "You woke me at the good part though", he concluded and grinned up at Thanatos.

"Well, feel free to go back to sleep then", his flier resolutely turned and Henry laughed. "I can't go back to sleep now." He slowly rose and stepped past the flier to the entrance of the cave. Waves of greenish-glowing water broke, some fifty feet beneath them. His jaw clenched yet he knew he could only evade this question for so long. "Where... will we go now?"

He sensed Thanatos behind him approach. "I am unsure", the flier mumbled and Henry sat so that his feet dangled from the ledge.

Side by side they watched the gently breaking waves. He attempted desperately to chase the images that flooded him again, now that he was awake. Luxa's sincere face – You have earned our... my trust. For however smart this decision will turn out, I want you to know. And never forget it. A cold shiver ran down his spine, and not from the chill droplets of water that clustered into a thick layer of mist over the sea.

"Something is wrong, isn't it? And I am not referring to Luxa's words earlier. Something has been wrong ever since we arrived back at the Fount."

Henry groaned. "I... I don't get why she did this. Dalia, I mean." His fists clenched around the damp stone. "Why would she risk this? Why would she not take us up on our offer and pretend it never happened?" He released an agitated scoff. "Who... who in their sane mind would –?"

"... Would place their life in the hands of those they betrayed... to then reap the gain...?"

"SHUT UP!", he slapped his hand in the direction of Thanatos' face. "It's not funny."

"I never claimed it was." Henry forced an unsteady breath out of his lungs and Thanatos shook his head. "Why are you so... angry over this?"

His head twitched in the flier's direction. His mouth opened yet he had no reply. "Dalia's not the Death Rider", he finally hissed and turned back to the water. "Why are you citing the prophecy as if it applied to her?"

"You know why."

Henry squinted his eye. He did not know. He did not, and he did not want to know. "Shut up", he repeated quieter, unsure whether he spoke to Thanatos or his own screaming thoughts, and had to prevent an impulse to bang his head on the wall beside him. "I don't want to talk about Dalia", he hissed, "I don't want to ever hear her name again. It never happened, you hear? This whole episode never happened." He squinted harder. "I... I want to..." Only now he registered he was quivering. "I don't... want to..."

"So you keep saying..." Despite his words, Thanatos' voice sounded soothing. "Yet you never once specified what it is that torments you so." He paused, "I can not help you if you don't tell me what it is you need."

Henry pulled one of his legs to his chest. "I know." His own relentless ineptitude swept over him and he tightened the grip on his leg. "But what if the reason I didn't tell you was that I... don't know myself?"

"I feared this to be the case", the flier muttered and they sat in silence for a while. "Well, if you don't know what you don't like, do you at least know what you would like, in that case?"

Henry lowered his head further and curled up as tightly as he could, as to not look at Thanatos in his utter shame. "I...", he squinted, sensing the relentless burning of weakness gnawing at his innards again. "It's funny", he scoffed, "Back, before exile, when there were still people that kept bossing me around I hated doing what they told me with a passion, often for the simple fact I was told to do it."

"And now that there isn't anyone anymore, you... what? You can't possibly tell me you miss it."

"No", he cried, "but... at least I had a direction then. At least I had an objective. Something to orientate by, to give me a purpose...", he shook his head. "It is the pinnacle of paltriness, I know."

Thanatos remained silent for a while, then Henry sensed a slight nudge. "I mean, I would give you advice, yet curiously enough you... did it yourself, earlier. There is not really anything I could add to what you told the children about expectations. They suffer from it yet you, who is supposedly the wise one, the free one, now tells me he would like to go back? Seems... odd, to say the least."

Henry's head darted around. "Expectations...?"

"Expectations", Thanatos repeated, "did you not process this yet or why are you so bothered by the lack of?" He laughed, "I figured you would pity them all, all who still have to follow rules and orders, that you would laugh at them for being confined whereas you are..."

"... free?" Henry's eye was large and round, on his flier, as the word and its tremendous meaning settled in for the first time. "WAIT!", he cried and scrambled to his feet with so much haste he nearly fell. "WAIT... are you saying..." His gaze trailed out on the open sea and suddenly, a different kind of shiver ran down his spine.

"I am saying, whatever you're so scared of, you have no reason to be scared." Each of Thanatos' words hit the inside of his skull like a deafening drip of water. "For it doesn't... matter what we do now. This or that, there is no right or wrong. How are you scared of the one decision you... literally can not mess up? Well, as long as we keep it within reason, of course."

Henry stared out onto the endless-seeming waves of glowing water motionlessly, he could not tell for how long. It is all... there, he forced himself to process, it's not scary. "It's not aimlessness, is it?", he whispered, "All this time I...", he swallowed, barely able to contain the excitement that bubbled up in his gut now, "I've been so scared of having no goal, no direction, but that's not the way you're supposed to look at it, is it?" He turned back to his flier, his eye gleamed with more life than it had in a long time. "It's... freedom."

Thanatos laughed. "You really only realize this now?"

Yet at that moment, Henry didn't even mind the mocking tone. "DEATH", he cried and threw his hands in the air, unable to keep the excitement down a second longer. "Do you know what this means? THERE IS NO GOAL!" His head spun so frantically with joy and relief he thought he would pass out. "NO GOAL!", he screamed, "Not even a physical restraint anymore, not ever since Kismet. No orders, no disapproval, no... no LIMIT!"

"Not a single one."

"DEATH!"

Thanatos shook his head in amusement. "I know. It took you an astonishingly long time to process this, though."

"I...", Henry began pacing, "I... I didn't look at it the right way. I thought I was condemned to pointlessness, not blessed with the chance to...", he paused, "to make my own point?"

"I never took you for so negative", Thanatos mumbled. "Me – certainly. But you?" His gaze grew darker, "This last year truly was unkind."

Henry shook his head to get the gloomy images, that rushed back at him instantly, out of his head. "It doesn't matter", he proclaimed and took a firm stance. "Not anymore. I'm done with all this shit, it's over. Now", his eye began to shine again, "now we make our own path." He scoffed at how narrowly he had viewed the issue before. His mouth opened to voice the first of the hundreds of possibilities that swirled about in his head when his gaze met Thanatos. The exiled prince hesitated, then plopped down in front of him. "Well, for as much as I'd love to do everything and nothing at once... what would YOU like to do?"

The flier's amber eyes jolted open. "... Excuse me?"

Henry grinned. "I asked what you would like to do."

Thanatos stared at him like he wanted to repeat his question despite having clearly understood this time. "You..."

Henry's grin widened. "Geez, you keep complaining I'm never considerate enough, and now that I go out of my way to BE considerate you look at me like you've never seen me before. Should I be offended?"

"Be... as offended as you like", Thanatos mumbled, still audibly aghast, "this was the last question I ever expected to hear from you."

He barely dodged Henry's kick. "HEY!" He nearly fell himself and laughed. "Okay, maybe that's... fair. It doesn't answer my question though."

"I..." Thanatos looked up at him and blinked, "Honestly... I don't know?"

Henry broke into vigorous laughter. "Look at he who kept pestering me to make up my mind! It is not so easy to respond to this question, is it?"

Thanatos shook his head. "My... bad, I guess. Then again, I have not really thought about what I wanted to do since... well, since I went into exile."

"Then it's about time", Henry nudged him yet the flier sighed. "How about I give it some thought and... when I know something, I tell you. Deal?"

"Deal", Henry grinned and raised his gaze to the ceiling. "Wait, that means I have to decide, doesn't it?" Thanatos laughed and Henry groaned. "Way to delegate the responsibility. Well", he grinned, "I kind of know. Maybe."

"Oh?"

"You know, with all this sudden freedom... I feel crazy." Henry stood up again and grinned, "I can... I mean, I can do anything I want..."

"Hey, remember that part about keeping it within reason?"

Henry ignored him. "I want to do something... something special. Something nobody has ever done. If we're deciding our own paths, we have to make it big. Be the first to something, you know? Something nobody else ever dared to do." His grin widened. "For as much as I'm sick of being around humans, for the time being, it can't hurt to accumulate achievements that'll leave them all in awe... someday."

"And he's back. I can't say I did not miss him dearly, though I had sort of disregarded the consequences his return would entail." Henry glanced at Thanatos in confusion, who sighed. "The real Henry." They both laughed.

"So... what's your big, crazy plan?", the flier finally asked when their laughter had abated.

Henry hesitated, then his grin widened. "Well, where even is there a place like that?" He gazed outside and for a moment his hand hovered in the air like he could physically feel it. "Has anyone ever been there? South of the gnawer's land, or north of Regalia, west of the Dead Land – or east of the jungle and the citadel, or –?"

"Beyond the maps?", Thanatos cut him off, "You have got to be kidding me. Nobody goes beyond the maps. Nobody sane, that is."

"Oh come on", Henry called, "you can not tell me you never ONCE thought of it. It's nonsensical anyway – just because the BORING kind of people have not charted the place out yet it will not instantly kill us... probably. The citadel also lies beyond the maps... or beyond most maps, I guess."

Thanatos' mouth opened, then shut again. "Shortly before her death, Arya spoke of nothing else."

"Oh...?"

Thanatos sighed. "She went on and on about exploring the uncharted lands, on the worse days she spoke of going beyond the maps and never returning."

"I mean... I'm not saying it has to be forever." Henry released an agitated sigh. "I don't think I'd want to stay forever... But I mean, if you don't want to, we don't –"

"NO Henry wait, that's not how this is supposed to go..."

He looked at the flier with irritation who shook his head. "This is how it always is... you suggest something that verges on crazy and I protest, protest until I run out of arguments and we do the thing anyway. You're not supposed to... GIVE IN this easily."

Henry stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Alright, alright, forgive me for being a little scarred. Alright...", he cleared his throat, "How's this, I know you secretly want to go too, but at the same time, you seem to have that annoying voice in your head that always lists the negative aspects of things. So how about you turn that voice off for a second and THEN make your decision?"

Thanatos stared at him, blinked, then laughed. "Fine. I am out of arguments now. And maybe you are right, maybe I DID always want to go, even when Arya spoke of it. But this doesn't mean I can just TURN OFF that voice. Henry, what if it is as bad as they say? What if we expect some vacation but get caught in a bloodbath? We can not tell what creatures lurk beyond the explored world. Or what if we can never find our way back? What if –?"

"WHAT IF", Henry cut him off, "we do it anyway?"

Thanatos groaned. "Is this how you make your decisions? Consider the negative aspects and then... do it anyway?"

"How else would you make decisions that are actually fun?" Thanatos groaned and Henry laughed, "I mean, I always think I'll do it anyway, so why bother pretending there is any changing my mind?"

"Well... that's one way to look at it..."

"ANYWAY", Henry put his hands to his hips and grinned. "You in? We should probably do a couple other things first", he pondered, "I want to go check on the nibblers and maybe on Kismet. And... you know what, before we go rushing into any adventure, I feel like we should finally finish that saddle. I want to take it with us."

"And be even more inept in battle? In unknown territory?"

"We'll have to learn to use it SOMEWHERE. Where's the fun in dry runs?"

Thanatos threw him a long, exasperated gaze. "Where is the fun in dry runs", he at last echoed, and Henry's face lit up. "You're –"

"I AM in", he interrupted, "though I have one condition." He rose and stretched his wings, as well as he could in the narrow cave. "I... in response to your question earlier, when you talked of never-before-achieved things, I realized there is actually something I would like to do. And I have a feeling you will quite enjoy this."

"Oh?"

"Henry", he took a stance before his bond, "we will go back to the nibbler colony and finish your wretched saddle. We will go to the uncharted lands. I guess I can hardly say there isn't a part of me that wants it too. A large part, that knows you are right, and that it may be time for me to... learn something else from you."

"To live a little?"

"Laugh all you want", Thanatos shook his head, "but you are not the one who recently realized he had wasted seven years of his life. Sometimes I genuinely forget I am... nearly a decade older than when I left. All that time flew by, without progress, without development. Before the Garden, I thought, at this age, I would be at a further point in life in some way, yet I...", he agitatedly extended his wings, "Perhaps you do have a good influence on me. All I know is that, for as much time as I wasted, pining away, waiting for my life to end, I am not wasting any more. You won't let me... will you?"

Henry grinned. "That, I am certainly good for."

"Good." Thanatos shook his head, "In that case, as I said, we will go to the uncharted lands, with the saddle and all that entails, but first...", his eyes began to shine with a surprisingly snarky gleam, "we will at last make that trip over the waterway."

Henry stared at him for a heartbeat, then grinned as unbridled excitement rose in his chest. "Well, there's a condition I have absolutely nothing against."

Last log/Day before departure

Okay, maybe this won't be the LAST last log. I don't know. I've been kind of lazy with these lately but it's not like there is much reason to write them anymore. Or... maybe there will be, soon. In the uncharted lands. Note to self: Ask Teslas to make you a new notebook, this one is nearly full now. Hah, I still can't believe Thanatos agreed to go. I am honestly itching to just leave but of course, we have to do other things first. Like, go see the nibblers and finish the saddle. It'll be fantastic. I spent the whole night sketching ideas and I think I got something... have to show Teslas, I REALLY think this'll work. Maybe he'll even be able to do something about my old sword. I still can't bring myself to throw the broken hilt away.

We've decided to go see Kismet too. At least before leaving for who knows how long we should check in. I kind of feel bad anyway, for not visiting sooner. Because... for as kind-of great as this whole quest was, and seeing the others and all that, I'm about done with all of it for now. One thing I have to admit is that Stellovet isn't all that bad. Who'd have thought she had this in her? And all it took was to be kidnapped by rats... if only I had known this sooner...

I am still angry with Dalia the new traitor though, and I don't know why. She has never done anything to anger me, even promised to keep my identity. Something along the lines of "you have given me my family back, I will not take yours from you", she said. What does that even mean?! Pah, it's pathetic. To waste such an excellent opportunity for a clean slate as we offered to her. If anyone offered this to me I'd be caught dead before declining it. Now she has to deal with this label for the rest of her life. Even if officially... well, not pardoned but I guess tolerated, there will always be people judging her now, there will always be those who point fingers and call her a traitor. Humans are a resentful bunch, Dalia. Your loss.

Ah, I want to scratch that whole paragraph. Just scratch her name out until I forget it. That's not what you do when you commit treason... or any crime. You don't just go waltzing back and confessing, you DAMN I am rambling again. Nevermind. I need a break from humans, I think. Because, as much as I want to go to the uncharted lands for the sake of adventure and bragging rights... I think I also just want to go someplace nobody knows me for a change. Someplace where I don't have to constantly pretend, where I don't have to watch my every word. Where I can go and not worry about the past.

I am tired of being so tied to all this past baggage. Tired of pretending I still belong with them. No matter what Luxa said. It would be so funny if only it weren't. It seems like such a short time ago I was so desperate to win back their love, to go out of my way to assist them. Perhaps, as harsh as this sounds... perhaps this is the kind of clean slate I need. Perhaps it is time to let go.

For why should I hold on to an old home when I've found a new one? Thanatos was right, I can see it now. A home isn't a place, it's this strange tingly feeling in your gut when something just... feels right. When you can do things you like, when everything you see, hear, feel, and smell is not obstructive and irritating but pleasant. When you have someone with you who loves you and who'll be with you through it all. That's a much better kind of home, I think.