As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

4- Cambrian

Raven wasn't used to shopping at the market. His guild responsibilities usually included attending the Union meetings as a representative when needed and helping Karol navigate the paperwork and red tape that came with a lot of the jobs. His work with the Don had made him acutely aware of all the inner workings of the Union and the responsibilities that came with running a guild, so his knowledge helped to compensate for the others' lack of experience. But still, he was familiar with most of the merchants, so buying supplies wasn't entirely unpleasant.

Judith had taken most of the heavy items, so the resulting basket was easy to carry, and Raven headed back toward the guild office as the twilight began to disappear from the sky. He had almost reached their alley when he noticed a familiar face among the crowd passing in the opposite direction and stopped to look. He recognized the short, dark hair and the pink Krityan antennae; Karol might've doubted her travel ability yesterday, but seeing her back in Dahngrest again, Raven was sure it was her. Turning on his heels, Raven immediately slipped into the crowd heading back down the street, struggling to keep the girl in sight as he followed her through the main square and over to the Sagittarius.

He watched her duck into the front door and glanced down at the basket of supplies and foodstuffs on his arm. It would be hard to explain why he'd brought it all with him just for a drink, so he doubled back at a breakneck pace, finding the alleyway and tossing the basket into the door before heading back. By the time he made it back to the tavern, the girl had already settled down with a drink at a corner table, her face buried in a book. Raven stopped to take a deep breath and then slipped smoothly into the chair across the table from her.

"Not interested," the girl responded before he could speak, not even looking up from her book. Raven couldn't help a smile.

"Ya had that same matter-of-fact attitude with the pharmacist yesterday. Not much fer small talk, I take it?"

Her eyes shot up from the pages of the book, and her cheeks blazed as red as her eyes. "Y-you're… Raven."

"In the flesh. And you're Kida, right?" He leaned across the table, grinning. "What's the matter? Ya haven't heard any weird stories 'bout me around here, have ya?"

"That's… erm…" Kida gripped her book even tighter. "...that's not it."

"What'cha readin' there? A Tale of Two Cities, huh?"

She closed the book and held it to her chest. "It's… it's just something I picked up at the library."

Raven leaned back and threw up his arms, reciting a few lines in his 'Schwann' voice.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness…"

A few patrons looked over, some clapping and others laughing at the spectacle. Kida's face turned even redder, and she slid down in her chair. "Please, stop. What do you want from me?"

"What's wrong? I can keep goin'," Raven offered, though he lowered his voice as he continued. "Or is it weird ta hear me talk when yer not spyin' on me?"

Kida's eyes widened, but she couldn't manage to get a word out. Her mouth just hung open as she stared.

"I'm afraid yer not as slick as ya think, honey. I've seen ya around Dahngrest before, but ya only started followin' us yesterday. In Zaphias at the doctor's, and then at the Union Headquarters again this mornin'- might I ask why?"

"So that's why you're here…" Kida murmured and sighed, sitting up straight again. "I'm sorry. I should have said something to you, but it's a long story."

"That's no excuse fer spyin' on us."

"I just… I thought maybe if you didn't see me, you wouldn't have to worry about it… I shouldn't have underestimated you. I'm sorry."

Raven's expression softened. He'd half expected her to deny it or to attempt an escape, and while the second was still a possibility, she at least was being honest. "Whatever yer story is," he replied, "it'd be easier fer all of us if ya came clean and worked with Brave Vesperia instead of tailin' us around. Whatd'ya say you give me some info? Help us help you?"

There was a moment in which Kida glanced around at the other patrons, a look of panic flashing across her face. "Here?" she whispered.

"It doesn't gotta be here. You can finish that drink of yours an' we can head somewhere more private."

She glanced over at the drink, a sense of disappointment in her eyes. "I don't have much time. Perhaps we should just go."

Well, she certainly wasn't putting up much of a fight. Raven almost felt bad- bad enough that he didn't bother to ask why she didn't have time.

"Ya sure that ya don't want the drink? I'll take it so it doesn't go to waste."

Kida said nothing, just passing the glass across to him. It was a cherry soda, too sweet and syrupy for Raven's liking and no alcohol to even make it worthwhile- come to think of it, was she even old enough to buy alcohol if she wanted?- but with the glass only half full, it didn't take Raven long to finish it off. The whole time Kida had been reading, but Raven noticed her glance up at him a few times when she thought he wasn't looking. He stood up and moved to her side of the table, extending an arm.

"My lady."

"What… what am I supposed to…?"

Raven laughed. "Ya hold onta my arm, silly. Ain'tcha ever had a gentleman walk ya home?"

"Oh. Um. Right."

One again, she defied Raven's expectations. It took a moment, but she slipped her arm into his and allowed him to lead her out the door. She wasn't looking at him, but he could swear he saw a hint of a smile cross her mouth a few times.

Maybe she wasn't surly at all… just lonely.

Once outside, Raven led her down the steps and stopped. "So, now comes the age-old question: yer place or mine?"

"I…" Kida began, "...I'd rather not deal with that mage girl…"

"Rita? Aw, she ain't bad. Her bark's worse than her bite. But Estelle'll probably ask a million questions if I show up with you in tow."

"I have a room in a loft along North Street." Kida pointed in the direction and waited for Raven to nod. "I can show you."

"Sounds good, darlin'. Lead the way."

"So you don't even know who put that tag on her? I swear, your guild takes the weirdest jobs…"

Karol and Nan strolled through the marketplace in Dahngrest, finding a spot near the main square and sitting along the wall to watch the festivities around them. Karol had finished his shopping in record time thanks to the help from Judith and Raven, and he'd managed to bring the supplies back to the guild office and make it to the square- not a moment too soon, either. Still, Nan mentioned that she admired his look of hard-working exhaustion, and the explanation made for a good conversation starter. Soon, Karol was telling her all about the situation with Bell and the mystery Entelexia with his usual fervor, and Nan's expression grew more and more incredulous the further he got.

"Well, it's gotta be somebody working the Empire. That's the only place the tag could've originated." Karol continued. "Yuri is headed to Heliord so that he can talk to some of the knights about it, but we can't be sure we'll get an answer-"

"The knights in Heliord are insufferable," Nan broke in. "Their mining operation has expanded into our patrol area, and the sound of it all sends monsters into a frenzy. They've been testing these weird noise machines to try to keep the monsters off the pipes, but all it does is make the monsters angry. When we approached them about it, that stupid magistrate denied that there was any problem and said he wasn't going to change a damn thing. So now we've been working overtime and getting yelled at for doing so because we're on 'their property' now. I could kill that damn magistrate. Does he really want to deal with those monsters himself?!"

Karol couldn't really answer that question, so he didn't try to. "Speaking of the Hunting Blades," he began again, "I have a question for you. It's about guild policies."

Nan perked up again. Karol had asked her several times before for advice on establishing Brave Vesperia's policies, and while she never said it outright, she seemed proud that he'd look to the Hunting Blades as a model. "What is it this time?"

"Well, one of the members of my guild is thinking about getting married. So I wanted to ask what the policy is about that, y'know?"

"Marriage, huh? Which member?" Nan paused, then added, "-and don't you dare tell me it's the dog."

"What? No! I'm being serious here!" Karol pouted and crossed his arms. "It's Yuri."

"Oh, right. You did say he had some boyfriend living in Zaphias, didn't you? Good for them." She gripped the wall and leaned back, staring up at the reddish-pink colors of the clouds above them as she continued. "Our guild regulations allow any kind of relationships so long as they don't impede your ability to perform your guild responsibilities. We've got a few Hunting Blades members who're married and have families. They say it gives them more motivation to fight monsters because it gives them something to fight for."

Karol smiled. "Aww, that's sweet. I'm glad to hear it. I told Yuri that Brave Vesperia would never get in the way of true love because that would break our fundamental law against injustice. But, y'know, he wanted to make sure we approved before he said yes-"

There was a bit of a scuffle in the main square between two large men who seemed to be frequenting the same market stall. The two hadn't seen what started the fight, but Nan watched the commotion with interest, and Karol stared at her in the meantime. She always did have the most fun when she could be part of some kind of conflict, no matter the reason for it, so Karol didn't mind interrupting their conversation to let her enjoy the action. He enjoyed it too- not the action itself, of course, but the look on Nan's face, the way she shifted in her seat to get a better idea of who was antagonizing who and what the subject of the conflict was. She was riveted- and he was smitten.

Eventually, the conflict died down once the shopkeeper produced a duplicate of the item that the men were fighting over and the small crowd that had gathered around them dispersed. Nan let out a disappointed sigh and then seemed to realize that Karol was still sitting next to her. "Oh, sorry. What were we saying?"

"It's fine," Karol laughed, waving a hand. "I was talking about Yuri asking the guild's permission to get married before he committed to it."

"Right. Actually, I'm kind of impressed to hear that. Brave Vesperia always struck me as one of those guilds where the members just did whatever they wanted."

Karol leaned forward. "That's not true! Our members do whatever they want within the rules of the guild!"

"Of course they do. Forgive me for thinking otherwise." Nan shook her head as if physically trying to shake the sarcasm from her voice. "I am happy for him, though. Who's the lucky guy? Someone else from the lower quarter?"

"Yeah, sort of. He and Yuri grew up together, but he stayed with the knights after Yuri quit."

Nan's posture went stiff. "The knights? This guy is a knight?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Don't tell me he's involved in that mess in Heliord too! Those damn knights are such sheep, always doing whatever the magistrate and commandant tell them to-"

"B-but Flynn is the commandant."

Nan froze for a moment before springing to her feet. "What the hell?!" she demanded. "You're letting a member of your guild marry the COMMANDANT OF THE IMPERIAL KNI-"

"Nan, please!" Karol jumped up next to her, shoving a hand over her mouth. "Nothing's decided yet! Yuri is still thinking it over."

She jerked his hand away and shook her head. "I know Brave Vesperia is all for justice and independence and whatever, but you should know this would never fly in the Hunting Blades. The Chief would go crazy if he heard one of his members was married to a knight, much less a high ranking one."

"But… but…" Karol protested. "...but they're in love!"

"So? Just because you're in love with somebody doesn't mean you've gotta run off and marry them. Hell, I'm in love with somebody, but I'm not gonna say anything to him because I've got more important things to worry about. That's how life works."

There was a pause. Karol could feel himself staring, and Nan noticed it too. She blushed and looked away.

"Don't read too much into it. I'm just giving you advice."

"Oh come on! How can I not?" Karol grinned and nudged her. "Yuri and Flynn are old news, but you- who is this guy, anyway? You can tell me!"

"Like hell I can! You'd blab it to the world."

"I can keep a secret, I promise!"

"Hard no."

"We're friends, aren't we? Come on, Nan…"

Karol had latched onto her arm, and she jerked it away. "We're about to not be friends anymore if you keep this up."

"S-sorry. It's just… I want you to be happy." Karol took a step back to give her some space. "If you really care about this person, you should tell him. If you don't, you'll just be pining away forever, and I don't think that's fair to you. Being honest with your feelings is important."

'Hypocrite though I may be,' he added silently, but that was his own problem to deal with.

Nan sighed and sat back down on the wall, motioning for Karol to sit next to her. "I told you, I've just got too much going on. The guild is my life, and I don't want anything to get in the way of that."

"But didn't you say before that some Hunting Blades members work even harder when they have people they love to fight for?" Karol asked, sitting down a little further away than he'd been before.

"That's different. My grudge against monsters is personal, so I already have something to fight for. Anything more might just distract me."

"But you have to have some distractions, right? Things like hobbies and stuff that you do in your vacation time?"

Nan didn't reply, so Karol leaned back and continued.

"If you won't tell me who it is, can I at least try to guess? Is it Tison, or maybe the Chief?"

"Ew, gross. They're like my dads or whatever." Nan shook her head. "No, it's not anybody from the Hunting Blades. That'd make things way too complicated."

"I see. Not someone from the Hunting Blades, then."

The two went quiet, listening to the din of the crowd as the hurried sounds of those finishing daily chores transitioned into the rowdy sounds of Dahngrest's nightlife. Karol considered his words carefully before he spoke up again, but when he did, he spoke with a friendly smile.

"How about we make it a game, then? If I can guess who it is, then you have to tell him how you feel."

Nan raised an eyebrow. "That's…" It sounded like she was about to protest, but she stopped to think it over and her expression softened. "...well, if it'll satisfy you, then you can try. But no cheating by just listing a bunch of names. From now on you only get one guess each time we see each other, and you have to have a reason for your guess."

"Sounds good to me!" Karol chimed. "For the sake of your happiness, I'll do my best!"

"Sure, sure," Nan answered, and while she rolled her eyes, there was an amused smile on her face. It seemed like she was about to say something else, but the nearby clock tower began chiming the hour and she perked up.

"Listen, I've got an early patrol tomorrow, so I should probably-"

"Yeah, of course!" Karol stood up and extended a hand to help her up. "Thanks for the advice. Even if I end up totally ignoring it, I appreciate hearing your perspective."

Nan just shrugged. "Hey, your guild's signature is doing whatever the hell you want. No reason to stop on our account."

The two shared a laugh and Nan gave Karol an affectionate slap on the arm before starting back toward the south side of town. Karol stayed where he was and waved until she was out of sight, then turned back toward the main square. As he did so, he practically blundered into another person and opened his mouth to apologize before he heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, Karol! Good timing. Have you seen Raven around?"

"Huh?" Karol took a step back and looked up. "Judith? No, I haven't seen him- did something happen?"

"I don't know." Judith shook her head. "He just showed up at the door and tossed his share of the supplies inside before running off somewhere in a hurry. It may just be his normal shtick, but with everything going on with Bell, I'm worried."

"I'll help you look," Karol volunteered. "It's the least I can do after your help today. We can head over to the tavern and see if he's there."

"Sounds good," Judith nodded and started back in the direction of Sagittarius. "So? How's Nan?"

"She's good. Good. Totally good. Really…" Karol began to stumble over his words, choking on the emotion that he hadn't let himself express until now. "...r-really good…"

"Are you okay?"

Judith stopped in front of him, and Karol collapsed into her arms. He was about the same height that she was now, but she'd promised him that no matter how old or tall he got, he could always come to her for a supportive hug. "Judith…" he sobbed, and she squeezed him close.

"What happened?"

"I-I just…" he choked out, "...I just want Nan to be happy… but… I want to be happy too…"

Judith had pulled Karol out of the way, around to the side of the tavern. She sighed sadly as his words helped put the pieces together.

"So Nan's found a sweetheart, has she?"

"She…" Karol took a step back and wiped his eyes. Judith handed him a handkerchief, and he gratefully accepted it. "...she won't tell me who he is. She won't even tell him how she feels. I want to help her because she's my friend and I want to see her happy. I'm gonna support her no matter what. But it still makes me so sad."

"Of course it does." Judith patted him on the cheek, wiping away another tear. "Everyone experiences heartbreak differently. It doesn't mean you can't keep encouraging your friend, you just have to take some time to work through your own emotions too."

Karol sniffled. "How do I do that?"

"That's something only you can figure out. But in the meantime, I'd be happy to help you cheer up. Why don't we find Raven and then go have some drinks? They finally have that pumpkin-flavored coffee you love so much."

The suggestion helped Karol perk up a little. "Oh, it is that time of year, isn't it? Yeah, that sounds great, actually. Thanks, Judith. You always know just how to cheer me up."

Judith grinned and tousled his hair. "Any good guild member knows how to take care of their boss-"

"Hey, wait a minute! Look!"

Karol had hissed the phrase in a whisper, pointing back toward the entrance of the tavern. He and Judith pressed against the side of the building and watched as Raven exited the door, arm in arm with a young Krityan woman. Karol gasped.

"He picked up a Krityan girl?" he whispered, and Judith shook her head.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Actually listen to what they're saying before we assume that he-"

"So, now comes the age-old question: yer place or mine?"

"I... I'd rather not deal with that mage girl…"

"Rita? Aw, she ain't bad. Her bark's worse than her bite. But Estelle'll probably ask a million questions if I show up with you in tow."

"I have a room in a loft along North Street. I can show you."

"Sounds good, darlin'. Lead the way."

Karol and Judith watched as the two disappeared down the street and around the corner. Karol felt his cheeks flush and started to glance back at Judith. "I guess maybe now we can jump to conclusions-"

He froze.

Judith's expression was terrifying.

"That lying, no-good, son of a-! What the hell does he think he's doing?!"

"Um… Judith… are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, with an expression that was very much not fine. "Change of plans, Boss. We're going to take a rain check on the coffee. If we hurry, we can still make it to the fishmonger's shop before she closes up, and get some of the fresh salmon. That recipe Patty gave us isn't going to cook itself."

"The maple-glazed salmon?" Karol murmured. "Raven was really excited about that… are you trying to win back Raven's favor with food?"

"Don't be silly," Judith answered with a smile that was too saccharine to be genuine. "It's almost the end of peak salmon season, is all. I don't want to miss out. And if Raven chooses not to join us for dinner, that's his loss."

Oh. That was the plan. Karol let out a frustrated sigh, not looking forward to the kitchen smelling like fish all night. "But… if Raven's not there to eat any… Rita and I don't like seafood very much…"

"Whatever you don't eat, we'll plate up nicely and take to the Children's Home."

"They, uh, don't accept food donations like that-"

"Come on, Karol! The shop is closing soon, and we can't be late!"

There was no convincing her, was there? Karol let out a sigh and followed after her.

"I guess everyone really does experience heartbreak differently…"

Kida led Raven along North Street until they finally reached one of the loft access doors that was sandwiched between two storefronts. Kida pulled herself off of Raven's arm and opened the door for him, motioning him toward the staircase.

"It's on the second floor, door B."

Raven's eyes lit up as he climbed. "Hey, isn't this Molly Cooper's place? I work with her in Altosk."

"Yes," Kida said, stepping in front of him to unlock the door. "I connected with her when I moved to Dahngrest. I do custom embroidery, so I've partnered with her side business doing alterations. The work here is much more reliable than it is in the capital." She motioned him in and he took a seat at the kitchen table.

"So you're friends with Molly, huh? Does that mean you're friends with Harry too?"

"Harry… well, 'friends' isn't the word I'd use." Kida sat down across the table from Raven, staring at the wooden surface as she spoke. "But Molly talks a lot about Altosk, so that's how I know about you. All the other members of Brave Vesperia I forget, so I just kind of made up names for them- the pretty boy, the little boss, the scary dog…"

Raven laughed. "Aw man, that's hilarious! I love it! Pretty Boy and Scary Dog are absolutely perfect, though, with the way our Little Boss has been growin' lately, he ain't gonna be 'little' fer much longer."

"What, um, are their names again…?"

"Right, right." Raven leaned back in his chair. "Pretty Boy is Yuri, Little Boss is Karol, and Scary Dog is Repede. My biggest question is, what's yer name fer our lovely Krityan lady?"

Kida perked up. "That's- er… well, I know Judith too. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"I knew her as a child…" Kida shifted in her seat, resting her hands on the top of the table. "I grew up in Myorzo where she came to live for a little while after the war. She was a few years older than I was and my parents said she was a bad influence that my brother and I should stay away from, so I never actually got to play with her. But all the kids knew of her."

"That sounds about right," Raven nodded and rested his head in one hand as he winked. "Judith is a bad influence. Just the worst."

Kida didn't answer, so he continued.

"So what brought'cha down ta the surface world? Ya get tired of livin' in a bubble?"

"A little, yes." The question brought Kida back to attention, and she began talking again. "After the surface world gave up blastia, my older brother decided to explore the new opportunities that were available. I followed him to Zaphias, and it was nice at first. But we joined a civic club for Kritya so that we could meet others like us, and it… changed my brother."

Raven frowned. "Changed him, huh? Sounds more like a cult than a civic club."

"I-it's not a cult," Kida stammered, though Raven didn't think she sounded very sure. "Axis Mundi is… a group dedicated to creating a society that bridges the gap between humans and Kritya. The founder, Enki, believes that Kritya can help humanity attain a glory greater even than the Geraios Civilization by sharing our knowledge and technology. The abandonment of blastia was the first step down this road, he says, and so he was recruiting Kritya in the capital who were trying to find their place among humanity."

"Yeah, uh… you ain't doin' much ta convince me that it's not a cult." Raven shrugged. "Charismatic leader, grandiose yet abstract goals, specific targeting of individuals without significant ties ta the community- this Axis Mundi is the whole shebang."

Kida was silent for a moment, looking away. She fidgeted uncomfortably with her hands and didn't seem to have anything to say, so Raven continued again.

"I'm guessin' that Axis Mundi has somethin' ta do with the reason why you've been followin' us around. Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong. I moved to Dahngrest about two years ago to get away from all of it, but I haven't been able to completely leave the capital. My brother is still there, and as different as he is, I can't just leave him behind. The doctor there knows me, so I get my medication there." She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. "And as far as Axis Mundi goes, I'm not strong enough to just leave."

"Gettin' outta a cult is hard work. They don't like ta let their members go."

"It's more than that. Enki is in contact with Utnapishtim, the ancient Entelexia that's said to have saved all life from the mythical Great Flood long ago. It's Utnapishtim that predicted the loss of blastia as the first sign of the new world order. He knows all that is happening in the world."

Raven paused. "Geez, that's a hell of a name. Yuri would give him a nickname in a heartbeat- how 'bout 'Timmy?' I can remember that."

"Did you not… did you not hear me? This is an all-powerful being that sees everything. It's not like I can just escape from him."

"Maybe." Raven leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "Or maybe he's a convenient lie ta keep vulnerable kids like you from gettin' outta the cult and makin' a life fer yourself."

"But he predicted the loss of blastia and-"

"So this Enki character says." Raven fixed her in a serious glare. "But I promise ya, kid, I fought in the Great War and I never heard a thing about an Entelexia named Ut-naptime or whatever. You'd think if he were this great and powerful creature, he'd have at least participated. Maybe he could'a kept a few of his Entelexia pals from dyin'."

"Enki says…" Kida had sunk down in her chair, her face pale as she continued. "...that Utnapishtim lives deep within the planet. He says that the Great War was a necessary evil to pave the way for spirit conversion and the abandonment of blastia."

"This Enki guy says a lotta things, doesn't he?"

"He is very old. He's lived many years and seen many things."

That statement made Raven laugh again, a good-natured laugh that helped ease the atmosphere between them. Kida sat up straighter, looking confused, so Raven leaned over the table and smiled at her.

"Trust me, kiddo, age ain't an indicator of wisdom. Just look at me, fer instance!"

Kida looked him over, seeming to consider his statement for a moment. "...you are rather wise for someone so young."

That caught him off-guard, enough so that he rose from his seat. "Wise? Y-young?" he spluttered. "Don't even get me started on wisdom! And young? I'm old as dirt! Old enough ta be yer dad!"

"...oh… I guess so… I just thought, all your advice so far has been so logical and well-thought-out… and in relation to people like Enki and the elder from Myorzo…"

Raven sat down again. "Yeah, I guess you're right. How 'bout we settle on 'middle-aged' and 'moderately wise,' then?"

"Okay."

The room went quiet again. Raven had to admit, he was a little out of his element with this girl. Normally he bonded with new people by playing the charming fool and fishing for either compliments or insults. But he couldn't get much out of her at all. It was like pulling teeth, as the Don used to say.

"So far we've talked about yer childhood and the reason you're in Dahngrest. But ya still haven't answered my original question: why have ya been followin' us around? Is it somethin' ta do with Bell?"

"Y-yes." Kida nodded. "You see, the second sign of the new world order that Utnapishtim predicted was the arrival of a being known as the Atrahasis. Enki said that this being would be neither human nor Krityan, but something that bridged the two. So when we found out that one of the members of Axis Mundi was expecting a child with her human lover, Enki declared the child to be the one Utnapishtim had spoken of."

Raven let out a gasp. "So that's why you're so interested in Bell? Your cult thinks she's some kinda messiah figure?"

"Yes, that's correct. I brought her to Dahngrest to help her follow her destiny, just as Utnapishtim predicted."

"And that must be why ya put the tracking device on her, huh?"

Kida froze.

"The… the what?"

"The aer tag," Raven continued. "You know, the one in her arm? The one trackin' her every move?"

Kida's face went completely pale.

"What… what are you talking about…?"