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

6- Silurian

"In ancient times, before the creation of Kritya, the world of Terca Lumireis was dominated by monsters. They covered the planet, on land, in the sea, and in the skies. There were strong monsters with sharp teeth and claws, swift monsters with long legs and slender bodies, powerful monsters, bigger and heavier than any monsters we know of today. For a long time, the monsters lived in peace with one another. But one day they began to challenge one another as to who was the greatest among them. Wars broke out, and monsters fought for acclaim. Soon Terca Lumireis was covered in nothing but fighting, destruction, and death."

As the group sat around the fireplace listening to Estelle read, Raven leaned over and nudged Yuri. "Hell of a kids' story," he whispered, and Yuri rolled his eyes.

"Just pay attention, old man."

"The gods, displeased with the state of the world, arranged for a Great Flood of aer that would envelop the whole of Terca Lumireis. This concentrated aer would destroy everything in its path, eliminating the warring monsters in the process. But as the appointed day of the Great Flood drew near, some of the gods grew anxious. They did not believe that all life should be destroyed. The heavens broke into a great argument, and finally, the gods decided that they would send a heavenly messenger to the planet with news of the upcoming flood. Should any of the monsters be smart enough and humble enough to heed the warning of the messenger, they might be saved from the destruction to come. But all those who ignored the warning would perish."

"If they didn't want to destroy all life, couldn't they have just, like, not flooded the world?" Yuri asked, raising his hand. "This whole test thing seems kinda arbitrary. If these so-called gods had the power to flood the entire planet with aer, couldn't they have just decided to smite the monsters they didn't like and leave it at that?"

"It's a myth, Yuri," Raven pointed out. "There's always gotta be some kinda test involved so that ya know the hero is truly worthy."

Yuri shook his head. "I'm just saying- if we're taking this story as an actual historic record like this cult seems to be doing, we should question any potential inconsistencies we find. We do the same with all intel that we gather as a guild-"

"Hey!" Rita hissed, leaning over and waving one hand to cut him off. "Can you two morons suspend your disbelief for five goddamn minutes so that Estelle can finish reading the story?"

"Rita, darlin', I thought you'd be the first one questionin' all the weird crap in these sorts'a stories."

"Like you said before, they're just myths. And anyway, this is part of Bell's heritage. Can you at least let her listen in peace?"

Hearing Bell's name, Repede snuggled in closer to the bassinet and licked her face. Bell reached up for him, grabbing at his whiskers again, and this time he patiently rested his nose against her cheek until she calmed down. Yuri smiled at the scene, listening as Estelle continued the story in the meantime.

"Many monsters heard the messenger's warning but chose to ignore it. They believed themselves too powerful to be affected by the coming danger. Others were too busy to listen to the message at all, refusing to give the messenger their attention for even a moment. Still others didn't believe that a disaster was coming, and called the messenger a liar acting for its own selfish ends. Only one monster listened to the warning. He was small, but was the most clever of all the monsters, using his strong front legs to dig deep burrows where he could escape the fighting and violence on the surface. The messenger spoke to him and told him that a great disaster was coming and that he must heed the warnings or perish.

"But what can I do?' asked the monster. 'I am only a small creature who burrows in the ground. I have no great powers or skills.

"Do not worry,' said the gods, 'for your life in the dirt is a blessing, not a curse. Dig down deep, deeper than you ever have before, and you will find a cave in the depths of the earth. Here, you and all your family will be safe from the aer on the surface. Do not return to the surface until the aer has receded and all is well again.'

So the monster did as he was told, digging down into the ground until he found the cave. He gathered his family and lived with them in the cave for twelve days and nights, praying to the gods for the aer to recede. Once twelve days had passed, the monster finally emerged from the cave to examine the world that the flood had left behind.

"With all the other monsters gone, Terca Lumireis was once again at peace. The monster and his family no longer had to live in fear; they spread out across the world, returning life to the barren land left behind. The gods were pleased with the new world they had created, and they decided that they must thank the monster who saved the seeds of life.

"To reward him for his cleverness and bravery, the gods granted the monster long life and gave him the ability to control the flow of aer, that he might prevent such a calamity from ever happening in the future. The name they gave him was Utnapishtim, which means 'the one who found life,' and he became the first of the beings we now know as Entelexia."

Estelle went quiet, looking up from her book at the others.

"...and that's the end. What do you think?"

There was a pause as the others looked to one another, waiting to make the first statement. Finally, Raven let out a sigh.

"I just wasn't real invested in it. The writer didn't do anything ta make me wanna root fer the protagonist, yanno? Gotta make 'em likable, is what I think."

Rita glared at him. "We're not asking whether you liked the story. We're asking if it matches the information that you got from that Krityan girl."

"Rita, darlin', you've gotta learn ta keep the atmosphere light." Raven shook his head, but his amused expression turned a shade more serious as he continued. "Kida didn't give me much to work with, but according ta her, the leader of this cult claims that Utnapishtim lives deep within the planet and predicted major world events like the Great War and the abandonment of blastia."

Rita crossed her arms and stared up at the ceiling. "The myth doesn't say anything about this Utnapishtim having any powers of premonition. If the cult leader made these claims after the fact, then there's no way to prove that there were any predictions to start with."

"The underground part fits with the myth, though," Estelle pointed out. "He was once a burrowing monster, so it would make sense for him to live underground."

"If we accept the myth as true," Yuri pointed out. "Remember, while these old tales typically have some grain of truth to them, they may not be entirely accurate."

"Maybe not, but they're all we have to work with," Rita replied. "Do you know any ancient Entelexia who can correct these old stories for us?"

"No, but-"

"-but," Raven interrupted, "I know a human who might."

The room went silent. The crackle of the fire beside them and the soft rhythm of Bell's sleeping breath filled the space as the other members of the group grasped just what Raven was saying.

"You don't mean…?" Estelle began, and once she had, Rita felt comfortable jumping in too.

"I thought he didn't like visitors."

"He doesn't," Raven answered with a shake of his head. "But what he'd like even less is knowin' that some weird cult is makin' unsubstantiated claims 'bout Entelexia. If we take this story ta him, 'specially if we bring Kida with us ta give all the details, I bet he'll be willin' ta talk it over."

"Will Kida come with us?" Yuri asked.

"We'll hafta wait until tomorrow ta see, but I think so. She really seems ta want outta this thing."

Rita waved her arms. "Whatever your Krityan buddy decides, I'm not going. There's no way I'm taking Bell to visit a mean old hermit just to talk about some mythical Entelexia that may not even exist."

"Oh?" Yuri raised an eyebrow. "So you and Bell are a set now?"

"Th-that's only logical, isn't it? I'm the one who knows the most about the aer tag technology that she's implanted with! If there's some kind of malfunction, I'm the one who'll need to investigate it."

Yuri just grinned. "Whatever you say, Mom."

"Y-y-you shut up-!"

"Yuri," Estelle interrupted, holding a hand out in front of Rita. "What did Witcher say about the aer tag? You said it was something they're working on in Heliord, right? If that's the case, then shouldn't they be about to remove it?"

Yuri's amused expression fell. "Right. About that- we have to wait about two weeks for the group at Heliord to get the proper authorization to perform the removal procedure."

"Two weeks?!" Rita demanded. "I could learn the procedure and perform it in half that time!"

"That's what I told them." Yuri sighed and shook his head. "It was originally going to be two months before Magistrate York promised to expedite the process. But His Honor the Commandant said he couldn't let us do it illegally. Apparently performing implants or extractions like that without the proper authorization constitutes human experimentation, and we could all be arrested for human trafficking."

"Human trafficking?!" Rita slammed her hand against the floor. "For saving her life-?!"

The sudden noise pulled Bell from her sleep, and she began to cry. "Rita!" Estelle hissed, scooping Bell from the bassinet and rocking her back and forth as Repede whined and craned his neck to make sure Bell was okay. "Calm down. Two weeks really isn't that long, and it doesn't seem like the implant is hurting her. As long as we keep her arm bandaged so she doesn't scratch it, then she should be fine." She paused and looked down at Bell, who had gone quiet again, resting against Estelle's chest. "You'll be just fine, won't you, sweetie? Won't you?"

"Estelle's right," Raven agreed, sitting up straighter and drawing his knees up against his chest. "Like it or not, we can't consider the people on the other end'a those signals ta be an immediate threat. An' if there ain't an immediate threat ta her life, doin' anything ta remove that implant without authorization is crazy-illegal."

"Seriously?" Rita asked. Raven looked back at her and tapped his chest.

"Laws about medical implants ain't a jokin' matter ta me, darlin'."

"...oh, right. Sorry." Rita shook her head and motioned to Yuri. "Still, when has the law ever stopped this guy here?"

"Guilty as charged." Yuri held his hands up in mock surrender. "But Estelle and Raven are right in this case. Plus, with Flynn staring me down and the Magistrate bending over backward to speed things up, I had to agree. In the meantime, there are some forms we need to fill out as her legal guardians. Here-"

He dug into his pocket, pulling out the paper that Witcher had given him. As he did, his ring tumbled out along with it and skittered across the floor. He was quick to snatch it and shove it back in his pocket, but he wasn't fast enough to keep the others from seeing it.

"Now hold on a minute! What was that?" Raven asked, leaning over Yuri's shoulder. "Doth mine eyes deceive me, or was that a ring just now?"

"It's just something that I had in my pocket. Don't read too much into it."

"Aw, how can I not? A ring is a very important thing, buddy! Why, it might even make one think you're plannin' ta pop a certain question ta our esteemed commandant-"

"I'm not."

"Are ya sure? Are ya absolutely, positively, completely sure-?"

Rita raised her hand. "I'm absolutely sure that I couldn't care less. Now tell me where I'm supposed to find these forms."

"Right," Yuri snapped back to attention. "Witcher said we could pick them up at the main hospital in Zaphias. We might as well go ahead and fill them out, that way we'll be ready as soon as the people in Heliord get the authorization."

"Rita and I can go," Estelle volunteered. "That way Raven can take Kida to meet Duke, and you can worry about your guild responsibilities here-"

"Estelle? Rita? Dinner's ready if you guys wanna come up and help set the table-!"

Karol's voice called from the staircase, but he stopped short as he made it to the landing and saw the group sitting around the fireplace.

"W-wait a minute… Yuri? Repede? Raven? Are you guys having a guild meeting without us?"

"Oh! Karol!" Estelle gasped. "I'm sorry; we thought that you didn't want to be bothered, so we just…"

"Sorry, Boss," Yuri added. "I totally forgot you were up there."

"Yuriiii! You should've come upstairs and at least said something!" Karol pouted and stomped his foot against the step. "I'm gonna go tell Judith. We can put the fish in the oven to keep it warm while you tell us exactly what's going on." He turned and made his way back up the stairs, calling out "JUDIIIIITH! THEY'RE HAVING A GUILD MEETING WITHOUT UUUUUS-!"

Repede's ears drooped and he let out a whine. Yuri took a deep breath and glanced away from the stairs. "Oops."

"I really thought they didn't want to be bothered…" Estelle murmured, placing Bell down in the bassinet again. Within a few minutes, Karol had returned with Judith in tow- no longer holding the knife, much to everyone's relief. Still, she scanned the group with a look of disdain, and her eyes finally settled on Raven.

"Oh, dear!" Judith gasped dramatically, clasping the side of her face. "Did poor old Raven's date not go well? What a shame~."

"Calm down," Rita ordered, waving one hand. "It wasn't a date, it was an interrogation. The girl had been spying on us."

"Judith, darlin', I get why yer so mad-"

"Mad? I'm not mad." Judith settled down next to Repede, giving him a pat on the head. He pulled away, however, whining and moving back toward Yuri. "Surely you jest. Why would I be mad-?"

"No, really! Kida told me that'cha knew each other as kids. You don't gotta worry 'bout yer old friend, I promise. I might'a walked her home on my arm, but other'n that, I didn't lay a hand on her." Raven smiled. "Okay?"

There was a pause, and Judith seemed to consider him for a moment before replying.

"...I suppose I can forgive you so long as my friend's honor is safe."

Raven scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Well, I wouldn't say her honor's safe, but that ain't my doin'."

"Wait, so-" Karol broke in, "-that girl from yesterday in Zaphias really was spying on us?"

"Told'ya I had perfect eyesight," Raven replied, tapping the side of his face. "She's from some Krityan cult over in the capital. They call 'emselves Axis Mundi, and supposedly their leader is in contact with a powerful Entelexia that lives underground."

"Is that how she was able to travel between here and the capital so quickly?"

Karol's question hung in the air for a moment before Raven let out a cry.

"Goddammit! I forgot ta ask her about that!"

Rita groaned and fell over onto her back. "You're so useless, old man!"

"Hey! How much information did you get about this cult, Miss Genius Mage?"

Judith clapped her hands. "Now, now, children. Let's go over all the facts for the boss, shall we?"

Raven and Yuri recounted both of their adventures, giving the details that they had learned and the plans they had moving forward. Judith asked to join Raven in taking Kida to meet Duke, and Karol promised that he, Yuri, and Repede would see to their guild responsibilities in Dahngrest while Estelle and Rita retrieved the forms from the capital. Bell began to cry, and Rita picked her up and tried to soothe her before deciding that she was just hungry.

"Poor kid's got the right idea," Raven groaned, leaning against Yuri and throwing an arm around his shoulders. "This old man is about ta pass out from starvation! What's fer dinner today, Captain Karol?"

"Judith decided to make that salmon recipe that Patty gave us. Y'know, the one with the maple syrup glaze."

"Oh, boy! Judith darlin', you know exactly how ta make an old man happy!"

Judith forced a smile. "Just trying to make use of the local salmon before the season ends."

Raven shoved Yuri aside and pulled himself to his feet. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad ya did. I'm gonna eat good tonight-!"

"Hey, old man!" Yuri called as Raven stood up. "Before you go, could you give me my ring back?"

Raven stiffened. "Wha-? How did'ya-?"

"I'm a good enough pickpocket to know when I'm being pickpocketed."

"Should'a known." Raven sighed and shook his head, tossing the ring back down to Yuri. "But at least I got what I really wanted."

Yuri caught the ring and held it tightly in his hand. "And what would that be?"

"I know that it ain't a ring ya picked out fer Flynn. This is a ring he gave ta you."

Rita groaned. "And how, o brilliant old man, did you figure that?"

"Easy. I may not know their ring sizes exactly, but there's no way that little beauty is makin' it onta any of the commandant's fat fingers. This here is for lovely, slender fingers like Yuri's."

"Hey!" Yuri snapped. "Flynn's hands are perfectly proportional to the rest of his body!"

"For real? Hot damn! Now I know why yer always jumpin' his bones the minute ya see 'im-"

Rita rose to her feet, still holding Bell in her arms. "Oh for the love of-! You all can keep up your stupid dirty talk if you want, but I'm going to get Bell her dinner."

"There's formula on the stovetop," Judith called, following her up the stairs. "I turned the heat off, but it should still be warm…"

Raven and Karol followed after the girls, but Yuri and Repede remained where they were sitting, Estelle across from them. Yuri slipped the ring back into his pocket with a sigh.

"Guess that cat's out of the bag, huh?" he sighed. Repede perked up at the word 'cat,' a low growl rising from his throat, but Yuri gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "Just a figure of speech, buddy."

Estelle was quiet. She had picked up the fire poker and was making sure that the fire had completely died down. "...you can go ahead," she said, not looking away from the embers. "The fire is almost out. This won't take long."

"You okay?" Yuri asked.

"What?" That got Estelle's attention. She turned to him, a smile on her face that almost looked genuine. "What are you talking about?"

"For a genius, Rita can be pretty stupid sometimes. She said that she didn't want any more heartbreak in this house, and yet she went and broke another heart herself."

Estelle blushed and returned her attention to the fireplace. "I just… I didn't realize that she felt that way about romance. For some reason, I thought-"

"Me too," Yuri agreed. "The way she looks at you, I figure she'd be a big believer in romance. But, hey, I guess she's a scientist through and through. Only believes what she can prove on paper."

There was a moment of silence again, Estelle scraping the poker against the logs. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"How do I take what I feel about her and prove that on paper?"

"Dunno." Yuri shrugged. "How do I make sure Flynn wants to marry me for love and not for some stupid ideal of what a knight is supposed to do?"

"I don't know."

The two looked at one another and broke into a peal of shared laughter. Repede looked back and forth between them, twitching his ears and wagging his tail.

"We're really a mess, aren't we?" Yuri asked, moving over to sit beside Estelle. He grabbed the spade and began scooping up ashes to spread over the logs. "I guess I'm lucky. Even if this whole marriage thing is just for show, Flynn isn't shy about letting me know that he loves me. If only we could figure out how to get Rita to be as honest."

"Rita has her own method of being honest," Estelle answered, setting the poker aside to get it out of Yuri's way. "I know she doesn't express herself the way other people do, so I don't want to force her into expressing herself in a way that isn't comfortable for her. I want her to be able to say it in her own way. But I… I at least want her to say it."

Yuri looked to her and smiled. "Then why don't you say it first?"

"I… don't want to upset her." Estelle shook her head. "Why don't you tell Flynn exactly what you want to know?"

"Because-" Yuri stopped and laughed again. "-because I don't want to make him mad."

"So we're the same."

"Yeah, I guess we are."

Repede moved over to settle down around their legs, and the two sat watching the embers until they had completely died down. Yuri spread some sand over the top, and once he was satisfied, he stood up and motioned for the others to follow.

"We'd better hurry. The way the old man was talking, he might eat it all before we get there."

"You think?" Estelle didn't seem convinced, but she followed after Yuri anyway. As they followed Repede over to the staircase, she cleared her throat and spoke up again. "...thank you, Yuri. It's nice to have someone who understands."

Yuri smiled and nudged her shoulder. "What are best friends for, if not to complain to about our frustrating love lives?"

Estelle just stared, and Yuri laughed.

"I'm kidding. Really, I can't tell you how valuable your support is. You're the only person in the world who knows Flynn as well as I do."

"I don't think Flynn knows himself as well as you know him."

Yuri thought it over.

"...I wonder..."

Raven woke before dawn to the sound of a ringing bell outside his room. He groaned and pulled himself from his bed, stumbling into the reception room and toward the door. Since his bedroom was on the ground floor, he was relegated to answering the door when the others were upstairs. It wasn't a bad job, at least when he wasn't being woken up from a dead sleep. Who the hell was ringing their doorbell before it was even light outside? His hand unsteady, it took a moment before he got a grip on the doorknob and managed to crack the door open.

"Whaddya want?"

"Oh, Raven! I'm sorry; I hope I didn't wake you."

Kida was the polar opposite of Raven, nicely dressed and standing up straight, her eyes alert and her voice chipper despite the early hour. Raven unlatched the chain and opened the door fully. "It's, like, five-thirty. The sun ain't gonna be up fer another hour- of course ya woke me." He sighed and shook his head. "Get in here, kiddo."

Kida stepped inside and waited for Raven to close the door again. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. You just said to come this morning, so I didn't want to be late."

Raven laughed. "Eager ta please, ain'tcha? You must've recovered pretty quickly from yer get-together with Harry last night."

"Wha-? N-no, that wasn't-!" Kida blushed. "It wasn't like that, we just had some things we needed to talk about. But he told me what you said to him, and I can't thank you enough. You're right, he shouldn't be involved in all of this-"

She stopped, frowning as she seemed to be listening for something. Raven was quiet too, and while it took a moment, he finally heard it. In one of the upstairs rooms, a baby was wailing.

"Is that Bell?" Kida asked.

"If not, one of our guild members has some explainin' ta do," Raven laughed, starting toward the stairs and motioning Kida to follow him. "C'mon, lemme introduce you ta everybody."

When the two made it to the top of the staircase, they found Rita, Estelle, and Judith in the kitchen, all doting on Bell as they tried to figure out why she was crying. Rita was holding her while Estelle offered a bottle, but Bell wouldn't take it and slapped it away every time Estelle got close. Judith was staring intently but looked up once Raven and Kida entered.

"Oh look! It's the only other people in town who're awake at this ungodly hour. You'll fit right in, Kida darlin'." Raven made a sweeping motion with his hands. "Why's the little one makin' such a fuss?"

"We don't know," Rita replied as she bounced Bell up and down in her arms. "She just started this, like, a minute ago- and she's not even crying, she's just screaming."

Kida looked around awkwardly, taking a step forward and then back again as if she thought better of it. Judith caught her eye and then broke in beside Rita, reaching for Bell.

"Why don't we let our newcomer try? It's possible that Bell just wants to say hello."

"What? What are you talking about-?" Rita protested, but Judith was already across the room, handing Bell to a flustered Kida. As soon as Kida closed her arms around the girl, Bell stopped screaming and settled comfortably against Kida's chest. Estelle gasped.

"That's amazing, Judith! How did you know?"

"Didn't you see the way Bell's antennae were twitching?" Judith asked. "Kritya can communicate with one another that way. It helps us sense when others are nearby."

"U-um, listen… this isn't-" Kida stammered, but Judith cut her off.

"Don't worry about it. Bell was just frightened knowing there was an unfamiliar Krityan nearby. She had this same reaction at the doctor's office yesterday. Now that she knows you're not a threat, she'll be perfectly fine."

"I see…" Kida murmured and then nodded. "Th-thank you, Judith."

Rita groaned and collapsed into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "You mean to tell me that we're gonna have to go through this every time there's a Krityan nearby?"

"I don't think so," Judith answered, patting her on the shoulder. "Bell will learn how to properly use her antennae in time. It just takes some adjustment."

"It's amazing, though," Estelle said with a dreamy sigh, leaning against the back of another chair. "Can Kritya read each other's minds that way?"

Judith laughed. "No, I'm afraid not. That would be a useful skill, though, wouldn't it?"

Kida blushed, keeping her eyes on Bell, who was reaching to tug at her hair. She rocked Bell back and forth, the hint of a smile on her face. "Yes… if only we could…"

"Hey," Rita began, leaning over and holding out her arms to Kida. "You gonna give her back, or what?"

Kida snapped to attention and passed Bell over, murmuring apologies. Bell began to protest, but she calmed down once she recognized Rita's voice and settled comfortably against Rita's chest. Raven, sensing the tension, walked around the table and over to the upper staircase.

"Captain Karol is in charge of breakfast today, right? I'll go wake him up. You ladies keep up this lovely conversation, okay?"

Kida leaned over, trying to get a better look at the room's layout. "You guild boss sleeps in the attic?"

"Not usually," Judith answered. "He's bunking with Yuri while Rita and Estelle borrow his room."

"A boss who gives up his room to others… fascinating…"

The girls shared a glance between one another, Rita with a look of disbelief and Estelle with one of concern. Judith, meanwhile, seemed more intrigued than anything else. She took a seat next to Kida and propped her arms up on the table.

"So, you grew up in Myorzo, right? Your face looks familiar, but I can't quite place it. Kida, Raven said? How old are you again…?"

Kida sat up straight. "I'm twenty years, three months, and seven days-"

"Oh! Wait, don't you-" Judith cut her off. "-don't you have an older sibling? A… a brother?"

"Yes, Jakob. He's twenty-five."

The information seemed to set off a light, and Judith clapped her hands. "That's right! I remember you!"

"I know I'm, uh-" Kida began, but Judith cut her off.

"You're Jakob's kid sister. It's all coming back to me now. Jakob used to sneak out to see Ba'ul when you and your parents were asleep."

"H-he did?!"

"All the time. It started to get annoying after a while. So much so that Ba'ul hid himself away at night to discourage him. But he kept coming, night after night…"

Rita scoffed. "Maybe it was you he was interested in."

"Oh? Are ya tellin' me I've got some competition?" Raven made his way back down the stairs, Karol following behind him. Karol ignored the comment and scurried around the table to stand beside Kida.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't greet you earlier. It's nice to meet you! I'm Karol Capel, leader of the guild Brave Vesperia."

Karol held out a hand to her, and she stared at it for a moment, a confused look on her face. Estelle leaned across the table and whispered "It's a greeting. You clasp his hand and shake it up and down-"

"I-I know what a handshake is!" Kida snapped to attention, her face flashing red again. "I was just surprised, is all."

She took Karol's hand in both of hers and shook it. He smiled back. "It's really nice to meet you. Raven told me about you last night. Is there anything in particular you want for breakfast? I was gonna make omelets, but if there's something else you want, feel free to request it."

"O-omelets are fine."

"You sure? You're our guest, after all."

"I… I don't want to put you out of your way…"

Raven sighed, waving at the group as he stumbled back toward the lower staircase. "Sounds like you guys are doin' well enough without me. I'm goin' back ta bed- wake me up when breakfast is ready, 'kay?"

"We will do no such thing," Rita called after him. "Wake up yourself or starve."

"Love you too, Rita, darlin'!"

Raven was glad to get back into bed, even if just for a little bit, but he couldn't fall back asleep. Kida seemed well-meaning, but she was awkward and secretive, a characteristic that would probably set off a few alarm bells for Rita and Yuri. Their friendly breakfast might turn into another interrogation, and they wouldn't give her the benefit of the doubt that he had. Judith might, but she seemed more intrigued than sympathetic, and Raven knew she could be vicious if she felt like it. He finally decided, after much tossing and turning, that there was no point in going back to sleep when he was worried like this. He might as well go keep an eye on Kida- for Harry's sake, at least. Raven pulled on his clothes and hurried back up the stairs to the kitchen, which now smelled deliciously of the sautéed peppers and sausage that Karol was preparing for the omelets. There was a heated conversation going on amidst the sizzling of the frying pan, and for a moment, Raven worried. But as he heard what was being said, he relaxed again.

"-I just thought it was too depressing, is all!" Estelle was saying. "I like literature that lifts its readers up and inspires them."

"It's really not depressing if you look at the overarching themes," Kida argued, tapping the spine of the book in her hands. "It challenges the finality of death, suggesting that people can live on indefinitely through their impact on others. To me, that's an inspiring message, not a depressing one."

"I never thought about it that way." Estelle leaned against the table, resting her head in her hands. "I've always disliked death as a thematic element. But you're right, I suppose there are ways to weave a positive story with even that."

While she spoke, Raven leaned against the back of Kida's chair. "And here I was afraid ya wouldn't fit in with our little pack. Guess I should'a had more faith in ya."

Yuri was watching from his spot on the couch, with Repede curled up around his feet. "You should have known that she'd hit it off with our resident bibliophile over here. They've been at this since she pulled out A Tale of Two Cities."

"You should join us, Raven." Kida sat up straight and nodded. "You like the book too, don't you?"

"Eh, long novels aren't my style."

"B-but you recited it from memory yesterday-"

"Now, now, I just said they ain't my style. Doesn't mean I haven't read the thing." Raven slid into the chair next to Kida. "In fact, an old knight captain I used'ta know was pretty fond of that book."

Kida stared at him for a moment in surprise. "A kni-" she began, but Raven leaned back in his chair and cut her off.

"Hey, Captain Karol! You were in a librarian guild once, weren'tcha? Have you read A Tale of Two Cities?"

"I have," Karol replied from his spot at the stove, "but I wasn't particularly fond of it. I like Oliver Twist better."

Rita, who was seated on the other side of the table feeding Bell, finally spoke up now that she had fodder for a snide comment.

"Of course you prefer Oliver Twist. You lived it."

"H-hey!" Karol spun around to address the group properly. "Forget that. Now that Raven's here, there was something I wanted to ask Kida."

"Oh?" Kida set the book back down on the table. "Wh-what is it?"

"You went to Zaphias the other day, right? 'Cause Raven said he saw you at Doctor Kirk's office. But how'd you travel between here and there so fast?"

There was a pause, and Kida breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that. I'm sorry, I should have said something sooner. I have a friend… er, an Entelexia who helps me out. His name is Anzu."

Judith perked up. "Anzu is alive? After what happened to Astal, I was sure that Anzu had met the same fate."

"I met Anzu shortly after the appearance of the Adephagos three years ago," Kida explained. "He came to Myorzo gravely injured, seeking refuge with Krones because of the chaos unfolding on the surface. When the Heracles stormed Baction, Astal sent Anzu away for his own safety. Anzu was too young to fight on his own, so he roamed the continent for some time, trying to hide from the knights. But eventually, he was discovered by a guild known as the Hunting Blades, a ruthless group who-"

"W-we're well aware of the mistakes that the Hunting Blades have made in the past." Karol interrupted. Judith nodded in agreement.

"They came after Ba'ul once and were involved in the deaths of Belius and Gusios. It only makes sense that they fought other Entelexia that we don't know about."

"And you call that a mistake, Boss?" Kida asked.

"Don't be too hard on him," Yuri answered. "Before he created Brave Vesperia, Karol was a member of the Hunting Blades. They did some terrible things under misguided assumptions. But the people themselves aren't bad."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume. It's just… the things Anzu told me about the people who attacked him… you weren't one of them, were you, Boss?"

"Wha- me?" Karol was plating one of the omelets and almost dropped the frying pan. "No, no! By that point, Brave Vesperia was already… I mean, we were already a team. I wasn't with the Hunting Blades anymore."

"But he is still involved with a Hunting Blades gal," Raven said, and Karol slammed a plate down on the table in front of him.

"No, I'm not."

Raven looked up in surprise. That didn't sound like Karol's usual embarrassed denial. He noticed the others glaring at him and looked back to the stove. "...oops. Did I say somethin' wrong?"

No one said anything right away, but Repede hopped up from the couch and approached Karol, sitting up obediently. It brought a smile to Karol's face, and he grabbed some sausage that he'd set aside.

"Careful, now," he warned, "it's still hot."

"Is that how he begs?" Kida asked, pointing over at Repede. "Just sits there until he's given something?"

Yuri shook his head. "Repede doesn't beg. He's part of the group and he waits patiently for his share, just like the rest of us."

Repede opened his mouth and took the dish that Karol handed him, carrying it back over to the couch and setting it on the floor so that he could eat. Kida watched him and smiled.

"Harry was right. You really are more like a family than a guild."

"Family, huh?" Rita groaned and shook her head, setting Bell's empty bottle aside and placing her back in the bassinet. "More like a circus menagerie."

"It makes me miss my parents," Kida sighed, offering a thanks to Karol as he handed her a plate. "When all this is over, I should go visit them…"

"That's all fine an' good," Raven said between bites of his own omelet, "but I've got someplace else fer you ta go first. If you're willin', Judith an' I have a friend we'd like ta introduce ya to. He might be able ta tell us more about this underground Entelexia you were talkin' about before."

"A friend who knows about Entelexia?"

"Mm, friend is a strong word," Judith answered, "but we have experienced a lot with him, and he knows more about Entelexia than any other human. He lives alone in a remote location in Yurzorea, but Ba'ul can take us there."

"Yurzorea…" Kida murmured. "And you think this human can really tell us about Utnapishtim?"

"Maybe. He can at least evaluate some of the grandiose claims that your leader has been making."

"I… I would like that. I would like that very much."

"Sounds like a yes ta me!" Raven cheered. "We'll get Ba'ul ta take Estelle an' Rita to the capital, then double back around ta Yurzorea."

Kida nodded. "I'll let Anzu know. He had trouble keeping up with Ba'ul earlier, but if he goes straight to Yurzorea, he should be able to meet up with us there."

Yuri was the last to take a plate, having lounged on the sofa until everyone else had gotten their share of breakfast. But before he took a bite, he looked over to the group and waved.

"Captain Karol, Repede, and I will hold down the fort here. We'll trust you to tell us all about what you've found when you get home."

"You can count on us!" Raven answered with a wink, and Yuri laughed.

"I'm sure we can."

Ba'ul knew the way to the capital well, and it didn't take him long to escort the group there. He landed them a short distance from the nobles' quarter, and Kida offered to help Estelle and Rita with Bell while they gathered their things. Raven and Judith watched from the deck of the ship, admiring the girls' hard work. Raven, however, couldn't fight a nagging thought in the back of his mind and figured he might as well voice it before Kida returned.

"Say, Judith darlin'? Can I ask ya a question?"

"Go ahead. You've never needed permission before."

Raven fought a laugh. "I was just curious 'bout whatcha said earlier this morning when Bell was makin' a fuss. It's not like I know anything about Krityan antennae, but I do know what Kida told me last night. Said she was the one who brought Bell ta Dahngrest and delivered her ta Headquarters. So Bell couldn't'a been cryin' because of an unfamiliar Krityan. It had ta be somethin' else." He turned and nudged Judith's arm. "You said yerself, Bell threw the same kinda tantrum back at the doctor's office. Kida was there too. So what is it about her that makes Bell react like that?"

Judith looked back at him, quietly examining his eyes as if searching for something within them. She was scanning his features like he was a page in a book, and all he could do was stand still until she finally replied. When she did so, she looked over the side of the ship, resting her elbows against the railing.

"I can't say this for sure, but it's my theory…" Judith glanced back and pointed to Raven with one hand. "...that you already know the answer to that question and you're just fishing for someone to back you up."

Raven already had a smile on his face, but he felt it dissolve into something more sincere. "Well, damn. Are ya sure ya can't read my mind with those antennae of yours?"

Judith laughed and reached up to pat his cheek as she passed by, heading to help Kida back onto the ship.

"Not with the antennae."

Raven watched her go and then collapsed back against the railing, holding one hand up to his cheek.

"God, I love that woman."

"Now Kida, there's a couple things ya gotta know about Duke before we land."

As they drew closer to Yurzorea, Raven and Judith sat down with Kida to make sure she knew what she was getting into. She kept quiet and nodded obediently as they spoke, hanging onto their words with a curious expression.

"First," Raven continued, "though he may not look it, he's been through a lot. He fought alongside the Entelexia Elucifer in the Great War. He's saved the lives of Brave Vesperia members more than once, and was an integral part of our attempt ta fight the Adephagos three years ago."

"I see. I'll be respectful, then."

"Good. The second thing is," Judith said, "that he doesn't like people. He lives out here because he prefers solitude, and he may not be happy to see us."

Kida frowned. "But… but didn't Raven say that he helped Brave Vesperia…?"

"He did, but for his own interests," Judith replied. "He wanted to save the world, the same as we did, but he had a different way of going about it."

"I see." Kida put her hands on her knees, looking down at the deck of the ship. "And the third?"

"Third, and most importantly, no matter what he says, ya shouldn't be afraid'a him." Raven patted her on the shoulder, prompting her to look up. "Deep down, he only wants the best fer this world. He may not be happy ta hear what's goin' on with Axis Mundi, but it's only because he doesn't wanna see any threat ta the Entelexia or the world they live in."

"I-I…" Kida stammered. "...I've never been good at not being afraid."

Judith smiled. "Then this will be a good opportunity to practice."

Ba'ul had to drop them off in a clearing a fair distance from Duke's cabin, so they hiked the rest of the way. The whole way, Raven could hear Kida murmuring to herself "don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid…" He grinned and nudged Judith, pointing back at her, and Judith stifled a laugh.

Eventually, they caught sight of a cabin down the path, closer to the river. Judith led the way down the path, eventually coming around to the back of the house. As they did, Kida gasped. Her antennae perked up, and she started around to the front.

"Anzu's here!" she called, and Judith followed. Raven groaned, stopping to catch his breath before he strolled around the cabin at a much less hurried pace. He always remembered Duke as a regal figure, dressed elegantly and carrying himself with a posture that commanded respect. It was almost surreal to see the man dressed in casual, paint-stained clothing, his usually flowing hair clumsily pulled back with a purple handkerchief. There was an easel set up a short distance from the house, holding a canvas half-covered with some kind of landscape scene, but Duke had left it to speak with Kida, Judith, and a large winged creature that was standing beside Kida. The creature's muzzle was feline, but its body was shaped more like that of a hyena, a little taller than Kida at the haunches with long, fluffy ears and a thick, greenish mane that extended down its back. The creature noticed Raven looking at it and glared with such a frightening snarl that he quickly turned his attention away and made sure to stand with Judith in between them.

"He told me that you would be visiting," Duke was saying, motioning to the creature. "I have been awaiting your arrival."

"You can understand him?" Kida asked.

"Not his speech, but all creatures have their own methods of communicating with others." Duke crossed his arms and looked to Raven and Judith. "For what purpose have you come here? Not for socialization, I presume."

"We won't waste your time," Judith said, reaching into her bag and retrieving the book that Estelle had lent them. "We have some questions about an Entelexia mentioned in an old Krityan legend, and we were wondering if you could evaluate the accuracy of the tale in this book."

Duke was quiet, accepting the book and opening it to the table of contents. "...Krityan legends, hm? And which of these tales are you interested in?"

"The one about the Great Flood," Judith answered, "and the original Entelexia, Utnapishtim. Are you familiar with that story?"

"I am. But I must read the story as it is written here before I can evaluate its accuracy." Duke motioned to the door as he began to collect his painting supplies. "Please, come inside. I will prepare some tea for you."

Raven glanced back over at the Entelexia. "Um, about your buddy here…?"

"Anzu will probably have to wait outside," Kida said, pulling a green plaited charm from her pocket. "But I'll bring his charm with me so that I can communicate with him what we're talking about. You should do the same for Ba'ul, Judith."

"So he's just gonna… stand there and stare at us through the window?" Raven muttered, glancing back again. "Not sure I'm totally comfortable with that, but I guess it beats havin' him inside with us…"

Anzu let out a little growl and Raven yelped, scrambling into the house. Judith and Kida laughed and followed him inside.