Venka looked at Morgan, Katya, and Nya, who all had faces ranging from somber, to distraught, to curious. "I…" Venka felt unsure of herself without Faris, ever since her parents died, he'd been helping her by merely staying by her side. She wanted to be near him, but couldn't do it now, not now when she knew he knew that she had hated him, and still hated him somewhat. She felt both angry at herself and him. Herself for still having such feelings of anger and resentment, and at him for never confronting her, for accepting all her little shows of affection with the same genuine smile, all the while knowing. She snapped her head out of it. Even if she was in the wrong in that scenario, "That is that and this is this." She muttered as she turned to the three. "I will help you, but I need you to promise me something."

The three looked up at her, hope in their eyes.

"Don't take advantage of me, I've spent the past six years of my life as someone's prize to be won, only finding out barely each time, Faris never looked at me like that, which is why he's so angry that you would ever do that. In fact, I made Faris's life miserable, but he didn't hesitate to help me." She had trouble coming up with the right words, Faris was always so poetic with his speaking pattern. "I'm not like Faris, I show when I'm upset, and vulnerable, even my attempts at deceptions are terrible as I can't hold myself back from blurting out my feelings. But because of that you can be sure that I'm telling the truth." She looked at them hard, looking each of them in the eyes until they broke contact. "Faris is a little different, he doesn't reveal everything he's feeling, or even thinking, someone could have complete control of him and still wouldn't know what was in his innermost core. I'm certain he dislikes you, but he doesn't hate you, I'm sure of it." She smiled now. "But it doesn't matter, he doesn't want to help you, and that's fine."

They looked at her, confused. "But what about you?" Morgan began. "You obviously care right?"

"Of course, I do, and that's why we need to leave him alone, he's stupidly stubborn, and regardless of if he comes around or not to helping us, he's going to come to us, not the other way around. I hate and enjoy that straightforward stubbornness. And besides, he's taught me a lot, I don't need to have him babysit me all the time." Her mind reflected to her destruction of the Iron doll. "We can handle them ourselves."

Morgan smiled confidently, his tone changing to something more natural. "Alright boss, what's the plan?"

"It's… a work in progress." Venka shrugged apologetically.

Faris let his mind wander as he listened to the rhythmic thwacking sounds of his fist hitting the wooden post, tell-tale cracks appeared wherever his fist, elbow, knee, or feet struck now. He had been at this for hours, punching and kicking and striking until he felt his bones almost break, then healing them just enough to continue again. He struck harder and faster and more viciously each time, and when he got exhausted, he'd hunt for food, both draining the remaining life force, then consuming the animal. He wasn't going to return to the castle tonight, and he was too unstable to even care that Venka would be worried. His mind reflected on his fight with Seya, and how she easily handled him. If she had meant to kill them, he and Venka would have…

"Dammit!" He cried out, spooking the owl that had begun to watch him, since he left the scraps, it would flutter after him, collecting the scraps. It peered at him for a bit, but seeing as he hadn't made any moves to reach it, it returned to consuming the scraps of the roasted rabbit he had demolished. Faris placed his hands angrily on the post, gripping hard. No matter how quickly he moved, he couldn't reach that level of speed. Doing so for only 5 seconds with magic nearly killed him from the drain on his stamina. He clenched his arm, which had also been torn to shreds from the short excursion. It had taken so much of his crystal to heal himself that the week of depositing energy had been for naught. He felt frustration and rage at Seya and himself.

"So, you're mad because you projected the fear and hate of being weak and vulnerable to Seya unto the other first year Pearls. And because of that you can't bring yourself to work with them, even when you had originally planned to. And you hate that you're so hypocritical in knowing that Venka feels a similar way about you, the difference being there's a mix of this combination of love and hate, as opposed to your simple distaste. And you're scared of wavering, so it's better in your opinion if they just hate you back."

He turned sharply to see Elva looking at him cynically, she looked like an older teen, though he knew she was likely in her early twenties, likely the "herbs" that Angela prescribed to her own youthful form.

"Why did you come?" He asked, exhausted.

"Well, I came to give you somethings, but I also need to do this." She smacked him hard, Faris's face stung but he smiled.

"I guess I deserve that…"

He flinched when she raised her hands again but looked on in surprise when it turned into a hug. "You aren't as selfish as you are thinking, no matter what anyone does, there will always be a part of them that doubts what they are doing, you don't have to deny your selfish side, but don't you dare equate it as the truth behind your giving nature."

Faris after a moment hugged her back. "Thanks, I actually really needed that." He started laughing, "But it isn't fair, you know exactly what can be said to make me feel comfortable."

"But I don't have to say it, so you at least know I believe it." Elva completed, smiling contently. "You know, when I met you, I hated you."

"yeah I know." Faris replied.

"You were the most annoying thing I ever witnessed; it was like imagining an adult asking questions with childish petulance. Your optimism was disgustingly infectious, both Solembum and Angela enjoyed your company for that reason. I was uncomfortable with someone who didn't seem to fear anything anymore, as opposed to just hiding it, which is why I told you I preferred you more somber, where you had experienced pain, because at that moment you still had that childish resolve, and kept it up."

"But!" Faris about to say before hesitating. Elva gently spoke up.

"So, people are attempting to take advantage of you? And then you remembered that that was my life since after Eragon's blunder. That's kind of you to not complete your outburst for my sake." Elva sighed. "But sheesh, if I found the you who wore his heart on the sleeve annoying, the you who now can't stop being secretive is almost unbearable." She released him from her embrace. "What do you want Faris? Why did you want to learn magic?"

"I…" Faris began, realizing he never really asked himself that.

"Before you do anything rash, I think you should contemplate that for a bit. Also, your parents wrote letters to you, and your father wanted to get some things to you."

She handed him several papers, the vast majority of them were his mother's, signed and dated, she seemed to have written notes for him every single day after she and his father left. He smiled as he looked through them all, they were mostly well-wishes, demands that he eat well, not stay up too late. He blushed a few times at her teasing jabs about how things were going with Venka, asking if she ate well, whether he held the chair and door for her like a gentleman, and whether he had been able to drill in half-decent table manners into her.

"Thank you, so much Elva, I-!" But she had disappeared, Faris resisted the urge to try and search her out with his mind, instead reading the rest of his mother's notes. The moon had risen high by the time he had gotten to his father's single note, he began to read it.

To Faris.

Hey son, this is your father, I'm sorry my notes aren't as frequent as your mother's, your old man's handwriting isn't the best, so I'm a slow writer. Hopefully, no, this definitely will find you in good health, because you're my son. I'm proud of you; that someone as special as you had been born as my son still baffles me. Your mother and I have had a long excursion, and we will be returning back to the cottage, we don't expect you back for a few years, as that time will be spent learning all the skills Ilrea has to offer, once we are settled though, we want to receive letters back. Don't leave your mother and I feeling worried okay? And be sure to let us know whenever you have trouble, we'll always be here for you. And remember son, you are a strong boy. And strong men know when to use wrath and authority, and when to use temperance and wisdom.

With Love,

Your Father, Bergan Fadawar Ser

Faris could barely read the last few words, his vison blurred. He looked to the side to see the Owl that had eaten his scraps, it had hopped over, seemingly hungry for more. Now that he noticed, he saw that it was pretty small, just a bit bigger than his face when it spread its wings. It resembled a barn owl and made several clicking noises as it peered at him with its two large eyes on its heart shaped disk of a face. Another young one who just flew from his nest it seemed, Faris reasoned.

"You look hungry don't you." Faris reached into his pack and pulled out a few strips of emergency jerky, the owl ate it hungrily. "Yeah, you flew the coup too huh? Mom and Dad must be worried sick for you, but they also believed in you, knowing you could fly one day. You just needed a little push." He smiled as he scratched the owl on the forehead, chuckling as it closed its eyes slightly and its facial muscles raised, giving it the impression of a smile. He noticed its dark grey feathers, scattered amongst them were blotches of white, and pale dark yellow, as if it's coat of feathers was a storm with streaks of lightning. As he scratched it absentmindedly, he looked into the large pack Elva left with him, tasting the salty tears on his lips he turned the note.

P.S. Your faungol had been broken, so I repaired it and decided to send it to you, it should be in the satchel along with several tools that I put together, I may not have a lick of magical talent but I'm definitely a decent blacksmith. I hope you've forgiven Venka, or better yet, forgotten her foolishness. The girl wanted you in her life to help her, we had been good friends with her parents, as worried as we would have been, Angela promised that you would be as safe as possible, so you need not worry. I noticed you liked collecting quartz, so I cut and shined a few and incorporated them into your presents, since you're almost a man I thought they would be appropriate, tools make the man after all! Angela even got me help from an old blacksmith woman so skilled I would have sworn her hammer was guided by divine providence, hopefully your humble father can impress you with these treasures.

Faris smiled, his father wasn't much for sappiness, and was almost as awkward as he was in displaying genuine close affection. As he picked up his Faungol he slung it to his back, he tied the bag back up and tossed the last bit of jerky to the owl. He decided that he wouldn't stay way tonight, and if Venka would hear him out, they could talk. As he walked back to the city, he heard tell-tale fluttering behind him, he smiled as he turned back, speaking in the ancient language, "If you wish to come with me, I won't stop you, how would you like the name of Ventus? It means wind in a language from my old home, and was the name for the Storm Spirits an ancient god tasked with guarding his island. It's just a story, but I think such an auspicious name would be appropriate no?" He took the barn owl's chirping trills as confirmation. "Ventus it is. You know, that's a pretty simple and clean name."

When they returned to the city Faris took the time to inspect the owl, after a bit of determining, he discovered it was a male, and rather young, just out of the nest it seemed, and it had been starving before he gave it his scraps. He noticed that it had a huge crack in its left flight bone that had healed wrong, messing up its flight, he was surprised it was still alive. After a few moments of gathering himself he healed it's wound with the ancient language, and killed every parasite he detected on its body, disposing of the bodies through extraction and burning. When the owl was sufficiently cleaned and when he somehow managed to convince it to come down, Faris talked the guards into letting him keep it under the promise that the "demon bird" would be kept under intense supervision. They made their way back to the school grounds, where guards harassed him a bit until he showed his pearl initiate crest, they let him inside. Ventus hissed at them as they passed by and settled into Faris's shoulder, hiding and nestling in the crook of his jacket. Faris made it to his room, but paused at the door, he was a little hesitant in facing Venka, he resolved himself and knocked on the door, announcing his arrival, and entering. He nearly dropped his bags in shock.

"Hey Faris." Venka looked at him, she looked tired and sweaty, but that wasn't what surprised him, she was in a change of clothes, her old clothes were in tattered ruins, burned, sliced apart, waterlogged. But even more surprising were the three surprise guests.

"Hey…" Nya began sheepishly before Faris raised his hand in silence, bringing the other to pinch the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes in disbelief. He did his best to hold his temper in as he noticed she and Morgan had been stuffing their faces with his emergency jerky he left in a bowl enchanted to keep them fresh.

"You have really great drawings!" Katya called out, ruffling through Faris's pile of sketches, and through his separate pile of Fairths. Faris gently placed Ventus down, removing his jacket so that the little guy could get some rest, Ventus looked at the group alertly until Faris assured it that the guests would not harm him and that he could sleep peacefully. He took a light blanket and folded it over itself and covered the bird, casting a spell to block any sound that came from outside a certain threshold. He gently removed his hands and turned around to see everyone looking at him. Morgan had an odd smile on his face.

"what?!" He hissed out.

"It's just… I'm surprised you'd be so gentle with it; most people view owls as birds of omen, especially that one." Morgan smiled, "Sorry, just a slip of thought." Faris absentmindedly nodded at his words as he turned to face Venka.

"How are you feeling?" Venka asked with a bit of concern.

"I'm good, and I'm sorry Venka." Faris replied with a smile, "I let my fear get the better of me." He turned to the three, "I still don't like you guys that much, but I don't hate you like I said I do, I let my anger over an encounter with someone else affect me, and I took my anger against them and the Thirteen council members out on you."

He stopped Nya's smile with a raised finger. "That though doesn't change a majority of the points I raised before."

Nya's smile was tempered, and after a tap from Morgan, she stood up. "I'm Sorry! I'm sorry, I feared… you know what damnit, that's unimportant, what is important is I offended you, several times." She surprised Faris when she kneeled before him. And Faris's face widened as the other two did so. "Please lead us into victory."

Faris unstrapped his faungol and smiled at them, after tuning it for a bit he began strumming the chorus for Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. "Okay then, so tell me the plan you had come up with…"