"I have built, deep in my heart, a chapel filled with you." -Michael Proust
Later on, Elpis' people dance around a bonfire, their hearts similarly alight with joy for their cured people.
She watches them from afar, her own heart equal parts happiness and despair. No longer is she allowed to join in the dancing. She tells herself that she's never been a terribly good dancer anyway, too conscious of her body and how absurd it can look, but it's not entirely effective. The music is so loud and so joyous that she wonders it does not wake the gods.
Elpis senses more than hears motion behind her, then voices, barely discernible over the music. One of them is Ardyn's. Elpis is about to go to him when she hears her name and stops, hidden in the shadows.
"I'm only asking that you speak to the High Priestess," Ardyn says. "I'm not asking that you lift the punishment entirely, but eternal exile seems a tad harsh for saving people's lives."
Kirti sighs irritably. "Drusa is bound to the laws of our people, as are we all," she says. "If she makes an exception for Elpis, she'd be setting a precedent that the rules do not apply to the High Priestesses from now on. It would harm her own standing in the eyes of not only our people, but the people of other tribes."
"Then change the rules," Ardyn says easily, as if it could ever be that simple.
Kirti stares at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because Lady Maelen came to me so she wouldn't lose her sister, and she is losing her all the same. I am to blame for it."
"No, the Scourge is," Kirti says. "Have the same sympathy for Drusa. She is losing a daughter."
"But she doesn't have to!"
"Healer Ardyn."
Elpis emerges from the shadows. Kirti looks away, shifting uncomfortably, while Ardyn's smile merely broadens.
"We were just speaking of you, my lady."
She raises an eyebrow. "At least you're honest about it."
Kirti shakes her head. "Elpis, please tell your friend that he needs to keep to his own business and not interfere with ours. Drusa gave you the lightest punishment possible. Don't force her hand into something worse."
With that, Kirti takes her leave to join the celebration. Ardyn waits until she's long out of earshot before saying, "I think I may be winning her over."
A small laugh escapes her, short-lived. "I appreciate what you're trying to do," she says truthfully. "Kirti is right, though. You need to leave it be."
Ardyn makes a face. "It's ridiculous. You saved those people."
"I also broke the law."
"Just because something is a law doesn't make it morally right."
She laughs louder this time. "Are you becoming philosophical now?"
"I prefer to think of it as common sense."
"Thank goodness. You're already so gifted, I'm not sure Eos could survive you if you added another talent to the list."
They share a long look, Ardyn's smile becoming more real, other than the one he uses for strangers. Elpis is the first to look away back to the dancers.
"Will you be joining them, my lady?"
"No," she says. "I'm not allowed to, anymore. Besides, I dance like a newly hatched chocobo that's constantly surprised by its own limbs." She looks for Charis in the mass of bodies but cannot see her. Her mother is not present either.
Ardyn notices that as well. "You could simply sneak in. Your mother wouldn't be any the wiser."
"Hah! I used to believe she had eyes everywhere. She always used to catch me doing something I shouldn't." There's a wistful note in her voice, for the days when she was a child and knew only the present in the way a child does. No future to worry about. No lives depending on her.
"Do you… hate your mother now?"
Shocked, Elpis shakes her head vehemently. "No. I could never. All my life, all I ever wanted to be was half as amazing as she." She pauses, then quietly adds, "I do hate some of her decisions, though."
"Fair enough." Ardyn leans against a tent post, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches the dancers. "My parents were disappointed in Somnus and me, as we never took to magitek as they'd hoped. Our father, especially. He taught me everything he knew about magitek, and though I understand it fine, I have no passion for it. I think you can guess how Somnus felt about magitek." He smirks. "For all his piousness to the gods, he was quite the rebel to our parents."
Elpis watches the firelight dance on his face, casting his features in different lights. His voice soothes some of the heartbreak in her chest. "Then you were always interested in helping people?"
"Hmm. It's true I find people far more interesting than machines, though at their core they're similar. Both will act in certain ways if you just know which button to push."
This is by far the darkest thought Ardyn's expressed to her and she can't quite keep the surprise off her face. He glances at her, noting her expression with grim amusement.
"Have I shocked you, Elpis?"
"Maybe a little," she admits. "Though I suppose I can't really refute the logic in your argument."
He shrugs a shoulder. "People, at least, have the capacity to surprise you, to act in ways you didn't bargain for." He frowns. "Do you judge me badly for my observations?"
"No," Elpis says after thinking it over. "It's perhaps more cynical than I'd expected you to be, but I don't judge you badly for it."
"I'm… pleased to hear that, Elpis." Ardyn shifts, clearing his throat. "I fought during Ifrit's destruction of Solheim, but I find no joy in warfare. I would rather heal wounds than inflict them. Anyone with a sharp enough stick can hurt others; it takes something more to heal them."
She smiles. "Very noble of you." Very kingly, in fact.
Ardyn rubs the back of his neck. "It's a simple fact. Cruelty is easy. Despite how I come across, I'm not much interested in doing things the easy way."
"Oh, stop it," Elpis says, nudging his ribs with an elbow. "Just admit that you're a good person and be done with it. I see past your carefree attitude, Ardyn Lucis Caelum."
"Do you, now?" Ardyn says, stepping away from the tentpost and closing some of the distance between them. He stares down at her, his expression unusually intense. "And what do you see beneath that, my lady?"
Elpis stares up at him, taken aback by the sudden shift of their conversation. He's so near to her that if she were to take a deep enough breath, their chests would touch. The urge to do just that, to touch him, is so powerful that Elpis clenches her fists until her nails dig into her palms.
"I see a good man," she says in a hushed voice. Somehow, it isn't lost to the cacophony beyond them. "One who, even if he had not been chosen by Bahamut, could change the world by force alone. Who cares deeply, even if he tries not to show as much. I see someone who can lead us out from darkness into the light once more."
Ardyn seems shocked by her words, amber eyes widening slightly. His gaze drops from her eyes to some place lower, somewhere that makes her breath catch in her throat and every muscle in her body clench in anticipation.
Just as she's deciding what she'll do if he kisses her, a voice comes between them. "El? I wanted to-oh."
Elpis steps away from Ardyn and turns to Charis. She keeps her expression neutral, giving no hint to the racing of her heart beneath. Charis looks between them both, one foot stepping back uncertainly as if to leave them.
"I'll leave you two be," Ardyn says, bowing grandly to them both. He smiles charmingly at Charis before turning and wandering away.
Elpis tries very hard not to watch him go.
After a beat, Charis says, "I interrupted something, didn't I?"
"No," she says. "We were only talking about the journey ahead."
"How many times do you need to be told you're an awful liar before you get it?" Charis grins, then it falls. "I've tried speaking to mother. She can't exile you. She can't."
"And yet, she has."
"Well, it's not fair!"
Elpis sighs. Sometimes she forgets how many years are between them both and how young Charis still is. Barely past her eighteenth turn of the sun. "Sometimes things aren't fair."
"Then it's up to us to make them so."
She raises a brow. "Careful. I'm the argumentative person in the family. Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean you need to be so eager to take my place."
Charis looks stricken. "Don't joke about that. That's awful."
Elpis shrugs. "It is what it is. Please, little sister, don't worry over me. I made my choices and I made them willingly and with full knowledge of what it would mean." She puts her hands on Charis' shoulders. "I would do it all again to make certain you're safe."
Tears form in her hazel eyes. "But who will keep you safe now?"
"Myself." And perhaps Ardyn. "And never, ever doubt that I will come back to protect you, no matter how far apart we are. If you need me, I will be there."
They hug each other tightly, staying in their embrace until Elpis pushes her away gently. "And now you should rest. Go lie down."
"I've been lying down for months. If I even see a pallet right now, I'm going to vomit." Charis gags to further her point.
"Charis!" A group of girls descends upon Charis, who reacts with glee. Soon they're all hugging each other, voices overlapping, tears and excitement laced together.
One girl with skin as black as midnight breaks away from the group to look to Elpis. She's older than the rest, closer to Elpis' age than Charis', and Elpis faintly remembers playing with her as a child once.
"Eumelia."
The fact that Eumelia looks surprised that Elpis remembers her name fills her with shame. "Thank the gods you returned safely," Eumelia says after she recovers her composure. "We were all worried."
Elpis manages a smile. "I'm sorry to worry you. But everything is fine now, isn't it?"
"Yes."
They stand awkwardly for a moment, uncertain how to end the conversation, when Eumelia finally grimaces and turns back to Charis. "We should go. Your elder sister probably has other things she should do."
Charis hesitates. "Well..."
"Go on," Elpis says. "As you said, you've been lying down for months. You should get your strength back. Go spend time with your friends."
Eventually, Charis nods and walks away, looking back to Elpis only once before they all disappear around a corner. Elpis tilts her head back and sighs.
Remember, she tells herself, that is why you've sacrificed everything. To give Charis the chance at life. Sacrifice was nothing unusual to her. She'd had to sacrifice friendships and relationships with people all her life, had to remember she was their future leader and keep that line in the sand between her and everyone else. Charis never had that invisible barrier.
In the end, Elpis reflects, more people would mourn Charis if she had died than will miss Elpis once she leaves.
After everyone has left the fire, Elpis sits next to it, balancing a large plate of food in her lap. Something inside her eases as she smells the familiar aromas of her childhood. As it'll likely be the last time she'll eat these meals, she intends to savor every bite.
She pauses briefly, looking down at her food. Then, for the first time in years, she closes her eyes and prays.
Thank you for sending me to Ardyn. Thank you for these powers, and for letting it be enough to save my people. Thank you. Thank you.
Ardyn comes to sit next to her. Neither one of them speaks at first, instead enjoying a quiet companionship. They often did the same after Somnus and Crescentia went to sleep on the journey, staying up far later in order to talk.
Ardyn reaches over to Elpis' plate and picks a kebab off. She raises an eyebrow playfully. "Excuse you-"
"Good gods!" Ardyn coughs, nearly spitting out the piece of roasted chicken he'd begun to chew. His face rapidly turns red and tears form in his eyes. "Is it supposed to feel as if skin is peeling off my tongue?"
Unable to stop herself, Elpis laughs, clutching at her middle. She manages to calm herself enough to hand Ardyn some cream to help with the heat, then takes a look at his face and devolves into giggles once more.
"And that," she gasps between laughs, "is what you get for stealing my food."
Ardyn makes a face and hands the kebab back to her. "No wonder you thought my cooking was poor. You must not be able to taste anything at all, after a lifetime of eating that."
"Oh, hush," she says, shoving him fondly. "Our food has flavor, unlike the dishes in Solheim."
"The food in Solheim doesn't try to kill people."
She smirks. "And this is half of what we normally use in these dishes. The Great Healer, felled by a little spice."
Ardyn laughs, his face still slightly red. "Somnus would love to hear the stories they'd come up with about that."
Elpis gives him a sidelong glance, trying to decipher his expression, before deciding not to press him about it. "You can build your endurance up. Start with weaker spices, and such."
Ardyn raises an eyebrow. "You realize you're speaking of food as if it's a training exercise, correct?"
She shrugs a nonchalant shoulder and very pointedly stuffs a large piece of chicken into her mouth. Ardyn watches as she doesn't react at all, smirking.
"Point taken."
Silence stretches out between them until Elpis finishes her supper, casting the remains into the fire. After a moment, she says, "About what you said earlier, about people being easy to read, like machines..." She struggles to find the words, noticing how Ardyn has suddenly stilled beside her. "Do you think I'm simple like that?"
He startles a little. "I-no, actually."
Somehow she isn't gratified by the answer. "Really? You haven't found each of my buttons to push? Haven't already examined my entire personality and reduced it to basic traits?"
"No," he says, completely serious. "I haven't done that with you. I won't."
"And why not?"
After a beat of silence in which he studies her, Ardyn reaches a hand up to her face and trails it along her cheek. "I prefer to be endlessly surprised by you, Elpis."
Her entire body feels aflame, starting from where his fingers touch her skin, all the way down to her toes. She can't look away from him, can't stop watching how fascinated he seems to be with simply touching her face. Then, reluctantly, his hand falls away. She takes in a shuddering breath and turns her face back to the fire.
"I wonder," she stammers after a moment, then tries again with a steadier voice. "I wonder why Crescentia was given powers as well."
Ardyn takes the change of subject in stride. "More people with those abilities means a better chance of eradicating the Scourge for good. Bahamut's simply playing his chances."
"Maybe," Elpis says. "It feels more like a test."
"Somnus would say you're letting your dislike of Bahamut cloud your opinion."
Irritated, Elpis says, "And what do you say?"
Ardyn stares into the fire, his gaze distant. "It could very well be," he finally says, his voice quiet. "The gods do enjoy their tests."
"But then what's the prize?"
"Only the gods know." Ardyn's gaze lifts to the black sky. "I had... wondered, in fact, if I should undergo their Revelations."
Shocked, Elpis can only say, "Why?"
"I'm not sure," he muses. "Something seems to be pulling me that way. Some invisible thread. Perhaps if I did, Bahamut would grant me more power and I could cleanse our star of the Scourge."
Terror seizes her. The Revelations are not things to be taken lightly. So soon after the War, can their lands take any further damage from the gods? The damage would make Ifrit's destruction of Solheim look petty in comparison.
Ardyn smiles faintly. "You've no need to worry, Elpis," he says. "I don't think I intend to do it yet. Not when Solheim still needs me."
And yet, Elpis can already see that he will take them, one day. It feels like a certainty in her gut, the same way her visions were. What's worse, she can feel that same invisible thread pulling at her, as it pulled her towards Ardyn so many months ago. The gods are playing with her destiny once more. Despite her newfound faith, Elpis cannot like it.
That doesn't stop her from saying, "I'll go with you."
Ardyn blinks in surprise. "What?"
Elpis' voice becomes more certain as she speaks. This is right; this is what she needs to do next. "I have nowhere to go from here," she says, "but I would join you, if you asked. I could help in Solheim. And if, one day, you chose to undergo the Revelations... I will go with you to where the gods sleep."
"I couldn't ask that of you."
"Then don't," Elpis says, "but I'll join you all the same."
Ardyn peers at her. "This isn't about that debt nonsense, is it?"
"No. I'm offering because... because you've changed my life, Ardyn, and I think it's meant to have you in it now." She takes a deep breath. "Because I want you in my life, now."
His expression softens and he lets out a quiet laugh. "There you are," he says quietly, "surprising me yet again."
Elpis smiles. Then movement out of the corner of her eye catches her attention.
By the time she turns to look, whatever it was is gone. But she swears she saw the blue of Somnus' cloak disappearing behind a tent.
Though she's no longer of the family, Drusa does not stop Elpis from sleeping in the tent she once shared with Charis. The others are relegated to the tent used for the rare visitors.
Charis is already on her padded pallet when Elpis quietly steps in. She can tell Charis isn't asleep by her breathing, but waits for her to break the silence. After taking her boots, belt, and headscarf off, then washing her face, Elpis lies down facing Charis.
For a moment, neither of them speak. They merely study each other. They do not share a father, and so any similarities come from their mother. Elpis will never be able to look at her reflection without seeing what parts of her come from Drusa, and what parts are mirrored in Charis. They share the same full lips, the same broad nose. Charis has freckles across hers; Elpis does not. Elpis' eyes are a dark brown compared to Charis' hazel. Elpis knows she has a more severe look to her, a brooding look, thanks to her straight, thick eyebrows that rest low on her eyes.
Charis has always been the happier of the two, the lighter, the weight on her shoulders not as heavy as Elpis'. She's quicker to smile, quicker to laugh, and always looks to the bright side of things. The sun would envy how bright she burns.
Elpis is more like the night, and she thinks she probably would have been so even if she weren't the Eldest Daughter. Her responsibilities simply made her grow up faster and become more aware of all the ways their life in the desert could come to sudden, horrible end. It made her aware that she could be the one to lead her people to ruin if she were a stupid, careless leader. She has always been a little too serious, a little too cautious, a little too willing to think of the ways something could go wrong. Always looking for the hidden dangers. Her own light is gentle and soft, when it appears at all.
And yet, for all their differences, they have never once truly hated each other. There have been annoyances and times when they were so angry they didn't even want to look at the other, but never hatred. They always come back to each other in the end.
Finally, Charis speaks. "I don't want to be High Priestess."
"I know. And I would spare you from that if I could." Elpis sighs. "Are you angry with me for going to Solheim?"
"I-I don't know," Charis says. "I'm glad I'm not a daemon, or dead. And none of this would be a problem if mother weren't so unyielding."
Elpis takes Charis' hand and gives it a squeeze. "The first lesson of being a High Priestess: You must always be as unyielding as the mountain."
Charis makes a face. "Mountains can be destroyed by magitek if they're in the way of something."
"See? You're learning already."
Charis sticks her tongue out, causing both of them to giggle like they're children again, and not women grown. They fall silent once more, listening to the other's breathing, each lost in her own thoughts. Outside, there is only the crackle of the ever-burning fire to join them, everyone else having gone to sleep.
"So," Charis says, moving closer to Elpis and lowering her voice. "What exactly is going on between you and Ardyn?"
"Nothing," Elpis says, and it's more or less the truth.
Charis raises an eyebrow. "I saw you staring at his ass earlier. It is a very fine ass, true-"
Elpis hits Charis in the face with a cushion, hard enough to make her point. Charis snorts with laughter and pushes the cushion away.
"There may be something there," Elpis finally allows, setting the cushion back in its place. "He's very handsome, it's true."
"You could be standing across from the most gorgeous man in all of Eos and not give him a second glance if his personality was horrible," Charis says. "And you'd fall in love with the ugliest man if he was pleasing to converse with."
Elpis smiles slightly. "You're right. I feel… lighter, around him. As if he takes some of the weight from my shoulders and carries it for me. I feel happier. He can make me laugh."
"Oh," Charis breathes. "You're in love."
She has to think it over a moment, then shakes her head. "Maybe. And that uncertainty is why I think I need to give it time. What if it's not love and instead merely gratitude for saving your life? I need to be able to say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I love him. Right now, that isn't possible."
"Maybe it's just sexual, then." At Elpis' sharp look, Charis shrugs. "What? I've found someone physically pleasing without being in love before. Mother finds men physically attractive, but her heart is solely for women."
Elpis takes the time to think this over. She can't deny the thought of having sex with Ardyn heats her body and causes her heart to pound in her ears. But she's never been one to simply lie with any random person. There's only been two other people who have seen her without her headscarf on, and she had been deeply in love with both. For other people, sex may be something that can just happen without anything else expected to come from it; Elpis cannot find it as frivolous as that. Her body is an honor that should not be lightly bestowed.
"I don't know if I could simply lie with him and be done with it," Elpis finally says.
"Maybe not right now," Charis agrees. "But you're going back to Solheim with him, aren't you? Maybe in a while, you'll feel differently."
"Perhaps."
"Is it true what they say about Solheim?" Charis asks. "Is it as bad as they say?"
Elpis closes her eyes and remembers the burned out ruins of buildings, the people who scurried from her like frightened animals, the ever present stench of burning in the air. The way ash still coats parts of the city. "It's worse. It's so much worse than anything I was prepared for. If the Scourge hadn't struck so soon after Ifrit's death, maybe they could have recovered, but now it's a slowly dying city."
Charis lets out a long breath. "How horrible. Are you sure you should go back?"
"Yes." On this, Elpis has no doubt. "I can help people there. Maybe even build a community. It won't ever be what it was in my lifetime, but it could be something."
There's a pause before Charis snuggles close to Elpis, as they did when they were children and the desert nights became unbearably cold. "You're an amazing person, El," she says. "No wonder Bahamut chose you."
Elpis listens as Charis falls asleep, unable to do so herself. After what feels like hours pass, Elpis gets back up and heads out of the tent. Most everyone else is asleep, so she merely wanders the camp, taking in everything to hold her over the lonely years to come.
A movement catches her eye and she stops. Standing near the main fire is a woman unfamiliar to her, straight black hair hanging to her waist, pale skin, and wearing shoes that are not at all suitable for the desert. Elpis squints and sees that the heels of her shoes aren't sinking into the sand.
"Have you found your path again, young warrior?"
Elpis slowly approaches the woman. Once she comes to her side, Elpis sees that her eyes are closed, a peaceful expression on her face. Her voice weighs heavily in Elpis' mind. And in the air is a taste, a scent of something that Elpis has never once encountered, but somehow instinctively knows to be snow.
"I'm not certain."
"And why is that?"
Elpis turns to face the fire. She adds more brush to it, to keep it thriving. "I understand why Ardyn was chosen. And Crescentia, for Tenebrae is close to Bahamut's heart. But... I do not understand why I was chosen."
"Do you think it your place to question such a thing?" There's no reprimand in the woman's voice, only mild curiousity.
"I think it's natural to have some questions about it, and if Bahamut minds that, then he should come and tell me himself."
The woman laughs quietly. "Perhaps it is that fiery heart of yours that drew Bahamut's notice. With Ifrit dead and his fire gone from Solheim, the people need someone to warm their hearts once more. To light their way again and protect them from the terrors of the night."
Elpis slowly shakes her head in wonder. "Is that Bahamut's wish for me, then? To go to Solheim?"
The woman finally opens her eyes, the flickering firelight reflected in the brown of them. Instead of immediately answering, she merely stares at the fire. Something like sadness passes over her expression briefly. Then she looks to Elpis. "I think your heart has already decided for you."
Elpis' gaze travels to where the tent for visitors rests, where she knows Ardyn sleeps. It does not escape her notice that the woman did not precisely answer her question. "My mother did not raise me to make decisions solely on the feelings of my heart."
"Your mother is an intelligent woman," the stranger allows. "But your paths have diverged. You have already listened to your heart once when you set out to save your sister."
With a deep sigh, Elpis looks to the sky. "If you came to help me see things clearly, you're not succeeding."
The woman closes her eyes once more and turns away from the fire. "Bahamut has no wish for you other than to do the best with the powers with which you have been blessed. Whether that is in Solheim or elsewhere in Eos, that is your decision."
"Is it, though?"
Silence meets her question. Elpis turns and finds the woman has vanished without a trace. The only sign she was ever there are the footprints in the sand next to the fire.
The night of her final departure from her tribe is a quiet one. Charis, Kirti, her mother, and the Elders have come to see her off, joined by a few scattered members.
Charis now wears the headscarf jewels that show her to be the next High Priestess. She keeps reaching up to touch them, unused to their weight, and each time she does an uneasy expression flicks across her face. Elpis wants to comfort her and tell her that she'll grow used to them. She wishes she could tell Charis she'll be a great High Priestess one day.
Elpis stays where she is.
The only things in her pack now are the supplies she was able to trade for during their stay. Everything she owned before, save the clothes on her back, now belongs to the tribe. Even her stave has been passed down to Charis, as it's another sign of her new position.
Drusa keeps her face neutral, every inch of her the strong leader Elpis always wished she could be. The Elders shift impatiently, apparently eager to see her off and be done with it. They act as if she hasn't been an exemplary eldest daughter for twenty-eight years. All that matters now is the stain she wears from venturing beyond their borders-and worse, bringing outsiders with her when she returned.
"Well," Drusa says at length, "may the Astrals guide you safely to wherever you next land, child. No matter where you go, your blood will always be of the sand that you've forsaken."
"This is wrong," Charis whispers, just loud enough to be heard.
Elpis is beginning to agree with her.
"May the Astrals guide and protect you, Esteemed Lady." Elpis looks her mother in the eye. "No matter what, you'll always be my mother."
Drusa blinks slowly, then turns her face away. It's the only indication Elpis will receive that any of this affects her.
Ardyn steps forward. "May I have one last word?"
"No." Drusa's voice is flat.
Ardyn ignores her. "Your daughter is right; this is wrong. Lady Elpis risked everything to save the people closest to her. That you reward her by exiling her is ridiculous. You act as if your laws and traditions cannot be changed because they're how things have always been done, but I urge you to look around, Lady Drusa. The world has changed. The old ways, as comforting as they may be, no longer suit this changed Eos. A day will come when your tribe is in tatters and you will have no one to blame but yourself."
Everyone seems to hold their breath, waiting, watching to see what Drusa's response will be. After a long, terrifying moment, she smirks and walks up to him. Elpis steps closer to him and out of the corner of her eye, she sees Somnus grip the hilt of his sword.
Drusa leans in close, her voice low. "Do not think I will not mourn her the rest of my life. You may be Bahamut's Chosen, but you are still a boy, and you have only a boy's knowledge of the world. Our ways of life have been in place long before your ancestors were born; they will be in place long after you are gone."
She levels a look at Elpis. Stepping away from Ardyn, she leans in to Elpis so no one else can hear what she says. "He may get you killed one day. You do realize this?"
Elpis opens her mouth, then shuts it. She cannot say the thought hasn't occured to her since she made her decision to go to Solheim with him. Slowly, she nods. "I do know this. And I choose to follow him all the same. No price is too high if we can see the sun again one day."
Drusa shakes her head. "I failed you somewhere along the way, if that is what you truly believe. There are prices too high that they can never be paid."
Her mother turns away from her and takes her leave, Kirti following beside her. Elpis watches her as she goes, etching the last sight of her mother into her memory. The Elders slowly file away, leaving only Charis behind.
Charis' bottom lip quivers and then she runs forward, throwing her arms around Elpis in one last, desperate hug. "How will I do this without you?"
"Bravely," Elpis says. "And not without many mistakes. Learn well from them. Make us strong one day." She pauses. "And if mother does not change things, maybe one day you will."
They pull away, the silence heavy, full of things they have no time to say.
Then, reluctantly, Charis lets go and walks backwards into the campsite once more.
"I love you," Charis says.
"I love you as well," Elpis replies, and then Charis is gone behind the tents, and there is only Ardyn beside her, Somnus and Crescentia behind her, and the open desert waiting for her next step.
Elpis turns to the group that will make up her new tribe. Crescentia smiles at her sadly, while Somnus shifts uncomfortably, likely uncertain how he should react to any of this.
Ardyn studies her. "Elpis?"
With a deep breath, she manages a smile. "Solheim is waiting for us. We should go."
"I'm sorry."
Elpis starts. Somnus walks beside her, though he keeps a good distance. It's been a few hours since they left her tribe's campsite for the last time, and they've all been quiet. Even Ardyn, who seems to take silence as a personal affront, has been lost in his own thoughts.
Seeing her confusion, Somnus elaborates. "It's hard to lose family. Ardyn's told you about our parents?" At her nod, he continues. "I begged them to stop making magitek, or at least any magitek that could kill the Astrals. They didn't listen."
Somnus looks to the black sky, as if seeing the stars beyond the Miasma. "They didn't want to kill Astrals. But when they thought of the Meteor, they wondered if something like that could ever happen again… or if something like the Astrals, some being from a faraway star, could one day come to Eos. Not in their lifetimes, but ages from now. And it scared them."
Elpis tries to wrap her head around the idea of other stars, other beings, besides what lives on Eos. She supposes it could be possible. Why should they be the only creatures in the entire universe? And what if it was a malevolent thing? A weapon that can not only battle such a thing that can travel between stars but also kill it would be horrifying, indeed.
For once, she feels some empathy with Somnus.
"And the thing about magitek," Somnus continues, his gaze on Ardyn's back, an unreadable expression on his face, "is that it will never be complete. There will always be new discoveries and new ways to advance it. And there will always be someone who wants to use it for the wrong purposes."
Elpis frowns. "That's a grim view of things."
"Is it?" Somnus looks at her. "All it took was one person speaking as you do about the Astrals to start a war against Ifrit and bring Solheim to ruin. All it took was one person deciding to use the magitek my parents helped create to battle the gods. One day, there may even be a magitek that can destroy the whole of Eos. Do you think it would be wise of us to continue on the path that leads to its creation?"
Elpis shakes her head, a bit dazed. "You speak of things of which I frankly have no knowledge. I have no answers for you. Maybe one day, what you say will come to pass. Maybe not. I choose to have more faith in people than that, but also to prepare for the worst.
With a small huff of frustration, Somnus looks away. "I do not understand how you came to be one of Bahamut's Chosen."
So much for their friendly moment of bonding. "Neither do I," Elpis replies drily.
"Is he boring you, Lady Elpis?" Ardyn calls from in front of them.
"No," Elpis says. To Somnus, she bows her head slightly. "Thank you for your sympathy. And for elaborating on your stance. I truly do appreciate it, even as I cannot entirely agree with it."
Suddenly, he reaches out to grab her arm. His grip isn't tight-he isn't quite that rude-but it's enough to make her stop. Elpis looks to his hand, then to his face, raising an eyebrow.
"You have five seconds to let go of me."
Somnus, unfortunately, shares his brother's trait of ignoring warnings. "It may not seem like it, but I love my brother, the same as you love your sister. He could save us all. But you might lead him to ruin."
Elpis rears back in indignation. "Me? Lead him to ruin, how?"
"You're a heretic, and if Ardyn is to have any hope of fulfilling his destiny, he cannot have someone beside him speaking sacrilegious words as you do." Somnus' frown deepens. "Everyone else sees how you look at each other. Do you mean to tell me there's nothing behind that?"
"That is none of your of your concern," Elpis says coolly. "And I will not lead Ardyn anywhere. If he chooses a path, he will do so of his own accord. Don't you dare try to blame anything on me, Somnus Lucis Caelum."
A soft glow joins their firelight. Ardyn smiles tensely at Somnus, his gaze dropping briefly to his hand on Elpis' arm. "Trouble?" His tone is deceptively light.
Somnus lets go, staring hard at Elpis, who returns his look with one of her own. "No. Lady Elpis and I were merely coming to an understanding." He leaves before Ardyn can say anything else, going to join Crescentia.
"If you want to cut his fingers off," Ardyn says, "I can hold him down for you."
Elpis lets out a shaky breath. "I'm fine. Though Somnus seems to believe I'll lead you to ruin."
Ardyn raises his brow. "How utterly delightful. It would be a wonderful ruin if you were involved, I'm sure."
When he sees that, for once, his flirtations don't lift her mood, he becomes serious. "Somnus likes for things to be in their place. He sees no place for you amongst us or in Solheim."
"Finally, something on which we agree."
Ardyn steps in front of her and fixes her with an intense look. "He's wrong. Bahamut chose you for a purpose. What Somnus doesn't understand-or if he does, he hates it-is that you choose your own place, Lady Elpis. No one and nothing else can force you into something. Not even the Astrals."
How is it he knew exactly what to say to make her breath quicken and her cheeks burn?
"You have a high opinion of my power."
"I have a high opinion of you in general."
Elpis ducks her head to hide her smile and begins walking ahead. "I hope I live up to it, then."
Ardyn joins her side, a smile warming his features. "I think you already have."
Crescentia comes to Elpis as they make camp, helping light the fires that will encircle them to protect them from daemons. Elpis senses that the other woman has something she wishes to say, so she merely waits. As soon as the last fire is lit, Crescentia approaches.
"May I ask you something?"
"You may ask, but I cannot promise an answer."
"You wear a headscarf, as did your sister, but not your mother and not some of the other women or girls in your tribe. How is that decided?"
Elpis can almost feel Ardyn eavesdropping, though he hides it well. She chooses her words carefully. "Girls can choose whether or not to wear them. We begin doing so in our thirteenth year."
Crescentia hands her a rolled up pallet. "Is it a way to show modesty?"
"Somewhat. We decide who gets to see certain parts of ourselves. It's also a way of showing who belongs to what tribe and what family in said tribe. The patterns and jewels we wear mark us that way. And it's to keep the sand out of our hair. My mother never wore one, but Charis and I chose to do so as children. We can choose to stop wearing them at any time. Most women do, once they marry or have had sex."
"Oh."
Crescentia falls silent and Elpis wonders if this is really what she wanted to speak about. Finally Charis says, "I wanted to apologize."
Elpis stops rolling out the pallet. "For what?"
"I feel as if I only got in your way when you and Healer Ardyn were helping your people," Crescentia says. "Since I didn't think you had powers of your own, and because Solheim is safe enough for now, I thought I would be of more help there. But you're... clearly more powerful than I."
There's something uneasy in the way Crescentia admits this that puts Elpis on edge, though she dare not show it. "I think it's better to be safe than sorry," she says. "I know nothing of your strength. If you and Ardyn were to do the same thing, I'd likely be rebuffed by your magics as well."
A line appears between Crescentia's white brows. "But that's what I'm trying to say," she says slowly, "Healer Ardyn and I have tried that once before. Just to see if it would work. It didn't. My power glanced off of his as if it were nothing but a fly. But yours-it's almost as if you both joined together, like a woven tapestry, to create something far more powerful."
"Ah," Elpis says. "Well. I cannot speak for the gods, and I do not know their minds. They've given us these powers for a reason, and we must... trust in that."
Crescentia seems surprised. "You've come around to Som's way of thinking?"
She shrugs a shoulder. "Perhaps. When the evidence is right in front of you, it's a little harder to argue with." Then she asks, "Are you frightened of my power?"
It's a question Elpis has long since wanted to ask. She watches Crescentia carefully as she fidgets, toying with the end of a strand of white hair, looking everywhere but at Elpis.
The gods help this girl if she ever needs to lie to save her life, Elpis thinks. Even she is a slightly better liar than this.
"No," Crescentia says, finally meeting Elpis' gaze and smiling tensely. "Why should it? I don't fear Bahamut's power."
Elpis returns her smile with one of her own. "Good. I've no wish for you to be afraid of me."
They both let the lie settle between them and leave it where it rests. Elpis hopes they never have to put it to the test.
She finds Ardyn after their dinner, sitting by himself at the edge of the firelight. He's taken up first watch for them, cheerfully declaring he's gotten so used to traveling that it no longer tires him, so he may as well put his consciousness to good use. She sits next to him, closer than they've been before, but still leaving space between them. One day, maybe, she'll close that gap. Not tonight.
"Can't sleep, my lady?" He grins. "Don't trust me to protect you against any daemons that might stumble across us?"
"If I didn't trust you on that, I wouldn't have let you take watch. No, I trust you." The words, somehow far more intimate than she'd expected, fall between them. She glances behind them to make certain Crescentia and Somnus are asleep before she continues. "Ardyn... when you heal people, you take the daemons into yourself. Don't you?"
Ardyn stills, then forces his grin wider. "A rather unfair position you've put me in, Lady Elpis, where I cannot lie to you without it being extremely obvious."
"I saw it," Elpis insists. "When you healed Charis, I saw the Scourge going from her body into yours. And I never saw you get rid of it."
The grin falls, replaced by a wince, as Ardyn runs a hand through his long hair. "And yet, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. The daemons do not corrupt me as they do others. Such is my blessing."
Elpis frowns, studying him. Remembering the darkness that shadowed his eyes and ran like tears from them. She knows she did not imagine it. "And that's your plan? Keep hosting them in your body, in your soul, until you die?"
There's a tight twinge behind her eyes as she says it that makes her wince. She rubs at the space between her eyes. It almost felt as if she were having a vision, but then none ever came.
Ardyn, looking away from her, does not notice her discomfort. "Bahamut said you and I could return light to Eos. I intend to do that. If it means I must host every daemon in my body to save this star, then yes, I will."
"Bahamut asks too much," Elpis says, her voice a fierce whisper. "Has he even given you any idea how to go about such a task?"
"No," Ardyn says after a pause. "All in good time, I assume."
Elpis bites her tongue. Once she's certain she has herself under control, she says, "I'm sorry. Even after what I saw, what you-what we-did, it seems my faith is... fickle. I try to think as you and Somnus do, but then I think of how many have lost their lives to the Scourge, and I falter all over again."
Ardyn gives her a sympathetic look. "Faith is difficult. That's why it's called faith. You have to hope you've put your belief in the right things."
She makes a face that causes Ardyn to laugh quietly. "I would rather have solid proof that I've made the right choice. A habit of my upbringing, I suppose. I knew if I ever made the wrong choice, my decision would hurt those I was meant to take care of. I prefer to have all the information before me."
"And yet, even with that, there are things you cannot foresee," Ardyn says. "Things can always go wrong, even if you're prepared."
"I know."
They lapse into silence, staring out at the darkness surrounding them. Elpis is about to say goodnight when Ardyn speaks back up. "I realize you're traveling with us for now so that you can pick up supplies in Solheim before you head off to wherever you'll go next. But I would... very much like it if you stayed in Solheim for a time, my lady. With us." He clears his throat. "With me."
Elpis' voice is quiet when she answers. "As what?"
"That is entirely up to you," Ardyn says evenly. It doesn't disguise the tension in his shoulders. He's apprehensive of her answer, it seems. For all his bold flirting, when it comes to something more serious, he seems to be in unknown sands. He faces her and places a hand under her chin. "Say the word, Elpis, and I will be whatever you ask of me. If you say you never wish to see me again after this, I will accept that, though not without some complaint." A corner of his mouth lifts and she returns his smile at his humor. "And before you think I'm being entirely selfish, I think you could do good in Solheim."
She raises an eyebrow. "Not entirely selfish?"
He laughs. "My primary motivation is selfishness in this, I'll admit."
"I appreciate your honesty." His hand drops from her chin. "Give me time. I need to see if Solheim will accept me before I make any decisions."
"How could they not?"
She gives him a dry look. "Not everyone shares your high opinion of me."
"Pft." Ardyn waves a hand dismissively. "Then they'll simply have to change their minds."
Laughing quietly, Elpis stands and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Ardyn."
He blinks. "Not that I mind, but for what are you thanking me?"
"Just... for being yourself. And for seeing something in me where others do not. And for giving me time." She pauses, then says, "If the daemons ever become too much... you'll tell me, won't you? Let me carry some of the burden for you? Our powers are similar. Perhaps I could host some-"
Ardyn's answer comes quick and decisive, almost sharp. "No." An awkward beat passes between them before he says, "I assure you, I'm fine, Elpis. You've no need to worry."
He's lying. Elpis lets her hand fall away from his shoulder. Now she knows, without a doubt, that it is far more serious than Ardyn had led her to believe at first.
"I will worry all I want," she says. "And if I think the Scourge is too much for you, I won't wait for your permission to do something about it. I will help you, whether you like it or not."
Ardyn lets out an unsteady chuckle. "Ah, and now you turn your ferocity on me."
"I'm only ferocious to those I care about."
She walks away before he can say anything, leaving him with his back to the light, his gaze out at the darkness.
Their return to Solheim is met with silence. The few people out take note of Ardyn and welcome him back, as well as Somnus and Crescentia, but only give Elpis guarded looks. She accepts their suspicion without complaint. Frankly, it's familiar to her. Solheim has become like her tribe in that it no longer blindly trusts outsiders.
Ardyn gives Elpis a pallet and a room to share with Crescentia in the ruined house he shares with Somnus. She's hesitant to accept at first, but once she realizes that everyone else lives in the house, she relents. Adeo and Deus are often gone; Adeo to the remains of Solheim's army to help with the rebuilding of the city, Deus to the library to restore whatever is left of the literature there. It helps the tiny house to not feel too crowded, though it shames her to think that way.
After only a day of rest, Somnus joins his friends, absent from the house for hours at a time. Elpis secretly hopes it's not because of her.
There's nothing left for her to do except decide where to go from Solheim. The first week or two passes in a sleepy blur as they rest from their journey. All of them, that is, except for Ardyn. He's gone from the house often, and sometimes Elpis wakes up long enough to hear him return from a day spent helping the people of Solheim.
Once, he returns far later than usual. Instead of going to the room he shares with Somnus, she hears him out in the gathering room.
Already awake, Elpis puts her headscarf on and leaves her room. She finds him before the hearth, staring into the fire. Exhaustion lines his body, his shoulders slumped, his long hair a tangled mess from having his hands run through it so many times. She pauses, goes back into her room and gets out a brush, then returns to sit behind him.
"Did I wake you, Elpis?" he asks wearily, not turning to look at her.
"No. I was already awake."
"Mm."
Elpis begins brushing his hair, somehow slipping into the intimacy of it easily. Ardyn does not stop her. "Tomorrow," she says decisively, "I'll come with you."
"You don't have to."
"Of course I do," Elpis insists, giving his shoulder a hard poke. He smiles slightly, but does not laugh. "Oh, dear," she says quietly. "I'm afraid my humor is far too lacking to help in this situation."
That earns her a chuckle, at least. Ardyn leans his head back, almost to her chest, then stops. From her vantage point, she can see a bit of dark stubble along his jaw. The urge to run her hand over it takes her a moment to power through. She focuses on working a tangle out of his hair instead.
"You need to rest," Elpis says, her tone gently chiding. "How can you expect to continue helping people if you're collapsing from exhaustion?"
"Ah," Ardyn says, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "My greatest weakness: Logic."
"Yes," Elpis says drily, "I've seen you fall to it before. That's why I'm using it now."
He winces as she pulls at another tangle. She murmurs an apology and sets the brush aside, then gathers his hair up with a leather cord. "Truly, Ardyn. I'm worried for you. Let me join you and help with what I can."
"Well," he says after a long pause, "I don't think I could stop you if you truly wanted to help."
"You couldn't," Elpis says, "but don't let that be the only reason you're saying yes."
Ardyn shifts away from her, putting a good amount of space between them. Before she can ask if something's wrong, he lies back and rests his head on her lap. Surprised, she can only stare down at him as he grins up at her.
"How can I not take more care of myself when I see how much my weariness distresses you?"
Elpis tries not to smile, instead shaking her head. "I think you're not taking the right lesson from this."
"Mm," he says, closing his eyes and shifting until he's comfortable.
"Using me as a pillow now, are you?"
"You make a very nice one." Ardyn opens one eye and gazes up at her. "I'll move if you wish."
Rationally, Elpis knows it's the bare minimum to ask, and that she shouldn't be so touched by his continual assurance he has her consent. Emotionally, however, her heart warms every time he seeks to make her comfortable.
Elpis shakes her head and after a moment of consideration, runs a hand through his hair. Ardyn starts in surprise, opening both eyes to stare up at her. She smiles down at him.
"Rest, o Great Healer," she says, almost teasingly. "You'll need your strength."
Ardyn slowly smiles back, his lids half closed in contentment, almost like a cat. He doesn't immediately fall asleep, instead gazing up at her with what Elpis cannot deny is blatant adoration. Like she's some sort of goddess and he's confused as to why she chose him, of all people.
It's not a bad way to be looked at.
When Ardyn has fallen into a deep sleep, Elpis says over her shoulder, "Please stop eavesdropping. I don't appreciate it."
There's a pause, then Somnus appears from behind the curtain separating the rooms. He has the grace to look sheepish. He gives Ardyn a worried look.
"Is he well?"
"Tired," Elpis says. "Has he always pushed himself this hard?"
"Always," Somnus says. "Even when we were children. He acts as if he doesn't care, as if he's lazy, but then I would find him up late into the night, going after whatever caught his attention."
"Hm," Elpis says, studying his face briefly as he sleeps. Then she looks away, all too aware of how creepy she's being. "You're very lucky to have him as a brother."
Somnus answers tentatively. "So I've been told."
Elpis waits a beat, then asks, "Do you hate him?"
Somnus jerks in surprise. "No," he answers immediately, so quickly she knows it to be the truth. Then he lets out a slow breath. "But I can't say it's been easy to be in his shadow. One day he was just my brother, my annoying but caring and kind elder brother. Then he became Bahamut's Chosen, the Great Healer of Solheim, and he began… withdrawing. As if he feels he's better than us now."
No, Elpis thinks. That's not what it is at all. He's trying to protect you. Because he knows this will likely kill him, in the end. She remembers the distance she'd kept between herself and the other girls of the tribe. It cannot be easily explained, and even if it could, those who have not had to keep themselves separate from others can never understand it.
"Sometimes, I simply want my brother back."
"You still have him."
Somnus gives her an exasperated look. "You know that's not what I meant."
"I also know that he doesn't feel as if he's better than any of you," Elpis says.
"Yes, you've become very close."
"I'm aware of your disapproval."
Somnus is silent as he thinks, before saying, "Crescentia believes the gods brought you together for a reason. I believe the same, but while she thinks it's for a good reason, I'm not certain I feel the same."
"So you've stated before."
"I was wrong to put it in such a harsh term," Somnus allows with a bow of his head. Elpis supposes it's the closest she'll get to an apology from him. "I only worry about him. He doesn't worry about himself enough, so someone else has to pick up the slack."
Elpis considers her words before she says, "To be honest with you, Somnus, I think you're jealous that Ardyn is looking more to me for comfort and support than he is you. I gather it's been the two of you for a long time, and I respect that, truly I do. But just as you have other friends, Ardyn is allowed friends of his own, who help him in ways you might not be able to."
She can almost hear his thoughts about what sort of 'comfort' she provides. Thankfully for his continued existence, Somnus does not voice them. Instead he runs a hand through his black hair, looking so much like his brother for a moment that Elpis wants to smile.
"Just… take care of him, then," he finally says. "Because if you don't, I swear to the gods, I will never forgive you."
"I wouldn't forgive myself, either," Elpis says quietly, gazing into the hearth. She hears Somnus walking away and feels the tension leave her body. They will never be close, she and Somnus, but perhaps a tense understanding is possible.
She wants it to be possible, for Ardyn's sake, if not her own.
When Ardyn wakes, Elpis makes them both breakfast before they set out. She can smell rain in the air, though with the sky blackened, it's hard to tell if there are clouds in the sky or not.
Ardyn frowns up at the sky. "Not exactly the welcome I was hoping Solheim would prepare for you, my lady. We can stay here, if you'd rather."
Elpis laughs quietly. "I can handle rain. Unless," she adds innocently, "you're worried about your hair?"
He looks shocked. "Are you implying I'm vain, Elpis?"
"You're right, I shouldn't imply something that is quite obviously a fact."
Ardyn laughs, throwing his head back. Gods, but she loves to make him laugh. "You put such careful work into it, I'd hate to see the rain ruin it."
"Ah, yes," Elpis says, "it was very difficult to brush and tie it back."
"Hours of work, gone like that." He snaps his fingers. "Truly, though, if you wish-"
She gives him a gentle shove. "Stop trying to get me to stay behind."
Ardyn frowns. "I thought I was being rather subtle."
"Or maybe I just know your tricks by now."
"Hmm," Ardyn muses. "Then I'll have to come up with new ones."
They set off together. He walks slower than usual, and at first Elpis thinks he's trying to stall. Then she realizes he's matching his pace to hers so that she doesn't have to walk too fast to keep up with his longer stride.
A quietly caring man, indeed. Elpis smiles to herself.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Elpis asks, "So where are we off to first?"
"There's a young girl with an infection in her lungs," Ardyn says. "I'm going to look in on her. She seems to be responding to the healing I've done to her, but-" He stops as they come across a tiny wall of rubble that blocks their path. With no other way around, they've no choice but to climb over. Once Ardyn is over, he continues: "It's always out of my hands, in the end."
"And in the gods'," Elpis says quietly. She picks her way carefully over the rocks "I hadn't realized you also healed normal illnesses. Foolish of me, I suppose."
"The Scourge still consumes most of my time," Ardyn says, helping her over the rubble. His hand is warm in hers. "But as long as I have the ability to help with smaller things, then I see no reason why I shouldn't."
Elpis stumbles on the last rock and falls, hitting Ardyn's torso with an 'oomph.' He barely moves, as if she weighs nothing more than a feather, and his arms encircle her.
"Are you hurt?"
"Ah... no." She tilts her head back to look up at him. They're so close she can see the darker flecks of gold in his irises, and count the dark lashes that frame them. Beneath her hand, she can feel his heart beating.
No, I'm definitely not hurt.
If she lets it, Elpis knows the moment can shift in an instant. She could close the gap between their faces. She could change things, right this very second.
"Thank you," she murmurs instead, pulling away. She twists her foot, looking to it instead of to Ardyn's disappointed face. "I'm not usually clumsy."
"We all have our moments."
When she looks back up, his usual lazy smile is back in place, and Elpis curses herself for a fool.
They continue on their way. Ardyn falls into a story about a far ago hero named Gilgamesh, to whom Adeo has long admired. Elpis loses herself in the sound of his voice. If the Scourge is ever cleansed, he would make a good storyteller.
Soon, they come upon one of the few buildings still standing intact. Torches light the entire outside of it, showing off the pale stone that makes up the walls. Elpis runs her fingers over deep marks in the stone and her fingertips come away covered in soot. Solheim will always have scars from Ifrit's death.
The pale blue front door opens at Ardyn's knock, sticking briefly, and reveals an older woman with light brown skin. Wrinkles weigh down the skin on her face, making her seem ancient. Her soft white hair is pulled back from her face and her dark brown eyes take in Elpis suspiciously. Elpis bows her head low as one should to an elder.
"Lady Therasia," Ardyn says. "How good it is to see you again."
"Hmph," the woman says. "Just get in here and see to Sollemnia." Therasia walks away, leaving Ardyn and Elpis in the doorway.
At Elpis' raised brow, Ardyn scratches the back of his head. "Ah, she thinks I'm a scoundrel, apparently."
"So... you're not?"
Ardyn smirks and taps the underside of her chin. "Would you prefer it if I were?"
"Stop flirting and get to work!" Therasia orders from inside the house, causing them both to wince.
Elpis follows Ardyn into the home. The floor is a mosaic of color, reds and golds, and it takes Elpis a moment to realize they're in a pattern of flames. Some of the pieces have broken free, leaving behind a black, empty spot, while others are badly cracked. She tries not to read any meaning into that. They go down a long hallway until Therasia stops in front of a door painted with faded blue flowers that Elpis recognizes but cannot immediately place.
Ardyn lowers the hood on his white robe as Therasia opens the door, revealing a room in soft shades of pink and white. A brown cat rests by the window, glancing up at them briefly before deciding they're not interesting enough to stand up for and returning to its nap. A young girl with tan skin sits on her pallet by the same window, playing with a cloth doll in a white dress.
She smiles broadly when she sees Ardyn. "Healer Ardyn!"
"And there's my favorite patient," Ardyn says as he steps into the room. Elpis glances at Therasia to see if she's allowed to follow, but when she's met with only another glare, she decides she doesn't want permission and goes to sit beside Ardyn. If the old woman has a problem with it, she can deal with it herself.
The girl, Sollemnia, looks at Elpis curiously. "Who're you?"
Elpis smiles. "I'm Elpis Maelen, of the Izu-" Belatedly, she realizes her mistake. She is no longer of the Izunia tribe.
"She's a friend of mine," Ardyn says, smoothly covering her misstep. "She's here to help. How is your cough, my lady?"
Sollemnia frowns. "I don't cough as much, but my lungs still hurt a lot."
"And when she does cough, there's still phlegm coming up," Therasia says, having joined them in the room. She crosses her arms over her chest and looks at Ardyn critically. "Her breath is still short. Shouldn't she be better by now?"
Elpis bristles slightly, though her tone is mild as she says, "Healer Ardyn knows what he's doing, esteemed lady."
Therasia snorts but says nothing else as Ardyn sets to work. He places his hand flat against Sollemnia's chest, the familiar glow of his magic emerging a second later. He glances back to Elpis. "Join me, my lady?"
Feeling the heat of Therasia's glare on her back as she nods, Elpis puts her hand on Ardyn's wrist. She doesn't immediately bring forth her powers, instead closing her eyes and waiting for Ardyn's signal.
"Don't be shy." She can hear the smile in his voice. "I want to show you the infection."
Elpis nudges at the light inside of her, trying not to cringe as it quickly flares to life. It joins with Ardyn's power happily, twining around it, following it into Sollemnia's chest, until Elpis can see both lungs illuminated clearly in her mind. They're full of Ardyn's light, but once Elpis looks closer, she can see the spots of darkness inside them.
"The body has ways to fight against these things naturally," Ardyn says, clearing away some of the blackness as he talks. "But some illnesses are stronger than others, and some bodies are weaker than others. Even with my help, these things can persist. I've cleared the infection several times these last few days, but-"
It's more than that, Elpis realizes. Sollemnia's lungs are scarred from heat. She must have been a baby when Ifrit unleashed his rage on Solheim, and she bears the mark of his wrath. Her lungs will always be weak and quick to sicken. One day, she'll likely die from them.
Ardyn must know this as well, yet he keeps doing what he can for Sollemnia. Elpis' heart aches for him. No wonder he's exhausted when he comes home each day. Not only physically, but his very spirit must be exhausted as well.
She guides her magic to join his more tightly, and though she can feel his surprise, he doesn't stop her. Instead, they cleanse Sollemnia's lungs of the infection. Ardyn helps Elpis as she coaxes out the rest of the phlegm. Sollemnia has tears in her eyes when they finish, but her color has improved, and there's no longer a wheeze in her throat as she breathes.
Ardyn removes his hand and sits back. Elpis keeps hers on his wrist. Their powers are no longer joined, but she still feels close to him as if they were.
"How are you feeling now, my lady?" Ardyn asks Sollemnia.
She takes a deep breath, then blinks in surprise. "It doesn't hurt anymore!"
"Good," Ardyn says, ruffling her brown hair. She laughs in delight, grabbing at his hand to push him away. "You should keep resting. I'll be by again tomorrow to check in on you."
Ardyn stands and helps Elpis to her feet. Therasia leads them out and leads them to the entrance. Elpis stops as Ardyn walks outside. When he gives her a questioning look, she merely smiles and says, "I'll be out in a moment."
"Are you going to gossip about me, my lady?"
Elpis keeps a straight face. "Absolutely."
"Wonderful!" Ardyn grins as he turns away. "Make it positively scandalous, Elpis."
When he's left, Elpis turns to Therasia. "Has he told you that Sollemnia's lungs are badly scarred?"
Therasia momentarily looks surprised, then scoffs. "No. The fool has too soft a heart and thinks I'm too old to know when something is being kept from me. I've been taking care of Sollemnia since her parents died. I was there when Ifrit tried to kill us all. Of course I know her lungs are scarred."
"Then you know," Elpis continues softly, "that one day she'll likely-"
"Die from it? Yes." Therasia sniffs, though not from sadness. "Why is it always the women who have to be the strong ones? That boy needs to grow a backbone." She points at Elpis' face, her expression stern. "And don't you be that backbone for him. He needs to shoulder his own responsibility."
Elpis raises her hands plaintively. "I wasn't trying to be."
"No, no woman ever intends to be," Therasia says. "Still, at least you're honest. He won't accept payment, but you should." Before Elpis can protest, Therasia pulls out something golden from the purse on her hip. "Take it."
In her tribe, it would have been considered rude to reject a gift from an elder, and yet Elpis tries to find some way to do just that. She realizes she has no choice but to take the trinket from Therasia's hand. A small medal in the shape of the sun rests in her palm. The metal is surprisingly light, the golden a warm hue. She aches so intensely for sunlight that for a moment she can't speak. When she finds her voice, she says, "Are you certain?"
"What use do I have for it?" Therasia snorts. "It isn't worth anything, especially now. It's been weighing down my purse for years. Seems as though you could find some purpose for it."
Elpis bows deeply. "Thank you."
"Oh, shut up and get out. Your soft hearted fool is waiting."
Elpis tucks the medal into her own purse and leaves the house. Ardyn waits for her only a few paces away. He smiles brightly when he sees her, and Elpis cannot help but smile back.
Therasia is wrong, she thinks as she rejoins Ardyn's side. He's not soft hearted. No one with a soft heart would take up the heartbreaking work of being a healer, even without Bahamut's gift. Ardyn's heart is the strongest part of him.
Together, they spend the time in Solheim. Ardyn seems to show her the entire city, painting pictures so vividly with only his words that she has no problem envisioning the towers that once touched the sky. It's only after they're done with an elderly patient of his that the clouds finally lets loose. Rain soaks them within seconds. Unable to keep from laughing, they both run for cover, Ardyn leading her to a small building that still has part of its roof. She has no idea what it housed before the fall, as nothing remains inside, but she thanks the gods for the remaining roof.
"Well," Elpis says once she's caught her breath, "you did warn me."
"So I did. My poor hair."
He starts a small fire to light their tiny room. Elpis sits in front of it, as close as she dares in the hopes of getting somewhat dry. The small flames don't seem to make much of a difference.
Ardyn unhooks his white healer's robe and lies it flat on the ground in an attempt to get it to dry. Elpis' mind goes completely blank as she sees how his darker robe underneath sticks to his skin, his muscles outlined underneath the fabric. His hair, too, sticks to the back of his neck, with water dripping from the loose strands in front. "I apologize for not having anything to dry off with. Perhaps if I looked inside-"
"No," Elpis says abruptly, causing him to fall silent. She licks her lips. "No, it's fine."
There's a tense silence between them, waiting for one spark to change into something more. Elpis considers the man before her. The man who makes her laugh, who confides his worries to her, who dares to be vulnerable with her. The man whose heart holds so much love that he's prepared to one day lay down his life for Solheim's people. Who fought for her not only against his own brother, but her mother and her tribe's traditions. The man who was great even before Bahamut chose him.
Elpis considers what her mother said to her before she left. Not only could Ardyn likely die from his work as a healer and his quest to bring back the sun, but so could she. And yet, it's Ardyn's death that makes her see red. Would she allow his destiny to play out as the gods planned? Would she allow them to take this man from her, if his life came to that end?
The answer comes so quickly that Elpis knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that she loves Ardyn.
No. No, she would not allow the gods to take him from her. She would kill them first.
Oh, you utter fool, Elpis thinks to herself. How could you have ever doubted this?
Her choice made, Elpis holds his gaze as she pulls her golden headscarf from her hair. It falls to the ground behind her. Ardyn's eyes widen, for once struck silent. She holds out a hand to him and waits.
Slowly, he takes it. He comes to kneel before her, his gaze flitting from her hair to her face and back again. Ardyn runs his fingers through the strands, letting out a slow breath. She leans into his touch and closes her eyes, his touch causing her to shiver. When he puts his hand to the back of her neck and brings her forward, she doesn't stop him, instead tilting her head up.
His kiss warms her far more than the tiny fire beside them ever could. When he pulls away, he presses their foreheads together, laughing shakily. "How I've waited to do that," he says quietly. "And how it exceeded anything I could have imagined."
Elpis nudges their noses together, smiling. Then, feeling brave, she lowers her face to his neck and licks the rainwater from his skin. Ardyn's voice rumbles against her tongue as he lets out a quiet growl.
"Then do it again," she says as she pulls away to gaze up at him once more.
He eyes her hungrily as his hands trail up her spine to the laces of her dress. He pulls at one slowly and her wet dress loosens from her body. "Gladly."
And in the ruins of Solheim, Elpis and Ardyn create their own light in the darkness together.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I'd meant to have this uploaded way sooner, but in the middle of writing it, a feral rescue cat of mine managed to bite through my Kevlar wildlife gloves while I was trying to get him into a carrier to get him to the vet. My right pinkie finger had zero movement in it for a few days there, and the rest of my hand was so swollen that it hurt to write.
(The cat is fine. We give each other a respectful amount of space now.)
Anyway, everyone have a happy holidays. I hope you enjoy this second part.
The playlist for this part:
1. Blindness by Metric
2. Pray for Me by the Weekend and Kendrick Lamar for the Black Panther soundtrack
3. All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA, again for the Black Panther soundtrack. This is also where the chapter title comes from.
4. Empire by Of Monsters and Men
5. 100 Years by Florence + the Machine
Bonus track: Bedroom Hymns by Florence + the Machine