The Meanderer

by xeveningx

"The world is beautiful and pure, it's the weeds in it that ruin it." And to save the world she loves, Noé will do what she must: find her friends to free her master. But as she learns what saving it implies, discourse stirs in her. Is it really worth saving anymore? "It's not the world that's worth saving," a red cub told her. It's hard to understand his words.

30. The New Aerie

Chapter Thirty:

A New Aerie

---

|ii.|

The hubbub and hum of a city in the throes of rebuilding itself were eerily calming. Every Reimian, from a citizen of Remano to those far away in the edges of the country, had come to answer the call to help their capital in the short span of a week. Seven days of nonstop work had the city bustling day and night. Such a surplus of people also brought quite the energy with it, as well. It reminded Noé of the magician encampments of Alma Toran where there were no such thing as strangers. In the bustle of a crowd, one was certain to find a friendly face and welcoming gesture.

Reim now was no different.

"Turmoil often brings many people together, child."

I suppose you're right.

Noé herself had been busy the past seven days leading the Vastago that had crossed the border into duties to help in Remano's reconstruction. They were eager to do so after the help she provided them and one she promised to continue to give. Though she very firmly said that this would be her one and only act as leader.

"Why not lead them?" Andromalius had asked back then when she had told them this to their discontentment. "It was what you were promised back then and what you're truly capable of now."

It was simple, really.

It may have been what she wanted back then, but it was certainly not what she wanted now. Despite how much Chief teased her about it, Noé had grown since all those couple millennia ago. She no longer was the lonely fledgling that had escaped those mountains and caverns while fighting for her survival. Now, she had a place to call home and people to call family.

Both were one and the same.

And so her new purpose—her new goal—was to live peacefully with them by her side. Whether in Reim or anywhere else, for it wasn't the place that made this her home.

"Reparations are slow," she quietly said, sitting on a patch of ground vacant of white lilies inside of her garden. "But they're coming."

A new day was shining its light brightly onto her as she visited it. A bouquet of those same flowers in hand, she laid it before her among the rest, visiting the quiet resting place of two of her most beloved people in the world. It now held an epithet for both. Nothing glamorous; much like Pernadius and Hera's, it was nothing more than a slab of rock to mark their place. A rock with a smooth surface that had engraved upon it the words 'Here lay two little stars. May they be among their kin in the sky forevermore'. Glancing upward to meet the sun halfway, her emerald eyes gazed upon the bright blue sky as a few birds flew by.

"It's quite a nice touch for them," Chief quietly said.

"Yeah, I think so, too."

In the short week in which the restoration of Remano had begun, things around the world had already started to move. Even in her ineptitude regarding politics, Noé could see just how these small changes were just the start of an even bigger movement. One that, whatever it may bring upon them, she would be there to witness and help guide Reim through. Whether those changes would be good or bad, it'd be up to fate to say, but she would be ready whatever their answer.

"I knew you were losing your mind in your old age, but I never thought it was bad enough for you to start talking to yourself, though. I suppose that djinn do make good company for the lonesome."

So much for peace and quiet.

Regardless of her thoughts, Noé couldn't help the small chuckle that she let slip.

"You better shut 'em lips up or I'll do it for you," she said, not glancing back at Rakah as his footsteps approached her from behind.

Though she treated him fairly decently now, Noé would admit that there was still animosity between them. Or more like her own animosity against him. She could differentiate that the people he stole the Gifts from weren't her old friends, but that didn't change the fact that he had killed someone to get them. Yet, after what happened and how he helped, Noé saw it fit to give him a chance to explain himself.

And so he did.

To say it was the most ludicrous thing she ever heard would be an understatement. It had taken a whole day to tell her the story and then another to get her to believe it. But after he gave certain details that she had never talked about to anyone, not even Muu, a part of her needed to believe his story.

If only to explain the unexplainable.

He also explained the reason why he killed and took the Gifts from their new bearers. Noé didn't condone it—she couldn't—but…she could understand it.

Rakah had learned about what Teosa had planned. About how she wanted to liberate herself from her gilded prison. But further than that, he also knew what she had suspected from her last visit to the Grand Oak. Teosa's plan involving the Gifts was to restart not just this world but go even further.

"She wants to restart the cycle of Alma Toran's history as a whole."

Noé couldn't understand why, but it was what it was. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't see the twisted logic in such a desire. Something about that tragedy and how it eventually unfolded had broken something in all of them, but in Teosa it had stomped out something irreplaceable. Whatever it had been was something that she desperately wanted to change, even if it meant destroying, reworking, and ultimately rewriting the facets of every world to do so.

At first, she admitted to him that it was hard to believe him, but after her experience with Ira, it was hard to blind herself to such a plausible reason. The last thing Noé would ever do again would be blind herself to the truth.

Without asking, Rakah closed the distance between them and knelt beside her in the flowerless patch of ground before bowing his head at the epithet. Noé watched him pay his respects to her children, her head tilted as a question arose in her mind. One that despite having asked it when he first told her his story, he had not answered.

But like hell would he leave her without one.

"Why won't you tell me what your plan was once you gathered all seven Gifts?"

There was silence for a brief moment. Rakah left his head lowered for a moment longer before he raised it.

"It's not that I don't want to," he finally said. "I just think it stupid now, so it's…shameful."

"People like us have been idiots all our lives," she responded, leaning back on her hands to look at the sky instead. "Having one more or less stupid idea won't change that. So might as well spit it out."

A chuckle escaped the blonde magician and he shook his head before answering at last.

"I want to destroy Ira."

That had been her guess. It didn't mean the answer hit her any less hard.

"Why?" she asked. "So long as she's inside that cage and trapped behind our wall, she can't do anyone any more harm. Why go to those lengths even now?"

"Because something as vile and vindictive shouldn't be allowed to exist in any world."

"Quite the task."

One that I find myself leaning towards.

Despite what she had said, Noé didn't believe that the cage and barrier would keep them safe forever. Knowing Ira, or at least who that thing used to be, she knew that there would be a way for her to somehow infiltrate their world again. If anybody could find a way, it would be her in her desperation to be set free.

Still…

"Did your plan take into account the fact that having all the Gifts connected to your body would kill you after using them to destroy her?"

A dry laugh escaped him at the question.

"I was counting on it." Hands that he had rested upon his knees suddenly fisted, gripping the fabric of his trousers in his hands. "After what I did, it's only fair for me to be the one paying the penance for all the pain I caused them."

This finally brought Noé's face down to glance at him. After a brief inspection of his amethyst eyes as they stared aimlessly at the ground in front of him, Noé scoffed.

"You'll be nothing more than a coward then," she said. "Death will only end your suffering, and suffering is the only real penance we have here on this earth. For what you did back then and up till now, I think you deserve a little of that."

His head fell in shame, but Noé continued.

"If you really want to repent and want to do something right after all the wrong you've done to me and others then you should remain in this world and look for a way to better yourself and the lives of others. Especially those incapable of doing so themselves." Bringing her hand up, Noé placed it atop his blonde head and ruffled his hair into a mess, not stopping until he shouted at her that it was enough. "That should be your penance. The same as mine. We will be doomed to continue living and help those who need it when we didn't help them in the past."

"That's so much harder, though," he said with a feigned chuckle.

Half-grinning, she nodded. "That it is. Seeing as you already have attempted to change, though, shows a lot of promise. So keep at it, bucko."

Rakah scoffed, giving his head a couple of incredulous shakes before getting up from his place. "I'll help around however I can while I'm here."

"Much appreciated."

Turning away, his footsteps receded behind her, but suddenly stopped. Noé simply leaned her head to one side, knowing there were words to be heard behind her.

"I'm glad," he said, pausing briefly. "I'm glad that you finally found the happiness you were looking for, Teacher. And even more so…because that glum in your eyes finally disappeared."

The edges of her lips formed into a smile briefly before the sound of light refracting let her know that he was long gone. Once more alone, Noé let her head fall back, readying herself to have some time to mindlessly sit around and be with her own thoughts for once.

"Onee-san!"

Noé groaned audibly. Andromalius, on the other hand, chuckled.

"No rest for the wicked."

"Noé onee-san!" Noé was already on her feet by the time Rhea reached her. The young Fanalis skidded to a stop on the ground, hopping from one foot to the other. "Onee-san, it's time! The ceremony is starting soon!"

Right. The one to send all the fallen away in one last big ceremony. Nodding, Noé offered her arm to the young cub, before saying, "Shall we?"

Rhea took the offer and Noé flashed them from the outskirts of Reim into the heart of Remano. Once solidifying in the streets, Rhea dismissed herself, saying she had some other people to round up for her brother, before zooming in and out of traffic. Quite literally, too. Rhea was zooming through them, zipping through openings as light fractured around her body and moved her at a speed that was only visible by the trail of bright light that she left behind.

Rhea's power as the second member of Andromalius' Household.

I'll never understand how we never saw that hummingbird leave you.

Andromalius laughed almost instantly. "In that chaos, even you would lose track of what little birds come and go."

Trekking through the crowded streets, Noé followed the flow of the people as they all halted their day's work to at last say goodbye to their loved ones. It had taken a whole seven days to finally find every last one of them. It was only right to give them the time to properly mourn and say their farewells.

As she headed there, Noé caught sight of a young Helihaptian and caught his eye with a wave of her hand. A pair of oceanic eyes spotted her amongst the crowd with that gesture and Maahes gave a quick wave before returning to oversee the construction being done to the alchemy laboratories.

A couple of days after her waking up from her very much overdue rest, she had spoken to Maahes privately to tell him who she had met along with Sinbad and what she had told them. As always, Maahes wasn't happy that she had taken the liberty to use his name as a pawn, much less when that now meant that King Armakan knew of his existence. Maahes admitted, however, that regardless of what his half-brothers decided now, he long ago ceased being a citizen of Heliohapt.

No matter his blood, he was a citizen of Reim and of her ragtag tribe of Vastagians.

That itself reminded her of the other rare sight that welcomed her now every time she stepped into Remano. Among those helping to rebuild the capital, there were humans, Fanalis, and Vastago. It hadn't been properly discussed yet but under her and Muu's word, it was agreed that both species that came from the other side of the Great Rift would be able to roam to and fro with only the necessary supervision. They were a new kind of people in this world which meant that letting them roam completely free would stir up trouble with countries like Heliohapt and Parthevia due to their proximity to Reim. But so long as their visits were contained to only Reim, there was still some time before they would need to hash out a proper political leeway for them to freely roam.

For now, their helping hands were being transported very well with Yunan's help.

Though not all Fanalis enjoyed crossing for prolonged periods seeing as the rukh on this side dampened their prowess considerably, the Vastago seemed to be far more receiving. Noé supposed that their mixing with humans gave them the upper hand in that case. It was a jarring addition the first couple of days, to say the least, but Noé helped them all settle in well enough. Those that would stay to help them rebuild only and those who were on the fence about whether to stay on this other side for good, equally. It was what she promised their Elder, now vedlys, that she would do: help them with whatever life they may want on the other side of the rift.

Speaking of allies, Niko had left only days prior, saying he would return once more talks about their united front continued. Sinbad's threat had put him on edge, and seeing as he was the most vulnerable, he decided to return to Maladh to set things in order to avoid complications down the road. Noé agreed that to be the best option and flashed him back to his home. That hadn't been all, though. Using Grace of Sunlight, it was easy to set up beacons surrounding the perimeter of the haven city, ones that would alert her and Muu if anything suspicious happened. If so, they would be ready at a moment's notice to come to their aid as any good ally.

In return, Niko offered the help of their welders and blacksmiths who were now readily at hand and working with the rebuilding of Remano.

"Noé, you're here."

Noé grimaced at seeing nothing but a sea of heads that even with her height, she couldn't possibly see over. Glancing around, she spotted a half-built belltower and flashed to it, landing gingerly on top of a wooden beam before sitting down. It was easy to hear everything from where she was and even more so to see what was happening nearest to the grand bonfire that had been built in the center of the city.

It was easily the length of three houses and the size of an entire manor. That was understandable, though. One needed a big enough pyre to cremate this many people.

Her emerald eyes fixated on the small dais that was nothing more than a slab of marble that had somehow remained intact in all the commotion. On it, stood Titus. Noé pursed her lips at the sight of him having to stand there with Sphintus by his side in case his assistance was needed. He had offered to plan and overwatch the whole of the ceremony only a few days after he regained consciousness. In his state, she had immediately refused him but for once, he had the spine to talk back. Noé wouldn't budge though and it took Muu intervening after a good ten minutes of squabbling before they could come to a consensus.

Titus could help plan and would give whatever speech he wanted to give to the people, but all the rest would be done by the priesthood and whatever priestesses decided to help. The two begrudgingly agreed to the terms set.

I swear, sometimes I think he's more stubborn than Hera-chan ever was.

The laughter inside her head echoed as Andromalius saw the irony in that. "I doubt he learned that from her, kid."

Noé chose to ignore the meaning behind those words. Instead, she listened to Titus' speech for the families of the ones who fell during those terrible seven days of captivity. In it, Titus refused to call the culprit by name, but they were aware that the people knew who had caused all of this. Seraphina had been a popular Regalia; it would be odd for no one to have recognized her during those seven days. Still, if out of respect for their magi or out of not wanting to give the evil that had caused them such hardships a name, they never once said it.

The flames of the pyre being set ablaze took her attention as the smoke of all those burning in that pyre rose into the sky.

This is the fourth one, huh?

She didn't need to specify what she meant for Andromalius to know.

"Yes."

Noé nodded solemnly.

Let's make it so this is the last one for as long as we live, Chief.

"Consider it done."

Her emerald eyes turned down to watch the fire continue and to watch the people as one by one they threw all kinds of flowers into the flames as one last farewell to their loved ones. It was while overseeing all of this that a sudden tug in her chest told her what the sudden smell of earth and spices that hit her nostrils confirmed only moments later.

"I thought I smelled you nearby."

Her nose scrunched at the out-of-pocket comment before she turned up to Muu with a smile. "Funny considering I took a bath before coming here."

Muu shook his head at her blatant attempt at comedy but said nothing. Instead, he found space beside her and took a seat, accompanying her to watch over the people as they said their farewells. From her peripheral vision, Noé watched her beloved lion as his foot tapped against the lower wooden beam and his fingers rapped against the one they sat on. His nervousness was more than obvious. It took him ten minutes to finally voice what was eating away at him.

"So…" he started, before clearing his throat at the sudden crack of his voice. "What do your future plans look like? Personal plans, I mean."

Ah, so that's it.

A playful smile curled the edges of her lips, but Noé hid it by leaning her head against her folded arms as they rested upon her knees. Controlling herself from chuckling out loud, she answered his question instead.

"Get Remano rebuilt, for one. I think that's the priority for the time being." She tilted her head to one side but never once glanced at him. "I also want to give this little alliance some legs to stand on. Not just for Reim but for my people, as well."

"That sounds like a good idea." His legs fidgeted beneath him and Noé pressed her lips against her forearm to keep the chuckle from escaping her. "It'll take a bit of time before Reim gets used to another race like they did with the Fanalis."

Noé let the ensuing silence stretch for longer than she should have and didn't speak up until it seemed that the poor man would explode from his anxiety.

Finally, she turned her head to look at him before asking, "That's not what you meant by that, was it?"

She knew it. He knew it. But he also knew that she loved to toy with him. Recognizing this a little too late, Muu groaned as his hand slid down his face at being led on for this long.

"No, it wasn't…"

As he reprimanded himself, Noé gave herself the time to give his question some actual thought. For all the conviction with which she had spoken before about Reim being her home, she had to admit that it was more than a little strange to think of it as so. Reim didn't feel like a home, not all of it anyway, and she confessed as much to him.

"But…in spite of this, I think I understand what makes it feel like home," she also said. "It's the people. It's their rare acts of kindness. Their friendships, however tenuous, make me remember what my first home was like in Alma Toran. They showed me that finding that here in this new world was still possible. That's what being with Pernadius and Scheherazade taught me, anyway. With them was where I found the closest thing to happiness in this new world back then."

"And now?"

"I'll admit that there's still something about remaining in one singular place that bothers me," she said, but soon enough shrugged it away. "But I don't plan on leaving them to hang dry anytime soon."

The softest of sighs coming from him was the last straw. Noé no longer held in the chuckle that had wanted to leave her for so long. Muu's confusion only made it all the worse. Wiping the brimming tears from her eyes, Noé shook her head before sliding her hand under his arm and taking his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers together.

Looking away to avoid his stare, Noé simply said, "Besides, everywhere I go, the Vastago ask about my mate at some point or another. It'd be really awkward if I suddenly got up and left you."

Muu decided that was enough of an answer and squeezed her hand back before leaning against her. It wasn't until a full second later that Muu opened his mouth once again to ask the dumbest question Noé had heard that day.

"You know, now that I think about it, you never quite explained the whole mate thing."

Noé covered the lower part of her mouth with her hand as she leaned to one side to look away from him. "And I don't want to. It's cheesy as hell and I'll first be caught dead before I do anything of the sort."

A deep laughter rumbled through his chest before he sat up straight once more and began to ruffle through his clothes. "I highly disagree."

Suddenly, he lifted their joined hands before unlatching his from hers and instead placing something small and cold in her palm. Glancing down, her emerald eyes narrowed at the small earring that now sat in her hand. It was no longer than her pointer finger, made of sterling silver and two deep crimson feathers made of steel. It took her a single glance to recognize them.

"I know you didn't want to see it. That's why you asked Maahes to toss it into the funeral pyre," he said solemnly. "But I also know what it meant to you. Even after all the hardships, it was still a part of you. One that will be missed by some part of you, just like the one that missed my heritage as Fanalis all those years ago."

"I don't care for it," she mumbled. There wasn't any conviction in her words though and it gave him the leeway to boldly claim what he did next.

"You do," he retorted. "Take it. It'll be just a little reminder of what you lost and all that you have overcome to get to this point."

Turning the piece of jewelry around between her fingers, Noé voiced her concern to Andromalius.

Do you think it's wise to keep such a thing from something that burdened me for so long?

"I think…the only way for it to be a burden now is for you to see it as one. Cherish the good memories, and learn from the bad ones. This could be the same."

A keepsake for the good, to the flames the rest.

A small smile uplifted her lips as she reached over to put the earring on her left ear. The only place where the crimson plumage would give off a shade of gold whenever Grace of Sunlight gave its light.

"Thank you, Muu."

This time, Noé leaned over onto the young Fanalis and stole a quick kiss from his lips before resting her head on the crook of his shoulder. Muu spazzed out almost instantly, unable to register the sudden action she had initiated and it had her giggling the whole time until he calmed down.

It was because of that easiness that she had gotten so used to because of him that she found the courage to voice what she felt to be true.

"I know what home means because of you, Muu. And I won't be letting go of it after all this time of searching," she said, sneaking her hand to grab his once more. "No matter where I go, I will always return home…to you."

A squeeze to her hand answered her.

"Then I will always be here to welcome you with open arms."

"And a kiss?" she teasingly asked.

Instead of the blubbering mess she learned to expect, Muu surprised her by actually letting out a laugh, one that ended when he suddenly placed a kiss on her head.

"And a kiss."

---

|Three years later|

---

It was time.

The youngling gulped his nervousness down. He bounced from one foot to the other as if that would make the parapet he stood on any less intimidating. It stood as the borders of his home, what separated the outside from the safety that he'd known his whole life.

But today was the day.

Ever since his wings grew strong enough, he'd been practicing, jumping from hills or trees to get a grip on how these new appendages of his functioned. It was tough at first from how heavy they were—they were at least twice his weight!—but over long months, he learned to control them, to control what was a part of him.

What made him different.

"Alrighty," he muttered under his breath. Spreading his thin arms out he felt the surge of feathers expand along them, their crimson hue shining almost bright red under the hot sunlight. His feathers pruned with the sensation of the soft breeze that blew that morning.

Everything was perfect. He just needed to trust himself. With one last deep breath he repeated the words he always heard his motina say whenever she needed to concentrate.

Focus. Aim. Shoot.

With that last thought, he spread his wings outward and jumped.

---

It's this way…right?

Alibaba stared at the map Sharrkan had given him as he flew on his newly acquired magic tool through the peninsula towards what he assumed was Remano. But turn it as he may, all seemed just different enough after three years to confuse him.

"Well, master did say if I went upstream I'd see it eventually."

And true to his word, after a few hours Alibaba could see the edges of the capitol. A bright smile came to him but the joy soon turned to confusion when he spotted the shadow of something in the distance.

Blinded by the sun, Alibaba blocked what he could with his hand to see better and squinted his eyes. Whatever it was seemed small. At least from a distance it did. But it wasn't long before he realized how it kept getting bigger and bigger the closer they got to each other. It wasn't until he heard the desperate crying that Alibaba even thought of it to be anything other than an animal.

And it was flailing directly towards him.

Unable to stop himself in time, Alibaba could do nothing else but fumble as whatever had been in the sky crash landed against him, thankfully not knocking him off of his magic tool but regrettably sending him into a nosedive. Clutching the broom's front with both hands, he pulled up in time to avoid a rough crash but tumbled onto the ground all the same, rolling to a stop along with whatever had crashed into him.

"Ow, ow, ow." A young boy—at least that's what it sounded like—was what had collided with him midair. Amber eyes opened, his mouth doing the same, intending to ask whether he was okay but stopped short at noticing something strange about the boy.

Feathers—no, more like wings hung from his shoulders all the way to the back of his hands with which he rubbed at the soreness on his head. They shimmered in the light, from their deep crimson to a slight gold and back again, anytime he moved. His fingers ruffled through short red hair—spotted with crimson feathers behind each ear as well—and as he turned to look at him something about the emerald sheen of those wide eyes struck him as strangely familiar.

"I-I-I-I'm so sorry!" he cried, the feathers behind his ears and on his arms ruffling in his nervousness. Springing to his feet, the boy hurried to help him up. Alibaba, in his stupor, didn't question him and took the helpful hand with a swift thank you and simply watched as the boy scurried to bring his magic tool back. "Oh, I'm sorry, so sorry. I should've been more careful of where I was going. I'm really, so very sorry!"

The boy bowed over and over, fumbling with his words before giving back the magic broom to Alibaba. It was after that short moment that he realized why the boy seemed awfully familiar.

"Are you a Vastago?"

The boy shrunk into himself. "Y-Yes."

"Amazing!" Alibaba called out with a grand smirk on his face all the while scaring the daylights out of the boy. "I thought Noé-san was the only one out here!"

The feathers behind his ears perked up at what he heard. "You know my moti?"

"Moti?" he repeated, the word rather flat without the accent the boy added to it.

He nodded. "My mom."

Amber eyes blinked once, then again, before he let out a shout that echoed through the empty plains.

"Your WHAT?!"

---

|ii.|

"Well, I'd say, everything looks to be in order."

Niko's son, Luca, let out a sigh of relief with a hand pressing against his chest to help it out. Noé couldn't help but tease the little fellow who actually wasn't so little anymore. What was more, Niko was teaching him pretty well how to manage political affairs in his stead, something he proved well enough by the contract he crafted in his father's absence to show to her.

"Good job, Luca," she said with a clap to his shoulder. "You'll be able to take over your father's post in no time flat if you keep this up."

"Thank you, Miss Noé, but please don't say that." The young boy scratched at the back of his neck as he said, "I'm still much too young to think of taking over Maladh."

"Ah, you worry too much," she retorted with a dismissive wave of her hand. Getting up from her seat, she patted him on the shoulder for a bit of reassurance before rolling up the parchment with the details of the new deal they had forged. "But with all looking as well as it is, I think I'll be heading back to give this to the Senate. They'll send word back with the official copy. You know, all that stuff."

Luca nodded and like a true gentleman accompanied her out of the inn to the one who awaited her there. Rhea, who was now more fully grown into a young lady after three years, turned with a grin before running up to them. Beside her, Noé couldn't help but chuckle at the little ways that Luca preened himself as she approached.

Ah, young love.

Andromalius laughed out loud at the same comment that Noé made any time Luca saw Rhea on her trips to Maladh. "If only he dared to chase after it."

"Onee-san, are we leaving?" Rhea asked with a tilt of her head.

Noé nodded and held onto the arm that Rhea promptly offered. It was before leaving that she turned back to Luca to say, "Give your father my regards. And better luck next time, Luca."

The poor guy didn't understand where that last comment came from, but before he had the idea to ask, Rhea had already zipped out of town. In short spurts of using her Household Vessel, the young Fanalis brought them to the gates of Remano in no time flat. Certainly not as quick as it would've been had they flashed back, but her current limitations being what they were, Noé wouldn't complain.

"Even this is a tad bit much, Noé," Andromalius scolded her as the two of them walked into the streets of Remano. "All this jostling around isn't good for you."

You're telling me.

Noé had hoped that only exposing her body to slight bits of travel by fracturing the light wouldn't give her the nasty heartburn that she hated. But it seemed that even at this stage it didn't change much of the fact that any sort of travel like that would cause it. But what could she do? It was either this form of limited travel or not getting out of the manor. And she would sooner die than be cooped up. All the same, she promised Andromalius she would rest once she went back home if only to placate the mind of the ever-present mother hen in her head.

"Would you take this to your uncle for me, Rhea? I think I'll be heading home to rest."

"Oh, yes! Of course." Skipping on her feet as she retreated, the grand smile of the young Fanalis flashed before the light fractured around her. "You rest well, onee-san!"

And just like that she zipped through the crowd, not once bumping into anybody or causing a mess. It seemed someone had been training with their Household Vessel. Noé reminded herself to congratulate Rhea on her progress before turning to leave. Just as she was heading in the general direction of the manor, however, something stumbled into her and had her looking down to meet a pair of crimson eyes with distinctive markings.

"Oh, Sadi. Hello!"

Bending over, Noé gave the little Fanalis cub a gentle pat on the head. If Sadi's here… Like clockwork her three younger siblings appeared from the waterworks each coming closer to get a pat from her. And if they're all here…

Their father came into the picture just in time, casting a shadow over her as she stood back up to meet the same crimson gaze they shared. Offering a half-smirk to one of the few Fanalis that forced her to bend her neck back to meet his gaze, Noé nodded at Masrur as he went about picking his children. Noé helped him by picking up Sadi who nestled against her arms with a pleased smile on her lips.

"Hello, Mas. Fancy meeting you all out here this early."

"Mm."

Still a man of few words, I see.

"You're one and only true adversary," Andromalius said with a giddy laughter.

No kidding. Masrur had joined the Fanalis Corp a few years back, almost around the same time that Sinbad abdicated from the throne of Sindria. Muu had welcomed him with open arms like he did any Fanalis that decided to come to Reim, and as such, so had she. The one thing she didn't expect was that the man went around his life almost entirely mute and answered only that which he deemed necessary. It took one year—one damn year!—for Noé to get even one word out of the stoic man. Yet another to even hold what one would consider a decent conversation. Nowadays, it depended on his mood whether he went along with her chattiness.

Today didn't seem like one of those days.

"So," she said, not ready to quite let go of their current encounter out of her own stubbornness. "What's got you guys out here at this hour?"

It took him a moment but he replied with an actual sentence this time. "Sharkan gave me a call."

"Really?" she asked. Sadi suddenly got fussy as her siblings began running around and Noé left her on the ground to chase them around as the two of them continued their conversation. "What about?"

"He wanted me to welcome a guest."

A guest?

"Heliohaptian?"

Masrur shook his head. "An old friend of ours. Yours, too."

Now that piqued her interest. "You've got me. Who's this mystery guest we have?"

Masrur's lips parted as if he was about to answer that very simple question, but instead stopped himself and thought better of it.

"I think they should be with the magi and Muu right now."

"Guess he's sending you off to find them."

Man, what a charmer. Noé always wondered how the guy managed to nail down two wives with how he was. To each their own, she supposed. Thanking him for the suggestion, Noé waved goodbye to the children and headed in the general direction of the senate, meaning to ask one of the staff, when a sudden tug came to her chest.

Noé stopped at the familiar sensation. The way it was like another hand that curled and nestled into a vacant spot somewhere in her chest before coaxing her with those playful tugs was telling. She faced the direction from which they felt stronger and stared at the Colosseum in the fair distance.

"I guess that's it," she muttered.

You don't plan on flashing, right?

A soft laugh escaped her, her fingers pressing against her lips to quiet it somewhat, and shook her head. "Not a chance, Chief. This little babe's already giving me trouble enough as it is with all these digestive problems." Her hand gingerly splayed against her abdomen to the barely noticeable bump that was forming.

"Then we're walking there?"

Noé nodded in response.

"We're walking there."

—{ii}—

It can't be…

And yet it was.

Noé couldn't move an inch after bursting through the double doors of Titus' viewing box and seeing the people inside. Her heart was going wild inside her ribcage to the point she swore it'd burst out. She even forgot how to breathe, it felt. But how could she not when in front of her was someone she thought to be gone forever?

His name slipped through her lips, her voice quiet and shaky as if even the mention of their name would make them disappear before her eyes.

"Ali…baba?"

Amber eyes she long ago mourned for blinked nervously before Alibaba chuckled to himself, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hello, Noé-san," he offered, "Long time no see."

The sheepishness he started with suddenly shifted as he fidgeted about trying to ease the sudden tension that came down upon them. Noé couldn't hear a single word he was saying though. Even as he frantically tried explaining what he was doing there, her mind still hadn't caught up with the fact that it was in fact Alibaba standing there. Her body moved on its own, taking cautious steps towards him as he prattled on and on until she was close enough to place her hand against his cheek. Instantly, Alibaba paused and allowed her to let his presence sink in. As if to help, he offered a small smile to her. That smile and the warmth beneath her hand finally allowed for her brain to make the connection.

Without warning, Noé wrapped her arms around Alibaba's shoulders and brought him into her arms, embracing the young boy—no, a young man now—that she had thought dead for three long years.

"Welcome back, Ali," she muttered against the side of his head, holding him tightly in her embrace.

Before long, Alibaba returned the gesture as his arms wrapped around her back and he buried his head into her shoulder. "Thank you, Noé-san. I'm back."

Not wanting to become a crying mess in front of not so many people, Noé broke the embrace early, absentmindedly brushing the heel of her hand against her eyes as they stepped away from one another. Laughing to herself, Noé was about to make a snarky remark when the sudden hint of mint and berries hit her nostrils.

Instantly, Noé turned towards the source of the smell and blinked at the boy that stood by his father. He wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to be studying…at home. And if the scrapes and dirtied clothes were anything to go by, whatever the reason was for him to be here instead of there was not going to be good.

Noé breathed deeply, readying herself for whatever was to come.

"Theo."

Beside Muu, the boy tensed up, all his feathers tensing along with him "...yes, motina."

She offered a sweet smile, or what she assumed was one at this point. "Why are you here, all dirty, when you're supposed to be at home studying?"

"Um…well…" he mumbled and grabbed at his father's sash.

Muu chuckled and, unable to put his son through this torture, decided to answer for him. "Theo was out practicing his flying when he bumped into Alibaba by accident, Noé. Alibaba brought him back."

"I see," she said and turned down to her son once more. "And who in Illah's name told you it was a good idea to try flying when your wings are barely strong enough, mhm?"

The boy exploded into a flurry of excuses and apologies, his emerald eyes tearing up as he ran up to his mother's skirts and held onto her. Noé didn't scold him any further than that and simply held onto her young chick as he cried his guilt out. Both her and Muu had figured the instant after he learned how to walk that there was something about Theo that had him springing towards trouble without regard or thought to the aftermath. And his magnetism for trouble had only tripled the day he learned to control his wings just last year. She was proud of him and would always love him, but by Illah…

I swear, he's going to be the death of me.

Andromalius burst into a fit of laughter. "I am so glad you finally know what it was like living with you this whole time."

Noé didn't deem that with a retort and instead turned down to look at her son once his cries had turned to quiet sobs instead. Lifting his gaze with a slender finger under his chin, her eyes met an identical match as she smiled tenderly down at him.

"So long as you're alright, Theo," she muttered and bent over to brush her nose against his. It was something she'd done ever since he was a little babe and it had calmed him whenever he would cry. Now it seemed to work just as well as always, his little sobs receding into small sniffles. Giving a kiss to his forehead, she smiled down at him before saying, "You're still grounded, though."

"What?!" he yelped, his feathers perking up. "But you just said it was alright!"

"No, I said I'm glad you're alright, not that you weren't in trouble," she reiterated. "You still neglected your lessons. I can forgive your little mishap flight since you're unharmed, but you don't get to just skip your studies like that, young man. You're grounded for a week."

His mouth flapped open and closed trying to find an excuse but unable to. Knowing this was it for the time being, Noé pointed out towards the door.

"Now, go back to the manor and change. Once you're done, find your teacher, apologize and continue your lessons. Did I make myself clear?"

Theo pursed his lips and turned to his father. Muu chuckled nervously but shook his head. "Sorry, bud. You're mother's right."

Finally, a pout came to him as the feathers behind his ears flattened against his head. "Okay." He dragged his feet to the door but just as he opened it and was about to step out, Noé called out one last time to him.

"And put those wings away. I mean it both ways when I say you're grounded, understood?"

Emerald eyes turned with a plea but knew instantly by her serious expression that he would get nowhere. So instead he grumbled as a small sheen of gold enveloped his wings. The feathers shrunk, scurrying into his arms until only they were left bare with the outline of red wings emblazoned along his arms and on his shoulders. Once put away, he stomped out of the parlor leaving Noé and the rest to their talk.

"That boy never learns," she sighed.

Muu chuckled as he came to stand beside her. "He's just like you, isn't he?"

"Told you."

Peeved, Noé grumbled back at him. "I swear, you and Romali are just terrible."

"He is your son, then." Both turned to Alibaba who had been relatively quiet beside Titus the whole time they had had their little familial exchange. His amber eyes turned from her to Muu and back again, "Both of yours."

Noé smirked and came over to pat his little cowlicked head. "Tell you what, how about we get ourselves something to eat. We've got lots to talk about after such a long time."

And lots there was indeed. Noé had suggested the afternoon snack for her own benefit to be honest, so it was mostly her eating while Titus and Muu filled in Alibaba about what had transpired in Reim during the time he was gone.

"Who knew so much change could happen in such a short time, huh?"

Noé simply kept eating.

There was no mistaking that Sinbad and his International Alliance had changed much of the world for the better, but just having one man take the lead of such monumental change was something that bothered her. It irked her how easily everyone had forgotten or set aside what he'd done during Kou's civil war and its aftermath. Many had seen it as something good. He was stopping bloodshed and meaningless death, after all. Noé, however, knew there was more to it than simple altruism, especially after the little stunt he tried pulling on Reim right after. So when he abdicated from his throne in Sindria and established the Alliance, she was all but aware that he was up to something yet again.

Titus and Muu were just as wary of the man which is how they ended on the outside of this alliance, not accepting its terms and declining joining instead. With how little she knew of politics, Noé could only opine so much when asked, and said so as much when Titus suggested her becoming part of the new Senate they would build for Reim.

"I'm no good with wrangling people, Goldilocks," she'd said back then. "If anything, Muu's a much better diplomat than I'll ever be."

And just like that, it'd been set. Muu resigned as captain of the Fanalis Corp a short year after the formation of the International Alliance and joined Reim's senate. Leaving the corps without a leader, however, wasn't ideal. They needed coordination, along with the rest of Reim's small yet powerful army. Ignatius took reign of the human part as he always had. As for the corps, it was unanimously decided that she would be the best fit to lead them in Muu's stead.

Noé didn't object to the idea. Her forté had always been fighting after all, and since all of the Fanalis knew her, it was a much easier switch to make than they thought. It turned out to be an especially wise choice after some of the Vastago that remained behind decided to join the army.

After their help during the ambush from the Seven Seas Alliance three years ago and the reconstruction of Remano, Noé had thought that the Vastago would return to the other side of the rift along with the Fanalis that had crossed. And though most decided to return alongside their vedlys, a good handful had liked life on the other side. So, after some discussion, it was decided that they would be allowed to stay as citizens of Reim.

Because of how combative the rukh within them was when mixed with the rukh from this side, Noé thought that they would have to undergo a bit of physical change to adapt to this side just like her body had when she had exited Andromalius's dungeon all those years ago. Magic had done the trick then so she surmised it would be able to do it again. Thankfully, Yunan agreed to the idea and together they implemented a way to help them better acclimate to the life they had chosen. Using Yunan's alchemical magic and her own body as a model, they were able to reconstruct their physical form to not only use their original rukh but also be able to utilize the one from this side.

Though it wasn't something she had expected, the Vastago that willingly chose to undergo the transformation, took on more of a human form with vestiges of their Vastago lineage amply visible. Some features, like their wings or talons, were a bit difficult to contain though and made the change of those much stronger a bit more difficult. Titus was the one that helped on that front. With the knowledge he had of Scheherazade, he helped Yunan implement a change to the formula so that instead of removing the features, they would simply be hidden.

That was how feathered wings shrunk, forming tendrils of colors along their arms in the shapes of feathers, while sharp talons formed into feet with only leftover scales to show, the rest colorfully inked against their skin. Resembling tattoos, the vestiges remained fully under their control, their rukh allowing them to manifest their Vastagian pride anytime they pleased. And after three years, it was something that had been implemented by the offspring of those Vastago.

Including Theo.

Though he'd been born very much resembling his father upon his birth overall, the patchwork of feathers on his body and tiny talons gave away the strong blood that had stuck through yet another generation. Much like his brother before him, Theo had taken to his Vastagian features. It was with Yunan and Titus's help that they had done for him what they had done for so many others of her kind and lessened the burden on his body. Still it didn't change the blood that coursed through his veins. That was plainly obvious when two years after his birth, the boy appeared to be around six of age.

It was a growth spurt innate to her kind. Over the ages, the Vastago had grown to breed chicks capable of surviving their harsh environment which meant growing up quick both physically and mentally to endure those hardships before the usual stalling of their aging began.

And though Theo had gained that from that part of his lineage, it was obvious that it was highly diluted when compared to other Vastago. While most grew from babe to young teen in less than three years, Theo had only grown to a toddler that although highly more intelligent than most his age was still a child all the same. That much was obvious to her when she realized just how much of a trouble magnet her little chick was now that he had enough control over his rukh to summon his wings.

Illah give her patience for when he had enough control to summon his talons.

"Imagine. If that's how lovely of a time you're having with him just how much more fun you'll have when this little one arrives next."

Noé hummed, resting a bit after eating her fill, and splayed a tender hand upon her abdomen. They had only found out about this little one a month ago and again, thanks to that sped up development, it was already obvious that she was with child if only by touching her slightly distended abdomen. Elior and Theo had both been born in half the time it usually took for any human to be born, and by the looks of it, their little sibling was following swiftly in their footsteps.

"Everything alright?"

The softness of Muu's voice pulled her gently back into the present and as she lifted her gaze and met with his, Noé couldn't help the tender smile that came to her lips.

"Everything's wonderful," she said. Turning to Titus and Alibaba who were too busy talking about business to pay them any mind, a satisfied sigh left her, "Just wonderful."

—{ii}—

Alibaba was only there for a night but what a memorable one it had been.

The next morning he and the rest of his friends that Reim had harbored after they left Kou were ready to leave. Titus had decided to agree to Alibaba's business proposal to set teleportation outlets in Reim and with his goal met, Alibaba was ready to set sail to his last destination.

"Be careful," was all she told him, the meaning behind her words more than clear. Sinbad was dangerous, more so than she would have admitted in the past, and she wished nothing but luck Alibaba's way now that he was headed to deal with him.

Many friendly faces saw him and the rest of his brigade off, including her little boy who clung to her leg as they watched them go.

Once gone, he turned up to her, "He's got a strange scent to him, moti."

"Does he now?" Bending over, she picked him up and nestled him against her. "What does he smell like to you?"

"He smells like warm earth," he said, pondering a better word until he gasped and added, "Like clay!"

Muu's boisterous laugh joined them as he walked over to them embracing both the woman he now called his wife and their son together. "You two talking about what people smell like again?"

"Of course," Noé said, rubbing her nose against Theo's and getting a giggle from her son. "He's developing his senses. He needs to learn how to describe them, too."

"Tévas smells of earth and spices," he said, repeating what he always did whenever Noé tested him on the things he could smell from his surroundings. He wrapped his hands around Noé's neck and nuzzled her cheek, "And moti smells like sunshine and flowers!"

Noé chuckled at Theo's little description before saying, "I wonder what your little sibling's gonna smell like."

"Like joy and happiness!" he shouted and threw his hands above his head.

Joy and happiness…

Noé wondered if that had a scent.

Andromalius chuckled in her mind. "Perhaps it does, perhaps it doesn't. One thing I'm certain of is that you have it, and I'm glad."

Me, too, Chief. Noé held Theo closer and sank back into Muu's arms, loving the warmth and sensation of both. Me, too.

---

Epilogue

The First Champion: Noé

---

There was nothing as blissful as enjoying the warm afternoon in her little open tower.

While pregnant with Theo, she was never comfortable anywhere at ground level and it wasn't until she listened to her instincts that they figured out that higher places were more comfortable the further into her pregnancy she was.

This little one seemed to want the open air of her little birthing nest sooner than Theo so the fact that Noé was enjoying a lazy afternoon sunbathing in her nest wasn't much of a surprise. Noé was as eager for this little chick to be born as she'd been for her sons before them. Being with child was tiresome. Thank Illah that all she had to go through were a short five months of this. Humming to herself as the sun lowered to shine right on her, crimson feathers pruned at the warmth that touched them as she buried her face into the soft pillows of her nest.

"It's almost time for lunch," Andromalius reminded her.

"Not yet," she mumbled into her pillow. She wanted to bathe in the sunlight for a bit longer. The warmth felt nice.

Suddenly an iciness clutched at her heart that had her gasping for each breath and had her lurching up on all fours in an attempt to regain her lost air. But no matter what she tried, the forceful grasp remained, squeezing her heart and lungs and threatening to suck the very life out of her.

"Noé! Noé, what's happening!?"

Chief's voice sounded fuzzy and distant. Almost as if she were drowning, the pressure increasing with each passing second. Her mind blurred, each thought escaping her faster and faster the longer it went as that same pressure tightened around her. It was pulling her down, twisting around her, holding her in place.

Chains.

Emerald eyes widened in recognition before Noé forced what energy she could to summon Grace of Sunlight. Her face burned, the sudden brightness that she summoned exploding around her and taking with it what had been pushing down on her. Finally able to breathe again, Noé gasped a couple of times and wiped away the sweat on her brow before looking around for anything to explain what just happened.

"What…what was that…?" Chief's voice was quiet, wary, almost as if expecting whatever had gotten a grasp of Noé to be able to hear them.

"I don't know," she murmured back. "But…something's not right."

Rushing out of her tower, Noé rushed into the manor with bated breath. Nothing appeared amiss. There were a lot of people coming and going, something that had been the norm for the past couple of weeks ever since the last International Alliance meeting where not only had Reim and Kina continue to refuse to join but where the Kou Empire made the decision to leave the alliance. As the outcasts, the three countries had been starting connections of their own in order to better help themselves survive against the policies placed against them as foreign nations. It was why she had enjoyed being in her tower these days. It kept her away from all the boring politics that her husband had been a part of ever since.

Something was off, however. She could recognize hecticness when she heard it, but this was a different kind. An unsettling one. As her emerald eyes scanned the foyer for answers to very broad questions, Noé spotted Muu walking in line with a bunch of senators speaking as they went.

Needing to ease this feeling that was starting to fester in her, Noé reached through the bond that kept them connected no matter the place. She could feel herself reaching out towards him but as soon as she tried to cradle that part of themselves that connected them to one another something snapped. It did so with such force that Noé found herself taking a step back from the sudden hit with bated breath.

"That can't possibly be a good sign."

Noé clicked her tongue, not wanting to fall into despair just yet and instead rushed over to them, reaching out and grabbing Muu's arm and finally getting him to stop and look at her. Pardoning himself for a moment, he stepped out from the group of politicians and gave them a bit of space as she pulled him away. As if noticing her unrest, his brow furrowed as one hand reached up to cup her face.

"What happened, Noé? You're beyond pale," he muttered.

"I don't know," she confessed, her voice quiet as she grabbed onto his arms to anchor herself and find some ground. "It just…something felt awfully wrong a moment ago and I can't figure out what it is."

"Is it the baby?"

Noé shook her head, her nails gripping his arms tighter. "No, it's not that, it's—" Exasperation hit her when he appeared to be so calm about the situation. "Did you not feel it through the link? I had to blast the damn thing with magic to make it go away. Something happened—"

"Master Muu." Both turned to the senator that approached them. Already in a foul mood, Noé was about to tell him to fuck off but Muu kept her at bay with a hand on hers. Though she hadn't wanted to, she allowed them to speak to her husband but couldn't help but opine when word of them joining the International Alliance came out into the open.

"What do you mean join the alliance?" Baring her teeth at them, the other politicians backed off, fear and concern clearly etched on their faces. Muu, however, hadn't the slightest bit of either as he turned to her with a broad smile.

"I was going to tell you once the meeting was over, but Reim has decided to join the International Alliance."

What the hell is he talking about?

"You can't be serious," she scoffed.

When there was a pause from all of them, Chief was quick to say, "They all seem pretty serious."

"Are all of you forgetting what almost happened three years ago? What the hell we fought so hard to avoid—against who! We all fought to protect this nation from being swallowed like Kou had by them! You all agreed to never join the alliance no matter the policies they dished out and now you're breaking just like that?!"

"Noé." The hand he settled on her shoulder made the feathers behind her ear bristle. "It's not like we're forgiving what happened three years ago. It's just that we realized that despite the issues we had with joining, it'll be for the better in the long run."

"What long run?" she countered. "We've been pretty great without them these past three years. What do you even mean in the long run?"

"For afterwards," he simply said. "For our children's futures, and theirs. For the future and peace a hundred, even a thousand years from now."

What nonsense.

Noé shook his hand off of her and before sharing another word with him walked off not wanting to have an argument in plain sight. They've lost their minds. There was no other explanation for all this nonsense they were spewing. But as she went about asking anybody she could, they all seem to have just as equally gone insane. They were all in favor. They all wanted the peace they had to last hundreds of thousands of years and saw the only way for that to happen was for the International Alliance—for that man to take care of it.

"This is way past odd."

No shit.

She'd been right. Something was terribly wrong and she'd be damned if she'd let it go on like this.

"Moti?" Noé breathed a sigh of relief at finding Theo in his room reading one of his books by his window, his emerald eyes peeking over the pages when she stepped into the room. Not answering him, Noé briefly inspected every inch of his face making him worried all the more. "Moti, what's wrong?"

"Answer the boy. You're scaring him."

Pursing her lips, Noé embraced him, making him drop his book on the floor in the process. "Nothing, dove. Moti just had a bad dream. Say, you want to go play at the cabin?"

The feathers behind his ears perked up as his eyes shone. "Really? Even though it's a weekday?"

Noé had made it a point to always go to the flower field at least once a week with him and he'd love frolicking around the open fields whenever they did. She nodded at his question, "I'll even let you fly around. So, let's go, okay?"

"Yeah!" He didn't bother packing anything and hurriedly grabbed his mother's hand. "Is trévas coming too?"

"He's a little bit busy, hun,"—having a mass psychotic break with the rest of Reim—, "So we're gonna go ahead without him."

Not caring a bit about the heartburn and just eager to leave the craziness that was happening at the moment, Noé held Theo closer to her and flashed them out of his room, leaving nothing but specks of golden light that vanished before anybody saw anything.

—{ii}—

Something's definitely not right.

The more news she heard about what was happening around the world, the more Noé was certain of it. Even in the relegated area of her cottage, news of Kina and Reim joining the International Alliance and Kou resigning their leave were spreading like wildfire. What's more, everybody seemed to be spouting the same nonsense that Muu had said to her when asked for an explanation: they were doing it for the peace of hundreds and thousands of years.

"Maybe you weren't far off when you considered a mass psychotic break," Chief said as Noé shut off the magic tool that had been broadcasting the news.

"Mass implicates everybody, myself included," she corrected. And since she wasn't currently dying to join their little crusade simply because of how absurd it sounded, she guessed it wasn't it. "Whatever it is, I think keeping away from them and seeing how things turn out is for the best."

Chief pondered, humming at her idea. "For how long?"

Noé pursed her lips at the inquiry. She wanted to say for however long it took since she wasn't a stranger to meandering, but with Theo and the little chick close in tow, she had to think of something new this time around. But before she could even think of something, a ripple cut through the air, one she noticed a bit late as a voice cut into the room.

"Oh, thank Illah, you're here. I couldn't think of anywhere else to look when I didn't find you in Remano."

The lilt of Rakah's voice was difficult to miss, but what caught her off guard was that he hadn't appeared between fractured light but through a teleportation magic circle. Without another word, the blonde stepped out, his amethyst eyes finding her immediately as she stood back in the kitchen of her cottage.

"Rakah, what the hell—"

"She's here? Oh, let me through, let me through!"

"Damn it, calm down," he cursed, but stepped through the circle before offering a hand into it.

Noé didn't recognize the voice that had called out, but the feathers behind her ear perked up at the sweet voice that came through the circle followed by its owner. From the portal that now closed behind them, came a young woman that was perhaps around Aladdin's age. Her attire was certainly nostalgic in a strange way, very similar to Alma Toran's yet with unique touches. The first thing Noé noticed was the staff she carried made of what looked to be silver and etched in gems, the top curving into a crescent upward. If she had to bet on anything, something could easily fit there. The faintest kiss of the sun was on her skin, and short midnight blue hair was held into a small tuft with a bright emerald loc hair tie that sprung behind her head. Longer tresses fell over her shoulders framing her young face and bringing into focus her eyes.

Eyes the color of molten gold.

Large doe eyes gazed back at her with a fascinated smile before bowing slightly. "I'm awfully sorry about the inconvenience, Miss Noé, we didn't mean to interrupt you in your home." Despite her apology, something about the way she was smiling and the little glint in her eyes told Noé that she was really struggling to keep in her excitement.

"How strange."

Noé didn't bother wondering what the hell was going on and instead asked it of the only other person she could get something out of. Rakah was quick to answer, motioning to the young girl with a wave of his hand.

"Remember what I told you that you called me crazy for three years ago? Well, there's the proof."

Emerald eyes widened at that confession. Just as speechless as her at what that meant, Chief simply uttered a 'that's not possible' as Noé turned to the girl once more.

"You're—?"

"She is," Rakah said, before letting the girl introduce herself.

"My name is Basia, Miss Noé." She bowed yet again with her staff splayed across her lap as she did so. "It's a pleasure and honor to meet you. Uncle Rakah and my mother have told me so much about you!"

Her brow furrowed. Her mother?

"Great, now that the pleasantries are done and over with, can we focus on the matter at hand?" Beside her, Rakah shook his head and turned back to the window behind them before throwing it open and shouting out into the field. "Hey, bird boy, get inside!"

Noé smacked him upside the head for that. He'd met Theo a couple of times and had simply refused to call him by his name, preferring to annoy her by calling him by idiotic nicknames like that one. Tired of being out of the loop, she turned to both to put the question out there.

"What the hell are you even doing here?" she asked them. "You I understand, you come bother me every other month so it's not surprising," she said pointing at Rakah, but then turned to Basia, the girl flinching a bit at the scrutiny. "But you? You don't belong here. What you're doing is very likely breaking a ton of rules just by being here, so the reason better be a damn good one."

"Is Sinbad hijacking the Sacred Palace a good enough reason to be here?" Rakah offered.

"What?!"

Well, damn.

"What do you mean hijacked?" she asked.

"Damn idiot rewrote the rukh of this world so now it bends to that man's will," he replied. "Simple enough of an explanation?"

Noé didn't need to think much to believe that. Everybody's sudden change in attitude and personality, the sudden turn of events that all happened to favor the International Alliance—that favored that man.

But if he rewrote the rukh then why wasn't I affected?

"Could it be…what you dispelled earlier?" Chief's suggestion wasn't far-fetched now that she thought about it. It was right after that little happenstance that everything started going awry. And if it had been that, then the reason she hadn't been affected was obvious as well.

Her hand reached up to the side of her face were Grace of Sunlight rested.

"So, what? You intend to stop him?" she asked, turning to Rakah as he opened the door for Theo to walk in. Happily, her son threw himself at Rakah, hugging his legs. Rakah only patted his head back before sending him off to his room while they finished talking.

Once he was gone, Rakah shook his head. "It's already too late for that here."

The particular word he used caught her attention. "What do you mean by 'here'?"

This time it was Basia who stepped forward to answer. "Uncle told me that he explained everything to you, so this won't be as difficult to explain or for you to understand. But I've made the journey through many others and made the conclusion that once the rukh is rewritten there is close to nothing we can do. In that world, at least."

Goodness, I hate this useless beating around the bush.

"Spit it out, already," she snapped.

"Remember how I told you that you're all branches?" Rakah asked.

Regrettably. That crazy story he had pulled out of goodness knew where was still hard to believe—that this was but a world parallel to many others and had all sprouted from one original nexus.

A bunch of branches from one core trunk. Branches were her and those who inherited the Gifts were culled by fate.

"So, if this branch is doomed, what next? Cut the tree?"

"The stem, actually," Basia corrected. "Nobody but Illah is powerful enough to cut the tree straight out. That would be equivalent to doing what Ira has been wanting to do this whole time. But if we cut the stem from which all these branches have sprouted, then we will be able to stop this all at its core."

"This hasn't happened in that world yet?"

Basia shook her head. "But it will, and soon. That's the time to arrive, though, when the connection is strongest and the walls keeping all of you apart is weakest. That's why I could only come through now, but like me, there are others who can use the time to cross through as well."

"Including that bitch of Ira," Rakah added.

"What?" That wasn't possible. They had Ira locked away this whole time. It had worked for three years and Ira had been kept in that gilded cage well enough. So how? "But the magic I cast—"

"Is still intact and very much strong," he said, "but only in this branch. In any other, she needs only to reach out and she'll be free. And in the original one, she's eager to come out."

"Which is why we need to get you to that original world." This time Basia stepped forward and gave her hand in offering and as a plea. "All of you, bearers, are needed to stop this and put an end to it, once and for all."

Noé stepped back until she hit against the kitchen's counter and threw her head back to think.

Sounds like too much. Do you think they could be wrong? That it isn't real?

"Perhaps," Chief agreed, though she quickly continued by saying, "But will you risk the possibility that it is?"

Never.

This was certainly not ideal, especially not in the state she was in, but she'd be damned if she were to refuse. If Ira was threatening her home—the one she had built for her and her family—then there was no thinking twice about it.

"Alright, then," she said, stepping forward and stretching one hand over her head. "But I'm bringing Theo along with me."

"You're better off leaving him here," Rakah interjected.

"Not on your life," Noé said. She'd made that mistake once. Never again. "Either he goes or neither of us do, the world be damned."

"It's alright, Uncle." Basia did her best to calm Rakah's ire before turning to Noé. "You're absolutely right, Miss Noé. Please, bring little Theo along. There is a place where he can safely wait for you."

Trusting her for what it was worth, Noé accepted and went to get Theo as the two magicians went about reopening the magic circle that would teleport them to where they'd be going. It was while preparing him that Theo couldn't help but ask where they were going.

"We're going on a little trip," she said, playfully bopping his nose with her finger.

"Without tévas?" he asked, his head tilting slightly to one side.

"Your father will be more than alright by himself," she said, picking him up and carrying him out into the living room where the two had opened the circle. "For now, it'll be just you and moti. Don't worry, though, we'll be back before you know it."

"Mm," was all he said before nuzzling against her neck out of shyness as Basia mumbled a 'cute' his way.

"After you, ladies."

Noé took the offer after Basia stepped through. The heaviness that came over her was similar to when she flashed, but even then it wasn't as oppressive as this. Thankfully, it was gone before it could cause her any real nausea and had her opening her eyes upon touching dry land.

Emerald eyes widened upon the sight before her.

"This is—"

The Grand Oak.

Or…at least it looked very much like it. Instead of the white incandescent color she remembered it by, this one was on the greenest prairie she'd ever witnessed that ran as far as the eye could see under a blue sky that filled her with the same wonder that it once had when she first ever saw it. It was vibrant, full of life and beautiful—until her eyes came upon the tree. It was bare of any leaves and from afar, its bark appeared dark and rotting.

The one thing dying in this beautiful garden was the lonesome oak. The exact opposite of the one she had seen on the other side of the rift.

Following behind Basia and Rakah, they took the long trek to the base of the oak where the lone silhouette of a person could be seen. Basia was the one to run to her first, making her turn about and hugging her as they spoke. From how alike they were, Noé could surmise they were mother and daughter, but there was something in particular about the woman that had her feeling somewhat uneasy. It wasn't until the woman turned fully to look at them and Noé caught a glimpse of crimson eyes with dark purple specks that she figured out why.

She's Shuri's descendant.

It was mightily uncanny how similar the young woman was to the ifrit Noé had known all those millennia ago. Were it not for the fact that there was clear emotion and tenderness in her gaze, she would've been completely in her right to have confused her for the ifrit.

Upon meeting her, the red-eyed woman's gaze widened, recognition hitting her just as it had Noé. It was brief, and had she not been looking at her, she would have thought she imagined it. The look was gone as quickly as it came and the woman came towards them behind Basia as she introduced them.

"Miss Noé, this is my mother, Ishtar."

Ah…flower that blooms through war.

"Is it Ifritian?"

Asterian. If she would give the Asteri tribe anything, it was that they possessed the more elegant and lovely language of them all.

Ishtar bowed deeply and rose, wiping away a bit of mist from her eye. "It's a pleasure, Miss Noé."

"Likewise," she said with a tender smile.

"Good while you get situated, the kid and I will go get the last one." Rakah didn't offer much of an explanation.

Not like she asked for one, really. There wasn't much to ask yet at the same time an infinite number of questions that wanted answers to what was going on around her. Thankfully, there wasn't much waiting to do. However the teleportation magic circle they used worked, it did so by trespassing both space and time it seemed. Nothing else explained how they were so quick to come and go while bringing back who they had deemed 'the last one'.

Much like Ishtar, Noé noticed the uncanny similarity that the young brunette they brought along had to Euphemia. Tagging along with four children, they made their way to them, and Ishtar and Noé welcomed them back despite their short run.

Turned out she'd been right when she gambled a guess at the girl being Euphemia's descendent. And it seemed she wasn't the only one to mistake her for someone. Ishtar had called the young brunette Speirr, and it had been Rakah who gently corrected her introducing her as Ceara of Eriu, another Gift Bearer like them.

"Glad that you all got to introduce yourselves, but we have to get going." Rakah waved out away from the oak. "Our world's destruction isn't going to wait on us."

"And neither are we," Noé said before turning to Theo who'd been clinging to her skirts the entire time. Walking him over to the other side of the oak away from where Ceara was saying her farewells to her children, she took the time to say hers.

Worry was etched in his emerald eyes, brow knitted together as she knelt down before him. Her hands absentmindedly caressed his face, the fear clear in his eyes, as they swept down to brush against his arms, her fingers circling the red ink delineating his wings.

"Are you going with them, moti?" he asked, sniffling a bit.

Noé pursed his lips, hating to see that expression on him, but refused to lie to him. "Yes, dove. We gotta do something, your uncle and I and these nice ladies."

"Save the world?" he asked, getting that gist from Rakah's words from before.

"Yep, save the world."

He opened his mouth as if intent on protesting against the idea, but after three years of knowing his mother, he knew better than to object. So instead he threw his arms around her neck and held her tight as if never wanting to let go.

"Be careful, moti," he said, his arms tightening even more. "You and sesou."

Noé chuckled against his hair, planting a kiss on the side of his head. Despite not knowing what their sibling would be, Theo had called them his sister since the day they told him. Almost like he held out hope that saying it enough times would make it true.

"Myliu tave, moti."

His Vastagian was as clean as a native's and the words of affection made her heart just as tender as they made it ache.

"And I, you, my little summer sun."

Kissing his forehead once more, she gently grazed their noses together. "Take care of yourselves. You'll be safe here, but always be on your guard."

Theo nodded, sniffling. "Like tévas."

"Exactly."

Noé intended to part with him then, and had to practically pry herself away with Chief's helpful words to do so. Leaving him here, alone, left a bitter taste in her mouth. She'd done the same in the past and it cost her what she loved the most. But if she didn't leave—if she didn't help stop this—she would lose everything all over again regardless.

And that'll happen over my dead body,

Basia approached while they waited for Ceara to say her goodbyes to her own children. Glancing up at the staff, Noé's mind wandered to an idea she hadn't thought about as she splayed her hand over her stomach.

"Say, Bass." The young magician turned with a tilt of her head, listening. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Anything I can, Miss Noé."

Noé took a deep breath before saying, "Can you stop this little one's growth? With magic, I mean."

It took Basia a moment of glancing at her then at her belly to understand her words and implications. "You mean like Miss Sheba did?" Noé nodded. "Well, yes. I supposed it wouldn't be that hard of a spell, really."

"Would you do it then?" she asked, "Whatever happens I want to be at full strength and for whatever I do to not affect them until it's all over."

Understanding, Basia nodded before lowering the end of her staff near her body and letting the rukh around them work under her command. It tickled, but other than that, Noé felt no different which made her ponder whether the magic she'd placed on her had actually worked. Basia assured her it had and that it would only dispel once they returned to the oak.

Perfect.

Their goodbyes spoken, the five of them walked away from the children to a more open area before Rakah stepped forth with his staff.

"Alright, ladies." Basia followed his lead as both waved their staves beside each other, casting the teleportation magic circle and creating its fractal opening. Noé understood then why it needed both to open. It was Basia's magic mixed with the one Rakah used—her borrowed light magic. A combo of magic that would pass through both space and time together. "We're walking into hell itself, so you'd better be ready."

"I believe that's our cue," Chief said with a tinge of haughtiness in her voice.

Excited to fight after being so stagnant for these past three years?

Andromalius's laughter erupted in her mind, the giddiness soothing her already tautly wound nerves. "That should be my line. You were never one to stay put, after all."

Traveling was always my passion. Her hand came up to grab at the silver arrowhead that would never again leave her side. So what do you say, Chief? Ready for one last brawl with me?

"Always, my king."

Grinning from ear to ear, Noé allowed her djinn-equip to engulf her, its light blinding as it transformed her. Her grand golden wings unfurled from around her, revealing her form from within the light. Beside her, both women had donned their own. One shining brightly and ferociously in azure flames. The other wearing the pristine attires and fiery colors of a folkloric tribe.

All different people, from completely different places, together to stand against the one that threatened them all.

Just like old times.

The crimson feathers behind Noé's ear bristled, excitement and adrenaline coursing through her veins, as she, along the other four, took the step forward through the magic circle.

And this time, we'll do more than try—

We'll succeed.

---

A/N:

After that sabbatical, The Meanderer is officially over! ٩(＾◡＾)۶ A fic that started in 2018 took around 5 years to finish, not counting the little year-long hiatus I took. Trust me, it was very much needed. Now I've come back free and reinvigorated! And as promised, I have delivered on the ending of this wonderful story.

To be honest, I will miss writing for TM most of all. I feel like Noé has always been one of my most full-fledged out characters that I've never had a problem writing. She legit wrote herself with how much her personality and just sense of self came to life and onto the page. To say that I will not miss writing her will be an understatement because out of all my OCs ever, she's in the top spot. I might write a 'what-if' scenario like I did for Silent Lamb (i love writing angst what if stories) so this might not be the last you hear of Noé from this side of the story.

As for the future, you will see her soon enough. With TM done, I am officially halfway done with the Gift Bearer Series. What comes next will finally go into a different manga at last and we'll get to explore many characters that you've already met but in a totally different light so I hope you'll look forward to that. Now that I've got only 2 more stories to go, I'll see when I start plotting for the third installment which I'm excited to say will star Ishtar, the little fire flower that was presented in both SL and TM.

At last, I have nothing but thanks to give all of you for waiting that long year for the ending of The Meanderer. It was with you all in mind that I wrote this hoping that you would enjoy this chapter and the end of this story as a whole just as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, thank you all for reading. Thank you for every favorite, followed, and review. You're all why I do this.

For one last time in this wonderful tale, I hope you enjoyed this update and that you stay tuned for what comes next~! Hope to see you all next time on Ishtar's story: "Tales of the Flamekeeper." °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°