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.

12. Finding Confidence

For Avi.

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Chapter Twelve:

Finding Confidence

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|ii.|

What a lovely day.

It amazed Noé that, only after a month of residing there, she more or less tempered off her grand urge to leave Reim. Altering her routine absolutely made her being cooped up a little easier to cope with too. It was a good thing that there were plenty of things to do in Reim. From training with the Yambala, winning her living at the colosseum, taking care of her sabertooth pets to sparring with the Fanalis, there wasn't a second of her day spent in the bouts of boredom. Thank goodness too; she would've flown off this particular nest had the circumstances been otherwise. And even when those started getting a little redundant, the newly added routine of drilling a prospective King Candidate that couldn't even djinn equip was truly aiding in making things interesting again. But even with all that going on, what truly shocked and surprised her was the fact that she could find herself enjoying a day of doing absolutely nothing except have a good day's rest.

"Don't forget that Alibaba will be waiting for you later on today."

Don't worry, I won't.

But before that, she wanted nothing more than to relax a little.

Eyelids slowly fluttering open, Noé watched carelessly as her sabertooth pets pranced about the Fanalis training grounds with leisure. Chasing after them were a handful of redheaded children, gleefully squealing and jumping around as they switched between chasing them and being chased themselves. An adorable sight to say the least. Noé herself spent such a sunny day in the shade of a tree, relishing the pleasant breeze that came and went which rustled the leaves above her head along with the feathers behind her ear.

The grounds were quite empty that day. Most of the Fanalis weren't there after all. Very few came in on the last day of the week and it cleared the way for Noé to bring her little pets and let them roam free for some exercise. It just so happened that the Fanalis cubs knew about her routine and came to play with them. Noé let them, knowing not only how well trained they were but also that the kids would be able to fend them off if the need arose. Her supervision was superficial at best to be honest. Neither her sabertooths nor the cubs needed to be babysat.

Beneath her, Skata purred lowly as he too napped. His fluffy coat made for an excellent pillow. Much fluffier than the ones in her room at the palace. Noé sunk in further into his fur and took a deep breath.

"Who knew species could coexist so peacefully." Chief's statement wasn't so much a question as it'd been a simple declaration. Quite an obvious statement if she asked Noé.

"They may be ferocious in the colosseum, but they're quite gentle when not threatened." She reached up to scratch Skata behind the ear. He purred under her touch and leaned his head in to better enjoy the gesture. "A lot of species are like that. Though I suppose we were an exception."

"Our strength came from our solidarity."

"It came from pride," she scoffed. A comment like that wouldn't have flown past her if she were in any other mood, but Noé didn't want to ruin her good mood by blowing a gasket at Chief. "But whatever. Delude yourself for all I care. I want to enjoy my time off."

"Fair enough."

But just as Noé was settling on Skata again to join him in his nap, both were startled awake by the sudden weight that fell on her along with the high-pitched squeal.

"Noé one-chan!"

Air huffed out of her lungs the moment Rhea jumped on her. Large red eyes the shade of pomegranates stared up at her as she rested her head on Noé's chest. Noé calmed her bristling feathers and wrapped her arms around Rhea to keep her from falling as she briefly talked to Skata before turning to her.

"Onee-chan, is it true that you're a dungeon capturer too? Like Mister Muu?"

"I am," Noé tapped the silver arrowhead laying warmly atop her bosom. "My djinn's name is Andromalius."

"What are they like?"

"She's quite a handful," she admitted. Chief huffed inside her head but Noé promptly ignored it and continued. "But she's very powerful."

"Oh…" Rhea quieted for a second before perking back up. "Onee-chan, are these real?" Rhea reached out without warning and brushed her fingers across the dark red feathers behind her ear. They bristled at her touch and Noé restrained herself from snapping at the little cub.

"They are." A small tensing of her jaw moved the feathers against Rhea's fingers and she giggled at the sensation.

"They're really pretty."

"Why, thank you." Noé herself brushed her fingers through Rhea's hair to uncover her face and have a better look of her lined eyes. "You have very pretty eyes."

Rhea smiled at the compliment, her cheeks flushing mildly. "All Fanalis have eyes like mine."

"But yours are extra pretty!" Out of the blue, Noé started tickling Rhea's sides getting the girl to erupt into a fit of laughter. Skata, startled out of his slumber, rose from his place and made Noé get up with a bounce to her step while hauling Rhea along with her. Rhea's incessant giggling rang through the air as the two of them danced around in the shade of the tree before the calm voice that called out to them stopped Noé in her tracks.

"Good to see you're enjoying yourselves this fine afternoon."

Though Noé turned to meet those crimson eyes, it was Rhea's enthused call that announced his arrival more than anything. "Mister Muu!"

The girl gleefully jumped out of Noé's arms and tackled Muu's leg in a hug, the cub only laughing and greeting Rhea as she did. When Noé showed no intention of moving or even acknowledging him, Chief saw it fit to inquire.

"Is something the matter?"

Not really.

"Yet you hesitate. Any particular reason?"

...He's weird.

There was no denying that their heart-to-heart conversation almost a month ago had brought them somewhat together in some sort of strange and quiet solidarity. It was why Noé was so at ease in the Fanalis training grounds nowadays to the point where she could nap or laze some hours of the day away from time to time. Despite that, she couldn't help the odd feeling that lingered within her still. That strange sensation that had screamed at her before and was now but a quiet lull that never quite left her alone.

Don't be complacent. Don't trust them. Don't trust him. Not when they don't trust you.

"Noé?"

"I'm fine."

It came out much rougher than she intended it to, not to mention that it came out of her lips at all. Surprised, Muu looked up from Rhea with a pleasant smile. One that, unexpectedly and surprising her, crushed the feeling from before to nothing. Luckily, she unintentionally answered a question that he had asked. "It's good to hear that you're doing alright too, Miss Noé."

Noé pursed her lips unconsciously. That again. Knowing exactly what irked her, Chief laughed in her head at her childishness before saying, "He respects you."

It makes me sound old as hell.

"You are, kid."

And yet she called her a kid. The hypocrisy. She wasn't that old. Technically she was in her prime. Her vivaciousness more than proved it. Though she supposed that to them she would be rather on the ancient side. That she herself came to that same conclusion only soured her train of thought further. I'm not old, she thought bitterly.

"Would you be willing to, Miss Noé?"

"Huh?" Lost again in the recesses of her mind completely deafened her to the conversation again. Rhea had taken the liberty of pulling her while following Muu around and the cub had decided to run his mouth a bit with idle prattle. Her unconscious nods and 'uh-huhs' had done the trick so far to continue to conversation along while she mentally tapped out. That was until now when a question in particular, it seemed, needed an answer with some actual input from her part. "What was that again?"

His crimson eyes softened and he shook his head mildly, "I need some help with a particular issue and wanted to see if you could help me."

"Oh." Before even thinking of a reply, one of her eyebrows rose questioningly. "What would I get in return?"

Muu chuckled at her usual antics. "How does dinner sound?"

"You feed me well enough already." Noé stuck out her tongue and playfully bumped her shoulder against his. "What about a match?"

"A match?" he repeated.

"Yeah!" she pronounced quite enthused at the idea herself. "After all this sparring against your men, I dare say that I have refined my skills quite a lot." Seemingly wanting to have some input herself, Rhea jumped at the opportunity to put her two cents in.

"Noé onee-chan can fight against big brother and Miss Myron at the same time now! And she doesn't even get tired anymore!"

Precisely.

Noé smirked smugly at the sound of that. Rhea did well in feeding her pride. It was quite the high hearing that but apparently Muu found it rather laughable which only added to her already mounting annoyance at him. As if noticing that Muu waved her ire away with a dismissive gesture and a playful, almost teasing smile.

"I believe it, I believe it, but a fight against me?" His head tilted slightly, "Are you certain that's what you want?"

"Why not?" she replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a cheeky smirk on her lips. "You fight beasts and other gladiators all the time. What makes fighting me any different from them? What's more, if you agree, I'll do that favor for you. No questions asked."

"Are you feeling alright?" Muu pursed his lips for a brief moment at the sound of that, pensive at such ludicrous option. "You're being far more forthcoming than usual."

"I'm in a good mood." Noé shrugged her shoulders as a cheeky smirk came to her lips.

"You truly must be ill then."

"You know what? Who needs the colosseum. I will kick your ass right here and now, pro bono."

Her threat only made him laugh. The feathers behind Noé's ear bristled at the sound. So airy, bubbly even. A nice sound.

"Alright, fine. I'll let Shambal know so he can schedule the fight."

"Noé."

Ignoring Chief, Noé smiled satisfied that she won yet again. "Glad we could agree. Now what was that favor?"

"Noé."

"Right, it's about—"

"Noé!"

"What?!" This time when she stopped, her sudden outburst made both Muu and Rhea jump from the terse tone of annoyance in her voice.

"You'll be late."

She couldn't help her brow from furrowing at her words. Late? For what?

Chief heaved one of her famous sighs, audibly distressed by her mindlessness. "Alibaba's training, Noé."

Oh…right!

"Sorry, cub! But I gotta go." Her sudden change of mood took them both by surprise, and though it took Muu a moment longer to realize exactly what she had said, it didn't take away the perplexed expression on his face. Dismissing it, she simply patted his shoulder and bent down to ruffle Rhea's head before skipping away from them.

"I'm not backing out of my word. I never do. Just got a previous appointment to get to. You can tell me all about this favor later." Just as the light began to fracture around her to flash her away, she eyed Rhea and flashed her a smile, "Take care of Skata and the girls while I'm gone, Rhea!"

A flash of blinding light later, she was gone and Skata chased after the bits of light floating about before settling on rolling around the grass where his master once stood.

—{ii}—

The scorching sunlight streamed through the canopy of trees overhead anytime the breeze blew, a rather pleasant sensation for it ameliorated the heat of the midday sun. Every time the sun struck, Noé's eyes peeked up reflexively only to narrow when they hit her irses straight on. One of her hands lifted from beside her to cover her eyes, blocking off as much of the punishing rays from hitting her as possible. Noé took a long tired breath as another breeze blew by and her shoulders slumped, the exertion of the day weighing down on her mood. Beads of sweat gleamed as she wiped them away and another defeated sigh escaped her. Out of the blue, her stomach growled lowly and she grimaced.

I'm thirsty, but the water's all gone. I'm hungry too. What should I have for dinner today?

"Is that really what you should be worrying about right now?"

Noé blinked away at the odd question. What do you mean?

Chief, at the cusp of blowing a gasket at her nonchalance, only prompted her to look ahead. The moment she did and spotted what Chief called attention to, Noé chuckled childishly and deftly twirled the broadsword in her hand before plunging it down onto the solid ground beneath her. Her mild exhaustion certainly held no light against Alibaba's as the poor blonde struggled to stand from the ass whooping he had just gotten, courtesy of her.

You mean Ali?

Andromalius heaved a long patient sigh. "Yes, Noé, I mean the boy you are supposedly training to use his djinn equip but have just been beating the living hell out of for the past weeks."

"He's fine," she mumbled to herself, leaning forward and flashing both him and Chief a toothy grin. Raising her voice, she called out to Alibaba as he finally got back on his feet, "Aren't you, Ali?"

"W-What was that?" Panting through his words, Alibaba wavered in taking his stance again but did so after taking a moment to compose himself and letting his Metal Vessel shakily fall a millimeter from its stance.

Noé, catching onto the opening instantly, flashed forward. Alibaba gasped in shock and raised his sword to block her attack. Though he managed to deviate the first strike, all Noé had to do was twirl on the heel of her foot to pick up momentum for a second hit to send him back down. This time hard enough flat on his back to completely knock all the air from his lungs. Kicking the broadsword hard enough for it to spin in her grasp, it landed with an audible thud against her shoulder as she strode forward to bend over Alibaba and block the sun that spilled through the trees onto him. Emerald met dark amber and after a moment of examining him at a glance, Noé grinned at him from above, waves of auburn hair spilling over and almost tickling his face.

"Never let your guard down." Noé tossed the broadsword she had at hand away and let the metal noisily clack to a stop before crouching down before Alibaba. "Remember that and you might actually make me break a sweat next time."

"But…" Alibaba struggled with his words, his parched throat urging him to swallow before continuing with his sentence, "You are sweating...Noé-san."

"Hate to break it to you, but..." Noé's toothy smile didn't disappear. It actually broadened as she pointed skyward and tilted her head to the side to let the sunlight hit his face directly. "That wasn't you."

Alibaba visible shrunk at the devastating news. Noé, finding his sudden state amusing, laughed a bit before dragging him out of the sun and towards the shade under a larger oak and passing him the water he'd brought along with him. Urging him to drink and rest for a few minutes, Noé took the few steps out into the open grove they were at and stretched her arms over her head while taking a deep breath to wait for him.

It amazed her how much could happen in just a short month. Ever since her rendezvous and reconciliation with Muu and the rest of the Fanalis—one that mostly landed on her shoulders—a heaviness that had been weighing on her conscious had magically lifted and allowed her to freely return to being her fun-loving, carefree self. Or as Chief so eloquently put it, her 'carelessly obnoxious self'. Honestly, Chief sometimes had the funniest ideas. But the fact that she could wipe the slate she had purposefully tainted clean gladdened her to a degree she hadn't thought possible. Sometimes it made her wonder why, but in that regard, Chief was quick to interject and remind her every time of the answer.

"They accept you, Noé. It's as simple as that."

Though she hated to admit it, she couldn't deny Chief the satisfaction of being correct in her assumption. Noé had forgotten what it was like for others to not mind her presence. What it was like to be among a crowd that didn't walk on eggshells with her. It was truly refreshing that none of them were careful not to antagonize her out of the fear of how she would retaliate. None of them treated her like a stranger, despite very much being so, and that made her feel strangely comfortable with them. They were rough, outrageously outgoing, and quite amusing to be around. If Noé had to guess the reason why she had lasted the last month without itching to leave Reim yet, they would certainly play a large part in it.

Their company brought some color to otherwise bland days and she was grateful for that. Especially during the days that her training just left her utterly exhausted and in the most horrendous of moods.

Those days very much included her training at the colosseum with the Yambala; those were the toughest by far. Like she had thought since her first days there, magoi manipulation was just not her thing. It had nothing to do with her small pool of magoi either, though that did play a factor according to old man Shambal. No, her problem was her seal—big surprise there—but it was a problem she was dealing with by struggling in the colosseum. Her first match with Alibaba reminded her what she had learned from a young age: the best way for her to learn was through brute force. And true to word, manipulating the rukh within her was starting to slowly become easier with every subsequent match.

The progress was painstakingly slow though.

"It's progress nonetheless, Noé. Don't dismiss that."

We take what we can, I suppose.

And though the Fanalis were always fun to be around and her training never really stopped, she often found herself enjoying one other thing in particular: beating the crap out of Alibaba. For his own good, of course.

"Is it though?" Noé didn't even try to hide the bit of malice hidden behind her mischievous chuckle. Chief could only sigh again and Noé somehow saw her shaking her head defeatedly. "I can't believe you're still holding a grudge against him because of your wing."

"I would never," she cooed under her breath, her lips still upturned into a playful grin.

"Of course not."

"Noé-san?" Noé turned on her heel at hearing Alibaba calling for her and didn't let her smile falter as she skipped over to where he was sitting, no longer panting and breathing normally again.

"You called?"

Alibaba stayed quiet for a moment, his gaze and thoughts seemingly absorbed by his Metal Vessel as he held it on his lap, one hand on the hilt and the other carefully grasping the end of the short blade. When he didn't outright reply, Noé patiently waited, taking a moment to sit down beside him and rest herself from how parched she was.

"Do you...do you think I'll be able to djinn equip soon, Noé-san?"

Her eyes narrowed at such clandestine question, but when her mouth fell open to answer it, Noé stopped herself a split second before her words spilled from her lips. The way he so intently stared at the blade in his hands spoke volumes of what the question meant to him. It wasn't just that either—the quiet intensity that he asked with alone was enough to portray that sentiment.

"Why do you ask?"

The fingers around the hilt of his sword tightened at the question, his brow furrowing as the thin line his lips had been turned downward into a scowl. It wasn't directed at her, that much was clear. It was then that Noé found it curious how reflective the sheen of the blade was as it showed Alibaba his own face.

"It just feels like I'm not making any progress."

"You are. It's just hard to see," she tried convincing him, a broad smile plastered across her face. "You'll get there though. It'll just take some—"

"Time." Though it peeved her that he'd interrupted her mid sentence, it left her soon enough when his concern deepened his scowl. "But...what if I can't? What if you and Shambal-san are wrong and no matter how much I train, I'm not able to djinn equip?"

How desperate.

Though many other words came to mind, they all fell short compared to that one. It was quite an understandable viewpoint too. Having so much power at the tips of his fingers and not being able to tap into it like she and others so easily could would certainly beat down on anybody's confidence. That wasn't even considering the fact that he must certainly feel pressured by the fact that he was Aladdin's King Candidate and that, like he had told her some days ago, he wished to become stronger to return to his friends. It was a feeling she more than comprehended—the cruel reality of how devastating it was to have what others did and be powerless to use it as deftly as they could.

If at all.

"Noé...calm down."

Chief's soothing words gently pulled her out of the chasm of frustration she'd been falling into and called to her attention just what her ire had caused her to unconsciously do. Shifting in her seat to hide the sight of her steeling feathers returning to normal, Noé leaned her head back to watch the leaves on their branches swaying back and forth as the wind started blowing somewhat harder.

"I don't believe that."

Alibaba's conflicted gaze lifted from his sword and met hers as she gave him a small sidelong glance before returning it to the shrouded sky above them. "You're not less capable than others, Alibaba. You just happened to have been dealt a bad starting hand where your rukh is concerned. And that's how it happens sometimes..." Despite knowing for a fact that it wasn't there, Noé could still sense the strange phantom pain that crawled on her back where her other wing had once been. "Sometimes fate just pits us with circumstances that we have to learn to overcome. I won't lie to you, it'll be hard and it'll surely have you doubting yourself plenty of times just like you're doing right now, but the only way you truly lose is when you stop trying."

Noé lowered her gaze once more to meet his, eyes fully enraptured and hung on every word that left her lips. It reminded her of a child for a brief moment, the way he was staring. One who watched rapted by wonder and understandment at learning something new about the world. Watching him give her such a look softened her features and brought a small smile to her lips as her chest swelled and tightened from the tiny bit of joy that gaze brought her.

And the bittersweet memory it brought with it.

He reminds me of Elly.

Dispelling the somber thought, Noé cleared her throat and abruptly jumped out of her seat to stand. She wasted no time in stepping before him and stretching her hand out. "So don't worry your pretty little, cow-licked head over such nonsensical issues, Alibaba. No use of it when you barely left the starting line. Better yet, I suggest you save your energy." A wicked smile came to her features as Noé stood back to jestfully kick at the arm that held tightly to the hilt of his sword. "'Cause I promise you'll need it for the hell I'll put you through starting tomorrow."

The pity that had been so blatant in his eyes, although not fully disappearing, did become a tad bit milder in her eyes. It was a small change but at least it was there. Nodding, Alibaba got off the ground, grunting at the exertion he used to do so and thanked her before leaving to collect their things.

"I will admit that for as horrible and ill-timed as your own choices tend to be, you do offer very sound advice."

What can I say? Not once did she miss a beat as she let the mildly acerbic and sordid thought cross her mind. Experience is one hell of a teacher.

There was nothing for Chief to respond to that with. Noé hadn't expected much from her either and brushed off her eerie silence without a second thought.

Facing Alibaba, Noé smacked his back roughly a couple of times to snap him out of it. Though he reciprocated with a smile, she could tell that it was only a facade to appease her still. It irked her that the boy thought himself smart enough to trick her into thinking he was fine. Noé wasn't that blind. It truly wasn't hard to figure how dejected he really was even after she tried to cheer him up.

What a worrywart.

"His concerns aren't unsubstantiated," Chief countered. "It is rather strange that the boy can't conjure his djinn equip."

Not to her, it wasn't. The kid just fixed his problem of mismatching rukh which he thought had been keeping him from djinn equipping in the first place. Now that he knows that wasn't the problem, it made sense to her that Alibaba would go down the wrung to the next logical answer: himself.

Djinn equipping wasn't so much about strength of body as it was strength of mind. It was the same reason she lasted so long without being able to equip herself.

"Yours was a valid obstacle."

As is his. If Alibaba thought it a problem, it would be in the long run. Noé groaned as she watched said blonde from afar as he busied himself with packing their things. It'd definitely be a hassle to pull him out of the pity hole he dug for himself, that was for sure. And Noé's patience only ran so thick these days.

"If only there was a place he could relax…" Almost as soon as the words left her lips, an idea sprung to life bringing with it a mischievous grin to her lips.

Noé gleefully skipped over to Alibaba as he stood up with their things packed only to plop her arm around his neck and bring him closer.

Face beet red, Alibaba stuttered out his confusion like a little kid, "N-N-Noé-san?!"

"Y'know, despite what you think, you've definitely shown some good progress and that deserves some reward."

"R-Reward?" he stammered.

"Should I even ask?"

Noé grinned mischievously.

No need if you know me.

—{ii}—

"My oh my, it's so wonderful to see you again, Noé-chan!"

"And you brought such a handsome young man with you as well~ Lucky us!"

A low chortle escaped Noé when one of the hostesses, at spotting her walking in after Alibaba, boisterously called out to the other women announcing her presence the instant she stepped into one of her preferred brothels in Reim. Like a bunch of bees on honey, the girls swarmed them squealing, absolutely elated about her being there and beckoning her towards one of the private booths in the brothel.

Don't you just love a warm welcome?

Chief audibly sighed inside her head, more than likely having shaken her head along with it. "There has to be a more adequate method of lifting his spirits, Noé."

"None as satisfying as this one, I assure you," she freely cajoled.

Noé didn't mind talking aloud in this place. With how often she had visited them over the last month, they were more than acquainted with her and her quirky mannerisms. Talking to herself was just the one she made most prominent. The girls merely guided them away to their booth leaving them to sit on cushioned sofas where tables full of extravagant food and exquisite fruits for them. Alibaba appeared to have slackened a bit, though now that he was calmer, that lousy, good-for-nothing concern found itself creeping onto his face.

Not on her watch.

A tap on the shoulder of one of the girls was enough to get them going as a handful remained behind to entertain them and the rest left to fetch their drinks. Lounging back, Noé kept a watchful eye on the blonde cowlicked head of Alibaba's as he struggled with his drink and with the attention that the women gave him. But even a few minutes of that didn't wipe away the glum off his face.

Ugh, what a downer.

"You know," Chief cleared her throat obviously savoring the moment for a minute before continuing. "It might help to actually talk to the boy about what ails him. Sympathize with him, maybe?"

Talking ain't my thing.

"You managed to talk to the Fanalis 'cub'. How is Alibaba any different?"

He wasn't.

Maybe that and the fact that it was turning out to be so hard to open her mouth was what bothered her the most. Alibaba just...was too young for her liking. Kids weren't her thing. Being tactless, brash and poignant often backfired when dealing with them. Compared to her, the people roaming the world were mere neonates, babbling nonsense and learning the ins and outs of this world. Actual children like Alibaba were ten times worse. Being so unknowledgeable made them unpredictable, and she abhorred unpredictability in matters she thought troublesome.

"He may be a kid but you know something? His eyes are very similar to yours."

His eyes?

"Yes." Chief's brief pause brought her gaze up to the boy in question. Amber eyes caught sight of her then and met hers, perplexed and pained in equal measure. "The way he looks at the world, so determined and fearful and hopeful, it truly does remind me of how you used to see the world when you were but a chick yourself."

Noé clicked her tongue, breaking eye contact with a grimace as she took up one of the cups that the girls had left and filled it to the brim with water.

Sadly, though, Chief wasn't quite done.

"You did say there was no better teacher than experience."

Guilted beyond belief, Noé threw her head back groaning all the while and startling Alibaba a bit out of his stupor. "A-Are you alright, Noé-san?"

"No, I'm not."

Amber eyes went wide at her swift declaration but before he could ask what the reason was, Noé beat him to the punch after downing the cup of water in one fell swoop. Noé leaned back against the back of the sofa they sat on and let her head lay back against the couch. Alibaba waited patiently, merely staring at his mentor as she mulled over her own inner thoughts on what to do. She truly hadn't been lying. Talking wasn't her thing. More often than not, a highly unintentional yet smartass quip would escape her mouth and with it, all semblance of sincerity would be flushed down the drain. Despite this, Chief's words and her own conscious urged her to talk to the boy—as much as she hated to admit it. Heaving one last sigh, she hit the back of her head against the chair one last time.

Here goes nothing.

"I knew I kid like you once."

His amber eyes blinked owlishly back at her. Noé gave him a sidelong glance before shoving out her cup to him. It took him a moment but Alibaba took the jug of water and served her another cup that she swiftly drank up before continuing.

"They were kind of a downer too. Weak, a loner, irremediably hopeful to a fault." She scoffed and gave him another sidelong glance, this time with a hint of a smirk on her lips. "Definitely more popular with the girls than you though."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes in response. "Thanks."

Noé shrugged her shoulders and swirled what little water was still left in her cup while staring down into it.

"They were born into a village of warriors. Men and women were treated equally there because the only thing that mattered to them was strength. Their orthodoxy was pretty simpleminded. If you were strong, you were praised and lavished. If not, you would probably not live long enough to get spit on by the others. It was as simple as it was savage."

"And that kid was born there?"

"Born and raised." When Noé took another sip of her water it suddenly tasted bitter to her. Even two more cups of it gave her the same disgusting taste. Something sweeter would be nice. Eyeing the jug closest to Alibaba, Noé took one long breath before serving herself some wine.

"Take it slow, kid," Chief reminded her. "You know how you get."

Yeah, I know.

And being mind numbingly drunk enough to forget the gritty details about this particular story was exactly the thing she needed.

Once the sweetness of grapes coated her tongue entirely, Noé continued with her story, her head lolling to one side as she leaned it against the back of the chair.

"Of course, because they were weak, the village saw them as a liability. The moment they realized the kid couldn't be trained to be as strong as the weakest of them, they decided to exile them for good. Many of them thought that it'd be best for the brat to die out in the open away from their village than inside it and bring disgrace to their family."

"That's harsh," Alibaba commented.

"That ain't even the worst of it." She scoffed, gesturing at him with her cup of wine. "That village, aside from their savage traditions, had others, including the one were they pitted kids around your—nah, younger—maybe little princas' age to the death in order to choose their new leader."

Alibaba's face paled.

"Kids fighting to the death?"

"Yep." Noticing her voice had gone a tad bit loud, Noé chuckled at her carelessness before leaning forth and pouring herself another full cup of wine. "Around the time that deathmatch came, though, they were all shocked beyond belief to find that the brat they exiled had returned and demanded to participate in the fight."

"Why?"

"Remember, these were simpleminded people. The only way to be accepted was through show of power. I suppose the kid thought that if they showed the villagers that outcasted them that they could, in fact, be strong enough to survive, then they wouldn't be exiled anymore. They would finally have a place to belong." Noé jeered, that thought making her down her cup. "Most idiotic thought they had if you ask me."

"And did the village let the kid participate?"

"They couldn't really refuse." Leaning to the side, Noé rested her chin on her open palm as she set her eyes on Alibaba's perplexed expression. "Again, simpleminded. And that often means that they tend to follow their rules very diligently. Because the kid was technically a part of their lineage, they couldn't deny the request. So the kid got their wish; they got a chance to prove themselves worthy of the village's acceptance."

Suddenly those amber eyes that had been so attentive to her story thus far became sullen. His hands lowered as the sentiment caught him in the middle of a sip of his own drink and turned him pensive.

"I'm guessing...the child died then."

"They actually won."

He faltered from the surprise, his cup tipping over a little out of his grasp. Luckily, Noé still had enough agility still intact to catch the cup in her own hands before quickly bringing it up to her mouth to down the wine while Alibaba settled his awe.

"Y-You mean that the weakest one won against all the others?"

"Exactly." Alibaba watched her intently for a moment before his gaze and mind got lost in his own thoughts. Wanting to add some extra fodder to that barely lit ember that ignited in his mind, Noé decided to wrap her story there neatly. "So you see, you're not the first one I've seen struggle and succeed in doing something that many others innately could. Though it's up for debate whether it can surpass it, hard work can definitely stand on par with talent, Alibaba. Of that, I can assure you."

That sullen look that he had the whole day slowly disappeared as her words sunk in. But it wasn't until a quiet moment passed them amongst the cacophony of the brothel, that a calm, reassuring smile played at the edges of his lips.

Noé couldn't help the corner of her own quirk up at the sight of his heartened smile.

"You're not going to tell him...how that story ends?"

Of course, count on Chief to ruin a moment. Noé downed what was left of her cup before shaking her head to herself and Chief.

I mean to cheer him up.

And the end of the story was anything but happy.

It was time to forget for the night though so she did exactly just that as she poured herself and Alibaba a couple of cups before bringing the boy in for a toast.

"So you see? There is no doubt in this old heart of mine that you'll manage to djinn equip!"

Chuckling along with her, Alibaba felt better enough to join her in her drinking as the two spent the next couple hours enjoying quality time as teacher and student. What a shame that Noé would most certainly forget all that occurred during the night by the next morning.

---

|i.|

His head rolled. Just like the eleven before him had.

Noélia stared wide-eyed and incredulous as it fell to the floor and rolled to a stop. Vacant eyes looked back at her when it did, eyes the color of the earth beneath lackluster and wide as his last expression. His matted hair, a color oh so similar to hers, stuck to his face from all the sweat and blood. Blood that marred the steeled feathers of her right wing. His knees struck the ground beneath him with force seconds before his whole body fell limply to one side, littering the battleground with one more body.

Her chest rose and fell brusquely, her lungs struggling to grasp even a breath of air after her arduous task. All the others who participated in the conclave—all eleven of them now laid dead amidst the cage that would throne them. Most died by each other's hands. A handful by her own. But in the end the only one that remained standing was her.

I won.

Joy burst through her like never before at the thought. She won the conclave. And she knew what that meant. Auntie Theone had beaten into her countless of times what hung on her winning the conclave. Recognition, acceptance—

A place to belong.

Noé's ears threatened to burst from the deafening pumping of her own heart but she willed it to nothing before lifting her head to meet the battle's spectators, but the moment she met their gazes, her grand smile faltered into a worried grimace. They all looked on incredulously at the sight before them, their cheers long gone.

"Noélia has won."

Her smile returned at the sound of her aunt's voice. Noélia spun about and ran to her aunt's side, clinging to her skirts. She glanced up to meet her gaze but she was only concerned with another, the current vedlys of their people. Grand and terrifying in her throne, Andromalius looked down upon their conclave's winner, eyes sharp as a hawk narrowed upon Noélia as she cowered at the sudden chill that ran down her spine.

How gelid those sunset colored eyes seemed.

"By law, she is our vedlys," her aunt continued. Noélia couldn't take her eyes away from Andromalius though. Neither could she. "And I shall rule beside her until she comes of age."

"Blasphemy!"

A chorus of denials rung after the one shriek shot through the air, grief tainting it to its core. Noélia tore her gaze away from their chieftain to the source of that voice and found a woman of their tribe. Emerald eyes widened at the sight of her. The woman held onto the headless body of the boy she killed last, cradling him close like a mother would. But that wasn't what caught her attention most. What did were her features. Hair the color of an auburn sunset, dark skin as if kissed by the sun itself, and feathers the color of burning embers tinted gold.

She looked like her Aunt Theone.

She looked like the headless boy.

She looks like me.

What Noélia would think of as gorgeous features lost their beauty as the woman snarled at her before turning to her aunt and their chieftain.

"That abomination never should have been allowed to participate in the conclave!"

Arguments sprung forth then as the whispers of the onlookers grew louder and louder.

"She is one of us."

"But look at her. That thing is more human than Vastagian!"

"It's an abomination."

"That thing cannot be our vedlys!" The first woman called, holding onto her son tighter as angry tears poured down her reddened face. "It's a disgrace to us! She will only lead us all to misfortune!"

"It can't be allowed!"

"It can't happen!"

"Kill it!"

"Kill it!"

"Kill it!"

Confusion struck her at the sudden turn of events. She couldn't understand what was happening. Her aunt told her that if she won, they would accept her. She would be one of them. So then, why…? Instinctively, Noélia pulled down on her long feathery ears to shield herself from their murmurs but it was useless. They were too loud.

But the sudden silence that overcame the crowd took her attention again. When she noticed them all looking forward, Noélia did the same only to find that it had been Andromalius' raised hand that had quieted their arguments. Her large emerald eyes looked onward hopefully. Those sharp, sunset eyes gazed down on her with scrutiny.

Perhaps...their chieftain would see reason.

"Theophania speaks with reason. We cannot allow her to come to power." All hope that her heart had harbored sank to her stomach. Those sunset eyes fell somber then, almost as if it pained her to say the words she spoke. Almost. "A stain in our lineage cannot be allowed to continue."

No. Unwilling to believe it, Noélia clung even tighter to her aunt's skirts like the child she was as tears sprang to her eyes.

"But I won, Auntie! So why? Didn't I do a good job? Isn't this what I was supposed to do? Auntie, please, tell me. Tell me why—" Pain bloomed on her cheek when Theone struck her. Noélia let go instantly, her hands coming up to hold her stinging cheek not only from the hit but from the cut of one of her steeled feathers. Stepping back slowly, her eyes widened in confusion, horror and fear at the sight of Theone's disgusted scowl.

"Theophania was right. I should've never taken you in. Useless," she spat. "Nothing but a waste of my time."

...what?

"Take the child," Andromalius commanded them. "We will ordain her execution in the morrow."

Execution?

Panic rose in her at those words. It rushed through Noélia's veins and urged her to run. So she did. Slashing and killing anybody who came close to her, she forced her way out of the mob and ran, ran, ran. Even when she heard those chasing after her coming closer, she kept running and didn't stop. Not until the clan was but a speck behind her and those hunting her had lost her.

She ran until she could no longer hear their cries claiming for her life.

But death was a relentless pursuer. Specially with revenge by her side.

Steeled feathers struck not far from where she had intended to flee and stopped her in her tracks. Turning back, Noélia found the woman from before chasing after her alone just in time to catch sight of another set of feathers flying towards her. Though she avoided most, she couldn't avoid the ones that struck one of her shoulders very dangerously close to her heart. Finding a nearby cavern, Noélia sunk into it and made her way through. The space was tight but it was beneficial for her. It would be too tight for any full groan Vastago. But with her small stature it was something doable even with her injured arm.

It was as she tried squeezing herself through the rocky passage that would get her across to the neighboring territories that pain struck her. It ran along her back as a hand forcefully yanked her out by her wing only to slam her against the walls of the cavern. Emerald eyes, wide with panic and terror, stared into the dark glare of the woman from before.

Theophania's feathers steeled behind her, her wings raising menacingly as her nostrils flared. She brandished her arm, her wing rising and steeling into deadly blades ready to take her life. Noélia scrambled out of their trajectory but as injured and exhausted as she was, there was little she could do to fight back. Stepping closer, Theophania laid her talon on the wound, stepping firmly down to push her against the ground and wrenching a cry from Noélia.

"You will pay for my killing my son." Theophania pressed her talon down harder, her claws sinking in Noélia's skin now. "I was foolish not to have killed you the instant you came out of my womb."

Womb…

Noélia's tears sprung at her suspicions being confirmed. Tears both of sadness and confusion.

"...but..." Her words came out rushed and pained as she struggled to breathe through the pain. "...w-why…?"

Eyes the color of the earth—so vibrant and cold—narrowed.

"You were born."

Aiming for her throat, Theophania let her feathers fly. Noélia reacted on reflex, her hands grasping at her own useless wing and brandishing it out as cover. Steel met steel and her feathers bounced off like twigs. Theophania covered her face from the ricochet but couldn't protect herself in time from the rest. It was then that Noélia saw her chance to strike. Without hesitation, without remorse, she did just that.

Brandishing her limp wing outwards, steel feathers flew like arrows in a large enough radius to strike Theophania. Having her at her mercy, Noélia rushed forward holding one of her larger feathers like a blade and stabbed her right through her stomach, pushing her back despite the pain that bombarded her injured shoulder until her steeled feather pierced into the cavern's wall.

Noélia stepped back once she realized that she had impaled her and watched from afar while holding onto her injured shoulder as Theophania writhed in pain, bleeding out not only from her abdomen but from the hundreds of smaller feathers that had struck her. Finally, after a second of bloodied curses, her body went limp, her hands falling to her sides.

Tears poured down her face as she approached Theophania's lifeless body. With trembling hands, she reached out for her hand—still warm—and pressed the palm of it against her cheek, burning into her memory and imagining what exactly it would've been for such hand to caress her gently and with love.

...I'm sorry...

Wiping her tears away, Noélia stepped away from the body and meant to take it down from its impalement when voices carried into the cavern. "This way! I think I heard Theophania's voice coming from here!" Fearful, she gave Theophania's body one last glance before slipping away through the cavern's walls, and leaving everything she knew behind.

---

|ii.|

"Noé-san. Noé-san, please wake up."

A grumble escaped her, if because of the nightmare she was having or from being disturbed from her slumber, it was hard to tell. But once Noé opened her bleary eyes, her blurry vision centered on the golden head that peaked out of the darkness along with amber eyes that stared at her. When Alibaba's form finally became visible enough, he smiled before gesturing out into the night.

"We're almost there."

Groggily, Noé followed him out of their carriage to verify what he said. Indeed they were here. Noé clung to the side of the carriage by the outside of it for a better view ahead while Alibaba peeked through the front himself. Not far away from the trail they followed and amidst a grand prairie, Noé could see the edges of temple ruins basked in the light of the moon.

Finally.

"Are you alright?" She heard Alibaba ask her while she rubbed at her eyes. "You seem exhausted."

"I'm fine," she grumbled. "Hungover is all."

Alibaba chuckled despite not liking the idea of having to deal with the aftermath of their late drinking last night. But he supposed this was better than having her completely unconscious. Especially for what they were going into. Noé had barged into his quarters at the colosseum at the break of dawn to haul him out of his bed saying that she needed him for a certain mission. What it was, he didn't have the leisure of asking until they were well on their way into the mountains with a carriage full of priestesses following behind theirs.

Barging him out of his train of thought as well, Noé landed back into their carriage before pointing back at the other one following them. "I'll go tell them and check on the girls while I'm at it."

"Sure."

Flashing out of the carriage and onto the roof of the other, Noé stumbled a bit on the landing and took a knee to settle herself.

"You alright there, kid?"

Peachy.

Alcohol was the bane of her existence. Noé would never understand why, when she knew she couldn't handle it, she would still drown herself in liquor. Aside from leaving her utterly stupid the morning after—she didn't even know how the hell she got to bed—it somewhat interfered with her powers as well. And she simply abhorred that last part. But she paid the price for cheering the exiled prince up, she supposed. Besides, last night hadn't been so bad. Most of the times she just slept her stupidity away. And she would've done exactly that had she not been conveniently reminded about the favor she owed Muu.

"Had you perhaps listened to the boy, you might've heard that he had wanted for your services today."

"He should've explained faster."

Had Muu done so, no way would Noé had touched a drop of wine. She would've been fully abled for this damn escort mission that he had wanted for her to do. Speaking of which… Climbing down the roof carefully, she knocked on the carriage door seconds before the small window opened letting her meet with seafoam-colored eyes.

Seraphina sighed in relief at the sight of her, "Miss Noé."

"Hey, how're you girls holding up?" Seraphina stepped aside and gave her a peek of the other Regalis that accompanied her. Though a handful, they had been quite passive during the whole voyage that had taken them most of the day up the mountain range.

"Anxious but, aside from that, alright."

"That's good. Don't worry, this'll end soon enough. We should get there in time for you girls to prep before midnight."

"That's a relief to hear."

Seraphina turned back to her companions for a brief instant before opening the door to let her in. Though the others frowned at her actions, Noé ignored them and sat at the edge of the door, her feet just inches away from the road they traveled. Seraphina knelt close enough from inside of the carriage to be near her as they both stared out at the night sky passing by above them.

According to what Muu told her that morning—quite skittishly I might add—her escorting the Regalus was more of a religious pilgrimage than anything. The ruins that they were headed to, Noé knew somewhat well. It had been a well built temple once. One that stood proudly some time ago over the land that would eventually become Reim. It had housed priestesses and priests that venerated the goddess that Reim would eventually come to revere as well. Noé supposed that its long standing history with said goddess and religion was what made it the place where the young priestesses that Scheherazade harbored would go to be baptised into their higher ranks. Ranks that would serve the magi well in the future, she was sure.

"So you girls finally becoming Regalias, huh?"

"Only I am, actually."

Noé's brow furrowed at the reply and gave Seraphina a sidelong glance. "What about the others?" Seraphina only gave them a brief glance before turning back to her.

"New recruits. Scheherazade-sama saw fit to allow new Regalis in, which, for those of us who had already been in her care for awhile now, meant a choice needed to be made. We could either make the pilgrimage to Regia's temple and become full-fledged Regalias or be relieved of our services."

"And your fellow Regalus chose to leave?"

Seraphina shrugged her shoulders, almost as if her fellow priestesses' desertion didn't bother her one bit.

"Some of the others had families of their own way before they entered into their services. They rarely saw their families during the long years they spent with us. It seems to me that they made the choice their hearts told them to."

"What about you?" Noé asked, somewhat curious. "You have family too, don't you?"

"I am happy knowing that father is in good health. He was seldom in my life with how busy he was, so missing him isn't an issue. The few people that I hold dear, I already see on a day-to-day basis because of their nearness to Scheherazade-sama. So despite everything, I don't see a reason to leave the priesthood."

"Sounds boring," Noé quipped. "Serving Hera-chan isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

"Perhaps not, but it'll allow me to help those dear to me in the future."

"Let me guess, the little cub?"

Seraphina's pale cheeks flushed when she remembered who exactly Noé was accustomed to calling a cub. "Partially. Though I'm sure Muu will do just fine considering he has the powers of a djinn."

"You and the cub close?"

"We've known each other since we were young. We met when he entered the Alexius family and shortly after I became a Regalis." Seraphina played with the ends of her platinum hair to distract herself. "He's a dear friend."

"And that's all?" Noé pried with a chuckle.

"Yes. He's always been a good friend who encouraged me through my time as a Regalis. I appreciate him for that very much, but it's not like you insinuate, Miss Noé. I don't think I could possibly see Muu in such a way."

That she answered so assuredly was something Noé hadn't expected. Like any other babbling fool that seemed to be in love, she expected her to stutter or blush even harder but Seraphina did neither of those things. Instead, she sounded sure of her words. Muu really only seemed to be a dear friend to the little priestess.

"Some people cherish their loved ones equally."

Doubtful.

Noé sensed it—she practically smelled it. There had to be another reason why the little Regalis was so adamant on not only becoming a Regalia but also in becoming a stronger magician as a whole. No one just rose above all others with no intention to use that power for something.

"Who else you trying to impress then?"

At her prying further, Seraphina chuckled, her fingers messily braiding the strands of hair she held nervously before saying, "Someone I admire very, very much."

Before she could ask who, they both turned to the horses' neighing and to the carriage ahead of theirs when it suddenly stopped. Noé quickly excused herself and flashed without warning to Alibaba's side which ended up being behind a boulder up on a hill not far from the ruins.

"What's the hitch?"

The blonde only flinched for a second before calming down and staring straight ahead and guiding her own gaze towards the entrance of the ruins. "Those things guarding the entrance."

It took but a glance for Noé to realize what they were.

"Noé."

I know.

Dark djinn. Not only that but they were also infected by the looks of things. And here she thought she'd seen the last of them back in Zagan's dungeon.

"Are those...dark djinn?"

Noé gave him a sidelong glance before returning it to the monsters blocking their way to the temple. "They are."

"I thought as much." His knuckles whitened at the tight grip he took of his short blade. "But compared to the ones we fought at Zagan's dungeon, or even the one Aladdin, Morgianna and I fought in Balbadd, these seem...different somehow."

"You're not wrong." It didn't take long for her to explain, mostly because her own information was limited. All she knew was that they were an amalgamation of dark rukh infected by something that wasn't of this world. Something that made them dangerous and unpredictable.

"What are those kind of dark djinn doing here?"

I can gander a guess.

Noé held tightly to her shoulder just where the black spot marred her skin. It wasn't a certainty yet. Though she had had her suspicions before, there had yet to be anything concrete corroborating her idea. But after Maladh, Zagan's dungeon and now here—all these happenstances were occurring too often not to be ordained by something...or someone. And here she thought this excursion would be peaceful.

"Could the cub have sent you here purposefully knowing this?"

I doubt it.

Muu hadn't mentioned any disturbances in the northern mountains. He claimed that the only reason he was asking for her to accompany Seraphina and the other Regalus was because he couldn't, tied with unexpected circumstances as he was. Besides, had he lied, she would've noticed. Noé didn't know how it was humanly possible, but the cub was the worst liar she had ever met. So this outcome was quite unexpected, indeed. All of that, though, had to remain on the back of her mind. What mattered right at the moment was clearing the ruins for the Regalus to safely do their business.

"Alibaba, I'm going to flash us in. Have my back while I deal with them."

"B-But I can't djinn equip yet!?"

"Your weapon equip will have to do!" she bellowed seconds before snatching him by the scruff of his clothes and flashing both of them in sight of the dark djinns.

Noé took a long hefty breath to settle herself after flashing another person with her and quickly inspected the scene before her. Three rodent-like djinn stood in their way, their claws and fangs oozing with that same bright blue substance she was more than accustomed to seeing on these dark djinn. Unlike normal rodents, multiple eyes were plastered on their faces, razor-sharp set of teeth snarling back at them a moment before all three charged at them.

Pushing Alibaba to the side, Noé made sure to attract their attention with the bright flash of her bow manifesting in her hand. Knocking back an arrow, the string in her fingers glistened for a second before she released it. The arrow struck loudly into the skull of the one of the rampaging djinn, and though it stopped one in its tracks, the other raged forward towards her.

Not losing a second, Noé jumped out of the way before rearranging her posture and sending three more arrows flying at this one. It screeched loudly but when it didn't disappear nor stop completely in its tracks, Noé readied another arrow. Just when she was about to let go of it though, a strange pounding struck her shoulder. She growled at the sudden pain that ran along her arm that was strong enough to deviate her aim.

The djinn didn't mind it nor halted its charge. Before Noé had the mind to flash, it reached her—only to be stopped short and thrown aside by the flaming blade of Alibaba's djinn weapon equip. Amber eyes fleeting across her to check for wounds, he hurried to her side as she rose to her feet.

"Miss Noé, are you alright?"

Noé didn't answer simply because she didn't know herself. Nothing hurt now; the pain had come and gone like it had been nothing. But the way it pierced her and ran down her body felt like nothing she had ever felt before. It was too akin to hands encircling her shoulders until they wrapped tightly around her neck. It's grip cold, possessive. Truly nerve-wracking beyond belief. Before the sensation could last long though, the distinctive sound of teeth gnawing on bone caught her attention. Both she and Alibaba turned to face the gruesome sight that neither had expected to see.

"Are...are they—"

"They're…"

They're eating one another.

The djinn she had incapacitated with her arrows lay motionless now, twitching only every so often as the sharpened teeth of the other dark almagamate bit into its body. A terrifying shriek escaped the djinn with each bite, each time getting quieter and quieter until nothing but silence took its place. The cannibalizing djinn, on the other hand, grew before their very eyes, its already large body growing to grotesque proportions. Soon it lost any animalistic semblance it used to have. Fangs became jagged. Black fur stood on edge, sharp as darkened blades. The myriad of eyes it had now tinged a vibrant red as they all focused on them, making the feathers behind her ear bristle and steel.

Noé took no chances. Shooting a light arrow before it could move, the projectile burst into an array of light that managed to stun it. She took her chance then to flash Alibaba out of the way before returning to catch the djinn's attention.

"Miss Noé!"

"Stay back, kid!" Noé fully intended to djinn equip but when Chief refused to follow orders, she finally snapped back at her. "Why the hell aren't you allowing it?!"

"You've flashed too many times!" Chief shouted just as fiercely in her head, her voice echoing painfully against her skull. "Not to mention it's only moonlight out. You can't regain your lost magoi quickly enough. You'd be risking your life if you equip me as you are now."

Noé was quickly losing her patience. "What about my bow?" she asked between gritted teeth

"Your arrows will be limited."

The djinn, finally snapping out of its stupor and growling at her, readied its charge.

"How many, Andromalius!?"

"Five."

You've gotta be—

It charged.

Noé tumbled out of the way but cried out in pain when the rodent somehow bit into one of her arms and lunged her into the side of the mountain. Spitting out what surely was blood, Noé focused on the incoming attack instead, knocking back an arrow and shooting it straight at its eyes. The rodent however wasn't the least bit taken aback, instead prying its jaw open and breaking the incoming arrow with its strong jaws.

"For fuck's sake!"

Instinctively, she flashed out of the way but doing so greatly deplenished her already low resources of magoi. Noé stumbled out of the way just in time for Alibaba to jump in and parry away the next charge from the gigantic rat. The rotten smell of it burning shocked Noé to her core but at the same time, giddiness filled her at finally finding a way to kill it.

Fire's the answer.

"Even if it is, his blade alone isn't strong enough," Chief warned her, "And you're weakened too much as it is. Without a source of magoi, you won't stand long enough to help him."

It wasn't something she wanted to admit but it was getting harder not to. By the second, her vision was becoming blurrier and her balance faltered more and more. Noé thought she would fall for sure and almost did before a couple of dainty arms shakily held her as upward as they could. Emerald eyes widened the moment she spotted the platinum head and seafoam eyes that blinked back at her.

"Sera?! What're you—"

Seraphina groaned under Noé's weight but managed to hold upright long enough to say her piece. "No time to ask." Gently, the little priestess lowered her to a seat before she motioned for the rest of the Regalus to come forth. Noé watched mesmerized as, with their wands held aloft, they pointed at her as small spheres of light began to form at the ends of them. All at once, a tender warmth filled her lungs with air in a single breath.

"Light magic."

"How did you know?" Noé asked Seraphina.

The little priestess didn't reply. At least not until after she summoned her own light sphere, one larger than the others, and let it rest closest to Noé. A smile so genuine and soft came to Seraphina's lips as she lifted her gaze to face her.

"Muu once told me how you Metal Vessel users can restore your magoi from the right sources of magic. And knowing Miss Noé's is light magic, well, I thought to make us useful somehow."

Noé had no time to thank them. Seafoam green eyes widened when she lifted her gaze behind her and the Regalus screamed in terror. Noé reacted faster than she thought at seeing the black djinn lunge at them and wrapped her arms around Seraphina to brace for the impact.

But it didn't come.

No pain from it came either. The only thing she felt was the searing pain of heat brushing against her skin protectively. When she dare open them, emerald eyes gawked amazed at the bright flames that enveloped Alibaba now as he held the rodent at bay. Gallant and formidable flames engulfed him for a split second before bursting out and sending a heatwave all around them. The girls behind her squealed and hid from the heat, Seraphina held tighter to Noé while hiding her face from the blaze, but Noé stared right into the fires.

And what was left behind.

"That's…"

Noé's lips split into a grand smirk at what she saw standing before them, protecting them.

"Alibaba's djinn equip!"

Amber eyes with fire spiraling in them turned to her both amazed and determined to keep the djinn at bay. "Noé-san, get back!"

No matter how much she wanted to, it was impossible to do as he asked. Thankfully, Seraphina had the mindfulness to shield them with her borg before Alibaba burst out with his flames to push the djinn back with him. The priestess returned to their task of replenishing her magoi at Seraphina's call, but Noé was too preoccupied watching the ensuing fight to care much. Instead she took note of how powerful Amon's flames truly were. They seemed to melt right through the djinn's armor...or so it seemed. But the more she stared, the more she realized that despite it being powerful, it wasn't as strong as it could be. Alibaba had just pulled his djinn equip out of his sleeve to protect them, yes, but it was like a newborn deer trying to walk.

It won't pierce through that thing without precision.

"And you are nothing but the sharpest shooter there is."

Before she or the other priestesses could finish, Noé held onto Seraphina's hand which held her wand and lowered it away from her. Seraphina's brow furrowed, perplexed as to why she would stop her but stopped short at the sight of Noé's cheeky grin.

"Thanks, Sera. I think this'll be more than enough."

Chief?

"It most certainly is for the one shot you need."

One she had never in her life missed.

"Alibaba!" The blonde sent the djinn back one last time before rushing back to Noé's side as Seraphina aided her to her feet.

"Noé-san, you shouldn't move!"

"I'm not important right now." She pointed back at the dark djinn that hit itself against the mountainside to extinguish Amon's flames. "Defeating that thing is."

"It's armor is too tough," Alibaba said, his hold on his black broadsword tightening to a ghastly color. "I'll need time to pierce through it."

"You'll run out of magoi before you even make a dent with those flashy moves of yours." Before he could protest, Noé materialized her bow again and took a step away from the little priestess. "But if we condense your fire into one attack, it should do the trick."

"Condense…" The moment Alibaba saw her knock back her one arrow, kneeling to get better aim at their target, his chest filled with pride at her suggestion. Focusing all of his magoi on this next attack, he let the flames engulf his blade and took his characteristic stance, awaiting dutifully Noé's call.

Noé ignored her surroundings for the brevity of her aiming. What seemed an eternity was but a blink of an eye as she focused on her target. The black djinn, too high-strung to care anymore, rushed towards them not caring for the heat of the flames that now surrounded the two of them as Noé aimed.

"Wait."

Chief's voice echoed in her lightheadedness but Noé focused on it to keep herself leveled. When everything else failed she was always a sure anchor. Now wasn't any different.

"Breathe."

Taking a deep breath, her chest swelled and her feathers bristled with her focus. Beside her Alibaba's foot inched forward as if sensing her é could only grin proudly at his instincts.

Release.

"Now!"

Her arrow flew and hellfires shot followed after it. Amon's flames twirled around her arrow as it traveled, spiraling into a flurry of flames before piercing cleanly through the black djinn. The amalgamate burst into flames on impact, dark masses of its body hitting the floor loudly before vanishing into the rukh it came from.

Both she and Alibaba plopped back to a seat as the last of the rukh disappeared and silence came over the plain. It wasn't until Noé's rambunctious cackling filled the air and she pulled Alibaba down by his neck with a lock of her arm that the tension dispelled itself from their minds. The Regalus breathed an air of relief and rushed to Noé's and Alibaba's side to thank them for protecting them.

Though sheepish about it, Alibaba graciously accepted their gratitude. Noé brushed it off herself but praised her little apprentice with a ruffle of his head.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind anymore: Aladdin had chosen quite the King's Candidate.

---

|iii.|

The veil of night passed over the prairies that surrounded the ruins along with their encampment and covered them with its tenuousness. Without the moonlight present, the fields appeared much more dangerous. No one knew what lurked in the shadows where no light shone. No one knew unless they trekked those shadows blindly.

Seraphina had always been the intrepid one.

The young priestess, having walked away from their encampment towards the ruins of Regia's temple, now sat atop one of the broken pillars inside said ruins. This would be the sight of her rebirth in the morrow—the day that she would become a Regalia and serve at their magi's side.

Tonight it would serve for a different purpose.

With a mild tilt of her head and without uttering a word, Seraphina observed from afar as small creatures surged from the shadows and scurried about the overgrown greenery inside the temple. Tiny shadows trailed behind the creatures as they moved along, their beady blue eyes scanning their surroundings before settling together in the center of what Seraphina supposed would have been the room. Carefully she stood, her bare feet touching blades of grass and not minding the creatures that brushed against her legs as they hurried along. Once at its center, Seraphina knelt down parting the sea of dark creatures as they gave way for her. Amongst them, intact, bloomed a patch of flowers. Beautiful, pale and unnoticeable. Seraphina's fingers reached out and with the stem of the flower in between her fingers snapped it.

The creatures remained unstirred.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Her dainty voice rose quietly in the air but didn't leave the enclosure of the ruins even in the quiet of the night. Snap, another stem broke under the pressure, its bloom adding to her growing, pale bouquet. The creatures didn't move, simply stared wide-eyed as she continued her whim. "Like a timeless piece of art. Ever as exquisite and elegant, yet powerful and passionate all the same. I see why master chose her as a proxy."

Her demure and tranquil expression took a sudden turn at a passing thought making a sullen frown appear in its place. Snap. The creatures finally reacted as if sensing her sudden despondency and approached her. In the faint starlight, the creatures took their form. Harmless mice with bright blue eyes pawed at her hands as they stilled before breaking another flower's stem. Their tiny whiskers flickered back and forth, squeaking softly to get her attention.

"Your will is no less noteworthy. On the contrary. Unlike her, you chose me."

All traces of melancholy disappeared at the reminder. Yes, she had chosen her. And unlike the others, unlike even Rakah himself, Seraphina had done so willingly because she had seen the magnificence that their master was. Briefly, and in a moment of near death, but she had seen her. And how divine the sight had been. Such a fearsome being…

And yet so fragile.

Just like her.

Her lips curved upwards into a smile as she broke another flower with a clear snap. This one, so different from the rest-such a vibrant crimson-she brought closer to her wishing to smell its scent. Everything here reminded Seraphina of her.

Such delicacy, such unnatural beauty.

"But all beauty fades."

"What a shame."

The fresh bloom in her hand suddenly withered. All others in her hand and surrounding her withered just like it and the mice, seeing the blooms' demise and their opportunity, took action and ate away. Seraphina, mesmerized by her pets, watched as they tidied her of the ugliness that surrounded her for a few moments before asking.

"Will she be mine, master, once we accomplish our goal?"

"All yours to do with as you wish."

"I wonder just what kind of work of art she will make?" A wicked chuckle came to her at such thoughts and without hesitation, she crushed the withered flower in her hand turning it to nothing but black dust. "Regardless, of one thing I am absolutely certain."

She will be my most precious masterpiece yet.

---

A/N:

CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE MY LAST UPLOAD! The semester was super hard with everything that was thrown my way. And though I flopped a couple of tests, I passed with great scores all of my subjects! So there's that to celebrate~ But aside from that, now that the semester is over, I can finally focus a little more in so many things that I've been neglecting like enjoying my free time, my family, and of course writing!

When I started writing this chapter, I noticed that I already had a few pieces of it so I only added things from there. Then I realized that the big scene I wrote didn't really fit the chapter, so I shelved that scene for later and instead wrote a completely different chapter than planned! Not completely, but most of it was ad lib. This was mostly to showcase Noé's relationship with Alibaba so I hope that came across fine.

Before I say goodbye to ya'll, I want to leave this little snippet that I had originally written for this chapter. It didn't really fit because of the tone so I thought about shelving it but when I kept reading it, I kept thinking 'this has to be in the chapter somehow'. Hence how it became a little extra. Enjoy this tiny bit of Noé's drunken ass but dumb and rather...enticing.

---

|ii.| Extra: Drunken Mishap

Born as a Fanalis and raised as a soldier and noble, Muu had seen only a few things during his life that shattered his sense of reality. The first time he killed someone on the battlefield, when he and his sister had been presented to the court of nobles as legitimate children of the Alexius family, the day he crossed the Great Rift were the big three he always kept in mind.

He certainly never thought that a stumbling Noé would be added to that list. A woman that he often found collected and in control of every tiny movement and word she made and said wasn't someone he pegged as a lightweight. But by the smell that clung so heavily to her, Muu could pretty much assume where she was returning from as she staggered her way through the empty halls of the Alexius palace in the middle of the night whilst giggling to herself every so often.

Blinking away the last of his amazement, Muu shook his head lightly as he chuckled to himself and made his way to her.

"Is everything alright, Miss Noé?"

Noé stopped almost too abruptly at the sound of her name like a blind predator caught off guard by the sound of its prey. Her head snapped upward and it was only then that Muu noticed her auburn tresses freely flowing about her, and the tie she used on it around one of her wrists. The only thing that held it back and let him see her flushed face was the small diadem atop her head. Her emerald eyes went wide at the sight of him and, with a loud squeal, she flashed to him without warning. Caught off guard, Muu could do nothing other than catch her when she tripped out of her flash while cackling like an utter idiot.

"Good catch, cub!"

"Miss N-Noé," Muu tried to speak while also trying his best not to let her face down either, "Did you go out and drink too much?"

Suddenly she stopped her fumbling, a split second laying limp in his arms before turning upward with an obviously peeved expression before crying out, "Shuddap! So what if I did? Ya tryin' to tell me I'm a lightweight?"

"Of course not." Though you clearly and most definitely are.

"Ha!" Muu flinched instinctively at the slim finger that pressed back his nose a little too hard. "Joke's on you, cub, 'cause I know I totally am! But who cares when it was all for a good cause!"

Muu tried really hard not to groan his frustration out. One, because he had the suspicion that if he even remotely showed his mounting annoyance, Noé would surely antagonize him for it. The other was because a small part of him was actually kind of amused by this side of her that, frankly, he didn't know existed. It resembled the carefree attitude she usually had, though something was greatly different now. The usual hardrock, invisible wall that she seemed to always hold up around everyone—himself and the other Fanalis included—was nowhere to be found. Muu sensed nothing remotely close to the guardedness Noé usually kept about herself, nor any trace of that faux smile she often used. Surprisingly and rather refreshingly, the drunk, goofy grin she gave him now was the most sincere he'd ever seen from her.

And he supposed that was the one small blessing in disguise.

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

Noé didn't complain further than a short grumble. Didn't even stop him or struggle against him when he bent a bit forward to accommodate her arm around his shoulders. As he adjusted her weight he found it strange how the one side he was helping to carry seem to weigh so much heavier than the other side he was holding up with his other hand. Then again, maybe he was just imagining it. There wasn't much time to think about such trivial things though when she suddenly started whining about wanting to go to sleep. Not one to antagonize a drunk, much less one as powerful and dangerous as her, Muu started making his way to her quarters while practically carrying her a few inches off the floor to speed the process along. Thankfully, her room wasn't far away from the entrance of the palace and that brought him to her bedroom quickly enough.

Sitting her down on the edge of the bed, Muu wondered whether to leave her as she was and simply let her sleep her inebriation off but cringed and thought better of leaving her on her own when he watched her struggle for a couple of minutes straight to remove her sandals.

"Here," he offered, kneeling before her and taking her foot away from her trembling hands, "let me help."

"I can do it m'self," she countered. He greatly doubted that.

"I believe you." Obvious lie. But better a placated drunk than an angry one. It wasn't long before he undid the first sandal and deftly removed it from her dainty foot. "But allow me. That way we'll get you to bed sooner."

"You want to get me in bed?"

"Yes, so if you could please cooperate, Miss Noé." Finally undoing the last lace of her remaining sandal, Muu was about to remove it as well when he realized that she was taking it off herself. Just when he was standing up to tuck her in for good, he stopped dead in his tracks in utter shock when she suddenly pushed him back with her barefoot on his robbed chest.

Crimson eyes blinked taken completely off guard by that sudden move. Yet nothing set off more alarms in his head than the half-hooded gaze she gave him as it turned somewhat frustrated.

"M-Miss—"

"I hate how you say it."

Muu blinked again. "Say...it?"

"It's always 'Miss Noé' this and 'Miss Noé' that. I'm not 'Miss' anything. Never was, never will be. So drop it already." Her foot pressed down harder against his chest emphasizing the word.

"I don't think that would be...appropriate." It was hard trying to be civil with such an unruly drunkard.

"Screw etiquette." To his surprise, Noé turned her head to spit at the floor, making her point more than clear. "Royal blood or not, it won't matter when you die. The same worms are gonna eat you and me and everybody all the same anyway."

How brash. Not untrue though. Muu struggled to choose between his better judgement to not just abandon a lifetime of teachings and his gut that told him that it'd be a bad idea to agitate her any further than she already was. Regrettably, he wasn't given much time to think. She pushed him down again, as suddenly as the first time, before raising her foot and lifting his chin with the dorso of her foot to meet her narrowed emerald gaze.

"Say it."

Muu didn't know what compelled him to—surely something about her tone and forcefulness had to do with it. Certainly his mounting annoyance. In the end, he caved. Anything to get her to calm down already. Sighing heavily Muu looked her in the eye while he said it so that she wouldn't miss it and get even more difficult.

"...Noé."

Then it happened. Something that shook him to his core.

Noé tilted her head slightly to one side, lips parting faintly into a feral smirk while those emerald eyes bore into him, trying to devour him whole. What she said next only plunged that sensation further into him, running his blood cold and sending chills down his spine. All the while igniting something he didn't know was there alight.

"Good boy."

Ba-dump.

Muu instantly stopped himself before that innate ferocity could do anything he would regret. Oblivious to it all, Noé chuckled after returning to her goofy drunkenness in that split second and threw herself back onto the bed. Reaching out to hug the long, stuffy feather pillow, she snuggled against it all the while mumbling under her breath, "...what a good cub," before passing out.

Calming his rampaging heart, Muu rushed out of the room before anything else could happen and sprinted all the way to his own. Once safely inside, he couldn't help but sink onto his bed as he recalled the feeling that had coursed through him only seconds prior.

He didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't like anything he'd felt before. But even if he hadn't, Muu was sure that he had felt something close to it somewhere before. The colosseum. That's right. Back when he first fought beasts in the colosseum this same rush coursed through him. Back when he was a boy training and posed against bigger, larger, more ferocious beasts than himself. What he felt just now and then—it was the gaze of a predator who looked to mangle him piece by piece until there was nothing left of him.

But unlike the beasts' cold death stares, Noé's was different. Though it gave him the same feeling, it was completely distinct.

Vivid. Feral. Alive.

And starving.

Worst of all was that his instinct wasn't to cower.

No, something innate in him awakened when he took every inch of her and her words in. Something that he hadn't felt since the day he passed through the Great Rift and into the abyss that was the Dark Continent. Muu had no doubt in his mind that if he hadn't held back, he would've pounced on her. Only god knew what he would've done after.

Muu knew what this feeling was now. What made him almost act out so uncharacteristically. What made him feel suddenly so...alive.

Dominance.

"...what the hell is wrong with me?"

---

Hoo boi, Muu better watch himself 'cause Noé ain't playing around! Or at least when she's drunk, she isn't. This is totally canon btw. Just felt a bit out of place to put in the chapter, so I left it here.

I would really like to thank all of you who've been following and favoriting this story and waiting patiently for me to update. I hope that I can get another chapter out before my break ends. But in case I don't catch you before then, I hope that you all have very Happy Holidays, a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed the update and that you stay tuned for the next chapter!

- Evie