Chapter Eighteen:
Seeking Answers
|ii.|
It was understandable that after a war many wish for peace and welcome it with open arms once the war is over without a second thought.
For Noé, however, finding such peace had never had her as on edge as it did now.
A month had gone by since the battle and the subsequent 'cremation' of their high priestess. Reim appeared to have found some semblance of the aforementioned peace with some quietude added on the side after their period of mourning. It infuriated Noé that they could move on so easily but it was also understandable when taking into consideration the fact that with Titus taking the reins left by his mother, the country had something to look forward to. Not everything was utterly lost yet for them.
And though she certainly had the time to mourn her last remaining friend, Reim and its people didn't.
The world kept spinning and it wouldn't stop for any of them.
Noé frankly didn't know if such a thing was more a blessing than a curse. Sparing a glance down from her perch on a high branch at the training grounds of the Fanalis gave her some solace and room to ponder about it though.
It was astounding to think that the death of one person could shake a country to its core, breaking its foundation yet not letting the rest above it come crashing down. To Noé that was the overhanging dread that clung on and didn't let go completely. And those cracks, despite being so many, were subtle which only seem to make matters worse.
Though the Fanalis only followed Muu and the Alexius family, Scheherazade's passing had been a great loss to them. If not emotionally, certainly politically. It had been with the late magi's blessing that Muu had been able to search and free them from their enslavement despite rather vocal opposition from the government. Now, with only Titus as the feeble backbone replacing her at the moment, it was obvious that many in Reim's senate were already on the move to antagonize others against them. Overhearing those boring open senate meetings for the hell of things certainly had its perks, she supposed. It kept her ahead of the game if anything and helped inform Goldilocks of the comings and goings of those rats he had lurking on his back.
They were far from the only threat readying itself against Reim though. Noé hadn't been all that fond of Scheherazade's decision to unite Reim into a confederation with the Seven Seas Alliance before the battle at Magnostadt. Though she believed it had been done out of fear and to buy them some time, it rapidly became much more of a hindrance than a benefit with her gone. With how weak Reim was after losing its 200 plus-year-old magi, it was clear to see that out of the old triad, it was now the weakest link. And something the Sindrian king looked ready to exploit.
As things stood, this country was at a very precarious position with a threat at the ready on all sides. And so long as it was, Noé would not let this country out of her sight.
Aside from her promise to Scheherazade to look after her son, she had to admit that there was this underlying attachment that she'd grown for this country. Mostly for its people, and even then for a very select handful of them. And for now that was enough of a reason for her to stay. At least until the Summit Meeting came around in a couple of months.
A breeze passed through the small canopy she laid beneath and gently swayed the mossy green leaves back and forth above her. It blew loose strands of auburn hair across her face which she let be as her feathers swayed along, both the ones behind her ear and on her back wing. Enjoying the warmth running across both, Noé didn't bother with either. What's more, the warmth from the few rays of sunshine that spilled through coaxed her to relax and stray away from the dreadful thoughts that had been endlessly plaguing her mind.
No use breaking my head over things I don't understand.
Taking her own advice, Noé slid a bit down the tree trunk and let herself lay back further as one of her legs idly fell over the edge left to dangle from there.
"For once, I'm glad you're taking advantage of this temporary respite to actually rest."
"Me too." Noé scoffed as she reached over her back to wrap her wing over her face and torso for some semblance of privacy out in the open. "We've sorely been in need of a vacation."
Chief could only huff at the understatement with mild amusement.
"Miss Noé!"
Well, that lasted a good few seconds.
Peeking through the feathers of her wing turned out unnecessary though. The moment she spotted the familiar oceanic eyes of a certain Heliohaptian, her whole demeanor took a turn. Languidly, Noé let her wing fall back behind and over the branch, letting it dangle along with her leg as she waved at Maahes who waved back enthusiastically with a smile.
"Hey, Maa. Fancy seeing you here." The times were rare when she didn't catch him in his workshop working away on one thing or another. Truly, the kid was an inventor through and through. "What brings you around?"
The young man did his best to calm the crowd of Fanalis cubs that gathered when they noticed his sudden appearance before responding. "Skatas and his sisters are groomed. Just came to let you know before I leave that they're next bath is next week if you want to keep them unmatted."
Ah, thank goodness. The last time she tried brushing those little jerks, Noé ended with scratched arms and legs, and a mighty need to snap some limbs. Thank heavens Maahes was there the one time for them to find out that they actually preferred being brushed by him than—wait a minute.
"What do you mean leave—ah!"
In the hurry to get to him before he could get away, Noé slipped from the branch she'd been perched on and let out an uncharacteristic squawk as she fell a few feet to meet the ground in a split second. The cubs clamored and giggled around her as she rummaged through the tangle of clothes and wing she became, her hand quickly lifting said appendage off her face to meet Maahes' startled gaze.
"What do you mean 'leave'?" she immediately inquired after rising. "To where? With who?"
"A diplomatic excursion apparently, but I was allowed to accompany the crew on it after I requested permission." A smile spread across Maahes' face as he enthusiastically began to explain to her. "I've heard the Kou Empire currently harbors itself in Balbadd which is quite the chance."
Did he say Balbadd?
It was clear by her tone that Chief was just as troubled about the subject as she was. "Indeed he did."
Disquieting didn't begin to describe it. Maahes wasn't a soldier; he may be able to defend himself from what she taught him as a child but it wasn't like he could kill anybody. The kid was an inventor, an alchemist, not a warrior. Him being allowed to go on such a trip to what was very much considered enemy territory in Reim's eyes didn't make sense.
"How come?" Surprising even herself, one half of Noé's brain was still keeping up with the conversation despite the other so blatantly lagging behind while trying to comprehend such a puzzling circumstance.
"I've heard great things about Kou's advancements. Although magic does have quite a great deal to do with it from what I've heard, it also has a certain mechanical and even alchemic aspect to it. I'm curious to obtain some texts on their teachings and perhaps even learn from the scholars there."
"From Kou… The same Kou Empire that the Seven Seas Alliance and Reim by default aren't all that friendly with?"
"Well, yes, but..." This time, Maahes' voice dragged on as his brow knitted down together. "It shouldn't be that much of a problem if I'm just an envoy, right?"
Emerald eyes narrowed in disbelief. Am I missing something here? It was the only logical reason she could muster out of the top of her head as to why he would be so willing to visit such a place while disregarding the dangers that came with it.
"Highly unlikely," Chief admitted with a sour disposition. "But it is worrisome. Why would Reim even contemplate meeting with their allies' enemies?"
Now wasn't that the question of the century.
Curious and only having the young Heliohaptian to question, Noé used it to her advantage. "What kind of diplomatic excursion is this that Natty's taking you on, Maahes?"
"Oh no, I think you mistook what I said, Miss Noé. The commander only agreed to my joining them but it's actually the captain that's traveling to Balbadd."
Excuse me?
"Muu is?"
"Yes, I am."
Instantly the feathers on her back and behind her ear bristled to attention as the deep baritone sound of Muu's voice sent a particular chill down her back. Not an unpleasant reaction but somewhat unwanted.
Glancing over her shoulder, emerald eyes met his crimson gaze as said Fanalis smiled down at both of them.
"I thought that Maahes would find the trip quite educational on his end, so I wasn't against it when he inquired about it." The moment his gaze veered and landed on her, Noé could practically smell the question. "And I'm also glad I found you, Noé. I've been meaning to ask if you'd like to join—"
"No thanks."
It was instant.
Noé didn't hesitate in giving him her back to face Maahes instead afterward. By his expression, the young Heliohaptian was more than a bit taken aback by her sudden cold shoulder. Understandable. Feigning a smile his way, Noé lovingly tapped his shoulder as she walked past him.
"Be careful out there, Maa."
Maahes muttered a perplexed 'I will' under his breath that Noé barely heard as she made her way out of the grounds. For as rude as that had been, Noé wasn't bothered by appearances. She wanted to get back to rest, after all. Returning to her peace and quiet, however, was easier said than done.
"Why are you avoiding him?"
Noé groaned, unable to decide which of the two she found more infuriating. "Because."
"That's not an answer," Chief retorted.
"It's all you're getting," she added conclusively.
It was obvious that it didn't satisfy her, but Chief knew better than to question Noé when she got like this. Smart from her part really. Getting her relaxation time cut short so unceremoniously had her in a foul mood as things stood. No need to add fuel to the fire. But seeing Muu after a good week or two of avoiding him certainly brought up the reason why.
Frankly, she knew how petty she was being. Especially when not even a month ago they buried Scheherazade together with the others. But after the grief settled and Titus took his place as Reim's newly born magi, Noé had plenty of time to think during her bed rest. After recalling not only the fight against the Medium but also the preamble that the Reim and Magnostadt war was, Noé had a hard time brushing off the hateful words that Muu had spat back at the boy.
Perhaps they had only been spoken in the heat of the moment. A way that he thought would work to force Titus back to Reim's and Scheherazade's side. Yet that explanation didn't satisfy her. Maybe it would have had she not witnessed that fight. Perhaps that was it; the fact that she had experienced it firsthand gave it a certain taste that she couldn't swallow. Honestly, though, the reason was far simpler than she was giving her overthinking mind credit for.
Though it wouldn't admit it to her, Noé knew she was right. And until she had that confirmation, she wasn't about to let him distract her any more than he already had.
"Noé…stop." The added exasperation on the long drag of her name didn't go past her. "You're doing it again."
"Doing what?" she asked nonchalantly as could be.
"Don't ruin this for yourself, Noé," she simply said. "You two were getting along well."
Too well.
Perhaps her being peeved with Muu's words was an excuse. A convenient one at that. All this comfort and compliance was making her rusty. And though she knew distancing herself was for the best, Noé couldn't force herself to do it at a whim now. Unlike times before, there was more now that mattered. If only in the slightest ways, this place mattered to her again—these people mattered.
And if she wasn't careful, they'd be the death of her.
Such a threat possibly looming overhead again made it all the easier to shift the blame were it suited her. And use any excuse to justify it as well.
"He's got a problem with monsters, Chief. And well, wouldn't you say I'm the very definition of one?"
Her words were barely whispered over the roaring crowd that she entered as she came into the bowls of Remano's market. It being the middle of the day aided in giving her the cover she needed in case Muu decided to stubbornly chase after her like he tended to. The smell of spices and sweat would certainly dampen his sense of smell though.
Over the noise, Chief's long exhale was heard through. "This isn't about him and you know it. It's why you've tolerated being in his presence whenever you're with Titus."
"You said it yourself, I tolerate him. 'Sides, I'm a self-centered person, Chief." The smug smirk that pulled at her lips made it hard to discern whether what she said was only superfluous or a truth she believed. "Everything's about me. 's why I'm no good in relationships. Him with his mindset and me with mine…?" She pursed her lips as she hummed pensively before smacking them. "Bad combo."
"You say that and yet I don't think you believe it yourself." There was silence for a moment. One she hoped would last longer than the split second it took for Chief to speak again. "I've never understood this self-sabotaging of yours. Always when something good is happening in your life, you push it away—you deny it—and end up losing it in the process."
All Noé could respond with was a mild shrug, because admitting she was right was something she didn't want to deal with at the moment.
"It's better to leave. It saves you the hurt and humiliation of knowing that you'd been right all along...and had only been too stupid to admit it."
The pulse of energy rushed through her with such forcefulness that Noé barely managed to keep herself on her feet. Had it not been for the vendor's stand she got a grasp off at the last minute, she would've surely fallen. Ignoring the vendor's bickering about her tossing his stand upside down, Noé flashed away from the market to a nearby alley. But as she began to materialize in the dark, the pulsation returned with a vengeance.
A groan escaped her as she flickered back in midair a few feet above the alley and crashed into the ground—not where she'd wanted to reappear. Pushing herself to a seat, Noé quieted her labored breathing as she pushed back the shoulder of her drape to reveal the dark miasma that crawled underneath it.
"It's spreading further?"
Clicking her tongue, Noé covered the stain back up, tightening the obi around her waist for good measure, and sat there to catch her breath after that attack.
This hadn't happened before—these fits.
Sure, hearing a sporadic voice had been the norm ever since her fight against Perseus, but these surges of dark energy as the miasma continued to spread were unprecedented.
At least up until the battle at Magnostadt they had been.
"Noé, are you—"
"I'm fine," she grunted. She picked herself up from the ground all the while holding her aching shoulder, the faint glow of Light magic easing the pain the surge brought onto her. "Just took me by surprise."
God, can't you just give me a damn break that lasts for once?
Wanting nothing more than to get back to that peaceful vacation they'd agreed on, Noé focused her mind on her cabin, the one place she knew would grant her exactly that. With the thought of it solidified in her mind, she focused and flashed.
Except...she didn't.
When she opened her eyes, she was still at the alley.
She clicked her tongue. Anger was certainly top of the list of emotions wracking her but what mostly took the forefront was the mounting frustration as she spoke through gritted teeth, her jaw tense and locked.
"Quit it, Chief."
Chief's only defense was her ever present stoicism. Not much of a defense seeing that as of recently two people could control the flow of her magoi now. And the fact that this definitely wasn't her not wanting to flash, it only left the obvious answer. Sensing how cornered she was, Chief begrudgingly broke her silence.
"It's a necessary precaution. We need to find a way to reverse what's happening to your magoi."
"Relax," Noé said dryly. "I've got it under control."
"Do you? Because I highly beg to differ." The incredulity in her voice was plain to hear. More obnoxious than anything though. "Maahes found nothing else about the miasma, you won't rely on Muu and you won't let Titus examine you. You have no idea how to undo or remove this thing whatsoever and you have the gall to tell me you have it under control? I don't know what's more infuriating, that or the fact you have a lead but won't pursue it."
Noé plugged her ears in an attempt to quiet Chief's hysterics that only got louder the more agitated she became. And though she wanted to retort with her usual remarks, Noé found herself opting to remain quiet for a change.
Chief had all the right to be furious. If anything, she was incensed for the both of them when Noé couldn't be bothered to be. This had been a malady she brought upon herself and it was only right that she carry it like the burden it was. That her djinn didn't quite see it in the same light was certainly a problem though.
It was obvious that the catalyst that allowed the miasma the leeway to spread freely had been her fighting so recklessly at Magnostadt. And because it was hard to hide such a thing from magicians, both Titus and Sphintus witnessed what giving the damn parasite permission meant.
Her rukh was a mix of light and dark now, but unlike those they had seen or heard of, the origin of her black rukh wasn't internal. The one glance they got was enough to identify the locus, one that without being a magician even she could've guessed. The miasma embedded itself into her body over the past month much further than it had in hundreds of years. And from they could glimpse, it was turning part of her rukh dark as it was being created. Despite its rapid spread, it wasn't powerful—it wasn't enough to fully let her fall.
Not yet at least.
But this thing was sentient and it wanted her to fall into depravity. That much was clear. What wasn't was its motive. If it was sentient, then it had to have a reason. They just had to figure out what. Surely there, she would find the answer to how to get rid of this nasty muck.
"Noé, reconsider searching for Yunan." A mixture of frustration and quiet desperation tainted her voice; it surprised her. It was strange to hear her beg. For her life, no less. Truly ironic. "He might be able to help. If not to get rid of it, then at least to find out how we can. It's the only lead you have."
"My oath—"
"What damn importance will your oath have if you're dead?"
Her harsh words struck a nerve that Noé hadn't even been aware was there still. Death had never been something she feared. If anything, it was a thought she embraced fully from a young age. But the idea of actually dying now... It was somewhat unfathomable to her. Perhaps that was the issue Chief perceived. The one she hadn't cared about before and much less now. Death wasn't scary. Leaving all the unfinished business she had, however, was. Taking a deep breath, Noé took her time to release it as her lips grew into a taut line.
"You win, Romali."
Just this once.
The long exhale that came from Chief was unquestionably filled with relief. "Will you search for him then?"
"Yeah," she said. "But if I am, I'm going to need to be able to use my magoi. You and I know that flashing will be the easiest way to get around and find him, Chief."
Her hesitation was obvious. What happened at Magnostadt and how she had almost killed herself by fighting so recklessly had Chief on high alert and most of all, concerned. But not illogical.
"Just...use it with moderation. We can't have you triggering the miasma and having it spread any further than it already has."
This time the hint of a smile was obvious as it pulled on her lips further.
"Deal."
Noé straightened herself, the pain from the attack having passed quickly enough, and stepped out into the mostly empty streets of Remano's poorer sections.
"Where are you starting the search?"
"Well…" The familiar sensation of magoi flowing through her was pleasant enough as the light around her began to refract and fracture her body. "I say there's no better place than home."
The light fractured in its totality a brief second before she disappeared with her destination in mind.
|i.|
"Noé?"
Her bare feet bled after the climb and endless trek. Yet the pain wasn't registering in her mind. It wasn't strong enough to. And if the pain wasn't, then Chief didn't have a chance to grasp her attention.
"Noé, where are you going?"
Telling her wouldn't change her mind, but Noé refrained from doing so either way. If she did, there was no doubt in her mind that Andromalius would do her damnedest to stop her. It wouldn't change anything, but it would be obnoxious. And Noé had no energy to deal with her. Or anything for that matter.
All she wanted was peace. Something that after all she had lost in Reim seemed almost unattainable until her broken heart and spirit came to a unanimous answer.
It would be easy and swift. And she knew where to find it.
"Is that you, Noé?"
Yunan's deeply concerned tone reached her ears but did nothing to dissuade her from her choice. Despite this, it would be the same story as Andromalius if he figured out what she was planning. So instead of continuing like she had throughout her journey to the Great Rift, Noé forced herself to smile. Though her lips upturned and her cheeks hurt from how unnaturally they raised, the young woman lifted her head to meet Yunan's worried expression with an easy smile that didn't reach her vacant emerald gaze.
"I'm so glad I found you at home for once, Yunan."
Baby blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. Almost like he could tell that something was wrong despite it all being like he last remembered it. Noé didn't let him question much however and immediately came closer.
"I wanted to ask a favor of you."
"A favor?" he repeated. He cautiously placed the stack of firewood that he'd been carrying down by his feet. "What kind of favor?"
Noé watched him carefully as he tipped the rim of his hat back to better lay his gaze upon her. How she hated the scrutiny. Especially coming from him. Much like her, years of experience taught him how to read others. She was no exception. But unlike her, Noé knew how to keep things hidden. And this wouldn't be her exception.
Emerald eyes wandered past his shoulder, past his house, and towards the all-consuming darkness that laid beyond the valley.
"I need your help breaching past the valley."
"Breach the valley?" His brow furrowed. "Noé, I don't know if that's a wise idea."
"I know what's back there, Yunan. You don't have to worry about me. I definitely know how to handle myself."
Besides, it wasn't like he would have much to worry about once she passed it. She'd make sure of that. The smoldering ire that had died down under the sorrow suddenly reignited the moment she saw the magi hesitate though.
"How about we go in and have some tea while we talk about this?"
Not happening.
He would understand that either the easy way or her way.
"I like you, Yunan," she admitted. Now that she wasn't trying to be polite, the smile that pulled at her lips appeared more threatening than anything. "Which is why I considered asking nicely in the first place. But trust me when I say that I have no more patience. Not even for you."
It was instant the way his eyes widened with alarm. His gaze averted then, obviously mulling over his options. Noé gave him the chance. She had the modicum of sense to know that threatening a magi wasn't a smart choice, especially down here where no sunlight could breach. Likewise, though, she wasn't in her right mind to care. All Noé yearned for was leave this horrible world behind and return to the only place she ever felt safe before ending it all.
Accepting this, Yunan lifted his head as he conjured his staff to his side. He gestured back with his arm towards the endless void behind them. Without a word she stepped forward and let him follow behind her.
It didn't take long before they reached the invisible curtain that fell all around the valley. Yunan was taken aback by the sudden way she stopped when he so easily continued. Surely he thought that the 'breaching' she meant was to make the path easier to the other side. Not that the reason she needed him was because she literally could not trespass the invisible line that separated both places.
The reason why clear as it shone to life across her face.
Instead of asking about why the seal had activated on its own, Yunan dared to press her further. "Noé, come inside with me. Let's talk about this—"
"It'll be easy for you to cut through this," she simply responded as she splayed her hand over the invisible wall blocking her way. "As a magi, I'm sure you can do it."
"Noé, please—"
"Do it, Yunan."
His arguments would fall on deaf ears regardless of what he tried. She knew that. And he appeared to accept that eventually when he raised his staff above her head. Easy as that, the curtain parted and her hand went through into the darkness.
It was then, without another word uttered, that Noé stepped into the darkness, disappearing entirely from his view. But even in that darkness, she could still hear the voice of the djinn that accompanied her. Her voice rose to question her, trembling and fearful.
"Where are you going, Noé?"
"Home."
|ii.|
Somber and dark. Just as I remember it.
The Great Rift had never been one of her favorite places. A seemingly endless valley that blocked out all traces of the sun was truly unnerving to her. Cold and dark as it was, however, Yunan was practically head over heels over the place. The magi did love his dark places, after all. It was no wonder then why he decided to build his home at the bottom of this chilling valley.
The house stood alone in the midst of total darkness only illuminated by its own radiance. It was hard to distinguish whether the light came from other sources or the house itself. Whichever it was, Noé could tell it wasn't natural. All the light that surrounded his little cottage was artificial. Nothing but magic.
Noé stepped closer to the humble home and stopped before the wooden door to knock. One rap then two and then silence. A few minutes was all Noé could bear to wait. The door opened with ease after she turned the knob. A part of her expected it to be locked but after giving it some thought, there wasn't any point in doing that. Who the hell was going to break into a cottage at the bottom of this godforsaken valley anyway?
"You would, apparently."
"He's an old friend and I have business with him." Stepping inside, Noé pushed the door closed behind her. "He won't mind."
Chief grunted in disagreement but didn't dissuade her from the action otherwise. Taking that for whatever kind of consent it was, Noé went about exploring the place in search of the wandering magi. Maybe he didn't hear me. Highly doubtful with the damn hearing he had but not out of the realm of possibility, she supposed.
At least it gave her an excuse to snoop around.
She'd been in this cottage once before. What appeared to be a long time ago as well. Remembering the days after Elior's death was still painful even after the one person left that had any involvement with it had passed. Went to show just how much of that pain truly wasn't just because of Scheherazade's presence. Painful as they were, they were also quite a blur. So, although she knew this was his cottage, it was difficult to recall any details about it.
It looked just as modest inside as it did on the outside. Truly a minimalist at heart, it was not that hard to recognize a kindred spirit in him. Noé loved to travel and enjoyed the new sights that arose with every passing century. Much like her, Yunan could be years away from home and never quite miss it, it would seem. Candles that were strewn about the small dining and living areas were lit with small embers that illuminated far beyond what a normal flame should be able to. The different sensation that pricked her skin told her that she'd been correct to think all of it to be magic. Though not well versed on the subject, she did know that Yunan specialized in a very particular kind of magic, one that allowed him to manipulate matter and shape it into anything he could imagine.
Even Noé had to admit that it was quite the power to have. She supposed that years of coming back as the same magi over and over again had its upsides. Few as they may be.
Noé placed that at the back of her head before continuing her search, but no matter where she looked it all came back with the same outcome.
"He's not here."
"Doesn't seem like it," she affirmed.
"What now?"
"We wait." Scooting one of the dining table chairs back, Noé plopped down on it before leaning back on its hind legs.
"Wait?" Chief huffed indignantly. "We don't have time to wait."
"And I'd rather not flash around the damn world looking for a needle in a haystack." Noé clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes when Chief didn't seem to accept that as an answer. "Look, he's bound to return. And if I wait here, it'll save us both the nagging you'd give me if I flashed around aimlessly."
"Look, I know you've only had a month to recover but you can't afford to lose time lounging around here."
Noé scoffed, folding her arms behind her back. "Wanna bet?"
"I don't believe that will be necessary."
The sound of the calm voice coming from behind had her extend her neck back to see without thinking. The moment she did, the chair that had been barely balancing on its hind legs gave way beneath her, falling back without a warning. Before she could fall back and possibly concuss herself, however, a pair of hands held the back of the chair steady before gently pushing her back into place.
A sheepish grin formed at the corner of her lips as she rose from her chair, her gaze meeting baby blue eyes before that grin became fully grown.
"Great seeing you again, Yunan. You just saved me the divvy of a lifetime."
The airy chuckle he let out was barely audible. All around him was this strange yet tangible sensation. An air of serenity if you will. Something that Noé recognized only after the last couple of times she'd met with him. It had been a gradual change; from the little magi that she met in Ose's dungeon to the young man that now stood before her nine lifetimes later.
What a strange thought reincarnation was. Especially when it was only a tool reserved for magi by the looks of things.
"Their balance must be kept. Whichever way it is done depends on Master Ugo."
Not wanting to dwell in such matters more than need be, Noé bounced over to Yunan before embracing him with all she had. Almost instantly, the magi changed becoming more like a young boy, whining and pouting about how hard she was squishing him. Laughter bubbled from her chest as she released him, Yunan releasing a long-held breath as she did. Chuckling as she retook her seat, the magi headed towards his kitchen while leaving his staff leaning against a wall beside him.
"Funny how I don't see you in almost twenty years and now it's twice in less than a month," he commented with a smile.
"You missed me," she cajoled, her nose scrunching up.
Yunan chuckled again, the same airy sound escaping him. "What luck to find you here then."
Gingerly, he went about boiling water as he prepared a couple of cups of tea. Though everything about this place was magically manufactured, Noé knew that Yunan liked to upkeep some semblance of normalcy. It's why he gathered wood or supplies when he didn't need it. It's why he cooked or cleaned when he didn't have to. That sense of being normal was more valuable to him than the reality of being special.
Noé could wholeheartedly understand that.
He brought the tray over once done and went about setting the cups down before either chair. Watching him prepare tea was something Noé missed about the odd fellow. The way he took care to pour the water and strain the leaves carefully never failed to bring a smile to her face. All that topped with the fact that he never got it perfectly done which ended with him showing a bashful smile made it all the better.
Thanking him briefly for the cup, she lifted it to her nose and took a deep breath, letting the soft aroma wash through her nostrils.
"Smells delicious."
"Thank you." His words were short and accompanied by a meek smile before he began drinking his tea. Noé indulged herself in accompanying him. It wasn't until her cup was half gone that he spoke again. "It seems like it's been a long time since the two of us have sat down for a cup of tea."
"Two hundred-odd years, right?" she added with a shake of her head and a huff. "Felt like longer."
"Time has a rather curious effect on people like us." Gently, he placed the cup upon the saucer that sat on the table, his gaze fixated on the piece of porcelain yet somehow lost. "Steady and brief almost simultaneously."
"You've experienced death at least," Noé snickered with underlying disdain, brushing her finger across the brim of the cup. "I get to keep on living in this shitty body that's always thirsty and in pain. Drinking away at every ounce of water in my path and never once being satiated."
Yunan's head tilted to one side at her description. The feather on his hat fell accordingly; she wondered what bird it could've come from. Snowy owl, maybe?
"You've always had this ailment, haven't you?" he asked. "Even before we met."
"Way longer than that." The saddest thing is that I have no right to complain about it. Not when she'd been the one to choose it. "I've gotten used to it. The pain doesn't bother me anymore. I forget about it more often than not. The thirst is a little harder to get by sometimes."
"I see. I suppose that would be the same time you contracted the miasma as well, then."
Emerald eyes rose to meet Yunan's. He simply smiled and went about serving himself another cup.
Did he figure it out?
"Could have noticed it during the battle at Magnostadt," Chief planted. "You weren't bothered much by what anybody saw after you undid your equip."
Not that, Noé corrected her. There wasn't any hiding the fact she had the miasma. It had gone on full display when she unleashed her Extreme Magic for everybody to see. And if anybody would have noticed it'd be him. So no, what the old geezer figured out was something else.
"What?" Chief inquired.
He knows I'm aware he's seen this before.
Seeing he had already taken the step towards that particular conversation, Noé didn't bother beating around the bush any longer. She straightened up in her chair and pushed the cup of tea forward before leaning her arms upon the table.
"No," she simply replied. "This is recent. Around the last time we met."
"Then before you continue asking questions, I must ask one of my own."
He paused for a moment, and when he raised his gaze to meet hers, Noé froze, taken aback by the animosity in his eyes. Such a menacing expression wasn't becoming of him. It almost seemed unnatural.
"Did you fall into depravity willingly or did it happen because you allowed it entry into your rukh?"
That's what has him so on edge?
Though it was the densest question in her opinion, the more she thought about it, the more Noé could see why it would be the one he laid the most importance on. Eight of his previous King's Candidates had met their fatal end through somebody falling into depravity. Whether it had been them or the people they ruled, black rukh had always played a role in their fates and had been something she had seen firsthand with a couple of his previous kings. It was understandable why he'd be so baleful about even the idea of her inching towards those dark corners.
To her, it wasn't anything fathomable.
But for him, it would simply be history repeating itself.
Noé reached out her hand, briefly stopping when Yunan's flinched slightly, and placed it above his, squeezing it tenderly. Offering him the most reassuring and sincere smile that she could was all she could think of doing.
"I'm not, Yunan. You know I wouldn't."
"And yet your rukh is already tainted." He retracted his hand from underneath hers without hesitation. "So which is it? You or the miasma?"
Noé wanted to reassure him that it was the miasma. It was the logical answer that would get him to lower his guard enough for him to cooperate. Lies weren't the answer though. Paranoia, distress, fear—it was easy to sense all these emotions coursing through him. They were even painfully visible in the expression he attempted to keep so stoic. So instead of playing into that fear, Noé went against it, even when doing so would certainly not assuage them.
"I'm not sure." Yunan tensed across from her. The only inkling of hope she had was the glint in his eye that gave her enough strength to continue. "But...whether it's me or this thing, I don't want to fall. That's why I came here, because...because if there's anybody who could help me I knew it'd be you."
Yunan's guard remained for a good minute longer, but afterward, his shoulders fell and his glare with them. If from being convinced or simply defeated by years of loss though, she couldn't readily tell. At least, that he continued the conversation was some relief.
"Tell me," he began. "From when you contracted it to how it got into you now—tell me everything you can."
So Noé did.
Going through three pots of tea, she took her time explaining and describing every detail she could recall with the help of Chief. How both believed she'd gotten it from Perseus when she fought him as the first infected she'd ever encountered. However since then she had been hearing some kind of voice that she had falsely mistaken for another all these years. How it'd been spreading rather slowly over the decades until recently. And how it had only now begun to change her rukh after she'd allowed it during the battle at Magnostadt.
"This thing is sentient; I can tell that much." Her fingers brushed along her arm that she'd exposed to emphasize parts of her story. Grotesque as it was to look at, it was something he needed to see. "And if it is then it wants something. What I can't figure out is what."
"It wants a host."
Noé's confusion was as clear as day. Yunan took advantage of that to begin his own explanation.
"You're right about it being a sentient being," he began. "What you and the young alchemist, Maahes, discovered proves as much."
"What does it want a host for?"
"That I'm not all too sure of." Standing from his seat, Yunan traversed the small space between the table to the kitchen in a few strides. Noé remained in hers, however, watching him meander from a distance. "When I found the infected village, it had almost been wiped out in its entirety by this parasitic miasma."
Noé's brow furrowed a bit perplexed. "I thought the fog that ran through was what infected them. I figured like some sort of airborne disease or magic maybe."
"It was." Yunan leaned against the counter in his kitchen and pensively stared at the floor with his arms crossed before his chest. "The fog carried the infection, yes, but not through the air. Many testimonies from the villagers I managed to evacuate in time claimed the miasma only hid the parasites as they stormed through the village and overtook the people it encountered." A thought crossed his head and he lifted his gaze. "Do you remember Maladh?"
Not fondly, but yes. But what did that piece of garbage town had to do with—emerald eyes widened.
"Miasma. That's what had Sitri on high alert."
Yunan nodded. "I explored Maladh's surroundings after Sitri's dungeon was cleared and found out that another fog had been making its way from the west coast and through the forests. Though at a crawling pace, it had already ravaged through smaller villages on its way, leaving nothing but emaciated carcasses in its wake. It must have been powerful enough for Sitri to sense even from within her dungeon."
"What gave them such trouble during harvest hadn't been Sitri's dungeon then," Noé said, piecing everything aloud. "It'd been the miasma approaching them."
"Ever since I discovered it at the Toran Village, I have encountered it plenty of times. It seldom strikes the same place twice mostly because once it does, it doesn't leave much behind. It takes everything away from anything it touches and leaves only dust and darkness in its wake."
Something about that last sentence struck Noé as odd. The way he described it, the way his eyes narrowed at the floor as if recalling something gruesome but not about what he described. But about what it reminded him of. Both she and Chief gasped in sudden realization as it all finally fell into place.
"Noé, it's—"
"Like the Medium," she spoke slowly, her hand reaching to touch the disfigured miasma that was eating away at her. "This thing's part of Ill Ilah."
"All these years, none of what I discovered ever made any sort of sense. It never fit into any solid pattern. That was until you all fought the Medium at Magnostadt. What Aladdin described and what I witnessed told me enough to piece it together. A part of that god has already trespassed into our world. I have no clue how, when, or where, but it did. Weak at first, I imagine it only grew over the years consuming more and more rukh until it became what it is now. And now..."
Yunan stepped away from the counter and approached her. Carefully, he held the palm of his hand over the dark stain on her skin. The faint glow of magic shone in his hand and like a moth attracted to the light, the miasma slithered small tendrils towards the rukh that he made visible, the tendrils transforming the small white birds into black ones with a single touch.
"It's attached itself to you."
"It's still weak though," she said, hopeful. "Not only has it taken centuries to even start consuming my arm but—" Reaching her own hand over it, Noé focused a small burst of Light magic that shrunk part of the miasma further from her arm. "That I can keep it at bay must mean that it's not strong even if it can infect people."
"Not exactly." It was starting to get old that he kept shooting down every damn hope she had. "The reason it has consumed others in a matter of seconds and not you is rather simple if you give it some thought."
Noé took that to heart and paused to think. If that thing consumes rukh and rapidly kills others after turning it dark then… Unconsciously her hand reached up to the right side of her face as her mind easily came to the solution Yunan spoke off.
Normal people had limited rukh. Normal people could run out of it and die before it was replenished. Noé didn't. And the fact that an unlimited source of rukh was always injecting itself into her body meant that she...
Fuck.
Disdain and ire ignited in Chief's voice as she came to the same conclusion. "You're the perfect vessel."
One that could supply it with an endless amount of magoi to turn black without killing her.
Fuck.
"How do I get rid of it?" His shoulders slumped at the question, his gaze following suit as it veered away. Noé shot up from her seat, hating his dejected demeanor. "Yunan, how do I get rid of it?"
Lips pursed into a taut line, Yunan closed his eyes and let out a long exhale with a shake of his head. "I don't know, Noé. All I've ever seen this thing do is consume everything it comes across. Nothing ever survives long enough to even humor the idea of removing it before it can. You're the only exception I've ever encountered in all my lifetimes."
The chair screeched beneath as she crashed onto it. Thoughts ran wild in her mind as it went through every little detail that Yunan and her just discussed only to arrive at the most logical outcome. One that dried her throat more than even her seal could have.
"So what?" Her voice rose a bit, cracking as her eyes widened a bit manically. "Is it just going to continue spreading? Just spreading faster and faster, driving me crazy with these stupid voices until I can't hold it back anymore and I—"
And I lose control?
Yunan appeared apologetic for once. "I'm so sorry that all I can tell you are such appalling news."
At a mere glance, it was plain to see how overwhelmed and morose the magi was. Such a sight had her own reeling emotions vying for attention as her head spun. Fear felt the most prevalent at first. Almost as suffocating as the idea of someday touching the sky had been during her childhood. But as quick as it came, it vanished, replaced instead by another much more powerful one.
One that surfaced above her powerlessness, desperation and dread, and stood much stronger and sturdier.
Desire.
Selfish human desire.
Noé didn't want to die.
She wanted to live and be here in this world. The one she gave so much for. The one her meistras loved. The one where all those she cared about and loved lived. Where people like Alibaba, Aladdin, and Morgiana met her with warm smiles and open arms. Where people like Titus, Maahes, and Seraphina admired her and treated her just like anybody else. Where people like Elior, Scheherazade, and Perniadius had existed and had loved her as she did them.
The one where she found a foolish little cub who wasn't afraid to approach her and instead cared about her in a way only one other man ever had.
The thought of disappearing and never seeing the people she came to love was painful to even imagine. Unbearable even. Noé didn't want to leave them or this world behind—this cruel, twisted, and imperfectly beautiful world.
"It is imperfect. Cruel and twisted more so. Which is why you are doing all this, to save them. Your sacrifice meant something before—something grander. Imagine what it will mean now. They will be so grateful."
That's not true.
They would all be fucking furious with her if she ever made such an idiotic decision. Having her own track record of stupid decisions made that fairly obvious. The hint of a smile pulled at the corners of her lips at the thought, remaining as such as she made her decision.
The one she wanted.
She wanted to stay—to live.
And nothing's going to keep me from what I want ever again.
Resolutely, Noé stood from her seat surprising Yunan with her action. Although maybe what surprised him most and had him staring wide-eyed wasn't so much that as much as the serene expression she wore. A genuine smile spread across her lips as she reached out to grab his shoulder reassuringly.
"Enough moping," she said.
"But Noé—"
"Don't give me any pity either." Her nose scrunched up a little as she patted his arm a few times for good measure. "If there's one thing I know about anything is that where there's a question, there's bound to be an answer. We just have to look hard enough. I'd know after a whole lifetime of searching. So I'm going to go back to doing what I do best and search."
Noé spun on her heels and a few steps she took away from him, a feral smirk forming as a newfound determination surged through her. The thought of death wasn't exhilarating, but the thought of thrashing this god's plans by finding a way to outwit surely was.
"Noé, this is completely different from what you've done these past centuries," Chief corrected her. "You had all the time in the world searching for the other recorders. Who knows how much longer this thing will allow. For all we know, you could run out of time before we can even get off our feet."
Yeah, you're right.
"Now's not the time for your tantrums, so please don't—wait." Chief paused briefly, her subsequent question spoken with quite the incredulous tone. "You agree with me?"
Wholeheartedly.
For as unbelievable of a thought as that was for Chief, Noé knew when to put her guard down. Or at least now she understood enough the necessity to do so with so much on the line for her.
And though it was tough to admit, it was obvious that she had to start here. Her smile faltered a fraction, becoming more genuine as she faced Yunan. "I know the last time I asked I sort of unsettled you and that I should be crazy to ask again but… Could you do me a favor?"
The magi blinked in confusion, speechless by her request. Knowing how easy it'd be for him to reject her, Noé went for a tougher bargain, clapping her hands together before her pleadingly. "I swear I'll pay you back this time around. Double even!"
Baby blue eyes remained wide for a moment longer before a final blink returned him to normal, a chuckle escaping him as his head shook slowly. If that hadn't already killed her hopes of him accepting, then his words certainly sealed the coffin tight and without mercy.
"I'm sorry, Noé, but I don't think I have it in me to give you any more favors."
For as predictable of an answer as that was, there was no blaming him. Noé could admit she was quite the handful at times. It'd be understandable to not want to get involved, especially when a magi sounded just like the kind of prime real estate that this miasma was hunting for. But before she could completely disregard him, Yunan spoke up once more.
"But if what you're asking me is to lend a hand to a friend, then I would be more than happy to."
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Yunan reached out to take her hand in his. Not to shake it but to simply take it in solidarity. Noé felt her cheeks hurting from how wide her smile became, enthused laughter escaping her as she held his hand tightly and bounced around.
"Now please." Chief begging was something Noé seldom heard from her. And though she more often than not ridiculed her for it, the desperation in it this time held her back. "Tell me you have a plan."
Still don't trust me?
"You know I do, but bad habits and all."
I have something in mind.
Noé chuckled under her breath before turning to Yunan. "Hey, Yu, have you been to Kou recently?"
"Kou?" She nodded, leaning her hands back against the table as her gaze narrowed on Yunan's pensive expression. "A few days ago. After all that happened, it felt like a good idea to keep a lookout. Why?"
Her grin grew feral with anticipation. For once, Noé thanked that smug little shit of Rakah for having such a loose mouth.
"Who's dungeon was raised there recently?"
—{ii}—
Balbadd had changed since her last visit.
Though Noé could gamble that being conquered by a foreign superpower was anything but fun.
Last she heard, Balbadd had been in severe decline. That it had submitted to Kou's rule after it had all but been cornered by them wasn't startling news. Despite how well it was prospering after the shit state that it had been in the last few years, it was obvious that the natives had paid a steep price.
Submission cost them their independence and identity.
They could call it a republic under Kou's supervision but they were still just prisoner's under someone else's scrutiny. And the radical change certainly rubbed Noé the wrong way.
The feather's behind her ear bristled at just how ill at ease she felt being here. But she wasn't leaving until accomplishing what she came here to do: recruitment.
"Are you sure about this?"
Noé tilted her head to one side to better listen to Chief. Something that rarely happened with how sharp her senses were. The distinct amalgamation of rukh however made it quite difficult to listen to her thoughts, much less Chief. There wasn't a magi here, that much she knew, but the fact that several Metal Vessel Users were there certainly upped the number of pesky birds flying around. And like damn flies to honey, those aligned to Light magic flocked to her.
A lopsided grin split her lips, her head turning back to gaze forward as she stood above one of the new palace's roofs that pretty much overlooked the entirety of the palace.
"Jealous already?"
Chief's scoff was so exaggerated that Noé chortled, choking back the laughter that wanted to burst from her at her djinn's childish response.
"I am not jealous."
"Don't worry, sweetie. Momma will always love ya more." The exaggerated falsetto of her voice grinded Chief's gears a tiny bit more than the facetiousness.
Despite joking around, and certainly royally pissing off Chief, Noé didn't pay much regard to Chief's subsequent tirade. Instead, her eyes focused on the distance as small bursts of light flashed for milliseconds at a time exposing the rukh that fluttered around as her search continued.
Short bursts showed only huge flocks around the main building—two of them actually. One larger than the other. Two people with very large reservoirs.
Can't be him. His is smaller.
Another burst above a nearby annex showed more sizable pools. Though not as large as one of the previous ones, they were still rather large.
Maybe?
That being the last building to be checked, Noé clicked her tongue in frustration at being unable to discern the pools of magoi with any certainty. "Where is he?"
"You've been mightily silent about how you are going to go about doing this, Noé." The concern in her voice was plain to hear. "You know where it is, you know what you're going to do, and you've done it plenty of times before. Yet this time, you won't go alone. Why is that?"
"Because I know exactly what will happen if I go into that dungeon alone."
This could not be a solo dive. If what Yunan told her was correct, then Noé diving this particular dungeon by herself would turn out badly. Besides, this needed to be done before the Summit meeting in two months.
Efficiency was the name of the game this time around.
And two were better than one where this dungeon was concerned.
But after sweeping the premises for a second time, Noé feared she would have to actually go down there and search for her intended companion in person. Considering the power triads were walking on eggshells at the moment, her being found out in a foreign country when she'd been so highly associated with Reim during Magnostadt's battle would not bode well for anybody.
"Who are you looking for, by the way?"Chief inquired. "All you want to avoid are the effects of his dungeon, correct? Anybody crazy enough to follow you would do in that case."
"I'm not willing to have just anybody on my back for this."
A third sweep confirmed her worst fear. Personal canvassing it'd be. Flashing the short distance between edifices' rooftops, Noé barely crouched down and readied to hide from view when she caught the hint of a smell.
Hard spices and fresh earth.
He's nearby.
Following the familiar scent led her to a pavilion in the premises that was surrounded by the waters of the pond it stood on. Careful to hide her presence, Noé walked over the opposite rooftops, eyeing all hallways near the small alcove. Almost immediately, one person amidst a group caught her attention as they stood off to the side in a corridor.
"What's Toto doing here?" she muttered to herself pensively.
"Could she have been involved in the envoy that young Maahes came with?"
Doubtful. That girl was always by her master's side, and Noé doubted that old man Shambal would step foot outside of Reim for something like a political envoy. But thankfully, their suspicious looks guided her exactly to whom she'd been searching for.
Flashing one more time, Noé softened her landing, placing the tips of her feet gently atop the thatching to quiet her entrance. Slowly, she lowered herself close to the edge making footsteps more audible.
"Um...Mister Muu, I'm sure you have come here for a reason. Should I keep silent about meeting you here?"
Morgiana!?
The shock was large enough for her to misstep, causing a piece of thatch to fall over the side. Noé held her breath and stood still as she could in an attempt to save her position.
"Great job," Chief instantly drolled.
Quit it with the snark.
Thankfully, whatever conversation they were having was infinitely more important for them to put attention to than her dumb mistake. And as she settled in and began listening to this conversation of theirs, Noé found herself engrossed with the subject that Muu described to Morgiana.
Reim being in a perilous position now wasn't hard for Noé to imagine. Not only had they lost Scheherazade, but the right and frankly only move that she took to preserve a bit of stability for Reim after her absence placed the country and its people in a dangerous middle ground. Compared to the Kou Empire and the Seven Seas Alliance, Reim no longer was a force to be reckoned with.
They were but a ghost of their former self. If they relied too much on either of the two remaining superpowers, it would undoubtedly begin a war. And though some might call it cynical, Noé had seen the exact same scenario one too many times to not believe it possible this time around as well.
"And I was hesitating in...telling you something before that happens." The distress in his voice was subtle but surely, Muu being Muu, it was visible on his face. His soft-spot would always be other Fanalis after all. "I was hesitating in telling you the truth about what lies on the other side of the Great Rift."
What?
Chief projected the same astonishment Noé felt almost instantly. "How would he know that?"
Noé knew of only one way. He couldn't have gone through...could he?
But the more Muu went forth with his tale, the more she was convinced that he had. Yunan never mentioned another having crossed the valley, but it wasn't like she had ever asked him either. It was even more difficult to refute his claims the more he described what he'd experience. It all lined up word for word.
The lightness of his body. His apparent transformation. The sense of liberation.
He crossed the barrier.
If Noé knew anything about the Fanalis, it was that much like her, they were bound to have a difficult time crossing the barrier that separated the world from what laid beyond the valley. Much like her in a way, but for a very different reason.
"A strange beast…?"
The disbelief and awe were almost tangible from Morgiana's tone. It was easy to understand why something so incredible would come as a shock and Muu appeared to understand as well.
"I know what I'm saying sounds strange," he said. "But it wasn't an illusion. It was a strange form that I have never seen on this side of the valley, but...I felt like it was the right thing."
Noé couldn't keep her mind from contemplating everything that Muu was saying now because, in a very strange way, it all sounded much too familiar.
The form of a beast feeling like the right thing…
"The flow of time, the way your body is made, even the fate you were given—these are all different from theirs. They're unnatural...and the same goes for us!"
The sight of a world so strange, so savage…and yet so dear to him.
"Don't ever look away from what it is that you are. You can never live alongside them."
"...I wasn't able to understand what I saw then. But I'm sure that...we are not humans on this side."
"You are a monster! You cannot be human. You're a life that should have never been born into this world in the first place!"
The pain pressing on her chest hurt to the point that she thought she'd suffocate. Noé hadn't been wrong. Muu's harsh words at Titus hadn't been directed just at the boy. The pain and resignation in his voice when he said them hurt her even now. And knowing now that he had burdened himself with the truth without realizing what that meant, only made it all the more painful.
Muu had a taste of the freedom he had yearned for so long and cursed himself in the process.
Just like she had.
The moment that sank in her mind, a fact that she couldn't ignore now rose to the surface.
Noé couldn't take Muu. Not to that dungeon. Not after hearing this. She could be forever lost in her own discordant mind but it wouldn't pain her to be—she'd already come to terms with it. But Muu? It would only be a cruel reminder of the place he could never return to and the beast he could never become.
I don't want to hurt him like that.
"You can come down now, Noé."
Her head snapped to attention at Muu's voice, unable to register it at first, and froze. Maybe if she didn't move…
"I know you're up there," he added with a faint chuckle. "Would you come down, please?"
To hope that he was just joking around was pointless wishful thinking at that point. Groaning, Noé finally climbed down the edge of the roof with ease, stepping on the railing before sliding down to sit on it. In the pavilion was only Muu now, Morgiana already long gone along with Toto and the group they'd come with.
Crimson eyes carefully took her in. Though the markings on them made it seem as if he were upset, the hint of a smile that formed on his lips was more than telling about how he felt of her inadvertently spying on them. Nevertheless, Noé had to be sure.
"Aren't you upset?" she inquired blatantly, not letting her emotions spill into her voice as she lowered her eyes. "After I eavesdropped on you two about such private matters, I mean."
"Not in the least." There wasn't a need for him to raise his voice. Muu was close enough to whisper and still be heard. The quietness surrounding them only aided such a thing. "I was aware you were here long before I began, actually. So I wouldn't call what happened 'eavesdropping' necessarily."
Noé winced, ignoring Chief's chiding altogether before saying. "You heard the thatching that fell, didn't you?"
He chuckled before stepping closer, but only close enough to carefully take a strange of her auburn tresses between his fingers. Emerald eyes watched his calloused fingers as they tenderly held her hair. Almost as if afraid of breaking anything if he used too much force.
"I knew you were here when I smelled the sun so closeby."
Her brow furrowed and her gaze turned upward to meet his, curious about his description. "What does the sun smell like?"
"It's a faint scent, but one you could never forget. Refreshing. Rich."
Auburn tresses slipped from his fingers before his hand carefully reached upward towards her face. Though her instincts were urging her to get away, Noé easily forced them to the back of her mind and waited patiently, her eyes never wavering from his. With painstaking care, his fingers carded through her hair as his palm settled on her cheek. Noé's chest swelled as she held her breath and only released it when the warmth of his skin touched hers. Unconsciously, she leaned into his touch, her eyes closing briefly to savor the sensation before opening halfway to meet his gaze once more.
"And warm."
Exhaling deeply, Noé's expression became apologetic as her lips fell into a frown. "I'm sorry about ignoring you."
"It's alright." Muu retracted his hand. Noé hated its absence and mindlessly brushed her fingers over her own cheek as she picked up her legs to properly sit across the railing. Muu, on the other hand, leaned on the pillar opposite of her to retain a good vantage point. "I'm glad you aren't anymore."
A soft chuckle escaped her then just as she bent one of her legs to lean her chin against her knee. "I realized I was wrong to judge you."
"Judge me?" he repeated, confused.
"Be truthful. If you truly wish to apologize, he deserves that much." Noé hated when Chief became so motherly. It didn't suit her.
But...she wasn't wrong.
"When you said all those things to Titus—about him being a monster and not someone who should have been born in this world—I thought you were only insensitive to force him to return. And although I think that was your aim, I understand now that your words weren't empty...and that I'd been right."
"About?"
"About those being the exact same things you think about yourself."
Crimson eyes widened the same moment his smile faltered. His joviality fell as his gaze went askance. That in and of itself was enough of an answer for her. Instead of forcing it out of him, she ended it with the one thing she believed to be true.
"You're not a monster, Muu."
Lousy start but it was hard to find any other place to begin with.
"You heard what I told Morgiana." His tone was deadpanned now, but he refused to look her in the eye. Ashamed. "Whether you believe it or not is inconsequential when it's the truth."
"You may be a beast, but you're not a monster," Noé said with a shrug of her shoulders and a half-smile. "All things considered, you're more human than I am, and I'm the one with a useless wing attached to her back. So if anything, I'm more of a monster than any Fanalis is."
"You don't understand, Noé, I'm—"
"I know what you are. And more importantly, I know who you are." Coming off from the railing, Noé stepped up to Muu and stood on her tiptoes as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him. It took him nothing to wrap his arms around her waist, his grip growing stronger with every word she said. "You're a wonderful brother, a great friend, and son, and an inspiring captain. Above all, you're a valiant and proud Fanalis—whether you are a human or beast will not change that fact."
And I won't ever let you doubt it.
Forcing them apart, Noé flashed her characteristic smirk at him before stepping further away. "No more moping, you hear me?"
Muu, appearing taken aback still, took a moment to compose himself. Once he did, the semblance of a smile faintly came to his lips, his eyes fixating on her with a hint of tenderness.
"Loud and clear," he whispered.
"Good." Spinning on her heels served to hide the way her giddy expression fell at the drop of a hat. "I'll be on my way then. Got things to take care of before the summit."
His brow furrowed, concerned that she didn't get to see etched on his handsome face. "Is everything alright?"
"Peachy."
"You're lying to me." Crimson feathers bristled behind her ear. Somehow, Noé could sense he saw that. "Please don't. If there's something wrong, I want to help—"
"Nothing I need help with, I assure you. So you take care of Reim and I'll see to my business."
The light began to refract, her mind already having an image to jump to. As she began to disappear, Noé took a deep breath before spinning around to show him a bright grin once more. One that belied what they both knew deep down.
"I'll see you at the summit!"
The light blinded her when she flashed. Lightheaded and out of breath, Noé took a moment to rest after reappearing at a random alley in the main streets of Balbadd. Her limitations being what they were meant this was as far as she could flash now without amounting a significant toll. Although the fact was abhorrent, it was a sad fact all the same. Luckily, the crowd was too immersed in their morning routine to notice a foreigner suddenly appearing in their midst, giving her plenty of time to catch her breath.
"I'm failing to understand." There it was. Noé had been wondering when Chief would butt in and question her very dubious and rather contradictory actions. "You said you can't do this dungeon alone. I thought you were searching for Muu to dive into it with him. Why didn't you ask him?"
"He already has his platter full with the whole Reim, Seven Seas Alliance, and Kou Empire fiasco. He doesn't need any more pressure on him right now."
"You've never cared about such things before," Chief countered. "If anything, hindering someone else's agenda has always been a darling habit of yours. And though you may care about him, I still can't understand. He is the safest choice—the dungeon would have been all but cleared."
"And in the process, I'd be reminding him of the only true freedom he has ever experienced in his life and how he rejected it." Noé bit her lip trying to withstand the urge to shout at Chief. "I know what it's like to have what you've yearned for the whole of your life so tantalizing close only for it to be cruelly snatched away. It isn't something I'd wish on anybody, least of all him."
Chief remained silent after that. Noé knew that in spite of all she had done in the past, that was something that Andromalius could at least understand. Especially after having seen and lived life alongside Noé throughout so many years.
"Very well. What do you propose then?"
Although seemingly understanding, it was obvious how displeased she was about her choice. Whatever. It wasn't like she wanted to appease her anyway.
Been there, done that, and it never ends well.
"Search for another. Any that will fill a fraction of the spot Muu would've is fine."
"Tall order."
No kidding.
The ruckus that suddenly rose above her own concerning thoughts, however, took the spotlight as more and more people headed towards one given direction. They were curious about what was happening if their mutterings were anything to go by. Interest piqued, Noé let herself be swept by the crowd and wound up at the small plaza where she found a very familiar face giving a rather interesting demonstration of his inventions.
A chuckle escaped her at the sight of Maahes being so immersed in his work, seeming even more in his element now that he was among a few like-minded people who could understand the ramblings she could barely keep up with. How the little Heliohaptian slave had grown into his own man. It truly never ceased to amaze her.
As she watched his demonstrations from afar, an idea slowly began flourishing in her mind. A rather ludicrous yet plausible option.
"Noé…" Chief was careful, not wanting to burst the train of thought coming from Noé's mind lest it force her into putting it into action. "I don't think that's the best—"
"What if he is?" The gears in her head turned the more she thought she gave it. "What if the best option is the simplest?"
"He can't fight."
"I don't need him to fight," she instantly retorted. "I just need someone who can have my back in there. Someone I can trust."
And if Maahes wasn't trustworthy, then nobody was. He might not be the best fighter, or even a dungeon capturer himself, but she had trained him enough in his youth to know that he could handle himself when in danger. And besides, in that dungeon, having brains rather than brawn would benefit both of them.
Why didn't I think of this sooner?!
Already sensing her defeat, Chief let out a long sigh. "Are you certain this is the best choice?"
"Trust me," Noé said, a smirk already spreading across her face. "If there's anybody who can help me conquer Belial's dungeon, it's Maahes."
A/N:
It has been a long time. Went through a rather rough patch of writer's block last month but I've come back stronger than ever. And I come bearing good news! The next chapter is already completed! All I need to do is go through and edit it. Sadly, because of upcoming exams and personal matters, that won't be happening until this coming weekend.
I'll also heap out a huge personal thank you to everybody who's favorited, followed and reviewed since last time on the next chapter as well! For now, I want to thank you all in general for continuing to wait on this story no matter how long I may take. Ily guys, you're the best!
That's all from me now! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for next week!
*Evie*