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.

25. Erosion

Chapter Twenty-Five

Erosion

---

|i.|

A light mist floated around the outskirts of the grove, delicate to the touch as it fell apart on her fingers but strong enough to reform once away. Emerald eyes observed her surroundings fully, taking in the grandiosity of a place she had not seen for thousands of years now. Yet, even despite all that time, it still held its beauty.

Beyond the veil of mist, white leaves spiraled gently downward, disappearing to the touch as Noé carefully stepped into the otherwise vibrant green grove. Blades of grass tickled her bare feet as she walked straight through it and towards the center where the Great Oak stood, intact. Even after all this time, it was just as she remembered it. A strong and gorgeous tree whose canopy seemed to reach for the skies stood amidst a field of white lilies that appeared to glow in the gentle light that surrounded the grove.

One thing visibly different, however, was the statue. Or the lack thereof. The day they all left Alma Toran had been the last she'd seen of Ignis' epithet. Back then it had been whole, but now only the base and part of her feet stood the test of time. The pieces of the broken statue laid in its proximity, devoured by moss and affixed by vines by the Great Oak.

Strangely enough, Noé felt nothing at the sight of the broken statue. Having lost the most precious being to her mere days ago left her with little sympathy for the past. Numbness had taken over long ago and all she wanted now was to rest.

Only one person could give her that now.

Bypassing the statue and not caring about the flowers she trampled, Noé made her way up the thick roots that protruded from the ground and approached the gilded cage that laid in the bowels of the oak. Nothing could be seen through the thin bars and like before, only vast darkness spread within with the sparsity of tiny lights flickering.

Her hands wrapped around the thin bars as all strength left her and she fell to her knees before the cage. No tears came to her even when the pain from what was taken sprung anew. All there was in her now came out into the open as a sorrowful cry as she did what she never had before in her life: she prayed.

Ill Illah had no place in her mind. Their so-called god had forsaken her the moment she was born as a half-blood Vastagian. No, the only one who could truly fulfill a role so important was her meistras. The one who saved her from her miserable existence. But soon, as her prayers went unanswered, her bellowing cries became curses at all high-beings there existed.

"What is the point of all of this if it will all end in suffering? Why bring me here and give me a life with nothing but grief and pain?!" Her shouts echoed in the emptiness of the grove and the heartache choked her, scarring her throat more than it already was. "And why him? Elior did nothing wrong! He was a little boy who had his whole life ahead of him; a life he could've lived out with every sense of normalcy in that new world you allowed us to create! If you were going to kill someone, you should've taken me! Take me and give my son back!"

Her pleas resonated in the empty, their echoes her only answer. Defeated beyond words, Noé hung her head as she clung to the gilded bars of her master's cage.

"Noé, is it you I hear? Why…do you weep?"

Noé never thought she would hear that voice again. It had undeniably been hers though. Emerald eyes widened as her head snapped up at hearing her meistras' voice echo so softly throughout the grove. The moment she lifted her head a familiar hand held her cheek with the gentlest touch. Despite how cold it was, Noé recognized it even after millennia. Unbeknownst to even her, tears sprung anew from her eyes, silently spilling over her cheeks at what was happening.

"My little sparrow…is his death what pains you so?"

There was nothing but vast darkness that filled the interior of the cage, yet from it, Noé saw clear as day how a familiar forearm and hand manifested to hold her so tenderly. She could imagine her there, sitting down as Noé laid her weary head upon her lap and told her all that pained her. And she did. With god listening to her now, Noé voiced all that pained her so much and confirmed that it was indeed Elior's death that brought her now to her.

"Please, take me, meistras," Noé pleaded, her trembling hands cradling the frigid hand that cupped her cheek. "End this life that you so selfishly prolonged. I don't wish to be in a world without him. No world will ever be good enough without my little boy. Even if it is the world you love so much, I don't care for it when it took him away. So please…bring me to my Elly."

"For as much as you may yearn for it, I am incapable of granting your wish."

Her words were the final stab through the heart that would leave her bleeding out for the rest of her days. Noé hung her head and let the last of her tears roll down her cheeks.

"I may be able to do something else, however."

"Something else?" Noé sniveled, suddenly a small child at the unexpected hope presented to her.

"Yes. But it carries with it a heavy cost."

"I don't care what it is," she said with a trembling voice. "I just want to be with Elior again."

The hand upon her cheek shifted so that her thumb fell over her eye where Grace of Sunlight manifested whenever summoned.

"Return to your world and find the other recorders like you," she proclaimed. "Then, once united, return here and release me."

"Release you? Is that possible…even now?"

"Not for a single person, but when you all return to my side, the magic that held a world as one will be capable of freeing me, together."

Her hopes and soul having already been shattered beyond belief, it was hard for Noé to believe those words. Even when they were her meistras', there was no helping the doubt that rose in her and urged her to ask, "What…What will you do?"

"If I cannot bring him back to this world with you, then with your powers, I shall execute a spell to restart the world anew."

"Restart…the world?"

"Precisely. A new world where you and he will exist and where no harm will come to you. A world where you will have your peace and happiness, at last, my little sparrow. Together with your little sun."

---

|ii.|

Daylight that should have poured through the tall window of the room was blocked by the thick curtains pulled over the glass. Noé, sitting with her back against the wall next to the window, twirled the silver arrowhead between her fingers with her gaze trained on the small piece of jewelry.

Monotonous as the movement was, Noé herself was caught in it, her mind wandering in order to ignore as best she could the bleakness of the room she was in. The curtains were drawn for their own safety after all, not hers. She couldn't afford to feed this thing any further, even if that meant staying put in a single place for once in her life.

"Miss Noé?"

Noé picked at her ear. Everything sounded muffled still; everything except that damn pest living in her. Because of this, it took her a moment to figure out that it had been Titus who called her name. Turning away from her trinket, emerald eyes glanced towards the door from where both Titus and Muu entered. An instant click of her tongue gave away her displeasure, one they noticed easily but refrained from commenting on.

"How are you doing? Are you still feeling unwell?"

Their concern didn't surprise her, but it was aggravating all the same. Having regained consciousness only a few hours ago, she knew the kind of trouble she caused by ousting that poor maid so violently and not allowing anybody else to enter once she came to. Poor girl had been the first to cross her path and though she regretted having frightened her, it was better this way.

The further away they were, the safer for them.

"Stay there." Titus stopped from taking a step further, both having taken just a few paces into the room.

I can't stop them from barging in, but I can at least keep them safely at a distance. Better yet…

"Why am I here?"

The young magi's brow furrowed, his head tilting slightly at the odd question. "What do you mean?"

"Don't be coy," she snarled. "Why didn't you put me down underground, Titus?"

"There's no need," he assured her. "The mechanisms placed should be more than enough to keep it under control for the time being."

"What, you mean those things?"

Noé gestured outward with her chin towards one of the corners of the room. Cog-like cores with magoi-transferring stones within them were set or hung from all eight corners, top and bottom, boxing her in. The mechanism remained stationary but the dim glow they gave off which was the only source of light in the room told her exactly what they were doing.

Magoi troughs weren't anything new to her. Maahes had once shown her a prototype he made that could briefly conduct Light magic through a closed-loop and keep itself lit for maybe a few minutes. They were made of the same stone and metal as the cores that hung around her room. Judging by their complexity, Maahes must've had something to do with their installation. It was the only explanation she could discern as to why they were working so well.

No wonder I feel sick.

From what she could sense, the rukh wasn't flowing straight into her like it used to. It was being filtered through those stones and funneled into her in much more diminutive amounts over time. It didn't completely solve the problem—the damn parasite was still feeding itself from her shamelessly small magoi reservoir—but it would certainly buy them time.

How much exactly was up in the air.

Relaying this last conclusion to them had Titus' beautiful features changing into a stern expression. Almost as if she were a child he was scolding.

"They will last long enough. Besides, we can't possibly keep you underground while we search. It would be pure madness."

"Madness is putting your precious Reim in danger by leaving me out here in the open with such poor defenses."

As if eager to prove her point, the parasite squirmed like it was now doing every so often, causing the seal Yunan had placed on her arm, shoulder, and back to react in a burst of light. The already darkened room sunk into full blackness for a brief second as the parasite devoured the rukh around the burst that acted up at her sudden irritation. The mechanisms kicked into gear then, turning quicker and faster to funnel even less magoi into her body to keep it at bay.

Noé gritted her teeth and held onto her aching shoulder as the sudden draining of magoi left her breathless.

"You should be prioritizing a way to keep the city safe for when I rampage again."

"You won't." Muu sounded too confident for his own good. Noé couldn't possibly fathom where it all came from. They both had seen what happened at the Summit. She shouldn't need to remind them.

"You can't be sure."

"I'll stop you even if you do."

Noé scoffed at what she now recognized as stupidity. "It took three magi to subdue me in that state, cub. I doubt you'll manage much of anything alone."

"Which is why we put these precautions in place in the first place." For as valiant as they were, Titus' attempts to diffuse the situation were fruitless.

"They won't be. Not for long, anyway," she retorted once more with a long sigh. "Just put me down under and buy yourselves more time if that's what you really want. Even if I rampage down there, it won't be as powerful as it will up here. So unless you're here to put me down there, leave me be."

It surprised her that they listened for once. Not without having the last word, though.

"We'll find a way, Noé. So please, be patient with us."

What a way with words Goldilocks has.

Sarcasm aside, Noé settled into the silence once more, her eyes adjusting to the dim lighting as she returned to twirling the arrowhead between her fingers to appease her mind and keep it from the aching that wracked her body in slow waves.

"Snapping at them won't do anybody any good, Noé."

Andromalius' soothing voice, despite being barely audible, forced her to let go of the breath she'd been holding for a good second.

Do you expect me to just play along with their ludicrous ideas without taking into account the very likely outcome?

"Not without merit," she clarified. "But to find it, you must be willing to listen first."

The patience to do so slipped away from her long ago. High-strung as she was now, Noé hardly had it in her to hear them out. Besides, it wasn't like she could help them with whatever plan they might have. Right now, she was far more of a liability than anything. The fact that she could very well snap on any given moment and without the slightest warning was more than enough to dissuade them from ever letting her leave this room. Frankly, if it were up to her, she'd be locked up six feet under in Scheherazade's old chambers. A place utterly devoid of sunlight was exactly what she needed.

"It'll be no different than it latching onto any other human then, Noé. You'll die if you only let it siphon off your own magoi."

"What's the difference at this point? I die and save them the trouble or live and possibly destroy not just this country but possibly the whole world." Her voice oozed with pessimism that she couldn't help but have. "Hardly the toughest choice I've ever had to make."

"You said you wanted to live in this world with them, though. Was what you confessed to Yunan all a lie?"

The pang that shot through her chest at the reminder of her own words cut deep. Not because of her words and the truth of them but because of what they made her realize then.

"There's no point living in it without them, Romali. And I could very well be the one that kills them."

Reminding her of that caused Andromalius to pause, but only briefly as a darker thought surfaced.

"Surely you aren't thinking of—"

"I don't know what I'm thinking, to be completely honest," Noé responded with a dry chuckle. "But even if I wanted to return, I can't. You're making damn sure of that."

What with withholding my ability to flash away and all.

For as much of an option as it technically was, Noé couldn't feasibly make her way beyond the Great Rift without succumbing to the parasite before that. She could feel it. It wasn't a pleasant feeling in the least, but she could tell if only by how disgusting it felt on her skin just how little it would take for it to completely overwhelm her.

No matter the case, she was at a stalemate. No option was available, no matter how viable it appeared.

All I can do…is wait here. Wait here, become some little shit's puppet and, quite likely, die by my friends' hands.

"Don't, Noé."

She could tell Andromalius was getting tired of her negativity, but at this point was it truly that? Or was it much more akin to being realistic? Noé opted for the latter as the more logical option.

"They'll find a way. I'm sure they will."

Hoping for that at this point was the actual delusion, but so as to not upset her and wishing not to bicker with Andromalius any longer, Noé feigned a smile as she pressed the point of the silver arrowhead against her palm until it drew blood.

"Surely."

Days passed on. They blended into each other as well the longer she remained in that room. But there was nothing she could do about it. Boredom and ceaseless anxiety clung to her during the day and, if all that wasn't enough, the ruins of Alma Toran haunted her during her sleep. No teas or remedies that Seraphina offered could chase those away.

What's more, with each passing day she could feel the parasite picking at Yunan's magic, causing her pain to increase and nightmares to worsen. Slowly but surely, they started to morph into different yet familiar scenes that frightened Noé awake. Scenes of the recorders and of the magicians she came to consider her family, their bodies battered and broken after the long war, were gradually exchanged by new familiar faces. Aladdin, Alibaba, Morgiana, Muu, Titus, Seraphina, Maahes, Rhea, the Fanalis—their bodies were always worse than just defeated, they were utterly decimated by whatever force ravaged through them.

In her nightmares, their attacker always remained as a daunting shadow, massive in size and with a horrendous silhouette. It was only recently as her nightmares worsen that the murderer finally gained a face. Herself. A monster in every sense of the word as the parasite overtook her and the sun disappeared, leaving the world ice-cold for eons to come.

It was tormenting. Having neither day nor night as a safe haven from her worries had her looking worse for wear each passing day. It was during one of these sleepless nights when Seraphina dared to offer a little bit of solace.

"Let's go for a small walk, Miss Noé."

Of course, she refused at first. It wasn't a good idea for her to go out of this room—this prison—ever. Period. Not even during the night when the only source of magoi was the reflected moonlight. Seraphina insisted, however. Noé could sense the pity that came from the little priestess' words and after a bit agreed to a short walk. She assured her they'd be alright for a few minutes. The borg she summoned around them would serve a similar purpose to the mechanisms around her room, she told her. They'd be alright long enough for Noé to take a breath of fresh air after so long.

And to say she hadn't missed such a thing would be such a blatant lie.

The sensation of the soft moonlight brushing against her skin as Grace of Sunlight absorbed its magoi gave her a chance to breathe easier. Despite knowing how this fed the parasite, Noé wouldn't deny how much it pained her to be holed up without the moon or sun. Perhaps she'd become too ill-accustomed to being fed so much magoi, but that didn't change the fact that without their presence, she could sense how her body had grown so much weaker without it.

It made sense if she thought about it, though.

The one and only time she had been imprisoned underground had been when the slave traders caught her off guard not long before she met Pernadius. They had found her sleeping away in a cave, needing the respite from the harsh heat after days without water. In her time there, they'd found her in a state she'd never before been caught in, completely debilitated. It didn't take the bastards long to figure out that keeping her away from any direct contact with the sun or moon kept her in the same weakened state.

Noé never again traveled by foot after that.

This, though not as tiresome, was just as if not more debilitating to her mental state. So being outside and able to see and feel the light even if for only a short time was calming.

"Thank you, Sera."

Beside her, Seraphina smiled, the hand she hooked around her arm to help her walk steadily tightening around her bicep reassuringly.

"My pleasure, Miss Noé."

After enough time in the nearby open garden, Noé and Seraphina were on their way back to her room when Noé overheard a couple of maids scurrying about. Perhaps they were coming back from the city or had just finished their nightly duties; whichever the reason, their sudden appearance after having seen hide nor hair of any staff around caught her attention. What fully had her stopping midway through the hall towards her room, however, was the gossip they failed to quietly discuss.

"So the east is really going into a full-on civil war?"

"That's what I heard from a relative in Balbadd. Apparently, the first ruler's son has declared himself emperor of the eastern Kou faction."

Eastern faction? If Fireboy's got the west, who's east?

"That would be the fourth prince, I believe. You have met him before. The boy who conquered Zagan."

That's right. Hakuryuu. He was why Fireboy had to return so abruptly to Kou after the Summit.

Didn't Alibaba and Aladdin return to Balbadd too?

"Anyway, Balbadd is in total chaos at the moment."

"I would imagine, what with their country involved in another war and whatnot."

"No, not because of that. Do you remember the blonde boy who used to fight in the colosseum? Well, apparently he was their former third prince and he was murdered by the same Kouian prince that declared himself emperor of the east!"

It took Noé a solid second to decipher what she overheard, but when she finally did, she felt her heart sink to her stomach.

"...what?"

"Noé, t-take a moment. Deep breaths. Remain calm."

"Miss Noé?"

It was hard to hear them. The buzzing that was constantly present nowadays seemed to intensify after what she heard.

Alibaba's…dead?

Crack.

The borg shattered without warning. Shards of it flew in all directions as the Light crystals that suddenly protruded from her back broke through it. Noé's breathing suddenly turned heavy as the rush of magoi coursed through her body, making the dark quartz grow larger while she attempted to use that same magoi to suppress the fidgeting parasite.

But it was hard. No matter how much she wanted to set her mind on keeping it at bay and under control, Noé couldn't keep herself from thinking about Alibaba. Was he really dead? Had Hakuryuu, his own friend, really killed him? Why? How? And what about Aladdin? Was he…dead as well?

"Noé, the kid!"

Through the thrumming in her ears, Noé just barely heard Andromalius' attempt to get her attention and turned back towards Seraphina.

Emerald eyes widened with horror at the sudden appearance of a pack of small dark djinn. Rodents just like the ones she and Alibaba fought back when escorting the priestesses appeared from the shadows and ambushed Seraphina. The little priestess held her wand aloft, casting spells at the small shadows but only dispersing a few and causing more to spawn from the darkness. The screams of the maids from before pierced her ears and had her facing their way from where a larger vermin crashed into the wall from the nearby shadows.

Their eyes gleamed an eerie cyan blue as the smaller ones scurried towards her. The few that reached her before the others stood in front of her, leaning back on their hind legs and sniffing the air with their little noses. Their heads leveled with her gaze and those little beady cyan eyes stared at her for what felt like a solid minute before scurrying away. Severely confused at first, it suddenly dawned on Noé what was happening when she saw the much bigger pest do the same and instead go on to charge at Seraphina.

They're not attacking me.

"Of course not. Why would they harm one of their own?"

The piece of information weighed on her like a ton of bricks as she watched dumbfounded how Seraphina was suddenly ambushed by a horde of them. The kid was capable of protecting herself from the smaller fry but there was no telling how she would fend against the larger breed. Seeing no other way, Noé lifted her hands and summoned her light bow into her grasp. Just as she attempted to knock back an arrow, though, pain struck her left shoulder so violently that it brought her to her knees, her bow toppling out of her reach and disappearing in a burst of light.

Through the pain that rushed through her, Noé could do nothing except watch as the rodents overwhelmed the little priestess. She held off until more of those djinn emerged from all shadows around her. Panic rose within her at the sight and, as if fueled by it, the many rodents climbed onto one another until they formed several more of their larger, more ferocious counterparts.

Noé struggled to her feet but now even the thought of summoning her bow had her shoulder and back being washed over by more aggressive waves of pain than before. She couldn't stand, much less fight, and as panic came over her, all she could do was scream out for her to run.

Her name left her lips the instant a flash of bright red crossed her field of vision and struck down one of the rats. Noé held her breath as Muu rose from where he left a dark djinn slain. Not far behind him, Myron and Lo'lo both began their attack on the rest while the cub looked after Seraphina. Relief came over Noé at their timing but was short-lived at the voice that resounded so clearly in her head.

"How futile. There is no stopping the infestation when the source is this powerful."

The festering shadows behind her came to life then as from them even greater vermin erupted and began their ambush on whatever they saw in their path. The cub and the rest of the Fanalis tried to trounce the vermin, but with their seemingly infinite numbers, dread was starting to set in.

There wasn't any denying it now. Those things were coming from her. They were responding to her hectic emotions. Somehow, she had summoned them without realizing it.

"N—! C— —wn! Please, li—."

Andromalius?

Tears sprang to her eyes at the faint sound of her djinn's voice crying out for her. But no matter how much she tried to pry apart the noise, she couldn't make hers out from the rest. Concentrating on it made no difference either. It left her feeling all the more helpless and forced her to act.

Her face burning, the sigil of her gift shone brightly on her face as she summoned it. Holding out her hand, Noé did her best to concentrate beyond the struggle before her as she attempted to get a hold of even a little bit of magoi. The small light that flickered in the palm of her hand wasn't enough for the flash explosion she wanted to set off, though. Focusing on gathering more was of no use either. Nothing else was gathering aside from this tiny bit.

The reason why was more than obvious to Noé the more the pain on her shoulder increased.

All my magoi…it's being consumed.

Without the huge influx of magoi like before, there would be no surpassing the amount that thing consumed. With nothing left over, it'd be impossible to come even close to casting the kind of magic she did before.

If only Yunan's seal wasn't there…

"You can't break it! All that will do is give it free rein of you!"

How Andromalius' voice managed to get through the cacophony in her head, Noé couldn't say, but it had the light in her palm dying faster than anything else had. If she didn't do anything, those vermin would overwhelm Muu and others. But if she attempted to help them, she could very well destroy the seal on her body and set herself loose, causing grave harm at best and killing them at worst.

The reality of the situation hit her hard.

I can't do anything.

Out of the blue, Muu's pained groan forced her head to snap upward. Her eyes widened at the sight not far from her. One of the djinn had pierced through Muu's breastplate. The bright scarlet that poured out of his chest had her own heart stopping in its tracks. All at once, the noise inside and out of her head quieted and Noé heard nothing except the single thought the sight of Muu injured brought on.

Not him.

Noé forwent any second thoughts. She wouldn't let him die.

Crack.

The heaviness on her body lightened ever so slightly. The pain coursing through her shoulder and back became greater but when it was nothing compared to the sight of them hurt, it was easy enough for her to ignore. Instead, Noé focused on one thing only: getting rid of the vermin.

Having enough power to do so now, she focused the moonlight in her palm and heard the echo of something cracking again in the distance inside her head.

She ignored it. It didn't matter what it was. All that did was getting rid of them.

A bluish-gray orb of light gathered at the palm of her outstretched hand, shining a bright silver before she shot it out towards the middle of the courtyard. Flashing outward, the silver light that exploded blinded all those who saw it. Through closed eyes, they heard the dying shrieks of the rats that were impaled by the spears that rained down on them from the blinding light. The light quickly died down, leaving behind the normal moonlight to illuminate their surroundings, and in that light, Muu and the rest saw the impaled djinn vanish into black dust that flew away in the night breeze.

As her vision adjusted to the darkness again, Noé's stomach turned at their terrified expressions. They didn't make sense. Not at first, anyway. The djinn were dispelled. Why did their fear persist? Noé couldn't fathom why until her gaze fell and she caught a glimpse of her hands. Deep inky black marks gripped at her arms, the markings constantly swirling as ink on water would.

Noé felt sick to her stomach. Not at the sight, but at what she felt.

Peacefulness.

The realization more than anything caused her true disgust. At her jarring emotions, the parasite reacted. Jagged black quarts exploded from the marks on her arms, pain blooming alongside their sudden appearance. Not just on her arm, either. The suddenness of pain struck her all at once as the quartz protruded outward from within. The warmth of her own blood seeping through open wounds overwhelmed her, the scent flooding her nostrils and mind as she fell to her knees.

Someone called her name. She couldn't tell her who at that point. The pain had her undivided attention as it tore her apart from within. Just as suddenly though, the pain dulled as what looked to be a dark sphere surrounded her. Through a blur, Noé saw golden hair shining even in the dark of the night.

Titus?

What pain had dulled, returned, and wrenched a scream from her dry throat as most of the quartz was destroyed by the little magi's magic. Those that didn't, though, sought refuge within her body, sinking slowly back into her causing another wave of pain. It was difficult to tell just how long Titus performed his magic to subdue her, but by the time he was done, Noé could finally see beyond the sphere of Strength magic enveloping her.

The courtyard was a horrible mess, and it was only in the midst of this respite that she could finally see why they had all looked so terrified of her. The dark djinn she destroyed hadn't been the only ones to suffer from her attack. Plenty of those who'd snuck out at the commotion suffered at the hand of those vermin…and hers.

I can't….I can't fight like this.

There wasn't any semblance of control left in her. Even if she knew herself to be conscious, what finesse she had possessed before was nonexistent now. The parasite was causing far too much of a disruption within her.

"Miss Noé."

Had it always been this quiet? Or were her ears simply returning to the dull buzzing that allowed her to hear muffled voices again? Whichever the case, Noé languidly lifted her head to peer into Titus' baby blue eyes as the magi bravely stood before her. And that miserable expression…

It told her everything she needed to know.

Noé scoffed as she hoarsely said, "I'm sorry to say I told you so."

It told her exactly what Titus would now be forced to do.

"He can't."

He has to.

"Myron, Lo'lo. Please escort Noé to the underground chambers."

---

|iii.|

"Are you alright?"

Muu pursed his lips most likely intending to pass that as a poor excuse for an assuring smile. There wasn't any fooling Seraphina, however. His wounds were deep. Not life-threatening but still, they certainly looked like they hurt. Doing what she could, Seraphina stepped aside when his sister returned from her task, taking him away to be properly treated.

Seraphina minded her position, doing her best to act the part of the dutiful Regalia as she aided the wounded and helped with tidying the mess Noé had caused.

Well…she couldn't well blame all of it on her, now, could she?

As the crowd dissipated and not much else could be done for the night, Seraphina parted with the rest of the priestesses using rest as an excuse. All she wanted, however, was space to openly gloat at just how perfectly that had played out.

A small squeak sounded from her shoulder and had her affectionately petting the small dark djinn that rested upon it.

"Well done, little ones," she praised. The mouse leaned its head into her waiting fingers, squeaking as it pressed it against her warm hand. "You played along marvelously."

Seraphina wondered if their magi had seen what she had. Judging by how he simply ordered for Noé to be housed underground, she highly doubted it. There was no mistaking the gracious sound of that intricate levee spell breaking though. Even when she couldn't see the detailed work of the magi from the Great Rift, she knew what it looked like when a magic seal broke. Having her imprisoned underground wasn't good—it would delay the process by a few weeks if anything—but with how well this little theater show of theirs went, Seraphina doubted she would last more than a few days.

If having her fall into depravity was this simple, you should have posited the idea sooner, master.

…

Master?

…

Strange…but not uncommon. Though she was elated to have her master's attention, there was no denying not helping the favoritism. Noé belonged to the first seven, after all, and though it deeply pained Seraphina to know that her loyalty meant little went compared to that, it dulled at the thought of what would come next for them all.

With a faint chuckle, Seraphina nuzzled her cheek against the black mouse.

"We should prepare for what's next, darlings. We'll be very busy soon enough."

---

|ii.|

So dark.

Her eyes closed slowly, but what she saw was more of the same. Having her eyes closed or opened didn't make a difference. Everything was just as dark all the same. The coolness of the stone slab that lay in the middle of the underground chambers soothed her aching body as she sat and leaned over it to rest. The sweet scent that filled the air was intoxicating in its own way. It relaxed her mind but did little to dissuade the thoughts that lingered.

It happened. She lost control. In trying to keep others safe from her loss, she had hurt them. And what she saw in their eyes was the result of that mistake.

Fear. Despair. Revulsion.

Even in their eyes—of those she cherished most now—she saw it. There was no denying it even if she tried making excuses. But it wasn't like she could blame them, either.

This monster she was becoming terrified even her.

Inhaling deeply, Noé let the faint scent of the still-to-bud flowers rush over her and pressed her forehead against the stone slab to cool her head.

"How did you stay here for centuries, Hera?" Noé scoffed, turning her head to lay sideways and imagining her friend there with her, laying on the cold slab of stone. "You must've been bored out of your mind."

Her voice reverberated both inside her head and within the solid walls that surrounded her. Only her voice. There wasn't any more of that buzzing filling her head. Andromalius was strangely quiet as well, though she couldn't blame her. There was little to be said now that they were confined here underground.

Noé took a deep breath but choked suddenly at the aching in her chest that had her hacking until she spat out blots of fresh blood onto the stone slab. Had Grace of Sunlight activated on its own? She couldn't recall. Everything had been such a horrid blur that the dryness of her throat hadn't bothered her before this. But now that she couldn't take even a breath without the remnants of its scarring showing themselves, she imagined it had.

It made her wonder if that thing had control over it as well. Surely it must if it could take control of her, right?

Chief Romali?

…

Noé sighed, not wanting to fight, and let the aching subside on its own instead. Numbness overtook her as what happened was set aside and instead what caused it took the forefront.

Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of Alibaba. The boy had so much to look forward to. He had wanted to do so much from all he had told her. So many places, so many adventures, with Aladdin and Morgiana.

'One day, when my wings grow big and strong, I'm gonna fly up and pluck out all the stars from the sky!'

Those tears rolled down the side of her cheek, their warmth meaningless compared to the cold stone beneath her.

Both of them had so much to live for and this world just cruelly took them away.

Death was inevitable—even she knew as much—but to have taken them so violently and so soon…would it be the same for the others? Would they too have their lives so ruthlessly snatched away? There was no stopping it if that was its plan. If she couldn't in all her power stop it from taking Elior or Alibaba, what could she possibly hope to achieve now when all of it was being rendered out of her control?

"Nothing."

Will I have to watch them die then?

"More than likely, yes. Some at the hand of others, some by your own."

Noé's throat tightened at the mere thought of having to watch them die, even more so at her hand.

"There's…nothing I can do about it, is there?"

"You cannot change what fate has decreed for you all. If an unjust and cruel death is what awaits them, then so it shall be."

She paused to process those words, tears spilling down the side of her face still. "When you said you loved the world…I wanted to love it, too. Because it was what you gave yourself up for, I wanted it to be as precious to me as it was for you. And I hated that I could never come to love it as deeply as you did."

"It is as wondrous as it is cruel."

"I hate it," Noé confessed, her voice holding a dreariness to it. "I hate it with every fiber of my being."

"And yet you wish to stay, do you not?"

"I wanted to stay with them…just like I wanted to be with you. I didn't care where so long as I could be with you. Why was that so difficult?"

"I cannot say for I do not have the answer you desire. I only have the truth which you are duly aware of."

It was because of me.

Noé understood wholeheartedly. Her mother, her aunt, her people—they had all been right when they treated her as an ill-omen. Her aunt more so had been right when she gave her the name Noélia.

Ne dalis— Always apart from everything and never a part of anything.

Not of her family, not of their people, not of the in Alma Toran, and certainly not here.

"It saddens me to see you like this, little sparrow."

"You should have let Andromalius execute me," she spoke softly. There was no longer any emotion in her voice. Only blatant disregard. "It would've spared me a lot of grief."

"It isn't I who impedes you at every turn, child. It is the fate of this world that determines it so."

"I don't care about fate." The pain subsided as Noé let the soothing calmness of her words engulf her. This was the truth; it was her curse. "If it's because of it that I've suffered so much through no fault of my own, then I don't care for it."

"If what you yearn for is to deny it…you still have your wish."

Wish?

It took Noé a second to understand what she meant, but once she did, something akin to hope rose in her chest.

"I thought I needed them all. If I don't have them, wouldn't it be pointless to return?"

"Not pointless. Others will retrieve what the boy has stolen. But you have fought your battles, my little sparrow, and you fought them tirelessly and bravely. You have done your part. If you so wish, you can rest alongside me until I return upon this world to make your wish come true."

"What do you mean…alongside you?"

"Return to me, Noé. Return Grace of Sunlight and have your due rest. To you, it will be but a moment's wait, and once it has passed, you and I shall meet once more, face-to-face, and be reunited upon this world once more."

"Will you bring them back?" Her voice trembled at the thought, the little ember of hope that still remained waving so delicately even after having been thrashed by so many storms. "Elior, Alibaba, Hera, Nadi…?"

"All will be made anew when all is said and done."

Relief came over her at the mere thought of it, but something impeded her from fully partaking in the joy it brought. That 'something' wasn't hard to discern either. Even if they returned, what caused their downfall would still remain. And so long as it did, all their despair and morose finales would come…surely. No, if what she wanted was to not repeat the same mistakes, then there was only one way for that to happen.

"…can I change my wish a little?"

"Change it?" There was a long pause. It had Noé fearing that perhaps she was asking for too much. But her sweet voice calmly replied, "Speak it."

"Bring them back," she affirmed with a smile as she lifted her head away from the stone slab. No more tears fell from her eyes now. "Restart the world…and make it so that I never exist in the first place."

An audible crack echoed through the cave, but Noé paid it no mind. Neither did she pay any mind to whatever slither freely across her body. It was strangely calming as it settled once more on her shoulder and back.

"Can you do that?"

Her voice was nothing above a whisper. A quiet prayer to the only god she ever believed in.

"If that is what you wish for, then I shall make it so, little sparrow." It slithered again, this time wrapping around both her shoulders and neck and touching her cheek and eye. "So return to me, Noé."

With a faint smile, Noé nodded.

"Yes, meistras."

—{ii}—

Everything was strangely quiet.

Though she supposed it would be normal with it being the middle of the night. Not a soul was out there despite how tranquil the atmosphere surrounding them was. It was peaceful. Perhaps that's what quieted the incessant noise in her head at last. All she could hear now was her meistras' humming coming from the distant south.

From the far direction of the Great Rift.

Walking there would take months. Muu and the others would find her by then and bring her back if she allowed them the time. If she wanted to leave, it needed to be now, quickly and quietly.

"Miss Noé?"

Her shoulders fell, dejectedly.

So much for quietly.

Glancing over it, Noé met the confused seafoam green gaze of a little priestess. Curiously enough, the image of a frightened little girl who held terribly tight to a feeble stick with trembling hands came to mind.

A little girl, taken from home and thrust into a terrible world, desperate in her need to survive.

A soft grin came to Noé's lips at the thought.

I knew I liked her for a reason.

"Miss Noé, where are you going?" Seraphina asked timidly, her eyes bouncing back and forth between her and the stone gate that led out of Reim. "You shouldn't be outside of the chamber. Being exposed to so much light will hurt you."

"It's alright, Sera"

Odd. Her voice wasn't hoarse anymore. Once again, it regained that lilt in it that distinguished her as an outsider. The tone of her words reflected her unusual peace of mind as she turned to face her.

Seraphina's expression turned further into perplexion as Noé stepped towards her. There was no fear in those eyes, no hesitation, only deep-seated concern for her. The mere sight warmed her heart and brought her face-to-face to Seraphina. Gently, she caressed the side of her head and smiled down at the young woman standing before her.

That's right. Seraphina wasn't a child anymore. She could take care of herself now. She was strong enough to do so.

"I'm proud of you." Noé didn't know where those words came from. All she knew was that deep down they were the ones that wanted to surface. Besides, if she would be gone soon, might as well leave nothing unsaid. "I know we've only met sparingly but I need to say it. You've grown up so much and so strong, too."

She allowed the words to linger between them before whispering, "Will you do me a favor?"

Taken aback by her words and actions, Seraphina could do nothing except give a single nod.

Noé smiled down at the girl before taking her hand back and reaching behind her own neck to the leather strap tied around it.

As if finally understanding, Andromalius spoke up frantically.

"Don't you dare, Noélia! Stop this instant—"

Forgive me, Chief, but it's for the best.

Grasping one of her steeled feathers with one hand, Noé cut the leather strap with ease and held her Metal Vessel by it before opening Seraphina's palm and gently placing the arrowhead in it. Closing her hand tightly around it, she let one last thought leave her.

I hope you find a better king this time, Andromalius.

"Take care of them for me, will you?"

Carefully, her hand returned to stroke her head before her thumb brushed away the strands of hair upon her forehead. Noé leaned forward before gently placing her lips upon it. A soft gasp filled the air. Amused by her reaction, Noé let out a soft chuckle before pulling back and placing her forehead against hers.

"And take care of yourself, my child."

Seafoam green eyes widened at her declaration but could say nothing at the sudden shock that took over her. Noé smiled, patted her head as she had done all those years ago and turned away. It took only a few steps for her voice to surface over the silence. A little bit choked, softer than a whisper, yet audible to her all the same.

"Where…"

It wasn't difficult to answer, and Noé did so with a smile, turning about to face her as the light around her refracted and a flutter of dark birds fluttered close by.

"Home."

Noé flashed leaving behind only silver particles that sparkled in the dark of the night.

---

|iii.|

"Child."

…

Pain struck between her shoulder blades without warning. Seraphina recoiled forward, her hand reaching back in a useless attempt to soothe a phantom pain that struck her very soul. Her vision blurring for an instant, it took her a moment to focus and ask for her master's forgiveness.

Her apologies dismissed, her master spoke, "You have done well."

"T-Thank you." Straightening back again, Seraphina looked down at the Metal Vessel that sat in her hand which was now useless without a master. "Shall I destroy it?"

"No. You would only return Andromalius to her dungeon and allow another to capture it."

Of course.

Shaking the strange thoughts out of her head, Seraphina pocketed the Metal Vessel and forced herself to focus on what came next. Having Noé fall and turn towards her master's abode was only the beginning, after all. Tomorrow she would have everything else fall into place.

A sudden rustling stopped her dead in her tracks and without warning, she shot an icicle to her left in its general direction. Impaling the base of a tree and nicking some bushes in the process, Seraphina's eyes narrowed as she waited for what had made that noise to show itself. More rustling came shortly before a hare scurried away, half its ear mangled and bleeding onto its brown coat.

Exhaling slowly, Seraphina allowed her tautly wound nerves to calm before turning away towards Regia's temple. Now that things were unraveling, she couldn't very well deny her slight apprehension. This was a colossal task that, because of Rakah's sudden disappearance according to her master, she would have to face alone. That had been the plan since the beginning, though. This wasn't a task for Rakah or any other proxy that her master might have scattered across the world.

This task fell solely on her.

Retrieve Grace of Sunlight. Retrieve the Vastagian recorder. Claim her reward and take her place at last as one of her master's heralds when the end came.

A simple plan.

"And take care of yourself, my child."

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she reached up to gingerly touch her forehead. A dull pain surfaced on her back but Seraphina let it linger in the back of her mind as that disgusting yet pleasant sensation settled in her stomach only to rise and swell in her chest a little.

Simple.

---

|ii.|

So dark.

Small silver spheres appeared at her command, lighting the darkness of the valley depths in a dim glow. At quite a distance away stood a humble wood cabin whose light functioned as a beacon the closer she went. Once close enough, the front door opened to show Yunan exiting his abode with an expression Noé hadn't seen in centuries.

Despondency.

The last time she had seen that look on Yunan's face was atop a hill far above a kingdom burned to ashes by the actions of his latest king's candidate. She wondered if that was what he saw in her now as well.

Surely.

"Step aside, please."

The calmness that she gained a short while ago remained even now. There wasn't even any pain from flashing from Reim all the way down to the bowels of this rift. Odd enough, all that remained within her was peacefulness.

A tinge of wariness reached those blue eyes but even as he held his staff closer to himself, his grip tightening around the wood, a smile came to his lips.

"It will be morning in Reim soon," he said. "Muu and Titus-kun will be worried sick if they find you missing, Noé."

"Enough idle chatter."

"Drop the act, Yunan. I don't have the time nor the patience to hear it." Noé waved her hand for him to move but her emerald eyes narrowed when all he did was step in the opposite direction instead, directly standing in her way. "Move."

Listening to her, Yunan's expression turned morose as he held his staff at the ready in one hand. "You know I can't do that."

"Then you really want to reincarnate a tenth time, don't you?"

Baby blue eyes widened at the sight before him. He'd seen it too many times to ever forget what a fallen king looked like. The way both white and black rukh clamored around her as her impatience silently grew was a fearful sight. The same quartz from before grew as she summoned blades that took a silver sheen instead of their usual brilliant gold.

A twinge of fear ran down his spine at the sight of how serene her demeanor radiated terrifying might. She wasn't flaunting it to taunt him into battle, either. All this show of power was with the simple objective to scare him into submission.

Noé knew he wasn't an idiot. He knew when to stand down. And if he meant to prove his intelligence once more, then he would step aside like she asked.

Instead, Yunan brandished his staff out towards her, regret marring his once gentle expression as he did so.

"I let you go once," he said, those blue eyes gleaming a little as they narrowed. "I'm not making the same mistake twice."

Noé scoffed at his audacity but couldn't help admiring it all the same.

He's always had guts when it matters. I'll give him that much.

"Do not admire the foolish, little sparrow."

Her grip tightened and turned the blades in her hands as six more spears appeared behind her in the refracted light. A wry half-smile pulled at one corner of her lips as a dullness came over her emerald eyes.

"I really don't want to do this, Yunan."

"You don't have to," he said, that gentle smile of his returning briefly.

If it weren't for their current positions, Noé would almost confuse this for their usual banter. It even had her chuckling at how light the conversation was between them when compared to their actions.

"Stand down, Noé."

But alas.

"I'm sorry, Yunan, but…"

The left side of her face burned as Grace of Sunlight came alive. Suddenly, the light inside his cabin flickered before the two fell into utter darkness. It was within that darkness that Yunan saw them again.

A pair of bright cyan eyes.

"It's nothing personal."

---

|iii.|

Calling the sudden havoc in Regia's temple frantic would be an understatement. But it was to be expected.

Seraphina had waited until the next morning to alert Muu and Titus of Noé's absence. As the first one to check on her wellbeing that day, she acted shocked when she rushed over to both to tell them how she found the underground chambers empty. What now was happening was only the result of the news.

Most of those who knew of her stay and who knew how dangerous and unstable she was at the moment was visibly relieved by her absence. They poorly feigned concern only to appease Titus and Muu who highly outranked them. Apparently, the only one stupid enough to voice their collective relief was the emperor's son, Nerva.

"I say good riddance," he blatantly spoke, huffing as he crossed his arms over his chest haughtily. "Keeping that woman in Reim only spelled trouble. All is well now that she's gone."

What happened next was instant. So fast, in fact, that Seraphina had no time to react even if she had wanted to. Muu had the little snob prince in his firm grasp before anybody knew what was going on and hoisted him by the collar of his tunic several feet off the ground, snarling away at him. For once, he acted like the Fanalis he appeared to be.

"I've had enough of you!"

"Muu!"

Seraphina found it difficult to intervene at first. She'd grown tired of the snotty prince's attitude long ago and found it amusing that he was getting his just deserts. But she had a part to play in this, so she played it, helping Titus in his futile attempt to calm Muu down. Ignatius had to step in before long, firmly diffusing the situation and showing no fear in front of a man that could easily beat him to the ground with or without a djinn.

Muu released Nerva then, growling deep in his throat as he stormed out of the temple with his sister and Lo'lo in his wake. Seraphina watched after him, feigning worry but more than anything wary of him. Though not a prominent piece in this plan of hers, one couldn't be too careful.

"All is well," her master reminded her. "Make your move and let the pieces fall at your feet."

Her chest swelling with anticipation, Seraphina turned to Titus with worry marring her expression. "I'll search her room and the chambers, Lord Titus. Perhaps there's something there that she left behind that could point us towards her destination."

Titus nodded, his brow furrowed with concern. "Please do." His gaze fell down the corridor where Muu had stormed off to but said nothing.

Playing into his concern, Seraphina offered a reassuring smile. "Rest assured, my lord. I'll see to Muu once I finish searching her chambers. He's not the impulsive type, you and I know that. He's just…" she pursed her lips while searching for a better word than 'crazy', "emotional."

The magi took a deep breath to compose himself before smiling back and agreeing. "Thank you, Seraphina. Please do."

He left with the duo that always followed him around—that Heliophatian magician and the Magnostadtian brat—and as he said, left the temple to her as he busied himself searching for information elsewhere. After coordinating the other Regalias and Regalus, Seraphina left, following the directions of the people who'd seen Muu in passing until she found him far out in the outskirts of Remano in the little cabin that Noé called her home.

Myron and Lo'lo were there, waiting outside diligently. They only spared her a glance before looking back towards the front door that was opened ajar. From outside, Seraphina could hear the ruckus of his footsteps stomping around within as he searched the premises in their entirety. Gently, she pushed the door wider to walk in but stopped at the threshold to watch for a moment. Muu was frantically searching every nook and cranny, caring not what he tossed around or what he disturbed in the tiny house.

She only remembered seeing him this erratic once in her life, the day he and Noé came to rescue her and the other Regalus from those pirates. His worry, however, had been on her safety and not on the more than capable woman that had gone to save them. And it didn't compare to his state of mind now either.

He was really and truly gone now.

How sad.

"Muu." Her voice didn't come above the ruckus he was causing around the house. Peeved, Seraphina stood straight and projected her voice outward as she repeated, "Muu!"

Miraculously, he stopped and turned towards her. The fury in his eyes was unmistakable. What she wondered was who that rage was directed at. It wasn't herself, certainly not Noé, which only left one person.

"You can't continue blaming yourself for this," she immediately countered.

Despite the maddening rage coursing through him, Muu couldn't do to Seraphina what he'd done to Nerva. So instead he combed his fingers through his hair, brushing it away from his face as he paced the small house. Seraphina observed him from a safe distance as he made an attempt to tamper his anger. All the while, she tried hard to not roll her eyes at his immaturity.

Honestly, what did Noé see in him?

"You couldn't have known." He scoffed at her words and the anger taking a rise this time around began to be her own. "Even if you did, do you honestly think you could have stopped her?"

"I would've damn well tried."

Cursing. He had truly lost his temper if he was speaking so callously in front of her. Shaking the thought away, Seraphina frowned back. "And she would've wiped the floor with you and left all the same. What matters now isn't the reason why she left, it's finding where she left to."

"Do you think I don't know that!?"

Seraphina tampered herself this time. Getting yelled at by him was new and something she quickly realized she utterly despised. "Apparently not if you think you'll find anything being as riled up as you are!"

Matching his energy seemed to work for something. Muu found some grip on a nearby chair, cracking the wood in the process with his unchecked strength. What she said must have clicked though, because the fury in his eyes was leaving faster than before. Once she saw it mostly reined in, Seraphina approached him while speaking in a demure tone.

"Being like this will not make us find her any faster. We have to be thorough and think things through."

Finally, he released a long exhale before also letting go of the chair whose back easily broke apart afterward.

"You're right," he begrudgingly admitted. "And I know you're right but i-it's just—"

"I know you're worried," she said. "I am too. That is why I came here, too."

"You thought of searching here?" he asked.

Seraphina nodded and gently guided him over to the remaining chair in the small kitchen to sit him down. "The night I took her out of the room, we were in the midst of idle prattle. During it, the topic of this little cabin came out."

"Of course it did." Relaxing a bit more, Muu sat back against the chair. "This place is the place she feels more at home than anywhere—"

His sudden pause confused her, but nothing prepared her for the way he suddenly shot up from his seat. It took her so much by surprise that even her borg reacted, forming around her and anticipating some sort of retaliation that never came. Instead, Muu's sudden epiphany was written all over his face as it unconsciously slipped from his lips.

"The rift."

Seafoam green eyes widened at his conclusion. Not because of how sudden it'd been, but because he reached it without her having to give even an inkling about it. A part of her was glad she wouldn't have to beat around the bush for him to get the subtlety of her words. The other detested the fact that he knew her to the point that he could deduce her possible whereabouts by himself.

He left the cabin just as fast and suddenly as he had left the temple and had the three of them chasing after him again. Funnily enough, though, he returned to Titus, and Seraphina reached the temple fast enough to catch Titus' reaction to Muu's sudden conclusion.

"The Great Rift?"

Muu nodded, all rage replaced now by brilliant hope in his eyes. "She's done this before. When she's alone and desperate, she resorts to places familiar to her. The cabin, that graveyard, and Yunan's."

"Yunan's?" Seraphina asked, barely now regaining her breath. "The magi of the Great Rift?"

"She's known him for longer than she even knew Lady Scheherazade. And after what we saw at the Summit, that place is the closest thing to her old home than anywhere else in the world." Confident about his deduction, he turned once more to Titus. "Noé doesn't want to remain somewhere where she'll harm others. She won't go to any other country because of that. She's gone to the rift, I'm sure of it."

"Then let's begin transportation to—"

"Lord Titus! Captain Muu!"

Seraphina stepped back as new, unexpected events transpired on their own. Muu was right for once. She guessed he could be surprisingly astute when it came down to things that mattered. But what the guard came to inform them about certainly set a wrench into whatever hasty plans they had intended to pull.

The east's war had begun. Not only that but there was suspicious naval activity towards the southeast of Parthevia as well. Pieces that shouldn't be moving by all intents and purposes were doing so. Reim had no bone to pick in this civil war, but the fact that Partevia was allowing naval movement within its waters could mean only one thing.

The Seven Seas Alliance is putting their noses somewhere they aren't invited.

That in itself was worrisome.

"That man is a thorn no matter the place or time."

Seraphina wholeheartedly agreed with her master on that. At least this time, though, it wasn't their side that he was pricking at.

Titus was now faced with a choice. Even when they more than likely weren't the target of their attack, the fact that the Seven Seas Alliance was mobilizing was of concern. No one would put it past the King of the Seven Seas not to connive a way to involve Reim in this situation. Despite the slim chance of that being the case, they couldn't allow it to stand unresponded. The least they could do was deploy troops to the southern and eastern borders to better patrol the situation. That would wear them thin, though.

Which meant searching for Noé would be less of a priority all things considered. They couldn't spare a single hand when all else was uncertain. But if they were as desperate as she thought them to be, the outcome was more than obvious.

And most importantly of all, to her benefit.

"Then I'll go alone."

Seraphina raised her hand to hide the faint grin she couldn't help but show.

"Muu, no. You can't." The concern on Titus' face was clear. Even more so on his fellow Fanalis. Him leaving on his own was a concern simply because, as their captain, he couldn't very well leave them alone. But perhaps Titus' concern was a different one. "You can't bring her back on your own."

"I subdued her once, I can do it again."

"No, you don't understand. As Noé is now, I don't think you can even stand a chance."

He knows.

How he did was beyond her but she guessed it had to do with his being a magi. As he explained it, he had sensed the shift in the rukh the night before but had pinned it to all the turmoil that was happening in the east. Not to what he now knew was the more possible catalyst.

"She's…fallen?"

Titus nodded, a grimace clear on his face at Muu's shock.

"It's the only thing that could explain the tumultuous dark rukh I sensed last night. Because it came and went so quickly, I thought it had been a passing shift from how perilous everything is at the moment, but I should have known better than to assume."

"No, please, don't blame yourself. You couldn't have possibly known."

At his insistence, the young magi agreed but now they were at an impasse. If they truly intended to reinforce borders in case of a possible attack, even if it was a high unlikelihood from the Seven Seas Alliance with their dogma, they couldn't just ignore it and not be criticized by the people. Sending Fanalis was the best plan of action, even if only a few, but that would require their captain to be present and attentive just in case anything happened.

And Muu couldn't well be in two places at once.

"Is it time for you to enter the stage now, little one?"

Indeed, master.

"Allow me to stand in your place then."

Rebuttals instantly rose when the meaning of her words settled. Muu and Titus were more perplexed by her sudden volunteering than anything else. Not standing for anybody's nonsense, Seraphina made a show of her magic by freezing the walls and floors of the room without even needing to lift her wand. All officials present stood still, frightened by her show of power, but Metal Vessel users, Fanalis, and magi remained unfazed. They knew the Regalia were trained to use magic and more so her whose open secret was that she'd been trained by Noé herself at times as well.

Bar none, she was the most logical choice.

"I may be incomparable to a magi or a Metal Vessel user, but I can hold my own in battle far better than others. Not to mention that aside from having the general's aide, I am acquainted with the Fanalis. I won't replace their captain, but simply hold his place until he returns and this perilous time has passed."

The senate officials present were highly against it. A priestess did not belong on the battlefield, they said. But their opinions didn't matter. Only facts did. And the fact of the matter was that her logic was sound. And the one whose opinion truly mattered knew that.

"I'll allow it," Titus said.

When no one protested his decision, Seraphina smiled.

Perfect.

Not a few hours later, Titus and she were at one of the grand rooms in Regia's temple with Muu, readying a transfer circle that would take him the closest it possibly could to the Great Rift.

"This will take you as far as Catargo," Titus explained. "From there, it'll be on you to reach the valley."

Muu nodded, taking with him nothing more than his Metal Vessel and the determination to bring their friend back. It was then that he turned towards Seraphina.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he reminded her as he stepped into the transfer circle.

"That won't be too difficult," she retorted with a chuckle but soon sobered. "Be careful, Muu. And bring her back."

"I will."

Then he was gone.

"Everything will be alright."

Seraphina smiled at the soft prayer that Titus exhaled under his breath and nodded in agreement as she laid her hand on his shoulder. "Surely, it will, my lord."

The thin line across his lips was all he could muster as a smile in return. Seraphina followed behind him as they left to make preparations for the reinforcements to be sent and reached into her pocket to feel her own reassurance when she suddenly stopped cold.

Noticing her sudden stop, Titus turned to her with his brow knitted down. "Seraphina? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, my lord. Everything is fine. I just haven't had anything to eat is all."

Titus offered her a sympathetic smile. "We should eat before continuing. Sphintus says it's never good to skip meals."

"He most certainly is right," she said. "I shall join you once I stop by my room."

"Alright."

Seraphina did her best to not give her sudden agitation away as she made her way to her room as fast as she could.

It's gone. It's gone. It's gone.

The silver arrowhead wasn't in her pockets.

---

|ii.|

The cut stung. It only bled a little though.

And luckily, the priestess lady hadn't noticed her there. Rhea couldn't be more grateful.

A noisy hare outside her window had brought her into a haphazard chase around Remano and up the hills to the biggest temple in the city during the wee hours of the night. Catching it behind a bush, however, brought her to accidentally eavesdrop on their conversation.

Rhea heard it all. What's more, she saw what Big Sister Noé had given the priestess lady. But it didn't make sense. Mister Muu always said that Metal Vessels should always be with their masters because it was the only way for a djinn and their king to stay connected. If the priestess lady had Big Sister Noé's Metal Vessel, then…

Mister djinn must be lonely.

That's one of the reasons why she was scurrying around the temple so early in the morning that day. Everybody was running around in a frenzy and couldn't care less about her sneaking her way around the empty halls as she followed the putrid smell she'd caught onto from the priestess lady the night before.

Fear was her other reason. Something about that lady made her hair stand on end and had her instincts yelling at her to run away as far as possible. How didn't her big sister notice that?

That didn't matter right now, though. Rhea stopped before one of the many rooms where she smelled the lingering scent of Big Sister Noé that clung to her Metal Vessel still. It was faint, but when contrasted with the horrible smell from that lady, it wasn't hard to find. Pushing through, she followed the scent towards the bed where it was strongest. Big red eyes peeked underneath it to find the silver arrowhead lying haphazardly on the floor.

Lucky!

Grinning wide, Rhea snatched the silver necklace and knotted the leather strap again before pushing her head through and letting the arrowhead fall against her chest. Good, it'd be safe there until she returned it to her big sister.

Click.

The opening of the door froze her in place for a split second, dread filling her at the thought of that lady catching her in the act. Before knew it, Rhea hurried to hide in the nearest place she could find: underneath the bed. Clasping her hands over her mouth and nose, Rhea did her best to quiet her breathing as the door opened and footsteps came into the room.

Step. Step. Pause. Step. Pause.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Rhea didn't swallow her panic, fearing it would give her away, and instead waited with bated breath as the steps continued to come closer.

Step. Step. Step.

Her eyes closed shut as sandals entered her periphery.

Ba-dump.

Step. Rustling.

"Rhea?"

Her eyes shot wide at the sound of a voice she hadn't expected and her hands instantly fell away from her mouth as she took a huge inhale before calling out to them.

"Maa-nii!"

Coming out from under the bed, Rhea threw herself at Maahes who caught her easily enough despite the sudden surprise.

"What are you doing here?" His oceanic eyes scanned the room warily as he held her trembling body closer for comfort. "You're not supposed to be here, Rhea. This is Miss Seraphina's room."

"It's Big Sister Noé!" Stunned at first, it took Maahes a moment to calm her down and have her explain what all this sudden panic with her was all about. There was no stopping her then, and from what he managed to piece from the broken story parts, Maahes wasn't liking what he was hearing.

"And that's why I came here." Picking the arrowhead from where it laid on her chest, she showed it to him, red eyes big and gaze shaky. "Big sister left it behind."

"I see." Rhea couldn't discern what his expression meant. At the very least, he appeared to believe her. With a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he helped her to her feet and gestured out towards the door while holding her hand.

"Let's get out of here before anything else, shall we?"

Rhea nodded and followed as he led them away.

Squeak.

Glancing over her shoulder, a cold shudder ran down her back at the sight of a pair of cyan eyes peeking from under the bed. The fear had her holding onto Maahes' hand tighter as she hurried to leave the scary room.

—{ii}—

Was this it? Was this what that odd sensation had been about? To come and find little Rhea?

It didn't make sense to Maahes. Very little did at the moment.

One moment he'd been caring for Miss Noé's lily garden at the crack of dawn, and the next he came rushing to Regia's temple at the behest of a terrible gut feeling. Now, after seeing the havoc that the temple was in, he knew something was definitely amiss. What he hadn't suspected was that it was due to some strange military movement that had been caught down south near Parthevia. The chaos almost had him missing what others were whispering about around the temple when he arrived.

Miss Noé had left Remano after somehow falling into depravity.

Maahes didn't want to believe it. He believed in Miss Noé and just how strong she could be, both in body and mind. But he also knew that strength could only get someone so far by itself. With everything that happened, it wasn't all that shocking that anybody would reach their breaking point.

Much less someone who had been carrying so much for so long already.

Still…why did you leave, Miss Noé? And where to…

"Be careful."

Maahes didn't have time to question the strange voice he suddenly heard in his head when Rhea suddenly yanked him to a halt. Despite being half his height, the fact that she was a Fanalis wasn't missed by him. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned down to the young girl only to see her hiding behind him as she looked ahead. Following her gaze, it was obvious what had her so wary.

On the other side of the open courtyard was Miss Seraphina and she'd been heading straight down, more than likely heading to her room which wasn't far behind them. Thankfully, a few priestesses stopped her and kept her busy.

"Leave. Before they see you."

What are you talking about—

Miss Seraphina quickly dismissed the priestesses though and continued on her way. Rhea yanked at his arm even more, pulling him in the opposite direction. And the voice, strangely monotone, agreed with the little Fanalis.

"Make haste, Maahes. Before they kill you, too."

His blood ran cold at the ominous warning. Turning away, Maahes led them in the opposite direction with Rhea close on his heels. There wasn't much thought into where to go; getting away was the only thought in his mind, at the moment. Some minutes later, they found themselves at the colosseum's underground abodes. Intricate as the hallways were, he hoped that they would at least be the last place where they'd search for them.

Skata and his sisters rose from their nap at the sound of them coming and playfully approached the familiar people that were Rhea and Maahes. Releasing his arm, the little Fanalis threw herself at Skata in search of comfort from what had just transpired. The beasts, as if sensing her distress, approached her and lapped at her hands and face. Maahes, on the other hand, hung back as his mind raced a mile a second with all that he just uncovered.

Something was terribly amiss about all of this. Miss Noé's fall, the sudden naval threat from the Parthevian seas, Rhea's fear of Miss Seraphina—

And you… Who are you?

Maahes sighed at the silence.

God, all this stress must be making him go insane. It must've just been his imagination. His instincts and riled nerves were simply manifesting as a voice he couldn't remember from his childhood. Something, anything, logical that wasn't just some random voice in his head.

"You are not insane, boy."

…

Ah.

"I must be," he muttered to himself, turning away from Rhea who could now smile as the sabertooths kept her company. "You're only a manifestation of my sudden rise in panic. You aren't real."

"Believe what you will. It does not change the fact that I am a vestige of olden times that resides within you. And it is because of your bloodline that you sensed the killing intent that boiled over from that human woman."

For as much as he didn't want to believe that whatever he was hearing was actually sentient, Maahes took a moment to think about those words. So he hadn't imagined it. Something was terribly amiss with Miss Seraphina, too.

He didn't want to believe whatever this was. There was nothing to prove that what this voice in his head said was remotely true. Yet something within him felt strangely at peace at hearing their voice. Despite its monotony, there also existed a tinge of composure that soothed his nerves.

It was illogical, but for the second time since choosing to become Miss Noé's Household Member, Maahes chose to listen to his heart instead of his mind.

"Am I to assume you were the one who warned me to go there?"

"Yes," the voice said. "The red cub had to escape. She has Chief Andromalius and she must be returned."

You don't say.

"Returning her Metal Vessel isn't as easy a task as you think it is. We don't even know where Miss Noé has gone in the first place. "

"Maa-nii, do you want to know where onee-chan went?" Maahes jumped at Rhea's sudden question and at her sudden proximity to him. Calming his racing heart, Maahes didn't notice Rhea's pensive expression until she spoke up again. "Because I know!"

Maahes' brow furrowed at her sudden outburst. "Y-You do?"

"Mhmm!" she replied, pride making her eyes twinkle. "I heard her when she and the priestess lady were talking last night. Onee-chan said she was going home!"

Home?

It was a broad term, but the places Miss Noé referred to as such were thankfully limited to only a few. But she had just left Remano, and because he'd been at the cottage since early that day, he knew for a fact that she hadn't gone there either.

If not to those places, then where?

"Alma Toran, boy," the voice said solemnly before quickly adding, "or as close as that is possible in this world."

Alma Toran. Yes, of course. From all that had been revealed back at the Summit, he recalled that she had been from the world before theirs. Her first home. But what did he mean by as close as possible?

Ah.

"The Great Rift."

"The Great Rift? You mean the place where we come from?"

Maahes looked down at Rhea who had been staring at him utterly perplexed this whole time. 'We' must be referring to the Fanalis. If that's so then she wasn't far off. Maahes nodded in response.

"I think that's where Miss Noé has gone," he muttered to himself while addressing her as an excuse to think aloud. "Her Metal Vessel needs to be returned to her. And if she's gone there, I have to go return it."

"Me too!"

Maahes grimaced at her self-inclusion. "I'm sorry, Rhea, but this is too dangerous. I couldn't possibly bring you along."

"I'm not staying," she protested. "That lady—she's scary! I could smell that terrible smell from her, too. Like something rotting!"

Rotting?

"The byproduct of being a proxy. The mark does not just taint their rukh and augment their twisted minds, but it corrodes the body as well. You have seen it, how it can so easily take over a sentient being."

Mark? Did they mean the parasite? Did that mean Miss Seraphina had one too? If that was true, then it was unthinkable how they could have possibly missed it. With how much trouble it was causing for Miss Noé, how did they not see it on Miss Seraphina? Before this, he had never sensed anything amiss before either. She was the epitome of normal, after all.

So how?

"It is always difficult for the eye to see what the mind is unaware of. You who have never been exposed to the real magnitude of its threat would never know the difference between acceptance and rejection."

Accept—She accepted it?

"It must be why they have forced Noé to fall. Now, all that the mark needs to take over is for the dark rukh within her to overpower the light rukh Grace of Sunlight beckons. But that will never happen. Not unless she forfeits Grace of Sunlight willingly."

And this seemed too calculated by whoever was behind it to not foresee that either. Wherever Miss Noé was headed must be exactly where they want her to be. And if so, there was even a greater need to stop her.

"Rhea, I understand you're scared but—"

"No!" Stepping back, she held onto the arrowhead hanging from her neck and snarled back at him, the fury of her kind beginning to distort her innocent features. "Something isn't right and I'm not handing this to anyone but onee-chan!"

"Rhea…"

"Bring the Red Lioness cub with you. Without Chief Andromalius in Noé's possession, you are as harmless as freshly fallen snowflakes, after all. Even as a cub, her strength will come in handy."

Maahes hated that fact. He had just gotten the hang of his Household Vessel too which made it all the worse for him to need somebody else's help.

"Besides, the cub sensed the marked one's putrefaction before any other of her kind. There's something to be said about an intuition as attuned as hers."

He had to agree with them on that.

Sighing, Maahes patted Rhea on the head and smiled down at her as he bent forward to meet her gaze. "Alright, Rhea. I know you're worried about Miss Noé. I am, too. That's why we need to bring that to her as quickly as possible."

"Yeah!" Determined, Rhea's chest swelled and she gave a firm nod. "Don't worry, Maa-nii! I'm the fastest out of all the others! I can get to wherever onee-chan is in no time!"

"We have to go together, Rhea, which means you can't be going on ahead. It won't benefit us if you lose all your strength and something happens," Maahes said. Standing back up, his gaze fell behind her as a smile formed at the sight of Skata who stood standing firmly behind Rhea. "But it seems someone's already got us covered on that front."

Saddling Skata, Maahes secured Rhea atop the sabertooth before climbing on himself behind her and taking the reins. Leading him to the exit, he wrapped the reins twice around his hands knowing full well they'd have to bolt it out of the city and beyond to avoid being stopped.

It would be a rough start to an already tough journey ahead.

"Be safe, boy, and be smart about it. Though I don't think there's much of a need to remind you of that."

None whatsoever.

Holding the tethers still, Maahes tilted his head to the side to ask one last thing.

If you're not a figment of my imagination, then what are you?

"An old friend of hers whose wish is to help with what little remains of me. What little of my will remains in these vistages will disappear before long. When it does, do not listen to me. I will be but a puppet whose strings will be at another's beck and call."

I don't quite understand, but if you truly wish to help Miss Noé, then thank you…um.

"What is the matter?"

I…don't know your name.

The voice chuckled through his head and that soothing coolness returned as he spoke one more time.

"To many, I was known as the Recorder that heralded from the Bazu tribe of Alma Toran, boy. To those like Noé—and to you—I am simply Saffiro.

---

|iii.|

Gone. Gone. It's gone.

She had turned her room upside down and that damn necklace was nowhere to be found. In the midst of her search, a mouse came from the shadows of her chiton and nestled against her neck as it squeaked in her ear. Turning towards it, Seraphina quelled her panic for the moment it took to listen and when a name was uncovered, her patience was all but lost.

Seraphina brandished her wand and sent a frozen breeze across her room to extinguish all light inside it. Once only the daylight from her window spilled inside, she called out to the empty room.

"Darlings." At her becking, a myriad of cyan eyes opened up in the darkness. "Find the Fanalis mongrel. Do what you must. Kill her, flay her, bleed her to death—I don't care what you do with her. Just bring me that damn necklace!"

The shadows dispersed outward at her outburst, leaving her panting heavily at how flustered this mishap and use of power had her.

"Little one."

Seraphina stopped breathing for the briefest of moments expecting pain, but what filled her was immense tension instead when nothing happened. Then, all at once, a delicate cold touch ran down between her shoulder blades until it reached the mark on her back.

There was no pain, no shock, only dread that brought her to her knees.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'll retrieve it. Everything will go as planned it, I swear."

"I believe you. Because I know…"

The touch ran back up her back and dug into it as it ran down once more, this time bringing a stinging burn as the cold touch broke through her skin.

"I know that you're different from Rakah and the others. You're more powerful, more loyal, more astute. Isn't that so, little one?"

"Y-Yes, master."

"Good." The cold touch disappeared and allowed Seraphina to finally breathe again. "I should not have to remind you that I have been disappointed one too many times before. I do not wish to be disappointed again."

This time what ran down her back and neck was cold sweat at the veiled threat.

"I won't disappoint you, master. I swear it."

---

|ii.|

Muu slowed to a halt at the sight before him.

What he recalled from his childhood, that bright little cabin that was a beacon in the midst of all this darkness had all but been decimated and its creator laid beaten against what remained of his abode.

Rushing to Yunan, Muu helped the bruised and bloodied magi stand as he had been feebly attempting to do so by himself. With a cough or two, Yunan managed to clear his airway and open his eyes to see him clearer.

"Muu," he chuckled as if this were but a trivial conversation that they were having, but soon regretted it when another cough had him hacking more violently than before. "My, she truly didn't hold back," he said with another chuckle at his own risk.

"Noé did this to you?"

Yunan forced himself to nod despite the grimace that displayed his pained state. "You just missed her in fact. I put up as much of a fight as I could when I overheard you were coming, but not even I am strong enough to hold back the bearer of a gift."

"The sun doesn't reach the bottom of the valley, though." Perplexed, Muu shook his head attempting and failing to understand the rationale of this outcome. "Even if she could use it, there is nothing down here from where she could regenerate rukh from."

"No, but she doesn't need sunlight when so much dark rukh still lingers on the other side of the barrier to answer her," Yunan posited.

Suddenly, what Muu feared was proven real. What Titus said had been true. Noé really had fallen into depravity.

"And that's without her even having Andromalius. I must truly be getting old."

"She fought you without using her djinn equip?"

"She couldn't," Yunan corrected. "She wasn't in possession of her Metal Vessel. That's what brought me the false hope that I could hold her back until you arrived, but I underestimated just how fierce her raw powers are. Especially now that she has access to both types of rukh."

Muu wasn't liking this more and more by the second. A grimace came to his lips as his expression soured, but at breathing in, a familiar scent came to his nostrils. Letting Yunan lean against what remained of his cottage for support, Muu took the few steps he needed to reach the origin of that scent.

It smelled of fresh flowers and sunlight and it was coming from the bunch of crimson feathers scattered on the floor just a few steps in front the barrier separating both sides. Bending over, Muu picked the largest one which was the length of his hand. It was freshly plucked; it still had much of that scent lingering on it.

Hers.

"She crossed the barrier."

"She's done it before." Yunan had taken tentative steps towards him and once he was sure he could stand by himself, stood by him. "Back then I didn't think she would return, but she did."

"What made you think that?" he asked.

"She had just finished burying her son." The gentleness in Yunan's gaze contrasted with the grimace he wore. "What she must've wanted must have been to return to something familiar, though I didn't know that back then. I'm sure this time is no different."

Yunan used his magic to heal what he could of his wounds before turning to what remained of his cottage and using his alchemic spells to restore it. Within seconds, the small cottage returned to its former glory. Almost as if nothing had ever happened.

"So if you have come to retrieve her, then you will have to wait until she returns of her own accord."

Muu wasn't as certain as him, however.

"But she's fallen now. What if her falling into depravity was her losing all hope? What if her hopelessness is greater than her grief ever was and she doesn't return?"

"Noé isn't that weak."

"But she is," he painfully whispered. "Though few, there are things that bring out those insecurities in her. The little grievances, the smallest reminders, and though she continues on, it doesn't mean they haven't damaged her. And I've seen what it's like when they bend her too far."

Gently, he brushed his thumb across the crimson feather that he held so carefully in his large palm.

"I think they finally broke her." Lifting his crimson gaze, Muu met those baby blue eyes that belied Yunan's confident words. "And I think you know that too."

Yunan paused. He was hesitant. That much was obvious from the way his hands trembled in his forceful grip on his staff. And along with how clear it was, so was his fear for her. Muu, upon seeing this, asked only one more thing.

"Be frank with me, Yunan. After all that happened, do you truly believe she will return this time as well?"

His grip stiffened. His lip quivered. Those baby blue eyes fell.

"No."

Muu let out a long exhale at his lack of hesitation then. Yunan knew all too well what he had refused to admit until now. And what lack of hesitation he showed in his response, Muu displayed in his decision as he turned away to face the barrier. As if reading his mind, Yunan grimaced, his brow furrowing at what Muu so blatantly intended to do.

"You cannot pass the barrier a second time, Muu. Not without consequences."

"I know." Raising the feather to his lips, he let the tip of it brush against his nose as he took a deep inhale, letting the scent of fresh flowers and warm sunlight permeate his senses. "But I don't mind them."

I'm willing to pay the price if it means I can bring her back.

"Welcome her back when she returns for me."

Without another word, Muu made his choice and stepped through the barrier.

—{ii}—

Yunan watched as the young Fanalis disappeared into the darkness beyond and felt his heart grow heavy. Twice now he had watched both pass through the barrier. Each returned their first time, but like Muu had forced him to admit, he doubted either of them would return a second time.

Especially after what Noé said to him after single-handedly overcoming him.

"I'm sorry for being another disappointment, Yunan. But please, don't lose hope. Someday you'll meet them, a king vessel who won't fall like we have."

Holding his staff closer to himself, he wrapped his mind around what those words had meant coming from her. She knew. All this time she had known the truth of who had raised Andromalius' dungeon, and all the same, had treated him as she always had.

As a friend.

Yunan's sadness tightened his throat, but he never allowed it any leeway further than that. Instead, he tilted the brim of his hat back and focused his gaze straight ahead towards the barrier those two had passed through.

"I wish you the best of luck, Muu. And that you can somehow convince her to return. At least then, your choice and its consequences will not be in vain."

---

A/N:

Yay, I finished this faster than I thought I would! Thank goodness I already had more than half written when i finished last chapter. But I'm glad because there was a lot I wanted to lay out there in it since this is basically the start of the last arc in this story.

Yes, lovelies, we are on the home stretch with The Meanderer and I can't tell you how exciting it is. I have most if not all of the latter half of this outlined and i just need to work out some kinks here and there to fully flesh it out before i begin writing again. Because I intend to finish TM before the end of the year and possible before/during summer, I want to focus more of my time here and give ya'll the proper ending I wanna give this story. And not just because I also started outlining the next magi story w.

This time around I wanna thank all of you who are sticking around and reading and even leaving wonderful comments here or on AO3. Love you guys from the bottom of my heart.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you stay tuned for the next update :)

Hugs and love,

Evie.