It had been a struggle to adjust. Going from two arms to one was not something he ever expected to have to get used to. It frustrated him to no end being cared for constantly, and having to ask for help with even the simplest of tasks. He couldn't dress himself, he couldn't hold silverware, he couldn't even open some of the doors in the estate because they were so heavy. It would have driven him mad, but at least he was able to move around. Zen made himself useful in the estate by helping Kathrine with minor cleaning work. It wasn't something he enjoyed, but it was a task he could actually do, and that was enough for him. Sighing, he leaned back in a chair on the patio, relaxing as he took a break. It was near the end of April, and the weather was pretty calm, at least, it was this far south. Banks of dark clouds rolled by to the north, a storm that stretched across the sky like a curtain, and even in the bright light of day, the clouds loomed menacingly, with distant flashes of light that illuminated the wall for only a second before it faded to gray again. "I would not want to get caught in that. Storm that big would be easy to get lost in." A voice said, drawing his eyes from the clouds. Sythe walked over with Nibbly on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Zen tried to shrug, but his left shoulder wouldn't move at all. "Obviously I've been better. But at least the pain is dull and bearable."

Sythe reached over to a summoning rune as he sat down, and called for a pair of drinks. Handing one to Zen, he smiled. "I'm glad. It's been interesting with you down again. Reminds me a bit of last fall. Your leg healed up just fine, so maybe you'll end up just fine again."

"Doubtful. The doc said that not even magic could fix all the damage done, so I won't hold out hope for that. Still, I'm alive, which is more than we can say for the thing that stabbed me."

"I admit, it was weird seeing Richard actively going to save you. He spent so long being so adamant that Keidrans were the worst, but ever since he learned about Raine's shapeshifting he's gotten better. Haven't heard him call anyone a fleabag in weeks."

"It's like the world has gone topsy-turvy. Everything is changing. Less than a year ago, everything was different. I had never met you all, I only cared about myself and Natani, and we were linked together with what we thought was an unbreakable bond. I never would have dreamed that I would be recovering from injuries in the backyard of the former Grand Templar, I wouldn't have a mental connection to anyone, and… that I would actually be okay with all of it. Well, maybe that's the wrong word… it just seems normal now, ya know?"

"Yeah, I get it. If Flora hadn't run off, we would have been married before you and I ever met. Actually, a lot of things would be different. Flora would never meet Trace and Keith, you and Nat would never get sent after them, I would have never run off, and well, who knows?"

"Fate really has a sense of humor, eh?"

"I'll drink to that." The tipped their drinks back and each took a large swig.

"What have you been up to? I've been out of it for the past while, so what have you been up to since I've been down?"

"Honestly, not much, though not for lack of trying. I've been pouring over old books for a while, reading up on the history of Nemurnal, trying to piece together what we know about the Sentinels. I can't understand why they attacked us, and why they were after Trace. Unfortunately, I've not found much. A few firsthand accounts about the city being burned, some secondhand ones from people who watched from the outside, but it's all been so repetitive. The same story, the same places, the same time frame, even some of the same names. Even when I looked into the Keidran side of it, all I found was more of the same, but just from a different perspective."

"None of the names stood out to you?"

"No. Unless you know a Thandolin. It's come up a few times in different stories, but the name is the only consistent thing about whoever they are. One said that they were the captain of the guard, another said they were a wizard, and one just had the name show up out of nowhere."

Zen thought for a moment, and then frowned. "Sorry, doesn't ring a bell. Wonder if Barret knows who it is. He seemed to know a lot about the mountain when we passed it."

"I forgot you guys saw it. Was the destruction really as bad as everyone says?"

"Worse. The very ground looked like it was covered in ash. There was hardly any rubble left on the mountain itself, scattered ruins across the fields stretching out from it, and Sentinels still patrol the area."

Sythe was quiet as he finished his drink, pondering all that he knew. "I wish I was more like you." he said quietly.

"What?" The statement caught Zen off guard.

"You're brave. You're ready to fight for anyone. Even if it could cost you your life. You've put yourself in harms way time and time again, done some really impossible things, and kept fighting. I can't do that. I'm just a coward. I've never hit anyone, though I have wanted to punch Richard a few times in the past. But that's just not me. I'm not brave like you."

"Who says you aren't?" Sythe looked away, silent. Clearly he had been told that exact thing before. "Look, you might not be as brave or as strong as me, but you can do plenty of things I can't. Read, for one."

"Wait, you can't read?"

"Only the most basic of things, and only in Keidran. I grew up an orphan with Natani. Wasn't exactly high on my list of priorities."

"Oh. Would… would you like to learn now? I'd be willing to teach you."

Zen smiled. "Why not? It would give me something to do. And once my arm is better, I could show you how to defend yourself. Next time someone comes after you, you can show everyone just how brave you actually are."

Sythe smiled back. "I'd like that."

…

It was hard for Natani not to follow Zen around all the time. She really cared about him, and wanted to be there to help him, but he had made it very clear that he needed some space. She wandered the estate aimlessly, and found herself standing in front of the room Barret had been staying in. No one had gone in there since he left, but she doubted he would mind. Opening the door, she found the room musty and the air stale. A thin layer of dust covered the room, and as she slowly walked in, the dust kicked up into the air, filtering through the beams of sunlight that came from the south facing window. She sighed as she looked around. He had taken everything with him. There was no trace anyone had ever been in this room. The bed was made, the chair was straight, the desk was clean, even the dresser was cleared off. She walked over and sat down on the bed, wishing she could see her friend again. "This isn't your room."

Natani glanced over to see Richard standing in the doorway. "No, it was Barret's. I… I miss him. More than I'd care to admit."

"Yeah. I find myself wishing Haelith and Raine were back too. But they'll be back. They have to come back." he said as he sat down in the chair, a puff of dust rising from underneath him. "Hey, what was Barret like? We never really got to talk while he was here."

Natani smiled as she thought about him. "He's good. Sure, he has a bit of a grim outlook on life, but he knows how to survive, how to thrive in the most difficult places in the world. He can take a look at a rock and tell you exactly what touched it last night. He has this uncanny wisdom to him that you would never guess by looking at him. He's been forged in some of the worst circumstances anyone could go through. He watched his parents die in front of him, and he kept going. It takes a lot to bring him down, both physically and mentally. I'd trust him with my life. Actually, I already have trusted him with my life, a few times. I know he'll be back. He'll make it back, and he'll be stronger. I know it."

Richard listened intensely, taking in every word. "He sounds like quite the man. Lizard. Dragon. …Thing."

Natani snickered as he stumbled over his words. "Alright, now Haelith. And Raine too, but I already know quite a bit about her. Tell me about Haelith."

"She's fun." Richard leaned back in the chair as he began to talk. "She can go from dead serious one minute to completely ridiculous the next! She might not look like it, but she's very, very smart. She spent years reading and learning and studying all sorts of stuff. She can speak both Keidran and Basidian, is a great surgeon, and she can cook pretty well too. Just when you think you've found something that might confuse her, she'll go off on a tangent about how she studied it or something. She and Raine are really close. Pretty sure Raine is the first actual friend she's had since she ran away from home. I can't imagine what it must have been like, watching Trace kill someone to try and get to you, only to then months later spend the night in his house as he welcomes you with open arms."

"Well, when you put it like that, yeah, it would be more than weird, it would be terrifying. I wonder if she left because she was afraid of Trace?"

"I dunno. Wonder if she'll even come back."

"Yeah. Well, what about Raine? You two seemed to be pretty serious in the spring, so you must know all there is to know about her, right?"

"Less than I want to tell." Richard leaned forward. "I know a lot about her, and she knows all about me, but it's very personal. I know that she likes to play her cards close to the chest, not let out her secrets if possible, and… I'm the same way."

"You? Secrets? Ha!" Natani laughed as she tried to imagine what Richard could possibly want to hide. "Of all the people here, everyone has secrets, but you? Ha!" He glared at her as she clutched her side laughing. She glanced over as the mirth left her eyes, and she realized "Wait, you're serious?! What could you possibly want to hide?"

"Keep guessing. It'll stay secret until I'm ready for it to not be."

"Yikes. Alright then, keep your secrets. But if this comes back to haunt us, I'll make sure it's your funeral, not mine."

"Yeah, whatever." Richard stood up and made for the door. "Look, I know that I've not exactly been kind to you and Zen, but I'm trying my best. I spent so long thinking the world was one way, and no other way could exist, and now everything is different. Everything's changed. I just wanted to say I'm glad you gave me a second, third, fourth, and so many more chances."

"Well, if Trace can change, so can you." Richard looked back and smiled as he left, leaving Natani alone in the dusty room once more.