Author's Note: And we have the end of the Toto'haha stuff here. Again, mostly some cute moments, but there are one or two serious things, too. Plus a Cohazeh cameo, because I thought it made sense to include her somewhere.

Chapter Six: Island Adventures, Part II

Osvald was somber that evening (or more somber than usual, as some might say). Hector seemed to have had fun, which he was grateful for. Still, Osvald wanted to do something that made up for what he'd been through.

"…Food good?" Octavia asked, blinking at him in concern.

Osvald was shaken out of his thoughts, and he glanced down at the food in question. She'd made Lloris skewers for dinner, which were quite good. He just hadn't spoken over the course of the meal.

"Oh, they're fine. I was just…thinking."

Ochette leaned back in her chair and rolled her eyes in amusement. "That's Osvald for you! He's not gonna say a word when he's really thinking about something."

At least he had a good cover story. He did tend to go silent when he was deep in thought. And, by the time he and Hector were ready for bed, an idea occurred to him. Osvald remembered something he'd read in Harvey's notes, and now was a good time to bring it up.

"Hector, your birthday's coming up. Would you like me to get you something?"

"What are birthdays, Papa?"

"They're the day you were born." (Well, it was a little different for Hector, but that was beside the point.) "They tell you how old you are, and people like to celebrate the fact that they've lived another year."

Hector nodded. "How old am I?"

"You'll be five."

"When is it?"

Well, the exact anniversary of when Harvey had deemed him "ready" was in two days. Osvald didn't want to go with that, though… Did that count as lying to him? He just wanted Hector to have his own day, free of Harvey. And Elena had been born a few days early, too…

"Tomorrow," he decided. "I'll take you out for gifts before we do our reading, and I'll get you one thing for each of your birthdays."

That seemed fair: one thing for every year that Osvald had missed. There was a stab of guilt in his chest, but Osvald shook it away. He wouldn't miss any more—he'd be sure of it.

Hector smiled lightly as he nodded again. Then he asked, "When's yours, Papa?"

"Oh. It was…" Osvald paused as he counted backwards in his head. "…over a week ago, shortly after we got on the boat."

"You didn't say anything," Hector replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, no. Once you get old enough, they're less exciting."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-nine."

"That's…" Hector scrunched up his face in thought as he held up a few of his fingers. "How many more?"

Osvald had started to teach him counting, but he hadn't gotten into much math yet. Soon, he decided. He'd just wanted to focus on one thing at a time.

"Thirty-four," he answered. "I'll show you how to add soon. But we need to sleep now."

Hector nodded as he snuggled into his pillow. Osvald watched him fall asleep, deciding to be optimistic as he got comfortable. He'd let Hector pick out whatever he wanted; it was only fair.

Ochette gave Osvald a few strips of jerky the next morning after he explained his plans for the day. "For trading!" she said. "The store's up near the hill. I gotta go, so make sure you get him some fun stuff, okay?"

Ochette bounced away before Osvald could indignantly reply that books were fun, thank you very much. Still…he'd already gotten Hector several of those. He could always get more, and Hector needed some toys.

Upon arriving at the Beastlings' shop, Hector looked around with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. He still wasn't used to choosing things, but there were several objects that clearly caught his attention. "Go on," Osvald said. "Take what you want."

Hector settled on a set of colorful blocks, two carved wooden figurines, a new satchel, and a small bone flute. "Picking good!" the shopkeeper said as she accepted the jerky. She held another flute to her lips and blew, and Hector was initially surprised by the sound. Then, he grinned, picked up his flute, and tried to imitate what she'd done. The shopkeeper laughed as Hector produced a brief, high-pitched note of his own.

"Teaching him lots!" she said to Osvald, who'd tried his best not to wince at the sound. It was what Hector wanted, and he would improve with practice. Osvald nodded as he gathered up Hector's gifts, and they left the shop.

Osvald let him spend some time observing his new things. The blocks were especially good, he thought; Hector needed to practice his hand-eye coordination… Besides, he clearly liked them anyway. He spent the most time with the blocks, taking several minutes to get a mostly-balanced stack, and Hector was pleased with himself when he was done.

They were late to start reading for the day, but that was fine. Osvald wanted Hector to enjoy himself… But as a result, Ochette was done coaching the young Beastlings before Osvald and Hector finished reading. It took Osvald a few seconds to glance up and realize they had an audience; he'd been helping Hector read a passage with several unfamiliar words in it.

"What is it?" one of the Beastlings asked.

"Oh, I'm…teaching him how to read."

Another one said, "Reading fun? Liking reading?"

"Well, you can read for fun," Osvald explained. "Or to learn new things."

The group glanced at each other, and then leaned in and started whispering to each other. Oh, no; Osvald knew where this was going. Then, they eagerly turned back towards Osvald and Hector.

"Teaching us?" several of them asked at once, while a few others chorused, "Learning, too!"

They watched Osvald expectantly. Their eyes widened curiously, while their ears twitched and their tails swished behind them. Soon, Hector was tugging on his arm; he obviously expected Osvald to agree.

…Gods damn it all. Osvald couldn't say no to those faces. They were just too eager and adorable. Besides, who was he to turn down children who wanted to learn?

"Well, all right," he muttered. "As long as your parents don't expect you back for a while. Come over here and sit down."

There were various shouts of thanks and agreement, and Hector smiled as he leaned into Osvald's arm. This could just…be another birthday gift for his son. Hector liked the Beastling children. Obviously it was another form of playtime.

That was how Osvald ended up with nearly a dozen small children curled up against him as he read aloud from one of Hector's books. He chose one of the shorter ones, not sure how their attention spans would be. By the time they reached the end, Ochette located the group, and she grinned as she looked at the scene in front of her.

"I was wondering where everyone ran off to! Aww…that's cute, Pops."

Osvald coughed and glanced away. "I am not cute, Ochette."

"Yes, you are! Isn't he, Mahina?"

Mahina hooted in agreement. Great, even the owl was mocking him. Osvald reddened beneath his beard as he cleared his throat and closed the book. The Beastlings giggled, and even Hector looked amused.

"Yeah, sure, whatever! Now you guys better go home, okay?" Ochette gestured at her students. "And I caught another Octopuff this morning, so Mama made some more of that stew for you, Hector! Let's get back."

The Beastling children stood up reluctantly, waving as they scampered off in various directions. Osvald huffed as he and Hector followed Ochette home. She giggled again, which he pointedly ignored.

Hector had enjoyed himself, and that was what mattered.

Several days later, Osvald was sitting at the tavern on the human side of the village, glaring down at the papers spread out in front of him.

Ochette had taken Hector out to play again, so he'd decided it was a good time to do something else he'd put off: organizing his thoughts on the One True Magic. Well, that and he'd really wanted some coffee. The coffee was decent, but his notes were turning into a confused jumble.

Clarissa says the source is love. Is it only applicable to paternal love? Does it work with romantic love, other forms of familial affection, or friendship?

Also, Elena was in mortal danger the first time I used the One True Magic. Not exactly something I am eager to replicate. Conditions are impractical at best and wildly unethical at worst.

However, I did use it several more times in battle afterwards, including against Vide. That certainly qualifies as "mortal danger," especially in the latter case.

Does this mean I love my traveling companions? Hikari thinks the source is friendship. Is he onto something? The gods can drown me in Vidania if I ever say I love Temenos.

Osvald sighed heavily and reached for his mug. This was the problem with positing love was the source of the One True Magic… Love certainly wasn't a bad thing, and it could drive people to pull off some incredible feats. It just opened up too many other possibilities.

After a few seconds' pause, something else occurred to him, and Osvald reached for his quill.

When Harvey tried the One True Magic, his version was fueled spite and jealousy. Do any strong emotions work? On the other hand, his was less effective. If I recall correctly, it was more taxing on him, and it damaged the elemental monsters he summoned, too.

Osvald set his quill down, rested his chin in his hand, and grunted in annoyance as he mulled it over. For every answer, he got ten more questions… Though he supposed most research was like that. There was always something new to discover, the more you learned…

"That's quite the scowl. I take it that's not going well?"

Osvald glanced up at the question. He recognized the woman speaking to him: she was the humans' chief, and a friend of Clarissa's. Normally, he might've been annoyed at the interruption, but Osvald could use a distraction.

"Not exactly, I just…" Osvald sighed and gathered up his papers. "I was organizing my research, and I keep asking more questions for every conclusion I reach."

"Doesn't it always go that way?" She snorted. "Care for a walk? It might clear your head."

He nodded and set his payment down on the table. "It was…Cohazeh, yes?"

"That's right. You're…Osvald, aren't you? Clarissa's friend. And you were helping Ochette before."

Osvald had been there when Clarissa had taken her trip to Toto'haha, which Cohazeh obviously remembered. He nodded again as they approached the door, and Cohazeh followed him outside. The fresh air felt better already… Taverns were too noisy. Osvald wasn't sure why he hadn't studied outside in the first place.

At any rate, after a few seconds of silence, he mused, "…The ruins will be quiet."

Cohazeh hummed in acknowledgement, but she looked vaguely amused at his statement. Osvald supposed it was obvious, but, well. She suggested clearing his head in the first place, and it was (tangentially) related to the last thing she'd said.

They meandered silently for a few minutes, past the southern edge of the human settlement and towards the path leading out of the village. Soon, they were surrounded by the trees, pillars, and wall fragments dotting the trail to the Tombs of the Wardenbeasts. Osvald took a deep breath; his thoughts were still muddled, but at least it was quieter out here.

"So what was it you were so wrapped up in?" Cohazeh asked.

"The One True Magic. I've found a few answers, but…" He shrugged. "I cannot seem to grasp anything conclusive."

"Oh? Well, what's your theory so far?"

Saying it aloud might help, and Cohazeh was a scholar herself, if he remembered correctly. Osvald decided to take advantage of the potential discussion.

"The best idea I have so far is that it's fueled by strong emotions. Clarissa thinks it's love, but that does run contradictory to her initial suggestion of greed to you."

There was a curious glint in Cohazeh's eyes that reminded him of Clarissa when she got an idea into her head.

"To be fair, she was open to other opinions. But most people would say that true love is an absence of greed. However…if you really want something, you'd take good care of it, wouldn't you?"

"That sounds like something Clarissa would say. And it's not wrong," Osvald admitted.

"Well, you know her; she gets set on things once she's decided on them. I'm sure she has some way to justify whatever stance she has now." Cohazeh shook her head in amusement. "So what's your reasoning on the 'strong emotions' angle?"

"Well, it certainly lines up with the first time I used it—"

"You can use the One True Magic?" Cohazeh interrupted in astonishment. "But that's… Show me."

Osvald supposed he had dropped it rather casually. Most people would want a demonstration… If he cast the spell again, maybe he could draw some conclusions based on the way it made him feel.

So Osvald simply nodded, closed his eyes, and called, "This…is the answer!"

Equal parts warmth and power surged through his body as the spell erupted from his fingertips. Osvald could see the bright, sparkling white of the sigils even through his eyelids, and the bursts of energy were satisfying and familiar. There was…something coursing through him, the same thing he felt every time he used the spell. The rush of pure energy, the warmth, the bursts of affection and protectiveness he'd felt for Elena, and—

Curious. There was something else now, too. Osvald bit his lip, eyes still closed, as the magic dissipated. What could it have been?

Something told him he knew. Osvald just needed a moment to let it sink in.

"Incredible," Cohazeh murmured. "What fuels it for you, then?"

Osvald opened his eyes and mulled it over before finally replying, "I was thinking about my children."

Cohazeh smiled knowingly. "Perhaps Clarissa isn't too far off, then."

"…Perhaps she isn't."

The rest of his questions needed answers, but…Osvald knew what his source was.

Osvald let Hector stay up late that evening. Hector wanted to practice with his flute, and (with some coaching from Omar) he produced some actual notes. It was probably a bad idea to let him stay up so late. Osvald knew he'd have to enforce a sleep schedule eventually, but…

Well, Hector was enjoying himself. Osvald couldn't bring himself to make him stop, especially after his discussion with Cohazeh.

Still, Hector slept in the next morning as a result. In turn, they got off to another late start with their morning reading. That meant that Ochette finished training the young Beastlings first. Some of them came looking for Hector, and Osvald once again found himself with several extra children crowded around him.

…It wasn't too bad. They were adorable, he silently admitted. Osvald could do without Ochette teasing him afterwards, however.

"Why can't you just admit that's cute, Pops?" she said as the fledgling hunters bounded away.

"Because I'm not cute," he replied flatly.

"Well, you have been a lot more smiley lately." Ochette huffed as she flopped forward, plopped her elbows onto the ground in front of her, and rested her cheeks in her hands. "Normally you're all like, 'I'm Osvald and I have to be all serious all the time'—"

"I've never said that before in my life."

"You know what I mean!"

Hector watched the whole exchange with a puzzled expression, and he blinked up at Osvald. He reached over to brush some of Hector's hair out of his face, and Osvald smiled automatically. (Okay, maybe Ochette had a point.)

"Well, Hector makes it easy. He's been doing so well lately, and…I'm glad he's happy," he finished, less impressively than he would've liked.

Still, his statement had its intended effect on Hector, who grinned and leaned into his hand. "Thank you, Papa."

Osvald lowered his hand and set aside the book he'd been reading. He stared at it for a few seconds before glancing over at Ochette. Something had just occurred to him, and he figured he may as well ask.

"By the way…how common is literacy among Beastlings, anyway?"

Ochette blinked. "Litera-what now?"

"Literacy. Reading and writing."

"Oh, that." Ochette shrugged. "Well, it kinda depends! Like, Mama's a dyer and Pa's a carpenter, so they can read and write a little, because it helps them with measurements and stuff. They taught me a little, and Master Juvah helped me too, so I could remember the stuff on the frieze. But most Beastlings who just do hunting don't really need to, you know?"

Osvald nodded silently. That made sense… Reading was just such an integral skill for humans (and to him in particular) that it was odd to think about. He shook his head when Hector yawned; he was clearly feeling the effects of staying up late last night.

"Well, we can stop here for now. Would you like to go inside, Hector?"

He nodded, but Ochette cut in before either of them had a chance to stand up.

"Oh, no, you know what this means? If you're tired, it's naptime! We can sleep out here," she announced. "It's always more fun to sleep outside anyway."

"But there's nothing to—"

"We're taking a nap on you, Pops," Ochette interrupted. "So hurry up and get comfy!"

"We did it before," Hector pointed out.

Osvald gave Hector a sideways glance. This was true; they had curled up together when they'd traveled. But he knew the way Ochette always preferred to sleep on him…

Well, he'd already used napping on his hair as a bribe. Osvald knew it was too late to take that back. He sighed, moved Hector's books aside, and lied down on his stomach. As soon as he adjusted his arms for a makeshift pillow, Ochette flopped over onto Osvald's back and nuzzled into his hair.

"Ah, there we go! It's been way too long since I had my second-favorite mane to sleep on."

Osvald huffed, blowing some stray hair out of his face. He should've corrected her on her constant referral to his hair as a mane, but…it was easier to stay quiet. Besides, it would be hypocritical of him to complain, given that Ochette's preferred napping setup wasn't as bad as he always insisted.

It took a few seconds for Hector to lean forward, too. Osvald couldn't see his face, but he could imagine the curious but not displeased expression Hector always wore when considering something new. Finally, Hector shifted into position. Osvald could feel his frills brushing against his back before Hector found a spot where he was comfortable.

"…Soft," Hector mumbled sleepily.

"See? I told you it was nice," Ochette mumbled in return.

They both yawned and immediately fell asleep. Osvald sighed in lieu of a verbal response. He was actually comfortable; the weather was warm enough that he'd forgone his coat, and the weight of Hector and Ochette on his back was oddly relaxing…

It wasn't long before he drifted off, and Osvald only awoke several hours later when he heard a soft set of footsteps nearby. They were followed by an amused, "I see you've found a new pillow, O Apprentice."

Ochette shifted against Osvald, snuggling into his back for several seconds before she replied. "You're still the best, Master Juvah! Osvald's just good, too."

Osvald could feel Hector stirring as well, and he squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. His glasses were slightly askew; he'd forgotten to take them off. His neck was stiff, too… But he could hardly stretch until the two children on his back moved.

(Well, Ochette wasn't technically a child, but she effectively was when it came to his inability to say no.)

"I didn't mean to steal her. It just kind of…happened."

Osvald managed to move one arm and straighten his glasses. Juvah was standing off to their right, though his giant form made him hard to miss. He snorted as he leaned down to nudge Ochette.

"Oh, I am not complaining. I simply wondered why she hadn't reported her daily training to me yet."

Osvald meant in general, but Ochette probably should've paid more attention in this case, too. She grinned sheepishly as she sat up, and Hector finally moved as well. Osvald sat up less gracefully than he might've liked; his arms had fallen asleep during their nap.

"Sorry about that, Master Juvah! I just, you know…"

Juvah huffed lightly. "Yes, I'm well aware you can't resist a good nap. Now, then…"

"I'll be a minute. You guys can go back to the house if you want!"

Osvald nodded as he and Hector gathered up their things. As they walked back to Ochette's home, Hector tugged on Osvald's leg, and Osvald obligingly looked down at him.

"Papa, can I sleep on your hair again?"

…Well, he probably should've expected that. Osvald paused, attempting to look as if he was seriously considering it.

"Maybe sometimes, but only on special occasions."

Hector accepted this response with a happy nod, and Osvald decided it was worth it to keep his hair long.

Hector saw an Island Froggen for the first time about a week and a half after arriving on Toto'haha.

Ochette had taken him out to play again. Several of the Beastling children were chasing him around, and Hector leapt up into one of the nearby trees to catch his breath. They groaned as they looked up at him, and Hector grinned in response.

Then, he shifted and sprang back down, tackling one of them. Petra giggled as they tumbled around and rolled to a halt. Finally, they were both lying on their backs, slightly breathless.

Everyone had gone silent, and it took Hector a moment to realize why. He leaned his head backwards and had an upside-down view of a pair of large, webbed feet. Curiously, Hector rolled over and looked up, getting a proper view of the creature in front of him.

Its eyes were narrowed, and it was pointing a bow at the group. The Froggen's tongue briefly flicked out of its mouth, catching a fly on the back of its head. Then, it focused its attention on the group again. Petra scrambled away and hid behind Ochette while Hector rose to his knees.

Its eyes were bulging and bright red, but they were set far apart, much like his. Also, its hands were webbed—exactly like his. However, Hector was different in other ways. He glanced down at his own hands; they were a dull grayish-peach, and didn't have the array of bright colors this creature's skin displayed.

Yet…it felt familiar to him somehow. Hector had never seen one before, but—

"Hector, you gotta duck!"

He jumped when Ochette shouted. Hector glanced over his shoulder and saw that she'd drawn her bow, too. He inched backwards, keeping his eyes on the Froggen.

It squinted and leaned down, getting a closer look at him. The Froggen loosened its grip on its bow as it examined him, sniffing the air nearby. Then, it lowered its weapon completely, turned around, and bounced away.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Except Hector; he was still processing the event. He finally stood up, and then he plodded over to Ochette.

"What was it?"

Ochette sighed as she lowered her bow. "That was a Froggen! I guess we were making a lot of noise, and we went out further than we usually do… We probably just surprised it or something. It kinda liked you, though!"

Hector nodded as he mentally repeated the word: Froggen. It was something that lived nearby, and it was similar-but-different to him. Maybe he would tell Papa about it later.

…Or soon, given that Ochette added: "So it's probably a good idea to go home now!"

The Beastling children groaned, but they nodded and obediently followed Ochette back to the village. Hector and Ochette eventually found Papa in one of his favorite spots: under a tree near the western hill. He glanced up from the book he was reading, something with a complicated set of runes on its cover.

"How was it?"

"Pretty good… We ran into a Froggen, but nobody got hurt!" Ochette absently scratched one of her ears. "It kinda liked Hector, too. But we came right back after that anyway."

"Ah." Papa marked his place, closed his book, and tucked it into his bag. "Come walk with me, Hector."

Clearly, that meant he wanted to talk. Ochette nodded in understanding and relinquished Hector to Papa. Then, she waved over her shoulder and bounded away to find Master Juvah.

Papa stood up, and Hector automatically reached for his hand. He knew he didn't need to worry around here, but…he liked doing it anyway. Safe—that was the word. Papa's hands were big and warm and made him feel safe.

At any rate, they walked silently past the rows of huts. Soon they arrived on the northern edge of the village, near the path leading up to the anchorage. Papa took a deep breath before he finally spoke up.

"Froggen blood is one of the things Harvey added to you. That's why your hands and feet look the way they do. I suppose the one you saw thought you were like it… That might be why it didn't attack you."

Hector nodded as he glanced down at his free hand and bare feet. He'd noticed, of course, that none of the other humans he'd met had hands like his. Papa's feet were different, too. He usually wore shoes during the day, but took them off in the evenings. And it explained why Hector hadn't been scared of the Froggen, either. It was mostly instinct, but…they were alike in some ways.

But then he looked up and asked, "Only one thing?"

Papa sighed again. "Yes, only one. The other was a Collared Salamander. They live here, too; you might see one while we're here."

Hector hummed in acknowledgement. They were past the trees now, and there was a bit of sand up ahead of them. He looked around, almost expecting one of these Collared Salamander things to leap out at them from behind a nearby rock. But none did, so he turned his attention back to Papa.

"Why did he use those?"

"Well, Froggen are humanoid—they walk on two legs like we do," he added upon noticing Hector's confused expression. "So Harvey thought it would be easy to use. And Collared Salamanders can use ice magic, without needing to cast spells like people do. That's why he wanted you to use it so much."

That explained a lot of things Hector had wondered about while he was in the lab. But how did Papa know that? He said he didn't know Hector was there—

Oh, right. "You read the notes?"

"I did." Papa sat down suddenly, patting the ground next to him, and Hector sat next to him. "I…won't make you do anything you aren't ready for, Hector. But if you'd ever like to show me what you did, you can."

Hector nodded as he thought it over. He'd never liked using magic for Harvey… It had always been accompanied by shouting and slapping and the horrid stinging sensation of the spells coursing through his arm. And yet the ice had felt natural somehow, like it was part of him and he needed to use it.

Hector also knew that Papa was simply curious. He wanted to know because he just wanted to help Hector. There would be no tests or slapping or screaming. He'd known Papa for a few weeks now, and Hector had learned that while he could be stern, Papa cared about him.

So if Hector ever felt like using magic, he could. But he didn't have to. It wasn't enough to make him like it yet, but…maybe someday.

"Maybe later," Hector finally said.

"Mm, that's all right. But, you know…you can use magic for other things, too."

Hector blinked up at him, suddenly fascinated. "Do you like magic, Papa?"

"I do. That's usually what I'm reading when you're off with Ochette. That or mathematics; I like to study the amplification of spell crafting through mathematical formulae."

Hector scrunched up his face at all of the big words. Papa had helped him with counting a few more times, but the new phrases were confusing. His facial expression prompted an amused noise from Papa, who shifted and raised his hand slightly.

"Sorry. Too complicated? Here, watch this… Rise, ice."

Hector watched in amazement as a large block of ice formed in front of them. A small slab rose vertically out of the back of it. A chair, Hector realized. It resembled a chair.

"Go on. You can sit on it if you'd like. It won't hurt you."

Hector stood up and walked around the ice chair. It looked pretty solid… He curiously poked it with one finger, and then sat down on it.

"Well?" Papa said after a few seconds.

Hector hummed in thought. It was holding his weight, and he could see how something like this would be useful, but… "'s cold."

For some reason, Papa actually grinned at that. Then, he shook his head and said, "Yes. I just wanted to show you something else you can do with magic. That's another thing I like to work on. Now come back here."

Hector nodded and stood up. Papa waved his hand again as Hector trotted over to him, and the ice chair melted into a large puddle. He looked like he was thinking again, and Hector watched as Papa glanced aside and rubbed his beard.

"So…if you want to use magic someday…you don't have to associate it with what happened to you. But I understand if you do, so you don't have to do it for my sake."

Hector nodded as Papa stood up. As usual, he offered Hector his hand, and he automatically accepted it. They walked back to the village, and Papa remained silent. Hector knew Papa was letting him think; he always let Hector process the new things he told him.

He didn't want to do magic now, but…maybe it didn't have to be bad, Hector decided.

Hector was enjoying his time in Toto'haha, which was both a good and bad thing, Osvald thought.

He'd fallen into his routine of reading in the morning and playing in the afternoon. Hector clearly liked Ochette and the other Beastlings, and he was more comfortable with Osvald now, too. (He supposed that was partly due to his attempts at explaining things, which would've happened anyway. They had happened here, though, which was an additional bonus.)

Of course, Osvald had brought Hector here because he thought he'd like it. However, it meant it would be harder for Hector to leave once the time came… Even if he hadn't mentioned Cropdale, they'd have to go once Elena was ready to see him again.

Osvald sighed and closed the magic tome he'd been reading. It had been a fairly dense one on lightning theory, and he could use a break. He stepped out into the hallway—he'd stayed at Ochette's house that afternoon instead of reading outside as usual. Octavia was the only one home at the moment. Ochette was watching Hector and the younger Beastlings, and Omar was out buying some new tools. Given how absorbed she was in measuring out some fabric, Osvald decided not to bother her.

Instead, he went outside and started looking for Ochette and Hector. Thankfully, he found them quickly. They'd just finished up for the day, and the young Beastlings were streaming down from the southern hill. Hector and Ochette took up the rear while Mahina flew overhead. He'd taken her hand, and she hummed as she swung their arms lightly.

Hector was almost as tall as Ochette, Osvald thought as he looked at them. Of course, it was partly due to his elongated limbs, and Osvald had noticed it before… But it also meant Hector positively towered over the Beastlings who were closer to his age, which was easier to see now that they were all walking together.

At any rate, Hector grinned brightly when he noticed Osvald, and he immediately let go of Ochette's hand and darted over to him. "Papa!"

Osvald smiled briefly as he knelt down to greet him. "Hello, Hector. I don't mean to spoil your playtime, but…I've been thinking. We should probably head to Cropdale soon."

Hector blinked at him and opened his mouth, but Ochette spoke up before he could.

"What brought that on, Pops?"

Osvald sighed and ran a hand though his hair. "Well, we've been imposing on your parents for a while. I know they've said they don't mind, but I'm sure they'd like to have other visitors sometime. Besides, I think a change of scenery will do us some good."

Hector drooped slightly. "Oh. Okay."

Osvald gently took him by the shoulders, and Hector looked back up as he spoke. "I know you like it here, Hector. But we can come back. You can see everyone again sometime."

"All right." Hector managed to smile. "…When?"

"When are we leaving, or when or we coming back?"

Hector paused, and then said, "Both."

"Well, I'm not sure when we're coming back. We could make it a vacation, maybe visit once a year…" Osvald mused, trying to think of a good compromise. "As for when we're leaving, in a few days. You can have a little more time with your friends."

Hector nodded, and he took Osvald's hand as usual after they both straightened up. He walked more slowly than usual, and Osvald felt slightly guilty for it. But as much as he would've liked for Hector to stay, he knew they couldn't.

Still, Hector perked up again by the time they ate dinner, much to Osvald's relief.

For their last evening in Beasting Village, Octavia made another pot of Octopuff stew. Ochette managed to scrounge one up that morning, especially for Hector. Osvald noted how much Hector enjoyed it—they'd have to make frequent trips to the tavern in Conning Creek for all the octopus dishes once they could stay there. He'd probably like that, too.

The next morning was busy and crowded. Osvald had to gather up all their belongings, and Ochette and her parents kept stopping to hug Hector while they worked. (Ochette tackled Osvald several times as well, though she quit sheepishly when she made him drop some of Hector's new toys.)

Finally, a good number of the Beastling children gathered to say goodbye to Hector. It seemed all of them knew he was leaving, and they assembled outside Ochette's house. Several of them bashfully handed Hector circular pendants attached to cords, and Ochette perked up at their presentation.

"Ooh, amulets of affection! That means you're gonna be friends forever."

Hector was considerably more cheerful with this revelation, and he smiled as he tucked them into his satchel. "Really?"

"Yes! Being friends," one of the Beastlings announced.

There were several choruses of "Coming back!", "Seeing again!", and "Staying friends!" Hector paused to rub his eyes, and then he proceeded to fling his arms around each of the Beastlings in turn. Finally, he latched onto Osvald's hand. Now that he'd gotten it out of his system, he was ready to leave.

Osvald took a deep breath as he looked over at Ochette. "…Thank you. You've done a lot for him."

"Aww, don't worry about it, Pops!" Ochette waved a hand dismissively. "Hector's a good kid. You just gotta make sure you really come back, okay?"

"Of course. …Hector?"

Hector kept his voice surprisingly even as he added a "Thanks, Ochette!" of his own.

She giggled and threw an arm around him. "You're welcome! Now go have some more fun."

Hector nodded and hugged her. After he pulled back, Ochette waved to them, and Osvald nodded in return. Then, they headed towards the path leading out of the village. It was a long walk back to the anchorage, and Osvald wanted to get there as soon as they could.

It was time to move on, but…their time here had been good for Hector, and Osvald hoped Cropdale would be as well.

Author's Note x2: The One True Magic scene is mostly there to make Osvald admit he loves his kids, but I also had a lot of fun with his notes there. :') And I wanted to include amulets of affection somewhere, both to be cute and to make an attempt at background lore and such.