When Evan woke up, he was surprised to see Dur'nar, in the bed with him. Thankfully a quick run through of his memories turned up a zero and he checked to make sure his pants were on.

"Oh thank god, they are…"

"AHEM"

His head sharply turned to the source of the noise to see Greythroat standing in the doorway, narrowed eyes boring harshly into him. When he gulped, she let out a tight sigh and turned around.

"Dinner's ready. Don't take too long. Wake up instructor Dur'nar too."

"And so my luck goes…" he said to himself in his head before moving himself completely out and shaking Dur'nar gently until she stirred. She didn't seem at all surprised by this development and gave a mighty stretch before using her good arm to push up. While she did so he stated, "Dinner's ready, and we might have to clean up some misunderstandings with Geythroat. I'd appreciate having fewer rumors about me out there."

"Oh, you mean like your incident with Closure?" Dur'nar teased before pulling out her PDA phone and pulling up the image Ace had taken without his or Closure's knowledge. Evan felt his cheeks light up and he began to panic as he struggled to form words in his mouth. "Oh don't worry, I know nothing really happened. Anyways, I'll smooth things over with Greythroat, let's get going."

Dur'nar left with a spring in her step while Evan just shook his head and looked to the heavens, wondering what he had done to deserve his misfortune. He didn't ponder long and followed out where he heard the sounds of a lot of people bellow. With a big breath in for bravery he stepped into the inn which was full of people.

"Ah, there he is. Evan, over here!" Grani called with a wave of her hand as she sat at a table populated by people he knew. "I saved you a seat."

With only a smile he sat down and looked at the faces populating the table. Besides Grani there was Jessica and Snowsant, Mudrock and Suzuran, Folinic and Greythroat, Ayerscape and Click, and then there was Skadi who was sitting next to Grani. Skadi gave him a rather empty yet equally enigmatic stare as he sat down. Then there was a seat available next to him which was empty.

"We were just talking about what happened. Good job, by the way. Sounds like you held up alright considering how quickly things got out of hand."

"I don't think I did well…"

"You certainly did," Greythroat interjected. "For your first mission, and one that quickly devolved into an emergency, you kept a calm and rational head under pressure alongside keeping the whole picture in sight. While you didn't necessarily complete your objectives, you adapted to the situation remarkably well."

"Woah, praise from Greythroat!" Click exclaimed with a look of shock which earned a sigh from the liberi.

For some reason he felt like shrinking at the praise. He really didn't know why, but he felt uncomfortable despite it being valid. Before he could comment though, a platter full of various foodstuffs was placed down alongside silverware and he looked to his side to see Bagpipe taking a seat next to him after setting it down.

"Order up!" the redhead cheerfully declared. "Oh, heya Evan, great to see ya out of bed. Get some rest?"

"A little, but I'll definitely need more. Plenty of lost sleep to catch up on…"

"Yeah, I heard a little about what happened, sounds rough. Still impressive you all pulled through though."

"Sure, sure. I just did what I had to," Evan deflected dismissively. He then started grabbing food, which led him to missing the oddly confused gaze Bagpipe gave to some others to try and gleam what his response was all about. No one really had anything to offer, and others began reaching for food after Evan, and the confusion was then quickly lost in the conversations after.

Sometime during the conversation, Evan noticed Folinic looking a little down, but she was talking so he decided to wait. For now everyone else was making conversation. Wondering partially where Dur'nar was, Evan looked around before his gaze wandered over to the bar to see her in conversation with the Sarkaz they had first fought upon coming. How he could tell was the fact that they also had a cast on their arm, thanks to Provence's bolt.

"Hey Mudrock," Evan asked to grab her attention before pointing over. "Who's that?"

"Ah, he's from the same clan. We trained and traveled together before we left for Ursus."

"And why did you leave for Ursus?"

"To escape the Kazdel civil war. That was when our aimless journey began."

"Ah," he said, realizing he was approaching current events. Testing the waters a little he decided to ask, "What happened during the civil war?"

"Our clan was a neutral faction during the civil war. In the end, it was our undoing. Our brethren eventually fractured and destroyed each other. Some followed me when I left the clan. In my eyes we seek a better life, but in the end we became mercenaries and eventually Reunion."

"Reunion, isn't that the militia activist group in Ursus? What happened there?"

"We left when Reunion started to fracture. I had seen the early signs, so we snuck across the border, but we were separated from another squadron. I trust Bob will take care of them."

"Hold up," Grani said, raising her hands. "Recently I met a man named Big Bob who was a former Reunion squad leader. They were bounty hunting near Kazimierz when I came across them."

"That's him!" Mudrock spoke with hitched breath, eyes wide as she took this news in.

"Oh, he's fine. You see, there was this town near the Kazimierz border named Dewville which was being harassed by bounty hunters searching for a treasure a Knight of Kazimierz left hidden in the area. He helped us away from some of those bounty hunters."

"C-Could you tell me more?" Mudrock asked with an unusual glint in her eye.

"Yeah, but buckle up, it's quite the adventure."

The night had dragged on. Eventually a certain feline had decided to sneak away during the excitement. Folinic released a sigh after she took another swig and looked up at the moon, waxing above Wolumonde. She had decided to take a bottle and leave, not really feeling too sociable at the moment. She still felt alone though, and she had come up with a drink. Thankfully, her silent prayers for her loneliness had been answered.

"Need a drinking buddy?" Evan asked from behind as he walked up to lean on the rails.

"Suit yourself," she quietly said before handing the bottle to him. He took it and just simply took a sip before handing it back. Once it was back in her hands, she looked at it a little, wondering if she should drink it. She had no idea what was on his lips, but as the alcohol hazed her mind, and she looked at him who had taken a sip without hesitation, she tipped it to her lips and took a little sip. After that, she looked at him, a little enraptured at the sight of having someone by her side, drinking with her again. A stupid thought popped into her head and out her mouth in the same impulse, "Is the offer to talk still open? You know, about personal stuff?"

"Any time, what's on your mind?" he asked before pushing his hand out and she placed the bottle in it.

"First off, thank you. I may not have known you for very long, not nearly as long as Atro, but I still feel like I can call you my friend now."

"So how'd you meet Atro?" he asked before passing the bottle back.

"When I was sixteen, Professor Kal'tsit sent me away to Columbia to study in safety, away from the Kazdel Civil War. I was some lonely feline from Ursus, in a new place, and Atro was the first friend I made. She was always a bit of a rebellious tomboy, but she had a big heart..."

"So is, Kal'tsit something like your mother…or…?"

"What? No…well…sort of…? Kal'tsit is my guardian since I was fourteen. My mother was a student of her's."

"Did something happen?" he asked. Folinic paused. She looked at the bottle that was now in her hands and sighed before taking a big drink. "...That bad, huh? Well, I think I understand a little, I lost my mother four years ago."

She nearly dropped the bottle, but she instead looked at him then looked down before a small smile graced her face. "Yeah, I guess you might…" she took another sip for courage then handed it off. "I…never knew my father, he was…murdered by the Fourth Army before I could speak. My mother, well, she had to take care of us, a couple felines, in that frozen hellscape of a country. She always had this sad look in her eye whenever I asked about dad, and it wasn't just when I asked. I would regularly find her simply staring off into nothing, sometimes crying. When I tried to comfort her…she always downplayed it or pushed me away…" Folinic paused to take another sip. "Then, when I was eight, she disappeared without a trace, to go seek vengeance for my father…"

"God…sorry to hear that…"

Tears began to stream down her face as she spoke between chokes and short sobs, "I…never wanted her to go…why, why did she leave me? Did she really love my father more than me? It's…"

A hand gently placed itself on her back and Evan whispered, "It's not fair, is it…"

The dam broke and Folinic finally let her sobs ring out into the night. During her episode, Evan took the bottle and placed it by the door, they had enough by now, he was sure. He just gently rubbed circles into her back while she let it out, leaning over the railing as tears and snot dripped down to the streets below without hesitation.

When she finally calmed down, she looked up to the horizon before asking, "What did you lose your mother to?"

"Cancer. Difference is, I saw. I sat there with my family as we watched her take her last breath. I didn't get the experience of lacking closure like you do."

"Still…that must have been hard though…"

"I like to think I've made my peace with it. But, when did Kal'tsit come into your life? Tell me more about Atro too."

"I was fourteen when Kal'tsit came and took me to Rhodes Island, which was known as Babel back then…but that was only for two years. After that, the Kazdel Civil War started and she sent me to Columbia…" she paused and released a sigh as she gazed to the sky above. "Atro was my best friend. We graduated highschool together, went to college together, and shared a dream together. I think…those were the happiest six years of my life. When we graduated, she chose to go pursue a proper medical degree, and I left to apprentice under Kal'tsit…"

"So I'm guessing Atro followed you to Rhodes?"

"Yeah…she did…I just wish she was here now…" Folinic admitted. After that she let out a forlorn sigh and said, "Look at me…a grown woman and certified medic operator, crying to my patient about her disappeared mother and late friend, like a little girl…"

"You're still a person. It's not like I'll think any less of you."

"But still…I feel pathetic…"

For a while the two just let the silence hang in the air. It wasn't uncomfortable, and for some reason both welcomed the company. After a while, Folinic shuffled in place and breathed out, the stench of alcohol briefly wafting in the air, carrying with it a simple sentence.

"My real name's Louisa."

His head turned to look at her, just a little surprised. Still leaning on the rail she turned her head and propped it up with one hand on the side so that her head tilted while looking at him. Her eyes seemed to shake in anticipation for his next reaction.

"Well it's a lovely name, thanks for sharing it with me," Evan replied with a smile. If Folinic blushed, it wasn't noticeable due to the alcohol already causing her cheeks to glow, but her gaze did break from his eyes and she donned a small yet content smile on her face.

After a few unceremonious moments, Evan pushed himself away from the railing. When Folinic gave him a curious gaze he responded, "I think I'll go back. I just wanted to make sure you were OK. Also…" he moved to pick up the bottle. "I'm confiscating this. I'm not against drinking…but I do believe in moderation, and we've definitely had more than enough."

Folinic snorted with a smile at this, all the while feeling her cheeks threaten to catch fire. With that, footsteps sounded behind her and she looked up to the moon, feeling a little lighter and warmer. Though, she did wonder how much of it was truly the vodka compared to the one she just shared it with.

"U-Um…h-hello," Snowsant said with shrunken posture as she observed the gathering before her in a conference room. Most were engineers, but there was some mix of personnel ranging from logistics to combat. "M-My name…well…codename is S-Snowsant, and I'm the chief engineer of t-this relief effort. I…um…"

Snowsant fidgeted restlessly with the papers in her hand as they vibrated from her shaking.

"I-I'm not very good at…public speaking, so…do excuse me. I've called you a-all here b-because…um…" she stuttered as she flipped through the documents. "T-The city…Wolumonde that is…did I say that right?...recently was hit by a catastrophe, and now i-it's powerplant has…ceased function…"

"The boiler was sabotaged and subsequently exploded," Greythroat interjected. "That's all we know for sure. Miss Snowsant, would you like one of us to handle the presentation? You seem really uncomfortable."

"I-I'm sorry…I just thought…" Snowsant sheepishly tried to defend while giving glances to others in the room from behind her documents.

"Do we know how the boiler was sabotaged?" one of the engineers asked Greythroat.

"No, all we know is that it was and has been compromised. No one could get closer without special equipment."

A heavy weight clogged the atmosphere in the room and silence reigned before Snowsant took a few deep breaths, drawing everyone's attention back to her.

"W-We need to assess the damage. T-To that end I have called you all here. We n-need volunteers to a-assess the damage. T-The D-Doctor has given us special e-equipment. T-Therefore, i-if you have e-experience with hazardous environments, I-I strongly…erm…r-r-request that you take this m-mission…"

"Put me on the list, I worked on BPRS in Blacksteel before my infection, and subsequent partnering to Liskarm."

"Put me on the volunteer list as well, someone has to keep Franka on a leash."

"Just don't keep my collar too tight~" Franka teased before her eyes sparked with an idea. "Or do, if that's what you're into."

Liskarm proceeded to give Franka a light smack which prompted a questionable yelp from Franka which made the vouivre retract her hand and give her partner a disgusted glare.

"T-Thank you, Franka, Liskarm…" Snowsant commented before looking around the room. What first caught her attention was the fact Pillow was being held up in the air with its little flipper being waved. "Ah, a-are you volunteering, Pillow? I-I mean Pudding!" The rushed correction left Snowsant flushed which prompted her to hide her embarrassment with the documents.

Pudding gave a little giggle before answering, "Yes, we are. Though I believe Pillow will be sitting this one out in safety."

"U-Um…" Jessica nervously mumbled with a slightly raised hand. "I-I w-would like to go too…I have some hazardous environment training…though I'm not nearly as e-experienced as Miss Franka…"

"Oh, come here you~" Franka cooed before pulling Jessica into her bosom which left the shy catgirl flushing redder than a tomato before a sparkling finger touched Franka's ear which led to the vulpo giving a shocked 'eep' and swiftly turning to glare at Liskarm who was in turn glaring at her.

"T-Thank you Jessy…I mean Jessica! A-Anyone else?"

Finally, Evan decided to raise his hand, leading to a few surprised looks from the others.

"Ah…Mister…Car- I mean Evan…oooooh I'm sorry…" Snowsant once more hid her face in embarrassment before taking a deep breath and pulling it back out. "A-Are you sure you want to do this? I-I won't stop you if you want to join us…b-but we've been advised to keep you out of hazardous environments if possible…s-so…"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Kal'tsit, I won't let my abnormal condition prevent me from helping. I know I may not be an…expert in this, but I still think it would be valuable for me to go."

"I-I see…well…we do have protective equipment…so…it should be fine…" Snowsant muttered. "V-Very well, I will approve. Just b-be careful, and I'll have Miss Franka give you some hazard training beforehand j-just in case…"

"Can't wait. I'll make sure to teach him very carefully," Franka teased while looking right at him. Defensively Evan tried to silently beg Liskarm for help only for the vouivre to be rolling her eyes at her partner, seemingly giving up on disciplining her partner for the time being.

A few others volunteered as Snowsant continued to list off other people they would need. After they had all the personnel they would need, she adjourned the meeting, saying they would come up with a time for the mission soon.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful, more engineering work and managing of the aid systems continued until everyone ultimately returned to the inn. Well, minus the part where Evan had to have Franka teach him about both the basics of hazardous environments and how to wear the hazmat suits they would be using to go deep into the city core. Unlike hazmat suits Evan was used to seeing, the ones Blacksteel had provided were bulky and just shy of being fully isolated space suits. Hell, they even had an emergency oxygen tank in case the scrubbers and air purifiers failed. It made sense too since they would be going into a place possibly filled with active originium, which could always blow spontaneously, and would proceed to aerosolize in a way that guaranteed infection risk if not for the suits they would wear.

Some others had joined the impromptu hazard training, but beyond that he mostly considered the day rather boring and wanted to just nap when he finally got back to the inn. The only thing of note was his minor cut from hastily ripping open Severin's shirt during the Winterwisp revolt, which sometimes stinged or itched in a way most cuts he had didn't normally do. He wasn't too concerned since it was a minor cut, and Kal'tsit had ordered him to take preventative medicines regularly before going to a catastrophe site as well as throughout his trip.

Just to be sure though he approached Folinic about the issue that evening, and after a short examination she said that it wasn't likely due to the medication on top of the fact oripathy didn't primarily spread from person to person like a plague. What did puzzle her though was that it seemed like the wound itself was having a larger immune response than usual, almost like he was allergic to something it was exposed to. Of course, she didn't really want to make any decisive conclusions without thorough testing, but it did raise both their suspicions. In the end, it was decided to leave it alone until they could study it at the landship.

The ultimate reality, however, was that they had a lot more to worry about and far more pressing issues than the chance Evan could have contracted oripathy. He didn't entirely mind it, but it did provide a nagging in the back of his head, a nagging that led him to think about Kal'tsit's warning against him going in the first place. He knew it was his choice, and that it always carried this risk, but he hadn't really been worried or truly considered the consequences until now.

Thankfully, Folinic assured him that with current medical technology, early stage oripathy patients had decades and possibly very full lives ahead of them so long as they could receive adequate treatment, which he could easily receive as a Rhodes Island employee. In other words, he could do what he had always done with the impending question of his ultimate mortality, place it on the backburner.

In the end, nothing could be done about it now. Whatever the case, it did leave some open questions and interesting possibilities. After all, if the originium itself was the source of the allergic reaction, what did it mean about Evan's overall physiology in relation to the substance? His blood had virtually zero originium in it according to his blood tests, even after spending time in this new world. He understood that considering the constant residual blood levels of most of Terra's population, it had to come from somewhere. Originium was unique in that it could transform organic matter through oripathy. Of course this had made him curious, but sadly the material on originium's unique qualities that satisfied his information age education was lacking. Terra knew how it behaved, but the precise mechanism and its cause seemed to be unexplored. It has been fascinating him more and more lately. How originium and its attached phenomena worked was well understood, but deeper questions like what it is and why it works the way it does have gone unanswered.

Not that it was unusual to have such gaps in understanding, his old world didn't have a single unified theory of everything that was widely accepted. Even those that did cover everything have yet to have sufficient proof. Gravity had no place in the Standard Model, and even alternatives such as String Theory had yet to be proven fully. In fact, last he remembered, when the Higgs Boson's mass was measured, it neither confirmed nor denied the two leading ideas of Multiverse and Supersymmetry, and String Theory required Supersymmetry to be the one proven by the Higgs' mass. Either way, the point of science was to investigate these things, to improve humanity's understanding of the natural world. At least, that's how he saw it.

The only widely accepted theory to explain originium and arts was that arts was the manifestation of a person's consciousness, will, or mind through originium as a catalyst, and they had sufficient evidence to back this up. Arts could manipulate the world to the user's mind and imagination, even if certain rules had to be obeyed. Of course, a mind wasn't strictly necessary for certain operations, which was where originium circuits came into play. Most circuits needed some form of input, but clever engineering could loop an art or use consciousness as a basic input similar to how voltage or current was in electrical circuits. What was weird was how Terra used a hybrid system for their computers. Unlike his world where the vast, vast majority of computers were digital, Terra often used hybrid computing depending on the situation.

Still, despite its rules, originium remained a mystery to him. Originium itself should not exist according to everything he learned. Regarding the anomalous element, he learned that many forms of the crystal are actually remarkably stable in many ways despite its odd behavior. Actually, he learned fairly quickly that originium made communication a hassle due to the fact it had various passive EMF properties despite usually not emitting ionizing radiation.

As for how he knew the 'usually' part, he did discover that certain crystals deemed more unstable and dangerous actually had varying levels of radioactive output. He had learned this one day when Closure had been working with a highly unstable sample that could easily explode and his Geiger Counter had gone off when he got close. Thankfully the output wasn't too dangerous, and was spitting out a rate comparable to a flight at cruising altitude in his old world.

This made him uneasy as the power plant of Wolumonde was expected to have huge amounts of volatile and dangerous originium that could now be compromised. Everyone acknowledged that, but they were still willing to take the risk, they had to. There wasn't a real choice here. If the plant exploded because of a chain reaction started by a stray catastrophe shard, then the whole town was doomed.

As the day came to a close, these thoughts hung on his mind as he continued to pile up books in the evening. There were a few things he was uneasy about, and he could only grasp at straws with what he had. It was rare to over-exert himself as he was now, but the weight of responsibility felt heavy, and he wanted to be free of the burden as soon as possible. Most had long since gone to bed, but his swimming mind had proven impossible to settle.

Feeling stuck, and with the events of the last day fresh in his mind, Evan decided to grab a late night drink. Being the lightweight he was, he felt the effects of drinking earlier in the evening enhance his current beverage, so he decided to go slow before his buzz got worse. Yet, all it did was take away an ability to perceive the omen growing closer, like an inevitability he couldn't shake. The only thing that temporarily shook him from the feeling was that brief pause between feeling someone take a seat at his table and meeting their face.

That was when he saw it, or rather her.

"Need some company?" the soft sublime voice answered with no change to the emotions on their shockingly pale face. For a moment, he felt as though he had seen a ghost, only to fully recognize the entity observing him.

Above Skadi, a gigantic yet slender shadow loomed, and he then noticed the ominous red orbs, and he felt a primal surge of unease. Fear flashed across his features as his vulnerable mind began to quake at what it had just glimpsed.

Yet, in an instant the feeling was gone when he noticed Skadi take a drink herself and lean closer, staring into his eyes as she did so. A tinge of curiosity resonated within the twitches of her eye muscles, and he finally saw the true lack of hostility.

He began allowing himself to be drawn in before he moved back, his face feeling a little warmer than usual.

"Do you have a fever?" she asked before she raised her arm. Seconds stretched to minutes, and he counted each pulse that resonated between them. He watched her close her eyes to focus, and felt the temperature slowly reach equilibrium, he could tell her natural temperature was a little colder, but he felt a power within her that had yet to come out, and the idea of that energy scared him because it dwarfed his own, almost like how the Sun dwarfed the Earth.

"No, that's a relief," she briefly hummed before pulling back to a respectable distance.

Evan stared dumbfounded for a while before a curious glance during a sip of her's reminded him he was talking to another person.

"Sorry, I just felt unnerved."

"That should be natural, most feel uneasy around me at first."

"Why's that?" he asked naturally. She brought it up, so he didn't find it unfair.

"Likely my past," she answered flatly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know much about the place you come from, um…"

"Ægir. No, I don't believe you would. Most I find on the land don't remember. Then again, human memory is hardly long."

"Speaking from experience?"

Skadi paused for a few seconds, her crimson eyes which seemed to glow in the low light moving away to analyze something within her mind before nodding while stating, "Of a sense."

"What do Abyssal Hunters hunt anyhow?" he asked, probing a little.

"We fight a common enemy of Iberia. Though the inquisition doesn't seem to think of it that way."

"Do they have a name?"

Skadi stared down into her own drink before her thought slowly kicked in again. For a brief moment, the shadow returned, though only as a flicker.

"I-If I touched on a negative subject, I'm sorry. My curiosity often gets the be-"

"They call themselves many things: 'We the Many', 'The Children of the Ocean'. We simply call them Seaborn and Seaterrors, fragments and children of Ishar M'la."

Her gaze sharply returned and that presence returned to observe him, judging his reaction.

"Well, I don't know who that is," he admitted. The presence and Skadi tilted their head.

"So you're not like the Doctor…" she muttered under her breath in Ægirian.

"The Doctor?"

Skadi's eyes shot up, focused on him, but the presence shadowing her didn't move.

"Sorry, I just recognized that one word," Evan admitted.

Her eyes softened back to their usual neutral, but he saw the shadow stand still, observing him as though he were merely an ant. Then it vanished within Skadi once more.

"Then perhaps it's better you not know…" she stated before turning her attention back to her drink.

Evan shuffled back since she was still a little close for his liking.

"Sure, didn't mean to pry." he shrugged off before moving his stuff. Skadi just gave a hum before casually staring at his work as she drank. Yet, as he studied, a thought came to his mind. It had been something written in his file so far that bothered him, and as he stared at Skadi, he finally recognized that familiar dread. Normally, he ignored this feeling in his day to day thoughts, but for some reason the shadow that hid within her made him feel a sense of terror, like an omen brewing in his stomach.

"They say we have similar Originium blood levels, do you know why that might be?"

Skadi merely passed her gaze to him before setting her drink down.

"Our technology doesn't use Originium, we have different methods. Originium is also rare beyond the continent. The ocean has far different and deadlier scourges. So long as you stay inland, you have no need to worry."

Sure, his curiosity was a sort of weakness to him, but even Evan could tell when some subjects should be left alone. This was especially true of Skadi who he felt a sort of kinship with. It didn't feel alien or supernatural like his temporary sense with Mostima, but he could tell that somehow both were capable of enjoying the quiet that settled in as they simply drank while he worked and she stared off into space. His own past back on Earth had only conditioned him to being an introvert, but even some introverts had trouble keeping their mouth shut, betraying their seclusive and selective nature.

"You really seem to like Grani," he passively said as he approached a bottleneck in his work. Skadi's crimson orbs turned lazily to him, waiting for the next set of words. "I never saw you with her before she went to Dewville, but since she came back it's almost like you rarely leave her side. It just makes me curious is all."

The quiet lull set back in, and fractions of an hour ticked by before the enigmatic orca gave a response.

"The land is a strange place, compared to the sea. Some company makes me forget such things."

"I hear you on that one," he agreed without thinking much. Perhaps that wasn't the brightest move as Skadi turned her whole head and tilted it like a curious animal, a gesture that didn't escape his notice.

"Me and my big mouth…" he thought to himself.

His pen stopped and for a brief minute the only sounds visible was the sound of the clock ticking seconds by. That was until he found a way to respond.

"Tell me something you don't tell everyone and I might do the same."

Skadi looked up into the stars beyond the ceiling for a few moments before nodding with a hum of agreement.

"Very well. Is there anything you wish to know?"

A few moments of thought passed before he recalled their first meeting and asked, "What's the song you were singing when we first met?"

"I'm not sure what its name is, it's simply a lullaby our mother would sing for us when we were little."

Skadi simply stared into her mug, the edges of her lips quivering upward slightly before being replaced by a small frown which gave way to a sigh, perhaps lamenting what was lost before she habitually took a drink.

"Well, it's a lovely melody. A little sad and somber, but there was something enchanting and ethereal about it when I heard it," he commented, causing Skadi to turn her gaze to him. Though her face was neutral, there was something telling him she was expecting something. That's when he remembered the deal, "Oh, right. Well, it's not as insignificant, but you could say I'm not from Terra."

"Even though you're a land dweller?"

"Even though I'm a land dweller. I can't answer why I'm here, I'm just taking my situation in stride."

"It certainly explains a lot," Skadi quipped before taking a drink. "You are certainly…different from most who live on the land."

Evan chose to silently accept it and buried himself into his work. As time passed, he began getting sleepier and almost crashed his head a couple times. He decided to take this as a sign to head to bed. While he didn't say anything to Skadi, he could somehow feel her eyes upon him, but being conditioned to her presence by now he didn't necessarily care.

The same could not be said for the Abyssal Hunter, as she stared at Evan, silent gears turned in her head, betraying her stoic expressionless face. She was unsure what to make of him, but her little investigation had yielded interesting results. While his presence did indeed feel similar to the Dcotor, it was not the same. In comparison it felt alien, like a stranger she had yet to familiarize herself with. Then again, she was wary of the Doctor at first too, but as she came to know him she found herself growing more sentimental and even attached, despite her better efforts. She closed her eyes and sighed to herself. Her captain would certainly call her weak, were he with her. Despite all this, she still had her ultimate goal in mind, the whole reason why she was here in the first place, and it was the reason she was with Rhodes Island to begin with.

Even she, untouched by the scourges of the land, wanted to find a cure.

Author's Note *Possible spoilers mentioned*

Rises from the grave

Sup, anyways I know it's been a little over a year since I last updated. Look, a lot of things were going on. I was finishing my Physics degree after flunking Quantum, first time I failed a class. Trying to wrestle with addiction, seemingly ineffective antidepressants just keep my head afloat, and ultimately finally, finally graduating this May. After that, I took an Rest and Recovery trip to Oregon where I got some therapy someone can only get in that state.

Still, I thought about the story so much, struggling to find why my motivation seemed to have tanked. Turns out, a mixture of lingering mental problems and the stress of finishing a degree after being forced to spend 6 years as a student because of all the shit life has thrown at me this decade.

I'm not going to respond to any reviews, that will be for next chapter. Just wanted to let you guys know my situation. I am back, and as usual this project has no complete roadmap. I've thought of scene scenarios for the far future, but only a few. In the end, not much has changed about this project, but I do have a better idea going forward.

My goal with this arc/event was to see how minor changes would work, and how people would react. Since the reaction's been mixed, I'll be using more memory to write things like this. I wrote this while playing the event story, just to make sure things would line up. There is silver lining though. If you've read Mudrock's file to completion, you will see a shadow of what's to come. We are from done in Wolumonde. Sure, the storm is over, but now the actual recovery begins. Resolution is far from simply threat defeated here. Mudrock may have been overcome, but a reminder the Winterwisps are still out there and a few unresolved issues from the event that I only learned got addressed in the Mudrock files.

Buckle up, we're not done yet.