Despite their lively conversations, Ma’at was very much not herself. On the outside, of course, she wore a mask resembling the self she had always shown. But within, seen plainly by Camelia, a festering wound had developed.

  It was true that the incident that occurred upon her entering the Reliquary Room had brought her a kind of catharsis, emboldened too by the woman she desperately missed appearing when she needed her most, but it had also left a painful scar behind.

  Grin was gone. She had come to terms with that. It was simply another person who she had grown to understand gone from this world. Another Nye Inkorpt agent brought to their demise, even if this time it wasn’t directly her fault. She was still somewhat responsible for what happened. And that responsibility hadn’t faded with his death. The promise she had made still shackled her. She wouldn’t be able to just forget and move on. She couldn’t. She couldn’t allow herself to.

  “...Hello? Ma’at? You okay?”

  A sonorous voice and twin violet eyes dredged her mind up from its turbulent undertow. Sato and Tien had introduced her to the timid yet kind young woman from the north. Well, Tien had done most of the introductions. It was only until the airship had landed that Sato awoke from her cat nap and joined them in the merrymaking.

  “U-Umm… was it something I said?” Lomm squeaked, looking very much like a frightened mouse. “I hope I didn’t offend her…”

  “Not at all,” Camelia said, attempting to dissuade her worries. “She zones out like this sometimes. She might look angry, but that's just her pensive face.”

  “It’s nothing,” she herself confirmed with a weary smile. “I was just thinking how strange it must feel to die one minute and be brought back to life the next. …If Tien hasn’t already told you, we’ve cut ties with Beatrice and her allies. You have nothing to fear from us. We won’t cut you down for nothing like that man did to you.”

  “Oh, yes, I know. But I don’t exactly blame him. I was trying to kill him too. We were both fighting for our lives, two pawns in a larger game. B-But I’m done being a pawn. I’m officially cutting ties with my contractors once I make it back home.”

  “Is that so?” Though it was a fairly drastic decision, it was perfectly understandable given her brush with death. Being killed and subsequently revived would certainly make anyone rethink their life choices. Ma’at glanced Sato’s way briefly before catching herself and turning away.

  But Sato caught her gaze and returned it, worry flooding her rainswept corneas.

  “She’s alright,” Camelia said calmly, sensing the Maiden’s feelings. “A natural breakdown would have been much more… destructive to the body.”

  “Natural? What about any Enigma is ‘natural’?” Sato shot back, somewhat annoyed by the witch’s vast knowledge.

  “Meaning that, if anything, Ma’at’s transformation was brought on by that paradoxical location and the relic she found herself in possession of.”

  “Exactly,” Tien added, brushing lint from her overcoat with delicate fingers. “The Aspect was mostly to blame for it. Though our understanding of starkin and their unusual properties is… limited… to say the least, they have a tendency to cause emotional turbulence in those already susceptible. It was only a matter of time wandering in that labyrinth that she would be drawn to its light, like a moth to a flame.”

  The Sirithisian didn’t know how to feel about Tien and Camelia talking about her like she was some kind of lab rat, but accepted it nonetheless without so much as a snide remark. Trying to change them fundamentally as people was a fool’s errand.

  “Are you really okay, Ma’at? We haven’t gotten to talk at all since everything at the castle wrapped up. I was worried.” An inscrutable expression blossomed upon Sato’s face. It could only be described as a mixture of motherly warmth and slight embarrassment. Her cheeks were tinged a slight shade of pink, and her lips were tightly pressed together. In those who had known her, it would have conjured up memories of the young woman’s mother, Shino.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Still a bit sluggish, but otherwise, I’m lucky to be in one piece.”

  “It’s a shame the same couldn’t be said about your blades. And after all the trouble Orion went to make them for you, too. Tsk, tsk.” Camelia teased her friend with a familiar warmth in her voice. “What I’d like to know is something much more pressing: what the hell are you doing walking around with a demon in your case?” The amiable witch turned her azure eyes to the logical magus.

  Tien put her free hand on her hip and swung her black suitcase back and forth with the other, unperturbed by the admonishing question. “How do you mean?” she asked without a hint of irony in her words.

  “Even for a witch, that is a maddeningly dangerous creature to travel around with, no less in something so fragile and simple as a dimensional distortion. A common workshop mage doing so is… insane, to put it lightly.”

  Tien chuckled. “I think you’ll find I’m no common mage, Camelia. Though, I am looking forward to working with you. I’m sure you can teach me things that I’ve never even heard of.”

  “Hehe. You suggest sharing our knowledge, then? I see, I see~ Then it’s a deal. May our travels bore us both great fruit and a greater understanding of the magical world.”

  The two of them giggled creepily to themselves, joined in their shared interest in accumulating as much knowledge as humanly possible. Ma’at, Sato and Lomm could only gawk at them in slight fear, having no real interest in academic pursuits.

  “I tried to hide it as best I could, but I knew I couldn’t keep it a secret forever. Marchosias is nothing to worry about, however. None of you have anything to fear. He is a lesser demon, a misunderstood fragment of pure mystery. Only I have managed to wrap my head around him, and so I have claimed him as my own. He’s like a pet or akin to a familiar, like a dog almost. As long as I am alive, he will pose no threat to anyone I don’t command him to attack. That is all.”

  “Like a dog?” Sato recalled the formless, hideous, unspeakable creature that managed to hold Ma’at’s Enigmatized blades down. “Do you feed him?” she asked bluntly.

  “Only when he eats my enemies,” Tien replied with a smug grin. “Otherwise, he’s kept in stasis like everything else. If anything, he seems to enjoy that the most.”

  “This blacksmith you mentioned,” Ma’at changed the topic. “You really think he can fix them? They’re pure noctite.” She held up an unraveled piece of cloth and showed its contents to Lomm. Black, opaline metal shards that used to be her prized swords lay shattered before her. Simply showing the girl sent a pang of gloom into her heart and forced her to recall the various moments the blades had shattered, causing her immense pain and sorrow then and now.

  “Yes, no doubt about it.” It must have been the truth. The girl wouldn’t stutter when she was completely sure of something. “He knows every ore and mineral like the back of his hand.”

  Faultless was her speech, and so there was nothing left to say. Once they had finally landed, they made their way off the airship.

  By now, the air was pristine and they had long left the miasmic fog of the Theocracy. The vibrancy of the more western reaches was plain to see. The grass was truly greener on this side. Birds chirped and towering, mountainous trees that quite literally could blot out the sun rose high into the sky, almost piercing the very fabric of the world. Enormously thick roots twisted along the ground and through the grassland, digging deep into the soil and filling the area with life itself.

  “There’s a reason,” Lomm said a couple times as they disembarked, “why some call the phenomenon that created the Greatwoods ‘Aeosrana’ or ‘Worldgrowth’.”

  The term had firmly rooted itself in Ma’at by the time they faced the verdant titans, somehow reinvigorating her further.

  Worldgrowth. There was no greater mystery than the world itself; Aeos was a planet that seemed without end, never ceasing to grow despite weathering calamities known and unknown. It seemed as though even if the world was to be bathed in flame, facing the true end times, these mysterious trees would never fall. They would forever be a sanctuary for all remaining life. Perplexing was the thought that if the Advent’s survivors had told the truth, that if these woods had been their glutinous primordial god’s domain, how is it that such evil could herald the genesis of such beauty?

  Stolen story; please report.

  The Witch of Warmth took a deep breath, then let it out. “Ah~ It’s been too long since I’ve breathed the fresh countryside air.”

  “Wow!” Sato gasped in astonishment. Never had she seen a sight so marvelous, even riding through the sky aboard the airship. It was way too high to see much of anything, after all. The woman who had lived her entire life in Reville could not have ever imagined such sights lay in store for her out in the wider world.

  “Close your mouth, Sato. You’re catching flies.” For the first time since the castle, besides her vibrant reunion with Camelia, Ma’at allowed herself to laugh a bit.

  “This is what you miss being cooped up in cities all the time. Granted, there’s much more to worry about outside them, but walls are just as much a prison as they are a shield. The world is just as beautiful as it is dangerous.” Camelia spoke as if she were their tour guide, and she took pride in it. It had been much too long since she’d traveled with companions. She felt as though she needed to make up for lost time. Though she and Ma’at had forgiven each other, there was still that small part of her that wouldn’t let it go. She still needed to show her worth as often as she could.

  “That’s true,” Tien agreed. “This is a good change of pace. The last year has been almost nothing but typing reports and staring down mountains of paperwork. It feels good to truly stretch my legs.”

  “Now you can stare down real mountains!” Lomm cheered, giggling.

  Sato’s dark raincoat almost seemed to shimmer beneath the soothing sunlight. The waning shadows and inner darkness of the woods gave the area an almost forlorn, nostalgic feel. It was like suddenly standing in the pages of an old picture book. “Though my love for the rain back home is neverending, some sun every now and then is nice too.” Her brilliant, almost holy smile nearly blinded the others; they were not used to it under the influence of the blanketing warmth.

  Ma’at in particular found it hard not to see Sato as some priestly figure, even back in the dusk of the city streets. It was no wonder she had garnered the reputation and title of Maiden. Any bankrupt beggar from Indigo District who saw that radiant smile, captured by that violet gaze, standing amid the falling spring rain was bound to feel as though they had come across some otherworldly messenger or holy envoy.

  After appreciating the sights and sounds for a while, Tien called out to the group and led them around the overgrown landing port and beneath the vessel. The airship’s engines had begun to shut off and, like a hibernating beast, fell into a deep slumber anchored by its immense weight.

  “Hm? What’s up, Tien?” Sato asked, ardently following along.

  “We need some things from the storage deck.”

  Nodding, a nearby guard fiddled with a mechanism on the ship’s underside until the bottom began to fall and slowly lower down to the dirt and grass. It made a ramp upward, leading into a dense darkness. Lighting a lantern procured from his belt, the guard led them up and into the Cloudstriker’s compartment without a word.

  The faint, yellowed lantern light burned away the shadow and revealed innumerous chests, bags, luggage, archaic containers, cages and stalls.

  Tien handed the man a slip of paper, most likely some kind of identification or other information.

  Grunting, he handed it back and led them even deeper inside. Strange sounds could be heard all around them. Muffled cries and yowls.

  “Ah, they also store animals here as well, yes?” Camelia clarified.

  Tien gave her a little nod in reply before stopping before a rather large cage, one of three in a row, and peered inside with the guard’s light as an aide.

  A loud whinny suddenly shattered the silence. Sato and Lomm yelped in surprise, and Ma’at’s hazel eyes widened as she realized what Tien’s goal was in taking them here.

  Within one of the cages, the cage they were observing, was a horse that the Sirithisian had instantly recognized. It was Deimos, the horse she’d stolen from the gang of Gunblades she’d killed a few months prior.

  “Deimos? He’s been here the whole time? I thought we left him in the Writer’s care.”

  Tien shook her head. “Nope. The Cloudstriker’s crew has been taking care of him instead. Wasn’t my idea, by the way. The Writer insisted. Said we’d probably need some transportation other than the airship at some point, and I agreed.”

  Ma’at faintly smiled as she walked forward and patted the animal’s snout. As always, he whinnied in response. “...Haven’t seen you since we left, buddy. Let’s get you out of there.”

  And Deimos wasn’t the only horse held in storage. Two other mares, likely owned by Vroque, were held in the adjacent cages. Soon enough, they were freed, and the women left the storage deck with their hooved companions in tow. Ma’at and Camelia rode Deimos, Sato and Tien rode another jet-black mare, and Lomm rode the third one, a pale steed, alone.

  They soon departed from the vine and root-entangled port, leaving three trails of hoofprints behind them. A cold, refreshing wind carried their hair as they flew across the grasslands at a rapid pace. It seemed, according to Lomm’s directions, that the trail leading to the blacksmith she’d mentioned was a good distance away.

  It was truly the heart of Vastyliad. Anyone from the jeweled azure of Altruin to the lake and seaside of Reville to the blistering cold of Frostmaw would probably agree. The land teemed with life and love, nature and vibrancy. Rolling green, craggy hills and plains, tumbling wispy clouds, shadowed yet mystical woods. Central Vastyliad was a place like no other.

  “It should be there!” Lomm’s voice could barely be heard amidst the cacophonous galloping. She pointed straight forward. Where her finger indicated was a tiny clearing of sorts, or perhaps more accurately an archway created by the shorter trees.

  Reaching their destination, they cried out for their rides to stop and quickly dismounted. They tied them to the sturdier trunks, the ones that weren’t bent in an inviting manner.

  “We’ll be back, Deimos. Here.” Ma’at reached into her bag and held out an apple for him to eat. It was fresh, taken from the airship’s dining cabin. “Seeing you here like this…” She recalled the old man William and his granddaughter Lucy. She remembered their slapdash cabin on the fringes of society, barely making a living off of the hypnophage native to the mudflats. Secretly, she hoped they were alright. She hoped they had made it through the winter in peace, undisturbed by gangs or natural disasters. Grin had reminded her of the poor folk, those with no home, not even a city to live in. Those starving and choked by grief and debt. She made a mental note to check in on them someday, perhaps when they would inevitably return to that bustling city of brass and steam.

  Happily, Deimos devoured the apple in a couple bites.

  And the party of five left their steeds behind, venturing into the forest of towering trees with curiosity running rampant throughout their thoughts.

  “Lomm, was it? What kind of person is this blacksmith we seek?” Camelia inquired. A fiery aura of anticipation seemed to outline her form.

  “W-Well… don’t be frightened when you see him. He might look menacing, but he’s actually very nice.”

  “Interesting. Like Ma’at, then?” The witch giggled at her own teasing joke, a hand covering her mouth.

  “Very funny,” the Sirithisian responded with a sigh.

  “Not quite in the same way, but… kind of!” The bespectacled ice mage led them beneath the archway and onto the forest trail. Luckily, it seemed many had passed this way, at least enough so that no overgrowth would slow their journey.

  “Seems like this used to be a road,” Ma’at commented. An endless array of green hues colored her surroundings. “Did the Greatwoods grow in size over the past few years?”

  “They very well could have,” Camelia answered her query. “Though, take that with a grain of salt. I haven’t been here in quite some time. I only ever visited this area once during my travels.”

  “They have! I’m sure of it. This used to be the boundary line of the woods. It used to lead to the Outlands… but… you know.”

  The woman in red nodded sagely. “No matter what people may believe caused the Advent, or what they think it was, no one can deny its effect on the Outlanders. Countless villages destroyed in a single day. It was a truly horrible fate.”

  “I’ve never been to the Plaguelands… but I’m willing to believe it didn’t earn that new name for nothing.” Since the Advent had become a topic of discussion, Tien’s upbeat and curious mood seemed to have diminished considerably.

  “It’s night and day from how it once was. It’s as if the scenery outside was tainted beyond measure, eradicated from existence. You don’t want to see it… how it is now.”

  Tien stared back at Ma’at for a second, then returned her focus to the way ahead.

  “Here we are!” Lomm cried out excitedly.

  Drenched in viridescent colors, all dancing with the radiating beams of sunlight peeking through the ceiling of leaves, was a cozy cabin that seemed to be two floors tall. A small column of spiring smoke billowed out from the chimney on its roof.

  “Lemme see if I can find him. He’s a darker shade than those.”

  “Those?” Tien’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What? The rocks? What do you mean-”

  “Ah! There he is! Hi, Fulgur!”

  The calamitous sound of countless tumbling stones and branches rang out into the verdant expanse. Out of a group of slumbering boulders, some had seemingly gained sentience upon hearing the northerner girl’s voice and began to break, move, and reassemble into something resembling a giant. It stood at nearly twice Camelia’s height, even with her hat on. Jagged splinters of lightning-infused ore streaked along its torso and made up its core, in turn lighting up the empty sockets in its ‘head’, giving it the appearance of having violet eyes similar to those of the Maiden’s.

  “A-An elemental!?” Tien was flabbergasted.

  “Stand back, Lomm. We’ll protect you.” Camelia called forth her fiery wisps, searing flame flowing around her body like a blazing raiment. “That thing could turn you into a pile of mush with one attack if you aren’t careful.” She aimed both her palms at the earthen giant, preparing to topple it before it could kill their guide.

  “N-No! No! Don’t hurt him!” Lomm squealed, closing her eyes and waving her arms erratically in protest. “He’s the blacksmith I've been talking about!”