The sun rose slowly, taking its time as it meandered across the sky, letting the people below relax and enjoy the drawn out sunrise. It was a strange group that enjoyed the spectacle, consisting of a half dozen rats, three humans, and a young spirit. Their location was even more unusual, seeing as everyone present was floating on a hastily assembled raft.

The rats chased each other in circles while the humans talked. The ghost talked as well, but only the young girl with white hair could hear him, so she spoke for him. The others simply nodded and went along with it. They had seen the truth of things, and had faith in their invisible ally.

Along the shores of the small lake tents were being put up. Some of the tents were new, bought with windfalls of wealth. Others were old and patched over, hastily pulled out of storage to house those who needed it. When they weren’t dragged away to finish their chores children played, splashing in the water and filling the air with laughter, a sound that had been all too rare recently. Sometimes a pause would strike, a lull where memories would catch up to everyone present, but it was hard to think about such things when the sun was bright and the day was young.

It was far easier to forget about the past and simply enjoy the present. To seize each moment as it came, hoping for a brighter tomorrow while making the most of today, and never forgetting the lessons of the past.

It was healing, the slow and steady draining of an abscess that had lingered for too long. It was mending, as slaves learned how to move limbs no longer weighed down with iron. It was love, as Nomads tended and cared for people who had lost their personhood.

It was a fresh start, and everyone was eager to see where it would take them.