Heron Synka Muryh woke with a gasp, his hands scrambling for his weapons and his shield, as he blinked in confusion at a ceiling that was both familiar yet strange.

Home.

He was back home in Faron’s Crossing, and his own room felt strange to him after spending weeks sleeping under the stars or staring up at the light panels attached to underground ceilings.

The pre-dawn light shone through his bedroom windows, accompanied by the cold gusts of the Season of Air’s weather, was far milder in western Rumiga than it had been back in the east.

What woke him up?

Thud, thud, thud.

Footsteps outside his room, in the hallway. His sister Teresa, no doubt stomping down the stairs to the kitchen.

With a muted groan, he plopped his head back down on his pillow. His room was still dusty from years of his absence. He was sure either his mom or sister had come in here to clean though, from the thick dust across his easels and paint brushes, it was no doubt a cursory thing. He hadn’t had the chance to clean yet, having just arrived home the day before.

As they had been told, the Academy had been put on indefinite leave. All students were to return to their homes or stay in the dormitories if they had no home to return to. Rather than waste money paying for his stay, and not wanting to risk getting caught up in the political fodder-storm that had been brewing in the wake of several noble houses’ defection and treachery, he and his friends had opted to return across the Zarek and come home.

Mikel, Krystal, Maryn, Danica, Zeyn, and Millie had all come with him on the same Commuter Tram. And a couple of others who didn’t want to stay in the capital city. Asami Lawson Devi, for one, who just wouldn’t leave him alone despite numerous attempts on his part to distance himself from her.

His thoughts skipped away from the persistent girl and went right towards the one he’d been hoping to pursue. Although…

He didn’t think that he had any hope left. She wasn’t here in Rumiga and from what he heard of the state of the nation, it was unlikely that he’d ever see her again. Not unless he made his way to Realmheart and doing that wasn’t just costly, but needed ample connections and reasons.

That and his deadbeat dad still hadn’t returned from whatever hole he dove into. Resentment welled up in his chest, and for once he didn’t try to push it down.

“You keep things to yourself too much. It makes you stiff and annoying,” Krystal Zorin often said to him throughout the course of the year. “I’ll give you a hint,” she said with gleaming eyes and a smirk, “If you ever want to have a chance with Yuri, you’re better off opening up. Keeping things to yourself and holding everything in will just get in your way.”

“You’re less of a swarming ass that way, too,” Mikel agreed with a smirk.

In the years prior, Heron would have decked the smaller boy for that comment, but their two years in Agaza had mellowed both of them down. One doesn’t spend years watching each other’s backs without some sort of camaraderie forming. Not that he ever apologised for his behaviour before, at least not overtly anyway. But an understanding of sorts had come between them.

Besides, the three of them, along with Danika and Zeyn, were a great combat team. They covered each other’s weaknesses and complemented each other’s strengths. Truly, the sum was greater than the individual parts.

Besides, if he was being honest with himself, Yuriko’s absence in their current dynamic probably had a lot to do with how well they meshed now. Not that he was blaming her, it was purely his fault. It’s just that she occupied his mind so much that little else could come in. And then, he’d struggled with jealousy, too.

And the fact that Mikel and Krystal ended up together just made things easier for him.

For a moment, he wondered how the Foster twins were. They had been the ones to set themselves up as his rival for Yuriko’s affections, unlike Mikel. Anyway, being of Sharom and Aneurin, the twins had been asked to leave the campus even earlier than the Agazans. All of the other Academies, actually.

Groaning, Heron rolled off his bed and stalked out of his bedroom still in his jammies. He caught sight of Teresa's blue hair vanishing from the stairs and heard her sour muttering.

Why was she up this early anyway?

He stumbled towards the bathroom and splashed water on his face to wash the gunk out of the corners of his eyes. He did his morning ablutions after a moment, figuring that he didn't have enough time to go back to sleep.

His schedule in Agaza had him up by dawn anyway. He dressed in his training clothes and did some morning stretches. He'd go for a morning run, about a couple of leagues if he pushed himself. The habit had been long ingrained every morning ever since he went through his Atavism Ritual. Well, mostly to try and spend time with Yuriko.

He found Teresa in the kitchen preparing dozens of ration bar spices. Her control over the winds around her was more than enough to give her a dozen hands.

"Good morning," Heron said, and his sister grunted a reply.

She'd be more personable after she's had her first cup of kaf, Heron knew. He grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and drank his fill, then left it on the table. He put on his sneakers and left the house. Mom was probably still asleep. Unsurprising considering she often stayed up late in the night, sitting on the front porch looking towards the Veil. If ever his father came, he would probably…

“Haaah.”

He sighed. None of their parents had returned. Not his, Krystal’s, Mikel’s, or Yuriko’s. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to her brothers yet, although he was sure only the youngest, Rami Davar, was in Faron’s Crossing. He heard someone say, or perhaps he read it on a dispatch report, that Kato Davar had been stationed in the Watchtower. And of course, her eldest brother had already advanced to Knight.

‘That is the average age, wasn’t it?’ he mused as he tightened his shoestrings. Twenty-something was the average age someone with a good Heritage reached Knighthood. Thirties if the Heritage was weaker. And forties if the Heritage was average, or not at all, really.

Heron was confident to reach that stage before he turned twenty, actually. Exploring his Heritage had taken the majority of his free time after all. He had identified the pathways he could take, and the Facets he would inlay. Now, it was only a matter of reaching the required Animus capacity and the proper density.

As soon as he was out the door, he felt it. The wind whispered to him, and had no doubt been the factor that disturbed his sleep. That was quite literal, and frankly, getting a bit annoying.

“Good morning, Heron,” the voice in the wind said.

“Asami,” he whispered, knowing that the girl could hear his voice as soon as it left his lips.

Asami was a rather intense and focused girl, who’d been assigned to his training unit as a Controller. She’s been part of the team along with Mikel and Krystal, Zeyn and Danika. He hadn’t really gotten close to the other four members of the ten-man squad, and it was usually Zeyn who acted as their Striker.

Asami was a tall, slender girl, just half a dozen inches shorter than he was. She had dark eyes and short green hair that was just long enough to frame her face and also highlighted the smattering of freckles across her nose.

Her Facet and Heritage were based on the winds, though unlike his, Asami focused on detection and communication. The fact that both of their Heritages were based on aerokinesis of some sort had been what piqued her interest in him in the first place, and she said as much soon afterwards.

He ignored her stalking for the moment as he warmed up for his morning run. By the time he’d run a couple of blocks, the slender girl had already caught up with him. His eyes couldn’t help but linger on her bouncing bosom, and from the smirk on her face, she knew he had looked.

A bit of heat went to his cheeks and he shook his head. He honestly didn’t know what to feel. For most of his life, he knew who he wanted to be with. But now? First crushes were hard to let go of, but it should have been easier with the distance and the time they hadn’t seen each other.

He’d tried to let Asami down early on, but the girl was persistent. He found that rather annoying, but all of that turned to guilt and shame when Mikel had laughed at him and pointed out that he’d practically done the same with Yuriko. He’d punched the guy in the nose, and the ensuing brawl had resulted in both of them being disciplined with kitchen duty.

It had taken a few weeks after that to realise that yes, he had been a creeper and only the fact that Yuriko had been so oblivious had prevented his actions from escalating to something even worse.

He still loved her, even though there was probably no hope. His head felt clearer and no longer did thoughts of Yuriko occupy a large part of his mind. And the troubles he’d had in the Wild Oak when practically every boy on campus wanted to pursue her. At least, until the Ducal houses’ scions expressed interest. Then, everyone else had been expected to back off. He faced hostilities, bullying, and beatings in the guise of training matches then. Yuriko didn’t notice any of that, of course.

“How far are we running?” Asami asked curiously.

“Two leagues,” Heron said curtly. “Rest of squad will join.”

“Oh.”

He set a hard pace, but the green-haired girl managed easily. Mikel, Krystal, Zeyn, and Danika joined them as the circuit he made passed by each of their houses, and they continued in a loose circle around the town.

Faron’s Crossing had changed.

Aside from the Central district, which had a symbolic half-wall, Faron’s Crossing had always been an open town. And with the river bisecting it, walling up the place was kinda futile. But they’d done it anyway.

An earthen wall roughly five paces high protected the town on either side of the river, and a thick and heavy chain had been used to prevent barges or boats from entering the river within the town. A deeper ditch had been made when the wall went up, though it caved in every now and then. The wall itself was several dozen paces from the acknowledged edge of town, and in the space between, longhouses had been put up.

It was only to be expected when Haveena City attacked and invaded the southernmost village of Cierra.

So much for having a proper vacation after Seasons of fighting.

After their morning training, Heron split up from the others and had his breakfast at home. He had a couple of weeks furlough before he—they were expected to report in. Asami Devi returned to the Homestead Inn where she would be staying meantime, though she said she’d move to the barracks when the muster came.

“Who was that girl?” Tegan Synka, his mum, asked as Heron entered the house.

“One of my squadmates,” Heron answered quickly.

“Hoh? What happened to your other crush?”

“Mum, she’s not here,” Heron sighed.

“Oh. Yeah. When’s your dad coming back?” she asked blankly.

“I don’t know mum,” Heron said.

“Mum! Come inside!” Teresa came out on the porch and prodded their mother. Tegan nodded absently while she looked towards the west. The Veil and the Tidelands.

“I think I’ll wait a bit longer,” she murmured.

“Mom…”

Heron shrugged uncomfortably. He didn’t know what to do short of going into the Tidelands to look for his dad. But given the length of time he’d been gone, it was doubtful he was in the Shallows or even the Midmarches.

Balliol Muryh was likely lost in the Chaos Sea, and his family was stuck waiting for word. In fact, he had been declared missing, and in a couple more Seasons, was likely to be declared dead.

Heron didn’t know which was better. The desperate hope that dad would return, or to grieve for a lost father.

Looking at the lost expression on his mother’s face…

Perhaps he’d paint his dad on a canvas. Before his memories of Balliol’s features faded away.