Nerluce sucked in a sharp breath.

Coam. His sister. Someone he had not seen in three years now. It had been even longer since they were close with one another if they ever were. Nerluce could remember playing with her in the gardens, he could remember dressing up in her robes and her putting her mother's powder on his face, he could remember laughing with her. And then she went to war and came back different. And then Nerluce went to Ethera and he was probably different too.

The air went cold. Nerluce glanced to the side and he saw Aristide's Kōttaiki. When had he summoned that? He gripped it tightly, glaring at Coam like she was the enemy. Shit. To Aristide, she was the enemy. Shit. Were they about to fight? What was happening? Why was Coam here, now of all times?

Coam slid off of her mount. It was inferior to Eden but in no way a cheap horse. It stayed perfectly still and did not flinch even when Coam summoned her Suru-Suru. She lifted it casually as if it was not a weapon that had been used to end hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives. Nerluce's fingers were itching, but he didn't summon Ealatus. More weapons would not help this situation.

"General Coam," Aristide said.

"General Aristide," Coam returned before her gaze turned to Nerluce. "Brother."

"Sister," Nerluce said. "Why are you here?"

"I need to speak with Ethera's High Priestess," Coam said, dismissively. "Would you be so kind as to fetch her for me?"

Nerluce did not move. Neither did Aristide.

"Why would you bring an army if you only wish to... speak with our High Priestess," Aristide said, taking a step forward of all things. It occurred to Nerluce then that Aristide was putting himself between Nerluce and Coam. To protect him? Would Nerluce really need protection from his own sister? She wouldn't- he couldn't imagine her- should he be afraid of the girl he'd grown up laughing beside?

Coam's fingers curled around Suru-Suri's bright blue hilt. "I wanted to ensure I would get an audience with her."

That was when - by the grace of the gods - Taayir arrived.

She pushed her way forward, setting a hand on Nerluce's head. He flinched and then turned to look at her. She offered him a reassuring smile. "General Hebikoti," she said, moving forward and putting her own body between Coam and both Aristide and Nerluce. "It's such a pleasure to host an old friend."

"General Taayir," Coam said, dryly.

"Just... Taayir," Taayir said. "Besides, if you insist on titles, I will have you use my current one: Elder Priestess. I am no general."

Coam scoffed. "Am I going to be allowed to speak to the High Priestess?"

"Of course," Taayir said with a smile. "She saw you were coming. We have tea ready and waiting. Please, come with me, though I will insist that all of your friends wait outside." Her eyes glinted with sudden coldness. "I don't want them to get hurt. Ethera can be a rather dangerous place if one is unfamiliar with it."

"As you wish," Coam said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

And just like that, the two women marched through the crowd, leaving both Aristide and Nerluce to follow behind them like dogs following their masters or children following their mothers. Nerluce wasn't sure which the more embarrassing comparison was.

Taayir led them to the main temple, the place Nerluce had been just earlier that day, but it could hardly be called the same place. The High Priestess sat on the same chair and wore the same robes but her expression was that of a hardened soldier. Her posture was unusually rigid. In her hand, Nerluce saw a sword.

Nerluce had never seen the High Priestess of Ethera in battle. A part of him knew, of course, that the title she was bestowed was not for show. She was one of the most powerful Magickians alive, if not the most powerful. She could wield all four elements with expertise. She was a powerful Seer, whose visions were just as frequent as they were accurate. And most of all, she was blessed by the gods and the vessel which they used to return the Chosen Light to the world.

There was no one in this world who could stand up to her.

Even Coam was forced to bow. She was elegant and beautiful in doing so. "High Priestess Honami of Ethera," Coam greeted. "I apologize for coming unannounced."

"Not to worry, I saw you coming," the High Priestess said. "Ari."

"Yes," Aristide said, before disappearing to one side, returning a few moments later with a table. He set it up and placed a cushion on the ground. "I will bring the tea from the kitchens."

"Thank you."

He left the room once again. Coam clicked her tongue and sat. "I cannot believe you are using the Angel of Death as a mere servant boy," she said. "It's humiliating for Magickians everywhere."

Coam was probably right about that.

"Aristide chose to leave the front and protect the Chosen Light," the High Priestess said. "That decision has him performing all duties."

With a considering hum, Coam asked, "Where is the Chosen Light?"

"Hidden and protected. I do not think you will have the chance to-"

"Luce!"

Every head in the hall turned as the girl ran up to Nerluce and gripped his legs tightly. Unable to resist a smile, Nerluce picked her up. "Should I... hide and protect her or does Coam get the chance to meet her?"

The High Priestess looked considerably annoyed.

Blessed with visions of the future, yet not omnipotent. Such was the curse of all Seers. Or maybe the Chosen Light was hard to see like other Seers. That didn't sound too far-fetched to Nerluce. He bounced the toddler up and down a couple of times. More likely, though, it was probably that it was hard for anyone - Seer or otherwise - to determine what a toddler would do next.

"Why are you here, Kierli?" the High Priestess asked.

Kierli squirmed in Nerluce's arms, almost like she was trying to get closer to him. "I was playing," she said. "Sorry."

"I'll have a word with Fonbi," Taayir said.

"No need," the High Priestess said. "Nerluce, go entertain my daughter elsewhere. I'll send Aristide to join you. None of you are necessary for this conversation."

"But-" Nerluce protested.

"Go, Nerluce," Taayir said. "It'll be fine."

Nerluce still didn't want to but... he didn't have much choice at this point. Kierli looked up at him with big, dark eyes like big black bugs. Ugly baby. "Luce?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "Let's go outside. I can tell you a story."

"Okay!"

Reluctantly, Nerluce carried her back out of the temple and deeper into Ethera. When she started to squirm, Nerluce set her down and let her toddle along with him before they found a quiet grassy place to sit in.

"What story do you want to hear today, Li?" Nerluce asked.

The little girl's face scrunched up as she thought really, really hard before she giggled and looked up at him. "Tell me about Ari!"

"Aristide?" Nerluce asked. "What makes you think that I have stories about him?"

"Cause you got stories about everything," Kierli said.

Nerluce sighed and shook his head but the smile never left his face. This girl. She probably thought him omniscient. Instead... he just had heard a lot of things and was good at making up the others. Spirits were easy. The gods and heroes too. Sometimes Keirli asked about other things but never before a person.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you a story about Aristide," Nerluce said. "What do you want to know?"

"Why do you and Mommy and some other people all call him Angel?"

Ah... now that wasn't a question with a simple answer to it. Nor a simple story. Not to mention the fact that Aristide had gotten the name Angel from Nerluce for very, very different reasons he'd been called Angel on the battlefield. Kierli didn't even know that Aristide used to be a soldier and... Nerluce couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Instead, he sighed and decided to make something up. "Once, not so long ago, there was an angel," Nerluce said. "He was so beautiful and talented that even the gods envied him. As the angel grew, he only became more beautiful and more talented so the most bitter and jealous of the gods made a scheme."

"What's a scheme?" Kierli asked.

"It's like a plan but evil," Nerluce said.

Kierli gasped. "Oh no."

"Exactly! The bitter and jealous gods trapped the angel in a peach," Nerluce said, thinking of his own joke he'd made all those years ago. "The bitter and jealous gods sent the angel inside of the peach into the world. It took the angel a long time to break out of the peach but when he did, he saw all the suffering humans were going through."

"And helped?" Kierli asked, hopefully.

"Exactly! The angel, even though he was suffering himself, decided he would not try and go back to the heavens until he helped all the people in the world." Nerluce pulled Kierli into a hug. "People call Aristide Angel because they think he might be this angel from the peach."

"Really?" Kierli asked.

"Mhm," Nerluce said. Lying had never tasted so sweet. "He's beautiful and talented and likes to help people, so I'm pretty sure that he's the angel."

"Me too," Kierli said.

"What are you telling Li about me?" Aristide asked, coming around the corner, followed closely by Fonbi - the red color of her face providing an unusual contrast to the rich blue of her hair.

Nerluce beamed. "Nothing much, Angel," he said.

"Nothing much, Angel," Kierli echoed with a giggle.

Aristide did not look convinced. However, instead of pressing further, he turned to Fonbi. "I found Li's playmate," he said. "I've already made her aware that hide and seek isn't an appropriate game."

"Sorry," Fonbi squeaked.

"Bi-bi!" Kierli said, getting up and hugging her. "Is it dinner time?"

"It was a long time ago!" Fonbi said. "I've been looking for you forever! I thought someone might have tried to take you!"

Kierli just laughed. Remorseless girl.

Nerluce sighed and got to his feet. "I suppose you'll be taking Kierli to get something to eat then?" Nerluce asked.

"Yes," Fonbi said before giving Aristide a nervous glance. "If that's alright, Head Disciple."

"Go," Aristide said, with a dismissive wave.

Fonbi picked up Kierli and took her back to the water Disciples Dorm. She seemed to be talking rather avidly, probably telling Fonbi about the new story that Nerluce had just told her. Nerluce... really hoped that she wouldn't tell Aristide it. Or at least, she'd leave out all of the embarrassing parts that Nerluce had added.

"Come on," Aristide said.

"Where are we going?" Nerluce asked.

"Back to the temple," Aristide said, his face hardening. "I've heard you're a plenty good eavesdrop when you want to be."

Nerluce choked on a response. He hadn't been meaning to- Well he didn't want to- It was just sort of something that had happened. Twice. Nerluce pouted but followed Aristide back to the temple nonetheless, entering the dreadful place for a third time that day. He... also really wanted to know what was being said.

They shuffled quietly through the halls and Aristide waved him over to a door that was left ever so slightly cracked open, likely by Aristide himself when he was ordered to leave the room. Nerluce peaked through the crack and saw three of the most powerful women in the world drinking tea with one another.

"-on the border," Coam was saying.

"When?" Taayir asked.

"They began a couple of months ago," Coam said. "Nothing too big and nothing we weren't used to handling. They were... a distraction. We let our guard down." She sighed. "Shesko is in ruins."

Shesko. That was a name that Nerluce was familiar with. It was the largest southern city in all of Itoroh and one that was guarded rather ferociously by the Hebikoti Clan. He felt his heart skip a beat. What could possibly have happened to destroy Shesko? Was it an accident? A fire? Or... was Coam possibly saying...

"This is unusually vicious behavior for Tilica," the High Priestess admitted.

Shit.

Nerluce felt Aristide's gaze on him. Shit. What was going on back home? If Tilica was destroying cities, why was Coam here and not at the border fighting them?

"Their forces continue north," Coam said.

"The Hebikoti Clan has never had a problem driving off Tilica before," Taayir mumbled. "In fact, I remember very clearly when a young heir of Tilica came to Ethera and sat where you are sitting now to plea for the very same thing you are requesting now." Taayir took a sip of her tea. "Except it was the Hebikoti Clan who destroyed a town."

"They took it back," Coam grumbled.

"You burned it to ash," the High Priestess said. "It is a gravemarker. Not a city."

"And do you think that Shesko deserves the same treatment?" Coam asked. "The people there are innocent."

"Innocent... guilty..." the High Priestess sighed. "Who are we to decide?"

"You helped Tilica," Coam snarled.

"That was because it was the will of the gods that we help Tilica," the High Priestess said. "They told me to grant the young prince's request because one who will guide the Chosen Light was living there." She smiled. Aristide. She was talking about Aristide. This time it was Nerluce who stole a glance at the other boy.

He shuddered and looked back, face pale.

One child should not be the reason to save a nation.

"Unfortunately, the gods are not giving me a vision of anyone within the boundary of the Hebikoti Clan who could be worth the risk," the High Priestess said. "That and... your Empress is not here. Neither is your father. If all Itoroh can scrape up is the daughter of some noble, I must say I am not impressed."

Even from all this distance, Nerluce could see Coam's rising temper.

"So you won't help?" Coam asked.

The High Priestess shook her head. "Our Seraphs are needed here, to protect the Chosen Light. It would simply be too risky to send our forces out at this point in time." She gave Coam a pitying smile. "I am sorry."

"And what if I burned this temple of yours to the ground?" Coam asked.

The High Priestess laughed, loud and sharp. "You're groveling at my feet, begging for help and you think you have the right to threaten me? At best, you'd destroy us and we'd destroy you. But honestly..." She smiled. "You'd die. Your soldiers would die. The Hebikoti Clan would die. And Ethera would stand as it has always had."

Coam snarled a curse and stood. "Fine! I will leave this place but I am taking what belongs to the Hebikoti Clan with me."

"Your soldiers are not welcome on Ethera regardless," the High Priestess said.

"I meant my horse and my brother," Coam said.

For a moment, the High Priestess looked genuinely surprised. Nerluce was so taken about by this that he didn't process what Coam had said. And then he did. Coam was here... not only to ask for help but to... collect him? But... but Nerluce thought... but Lord Father had said... he was supposed to get to stay here!

The High Priestess chuckled. "Your monstrosity is yours to do with what you'd like, but Nerluce is almost a Seraph. He will not leave."

"He will," Coam said.

"I don't think," Taayir said, cutting in, "it is our decision to make."

The High Priestess rose. "You are right, Taayir. It is not our decision to make but the decision of the individual in question." She smiled at Coam. "He will not leave."

"Would you like to make a wager, Seer?" Coam asked.

A very sour expression appeared on the High Priestess's face. "I will not gamble with you."

She didn't know. Fair. Even if she could see what Nerluce would do, he didn't think it would do her much good because Nerluce didn't know what he was going to do. He had never- he was supposed to get to stay here! With Aristide! And Kierli, and Lyana, and Eko, and Taayir, and everyone else! He was supposed to be a Seraph.

"Go fetch him, Taayir," the High Priestess said.

Nerluce stood up. Aristide's eyes widened as Nerluce stepped into the room, soaking in the looks of shock he got. All-powerful women could still be surprised by him it seemed. "Sorry," he said. "I'm an awful eavesdrop."

"So you are," the High Priestess said.

"How much did you hear?" Taayir asked as Aristide followed Nerluce into the room, not looking ashamed at all.

Nerluce glanced at Coam. "What's happening?"

"Tilica wants to play war game," Coam said, narrowing her eyes at Aristide and lifting her chin ever so slightly. "And they've thoroughly filled Ethera's coffers."

"We are not a militia, bought and sold," the High Priestess said. "We operate based on the will of the gods."

Coam scoffed. Nerluce wanted to as well. Everyone knew how Ethera operated. Why was the High Priestess so set on pretending otherwise? "Lord Father said that if Ethera refused, they clearly do not deserve our blood in their ranks," Coam said. "He instructed me to fetch you and any other good Itorohians who wish to return home."

"Oh," Nerluce said.

"I'm sorry that I have to take Eden back," Coam said and she genuinely did look it. "You can ride my gelding back and once home Lord Father plans on buying you your own war stallion."

"Really?" Nerluce asked. "Why?"

"You aren't a boy anymore, Luce," Coam said. "Eighteen and a supposedly very talented fire Magickian if we are to believe the rumors we've heard." She smiled. "Lord Father says a better way to... prove yourself will be through battle. You've wasted enough time here. Come home with me."

Ah. Ah shit.

Shit!

Nerluce's throat clenched and he offered a wobbly smile. Shit! Home? What home? Nerluce had never felt more at home than when he was in the fire Affinity dorms. He'd never felt more loved than when he was with his friends. He'd never been happier than when he was in the stables with Aristide or telling stories to Kierli. Shit! Why did he have to give that all up?

His mind flashed to the midterm he'd taken. To the test of loyalty, he'd done. He'd passed. They had offered him everything he wanted but he'd rejected it for reality. Shit. Shit! They should have used fear. Gods. Nerluce couldn't breathe. He couldn't focus. All he knew was that Lord Father was calling him back. Back to Hebikoti Palace. Back to the days where he was ridiculed and mocked and useless and alone.

Shit.

"Lord Father really said I need to come home?" Nerluce asked.

"Yes," Coam said, glancing to the side. "Please. I don't... he was serious."

Shit.

"Well," Nerluce said. "We ought not keep him waiting."

In a matter of minutes, Nerluce had fetched Eden from the stables and readied him for the long trip back home. He passed the white stallion over to Coam. They greeted one another fondly. Right. Eden's first rider was Coam. He would always be happy to go back to her. Coam handed him the mount she'd ridden in on. He was a pretty gelding, Nerluce would admit that much. Worthy of the son of Lord Hebikoti, bastard or otherwise.

And then, they rode out. Nerluce left Ethera as he'd come to it, with no outstanding possessions and a heart full of daggers. Shit. He didn't want to do this. He turned back, giving the beautiful mountain temple one final look. It was a mistake.

The last thing Nerluce saw of Ethera was Aristide and the hurt in his eyes.