February 4, 2019, 2:02 pm. Not enough cuddle-time.

After cuddling and chatting with Rufka for half an hour, Roberts stops by to check how we're doing. I ask him about the hammocks, and he explains they were an offhand comment, but they've clearly become popular. An understatement, given the forest of them on this section of the beach alone. Then he gets up, saying he's looking forward to enjoying our thirty hours of free time before the ship is supposed to arrive.

"Hey, if we have a whole day off," Tipan calls from out of sight, "That means we can go to a Desh'mersa game tomorrow! If you'll take me, Lexi?"

"Only if I get one of those giant hats!" I call back, earning a soft chuckle from Rufka.

"Yes! Wait. I need to check the schedule, are the…" Tipan's voice trails off as she paces closer, her eyes gazing into the distance.

"Since we are already here, I would like to visit this healer you mentioned," Roberts says, looking over the crowd of K'tharn towards the alabaster tower to the south. "Perhaps she would be interested in an exchange of knowledge."

"Oh, that's an excellent idea," Tipan agrees, blinking as she refocuses on Roberts. "I meant to talk to her about an apprenticeship."

"Didn't they have figurines of us at a nearby shop?" Josh asks while rising from where he'd been partially buried by Smoulder's attempts at earth manipulation. Which amounts to her blasting the sand with fire, getting it to fly in the direction she wants. It's going exactly as well as it sounds. "I'd love to pick up a few, if they still have any."

"That sounds like a great idea. In fact, Rose, why don't you and Smoulder join them. Lexi and I would like to take a walk," Rufka says, giving Rose a wink with both her left eyes.

I don't remember deciding we wanted to take a walk, but I'm not dense enough to ignore Rufka's hint. Rose grumbles about being assigned pet watching duties as he reaches down to collect Smoulder. But she just uses his arm as a platform, leaping from him to Josh's elbow until settling on Tipan's shoulder.

"Should I?" Kellica asks, glancing between Rufka and everyone else.

Placing a hand on Kellica's shoulder, Rufka says, "Go, have some fun. Despite what mum said, you're not my servant."

As they push their way through the crowd, Rufka and I turn north, heading away from the action. But even here, there are K'tharn setting up stands and games. Some of them even have System plates floating over them, listing out their prices. We stop and grab some slushed ice cones that are advertised as 'genuine Stormbringer Ice Flurries,' which are a pleasant contrast to the heat of the day. Not that the heat is bothering me. It's nice that resistances don't take away the pleasant feeling of basking in the sun but they negate sunburn and heatstroke. At least, from normal sources.

With the last remnants of my cone, I flick a tiny bit of ice at Rufka. Not even using magic, just my enhanced agility. Which she dodges without even looking at it. Then retaliates with the rest of her slush, to equally unimpressive results.

Still, it is a crime most foul, and I leap forward to prevent her from taking advantage. Which devolves into us wrestling on the beach, which is going swimmingly until we hear someone cough from nearby.

Looking up from our tangle of limbs, we find a K'tharn looking down on us. Actually, on closer inspection I realize she's an Awakened Fallen. One of the ones we rescued from Ivicka.

"Sorry to interrupt. But we were wondering if we could talk?" she asks. As I look past her, I realize there are two more Fallen standing further up the beach.

Rufka's glare is almost strong enough to set the poor Fallen on fire as she leans back in the sand. I squeeze her shoulder before turning back to the Fallen. "Sure, what's up?"

For a second, she just shuffles back and forth before taking a deep breath I'm not entirely sure she needs. Do Fallen still breathe? Then she says, "We... I... Thetilda will explain."

I glance over at Rufka. She meets my gaze for a few seconds before flopping back, throwing all four arms out to the side. "Fine. Let's go help." Then, in a voice so low I can barely hear it, she adds, "not like we were enjoying our private time or anything."

"I'll make it up to you later," I whisper back, pulling Rufka to her feet. "I'll even do that thing with your ears you like."

The way Rufka's ears twitch back and forth lets me know that my words had the desired effect as we join the Fallen. I take her hand as they lead us back to where they're camped, squeezing it. When we arrive, I realize it's less of a camp, and more of a secondary settlement, with stone-shaped huts in neat rows and a waist high wall that traces out the perimeter.

It's practically an island amidst the rest of the settlement. There aren't any stalls here. Nor are there many K'tharn. There are nearly twenty Fallen though, all Awakened if the way their eyes track us is any indication. The weight of their gazes feels heavy, accusatory. As if they're judging us. Expecting us to make things worse.

We're led to the second hut on the right, a simple carving of the name "Thetilda," being the only thing that sets it apart from any of the other huts. There are two Fallen inside, one of whom is stretched out on a slab that serves as a bed. The other is on a folding chair next to her. The second looks up when we enter, her eyes flicking to our escort then back to me and Rufka.

"So you are the ones who rescued us from Ivicka's control?" she asks, standing up and bowing slightly in our direction. "I am Thetilda, the unlikely leader of this little enclave. I understand our freedom is due to your intervention. Thank you."

"I... you're welcome?" I say, not sure how to respond. It's not like we knew how to free them from Ivicka's control. Or that it was even possible.

"Would you like some tea? I find my appetite isn't what it used to be, but the aroma is as pleasant as ever," Thetilda asks while moving to a small kettle set to one side of the room.

"Uhm, sure," I say as we stand awkwardly in the doorway.

"Oh, where are my manners. I swear, the decay is getting worse every day, no matter what that fool girl says. Felicka, fetch some chairs, would you dear? And get my daughter." The Fallen who was standing at the entrance nods and soon returns with a trio of folding chairs before stepping back to the door.

"Please, sit," Thetilda says even as she continues fussing with the tea. "And please forgive me if... if I forget what we're talking about. The decay is unforgiving, even if I suffer from it less than the others."

"The decay?" Rufka asks while taking one of the folding chairs and setting it against the wall where she can keep an eye on the entrance and our host. I place my seat next to her, technically blocking off said entrance a bit.

Before she can respond, another Fallen enters the tent. "Mother, you- who are these people?"

As she turns to stare at us, I realize that she's not a Fallen. She's just a K'tharn, one with very messy fur and eyes that have a kind of strain I'm familiar seeing in my mother, but haven't seen much of on Akilo.

A weary sigh resonates from Thetilda as she addresses her daughter, "These are the ones who rescued us from Ivicka, Trellani. Please show them some respect."

"Huh. Thought you'd be taller," Trellani says while taking one of the folding stools then setting it next to her mother while glowering at us.

"Now. As I was saying. The decay-"

"Wait, you're talking to them about the decay? Why should they care? They brought you here then dumped you?" Trellani protests, bumping into her mother and nearly spilling her tea as she turns.

"It seems that being free of our bonds is bad for our condition," Thetilda says with a soft sigh, ignoring her daughter and instead looking over to the Fallen who lies on the bed. Upon closer inspection, I realize the Fallen's eyes are open, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Felicka here discovered a way to use our mana to stave it off."

"For all the good it's done," Felicka grumbles from the doorway.

"It has allowed us to hold onto our minds, and that's not nothing," Thetilda replies, looking past us to where the other Fallen shifts back and forth. "And it has kept us free."

"Kept you free?" Rufka asks, leaning forward slightly. "Free from what?"

"The Aetherium have a solution."

"That's not a solution! It's slavery to a new master!" Trellani interjects.

Thetilda waves her daughter down with two hands while lifting her tea to inhale. "We could bind ourselves to their matrix and be sustained. And it would be a solution of a sort. But we have no desire to serve a new master. We would rather end ourselves than return to slavery."

"Mom. No, it… it won't come to that. I'll figure something out."

"I... I'm not sure what you're asking us to do?" I say, finally taking a sip of my own tea.

"We're asking you to stop the Decay. No more, no less," she says, squeezing the hand of the vacant-eyed Fallen behind her, which prompts me to Focus on her.

“Creature analyzed: Fallen K'tharn. Mana seed 11.

A mana-warped version of K'tharn. This Fallen has been Awakened through a corrupted summoning ritual. The bound matrix has been destroyed, and this Fallen is degrading into a standard Fallen.

"Name: Pelthica of clan Atheidies.

Attributes: Physical; Very Low, Mobility; Very Low, Magic; Very Low, Awareness; Very Low.

Attacks: This Fallen is incapable of remembering any of their skills.

Defences: This Fallen has a weakness to any mana-based attacks."

Even as I'm looking over the analysis, my System sends several more notifications.

“Quest updated - Purge Corruption. Hidden Objective completed. Requirements: Decaying Awakened Fallen scanned 1/1. Rewards: 3 Iron rank Integration Points. Schematics for Awakened Fallen Purification and Revival chamber."

"Quest received. Cleanse the Fallen. Cleanse a single Fallen of their corruption. 0/1 Fallen cleansed. Rewards: Structure: Tracking Array. Focus: Corrupted Soul Matrix. 5 Iron rank integration points. 1 Iron rank Progression Token."

"Quest received. Purge the Matrix. Find and destroy the new Matrix the Aetherium is using to Enslave the Awakened Fallen. 0/1 Matrix destroyed. Rewards: Soul Crystal Purification Work Station."

"Oh, wow," Rufka mutters from next to me. "Guess we still need to clean up after Ivicka."

"We do not intend for you to do this for free. We are not entirely destitute. Not yet. Will you help us?" Thetilda asks, clasping her hands together in a way that jostles a piece of her loose fur to swing wildly. She grabs it quickly, turning her head away while her ears fold back.

Trellina steps next to her, and I can feel a small swirl of earth and water magic before she looks towards us again.

"I... think we might be able to," I say as I open the schematic for the Purification chamber, displaying a copy in the center of the room. The only part I recognize is the thirty-two Iron-rank Mana Essence the blueprint requires. Though I'm able to guess that a 'Water-Essence mana-regulator' is used to control the flow of water essence. There are several parts like that, including one for Twilight.

"What… how?" Trellani stutters, her eyes darting across the diagram.

"This is half-Enchanter, half-Artisan work," Rufka says as she looks over the plans. "Pretty sure mum has most of this stuff. Not sure where we'd get a mana de-condenser though."

Thetilda's ears perk up at this. "A mana de-condenser? As in, to pull mana apart? I heard Ivicka talking about salvaging one from the Builder city." Then her ears droop. "But all of her equipment was destroyed."

"Guess we should check, at least," I say before pushing to my feet with only a tiny bit of wind magic. "No time like the present."

"Should bring the others," Rufka says, sending a message to them in party chat even as she nods to Thetilda. "Hopefully, we'll have something soon."

"Wait," Trellani says before we can make it through the door. She closes her upper eyes, her lower eyes locked on me as though trying to tear my secrets free. Then she lunges forward and wraps me in a hug, whispering, "Thank you."

I pat her back, looking awkwardly to Rufka who just gives me a small smile.

As we step out, I feel the collected gazes of the Awakened on us once more. Nothing has changed except what we learned inside the hut. But that's enough. Cause now I know they're not judging us, afraid we'll make things worse.

It's so much worse than that.

They're hoping we succeed.