Chapter Text
“So your brother has the Black Scrawl, huh?”
Yonah placed a letter in the Aerie’s mailbox before leaving, sensing that she wouldn’t have time to make it back to her village before nightfall. “And the Sealed Verses are going to help us cure him.”
“Gotcha…”
The girl turned to the swordswoman, tilting her head ever so slightly. “What is it?”
Kaine sighed, leaning against the wall of the cavern just outside of the Aerie. “Well, I don’t know if this will help, but I know a guy who has the same disease. He’s a king, actually, and his kingdom has been trying to find a cure for a while… it’s possible they have something.”
Yonah’s eyes lit up, a question on the tip of her tongue before the swordswoman started speaking again.
“I said it’s possible, not that it happened, so don’t get your hopes up too much… Anyway, the place is called Facade. It’s deep within the desert.”
Weiss hummed, at the words. “The desert, hmm? Such an environment would require proper planning to navigate.”
“Even so,” Yonah began, “we should go check it out! At the very least we could get some clues for later.”
“Indeed, and if this proves successful, it would certainly make our task a good deal easier.”
Kaine smirked, a faint laugh at the musings between the girl and the tome. “Well then, sounds like we’ve got our next destination.”
Yonah smiled as she looked at the swordswoman. “Yeah, it sounds like we do!”
❀
“How does one reach the desert?” Weiss asked as Yonah prepared a small fire.
“Well, we go back to the village, and then we leave from the east gate- that’s the one in between the library and my house.”
Sparks flew from metal meeting stone, catching on the dried grass and soon igniting the branches in the pile. It wouldn’t last long, but it would be enough to get comfortable. At the very least, the clearing in which Kaine’s hut resided was well protected from Shades, provided they didn’t fall from the top of the cliffs surrounding.
“It was nice of Kaine to let us sleep here…” the girl mused as she started to curl into a ball.
“You say as though you are unaware of the begging you partook in.”
“She didn’t have to say yes; it wasn’t until after you mentioned ‘troves of Shades wandering throughout the twilight’-” Yonah gave the words a slight accent, much to Weiss’s chagrin- “that she agreed.”
“I do believe her exact sentiments had called us weak.”
“Hey bastards,” Kaine’s voice called across the clearing. “Quit your yapping and get to sleep already.”
Yonah laughed, calling out: “Sleep well, Kaine!” before closing her eyes, the crackling fire near her lulling her to sleep.
When she awoke, there was a small piece of tattered fabric draped across her shoulders, though which of her companions had supplied it to her was a question she didn’t dare ask. What was truly important was the journey to Facade, or more accurately the preparations that were required to begin the journey.
"We'll need plenty of water- probably a few canteens worth- some medicinal herbs just to be safe, maybe I could even make some quick tonics before we leave… Anything else I’m missing?”
One of Kaine’s swords slashed through a Shade, her head turning slightly as she yelled, “Don’t forget some antitoxins. There are scorpions in those sands.”
A Shade was impaled by a lance of red magic, dissipating into shadow and blood before the girl’s eyes. “What of protective gear from the sun?” Weiss suggested. “Unless you would prefer to have painful burns on exposed skin.”
Yonah rolled her eyes at the tome’s words, her blade angled across her chest in order to block a Shade’s attack. “I can bring a sunblock salve, but I’m not going to force Kaine to change if she doesn’t want to.”
The swordswoman laughed. “Luckily I don’t burn, unlike Mr. Talking Book over there.”
“Now see here! Even if you do not burn under the sunlight, there is still good reason to act as though you shall! Beyond that, there is also the matter of-”
“Blah blah blah. You’re a real bore sometimes, you know that, right?”
The girl laughed at her companions’ squabbling, taking the hem of her skirt and wiping the blood off of her blade. “Come on you two, we’re almost at the village. We can take stock there, and then it’s off to Facade.”
“Ah right, your village…”
Yonah turned, her head tilted as she looked at the swordswoman. “Something wrong, Kaine?”
Kaine shook her head. “Nothing you need to worry about. I’ll meet you outside the gate.”
“What? But it’d be easier to go through the village than climb the mou-”
“I believe that woman has made up her mind,” Weiss chimed in. “It would be best to let her do as she pleases. After all, is that not what you had said in regards to her clothing?"
Yonah nodded slowly, releasing a small sigh. "Kaine has her reasons, I'm sure of it… okay Kaine, we'll meet you by the eastern gate. Just don’t… don’t hurt yourself, okay?”
The swordswoman scoffed, turning her head to hide a smile. “I’m not that delicate, you know.”
“I know, but don’t think you’re invincible.”
The girl slowly entered the village, crossing the threshold of the northern gate before turning to look back. Kaine had already left, though her voice was still carried through the wind. She truly was scaling the mountains as opposed to taking the easier route of passage…
“...she’s had a bad experience with people,” the girl muttered under her breath.
“I’m certain of it,” Weiss responded. “Afterall, we witnessed for ourselves the way the Aerie treats those who are ‘other’.”
Yonah nodded, letting out a sigh before walking through the village. First thing’s first, a visit to the shopping district was in order- there were several ingredients for a sunblock salve that the girl knew for certain she didn’t have available to her, not to mention how low her supply of medicinal herbs was getting and how important they were for the majority of her tinctures. There was also the matter of antitoxins, which were a bit more difficult to create, and antidotal weeds were fairly expensive due to how rare they were in the open. Even so, if there were scorpions…
“It would appear your funds have been depleted.”
Yonah nodded with a sigh, placing a bundle of antidotal weeds into one of the bags on her waist. “Well poisons and venoms are difficult to treat- usually an antidote requires the venom to be known, so something like these weeds that act as a panacea…”
“You certainly have a mind for the medicinal,” Weiss hummed.
“When Mom first…” the girl clutched her bag and took a deep breath. “When Mom first started showing symptoms of the Black Scrawl, I asked Popola to teach me how to take care of her. Devola and Popola had an entire village to run, afterall. They couldn’t spend all of their time on a pair of children and their sick mother.”
“And what of your father? Surely he would not have abandoned-”
“He was killed by Shades.”
There was a bitterness to Yonah’s voice, a bitterness that didn’t truly suit her, a bitterness that swiftly fell away before she flashed her companion a smile.
“I never really knew him though, so it’s not as bad as it could be.”
Silence fell between the two as the girl continued to stock supplies for the desert trip, packing a satchel with canteens and bottles of different tinctures, some of which were technically incomplete but time was of the essence. The mixtures could steep as they made their way to the desert.
But first, the girl was to check on Nier.
The boy was in the garden when his sister crossed the threshold of their property, tugging on tiny weeds that threatened to steal nutrients from the thriving produce. There were a few times when the stems would snap, leaving the roots still buried in the soil, and the young boy would give a small frown before gently dragging his finger through the dirt and finding the base of the stem once again. There was nothing in his actions that suggested that he was sick, that he was in pain, that he was on the verge of…
Nier lifted his head, a smile appearing on his face. “Yonah! You’re back!”
Yonah wrapped her arms around her younger brother, running her hands through his hair and laughing at the loose thread holding it together. “You’re getting better at tying your hair up…”
“Yeah! It’s still not as good as when you do it, though…”
The girl twisted the twine around locks of white hair, tightly tying it all together. “All that matters is that you’re growing.”
The boy smiled, breaking free from his sister’s hug before dragging her arm to look at some of the plants in the garden. After what seemed like hours of walking around the small field- it was a mere span of minutes, as Weiss was happy to mention- Yonah convinced Nier to sit down in his room and relax. After a short amount of time, Nier had fallen asleep, which Yonah used as a chance to slip by and cross through the eastern gate.
“Took you long enough.”
The silver-haired swordswoman before moving to lead Yonah through the Eastern Road, instructing the girl to stay close to the cliff face or risk falling into the chasm below. This guidance was even further welcome as the group began traversing through the massive desert, the only landmarks being yet another chasm- “Likely created from centuries of running water eroding away the rock”, according to Weiss- and scattered pieces of architecture that seemed to mimic fountains.
And then there were the wolves.
The wolves’ bite was fierce, tearing into fabric and grazing flesh before being struck with a blade or magic. They would fall with a whine, alerting others nearby of the group and what crime they had committed. It didn’t take long for blood to stain the sands, the girl turning her back to where the wolves had perished and trying not to notice how heavy her blade felt.
❀
The gate to the entrance of Facade was both simple and ornate at the same time, flanked on either side by what appeared to be statues at first glance- that is, until they started moving and speaking in a language Yonah wasn’t familiar with. At the very least, the guards to Facade seemed to recognize Kaine, the gate opening at her wave.
"How do they know you, Kaine?"
The swordswoman sighed, gesturing for Yonah to walk in front of her. "A while back, I saved a local kid from a pack of wolves. Ever since, this town’s welcomed me with open arms… don’t get your hopes up, though. The language they use here is pretty crazy and I don’t understand a word of it. Good luck finding a way to speak to the king.”
Kaine walked over to a nearby wall, leaning against it and crossing her arms. She closed her eyes, her breathing slowing in such a way that made the girl curious how the swordswoman could sleep in such a position.
“Come now, let us leave the hussy be. We have a mission, do we not?”
Yonah nodded, slowly walking away from where Kaine was standing. There were a few scattered people chattering amongst themselves, not that the girl understood anything of what they were saying. It was almost infuriating, knowing that asking for help would be impossible while she didn’t understand them, but that simply meant she had to think of a different way to find her location. Perhaps wandering about the village could give her an idea as to what she was to look for, even if most onlookers would think her mad.
The village was beautiful, she soon learned. While yes the architecture was strange in some places- there were several a moment where she wandered into a corner or walked up a flight of stairs to a dead end- there was a certain beauty to the way the village was built with symmetry, with careful thought and planning as to the flow of things.
“Do you have a destination in mind? Or are you simply intending to wander like a tourist?”
The girl laughed at the tome’s question, rounding a corner and making her way down some stairs. “There’s a method to this place. If I just keep walking, I’ll find where we need to go. I just know it.”
“Perhaps you are correct about that, however I find it more likely for us to walk in circles.”
“You don’t have to follow me, Mr. Weiss. You could search ahead, or was that offer only good for finding fish?”
“Pah! What cheek! Has the hussy tainted you already?”
After a few minutes more of walking around Facade- and Weiss grumbling as the girl explored the several different paths available to her- the pair arrived at what looked to be a large courtyard of sorts. A pair of guards flanked an ornate door, though upon walking closer the entrance was barred by crossed polearms.
“It would seem as though we are being denied entry.”
“Yeah,” the girl sighed, “but it makes sense…”
“The next logical course of action would be to return to the entrance.”
Yonah nodded, turning and wandering around the desert village once again until reaching the entrance. Up the grand flight of stairs she went, and upon reaching the top she noticed a child dressed in white, a basket of fruits in her hands. One taking step forward, one falling to the ground.
It was strange how no-one other than Yonah moved to help the fallen child, grabbing the scattered fruits and the dropped basket as the child returned to their feet. With their hands free, the child started waving their hands in such a way that seemed to suggest…
“It would appear this one is attempting to communicate through gesture!”
The child hummed, clapping their hands together and bouncing on the balls of their feet before gesturing once again. They then turned to look at Yonah, their head tilted ever so slightly as if waiting for a response. In turn, Yonah glanced at Weiss and asked: “Is there a way you can translate? I’ve only read about sign language, and it’s different seeing it in motion…”
The tome nodded- as much as he could- before moving in between the child and Yonah. The masked child signed once again, slightly slower this time, to which Weiss said, “‘Thank…you…’ Ah, they are offering you their gratitude!”
“Oh! You’re welcome!” The girl smiled, adjusting the basket of fruits in her arms. “My name is Yonah, what is yours?”
The child started signing again, the gestures different than before but keeping the slightly slower timing. “I am… Fyra-” the child took their finger and spelled her name in the air- “Do you need help?”
Yonah laughed, “It’s that obvious, is it? We were hoping to speak to your king, but neither of us understand your language.”
“I can guide you, but first I must explain this town. There are rules to follow.”
“Rules?”
“Follow me. I will explain further.”
The masked girl ran off, leading Yonah towards what looked to be a small shop of sorts- bottled tinctures and dried herbs were on display, alongside various other materials simply lying about. Small pieces of paper rested beside each different item, a script of some kind written on each of them- likely the price or items that could be traded.
“Rule 106,” Fyra began to sign, “Do not live on level ground. All shops and houses must abide by this rule.”
“Rule 106? That’s a big number…”
The masked girl nodded. “We have many rules, this is just one of them.”
Several minutes were then spent walking around the town, with Fyra stopping every now and again. She started with the docks- “Rule 115,017: You must view the town by ship before purchasing any items”- moving to the grocery, a strange-things store, a raw materials store, and then finally a weapon shop before concluding the impromptu tour.
“Thank you for your patience. I will now guide you to the king’s manor.”
Yonah smiled at the masked girl. “Thank you so very much, Fyra! It was very kind of you to lead us around.”
The masked girl simply shook her head. “I am merely following the rules.”
“All of these rules…” Weiss began to grumble, “I do not know how you survive in a place with so many inconvenient prescripts.”
“Mr. Weiss! Be nice!”
“It is alright,” the masked girl signed. “I used to ask the same question, and then someone told me: ‘Rules do not exist to bind you. They exist so you may know your freedoms’. When I look at it like that, they do not bother me. Now then, let us not delay any longer.”
Fyra led Yonah back to one of the sand ships, swiftly signing towards the gondolier. The gondolier nodded, releasing their anchor and letting the flowing sand carry the ship towards the northernmost part of the town. It was relaxing, simply resting and letting some other force move the group along, though it was a feeling that Yonah knew she couldn’t get used to. After all, there was no force in the world that would find the cure to the Black Scrawl for her. She would have to work for that goal, no matter how hard it may be to attain.
The gondolier stopped the ship, allowing the group time to depart before setting sail once again. Fyra took the lead, running towards the ornate door from before. She stopped shy of the stairwell, turning and beginning to sign: “This is the king’s manor. However, we have no king now.”
“No king? But I thought…”
Fyra nodded, noticing the way Yonah’s statement trailed off. “Our king was stricken with a foul black illness, and so passed away. His son- the prince- now rules this land. Over there,” the girl gestured to a masked person standing a few feet away, “is the prince’s advisor. He would know far more about these things than I.”
Weiss nodded, as much as he could. “Thank you. All of this touring has been helpful for understanding your language. I believe I will be able to speak with this advisor myself.”
Yonah’s eyes grew wide, her head swiftly turning to look at her companion. “Are you sure you won’t need Fyra to translate? We really haven’t been around too many varied conversations.”
“We have heard enough to simply ask about the prince. It shall not be an issue in the slightest.”
The tome moved over towards the person Fyra pointed out, calling out with the language of the masked people and leaving Yonah to trail behind. The conversation, if it could even be called such a thing, between Weiss and the advisor was extremely short, ending with the tome exclaiming: “My patience for this kind of thing has long ago evaporated!”
“Wait what happened? What did he say?”
“We are to return another day as though we did not go through trials to simply request an audience!”
Yonah shook her head, sighing before simply saying: “It’s fine, Mr. Weiss. Let’s just return to Kaine…”
“Do you not think it possible that the hussy led us here on false pretenses?! She might already have fled!”
“I don’t think she’d do that,” the girl sighed once more, before turning her attention to Fyra. “Would you like to join us?”
The masked girl stood still for a moment, as though she were in shock, before slowly nodding and walking back to the docks. Before long, a gondolier appeared and escorted the group back to the entrance of the town, with Fyra once again running ahead. There were no signs of exhaustion as the masked girl ran up the flights of stairs, a sight that made Yonah laugh.
I can’t wait for Nier to be able to do such a thing again…