Chapter Text
The night air was still and quiet, providing the perfect ambiance for the crickets and various nighttime creatures wandering about.
The grass underfoot crunched softly as Simon walked. The dew had long since settled on the blades, leaving his boots damper with each step. Taka flew overhead, spying for potential threats, food, and sources of water.
They would soon need to stop for the night. It was late, and though the moon hung high in the sky, shining her brilliant light down on the world, it was still dark. Dangerous.
"Hey Si, look at this." Athena, his niece, beckoned him quietly. He turned his head to look at her. She was crouched down, fishing a piece of paper off the ground. He whistled for Taka and began walking over to her. "Look. It's in Khura'inese."
Taka dived down from above the treeline and settled onto Simon's shoulder. Simon gently took the paper from Athena and examined it.
On the paper, a vivid drawing depicted a large, brown dragon spewing fire on what seemed to be a village. The dragon had purple crystalline spikes on its head, down it's back and tail, and sported two large wings rather than front legs.
He could not read a lot of Khura'inese- yet- but he knew just enough to know this was a warning.
"Athena, can you translate this?" He asked, handing the paper back to her. She knew more of the language than he did; such was true for many languages.
"I can try. Let me see…" She held the paper up to her face, squinting at each symbol. "It's hard to see in this light, but I think it says 'Beware the Defiant Dragons!' on the top, and below it says: 'All dragons are to be killed or turned in to authorities on sight. They are highly dangerous, vicious creatures that will stop at nothing to bring down our kingdom.' They also mention a reward for any who bring them down."
Simon once again took the paper from her. He rolled it neatly and pocketed it. "I see… thank you, Athena."
"Of course." She gave him a tired smile. "Do you think we'll find shelter soon? I'm about to be dead on my feet."
"Soon." He assured. "Come on, let's keep moving." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her and resumed his trek.
As they walked, Taka took it upon himself to fly ahead. Silently, Simon thanked him. Taka was half of the reason they had managed to evade capture for all these years. The other half of him prayed for his safe return. His Taka was skilled, it was true, but he could not help but worry.
Simon began eyeing his surroundings. He kept an eye out for anything in the woods that would work as a shelter, but frustratingly, they had spotted nothing thus far. He was half tempted to toss them all up into the trees and sleep there.
In reality, they were in little danger. They were far from their own kingdom, where they had to travel in the shadows and cover their faces to remain hidden from the eyes of the guards. They could go where they pleased here, as long as they were respectful. It was hard to let go of old habits, though.
They wouldn't be here long anyways.
Athena leaned against him with a yawn. He gave her a gentle squeeze to ground her and kept his eyes forward. Just a while longer. They weren't safe yet. Taka had been quiet, which either meant he was chasing something or something had gone wrong. He usually chirped or screeched to alert them.
Simon paused as he heard a branch snapping off in the distance. Athena perked up, looking in the direction the sound had come from. The sound was far enough away to not cause alarm, but it was rather loud. It indicated something large was nearby.
Simon rested a hand on top of the hilt of the sword on his hip. The area was not meant to be a dangerous one, as they were so close to the main roads into Khura'in, but the woods could easily contain a predator of any kind. And if the rumors of dragons were to be believed…
Simon heard Taka before he saw him. The bird let out a shrill cry before flying out of the trees. Simon raised his arm to allow Taka to perch on it. He hovered above the arm for a moment before dropping a hefty, shiny object in front of him. Athena reached out to catch it but quickly withdrew her hand when she realized it was a weapon.
"What the-?" She allowed Taka to perch on her shoulder instead as Simon bent down to pick it up. "What is that, Si?"
"A dagger. It's got a unique design I've never seen before… I reckon it's Khura'inese." He turned the dagger over in his hands, admiring the craftsmanship. The hilt was jade, carved into a symbol he had only seen spirit mediums wear. A mitamah, if he remembered correctly.
"Oohh… it's pretty. But why did Taka bring it to us?"
"No idea. Perhaps he senses danger and meant to warn us of it?" He handed it to Athena. "Here. You need a weapon after you lost yours."
She looked like she wanted to bite back at that. With a grumble, she took the knife and hooked it to her belt.
"Won't the owner of this dagger want it back?"
"I see no such owner 'round here, Athena." He pointed out.
"... I suppose you're right." She sighed. "I-"
Suddenly, she paused. She whipped her head around and instinctively grabbed at her heart. Simon frowned in concern and followed her gaze. She was staring deeper into the woods, as if something was there that he couldn't see.
The night erupted with the sound of a crash. Of trees buckling and branches snapping, of birds flying away and small animals fleeing. The telltale snap and sound of ropes being pulled taught.
Then, a roar. A terrible, agonized cry, one from a creature Simon had never heard before in his 28 years. It chilled him to the bone.
Athena pressed herself a bit closer to Simon. He kept her close, his grip tightening around his sword. Whatever had made the sound was close- too close for comfort.
Taka, in a moment of reckless abandon, took off in the direction of the roar. Simon bristled in alarm.
"Taka-!" He half whispered, half yelled through clenched teeth. He watched as the bird disappeared into the woods and sagged his shoulders. "Damn it."
He and Athena exchanged a glance. With a short nod, Simon gestured for her to stay put. He wasn't willing to risk her hide, but he wasn't willing to risk his bird's either. Dutifully, she sat down, drawing her bow and readying an arrow. Satisfied his niece would be safe, he drew his sword and began following Taka's general flight path.
The woods had grown eerily still. The crickets no longer chirped and the birds had long since fled. As Simon walked, he began picking up the sound of rushing water, as well as the smell of burnt oak and the sound of trees being rustled.
Taka, from a short distance ahead, shrieked. Simon felt a twinge of relief; at least he knew Taka was still alive. But in response to the shriek came a familiar roar. Quieter but sharper; whatever had made the noise seemed to be agitated.
His surroundings started to get brighter as the woods began to disperse. He could hear Taka flying about and chirping and the sounds of trees groaning under the weight of something heavy.
He could see a large clearing just behind the treeline. He lifted a branch out of his way and found himself in a small cove. The area had a small cliff surrounding the back and a light mist had settled over the ground. Giving the cove a quick once-over, he saw that to the right was the source of the rushing water he had heard: a waterfall that emptied into a large, still pond. At the bottom of the waterfall was a small boulder path across the two sides of the pond. To the left…
Tangled within a net was a large, lavender-scaled beast. It had two horns tangled with the ropes of the net and an intimidating set of small tusks on its upper lip. Fins adorned its face and ran down its back, sides, and tail. It had four legs, with the front two sporting five talons and working as wings.
The creature- a dragon, perhaps, though it was unlike any dragon from his home kingdom- was curled awkwardly inside the net and thrashing about wildly, not unlike a fish in more ways than one. It snorted and snapped its jaws at something, growling in annoyance as it only served to get itself more twisted.
Taka cried out again and reappeared, dive-bombing the dragon and trying to claw it. So he was what it was fighting…? The dragon snarled and bit at the air wildly, only nearly missing Taka. In alarm, Simon did the one thing he could think to do: whistle.
The dragon snapped its head toward him, its catlike pupils affixing to him and making him shiver in fear. It stared him down before a low growling sound started to emanate from it.
He didn't dare move. He didn't think he could if he wanted to. His feet were glued to the ground and he felt transfixed by its haunting gaze. He tightened his grip on the sword in his hands.
Taka finally returned to him, perching on his shoulder and ruffling his feathers to make himself appear larger. He had never seen him do that; perhaps because he was a bird of prey and he had never faced down a sizable predator.
"Simon?"
Both Simon and dragon alike snapped their heads to watch as Athena emerged from the woods.
"Athena! Get out of here!" Simon shouted. The dragon roared and thrashed wildly again.
"Simon! Stop, you're scaring it!" Athena cried out, grasping her chest.
"I'm scaring it?!"
The dragon hissed and reared its head back. Simon knew a cornered animal that was about to strike when he saw one. He dived towards Athena, tackling her to the ground as a column of water hit the spot she had just been.
"Ow! Simon, what the heck?! It was just water!"
"Look, it's smoldering!" Simon sat up, gesturing toward the spot. Just as he said, smoke billowed from the ground. "Who knows what that would have done to you?!"
The dragon roared at them. Simon growled, picking himself up from off the ground and drawing his sword. If it was willing to kill them, he was willing to kill it. Nothing attacked Athena while he still lived and breathed.
"Simon! No!" Athena scrambled to her feet. She managed to catch up with him as he stormed toward the dragon. "Stop!"
"What are you doing, Athena?!"
"Don't hurt it!" She pleaded. "It's just defending itself!"
"It's dangerous! It just attacked us. And besides," He fished the flyer out of his pocket and shoved it towards her, "These things pay handsomely. It could get us by for months!"
Athena reeled back in disgust. She grabbed the flyer and tossed it away. "Simon…"
He faltered. He knew what she was doing, and he did agree with her. Even as he said it, he felt his chest twist with guilt. She was right; it was just an animal doing what it had to to survive.
Still…
He glanced down at the blade in his hands. They did need money, and badly- especially if they were going to make it anywhere in Khura'in. He regarded the dragon. It chirped, watching the duo cautiously. It seemed terrified. He couldn't blame it.
"Please, Simon. We have to help it."
He watched as the dragon shifted in the net uncomfortably. The rise and fall of its chest. It was a truly majestic creature, one to be regarded with respect. It would be a tragedy to end its life.
With a deep sigh, he nodded once.
“Fine. Stay back.” He shooed Athena back a few feet until he determined she was a safe enough distance and Taka was transferred to her shoulder in the event he tried to attack the dragon again. Keeping his weapon drawn, Simon turned towards the dragon.
It growled lowly as Simon began his approach. Its eyes were fixed upon his sword, no doubt thinking he was coming closer to harm it. Strangely, though, it made no moves to attack again. Perhaps it had simply resigned to its perceived fate.
The net it was tangled in was tied to a sizable pine tree. It was beginning to lean to one side under the weight of the dragon, but otherwise seemed undamaged. The same could not be said for the trees behind it. A couple trees were snapped clean in half, others bent awkwardly in unnatural directions. It looked like the dragon had crashed into them and then was caught in the net.
Simon came to a stop directly in front of the net. Being this close to the dragon, he could tell it was built for water. Made sense, given the excessive amount of fins upon its body. Its scales were uniform, resembling the many fish Simon had seen in his life, and a set of red gills on its neck stood out against the lavender.
“I need you to trust me.” He said to the dragon. It blinked at him, eyes unreadable. He had no idea why he was talking to the thing. Perhaps Athena was finally rubbing off on him. Shaking his head, he took a single step back and lined up his sword with the ropes. “Do not attack me, beast.”
With that, he swung down, ripping open the net.
The dragon fell to the ground elegantly, the entirety of its body uncurling to its full length. It was easily the size of an orca whale, around 25 feet long. It lifted its head, towering a good six feet above Simon as it turned towards him. Simon felt frozen to the spot once again. Seeing the creature in its entirety was far more intimidating than it was when curled up.
It slowly lowered its head until it was eye level with Simon. He maintained eye contact, mostly out of fear of what it would do if he looked away. Its striking eyes searched his face for an agonizing long moment before it turned and began walking towards the pond. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Simon! Are you alright?!” Athena asked as she ran up to him. He nodded breathlessly a few times, still processing it.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just startled.” He assured. Running a hand through his hair, he turned towards her. She gave him a quick once-over to check for wounds before she looked over at the dragon, who was currently drinking from the pond.
“Did you hit it when you cut it free, Si?”
“What? No, of course not. See, the blade is clean.” He showed it to her. She frowned in thought as she examined it.
“That’s odd. I saw a fresh wound on it’s arm.”
Confused, Simon looked at the dragon to confirm. Sure enough, there was a clean cut on it’s right arm, just above the elbow.
“That’s a tiny cut, Athena.” He grumbled. “You had me fearing I had severed the thing off.”
“Tiny! It was limping!” She began rummaging around in one of the pouches she had kept slung around her waist.
“Don’t tell me you plan on wasting our supplies on that thing.”
“Simon, will you stop being such an ass? It needs help, and we have the means to do so!”
“We just did. Freeing it after it tried to kill you was help enough, don’t you think?”
Athena rolled her eyes and began walking toward the dragon. It raised its head from the pond and growled, tensing at her approach. She raised her hands, showing she had no weapons.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Show me your arm…" The dragon recoiled and growled as she tried to reach for it. "Hey, don't be like that! I'm trying to help!"
"Athena!" Simon called out. He reached for his sword again. Every part of him wanted to run to her, to draw his weapon and defend her. But he knew the threat here.
"It's okay, Simon." She assured, looking at him briefly to send him a soft smile. Then, she returned her attention to the dragon.
The dragon stared at her for a long moment. When she kept her distance and allowed it to assess the threat without pushing it, it reluctantly gave Athena access to its arm. She smiled gratefully and began to clean off the blood from the gash. The dragon flinched but didn't recoil, instead watching her every move.
She reached into one of her pouches and took out a small jar. Inside was an ointment, one that was mint green in color and smelled similarly, and swiped some onto her hand. She reached up and gently applied it to the wound. The dragon made a noise of discomfort. "I'm sorry, I know it stings."
Once she was satisfied, she backed away and admired her handiwork. The wound, while still red and open, was no longer bleeding. It looked pristine- as much as a wound could, anyway. "There. Doesn't that feel better?"
The dragon sniffed at the wound. After it examined it thoroughly, it turned its attention back to Athena. Suddenly intimidated, she took a step back. The dragon stared at her for a long moment, as if judging her. Then, it blinked, turned its head away, and dived into the pond. Within a second, it was gone.
"Athena!" Simon rushed over to her.
"Woah." Was all Athena could say. She searched the water for any sign of the dragon, but alas, it had disappeared.
"Are you alright? No wounds?" Simon looked her over frantically.
"I'm okay, Si. Promise. Just…" She laughed in disbelief and turned towards him. "We just met a dragon! A real one! And it let me touch it!"
"It almost killed you!"
"I'm okay, Simon! Really!" She insisted.
Just then, the waterfall shifted unnaturally. Athena and Simon turned their attention towards it.
From behind the waterfall, the dragon reappeared. It poked its head through the curtain of water and scanned the area before landing on the duo. It stared at them for a moment before chirping insistently.
Simon and Athena exchanged a confused glance. The dragon snorted at them and chirped once again.
"I… think it wants something." Athena tilted her head to once side.
"Certainly. But what? Food?"
The dragon blinked.
"Maybe it wants us to follow it." Athena suggested.
"Follow it?"
The dragon made a chuffing noise. It resembled that of a tiger greeting its fellow tigers. Perhaps that meant Athena was on the right track…?
Athena glanced around the pond. She began walking along the bank, right in the direction of the waterfall. "Athena!" Simon bristled in alarm once again.
"It's okay, Simon. I trust it." She said, continuing to approach.
"You trust it! I don't! That thing's a wild animal!"
"So is Taka!" She retorted.
"That is untrue! Taka is a trusted companion. My bosom buzzard."
Athena shook her head exasperatedly. She reached the waterfall and began carefully stepping across the stone path until she was in front of the dragon. It tilted his head further until there was a gap in the waterfall she could walk through without getting wet.
"Thank you." She grinned and hopped through. "See, Simon!?" She called, "It's perfectly fine!"
Simon made eye contact with the dragon, still apprehensive. It made no other movements other than blinking, apparently patient enough to wait for him however long it took.
With a sigh, he relented. Even if it was a trap, Athena had just walked into it, so he had a duty to rescue her. He had a weapon. He could defend them if need be.
He walked forward, the eye contact between him and the dragon unbreaking. The journey was short, and soon enough he had reached the same break in the waterfall.
"I am once again asking you to not attack me." He said. The dragon remained silent, only staring down at him. He assumed it meant it understood.
He took a single step into the gap. Quick as a mouse, the dragon darted backwards, allowing the full force of the waterfall to smash into Simon. He shouted in surprise as he was completely drenched.
Athena howled with laughter, pointing at him as he emerged out from under the water. He growled at her.
"This is not funny! I'm going to freeze to death!" He yelled. This only made her laugh harder.
"Look! Even the dragon is laughing!" She hollered. Sure enough, the dragon was making an eerily similar sound to a laugh. "I'll bet it didn't want you tracking dirt into its lair!"
"If that's true then why didn't it soak you?!" Simon retorted, beginning to ring out his hair.
"Because I'm nicer than you." Athena grinned. Simon grumbled under his breath and shook his head.
The dragon nudged Simon further into the cave with its nose. He made a confused noise, but made no moves to protest.
The dragon flicked its head back toward the waterfall. All of the water seemed to be pulled straight off of him, and it splashed into the waterfall like it was nothing. He was dry.
Amazed, he said nothing as he examined himself. The dragon turned away silently and made its way to the back of the cave. It yawned and stretched out before flopping onto the ground unceremoniously.
"It's hunkering down for the night." Athena commented. "I think it's allowing us to do the same."
Simon agreed. But why…?
"We should do the same." He muttered. With a nod, Athena glanced around for the most comfortable looking spot in the cave. Which was nowhere.
With a sigh, she set herself down in a random spot. Simon followed her and got as comfortable as he could.
"Good night, Simon." She murmured.
"Night, Athena."
With that, he turned his head, closed his eyes, and did his best to fall asleep.
The sounds of the waterfall and muffled bird chirping lulled Simon out of his dreamless sleep. Athena was still nestled in the crook of his arm, snoring softly and likely drooling all over his cloak. His back ached softly from sleeping on solid rock, but he’d slept on worse before. There were worse ways to wake up, he supposed.
He slowly sat up, careful to not jostle Athena too much. He took off his cloak and situated it under her head as a makeshift pillow. She stirred but did not awaken. He smiled softly as he watched her sleep. While she wasn’t an elegant sleeper by any means, it was one of the only times she looked genuinely peaceful.
He stretched out, yawning quietly and glancing around the cave. It was eerily empty besides him and Athena. He supposed the dragon had either moved on or would return sometime soon. It had swam the night before, so perhaps it was doing just that. Just then, he did a double take.
Someone was here.
Sitting just before the waterfall was a stranger, their back rested against the rock wall. They had on a fairly elegant-looking cloak, the white fabric combined with gold trim giving off an aura of importance. Wealth. They were passing a similarly expensive-looking comb through their long, thick lavender colored hair and humming softly to themself. After apparently being sufficiently satisfied with the amount of combing done, they began braiding it. Simon stared at them for a long moment, trying to process what was going on, before he remembered himself and shot to his feet in alarm.
“What the hell?! Who are you?!” He demanded, startling the stranger.
“Pohlkunka!” They shouted. They turned towards him and got to their feet as he stormed towards them. They continued to speak to him in another language- Khura'inese, he assumed- so he couldn't understand them. He prayed Athena would wake up and help him out here.
When it was evident he didn't understand a word coming out of their mouth, the stranger huffed and rolled their eyes. They scrunched up their face, seemingly in thought.
"Moron."
"... Pardon?"
"I said moron. Is that not the proper word in English?" They crossed their arms over their chest and scowled at him. Baffled, Simon could only blink.
"P-Proper word for what..?"
"For your punitive mind, of course." He bristled in offense at that.
"Excuse me?! I'm not the one creeping on two strangers!"
That really riled them up. They ripped the prayer beads off their neck and slapped Simon across the face with them.
"Pohlkunan! Putrid demon! How dare you accuse me of such vile acts!"
"Then explain yourself!" Simon yelled, rubbing his face; they really got him good with that slap. Instead of explaining, they just began shouting in Khura'inese again.
As they lectured him, his eyes were drawn to their right arm. Just above the elbow was a long cut, still red. It was recent.
Then, it clicked.
"You-! You're the dragon!" He exclaimed.
"Indeed! This is my cave, so I very well may do what I please here!" They carefully returned their rosary to their place around their neck and, with considerable attitude, continued braiding their hair.
"What's going on…?" Athena grumbled, somehow only waking up just then. She approached Simon, rubbing her eyes, when she finally noticed the stranger and jumped back in alarm. "Wh- who are you?!"
"Are you both daft?!" They demanded. "After you saved me and healed me, and after I so graciously allowed you to take shelter here, you still persecute me?!"
Athena stared at them for a long moment before it clicked for her too.
"O-Oh! You-!"
"Yes, yes, I'm the dragon." They shook their head. "Honestly! I've never met anybody quite as rude as the two of you!"
"I-I'm not rude!" Athena protested, pouting. It seemed they had struck a nerve with her.
"... You, maybe not." They conceded. "But the panda there?"
"P-panda?!"
"Yeah, he can be rude sometimes." Athena agreed.
"What?! Don't side with them!"
"I'm just telling the truth, Simon! No sides in the truth!"
The stranger looked between the two of them.
"You both act rather strangely, I must admit." They tilted their head to the side ever so slightly. "May I ask how long you've been acquainted?"
Simon glanced down at Athena. She returned it and gave him a reassuring smile.
"It's alright, Si!" She returned her gaze to the stranger. "Simon is my uncle in-law. I've known him my whole life."
"I see." They idly brushed some dust off of their cloak. "Your names are Athena and Simon, then?"
"Oh! That's right. I'm Athena C-"
"Just Athena." Simon interrupted. He gave her a look, one that said to keep quiet. She shrunk back a bit, recognition settling in her eyes.
"Right. Just Athena." She looked at the ground, hugging herself. The stranger looked confused but made no moves to inquire further.
"Okay then, Just Athena and Simon. My name is Nahyuta- Nahyuta Sahdmadhi." They nodded their head ever so slightly in greeting. "Hap'piraki."
"Hap'piraki, Nahyuta!" Athena grinned. They blinked in surprise.
"You know our language?"
"Only a bit. I'm still studying." She bounced on her heels. "I haven't had many chances lately."
"Athena." Simon warned. She was getting too comfortable with them far too quickly.
"Sorry." She murmured.
"Why are you so close to the border of Khura'in?" Simon asked. "If you're a dragon, you should be as far away as possible."
Athena winced as a cacophony of discord assaulted her ears. Nahyuta remained silent, their face blank. But their heart… it was so loud.
"I was on my way out." They said. "As you two should be." They gestured to the waterfall. As if they were commanding the water, it parted like curtains, revealing the cove to them once again.
Athena looked at Simon, holding her head in her hands. Simon looked at her with concern, then at Nahyuta. Suddenly, he understood.
"Hang on a moment, Sahdmadhi."
They obliged.
"Yes? Do you require assistance?"
"No. I think you are the one in need, actually."
Their brow furrowed at that.
"You're mistaken. Be on your way." They insisted.
"Look, I don't know what's going on, but when you told us you were leaving Khura'in, it triggered Athena's abilities."
"... Abilities?" They stared at the two of them and then brought their hands together in prayer. "I see now. The two of you are possessed."
"Wh- you're absurd!" Simon spat.
"O Putrid Souls…"
"Sahdmadhi! Listen! Athena can hear the emotions of others. When they're trying to disguise something, whether it be a memory or an emotion, she can hear it."
They eyed the two of them. They still looked skeptical, but they had paused their prayer. Simon counted it as progress.
"I know we're just strangers, Nahyuta," Athena said, "But I want to help. In any way I can. Please."
They hesitated. They lowered their hands and frowned ever so slightly.
"You aren't really leaving Khura'in, are you?" She asked softly.
"... No, I'm not." They admitted. "I… I can't."
"I thought so." Simon crossed his arms over his chest in thought. "You wouldn't have been caught in that net last night if you were on your way out."
"Indeed." They looked at the ground wistfully. "In reality, I was coming back."
"Coming back…?" Athena asked.
"I was banished. The Queen found out I was a dragon and gave me a running start. But there is something in Khura'in I could not abandon. So… I looked for help, but I found none. So I must return on my own."
Athena rested her hand on her chest with a frown. The discord was gone, but their grief and sadness was still very much there. It was so loud.
"That's… not true." She said.
Simon's face grew increasingly concerned.
"Athena…"
"Nahyuta, we could help you."
"What?!" Nahyuta and Simon asked at the same time.
"We could help you! We're both experienced travelers, we have experience in stealth and battle, and we could help you blend into crowds a little better!"
Nahyuta looked very skeptical. Simon looked very upset.
"I did not agree to this. Athena, we have our own journey to make-"
"To where, Simon?!"
He was taken aback by her outburst. "Where?" She repeated, reaching up and rubbing a tear out of her eye. "You and I both know we have nowhere to go and nothing to do."
He remained silent. She was right, but that truth hurt too much to admit. "So… we can help you, Nahyuta. Please let us."
"... You do not even know what I need help with." They murmured.
"Then tell us."
They hesitated once more.
"... My little sister. She could very well be a dragon, and if the Queen found out… she would be killed." They shuddered at the thought, grasping their right wrist. "I have to rescue her before that happens."
Athena looked over at Simon pleadingly. He frowned uncomfortably and glanced at Nahyuta, trying to think about what he wanted to do. What the right thing to do was.
With a sigh, he nodded at Athena.
"We can help you, Sahdmadhi."
Athena perked up a bit at that. Nahyuta watched them, a sadness glittering in their eyes.
"Please let us." Athena said.
"..." They thought for a long time. The conflict on their face twisted Athena's heart; it looked like they were in so much pain. "Alright." They finally said. "... Thank you."
They offered the tiniest of smiles. Athena returned a larger one and gave them a thumbs up. Simon called Taka and began gathering his belongings from the cave floor.
"We should get a move on, if we're to rescue anyone in a timely fashion. Sahdmadhi, do you know where your sister is?"
"... The Palace."
Simon paused.
"Wonderful." He muttered with a huff. After retrieving his sword, he returned to the two of them, tossing Athena her things. "Our first step should be gathering supplies. Do you know the way to the nearest town?"
"I do." Nahyuta confirmed. "I can translate for us when we arrive. Not many Khura'inese citizens learn English, as we don't tend to leave our country."
"Would you be willing to teach us the language?" Athena asked. "On our way, I mean."
"I can certainly try. You've already began to learn it, Athena, so I will start with teaching the panda here the basics."
"I am not a panda, damn it." Simon grumbled. Nahyuta didn't grace him with a response.
"Great! Shall we be on our way, then?" Athena fished a small treat for Taka out of one of her bags and tossed it to him. The bird caught it and scarfed it down gratefully, giving Athena a chirp once done.
"Let's." Nahyuta nodded. They finished off braiding their hair and smiled down at Athena. The trio finished preparations and then, one by one, exited the cave.
"The nearest village is about a day away from here, if I remember correctly. There, you can resupply and I can gather myself a more fitting outfit."
"That would be best. You look like a walking deity." Simon muttered.
"Thank you." Nahyuta responded teasingly.
"That wasn't a compliment, you blackguard!" Simon snapped, his cheeks tinting a light shade of pink. Athena giggled and rolled her eyes at them.
"C'mon, you two. Let's get going."
Nahyuta nodded in agreement.
"Certainly, Athena. Come along, Panda."
"Simon! It is Simon!"
Athena laughed and Nahyuta smiled good-naturedly.
With that, the three of them were on their way, Nahyuta in the lead with Athena and Simon following suit, the three of them discussing what they'd do when they reached the village and where they'd go from there. The start of the journey was a hopeful one.