Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I met a man today. 

No, not a man, yet not a god either. A man imbued with the powers of a god, magicks beyond what any warlock or elf may wish to have. And, may the Fates forgive me for thinking this, but a man whom I would let change my life in whatever way he saw fit.

Perhaps it’s foolish of me to approach the reincarnations of the Divine so callously, and perhaps the Fates will strike me down for even daring to have such inappropriate desires. But I believe this is only the beginning. I believe, whatever darkness the Destroyer has forced upon us, the light is finally going to appear. And maybe, tomorrow, I will see him again. 

l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l

Gabriella Ro’Meave sighed, staring out the window of her bedroom. The entire walled city of O’khasis was sprawled out before her in the distance. O’khasis was so large, it was the only thing she could ever see outside of her window. Just…the city, its walls, and a few trees from the forest that bordered them. Her room was positioned in a way where she could barely see the ocean, on the opposite side of her family home. If she could even call the Ro’Meave household home. It hadn’t felt like home in a long time. 

There was a knock at her door. Gabriella hurried over to the door, expecting to see one of the guards or….maybe even Zane on the other side in the hallway. Instead, she found herself staring into her mother’s light blue eyes. “Mother!” She hugged her tightly. Zianna never left her room anymore, she hadn’t seen her in days. 

“I’m going to miss you, Gabby,” Zianna murmured. 

“I-I’m sorry I’m leaving you,” Gabby whispered. “I just…I can’t stay here anymore.” 

“Sweetheart…” Zianna pulled away and gently held her hands. She smiled at Gabby, but Gabby felt a pang in her heart; Zianna’s smile couldn’t mask the pain in her eyes. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady; you shouldn’t be cooped up here anymore. I know you always wanted to travel the world.” 

Gabby sighed, pulling her hands away from Zianna’s and brushing her skirt. “I just wish I could do it without Zane breathing down my neck.”

“I…know…” Zianna hesitated, and Gabby bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned Zane. But before she could change the subject, Zianna did. “Is all your stuff packed?” 

“Everything I think I need.” Gabby grabbed the satchel she had recently finished packing off of her bed. “Zane said Phoenix Drop is a small village, so I’m leaving some things behind. I’m sure I’ll be back.” 

“Gabriella,” Zianna said firmly. “If Garroth is truly there… Please stay with him. Don’t worry about me. You two were always close.” 

Gabby opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by another person who appeared beside her mother in the doorway. “Lady Zianna, Gabriella…” The O’khasis guard coughed awkwardly. “I…apologize for my intrusion. High Priest Zane wanted me to inform you that the ship is ready to depart. I’m here to escort you there.” 

“I won’t be leaving.” Zianna backed into the hallway. “Only Gabby.” 

Gabby hesitated, crossing the satchel over her body. “.....I’m ready. Lead the way.” 

(....)

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. The smell of salt was even stronger here than from her window; it had been years since Gabby actually stood on one of the ships in O’khasis’s harbor. The boat rocked gently while the captain shouted various orders to different members of the crew. Gabby found herself staring at the towering walls of O’khasis. The walls that she was no longer stuck behind. The walls that, soon enough, she wouldn’t even have to see anymore. 

“Lift anchor!” shouted the captain. The crew echoed back to him, slowly cranking the anchor back to the ship. 

Gabby felt an overwhelming wave of sadness rush over her all of a sudden; she couldn’t tell if it was her own sadness or Zianna’s. How could she tell? She wasn’t really sad to be leaving O’khasis behind- Irene knew 25 years being stuck there was 25 years too many- but…abandoning her mother…all alone at home with that monster …. 

“Gabby, so excited you were able to join me for this venture.” 

Gabby scowled. Right. She still had a monster of her own to deal with; she wasn’t free yet. “Zane, you know I don’t like you using my nickname.” 

Her brother had appeared beside her at some point while she was lost in her thoughts. “Forgive me, big sister. I’m just so pleased that you’re able to follow me to Phoenix Drop; it’s been so long since we spent any time together.” 

“Yeah, and for good reason. You know that.” Gabby tightened her grip on the ship’s railing. “I’m going for Garroth, not for you.” 

“Gabriella, our relationship may be strained,” Zane said coldly. Any fabricated warmth he’d had before in his tone was gone. “But when we arrive in Phoenix Drop, I expect you to remember your manners and treat me with the respect I deserve in front of the civilians.” 

I’m treating you with the respect you deserve right now , Gabby wanted to snap back. But she bit her tongue. It wasn’t smart to antagonize Zane right now. The only man in O’khasis with more power than Zane was their father, Lord Garte; she didn’t need to be making an enemy of Zane while trapped on a boat with his lackeys. “...I understand.” 

“Good.” Zane began to leave. 

Gabby hesitated before calling out to him. “How long of a ride is this meant to be?” 

“We should be in Phoenix Drop by nightfall,” Zane said coolly. “Although we’ll have to make a brief stop beforehand, to pick up another passenger.” 

“Alright…. Thank you.” 

(....)

She sat quietly in her private room of the ship’s cabin. Being around Zane and all of his people on the deck had gotten difficult to cope with. Her black O’khasis headband sat next to her on the bed, and she brushed her wavy blonde hair out. She didn’t care that much about keeping up appearances- there wasn’t much good of O’khasis to represent- but she knew Zane would get after her if she didn’t look prepared to greet Phoenix Drop “properly.” And he was the last person she wanted to pick a fight with right now. 

There was a knock at her door. “Lady Gabriella?” 

“Yes?” 

One of the guards poked his head in the door. “High Priest Zane wanted me to inform you that we are making our brief stop just outside of Meteli. He is greeting our extra passenger right now. Once she boards, it should only be ten minutes of sailing before we reach Phoenix Drop.” 

“I understand. Thank you.” The guard nodded and closed the door, leaving Gabby alone again. 

She placed her brush in her satchel and put her headband back on, standing up to look out the tiny window of her cabin. Sure enough, Zane was standing on a small island, speaking with an elderly woman wearing a green sweater. It looked like…tens of cats were climbing all over the island with them, maybe even up to fifty…if not more. Gabby vaguely remembered hearing about a citizen in O’khasis at one point a few years back who filled her home with cats and made things difficult for Garte… Was this the same person? How did Zane get involved with her ? 

She sighed, grabbing her satchel from her bed. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that she was about to see her twin brother again. 

(....)

“We’ll dock the ship here,” Zane said to the Captain. “Only five of us will be entering Phoenix Drop, we’ll use the rowboat.” 

“Excuse you!” Gabby flinched; that was the shrill voice of the elderly cat-obsessed woman they had picked up. “Six of us, Mittens is coming with me!” 

“......Of course.” Zane cleared his throat. “Five…humans, and a…cat.” 

The Captain frowned. “Sir, this is such a hidden part of the village… Would it not be better to anchor at the actual docks?” 

“And cause a panic because of an O’khasis ship?” Zane shook his head. “Nonsense. We are not here to cause a fuss, we are here for this…” He gestured to the cat lady standing off to the side of the deck. “....lovely woman’s daughter’s wedding. Not to announce O’khasis’s presence.” 

“Very well.” The Captain bowed before turning to the various crew members. “Lay anchor!” 

Zane smirked, meeting Gabby’s gaze. “Are you ready, big sister?” 

Truthfully, she wasn’t. Gabby gripped her satchel tightly, watching the sun set on the horizon. Ever since she was a kid, all she had ever wanted to do was travel the world, and now she was here on the side of the region she had never been before. For the past five years, all she had ever wanted was to see Garroth again, and now she was about to step foot into the place he apparently called home. And yet, now that she was here…. Had Garroth left her behind for a reason? Would he resent her for trying to force herself back into his life? Especially since she was officially cooperating with Zane…. Would Garroth misinterpret that as Gabby wanting to bring him back to O’khasis?

Everyone stared expectantly at her for her answer. She cleared her throat, inhaling deeply to try and strengthen her resolve. It didn’t matter. Whatever was about to happen was what was about to happen. She couldn’t keep hiding. “....I’m ready.” 

(....)

The two guards accompanying Zane rowed the boat from the ship to the shoreline. Atop the hill, Gabby could see what looked like a small plaza, with a row of merchant stalls and fairy lights lining them. Two women were speaking beside one of the stalls, one with bright red hair and one with brownish-gray hair. Somehow, they didn’t notice the group pulling onto the shoreline… At least not until the boat stopped; the elderly woman holding the cat in her lap jumped out of the boat and scrambled up the hill as soon as they stopped moving. “Donna!!!”

“Good riddance,” one of the guards muttered under his breath. Zane cleared his throat, and the two guards quickly got out of the boat as well. One of them held out his hand to Gabby, and she took his hand to get out of the boat and back onto solid ground. The group of four followed the old woman up the hill, and they entered what Gabby assumed must have been the plaza, although she wasn’t used to seeing one so small and empty. 

The two young women who had been talking were already getting into some kind of argument with the elder who had come with Zane and Gabby. She didn’t really care; Gabby glanced around the setting to see if she could spot her brother, but… They were the only people. There was a pen of animals in the distance, by the well, but not even a single member of the Phoenix Drop guard. No walls, no guards stationed by the plaza… This really was a small village. 

“Gabriella,” Zane said firmly, pulling her out of her thoughts. 

She blinked, focusing back on the strangers standing in front of her. “S-Sorry, I was just looking around the town,” she said quickly, realizing that the two young women were both watching her curiously.

The redhead let out a giggle; it was a strange laugh, one Gabby hadn’t heard before, but it was rather endearing. “You’re quite alright, this must have been a very long day for you. I go by Kiki.” 

“And I’m Donna,” the brunette spoke up. “I was just thanking the High Priest for coming all this way on such short notice. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ro’Meave.” 

“O-Oh, you don’t have to call me that,” Gabby stammered. “That’s my mother’s title. My name is Gabriella, although…” She hesitantly glanced over at Zane, who was watching their conversation over his mask with his piercing blue eyes. “...I don’t mind if most people call me Gabby.” 

She noticed movement in the background, just past the well. It must have been the entrance to the plaza? A young woman wearing a short purple dress with white off-the-shoulder sleeves rounded the corner and entered the plaza, a dog with a pink collar following close behind her. Donna waved her over to the rest of the group, before separating from the group slightly. 

As she came closer, Gabby noticed that she had tan skin and long black hair. Her amber eyes almost glowed in the fairy lights, now that the sun had set and the moon was the only source of light in the sky. She spoke with Donna a ways away from where Gabby, Zane, and the two guards stood, and Gabby did her best not to eavesdrop on their conversation, awkwardly staring at the cobblestone beneath her feet. 

She heard the elderly woman’s shrill voice somehow get even higher, and she stormed over to where Donna and the woman in purple were talking. Again, Gabby tried not to listen in, but she would have had to be deaf to not hear her screaming “You!” or something to that nature over and over again. Then Kiki joined in the conversation…clearly it wasn’t going well. Gabby sighed, nervously bouncing on her feet. She really didn’t feel like she was meant to be here. 

Eventually, the purple woman’s attention turned to Gabby and Zane. She broke away from Kiki and Donna and approached them slowly. “Who are you?” she asked curiously. 

Gabby watched her little brother immediately slip into “formal” mode. “M’lady Aphmau, so good to finally meet you.” Gabby rolled her eyes while he gently grabbed “Aphmau’s” hand and kissed it- how did he even know her name? Had Kiki and Donna told them and she just missed it when she zoned out earlier? Or….was it because of the same intel that Zane had used to learn Garroth was here? 

Aphmau blinked in surprise, pulling her hand away. “N-Nice to meet you…too?” 

Zane laughed. “Shocked, I see. Well, my apologies. I assume it’s because I look rather young for a High Priest, isn’t it?” Aphmau nodded slowly, her eyes still wide with confusion, and Zane continued. “Well, I have been a very studious devotee to the Council of O’khasis, and have spent many years in training in order to earn this position.” 

…..He left out the part where he was also Garte’s golden child. Gabby bit her tongue. She had to keep impressions good, she had to keep impressions good, she had to keep impressions good….

“I keep hearing of O’khasis,” Aphmau said. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. “...What is it?” 

“O’khasis?” Gabby echoed in shock. She didn’t know of O’khasis ?

Zane glanced briefly over at her before continuing his conversation. “It’s a place with a ton of history,” he explained. “It’s the ‘Forgotten Kingdom’ as some call it. It was once ruled by The King a very long time ago, about one thousand years. But when The King was overthrown by Lady Irene and her followers, it became a city-state that focused on being a helping hand to villages in need. There is now a council there that acts as a balance of powers, to prevent any more monarchies from popping up around the region.” 

Gabby tightened her grip on her satchel. Like anyone from Ru’aun truly believed O’khasis had good intentions. But if this Aphmau knew the truth about O’khasis, she…did a good job not expressing that. “I see…” Aphmau hesitated, glancing at the ground before looking back at Zane. “In that case, have you heard of the…Shadow Lord?” 

“Shadow Lord?” Zane scoffed. “That’s just an old legend that people made up to teach children about abusing their powers. Like a sort of excuse for the King’s behavior, I never got it.” 

“What?” Aphmau furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “It’s not a legend, it’s the tru-”

“My apologies,” Zane interrupted, turning to look at Gabby. “I just realized you’ve been standing here unable to participate in the conversation.”

“But-” Aphmau sighed. “Right. My name is Aphmau, I’m the Lord of this village.” 

Gabby blinked in surprise. “Y-You’re the Lord?” She wore such casual clothes, she didn’t have any guards with her, she was even probably around Gabby’s age? “I’m so sorry, I would have been far more formal if I had known-”

Aphmau waved her hand nonchalantly. “I don’t mind, formalities aren’t a big thing for me. What’s your name?” 

“Gabriella Ro’Meave.” Aphmau might have said formalities weren’t a large deal, but Gabby found herself instinctively curtseying. “I’m Zane’s older sister.” 

“A pleasure to meet you.” Aphmau smiled. “Welcome to Phoenix Drop.” 

“Now, I must rest.” Zane cleared his throat. “I’ve traveled a long way to be here for Donna, as her mother asked me to and O’khasis owes her the favor. Let me know when we will be commencing the ceremony.” 

“Y-Yeah, of course. Again, welcome.” Aphmau broke away and began to wander around the plaza, like she was looking for something.

Donna stepped closer. “I already spoke with one of my friends in town about this; they have a spare room in their house.” She pointed to the stone brick house just beside the plaza. Aphmau, who had been gathering materials from some crates in a nearby stall, ran right past it as she left the plaza again. “There’s…only one room, though. We hadn’t expected anyone to be accompanying the High Priest.” 

“My guards will stay with me.” Zane looked at Gabby; his mask was covering his mouth, but she could tell he was smirking at her. “Apologies, dear sister. I guess you’re on your own.” 

“Fine by me. I guess I’m going off on my own then. It was a pleasure to meet you.” With that, she wandered out of the plaza the same way that Aphmau had, hoping to find an empty house that she could call her own for a few days.

Chapter Text

Gabby managed to find shelter in an empty two-story home that was right next to the house Zane was staying in, right in the middle of town. Across the street was what appeared to be the guard quarters, but… She had to force herself to just go to sleep that night; Garroth likely still had no idea she was there, and she certainly didn’t want to surprise him at 4am, if he was even still awake. 

The next morning, when Gabby went upstairs, she saw the sun just peeking over the horizon as the sky turned blue. The day prior, she had worn her black and white O’khasis dress to match Zane and make a “good first impression” on the people of Phoenix Drop, but she wasn’t going to be chained today. Today, she was going to find her twin brother; the brother she was truly here for. So she wore her normal teal dress, a casual dress that she tended to wear daily- when she didn’t have to make formal outings in the name of O’khasis.

Gabby walked outside, breathing in the crisp morning air. She glanced around; there wasn’t a single other person wandering the streets. Even if everyone else was still asleep… It was a strange feeling, not seeing anyone around town. She had only ever known O’khasis, and a couple of its neighboring villages, and they were always bustling, no matter what time of day. 

Now that it was light outside, Gabby could try and get a better look at Phoenix Drop and figure out what her next move would be. She was right in the center of town, it seemed; to her left was what looked like a row of more houses, and on her right was a large staircase up to a….house…on the top of the hill. Was that a house? The walls were uneven and fairy lights were strung up where a roof was supposed to be, but… It seemed to have the intention of being interpreted as a house, at the very least. 

Maybe she could start there. That might have been Aphmau’s “house,” if she was truly the Lord of Phoenix Drop, and she would be the best source on where to find Garroth. As Gabby made her way down the path to where the house sat on top of the hill, she felt a familiar anxiety sink in. What if Zane had been wrong? What if Garroth had never been here? Or what if Garroth had been here and heard about them arriving and ran off again? 

No, she couldn’t think like that. Gabby inhaled deeply, balling her hands into fists as she began to climb the staircase. She was going to find Garroth, it didn’t matter what else was in her way-

….Was that Aphmau? 

The staircase branched off in two paths: on her left, the path up to the house, and on her right…a path down to the beach, which Gabby couldn’t see from the house she had stayed the night in. It appeared like that was where the village docks were located, too. Aphmau was running around the beach, unloading boxes of building materials. She was completely by herself; was she really the Lord? Not a single civilian or guard nearby, Aphmau doing the work entirely by herself….

Gabby walked down the stairs to the beach. “Do you need some help?” 

Aphmau looked up from where she had just set a chair in the sand. “O-Oh!” She tilted her head curiously. “Gabriella, right?” 

“Yeah.” Gabby nodded. “But… You can just call me Gabby. I have to be more formal around Zane.” 

Aphmau grinned, wiping her hands off and placing them on her hips. “Gabby it is, then. I’m sorry I couldn’t hang around more last night- I just really hadn’t expected to see anyone, and I’ve been so busy with all of this wedding setup.” 

“You’re fine.” She stepped off the stairs and joined Aphmau on the sand. “Do you need some help?” she repeated. “I… I’m free to help if you need it.”

The Lord blinked in surprise. “That would be great, if you’re willing. It’s not much right now, I know. But I have plans.” She pointed at a little white boat sitting on the edge of the beach. “That’s their honeymoon boat, I worked on that earlier.”

“It’s beautiful,” Gabby said with a smile. “What do you need me to do?”

“Well… I can set up the actual altar, but…” Aphmau looked down at the chairs. “Could you finish lining up the chairs for me, first? Then I can focus on building the altar.” 

“Sure.” Gabby grabbed a chair from the stack of chairs sitting on the side and lined it up with the one Aphmau had already placed. “Where will you be building the altar?” 

“Right on the dock, there.” Aphmau nodded at the dock with her head while she gathered what looked like quartz. “I have such a cute idea, I want it to be, like, a little gazebo kind of thing.” She put the quartz down and dug through one of the crates. “And Logan got us so many materials for this, I’m so excited! There’s this, like, red carpet, and then some glowstone… Oh! Oh, and these lily pads.” 

Gabby giggled, watching Aphmau while she grabbed another chair. “Is this your first time participating in a ceremony like this?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Aphmau picked the quartz back up and carried it over to the dock, beginning to lay it across the wood and hammering it down. “Phoenix Drop’s never had an official wedding before, not with a proper ceremony and everything.”

“Apologies, if this is a bit forward, but…” Gabby hesitated. “You’re very different from other village Lords I’ve met. How long have you been Lord here?” 

“I-” Aphmau paused what she was doing, staring thoughtfully at the ocean. “I’m not sure, actually. A few months now, I guess. They didn’t have a Lord at the time, so I stepped in and…” She shrugged. “And here I am.” She resumed hammering the quartz to the floor. 

“I see…” Gabby picked up another chair and set it on the sand next to the others. “How many chairs do you want?” 

“Eh, like 3 x 3 on each side. That would be…eighteen, right? I think that’s plenty.” 

They didn’t talk much more while they set the wedding up, except when Gabby asked her for further instructions. While Aphmau spent the next couple hours constructing the altar itself, Gabby placed flowers around and lined the stairs leading to the beach with fairy lights. Leading from the staircase to the altar was the red carpet that Aphmau had excitedly mentioned earlier, and…. It was a very quaint little wedding ceremony setup. Honestly, it was a nice change of pace from the over-the-top O’khasis weddings she had grown up seeing. 

As Gabby finished tying the fairy lights to the top of the staircase, she noticed a guard in unfamiliar armor leave what she was still assuming was Aphmau’s house. Or…Wait… was that unfamiliar armor? It… It looked like the O’khasis Guard Academy training uniform! Gabby tried to crane her neck to see up the hill better, but she couldn’t. She only knew one person who would have been wearing that uniform all the way out here. Was it really…?

Zane and his guards walked past her and up to where the figure stood on the hill. Gabby scowled. They must have had the same thought process. She hurried up the stairs behind them, quietly leaning against the birch tree behind Zane to watch their conversation. 

“W-Wait a minute,” she heard the figure under the helmet say. Gabby quickly pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle her gasp. It… It really was… That was Garroth! “B-But how… That’s… That’s impossible…” 

If Zane recognized Garroth’s voice under the helmet, he didn’t let it show at all. “Surely you’re not planning on wearing that to the wedding later today,” he said coldly. “Such a flashy outfit could attract bandits.” 

“Phoenix Drop’s avoided issues with bandits for several months now.” That- That really was Garroth! He just was so much better at keeping his composure now. “I don’t find it necessary to apply O’khasis customs to a ceremony on this side of the region. I ask that you keep your opinions out of our business, or-”

Zane’s guards readied their swords, stepping closer to Garroth. Garroth gripped the handle of his own sword, which he seemed to have sheathed to his side at the moment. “Show some respect!” one of the guards snapped. 

“Stand down, men,” Zane said. “This is not the time for confrontation. Not yet.”

“Is everything alright?” Gabby looked to her right to see Aphmau coming up the stairs. 

“Teach your guard to kneel before a High Priest,” one of Zane’s guards said coldly. 

“Lady Aphmau.” Zane’s voice immediately became warm and welcoming. “It’s a pleasure to meet you so bright and early. By the looks of it, the preparations have been completed to commence the wedding. Very beautiful.”

“They have…” Aphmau glanced past Zane to where Garroth stood. “Say, what’s going on here…?”

“Hm? Oh…” Zane chuckled. “Well, it seems your guard here didn’t show the proper respect my guards are used to having me receive. It’s a…formality between guards, something to do with ‘honor among guards.’ In any case, I had my guards back down. As they can clearly see, we are in the presence of another Lord’s village, and your customs are probably not suited to our own.” He waved his hand nonchalantly. “The trouble has been avoided, of course.” 

Gabby crossed her arms, trying to peer around the four people standing between her and Garroth. If Garroth recognized her, it was hard to tell; he wouldn’t take off his helmet, so she couldn’t see his eyes. 

“I see…” Aphmau hesitated, briefly glancing over at Garroth and looking back at Zane. “Thank you.”

“No need to mention it. By the way…” Gabby could hear the smirk in her little brother’s voice again. “Guards are required to dress formally for weddings- you understand? This is due to the fact that weddings often guarded by guards in uniform are considered heavily ‘rich’ weddings…and often attract thieves. I highly suggest that you make…” He paused, scanning Garroth up and down. “...Garroth here dress for the occasion.” 

Gabby felt her blood run cold and tried to look at Garroth again. Was that him? Were those his emotions? She wasn’t even sure she was still bonded to him after all these years…

Aphmau hesitated. “I-I’m sorry, but… That’s his choice.”

“‘His choice’?” Zane echoed. “I’m sorry, but are you not the Lord of Phoenix Drop? You can tell him to do as you need, and he will abide by your rule.” 

Aphmau was quiet for a moment, staring thoughtfully at the grass. “I’m sorry, your Grace,” she said eventually. “I will not force him.” 

She wasn’t used to seeing someone stand up against Zane so intently- then again, Aphmau apparently hadn’t even known what O’khasis was until last night. Gabby bit the inside of her lip, holding her breath as she waited for her brother’s response.  

“Hm.” Zane crossed his arms. “Since my warnings did not endure you to budge, I am forced to be blunt.” His voice went cold. “Make him wear formal wear, or I refuse to perform Donna’s ceremony. Are we clear?”

“W-Wait, what?!” Aphmau’s eyes widened in surprise. 

Zane chuckled. “You see, I am the High Priest of O’khasis. A very prominent place, very much admired throughout the region. If I am purposely put into any danger, well…then… Let’s just say the relations of O’khasis and Phoenix Drop might suffer.” 

Aphmau sighed, closing her eyes. “.....I got it.” 

“Good.” His voice softened again. “I can tell you are a reasonable Lord… It’s obvious you care for your guards. That is a trait I can admire. I…apologize, but when it comes to politics, you must understand how these things work. Again, I apologize. I look forward to seeing you at the wedding.” He stepped away, leaving with his guards. Gabby, Aphmau, and Garroth were alone at the top of the hill. 

Gabby saw Garroth look at her- he must have been looking at her, at least- but before either of them could say anything, Aphmau pulled Garroth aside, to a small playground on the opposite side of the hill and began to speak with him. Their voices were just quiet enough that Gabby couldn’t listen in, although she heard Aphmau exclaim his name at one point. 

Gabby awkwardly stared at the grass. She…knew she was probably supposed to leave them alone, but… No, she had spent years waiting to find Garroth again. She wasn’t going to let this moment get in the way. She’d wait as long as she had to to speak with him alone. 

She didn’t have to wait long, surprisingly. Their conversation finished when Aphmau walked into her house. Garroth stared at Gabby for a moment before turning around and walking past the playground, descending the hill into the forest. He wasn’t going to get out of this; she’d waited too long for this. 

“Garroth, wait!” Gabby ran after him into the woods. “G-Garroth, it’s really you, isn’t it?” 

He didn’t stop walking until they were a ways away from the rest of town. At first, she was worried he was mad at her or trying to avoid her, but… He stopped and glanced around, before taking off his helmet. He ran his hand through his short blond hair and smiled at her. “It’s good to see you, Gabby.” 

Gabby rushed him and hugged him tightly, feeling her eyes begin to well with tears. “I-I missed you so much,” she whispered. 

“I missed you, too. I’m sorry our reunion had to be like this.” 

They pulled apart, and Gabby immediately smacked his armor on the shoulder. “What the hell were you thinking?! You just ran off one day without saying anything. E-Everyone started thinking you were dead, and… And I almost believed them for a while, because I knew that you would have told me if you were just going to disappear!” 

“I-I know, Gabby.” Garroth sighed. “I… I wanted to tell you, but everyone was still so worked up from Vylad’s death, and I was afraid that if I told you someone would overhear or find a letter if I wrote a letter, and I just…”

“....It doesn’t matter.” Gabby crossed her arms. “I hope you don’t try and pull that again. Now that I’ve found you, I don’t plan on leaving.” 

Garroth grinned. “I would hope not.” His smile faded, and his gaze drifted to the ground. “...As long as Zane is planning on leaving.”

“I…” Gabby hesitated. “Honestly, I don’t know. He…hasn’t told me much.” She snorted. “He didn’t even give me the chance to stay in the same house as him. You know how he is.” 

“It appears he’s only gotten worse,” Garroth mumbled. “But yes.” He hesitated. “Lady Aphmau said that he was here to do Donna’s mother a favor, but… That’s not the only reason, is it?” 

“He…used that as his main excuse.” Gabby crossed her arms. “But… he wants to take you back. For Scaleswind.” 

“....I was afraid of that.” He laughed bitterly. “Irene knows that if I didn’t care about any of these people I would already be past Brightport to leave.” 

“I don’t want to let him,” Gabby said softly. “Neither of us want to go back to O’khasis; I’m just… I’m just not sure what to do.” She looked back to the hill where Aphmau’s house sat. “Have you told her yet?” 

“That I’m your brother?” Garroth shook his head, putting his helmet back on. “No one in town knows… I had wanted to keep it that way.”

“So you’ve worn the helmet to hide your face…” Gabby murmured. “Is that why Zane asking you to not wear armor to the wedding was such a big deal?” 

“Yeah. And I suspect that’s also why he doesn’t want me to wear armor to the wedding.” He shook his head. “I don’t believe his excuse about deterring thieves for even a second.” 

“Well, in the time you’ve been gone, the Thieves’ Guild in Nahakra has grown in power,” Gabby admitted. “Guards blending in with the other townsfolk for ceremonies has become a more common practice in Nahakra because of it.” 

“Even so…” Garroth sighed. “Gabby… I would love to talk with you more, and I can’t wait to do so… We have so much to catch up on, but…. You have a wedding to prepare for and attend.”

Gabby opened her mouth to argue, but she quickly realized it was no use. “....Fine. As long as you promise not to avoid me after the wedding.” 

Garroth chuckled. “I promise.” 

She turned to walk away, but hesitated before leaving. “....You should come to the wedding anyway,” she said quietly. “Even if you have to show your face. Zane already knows who you are. But… If I don’t see you until tomorrow, I’ll know why.” Garroth was quiet as she left the woods and headed back into town.

Chapter Text

As the wedding approached, Gabby pulled out her more formal dress. It was teal and lacy, but the O’khasis cross was emblazoned boldly on the front, so she only wore it for O’khasis parties. Even though this was a Phoenix Drop wedding, Zane’s involvement meant she probably should stick with the O’khasis symbol. As much as she didn’t want to. 

After putting on her new dress and its matching headband and lace gloves, Gabby made her way to the docks for the ceremony. Despite only 18 chairs being set up for the wedding, not all of them were even taken. Most of the townsfolk seemed to already be there, sitting in their seats and talking amongst each other. Zane stood by the altar, and progressively Aphmau stood by him, as well as two men that she didn’t recognize- one with a beard and one who was blond. Based on where they stood, she assumed the blond man was the groom. 

Gabby quietly sat down in the back, next to a blonde woman with glasses. She hadn’t expected anyone to make conversation with her, but to her surprise, her sitting neighbor began to speak. “I haven’t seen you around town before. You’re…from O’khasis, right? Like the High Priest?” 

“I-I am, yeah. I’m his older sister.” 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand. “My name is Emmalyn. I’m the town librarian.” 

“Gabriella.” Gabby smiled, gently shaking her hand. “Although you can also call me Gabby. I don’t mind either way.” 

“I’ve never been to O’khasis,” Emmalyn murmured. “But I’ve heard many stories. High Priest Zane… He’s a Ro’Meave, isn’t he?” 

“...Yes.” Gabby looked away. “Both of us are children of Lord Garte Ro’Meave of O’khasis.” 

“I thought so,” Emmalyn murmured. It seemed like she was mostly speaking to herself. “Do you-”

Music began to play, and Emmalyn quickly stopped talking. Gabby quietly watched the ceremony, although she found herself constantly looking around to see if maybe Garroth had decided to join. No luck. She politely clapped along with everyone else as the ceremony came to a close, and Aphmau stepped forward, telling everyone of the reception in the plaza. 

Gabby hung back a bit, letting the newly married couple and everyone who knew them go first, trailing the back of the crowd. She felt so much more out of place here without anyone she really knew- or anyone who really knew her. It was such a change of pace from ceremonies in O’khasis, where everyone was scrambling to talk to her or her family members. 

By the time she made it to the plaza, some couples had already pulled apart from the group and were on the dance floor. The newlyweds- she knew Donna, and…was the groom’s name Logan?- sat down at the little table overlooking the rest of the reception area. Gabby stood awkwardly by the well, watching as Emmalyn and Aphmau sat down together. The redhead she had met the night before- Kiki, she was pretty sure- sat down at a table by herself. Gabby almost approached her, but Zane and his guards sat down with her first, and no force in Ru’aun could make Gabby voluntarily sit with him. 

She glanced around again, looking for any sign of the one person here she actually cared about, but Garroth was still nowhere to be seen. She sighed, pulling her hair over her shoulder. He had always been too stubborn for his own good… It ran in the family. 

She made eye contact with a woman standing beside the dance floor, next to one of the merchant stalls- ironically, another blonde woman wearing a teal dress, although hers was noticeably O’khasis free. She waved Gabby over, and Gabby hesitantly made her way across the plaza to talk to her. As Gabby got closer, she noticed that this woman must have been an elf; her ears were quite larger and pointier than human ears. Phoenix Drop had a Yggdrasil elf? Gabby had only ever met a couple in O’khasis, and that was the largest village in Ru’aun. 

The elf smiled brightly at her once Gabby got close enough. “You’re the High Priest’s sister, right?”

“Yes.” Gabby returned her smile. “My name is Gabriella, but people mostly call me Gabby.” 

“I’m Zoey. Welcome to Phoenix Drop.” Zoey knelt down over the side of the merchant stand and Gabby noticed a few infants playing together inside. “What brought you all the way from O’khasis?” 

“U-Um… Zane owed Donna’s mother a favor.” She had heard Zane tell other people the story, but hadn’t had to tell anyone that herself yet. She couldn’t exactly mention Garroth; he was still avoiding the wedding because he hadn’t wanted anyone to know he was their brother. “I…didn’t have to come, but I’d never actually been to this part of Ru’aun before.” 

Desperate to change the subject before Zoey asked another question about Gabby’s history with O’khasis, she approached the makeshift baby playpen and watched the little ones inside. It looked like two boys and a girl, based on their clothes, although none of them were old enough to have even more than some occasional tufts of hair. Their outfits were all color-coordinated with their eyes, Gabby noticed, which was adorable.

“Aren’t they precious?” Zoey giggled. “This is Phoenix Drop’s next generation. Meet Levin, Kyle, and Alexis.” 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to be around babies,” Gabby murmured. Her mind flicked back to Vylad, curled up in Zianna’s arms, Gabby fighting with Garroth to be the first one to hold him…

She noticed Zoey watching her curiously and quickly cleared her throat. “I-I’m the eldest, and Zane’s already an adult,” she said with a nervous laugh. “And neither of us have found a potential suitor yet, so my parents have to wait a while before either of us start having kids of our own.” 

“I completely understand. Aphmau’s too busy to watch Levin most of the time, and… I’ve relished all the time I’ve gotten to spend with him.” Gabby noticed her watching the blue-eyed baby with the blue tie. 

“Is he Aphmau’s son, then?” 

“He is! He’s only been with us a couple of months; Aphmau said she found him abandoned on her doorstep one morning.” 

Gabby glanced curiously over at Aphmau, who was talking with Donna and Logan. “And she…still has time for him? Even though she’s a Lord?” 

“It’s impressive, isn’t it? And little Kyle over there just came to town with his parents not long after Aphmau arrived.” The elf pointed out the baby with the green tie. “And then finally, little Alexis in the pretty purple dress was only born about four months ago.” 

Aphmau popped up next to them. “Oh my Irene, they’re so cute!” she squealed. “I can’t believe Cadenza made them little color-coordinating outfits!” 

“Zoey mentioned that Levin is yours,” Gabby said. 

Aphmau beamed at her. “He is! I wasn’t planning on being a mom when he showed up, but… I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She glanced between Zoey and Gabby. “You two both look gorgeous, did Cadenza make both of those?” 

Gabby shook her head. “N-No, this is a dress I brought with me from O’khasis.” Looking at the crowd, she wasn’t even sure who this Cadenza was. 

“Well, it’s beautiful.” Aphmau watched the infants for another moment before pulling away. “I’m gonna keep talking with the others, you guys enjoy the party!” 

Gabby hesitated, watching the Lord’s purple dress flow behind her as she walked away. “Zoey, you…said that Aphmau arrived not that long ago, right?”

“Honestly, I don’t entirely know myself,” Zoey admitted. “They came to town around the same time I did. Aphmau was already Lord by that point, but I know she was still a newcomer around the same time.” 

“What about everyone else?” Gabby tilted her head curiously. “I had never even heard of this place until a couple weeks ago.”

Zoey glanced around. “Most of the villagers are rather new. I only know of some who were already here when I arrived.” She nodded to where the bride and groom were sitting. “Donna and Logan… Molly, Dale…and the other guards, I think. Oh, and Brendan.” 

Past Donna and Logan, Gabby didn’t recognize any of those names. “The other guards… So that includes Garroth, right?” 

“Yes, he’s been the Head Guard of Phoenix Drop longer than Aphmau’s been Lord.” Zoey’s blue eyes watched Gabby curiously. “Do you know him?” 

….Whoops. “N-N-No, I-” Gabby’s voice broke off as several of the other conversations quieted down. The music in the background continued, but everyone who was just talking looked over to the plaza entrance. 

Gabby beamed. It was Garroth! He had made it after all. Instead of wearing the Guard Academy uniform she had only seen him in today, he was wearing a suit, his face uncovered. His gaze briefly flicked over to Gabby, but both of them looked away after a moment- if Garroth didn’t want anyone to know he was a Ro’Meave, she needed to stay far away from him. Despite them being fraternal twins… They still looked almost exactly the same, at least in hair and eye color. 

Worried Zane might try something, she turned to watch him. He was staring at Garroth with narrowed eyes, the only part of his face visible underneath his ceremonial mask. If Garroth saw this, he managed to keep his face rather expressionless, focusing instead on Aphmau, who approached him by the well. 

“....Is that Garroth?” Zoey murmured. “I’ve never seen him without his helmet.” 

Gabby awkwardly bounced on her feet. Well, now it was going to be even harder to pretend she didn’t know him. “...He’s the Head Guard, you said?” 

“Yes, he’s done wonders for our little village time and time again.” 

Gabby beamed as she watched him take Aphmau’s hand and lead her to the dance floor. It had been so long since she’d seen him with such a large smile on his face. And if this was somewhere he was so comfortable, even with Zane watching him… Maybe this really was a place she could eventually call home. 

(.....)

As the sun began to set, Donna and Logan said their goodbyes to everyone at the party and left for the docks. Aphmau and Garroth followed them. Gabriella had spent the rest of the time at the reception with Zoey, doing her best to not keep watching Garroth. Donna and Logan were leaving for their honeymoon ship, she knew, and that’s probably why only Aphmau and Garroth followed them, to see them off. But if that was the case….

Gabby quietly sat next to Zoey at a table and watched as Zane waited a few moments, before getting up and following after Garroth. Gabby let him get a bit ahead, before excusing herself from the table and hurrying after him. There was no way she was going to leave Aphmau and Garroth alone with Zane. 

By the time she made it up the staircase and could oversee the beach, the moon was beginning to rise, and Zane was already talking to them on the altar where Donna and Logan had been married. Gabby picked up her dress so she wouldn’t trip over it and hurried down the stairs, but it was too late. Aphmau was staring at Garroth in wide-eyed shock, and Zane gave her a polite bow before leaving. He gave Gabby a cold stare as they passed each other on the beach. 

By the time Gabby made it to the pair, she heard Garroth saying, “I know I am not a natural born leader… I’m perfectly okay with that.” 

So Zane had told Aphmau the truth. Had…he told her everything? “Garroth!” Gabby called, running up to them. “I-I saw Zane come this way, but… What happened?” 

Garroth let out a bitter chuckle, running his hand through his hair. “What do you think? Zane couldn’t wait to catch me when I was vulnerable.” 

“Zane…told me that Garroth’s his brother,” Aphmau murmured. She fell quiet for a moment, before her head shot up and she stared Gabby straight in the eyes. “W-Wait a minute! You’re Zane’s older sister, right? So then-”

“Gabby is my sister, yes,” Garroth said. 

“His twin sister,” Gabby corrected. 

Aphmau grinned, looking between them. “You know, I can see the resemblance.” 

“As can most people.” Garroth sighed, but he gave Gabby a small smile. “...I suppose the positive to Zane’s actions is now we don’t have to avoid each other anymore.” 

“Thank Irene .” Gabby shook her head. “Do you have any idea how awkward I felt at the wedding, not knowing anyone? ‘Zane’s sister’ this, ‘Zane’s sister’ that…” She huffed. “I hate being associated with him.” 

“But… He’s your brother, right?” Aphmau tilted her head curiously. 

“He’s corrupt.” Garroth scowled. “That’s putting it lightly, I suspect. O’khasis claims to be an entity that prevents monarchs from coming into power, but that’s a boat of lies. O’khasis runs completely dictated by our father and has more military power than anything you’ve ever seen, Lord Aphmau.” 

“Then….” Aphmau hesitated, staring out over the ocean. “Maybe you should go into hiding again.” 

Gabby glared at her twin, and he let out a soft chuckle. “Well, someone’s still mad at me for disappearing for five years without warning her. Besides…” The smile flickered off his face. “I’m sure Zane knows that I care for this village and its people…. He’d do something terrible.” 

“But he’s a High Priest!” Aphmau protested. “How could he?” 

Gabby and Garroth exchanged a glance. “He wouldn’t,” Gabby said. “He’s just a threatening messenger boy.”

“Who makes sure he and Father get what they want.” Garroth began to pace back and forth across the altar. “I still don’t understand! How could he…a-and all this…this is all just horrible timing…a-absolutely horrible!” 

Gabby bit the inside of her lip. As she felt his anxiety and anger build, all she wanted to do was hug him, but Aphmau was closer. The Lord reached out and grabbed his hands gently. “Garroth, calm down.” 

Garroth shook his head quickly, pulling his hands to his side. “You don’t understand… Being forced to marry someone you don’t even love… I-I just…” Gabby watched as he looked up and stared straight into Aphmau’s eyes. She noticed something flicker in his own, and quickly backed away as she realized what he was feeling. Was he… Did he…? “She’s not the one I…” Garroth broke off with a sigh, looking away again. 

Even though Gabby caught what he couldn’t say, Aphmau didn’t seem to have any idea. “Just talk to Zane, Garroth. I…think you’re overreacting.” 

Gabby snorted, crossing her arms. “You don’t know our family. They’re not as kind as we make them out to be. Why do you think I’m here?” 

“So you…came for Garroth, then?” Aphmau turned to Gabby. 

“We were best friends growing up.” She looked pointedly at him. “Until he left.” 

“I-I’m excited to have you back, Gabby,” Garroth said. “Really, I am… But… The circumstances, with Zane being here too, I…” He sighed. “I need some time to think about this. I don’t want to make any decisions that would hurt you- this village. I… I’ll see you two tomorrow morning.” 

“Alright, Garroth…” Aphmau frowned. “Whatever you say.” 

As Aphmau began to walk away, Gabby walked up to Garroth and hugged him tightly. “It’ll be okay,” she murmured. “We’ll figure something out.” 

“....I know. Thank you, Gabby.” 

Chapter Text

When Gabby woke up in the morning, she threw on her normal teal dress and hurried across the road to the guard quarters. As she opened the door, she saw Garroth coming around the corner; he must have been about to leave. He was wearing his armor again. “Gabby!”

“How are you feeling?” Gabby tilted her head. 

“....How I feel doesn’t matter right now,” Garroth said firmly. “I still have a job to do.” He cleared his throat. “I was about to start my patrol of the village… Do you want to join me? We could catch up, and… I could show you around Phoenix Drop.”

Gabby grinned. “I would love that.”

“Perfect.” He led the way out of the guard station, and Gabby followed him. They walked towards the beach first, where the wedding had been held the day before.

“So… Zoey told me you’re Head Guard,” Gabby commented while they walked. She grinned at him, elbowing him in the side. “Those five years at the Guard Academy paid off?” 

Garroth laughed. “Yes. I found Phoenix Drop…not long after I ran away from O’khasis. At the time, the town was a bit larger than it is now, and the Guard was larger too. I was just one in…ten guards.” He paused, briefly examining the small house on their right. “I was here for…about two and a half years when the previous Head Guard passed… I took over, but…” He hesitated. “Honestly, my memory’s a bit fuzzy. I…feel like there’s a lot from when I was Head Guard and our previous Lord was here that I can’t…recall, right now.” 

They made their way up the staircase. Gabby wasn’t sure if he was going to turn left to Aphmau’s house or right to the beach at first, but… She heard exasperation in his voice. “What are they doing ?” 

Gabby followed his gaze and saw a man wearing a green shirt laying a blanket for a woman- was she a meif’wa? She seemed to have cat ears and a cat tail- with bright pink hair on the sand. She had seen both of them at the wedding the night before, but hadn’t talked to either of them. 

Garroth made his way down the stairs. The man with the green shirt saw him and Gabby coming down and waved. “Hey, Garroth!” 

“Brendan… What is this?” 

“We’re cleaning up the beach for Lady Aphmau!” the meif’wa exclaimed, her cat ears twitching. “But…Brendan insisted I recover my powers for now, after helping Miss Cadenza a couple days ago.”

“You need your rest!” the man, apparently called Brendan, shouted. Gabby whirled to try and find him; he was standing on top of the altar now, using his hammer to try and break it down. 

Garroth sighed. “You know, if he’s bothering you, I can speak to him and-”

The meif’wa shook her head. “It’s no problem, Sir Garroth! He’s sweet. I like sweet.” She giggled to herself. 

“Very well…” Garroth cleared his throat. “I wanted to introduce you to Gabby; she’s new to Phoenix Drop, and I’m showing her around.” 

The meif’wa quickly jumped off the picnic blanket and back to her feet. “It’s so nice to meet you!” she exclaimed, her tail waving behind her. “I’m KC! I saw you at the wedding last night, your dress was so cute!” 

“U-Um…thank you.” Gabby smiled at her, though she felt a bit awkward. She wasn’t used to someone with so much energy… And her voice was incredibly high-pitched.

“Nice to meetcha, Gabby!” Brendan called. 

“That’s Brendan,” Garroth mumbled. “He’s…kind of a fixture around here; he’s lived in Phoenix Drop longer than I have.” 

“I…see.” They both seemed nice at least. 

“I’m going to continue my patrol. Don’t…do anything too dangerous over here.” Gabby followed her twin away from the beach. 

As they started walking through town again, Gabby hesitated. “Garroth, I…”

“What is it?” 

“....I saw how you looked at Aphmau last night.” She hugged her arms to her chest. “And…well… I felt how you looked at her last night.” 

Garroth was quiet. Gabby bit her lip, glancing over at him while they walked. “...That’s one of the reasons why Zane showing up now is such a problem, isn’t it?” 

“...Yeah.” Garroth was quiet for a moment longer before letting out a soft chuckle. “I almost forgot about your magicks. Can you… really still feel my emotions? Even after all this time?” 

“I think so. It’s still so hard for me to tell. But… In that moment, I… I could.” Gabby smirked over at him. “Plus, you spent the whole wedding reception with her; you weren’t exactly subtle.” 

“She’s just…incredible, and beautiful, and…” Garroth sighed. “And that’s why Zane is such an issue.” 

Gabby stared at the cobblestone beneath their feet. Garroth had already been worked up enough about his entire life being promised to a stranger when they were teenagers, but now that he had feelings for someone…. “I-I’m sure we’ll figure something out. I don’t exactly want to go back to O’khasis myself.”

“Speaking of which… How is Mother?” 

Gabby hesitated. “About as okay as she can be. Honestly, I would have left to try and find you so much sooner, but… I just didn’t want to leave her behind.” 

“I do miss her,” he said quietly. “Almost as much as I missed you. Did she ever recover from Vylad…?” 

“E-Eventually.” Gabby shivered involuntarily, thinking back on that day. Her littlest brother, just laying there…so much blood… She inhaled deeply to steady herself. “No thanks to you, disappearing so soon after his death. I was all Mother had.” 

“I know. I just… I was already scheduled to meet the daughter of Scaleswind, and- and then that happened to Vylad, and I just…” He shook his head. “I just couldn’t take it anymore.” 

“Garroth!” a voice called. Gabby realized with a start that they had walked all the way to the plaza during their conversation. The redhead Kiki was waving at him and Gabby, so the pair came over. Next to Kiki was a girl in a pretty seafoam green dress with bright orange hair. 

“Kiki, Cadenza,” Garroth greeted them warmly. “It’s good to see you this morning.”

“We’ve just been taking down the reception!” Gabby assumed the orange-haired woman was Cadenza. “Since Aphmau did so much setting this all up overnight for everyone.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Garroth gestured to Gabby standing next to him. “I’ve just been taking Gabby around town and introducing her to people; she’s new in Phoenix Drop and-”

Cadenza gasped. “You’re the one with the prettiest dresses!” She practically jumped forward and quickly grabbed Gabby’s hand, shaking it. “I-I saw your dress at the wedding yesterday, and I absolutely loved it, but I was too tired to stay for the reception, so I didn’t have a chance to talk with you. A-And your dress right now…” As quickly as she grabbed Gabby’s hand, she stepped away again. “I think I love this one even more!”

“Th-thank you.” Gabby giggled. “I’m not used to receiving so many compliments on my clothing.”

“You’re not ? You should be!” 

“Pardon me for interrupting,” Kiki said, “but… May I ask you two a question?” 

“What is it, Kiki?” Garroth asked. 

“I just… I had never seen you without your helmet off until last night, Garroth. I had no idea what you looked like, but…” She looked back and forth between the twins. “You just look so similar. Do you…know each other?” 

Gabby glanced inquisitively at Garroth, unsure if she should say anything or not. Garroth sighed. “...Yes, she’s my twin sister.” 

“I suspected as much.” Kiki tilted her head, staring thoughtfully in the distance. “Then… Zane is your younger brother…?” 

“Y-Yeah.” Garroth cleared his throat awkwardly. 

Cadenza excitedly clasped her hands together. “Well, it’s so nice to have you in town, Gabby! I’m actually a newcomer myself, I just moved in from Meteli.” 

“I’ve heard of Meteli,” Gabby murmured. “It’s not far from here, right?” 

“Oh, it’s super close. Maybe fifteen minutes by boat, just in that direction.” Cadenza pointed south from the plaza. “I can visit any time, but… I just recently turned twenty, and decided I wanted my independence; my father has a tendency to be too overprotective.” 

“I think rather understandably,” Garroth said. “Considering that you were just missing for so long.” 

“Y-Yeah, well…” Cadenza laughed nervously. “Be that as it may, Daddy’s always been a bit overprotective. It’s so cool that you two are siblings, though,” she added, changing the subject. “You said twins?” 

Both Gabby and Garroth nodded, and Cadenza sighed wistfully. “I was an only child when I was born. Both of my parents died, but… Daddy took me in. I have an older brother; Daddy adopted him like me when I was a kid.” The smile in her pale blue eyes faded, and a worried frown darkened her expression. “....He’s apparently been missing, too, but my father didn’t want to tell me much.”

“I… I’m so sorry,” Gabby said quietly. “I-I know how hard it is to lose someone like that… I hope he turns back up.” 

“I-It’s okay.” Cadenza’s voice shook, and she inhaled deeply, running her hands through her long orange hair. “Laurance can take care of himself, I know that.”

“L-Laurance,” she heard Garroth mutter under his breath, though he was so quiet that Gabby was probably the only one who heard. Did he… know Cadena’s brother? Gabby glanced at him curiously, but he changed the topic. “I hate to interrupt the conversation, but I have to continue my patrol now. Gabby?” 

She nodded. “I’m ready.” 

“It was lovely to meet you, Gabby!” Cadenza’s voice brightened again. As they walked away, Cadenza called after her, “You should stop by and show me your other dresses sometime! I live in the house with the roses and lanterns!” 

Gabby giggled. “Everyone here has so much personality,” she said to Garroth as they walked back through the center of town. “I see why you love this place so much. It’s such a breath of fresh air after O’khasis.” 

“I feel like I fit in,” Garroth agreed. “It’s… like everyone here has a past they don’t want to talk about.” He came to a stop at the end of the middle path through town, which turned sharply into a small group of houses. Gabby spotted the house with roses and lanterns on the outside- that must have been what Cadenza meant. “Anyway… This is the last section of Phoenix Drop. It’s still pretty small, but Lord Aphmau does more to extend it almost daily.” 

“I can’t help but notice the bright pink one at the end of the path there,” Gabby said with a laugh. “That’s…probably KC’s, right?” 

“Yeah.” Garroth chuckled. “She only moved in a couple weeks ago, but she had Brendan help her…redecorate.” 

“Sir Garroth!” The twins quickly looked around to see another guard approaching them, wearing dark blue armor. “I just finished patrolling the area around the old Lord’s house, just as you requested.” 

“Perfect; thank you, Brian. Can you go to the docks now, and just keep an eye on Brendan?” Garroth sighed. “I know he knows what he’s doing, but Brendan has had a recent tendency to make irrational decisions; I’m a bit concerned for his safety.” 

“Of course, sir!” Brian turned to walk away, but Garroth quickly said something else.

“Er- Brian, one moment. This is Gabriella, she’s a new resident in our village.” 

“O-Oh!” Brian turned around again, smiling at her. “Nice to meet you!”

Gabby opened her mouth to respond, but before she could there was a loud roar in the distance.

She felt panic filled her and looked over at Garroth. He was looking into the forest; if it was his panic she was feeling, the helmet hid his expression. “W-Was that a wyvern?” he murmured, mostly to himself. 

“S-Sir?” Brian asked worriedly. 

“Stay here, Brian,” Garroth said firmly. “I’m going to investigate.” 

He quickly walked into the forest, and Gabby hurried after him. She almost lost him through the tall grass and flowers scattered throughout the trees, but he stopped in his tracks by a small pond. “G-Garroth, what’s going on?” 

Before he responded, she looked where he was staring and gasped. There was a bed of roses just up ahead, and… was that a wyvern? It certainly looked like one, although she’d never seen one outside of fairytales before. It looked…wrong, though. It was covered in black and purple splotches, and it lay in the grass, panting heavily. Protecting…something. She couldn’t quite see from here. 

“W-What’s this?” Gabby looked behind her to see Aphmau approaching the twins, trying to crane her neck to see past Garroth’s shoulder. 

“I’m afraid my petty family drama will have to wait,” Garroth said coldly. “We have other matters to attend to now. Look…up ahead.” 

“Wait, what ?!” Aphmau quickly broke away from them and ran up to the wyvern, bending down and gently stroking its head. 

Gabby got closer, to try and get a better view past the roses. The wyvern was curled up around…was that a person? She still couldn’t see them well, the wyvern’s wings gently cradled whoever it was. She heard Aphmau speaking to the wyvern… Gabby wasn’t sure if it was more insane that she was seeing a wyvern die in front of her or that the Lord of this village- the Lord that her twin brother apparently had a severe crush on- could understand what the wyvern was saying. 

After a moment, the wyvern’s body slowly vanished, dissolving into purple sparkles that were blown away by the breeze. Aphmau screamed, her voice breaking with tears. As the wyvern disappeared, Gabby finally got to see who he was protecting. It was…a man with bright orange hair, now lying unconscious in the grass. His armor… It was red and black. It didn’t look like anything she had seen before. Something about it felt…off, like she wasn’t even supposed to be looking at it. Just staring at it made her skin crawl.

Aphmau scrambled over to the man and lifted him into her lap. “L-Laurance! Laurance, are you okay? Laurance, wake up…! I-” She saw Gabby and Garroth watching her, her amber eyes glimmering with tears. “W-We need to get him to my house. There’s room for him in the basement.” 

Gabby quickly joined Aphmau, while Aphmau got back to her feet, and they worked together to lift him up. Garroth hurried over and helped them- thankfully, Gabby wasn’t sure if just her and Aphmau could carry him all the way across town. Garroth barked some orders to Brian, and they all worked together to get this mysterious man- that both Aphmau and Garroth seemed to know- to safety in Aphmau’s house. 

Chapter Text

Gabby stood awkwardly in Aphmau’s house- again, with the broken walls and no roof, it didn’t really feel like much of a house- while Zoey inspected the unconscious man. She stood next to Garroth, and both of them watched Aphmau pace back and forth across the floor. “I wish Zoey would hurry up already,” Aphmau mumbled while she paced. “It’s been, what, an hour now?” 

“Fifteen minutes,” Garroth corrected. 

Aphmau sighed, sitting on her bed. “Well, it feels like fifteen hours at this point.”

“That wyvern you were speaking to… It was Laurance’s, correct?” 

“Y-Yeah, his name was Ungrth…” Aphmau stared blankly at the floor. “H-He said he broke the realm barrier to free Laurance from the Nether… That’s…why he died.” 

“The Nether?” Gabby echoed. “I…know it’s not really any of my business, but… Can I ask what in Irene’s name is happening?” 

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” Aphmau said with a sigh. “I… Laurance is my…friend. He helped me rescue someone from the Nether a couple weeks ago, but… He stayed behind to give me a chance to escape. I-I wanted to go back to save him, but we couldn’t figure out how to reopen the Nether portal.”

“And I warned her it was too dangerous,” Garroth added. “The Shadow Knights want nothing more than to get their hands on her.” 

“I-I…” Gabby frowned. “Shadow Knights…? Those are real ? Zane said they were just fiction!” 

Garroth scoffed. “Like anything Zane says is true.” 

“I know, I know, I just-” She shook her head confusedly. “So… This Laurance… That…makes him a Shadow Knight, right? That’s what his armor was?” 

“I…don’t know.” Aphmau quietly looked back at her lap. “That’s why I need Zoey to hurry up… So I can talk to him myself.” 

They heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Aphmau immediately jumped to her feet, greeting Zoey as soon as she reached them. “Zoey! Is Laurance going to be okay?” 

“Physically, Laurance is badly wounded,” Zoey admitted. “He should be able to make a full recovery, but…” She broke off.

Aphmau worriedly looked over at Garroth and then back at Zoey. “But…?” 

“I…” Zoey hesitated. “I think he’s…blind.” 

Aphmau gasped. “What?!” 

“....You have to understand, transcending realm barriers without some kind of ritual is something that’s unheard of.” Zoey shook her head. “I’m sure it’s happened before, but there are no documents of anyone surviving it. There are bound to be repercussions, and I fear this is one of them…” 

“Can’t you… Can’t you use your magicks to heal him, Zoey?” Aphmau asked hopefully. 

Zoey shrugged helplessly. “I only know protective spells, such as barrier magicks. I…don’t think you’ve delved into the art, but basic knowledge tells us that living entities can only master one kind of specialty in magicks. Even if I tried to heal him, I could do more damage than good… I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay, Zoey…” Aphmau hesitated. “Do you think KC can?” 

“I highly doubt it, but… It wouldn’t hurt to ask her.” 

Aphmau nodded. “I’m on it.” 

“By the way, Aphmau…” Zoey paused for a moment, looking back at the stairs. “Laurance is asking for you.” 

Aphmau blinked in confusion. “What…?” 

“He’s…in a very emotional state right now,” the elf explained. “When he woke, he grabbed my hand, thinking it was you, but knew right away I wasn’t the person he was hoping for. I think you should go talk to him.” 

“I…” Aphmau glanced back at Garroth again. He gave her a small nod. Aphmau looked back at Zoey. “I will.” 

“I don’t sense a dark presence in him,” Zoey said firmly. “It should be safe, but I would be on guard. I don’t know enough about Shadow Knights to know what he is capable of.” She looked past Aphmau at the twins. “You might want to take Garroth with you.” 

Aphmau nodded, giving her a small smile. “Thank you, Zoey.” 

“No problem.” Zoey returned her smile before changing the topic. “If Laurance is going to be here, then I’m going to take Levin over to KC’s for a bit today…just as a precaution. Maybe she and I could find out more about this subject.” 

“Alright, Zoey.” Aphmau hugged herself. “Well… Thank you for everything.” 

Zoey gave her a small nod and left the house. Clouds began to gather overhead, blocking out the sun. Aphmau let out a soft chuckle. “It’s starting to get gloomy out here.” She turned expectantly to the twins. 

“Well…” Garroth hesitated. “What do you think?” 

“I…” Aphmau pulled her long black hair over her shoulder and ran her hand through her hair. “We can’t just kick him out of the village.” 

Garroth nodded. “Never. Laurance saved your life, Lord Aphmau. I would never cast him aside if he’s in our power to help.” 

“He…wants to talk to me.” Aphmau glanced at the staircase. 

“You should talk to him then. I’ll be watching just in case he…turns.” Garroth crossed his arms. “I don’t know what happened to him, but… It must have been horrible. I didn’t even know he was still in the Nether when you claimed to have seen him not too long ago.” 

Aphmau inhaled deeply. “...Then let me go see what he needs from me.”

She turned to walk away, but Garroth stepped closer. “Aphmau… This subject isn’t of importance yet, but…” He hesitated. “Sometime during Laurance’s consciousness, do you think you could ask him about Zenix? Could you ask him if he’s still alive…and if he’s still able to be saved?” 

Aphmau was quiet; she seemed hesitant. “A-Again, let him talk to you about what he needs,” Garroth said quickly. “But if there’s a moment for you to ask, can you?” 

“I-I….” Aphmau nodded after another moment of hesitation. “Of course, Garroth…for you.” 

Gabby felt a wave of relief rush over her. “Thank you.” Garroth gestured to the stairs. “Now… Go to him.” 

Aphmau turned and began to walk down the staircase; Garroth waited a moment before quietly following her.

Gabby hesitated. Suddenly she was alone. This situation wasn’t any of her business; if she was going to do the right thing now, she’d walk right out that door after Zoey and leave the three of them alone. She could learn more about this Laurance when the time was appropriate. 

And yet… As Gabby turned to leave… She felt almost like something down in that basement was calling her name. As dangerous as this Laurance might have been… As traumatized as he might have been… As little as they knew who the other was… Gabby sighed, resting her head on the door right in front of her. “Irene help me,” she whispered. 

Then she turned back to the staircase and silently crept down the first set of stairs. She stopped at the top of the landing, looking into the basement. Garroth stood quietly off to the side, and in the back corner of the basement, she saw Aphmau talking to the man she had helped carry to safety. Aphmau held his hand, sitting quietly on a chair next to his bed. His voice was faint, and he laid there almost motionless, but… Gabby could just hear him from where she stood. 

“I…hung onto my humanity by thinking of you. I made the mistake of letting Sasha go…when Kenmur asked her to be his. I can’t let that happen with you…”

“Wh-What? Y-You…” Gabby couldn’t see Aphmau’s face, nor could she feel her emotions the way she could with Garroth’s, but… She got a sense that this wasn’t something the young Lord had been expecting. 

“I have feelings for you,” Laurance said softly. “I don’t think I’m in any state to be with you…” He scoffed weakly. “By no means. I-I don’t know what is going to happen to me. Will I be able to stay like this for long? Or will I turn…? I… I just wanted you to know that. I don’t expect you to have feelings for me; that would be selfish. I just want you to know….before I lose more than just my sight.” 

Gabby bit the inside of her lip. She barely knew who this man was- he had no idea she even existed. And yet… Hearing all of the pain in his voice… All she wanted to do was help him, but… Clearly there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Aphmau felt, considering they were close enough for them to even be having this conversation. 

“I-I’m sorry, Laurance,” Aphmau murmured. “I can’t return those feelings.” 

“Thank you for not freaking out about it. Though I can tell you did inside… Your grip changed dramatically. It’s okay… Again, I just want you to know.” He chuckled. “I’m sure you have someone else by now.” 

Aphmau paused for a moment. “You need to get some rest, Laurance.” 

“Y-Yes. You’re right. I’m…I’m sorry.” 

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Aphmau said firmly. “I appreciate the honesty.” 

Laurance was quiet. Gabby couldn’t quite tell what was happening, since Aphmau was in the way, but… She saw his grip on her hand fade out, his arm pulling back to his side. Aphmau quietly stood up, staring at him for another minute before turning around. 

Gabby quickly backed away as Aphmau began to speak to Garroth. She really shouldn’t have been listening to that conversation… But it was too late now. Her curiosity won over her morals. She stood back where she had been when Aphmau and Garroth went downstairs, waiting patiently for them to return to her. 

When someone came back upstairs, Gabby was surprised to see it was only Aphmau. “Did… Was everything okay?” 

Aphmau looked rather distressed, but she quickly covered it up with a smile for Gabby. “Yeah, he’s…resting now. Garroth is gonna stay down there and keep watch over him.” 

“Is Laurance asleep, then?” 

“He is.” Aphmau tilted her head curiously. “Why do you ask?” 

“I just…” She was still so curious about Laurance, especially after overhearing him speak, but… That wasn’t the appropriate answer. “I really miss my brother, you know? He was gone for five years… If Laurance is asleep, then I should be fine to keep spending time with Garroth… Right?” 

“Yeah, I guess.” Aphmau shrugged. “I don’t mind if you hang out downstairs with him. Just make sure Laurance gets his rest.”

“Of course.” Gabby nodded, and as Aphmau went to walk back outside, Gabby went downstairs- this time all the way, not just to the landing- and came over to Garroth. He had sat down on the floor, watching Laurance quietly. 

Gabby sat down next to him. Garroth looked over at her. “How much of that conversation did you overhear?”

“Wh-What?”

“You think I didn’t notice?” Garroth chuckled. “I could tell you were curious, and then I heard your steps on the stairs.” 

“I… Fine.” Gabby sighed. “I…think I heard most of the conversation. At least…the romance part.” She tilted her head at him. “Are you alright?” 

Garroth shrugged. “I already knew he was interested in her; he made that clear in our previous interactions. I just hadn’t realized how serious he was.” 

Her gaze shifted to the man lying on the bed. He had curled up on his side, his back facing the twins. “He seems like a good person,” she murmured. 

“He was… Er- is , uh…” Garroth sighed. “I’m not sure right now.”

“I guess none of us will know until he wakes up.”

They were both quiet for a moment. “Have you…dealt with Shadow Knights before, Garroth?” 

A wave of sadness rushed over her, and she glanced over at him again. He was silent. “...Garroth?” 

“...About a month ago,” he murmured. “I…had an apprentice named Zenix. He was young and irrational and foolish, but… I could tell he had potential to be a great guard one day. He…” Garroth inhaled deeply. “He almost reminded me of Vylad. He was Vylad’s age when I found him. But…” His voice shook. “H-He was apparently a Shadow Knight. He disappeared, and then a month ago he came back. He was completely different. He attacked Phoenix Drop. I...tried to fight him, b-but I was too weak. His eyes… They were…bright red… And he…had this dark magicks radiating off of him…” Garroth shook his head. “He’s been missing since then.” 

Gabby scooted closer to him and hugged him tightly from the side. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could have been there for you.” 

“...It’s alright. I’m the one who left you in the first place.” Gabby pulled away, and Garroth continued. “At least you’re here now.” 

Laurance shifted in his sleep, and the twins went quiet. Gabby wasn’t sure how long they sat there in silence, but she could tell through the window that it must have been a while. Eventually, the clouds outside began to change color, and she could see the sun beginning to dip below the horizon, although the cloudy sky kept the image from being clear. 

Laurance shifted again, but this time, he sat up. This was the first time that Gabby was able to get a good look at him; his orange hair looked unnaturally bright- brighter than Cadenza’s- and came down to his shoulders. His eyes were open, but… They were so clouded over that they looked white. He looked around the room, although that was probably just instinct, if he only just recently became blind. “I’m not so weak that I can’t tell someone’s there,” he said. His voice already sounded stronger than it had when she heard him talking with Aphmau earlier. “What do you want?” 

“Stand down, Laurance.” Garroth’s voice was firm yet gentle. “We’re no threat.”

“...Garroth.” Gabby noticed his posture relax. “How long have you been here?” 

“Since you spoke with Lady Aphmau. I’ve been keeping watch over you… To make sure you’re not left alone while vulnerable.” 

“And to make sure I don’t lose control of myself,” Laurance said quietly. 

Garroth hesitated. “W-Well-”

Laurance shook his head. “Take no shame in it. I…don’t trust myself right now; I appreciate the monitoring.” 

Gabby hesitated. “... You should know I’m here, too.” 

“I…don’t recognize your voice. Who are you?” 

“This is Gabriella,” Garroth explained. “She’s my twin sister… She’s just been keeping me company while you were resting.” 

“You can call me Gabby,” she added quickly. “I was with Garroth and Aphmau when they found you in the woods, but I know you know them already, so...” She stood up, brushing her dress off. “I can leave.”

“No, that’s alright. You can stay.” Gabby looked over at Laurance to see him smiling. He was actually looking in their general direction, she noticed; maybe he was following their voices. “I’m surprised I never met you before, this isn’t my first time in Phoenix Drop.” 

Gabby sat back next to Garroth on the floor. “Well… It is my first time in Phoenix Drop. I only arrived a couple days ago.”

“Well, then, it’s nice to meet you, Gabby. I wish we could have met in better circumstances.” Laurance curled up in the back corner of his bed, against the two walls that bordered him. “Where are you from?” 

“O’khasis,” Gabby answered quickly. She didn’t even think about it, but… As soon as the word left her mouth, she remembered that Garroth was still trying to prevent people from knowing he was a Ro’Meave. She glanced apologetically at him. She wished she could see his expression under the helmet, but…she didn’t sense any extreme emotions from him, and he just gave her a small shrug back. 

“O’khasis…” Laurance murmured. A grin spread across his face and he chuckled. “I don’t believe it, are you two the Garroth and Gabriella Ro’Meave?”

“It’s not a title we wear proudly, but… Yes,” Garroth said reluctantly. 

“I understand why you distance yourself, believe me. I’ve never been there myself, but… I certainly don’t wish to anytime soon.” 

“You’re not missing out on anything,” Gabby mumbled. “I don’t plan to return, myself.” 

“And… Please, don’t tell the others this,” Garroth added. “I’d prefer to control when other people find out.” 

“Of course.” Laurance paused. “Does Aphmau know?” 

“She does, she was the first person to learn.” Garroth cleared his throat. “Although it’s not something I’d like to talk about right now.” 

The trio was quiet for a moment, before Laurance started conversation again. “...Gabby, how much have they told you about me?” 

“Not much,” Gabby said quietly. “Just…that you sacrificed yourself for Aphmau and got trapped in the Nether.” 

“I suppose that’s the relevant information.” Laurance laughed softly, but he sounded sad. 

“....It’s a lot to go through,” she murmured. “How are you feeling?” 

“To be honest?” Laurance inhaled deeply before smiling in the twins’ direction. “Considering the circumstances… Better than I did earlier, that’s for sure.” 

“I’ll leave you to rest… You have a lot to recover from.” Gabby stood up again, adjusting her dress. “It was nice to meet you, Laurance.” 

As she began to walk up the stairs, she hesitated, feeling that same curious tug that caused her to eavesdrop earlier. She turned around again. “Laurance?” she called. 

“What is it?” He turned to face the staircase. 

“....Is it alright if I come back and talk to you again tomorrow?” 

The smile returned to his face, even though he wasn’t looking directly at her. “I would like that.”

Chapter Text

Gabby sighed, reluctantly staring out the window when she woke up the next morning. After she had left Laurance in Aphmau’s house the day before, Garroth stopped by and suggested maybe she spend today trying to get to know some of the other members of Phoenix Drop…without him. She knew it wasn’t anything personal, that he still had a job to do and couldn’t spend all of his free time speaking with her, but… Where was she even supposed to start? 

Well, she wouldn’t meet anyone or go anywhere if she just stood in this random house all day. So she should probably start with stepping outside. 

She stepped onto the path outside, surveying the surrounding village. She had seen it yesterday, there wasn’t really much to it, so deciding where to go first wasn’t that much of a decision…theoretically. 

“Lady Gabriella!” She whirled around and saw the blue-armored guard she had briefly met yesterday- his name was Brian, right?- leaving the guard station across the path. “Good morning!” 

Gabby laughed awkwardly. “Good morning… But you can just call me Gabby. Really, I don’t mind.” 

Brian hesitated. “But- But that’s so informal. You come from O’khasis, right?” 

“I never preferred O’khasis customs,” Gabby said simply. “I’d rather become familiar with your village customs, and that appears to involve less…formality.” 

“Very well.” Brian glanced around. “Well… I must begin the tasks that Garroth requested of me today, but… Please, find me if you need anything.” He walked away. 

Gabby smiled, watching him go. He must have been young…maybe seventeen? If that? 

And once he was gone, she was alone again…and still had to make a decision on where to go next. She decided to walk in the direction of the plaza. There always seemed to be people there, even if it wasn’t as many as she was used to. 

Sure enough, on her way to the plaza, she found Kiki sitting beside one of the patches of farmland, feeding a rabbit sitting quietly on the fence next to her. The redhead looked up as Gabby approached. “Gabby! Good morning!” 

“G-Good morning…” She wasn’t used to people being so cheery… She was just walking around the village. 

“I…actually had something I wanted to ask you, if you don’t mind,” Kiki said, gently stroking the rabbit’s head. 

“Oh…” Gabby blinked in surprise. “I’ll…do my best to answer, then.” 

Kiki’s voice quieted. “Zane…is High Priest of O’khasis, correct?” 

Gabby felt her body immediately tense at the mention of Zane. “Yes… He’s the representative of the faith of Lady Irene.” 

“D-Does he…” Kiki’s cheeks grew almost as red as her hair. “Does he have any vows he cannot break, such as… W-Well…” 

Gabby crossed her arms, frowning. It was a question she had heard before. “....Courting and marriage?”

“I-I…” Kiki cleared her throat. “Y-Yes.” 

Gabby sighed. She had seen Zane spending a lot of time with Kiki at the wedding reception, though… She had hoped he wouldn’t stoop so low as to toy with her emotions. That must have been too high a standard for him. “No, he’s…perfectly allowed to select a romantic suitor. There was just never anyone who interested him in O’khasis.” 

“I-I see…” Kiki stared intently at her lap. The rabbit snatched the rest of the lettuce in her hand and bounded off the fence into the bushes.

Gabby hesitated before sitting down next to her. “I assume you ask for a reason?” 

“W-Well…” Kiki sighed. “He’s just…very nice, and…” She grew quiet again, playing with her hands. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” In any other situation, Gabby knew she should have been excited about this, but… Zane….? He was toying with Kiki, he must have been. But Gabby wasn’t sure how to tell her that. 

“It’s…been so long since I had a crush on someone,” Kiki murmured after a moment of silence. “Honestly, I’m…not even sure that’s what this is.” She cleared her throat, looking over at Gabby. “How about you?” 

“M-Me?” Gabby shook her head. “No, I’ve never met anyone I was interested in. I’ve had plenty of people try and win my heart, but…” She scoffed. “It’s kind of difficult to watch how men will make fools of themselves to try and earn the affection of the daughter of O’khasis.” 

Kiki giggled. “That makes sense.”

The two women fell quiet, and Gabby noticed Kiki looking around. “I wonder what caused nature to become so unbalanced,” she said under her breath. 

“What do you mean?” Gabby tilted her head curiously. 

“Something…was wrong in nature for the past few weeks,” Kiki explained. “I only felt it rebalance yesterday evening, as the sun set. I….just wonder what caused it.”

“Strange, I never even noticed… Do you have magicks, Kiki?”

Her green eyes glimmered with surprise as she met Gabby’s gaze. “Yes, I’ve…always been attuned to nature. Animals especially, I can even speak to some.” Kiki pushed her hair behind her ear. “Usually, only other magicks users notice that about me so quickly. Are you…?” 

Gabby nodded. “I’m a magicks user.” 

Kiki smiled. “I thought I sensed something about you. May I ask what kind?”

“I-It’s nothing that special.” Gabby shook her head quickly. “I have empathy magicks.” 

“Not that special?” Kiki echoed, her eyes wide. “But that- you can feel everyone’s emotions, right?” 

“No.” Gabby chuckled, staring at her lap. “If I could do that, it would be special… And I might go insane. I can only feel the emotions of people I’m close to.” She hesitated, running through the short list in her head. “...So only two others right now.” 

“...Garroth and Zane?” 

Gabby shook her head again. “Garroth and…my mother, back in O’khasis.” She cleared her throat and got to her feet, changing the subject before Kiki could ask any more questions about O’khasis or her family. “Speaking of whom, have you seen Garroth today?”

“No, unfortunately not. I hope you find him quickly, though.” Kiki’s voice quieted again. “And…thank you for talking with me.” 

Gabby smiled at her. “I’m glad I could help.” 

As she walked away, she noticed a huge structure in the distance…and… Was that Aphmau? Giant brown wooden walls had been erected along the northern edge of town, past the guard station. And it looked like Aphmau was by herself, hammering away. “Aphmau?” Gabby called, hurrying over to her. 

Aphmau looked over at her. “Oh, Gabby!”

“....What are you doing?” Gabby frowned, staring at the mysterious structure. “I…didn’t see that yesterday.”

Aphmau laughed, stepping away. “It wasn’t here yesterday. I’ve needed to make a barn for Kiki for ages, so… I woke up before the sun rose this morning and finally started.” 

That was four hours worth of construction? Gabby’s eyes widened in shock. “Have you had any help?”

“Nope.” Aphmau shrugged. “Everyone else is too busy, but that’s why I’m here. Besides…” She hesitated, glancing to her own house on the hill. Gabby followed her gaze and noticed it seemed to be under construction itself. “I feel like…Laurance needs some space from me… F-For now, anyway.” 

Right. The love confession she hadn’t been supposed to hear. “Well… I could help some, if you need.” 

Aphmau’s amber eyes stared confusedly at Gabby. “...Really?” 

“I could try,” Gabby amended. “Although… I’m not exactly known for my construction abilities.” 

“I wasn’t either until I lived here,” Aphmau said with a laugh. “A merchant who…visited here….when I arrived… He helped push me to build my own house, and…” She sighed. “He taught me a lot of what I know now.” 

“Maybe I can learn a thing from you, then.” Gabby quickly changed the subject, sensing the shift in Aphmau’s voice. 

Aphmau nodded. “That sounds great! Maybe…” She hesitated. “Maybe we could start with you just passing me the materials as I need them?”

“Sounds like an easy stepping stone.” Gabby giggled. “I can do that.” 

At first, when she helped Aphmau with the barn, they were mostly silent, only communicating when something needed to be done… Kind of like when she helped Aphmau set up for the wedding. But then Aphmau broke the silence. “Gabby… What’s it like in O’khasis?” 

“Um…” Gabby handed her a few planks of wood. “Busy. Stifled…” She turned around to look at the rest of Phoenix Drop. “It makes this place look like…like a mouse, next to an elephant.” 

One of Kiki’s elephants not far from where they stood trumpeted as she said that. Fitting. 

“I guess this place seems pretty pathetic after coming from that, huh?” 

“O’khasis is very grand,” Gabby admitted. “But… I grew up there, that was basically all I ever knew. I had been to villages nearby before, so obviously I knew that small villages existed, but…” She hesitated, trying to figure out how to word it. “Coming here after living my whole life there… It feels kind of like freedom.” 

“....It was really that bad?” 

Gabby hesitated. “The village itself is fine. But the man who runs it…” She scoffed. “He’s a monster.” 

Aphmau furrowed her brow in confusion. “...Your father?” 

“He’s terrible.” Gabby picked up more wood to pass to the Lord. “Garroth and I… We look so similar because we both look like him. It’s the burden we’ve had to carry most of our lives… Garroth especially.” 

“I guess that makes sense…” Aphmau snorted. “If he’s anything like Zane.” 

“Zane’s begun showing his true colors around you, I take it?” Gabby asked dryly. 

“.....He threatened Alexis,” Aphmau murmured, so quietly that Gabby almost couldn’t hear her. “....One of the infants in our village.” 

Gabby bit the inside of her lip. She wished she could say that surprised her, but… “I-I see.” 

Aphmau sighed, hammering one of the planks to the barn. “Even Garroth seemed shocked. And I can’t… I can’t tell if it’s just an empty threat or if he really…” 

She glanced at Gabby inquisitively, probably hoping for an answer. Gabby shook her head helplessly. “I don’t know, Aphmau. I wish I did, so I could help, but… I’ve always kept my distance from Zane. Because he does things like this.” 

“Right. I understand.”

The pair fell silent again and returned to just making progress with the barn. It was probably around noon when Aphmau broke the silence again. “I think that’s enough for now. I’m gonna go check on the rest of the village.” She grinned at Gabby. “Thanks again for your help.” 

Before Gabby could respond, Aphmau was off in the direction of her home and the docks. Gabby realized with a start that she still hadn’t seen Garroth; she had gotten so distracted by Aphmau’s construction work. He must have passed them at some point on his patrol and hadn’t said anything. Gabby tried to survey the land from where she stood by the barn, but he wasn’t standing anywhere she could see. 

Well… If she couldn’t check on Garroth for now, maybe Laurance felt up to talking. He had mentioned the day before that he wouldn’t mind if Gabby stopped by again… She decided to direct her steps towards Aphmau’s house. 

As she walked down the path, she noticed the house at the foot of the hill had been boarded up. The windows were completely blacked out, and… Gabby noticed one of the O’khasis guards standing outside the door. She frowned at him. “...What’s going on here?” 

“The High Priest has commandeered this house. No one but him is allowed inside.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “No special treatment.” 

Gabby glared back at him, but she backed off. She heard a familiar voice behind her. “What’s going on here?” 

She whirled around. Garroth was standing a couple feet away. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you all day.” 

“I’ve…just been patrolling.” 

“This is High Priest Zane’s house now,” the guard repeated. “Move along.” 

“...Understood.” Garroth grabbed Gabby’s hand and dragged her away, around the side of the house to the forest behind it. As soon as they were in private, he faced her. “The hell does that mean?!” 

Gabby shrugged helplessly. “You think Zane’s told me anything?” She scoffed. “He probably missed his home in O’khasis.” 

Garroth began to pace. Gabby felt his anger rising. “I hate that there’s nothing we can do! Of course O’khasis just had to come along and make us powerless in our own village. Five years of avoiding them, and for what?!” 

She wasn’t sure what to say, so… She didn’t say anything. After another moment of angrily pacing around, Garroth stopped walking and let out a deep sigh. Gabby inhaled deeply, feeling the burning in her own chest beginning to fade. “....I’m sorry. I just wish I knew what to do.” 

“I wish I could help,” Gabby said softly. “But… Zane and I barely even saw each other until he told me he located you a couple weeks ago. I spent the last five years just avoiding him and Father as much as I could.” 

“I know.” Garroth held the handle of his sword, sitting in the scabbard strapped to his side. “It’s alright. I’m not blaming you for any of this.”

“Is there anything I can do?” 

“I… I know you said you’ve been avoiding him.” Garroth’s head tilted to the ground. “But… Have you overheard anything? Either from him, or Father, or the guards…”

Gabby sighed, crossing her arms as she tried to wrack her brain. “All I know is that all the guards think he’s on some sort of wild goose chase. I’ve heard them all talking behind his back about all his efforts being in vain, or…him chasing after fairytales, or… Stuff like that.” 

“So he’s not only an awful man, he’s a mad man.” Garroth huffed. “Great.” 

“It’s something to do with Lady Irene, I think,” Gabby murmured. “But he won’t even talk to the O’khasis guard about that matter. He only shares details of his plans with the Jury, and… I’ve never even spoken to a current member of the Jury.” 

“I’m certain not even Father knows what Zane is planning,” Garroth said. “Much less a member of the Jury of Nine.” 

“N-No, I know that, but…” Gabby bit the inside of her lip. “...Did news reach here about Falconclaw?” 

“Yes, a few years ago.” Garroth crossed his arms. “Merchants said the rumor was the Lord had gone mad and destroyed the whole village… I always thought the story was a bit strange. I remember we met him once, didn’t we?” 

Gabby nodded. “Yes, Father introduced him to us specifically. I remember Father said something about…knowing the politics of our neighboring village best. Something to that effect. And the Lord certainly didn’t seem like someone who would murder his entire village four years later.”

“So why do you bring it up?”

“...I didn’t see Mother at all in the week following Falconclaw’s destruction,” Gabby said quietly. “But I didn’t have to. She had this…overwhelmingly deep sadness that… I-I couldn’t feel any other emotions the entire week, even my own were overshadowed. And… Zane had left O’khasis on ‘business’ the day of the tragedy.”

Garroth was quiet for a minute. When he finally spoke up, his voice was so soft that Gabby almost couldn’t hear him through his helm. “You….think Zane was the one truly responsible for Falconclaw.” 

“I-I don’t have any evidence,” Gabby said quickly. “I just… The last time Mother’s sadness was that extreme was…when Vylad died and you ran away.” 

“....But how ? Zane doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, he wouldn’t take anyone’s life with a blade…” She heard the scowl in her twin’s voice. “And people would have noticed if he had taken a team of O’khasis guards…or even a member of the Jury.”

Gabby shook her head. “I don’t know. Again, I don’t have any evidence. Just…a gut feeling.” 

Garroth gave a weak chuckle. “Well, your intuition is more trustworthy than most due to your magicks. I’m just…afraid of what it could mean for this town.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks, Gabby. Honestly, that was more information than I had hoped for.” 

“Unreliable information that we can’t do anything with?” Gabby snorted. “Glad I could help.” 

“I’m serious. Even if we might not know what to do with it now… You spent five more years in that place than I could, maybe this is the good that came of it.” Garroth paused. “For now, we’ll just continue what we’ve been doing. We don’t want Zane to think we’re too suspicious of him. I’ll…remain here, to try and keep an eye on him.” 

“What do you want me to do?” 

“Keep a smile on for the rest of the villagers. We don’t want to burden anyone with this information… Especially since Zane is staying on most of their good sides. This whole situation should stay between us and Lady Aphmau.” 

“...Alright, I’ll try.” Gabby glanced towards the hill beside them. She could almost see through the window into Aphmau’s basement, but not quite, the house Zane had taken over blocked most of it. “I…might go talk to Laurance.” 

“Be careful,” Garroth warned. “We…can’t know him well enough to know if he has control of his powers or not. He could flip if it’s just the two of you.” 

Gabby hesitated. “I trust him,” she said after a moment. 

“You didn’t even know who he was until yesterday.”

“I-I know, just…. You know that thing you mentioned, about my intuition?” Garroth nodded, and Gabby glanced in the direction of the house again. “I just… Something about him feels…familiar. I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure why.” 

“Well… Alright. Just stay safe.” 

Gabby walked away, back to the path that led up to Aphmau’s house. The guard standing post at Zane’s door narrowed his eyes as she walked past him, but he didn’t say anything. As she came up the hill, the sounds of construction got later, and Gabby noticed KC and Brendan fixing up what Gabby had reluctantly called a house up to this point. Off to the side, Zoey was watching Levin crawl around in the playground. No one really seemed to care- or notice- as Gabby opened the front door and stepped inside. 

As Gabby reached the stairs, she could see Laurance curled up in bed at the bottom, his eyes closed. “...Laurance?” she said softly as she reached the basement, hoping she was speaking at a volume that wouldn’t wake him up if he was asleep. “It’s Gabby. Do you want someone to talk to right now?” 

He didn’t move or speak. Maybe he really was still asleep. Not like she could blame him… She had only ever been able to feel the emotions of her family members, but… His emotions must have been so overwhelming right now… Gabby shivered as she tried to imagine what it would feel like. 

She stood there for a minute, but he never responded. “That’s alright,” she murmured. “You need rest. I can leave.” 

“...W-Wait.” Gabby froze on the first stair, quickly turning around again. Laurance was still lying down, but his eyes were flickering open. “...Maybe I could use some company.” 

“I might not be the best company if you’re not feeling well,” Gabby admitted. “Considering I’m a complete stranger…”

Laurance slowly sat up. “Maybe a complete stranger is what I need right now,” he said with a weak laugh. “...Besides, you’re Garroth’s sister. I…don’t know him very well, but I know him well enough to know that you’re someone worth talking to.” 

She sat down in the chair by the bed that she had seen Aphmau sitting in the day before, although now it was a bit further away. “Has anyone else visited today?” 

“Lady Aphmau and…Cadenza.” He hesitated. “Do you know Cadenza? Aphmau just told me earlier that she apparently lives in Phoenix Drop now.” 

“Cadenza…” Gabby murmured thoughtfully. Suddenly, her conversation with the redhead in the plaza the day before hit her. “O-Oh, are you that Laurance?” 

“Heh… She mentioned me, I presume?” 

“It was a little before we found you in the woods,” Gabby explained. “She…mentioned you were missing, and she was worried about you, but… I didn’t realize that was you until now.” 

“Yeah…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s like a little sister to me.”

Gabby grinned. “Your hair is definitely similar.”

“Oh, right.” Laurance flashed a small smile, his hand moving from his neck to his hair. “I almost forgot about that. It’s…not actually my natural hair.” 

It was a bit brighter orange than Cadenza’s, now that he mentioned it. “You dyed it?” 

“Cadenza dyed it,” he corrected quickly, resting his hand back in his lap. “And she was meant to dye it back…a few weeks ago, I guess… But she went missing, and…then I got trapped…” He shrugged. “It’s not my favorite, but… There are much bigger concerns in my life right now.”

It didn’t seem like he wanted to think about those bigger concerns at that moment, so Gabby decided to stick with the more lighthearted topic. “I’m surprised you could afford hair dye on this side of the region.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Laurance chuckled. “I forgot you’re essentially the princess of Ru’aun.” 

“I-I’m not a princess,” Gabby protested. “My ‘power’ only extends as far as O’khasis permits.” 

“Sure.” He grinned in her direction. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re the closest thing we have to a princess. You’re probably wearing some pretty, flowy dress right now, aren’t you?” 

Gabby glanced down at the teal dress she wore that draped across her knees while she sat in the chair. “Th-that’s besides the point.” 

“Right, right. My apologies… Princess.” The grin stayed on his face. “Anyway… Meteli may be a small village, especially compared to somewhere like O’khasis, but small and poor are two different words.” 

“I-I know that,” Gabby defended, still feeling a bit flustered from the exchange they just had. “I just…remember from my studies that this corner of the region can’t afford as many luxuries as O’khasis, and I had assumed hair dye was one of them.” She cleared her throat, desperately hoping to change the subject. “You’re from Meteli, then? I’ve heard of it, though I’ve never visited.” 

“Yeah, I grew up there. Although…” Laurance hesitated. “I-I’m not so sure I…really want to return…now that…” He broke off, his head drifting in the direction of his lap. 

“...What’s Meteli like?” Gabby asked quietly. 

Laurance’s head didn’t move. “...Well… It’s small, about the same size as this village,” he said slowly, after being silent for another moment. “It’s also pretty close by… There’s a forest in the way, but if you walk through that it’s only about fifteen minutes on foot. It’s in the swamp, but… It’s built up enough over the years that you can barely even tell, as long as you stay in town.” 

She tried her best to recall the map of the region she’d left hanging on the wall in her bedroom. “And it’s…south of here, right?” 

“...Yeah, Phoenix Drop is north of us.” He finally lifted his head back up and smiled in her direction again. “Maybe Cadenza could take you sometime soon… Maybe once the new Lord’s been elected by the people.” 

“I’d really like that,” Gabby said. “I always wanted to see the world outside of O’khasis.” 

Determined not to let the conversation fade out for too long- if Laurance wanted a distraction, which it seemed like he did, letting him sit in his thoughts was not the right move- she only waited a moment before asking another question. “What did you do in Meteli?” 

His smile turned into a grin. “I was the Head Guard.” 

She knew he couldn’t see her, but she couldn’t help but grin back. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

“Really?” He tilted his head inquisitively. “How come?”

“I just…” Gabby hesitated. She didn’t want to bring up what she heard of him sacrificing himself for Aphmau, although it was the kind of very noble thing a Head Guard should do, so… Now she had talked herself into a bit of a corner. “I-I feel like everything I’ve heard about you has been good,” she said quickly. “And… I-I know we don’t know each other very well yet, but… You…really remind me of Garroth in some ways.” 

Laurance didn’t react immediately, so Gabby worried maybe she had said the wrong thing, but soon the smile returned to his face and he chuckled. “I appreciate it, Princess.”

Did he just- “That better not become consistent.” 

His smile turned into a smirk. “I’m not making any promises.” Before Gabby could protest her apparently newfound nickname, he laid down in bed again. “I’m grateful for the company, but… I should probably get some more rest. Talking for too long is…pretty exhausting, right now.” 

“I understand.” Gabby got to her feet, straightening out her dress. “I’ll leave you be.” 

Chapter Text

The next day, Gabby sat on her bed in the basement, brushing out her hair. She wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe she could do the same thing as yesterday and just…find people to talk to? Eventually she’d reach the point where people knew who she was and wanted to talk to her…probably. She couldn’t stop being the stranger in town until she stopped being a stranger to all the villagers. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. Gabby quickly put her brush down and grabbed her headband, slipping it on as she walked upstairs. When she opened the door, Aphmau was standing outside. “Gabby!” 

“Is…everything okay, Aphmau?” 

“Everything’s great!” Aphmau put her hands on her hips. “I just wanted to tell you- I finished Kiki’s barn, so…. There’s gonna be a baby shower for Alexis tonight!”

“Y-You finished the barn?” Gabby repeated incredulously. Holy Lady Irene, when did this woman sleep ? 

“Yep.” Aph grinned. “And the baby shower will be tonight; the whole village is invited. You wanna come?” 

Gabby blinked in surprise. She was still processing the barn information… “U-Um, sure. Will…Zane be going?” 

The smile faded off Aphmau’s face. “I probably should let him come, so we don’t antagonize O’khasis,” Aphmau said reluctantly. “But… I just spoke to Garroth; he said no one’s seen Zane all day.” 

“I…see.” Gabby shook her head. “No, that’s alright. I’ll be there. I don’t have any gifts prepared, but-”

“Yay!” Aphmau clapped her hands together. “Don’t worry about gifts; I think you just being there will be good, so people can get to know you more!” She glanced down the path, in the direction of where they had found Laurance a couple days before. “...I should let the others know, so I’ve gotta go. But I’ll see you tonight then!” She ran off. 

Well, that solved the mystery of what she was going to do today. 

(...)

The party began just as the sun set, although Gabby decided to wait until a bit later; she didn't want to be one of the first people to show up, then everyone would try and talk to her, and she wasn’t ready for that yet. By the time she made it to the barn, the party was already in full swing. Alexis was sitting on the lap of a blonde woman- whom Gabby assumed was her mother- with a pile of gifts sitting on the table next to them. Everyone else was mingling, either coddling Alexis, one of the two baby boys, or standing off on their own talking to the other villagers. 

“Look who made it.” Gabby heard a familiar voice to her left and saw Garroth standing by the entrance. His face was hidden under his helmet, like normal, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t come.” 

“I hesitated,” she admitted. “But…Aphmau said the rest of the town was coming, and I… I know a few people now.” She playfully elbowed him. “I can’t just spend all my time around you.”

Gabby glanced around the barn again. She was seeing a lot of familiar faces; some people, she knew the names of, like Kiki and Brian, and others, she had seen around but still wasn’t confident in their names…like the blonde woman holding Alexis. But she noticed one person in particular was missing. “...Is Laurance coming?” 

“I’m…not sure, but I believe I heard Lord Aphmau mention him earlier. I wouldn’t have considered him to be in the condition to come to this sort of event.”

“I suppose…” Gabby murmured thoughtfully. “Getting out might be good for him, but… I guess it’s only been a couple of days.” 

Garroth chuckled. “I certainly don’t think I’d feel up to going to a party two days after his experience.” 

Gabby rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s ‘cause the moment something inconveniences you, you hole yourself up in your room until it’s completely resolved. I suspect Laurance isn’t the same way.”

“H-Hey, I’ve gotten better at that,” Garroth said defensively. “Something pretty extreme would need to happen to induce that response in me now.” 

“Gabby!” Aphmau waved at the twins as she walked over to them. “Glad you could make it!” 

“Yeah, I’m glad to be here.” Gabby smiled back at her. “Sorry about being a bit late.”

Aphmau shrugged. “You’re not the only one. Cadenza and Laurance are late, too…” She glanced at the entrance of the barn. “Though I think that’s to be expected; I’m not sure how long they’ll be.” 

“What are they doing?” Garroth tilted his head curiously. 

Aphmau crossed her arms. “Apparently, he’s not naturally a redhead? Cadenza dyed his hair before she was turned into a chicken.” Gabby blinked in surprise, did she hear that right? But Aphmau didn’t even explain, she talked like Garroth knew what she was talking about. “So she’s fixing his hair and giving him new clothes. She swore we wouldn’t recognize him.” 

“Well, whether we recognize him when he comes back or not, it’s probably not something we should make a big deal of,” Garroth said. “A guard has pride, and…this whole ordeal has probably wounded his pride more than enough. When he arrives, we should treat him just like any other guest.”

Aphmau and Gabby both nodded. “Have…either of you seen Zane?” Aphmau asked, lowering her voice. 

“N-No, not in ages.” Gabby crossed her arms. “Has he still not appeared since this morning?” 

Garroth shook his head. “No, none of us have seen him.”

“I’m sure he’s up to something… Him leaving so suddenly wouldn’t make sense, not after taking over that empty house yesterday.” Gabby sighed, her hands moving to her hips.

“I don’t like it.” Aphmau pulled her black hair over her shoulder. “But if we can go all party without seeing him, maybe that’s for the best.” She cleared her throat. “Gabby, have you tried the cake yet?” 

Gabby glanced in the direction of the food table, on the opposite side of the barn. “No, I just got here.” 

“You should! KC made them, they’re delicious!” Aphmau looked where Alexis was playing with the boys. “I’m gonna go check on the baby of honor.” 

She practically skipped over to Alexis and the pile of presents. Gabby glanced over at Garroth, who gestured to the food table. “I have to stay here to keep guard of who’s entering and leaving the party, but you should do as Lady Aphmau suggested. Go enjoy the party.” 

“Alright, I’ll…do my best.” 

(...)

KC’s cakes were amazing, just as Aphmau had implied. Gabby only had the one slice of the chocolate cake, but… It was the first time in years that she’d had a cake as delicious as the ones her mother used to make… She stared thoughtlessly at the wooden floor of the barn, remembering back on hers and Garroth’s tenth birthday. It was the last normal birthday they had gotten to have before…before Garte completely lost control of himself. Vylad was four years old at the time, and Garte was unpredictable, but he was still a good father…sometimes. Zianna had made a half-chocolate and half-strawberry cake for her and Garroth, their respective favorite flavors, and…. 

“Your name is Gabriella, right?” A voice she didn’t recognize pulled her out of her daydreaming. 

Gabby blinked quickly, looking up to see a man with brown hair and a beard covering his chin wearing a suit and staring at her. “Y-Yes, that’s me. Although most people just call me Gabby.” 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Gabby.” He held his hand out to her, and she shook it with her hand that wasn’t holding the plate of cake. “I’ve seen you around town, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Dale. We housed your brother during his first days here in town; I apologize that we didn’t have room for you also.” 

“That’s alright, I made do.” Gabby gave him a small smile before taking another small bite of cake. 

“I’m sure this place pales in comparison to O’khasis, doesn’t it?” Dale let out a small laugh, looking over at his daughter and wife cuddling beside the large pile of Alexis’s presents. “I’ve never been to O’khasis myself, but based on the stories I’ve heard, I’m sure our little village is far from impressive.” 

“It’s very small in comparison,” Gabby agreed slowly. “But I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a bad thing.” She put her plate of cake on the table behind her. “Honestly, it’s really nice. It reminds me a bit of Nahakra village. My family always used to vacation there when I was young.” Her gaze drifted over to Garroth, who was still standing guard beside the entrance to the barn. But before Dale could catch on, she quickly changed the topic. “How…long have you lived in Phoenix Drop?” 

Dale grinned, running his hand through his hair. “Oh, Molly and I have lived here ever since Lord Malik was in his prime, probably about ten years now.” 

“Lord Malik?” Gabby echoed.

“He was the Lord before Lord Aphmau.” He took a small sip of the drink in his hand. “Although I feel like my memory of when he was Lord is a bit fuzzy.” Dale grinned at her. “I suppose that’s what happens when it’s been almost a year since he disappeared.” 

“He…disappeared…?” Gabby murmured, inquisitively tilting her head at him. 

Dale shrugged. “I digress. None of us are here for those sad memories, we’re here to party!” He laughed heartily. “Again, a pleasure to meet you, Lady Gabby. But I’m going to spend some time with my family.” 

Gabby picked up her plate of cake again, watching as the man practically strutted over to where his wife and daughter sat by the presents. 

(...)

She made her way over to where Garroth stood, keeping guard over the main entrance. “Any sign of trouble?” 

“You mean Zane?” Garroth shook his head. “No sign of him yet, thank Irene.” 

“I still can’t decide if it’s good or not myself,” Gabby said dryly. She munched on another forkful of cake. 

“I suppose we will have to wait and see… You like the cake?” 

Her mouth still full, Gabby managed to nod before swallowing. “Yeah, it reminds me of Mother’s.”

Garroth chuckled. “I thought the same the first time I tried KC’s baking. How are you enjoying the party?” 

“It’s…” Gabby glanced back into the barn, where everyone else was gathered. “...a lot of people. People who know everyone else better than me.” She sighed. “I don’t know, I think I’m going to feel out of place until the villagers stop seeing me as ‘High Priest Zane’s sister from O’khasis.’ Not exactly a fun title.” 

“It will take time.” Garroth nodded. “But at least you’re making good first impressions.”

“Yeah.” Gabby sighed. “Maybe that’ll keep them from hating me whenever Zane inevitably does something wrong.”

“What an awfully presumptuous thing to say, big sister.” Gabby practically jumped as she turned to look back at the entrance to the barn. Zane stood there, his mask covering the obvious smirk on his face. 

“Zane.” Garroth’s voice was collected and cold. “So you decided to show up.” 

“A party with the entire village?” Their little brother laughed. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He gestured to his side. “You’ll notice I didn’t even bring my guards with me. I’m no threat.” 

“I…suppose.” 

“Anyway, if you two will excuse me.” Zane bowed. “I’m going to go meet the baby of honor.” 

The twins watched quietly as Zane entered the barn; several conversations paused, Gabby noticed, as everyone curiously turned to watch the High Priest make his way to Alexis. 

“I much prefer how Aphmau says that,” Garroth muttered. 

“Why did you just let him in?” Gabby frowned. “I thought the whole point of standing guard was to keep unwanted people out.” 

“You think I should declare him unwanted? You’ve seen the size of Phoenix Drop, Gabby. Do you really think that’s a good idea?” 

She sighed. “I see your point. O’khasis is too big for you to antagonize.”

“Exactly.” Gabby couldn’t see her twin’s eyes under his helmet, but she could assume they were as cold as his voice. “Although as soon as Zane tries something, I’m not afraid to use my sword.” 

Gabby watched Zane say a few words to Dale, before proceeding to bend down to where Alexis was sitting and…was he putting something around her neck? Gabby noticed Garroth’s hand go to the hilt of his sword, but Zane straightened his posture and walked back towards the entrance of the barn. He glanced between Gabby and Garroth one more time. “Don’t be so defensive, I simply had to give Alexis her gift.” 

Before either twin could ask him to explain himself, Zane walked past them and left the barn. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Gabby noticed a flash of purple and looked over to see Aphmau poking through the crowd, watching Zane leave. She made her way over to the twins. “...Garroth?” 

Garroth crossed his arms; Gabby didn’t have to work very hard to picture the serious expression under his helm. “Aphmau… Go ask Zane. I don’t know what he’s up to…but he just didn’t look right.” He scoffed. “Not that he ever does.” 

Aphmau frowned, giving him a firm nod. “Alright.” Then she hurried out of the barn after the High Priest. 

“Not that sending her after him alone is exactly what I want to do either,” Garroth mumbled. 

Gabby quickly scooped the last bit of cake into her mouth before she lost her appetite. “I’m sure he wouldn’t try anything, not with the Lord, whether she was alone or not.” 

“I know. I’m just…uneasy.” 

“I can tell.” Gabby let out a soft chuckle, glancing over at him. “I can feel it.” 

Her brother just sighed, staring out of the barn. He was craning his neck, like he was trying to see Zane and Aphmau but couldn’t. Gabby frowned. “I’m going to go check on Alexis; make sure that Zane didn’t actually give her something harmful.”

Garroth nodded, still staring outside. “Sounds good. Try not to make Dale and Molly suspicious. I’ll stay here, so I can be close to Lord Aphmau if she needs anything.” 

Gabby set her plate on the table holding the dirty dishes as she walked past, making her way to the middle of the barn where Alexis sat on the floor, playing with her new toys. Despite the serious shift in tone from Zane’s arrival, Gabby couldn’t help but grin watching the baby shake her little spider plush that was probably around the size of her head. Alexis met her eyes, mumbling something unintelligible before looking back at the plushie she was not-so-delicately grasping. 

“You’re the High Priest’s sister?” Gabby quickly turned to the unexpected voice, making eye contact with the blonde woman she’d seen monitoring Alexis the whole party. 

“Yes, Gabriella Ro’Meave.” Gabby ducked her head quickly, mimicking a brief curtsey. “Apologies, I never had the opportunity to introduce myself to you sooner.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Molly.” Molly grinned, shaking Gabby’s hand. “I noticed you speaking with my husband earlier.”

Gabby nodded. “Dale was lovely.” She straightened her dress, glancing over at the baby on the floor. “Although I did come here hoping to meet Alexis.” 

“Of course!” Molly quickly picked up the baby, holding her at eye level with Gabby. “Alexis, this is Gabriella.”

The baby mindlessly sucked on her hand, her purple eyes staring blankly at the Ro’Meave. Gabby noticed a glint of something metal around her neck. “Is…that what Zane gave her?” 

“Yes, it’s a beautiful necklace.” Shifting Alexis against her hip, Molly held out the necklace so Gabby could see it. It had a golden chain, with a turquoise gemstone hanging on the end. For it having come straight from O’khasis, Gabby had never seen it before. “I was worried the chain would be too harsh on her, but it’s actually quite soft. We just have to watch her whenever she wears it.” 

“Well, I’m glad you appreciate the gift.” Gabby gave her a small smile. “Though… I can’t say I recognize it. Zane didn’t tell me anything about it.” 

“I’m sure it’s priceless, coming directly from the High Priest of O’khasis.” Molly beamed, gently setting Alexis back on the floor so she could continue playing. 

Gabby nodded, although she was distracted by a new figure appearing in the corner of her vision. She glanced over and saw a familiar young woman with orange hair and a light green dress speaking with Garroth briefly before stepping further into the barn. That was Cadenza, right? She excused herself from Molly and approached Cadenza, who seemed to recognize her quickly.

“Gabby!” Cadenza’s pale blue eyes lit up when she saw her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here.”

“I could say the same about you.” Gabby hesitated, glancing around to try and find the person she thought would be with her. “...I thought you were helping prepare Laurance for the party.”

“Oh, I was.” Cadenza gestured outside the barn. “He’s talking with Aphmau right now.” 

Gabby looked to where she pointed, noticing Aphmau standing at the crossroads in the center of Phoenix Drop, talking with someone she…couldn’t recognize. Was that Laurance? He wore a blue jacket layered over a white shirt and seemed to have brown hair, as opposed to the orange hair she had gotten used to seeing on him. Cadenza must have been serious when she claimed no one could recognize him. 

Gabby watched their conversation from the barn, curious about the mysterious blind man from Meteli she was just beginning to get to know. But what seemed to be a casual conversation between him and the Lord of Phoenix Drop quickly turned cold as Gabby noticed an all-too familiar figure approach the pair.

…Zane. With both of his O’khasis guards who had been accompanying him since they got to Phoenix Drop. The conversation seemed to morph into a form of confrontation, and Gabby felt her blood run cold. She shivered as her hands began to go numb, looking desperately over to Garroth. Her twin was already leaving the barn, quickly making his way to where their younger brother was addressing Aphmau and Laurance. 

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Cadenza murmured. 

Gabby frowned, clasping her hands together. “...Me too.” She felt horribly anxious and couldn’t even tell if it was her anxiety or Garroth’s. What did Zane want to do with Aphmau and Laurance? What was he up to? Did he know Laurance was…he was a Shadow Knight, right? How would Zane know that? “Excuse me, Cadenza.” She quickly dipped her head towards Cadenza before making her way out of the barn, towards the group on the streets of Phoenix Drop.

Chapter Text

As she left the barn, Gabby craned her neck, trying to figure out what was happening between her family and the Phoenix Drop residents she’d just recently met. Zane’s guards looked like they were close to laying their hands on Aphmau, like the only thing keeping them from doing so was Garroth standing in the way. But as Gabby got closer, Laurance stepped forward, and Gabby noticed he was holding Aphmau’s hand tightly. 

She felt a flash of shock run through her body; what was going on? Garroth backed away to give Laurance room. If Gabby hadn’t known Laurance was blind, she would have assumed he was staring directly into Zane’s eyes, as if challenging the High Priest himself. 

Whatever was happening, Gabby didn’t make it in time to figure out what Zane was up to. As she was about to reach her brothers, Zane said something about…attending Aphmau’s wedding? Then he took his leave, coldly walking past Aphmau back towards the house he’d commandeered for himself. His guards followed. 

As soon as they were gone, Laurance began to speak. He quickly dropped Aphmau’s hand. “I-I’m so sorry.” 

Gabby watched quietly, not wanting to interrupt. The anxiety was fading from her stomach. “...No.” Garroth shook his head. “You saved her life again. Laurance, thank you.” 

“Y-Yeah, I think you did.” Aphmau awkwardly rubbed her arm, but that didn’t cover up how her voice was shaking. “I’m….kind of thankful to you.” 

“No, I’m sorry,” Laurance said firmly. “When I heard him talk to Aphmau like that, I just…” He shook his head, letting out a small scoff. “I can’t see him. I didn’t know what else to do.” 

“....What exactly happened?” Gabby asked, looking over at her twin brother for help. 

“Zane.” Gabby could hear Garroth’s scowl underneath his helmet. “He tried to arrest Lord Aphmau for getting involved in my engagement to the daughter of the Lord of Scaleswind.” 

“I-I was really just trying to help, Garroth.” Aphmau’s voice shook, though not as strongly as before. “I asked him the…the hypothetical question, like you said, but I didn’t-”

“No, Zane’s smart.” Garroth sighed. “He knew exactly why you were asking a seemingly innocent question. I’m sorry I put you up to that in the first place.” 

“I’ve heard great things about the High Priest Zane,” Laurance mumbled. “I just never imagined him to be…like that.” 

Gabby snorted. Truer words and all that. 

“Laurance, you did what any good guard would do.” Garroth looked back to him. “You protected her. Again, I’m grateful to you.” 

“I hope you know, Garroth…” Laurance awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Gabby noticed that his hair seemed shorter now, the newly brown hair only reaching the nape of his neck. “I’m not planning on actually marrying Lord Aphmau. I just used it as a ruse to get Zane out of her face.” 

Garroth sighed. “I know. I just…wish Zane would disappear.” He scoffed. “I had kind of hoped he’d try to lay a hand on her- or anyone in the village.” Gabby noticed his grip tighten around the hilt of his sword, and she felt a familiar anger begin bubbling in her chest. “I would have…” 

Gabby gently laid her hand on his shoulder. “But you know what would happen,” she said softly. 

“Didn’t you hear about what happened to the Neapolitan villages a few months back?” Laurance crossed his arms. “Their Lord was killed simply for talking back to O’khasis. She was replaced by a glutton who does nothing but sit on his throne and do everything he’s told. That can’t happen here, Garroth. Phoenix Drop is blossoming more than any other village I’ve seen.” 

Gabby nodded, briefly forgetting Laurance couldn’t see that. “He’s right. O’khasis wouldn’t hesitate to launch a war here if they felt antagonized enough.” She glanced apologetically over at Aphmau. “I’m sure they’d love to get another village into their alliance…through whatever means necessary.” 

“I appreciate your concern.” Garroth looked from Gabby to Laurance. “Both of you. But… I don’t think we should think about this anymore.” He inhaled deeply. “We’ll figure it out in the morning. Right now, let’s just enjoy the party for what it is. I ask of all of you not to bring this to anyone in the village. They don’t need to know Zane’s true colors just yet… It could cause them to act on foolish ideas.” 

“I completely understand, Garroth.” A grin overtook Laurance’s face. “Let’s go have fun!” He shifted his gaze generally to where Aphmau was standing…though he was a little off. “Right, my smoopsy~poo Aphmoo?” His voice was so lathered in cheese that Gabby didn’t even bother trying to keep herself from rolling her eyes.

Aphmau bristled, but the laughter on her face betrayed her light-hearted attitude. “Don’t you ever call me that again.” 

Garroth laughed. “You play a good actor.” 

“Don’t you dare support him!” Aphmau almost shrieked. Despite her tan skin and the only light outside being the moon, Gabby could still see her cheeks glowing bright red. “I don’t wanna go through with this! I didn’t even get a say in this at all!” 

Laurance had been chuckling under his breath, but his laughter became louder as Aphmau panicked. “That’s what she gets for trying to make me believe my hair was blue.” 

Aphmau poked him. “Well, now you deserve it. Now I’m actually going to get Cadenza to dye your hair blue. I think that’s the best option.” She glanced over towards the twins. “What do you two think?” 

She heard her brother’s grin underneath his helmet. “It is!” 

Gabby giggled. “I might have to agree.” 

“What?!” Laurance huffed, running his hand through his- notably brown, not blue- hair. “You guys are jerks.” 

Aphmau shook her head, the grin not leaving her face. “C’mon, guys, let’s just go enjoy the party for what it is tonight. Let’s forget about Zane.” She took charge in walking back towards the barn, and Garroth began to follow her. 

Gabby hesitated, looking to Laurance. “Do you need help?” 

“That…would be great, actually.” Laurance paused. “I heard you show up earlier, but you haven’t said much. I recognize your voice… Gabby, right? Garroth and Zane’s sister?” 

“The one and only. Sorry I didn’t say anything, but… I was worried about what Zane was up to.” 

“Yeah, well…” Laurance sighed. “I don’t wanna let that ruin our night. I just need some guidance to where the party is. Aphmau agreed to hold my hand to guide me, but… I guess she forgot.” 

“I could do that, as long as you don’t mind.” 

“You…really?” 

“Sure.” Gabby shrugged. “I don’t mind.” She stepped closer to him, grabbing his hand. “We may not know each other that well, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help you.” 

She started walking, Laurance following behind her. “I guess you and Garroth are one of the reasons why I expected Zane to be more…pleasant.” 

Gabby snorted. “Sorry to disappoint you. Garroth doesn’t associate with our family anymore for a reason.” 

“What about you? You just came from O’khasis with Zane, I presume.” 

“I…didn’t want to leave our mother. She would have been trapped at home with Father and Zane, and I couldn’t do that to her.” 

“...I see.” 

The pair reached the barn. “We’re here.” Gabby let go of his hand. 

At the same time, Cadenza noticed them and waved at them, hurrying over to the barn entrance. “ There you are! I was wondering what was taking you so long!” 

“Cadenza.” Laurance grinned. “How’s the party so far?” 

“It’s so fun! Everyone in this village is wonderful- oh, and the cakes are delicious!” 

Gabby nodded in agreement. “They really are.” 

“Oh, Cadenza, have you met Gabby yet?” Laurance asked. 

“Yes, we met a couple days ago. Not long after Daddy helped me move into Phoenix Drop, like I was telling you earlier. I’m surprised you know each other though.” 

“She visited me in Aphmau’s house while I was recovering.” Laurance grinned, and he managed to turn his grin in Gabby’s general direction. “We’ve gotten to know each other a bit.” 

Cadenza hesitated. “Will you be staying in Phoenix Drop, Gabby? I heard Zane was planning on leaving soon.” 

“I…would like to stay.” Gabby awkwardly bounced on her feet. “But…things are a bit up in the air right now.” Zane was still planning on returning to O’khasis with Garroth, and although she did love the quiet and calm nature of Phoenix Drop, she was going to stick with her twin first and foremost. 

“I understand. I do hope you’re able to, though. I’m so glad Daddy agreed to let me stay here and get out of Meteli.” Cadenza looked to Laurance. “What about you, Laurance? Will you be returning to Meteli?”

Laurance sighed. “Cadenza… I told you a bit about what happened. Do you really think I should return to Meteli in this state?” 

“Well…” Cadenza hesitated. “I’m…sure Daddy and Kenmur would understand.”

Laurance shook his head. “Even if they did, I don’t want to burden them. I’ll stay here in Phoenix Drop, at least for now. With you and…and Aphmau.” 

Gabby stood there quietly, suddenly feeling like she shouldn’t be part of the conversation. She had forgotten that Laurance was in love with Aphmau; it hadn’t ever come up when she spoke with Laurance. He must have seen the same qualities in her that Garroth saw. And Garroth knew that Laurance had feelings for Aphmau; did Laurance know the same of Garroth? 

Cadenza shook her head. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. Enough of this serious conversation; we’re here to enjoy a party! Come on inside, I want to introduce you to everyone!” 

Gabby grinned, watching Cadenza grab his hand. “I’ll…leave you two to it.”

Both Cadenza and Laurance looked back at Gabby. “You don’t want to stick with us?” Laurance asked, surprised. 

“Oh, well, I thought-” Gabby hesitated. “I didn’t think you’d want me to stay.”

“Nonsense!” Cadenza insisted. “You’re welcome to stay with us as long as we’re here. Right, Laurance?” 

Laurance flashed another wide grin. Gabby was beginning to think it was his signature grin: mischievous, fun-loving, charismatic… “Of course. But only if you’re interested in staying with us.”

Gabby smiled back at them. “Well… Alright, then.”

“Yay!” Cadenza dropped Laurance’s hand and clapped her own together. “Now let’s enjoy this party!”

Chapter Text

Gabby woke up to a splitting headache. Normally, she wouldn’t have been surprised to wake up with a headache after a party the night before; wine was customary at O’khasis events, and she couldn’t hold her alcohol very well. But she hadn’t had anything to drink at the baby shower. She wasn’t even sure if alcohol was an option there; she hadn’t checked. 

And this felt different. It felt like magicks trying to force its way into her mind: dark magicks, unwelcome magicks. She felt a heavy pit of anxiety well in her stomach, making her nauseous. Something was wrong, really horribly wrong. 

The sense of dread that overwhelmed her managed to overpower the horrible pain pulsing in her head. Gabriella pulled herself out of bed. She gathered just enough energy to put her flats on, but she didn’t even have enough strength to pull her hair out of its ponytail, much less change out of her nightgown and into a more publicly suitable dress. 

She stumbled up the stairs and outside. She had to find Garroth. Maybe he’d know what’s going on. Or maybe she could even find another magicks user, maybe they were experiencing something similar. Maybe a magicks user who had more understanding about how their world worked. 

When she made it out onto the street, she was surprised to see that it was still dark outside. Whatever sleep she had gotten, it wasn’t much. She shivered, hugging her arms to her chest, but it wasn’t cold outside. There was some sort of dark presence in Phoenix Drop. 

A flash of pink caught Gabby’s eye. KC hurried up the path from her house, Brendan following at her side. The meif’wa’s orange-pink eyes were wide with panic as she pushed past Gabby and slammed on the iron door to the guard station. “Sir Garroth!” her high-pitched voice almost shrieked. If Gabby’s head didn’t hurt already, it definitely would have after that. “Garroth please wake up!” 

“KC, what’s wrong?” Brendan begged. “You haven’t told me anything.” 

Gabby shivered as she felt another wave of dark magicks sweep over her. “S-Something’s wrong,” she managed to whisper. 

KC whirled to Gabby. “You can feel it too?” 

Gabby nodded. “I have magicks. I can feel it.” She shook her head quickly. “I’ve never felt something like it before.” 

KC turned back to the door. “Please wake up!” she begged. “Please Sir Garroth please!” 

Finally, Gabby noticed her brother hurrying down the stairs through the small gap in the door. He opened the door, his hand immediately on his sword. “What’s wrong?” 

“C-Can you not sense it?” KC shook her head quickly, like she was trying to shake the presence away. “I-It’s so terrible, s-something’s…wrong…” Her legs collapsed beneath her, and KC fell to the stone pavement. 

“KC!” Brendan gasped, quickly grabbing her and lifting her up. Her legs looked like they had become gelatin; she could barely stand, even with Brendan trying to support her. 

“W-We have to go to see Lord Aphmau,” KC managed to choke out. “She must be able to help!” 

“Gabby?” Garroth turned to look at his twin, but Gabby’s head hurt too badly to meet his gaze- or what she assumed was his gaze through his helmet. She pressed her hands against her head, trying to block out the dark magicks to little avail. She shook her head desperately, unable to muster the strength to speak anymore as the pounding in her head grew stronger. She began to see black spots and closed her eyes quickly. She wanted to focus on her breathing to calm the nausea in her stomach and the stabbing pain in her skull, but she couldn’t focus on anything. Not with this. 

“...Alright, let’s go.” Gabby felt Garroth gently put his hand under Gabby’s arm to support her. “Brendan, can you help KC? There’s no way she’ll be able to make it up the stairs to Lord Aphmau’s house in her state.” 

“R-Right.” Gabby briefly flickered her eyes open to see Brendan pick up KC into a bridal lift, but the lantern light on the street was too bright, so she quickly closed them again. 

The journey across Phoenix Drop and up the stairs to Aphmau’s house was long and painful- although the pain was going to exist whether Gabby made that walk or just laid in bed- but they made it eventually. It felt like an hour, though it must have been closer to fifteen minutes with Garroth and Brendan practically dragging the two girls along. 

Once they made it up the hill, Gabby leaned against Aphmau’s newly constructed purple and white wall. She rubbed her temples, finally managing to keep her eyes open again. She noticed KC fall to her knees on the grass and press her hands to her head. Brendan worriedly stared at her, holding his hands out like he wanted to help but wasn’t sure how. Garroth bent down next to her, and KC started shouting. “P-Please you have to do something Sir Garroth!! Phoenix Drop is in trouble I can tell!” 

“I-I understand.” Garroth stood up straight, looking towards the front door. “It looks like Lady Aphmau is awake. Hopefully she’ll be outside in a minute.”

Suddenly able to concentrate on things other than the pain, a thought hit Gabby. Laurance was here. She didn’t know if he had magicks, but… If he was a Shadow Knight, surely he had some form of mystical abilities. Was he sensing this? Was he okay? 

Aphmau came outside, her eyes widening as she saw the group of four outside of her doors. “What’s going on?! Why’s everyone out right now?!” 

“Aphmau!” Garroth turned from KC to look at the Lord. “Can you get KC to calm down? I don’t understand a word she’s saying.” 

Aphmau gave Garroth a solemn nod and bent down to the ground to speak with the meif’wa, who was still on her knees with her hands shielding her head. While they spoke, Garroth approached Gabby. “How are you feeling?” 

“I-I…” Gabby shook her head helplessly. “There’s something bad, Garroth. Something i-in my head that won’t leave me alone.” She shuddered. “I’ve never felt something like this before.” 

“It must be your magicks,” Garroth murmured. “Because I don’t feel anything.” He glanced to Aphmau, who was saying something to KC. “And Lady Aphmau doesn’t seem to be undergoing the same pain either.” 

“I-I think so.” She managed to nod, glancing at Aphmau’s front doors. “Laurance…is here, right? I want to check on him.” 

“....Alright. I’ll be here keeping an eye on KC.” 

Gabby broke away from Garroth and slowly stepped into Aphmau’s home. The first thing she noticed was that the floor was so bright, Gabby immediately had to close her eyes again- her mystically induced headache did not help. 

The second thing she noticed was a masculine voice that was starting to become familiar. “…Aphmau?”

Gabby flickered her eyes open again and saw Laurance; she had expected him to be in the basement, but here he was, one hand pressed against the wall on his left as he stared cautiously in the direction of the front door. “It’s Gabby.”

“Gabby.” He relaxed. “You sense it too, don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah.” She managed a weak laugh. “Although my magicks aren’t very strong. It just….feels like the w-worst headache I’ve ever had.” 

“Why are you here?” Laurance tensed up again. “Is Aphmau okay?” 

“Everyone’s fine,” Gabby said quickly. …Everyone she’d seen so far, at least. “I-I just….could tell this was some type of dark magicks, and I… I was worried about you.” 

“About…me?” He frowned. 

“I-” Gabby hesitated, suddenly realizing the position she just put herself in. She knew that Laurance was a Shadow Knight, but… They hadn’t talked about that. He didn’t want to talk about it. “Well…” 

“Ah.” She saw a flash of realization cross his face. “....You were worried I was going to turn, right?” 

“N-No, I-” Gabby sighed. “I guess…a little.” She shook her head quickly. “I just don’t know anything about Shadow Knights, I was just as worried maybe you were in danger.” 

“...Right.” She was worried she had upset him, but if she had, he didn’t let it show. Laurance let out a small scoff, but he sounded more sad than angry. “I almost forgot you knew that about me. Most people here don’t.” 

Gabby winced in pain as she felt another wave of dark magicks wash over her. “I don’t know what that is,” Laurance said firmly. “But I don’t like it.”

She heard the door behind her open, fighting the pain in her head as she looked to see who it was. It was Garroth, his helmet masking his expression, like always. “Lady Aphmau’s investigating now.” 

“A-And how’s KC?” Gabby tried to glance past her brother’s shoulder to see a glimpse of the Meif’wa outside, but to no avail. 

“She seems…stable,” Garroth said reluctantly. “She hasn’t moved from the grass, but she’s calmed down. I believe talking to Lord Aphmau helped her.” 

“I see-” Gabby cut off quickly and closed her eyes, feeling another wave of magicks that triggered a sensation like nausea. 

“You can’t sense anything, can you, Garroth?” she heard Laurance ask. 

“No. Gabby is a magicks user, but I am not… Are you alright, Gabby?” 

“F…Functional.” Gabby loosened her ponytail, releasing a slight bit of tension that did very little against the presence haunting her mind. 

“...Aphmau isn’t a magicks user either, is she?” Laurance asked softly. 

Garroth hesitated. “...No.” 

Gabby flickered her eyes open to see Laurance, standing across from her, shaking his head. “She may not be prepared for whatever this is, Garroth. We should find her and help her.” 

Garroth paused thoughtfully. “You’re right,” he said after a moment. “Gabby, do you feel capable of joining me?” 

“Y-Yeah.” Gabby nodded weakly, putting her headband back on. “I want to go with you.” 

“What about me?” Laurance protested. 

“Laurance, I recognize that you’re a valiant warrior,” Garroth said firmly. “But your loss of vision has severely debilitated you. You cannot hold your own in a fight the way you could a few weeks ago.” 

“....You’re right, I just… Damn it!” Laurance scowled, angrily shaking his head. “I hate that I can’t do anything.” 

 “Through no fault of your own.” Garroth hesitated. “If you stay here, you can help protect Levin alongside Zoey. I’m sure Lord Aphmau would prefer that.” 

“...Right.” Laurance’s clouded eyes stared at the ground. “I’ll be here, then. Good luck.” 

“You as well.” Gabby felt the cold metal of Garroth’s gauntlet wrap around her hand, and glanced to meet his eyes, only to see his helmet instead. “Ready to go? You can stay here if you don’t feel up to it.” 

“N-No, I can go.” Gabby shook her head, trying to push back the pain in it. “I want to help.” 

“Stay close, then.” 

(....)

As Gabby followed Garroth through the streets of Phoenix Drop, she felt the pain of the dark magicks beginning to fade, although it may have just been due to the night air. “Your walking is stronger again,” Garroth noticed. 

“I…feel a bit better.” Gabby rubbed her temple. “I still feel it, b-but it feels like it’s faded.” 

“That’s a good thing, right? If it’s faded, that must mean whatever was causing it is gone.” 

“Hopefully.” She clasped her hands together as they walked. If the threat had passed, either it meant the threat no longer existed, or…. 

A sharp flash of panic hit her, causing her to gasp at what felt like a shock to her heart exactly. She froze in her steps and worriedly glanced over at her twin brother to see if he was the source. Garroth didn’t even say anything, he just ran up the stairs of the path to where the guard with blue armor- Brian?- was slamming the handle of his sword against the outside of a house. 

As Gabby got closer, she noticed a strange black and purple substance that coated the house’s walls, as if infecting the stone. The substance shimmered in the lantern light, and as Gabby approached, she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her stomach while staring at it. Whatever this was…it reminded her of when she had seen Laurance rescued from the Nether dimension only days prior. That wyvern, curled around his unconscious body, its scales distorted by a black and purple substance, slowly consuming it until it eventually faded into dust. 

“Brian!” Her twin brother’s voice snapped Gabby back to the present. “What in Irene’s name is happening?!” 

“I-I don’t know!” Gabby didn’t know the young guard well, but even she could hear the abnormal amount of panic in his voice. “Alexis got swallowed by this stuff a-and none of us can get her out!” 

“Alexis is in danger?!” Gabby watched helplessly as Garroth swung open the door to the house, about to go inside, when she saw movement down the path to her left, the path that led to the plaza, out of the corner of her eye. 

She whirled to face the movement, only to see Aphmau standing on the very edge of the staircase to the plaza, her eyes wide in shock as she gripped a sword tightly in her hand. “Gabby! Garroth!” she yelled. 

Almost immediately, Garroth dropped the doorknob and backed away from the house back to where Gabby stood. “Aphmau! Alexis-” 

Aphmau shook her head. “I-I need your help in the plaza, now!” 

“But Alexis-”

“Garroth, she’s here!” 

Not even waiting for Garroth to process what the Lord just said, Gabby hiked up her nightgown and rushed down the path towards where Aphmau was standing. Running was a mistake, and she felt the headache she’d been fighting all night coming back, paired with a dizziness that almost made her feel like she’d collapse. As she reached the plaza, however, Gabby was distracted from her pain by the sight that greeted her. 

The cobblestone plaza that she’d gotten slightly accustomed to no longer looked like it was comprised of cobblestone at all. It was completely coated with the same black and purple substance, so thickly covered that she couldn’t see the stone underneath it anymore. Although the entire floor of the plaza was covered, her gaze was drawn to the middle, where the substance had grown into a cave-like formation, with one ominous altar sitting under the roof of the infected cave. Just staring at the plaza, or whatever was left of it, Gabby felt her blood run cold. Whatever this was…. She swore she could see it pulsing, as if it were breathing. 

“Gabby!” Aphmau’s voice brought her back to the present. She forced herself to look away from the plaza and towards the Lord and realized with a start that Aphmau wasn’t the only person there. At the bottom of the stairs into the plaza laid a young blonde woman Gabby didn’t recognize. She was covered from head to toe in what looked like a suit of armor…red and black and…wrong. Armor Gabby had seen before, though she couldn’t remember where. Another blonde woman, whom Gabby did recognize as Molly, was kneeled at the young woman’s side, holding her hand tightly and sobbing. 

“Aphmau.” Garroth’s voice was firm as he appeared beside Gabriella. “What happened? Where’s Alexis?” 

Aphmau glanced around the plaza one more time- Gabby noticed her gaze lingering on the altar- before sheathing her sword at her side. “...You’re looking at her.” 

“B-But that’s a fully grown woman,” Gabby protested. 

“I know.” The Lord’s amber eyes were wide as she turned to stare blankly at the unconscious woman. “But it’s Alexis.” 

“W-W-Wh- B-B-But…” Garroth shook his head, pausing for a moment to get the words out. “B-But how?” 

“I-I’m not sure, I got here, and Zane was here, and he had Alexis, and then he did something to Alexis, and now-” Aphmau broke off, gesturing lamely at her lying on the ground. 

“I-” Garroth inhaled deeply. “I believe you. There’s no time to explain more right now. We have to get her to safety and then find Zane.” He turned to Gabby. “Can you help carry Alexis?” 

“I-I can try.” She nodded. 

“We’ll take her to my house,” Aphmau said firmly. “There’s plenty of space and then I can keep an eye on her.”

“I-I-I can help too.” Molly, who had been crying, stood up, albeit a bit shakily. “A-Anything for my baby girl.” 

“...Alright, if you’re sure. Let’s go.” 

Chapter Text

Despite Aphmau claiming she had plenty of space for the unconscious woman…girl…baby?...in her house, she realized that she had no spare beds for Alexis to rest in while they hunted down Zane. Zoey, who apparently lived in Aphmau’s basement, offered up her bed for Alexis, insisting she’d “find somewhere else to sleep” when Aphmau inevitably protested. Gabby worked with Garroth, Aphmau, and Molly to bring Alexis all the way from the plaza to the basement, but Molly wasn’t that much help because of her understandable shock from the situation. Gabby wasn’t in a great condition to be much help either, still recovering from the constant pain she’d been struggling with since being woken up, so the group’s work mostly consisted of Aphmau and Garroth carrying Alexis while Molly and Gabby…tried. 

Everyone was mostly quiet bringing Alexis to the house, but once Alexis was set up in Zoey’s bed and Zoey was taking care of her with Molly right beside her, Aphmau turned to face Gabriella and Garroth. Gabby realized with a start that Aphmau’s amber eyes, which she had been used to seeing full of warmth and excitement, were cold. “We have to find Zane,” she said with a scowl. “Now.” 

Garroth nodded. “He escaped from the plaza so quickly; I’m sure he must be in the farmhouse that he commandeered.” 

“We’re going after him.” Aphmau began to storm out of the room, and the twins followed her. “I’m going to get TNT. You get Brian and we’ll meet outside the house.” 

“Understood.” As Aphmau made her way to her storage space, Garroth turned to Gabby. “You should stay here; I can tell you’re still in pain.”

“The dark magicks that caused that are gone now,” Gabby protested. “I’m starting to feel better, really. It’s fading. I want to be there when you face Zane.” 

“I understand, but…” Garroth sighed. “You’re still vulnerable, Gabby. Zane could take advantage of that. You should stay here until we get back.” He glanced over Gabby’s shoulder to the wall behind her. “Maybe check and see if Laurance is recovering as well.” 

“I-”

“I don’t have time to argue,” he said firmly. “You stay here. Help watch Alexis and Laurance. We’ll be back.” 

Before Gabby could protest, her brother turned away and began making his way upstairs, leaving Gabby standing alone in the middle of the floor. She hugged her arms to her chest, turning around to face the wall and the two doors embedded in it. Through one door, she could see the room she was just in, with the little…big girl lying unconscious on the bed. Was that really Alexis, the baby that had only just been born recently? It just didn’t make any sense. Even with her extensive O’khasian education, she had never heard of any form of magicks that could age a baby into an adult overnight. So how had Zane done that? Had he? 

She shook her head in an attempt to clear the thoughts from her mind- really, all she did was bring the headache back and flinched in pain. Maybe it was a good idea for her to check on Laurance again after all. 

Gabby knocked on the door to his room, to the right of Zoey’s room. “You can come in,” the familiar voice on the other side of the door said. As Gabby began to creak the door open, Laurance kept talking. “Who is it?” 

“It’s Gabby.” She stepped into his room, quietly closing the door behind her. 

“Gabby.” Laurance wore a serious expression on his face. “What happened with Alexis?” 

She blinked in surprise. “How did you know something happened with Alexis?” 

“I kept hearing people say her name.” He nodded to his right, towards Zoey’s room. “You brought her into Zoey’s room, right?” 

“....Yeah.” Gabby brushed out her nightgown and sat in the chair across the room from his bed. “I’m…not quite sure what happened. Only Aphmau saw.” Laurance didn’t say anything, clearly waiting for her to give more information. She shifted awkwardly in the chair. He seemed to like her, and he seemed to dislike Zane already, but she still worried about admitting just how bad her little brother was. “Z-Zane did something to her. There’s this….black and purple stuff all over Phoenix Drop, and the worst of it is in the plaza. Aphmau found Zane there with Alexis, a-and… It doesn’t seem like she’s a baby any more…. Now she seems like a…a grown woman. She’s been unconscious since we found her.” 

“....I see.” Laurance kept quiet. Gabby worriedly held her breath. He seemed tense, tenser than she’d seen him so far. “Is she hurt?” 

“I’m not sure,” she said softly. “Not superficially. But we might not know until she wakes up.” 

“Is anyone else hurt?” 

“I don’t think so, no.” 

“And Aphmau is okay?” 

Gabby nodded- though she regretted it when the pain in her head she thought was gone came back. “Just shaken. She and Garroth are looking for Zane to confront him now. They told me to stay behind.” 

“I think it was a good call; you seemed pretty shaken by the magicks.” Laurance, who had been staring in her general direction, tilted his head. “How are you feeling now?” 

“I-I’m okay. My head still kind of hurts, but… Nothing some rest won’t heal.” She shifted in her chair again, her gaze turning to the floor. “I just want to know Zane’s taken care of first. I…can’t help but feel responsible.” 

She glanced at Laurance to see his head turned to his lap. “Not that I am responsible,” she felt the need to clarify in his silence. “Despite us both being Ro’Meaves and both coming from O’khasis… I can’t say I have any idea what he’s done or how he’s done it.” 

Laurance kept quiet. Feeling hesitant to both stay and leave, Gabby waited awkwardly on her chair to see if he’d ever say anything else. He did, eventually. “...Something’s still wrong. You can’t feel it, can you?” 

“N-No, nothing.” Gabby frowned. Was he still detecting a presence? “Should I be able to?” 

“No.” Laurance shook his head. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.” 

“...Alright.” She waited another moment before standing up. “I’m going to find Garroth.” Laurance didn’t say anything else as she exited the room. 

(....)

Gabriella didn’t have to wander very far from Aphmau’s house to find him. She found Garroth- and Brian- in the house at the base of the hill, the one that she could see from inside Aphmau’s basement, the one that Zane had taken over a couple days prior. Where there once was a door in the wall, now there was just a crater- that TNT Aphmau had grabbed must have gotten some use. The two guards were crouched over something in the back of the house. 

As Gabby approached, she realized that something was a giant mass of the same purple and black substance that had spread over the rest of town. Just like the rest of it, this pile almost seemed to be moving, but she could only see that when she let herself stare at it for too long. 

She forced herself to look away from the strange mass, only to notice something that she should have noticed much sooner- two human skeletons collapsed on the floor to her left. Instinctively, she yelped, covering her hands to her mouth. 

Garroth and Brian whirled to face her. Forcing herself not to look at the skeletons, forcing herself to not think about how they were living people once, Gabby managed to stammer, “W-What happened here…?” 

“We’re not sure,” Garroth admitted. “It’s what we’re trying to figure out. Brian determined that the skeletons are…old. Whoever they belonged to, they’ve…been dead for quite some time.” He kicked at the mass of black and purple stuff on the ground under his feet. “This is the bigger mystery right now.” 

“It’s the same stuff all over the rest of Phoenix Drop,” Gabby murmured. 

“Indeed.” Garroth sighed. “Though there’s more to the story than even that. I left the house briefly, to try and find Zane, and…Lord Aphmau told me that she had managed to somehow…climb through this matter into another…another room, another land, another world, I’m not sure.” He kicked the floor again to make a point. “But there’s nothing there anymore. She tried to show me, and it was gone.” 

“W-Wait…” Brian, who had been standing quietly to the right of the mass, spoke up. “Sir Garroth, you had told me that Lady Gabr… Gabby is a magicks user, right? Maybe she could prove helpful.”

“Did I mention that…?” Garroth tilted his head at Brian curiously. But before the young guard in the blue armor could respond, Garroth shook his head. “No matter. You’re right. Gabby, come on over here. It…should be safe.” 

Gabby approached cautiously, but as she got nearer to the pulsing substance, she felt a chill run down her spine and an uncomfortable headache that she’d gotten unfortunately familiar with that night return. When she was next to Garroth, she shivered involuntarily. “W-Wow.” 

“So you feel it, then.” 

“I-It’s really strong, yeah.” Gabby managed to force a nod. “I…fully believe Aphmau found something here.” Hesitantly, she knelt to the ground, reaching out with shaky hands to touch the strange substance. It…barely felt like anything. It was just…the feeling of a cold stone floor underneath her hand, like nothing abnormal was there at all. Confusedly, Gabby patted the rest of the area the substance covered, only to the same effect. 

“Any luck?” she heard her brother ask eventually. 

Gabby sat back on her knees, clasping her hands in her lap, and shook her head. “There’s nothing there. Just…nothing.” 

Garroth sighed. “I was afraid of that.” 

She brushed her hands off on her nightgown- hopefully that substance infecting the ground wouldn’t wind up infecting her- before getting back to her feet. Still shaky from the intense magickal presence, she almost fell into Garroth, but she saved herself before he had to catch her. “W-What about Zane?” 

“I don’t know. I didn’t have any luck searching around town for him. He’s just…vanished.” Garroth scoffed. “All that time hoping he would just leave, only for him to leave in this circumstance.” 

“I-I wish I knew anything to help, but….” Gabby broke off, feeling a wave of dizziness rush over her. She began to lose balance while standing still, almost falling into her twin brother again. Garroth grasped her shoulders to help steady her. “T-Thanks.” 

“I think you’ve been through enough tonight,” he said firmly. “You need to rest.” 

“B-But I’m-” 

Garroth shook his head. “You’re not fine. Don’t even begin to say that. You’ve been shaken since the night began because of your magicks. Lord Aphmau doesn’t even have magicks, and I made her go back to her house to rest for what’s left of the night already. You need to do the same.” 

“But Zane-”

“Hunting down Zane will be easier tomorrow. Once we’re rested and rejuvenated. It’s been a long night, Gabby.” He nodded towards her. “You’ve even been running around in your nightgown this whole time.”

She didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. Standing over the purple and black substance, where this strange presence she was feeling was so strong, was beginning to really drain her. She had already felt dizzy, but Garroth was beginning to double in her vision at this point. “....O-Okay. I’ll go try and get some sleep.” 

“Thank you.” Garroth’s voice softened. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

Gabby wasn’t sure what time she eventually opened her eyes the next day, but the only thing that woke her up was the uncomfortable heat that only came in the afternoon. When she eventually crawled out of bed and changed into her traditional teal dress, she made her way upstairs to see that the sun was already so high in the sky that it was getting close to setting. 

Poking her head further out of the window, her heart sank as she saw the weird black and purple substance glittering in the sunlight off of Dale and Molly’s house, her next-door neighbors in her current home. She wasn’t really sure what she had expected, honestly- that last night had just been a dream? That the weird infection would have disappeared overnight? 

She noticed a familiar armor glint coming up the path towards the houses. It was Garroth, clad as always in his old O’khasis training uniform, his helmet covering any glimpse of his head or face underneath. It looked like he was carrying….something. Gabby looked closer and realized it must have been a pile of wooden planks. 

As he set the planks onto the ground in front of Dale and Molly’s front door, Gabby pulled herself away from the windowsill and left the house to investigate what her twin was doing. “Garroth?” 

“Gabby.” He glanced over at her before turning back to the door. “How are you feeling?” 

“Pretty normal, all things considered.” She paused for a moment, watching Garroth pick up one of the wooden planks and lean it across the door. “Are you…barricading their house?”

“Lord Aphmau’s request. We’re quarantining any areas with…whatever this is.” He gestured towards the substance. “We don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt by it.” 

“Is it dangerous?” She had touched it last night without any problems. 

“Whether it is or not…” Garroth shook his head. “It’s unnatural. And the result of Zane’s meddling. I’d rather not risk it.” 

“Well… Let me help you, at least.” Gabby grabbed ahold of the wooden plank to let her brother grab his hammer. 

As Garroth began to hammer the plank across the door, Gabby was struck with a question. “How’s Alexis doing?” 

“She’s still asleep, unfortunately.” Garroth finished with the plank, so Gabby picked up the next one and positioned it for him to keep going. “Although Zoey determined the source of the dark magicks.” He hit another nail into the plank. “It was the necklace Zane gave her at the baby shower.” 

The golden necklace with the turquoise gemstone, the one she had seen briefly around Alexis’s neck at the party the night before, flashed in her mind. “I…hadn’t even noticed anything was wrong with it.” 

“None of us did.” She couldn’t help but notice her brother smacking this nail a little harder than the last one. “We all had plenty of opportunities to stop him, but we didn’t.” 

She felt a familiar anger bubbling in the pit of her stomach. “Phoenix Drop couldn’t antagonize him. You know that even better than I do.” 

“We all watched him waltz in and curse the little girl and none of us did a damn thing about it!” Garroth angrily slammed a final nail into the wood. The anger boiled over into Gabby’s own mind. She pulled the hammer out of his hand and hugged him tightly- as tightly as she could around his bulky armor. 

“This isn’t your fault, Garroth. A lot of us were magicks users, and none of us even realized the necklace was magickal in the first place.” 

She felt the anger fade…slightly. Garroth sighed, pulling away. “I suppose we can’t change what’s happened now.” Gabby gave him back the hammer. She could tell he was still angrier than he was letting on, feeling the burn in her own chest, but clearly he didn’t want to talk about it.

“How is…Alexis’s family doing?” Gabby asked softly, picking up the final piece of wood.

“About as well as you could expect. Brian’s been more quiet than normal, but he’s still been doing his job. He’s a good guard. Molly’s kept at Alexis’s bedside. She’s been emotional, understandably, but…better than last night. Dale… Dale’s been struggling to cope more. He hasn’t been working, he’s been staying by Alexis’s side with Molly. Sometimes he’s quiet, and sometimes he’s…angry.” Garroth scoffed, finishing off the last nail. “Not that I blame him, by any means. But… You and Lady Aphmau are the only people I can be angry in front of. I have to set an example.” 

Despite the serious conversation, Gabriella couldn’t keep a small smile from flickering onto her face. “You’ve really grown up a lot. Coming to Phoenix Drop really was good for you.” 

“I…. Yeah. I suppose I have. You have, too. It’s to be expected, after five years.” Garroth cleared his throat. “I still have to quarantine the plaza. Do you want to help me?” 

Gabby shrugged. “Sure. It’s not as if I have anything better to do.” 

“I guess you’re stuck here in Phoenix Drop now.” Garroth chuckled. “Zane abandoned you with the rest of us.” 

“Good riddance. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to go back to O’khasis anyway.” Zianna flashed through her mind. “Mother…also wanted me to stay here, if I found you. I was most worried to leave her behind.” 

Garroth made his way across the cobblestone path to the other side of the street, where the guard station sat. “Has she been alright without you there? Have you noticed?” 

“You mean with my magicks?” Garroth nodded as he opened the door, and Gabby hesitated. “I…don’t think so. Most of the emotions I’ve noticed have been either me or you, I…I think.” 

“You still can’t identify a specific person, then,” Garroth mused. Gabby walked past him into the guard station, her brother following behind. 

“No, I can’t.” Gabby scoffed. “It’s not very useful when I can’t tell whose emotion is what.” 

Garroth grabbed a thick coil of rope. “Can you take this?” She held the rope as he leant back down and grabbed two wooden stakes. “We’ll use this to quarantine the plaza.” 

As the twins left the building towards the main plaza entrance, Gabby started a new conversation. “So… Still no sign of Zane, I suppose.” 

“Nope.” They stopped at the first plaza entrance, nestled in between a small patch of farmland- which could probably be more accurately described as a garden- and the side of Molly and Dale’s house. Garroth drove one of the stakes into the dirt at the edge of the garden. 

While he worked, Gabby couldn’t help but stare at the shimmering black and purple substance infecting the cobblestone just in front of them. Her mind drifted back to last night. This was almost right where Aphmau was standing when she called them over. She walked to the edge of this path, then looked down the stairs, and…

“...the only sign of O’khasis left in Phoenix Drop.” 

“Huh?” Gabby quickly looked back to Garroth, realizing she must have missed him speaking to her. 

“I was just explaining that Zane’s left no trace.” Stake firmly planted in the garden, Garroth got back to his feet and looked to Gabby, his helmet covering his gaze, as always. “You’re the only sign of O’khasis left in Phoenix Drop now. It’s almost like they were never here, except…” He gestured vaguely to the plaza. “Except we know what else they left behind.” 

“I’m just glad he didn’t force me to go with him.” Gabriella snorted. “Honestly, I think Zane wanted to get rid of me as much as I wanted to get rid of him.” 

Garroth chuckled. “I wouldn’t be surprised.” He began to set up the other stake across the path from the first. “He left me behind, too.” 

“O-Oh, yeah.” Gabby blinked in surprise. She’d been so hyper focused on just trying to reunite with her twin, she almost forgot the whole reason Zane brought her out here in the first place. He wanted to drag Garroth back to O’khasis to enforce his arranged marriage to the daughter of the Lord of Scaleswind, Nicole Von Ronsenburg. “Strange.”

“I suppose I’ll see if he chooses to show his face again. It’s still a couple days before I was supposed to be back in O’khasis.” He got back to his feet. “Can you start tying the rope to the bottom of the left pole?”

As Gabby did that, she couldn’t help but stare at the black and purple substance again, almost squirming across the cobblestone path ahead of her. Her mind flickered back to the night before again. “...Hey, Garroth?” 

Her brother was tying another section of the rope to the pole on the opposite side of the path. “Yes?” 

She tightened the coarse rope around the pole as well as she could. “Has Laurance said anything to you…about last night?” 

“Laurance? No, I haven’t had a chance to speak with him. Why him specifically?”

“Well….” Gabby hesitated, sitting back on her heels and brushing her hands off against the skirt of her dress. “He was acting weird last night.” 

“Weird?” She instantly felt tenser as she watched Garroth quickly look over at her. 

“Maybe he wasn’t, I don’t know him very closely or anything,” Gabby said quickly. “He just…was barely responsive to anything I said last night. As if he was distracted. I wanted to make sure he was alright.” 

“Lord Aphmau did tell me something else about her encounter with Zane and Alexis,” Garroth said softly. “Something she didn’t want to say in front of Molly. Somehow…whatever Zane did to her… Alexis also fought Aphmau before collapsing unconscious. She said it was almost like Zane turned Alexis into a Shadow Knight.” 

Gabby felt her blood run cold. “The…armor Alexis was wearing last night….” That’s where she had recognized it from. Laurance had been wearing the same thing when he first appeared in the forest a few days prior. That’s why it felt so…wrong. 

“So…it’s quite possible that Laurance’s reaction was related to that.” Garroth cleared his throat. “Perhaps he sensed something.”

“So much for Zane thinking Shadow Knights were just a myth.” As Gabriella returned to trying to tie the rope, her hands felt numb and shaky. “H-How did he even do that? She was…she was a baby! And now she’s…what, a Shadow Knight, like Laurance?”

Garroth sighed. “We’re not sure. I fear we won’t know until Alexis wakes up…whenever that may be.” He handed Gabby another section of rope. “Tie another knot above the first one.” 

“I…just can’t believe Zane did something like this,” Gabby murmured. “I’ve always known he was horrible, but…” She glanced up at the plaza, just able to see the weird cave formation and altar in the middle. Apparently where Alexis had been transformed. “I guess I’ve never witnessed anything firsthand…more than him being a bully.” 

“This is worse than him throwing sticks at the village dogs, that’s for sure,” Garroth said dryly. “I suppose it puts things into perspective.” 

Gabby’s mind flickered to some of the things Zane did when they were children, but remembering all of them drove down the mood of the conversation, so she kept herself quiet. The twins roped up the poles, quarantining the plaza, working in silence the rest of the time. Once they finished, Garroth picked up the rope that remained. “I have to quarantine the west entrance to the plaza before I can be done.”

“I…” Gabby glanced towards where Aphmau’s house sat on the hill, on the east side of Phoenix Drop. “...might go check on Laurance.” She quickly looked back to her brother. “I know I said I would help you, but…” 

“It’s quite alright.” She could hear the smile in her brother’s voice under his helmet. “This is my job; I can handle it.”

Gabby nodded at him before turning and hurrying down the path towards Aphmau’s house. She made her way through the house and down the stairs, a trip she’d gotten used to making in recent days. But as she approached Laurance’s door to knock on it like normal, she realized with a start that she could hear talking behind the door already. He must not have been alone. 

Gabriella reached out and knocked on the door anyway. Instead of anyone saying anything to her, the door swung open, and Gabby found herself staring directly into the pale blue eyes of Cadenza. Her face lit up when she saw Gabby. “Gabby! How wonderful to see you again.” The redhead looked over her shoulder to where Laurance was sitting on his bed. “Laurance, it’s Gabby!” 

Laurance chuckled. “You made that obvious, Cadenza.” He turned his head in the general direction of the door, though his gaze was a bit inaccurate- he was staring more at the wall than Gabby. “I’m glad you could make it, Gabby. I wanted to apologize for last night. I was a bit distracted.”

Gabby hugged her arms to her chest. “I noticed. Was everything okay?”

“It…it’s fine.” Laurance ran his hand through his hair, his head drifting back to his lap. “Nothing’s wrong, if that’s what you’re wondering. Last night didn’t really bother me personally at all.”

“Cadenza, were you okay?” She turned to look at the redhead, who was standing off to the side of the room, watching them speak. “I didn’t see you at all last night.”

“Yeah…. I think so.” Cadenza hesitated, twirling her hair around her finger. “I had a bit of a headache. But I didn’t even realize anything was wrong… Laurance was explaining what he knew to me.” 

“Well, I’m glad you were fine.” Gabby tilted her head curiously as a question came to her. “You had that headache... Are you a magicks user?” 

“Oh, n-no.” Cadenza shook her head. “There’s nothing special about me like that. I suppose my body just sensed something was wrong, even if I didn’t.” 

She wasn’t used to anyone who wasn’t a magicks user or witch being able to sense any mystical presences, but maybe that’s just how strong the dark magicks that Zane had used were. “And… I don’t suppose you know what that black and purple stuff is, do you?” 

As Cadenza shook her head, Gabby noticed Laurance’s posture straighten. “Black and purple stuff?” he echoed. 

“Yes, it’s been infecting Phoenix Drop since last night.” Gabby frowned. “I…believe I mentioned it last night, too. You don’t know what it is, do you?” 

“It…almost sounds familiar…” Laurance flinched, pressing his hand to his forehead. “S-Sorry. I feel like I remember hearing about it while I was trapped in the Nether, but… I can’t remember.” 

“You shouldn’t have to,” Cadenza said firmly. “You’ve been through enough. Don’t force yourself to reminisce on it.”

A sudden waft of sweetness and ginger hit Gabby’s nose. At the same time, a bright pink head of hair poked her head into the open doorway, paired with a high-pitched voice. “Mister Laurance, I made you a gift!” 

KC fully came around the corner into the doorway, and Gabby noticed she was carrying a platter of what looked like some kind of dessert cut up into little squares. “I made you gingerbread! Miss Cadenza said that was your favorite.” 

“K-KC…” Gabby glanced back over at Laurance and noticed his mouth was agape. “I haven’t had that in years… You really didn’t have to.” 

“Nonsense.” The meif’wa stepped into the room, flicking her cat tail. “Miss Cadenza and I agreed you deserved something special. It’s not exactly cake, but I could still figure it out!” 

“W-Well… Thank you.” She handed Laurance the platter, and Laurance carefully set it on the bed next to him before grabbing a piece. 

Gabby grinned. “Gingerbread, huh?” 

Laurance nodded. “The woman who raised me when I was little made it as an occasional treat. I…don’t remember much about her, but I always remembered that.” He gestured towards the platter with his head. “I could tell just by holding it how much is on there- I can’t eat all of that. You guys grab some.” 

Gabriella did just that, grabbing a piece from the platter, but she was too caught up in what Laurance had already said. “The woman who raised you? Not…your mother?” 

To her surprise, Cadenza was the first one who spoke up, nervously glancing from Gabby to Laurance. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about that right now.”

Laurance shook his head, a small smile on his face. “No, I don’t mind. I’ve been an orphan…basically my entire life. I never knew who my parents even were.”

“O-Oh.” Gabby hesitated. “I’m sorry.” 

He shrugged. “It is what it is. Apparently, I was just abandoned in the streets of Meteli. The woman I mentioned was our librarian at the time. She took care of me before I was old enough to really remember anything… She passed away when I was about six years old, and then I started taking care of myself.” 

“That’s why Laurance is my brother,” Cadenza said before taking a bite of her gingerbread. “Daddy adopted me when I was little, and then he took Laurance in when he was a teenager.” 

Gabby tilted her head. “And…that whole time in between?” 

Laurance finished the piece of gingerbread in his hand. “I fended for myself. Helped protect a few of the other orphans in Meteli. I found an abandoned sword at one point and managed to teach myself the basics to defend myself before I even started attending Brightport’s Guard Academy.” 

KC gasped; Gabby had almost forgotten she was also in the room, since she had backed up closer to the doorway again. “You’ve been through so much!” 

Laurance shook his head. “It’s what I’m used to, people don’t need to make a big deal out of it.”

“I guess so.” KC flicked her cat ears thoughtfully. 

Although Laurance said that, Gabby worried one of them would wind up making a big deal out of it if the conversation stayed on that much longer. “I’m…surprised you felt up to baking so much today, KC, after last night. Do you feel better?” 

“Better than last night, but not much.” KC shook her head. “I like baking to help myself feel better.” 

“And…you don’t know what that black and purple entity is, do you?” Cadenza asked. 

“If I did, I would have already told Lady Aphmau.” KC shrugged. Her higher voice, which had darkened for the more serious conversation, became brighter again. “Anyway, I don’t like leaving Mister Brendan alone for too long- I think he gets scared being separated from me, and that’s why he’s around me so much. Ciao!” With a wave of both her hand and her tail, the pink-haired meif’wa left the room. 

Gabby hesitated. “I…might take my leave, too.” It was already so late in the day when she woke up… “I want to go talk to Garroth again before I try and make myself go back to bed.”

“Alright. It was lovely seeing you again, Gabby.” Cadenza beamed at her. 

“Will I see you again tomorrow?” Laurance tilted his head curiously, his gaze- or lack thereof- lingering in her general direction. 

She was a little taken aback by that. He still wanted to spend even more time…just talking to her? “I-I would like that.” 

“I’ll plan on it, then.” Laurance flashed what Gabby was quickly realizing was his signature cheeky grin. 

Exiting the room with final goodbyes, Gabby looked out the window from the main room of the basement to see that the sun was beginning to set over Phoenix Drop. Despite what she had said about going to bed… She had only been awake for a few hours, so she might not have much luck with that. 

Gabby hesitated, glancing back to the room she had just left from. The door had closed behind her, but Cadenza and Laurance were still talking there. Her gaze drifted to the door on the left of the wall, the door outlined in green, the door that led into Zoey’s room…where Alexis was. Curiosity getting the better of her, Gabby slowly approached the door, glancing inside to see the same thing she had seen last night- Alexis, or the young woman that Alexis had turned into, laying unconscious in bed, with Molly, Dale, Zoey, and even a doctor from Brightport that had been rushed in the night before, standing around her, trying to figure out what was going on. 

Gabby sighed, feeling a wave of sadness wash over her. She didn’t have to feel their emotions to know how they felt. Her heart heavy, Gabriella quietly left Aphmau’s house, the guilt that her broken family was responsible weighing down her steps.

Chapter Text

The black and purple substance was still there the next day, too. And still, as Gabby went around town, no one knew what it was or how to fix it. She quickly found Garroth on patrol, starting to learn his pattern, but was surprised to see Aphmau with him. Gabby had gotten used to seeing Garroth patrolling Phoenix Drop by himself, but there he was, standing by the rope wall blocking off the plaza he and Gabby had constructed yesterday, speaking with the Lord. 

As she approached them, she heard Aphmau speaking. “I’m just really worried about Alexis, Garroth.” 

“As am I.” Garroth sighed. “Has Laurance been informed about the specifics of what she’s going through? He’s most likely to be helpful, as our magicks users haven’t had any luck.” 

“I…haven’t had a chance to talk to him.” Aphmau pulled her long black hair over her shoulder and ran her hands through it. “After this I have to go help Brian look around the edge of Phoenix Drop, to see if there’s any more sign of that black and purple stuff or O’khasis. Then I have to go speak with Emmalyn to see if she’s found anything that might help us. Then I have to check up on the rest of the village, and…” 

Garroth set his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll speak with him, Lord Aphmau. Please don’t stress yourself over it. I will finish patrol, and then I’ll speak with him.” 

“O-Okay.” Gabby couldn’t see Aphmau’s face from where she stood, but she saw her whole body relax, as if she exhaled a breath she had been holding. “Thank you, Garroth. I-I’m sorry, I wish I could be more help.” 

“Nonsense,” Garroth said firmly. “You’ve done more for Phoenix Drop in the months since you arrived than anyone else I’ve ever known. What my brother did isn’t something anyone would be prepared for. Don’t blame yourself for anything.” 

“I… I know…” Aphmau pushed her hair into place behind her shoulders. “Alright. I have to go find Brian, then. I’ll… I’ll see you, Garroth.” A bit awkwardly, the Lord broke away from Garroth and made her way down the path towards where Gabby stood, watching. “O-Oh, Gabby!” Gabriella couldn’t help but notice the sudden shift in Aphmau’s voice into the brighter voice Gabby was familiar with. “I’ve barely seen you at all since the night of the baby shower. “You’ve been alright?” 

Gabby nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” 

“That’s great.” Aphmau grinned at her before glancing away. “I…don’t have much time to stay and chat.” She began to pull away from Gabby. “But it’s good to see you again!” With that, Aphmau hurried away down the path to the western half of Phoenix Drop. 

As Aphmau left, Garroth approached. “I noticed you watching our conversation,” he said amusedly. 

“Sorry.” Gabby awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. “I was curious. I haven’t really seen you guys interact since I found out that…you know.” She playfully elbowed his armor. 

Garroth cleared his throat awkwardly, his helmet turning away as he looked away. “You mean…my feelings for Lady Aphmau.” 

“Of course I mean that! You changed the conversation last time I brought it up.”

“Y-Yes, well…” Garroth glanced around. Gabby felt herself getting more nervous but quickly realized it must have been Garroth she was sensing. “I…need to keep patrolling. We can talk about it while I do that…if you really want to.” He began to walk away, and Gabby fell into stride next to him: another pattern she’d gotten used to. “Although… I-I don’t really know what else there is to say.”

“Well, I can tell from the way you speak to her that it must be pretty serious.” Gabby snorted. “If I didn’t tune it out, I might think I was the one with feelings for her, with how strongly I feel those emotions of yours.” 

“I…try not to let it influence how I interact with her.” He cleared his throat again. “We both have a lot of responsibility over Phoenix Drop. That comes first.” 

“Are you…planning on telling her?” Gabby glanced over at him curiously as they walked. 

“No.” He responded surprisingly quickly. “I…thought about it briefly after spending the wedding with her. But Zane getting involved in our conversation that night taught me that it’s not an appropriate time.”

“Well, I understand thinking right now isn’t the right time, but Phoenix Drop will recover from this eventually, right?” Gabby hesitated. “Eventually things will return to some semblance of normal, I’m sure.” 

“Y-Yes, I suppose, b-but…” Garroth shook his head. “You heard Laurance. He also has feelings for Aphmau, and he’s been far more blunt about it than I. And… And if she finds out, and it damages her opinion of me, it could damage Phoenix Drop in turn because I am Head Guard, a-and…”

Gabby sighed. “You’re not going to tell her.” 

“I don’t plan on it, no.” 

“Well, I suppose I can’t be one to judge. It’s not exactly like I understand how love works.” 

The twins had walked down the path to the western edge of Phoenix Drop. Gabby looked into the forest that bordered the village; it was through those trees a few days prior that they had first found Laurance in the forest with that wyvern protecting him. When they stopped walking, Garroth turned to face Gabriella again. “Exactly. I don’t either, you know this.” 

“Yeah, why do you think I wanna find out more details?” Gabby grinned at him. “This is the first time you’ve ever had feelings for anyone. You never cared about that kind of thing back in O’khasis, even when Azura was around all the time.” 

“You say that as if I’m the outlier.” She heard a smug tone appear in his voice- a tone that she hadn’t heard very much since coming to Phoenix Drop, but a tone she used to hear from him all the time before he left O’khasis. “Lady Gabriella 'No suitors were ever good enough for you' Ro’Meave.” 

“I already said I don’t understand how love works,” Gabby said defensively. “You can’t tease me for something I already acknowledged.” 

“Well… I ended up finding Lady Aphmau after I came out here.” Garroth began to patrol down the small row of houses to their right, where Gabby knew Cadenza and KC both lived. “Perhaps you’ll find someone here too.” 

Gabby scoffed. “...Right. I’ll find someone I fall in love with, and you’re a Divine Warrior.” Before Garroth could protest, she kept talking. “Garroth, I didn’t come out here to make friends or anything. I came out here to find you. Besides…” Her thoughts drifted to the few men she knew lived in Phoenix Drop. “...aren’t most of the men here taken? Either they’re in a relationship or they want to be in a relationship with someone, right?” 

“I suppose.” Garroth shrugged. He turned around, and Gabby followed his lead as he began to trace their steps back down the path towards the center of the village. “Just don’t close yourself off to anything. I would love to see you happy here in Phoenix Drop with me.” 

“As would I.” Gabby nudged him in the armor again. “Which is why I think you need to talk to Aphmau about a certain something soon.” 

“G-Gabby…” Her twin almost immediately became flustered again. She always loved how easy that was.

“You don’t have to tell her right now, I get it’s not a good time.” Gabby hesitated. “But you could… I don’t know, maybe make her a gift or something to give her. Something subtle.” Garroth stayed quiet. “...Just think about it.” 

“...Alright.” The twins were quiet the rest of the walk back to the center of town, where the plaza was roped off and where they started. “I need to speak with Laurance; you heard what Lord Aphmau and I were talking about earlier. Do you want to come with me?” 

Gabby blinked in surprise. “Well, I was planning on visiting him. Sure, I can come with you.” 

She continued to follow him down the main street in Phoenix Drop, approaching Aphmau’s massive purple house sitting on the hill. As they walked towards her house, Gabby noticed someone leaving her house and coming down the stairs on the hill. She realized with a start that it was Dale, Alexis’s father. She hadn’t seen him leave the house at all since Alexis had been laid in Zoey’s room. 

Gabby didn’t know Dale very well, but the conversation they had during the baby shower had been quite friendly. But, as Dale approached and his gaze settled onto Gabby, his light blue eyes were far colder than she had seen before, and her blood quickly dropped to a similar temperature as he came to stand directly in front of the twins. 

“You,” Dale snarled. 

Gabby felt her heart freeze in her chest, and she nervously took a step back, but Dale stepped closer. “You did this! You’re the one who hurt my baby girl!” 

She flinched, taking another step back as she saw Dale’s hand go to his sword, sheathed at his side. 

“Dale,” Garroth said firmly, putting his arm between the angry guard- the angry father- and Gabby. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” 

Dale shoved Garroth’s arm away. “She’s Zane’s sister, Garroth! She’s one of those people from O’khasis responsible for this! Surely you couldn’t be defending her right now. She just didn’t have the smarts to run.” 

“Dale, Gabriella had nothing to do with what happened to Alexis.” 

Dale shifted his scowl to Garroth. “How can you say that? How could you possibly trust her? Look at the state Phoenix Drop is in now!” 

Gabby held her breath, her hands clenched into fists, watching as Garroth stood quietly. She was ready to run if she had to. None of the three of them moved for a moment... Not the first stand-off Gabby had found herself in. 

Garroth was the first to move. But instead of anything to get in between Dale and Gabby, his hands went to the helmet that always sat covering his face. He pulled his helmet off, running his hand through his short, wavy, blond hair. “Zane may be Gabby’s brother, but she wasn’t involved in what he did to Phoenix Drop or Alexis. Zane is…my brother, too. I lived in O’khasis before I found Phoenix Drop.” 

Dale’s glare, which had been steady the entire time, finally faltered. He surely had seen Garroth’s face before, the day of the wedding, but seeing the twins standing next to each other must have helped him see it differently. “She’s… You’re…” Dale’s shoulders slumped over, and his gaze drifted to the ground. “I’m… I see.” He was quiet for another moment, before he just walked away, back toward Aphmau’s house. 

Gabby hugged her arms to her chest, exhaling shakily as she tried to catch her breath. It was safe. She was safe. Garroth was safe. No one had been hurt. 

Except Alexis. Hurt by her own brother. Probably with help from their father, in some manner or another. 

“I’m…sorry about that, Gabby. I hadn’t considered that Dale didn’t know you were trustworthy.” Garroth put his helmet back on before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a side-hug. “Are you okay?” 

“I-I-I’m okay. I’m…” Gabby stepped away from her brother, flexing her hands to try and get some blood back into them. “I-I’m gonna go. You’ll…have to talk to Laurance by yourself. S-Sorry.” Still shaky, Gabriella made her way back to her temporary house, the only place not tainted by her family’s actions.

Chapter Text

Gabriella Ro’Meave thoughtfully scribbled down her notes as she read along with her book. So while the region of Ru’aun was primarily just one landmass with a few scattered islands in the ocean, the region of Dan’tin didn’t even have a major landmass; it was entirely composed of islands. 

Now that she was eighteen, she had no need for a private tutor anymore and was able to use her free time educating herself on things she actually cared about instead. For all of the history and geography lessons she had gotten from her tutor, he had failed to ever really talk about the regions outside of Ru’aun, except for the basics that everyone knew: their names and associated Divine Warriors. 

She glanced over at the giant pile of books sitting beside her desk that she had yet to go through. She had grabbed every single book from the closest O’khasis library that she thought was relevant to the other regions, and they were stacked up in a pile from the floor to even above her desk.

It was hard to find much else to pass the time. Garroth wasn’t really around anymore, now that he was at the Guard Academy on the opposite side of O’khasis. And staying in her room let her avoid Garte and Zane; although, Zianna and Vylad did the same thing. So she was always by herself now. The reading gave her something to do, something to distract her whenever she felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest from Zianna or Vylad’s emotions, something to distract her whenever she heard screaming and crying and the pounding of objects in the hall. The kinds of things that she had gotten used to experiencing multiple times a week. 

Gabby put down her pen and closed her book as the realization hit her. Although she hated the noise that filled her home, she hated the silence of nothing happening just as much. And she hadn’t heard anything all day. Vylad’s room was on the opposite side of the house. If something bad had happened to him there, she wouldn’t be able to hear it from her room. The anxiety bubbling into her stomach, Gabby cautiously poked her head out of her room, checking to make sure the coast was clear, before leaving for her littlest brother’s room. 

Vylad’s room had been set away from the rest of the family’s bedrooms, isolated the same way their father and Zane tried to isolate Vylad himself from the family. Gabby found it upsetting, but… In some ways, it was safer. And she couldn’t help but feel jealous sometimes that he didn’t have to hear Garte yelling at Zianna in their bedroom across the hall from him as he tried to fall asleep at night the same way Gabby did. 

Trying to quell the anxiety that was emptying the blood from her hands, Gabby knocked on Vylad’s bedroom door. No response. She knocked again before pressing her ear to the door. She could just vaguely hear what sounded like crying on the other side. Slowly, quietly, Gabby opened the door and poked her head inside. “Vylad…?” she asked softly. 

The twelve-year-old boy was curled up in the fetal position on his bed, his back facing to the door. “Vylad, it’s Gabby.” Still no response. 

Worriedly, Gabby approached the bed, sitting down on the edge of it as her black and white O'khasis dress draped over the side. He had stopped crying, at least. He was completely silent now. Gabby hesitantly reached out and touched his shoulder to rub it. 

Vylad jumped, quickly shaking her hand off of his shoulder. Gabby frowned, resting her hands back in her lap. “Sorry.”

“N-No, it’s okay,” he finally said. His voice was hoarse, like he hadn’t spoken anything in hours. “I-I know you wouldn’t hurt me. You can…Y-You can put your hand back.” 

Gabby did just that, gently rubbing his shoulder. As she did so, she noticed a fresh bruise on his bare arm. “....What happened?” 

Vylad sniffled, somehow managing to bury his head further into his knees. He didn’t say anything. 

Gabby kicked her flats off before laying on his bed next to him. She curled around him on the bed. “Was it Father?” 

“...Yeah. A-And Zane.” 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.” Gabby kissed the back of his head. “But I’m here now.” 

“N-No, it’s not your fault.” Vylad shook his head. “What they do isn’t your fault.” 

That echoed in her head all the time. Gabby sighed, forcing herself to sit up in her bed. Sitting in the basement to her unofficial home in Phoenix Drop, all she could see was the four stone walls surrounding her, no more than at best a couple meters of space from her bed to each wall, excluding the one her bed was set against. The little staircase that led from the main floor downstairs was the only other sight in the basement. There was a reason she had spent all of her days in Phoenix Drop so far trying to wander around town and catch up with her twin. There really wasn’t…anything in this house she had claimed for herself. 

But today was different. Today, she had been laying in bed for most of the day. Not because she had slept in late, like the night of the baby shower; she had woken up at a regular time in the morning. Just because she didn’t want to get up. She wasn’t scared of Dale; he seemed like a nice enough man who was understandably struggling to cope with what happened to Alexis. But it all…everything Zane had done to Phoenix Drop, it all felt like her fault. 

Not to mention, that black and purple substance had been making her feel strange ever since it appeared. The intense presence of the dark magicks that had transformed Alexis were gone, but the weird black and purple entity was making it feel like there was a cloud over Phoenix Drop and a constant heavy satchel on Gabby, weighing her down and draining her energy. The rest of the town was working to try and figure out what was wrong, either with the substance or with Alexis, but she hadn’t done anything. She didn’t know how to help. She should have. She was from O’khasis. She was Zane’s sister. She was a magicks user. If anyone knew how to help, it should have been her. But it wasn’t. 

She always found her mind drifting back to what Vylad had told her that day, a whole seven years ago now. Whenever Zane did something terrible, whenever Garte did something terrible, she remembered how Vylad had told her it wasn’t her fault. But she had never really believed it. Especially not when that same little boy, born unfairly into an unjust world, was ripped just as unfairly out of it only two years later. And she had been there, just like she was in Phoenix Drop. And, just like with Phoenix Drop, she hadn’t been able to do anything to help. 

Gabby sighed again, flopping back into her bed. So much for getting up. It’s not like she would have had anything to do if she got out of bed anyway. It was like that weight that had been hanging over her head since the baby shower was just keeping her trapped there, but she didn’t have the energy to fight it anymore. 

Suddenly, she felt a giant wave of…relief…wash over her. Motivated and energized for the first time since she woke up, Gabby sat up and got out of bed almost in one swift movement. She pressed her hand to her chest. The weight… It was gone, just out of nowhere. Gabby inhaled, somehow breathing the deepest and freshest breath she’d had in days. What had happened?? The dark presence of the black and purple substance- was it gone? It must have still been there. Maybe she had finally adapted to it. But that wave that washed over her had felt an awful lot like good magicks…

She hurriedly changed into her dress, undid her ponytail and brushed her hair out, then topped it off with her headband, before poking her head upstairs. Everything looked the same, except she was hit with the sunlight filling the upstairs through the window. Once fully upstairs, Gabby poked her head through the window that she’d started checking at the start of every day. She could still see the black and purple substance growing off of Dale and Molly’s house…or…. Gabby leaned closer to the window, trying to get a better look, like this house wasn’t mere feet away from her. 

There was still a substance there, but now instead of black and purple, it was blue. And instead of shimmering, pulsing, it… It was shining under the sunlight, sure, but it almost looked like it had turned into gemstones. 

Gabby left her house, something she hadn’t expected to happen that day, and approached Dale and Molly’s house to examine it in further detail. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out to touch the substance, feeling the sensation of what felt like a cold, smooth stone. It didn’t feel like the house’s stone anymore; she could actually feel what she assumed was the material itself. And, staring at it more closely, it didn’t seem like it was moving of its own accord anymore. 

Was it… Gabby tilted her head curiously, able to see her reflection in the blue part. Or… It wasn’t even blue, not really. It was like it was reflecting the sky. Was it…actually a gemstone now? It looked almost like diamond. 

“Gabby! Gabby!” 

Gabby whirled to look for a familiar voice shouting her name. Garroth ran from the path that led to the plaza, like he was running from the plaza originally, and hurried around the corner to face her. “Garroth, what’s going on? What happened?” She pulled her hand away from what she was becoming more convinced was somehow diamond. 

“You felt it, didn’t you? The magicks of Lady Irene?” 

“L-Lady Irene?” Gabby echoed. “Lady Irene’s been dead for over 900 years-” 

“Her spirit and magicks lived on, Gabby. There’s a reason we worship her as a goddess.” Garroth grabbed her hand, like he was trying to pull her away. “Follow me to the plaza, I just took the ropes down. It’s not quarantined anymore.” 

She did just that, following her brother down the path into the plaza. As they walked, she noted that, wherever the purple and black substance had spread, it was transformed into the gemstone-like material instead. And as they reached the plaza, Gabby noticed what was probably the most obvious change to the last time she had seen it: there was a big statue sitting on the edge of the plaza, almost directly in front of the path that led there. 

Garroth let go of her hand and walked down the stairs into the plaza. Gabby followed slowly, unable to take her eyes off of the statue. At its base sat a foundation of quartz and some indigo gemstone that she didn’t know the name of, and it was filled with water that was so still, it almost looked like a gem in and of itself. Then, on a pedestal in the very middle of the water, sat a gray stone statue of a familiar figure: Lady Irene herself, pictured with her legendary angel wings. 

Growing up in Ru’aun, Gabby had seen plenty of Lady Irene statues in her life; every chapel in O’khasis had at least one. But something about this statue felt…different. She felt chills running through her body as she stared at the statue, kind of like the night of the baby shower. But unlike the night of the baby shower, these weren’t chills of dark magicks… This must have been what Lady Irene’s magickal presence felt like. Somehow, this statue was charged with actual powers. 

As she rounded the front of the statue, Gabby realized that Lady Irene’s statue was holding something, something purple that glowed with some form of mystical energy. “What…what is that?” 

“We have a family of wyverns nested just outside of Phoenix Drop,” Garroth explained. “Lord Aphmau went to speak to them to see if they had any solutions, and they taught her how to make this. She explained that…she made the base of the statue, but it’s almost like Lady Irene summoned herself. Lord Aphmau didn’t actually create the statue. I…had to ask, as well, but she explained that the statue is holding a soul. A wyvern’s soul.” 

Gabby’s breath caught in her throat as she continued to stare at the statue. The physical manifestation of a soul… She had heard of it mentioned, but had no idea it was even real. “How…?” 

“The wyvern that saved Laurance in the forest,” Garroth said softly. “That’s his soul.” 

“It’s…beautiful.” Gabby finally forced her gaze away from the statue, looking around the rest of the plaza. The makeshift cave over the plaza that the black and purple substance had formed was still there, but it was made of the diamond material now instead. And the altar that Zane had hurt Alexis on was completely gone. Had she not known what caused the appearance of the diamonds, Gabby would have thought that every trace of Zane’s damage was gone. “What about Alexis?” 

“...She’s still asleep, unfortunately.” Garroth cleared his throat. “Whatever magicks of Lady Irene’s were granted to Phoenix Drop, they weren’t enough to wake her up, nor transform her back into a baby."

“...I see.” Gabby glanced at the diamonds coating the floor of the plaza again. “Is this removable now? The black and purple substance wasn’t removable, but…” 

“Lady Aphmau says she was able to carve away some of it.” She could hear the grin on Garroth’s face underneath his helmet. “Phoenix Drop is going to be far richer than we’ve ever been before now. Lady Irene transformed our curse into a blessing. I’ve already sent word to Brightport for extra pickaxes; they should arrive tomorrow, and whoever is able-bodied can use one to help us clean up the town.”

Her gaze drifted back up to the statue. “Mm-hmm.” 

She felt her brother rest his gauntlet on her shoulder. “I have to speak with the other villagers about what happened. “

Gabby nodded, not looking away from Lady Irene. “I’ll…be here.” 

She didn’t even hear him walk away; she was so enraptured in the statue that was imbued with magicks. Something about it just felt so…peaceful, so soothing. Such a relief after the week she’d had- after the whole life she’d lived. 

She could see herself making a habit out of this. 

Gabriella wasn’t sure how much time passed before she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Forcing herself to look away from the statue, she saw Molly step down the stairs into the plaza, her gaze flickering from Gabby to the statue. 

Gabby rubbed her bare arm, looking away. If Molly’s sentiments towards her were anything like Dale’s, this probably wasn’t a place she should be. 

A bit to her surprise, Molly began a conversation almost immediately, her tone much friendlier than Dale’s had been the day before. “Gabby… I heard about what happened with Dale.” 

Gabby hesitantly looked up at the blonde woman, who had taken up a spot standing to her right. Molly was staring at the statue. “I wanted to apologize, on his behalf. He’s…been rather irrational since Alexis…” She trailed off, her gaze not leaving Lady Irene. 

“I-I understand.” Gabby sighed. “There’s no need for either of you to apologize. I would think Zane’s sister was corrupt, too.” 

Molly was quiet, and Gabby found herself looking back at the statue as well. Both women stood there, silent, until eventually Molly broke it again. “...She’s beautiful.” 

“Has Alexis’s condition improved at all since the statue was constructed?” Gabby asked. 

Molly shook her head. “No, but I have faith. Lady Irene healed Phoenix Drop; she will heal Alexis, I’m sure. Until then, I will keep smiling.” The smile flickered onto her face, and she glanced over at Gabby before looking back at the statue. “For Alexis.” 

“For Alexis,” Gabby murmured thoughtfully. “May Irene be with her.” 

“May Irene be with her,” Molly echoed thoughtfully, a distant look in her green eyes. “And may Irene be with all of us.” She knelt to the ground, her white skirt draping behind her, and placed her hands, clasped together, against her forehead, beginning to whisper prayers to herself. 

Gabby looked back at the statue. There were times when its magickal presence was so strong, it was almost like she could see the physical manifestation of the magicks sparkling off of it. She had never really been a religious person. Despite Zane being the High Priest, none of the Ro’Meaves had ever been very religious, excluding Zianna. Gabby had always thought there was no way the Matron’s powers could truly extend beyond the grave. But today… Today she was proven wrong. 

Staring up at the statue of Lady Irene, Molly quietly praying to her right, knowing Phoenix Drop was finally beginning to recover… Gabby couldn’t help but smile.

Chapter Text

Although Gabby had intended to spend the rest of that day checking on the people she knew in Phoenix Drop to see how they felt after the construction of the Irene statue- and to apologize to Laurance for not checking in on him the day prior like she had promised- she had gotten so enraptured in the statue that she wound up sitting there next to Molly until she eventually had to go to bed. 

So now, the following day, it was up to her to finally check and see how the others were doing. All ready for the day, finding herself far more motivated to get up and get changed than in previous days, Gabby left her house and started walking down the central cobblestone path running through Phoenix Drop. As she approached Aphmau’s house on the hill, she glanced into the house Zane had taken over. That was where the skeletons had been, the skeletons and that mass of black and purple stuff that Aphmau had supposedly managed to walk down into. 

When she poked her head in, she was surprised to see that this black and purple substance hadn’t transformed into the diamond that it had everywhere else over town. It looked like…bedrock? Gabby cautiously stepped further into the house, noticing that the skeletons had been moved- hopefully, they’d been buried somewhere in the forest. She approached where the black and purple mass had been, bending down to feel it like she had the night it appeared. It certainly felt like bedrock, a nearly unbreakable substance that could only be broken by the most specific tools. She’d heard rumors that Scaleswind had access to the technology that could break bedrock, but it was hard to come by. 

Rubbing her hand against her arm to wipe it off, Gabby backed out of the house again. Why hadn’t that specific part transformed into diamond? …It didn’t seem right. 

Once she was outside of the house, Gabriella breathed in the fresh air and shook her head to clear it. That didn’t matter right now, that wasn’t what she came to this side of Phoenix Drop to do. 

The window that was built into the hill Aphmau’s sat on, the window that looked directly into the main room of the basement, was right next to the house that had been Zane’s. Curiously, Gabby glanced through the window, but with the way the land was built up around the glass, she couldn’t get a very good angle without standing directly in front of the window. She didn’t see anyone inside, but she couldn’t really see as much of the basement as she had hoped she might.

Not putting things off any longer, Gabby finally made herself walk up the stairs leading to Aphmau’s house. The first thing she wanted to do was check on Laurance; it had been a couple days since she’d seen him, and the last time she saw him she told him she’d be back the next day. She couldn’t help but feel bad. 

Also, she really enjoyed spending time with him, she’d learned. He had lived such a different life to her own, growing up as an orphan in one of Ru’aun’s smallest villages. She’d never met anyone quite like him, since she was raised a daughter of one of the most powerful families in one of the most powerful villages in the entire region. It was…nice. 

As always, Gabriella knocked on Laurance’s door. “Come in!” His voice sounded brighter, happier than she’d ever heard it before. Gabby did just that, stepping through the doorway into his room and closing the door behind her. 

To her surprise, he was standing up on the other side of the room by his bed. He was looking straight at her, his head tilted to his side. Something felt…different, but Gabby couldn’t quite tell at first. She mirrored his stance, trying to study him. His normally clouded eyes looked blue, like the pale blue of the periwinkle flowers that grew in the Ro’Meave garden back in O’khasis. 

A smile appeared on Laurance’s face, not turning his head away from her. “...Gabby?”

Was he actually… He was actually looking at her! “Laurance!” She gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth. “Y-You can…see?!” 

Laurance’s smile turned into a grin, and he ran his hand through his light brown hair. “I got my vision back!” He began to pace back and forth on the opposite side of the room, like he had a bunch of unspent energy. “A-Aphmau came to visit me earlier this morning and…at the time, I had just recently gotten my vision back, and I was worried it was just temporary or something, so I laid down for a few hours to see if it went away, and I just woke up a little bit ago, and I can still see again, just like I always could.”

“That…that must be Lady Irene,” Gabby said, her eyes wide with shock as her gaze shifted to the floor. “You heard about that, right? The statue Aphmau built yesterday?”

“Yes, Garroth came and told me. I also sensed the magicks flooding the town…” He shook his head. “Nothing happened yesterday, so I assumed that my situation was incurable. I suppose it just took some time.” 

“That’s so wonderful, Laurance.” She couldn’t shake the grin off her own face; his excitement was contagious. “Does that…also mean you’re not a Shadow Knight anymore?” 

Laurance’s smile faded, and he looked at the floor. Gabby felt her heart drop. That must have been the wrong thing to say. “No, that, I fear, is a rather…permanent change. Nothing can heal that.”

“O-Oh, I’m sorry…” Gabby hesitated. “I never knew Shadow Knights were anything more than a legend until I met you, and-”

His smile came back, and he shook his head again. “I don’t mind. This is my reality, whether I like it or not.” Laurance let out a small sigh, looking Gabby up and down, his smile turning into a small smirk. “You are wearing a flowy princess dress. I knew it.” 

“I-I-I-” She had forgotten about that conversation. “If I remember right, I think I said that that didn’t matter.” 

“What can I say?” He shrugged, his smirk turning into his signature cheeky grin. “You look like a princess. Quite frankly, I think the nickname is fitting. Maybe I’ll start calling you that more often… Princess.” Laurance gave her a wink. 

Gabby rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the small smile on her own face. “So now that you have your vision back, what are you going to do? …Other than tease me about my wardrobe choices?” 

“I…don’t know, to be honest.” Laurance crossed his arms, thoughtfully looking out of the small window to his left. “I had planned on never being able to see again. For now, I just…have to adjust back. I had an awful headache this morning as I tried to adapt to seeing this room for the first time.”

“Are you planning on returning to Meteli, now that you can see again?” 

Laurance quickly shook his head. “No, I…don’t really feel like I can go back there again, now that I’m… Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I…think I’ll stay in Phoenix Drop. I’ll probably try and warm myself up again, then speak to Garroth about joining the guard here. I definitely can’t keep sitting down here cooped up.” 

Her mind flashed to Garroth’s diamond sword and shield. “You were a Head Guard, right? Did you have a special type of sword like Garroth?” 

“I do, actually. Though it’s not because I was Head Guard.” Laurance reached under his bed, pulling out a sword still sitting in its metal scabbard. “We craft our own sword and shield before we leave Guard Academy; some of us choose to go the extra mile and do the extra work to turn gemstones into a workable sword, while others stick with more consistently reliable iron.” He pulled his sword out of his scabbard. The blade was bright green; it almost glowed in the sunlight coming in through the window. “I chose emerald. Green was always my favorite color.” 

Gabby stared quietly at Laurance’s sword for a moment, her mind drifting back to when Garroth was in the O’khasis Guard Academy. “I…think I remember hearing Garroth speak about that when he was in the academy. He was so proud when he brought his sword home; I wanted to hold it, but he didn’t let me since I had never held a sword before.” 

Laurance blinked in surprise, putting his sword away. “You’ve never held a sword before?” 

“No, never.” She shook her head. “I…considered asking Garroth if he could teach me after he started the academy, but I was worried I would get in trouble with Father, so I never did. Then he left O’khasis for Phoenix Drop, and… Now I’m here.” 

“Well…” He put the sword back under the bed. “If you’re interested in learning, that could be the kind of warm up I need to get back into fighting shape.”

Gabby hesitated. “You’d want to teach me? Even though I…don’t know anything?” 

Laurance shrugged, his newly blue eyes sparkling as the sun hit them through the window. “Everyone has to start with the basics at some point.” 

“I’d love to learn, then.” She grinned at him. “But… I’ll leave you alone for now, so you can start adapting back to seeing again. Have you seen Garroth?” 

“No, not today.” Laurance sat on his bed. “Sorry I can’t help.” 

“I’m sure I’ll find him. Phoenix Drop’s quite a small town.” Actually able to wave goodbye to him for the first time, Gabby left his room, closing the door behind her. She hadn’t felt this giddy since she was little; the town was healing, Laurance was able to see again… Maybe Alexis would wake up soon, since Laurance just needed a bit of extra time. 

Once in the main room of the basement, Gabriella realized with a start that Cadenza was sitting at the small wooden table that had been set up by the window. Had she been there when Gabby came downstairs? She had been so focused on visiting Laurance that she hadn’t seen her at all. 

Cadenza seemed to notice her at the same time, and she began to approach the redhead. “Oh, Gabby! I presume you learned Laurance’s good news?”

“I did! It’s really wonderful.” Gabby clasped her hands together. “You’ve gotten to see him today, then?” 

“I saw him for a few minutes earlier.” Cadenza had a massive smile on her face. “He had just woken up from his nap, though, so he was a bit groggy. I was going to visit him again once he had time to wake up. Have you checked on Alexis yet?” 

“No, I was planning on it.” Gabby glanced towards Zoey’s door. “Has she made any progress?”

“Unfortunately not.” The smile flickered off of Cadenza’s face briefly, but she brought it back. “But I was working on a gift for her yesterday! I made her a lovely little dress, so she doesn’t have to be practically naked in front of so many strangers.” Cadenza twirled her red hair around her finger. “I wanted to tell you because…well… I inspired it off of your dress.” 

“Y-You did?” 

“I just thought your dress was so lovely, and…” She shrugged helplessly. “I was sad I didn’t design that myself, so I wanted to design my own that was like yours. I had to do it off of memory, so it might not be exactly the same…” She tilted her head curiously, looking up and down at Gabby’s dress. “Where did yours come from originally?” 

Gabby hesitated, trying to remember. It had been four or five years since she got it already. “Oh, just a merchant in O’khasis. I think they might have been from…Pikoro originally, though. Or maybe even further east in Ru’aun than that.”

“Well, whatever its origins, I’m glad it found its way to Phoenix Drop.” Cadenza beamed. “Now, go check on Alexis.” 

Gabriella did just that, opening the door to Zoey’s room to see Alexis, laying on the green bed, like always. Her dress certainly mimicked Gabby’s own, just like Cadenza had said, with the off-the-shoulder sleeves, a laced bodice, and a baby blue overskirt layered on a white skirt. It mimicked Gabby’s own dress, although Gabby’s was teal instead of blue. 

Her heart froze in her chest as she realized Dale was sitting next to Alexis’s bed. Had he seen her? If he had, he hadn’t acknowledged her at all. Gabby bit her lip, the thought of getting his attention to apologize for Zane’s actions briefly crossing her mind. 

Her anxiety took over and quickly brushed the thought away. Gabby shook her head, trying to clear the thought away, and quietly backed out of Zoey’s room, closing the door before he could see her poking her head inside. 

(...)

Gabriella eventually found Garroth in the no-longer quarantined plaza that had been almost wholly transformed into diamond. Although he wasn’t looking at the Irene statue, like she had spent her time in the plaza the entire day before. He was chipping away at the diamond cave in the middle of the plaza with a pickaxe, although the whole top of the cave was already gone, so it was more of a glorified wall, and Gabby realized with a start that he wasn’t the only one. Brian, in his blue armor, was on the opposite side of the cave-wall, and another man she didn’t recognize stood atop the wall, both with pickaxes in their hand.

By the Lady Irene statue, there were two crates: one crate was full of pickaxes, mostly likely the pickaxes Garroth had ordered from Brightport, and the other had shards of diamonds beginning to pile up. Gabby realized with a start that Molly was knelt by the statue as well, in the exact same position as the day before; if she hadn’t known any better, Gabby might have thought that Molly hadn’t moved at all. 

Awkwardly making her way past Molly, Gabby grabbed a pickaxe and approached her brother. “Do you need my help?” 

Garroth glanced over at her, resting his pickaxe on his shoulder. “If you can. Have you ever used a pickaxe before?” 

“Uh… No.” Gabby awkwardly shifted it from her left hand to her right hand. “But I want to help if I can.” 

“Your help would be welcome, if you can. It just takes some strength.” Garroth showed her his pickaxe, flipping it around in his hand. “It’s not that complicated, just use the sharper side. We’ve cleared all of the roof, so you don’t need to worry about having a helmet.”

“...Alright.” Gabby glanced at the pickaxe in her hand again. “Have you been here all day?” 

“Since I finished my patrol.” Garroth stepped a little further away from her. “Let’s keep an extra bit of distance, just in case.” Gabby watched as he swung his pickaxe at the diamond, breaking off a few more shards. He made it look easy… Based on the weight of the pickaxe in her hands, she suspected she’d struggle more than he was. 

After watching her brother swing a few more times, Gabby tried to mimic his actions, and despite awkwardly wielding her pickaxe in comparison, she was at least able to build up the strength to hit the diamond with it. Nothing broke. With a few more swings, hitting roughly the same spot in the diamond when she was lucky, she finally managed to chip off a few pieces. 

Garroth watched her. She still couldn’t see his face, but she could practically see the sparkle in his eyes as she heard his amused tone of voice. “Getting the hang of it?” 

She rested the blade of the pickaxe on the ground, trying to catch her breath. “Y-Yeah. I can do this. J-Just…Just slowly.” 

“Take your time.” Garroth chipped away at the diamond while Gabby stood there, recovering her breath. 

When she could eventually breathe again, she began to swing again, striking at the diamond. At the same time, she tried to strike up another conversation. “Have you heard Laurance’s good news yet?” 

“Good news?” Garroth rested his pickaxe again, looking over at her. 

Gabby couldn’t stop the grin from appearing on her face as she made- what she presumed was- eye contact. “Laurance isn’t blind anymore! The statue healed him.” 

“O-Oh, he can…see again?” Garroth turned away, facing the direction of Aphmau’s home on the hill in the distance. “That’s wonderful.”

She frowned, tilting her head. “You don’t…seem excited.” She didn’t feel any strong emotions at all, so he must not have been feeling extreme in any way about the situation. 

“N-No, that’s…really wonderful for him.” He sighed. “I’m just… I guess I’m just a bit concerned. He’s strong, and…” He shook his head, returning to swinging at the diamond. “Don’t worry about it. I’m likely being irrational.” 

“It’s…because he’s a Shadow Knight, isn’t he?” She vaguely remembered Garroth’s story about his apprentice, Zenix. The one who had turned out to be a Shadow Knight in disguise. 

“...Yes.” Garroth’s voice was so quiet, she almost didn’t hear it underneath his helm. He fell quiet, focusing solely on mining the diamonds again. 

Gabby bit the inside of her lip, deciding not to continue the conversation any more. She already knew he didn’t trust Laurance as much as she did. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then she wouldn’t push it. Trying to ignore her already aching muscles, Gabriella worked to help tear down the diamonds that had built up in the plaza in silence next to her brother. 

Chapter Text

When Gabriella got up the next morning, her muscles sore from wielding a pickaxe for what ended up being a couple hours the day before, she was a bit surprised that the first person she ran into was the Lord of the village. 

Aphmau waved at her as she approached from the path that led to the barn where the baby shower had been held a few days prior. “Oh, Gabby! I was hoping to run into you.” 

“Aphmau!” Gabby crossed her arms. “What is it?” 

“I’m just doing my rounds of Phoenix Drop right now. I’m leaving Phoenix Drop after I check on everyone.” 

Gabby blinked in surprise. “You’re leaving? Where to?” 

“Um… Brightport. Kind of.” Aphmau sighed. “Apparently the werewolf tribe that lives by Brightport is having problems. Kiki and I are friends with them, and they need Kiki to help, so I’m taking her soon. I’m just…” She drifted into silence, shaking her head. “Nevermind.” 

Gabby frowned. She didn’t have to be properly bonded to Aphmau to notice what sorts of emotions she must have been feeling. “You seem hesitant.” 

Aphmau bit her lip, glancing around before taking a step closer to Gabby. “I’m worried about Kiki,” she said softly. “She’s been acting weird ever since Zane was here. First she raised her voice at me, which- I mean, I’ve never seen her do that before. And- and since then, she’s just been sleeping all the time, just hiding in her barn.” Raising her voice back to a normal volume, Aphmau took a step back again. “I’m hoping that taking her to see the werewolves might help bring her back to her regular self, too.” 

Gabby couldn’t really do anything but shrug helplessly. “I’m…sorry, Aphmau. I’ve only spoken with her a couple of times, and…” She blinked in surprise as the realization hit her. “I don’t believe I’ve seen her since the party. I do remember she wanted to speak to me about Zane.” Gabby hesitated. “It sounded like she was developing feelings for him.” She shuddered at the thought. “...Unfortunately.”

“I heard about that too.” Gabby noticed the Lord scowling, something she hadn’t seen before. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s related to what Kiki’s going through now. But I just…” The anger faded away into what looked more like…defeat. “I just have to take things as they come right now. Things are getting better for Phoenix Drop, so maybe they’ll get better for Kiki too.” Aphmau’s voice forcibly brightened again as she smiled at Gabby. “Is there anything you need from me before I leave? I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.” 

“N-No, I should be fine. Good luck on your trip.” 

“Thanks!” Aphmau started to walk away, to the west side of Phoenix Drop, the side where Gabby and the others had found Laurance and where Cadenza and KC- among other villagers that Gabby didn’t know- lived. Once a couple meters away, Aphmau paused, turning back to face Gabby. “Oh, by the way, Garroth’s up by my house if you’re looking for him!” she called before turning and walking away completely. 

Well. That solved her next mission. Gabby looked the opposite way, where Aphmau’s house sat on the hill at the northern end of the village. She could just vaguely make out what looked like multiple people standing outside of Aphmau’s house; one of them was Garroth, she could tell now based on the way the sunlight glinted off of the silver O’khasis academy armor. He was standing just past the staircase, watching whoever was playing in the playground in front of Aphmau’s house; Gabby couldn’t quite tell who it was from here. 

When she made it up the staircase to the top of the hill herself, a few minutes later, Gabby realized with a start that Garroth was watching Laurance playing with Aphmau’s adopted son, Levin, in the playground. Garroth was standing underneath the purple jacaranda tree that KC had planted on the edge of the hill when she and Brendan rebuilt the house into the giant purple structure it was now. Purple house, purple tree, purple outfit… Gabby was beginning to suspect she knew what the Lord’s favorite color was. 

Approaching Garroth on his right, Gabby cleared her throat to get his attention. “What are you doing?” 

Her twin didn’t quite jump, but he did snap his head to look at her. “Oh, Gabby…” He visibly relaxed, even with his armor. “Just…doing my duty. Standing guard outside of Lord Aphmau’s home.” 

“Instead of patrol?” 

“I’ve…tasked Brian to do it by himself today.” 

She crossed her arms. “You’re really not very good at lying.”

Garroth sighed. “I think I’ve gotten worse at it as I’ve been away from O’khasis. I don’t have many reasons to lie anymore.” 

Gabby stared at him amusedly. “You weren’t that great at lying back in O’khasis either.” 

“A-Anyway,” Garroth said quickly. “Did Lord Aphmau speak with you at all?” 

“She did, actually. She told me that she’s leaving for Brightport soon.” Gabby tilted her head curiously. “I guess that leaves you in charge, huh?” 

“It does. Although this is a rather common occurrence; Lady Aphmau often goes on independent ventures and leaves Phoenix Drop in my hands.” 

Gabby giggled. “That’s a big step from where you were before leaving O’khasis. You hated that level of responsibility.” 

Garroth shook his head. “I still couldn’t even be Head Guard of O’khasis. Me giving up Lordship of O’khasis was for the good of everyone.”

“Oh, I know.” Gabby rested her hand on his pauldron, leaning her head against it, her gaze drifting to Laurance and Levin in the playground. “I’m just proud.”

They were quiet for a minute before Gabby straightened. “You’re watching Laurance, aren’t you?” 

“...Yes.” 

“I thought so. I presume it’s related to your reaction when I told you he got his vision back yesterday?” 

“It is.” Garroth sighed. “I already spoke with Lord Aphmau about this earlier. I know it’s slightly irrational; he has proven himself nothing but trustworthy so far. I just can’t bring myself to…leave him alone.” 

“I understand… You’re worried about what happened with Zenix happening again.” 

“Zenix?” Garroth quickly looked over at her. 

Gabby shrugged. “You told me that you were too weak to keep up with Zenix when he revealed he was a Shadow Knight. I kind of assumed he overpowered you when Aphmau was away, otherwise she could have helped.” She awkwardly adjusted her headband. “I guess you didn’t tell me very much about Zenix, that was me assuming things.” 

“I forgot I told you that.” She noticed Garroth relax again, and she heard him let out a quiet laugh underneath his helmet. “You still know me quite well even after all these years, I guess. That’s what happened, yes.” 

“Well…” Gabby hesitated. She hadn’t even realized Shadow Knights were real before coming to Phoenix Drop. Powerful beings from the Nether, built to be warriors and servants for the Shadow Lord himself… Something far out of her understanding. “You already know Laurance is a Shadow Knight, right? That naturally puts you more on guard than you were around this Zenix. So…if he does lose control, or suddenly become our enemy, it gives you more of an advantage.” 

“...I guess.” 

“And,” she continued, “if you make yourself stay this tense the entire time Aphmau is gone, keeping watch over Laurance for however many days this will be, that will ultimately weaken you, right? Like when you were in the academy; you told me that you felt stronger during practices while also living at the academy and that your abilities weakened whenever you stayed home for a weekend.”

Garroth was quiet, but she could pretty much hear the gears turning in her twin’s head. “I’ll be here with Laurance for now. I have faith in him; I don’t think he’ll transform. Go check on the rest of the village. Let yourself relax…as much as you can.” 

“....Alright.” Garroth reluctantly pulled away, turning to face her. “You’re right. I’ll see Brian; he’s spent the day building a grave for the unidentified skeletons we found in Zane’s house…not patrolling.” 

“Mm-hmm.” Gabby crossed her arms, giving him an amused smirk. She had known that was a lie. “You do that.” 

Likely sensing the smugness in her voice, Garroth walked past her and down the stairs that led into the rest of Phoenix Drop. She wouldn’t have been surprised if his helmet hid his eye roll as he walked away. 

She walked in the opposite direction, towards the playground she had been looking at during her conversation with Garroth. As Gabriella approached, she realized that Levin was playing in a small sand pit, and Laurance was knelt in the sand across from him. She opened the gate to enter the playground with them. 

Laurance glanced over at her. “Hey, Princess.” 

Gabby rolled her eyes, walking around his back. “This is going to be consistent, isn’t it.” 

“I don’t know what you expect from me when you actually look like a princess on top of being a Ro’Meave.” As she knelt in the grass to Laurance’s right, he flashed her with his signature mischievous grin. “Plus, your reaction is fun.”

“I see.” Staring so closely into his eyes for the first time ever, Gabby couldn’t keep the smirk off her own face. “Is that what you say to all the girls?” 

“You could say that.” Laurance turned his grin away from her back to Levin. “You should ask Aphmau about how I tease her sometimes.” 

“Boat! Boat!” Levin started chanting. Gabby looked at the baby. She had forgotten he was here; she hadn’t seen him since the baby shower, she realized. Aphmau must have been keeping him safe somewhere secure in town while the black and purple substance was around. The blond baby was waving his toy boat around in the air, shoving it generally in Gabby’s direction, like he was trying to get her attention. “Dis my boat!” 

“That’s your boat?” Gabby echoed. She didn’t really know how to handle kids, but she remembered Zianna used to do that with Vylad all the time. 

Levin smiled, nodding, before aggressively shoving the boat in the sand and burying it. “That boat’s all he’s been playing with since I came out here,” Laurance said with a laugh. “He’s a cute one, that’s for sure.” 

“Do you have experience with kids?” Gabby glanced over at him curiously. 

Laurance shook his head quickly. “No, not really. At least not kids this young. I just wanted to be outside today, instead of cramped in that basement bedroom, but I still feel like I’m not quite ready for anything too physically exerting. So, I’m here with the baby. How about you?” 

“I don’t really either.” Gabby hesitated. She had been six when Vylad was born, but… She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts of her deceased little brother. She had to stop thinking about him. He had been dead for five years. “...Y-Yeah. Zane is…only about three years younger than Garroth and I. I can’t really remember much of anything when he was a baby.” 

“I see…” Laurance fell quiet, and Gabby shifted awkwardly on her knees in the grass, her gaze drifting back to Levin. The baby seemed perfectly content playing by himself with his boat for the moment, trying to bury it further in the sand. 

They were silent for a few minutes, both just watching Levin play by himself, until Laurance broke it again. “I officially resigned my position as Meteli’s Head Guard earlier today. I sent my letter this morning.” 

“So it’s official,” Gabby murmured. “You’re not going back to Meteli.” 

“No.” Laurance shook his head. “My Meteli life ended in the Nether. I suspect that part of me is gone forever.”

“What will you do now?” 

He shrugged. “Start a new life here in Phoenix Drop. I seem to fit in pretty well so far, and I’m hoping that won’t change now that I can see.” 

Gabriella couldn’t help but stare at him as he ran his hand through his light brown hair, a small smile on his face. It must have been something about how he got his vision back. Now his eyes had light in them, instead of just being cloudy and lifeless. And seeing him against the sky, Gabby realized that his pale blue eyes were even paler than the blue of the sky, such a rare shade of blue that something about it felt almost mystical. 

She cleared her throat, awkwardly making herself look away. “That’s…my plan, too. Although I feel I haven’t really made myself useful since I came here.” 

“Well, you were there for me during a pretty dark patch of my life.” Laurance smiled at her. “I don’t know if you’ve done much else, but that meant a lot to me. I…actually think you visited me even more than Aphmau did.” 

Right. Aphmau. The woman he had feelings for. The woman her brother had feelings for. “I guess that’s true. I just…grew up never really able to do anything in O’khasis. I was excited for that to change, but it hasn’t changed much yet.” 

“Think about how I’ve felt. In the days I’ve been here, I’ve been sitting blind in a basement, unable to do anything.” Laurance nudged her. “Besides, if we get started with that sword training soon, you’ll be able to help defend Phoenix Drop if you want.” 

“I suppose…” Gabby rubbed her arms. “There’s no reason to sit here feeling bad about myself. I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t had anyone to really open up to the last few years, but now I have Garroth and you, and…” She sighed. “Nevermind.” 

She hesitantly looked back at Laurance to see him smiling at her. “To be honest, I feel the same. It’s nice to have someone new to have more serious conversations with. I didn’t have that much back in Meteli myself, not as Head Guard.”

“Y-Yeah.” Normally, Gabby was good with words, but she was really struggling trying to speak with him now. She wasn’t used to being so forward with people she didn’t know as well. 

The two drifted off into silence, but, to Gabby’s surprise, it wasn’t an awkward silence for long. It grew comfortable rather quickly, especially with little Levin filling it in sometimes. They spent most of the rest of that day around the small playground with the baby, distracting him from his mother who had left for Brightport and distracting themselves from the problems that had been following them.

Chapter Text

All Gabriella had been doing since she came to Phoenix Drop was spending time with Garroth and Laurance. She wanted to be part of the village, and unlike O’khasis, it was actually easy for her to know every single person here. Maybe today was her day where she could start getting to know some of the other villagers living in Phoenix Drop. 

When Gabby left her house, the sun was still rising in the sky to her right, shining off the buildings and right into her eyes. She raised her hand to her head, shielding her eyes from the golden rays. They glimmered off of the diamonds that were still lodged in Dale and Molly’s house, though Gabby could only admire the sights for a moment before getting tired of the sun and having to turn her back to it, staring down the west side of town instead. Her shadow stretched along the cobblestone path, notably empty of any other people wandering the streets: something she had gotten used to living in Phoenix Drop for about a week, but something that she never saw living in O’khasis. 

She stood there for a moment, breathing in the cool morning air, before finally taking her first steps across the cobblestone, to the western edge of town. She had wandered through here with Garroth a couple of times, but she wasn’t all-that familiar with this side of Phoenix Drop. The eastern edge of Phoenix Drop hosted Aphmau’s house, the southern edge held the plaza, and the northern edge had the barn, each notable landmarks that Gabby had grown familiar seeing on the day-to-day. But the only thing about the western part of town that stood out to Gabby was that it was in that forest on the edge where she found Laurance.

She did know there was a small set of houses sitting there, houses she had patrolled past with Garroth before. Two rows of two houses each sat on opposite sides of a path which branched off the main road through town. Staring the path down like she used to stare down her mother’s bedroom door when she needed to talk to her, Gabriella surveyed the four houses. They all looked distinctive from the other, despite being built in a similar style to Gabby’s own house across from the guard station. 

The first house on the left was Cadenza’s house, the one with the rose bushes sitting beside the front steps and lanterns hanging off of the wall in place of torches. Gabby was somewhat acquainted with Cadenza by this point, her being Laurance’s younger adopted sister. She didn’t particularly want to invite herself into anyone’s home, though, especially not at this time of day. 

The first house on the right looked almost exactly like Gabby’s house; the same wooden oak walls, with no extra decorations or alterations made from how Gabby assumed it was originally built. She wasn’t actually sure whose house this was. Whoever lived here, she probably hadn’t met yet. 

Walking past the two houses, Gabby glanced at the next two buildings. The second house on the right was the bright pink stone house that she had noticed when Garroth first brought her here. Not only were the walls bright pink, but the roof was pink and white, and even the small garden beside the steps on the outside was filled with a variety of pink and white flowers. That was KC’s house- the pink meif’wa was certainly known for her color- and it looked just as jarringly out of place in this small town as it had when she first arrived. 

As Gabby came closer to the house, there was a sound of hooves clopping on dirt. She curiously peered around the corner of KC’s pink house and quickly jumped backwards when a horse’s face appeared only inches away from her. The horse, which had been hidden in the trees at the end of the path, emerged in front of Gabby and shook its mane, its tail swishing back and forth. 

It was a pretty palomino horse, its golden coat reflecting back the golden sunlight, glowing almost as golden as KC’s house glowed pink. “Aren’t you pretty,” Gabby murmured, resisting the urge to reach out and pet the strange horse. That was one of the few things she missed from O’khasis: the giant stable of O’khasian horses right by the Ro’Meave home, where she and Garroth used to always play hide and seek when they were kids. 

She noticed the lead around its neck, loose enough that the horse wouldn’t be distressed, but tight enough that the horse couldn’t wander off into the woods surrounding Phoenix Drop. The lead tied back to a fencepost beside KC’s house; this must have been her horse or maybe Brendan’s. 

Taking her eyes off of the peaceful horse minding its own business, Gabby looked at the final building, across the path from KC’s home. It looked like a traditional Phoenix Drop house, with one big difference. There was a sign that had the carving of a book on it hanging off the side of the building: it was a library! 

Gabby slowly twisted the doorknob on the library, cautiously stepping inside. This must have been a traditional house that was just being used as a library. Only one wall was currently filled with bookshelves, and only two of those bookshelves even had any books. The rest were just empty, waiting to be inhabited with books. No matter how many times Gabby had to be reminded that Phoenix Drop was a small village, this was probably the biggest reminder she’d seen yet. The village barely had double the amount of books that they had people. 

She heard the sound of steps on the staircase and just as quickly noticed a blonde woman with glasses coming up to the main floor. She looked familiar: Gabby knew she had met her before, though she wasn’t always great at remembering people’s names. The woman recognized her instantly. “Gabby! Oh my Irene, I don’t normally get visitors to the library, normally people just come to see me.” She quickly brushed off her long black skirt, trying to clear out any wrinkles. “Is there anything I can help you with?” 

“I’m…only looking around the village.” Gabby looked over at the shelves of books. Skimming over some of the book titles, she noticed there was a lot of books on the Divine Warriors, some about the history of Ru’aun, and some about specific villages she knew were on this side of the region like Brightport and Pikoro. “It’s a very small library.” 

“Yes, well, I’m starting from scratch.” The librarian woman- Gabby could have sworn she learned her name before- adjusted her glasses. “Before Lord Aphmau got here, Phoenix Drop wasn’t in a position to run a library; we barely had the capacity to feed everyone. Once she took over as Lord, I was able to start collecting books.” 

“It’s a lot of Divine Warrior information,” Gabby observed. “‘The Many Wonders of Lady Irene,’ ‘Lady Irene as Leader of the Divine,’ ‘The Matron, The Destroyer, and The Protector…’”

“I…” The library flushed, awkwardly rubbing her arm. “...really love and admire our Lady. It’s…easiest to find information about her in Ru’aun, anyway. For more detailed records of the other Divine, I have to reach out to the other regions. I don’t really have the capacity for that right now.” 

Gabby smiled to herself, remembering the library she used to visit back in O’khasis. “Have you ever been to O’khasis?” 

“No.” Her voice was wistful. “That must be the greatest library in the entire region, isn’t it?” 

“For me, certainly. It was one of the things that made O’khasis more bearable. I must have read through the entire geography and cartography section over my last years there.” 

“Oh, we have a few geography books!” The librarian’s high voice got higher with excitement and she quickly studied the bookshelf. “Um… This one is about the different climates in Ru’aun and how different villages live within them… O-Oh, ‘The Mountains in Eastern Ru’aun,’ um…” She sighed. “I guess we don’t have many.” 

Gabby shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t come here to read books right now; I was just curious about the library.” She glanced awkwardly at the floor. “Remind me of your name?” 

“Oh, yeah! My name is Emmalyn.” She adjusted her glasses again. “I met you briefly at Logan and Donna’s wedding, but I haven’t seen you around since then. I only remembered your name because you’re a Ro’Meave. Speaking of which…” Emmalyn hesitated. “Is it true that the Ro’Meaves are direct descendants of Esmund the Protector?” 

“Y-Yes, on my father’s side.”

Emmalyn’s dark blue eyes lit up behind her glasses. “That’s incredible!” she said breathlessly. “I knew the Magi had descendants, but I never thought I’d meet any of them.”

“The…Magi?” Gabby echoed, tilting her head curiously. 

“Yes!” Emmalyn clasped her hands together. “It’s a term scholars often use for the Divine Warriors. I…believe it used to represent something grander, but now it’s often used interchangeably with the Divine. I could be wrong, though. Most of my knowledge is about Lady Irene…not as much the other five Divine Warriors.” 

“I…see.” Gabby hesitated. For all the books she spent her time in O’khasis reading, she had never cared to learn very much about the Divine Warriors. All she knew was the basics: what region was built around and worshipped each Divine Warrior and each Divine Warrior’s title. Irene the Matron, Esmund the Protector, Kul’zak the Keeper, Enki the Keeper, Menphia the Fury, and Shad the Destroyer. Ru’aun worshipped Lady Irene, with Zane’s official title in O’khasis being the High Priest for the Faith of Lady Irene. 

She cleared her throat, changing the topic. “Well, I’m glad to know this is here, albeit buried in the very corner of Phoenix Drop. I think I’m going to go to the plaza and assist in clearing away the diamonds, but… It was lovely to speak with you.” She found herself drifting back into her O’khasis script that she always used in the city. 

“Of course!” Emmalyn beamed. “Thank you for stopping by!” 

(...)

When Gabby made it to the plaza, she was surprised to see that the diamonds had been almost completely cleared. All that remained of what had previously formed a cave in the middle of the plaza was what looked like a boulder about the same height as Gabby. Still far more diamond in one spot than anything that could occur naturally, but it looked miniscule in comparison to before. 

She lifted one of the Brightport pickaxes from the crate by the fountain; it was still heavy, but it felt a little bit more manageable this time, as long as she used both hands. Carefully, she tried to swing the pickaxe onto her shoulder the way she had seen Garroth do it a couple days before. She did successfully get it onto her shoulder, but she might have stumbled a bit in the process…and might have hit the wooden handle against her… It probably would have looked really silly if anyone had been watching. And her shoulder probably had a bruise now. Shaking her head like she was shaking off her failure of a success, Gabby made her way over to the rock of diamond and began to chip away at it, this time without the company of her brother. 

She wasn’t sure how long she was there by herself- she had managed a solid four swings, but those took her a while- but eventually she heard a voice behind her. Not a voice she had expected to hear. 

“I hadn’t expected to see you here, Princess.” She turned to see Laurance entering the plaza down the path beside the fountain, his signature grin on his face. “Knowing what I know about you, I didn’t think you could use a pickaxe.” 

“Garroth helped me a couple days ago.” She quickly rested it on the ground; she still wasn’t great at talking and swinging at the same time. “I…feel bad not helping around Phoenix Drop. I spent all my time in O’khasis just sitting in my bedroom, and I’m trying not to do that anymore.” She hesitated. “Why are you here?” 

“Same as you.” He walked over to the crate and grabbed a pickaxe out of it with his right hand- a lot more effortlessly than Gabby had; it looked like he was picking a twig off the ground. “Wanted to make myself useful after wasting away in my bedroom. I need to warm up again, and I overheard the others talking about the plaza, so I thought this would be the right opportunity.” 

Laurance came to stand just a few feet away from Gabby, at a slightly different angle in front of the boulder. He set his pickaxe on the ground, leaning it against the diamond, before unbuckling and removing what Gabby realized was a sword scabbard with a leather strap around his chest. He laid his sword, still sitting in its metal scabbard, flat on the cobblestone by his feet. 

He wasn’t saying anything; this would have been the perfect time for her to resume swinging away at the boulder with her own pickaxe. But instead Gabby found herself watching Laurance quietly as he took off his blue jacket, revealing the short-sleeve cotton pullover he wore layered underneath. The white shirt was form-fitted against his muscled tan skin; Cadenza had probably custom-made it for him around the same time she turned his hair brown again. 

Laurance ran his right hand through his hair before using it to pick up his pickaxe, as effortlessly as it was for him the first time. Gabby watched curiously as Laurance swung the pickaxe at the diamond. He seemed to be having an even easier time with it than Garroth had. Maybe it was because he didn’t have on the heavy suit of armor that Garroth always wore, or…maybe Shadow Knights really were stronger than regular humans. She didn’t understand how it worked. Maybe there was a reason Garroth was a bit scared of him. 

Gabby shook her head, directing her attention back to her own pickaxe. In the span of time it took Laurance to take four swings at the pure diamond, breaking away chips of it, Gabby barely managed to pick up her pickaxe, wind up for a swing, and hit the rock one time. Despite her struggle with the task compared to Laurance, she realized with a start that he was looking at her. “You’re stronger than you look.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t really see why I would be.” Her arms already felt like they were burning. 

“Did you…do a lot of heavy lifting in O’khasis?” Laurance turned his attention back to the diamonds in front of them, hitting them with his pickaxe as easily as you’d hit a nail with a hammer. 

Memories of being a teenager flashed in her eyes, lifting Vylad to carry him to safety the way she used to watch Garroth do the same before he left for the academy. Although she was about five years out of practice… “U-Um… Books,” she said lamely, lifting her pickaxe again. She wasn’t about to trouble him with her family drama; he had been through enough already. 

Laurance was quiet; she couldn’t tell if he believed her or not. His facial expression was completely neutral. “Well, that should make wielding a sword easier for you.” 

Gabby bit the inside of her lip, winding up to hit the diamond with her pickaxe again. After her strike, she had the energy to speak again. “When will…” She inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath. “W-When will we be starting that?” 

“Maybe tomorrow.” Laurance glanced over at her, his pale blue eyes inquisitive. “If that works for you.” He rested his pickaxe on the ground, flexing his shoulders. “Assuming that I’m not very out of shape and this won’t bother me tomorrow.” 

“Out of shape?” Gabby scoffed, slowly lifting her pickaxe back to her shoulder, only to quickly set it on the ground again, her arms still too tired to use it yet. “You’re making it look easy.” 

He grinned at her. “Wearing a sword, a shield, and a full set of armor every day will do that. This pickaxe is nothing in comparison.” 

Gabby saw a picture of Garroth’s diamond shield, matching his sword, flash in her mind. It was practically an extension of his armor in her mind, as was every other shield that all the guards back in O’khasis always carried. “You have a shield, too?” 

“It’s still sitting in my bedroom.” Laurance picked his pickaxe up again, resting it on his shoulder. “To be honest, I…mostly carry it for appearances. I’m not good at remembering to use it in combat. It’s pretty unwieldy.” 

“Garroth’s shield matches his sword,” Gabby said thoughtfully, stretching her arms to try and alleviate the soreness. “Is yours emerald, like your sword?” 

“Yeah, actually.” He resumed carving away at the diamond: something Gabby still didn’t feel up to doing. “Head Guards traditionally have a matching sword and shield. Although…” Laurance pulled the pickaxe away, setting it back on his shoulder, his eyes growing distant. “I guess I’m not one anymore.” 

Gabriella bit her lip, not really sure how to respond. She rubbed her mostly bare arm, her gaze drifting to the floor of the plaza. It used to be cobblestone, but now it was practically pure diamond, left in the wake of Zane’s strange ritual. They were silent for a few minutes, Laurance resuming chipping off the diamonds, and Gabby trying to motivate herself to do the same despite the pain in her arms. 

Laurance broke the silence again. “Since I got my vision back, I’ve been thinking about asking Garroth if I can join the Phoenix Drop guard.” He took another swing at the diamond before continuing. “I resigned from Meteli, and I need to find something to do to make myself useful.” 

“Phoenix Drop is so small, I’m sure they could always use another guard.” Gabby forced herself to lift the pickaxe up again, determined to get at least a few more diamonds out of the boulder before giving up for the day. 

She heard the grin in Laurance’s voice. “Spoken like a true O’khasian. But Phoenix Drop is quite small, even smaller than Meteli.” 

Gabby nodded, thinking back to the map still on the wall in her bedroom. “Phoenix Drop wasn’t even known to O’khasis last I heard, but we know of both Brightport and Meteli, despite both of them being small, too.” 

“That doesn’t surprise me. Even though Garroth has been Head Guard of Phoenix Drop for years, and I was Head Guard of Meteli for a long time…” Laurance slung the pickaxe back over his shoulder. “Well, we never even met until after Aphmau became Lord here. We sent them supplies sometimes, but they were struggling to stay afloat, and we had our own problems. I had heard of him but had never even seen him.” He cleared his throat. “It’s quite a twist of fate that now I’m here.” 

“And I can’t think of any reason Garroth would turn you down.” Garroth was a bit scared of Laurance, being a Shadow Knight, but he seemed to like Laurance- he had told Gabby as much- and she and Aphmau both trusted him. Gabby sighed, setting her pickaxe down again. 

“Are you doing okay, Princess?” She glanced over at Laurance to see him watching her, an amused sparkle in his eyes. “Your movements are a lot more sluggish than they were when I got here.”

“I-I’m just…” Gabby leaned over, trying to catch her breath. She realized what he said and shot him a look that mirrored his own. “You’re really not going to drop that, are you?”

Laurance shrugged, a small smirk appearing on his face. “Not unless it bothers you.” 

“I’m just impressed by the persistence.” Gabby chuckled, stretching out her arms again. “I…think I have to stop, though. I was going to go find Garroth; do you want to come with me, to ask him about joining the Guard?” 

“Might as well.” Laurance picked up his pickaxe with his left hand before reaching forward and grabbing Gabby’s pickaxe with his right. “Here, I can help with that.” 

“Th-Thank you.” As Laurance put the pickaxes away, Gabby collected all of the diamonds they had broken that were laying on the equally diamond floor, dropping them in the crate. She turned around to see Laurance shaking off his jacket, which had been laying on the ground, and putting it back on overtop his shirt, covering up his tan arms again. 

Once his scabbard was strapped across his body, he took a step closer to Gabby. “Any idea where we could find your brother right now?” 

“I’m…not sure.” Gabby hesitated, glancing towards the sun. It was already surprisingly late in the day; he must have finished patrol by now. “What does a Head Guard normally do when the Lord isn’t available?” 

Laurance snorted, running his hand through his hair. “Everything. If he’s not on patrol, he might have retreated to the guard station or…somewhere else where the villagers could locate him quickly in case of an emergency.” 

“The guard station would make sense…” Gabriella mused, massaging her sore arm. “We can begin there.” 

(...)

They didn’t have to get very close to the guard station before spotting Garroth. He was standing on the second floor balcony of the guard station, overlooking the center of Phoenix Drop. “Garroth!” Gabby called. She moved to wave at him, but her arms were too sore for that kind of movement, so she quickly gave up on that. 

He looked down from atop the balcony. “Everything alright?”

“We just wanted to talk to you!” 

“I’ll be right down.” 

A moment later, Garroth met them outside the front doors of the guard station, standing on the central path in Phoenix Drop. “What did you need?” 

Gabby glanced pointedly at Laurance, who seemed to take her signal as an opportunity to speak. “Well, Garroth, I’ve been thinking about a lot since I got my vision back…” He sighed. “I’m not planning on returning to Meteli, not as one of its villagers. And now that I’m physically capable again, I wanted to see if I could join Phoenix Drop’s Guard.” 

“I-I…” Gabby felt a flash of multiple emotions run through her: mostly surprise, but Gabby noticed a bit of fear tucked away, too. “Are you sure? It’s quite a drop in ranks from Head Guard of Meteli.” 

Laurance shrugged, his signature grin lighting up his face again. “If I was in it for the prestige, I would have been in Scaleswind or O’khasis years ago.” 

“In that case, we’d be honored to have you join us. Take one more day off tomorrow, to make sure you’re truly in good physical condition. Then I will start assigning you tasks aftermorrow.” 

“Awesome, I’ll plan for that.” Laurance gently elbowed Gabby. “Maybe we’ll start training tomorrow, then.” 

“Training?” Garroth tilted his head curiously. 

“He’s going to help me learn how to sword fight.” She grinned proudly at her brother. “That way I can be at least a bit more helpful the next time Phoenix Drop is in trouble.” 

She heard a matching grin in Garroth’s voice underneath his helmet. “Seeing you in combat? I never thought that would happen. I might stop by, if I end up having the free time.” 

“Garroth!” another voice suddenly called. A male voice that…sounded a bit familiar… 

Gabby whirled to see Dale approaching Garroth from behind her and Laurance, two other figures behind him. But she barely processed them, unable to stop looking at Dale, clad in his blue and yellow armor like always. Her throat had immediately gone dry, thinking back on their last conversation. Never taking her eyes off him, Gabby stepped backwards, sidling beside Garroth. 

Dale must have noticed her watching him, and they briefly made eye contact before Dale’s eyes flickered back to Garroth. “Brian, the Doctor, and I were discussing plans for Phoenix Drop while Lord Aphmau is gone. Although the diamonds scattered through the village are a blessing…” He hesitated. “When we excavate all of them, our village will need a lot of reconstruction. We were thinking… If Phoenix Drop is going to need to be rebuilt anyway, perhaps we could put it through some more major reconstruction.” 

He glanced around the town. “Lord Aphmau’s done so much to expand the village, but… It still looks almost the same as it did when she first arrived. Perhaps we could surprise her by improving Phoenix Drop more. Upgrading the paths, improving the plaza… Maybe even constructing a wall, to prevent any more…” Dale glanced briefly at Gabby again before looking away. “...dangerous visitors.” 

Garroth was quiet for a moment, thinking over Dale’s proposal. “...And to fund all the renovations, we could use the diamonds that we’ve been collecting!” Gabby knew his blue eyes must have been lit up underneath his helmet. “Dale, that’s a wonderful idea!” He nodded towards Laurance. “And Laurance will be joining the Guard, so if you and Brian wished to focus on construction efforts, then Phoenix Drop’s security still won’t be an issue. I’ll use Raven to send out a request for materials. Hopefully, construction can begin tomorrow.” 

He’s not going to hurt you, he’s not going to hurt you. Gabby tried to swallow back her fears, but her throat was still too dry to do so successfully. “A-And I can do my…my best to help if you…need it,” she said softly, refusing to meet Dale’s eyes. “I…want to make up for…all the harm Zane caused.” 

“Very well.” Dale’s voice sounded colder than it had when he spoke to Garroth. “We’ll get you if we need you. For now, we’re going to start drawing up schematics.” 

As the trio of men- Dale, Brian, and a third man with a mustache she didn’t recognize- left, Gabby forced herself to steady her breathing. She had to stay calm, she had to relax… Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Chapter Text

Gabby’s arms were still sore as she made the familiar trek up stairs to Aphmau’s big purple house on the hill. She had hoped going to bed early and getting some extra sleep might have made the pain from the pickaxe go away, but that hope had been for nothing. To her surprise, no one was gathered in the familiar stone basement. She’d gotten used to seeing at least one or two other people there, pacing as they waited anxiously for news on Alexis or for a chance to check on Laurance. Zoey and Molly probably sat in Alexis’s room, where she slept as always, but Gabby wasn’t here for that today.  

She knocked on Laurance’s door, almost surprised to be greeted with a much more casual “Yeah?” than his current response. She poked her head in the room. Laurance was standing over his bed, a large sack for carrying supplies sitting atop it. He looked to the door and grinned as his blue eyes met Gabby’s. “I was hoping it would be you. Are you ready for our lesson?” 

“As I’ll ever be.” Gabby fully stepped into the room, glancing at the sack on his bed. “Materials for practice?” 

“Yeah. Are your arms feeling better after working that pickaxe so hard yesterday?” 

“They’re fine,” she said quickly. 

Laurance crossed his arms, his gaze flicking across her body as an amused smirk sat on his face. “And you’re wearing the same dress…?” 

“I wash it,” Gabby protested. 

“N-No, I…” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Do you not have anything better suited for…” He gestured toward the sack on his bed, presumably full of swords. 

Gabby shrugged helplessly. “I haven’t worn anything other than dresses since I was a kid.”

“...Alright, if that’s really what you’ll wear in combat.” Laurance closed the sack, slinging it over his shoulder. “Let’s get going.” 

“Where are we going to train?” 

“Garroth showed me a place he thought would be good yesterday.” He strode over to Gabby, who was still waiting by the door. “It’s not very far from here.” 

She followed Laurance out of Aphmau’s house, down the hill, past the house that Zane had taken over where the once black and purple substance had turned to bedrock instead of diamond. Gabby vaguely remembered the trees here were where she first reunited with Garroth upon reaching Phoenix Drop, but she hadn’t been here since then. 

Laurance led her through more trees, and soon they reached…the remains of a ruined building. It looked like it had once been a large house, but now only the stone foundation stood, alone in the woods, isolated from the rest of Phoenix Drop. “What…is this place?” 

“Garroth told me it’s where the Lord before Aphmau lived.” Laurance set his sack on the foundation, elevated about a foot above the grass. “We agreed it would be a good place for training; it’s away from the construction that will begin in Phoenix Drop, and the ground here is flat and stable.” 

Gabby glanced around the area. It felt so secluded, even though it had only taken her and Laurance a couple minutes to walk here. She could see Aphmau’s house on the hill still towering over everything, but it was the only sign of modern civilization. 

She forced herself to look back to Laurance, noticing that he had laid two swords on the stone foundation. One of them was a standard iron sword, the kind most commonly used by guards in the region, and the other was a wooden sword, little more than polished sticks strapped together, the kind kids usually made for playing pretend. Instinctively, Gabby reached for the wooden sword, but to her surprise, Laurance lightly slapped her hand away before handing her the iron sword instead.

Gabby furrowed her brow in confusion as she took the iron sword into her hand. At the same time, she saw Laurance picking up the wooden sword. “Since it’s your first time holding a sword, I didn’t want us to both start with iron swords,” he explained. “I don’t want to accidentally hurt you.” 

“But…” Gabby glanced down at the iron sword in her hand, then back at Laurance, who was standing there with absolutely no armor. “But what if I…?” 

He just shrugged, his familiar mischievous grin resting on his face again. “I’m not worried about that.” He cleared his throat, taking a step away from the foundation, giving himself more space in the grass for movement. Gabby followed his lead. “Besides, I mostly brought this for demonstration purposes. We probably won’t reach the point of sparring today.” 

Laurance rested his wooden sword on his right shoulder as he looked at Gabby. “How does the sword feel in your hands?” 

Gabby hesitated, hefting the sword in her right hand. “It’s…not as heavy as I expected.” 

“Like nothing compared to the weight of that pickaxe. You’ll start feeling it, though; anyone’s arms get tired after using a sword if they’re not used to it.” Laurance held up his wooden sword. “Before anything else, you need to learn how to hold it. See how I’m gripping the handle?” 

He had four fingers wrapped around the handle, his thumb balancing his grip sitting on the back of the handle. Gabby tried to mimic him, although her thumb felt out of place angled away from the rest of her fingers, instead of wrapped around her fingers like it would if she made a fist. “You should always aim to hold your sword like that,” Laurance said, slinging his own wooden sword back against his shoulder. “Your knuckles will guide you where to swing; try to always swing with that edge of the blade.” 

Gabby stared curiously at the sword in her hands, slowly turning it around while she tried to keep her grip on it. “Is it sharper on that edge?” 

He shook his head. “Not in this case, no. It’s safer to have a system to guide your swings, rather than just flailing wildly. The most important thing in a sword fight is control. You control your thoughts, you control your actions, you control your opponent. The second you lose control, well…” Laurance stepped forward, lightly tapping her exposed shoulder with his “sword.” “You’re one hit away from possible death.” 

“R-Right.” Comforting. She felt her grip on the hilt loosening and forced herself to keep it tight. 

“Anyway…” Laurance took a step backwards again. “We have a saying in the academy. ‘The first month is the worst month.’ Almost everyone who goes to the Guard Academy is excited to start training to be a guard, learning specialized combat skills and battle strategies… Really, the whole first month of training is just us, standing in a row, practicing the same strikes and stances with our swords over and over again. You have to understand technique to understand anything else.” 

This was starting to sound less fun. “That’s…what I need to do.” 

“Well, you’re not training to be a guard, you’re training to be able to defend yourself in a fight. So I’m going to try and give you a summarized version of that…” He shrugged, the mischievous sparkle returning to his pale blue eyes. “Just don’t blame me if it’s still a bit boring.”

Gabby spent the next couple of hours learning a variety of basic stances, guards, and attacks, swinging at the air over and over again while Laurance watched her and gave her feedback. Eventually she got to set the sword down, sitting on the stone foundation next to where she laid it, trying to catch her breath and give her poor arms a break. 

Laurance sat down next to her. “Here, I brought these, too.” He handed Gabby a glass bottle filled with water. She took it quickly and gratefully.

“How are you feeling?” He ran his hand through his hair, the sun glinting off of it. 

“I-I’m okay,” she managed to say after nearly emptying her bottle. “It’s just slightly hot out.” 

Laurance grinned at her. “You’re definitely a natural. I think next we could start sparring together, as long as you keep working on those drills by yourself, too.” 

“Yeah, I can… I can do that.” Gabby set her bottle on the stone, trying to massage away the pain in her arm. 

“You’ll start noticing the pain fading, too. Once you get used to wielding a sword, it stops feeling like a bulky tool and starts feeling like an extension of yourself.” He hopped to his feet, walking over to where the sack rested and grabbed a long piece of what looked like leather out of it. “And this might help you get used to carrying its weight.” 

Gabby got a better look at it as Laurance brought it back over to her. It was a scabbard for a sword with a leather strap attached to it, one that matched Laurance’s own. “You can’t have a sword without also having something to carry it in,” he said. 

She took it in her hands as Laurance sat back down next to her. “I have a sword?” 

Laurance nodded toward the iron sword Gabby had been using for practice. Her breath caught in her throat as she glanced at it before looking back at Laurance. “That… That’s mine now?” 

“Of course!” Laurance grinned. “What’s the point of learning to use a sword to defend yourself if you won’t have a sword on hand when you need one?” 

Gabby hesitated, looking from the sword- her sword- to the scabbard sitting in her lap. “What should I do with it…?” She met Laurance’s eyes and quickly explained herself before he could say anything. “I know most people keep these around their waist, but…” She glanced down at her dress. “I don’t know if that would work for me.” 

Laurance shrugged. “It’s up to you. I prefer keeping mine strapped to my back; it stays out of the way and it’s harder for my opponents to predict… But it’s also dangerous if your reflexes aren’t ready for it.” 

“I…see…” That didn’t really solve her dilemma. Neither sounded like the best option. 

“Just think about it. It’s not something you need to solve immediately.” Laurance got back to his feet. “I have some other things I need to take care of today, since I’m officially joining the guard here tomorrow. Do you need anything else?” 

“N-No, this was really helpful.” Gabby smiled up at him, still sitting on the foundation. “Thank you for taking the time to do this.” 

“There’s no need for formalities.” Laurance flashed his signature grin at her. “I’m always happy to help a friend. I’ll see you later.” He grabbed all of his stuff, walking back toward the rest of Phoenix Drop through the trees. 

Gabby sat in the silence that followed, his words echoing in her head. It had been a long time since she had a friend.

Chapter Text

Gabriella had gotten used to tuning out the sound of swords clanging ever since Garroth started attending the Guard Academy. What had once been an obnoxious ringing that distracted her had become an almost comforting background noise that told her her brother was nearby. 

Although the final clang of his sparring match didn’t interrupt Gabby from her book, the smug tone to his voice certainly did. “You need to catch up, Azura. We’re officially 3 to 1.”

Gabby closed her book, glancing up from where she sat on a blanket under a tree to where Garroth and his friend Azura were standing in the grass, both holding a sword as they finished their duel. Azura sighed, taking her helmet off and dropping it on the grass, but she had a smile on her face. “I just can’t compete with you anymore. You’ve become one of the best in our class very quickly.” 

Garroth mirrored her, beginning to remove his Guard Academy armor, the black O’khasis cross emblazoned across the front. “You’ve still beaten me once today. Most of our classmates are scared to duel you.” 

Gabby glanced to her left, where her school friend Emma sat on the opposite side of the blanket, closing one of her textbooks. “You both are about halfway through the academy, correct?” 

Azura nodded, her dark blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. “Most people complete the academy at about twenty; Garroth and I are both seventeen now.” 

Emma tilted her head, staring thoughtfully at the ground. “Do you get any say over where in Ru’aun you get sent after finishing?” 

Gabby felt a wave of disappointment and saw Garroth cross his arms, looking at the grass. No one else seemed to notice. “We have to find somewhere ourselves,” Azura explained, undoing the last of her own matching academy armor. “Most of us are planning on staying near O’khasis, maybe Falconclaw or Nahakra.”

Gabriella tilted her head curiously at her twin’s academy friend. “You want to leave O’khasis, right?” She remembered that Azura’s desire to get out of the village she grew up in was similar to Garroth and Gabby’s own. 

“As soon as I can.” Azura approached where Gabby and Emma sat under the tree, sitting on the grass across from Gabby. “I hadn’t convinced my parents to let me attend the Brightport Guard Academy, but I’ve always wanted to see that side of the region. Perhaps I’ll find a place in Pikoro’s guard, or maybe even with Brightport or Meteli.” 

“That will be a large change in scenery.” Emma said thoughtfully. 

Gabby looked over at Garroth, who was still standing where he and Azura had been sparring, staring at the ground. “...Garroth?” 

“S…Sorry.” He cleared his throat, sitting down next to Azura and across from Emma. “I…don’t even have the option to leave O’khasis after I finish the academy. Father barely let me attend the academy in the first place.” 

“Right… You’ll be Lord of O’khasis eventually.” Emma cleared her throat. “My apologies.” 

“N-No, it’s fine.” Garroth shook his head. “I still have a few more years in the academy, and… I will only become Lord when Father decides it’s time, so I will have more freedom even after I finish.”

Gabby noticed he was avoiding mentioning the daughter of the Lord of Scaleswind, his arranged fiancé since they were children. They were meant to be wed before Garroth even became Lord of O’khasis, but he must not have wanted to talk about it. Her gaze drifted back down to the book in her lap as the conversation died, one her tutor had recommended she read in her spare time. 

Azura cleared her throat, getting Gabby’s attention. “Do you ever want to spar with Garroth and I, Gabby?” 

“N-No, I…” Gabby hesitated, glancing over at where Garroth and Azura had left their swords sitting in their scabbards. “...Father…wouldn’t approve.” 

Azura huffed. “Don’t tell me he’s one of those old-fashioned types who think women shouldn’t be in battle.” 

“...No, he’s not,” Gabby said, staring at her lap to avoid meeting Azura’s gaze. “Maybe he wouldn’t mind. I…don’t want to risk making him angry.” 

She suddenly felt a flash of burning anger run through her. “As if you need to do anything specific to make Father angry.” Garroth said snappily, getting to his feet. “He does that himself. He gets angry, and then we’re forced to watch as he-”

“Garroth,” Gabby interjected. “Our agreement.” 

Garroth sighed, irritably looking away from the three girls. Gabby felt the burning in her chest grow even stronger. But they had promised not to tell anyone, even their friends, about what Father did at home. Garte had pulled both of them out of school years ago to keep them from telling anyone the truth, and the only reason he allowed Garroth to attend the Guard Academy was because he had promised not to reveal the truth. She felt Azura and Emma’s eyes on her and shrank back, just like whenever she heard Garte and Zianna fighting. 

After a painfully long moment of awkward silence, Azura sighed. “Nothing you can help, I guess.” She hopped back to her feet, her hands on her hips as she turned to Garroth. “Ready for round five?” 

(...)

Gabby swung her sword at the air for what must have been the thirtieth time already, trying to ignore the burning pain in her arms. She had spent all morning working through the drills that Laurance had given her yesterday. Guard, attack, guard, attack, guard, attack, guard… 

“Don’t forget to move your feet.” Gabby sighed. Laurance had told her that yesterday. His words really were just ringing in her head- but that wasn’t his voice. 

She glanced to her left to see Garroth emerge from the trees, still in his same old O’khasis Guard Academy uniform that he always wore around Phoenix Drop. “How long have you been watching?”

“Not long.” She heard the grin in her brother’s voice. “I just have to come here on my patrols. I’m impressed you’re already practicing.” 

“Of course I’m practicing.” Gabby grabbed the scabbard Laurance had given her the day before and put her sword away. “I don’t have anything better to do.” 

Garroth glanced around the clearing. “This is a good practice spot for you, then?” 

Gabby’s gaze shifted to the ruined house on her right. “It’s really secluded,” she said. “When Laurance and I were here yesterday, it… It felt like no one else in the world was nearby.” She gestured in the direction of Phoenix Drop. “Although the village is barely two minutes that way.” 

“It’s surprisingly peaceful.” Garroth cleared his throat. “I try to avoid this place in my spare time, though. It mostly brings back bad memories for me.” 

“Laurance said it’s where Phoenix Drop’s old Lord lived.” Gabby rubbed her sore arm. “I guess you saw this place before it was abandoned.” 

“...Yeah. It feels like a lifetime ago at this point.” Gabby sat down on the stone foundation, and Garroth took a seat next to her, taking off his helmet. “It caught on fire… That’s where most of the damage came from initially. Then I had Brendan and…and Zenix work to demolish it, while I took care of the rest of town. Lord Aphmau’s spoken of a desire to rebuild it, but she wasn’t here when Lord Malik was alive the way many of us were.” 

“Dale spoke of Lord Malik before,” Gabby said thoughtfully, her mind drifting back to Alexis’s baby shower, before everything went wrong. “He said he couldn’t remember much.” 

“Neither can I,” Garroth admitted. “His house caught fire, and then…” He pressed his hand to his forehead, shaking his head. “Then I just…can’t remember. I…took over the village temporarily, but no one was willing to step up as Lord. People started moving away, houses started being abandoned, and…we struggled to stay afloat until Lord Aphmau found us.” 

Garroth stared into the distance, a faraway look in his deep blue eyes. “I still don’t understand how, but she found us at the perfect time. She had no idea where she was, no idea who she was, and still…” He sighed wistfully. “She still made it her priority to help us fix this village into what it is now.” 

Gabby felt her own chest heat up, swelling full of admiration and adoration for a person she barely knew. She nudged her brother as a thought hit her. “Did you end up doing anything for Aphmau before she left like I suggested?” 

“I-I…well…” Gabby grinned as she saw his face flush red. She missed getting to see his expressions during a conversation. “I…did make her something.” He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Just a…a flower crown, like Mother taught us to make as kids.” 

Gabby giggled. “That’s adorable. What did she say? Surely she appreciated it?” 

“I…don’t know.” Garroth’s cheeks managed to get even redder. “I left her supplies for her trip, a-and told her where to get it… I left that there, too. I-I didn’t get to see her reaction to it.”

Gabby sighed, crossing her arms. “Well, it’s a start. What about…” She hated to change the topic, but she had to know. “Have you found anything more about Zane or O’khasis?”

Garroth’s eyes widened, and everything that indicated he had just been thinking about Aphmau faded away. “Y-Yes, actually! I can’t believe I forgot to tell you.” He cleared his voice, immediately sounding like the more professional guard she’d gotten used to hearing. “I received a letter from Zane a few days ago; I believe I was distracted by Lady Irene’s statue and forgot to mention it to you. But he returned to O’khasis. He…said that other matters in O’khasis have come up, so my return to meet the daughter of Scaleswind is no longer imminently necessary.”

Gabriella furrowed her brow in confusion, thinking back to her last days in O’khasis. “Other matters…?” She shook her head. “It must be something I was uninformed of.” 

“Or something that only became an issue after you got here.” Garroth sighed. Gabby felt anger building in her chest in place of the happier emotion she had just been feeling. “That’s the only useful information he provided us. The rest of it was just taunting us about Alexis…the bastard.” 

Gabby’s gaze dropped to her teal dress resting atop her legs, her heart dropping at the same time. “Of course he knows how to heal her,” she mumbled. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he, too, has no idea and just wants us to believe otherwise.” Garroth got back to his feet, giving Gabby a small sad smile before putting his helmet back on. “I have to finish my patrol. Good luck with your sword practice; hopefully at some point I’ll have the free time to help you.” 

With that, he left the clearing, leaving Gabby alone to her thoughts again.

Chapter Text

The sounds of construction woke Gabby up the next morning. But when she left her house to see where the noises were coming from, she realized that the sounds weren’t of construction so much as demolition. She saw Dale, Brian, and a third man she had seen around town a few times at this point, tearing down the house at the bottom of the hill Aphmau’s house sat upon. The house that Zane had taken over while he was in Phoenix Drop. The house where Aphmau had apparently managed to see another world through the black and purple substance. 

Gabby stood hesitantly at the edge of the path. Part of her wanted to go speak to them, to find out the specifics of what they were doing, but… Dale was there. 

“Hey, Princess.” Even though the voice was familiar, she had gotten so caught up in thinking about her interactions with Dale that she almost jumped as she whirled around to face Laurance. He was watching her with a curious expression on his face. “What’s going on?” 

“I-I was just…watching them tear down the house.” Gabby’s gaze flickered from his blue eyes to the cobblestone path beneath their feet. 

“I was actually about to check on them myself.” She glanced up in time to see Laurance grin, running his hand through his hair. “Since you’re looking at Phoenix Drop’s newest guard patrolling the village.” 

Gabby smiled back at him. “How is it so far?”

“Strange, if I’m being honest.” Laurance hesitated. “I’m not used to working under a Head Guard anymore. But Garroth’s great; I wish we could have met way sooner than we actually did.” He shrugged helplessly, a silly smile playing at the edges of his lips. “Even though we’re both in love with the same woman.” 

“O-Oh.” Gabby blinked in surprise. “You…knew that Garroth…?” 

Laurance flashed her with his familiar grin, a mischievous sparkle in his pale blue eyes. “He thinks he can hide it well, but I noticed it almost as soon as I met him. He doesn’t like how forward I am with Aphmau.”

Her mind flashed back to the first thing she’d ever heard Laurance say, him telling Aphmau that he loved her. That certainly was pretty forward, although she hadn’t seen the two of them interact much yet. “That…doesn’t make things awkward?” 

“Surprisingly, no.” Laurance paused. “Anyway, I have to continue my patrol.” He nodded toward the house that was being demolished. “Do you want to join me?” 

“...Sure, I can do that.” The two walked in silence down the path to the damaged house. 

Gabby’s gaze rested cautiously on where Dale was ripping away planks of wood from the wall. He hadn’t noticed her. He wasn’t doing anything dangerous. Although… She became hyper-aware of the hammer in his hands. She balled her hands into fists. Laurance was by her side; it made her feel safer. 

“How’s it going over here?” Laurance asked as they approached the house…or what remained of it. 

“Sir Laurance!” Brian, who was standing on the side of the house that pressed against Aphmau’s hill, quickly snapped to attention. “All good, sir!” 

Laurance chuckled, shaking his head. “We’re equal status in Phoenix Drop, Brian. There’s no need for the formalities.” 

“...I suppose.” Brian fell quiet. 

Gabby felt Dale’s eyes on her and nervously rubbed her arm. “I…thought the plan was to rebuild Phoenix Drop,” she said softly. “How come you’re demolishing this house?” 

“Garroth suggested it, and we agreed it was a good idea,” Brian explained. “All of us…only think of Zane and what else was left in there now.” 

“We were considering replacing it with a wheat field. It will depend on how good the soil here is.” Gabby whirled to see Garroth approaching the group from the direction of the guard station, the same area she and Laurance had just come from. 

“Garroth! I was just finishing my patrol.” Laurance crossed his arms. “Do you need something?” 

“Yes, actually.” Garroth glanced around the group. “I wanted all the guards in one spot. I think we need to talk about Lord Aphmau.” 

“She has been gone a while, now that you mention it.” Laurance ran his hand through his hair before putting his arm back crossed against his chest. “What was she doing, again?” 

“She escorted Kiki to Brightport. Brightport is barely twenty minutes away by boat, but she’s been gone almost four days now.” Garroth shook his head. “I don’t have a good feeling about it.”

“What, you think we need to check on her?” Dale asked. 

“It may be our best option,” Garroth said. “If everything is fine, then we’ll find her in or near Brightport. But I suspect something else came up that got in her way. Now that Phoenix Drop is beginning to recover… I think we can spare the manpower.” 

Brian hesitated. “Well, what if something has gone wrong? How many of us should go?” 

“I will go,” Garroth said firmly. “And I’d like one other guard to accompany me. The other two will remain in Phoenix Drop.” 

“I’ll go.” Gabby’s head turned from her left, where Garroth stood, to her right, where Laurance was. “I feel like I’ll be more useful out in Ru’aun than stuck here in Phoenix Drop any longer. And I want to make sure Aphmau’s alright.” A familiar playful expression danced across his face. “She might need someone there to help her feel better if something bad has happened.” 

“...Right.” Garroth cleared his throat, looking to Dale. “That would leave you in charge of Phoenix Drop for an unspecified amount of time. Do you feel comfortable leading construction efforts and Phoenix Drop?” 

“I think we could handle ourselves.” Dale’s hand went to the hilt of his sword, sitting in its scabbard at his waist. “We know what to do if Zane comes back.” 

Garroth and Laurance were both going to be leaving? “Can I come with you?” Gabby asked quickly, looking at her brother. 

“Well… Yes, I suppose so, if you want to.” He was frowning; she could tell. “It may be dangerous.” 

Gabby shrugged. “I’ve never been to Brightport before, or…anywhere else in the eastern half of the region. I want to explore. Besides, I’m better with a sword now than I was a couple days ago.” 

“You can certainly do more than hold it, at the very least,” Garroth said reluctantly. 

“Aw, c’mon, Garroth.” Laurance grinned. “Maybe this is how we teach her to swim; we could throw her in the ocean.” 

Garroth crossed his arms. “I would rather not throw my twin sister in the proverbial waters.”

“Your twin sister would like to speak for herself a little bit.” Gabby cleared her throat. “Garroth, I came here for two reasons: to get out of the village I was stuck in my entire life, and to find you. I don’t want to get stuck in another village without you again. And if anything bad happens to you while you’re gone, Irene forbid… I’d rather be there, not stuck here.” Gabby looked pointedly at Laurance, who was still standing to her right. “And this may be my opportunity to get that experience I need.” 

“...I…suppose…” Garroth stood there quietly. No one else said anything; they just waited and watched him in the silence he left. 

It must have been two or three minutes before he finally sighed. “Alright. The three of us will leave with the sunrise tomorrow. I’ll handle our resources like food and sleep supplies, but pack individual bags of extra items you may need. And remember that the area beyond Brightport is the coldest part of Ru’aun. That far east, it’s always snowy.” Gabby felt him watching her underneath his helmet. “Gabby, you don’t have any cold weather clothes, do you?” 

Gabby hesitated, her mind drifting to her wardrobe. All she wore were variations of the same long dress with short off-shoulder sleeves. She had the teal dress that she always wore, the black and white O’khasis dress, the O’khasis formal dress of the same style she wore to the wedding… And they were all she brought. “...I don’t. Although I may have an idea of where I could get some from.” 

(...) 

“I know it’s a bit last minute,” Gabriella explained hesitantly. “But that’s my situation; are you able to help?” 

Cadenza was already buried shoulders deep in one of the drawers in her room, digging through it to find something. When she pulled away to look at Gabby again, she was holding what looked like a pile of fabric. She had a huge grin on her face like it was her birthday, and Gabby could practically see actual stars shining in her pale blue eyes. “Of course!” She set the fabric on her desk, where Gabby noticed a sewing machine sitting. “I already have an image in my head of what would work for you.” 

“Will you…have it done by tomorrow morning?” 

“Absolutely! I wasn’t doing anything else today, anyway.” She waved her hand nonchalantly. “I sewed almost every outfit that Phoenix Drop wore to Donna and Logan’s wedding in only about two days. I’ll have your outfit to you before you leave tomorrow.” 

“Thank you so much. I, um…” Gabby broke off, reaching for the money bag that she kept strapped closely to her person. “Here, let me at least make up for the time you’ll be spending.” 

“Oh, there’s no need for payment. I’m perfectly fine with this being a gift for a friend.” 

“No, I insist.” Gabby grabbed three pieces of gold from her bag, pressing them into Cadenza’s hand. “I don’t need the money anyway.” 

“I…” Cadenza hesitated, before willingly accepting the money and smiling at her. “Thank you. I’m not used to people paying me for my little hobby.” 

“I won’t every time if you don’t want me to,” Gabby said softly. “But… I want my family heritage to have some positive impacts here.” 

“I appreciate it.” Cadenza’s smile grew back into a grin. “I’ll get started on it now; you’re leaving at sunrise?”

Gabby nodded, and Cadenza kept talking. “I’ll leave this in a bag just on my doorstep tonight, come by and grab it before you leave. If you end up needing it, it should keep you warm and fashionable.” She gave Gabby a little wink before sitting down at her desk, immediately getting to work. 

“Thank you, Cadenza.” Gabby gave the redhead a small wave before going upstairs to leave her house. She had some more packing of her own to do before her day could be even close to done.

Chapter Text

After making sure everything she needed was in there, Gabby pulled her satchel tightly shut. She had already collected the outfit Cadenza made, and it was still twilight outside, the sun only just starting to peek over the horizon. 

She inhaled deeply, putting her satchel on. She started to climb the stairs out of the basement, pausing and glancing over her new form of a bedroom one final time. She had only been here for two weeks, and suddenly she was leaving for another new place. Maybe this was the start of Gabby finally managing to travel like she had always dreamed of as a kid. 

Gabby walked down the path in central Phoenix Drop that she’d gotten used to. It was so quiet outside that she could only hear the sounds of her flats clicking against the cobblestone and the birds chirping in the trees, having just woken up. She made it to the top of the stairs that led down to the dock, where Garroth had asked her to meet them, and saw Garroth and Laurance standing on the dock’s wooden platform. 

Garroth was knelt on the dock, adjusting a small rowboat sitting in the water. A far cry from the O’khasis ship she had taken to Phoenix Drop in the first place, but for their circumstances it seemed appropriate. As Gabby approached down the stairs, Laurance noticed her and waved at her. Gabby grinned back and hurried down to the sand, motivated by his excitement. “You have everything you’re going to need, Princess?” 

Gabby tightened her grip around her satchel, meeting Laurance and Garroth on the dock. “Hopefully. I didn’t bring very much in the first place. I have the clothing Cadenza made for me, the sword and scabbard you gave me, my money bag, and a glass bottle for water.”

Garroth gestured to the rowboat, where he had placed another pack of supplies. “I have everything else we might need here. Lord Aphmau should be in either Brightport or the werewolf village that is just beyond Brightport. I know the Head Guard of Brightport, so we can speak to her to see if she’s seen Aphmau. Are you both ready to go?” 

After Laurance and Gabby both agreed, the trio climbed into the rowboat; it was barely large enough for three people, and Gabby realized that she had never actually been in a rowboat before. She sat in the corner closest to the shore, Garroth sat in the middle, and Laurance sat on the opposite side. She had to pull her knees up to her chest to sit comfortably. Garroth glanced apologetically at her. “It’s a bit tight, but it’s a short trip to Brightport.”

Laurance began to row them out into the ocean, and Gabby curiously stared down at the water. The sun, slowly beginning to rise into the sky, was making the ocean glow with the colors of fire. She had never been this close to the water on a boat. She could reach out and touch it if she really wanted to. 

She was mesmerized by the water for…honestly, she wasn’t sure how long, when she heard her brother speak up. “You always did want to travel.” 

Garroth’s voice pulled Gabby away from the ocean, and she grinned at him. “And I’ve seen more of the world in the last two weeks than I ever did before.” 

“You’re the daughter of the richest family in Ru’aun,” she heard Laurance say on the opposite side of Garroth. “You really never got to travel?” 

Gabby shook her head, even though he probably couldn’t see her. “I wasn’t allowed to when I was younger. Then, once I became an adult, well…” She sighed. “I was scared to leave home…in case something bad happened.” 

“You didn’t strike me as someone scared of adventure,” Laurance said. 

“I-I’m not, I meant….” Gabby rested her chin on her knees, still pressed against her chest. “I meant in case something bad happened…at home.” 

“...Right.” They fell silent, the only sound the waves rocking against the boat. 

How was Zianna? Gabriella realized with a start that she’d barely thought about her mother recently. She hadn’t felt many intense emotions since leaving O’khasis… If Zianna wasn’t feeling anything extreme, then all Gabby could do was hope that she was safe. 

No one said anything the rest of the boat ride, not until Gabby saw land coming closer. Brightport seemed to be set upon a cliffside, several yards more above sea level than the villages she knew thus far. The dockyard was as small as Phoenix Drop’s, with just one dock where the cliff met the ocean. What Brightport had above Phoenix Drop was that Brightport had one small ship anchored at the dock, and there seemed to be a guard monitoring the area. 

“What’s she doing there?” Garroth murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. She only heard him because they were squished so tightly together on the boat. Gabby glanced at him confusedly, but he didn’t seem to notice, still staring at the guard standing at the dock. 

“That’s the Head Guard, right?” she heard Laurance say. “I’ve met her once or twice. It’s not strange that she’s visiting the dock on her patrol.” 

“I…suppose.” Garroth didn’t sound convinced. Gabby suspected the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach was from him. 

As they got closer to the dock, the guard- Brightport’s Head Guard?- noticed them, taking a step closer to the edge of the shore. Gabby squinted at them, trying to get a better look. They seemed…familiar. They seemed to be a she, with green and gold armor and a diamond sword and iron shield. She had dark blonde hair cut to her shoulders, and… By the six, Gabby knew she must have seen this person before. 

The Head Guard seemed to notice Gabby staring at her as Laurance pulled the rowboat into the dock, her own dark blue eyes narrowing before suddenly widening. “Oh my Irene… Gabby?!” 

Gabby blinked in surprise. That voice sounded familiar, too. 

Garroth cleared his throat. “Oh, um… It occurs to me I forgot to tell you, Gabby…” He gestured to the guard standing on the dock. “Azura became Head Guard of Brightport.” 

Gabby gasped as it all hit her. “Azura?!” She smacked Garroth’s pauldron. “I would have liked to know that a bit sooner!” 

Azura grinned. “Finally made it out of O’khasis, did you?” 

Gabby scoffed, awkwardly clambering to her feet in the boat. “It only took my entire life.” 

“Well, I wish I could say I have done the same.” Azura sighed, glancing to her left, Gabby’s right, up the cliff to where Brightport sat. “But it seems that O’khasis has caught up to me after I thought I earned my freedom.” 

Gabby held on to the dock for stability as Laurance and Garroth both climbed out of the boat and onto the solid wood of the dock. “I feared something was wrong,” Garroth said quietly. “I rarely see guards here when I visit.” 

Laurance didn’t say anything, but he held his hand out for Gabby. She felt her breath catch in her throat and took his hand gratefully, awkwardly clambering out of the boat with his help. Azura and Garroth continued their conversation. “I’m afraid O’khasis has gained control of Brightport,” Azura was saying. “I have barely any power in my own village anymore.” 

“Why is O’khasis here?” Laurance let go of Gabby’s hand, crossing his arms against his chest. 

“The High Priest.” Azura sighed, glancing to Garroth and Gabby. “...Zane Ro’Meave. He stopped by Brightport just over a week ago, to discuss ‘business’ with Lord Burt. O’khasis wants us in their new alliance.” 

“New alliance?” Garroth echoed. 

“The O’khasis Alliance…” Gabby murmured thoughtfully. She vaguely remembered hearing Garte brag about it the last time she saw him. “Father’s started convincing other villages in Ru’aun to declare an allegiance to O’khasis,” she said. “Relations with Scaleswind have been tense ever since you disappeared five years ago. I…believe he’s preparing for possible war with them.”

Laurance snorted. “O’khasis and Scaleswind at war… Not particularly something I want to get caught in the middle of.” 

“Lord Burt refused to join,” Azura said. “And while tensions between O’khasis and Scaleswind have grown… Tensions between Brightport and Pikoro have been extreme in recent months. Our guards were attacked, and…” She sighed again. “Zane issued O’khasis guards here in their place while they’re recovering, with Lord Burt’s consent. Ever since, O’khasis has slowly been creeping further into the village, and now it’s become overrun with O’khasian guards enforcing O’khasian rules.” 

“Why doesn’t the Lord step in and stop it?” Laurance asked. “If you’re becoming powerless in your own village, then-” 

Azura shook her head. “Lord Burt is not here. When Zane left Brightport, he issued a member of the Jury of Nine to protect him.” She irritably sheathed her sword at her side. “That’s why I’m no longer at his side. Lord Burt went to Pikoro to discuss matters of peace, and the Jury of Nine guard escorted him. It’s been a week since he left, now. Pikoro should only be a two day trip, at the longest.” 

“The Jury of Nine is involved,” Garroth murmured thoughtfully. “I seriously doubt that Brightport actually needed help as extreme as a member of the Jury.”

“That’s why I think something is wrong,” Azura said. “Jeffory the Golden Heart takes Lord Burt out to Pikoro, and then Lord Burt’s gone longer than expected? It feels…wrong.” Her right arm now free with her sword back in her scabbard, Azura put her hand on her hip. “Are you here because of Aphmau?” 

Garroth nodded. “Lord Aphmau’s been gone longer than expected, the same as Lord Burt. She was only meant to spend a couple of days in the werewolf village just beyond Brightport.” 

“...Yeah. I’m not quite sure what’s going on with Aphmau, really.” Azura hesitated. “I informed her about all of this when she arrived six days ago. I haven’t seen her since she got to Brightport. She entered the village, and then… The next day, O’khasis was declaring her wanted.” 

“She’s a wanted criminal now?” Garroth asked incredulously.

Azura shrugged helplessly. “If O’khasis would tell me anything, I would give you that information. But I haven’t seen her since then. I hope it means she got away.” 

“Well, if O’khasis has taken over Brightport…” Gabby hesitated, glancing to her brother. “We probably shouldn’t be there either; in case they try something with us.” 

“Yes, you’re probably right, but…” Garroth shook his head. “We have to. We need information. Entering Brightport may be the only way to get it.” 

“I can do that.” Laurance stepped forward. “O’khasis isn’t looking for me, and they won’t recognize me. Plus, I’m familiar with Brightport. You two stay outside of the village, I’ll try to gather some information, and then we can meet on the other side.” 

“I will enter Brightport with you,” Azura said. “I cannot be with you the whole time. I don’t want O’khasis to suspect anything. But I can at least help a bit.” 

“I appreciate it.” Laurance cleared his throat. “Is that enough of a plan?” 

“Just don’t get in trouble.” Garroth glanced down at his O’khasis Guard Academy armor, apparently the only armor he owned, since it was all Gabby saw him wear anymore. “And we’ll do our best to stay out of sight.” 

“Understood. Wish me luck.” Laurance winked at the twins before walking up the stairs along the cliff face, Azura following behind him. 

Garroth and Gabby waited until Laurance and Azura were gone before following up the stone staircase. Gabby noticed a statue sitting in the cliff beside the stairs; it was a statue of Esmund the Protector, a statue that looked similar to the one of Lady Irene the Matron in Phoenix Drop. But, while Irene’s statue held a wyvern’s soul in its hands, Esmund’s statue held a staff, a popular depiction of the Divine Warrior. Although Gabby certainly saw more statues of Irene throughout Ru’aun than statues of Esmund.

When the twins made it up the stairs, Gabby finally saw the gates into Brightport…or…something equivalent to that. She was used to the massive gates of O’khasis, with doors sprawling over twice as high as the tallest man and the walls around the city just as large. Brightport had a small wooden arc bordering their entrance, with what looked like a dinky little wooden swing gate, like the kind that might sit on farmland, and its wall was a matching wooden fence, low enough to the ground that someone could jump over it if they really wanted to. It was certainly more than Phoenix Drop, which didn’t have any form of border protection, but it wasn’t grand by any standards. 

What most resembled O’khasis’s gates were the two O’khasis guards posted on either side of the entrance into Brightport. And those were just the two guards at the gates: looking over the meager wall into the village, Gabby could see at least four or five other guards milling about. The amount of O’khasis guards seemed disproportionate to the size of the village, likely why Azura felt powerless now. 

Feeling lost in the new unfamiliar area, Gabby followed Garroth as he headed to the left of the village, where a forest of evergreen trees sat. Once they were in the coverage of the trees, Garroth spoke. “We’ll stay hidden here until we’re on the opposite side of Brightport. Laurance should be able to find us and update us on anything alluding to where Lord Aphmau is and if she’s safe.” 

Although Azura had given them a lot of information, one thing in particular stood out in Gabby’s mind. “I’m concerned that a member of the Jury is involved with Brightport now, Garroth.” 

“As am I.” Garroth sighed. “One of Zane’s personal soldiers. Why would he feel the need to bring one of the nine strongest guards in Ru’aun into the situation unless he deemed it necessary for whatever he’s planning? If we find ourselves near Pikoro soon, we should look into it ourselves.” 

The twins were silent the rest of their trek through the evergreens. Eventually, they reached the end of the woods, where the grass slowly transitioned into a stone shore against the ocean. When Gabby poked her head out of the trees, she realized that O’khasis guards were patrolling this area as well, even though it was just beyond the borders of Brightport. “It certainly looks like they’re keeping an eye out for someone.” She hesitated. “You said there’s a werewolf village nearby?” 

“Yes, that’s where Lady Aphmau intended to escort Kiki. Kiki’s rather close with the werewolves, due in part to her magicks, and they required her help for something. I wasn’t informed of all the details.”

“Where are the werewolves from here?” Gabby had never interacted with werewolves before, but she had never heard good things. Humans and werewolves had a very tense relationship, largely due to the werewolves’ aggressive natures. Several werewolf tribes were scattered throughout the region, and they were typically at war with either each other or a human village. Based on her understanding of the politics, she wouldn’t have been surprised if this local werewolf tribe had warred against Brightport before. 

“Left of us through the forest… I believe.” Gabby shot him an inquisitive look, and he shrugged. “I’ve never visited the tribe myself. Lord Aphmau has, and she’s explained that she’s on good terms with them now, but… They’re still werewolves. I keep my distance.” 

Her mind flicked to Laurance. “Do you think Brightport is safe right now, with O’khasis slowly taking over it?” 

“It should be. Regular citizens should be able to live their lives like normal, albeit possibly how O’khasian citizens live with O’khasis guards enforcing everything. My concern is those of us whom O’khasis has special interest in.” Garroth looked back to Gabby. “Zane gave up bringing me back to O’khasis temporarily, but I don’t doubt for a moment that he would take any opportunity to get me back. O’khasis may go as far as to accuse Phoenix Drop of kidnapping you, since you didn’t return with Zane. And now…they’ve found a reason to get Lord Aphmau in trouble, somehow.” 

Gabby thought back to the baby shower. “Is it related to how Zane tried to arrest her when he was in Phoenix Drop? For getting in the way of your engagement to the daughter of Scaleswind?” 

“I…really don’t know,” Garroth said reluctantly. “Unless she aggressed him in some way without telling me, I can’t think of what else it would be.” 

A figure appeared in the corner of her vision. Curiously, Gabby glanced out of the woods to see where the movement came from, and she recognized Laurance, his light brown hair almost glowing as the sun, now fully above the horizon, hit it. He was still in Brightport, but she could see the edge of town from here. He placed both hands on the fence, glancing around to see if any O’khasis guards were watching him, before vaulting over the fence. Just like when he used the pickaxe the other day, it was completely effortless, like he was playing hopscotch. 

Forcing herself not to get distracted, Gabby caught his attention and waved him over into the forest. Laurance jogged over to them, avoiding the attention of any of the patrolling guards. “What did you learn?” Garroth asked once he had joined them. 

“Not as much as I would have liked.” Laurance crossed his arms. “Azura showed me the house that Aphmau owns in Brightport, and I spent some time listening to the guards patrolling there. They had tried to keep her trapped in the house- they even laced the floor with bedrock- but somehow she escaped. That was a few days ago now.” 

Garroth exhaled. Gabby felt a weight of anxiety lift off her chest, one she hadn’t even noticed was there in the first place. “So she’s safe, wherever she is.” He looked left, in the direction of the werewolf village. “Maybe she made it to the werewolves like she had planned.” 

“That still doesn’t explain why she’s been there so long.” Laurance ran his hand through his hair. “I think we need to find her. Now that we know O’khasis and the Jury of Nine are involved… Nothing about this sits right with me.” 

“I agree. Did you learn anything else there?” Garroth asked. 

Laurance shook his head. “O’khasis isn’t exactly forthcoming with information.” 

“Then we’ll make our way to the werewolf village. Lord Aphmau said it’s very close to Brightport, so hopefully it won’t take long.”

Chapter Text

The werewolf village stood in stark contrast to Brightport’s village. It was about two minutes through the evergreens, the same short distance from Brightport that the old Lord’s abandoned house was from Phoenix Drop. The village consisted of thatched huts scattered around a bonfire in the very center. Despite being so close to Brightport, the village felt hidden away from everything; on its opposing borders sat the evergreen forest and a mountain, both of which shielded the werewolves from prying eyes. 

“We have to be careful how we present ourselves,” Laurance said cautiously. “Be on your guard, but we don’t want to make them hostile either.” 

“Who goes there?” The trio whirled around. Gabby expected to see a large menacing beast behind them, twice the height of a human with claws sharper than a regular sword. Instead, she saw a…regular woman. 

This woman was a few inches shorter than Gabby, but the menacing look in her silver eyes made her more intimidating than most guards Gabby used to see patrolling O’khasis. Her long red hair was dusty and disheveled- it must not have been brushed in days, if not weeks- and it was awkwardly pushed back by a pair of miner’s goggles sitting on top of her head. Spiked iron knuckles sat around her fingers on each hand and, based on her facial expression, she was ready to use them at a moment’s notice. 

Garroth lifted his hand off his sword sitting in its scabbard, stepping forward. “We mean no harm. We’re simply looking for someone who we believe came through this village.” 

The red-haired miner woman scowled. “Yeah, and I’m Lady Irene. Like hell I’d believe you. I’m protecting this village right now; you’re not allowed anywhere near it.” Her gaze flickered from Garroth to Gabby, looking Gabby’s dress up and down. “And who brought the princess?” 

She heard Laurance snicker, but when Gabby glared over at him, his face still looked serious. “We’re not here for a fight,” she said, turning her attention back to the stranger. “We’re just looking for Lord Aphmau of Phoenix Drop.” 

“You and the rest of the region.” The miner woman’s eyes narrowed. “Why the hell would I let you anywhere near her when she’s wanted by O’khasis right now?” 

“It…does sound bad when you put it like that.” Garroth sighed. “Believe us or don’t. We hail from Phoenix Drop. My name is Garroth, and I am Lady Aphmau’s Head Guard. We feared something went wrong on her journey and wanted to come after her to protect her.” 

The red-haired woman hesitated, her anger briefly replaced by doubt before flickering back to a scowl. But she didn’t say anything. 

“We don’t want to cause any trouble,” Laurance said firmly. “But know that we will resort to whatever means necessary to get to her.” 

“Alright, if you’re supposedly so close to her, then who is the woman who came with her?” The woman’s stance relaxed slightly, but she still seemed ready for a fight at any moment. “And why did they come to Brightport in the first place?” 

“She brought Kiki from Phoenix Drop to speak with the werewolves of this village,” Garroth said. “It was just meant to be a brief escort trip, which is why we came to check on her.” 

“Nicole, what’s going on here?” A familiar female voice came from behind them, in the direction of the werewolf village. 

Gabby glanced over her shoulder and saw a face she recognized. It was Kiki, her red hair- notably brighter and cleaner than this woman’s- tied back in a ponytail. “Kiki,” the woman responded slowly. “Do you know these people?” 

“Of course! They’re from my village!” 

The miner woman- “Nicole”- relaxed her stance, removing the iron knuckles from her fists. “If you can vouch for them, then…fine. I guess they’re telling the truth.” She crossed her arms, turning away from them. “Go on into the village. But if you hurt anyone, I won’t hesitate to double their pain on you.” 

“...Thank you.” Garroth turned to face Kiki, and Laurance and Gabby followed his lead. “It’s wonderful to see you, Kiki. Thank you for stepping in. What happened?” 

“A lot, actually.” Now able to see Kiki more clearly, Gabby noticed that she was holding something, which looked like some kind of large red and gold jewel. “You know that O’khasis kept us prisoner in Brightport?” 

Kiki began walking into the village, and the trio followed her. “We heard something about that,” Laurance said. 

“I don’t really know the details,” Kiki admitted. “I was asleep for most of it; I didn’t feel very well at the time. But I know Nicole- she’s the woman you were just speaking to. Nicole helped us escape. I’ve spent the last days tending to Bodolf, the alpha of this tribe, while she’s guarded us in place of the werewolves.” 

Gabby glanced around. For the amount of small huts that were scattered around the area, there were noticeably no actual werewolves. “Where…are the rest of the werewolves?” 

“They’re at war right now. That’s why they requested I come in the first place. Only the females of the tribe and Bodolf stayed behind; the rest are away defending their hunting grounds from the enemy tribe. Although, if you came looking for Aphmau…” Kiki stopped in her tracks, turning to face the other three. “She’s not here anymore.” 

“Where is she, then?” Laurance asked. “Is she okay?” 

Kiki shrugged helplessly. “She went off to help…” Her voice broke off, and she sighed. “I’m not the best person to explain, not by myself. Come with me.” 

They continued to follow her down the gravel path of the nearly abandoned village, past the fire pit in the center and into one of the thatched huts on the far side of the town. A vaguely familiar woman was hunched over a wooden table, a cloak wrapped around her shoulders and a faraway look in her wide green eyes. 

“Donna?!” Garroth gasped. 

Gabby frowned, trying to ignore the panic building within her as she stared at the woman sitting at the table. She had forgotten about Donna, the stranger from Phoenix Drop who had gotten married the day after she arrived in the village. Donna and Logan had been gone on their honeymoon the rest of her time in Phoenix Drop. 

Was this really the same woman? All the light had been drained from her green eyes, and all the color was equally drained from her face. Her brown hair was tangled like a rat’s nest, her cheeks as hollow and empty as her gaze. Gabby vaguely remembered Donna as loud, outgoing, and confident, but now she looked far more ghoulish than any human ever should. This wasn’t the face of a woman freshly back from a honeymoon. 

Donna looked over at them, her eyes widening. “G-Garroth!” 

Garrot sat down at the table next to her. “Donna, what happened? Is everything okay? Where’s Logan?” 

Donna rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. “Logan wanted to learn more about his identity, since he’s…since he’s a werewolf.” She pulled the cloak tighter over her shoulders. “They locked us up. I-I barely managed to escape with another prisoner, but we had to leave Logan behind.” 

“This has something to do with how Aphmau’s gone, doesn’t it?” Garroth asked softly. 

She nodded weakly. “The man I escaped with… He and Aphmau left to go rescue Logan.”

Laurance crossed his arms. “When did they leave?” 

“Yesterday.” Donna stared at the table. “I don’t know how long they’ll be gone.” 

“We can catch up to her, then.” Garroth got back to his feet. “Do you know where Logan is locked up?” 

Donna shook her head. “I only know the vague direction we came from.”

“Anything you remember can help,” Garroth reassured. “We can find Aphmau and help her rescue Logan. Is it near Pikoro?” 

“...Possibly. Maybe…somewhere in between here and Pikoro.” Donna pressed her hand to her forehead. “It was…cold and snowy.” 

“East of here, then,” Gabby said. “The part of Ru’aun east of Brightport is the snowy part, right?” 

“It is indeed.” Garroth cleared his throat. “Thank you for telling us, Donna. I’m glad you’re safe.” He briefly rested his gauntlet on her shoulder before turning to Laurance and Gabby. “We’ll briefly rest here. In about fifteen minutes, we’ll leave for Lord Aphmau. Hopefully we can catch up to her soon, if we do not take too long.” 

“Understood.” Laurance ran his hand through his hair, glancing over his shoulder into the village, a distant look forming in his pale blue eyes. “I…think I might go check on the Nether portal.” 

Gabby’s breath caught in her throat. A Nether portal? Here? 

“I forgot this is where the portal is located.” Garroth hesitated. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Laurance?” 

He shrugged. “Better me than someone who’s unfamiliar with the Nether. I’ll be there if you need me.” Laurance wandered away from the hut, toward the mountain; Gabby noticed that the gravel path throughout the village led to a cave. 

“That’s the portal he and Lord Aphmau went through originally,” Garroth murmured to Gabby, quietly enough that neither Kiki nor Donna could hear. “When he got trapped there. I’ve never seen it myself, but the portal closed behind Aphmau when she left.”

Gabby hugged her arms against her chest. “And that’s why he’s…” …a Shadow Knight. The stuff of legend, what many thought were just children’s fairytales. Although she kept forgetting that; Laurance acted like a completely normal person around her. 

Garroth changed the conversation, raising his voice. “Kiki, with the Alpha of this tribe in poor condition, who is the leader I can speak to?” 

Kiki, who had been standing quietly outside of the hut, gestured toward the opposite side of the village, the side bordered by the evergreens. A large stone structure was built into the wall, standing out from the simple huts that comprised the rest of the village. “Khira is his wife. She’s in there with him. Tell her you’re mine and Aphmau’s friend, and she will trust you. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, I…believe I can speak to her alone. Thank you.” Garroth walked away in the opposite direction of Laurance, leaving Gabby and Kiki alone outside the hut Donna was staying in. 

Gabby’s gaze drifted back down to the red and gold jewel that Kiki had been holding since they arrived. She had seen it before, although… How had Kiki gotten her hands on it? “What are you holding?” 

“O-Oh, um…” Kiki hesitated, holding up the jewel for Gabby to see more clearly. “It’s a pendant.” Her cheeks grew almost as red as her hair, and she looked to the grass. “Zane gave it to me before he left Phoenix Drop.” 

Gabby’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Had Kiki learned that Zane was responsible for the harm that had come to Phoenix Drop? “What…is it?” 

“Well, he said it was his promise to me, th-that he’d return.” Kiki slowly ran her fingers across it. “And I just learned from the werewolves a few days ago that…well…” A wide grin spread across her face, and she hugged the pendant tightly to her chest. “The reason I felt so weird is this…pendant is somehow growing a child inside of it, like a magickal egg. My child!”

“You… That pendant is…?” Gabby blinked in surprise, not sure she understood her correctly.

Kiki twirled her hair around her finger. “I…don’t quite understand how it works, but it’s a legend that an old tribe used to use this as their method of reproduction.” 

Gabby frowned. “The Zonaralians…” she said thoughtfully, her memories flicking back to the tribe she had learned about in her extensive reading while stuck in O’khasis. “I had no idea that pendant was real.” She had certainly seen it before, though. And there was no doubt Zane was the one who gave it to Kiki. 

(...) 

Gabriella stared up at the towering house that stood in the center of O’khasis. The High Priest’s house. The grand and gaudy staircase that served as the main entrance stared back at her. This house had once belonged to a sweet man, the previous High Priest. He had served on Garte’s council, bringing candy for Gabby and her brothers whenever he needed to visit their house. 

He passed away only days before Zane’s 18th birthday. Fittingly, Zane took over as High Priest the same day he turned 18. The official cause of death was simply old age, but… much like Vylad’s death, it felt far deeper than Garte would let on. Everyone knew the only reason Zane had become High Priest was because he was Garte Ro’Meave’s favorite child, but no one dared to share that opinion publicly. And, as much as Gabby hated to admit it, four years later, Zane was serving the position well. 

Zane was the one who had summoned her. She rarely left her bedroom in their family’s house anymore; she had no reasons to. Garte was often less willing to take his anger out on Zianna when he knew Gabby was nearby, so if anything, it was better for her to stay there. 

Gabby sighed, forcing herself to take the first steps. The staircase looked like something from a mansion, surrounded on both sides with golden pedestals of various treasures Zane had collected. No one dared to steal them, as stealing from the High Priest was punishable by death, and Garte didn’t shy away from executions. Although Zane had started posting guards outside the staircase due to the Thieves’ Guild near Nahakra slowly becoming more active. 

Eventually, Gabby made it to the front door. The door was covered by a mural of a cross, O’khasis’s symbol. Because needing to wear it on her black and white dress, needing to see her family members and guards wear it, needing to see it plastered everywhere else around the city, wasn’t enough. She reluctantly knocked on the door. 

It opened for her. Standing on the other side of the door was one of the members of the Jury of Nine; Gabby froze as she stared into their light blue eyes. She rarely ever interacted with the Jury of Nine. They were the High Priest’s personal playthings, and this current set of guards didn’t hesitate to carry out whatever Zane’s commands might be. 

“Thank you, Lillian.” Her younger brother’s uncomfortably smooth voice rang out in the room. “You may return to your position.” 

Lillian the Silver Scythe. Gabby recognized her name. The Jury of Nine guard stared coldly at Gabby before walking across the room, taking position against the wall opposite the door. 

Zane sat at his desk, watching Gabby closely. He was toying with something in his hands. It was a large jewel or medallion of some kind, primarily red with golden edges. Gabby frowned at him. “What do you want? Why did you bring me here?”

“I never see you anymore.” Zane’s ceremonial mask covered his mouth, as always, but she could hear the smirk in his voice. “Am I not allowed to see my big sister?” 

“Like it’s ever that simple with you.” Gabby crossed her arms. “You don’t do that without something to gain.” 

“You know me well enough.” He chuckled, putting away the mysterious gem he had been holding. “I wanted to share some…rather interesting news I just recently received.” He gestured to Lillian standing against the wall, her black curly hair resting against her shoulders. “Lillian came back from a mission, and… Well, Gabriella, we finally have his location.” 

Did he mean…? Gabby narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t about to get her hopes up around him. “Whose location?” 

“Why, Garroth’s, of course. You and I both knew he wasn’t dead, despite him being declared dead years ago. Lillian found proof that he is not only still alive, but he is still in Ru’aun.” 

Gabby bit the inside of her lip. Garroth had disappeared suddenly five years before. To say she missed him desperately was an understatement; he was her closest friend until he vanished without a word. “...Where in Ru’aun?” 

“A small village that isn’t on any of our maps… It’s known as Phoenix Drop.” 

She had never heard of it before. “Phoenix Drop?” 

“On the eastern side of the region,” Zane explained. “Bordered by Meteli in one direction and Brightport in the other.” He cleared his throat. “Our dearest brother has a job he still needs to complete. Father requires he serve as heir to Lordship of O’khasis, and his lovely fiancé in Scaleswind is waiting to meet him. And I intend to make sure he does so. I am currently in the process of making plans to commute to Phoenix Drop for this purpose, and I wanted to invite you to come with me.” 

Gabby hesitated. She wanted to see Garroth again more than anything, but… To bring him back to O’khasis? He never told her he would leave, but… Surely that was why he had left in the first place. And she would have followed in his steps, had she not considered Zianna. 

After a minute of quiet deliberation, Gabby swallowed back the anxiety building up in her throat. “I will go with you.”

“Wonderful, I had hoped for as much. Wrap up any matters you must in O’khasis, then. We will leave in one week.”