“We lost her!” Nivia yelled despite Aedan and Lilian were only standing two feet away from her. “We’ll catch up to her, you say?”

Lilian looked at Aedan with a complicated expression that seemed to be blaming and consoling him at the same time.

“I was wrong, apparently,” Aedan admitted with a blank expression. Aera had suddenly run off without any explanation. Although Aedan knew why she ran off, he couldn’t not admonish her for her sudden departure. However, he could neither get angry as he had done the same thing. It was just yesterday when they noticed the great battle happening in the distance. They were far away from where the battle took place but due to the battle’s sheer intensity and scale, they felt it. Most of all, Aedan felt the aura that was oozing off from the battle. Aera felt it too. Originally, he had intended to take off on his own and let Nivia and the rest catch up later. However, the battle died down when he was halfway there and he realized he had made a hasty decision.

And so, he resorted to waiting for Nivia and the rest. When they caught up to him, Nivia gave him an earful and Lilian reprimanded him in her own way that seemed more like flirting than a scolding. All in all, they returned to their usual pace and walked leisurely towards the direction of the battle. The day after that, it was when they had just finished their breakfast when Aera took a sudden shift in her demeanour. Her Wrathmonger skill was activated. Nivia and Lilian moved to stop her but Aedan advised them to leave her be for now as they could catch her later when she was more of herself.

Aedan didn’t show it but he was surprised at Aera as he thought the concoction would prevent her Divine Gift from taking effect. But it didn’t. Perhaps the effectiveness varied between individuals or there was an external factor at play. Aedan suspected the latter. He came to the conclusion that something terrible happened to Erin and she was near enough to trip the proverbial wire that was Aera’s Divine Gift.

Aera hadn’t been moving fast when she had suddenly taken off and Aedan judged that they would eventually catch up even if they didn’t rush but he didn’t expect the speed Aera was capable of with her Divine Gift. She was even leaving burnt marks in her wake and it looked like she had plough through everything in her path. It would not bode well for her body if she kept at this speed. Despite its name, a Divine Gift was no gift. The closest thing he could relate a Divine Gift to was a monkey’s paw but the price was more subtle.

“Aedan, are you listening to me!?” Nivia was still shouting when Aedan had completed his reminiscing.

“Yes? What were you saying?” Aedan retorted as calm as he could.

“I said what do you intend to do now?”

“Simple. We keep following her.”

“How? We lost her trail.”

“Yes, we did but not her scent.” Aedan tapped at his nose. “Did you forget?”

She did but no way she would admit that. “Couldn’t you have just said so earlier?” Nivia mumbled as she crossed her arms and looked away with her cheeks pouting.

Aedan simpered. “Then how else can I catch a glimpse of your cute pouting face?”

Red filled Nivia’s face immediately but since she wasn’t looking at him, she didn’t think he would know. But of course, Aedan knew. He could tell as she was red to the ears. “You’re not right in the head,” she spat.

“Nivia, Aedan…” Lilian called out to them with a sigh. “Is this a good time to be flirting with each other?”

“We are not flirting!” Nivia turned around and shouted. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Yes, yes, you two aren’t flirting but my question still stands. Considering what he had just wade through, do you think is safe to let Aera run off by herself?”

“She’s in that state,” Aedan answered. “She’s as safe as she can be. It’s those who approach her who wouldn’t be safe.”

“Our enemy is the Covenant,” Lilian said. “I doubt they wouldn’t have any means to combat a Divine Apostle.”

“I don’t doubt it either but even if they have the means, they won’t use it without a good cause and a greater return of profit. Their resources are vast but not bottomless. The Covenant treats crime as a business, not to stroke their ego like the street thugs you see on streets.”

“For the sake of the argument, what if they did use such a means?”

Aedan shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Nivia snorted. “You don’t know? That’s new.”

“Even gods aren’t almighty or all-knowing, let alone inferior beings like us.”

“You, inferior?” Nivia scoffed. “Humility does not suit you.”

“I disagree, Nivia,” Lilian said. “Humility complements him.” A mischievous smile spread across her lips.

Aedan pretended as if he did not notice Lilian’s grin. “Anyway, we don’t need to hurry. She won’t go far. Whatever tipped her off, the cause is near.”

“Hmm… The Spirits are in a good mood,” Lilian observed. “It seems a Faerie-kin is near.”

“Erin!” Nivia blurted out. Before she could break off into a sprint, Lilian grabbed her wrist.

“Slow down there, Nivia. You are not Aera. You can’t plough your way through like she does.”

“But Erin is there!”

“It might be her or it might not be. And if Erin is everything you say she is, shouldn’t you have some faith in her abilities and prowess?”

“I do have faith but my haste has nothing to do with my faith!”

“Oh, dear…” Lilian muttered. “I thought I was mistaken at first but it would seem that I’m not. Spring truly has come for little Nivia.” Her expression turned gentle and a warm smile touched her lips, unlike the grin she had before.

“What are you talking about?” Nivia eyed Lilian with an annoyed gaze.

Lilian tittered. “Do you even not realize it yourself?”

“Realize what?”

“She is young,” Aedan added.

“She is,” Lilian agreed with a nod.

“Enough with this furtive exchange of you two! What are you two blabbering about?”

“You love Erin, don’t you?” Aedan asked bluntly.

“Of course, I do!” Nivia retorted just as bluntly.

“Oh, my,” Lilian mumbled. “She can’t distinguish. This will be difficult.”

“Seriously, what are you two talking about?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll understand eventually,” Aedan said, patting her head lightly with a rueful smile.

“Don’t patronize me,” she growled, swatting Aedan’s hand away. “I’m not a child.”

“Not a child, eh?” Aedan’s eyes fell on her chest. “Evidently so.”

Nivia’s face curled into disgust as she tutted. “You’re hellbent on making me hate you, aren’t you?”

“Make you hate me? Are you implying that you don’t hate me now?”

Red filled her face once again and her eyes turned bloodshot as she glared at Aedan.

“That’s enough, Aedan,” Lilian cut in. She showed her usual warm smile but her smile did not reach her ears this time. “You had your fun. You’re torturing her. Let’s get a move on, shall we?”

“Of course,” Aedan replied with the same tone and walked on ahead.

Once he was a few yards away from the two, Nivia leaned in close to Lilian’s ears. “How can you fancy someone like him?” she asked. “He’s literally asking to be hated.”

“I guess that’s just how he is.” Lilian shrugged and started moving too.

Nivia trailed behind with her gaze set on Aedan. “How does he not get on your nerves?”

“It’s all in good fun. He meant nothing of it.”

“I think he meant every word that came out of his mouth.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you be glad? Weren’t you saying that you hate those who don’t mean what they say?”

“I-I said nothing of sorts!” Nivia hurriedly spoke in denial but the red on her cheeks was evident that she lied.

Lilian said nothing of it and just tittered behind her hand. “I think we made progress. He’s opening up to us.”

“Is he?”

“Is he not? He’s been talking to us more frequently. He smiles more too. And his teasing isn't riddled with thorns anymore. Don’t you agree?”

Nivia stared at Lilian with a frown. “You have really been watching him closely, didn’t you?”

“As you have said, I fancy him. What kind of woman doesn’t watch closely over the man she likes?”

Nivia groaned. She had no experience in that field. She didn’t have any retort.

“Honestly, I thought you would fancy him too. At the very least, you would find him agreeable.”

“How would I ever find him agreeable?”

“You hated empty praises. You hated people’s grand assumption of your upbringing. You hated their gossip. Aedan’s honest. He doesn’t mince his words. He doesn’t care if his opinion would upset others. I thought you and him would get along.”

“I appreciate his honesty,” Nivia huffed. “But he’s too harsh. It would have been better if he was gentler with his words.”

“Ah, I see. So you wish for him to be gentler with you. I’ll tell him that the next time we sit down and speak.”

“D-don’t you dare!” Nivia yelled. When she realized she had raised her voice, she looked towards Aedan, afraid that he had heard everything. But as far as she could tell, Aedan was walking without a shift in his posture.

Lilian tittered playfully at Nivia’s flustered manner. “I’m just kidding. Gosh, you’re so uptight, Nivia. Maybe it’s time for you to find a life companion.”

Nivia’s frown deepened and Lilian’s grin widened.

“I’m joking,” the Dryad said. “Well, half-joking. You need a friend, Nivia. Otherwise, you won’t survive in the lands of humans.”

“I’m doing well.”

“So far. But the place we will be going is one where no one can survive without friends.”

“They’re going to kill me, a Fae?”

“There are things out there worse than death, Nivia. You won’t be killed. You won’t be harmed, physically speaking at least. But they can break you in ways that do not break any laws. I’m not trying to frighten you, Nivia but that’s the kind of place we are heading to. That is Sephrodia Valley. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I-I do…” Nivia answered softly. She journeyed this far by herself and she witnessed countless kinds of happenings in the human realm. She understood what Lilian was saying. She knew how terrifying and horrible humans could be, which was why she adopted such a stance in the first place but if she wished to continue to thrive in the human realm, she needed to change. But it was easier said than done. People don’t change easily. Besides Erin and Lilian, there was no one else she could call a friend outside of the forest. “Who would want a high-strung person like me as a friend?” she muttered quietly to herself.

Lilian had no answer to that muttering of hers. She simply offered Nivia a sympathetic smile as they walked. All of a sudden, an ominous aura swept past them and sent them into a frantic state.

“What was that?!” Nivia asked, looking around. “That was divinity… wasn’t it? Was that Aera?”

“No,” Aedan answered from a few yards in front of them. “It’s someone else, another Divine Apostle. We better make haste.”

“Shall I summon—”

“No,” Aedan answered before Lilian finished her question. “Save your Mana. You’ll need it.”

“Then how do we make haste?”

“Simple,” Aedan said and approached the two. Lilian had a look of realization while Nivia bore a baffled expression, but she soon came to a realization as Aedan wrapped his arm around her waist and he did the same for Lilian. “Hold on tight,” he whispered. “And hold your breath.”

“No. No. No. Aedan. You let me go right now or I’ll—!”

Needless to say, Nivia didn’t get to finish her warning. The next thing she knew, they had stopped. She had no idea how far Aedan had run. She was just glad that they stopped. She fell to her knees, gasping for breaths when Aedan released her from his arm. It was then a familiar voice entered her ears. A voice she had longed to hear.