While Zye trains, Jace makes his way to Ilista. The urgent call from her is one he’s getting used to. Having so many people wishing to work together is new. It reminds him of his life which brings about both the good and bad memories.

Being able to depend on others is something he hasn’t had in a long time. Not in the depth that he does now. Even so, the darker thoughts always taint the corners of his mind. The more people he’s close to, the harder it is to protect them all.

That pit of despair is one that can make him sick to his stomach. A feeling he’s been fighting all of his afterlife to push away and admit to himself that he does do well. He’s done his best. Saved and helped all he could.

Some things simply don’t work out the way he wants them to. A hard, bitter pill to swallow.

Even more so when he arrives in the world Ilista has called him to. A world that’s lush with foliage and flowers of all kinds. The streets are the only place devoid of plants yet even then there are plenty dotting the sides of them.

The plaza he comes out in is full of them as well. Plenty of grandiose planters with birds carved into the sides. Each and every type of plant is different than anything Jace has seen. It has him wanting to look further to determine if he could come back for samples.

“Hey, over here.”

Except he can’t. He has a job to do and strides straight to where Ilista stands before a grandiose statue. It has to be at least three of him tall. The person sculpted in a praying stance is beautiful with but a single drapery around their nude form.

Around the base of the statue’s foundation sprouts sculpted blossoms with what he can only imagine are some type of insects lying on the open petals. Beside it, stands Ilista and Xerxes with their weapons still drawn.

She gives a grin and jabs her thumb over her shoulder. “This thing. It’s pretty. Shame there’s so much nasty around it, right?”

Jace scans it from top to bottom. “It doesn’t feel too heavy, I can take care of it.”

He would even if it was. Upcoming battle or not, it doesn’t mean he can shirk his duties. He’d rather handle it than drag Zye here. After a certain point, the density of some locales can only be handled by an Infernal or a large group of Dark Stars.

Something he doesn’t have time for. It’s better to tackle it now before it gets worse.

The two of them step aside so that Jace can move toward it. He places a palm on the smooth surface and focuses, willing his body to take on the sensations. As he does, Ilista sits on the far edge with Xerxes idling next to her.

She gives a small hum while dismissing her weapon. “So, how’s he doing?”

“Orion had him earlier. Celeste has him now.”

“Poor thing,” she says with a sharp laugh. “Orion’s training is…unique.”

“So I noticed.” He waits a moment longer, double-checking that he’s cleared the area of all negative energy. While he does, Ilista continues.

“Mhm. He likes to work you up until you can’t think straight and then point out not to do that. He’s lucky we heal well or he’d have a few scars from me. Really pissed me off one time.”

Jace, satisfied with his work, turns from the statue to face the two of them. “I’d say it’s a terrible method if it didn’t work to some degree. The only difference was Charmilla would beat you until you couldn’t move to prove that your emotions would only hinder your performance.”

“I take it you speak from experience?”

“Maybe.”

Ilista hops off the edge with a click of her heels on the stone. “Well, I try not to push too hard when I train the new souls. They’ve been through enough. You know what I mean?”

“I do.”

His silver gaze shifts to Xerxes. He remembers everything Zye mentioned about the younger man. Knows what happened to him as well to end up here. Callua would want him to try. As a Keeper, it’s also his duty to socialize with others.

Keep an eye on them. Monitor if anyone is showing signs of infection from the negativity.

“How are you liking things? I’m sure you’ve already decided to stay?”

Xerxes stares up at him like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes widen ever-so-slightly as he shifts nervously from one foot to the other. “Fine. It’s, uh, still weird.”

“If there’s anything I can help you with, you can always ask.”

At that, Ilista gives him a nudge. Jace watches it with curiosity until Xerxes finds his voice once more.

“There…is one thing.”

“Name it.”

“Okay,” he starts with his eyes locking on the floor. He slowly lifts them as he speaks. “I know you will. I mean…you’ll keep them safe, right?”

Jace smiles at him. He’s taken aback, but only in the happiest of senses. If anything, he’s glad that someone with such a good heart is on their side. One day, he knows that Xerxes will be able to give them all a run for their money. He has potential.

“Of course, they come first. Even before completing a mission. The same way you feel about Ilista I’m sure.”

Xerxes flushes a bit. The only way to tell is how the tips of his ears turn a light red from where they poke out around shaggy tresses. “No, I mean…It’s easier to heal but…Cal and I, we saw him beaten up…a lot and…”

Trailing off, he glances over at Ilista’s smile. Jace doesn’t dare take the admission lightly. All he can do is step a bit closer. His larger hand clasps down on Xerxes’s shoulder, not thinking about the fact that the man might not like the contact so suddenly. Still, Xerxes takes it in stride and attempts not to flinch from the weight.

“I don’t like it either. We’ll take care of each other. Besides, if he’s hurt, the other person will be far worse off.”

Xerxes gives a soft laugh at that. One where the sound is quiet, nearly silent, while Jace can feel the shift of shoulders from the action. He pats Xerxes’s shoulder before turning away.

Just in time for a portal of dark blue and lavender to open with Iris bounding out of it. Her tail swishes behind her as she skids to a stop in front of Xerxes. As she passes Jace, she gives him a curt wave to acknowledge him.

“Are you ready for training, Xer?”

“Y-yes please.”

Iris lets out a giggle and grabs his wrist. “Alright, see you two later! Be safe!”

Jace watches as the storm that is Iris bounds back through the portal with Xerxes in tow. She’s a rolling cloud of bright energy and smiles. Something he knows they could all do with more of. Still, he glances over at Ilista.

“Don’t you train him?”

“It’s better he makes friends and figures it out with others sometimes. I don’t want to monopolize his time or force my opinions on how he should fight onto him.”

“A good point. Perhaps once this is settled we could hold joint training between both kinds of us. It’d give a better chance at honing abilities.”

Ilista hums, crossing her arms beneath her bosom. Jace graciously turns his eyes away from the ample cleavage she puts on display. When he looks back at her, he keeps her gaze.

“I could get behind that. I’ll even bring it up to the others on our side if you do me a favor.”

“What do you need?”

He means it, too. He’d be more than happy to help new friends in hopes of them getting closer. A strong bond isn’t easily shattered. It’s also indispensable in the long journey ahead of them.

A pensive expression furrows her brow and wipes the happy-go-lucky smile from her face. “How do you get closer to someone? You know, when you might…like them?”

Jace stares at her for a moment. A long enough pause that Ilista immediately waves her hands in front of herself.

“I don’t— Okay, I know it hasn’t been a while. I’m not stupid and I’m not trying to push. I…well…haven’t had to make friends in a long time. Not while dealing with…me. So, how did you do it?”

“I give Zye the credit there. He pushed first. I was more than happy to take all the time we needed being friends first. Games, movies, small outings with friends.”

“Huh…I didn’t see that coming. I’ll ask him, too. But before you go, what made you like him first?”

Jace begins to open a portal. He needs to get going. Still, he spares her one last look before turning toward it. “The way his eyes lit up when he smiled, a real smile. That and he almost punched a guy for being mean to a child, that level of kindness reminded me of someone. Regardless, just be yourself, Ilista.”

Stepping through it, he leaves her standing there with a shake of her head. Leaving the flourishing city of greenery behind, Jace comes out into an expansive field of tiny flowers. They’re of all colors— every hue he can think of dots the ground between long blades of dark blue grass.

There are no trees. Only this long stretch of plain in every direction to where it kisses the horizon painted in a gold and purple sunset.

“This is an interesting place.”

Callua gives a shrug, throwing her orb up in the air and catching it. Again and again until she turns to Jace. She tosses it over to him, watching his hands catch it with ease. “I think it’ll work actually…Maybe. I have to run it by Celeste or Orion next.”

Jace moves closer to her, hating that he crunches the flowers beneath his boots with each step. He holds the orb out to her with the water dripping between his spread fingers. “You look tired.”

“Hah! So do you. Although…maybe the happy glow you got going on hides it a bit better.” She grins up at him before taking her magic back. Her eyes linger on his fingertips and how he heats them up to rid himself of the water. “I did some digging. There’s a small village of huts way over there.”

She points to the horizon behind him.

“They mentioned a festival. Bigger ones happen closer to the…main city? Whatever they called it. Anyways, all the fuss is over the sun being taken over by the moon.”

“Perfect. It’s a possible match for what we need. A few other options will be good to have on the back burner.”

“Mhm. Oh, and it is special for them. Apparently, this place has three moons. Two small and one large— that’s the one that does the eclipse. It only happens once every…I think someone said ten years.”

“How soon do we have?”

“For them? I’d estimate a couple of months.”

“Then a few days for us give or take how things move.”

“Yup! I’ll have Adrian tagging this place and keeping an eye on it. He can feed us information on how fast time moves here.”

Jace sends her a pointed glance. “Then call him here now, you’re going home.”

“Wh-what?”

“You’ve done enough, go rest.”

“That’s rich coming from you. And did I ever mention that you can’t tell me what to do? I don’t care if you’re a Keeper. I didn’t listen to Charm either.”

Jace huffs. “I’m well aware. I’m telling you as your friend. Please, I don’t need you collapsing. Besides, I’m fine. I can handle it.”

“And I can’t?”

The intense gaze she gives him has Jace shifting his hand to rub at the back of his neck. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. I have more of a well to draw on, as Charm would say. I don’t want to push you too much before the encounter. You’re too valuable.”

Callua places one hand on her hip that cocks to the side. She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Fine, I sent him the location. But I can keep up. I’m not a baby. Unlike some people, I know and respect my limits.”

“Then you can teach me more about doing so now.”

He closes the gap between them and in one fluid motion scoops her up into his arms. One arm is braced against her back while the other is curled beneath her legs.

“D-dammit, Jace! What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t just do that!”

Jace calls forth a portal and steps through it before she can do more than smack at his chest. Not that it deters him in the slightest. At least, it doesn’t until he’s in the room of the cabin and setting her down to sit on the edge of the bed.

Callua glares up at him. “Was that really called for?”

“Would you have left otherwise?”

Pursing her lips at him, she crosses her arms across her chest. “Fine. You win.”

“Rest. I’ll go see if Zye is done training.”

As he turns, he feels a tug on the back of his coat. It has the tiniest of smiles touching the corners of his lips. Obliging her, he returns to face her when she finally lets him go. She glares up at him. A fierce look lacking any anger.

“Jace. I’m not fragile. I’ll be fine.”

"Except you’re not just another person in the fight to me. You’re my best friend and I refuse to lose you because I didn’t tell you to slow down. I’m trying to listen to you both when I do it to return the favor.”

Callua gives a small shake of her head. The short tresses bounce about her face. "It’ll be fine. I know how to position and not draw attention to myself. Besides, I trust you both.”

“I’ll still worry, I can’t help it.”

“As long as you don’t try to keep me from the fight, I won’t have to hurt you.”

The wink at the end of her sentence has Jace showing her a soft smile. “Not this time. I need you there doing what I know you can. You being there is just as important as everyone else.”

“You…mean that?” Callua stares up at him and he knows he’s hit the center of the problem. She grabs his hand, giving a light squeeze to his fingers. “Haa...Go check on the other idiot while I get some sleep then.”

He curls his fingers around her, a gentle hold. Jace has never truly noticed how small and thin her hands are compared to his. The hands of someone who works terribly hard and never stops. Ones that still remain gentle and always reaching out to others.

Jace lets his hand slip away and turns with a curt wave. The coat flourishes behind him as he makes his way out of the cabin. The light squeak of the floorboards announces his departure followed by the click of the door shutting.

There’s a comfortable tug to his mind. One that leads him to the area he’s shown Zye before to train. Considering it’s the dead of the night, he’s careful yet still hurries through the thicket.

Coming out on the other side, he can already see the silhouette of Zye’s back down by the water. As he moves toward them, he tries to extend his presence so that Zye can feel him coming. He’d hate to frighten the man.

Zye glances up once Jace comes to the side of him. The one where Celeste has steadily laid down with her head on his thigh. “How’d it go?”

“Good. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Celeste dozed off is all,” he replies with a nod.

Jace kneels down beside them and gently rubs their shoulder. When they begin to murmur and awake, Jace offers a hand to help them up. Celeste yawns and takes the offer, staggering to their feet.

“Thank you. I didn’t mean to, well…” Celeste wears a sheepish look when they glance down at Zye. “Sorry for falling asleep while you were talking. That was rude.”

“It’s fine, really. It wasn’t important. We can talk more later.”

“I do hope so. I’m interested in those…water parks you were talking about.” Celeste turns back to Jace. “And how did things go?”

He keeps his palm against their elbow, steadying them as they continue to regain their bearings. “Callua found a good location. If you’d like, I can take you there while the others recover for the night.”

Zye stands slowly. It takes a moment for the feeling to return to his legs. “Does that mean you aren’t?”

“I’ll come back and get some rest, don’t worry.”

Celeste loops their arm with Jace’s placing their hand against it, as he leads them all back. “She really is thorough and quick. I can see why Charm always bragged about her dutiful little star.”

“I’m not surprised,” Jace replies while glancing behind him for Zye, making sure he’s following. Satisfied that he is, Jace pushes away a branch thick with leaves. “How did it go?”

“It went well!” Celeste pats his arm. “Between Orion and I, we’ve made quite the progress. Zye, you should be proud of yourself. This isn’t easy to do.”

“Helps I’ve had some training.”

“Perhaps,” they begin as the three of them exit the foliage. “However, this is a bit different. If you run out of stamina in the middle of using your magic, that’s it. Same for us. Going all out at the start isn’t smart.”

Jace is about to interject when Celeste continues.

“Oh, you said Callua found the location. Did she find out how long we have to prepare as well?”

“We’re waiting on Adrian to figure it out. I’m guessing not long.”

At that, Celeste stops. It allows Zye to catch up as well. They both can see the worry that turns the carefree smile down into a hard frown.

“Oh…my…Alright. I was hoping we’d have more time. I suppose the sooner the better if we’re going to keep Kerse from going too far.”