The east of the pact nations cannot support the influx of population in the long term. If not for particular clauses in the pact between nations, many people would have starved or gone without shelter. Well, more than what already has. Each city east of the Mercenary Order Headquarters now supports up to twice their original populous, and are eager to send them packing now that the war is over.

Unfortunately for the cities facing intense overpopulation, the first refugees they may send off are the skilled workers and labourers. The type of residents most important for reconstruction, but also the ones a nation would rather keep hold of.

I fly over the railway station as thousands board trains ready to return home for the arduous task of rebuilding what was lost. Unlike the past, I can land on the roof of a nearby building and not a soul will bat an eye. I can hide my flames just as easily as with my normal form when I am familiar with the shape I take. My falcon form is the only real alternative I can take for now, but that only means I need to become familiar with other physiques. Maybe a dohrni or volan body will be useful.

According to Remus, I don’t have to worry about my friends being on this train. They’ll be amongst the next wave in a week. Along with all the other apprentices and youth able to work.

After a brief glance over those boarding the heavy metal cylinder to confirm Remus’ words, I take off again. It shouldn’t be hard to find Ash and the others. The section of the city housing the majority of the refugees is the same everywhere; rushed, poor quality housing and tents with enough people walking around to make it look more like an ant mound.

It’s not an ideal situation for anyone involved, but there’s little one can do in a crisis. My only hope is my friends are in a better state than I found them under Mr. Marshall. I promised Remus I’ll remain undiscovered, but if I find them mistreated again, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold myself back.

I shake my head. No, I shouldn’t even think that way. There are other ways to deal with situations than slaughter. Between Morne and the city Kalma burnt, I’ve learnt that resolving my problems with indiscriminate murder will only come back to bite me.

Maybe if I’d dealt with Mr. Marshall and his mill differently, Joiak would have been willing to ally immediately, and be ready for the invasion from New Vetus. In a very loose sense, I hold responsibility for the fall of Joiak and its people. I don’t feel guilty, but it is rather unfortunate.

Then again, Joiak was a horrible nation, so I’m happy it’s gone.

I circle above, scanning through the crowds in search of any familiar face. A nervous shiver runs through my wings. A lot has happened since our last meeting; I’ve catapulted in strength, the war has changed everyone’s lives, and the Mercenary Order branded me a traitor. How far has word spread? Will my friends think differently of me when we meet?

Eventually, I find Ash. I almost don’t recognise him at first; he’s a lot taller than I remember. With a paper in hand, he rushes through the refugee district, which is surprisingly still better than the city I first found him. Without making my presence known, I follow him.

Ash leads me to an old stone building. Likely, it was once a theatre or performance hall of some kind now repurposed to house hundreds. He walks through the front double doors, but there are far too many people walking around to fly in behind him without causing a ruckus.

I could try to change without being spotted, but as I look around, there isn’t really anywhere nearby that would give me enough privacy. The moment my flames become visible, people will know I’m here. Really, this would be so much easier if any áed besides myself travelled outside the wastelands.

On the second floor of the building, are a few balconies. Even those are occupied. I can wait for someone to return inside and follow without being seen. If I can find a place inside to change, the mermineae fur of my outfit will let me walk around without issue.

I land silently on the roof above a khirig who holds a burning stick to their mouth. She doesn’t seem to be in any rush, and within a few seconds, I’m already getting impatient. The mix of crushed plant leaves burns far too slow. I’ll be waiting ages if she only goes inside after burning through it all. So, there’s only one thing I can do.

I give a little nudge to the cinders. In moments, the herbs incinerate. The khirig chokes, unleashing a chain of coughs as if she swallowed something nasty.

Oops.

Regardless, she stumbles her way back inside, unaware of the bird following through the open door behind her. The khirig wheezes and gasps, finally regaining her breath, but I’ve already moved on.

I land on a secluded ledge overlooking the main floor below. The hall is divided into countless sleeping quarters with cloth separators. Immediately, I spot my friends within their own division. Ash has already arrived amongst them, speaking animatedly while throwing the paper to the others.

For a moment, I simply watch. It’s comforting to know nothing terrible happened since we last met.

A volan flies across the hall, from the balcony across from me to where I assume the front doorway is. Nobody pays them even a glance.

Right, if I’m quick, everyone will just assume I’m a volan.

Next thing I know, I’m landing on Leslie’s shoulder. I’d thought Ash had grown tall, Leslie is another thing entirely. If she has more growth ahead of her, she might grow taller than Bunny when she’s an adult.

I feel her flinch, then freeze under my taloned feet. The others stop their chatter and stare. I eye each of them for a few moments, locking eyes with Leslie for just that extra bit longer as she grows increasingly uncomfortable with me using her as a resting post.

Once they’ve had enough time to stew in confusion, I let out a laugh and wave a wing at them.

“Solvei?” Kerry is the first to realise.

“Hi,” I say.

Before I can continue, I’m flipped from my perch. I squawk as Leslie pins me beneath her arm. “Fuck girl, I thought I was about to lose an arm.”

I struggle in her grip, trying my best not to revert to flames where those looking down from above could see me clearly.

“Hey! Let me go!”

“Why should I? I’ve got the ‘traitor of the pact’ right where I want her,” Leslie says, then turns to show me off like a prize. “What do you think? Do you think she’s got a bounty?”

“Leslie, that isn’t something you should joke about,” Ash says.

“Oh, loosen up. I’m just getting her back a little.”

Leslie finally releases me, and I flip to land on my talons. I don’t even need to see the tall girl to know she’s disappointed I didn’t fall head first.

“It’s great to see you all again, but is there somewhere I can change without getting spotted?” I ask, motioning to the balconies able to look in on us.

The twins, quiet as ever, jump up. Demi tugs on a curtain, closing the pseudo entrance, while Medi grabs a sheet and ties it over our heads with ropes. The small space becomes closed off in a matter of seconds. It’s clear they’ve done this plenty of times before.

Now obscured from any unwanted eyes, I let my form relax. White flame blinds each of my friends until the short, sub-minute transformation is complete. I’m sure I’ve grown plenty in the past year, but standing next to Ash and Leslie, it sure doesn’t feel like it.

Before I can get right into asking how they’ve been, some albanic woman flips open the cloth divider. “What are you lot doing in here? What was that awful bright light?”

I guess the cloth wasn’t enough to hide the glow of my body. Maybe I should’ve cooled to a yellow or red while changing. Eh, too late now. Thankfully, as this woman looks amongst us, her eyes don’t immediately land on me, so she shouldn’t have caught me as the source of light. When she isn’t able to find anything out of the ordinary, she finally notices me amongst the other teenagers.

“Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Kerry jumps in before I can say anything. “She’s a friend from work.”

“Right,” the woman says as her eyes drift to my hair. Even outside Zadok and the Theocracy, my hair must stand out. “Well, don’t do whatever you did again. I don’t want to search your belongings for things you shouldn’t have.” With a shake of her head, we are alone once more.

My friends don’t wait two seconds before they dive into questions. Their voices hushed, but not enough for any who might really want to listen in.

“That was you, yeah? Ten days ago, the skyline burned like a second sun. Your fire is the same white.”

“You could see that from here?” I’m surprised considering how far away we are from where the battle took place.

“See it?” Ash repeats. “We could hear it. Feel it. Whatever exploded must have been huge. Who could miss the sky tearing apart?”

Thankfully, the rotten night that grew across the sky had recessed by the next morning. It’s worrying that they could feel the effects of Kalma’s falling mountain even after the majority of it was obliterated in her proceeding attack.

“What about that destroyed city they tried to blame on you? What’s the truth behind that?” Kerry asks.

“That was Kalma,” I say. “She framed me after killing everyone at the command centre.” No need to mention that I killed those executives before Kalma arrived.

“Huh,” Ash says. “Everyone kinda assumed the Order was trying to pin the blame on you to save face. Wait, is Kalma the leader of the mermineae?”

“Sort of; she manipulated them into attacking rather than ordering them.”

“Tell us of the ursu ambush. How’d you get out alive?”

“I met an old friend. How do you know so much?”

Leslie throws the paper I’d seen Ash running with into my hands. “I’m surprised you don’t know. You’re a damn celebrity now.”

On the front page, in bold letters, is the title ‘The War Ends’, but below that, on Leslie points to the bottom half of the page where another passage titled ‘Lies of the Order: Incendia Is Innocent!’

“Incendia?” I ask.

Leslie chuckles and the rest of the group smirk. “That’s the nickname the papers gave you. The way you fight attracts a lot of attention. ‘Maelstrom blazes banishing foes and saving thousands.’ Journalists love you.”

I sigh in relief. “I was kinda worried you guys would think I burned that city as well.”

“You don’t need to worry about anyone thinking that,” Kerry says. “People have been enraged by the Mercenary Order’s performance through the war, and the papers have been questioning every statement they’ve released. It’s honestly surprising that it was Kalma and not the Order itself that set you up.”

That is… far better news than I’d been expecting. Do I not have to worry about hiding myself?

“Though, saying that,” Ash says. “The Mercenary Order still lists you as one of their most wanted, so please be careful. Most will take your side, but there are exceptions.”

Nothing changes then. I have to wait until Remus can rescind that wanted status before I can wander the pact nations freely.

“What about you?” I ask the group. “Things haven’t been too hard?”

I stay and talk to them well into the night, trading stories and experiences. For the next week, I’ll follow them as they return to Baansguard to make sure nothing bad happens during their journey.

The safety and prosperity of these friends was a central motive to enter the war as I had. If not for them, I might have simply run away. Returned to the wasteland to look for my kind. Thousands, maybe millions more would have died if I’d chosen that path. I found success where I never thought I could.

I overcame my fears and grew strong enough to stand by Tore’s side.

As Remus said; it will take a while to clear my name, so I think now is the perfect time to return home. It’s about time I retrieved my mum’s spear. It’s about time I find the Agglomerate.

But for now, I just want to enjoy some time with friends.