After that, they ended up walking through Sounddoom Valley for a long time, not speaking a word. Isobel had fallen into thought, and Theora tried her best to follow the rule. Endless darkness around them. No thoughts required. Just steps.

As they went on, the few spots of grass coming into view turned paler. Scorched, dried out. That was curious… had the riverbed in the middle of the valley always been empty? Or was this place recently befallen by desolation?

Desolation. Thinking of that word caused a tiny stab in the inside of her mind. 

Because it reminded her of her training grounds. Oh, what had she done?

She never wanted any of the others to see that place, and now, she’d gone and talked about it anyway, risking its discovery. Isobel was the first person she’d ever opened up to in that way.

Theora didn’t regret it, but she was also somewhat scared. Isobel would tell the others, and then, everyone would know. Would know the blemishes on Theora’s past, the ones that would forever be, carried into the future by virtue of being permanent damage committed to the structure of the world.

Of course, they should know. Theora wasn’t upset about the secret being uncovered, but talking about it was oh, so hard. How had Isobel managed to get it out of her that easily?

“If you don’t mind,” Isobel said eventually, “I’d still like to analyse your [Obliterate]. There’s something off about it. I know it’s dangerous, but… I want to watch you use it. One day, maybe?”

Theora pulled her eyebrows together in confusion, but nodded anyway. “If you are adamant about it. Why do you think it’s off?”

“It’s just not right? It’s a common Skill. Not even Legendary rank. Yet, it seems to trump anything, even other Legendary Skills, and has no limitations at all. Sure, it could just be the fact that you are the strongest person alive, and that it’s this strong by virtue of it being yours. That’s likely part of the reason. But still. As far as I know, you were already long past the point of invincibility when you received it. It didn’t add to your strength.”

Theora nodded. 

She’d always thought of it as punishment. She’d advanced to an unreasonable amount of strength, and then, kept going, when she should have stopped.

“Speaking of, it’s kind of incredible that you don’t have a Legendary Skill at all. Or did [Obliterate] swallow it up?”

“No,” Theora said. “I never had one.”

Legendary Skills were the result of a life of dedication and effort. Theora had always just lived and trained and fulfilled side quests for the single purpose of avoiding the inevitable. Procrastinated, and lazed around.

Such a life would never grant a Skill of the highest rank. Speaking of… did Bell have one?

Bell had gone to fight against Dema, and Theora had assumed Bell carried an [Immortality]-defying scroll too. But what if Bell had a Skill to do the same? The way Amyd had honed her life to seal Theora, maybe Bell had dedicated her life to defeat Dema.

One day, Theora should really take the time to look at their sheets.

“Still nothing,” Iso murmured eventually. “I know those flowers can cover some huge ranges, but… Should have found one by now.”

“We haven’t encountered any prowlers, either. Are you looking for flowers only?”

“Yeah, I’m filtering, so it’s less draining. Do you want me to check for something else?”

“Maybe just once?”

Iso nodded, and did as told. She closed her eyes, her feelers vibrating. A moment later, she yelped, “Ah. Found something.”

With that, she turned, and ran off the path next to the riverbed. Theora wanted to protest. She didn’t feel like running at all. And yet, the words didn’t come out fast enough, and Iso vanished into the dark.

And gone she was.

Theora’s legs were too heavy for a sprint. She increased the cadence and length of her steps. Maybe… Maybe she should break her Orb of Seven Wishes just so she could fly after Iso…

Flying was much less effort than running. Oh, that was so tempting.

Minutes went by. The scent of rotten flesh seeped into Theora’s nose, overlaying the slightly pungent smell of what she assumed to be the flower’s pollen. Isobel came back into view, crouching down in front of a large black lump, several times taller than Theora.

As best as she could tell with her limited vision, it was a prowler. Iso grazed over its dark fur with her shale fingers. “Dead,” she said. 

“Dead,” Theora repeated. 

Prowlers weren’t reacting to their voices, and the only one they found was dead.

Theora went to its rear, and checked the ground. The creature had left large footprints behind, barely visible in the short grass, but still there, even though quite a while must have passed.

“What do we do now?” Isobel asked. “Does that change anything?”

“I suggest we follow its trail,” Theora murmured. “If they live in symbiosis with the flowers, maybe that would lead us closer to one of them.”

Iso nodded up at Theora, then looked back at the creature. No sign of a fight, anywhere. “I’m no expert, but it looks like it died from… Exhaustion?”

“Or hunger,” Theora supplied. “Or sickness.” Her thoughts strayed back to the dried-out riverbed. “… Or thirst.”

“Well, this is ominous,” Iso murmured. “Apparently, nothing was around to eat it either.”

The trail was faint, and walking along it took focus. Theora slowed where the creature had changed directions. It was an erratic path; very much designed to surveil large areas, to be on the prowl. To pounce at whatever decided to make the faintest noise.

“By the way,” Iso whispered some time later, “What are we going to do when we are finished in Hallmark?”

“We,” Theora echoed. It sounded like she was expected to decide where they went next?

It felt awkward. 

Dema had been tagging along with Theora on her side quests, and sometimes decided to go off the path to look for fossils. She was the one who’d suggested going to a settlement right after their first meeting too. 

Now, that ‘following’ had increased, with Dema randomly assigning Bell to the party, and Bell saying ‘yes’ on reflex. And Isobel was, in a way, their daughter.

Theora didn’t want to be the one who decided their destinations. Of course, she toyed with the idea of visiting the Grand Observatory of Fiction together with Dema, and she wouldn’t mind if the others were to tag along, but…

Iso nodded. “Mhm! We. Bell and I have no plans, so we’ll just go wherever you go. I suppose it would be nice to know in advance so we can stock up for what the journey will require.”

That’s right. People had requirements. They weren’t like Dema and Theora, who literally didn’t even need to drink, because their bodies would take care of or ignore any damage lack of sustenance would inflict.

“I was thinking of visiting the Grand Observatory of Fiction,” Theora said. “Dema has a favourite book, doesn’t she? I thought we could go into that book together.” She pursed her lips. “As… vacation.”

“Oh!” Iso nodded fervently. “She’d probably like that! Favourite book, yeah. She’s not been able to shut up about it. Has been trying to make everyone read it lately.”

“Everyone,” Theora said. “She hasn’t tried to make me read it.”

Iso chuckled. “Maybe she’ll come for you too, once you’re less busy. Or maybe not. She might be embarrassed, who knows.”

“Embarrassed why?” Theora asked, and hoped she wouldn’t regret that question five seconds from now.

Iso scrunched up her face, rolling her eyes skywards in thought. “Well… Kind of hard to put into words, but… It’s a bit overt, I would say? Like. Of course that would be her favourite book, considering she—” Iso broke herself off. “Considering the, uhm… situation between the two of you.”

Situation. So that’s what people were calling it. Theora felt both light in her belly from excitement, and like pouting at the same time.

“What is the book about?”

“I don’t really know,” Iso said. “I haven’t read it. All I know is the discombobulated gushing Dema is spurting out like a fountain whenever she talks about it. Apparently… someone reincarnated…? And wants to prevent something really bad from happening, but can’t. It’s a bit tragic, I think.”

Tragic? Would Dema really declare a tragic story her favourite book?

Maybe Theora should check the story out herself. “What is it called?”

“Not sure… let me try to remember,” Iso murmured. “It had a bit of a weird name. Something a little rude? Oh!” She pointed at a spot in the distance. “Wait, I think I found a flower! Let’s go!”

Immediately, she left the trail they followed, and again vanished into the dark. 

Theora made her way after, again contemplating to just pull out the Orb and fly, but managing to contain herself.

Only moments later, the darkness began to lift. Within seconds, the curtain rose, and the entire valley came back into view, in its full midday sun.

Isobel stood in front of the Darkness Daffodil. It didn’t look like a Daffodil at all. A flower larger than a prowler, seven purple black petals lying on the ground like thick blankets, complex dark circle shapes crested all over. The four red stamens rose into the sky, twice as tall as Theora.

And, it was withering. Crumpled-up spots, tears across the surface.

Iso, however, wasn’t looking at the flower. Her gaze went over the newly revealed meadow of valley, wide-eyed, her feelers pulled up in silent alarm.

There were prowlers, everywhere. Dozens, as far as the eye could see. Most dying, some dead.

“Oh, gosh,” Iso murmured. “So that’s why none of them attacked us.”