"Wake up! You're about to fall off!"

Suddenly Azela was awake.

It felt as though more than an hour had passed, though her nap must have only lasted a few seconds. The morning chill gnawed at her skin.

They rode so far from the haven now that no sign of it could be seen through the haze. The motorcycle beneath Five and Zel rumbled steadily. Despite the rugged terrain, they seemed to almost glide. Strange glances from various animals marked their passage.

"I don't think we been properly introduced yet," Five said.  "I'm Apostle Five. Keep watch behind us. We should be high enough to be safe, but if this fog starts to get suspiciously thick, I need to know."

Azela gazed dreamily at the fog around them, given many colors by the sunrise. "I'm... um... My number is Seven-Zero, but you can call me Azela if you like. Ayan called me that when I couldn't pronounce my number and it kind of stuck. Nice to meet you. So... uh... where are we going?" she asked.

Five burped and wiped the sweat from his brow. "We're almost there. I should probably explain. Barkeep knows you ain't no killer. But you gotta hide for a bit.”

“How long is a bit?” she asked.

“Can't go back to Jastria until Ayan returns,” he said. “Even then, it might be safer not to return at all. Four's influence is too strong. It’s a tiny-ass ecosystem, politically. A lot only know One and Four, never even seen the others. If he wants you dead, others will want you dead. It ain't right to treat someone like that without any form of trial. I'm glad I got ya in time."

Azela reached up and hugged his shoulders. "Thank you," she murmured softly, "You still didn't tell me where we're going."

"Almost there," he reassured her.

"Am I really a demon?" she asked.

He was confused. "Where does this nonsense about demons come from?"

"Shi-Yon said I was a demon," she explained.

Five grunted. "He's full of crap. When you was sleeping for two years, he got real creepy around you. Had some strong opinions. Tried to say you were a threat."

"I'm just me," she said, and those words made her feel profoundly sad, though she didn't know why.

Their vehicle was made of many movable parts, almost organic in complexity if not form. This let it navigate the rough path with ease as they neared a dim light in the fog ahead.

"Motorcycle," Azela whispered, the word escaping her lips in a quiet revelation.

"What about it?" Five asked.

"My mind finally gave me the word, that's all," she replied.

"Her name is Jessie. And she's probably the last of her kind," he told her, sadly.

As they gradually slowed to a stop, the engine's gentle purr faded into the stillness of the surroundings. Five swung a leg over the motorcycle's frame, preparing to dismount. "We're here," he declared as he stepped onto solid ground.

Azela followed suit, her eyes scanning the sight before her. They had reached the edge of a dense forest. Behind them, the wall of fog stopped so abruptly that it looked as if it were trapped behind glass. And in front, the trees' leaves were so bright that they seemed to glow.

No, Azela realized with a shock, they really were glowing!

The vibrant sounds of wildlife filled the air, and she could smell an array of plant life that somehow made her feel both calmed and full of energy. After taking in a deep breath, she felt as if she were in a dream.

"This here's your new home," Five said, "It's called the Mietha Forest. Uninhabited except for the blue-elven village between here and Tssaanjii's Marsh. Lots a' superstitions about this place. Barkeep says you'll be fine here, and I trust him. Finding food and shelter's up to you, though. Most fish and fruits should be edible. If you head straight in far enough there's a creek of fresh water you can drink out of. What you do from here is up to you. I'll be back in a day or two with some supplies, so just stay near the creek." He turned to look at Azela with concern. "Do ya think you'll be alright?"

She smiled at him. "Believe me, I'll be alright. I read a lot of books on... plant life and outdoors stuff." She didn't mention that most of what she read had been about flowers.

As she stepped closer to the forest, Azela's senses were almost overwhelmed. The vibrant colors of the glowing leaves bathed the forest in an otherworldly light, casting intricate patterns of shadow and illumination on the forest floor. She blinked, half expecting the surreal scene to dissolve before her eyes. She felt a sense of peace wash over her.

"Home," she said, the word feeling like a whispered promise. She turned to Five. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said.

Five nodded, but his expression was solemn. "You're not safe. Predators live here, but they're the natural kind. Keep your wits." He remounted his motorcycle and said, "I’m gonna be needed to restore order and deal with the fallout. I’m still an apostle, even if no one respects me.”

“Well, you just earned mine at least,” Azela said.

He looked at her sympathetically, “MegaGlitch told me about your situation. How you don't even know what it means to be glitchen. So I'll be bringing you books and stuff that should help with that. Along with some supplies. I'll see ya again soon." His bike roared loudly, then peeled off the way they had come.

As Azela ventured deeper into the forest, the weight of loneliness settled upon her shoulders like a heavy cloak. She thought of Shi-Yon. Already she missed his company.

And he wanted her to die.

The sting of his deception cut deep. The tears that burned in her eyes threatened to spill over, but she brushed them away. The betrayal gnawed at her, an ember of anger adding itself to the mix of emotions swelling within. She had thought she had found an anchor in a sea of uncertainty, only to have her trust shattered in an instant.

"You saved me once. Stood between me and a fiery death. I trusted you," she spoke into the stillness of the forest, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Guess you would have preferred the watery one." She thought about that now. How he had tried to murder her while she was just a comatose patient. He was not at all the kind of person she thought he was. The Shi-Yon she had known was a lie.

Yet it was a sweet lie. One she had trouble letting go of, emotionally. She was just becoming used to their life together, and already it was taken away. "And now I'm alone."

Alone. The word was prominent in her mind, causing the sense of emptiness to grow. Discarded with nothing but the clothing she wore. Her past was taken, and now she had no future, either.

Yet in defiance of that, Azela felt a newfound sense of purpose. She refused to let despair take hold. She was tired of being shuffled around and having no control, tired of being lost and clueless. Here is where she would begin to forge her own path.