Chapter 7: Broken Lands

The heavy iron doors creak open. The crew is released from their cells, stepping out into the dimly lit corridors of Revano’s underground holding chambers. Their bodies are sore from captivity, but their minds are sharper than ever. Soldiers, emotionless and obedient, escort them toward the exit. At the courtyard, the crew moves quickly, packing food and water into their carts, readying for departure. The sound of shifting supplies and hushed movements fill the air, but no one speaks.

Beyond the gates, the people of Revano stand in scattered groups. Thin. Hollow-eyed. Watching. Their clothes are torn, their faces gaunt, their eyes sunken with hunger and quiet desperation. Some clutch their children, some sit on the cold stone roads, others simply stare. Sen tightens his grip on a sack of supplies. His chest is heavy, but he says nothing. None of them do. They only load their provisions and prepare to leave, but they all see the suffering and the silent cries for help. Zarnem, standing at the head of the group, fastens the final strap on his pack. His posture is rigid, unmoved. He does not spare the crowd a glance. To him, this is just another stop. The gates open. The crew departs. The people of Revano remain, watching them go. The sun hangs high, casting long shadows on the cracked dirt path as they travel through The White Forest.

Sen, Dain and Zarnem in one cart. Yerah, Makota and Shera in another cart. Ira and Fex on horses leading the path.

Sen (quietly): That was wrong.

No one answers immediately. The weight of what they left behind clings to them.

Sen: We saw them. The people. The way they looked at us.

Zarnem: Drop it.

Sen turns, staring at him.

Sen: We could’ve done something.

Zarnem: No, we couldn’t.

Sen: So, we just walk away?

Zarnem: I told you to stay quiet. This isn’t our fight. Don’t be so dumb and naïve, Sen.

Sen: That’s your excuse?

Zarnem: And what do you expect to do? Stay behind and lead a revolution? Fight Osin’s entire military? Hand out food and water we barely have for ourselves?

Sen doesn’t respond right away. The logic is brutal.

Sen: You weren’t bothered. Not even a little.

Zarnem meets his gaze, unreadable. Then, without answering, he looks forward. Sen exhales sharply, turning back to the road. The silence between them stretches, heavy with things unsaid. The White Forest gradually faded behind them, its stark, skeletal trees giving way to something more alive. The further they traveled, the more the landscape shifted.

The first signs were subtle, a few leaves, pale but present, clinging to the ends of branches. Then, as the path stretched onward, the white-barked trees gave way to green. Verdant patches of grass crept up from the dry, brittle earth, reaching toward the soft glow of the evening sun. Life was returning. The air smelled different here. Fresher. The bitterness of Revano’s dust was long behind them, replaced by the cool scent of damp earth and moving water.

The river appeared just as the sun kissed the horizon, its shimmering surface catching streaks of gold and crimson. The current was steady, weaving through scattered stones and thick patches of reeds. The sound of it, soft, rushing, constant, was a relief after the dry silence of the wastelands they had left behind. This was where they would camp.

One by one, they dismounted. The tension of the day lingered in their movements, heavy but unspoken. No discussion was needed. No orders given. They simply began the motions of setting up camp. Makota stepped toward the river’s edge, brushing his fingers over the surface of the water before scooping a handful to his lips. He drank deep, exhaling as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Shera stretched, rolling out her shoulders before dropping her pack onto the soft ground. Dain wordlessly moved to gather firewood, his boots crunching over the fallen leaves as he scanned the area for dry branches. Nearby, Zarnem stood with his arms crossed, watching the river, saying nothing. Yerah unclasped a roll of supplies, unfurling the thick cloth that would serve as a base for their meal. Her hands moved with practiced ease, setting out food they had, though no one reached for it just yet. Sen noticed that Yerah was unpacking supplies and approached her.

Sen: Need a hand?

Yerah: Yeah, actually that’d be great. Can you get the frozen meat out of the cooler? I was able to make some ice and keep it cool for the past several hours.

Sen: Yeah, sure thing.

Sen pulled out what looked like slices of beef.

Sen: This?

Yerah: Yeah, and in the other cooler should be some carrots and potatoes. Simple stuff.

Sen pulled out the carrots and potatoes.

Sen: Are you cooking?

Yerah: I hope not. I’m more of a baker than a cook.

Sen: Oh. Perfect. I’m more of a cook than a baker.

Yerah: Is that so? Can you take care of the dinner then?

Sen: Fine by me. Do we have salt and pepper at the very least?

Yerah: We do not.

Sen: Oh…

Yerah: Yeah, we’re going to eat bland. Although, it’s better than all the canned stuff we’ve been having.

Sen: Yeah, I suppose so. You’d think Revano would supply some basic seasoning.

Yerah: Yeah, well, here we are.

Dain arrived with branches and wood.

Dain: Beef and veggies? Are we making a soup out of this?

Sen: We can.

Dain set down the gathered branches and wood, arranging them within a circle of stones. With a flick of his wrist, flames ignited from his hands, sparking the campfire to life. Above it, Sen carefully placed a large pot filled with water that Makota had prepared, then he began adding the ingredients.

Sen: Uhh, I guess that’s it. There really isn’t much I can do here except that. Not a good representation of what I can actually make.

Yerah: Haha. I’m sure you cook well.

Dain: He really does cook like a chef. I’ve had plenty of his food.

Yerah: Oh yeah? Maybe when we settle in Krutone, I can finally enjoy something of yours.

Yerah gently pats Sen’s arms.

Sen: Uhh, yeah. I mean… if we get settled and all. I—I can probably make something decent. Nothing fancy, though.

Yerah (smirking): Hmm. You sound unsure. You don’t think I’d like your cooking?

Sen scratches the back of his neck.

Sen: No, no, I mean—I just… I don’t know what you like.

Yerah (playfully): So, what you’re saying is, you’ll have to make me a variety of dishes to figure it out?

Sen (stiffens): I— I didn’t say that! But if you’d like that… I can.

Dain grins.

Yerah (laughing): Well, if you insist, I won’t say no.

Sen (quietly): That would— I mean — yeah… ok.

Dain lets out a short chuckle.

Yerah (teasing): Are you sure you can cook? It’s ok if you can’t. A guy who can cook is hard to come by.

Sen looks away, suddenly very focused on stirring the pot of soup, his face warming up.

Sen: I can.

Yerah: So, this beef soup is going to be incredible huh? With no salt and pepper.

Sen: Well, I mean. No— yes. Yes, it’ll be good. Even without salt— I think.

Yerah chuckles softly, shaking her head.

Yerah: You’re funny.

She smiles at Sen before moving to help with the food.

Dain: It is getting quite dark. While the food boils, wanna spar a bit, Sen?

Sen: Sure— that sounds good.

Sen and Dain walk away.

Dain: Saved you there.

Sen: Shut up! What are you talking about?

Dain: Dude, you were not natural.

Sen: I don’t know what you mean.

Dain: Right.

Sen: I don’t know what you mean, man.

Dain (smiling): It’s ok.

Sen: What’s ok?

Dain: Nothing.

Sen: Dude.

Dain: What? Nothing.

Sen paused.

Sen: Yeah. Nothing.

Sen and Dain took their stances, the open clearing giving them enough space to move freely. Dain struck first, launching a concentrated burst of fire toward Sen, but Sen reacted instantly, weaving to the side and countering with a sharp pulse of light. Their attacks clashed in the air, sparks and embers scattering across the ground. Dain moved in, closing the distance, his fists coated in controlled flames as he aimed a precise strike at Sen. Sen twisted, dodging at the last second, his body illuminated by the golden glow of his energy. He retaliated with a burst of radiant force, forcing Dain to brace himself before dashing forward again. Their movements were fluid, their reflexes honed from years of training together. Dain’s fire lashed out in rapid succession, but Sen absorbed the heat, using his light to bend around the scorching waves. The ground beneath them darkened with scorched marks, each step leaving a new imprint of their battle. Sen shifted, his hands moving instinctively as he blasted a concentrated beam of light toward Dain’s feet, forcing him to leap back. Without hesitation, Dain retaliated, channeling a spiraling inferno in his palms and hurling it forward. Sen raised his arms, his light shielding him, pushing back against the flames in a collision of raw energy. The heat was intense, but Sen held firm, his control unwavering, until something shifted. His body moved on instinct, and for the first time, the light in his hands flickered. A dark presence seeped through, unbidden, coiling along his fingertips. The next blast that left his palm was not golden but shadowed, its edges dark and cold. The moment it met Dain’s fire, the flames withered, shrinking into nothingness, swallowed whole by the creeping darkness. Both of them froze, breathing heavy, watching the void-like energy dissolve the last traces of fire between them.

Dain: Wait, do that again.

Dain unleashed a stream of flames toward Sen, the heat distorting the air between them. Sen raised his hands, and once more, tendrils of darkness spilled from his fingertips, swallowing the fire whole.

Dain: Does your darkness eat away at my flames?

Sen looked at his cold hands.

Sen: I think it does.

Dain: Can you use it offensively?

Sen: I think so?

Dain: Try it.

Sen thrust his hands toward Dain, unleashing a concentrated beam of darkness. Dain swiftly dodged, and both watched as the dark Intergy struck the ground, fracturing it just as Sen’s light abilities would have.

Dain: Sen, I think your dark powers counter anything with heat.

Sen: I think so too. This darkness feels so cold whereas the light feels hot.

Dain: Can I go all out?

Sen: Huh?

Dain: We push each other when we spar, yes. But, can I go all out? Like, all out.

Sen: And you want me to use darkness?

Dain: Yeah, let’s test this.

Sen thought for a moment.

Sen: Yeah, let’s do it.

Dain wiped the sweat from his forehead, rolling his shoulders as he took a deep breath. Without hesitation, he pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside, his muscular frame illuminated by the fading light. A grin spread across his face as he released his Intergy, the air around them growing noticeably warmer. The ground beneath him cracked slightly from the sheer heat radiating off his body. Flames curled around his arms, flickering wildly, waiting to be unleashed. Sen could already feel the intensity rising, but he held his ground, dark energy still lingering at his fingertips. Dain took a step forward, his eyes burning with excitement.

Dain: Get ready for some real heat!

Dain wasted no time, thrusting his hands forward as an explosion of fire erupted toward Sen. The flames twisted and roared like a living force, surging through the air in massive waves. Sen reacted instantly, his hands pulsing with dark energy as he cast a wall of shadows in front of him. The fire slammed against it, but the darkness devoured the heat, leaving only flickering embers that faded into the wind. Dain didn’t let up—he launched a flurry of fireballs, each one crackling with intensity as they rained down on Sen from different angles. Sen dodged, weaving through the onslaught, his body moving with trained precision. A flare shot past his shoulder, searing the air beside him, but he spun mid-step, countering with a streak of darkness that snuffed it out instantly.

Dain switched tactics, channeling a concentrated beam of heat from his palms, aiming straight for Sen’s chest. Sen raised his arms, summoning a swirling vortex of shadow that absorbed the blast, but the force sent him sliding back, his heels digging into the dirt. The heat was overwhelming, pressing in on him like a furnace, but he gritted his teeth and steadied himself. Dain came in close, fire coiling around his fists as he swung a blazing punch. Sen barely dodged, the heat singing his skin as he countered with a burst of darkness aimed at Dain’s ribs. Dain twisted, flames flaring out from his back as he propelled himself upward, flipping mid-air before crashing down with a fiery eruption.

Sen threw up his arms, a dome of darkness shielding him just in time, but the impact sent a tremor through his body. For a brief moment, the fire overwhelmed him, heat pressing into his defenses, forcing him to dig deeper into his power. Then, suddenly, the darkness surged stronger than before, lashing out in jagged tendrils that absorbed every last ember in its path. The battlefield grew eerily silent, the heat dissipating as Sen stood in the center, his hands trembling, dark energy crackling at his fingertips. Dain landed a few feet away, panting, his grin never fading.

Dain: You're keeping up. I like this.

Sen took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders, his muscles burning from exertion.

Sen: Yeah… I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Dain cracked his knuckles, stepping towards his shirt on the ground. He grabs it and uses it to wipe his sweat.

Dain: Food should be ready now.

Sen: Yeah, let’s head back.

Meanwhile, Zarnem and Fex are sitting by the river. Tension is high.

Fex: So, do I need to start like always?

Zarnem: You’re the one with the questions.

Fex: Who the hell are you?

Zarnem: Hm?

Fex: You got us out of Revano. Who the hell are you?

Zarnem: You’re going to have to be more specific.

Fex: Nobody, and I mean nobody just gets out of Revano. No dictator just lets people go. You had a deal with him didn’t you? You let us get captured didn’t you? You needed to see him. How do you know him? The emperor.

Zarnem was quiet.

Fex: Now you’re acting like a disabled mute. Great.

Zarnem: Penim was my friend.

Fex: How the hell do you just jump to Penim?

Zarnem: We were on a mission. Infiltrate Revano and stop their plans to bomb Krutone. Penim and I were on a team. If the mission was a success, we’d both be promoted to captain rank… Then Emperor Osin and his soldiers showed up. Penim died in the process. I fought off all of the soldiers, and I escaped. Osin remembered me.

Fex: And so he lets you go again? That doesn’t make sense.

Zarnem: But I also made a deal with Emperor Osin to retreat as our general was killed by him.

Fex: And so, you left?

Zarnem: We could no longer fight, and it was clear they could no longer fight either. So, we agreed to retreat.

Fex: So, you and Osin are buddies? Is that what I’m hearing?

Zarnem: Not buddies. We just respect each other.

Fex: Respect? You respect that blood thirsty dictator?

Zarnem: It’s a mutual respect. I don’t mess with him, he doesn’t mess with me.

Fex: Even if that were true, who is Penim? I want the full story. Not the small one you gave back in Clyden.

Zarnem stayed quiet.

Fex: Mute again, huh?

Zarnem: I already said he was a friend of mine.

Fex: And this friend of yours happens to still be alive and has The Orb? And you have no clue why he’s doing what he’s doing?

Zarnem: Penim has always talked about using The Orb to completely destroy Revano. That way we wouldn’t have to fight anymore.

Fex: So, let him kill off Revano!

Zarnem: But now, he’s after everyone. Krutone. Luria. Eztan. Revano. Clyden. All of them were attacked by Zagons. Some cities and villages were taken out already. He’s power hungry now, and I think he’s seeking vengeance.

Fex: Your friend would do that?

Zarnem: I don’t know. That’s why I’m looking for him. That’s why it’s urgent we get to Krutone because we both worked there together. President Kyto needs to know what we’re dealing with. Who we’re dealing with.

Fex: And Penim somehow convinced names like Zan to help him.

Zarnem: That’s why I need to get to the bottom of this.

Fex: Why is this your responsibility?

Zarnem: Because Penim is my friend.

Fex waited.

Fex: I’m watching you. I don’t give a shit if you used to be a captain in Krutone. I’ll be letting Ira know also.

Zarnem: I understand. As soon as we get to Krutone, you can decide whatever you want. In the meantime, help us all get to there.

Fex: You could’ve just gone alone. You didn’t need to bring all of us. That’s why I don’t trust you. Bringing your recruits, bringing me, bringing Ira… none of it needed to happen. Totally unnecessary to mix us up with your issues.

Zarnem: I needed all the support I could get. You expect me to travel alone?

Fex: Well, clearly you had Osin’s assistance.

Zarnem: It’s just respect like I said. Osin and I aren’t allies. I need true allies like you. Like everyone here.

Fex: So, we get to Krutone. What then?

Zarnem: I let President Kyto know who we’re dealing with. We’ll gather Krutone’s strongest soldiers… and robots.

Fex: Oh right, this thing you call robots.

Zarnem: They have advancements we could only dream to have. The rest of the world has no idea what Krutone is like. We’d have all the resources to stop Penim.

Fex: And they’re going to trust you? You’re the one who left them.

Zarnem: When I mention Penim, they’ll take me seriously.

Silence.

Fex: Whatever.

Fex walks away.

Ira, Shera, and Makota sat near the horses, the quiet sounds of the animals chewing filling the space between them. Shera gently stroked the mane of her horse, her fingers running through the coarse strands as it nuzzled closer. Makota held out a handful of dried oats, watching as one of the horses eagerly licked them from his palm. Ira leaned back against a nearby tree, her arms crossed, her gaze distant as she absentmindedly tossed small bits of grain toward the ground. The campfire crackled in the distance, casting faint shadows across their faces, but none of them spoke right away. There was an unspoken heaviness in the air, the weight of their journey settling in. Shera finally broke the silence, her voice soft.

Shera: Professor Ira, how much do you know?

Ira: Just call me Ira. You’re no longer my student at Clyden. As for how much I know, I’m probably just as lost as you.

Makota: Yeah. I mean, we’re heading toward Krutone, we have a mission, we have goals… but at the same time, I don’t even know if I understand what we’re really doing anymore.

Ira: You think that feeling’s new? Soldiers have been feeling that way for centuries. You think they always know what they’re fighting for?

Shera: I’d assume most of them would.

Ira shook her head.

Ira: No. Most of them don’t. Or if they do, it’s not their reason. It’s someone else’s. They fight because they were told to. Because it’s their job. Because someone in power said, ‘Go here. Kill them. Protect this. Destroy that.’ And they do it, even if they don’t believe in it. Even if they hate it.

Makota: So what, soldiers don’t even think for themselves? They just follow orders?

Ira: Sometimes they do think for themselves. And sometimes, they don’t have a choice. It’s easy to say ‘I’d never fight for something I don’t believe in’ when you’ve never been given an order. But when it’s standing between you and your home, when it’s your family’s security on the line, when it’s your entire life. Suddenly, those choices aren’t so simple.

Shera: And to this we’ve lived like this for so long.

Ira: Yeah. War is terrifying. It makes people do things they’d never do otherwise. Some fight because they want to, but most? Most just do what they have to in order to survive.

Makota: Then… what’s the point? If no one believes in what they’re fighting for, if they just fight because they have to, then why does war keep happening?

Ira lets out a small chuckle.

Ira: Because it doesn’t matter if they believe in it. Someone else always does. And as long as there’s someone at the top pulling the strings, there will always be people below doing the fighting.

Makota: The ones at the top… You mean like presidents, prime ministers, emperors… They have history. We’re just carrying out their orders.

Ira: Most of the time. There are exceptions. There are people who fight for real reasons, for things they believe in. But they’re rare. Most soldiers, most fighters… they’re just pieces on a board. Moved around. Used. Disposable.

Shera: And we’re different?

Ira looks at the darkening sky.

Ira: I don’t know. Are we? Are you fighting for something? You’re on this mission after all. Going to Krutone. We’re all just carrying out orders.

Makota and Shera were quiet. Minutes passed.

Makota: I’m helping because, it’s going to stop the Zagon attacks.

Shera (nodding): Yeah… exactly…

Dain (from a distance): Food’s ready!

The three fall into silence again, each lost in their own thoughts as the horses continue to feed, unaware of the weight hanging between them. They finally move to the campfire to have their dinner.

Several days passed, and the crew arrived at Eztan, their surroundings a stark reflection of despair and neglect. The roads were cracked and uneven, lined with crumbling homes that barely stood against the wind. Roofs sagged, their wooden beams exposed and rotting, while walls bore deep scars of erosion and time. The air carried the heavy scent of decay, a mixture of damp wood, unwashed stone, and the faint staleness of hunger. Unlike Revano, there were no banners of control, no soldiers enforcing order, only silence, heavy and unbroken. Rusted pipes jutted from ruined buildings, dripping water into stagnant puddles that had long since turned murky. The sky, though open and vast, felt distant, its light unable to pierce the weight of abandonment that hung over the land. Empty stalls stood along the roadside, their goods long gone, their cloth canopies torn and swaying lifelessly. The wind whispered through broken doorways, carrying with it the echoes of a town left to fend for itself. Here, there were no chains, no prisons, just the quiet collapse of a place no one had saved.

As the crew moved deeper into Eztan, they finally saw its people, thin figures draped in ragged clothing, their faces hollow with exhaustion. Some sat on the doorsteps of their crumbling homes, their expressions vacant, as if they had long since stopped expecting change. Others lingered by the remains of market stalls, their eyes darting toward the crew but never meeting their gaze directly. Children with bare feet stood in the doorways, their small hands gripping the frames as they watched in silence. A few elders huddled together beneath a collapsed awning, whispering among themselves, their voices too faint to be heard. There were no pleas, no outstretched hands begging for help, only the quiet endurance of those who had learned to survive with nothing. A woman leaned against a wall, staring at the dust swirling through the streets, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if warding off a cold that never left. A man with sunken eyes sat beside a pile of broken bricks, his fingers tracing the cracks in the stone as though searching for something that had long since disappeared. This was not a place ruled by fear or violence— it was a place that had simply been forgotten.

Fex and Ira are again leading the crew, riding on the horses.

Fex: This is Eztan. Always heard of the place. Never been here.

Ira: It’s just as bad as the news reports it as.

Fex: Sad these people live like this.

Ira: And it’s not like Osin is running this place. They’re just like that.

Fex: It makes me wonder where the leadership is.

Sen, Dain and Yerah were in the back walking as a trio, the rest of the group walking forward.

Dain: Question.

Sen: Yeah?

Dain: So, look around for a moment, and tell me we live in a good world.

Yerah: Huh?

Sen: It’s just something we talk about.

Dain: Feel free to give your thoughts too, Yerah.

Yerah: Sure.

Dain: So yeah, look around here. Look at all these people starving. Look at all these torn down homes. I thought we had it bad in Clyden, but this place is horrid. Look at this place and tell me this is a good world we live in.

Sen: So, you’re asking if this world is better without people, again?

Dain: Essentially.

Yerah: You two have spoken about this before?

Sen: Yeah, back in Clyden.

Dain: Well, what do you think, Yerah? What’s your opinion?

Yerah thinks for a moment.

Yerah: Hmmm… Well, I think this world is good with people.

Dain: Really, even when you see people like this starving and suffering?

Yerah: Well, they can make things work.

Dain: Sure, but why are they in this position in the first place?

Yerah: What do you mean?

Dain: Well, someone had to harm them. Someone had to put them here. And look at them. They’re unhappy.

Sen: What he’s saying is that, humans are bad and that’s why we have places like Eztan.

Yerah: Sure, but it’s not all bad. You might just be focusing on specific cases that make people look bad.

Dain: Not really. Eztan just makes for a good case.

Yerah: Well, it’s not that bad in Clyden. Not at least compared to here.

Dain: Right, but you gotta admit it’s still pretty bad in Clyden also.

Yerah: Ok, well what about places like Krutone? That place is beautiful, or at least that we know of.

Dain: Ok, sure. Let’s agree for a moment and say that Krutone is better for whatever reason. What got them there and the rest of the world in a bad place?

Yerah: Well, maybe they just have better laws.

Dain: I like that you bring up laws.

Yerah: Ok.

Dain: I like it because laws are just proving that humans are terrible in the first place.

Yerah listens in.

Dain: Think about it. Let’s say Krutone is this place of a promise land. They did it because they had laws. Isn’t that in itself kind of sad for people.

Yerah: Not necessarily.

Dain: Exactly necessarily. They need laws to do good. They need something to keep them in check, because at the core of it all, they’re terrible people. We are terrible people.

Yerah: Yeah, well that’s sort of just how things fall in place.

Dain: And you don’t think that’s wrong?

Yerah thinks.

Yerah: Well, I see your point. I suppose it does question if people are naturally good. But also, consider that laws protect those that are good.

Dain: Right, but you’re exactly proving my point. The fact we need to protect them is sad in itself. Why can’t we already just do good?

Yerah: Yeah, but the fact that we’re fighting for good should speak volumes also. Look at as us right now. We’re traveling all the way to Krutone to find a way to end the issue with Zagons.

Dain: I get your point.

Yerah: Yeah, there are a few bad people who do a lot of damage, but the majority of us are mostly good.

Dain: I see otherwise. Call me a cynic, but people would rather save themselves than lift each other up. People need to be put in check.  

Yerah: Yeah, I can see that. What about you Sen?

Sen: Dain and I talk about this a lot actually. Several times back in Clyden.

Yerah: So, what you think?

Sen: I think we’re a mix.

Dain: No shit. But which is stronger in people? Good or bad?

Sen: I think it might be bad, but not but much. Every now and then good comes through. I mean, it took goodness to make those laws in the first place, right? It had to come from somewhere to keep the bad in people in check.

Dain: Ok, fair. I get that. My take is that, Krutone is the perfect example of why people are mostly bad. They need laws to keep them in place. Look anywhere else in the world, let humans be who they are naturally, and they screw it all up.

Sen pauses.

Yerah: So, where do you think you stand in all of this?

Dain waits.

Dain: I think I’m just lost.

Yerah: What about you, Sen?

Sen thinks.

Sen: I think I’m doing alright.

Sen slightly smiles.

Yerah: You two always talk like this?

Dain: Not all the time, but most times. It gives us something good to think about.

Sen: We talk about other stuff too. Just from time to time, Dain likes to get dark for whatever reason.

Dain looks at Sen slightly bothered.

Sen: But I won’t lie. I appreciate these talks too. Sometimes we’ll just argue for the sake of arguing.

Yerah: Why though?

Sen: Because at the end of the day, we’ll always be best friends.

Yerah smiles slightly.

Yerah: So, you just argue.

Dain: Well, not to tear each other down. Just to have good talks, you know?

Yerah: That’s nice. You two get along very well then.

Dain: I’d hope so after so many years, haha.

Sen: Do you hang out with anyone like that, Yerah?

Yerah: No, not really. I usually am just to myself. I mean, I did have some friends from Clyden Academy, but after we all graduated, we all went our own ways. The usual.

Dain: Well, feel free to include yourself in our tiny circle. I’m sure Sen would like that.

Sen: Huh?

Yerah: Oh?

Dain: I mean like, it’s always just been us two you know. I meant like, Sen would be down for us three to hang out.

Yerah: Oh yeah. Thanks.

The crew continued passing through Eztan, doing everything they could to ignore the tragic land they travelled over.