She was certainly not joking when she said she didn’t have a lot of time here. Sagi was gone, e the m, a only memories in her wake. Though for that, Kiko was grateful. She had a new fighting teique to practice, which let her bone more with Ele a better to protect her people more so that event with the Minotaur didn’t happen again. Of course, being grounded meant she didn’t get to leave the camp, so she was doing all her chores every day because there was no excuse to get out of them anymore. She even took up sewing, to see how she e now it was her choice. Aaand she could shield her fingers with ambient mana to prevent them from being stabbed stantly.

  Adding to her well-packed schedule, she was getting lessons from her mother as well. Or, more precisely, Yeni was helping Kiko with some energy flow, to help her get a better grasp and ‘temper’ her Yang, so it didn’t spark a so much. Despite Yeni holding it to be strictly business, it felt o spend time just sitting with her mother, quietly tending one of her problems like she was a school girl with some hard maths homework. It was a good job her Mana and her Belonging were w together to keep her full of energy, or she’d be a zombie by the end of the week with this schedule.

  Plus, Yeni’s hands were super great. She was - probably due to this Yang shit - always on the edge of overheating, always feeling too hot to be fortable. That more than anything was why she slept with Ele, but this was also took her a few days to realize, but eventually the lightbulb did indeed, cli in her head.

  “Those ice statues were you, weren’t they? When you were out doing whatever you were doing with the Fae” Kiko put ione rhetorical but also still a little questioning like she wasn’t sure.

  “Humility is a most being trait, Kiko” Yeni would reply, her tone so soft it was like satin in her ears. That, retty much a firmation.

  “How many other tricks do you have up your sleeve?” Kiko asked, taking in a breath and enjoying the soothing cool energy entering her. For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace, and it was good.

  “A few. It is a good thing when your child does not know what you do upon the field. It means there has never been such a desperate moment they o behold it” Yeni replied, finishing up for the day and standing. This wasn’t going to fix her properly, but would make it easier for her to handle herself.

  “Then I’m going to go get so awesome you r o show me whats you do!” Kiko excimed, leaping up and heading out. Easier, if Kiko bothered to try in the first pce, that was….Truly, in every aspect, Drax’s child. The best Yeni could do now was to try and help her e into her own. It was all she was allowed, after havi her like that…

  “You better not be having sad thoughts again!” Kiko would suddenly excim, having popped her head ba to gre. Yeni would give a gentle smile at that. She was gettier at being ected to the people in her camp. She could not pick out thoughts like those who were Bonded could, but she was gettiions. It was great to see, the pride and happiness drowning out the previous sad thoughts. Kiko would leave slowly, a theatrical scowl at Yeni as she disappeared out of the tent again.

  Two weeks of strolling through the tryside gave Kiko an appreciation for the grandeur of the ndscape outside the Cities. Pins of green and yellow, wild flowers and lorees stood in defiance of everything around them. Animals occasionally hoped, jumped, or flew past, and were occasionally turned into dihere was something freeing about this, something that bouyed her soul in her chest like she was feeding on the pure mana of the World. Or, maybe it was just because she was a city-slicker who’d never seen any greenery more than a park. The Beasts made a weekeaway at the the Lake Brough difficult. That roblem this Skulk faced as well, but a stro of warriors and rotating patrols mao keep the group moving smoothly.

  Eventually, setting up in a lovely field of daffodils that had once been the of a Rakasha and it’s lesser Hellhous, Kiko would open her map as she did every day. The mountain was a few hours from here, over the horizon but not so far she couldn’t get there and back today. With some eyesh fluttering at Yeni, she was finally ungrounded and allowed to head off on a journey. Sure, just a day trip, but she had her bat jacket, some rations and her sword. It really felt like an adventure.

  It was eventless for the most part, just a stroll through the field with her ambient mana putting off the Scraps who were sging and looking for anything they could get their fangs into. Getting to the foot of the hill and starting her climb, she noticed that a was waiting for her.

  Three men, one in a cool hat and two dressed somewhat like a Butler but designed for a cross-try hike. They sat around campfire, enjoying tea and generally chilling. Though Hat Man saw Kiko and gave a smile, standing up and walking into the ter of the trail.

  “Good m, Mademoiselle” the man would say, an at making it clear he had e from the West. His tone was very posh, an upper-css gentleman if she ever did see one. Most probably part of one of the warrior orders that were so on there.

  “You are a long way from home, Anati” Kiko would reply. It was a ral word, because she was not looking for a fight right now, but this was a very suspioment.

  “Indeed I am. I have e looking for a friend, La Ecaitr. Or, to be more clear, I am looking for the killer of this friend. And my searches have led me to you” he would reply, hand hanging zily on the hilt of his sword.

  “I’ve never heard of anyone by that name” Kiko stated, her hand casually slipping to hold her own sword. Just in case.

  “Mon dun, he did not even introduce himself? You clearly did not sneak up on him, so he certainly had the ce to. Bahh, even until death he spits ohe man excimed, riled at the idea that Kiko didn’t know the man’s name. He then looked back at her and Kiko let out a grunt, the scar on her chest throbbing unfortably.

  “Ahere is no doubt. En garde, Mademoiselle” he would tinue, drawing his sword and politely waiting for Kiko to do the same, before closing in and beginning the fight. The man was fast, strong, and skilled. He knew himself well, and stepped with such fide was a sight to behold. Kiko was no slouch however, and threw him off with a quick string of moves, pushing him back up the road with a light drift of blossoms.

  “Plumb Blossom? Now who is a long way from home, my dear?” the man would ask, ughing softly as he flourished his sword.

  “A friend taught me it the basics. I’ve never been to….fuck, wherever she said it came from” she replied, taking a breath as he nodded and shifted bato the fight. Not fident in a seatch, she flipped her sword into a Zeldi and got into a more experienced and fortable stance. Surprisingly, he stopped dead at that, and lingered just outside range.

  “A Zeldi? Non, non, non. This will not do. How we judge anything with that? La Ecaitr was not felled by your bde?” He would ask, keeping his distance while looking fused.

  “He’s…Bloodsoaked Orchestra guy, right? The one who gave me this scar you are annoying” Kiko asked, and when the guy nodded, she tinued. “He was not. I shot him in the chest with a magical bolt of lightning. And the up and cut me open with his First Verse. Then my Raiju girlfriend ripped him apart in a bout of frenzied a”

  The man would be silent for a long while, and then spoke.

  “He is dead then?” came the question, cool and measured. Kiko felt her insides jitter, and she spoke before she even heard the words.

  “Ohh, yea. Ele cwed his ass up till he shit sideways” she told him. The man stared, and then burst into ughter, and the sword went away.

  “Then it is my failure entirely, Mon ami! e, have some tea! Let me attone for the missteps that lead to this” he would gesture, and head back to his seat, inviting Kiko in the same.