Finding Our Way: Pray4me x Izurich

[MUSΞ]

"Cosa Mesa is the only city in all of Saujarh entirely built on the north shore cliff side. Many flocked to the city to escape the tornadoes out here on the plains," Elva explained, lowering the magnifying glass to give her eyes a break from reading. She smiled down at El and shook her head. "No, that woman represents a love Ihuicatl is searching for. We believe that's why he curses us with all these tornadoes at any given time. Ihuicatl is searching for love to break his extreme loneliness and sadness. The story here goes that Ihuicatl arrived to Saujarh a thousand years ago and became envious of the love humans can have with each other. He searched and searched for someone to love him, but because of his appearance many ran. His mixed emotions caused the tornadoes to form and his cries the thunderous sounds of them. We believe these tornadoes are in search for his love, which carries the person up to him."

Elva placed the journal on El's lap and listened to the little girl's explanation of all the elements that exist in the world. All of it made sense to the elder as she tied all her research and legends of Ihuicatl into the history of all the elements. As El continued to speak, Elva slowly started to believe that the child wasn't the spawn of Ihuicatl, but she couldn't ignore the connection and coincidence of the prophecy of the child of Ihuicatl and El's sudden arrival.

The child of Ihuicatl, by the prophecy, meant something catastrophic was about to take place on the plains by Ihuicatl. Either the wind Arkosh found a fault in his child and banished the child to the humans. Where, in turn, the child grows to adulthood and fight his/her father in an ultimate battle that could destroy Saujarh. Or, something happens to Ihuicatl directly by an unknown force causing him to send his child off. Either way, the child becomes the main cause of the fall of Saujarh.

Elva positioned her magnifying glass back to her eye to read the grimoire El offered her to look at. Her eyes skimmed over the ancient tongue, seeing similarities between it and the ancient Saujarh language. The elder was able to translate a few very short sentences, but not enough to aid her in understanding of Sol Arkosh. No matter how hard Elva tried to read and understand, she still couldn't believe that Usar was a real Arkosh, opposite to Luna Arkosh. Elva was vaguely familiar with Luna.

"Oh? Let me see your...hmmm..." the old woman tilted her head, trying to figure out El's drawing. The drawing was very cutely done in the perfect childish artistic style she remembered. A small smile appeared on her face as her eyes began to water slightly, listening and nodding to El explain Usar and Kou to her. "What a beautiful drawing El. You really captured your friends. Now, do I believe you? You did provide such great detail to all of this that it's too hard to..."

Elva suddenly stood, letting the grimoire fall onto the dirt ground. As she hurried to the door, a low whistle of a cry swept through Profundo. She opened the door to see Gustavo with a pale face and gripping his telescope.

"I will sound the alarm. Hurry and look for my map.Figure out what path it's coming from based on your calculations," Elva instructed as she shuffled past Gustavo to the center of the village.

Gustavo rushed in towards the farthest desk and began to frantically throw papers and books around to find the map he needed. He repeatedly shook his head, mumbling under his breath as he threw his hands up to his hands to tightly grip hair.

"No no no, this can't be right. The Elder is never wrong! Something, something is up!" he complained to himself. He slammed his fist down into the desk before swiping his entire arm across to knock everything onto the ground.

A piccolo whistled was blown, Elva bringing the instrument to her tightly pressed lips as she sounded the rythmetic alarm. The villagers orderly hurried out their huts and started to untie them to the stakes on the ground, folding them quickly as the men gathered the horses that were corralled.

Gustavo pulled the map hiding in a drawer and placed it on the desk. His fingers flipped open the large map of the entire island of Saujarh, it full of lines, dashes, curves, numbers, and descriptions underneath various swirls that scattered the map. He nervously looked over, a louder, looming cry being heard in the distance.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Gustavo asked El. "Make yourself useful and go help with something! Hurry! We only have a few minutes left!"

 

[Izurich]

"Ah, I see~" El nodded cheerfully as she kept swinging her legs, "Maybe I can go to this Cosa Mesa, it sounds fun!" A city built on a cliff? She never heard that before, it would be an exciting new experience for her. El wasn't afraid of falling - cliffs were closely connected to height in her mind - due to the convenience of her powers. Usar and Kou could also fly, they'd have no problems there. The little girl listened closely to Elva's explanations regarding Ihucatl's hopelessly romantic antics, "Oh... I think he's just lonely..." El could personally empathize with him, the little girl spent years without any real friends before Kou came into her life. "I... I know how he feels, Granny, I was also... disliked back in my home with children my age, they spoke mean things about my appearance, except Orchid, but... she..." El stopped for a moment, remembering how Usar - in his rage - accidentally killed her, a rage fueled by herself to boot, "...went away." She waved it off, it was in the past, better to not dwell in it.

"Oh!" She perked up again as the elder praised her drawings, "Ehehe~ Thank you~" She nuzzled her head on the old woman's shoulder, "You have to believe me! El is telling the tru-... huh?" Their mother-daughter moment was interrupted by the same man who suggested to kill her, El was obviously annoyed at this, her cheeks puffing up as Elva directed her attention at Gustavo. Grumbling, she picked up the Grimoire, dusted it off, then held it close to her chest as the two spoke, it sounded urgent. "Huh? What's happening?" The atmosphere turned tense all of the sudden, Elva left her hut, Gustavo entered and was acting like a frantic thief who was desperately searching for something in another person's home.

Gustavo's screams, the distinctive piccolo sound, all of Provundo jolting awake, and the looming cry of an unknown being reverberating through the air from distances away. All of these made it painfully obvious to El that a great disaster was imminent. If it was another of those spinny winds, El had the feelings it would take innocent lives with it. She agreed with Gustavo, she must do something, anything. The albino didn't answer him verbally, she crossed her arms as her mind worked, then it dawned on her... if she could use her barrier spell to protect herself from the winds, then maybe... Without saying anything to Gustavo, El left the hut.

The panic, the consternation running rampant among these nomadic men, women, and children. Faced with a force of nature which behaved unnaturally, they could do nothing but trying to save as many as they could. El walked slowly amidst the chaos around her, the Luna inside her pulsing in tandem. She stopped at the middle of Provundo, looking all around her with a neutral look on her face, a deja vu washed over her. Just one and a half month ago, Horizon was in a similar state, unadulterated fear running amok through their hearts, fear for the pair of demon child and her gigantic abomination. The one vast difference with her current situation was that for once, El wasn't the source of this terror. The little girl blinked a few times as she slowly brought her hands to her eyes. This was her moment, this was her chance to use her powers to protect, to save lives, not kill. Gripping her hands into fists, El firmly nodded to herself.

<I recommend: The Elder Scrolls V - Watch the Skies for this scene>​

She closed her eyes as both of her hands clasped near her chest in a praying position, the grimoire came to life as it floated in front of her in open position, revealing a particular page. Her body along with the grimoire shone in the signature color of a Luna's Eidolon, "Usar, if you're listening." She spoke through their link, like a priestess connecting with her deity, "Please come here, we can help people..." The Eidolon rose upwards towards the air above Provundo. Ignoring the panic below and increasingly louder looming cry, El tapped into Luna's arcane reservoir. "La Fel Aria, give me the power to protect." She chanted the same spell she used to surround herself with the ball-shaped barrier, only on a much larger scale. The spell was a variation of the Ice Faerie's barrier, only Lunarian in nature, created by the First Eidolon.

Ellie's glowing red eyes shot open, her mouth slightly ajar as her face gave a blank look, her mind and soul were completely devoted to pull off this big spell. The aura surrounding her gained intensity, then rapidly expanded outwards, shaping into a red-tinted dome that enveloped all of Provundo before it solidified, creating a safe haven from whatever hostile forces outside the barrier. El was floating in the air like a small orb in the middle of her dome. She wouldn't respond to any outside stimulus, basically acting as the barrier's power core. Whatever would happen, let it be so, she wished to test her powers against Ihucatl's typhoons.

 

[MUSΞ]

Won't sooooooooommmmmmmmeeeeone love meeeeeee....

The winds cried, the appearance of a dusty gray funnel of powerful winds sailing towards the nomadic village of Profundo. Bushels of grass, dirt and a herd of bison deep within the tornado, climbing up until reaching the clouded covering before being hurled off into the distances.

Gustavo rushed through the hectic mob of villagers, gripping the map tightly. He stood beside Elva, struggling with controlling the flapping with in the growing winds.

"Ihuicatl's tail is coming southeast!" Gustavo announced, naming the specific tornado that only traveled that direction. "Category 3, clockwise wind current..."

"...it looks like we have a second appearance..." Elva talked through the winds.

Just east of the village roared another tornado, spiraling even quicker towards Profundo. The two funnels of wind narrowed the only safe escape route the villagers could take, forcing Elva to come up with an alternative. She snatched the map out of the inexperience Gustavo's hand in time to see El slowly raise into the air. The villagers stopped hooking their belongs onto the carts as a red shield fell over the entire village. They looked up at El, their face showing pure confusion and fear, not knowing what they should be more afraid.

Please, pleeeeeeeeeeeease, will anyooooooooone love meeeeeee....

The ground rumbled around them, chunks of dirt and grass lifting around the village in all directions as both tornadoes raced to them. Elva concentrated onto the map, squinting her eyes, before her mouth dropped to expose her failing teeth.

"...Head of Ihuicatl, category 5, counterclockwise winds. If they two meet together..." Elva walked towards El, standing underneath the child as the villagers surrounded them. All fell to their knees, sniffling and sobbing, as some began to beg for mercy from Ihuicatl. Elva looked up at El with somber eyes. "Please, prove to me what you said is true...will this Bel-Sarra-Usar truly save us?"

*
​

Usar heaved his wings down, guiding him forward as he raced towards the tornado Ihuicatl's tail. The connection between them cried for urgency, for his help. El was in terrible trouble, caught in the middle of two gigantic winds that seemed to be relentless in passing through the village. Usar's closed his eyes tightly as the wind tried its best to hold him back, whipping against his face and body with stinging pain. The angelic wings pumped, propelling Usar through the clouds of dusty air.

"You won't stop me!" Usar shouted, hating how slow the wind resistances were making him.

He was only a few distances away from El. Through the thick dust, Usar could see the small speck of red with two tornadoes quickly closing in. With a frustrated wail, Usar gathered more energy to thrust himself further, his body bouncing in the turbulence to reach El in time. Kou hid herself at the back of Usar's neck, using his hair as a sort of shield against the winds.

"We won't make it in time! The two will combine right on top of El!" Kou's voice trembled. "Oh no...oh no..."
​

*
​

The two crying winds charged onward, heading directly to Profundo. Both winds gripped at the shield, each pulling as hard as they could to tear it apart. As the two approached closer and closer, the pulling intensified. The grasslands surrounding the villages cracked in half before being sucked up into the sky to only be disintegrated by both forces. The villagers screamed at the dooming sounds, a sickening combination of thunder and that of a draining well, as sudden darkness encased Profundo.

Head of Ihuicatl and Ihuicatl's tail met on top of the shielded village. Both absorbed the other, creating the rare mega-tornado that only struck Saujarh every 100 years. As soon as the two met, it sucked up all the grounds outside the shield, digging a hole deeper and deeper at the same spot. Even through the disaster, Elva brought the magnify glass to her eye to stare upward through the middle of the tornado, through the dust and the sparks of electricity generated by the intense power of the winds.

There, beyond the clouded top of the tornado, was a shadow of a serpent spinning in the air. Four golden orbs stared down, all gazing at El.

"Ihuicatl...Ihuicatl...Ihuicatl..." the elder chanted.

Soon, the villagers started chanting his name in a monotone voice, holding their hands over their heads. The power doubled, wrapping around the shield, pulling on it at all directions to shatter it. Land swirled around the village and upwards through the middle of the tornado.

"Ihuicatl!"

Slowly, the shadowy being began to slither down the center, breaking through that cloudy top.

Love meeeeeeee.....Please.....Will yoooooooooooou love meeeeeeeeeeeeeee....it spoke, the winds carrying its voice downwards as the four golden eyes looked down.

​

 

[Izurich]

Despite the dire situations, the chaotic atmosphere helped El to channel her Lunarian powers. She needed every tiny bit of help she could get for her barrier was the only thing standing between Saujarh and utter destruction. The Eidolon glowing eyes blinked very slowly as she seemed to register Usar's mighty scream through the raging winds. "Usar..." Her lips spoke slowly, head slowly craning upwards at the devastation just outside her barrier, "He is here..." The melancholic cries for love, so full of sorrow, could be heard by all despite the tornadoes' fury. "Kuh..." a barely audible groan of pain escaped from El's lips, her face wincing as she tapped deeper into her powers to reinforce the barrier. With each passing moment, El had to tap use more and more of her strength to keep the barrier from collapsing.

To make matters worse, the two tornadoes merged into one, creating an unprecedented disaster since about a century ago, head & tail of Ihuicatl collaborating to tear down the Eidolon's magical shield. "Kah..." El's floating body curled up in a fetal position as she pain coursed through her being. Sparks of red radiating from her form, mending the cracks on the shield's structure whenever they appear, but as time went on, the cracks spawned faster than she could fix. The villagers started chanting the Arkosh's name, Ihucatl... in his desperate search for love, he was killing the very people he wished to find love in, what a foolish monster. Like before, rage and anger began coursing through El's veins. This Arkosh was the source of Saujarh's problems, he was the sole reason Provundo lived in fear, he was the reason Gustavo and the others acted with such thick paranoia, he was the reason this particular disaster was happening at this very moment, he tried to kill Granny.

"You..." The moment Ihucatl's appeared from the top, El raised her gaze at him, meeting his four goldens with her two rubies. "IHUICATL!!" She screamed along with the villagers, but unlike their monotone voice, hers was full of wrath. El bare her fangs as her childish face snarled into that of a demonic witch. She positioned her body like an arrow, launching upwards with a blast of crimson flames, phasing through her dome-barrier. "Stop this!!" Her high-pitched roar called out to the Wind Arkosh, she was getting closer and closer, a barrier began forming in front of her, making her looked like a comet shooting towards the sky. "Cease this madness or I will kill you!!" She couldn't hold the barrier for much longer, it was either Ihuicatl or Provundo, the choice was clear.

 

[MUSΞ]

The creature twirled his way down the tornado, the flash of electricity showing quick glimpse of his appearance. He was a serpentine beast that resembled more of a snake with ribbons of a web-like material wrapping around his entire body. He was constantly moving, unable to stay still as movements with the winds were the only way to keep him in flight, his scales shimmering against the few bursts of electricity as Ihuicatl approached closer to El.

Through the dust and debris flying inside the tornado, only a shadowy figure of another torso connected to Ihuicatl's back was seen. This figure kept its hands clasped together in a praying position, the head locked in a upward position with only the eyes and mouth able to move. A faint smile appeared on it's face.

"Oh jooooooyous day, someone is visiting meeeeeee!" it said. "Ohhhhh how dreams dooooo come trueeeee!"

Ihuicatl slithered closer to El who was flying through quickly, protected by her own shield against the Arkosh's powers. The creature twirled and knotted with itself as it came to meet El, easily able to fluidly untie itself from any shape he could get himself into. The winds of the tornado began to slowly die down, becoming less powerful and scooting itself away from Profundo. There was no point in staying at Profundo any longer. Ihuicatl, after centuries, finally found someone who was able to visit him through the tornado without ripping in half.

"It's a smaaaaaaaaaallll child. Looooooook...." the human torso said to the serpentine head, the main brain behind Ihuicatl's power. "How precious! Cooooommmmmmeeee, follow me lil one and we caaaannnnnnn...."

The serpentine head let out a sudden cry, very similar to the cries of a hawk as he heard the threats given by El. The human torso's face instantly twisted into sorrow, matching the cries of the serpentine with his own sobs. Ihuicatl made a wide arch around El, passing around the child, the scales of the body briefly scrapping against the barrier. The human torso nearly pressed his face against the red orb, face to face with El.

"Why? Why would you kill meeeeeeeee?" he asked, tears immediately being swept away the winds. "What did I do to youuuuu?"

The strength of the tornado began to pick up again as it powered away from Profundo and across the plains. The four golden eyes flashed, two of sadness and the other of anger, as the winds spun even more violently and starting to take color of complete darkness. The power cracked at El's barrier, placing more force on it than ever before.

"Why won't someooooooooone love meeeeeeeeeeeee? Will some looooooovvvvvvvvveeeeee meeeeee?"

 

[Izurich]

The Wind Arkosh was too fast even for the Eidolon's eyes to follow, El resorted to just face on one direction as he circled her. From what she could discern from his spiralling form, Ihu looked like a very aged mutated version of Bel-Sarra-Usar and considering Usar himself looked like a monstrous chimera, it was saying something. At least the Sol Arkosh looked healthy and fit even with the scars, like a warrior in his prime, Ihu however... looked like a skinny old man with surprisingly agile movements. With all the winds, sparks of electricity, and debris around her, it was hard for the little girl to comprehend what Ihu said. Fortunately his long drawn-out whale-like voice helped her case. "If you are happy, then why are you doing this?!" El shouted back at him, she wanted answers, even for a child like her, Ihu's actions were considered illogical, searching for love through violence, who in their right mind would do that?

"Huh...?" Well color her surprised, the raging tornado started calming down as soon as she got near, El assumed it had something to do with her. He was talking with himself, his words made it obvious that he wanted El as a companion. What to do? She already got Usar and Kou, unless Ihu wanted to come with her on their journey, well no time to think, what's important is to make Ihu stop this typhoon. "Okay! Just sto-..." Before the child could finish, he let out a wailing cry, the tornado picking up in strength again. "Ooops..." El went wide-eyed, one hand moving to slowly clasp her mouth, she made the wrong move by threatening him. "Aaaah!" El pulled at her own white locks, stupid, stupid, stupid! She just had to so easily use the word 'kill'. Her rage and anger cost lives before, it would happen again if she didn't act quick, to make matters worse, the death toll would all involve innocent people, not people like Lucius and Telo. Orchid's death certainly came to mind.

"W-wait! wait wait wait!! Please!" The little girl could see the despair and sorrow from the humanoid face pressing against her barrier. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!" El's decision-making wisdom was stretched to its limits as the girl was forced to make split-second choices. "Kuh!" First, the albino transferred her own barrier's power to reinforce Provundo's dome below, buying more time for Provundo, but putting her at higher risk of being swept away. Usar was still nowhere in sight, this was something she had to do alone. "Ihuicatl, stop!" El gasped as her own barrier began to form a crack, then another... and another like fragile glass under intense pressure. "I was wrong! I don't want to kill you! I love you! I want to be your friend so please..." She gritted her teeth, a tear began forming on her right eye out of fear, she didn't want to die here, hugging her grimoire close to her, she augmented her voice with her powers, the booming high-pitched desperate wail surpassing everything in one short moment, "IHUICATL, PLEASE BE MY FRIEND!!!!"

 

[MUSΞ]

A sudden white beam pierced through the tornado, slicing it completely in half. The lower half where El was at quickly dispersed, saving her just in time before her shield broke completely. The wind's power was cut by half, making the tornado seem more like a simple dust cyclone than the monstrous tornado it once was.

Ihuicatl screamed like he himself was cut in half. The once somber cries not turned into those of intense pain. He curled himself into a tight ball as the remaining winds began to form around him.

"You liiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee...it hurtssss sooooo much...." he cried as the wind sphere began to encase him.

With the winds dying down, Usar sped forward to reach El. His mouth was kept open, his lips and edges looking red and burned as a flicker of white light continued to form inside. He wrapped himself around El's shield, hugging it with his extra long arms and pulling it slowing behind him. Usar huffed and coughed, his throat feeling raw, as he stared up at Ihuicatl. This was the first time Usar has ever met another Arkosh, especially one as mentally troubled as Ihuicatl was being. A part of Usar didn't even want to bother with Ihuicatl. Seeing him cry and wail made Ihuicatl look almost too pathetic to deal with.

While the human torso continued to cry, the monstrous head warped in a gold armor stared down at Usar. It opened it's mouth to reveal a row of nothing but molars and an over-sized purple tongue, wanting to speak to Usar, but kept repeating the complaining sounds coming from the human torso. It huffed and shook its head, instead beginning to form another tornado.

Usar leaped forward, using the shield as a push off point. His wings spread full eagle as he went forward as quickly as he can, a white aura surrounding his body. Another white orb began to form into his mouth to aim straight at Ihuicatl to end him in one single shot.

"...Bel-Sarra-Usar..." the monstrous head was able to speak after the struggle with it's other half. "...we don't need you back..."

In his tight ball, Ihuicatl began to spin faster and faster with the winds around him to match. Soon, the cries vanished in the forming vortex, shots of electricity bouncing off Usar. The wind sounds became unbearably as a single burst of power erupted from the spinning vortex. The power was able to knock Usar all the way to the ground with incredible force, the impact creating a large crater. As the dust died down, Ihuicatl and the wind sphere was gone with the sunrise sky to replace it.

And, like that, the serene plains of Saujarh was back to normal. The only mark of devastation was Profundo and the other crater the tornado was able to create beside the small village. The air was still, but smelled of freshly cut grass reminding those of the springtime. The sky was as clear as ever, looking almost like an impressionist painting, with swirls of orange, pink, and light blue from the morning sky rising from the horizon. Everything was back to normal.

The villagers of Profundo slowly stood to look around with their mouth in awe. For their whole lives, not one of them has ever been part of Ihuicatl's rage before. Not one of them could imagine the beauty the monster could leave behind. Elva took an special appreciation to the landscape as she was the only one who was smiling.

 

[Izurich]

The little girl was trying her hardest not to lash out at Ihucatl with everything she got. She had been going on the defensive due to her plan of befriending the Arkosh to make him stop, but... her patience was running thin, if she kept this up, both Provundo and her would perish. "Rrrrgh... LISTEN TO M- Eh?!" Before El could finish, a bright white beam cleaved its way through the tornado, significantly crippling its power. The girl flinched due to her inherent fear of bright light, but after a second, she felt his very familiar presence. It was none other than... "Usar!" The little girl ignored what Ihucatl just cried, looking beyond to see her own Arkosh blitzing towards her. He seemed to share her anger towards Ihu's actions, maybe he did it to protect his Eidolon, but no matter, it'll achieve the same result.

"Get him!! He's the one causing all these winds!" With Usar at her side, El's confidence soared. She let the Arkosh battled each other as she took cover behind him to regain her strength, just in time for Kou to release herself from Usar's neck then descended towards El's shield. "Kou!" The Eidolon let the faerie inside as she found her cheek being hugged by the worried tiny woman.

"Oh, El! I'm glad you're alright, I was so worried! I... I'm sorry for not being here sooner, the winds were hampering our flight." Kou decided to not include the little tidbit regarding Usar's reluctance to find her after El was swept away by the tornado, now was not the right time, the child might misunderstand. "I heard what you said, so this is the Arkosh?" A nod "I see, well rest now, El, Usar can take care of this."

The duo watched the two Arkoshs facing each other, the stark difference between them was clear. Even though they were both beast-like, Ihuicatl looked even more monstrous than Usar. El wanted to tell Usar to not kill him, but just weaken him enough so they could talk. "Huh...?" Ihuicatl's words made her stop, the damned purple-tongued thing was rejecting Usar, last time El remembered, Usar was protecting Horizon, properly doing his job... well he did exactly eliminate most of the army, but that's beside the point, Usar never tried to harm civilians, he even helped the rebuilding process. Ihu though, he had done nothing but devastation, this caused El to give much less care regarding Ihu's life, if he's just knocked out, good, if Usar killed him, then good. Either way, the tornadoes would stop.

What happened next was not surprising, the Wind Arkosh ran away, like the pathetic hopeless coward he was. "Tch! Usar!" El dove back to the ground as Usar's massive form landed near Provundo with Kou clinging on her shoulder. The clear skies went unnoticed as the Eidolon's full attention was directed at her Arkosh, "Usar, are you alright?" She dispelled her shield, landed on the ground with a thud, then her small feet pattered to Usar's head. "Did he hurt you? We'll find him, Usar, we'll make him pay!"

Meanwhile, Kou craned her head towards Provundo, seeing the red dome covering the village slowly dispersing into red light particles. Was El... protecting the village? That would explain it. The Faerie smiled, El was already learning what it meant to use her powers for saving lives.

 

[MUSΞ]

Usar groaned lowly, slowly pushing himself up from the center of the deep crater. The soil gave way to his weight, making Usar sink each time he tried to push himself up. His white wings were caked with the clay soil with bits of tiny pebbles embedded between the feathers. With a hard shake of his head, he looked up to see El patting him softly on the head.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Usar clenched his teeth to pull his arm out the ground, listening to the disgusting sucking sound it made. "Are you okay?"

He didn't care about his own well-being. All Usar cared about was El. From what he saw, the little child looked in relatively good health with maybe a bit of exhaustion from the ordeal. He was able to feel El's energy throughout the encounter draining with each second she was in the tornado. It came as a shock to Usar how strong this wind Arkosh was. The winds were nearly impossible to fly through and the vacuum it produced nearly pulled out each bone from its socket. But, what made Usar even more worried, was that the whole encounter wasn't even Ihuicatl trying his best. It was only a taste of what the wind Arkosh could do.

His tail curled underneath him as he used it like a spring to leap himself out the crater to land on the soft grass surrounding him. Usar stretched his wings, extending them to full length, shaking them like a leaf. They were covered in dirt with the feathers having moderate damage. At least the winds were able to blow away the dead feathers.

As the shield began to fade away, the villagers of Profundo began to cautiously approach El and Usar. They all huddled tightly together, sneaking up to the two outsiders, and gulped. Gustavo led the pack while Elva chose to stay behind and stare up at the morning sky.

"...what is that thing?" Gustavo asked, his voice raising. "Is it...good?"

The villagers knew Usar must be some sort of powerful creature. While they were unable to see everything inside the tornado, they were able to witness the bright light that flashed through the sky and what seemed to travel across the whole land. Unlike Ihuicatl's powers, they also felt some sort of comfort and warmth by the white light, as if everything would be okay.

"Where's that girl?" Gustavo stopped the villagers near Usar. "Did Ihuicatl get her? Or...did she turn into that thing over there? Did that girl really stop Ihuicatl?"

A gasp erupted throughout the huddle. That was unheard of. The only thing that could stop Ihuicatl and his destruction was love from a human. Ihuicatl was all powerful to them.

Usar, unsure of these new people, lowered his head and let out a low hiss, baring his fangs. The villagers screamed and retreated back to Profundo, leaving only Gustavo standing. The young man was shocked, yet fascinated by Usar. His brown eyes widened as he found himself reaching into his poncho to pull out a small notebook and graphite pencil to being sketching Usar quickly into it.

"Just amazing...I've never seen anything so...wow...Elder!" Gustavo called out.

Elva approached slowly, shuffling her feet until she stood beside Gustavo. Bringing her magnifying glass to her eye, she smiled at Usar.

"Ellie's drawing of him is exact. Gustavo, write down the name Bel-Sarra-Usar, besides your sketch. That is his name," Elva smiled. "He is the missing Arkosh of our tales."

 

[Izurich]

"Hmph, you did" El gave a mock pout at Usar, well... not entirely as she was a tad bit annoyed at Usar not coming earlier. If he did, they would already get Ihu right then and there, not allowing a chance for him to escape. "Well~" Seeing him so tired dissipated what remained of her irritation, soon enough the girl was already patting the Arkosh's dark hair with her small pale hand, "At least you're here and no one died!" She was confident her shield absorbed all of the damage the tornado could've done. "I'm not okay!" El's smiling face quickly turned into a scowl, "Ihu got away! We have to get him as soon as possible! This madness can't continue!" Nevertheless, the little girl looked quite fine really, not even her clothes were damaged. Befitting her status as a powerful witch, with proper preparation, El could take on even an Arkosh head to head.

"Oh~ Here comes the people! You know, they tried to ki-..." El stopped at the last second, telling Usar that Gustavo suggested to kill her would not end well for them, might as well leave that part forgotten. El knowing this was prove of her growing wisdom as a person, "kiss me! Hehe~ Yeah, Granny Elva loved me like her own granddaughter!" It was a white half-lie, Elva didn't try to kiss her, but the elder certainly did treat her like El was her family. El turned around as she faced the villagers with a wide grin on her face, "Yes! He is Bel-sarra-usar, like I told you! See? El wasn't lying." El found Gustavo's wild ranting to be quite amusing now, she waved her hand at him, "Oooy~ I'm here, ahahaha~ Are you blind?" She couldn't pass up the chance to childishly insult him, befitting her age.

"Ahahahaha! Ehehehe~" Her giggles turned into full-blown laughter as Usar scared the people away like a large bear towards a flock of sheep, the albino gently caressed Usar's cheeks, "Don't worry, Usar, they are good people, well~ maybe except Gustavo there, he's annoying, but don't eat him!" El deliberately raised her voice so Gustavo could clearly hear her, but it seemed he was engrossed in his small book. "Oh? You like drawing too?" If he was, he wouldn't be so annoying anymore.

The girl waved as Elva approached, running towards her as she hugged the elder, "Ehehe~ See? I told you we're here to help Saujarh." She buried her face in the Elder's poncho and it was then the girl actually realized how tired she was, "Unh..." After all was said and done, the intense magic she used earlier took its toll on her body, the girl slowly closed her eyes as she fell asleep in Elva's arms.

Kou floated off from El's shoulders as she flew to Elva's eye-level, "Greetings, I am Kou, I'm sure El had told you about us." The Ice Faerie smiled, looking at El then back at Elva, "We should let her rest, I am ready to explain everything should you have any questions."

 

[MUSΞ]

Elva wrapped her arms around El, smiling down at her as the child fell asleep. A soft blush appeared on Elva's cheeks as she lifted El up and held her against her chest, letting El rest against her shoulder. It reminded Elva of the good times all those years ago with her own grandchildren and kids. She quickly shook away the memories when Kou approached her. Faeries were also common creatures in Saujarh lore, but it was said they all were blown away when trying to reason with the wind Arkosh.

"I only have one question," the elder said, adjusting her arms underneath the sleeping El. "Why were we not aware or told of Bel-Sarra-Usar? If he is as grand as Ellie here has said, surely he would have been included in our and Baima records and documents. What is it about him that made him excluded from everything?"

Usar was staring down at Gustavo, rattling the very end of his tail and breathing deeply as Gustavo nearly pissed himself. Gustavo was gripping his notebook with all his life, his face stuck in fear, and legs crossed to prevent himself from fainting. Usar leaned down to give a small sniff and mumbled something in ancient tongue. Gustavo's eyes rolled to the back of his head, gave a small squeak, and promptly fainted forward against Usar's chest. Unsure of what to do, Usar lifted Gustavo up with his teeth by Gustavo's collar and carried him around.

Elva looked behind her to see the village all packed and ready to go. From decades of studying and taught by her own mother, Elva knew that another tornado would be impossible. It was determined that the tornadoes only followed one path in one direction and unable to travel backwards from it. Profundo was safe, for now.

"Come, we can talk more in the village inside my home," Elva told Kou. "After I place the little one to bed. She's such an adorable little girl with such a brave heart. Though, I can't help but feel a bit sad. She should be enjoying childhood and growing up. Not getting involved with all these issues that are out of human hands."

Seeing the two walk to Profundo, Usar decided to transform into his human form. He transformed quickly, the burst of light hiding the entire transformation, and began to braid his long, black hair into a single tail. Once done, he picked up Gustavo and carried the guy across his shoulders.

Once they all arrived, Elva gave the villagers the directions and let the men handle the move. Her hut was already stationed on top of wheels with two horses harnessed to it. Elva walked in with Usar and Gustavo entering last.

She placed El on her bed, taking off the girl's shoes and hat before placing a quilt over her. Her grandmother instincts took over briefly as Elva kissed El on top of her head bed walking over to her desk. Usar dropped Gustavo in a chair a bit too rough and went to stand beside El.

"Does he know anything about his past?" Elva asked Kou about Usar. The sound of neighing horses were heard and the nomadic village began their move. The hut jerked forward softly before settling into place. "Perhaps he can shed some light on why he was never mentioned in any documents about the creation of life."

 

[Izurich]

El quickly fell into a deep sleep in Elva's arms, it was prudent not to disturb the little girl after she exerted so much of her power. Kou deemed it was her chance to explain things and receive some explanations on her own as well. "Well, I don't know exactly why, Elder, but... Horizon is decreed as an exiled land, including its people. We were to live in seclusion, unknown to the rest of the world, I think it has something to do with why we aren't recorded in any documents outside Horizon." The Ice Faerie crossed her arms, contemplating, "The main reason was that Horizon worshipped Bel-Sarra-Usar so... there must be someone in Baima that disapproved him, someone with the power to make decisions." Could it be the emperor/empress? A prime minister? Kou didn't know for sure and she didn't want to assume too much.

The Ice Faerie briefly giggled in amusement as Gustavo fainted after squeaking like a girl, she wasn't worried, Usar wouldn't hurt him. "Alright," she turned her attention back to the Elder, "Lead the way, Madame Elva." Kou heard El uttering the old woman's name before. The three entered Elva's personal tent, followed by Usar and Gustavo, it was quite a peculiar sight to see an elderly woman carrying a little girl together with an Arkosh carrying a young man, both old beings carrying much younger ones. "It can't be helped, as much as I share your sentiment, elder. It's her fate as an Usar's Eidolon, to restore balance, lest... we will all perish. The planet is descending into chaos, what happened just now was just the tip of the iceberg."

El snuggled in her blanket after Elva removed her hat and shoes, hugging her grimoire to her chest like a pillow. She murmured something inaudible as Elva kissed her forehead, her tone was serene, it would be a restful sleep for her.

"I don't think so, unfortunately." Kou slowly shook his head, glancing at Usar then back at Elva, "He forgot nearly everything before his disappearance, but we do know that Horizon used to worship him... and his presence kept his other half, the Arkosh of Luna's influence in check, it was his disappearance that caused triggered these calamities." The Faerie sighed, "But you're right, maybe Usar recalled more during our journey. Usar!" Kou called out to him, "Can you tell Madame Elva everything you know about your origins? Try to remember something, anything."

 

[MUSΞ]

Usar closed his eyes and placed his long pony tail to rest over his shoulder and to his chest. Memories before being freed from his tome was still blank, but Usar couldn't stop hearing Ihuicatl's words.

...we don't need you back...we don't need you back...

"Ihuicatl knows something," Usar spoke after several minutes of deep thinking. "...we don't need you back...there is something about me that the other Arkoshs must not like. What is it about me that makes me seem so hated?"

He glanced down at the sleeping El before staring up at the Elder who was sitting at her desk. She was fanning herself with a paper fan made of hemp, exhaling hotly to try and relax. All the excitement of the day was wearing down the elderly woman, but she refused to rest. There was too much that needed to be figured out.

"I need to speak to him again. Ihuicatl is our best and most reliable lead to knowing what is happening with the world, the other Arkoshs, and I. Feeling like this is so...numbing...I know I have a purpose as it is well documented. However....I want to remember it for myself," Usar words faded to a whisper. "I wish I could remember something..."

His fingers combed through end of his ponytail as he went back to his deep thoughts, shutting out reality. It felt like a second defeat for today, the first being unable to stop Ihuicatl from escaping. Remembering his past was all Usar wanted. It was all his mind could do when he wasn't focusing on El. There was a block...something unnatural was preventing him to remember.

Elva stood and walked over to a window to push it open, letting in the fresh morning air. She took a deep breath and sighed, seeing the convoy of Profundo march forward.

"I think it may be time for you all to travel to Cosa Mesa for some real answers. Their library has the full edition of Saujarh's views and findings of the Arkosh and the full edition of Baima's views given to us by the royal government. Bel-Sarra-Usar, I am sure the editions of our and Baima's findings will stir even the most simple of memories of your origins. I will escort you all there as soon as El wakes up and she is a fed a hearty breakfast," Elva waddled her way across the room and exited the hut to prepare El and the others breakfast.

Usar sighed deeply and looked up at Kou.

"It is like someone does not want me to remember," Usar said to her. "It feels as if someone has locked away my memories and origins. I feel restricted..caged...like my memories are now owned by someone else and I do not have permission to see them. Kou...there is more to this than just memory lost..."

*
​

The village of Profundo slowed down its speed to a crawl to prepare for breakfast. Elva and other older women started to make breakfast in a giant mobile kitchen that was the end of the wagon line. It was another hut that was built on wheels and tugged by horses that held all their food and drinks for the village. Outside following the tent on foot were the children of the families carrying woven trays to collect breakfast once it was done.

The nomadic village of Profundo resembled that of a wagon train. Each families' hut was folded down and stuffed inside their own personal wagon and all their things being stuffed in an over-sized woven basket. The wagon had a cover made of thinly stretched hide to shield the family from the burning sun. Horses at Saujarh were thicker than average horses and much shorter, looking more like exercised donkeys but with more flair to them.

Elva passed out the breakfast to the kids with a pitcher of water and cups of coffee. Beside her inside the hut were El's, Usar's and Kou's breakfast. A delicious breakfast of fermented buffalo sausage, a steamed potato cake and a rare treat of dried strawberries.

"Ellie! Come bring your friends over. Breakfast is being served," Elva announced happily as the other women collected their breakfast and went back to their families' wagons.

"When they leaving?" Gustavo asked, jumping into the tent with his breakfast. "They stayed here long enough bringing us bad luck."

"They will be leaving after dinner. I will be personally escorting them to Cosa Mesa," Elva answered, ignoring Gustavo's last bit of talking. "Once you are done, prepare two of our spare horses for travel."​

 

[Izurich]

"Well..." Kou was quite deep in thought as she landed on Elva's table, taking out her notes as she began to weave words into the fae-parchments, "I think it has something to do with your disappearance, Usar." Kou put one hand to cover her chin as she turned to look at the human-formed Arkosh, "To be honest, my people was quite upset that you disappeared, causing the imbalance which led to our current situation, perhaps Ihuicatl felt the same and now that you suddenly returned, he's expressing his hatred to the Arkosh who caused it all." Kou gave a sigh as she mulled over the past, "I never told you this before, but... Queen Shiva became depressed after your disappearance, she held you responsible for cutting off your Eidolon's line of succession, therefore causing her to unwittingly break her oath of always staying by their side. She got over it after some time, but it was a bleak time for us all." Kou lightly shook her head, "It's just my assumption, but I think everyone, including Ihuicatl, views your disappearance as some kind of betrayal, however yes, it's best that we speak to him again."

The Ice Faerie listened to Elva's suggestion as she took out the party's old world map, "Hmmm, I think our current map is outdated, we have to get the current one, looks like Cosa Mesa is the place then. We should be good for travel by tomorrow." Kou nodded as she stored it back in her faerie pocket, "Fortunately our supply chests are mostly unharmed from the commotion," Horizon's craftmanship combined with Ice Faerie enchantments made the leather harnesses and chests much stronger than conventional ones, "We do not wish to burden Provundo further, Elder." The Ice Faerie then gracefully bowed to the old woman, "We're honored for you go out your way to take us there, we thank you."

After Elva left the hut, Kou turned her attention back at Usar, "Is it the same person who exiled you and Horizon, Arkosh Usar?" Kou was deep in thought again, "It's quite unlikely someone is powerful enough to alter an Arkosh's mind... well, there is El, but she's an Eidolon, there's only one of her ki-... wait a minute!" Kou perked up as her icy blue eyes opened wide, "No... there's the Sol Eidolon, not to mention the Luna Arkosh, perhaps... is it really possible?" The Ice Faerie realized how big of an assumption this was, but... who else had the power to do so? Better not to think too much about it, first they needed some solid bases to work on, they would get them in Cosa Mesa.

--

"Huweeeeh~" El woke up with a rather cute yawn as she rolled over in her bed, sitting up, then rubbed her eyes. Those red pupils focused as they shone with excitement upon seeing Kou and Usar, "Oh! Good morning, Usar, Kou! Ehehehe~" The little girl stepped down from the bed as she looked for her hat and shoes, then putting them on. "I kinda want to take a bath, but..." She playfully whispered to them both, "The water here is dirty... I think I'll just use my powers." True enough, her body shone with her signature red light, purging away any impurities from her small form. It lasted for a few seconds then El was good as new, almost, her stomach growled. "Oh... I'm hungry..." She was thinking of getting some food from their supplies just as Elva's distinctive elderly voice called out to her, "Oh! Okay, Granny~!" The child shouted back to old woman, "Kou, Usar, let's go!"

She didn't feel like walking so the little girl simply floated a few inches above the floor as she made her way to Elva's location with Kou sitting on her shoulder and closely followed by Usar, her face gave a slight annoyance as she locked her gaze at Gustavo, "Oh~ are still trying to kill me? Go ahead... try it..." El really, really, disliked this man, fortunately for him, she didn't hear his little remark regarding them bringing bad luck, who knows what kind of curses the little witch would put on him? "Granny, maybe you should toss Gustavo into Ihu's tornado, maaaaybe~ then he will go away because he's so digusted with him!" She spare no restraint in voicing her displeasure.

Like the young imaginative child she was, El's attention quickly shifted as the tantalizing smell of freshly-cooked homemade breakfast teased her nostrils, "Oh~" The girl's red eyes figuratively shone with excitement as she made her way to her share. The albino sat down beside Elva then she politely began eating, El was well-versed in etiquettes due to her upbringing. "Mmm~ So tasty~ Ehehe~" She giggled happily, right now looking like a happy normal little girl.

 

[MUSΞ]

Gustavo shot a glare at El and huffed before jumping off the wagon to prepare the horses. Elva sighed and sat across from El, placing the plates on top of a stone table.

"Let's not start the morning with unpleasant words, okay El? I want the start of our travel to be good," the elderly woman nodded. "We are about half a day from Cosa Mesa and the travel will feel very long and boring. Though, I do think we may run into another village along the way..."

Usar stepped into the wagon with Kou closely behind him. He sat silently for a few minutes as he was still in deep thought, but the smell of the sausages reminded him he hadn't eaten in days. His nose flared as he took a deep inhale of the smell of breakfast, a small blush appearing on his face, as hands grabbed at the sausage to tear it apart. All of his lessons of table manners disappeared as Usar devoured the breakfast in one single swallow. Elva couldn't help but watch, her eyes widening as Usar was able to swallow the potato whole. Not needing much food because of her age, Elva passed half of her breakfast to Usar who ate it immediately.

"Oh yes, I forgot he can fly us to Cosa Mesa...no...that wouldn't work as I can't stay with you all there. I have to return to Profundo," Elva mumbled to her self, pouring herself a cup of coffee before sitting again. "Oh! Yes, this I need to tell you. El, now I know you are very blunt with your words. But, you will need to try your very best to hold back any negative responses. While Cosa Mesa is more industrialized, they still follow strict, traditional rules and customs. Children are only seen and not heard there."

Elva paused to take another sip of her coffee and stared at Usar.

"You may have to do most of the talking, Arkosh. The one good thing is that Cosa Mesa sees a lot of foreigners so you all may be able to fit in much easier than out here in the plains," Elva smiled. "With your funny clothing and all."

Gustavo jogged slowly beside the wagon and waved his hands, signaling that the horses were ready. Elva stood and stepped off the wagon.

"Once done, please do any last minute preparations then meet me at the back of the village," she said with a smile.

*
​

With Gustavo's help, Elva hopped on top of a white horse with a bag hanging off her shoulder. Inside was a container of water, two maps with one for Kou, some snacks, and an emergency kit for health and tornadoes. Holding the rein gently in her hand, she spun the horse once to show who was in charge for now on.

The other horse, a chestnut with a white stripe down her face, was on a lead with the white horse. It followed the spinning lazily and gave a huff.

Elva patted the blue blanket on the horse, making sure there was enough room for El to sit with her.

"She's probably gonna use her 'powers' to walk. I don't know why you're doing this extra work for them," Gustavo sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"This is more for me than her," Elva admitted. "...it feels nice having her around...she reminds me of family."

"Elder..." Gustavo's voice softened.

"Oh, I think I see them coming. Go check on the white horse for the Arkosh. I'm not too sure how she will react to him," the elder ordered before Gustavo could speak anymore.​

 

[Izurich]

At the mention of those particular words, long and boring, El noticeably became dejected as a long whiny, "Eeeeeeeh...?" escaped her pale lips. The little girl looked about to protest, but stopped at the last second, mostly out of respect and adoration for Elva rather than her sense of responsibility, she's a child after all. The albino continued eating like usual, if one didn't mind the pout bulging on one cheek. Her childish irritation seemed to vanish the moment she saw Usar acting like a starved glutton, "Pffft~" she stifled her laugh as her mouth was full of food, fortunately not choking herself in the process. No one would win against Usar in an eating competition ever. "Heeey~ Usar you bad Arkosh!" She teased the human-formed mythical beast as Elva gave half her portion to him "Give it bac-... eh..." Too late, he already consumed it.

With El busy eating and teasing Usar, Kou decided to talk with Elva, fluttering close to the old woman, "Yes, it will be the best course of action." She was a nice, mature, motherly ice faerie, but Kou needed to realize that rhetorical statements didn't need answers, just like what Elva just did. As El said, she was too serious, but somebody had to take care of them, a little girl and one big beastly baby. Kou nodded at Elva's warning, craning her head at the giggling child, "El, are you listening to Madame Elva? This is important."

"E-eh...? Uh... o-oh yeah, I am, but maaaaybe I... didn't catch it all... c-can Granny repeat it again?"

Kou sighed, figures, "The Elder said you must be on your best behavior at Cosa Mesa, they don't like naughty children there, be a good girl and choose your words carefully, alright?"

"Uhm... okay!" El nodded with a wide grin, anyone possessing experience dealing with children could notice it was one of those 'Okay!' children spoke just to please adults, the girl didn't really mean it, she just waved the matter, went inside her right ear, immediately spilled out the left.

Considering this, Kou was firmly convinced she would forget about it by the time they reached the cliff-city, the fae would have to try her best in reprimanding her, "No worries, Elder, I will keep in her line as necessary." Disciplining an infant Eidolon, a task not anyone could do. Kou sincerely hoped El would not throw a tantrum, her fits were a recipe for disaster, running the risk of costing lives. Kou got another important thing on her plate, Usar would be handling the talking? Oh my... the Arkosh had been in slumber for centuries. "Arkosh Usar, remember to ask me anything if you aren't sure with social interactions, I will do my best to assist you." El couldn't be relied on that, nuh uh, Kou could just see El telling Usar to just go crush someone's head rather than talking with them. This would be a long arduous journey for the Ice Faerie, her patience would be tested to the limits.

--

Soon enough, the final preparations were done, the party's supply chests were fitted together with chains and a small wagon so a horse could pull it. El saw Elva's gesture as she happily skipped to Elva's horse, "Oh, am I going to ride with you? Ehehe~ okay!" Other little girls may require help in mounting a horse, but El? She got it covered. The little girl emitted her red aura as usual, her body floating up until she landed to sit in front of Elva, her form small enough to not obstruct Elva's view, "I've never rode a horse before, but it looks fun~" El snuggled against the old woman to get herself comfortable, "I think Usar never did either, but I'm sure he'll be fine." The little girl was having a time of her life, Elva reminded her a lot of her adoptive mother, though Karen was not as old as Granny, "I like you, Granny, you are like... mama number two!"

Deciding El would be best left alone with the Elder, Kou fluttered to sit on Usar's shoulder as she took out her parchments, "I will take notes if there's anything unusual on our way there, Arkosh Usar, and also... can you ride a horse? I mean... uh... try to avoid accidentally hurting the innocent animal, okay?"

 

[MUSΞ]

The horse and Usar snarled at each other as the two locked eyes. This was a new creature to Usar and a very strange looking one at that. It kind of looked like the deer back at Horizon, but much larger and fatter. The horse also had a bit of an attitude the deer at Horizon didn't have. Usar watched Elva and El sit on the horse with the older woman directing hers with the rein. Slowly, Usar placed a hand on the back of the chestnut horse to feel it flinch his hand off.

"This thing!" Usar hissed, baring his fangs. "Why is it being difficult?!"

Elva looked back to pull on the lead rope, tugging it to make the chestnut horse pay attention to her. She glared at the horse and huffed.

"Okay, Arkosh. Hop on it now and relax. Once we start moving the horse will concentrate on following than you," Elva said to him.

Usar nodded, placing his hand back on the horse to help to himself onto it. The horse remained pretty still besides a few steps to the side to adjust to the added weight. With his clawed hands, Usar held onto the reins that were provided, mimicking Elva every way with the horse. This was a very interesting mode of transportation. A giant, moody deer that will walk them across the plains of Saujarh. Usar was still tempted to transform back to his original form and fly, but he could see how happy El looked sitting with Elva. If having to ride this giant deer meant seeing El happy for a few hours, it was worth the uncomfortable sacrifice.

Elva smiled seeing Usar finally ready to go. She gently dug her heels into the side of her white horse and began the travels to Cosa Mesa! She waved back to Gustavo who was now in charge of Profundo until her return. Gustavo waved goodbye awkwardly with a twisted face.

*
​

By now, it was late morning with the sun blaring on top of them. Elva prepared for this with an umbrella made of hide to shield both El and herself from it. The old woman held the handle loosely in her hand, humming softly to herself. Her other hand was placed just beside El's leg, making sure to lead the horse in the right direction. Luckily, the two horses that accompanied them were very mature to the plains and were very familiar with the directions to Cosa Mesa.

Behind, Usar shifted even more uncomfortably on the horse. His legs were having quite the workout being stuck in a straddling position and being bounced with every step. He groaned, but kept the complaining to himself.

"Cosa Mesa is a grand city. They say its one of the most beautiful as well with it's coastal views along with their caves. I have only been there three times in my life to fight for basic rights of nomadic villages with the other Elders. Sadly, every so often the government attempts to round up all the villages to force us to live in Cosa Mesa. While it's a lovely place, I don't like their way of life. Much too modern for me," Elva talked to strike up some conversation. "I do hope you'll be able to find the answers you are looking for at their library...oh! Yes, El, perhaps this is an opportunity to add into the archives! It is such a shame that Arkosh Usar is not in any of the ancient texts. With him as living proof, you may be able to have one of the high Saujarh scholars write him in. You may go through a lot of questioning, but I am sure you can gain at least a page entry of Arkosh Usar."​

Usar, meanwhile, was cleaning and biting his claws to sharpen them to a very fine point. He wasn't as excited to visit Cosa Mesa. He was much more concerned about Ihuicatl and gaining information for the wind Arkosh. The brief conversation with Ihuicatl couldn't get out of his head.

Another hour had passed. Up ahead, another village had made camp. This one was very similar to Profundo, but much smaller and only consisted of two medium sized circus tents anchored down. Running around outside were children of various ages throwing freshly cut lumps of grass at each other. Elva kicked the side of her horse lightly with her heel to speed him up.

"Looks like we're halfway to Cosa Mesa. Would like a break at the village up ahead or want to go straight to our destination?" Elva asked El. "If I'm correct, this village is known for their various snacks and drinks."

Feeling his ears wiggle, Usar looked up into the blue sky and squinted his eyes. It was hard to make out, but Usar was confident that he saw a long, thin shadow twirling the sky just out of eyesight.

 

[Izurich]

"Ehehe~" Ellie's giggles filled the air as she watched Usar struggling with the horse, her right hand went to adorably cover her mouth, "I hope they don't bite each other, ahaha~" To be frank, they looked almost did, their little scuttle was adorable in a way. Looking back at Elva's white horse then the chestnut one, El realized these animals showed no adverse reactions to her, unlike the guard dogs back at Horizon. She was quite happy to know not all animals rejected her, maybe just dogs, no matter, El didn't like dogs anyway.

Before her arrival at Provundo, El knew horses only from her books, seeing them first-hand was quite exciting, how they moved, neighed, and trotted. As the Sol Arkosh mounted his horse, El noticed how strong and sturdy these horses must be, in her mind, Usar was not exactly light, then again, they could pull these huge wagons, but El bet no horse could take Usar in his true form, kinda obvious really... not to mention horribly unfair. "Mmm~ Kou is with him, he'll be fine, Granny~" She mused as Elva commanded the horses to trot. Of course, she didn't miss her chance of turning her head to face Gustavo then gave him a mocking frown complete with her tongue out, "Bleeeeh~" A classic childish taunt, never gets old.

--

The journey wasn't as boring as she thought, Elva kept her company at all times, while occasionally Kou would flutter to them, talking for a bit, before floating back to Usar's shoulder. It was a much slower journey compared to riding the Arkosh, something El wouldn't consider if it wasn't for Granny's presence, she was the only thing keeping her from just using her powers to just fly away. "Ehehe~" Her ever so adorable giggle signalled her pleasure as she bent slightly forward to bury herself in the horse's mane, it felt so weird and tickling.

"If the discomfort is too much, Arkosh, you can uh... dismount the horse and lead him with your hand, just saying." Kou mused, holding back her giggle, the mighty Guardian who could destroy mountains groaning on a horse, a very rare sight.

"Oooh~" El's red eyes figuratively shone as Elva elaborated more on the famous cliff city, she'd love to see it for herself, the time would come soon... or later since these horses moved painfully slow. "Ah, maybe they're just trying to protect you from the spinny winds?" She tilted her head, her childish innocence at full view, sometimes a child's simple point of view could shed more light than an adult's. "I see..." She didn't really get what Elva meant by 'too modern', but she didn't ask, she'd find out once they reach Cosa Mesa anyway.

"They have a library there?!" She perked up, a wide smile on her face, her voice so loud, Usar and Kou could clearly hear it, along with any creatures nearby, "Yaaay! I will visit it, Granny, no worries!" She bounced up and down on her seat, "I'll tell them all about Usar and Horizon, that way, we can be friends!" It'd be lovely for Horizon and Saujarh to make contact with each other, "Maybe after Granny can visit my home someday, I'll take you there~"

--


Sixty minutes of journey passed under blazing hot rays. No longer a concern to a particular light-sensitive child due to a certain Ice Faerie's magical clothing, but still, El didn't like bright white light out of habit. "Ehn..." The girl scooted slightly backward so the umbrella's shadow covered as much of her as possible, especially her eyes. They soon stumble upon a village caravan, "Oh?" El quipped in curiosity, "They just have two uhm... tents? That's not a village, right?" In El's mind, the small village looked more like a caravan instead.

"Halfway...?" The albino wasn't exactly thrilled, she thought they almost arrived at Cosa Mesa, but for Granny, she could endure it, much to the relief ot Kou who wanted to avoid another Eidolon tantrum. "Eh... up to you, Granny, are you tired?... Are the horses tired? El is just fine, I'm sure Kou and Usar are also fine." They had endured much more arduous journey than this. What finally caught her interest wasn't the snacks or drinks, but the children playing around, it had been some time since El last played with fellow kids.

"I want to play..." The child fidgeted on the horse before she slowly floa-... "Eh..." No, she didn't want to spook them, El was wise enough to know people would have unsavory reactions to her powers, "Uhm..." She tried her best to dismount the horse, ending up tripping then falling to the ground with a roll. "Ow!" Before anyone could worry, especially Kou, the girl quickly recovered, dusting off her coat, "I'm alright!" She sighed, she really didn't need the Ice Faerie's pestering at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, El dared herself to jog towards the playing kids, "Hey~" She used the friendliest tone she could muster, putting her hands behind her back as she grinned, "Can I play with you guys?"

Her attention occupied with watching El, Kou didn't catch the shadow at the sky.

 

[MUSΞ]

The children continued their grass fight with the boys pelting the girls with the dry clumps of grass. While all the children were nearly dressed the same, wearing ponchos, pants, and without shoes, their appearance was vastly different. Unlike Profundo where everyone's complexion was the same, the children here were a variety of skin tones and appearance. Some were the classic Saujarh tones, others were darker, and some were light. One boy stuck out in the group of children. His skin was as light as could be with rosy cheeks and the blackest of hair coloring. Dotted across his face were light freckles that began to trail underneath his chin and to his neck.

He stopped and looked up, slowly approaching El with a smile. The boy's face looked innocent enough to be ten years old, but it seemed puberty was getting him early as he was the tallest of them all.

"Hi! Where did you come from?" he stood in front of El and looked her over. "You sure you want to play? Because your clothes look fancy and I don't think you would want to get them dirty."

The others moved the game behind the two giant tents, but their laughter and cheers could still be heard. Elva, Usar and Kou entered the village on top of their horses and parked them at the village center. Elva was greeted by the village's Elder, another elderly woman who kept her white hair in three braids. She and Elva hugged as the other adults greeted Usar with open arms. Compared to Profundo, this village was more welcoming to newcomers since their location was always near Cosa Mesa.

"Here, you can join my army," the boy knelt down to gather up the cut grass into a giant ball before placing it in El's hands. "You can call me Captain Nico, soldier! Come this way we have to beat the Ihuicatl army!"

He spoke with a choppy voice. Some words were highly boyish pitched while other words were awkwardly deep. Nico smiled at El and pointed to the children that were coming back around the tent towards them.

"Look another one of us! We'll beat the Ihuicatl army this time!" Nico ran towards the children and hurled a lump of grass high into the air. Before it could hit anyone, it feel apart en route and instead sprinkled bits of grass on the other kids.

The kids briefly looked at El, all with welcoming smiles on their faces, and continued their war. Nico pushed his way between a group of boys and began to give instructions on how to win.

Elva and the other Elder sat on finely made rugs, each drinking a cup of hot tea and nibbling on tea cakes made of freshly grounded grain that grew throughout the plains. Elva planned for them to only be in this village for a few shorts minutes to get some drinks and food, but she could hear the voices of the children including El in their games. Elva figured they could stay as long as the children's game lasted.

Usar somehow founded himself being surrounded by crawling babies and walking toddlers. They pulled on his tunic and long braid, wanting him to hold and play with them. Surrounding the little ones were the mothers who seemed to have a special interest in the mysterious man Usar portrayed himself to be.

"This place hasn't changed," Elva laughed softly as she watched Usar. "Still getting foreigners stopping by constantly, Anita?"

"We're getting those from Baima. Mostly children, strangely," Anita sipped on her tea. "Just this year we've adopted about four Baima children and hosted about ten Baima families."

"Interesting..." Elva nodded slowly.

 

[Izurich]

As an outsider and newcomer of Saujarh, El didn't really notice that the 'normal' skin tone of Saujarians were of the darker color, so she had no unusual reactions as she approached the group of children. Of course, children being innocent and simple in a sense, the notion of skin differences didn't even come to El's mind as well as the other children. Seeing the welcoming expression from the tallest boy's face elicited another smile from the albino. "I come from Horizon~" El said cheerfully, looking up at the male, this boy looked rather cute, really big too, almost like a much younger version of Usar. With him so close with her, El found this strange fluttery feeling in her stomach, not knowing it was a form of childish crush, whatever it was, she liked being near the boy, "Of course, don't worry, I can wash my clothes quickly!" By 'quickly', she meant using her Eidolon powers of course, but she didn't need to tell him that.

The Eidolon girl happily followed the boy, rather shyly holding out her hand to recieve the ball of grass. She eyed it with interest, blinking twice as she examined the ball from all sides. "Eh...?" She looked up at him, a moment of awkward silence passed between them as El tried to comprehend his playful command. His choice of words were unknowingly poor for El in particular, having traumatic experiences with the military mere a month ago, the image of her going on a rampage, brutally taking the lives of those soldiers, old and young, including Orchid, flashed in her mind like a show of still paintings. "..." Her hold on the ball tightened as the air around heavy grew heavier, but then the laughters of her playmates snapped her out of it. "Ah? Yeah... uhm, ahahaha~! Sorry... let's go beat Ihuicatl! He's a bad Arkosh!" She really meant that, if only Nico knew the girl went head-to-head with the Wind Mythical Beast a few days ago.

She mimicked Nico, pulling her arm back then threw her own ball of grass, giggling in satisfaction as they dispersed, showering dry greeny bits on them. "Ehehe~" She grinned wide, truly happy for once, free of all problems and burdens of being a messiah to the world's survival. Just for this moment, she wanted to play just like girls her age. She joined the boys' groups, not minding at all if she's the only girl around, fighting against her own 'kin', which meant fellow girls.

--

"Hmmm..." Kou took a peek at the children playing, confident El could handle herself pretty well, then fluttered back to see Usar being pestered with small children, a giggle escaped her bluish lips, he would be fine too it seemed. The Ice Faerie decided to join the two Elders in their talk, she was an Elder... by human standards so why not? Besides, their topic took her interest. "Oh, Baima?" Kou looked at her map, "The biggest continent in Bumi, the Earth Arkosh resides there." Kou pondered, gazing up at Anita and Elva, "Something must be happening there... please tell us more about the Baimanese influx, Elder Anita."