Finding Our Way: Pray4me x Izurich

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"Oh! Elva! What friends have you brought here!" Anita said in a cheery voice when Kou approached. "Ohh look at her! Never thought I would meet a faerie in my lifetime! Today is a wonderful day!"

Anita, always optimistic and in good spirits. She had to be dealing with Cosa Mesa officials and foreigners constantly. Her jolly self could be heard laughing all hours of the day and night, making others join into her happy mood. Taking a slow sip of tea and a couple of nibbles of the cake, Anita turned her head to face Kou.

"Hmm? Oh, yes! I meant to tell all the Elders of the nomadic villages of the news concerning Baima. Things are always slipping my mind...anyway, apparently there is a bit of civil unrest at the royal city. The Empress has ordered higher taxes per child with more being on male children. From what I heard, many of the middle and poor classes are unable to afford the taxes and the only relief is to give up your children to the royal government. Because of that, many families are fleeing Baima and residing in the other countries. It is a strange case of child collecting...many suspect the Empress's motherly instincts are suppressed due to only having one child and not able to have another. She is creating a large family of adopted kids for her son and herself. But, no one is sure," Anita shrugged. "Cosa Mesa has seen a huge increase of Baimanese families and many of them are interested in living our nomadic lifestyle. In fact, Vega will be arriving here shortly to bring a few of them here."

"Vega...isn't he head of immigration of Cosa Mesa?" Elva asked.

"Mhmm...are you heading to Cosa Mesa? If you stick around, Vega will take you all to Cosa Mesa," Anita nodded.

*
"There you go new girl!" Nico cheered to El, watching the bits of grass sprinkle on the opposite team. "Keep doing that and we'll win!"

Captain Nico and his small army all stood near El and continued to pelt the other team with grass bombs. The rest of his army were of younger children, the youngest being six, but no one cared about age. All the children were part of their own family the formed among themselves. With most of them being from outside Saujarh, all were instantly accepting of El.

"Look! Ihuicatl army is retreating! Continuing firing men...and woman!" Nico ordered.

As the Ihuicatl army ran towards the village, Captain Nico and his chased after them. While some threw the grass bombs, others would quickly collect and shape them. It was a continuous assault of everlasting grass bombs being thrown on the opposite team. Ihuicatl army had a mix of laughter and shouts of frustration from losing.

"Just a few more! Wait...who's that?" Captain Nico and the rest of his army stopped in their tracks.

Standing in front of the village center was Usar holding the largest grass bomb humanly possible. He somehow was able to escape from the infants and women and spent time watching the games outside. He was able to feel the happiness and joy from El based off their connection, prompting him to wanting to join in. Usar never really had fun before. It was always work, work, and more work.

When Ihuicatl army was in range, Usar placed the giant grass bomb on his shoulder and used one hand to keep it still. He spun slowly at first. Then, faster and faster, picking up momentum until the perfect moment as he shot-putted the bomb high into the air. All Ihuicatl army could do was stand and stare in awe as the bomb went out of sight and somehow able to stay together tightly.

Everything changed when the bomb fell directly on top of them, exploding in a mess of dried grass. When it was cleared, each kid laid covered in dried grass on the ground, looking like mini hills.

"Whoa...that was amazing! Did you see that?!" Nico looked over at El in total excitement. "Did you travel with him?! Is that your dad?! He's so cool!"​
 
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Kou noted that Anita reminded her of El's cheerfulness in a way, she had a young soul for such an elderly person, lightening the mood with her presence, her kind of charm was very welcomed in these troubled times. "An honor to meet you, Elder Anita, I am flattered to know my presence brought joy." Kou giggled, fluttering nearer so Anita could see her better. The Ice Faerie listened to Anita's exposition about the situation in Baima, "Hmmm... it is indeed as odd as it's worrying." Kou brought her little pen to her chin, then continued writing her notes, "Is the Empress' longing so dire, she needs to steal boys away from their mothers?" No matter how one looked at it, the Empress made an unwise decision, especially since she already had a son, giving no room for justifications, no matter how far-fetched. "Then..." Kou craned her head, gazing at the children playing, "It is no wonder they rather leave their homeland than being torn apart." It was just a theory however, the truth may say otherwise.

The mention of a city's official perked her interest, "Oh, he can take us there? Wonderful! We'll tag along then, we don't wish to burden Elder Elva further, she has done so much for us."

--

After getting used to Nico's voice and reminding herself this was just a game, El pushed down her hatred for soldiers and militaristic commands. The albino girl giggled, skipped, and twirled. "Okay!" She threw another grass 'bomb' at the opposite team, then immediately bent down to make another one, while trying her best to avoid the bombs thrown by the opposing team. "Yay! We are winning!" She stood up, holding another grass ball, keeping up with her team, "Take that! Ahaha!" She threw it, joining in the final push against Ihuicatl's cohorts. "Mmm, just one more and we'll-... eh?" She blinked as her team stopped, "What is it?" Craning her head to the side, her smile grew wide. Her Arkosh was standing there, lifting up a humongous grass boulder, oh by the Arkoshs, Ihuicatl's army would definitely feel this.

Putting her hands behind her back, El leaned back as she enjoyed the show. The tall large human-formed Arkosh was spinning, slow at first, then faster, then mightily tossed the boulder high into the air. "Ooooh~" El's red eyes followed the arching massive lump of grass as it went so high in the sky, it became a tiny dot amidst the clear blue. "Heee~" El took a few steps back, then a divine retribution fell upon Ihuicatl's forces, blanketing them in righteous grasses, not just some puny spread, their whole body was buried in them, creating the odd sight of miniature mountains. "Pffft~" El held her stomach, "Ahahahahahahaha!" then laughed with abandon, clutching her belly as she fell onto her sides. Usar would feel her happiness radiating from her as clear as the full moon. She giggled so hard, tears started spawning from the corner of her eyes,

"Ahahahaha~ Ehehehe... ha... huuuu..." The girl calmed down, still laying on the ground, she turned at Nico, "Ehehe, no, he's my best friend, Usar! Yes, he's very cool, and strong, and kind too!" El stood up, dusting the grasses off her clothes, then stopped at the last moment before giving into the temptation to use her powers. Speaking about her powers... "Hey..." El shyly approached Nico, she must know... she must find out... "I have something to tell you, but..." She leaned up, motioning him to bend down so she could whisper into his ear, "It must in private, just the two of us." El then pulled back, giving him a pleading look, "Please~?"
 
"What's his name? I never seen someone like him before! And so strong! I have to meet him..." Nico paused to listen to El. He tilted his head as he looked at her. "Huh? What do you want to tell me?"

Looking around, Nico pointed to a small overhang that covered various large containers of grains. It was a small hangout spot for the children because it was perfect to climb on the containers to look out on the entire plains.

"How about there? I think that's a good spot," Nico asked El. "Gosh, you must have to tell me some secret if you want to go somewhere private. Is it about your best friend? After you tell me what you want to say, can you introduce me to him?"

A young boy like Nico would have an admiration of someone like Usar, a strong presence even in human form. Usar sat in the center of a circle of children, all bombarding him with questions about where he was from and how he became so strong. Normally quiet, Usar found it a bit difficult to suddenly having to speak for him. But, he tired his best with his soft spoken voice. As he answered questions, a couple of little girls combed his ponytail with combs made of bone.

Nico led them to the spot and sat on top of one of the low containers. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then his hand across his pants. He exhaled hotly to try and cool himself down from the games, waiting for El to tell him what she wanted to say.

*
Elva looked down at her half eaten tea cake, trying to hide a small frown.

"Mhmm! He stops by weekly now. We haven't been able to move on from this spot either! But, that might be a good thing. The tornadoes have seemed to be more fierce than lately...did you notice the one yesterday? My goodness what a monster of a storm! I'm sure it could be seen throughout Saujarh!" Anita announced.

"Hmm? Oh...yes yes. We were in face at the center of that storm," Elva said. "Something is wrong with Ihuicatl. He's sadder and seems agitated..."

Anita brought her hands to her cheeks in shock, shaking her head.

"Profundo was at the center of that storm? How did you all survive! Oh my gosh...is that why you are heading to Cosa Mesa? Did Ihuicatl wipe out your village?" Anita's voice became quiet as she placed a hand on Elva's leg. "Tell me, Elva. Is Profundo gone?"

The crushing of tiny pebbles underneath wheels entered the center of the village. A large wagon being pulled by four horses, carrying what seemed like six families of four and a bunch of individuals looking a family to call their own. The people inside the covered wagon were a variety of different appearances, each a standard in whatever country they were from, and all looking exhausted. Riding on a lone black horse, was a man wearing a tailored suit with a red jacket covered in various silver and gold badges. He was a mature man with a dark complexion, balding on top of his head but a thick peppered mustache growing across and down the sides of his mouth. Halfway covering his bald, shiny head was a red scarf to try and shield himself from the sun.

Hugging his waist was a holster and two sheathed swords while he carried a flag of Saujarh on his back. The wagon stopped inside the village, and with the help of villagers, the people climbed out the wagon.

"Many of them don't speak Common. So, please try your best with communicating with them...Anita!" the man climbed off his horse and walked over to Elder Anita. "And is that...Elva? I thought I would never see you again."

"Vega, hun," Anita stood and shook his hand with a smile. "Always a pleasure to see you! And yes, it was a surprise to see Elva. Apparently, she's on her way to Cosa Mesa with some friends."

"Oh really now? You finally decided to adopt the new way of life? Thank the Empress you have! This nomadic lifestyle is just too dangerous, especially with the recent storms," Vega said to Elva. "Oh? You've come with friends and not the rest of Profundo?"

Before Anita could speak, Elva stood.

"Profundo is doing well and intact. We simply have to adjust our routes to avoid the tornadoes. I'm only here to take my friends to Cosa Mesa. I will return to Profundo," Elva said.​
 
The white-haired girl put her hands behind her back, turning her head left and right to make sure no one was paying attention to them. The other children were still playing, the elders and Kou were conversing, and Usar... well, it he was an exception. "It's about... me, ehehe." She gave a rather nervous giggle, not sure how to proceed. El's red eyes followed to where Nico was pointing, a small smile curling on her lips, anywhere was good as long as they were hidden. "Okay..." She answered shyly, closely following behind the taller boy. "Yeah, uhm... it's a secret, but I want to tell you." Of course, she implied Nico appeared to be someone she could trust. As they walked, El took one last glance at Usar, giggling as she felt his awkwardness through their link, "Hang in there~" The Eidolon comforted her Arkosh, she was sure Usar wouldn't do anything rash.

After arriving at their quaint little heaven, El didn't sit beside Nico, she stood on the ground in front of him instead, looking up at him. "Uhm... N-nico, w-well... uhm..." The young girl fidgeted with her fingers, twiddling as she looked down at the ground, her very pale cheeks flushing, not from the heat, but apprehension, also a tinge of paranoia. If she told him this, would he hate her? Would he see her as a monster? Would he attack her then she's forced to kill-... "Eeek!" El was consumed by her own thoughts, holding her ears as she knelt down, shivering and trembling. It took her a few moments to calm herself down, at least enough to slowly stand back up, "S-sorry, I was... uhm... p-p-p-..." El gulped, breathing in and out, "Promise me you won't scream o-or... be afraid... j-just... s-stay calm, okay?" After Nico confirmed her demand, El would close her eyes, steadying her breaths.

Then, focusing on her powers... was she really going to do this? "Yes, yes I will!" Her small form emitted her signature red aura, not much, just a little bit to dissolve the dried grasses sticking on her purple coat, face, and hat. Finished, the girl slowly opened her eyes, looking up at Nico, "This... is who I am..." her feet left the ground, floating up to his eye-level as El approached close, one hand reaching out to grab Nico's wrist, holding it tight as if seeking shelter, "I-...I'm an Eidolon..." He may not understand the term, "A-a witch...? Yeah..." a much more simpler term, but well, it would do for now. "I have uhm... power, magic, y-you see, I was born with it." She then shifted herself to finally sit beside him, her glow dimming down, "I am connected to Arkosh Usar, the uh... big man who threw the giant grass ball earlier, hehe~ I am the reason he can live here." El shyly fidgeted with herself, "W-we are here to save the world from uhm... destruction, you see, so..." She gave him a big nervous grin, "W-what do you think?"

--

Kou let the two elders talked among each other as she continued to jot down important informations. Tornadoes being unusually fierce, Ihuicatl's distress, these two were obviously connected. If the Wind Arkosh's antics weren't stopped, everything in Saujarh would be no more, torn apart by merciless winds... and there was no guarantee Ihuicatl wouldn't spread his wrath towards Horizon, especially since the island was quite close to the continent. "Ah..." The Ice Faerie was about to speak up when Anita asked how Provundo could survive the massive tornado, but refrained a second later cause of two reasons. First, she figured it wouldn't be a good idea to reveal El and Usar's true nature for now, and second, the sounds of wheels trekking on the grassy around signalling the arrival of Vega.

Kou fluttered towards the wagon, examining the passengers, yes... what Anita said was true, a lot of these people didn't look remotely close to the common Saujarian. They came from all over the continents, "Hmmm..." She turned her ice eyes at the peculiar man riding on a black horse, most likely the one in charge. His clothing was certainly fancy and out of place compared to the people around him, armed too, which meant he was no ordinary Saujarian. "Vega?" Kou's assumption was confirmed as he conversed with the elders. Kou just listened to them, apparently Elva also had the same thought as her, to keep what truly happened why Provundo survived a secret.

After Elva announced her intent, Kou fluttered on her right shoulder, bowing slightly at Vega, "Greetings, Sir Vega, an honor to meet you. I am Kou, an Ice Faerie, I am one of Elder Elva's friends, well along with Sir Usar and Lady Ellie." She gave him a polite smile, "I hope you will have us in Cosa Mesa, we're from a foreign land, here eager to learn more about the wondrous cliff-city." A white lie, but it would do.
 
"A...a witch...?" Nico's wrist went limp in El's hand as he stared at her with mixed emotions. "I...I.."

His mouth stayed open as his eyes looked over El's floating form, picking up the red aura surrounding her. Nico could feel the power radiating from El, blowing a few loose strands of his hair back. The power overwhelmed him, making his heart flutter in off even speeds. But, strangely, there was a feeling of safety and comfort from El. Nico believed that she could save the world from anything that was threatening it. He pulled his wrist back El was holding to lightly grip her hand.

"...stop! Stop it!" Nico said in a loud hush as he gently pulled El closer to her. "Stop that or someone else will see you!"

He reached to grab her with his other hand, but pulled back a second before he grabbed her shoulder. Nico was still uneasy with the aura from El, even though his other hand was holding hers. Instead, Nico jumped from where he was sitting and stepped beside her, letting her hand go. Using his body to shield her, Nico looked back.

"You can't do that here or people will think you're part of Ihuicatl. And, who knows what they'll do to you!" Nico warned. "Go back to how you were and hide it for as long as you can!"

As soon as Nico looked away from El, his eyes were met with Usar standing just in front of him. Nico's eyes pinned on Usar's rising chest, listening to Usar breath through his mouth. A clawed hand was placed firmly on Nico's shoulder before brushing him to the side.

"There is someone here to take us to Cosa Mesa. Lower yourself down and say goodbye to your friend. Who, I am sure will not talk about this moment to anyone, ever," Usar tiled his head to Nico, squeezing the boy's shoulder firmer.

Nico winced at the slight pain, enough for Usar to release his grip. Pulling away, Nico rubbed his sore shoulder and kept his eyes on Usar.

An Arkosh...that means this guy is the same as Ihuicatl? No way, he's strong...but not Ihuicatl strong, a doubt ran across Nico's thoughts. This man in front of him didn't look that special. Sure, he was very different looking with his pure white skin and the blackest of hairs. And, his strength just from throwing that bomb of a grass ball was amazing. But, he just didn't look like how an Arkosh should look. There were dozens and dozens of drawings of Ihuicatl, while all looking so depressing, they were godly illustrations. This man didn't look anywhere in comparison.

*
Vega raised an eyebrow at Kou. He awkwardly tilted his head in many directions, scratching at his eyebrow and brushing his mustache with said finger.

"You know, I'm not even going to try and understand what you are. That's just way out of my jurisdiction," Vega commented about Kou. "What is part of my jurisdiction, are all foreign immigrants. It's impossible for you or your friends to bypass Cosa Mesa immigration offices. And, if you're friends are as interesting in appearance as you are, I would remember them."

Elva whispered to Anita, who hurried off to retrieve El and Usar. She stood, brushing off any crumbs from the tea cakes, and approached Vega with a soft smile.

"Please have an open mind when they explain everything to you Vega. It may seem like one wild story, but trust me, there are speaking the truth. I'm trusting them with you," Elva said.

"Yes, Elder Elva," Vega nodded his head. "Well, tell them to hurry as I'm about to set off to Cosa Mesa."

As Vega went off to inspect the wagon and talk to the villagers, Elva turned to face Kou and sighed slowly. The frown on her face grew slowly each second as she looked across the village to see Anita bringing back El and Usar.
 
"Ah..." El's pale features frowned in shock mixed with heavy disappointment at Nico's reactions. "I thought... you will..." El drooped her head down, her legs stopped swinging, her hands clasped near her lap. "Why..." She knew it, she should know it, but seeing Nico's stuttering words, his gestures, it was as if he's protecting her from other people, people who would hurt her just because of her Eidolon nature. She appreciated him trying to 'protect' her, but it still hurt. "Nico..." It took Horizon half of its military force to accept her and Usar, did she have to kill half of Saujarh to make them tolerate her? Was she loved or feared? El knew some people besides Usar, like her adoptive parents, Kou, and Elder Elva, would love her no matter what, however... hearing Nico now, she firmly believed she'd never be treated like a normal young girl by the public once she revealed all of her. It may be an obvious thing, but to El's young mind, it still came as an unpleasant truth.

"Hide it..." El mumbled, she was silent for a moment, "No." She shook her head, she was tired of this. "No more hiding." Let them think what they want, she'd rather be feared than keep lying to herself, in time... they would understand. Of course, the child didn't mean brazenly showing off her powers left and right, she knew the implications, what she meant was she'd no longer feel bad or ostracized , she was an Eidolon, she was no normal human, it was time she accepted it. "Usar...?" El climbed down from her sitting position, approaching the Arkosh, "Yes, let's go." She took his hand, following his lead, but just before they went to Vega, El gave one last look at Nico, giving him a soft smile, "Thank you, Nico, and good bye." It was time to move on, they had more important missions to do.

--

"Just think of me as a humanoid butterfly, Sir Vega." Kou mused, she crossed her arms at his decision, "This must not do, Sir, we need to get into Cosa Mesa, it's of utmost importance. My people are searching for a way to stop Ihuicatl's antics." It was the truth, just not entirely, she didn't tell him about the Eidolon and Usar... yet, the time would come later. El sighed, it looked like Vega wouldn't change his mind, fortunately for them however, Elva took charge. "Ah... I see, of course, I shall do so." Well, the 'time' came much earlier than expected. "Yes, Sir Vega, I shall be brief, so you see, the world is in danger, the Arkoshs are acting..." And thus, Kou explained the dire circumstances to him in a quick, concise manner, just for him to know all the important bits, "So, it is of urgent matter we gain entrance into Cosa Mesa, Sir."

On cue, El and Usar arrived with Elder Anita. The albino didn't have much to say, Kou already handled everything, they just needed to depart. "Let's go now?" El asked innocently at Vega with her hands behind her back, swaying, "I promise I'll be good in the city, Sir~"
 
Nico scratched his head as he watched El and Usar walk away with Anita. The other children surrounded him, tugging at his clothes, asking him what was up with the new girl suddenly leaving.

"I...I think I said something wrong..." Nico replied. "I don't know...she's kinda weird..."

He shrugged, dismissing the entire encounter with El to focus on other things. Like, playing with the new children that just arrived at the village. As with most little boys, Nico wasn't entirely sure on how to deal with El's reaction to him. Did he say something wrong? Maybe, he should have said that he thought El was really cool with her powers. Was trying to protect her from the other children bad?

Whichever the reason, there wasn't much Nico could do now. El and her friend were leaving to head over to Cosa Mesa. And, he would probably never see her again.

*
Vega looked over at the three new guests for Cosa Mesa and instantly scrunched his face.

"What the..." Vega looked down at El with a confused face, his mustache wiggling as he tried to accept her appearance. "...first lil child, we are going to take you and your friends to immigration to get you checked out..."

His eyes stared up at Usar, taking in the strange appearance of the man in front of him. With a shake of his head and a wave of a hand, Vega called Elva over.

"I don't know where you found these three...they aren't...diseased?" he whispered to her. "Look at them...so pale and such empty eyes..."

Elva huffed, pushing Vega away by the shoulder before kneeling down in front of El. A big smile was on her face, but her eyes held back the tears from streaming down her cheeks. She held open her hands, wanting to give El the biggest hug she could.

"Oh, give Granny a big hug! A nice tight one too! I'm going to miss you so much El!" Elva smiled even wider, trying her best to force the tears from falling. "Now, you do be a good girl. Remember, to always respect the adults no matter what they say. Let Kou and Usar handle them. Kids are to be seen, not heard."

Another important reminder for El to remember. She would release El from her motherly hug to stand in front of Usar, grabbing his hand to grip it tightly. The smile to Usar wasn't as motherly, but more of belief. Elva finally believed in Usar, that El and him could save Saujarh from the wind Arkosh and the other troubles the world will have. She wished she could go with them, seeing that the trio needed someone who knew about the world outside Horizon. But, for some strange reason, she felt tired to Saujarh.

"You stay strong and protect El with your life, Bel-Sarra-Usar. All of Profundo believes in you," she spoke softly. "We are with you."

A shout from Vega was heard. The horses pulling the wagon stomped their hooves into the hard dirt and neighed, signaling that they were ready to return to Cosa Mesa. Elva and Anita watched as El, Usar, and Kou would climb inside the wagon, waving to them as the last half of the trip to Cosa Mesa began for them. Elva allowed the tears to run down her face, finding herself praying to Ihuicatl for their safety.
*
It was a slow ride to Cosa Mesa. Vega rode beside them, his horse and the horses pulling the wagon in unison. He spent the time scribbling in a journal, playing with his thick mustache, and huffing loudly like he discovered something interesting. Early evening brought a swirl of light and dark blue in the sky, dotted with shining stars and the moon beginning to rise. There was enough starlight to make it easy to see.

Usar sat crossed-legged, head hunched over as he took a soundless nap. The only movements from him were his flaring nostrils and his slender fingers drumming on his knees.

Vega instructed his horse to follow behind the wagon so he could see inside. He kept his look on El and Kou.

"Let's begin the questioning now. I will ask the gentleman when he wakes up. First, state your full name. Second, birth place of country and city or village. Third, names of parents, if any. If not, state you are without. Fourth, reason for coming to Saujarh. Fifth, any known health ailments or disabilities. Sixth, income status. Seventh, education or vocational training. Eighth, are you in need of public housing?" Vega flipped to a fresh page in his journal to jot down the answers.

The wagon began to follow down an incline. Usar slid slightly down as they approached the main road leading and leaving Cosa Mesa. They walked under an archway made of cylinder stacked limestone and a guard post holding two government guards of Cosa Mesa. The smell of salty air surrounded them. The sounds of splashing water against rocks welcomed them to the grand city of Cosa Mesa.

Cosa Mesa was built in a crescent moon bay about 13 levels high of carved buildings and roadways. There were clear indications based on rock formations that most of Cosa Mesa was constructed by explosions into the cliff-side, leading into caves upon caves of buildings and city life. Spiraling stairwells was the main way of navigating through Cosa Mesa's many levels while some sections within the caves had modern elevators using ocean current power to lift them.

While most of Cosa Mesa was built within the cliffs, there were floating huts built on stilts that anchored into the sea. There, everything was connected by stone bridges. Boats of all sizes and shapes were docked on the piers, swaying gently in the evening sea current. Giant cauldrons of fire, able to shine light for long distances, illuminated Cosa Mesa for their people to navigate easily.

Most amazing was how quiet such a large international city was. There were plenty of people out, but all seemed so quiet and made minimal movements when walking around.

The wagon rolled over the stone path along the beach, passed the floating huts and personal fishing boats, until it reached the harbor of Cosa Mesa, a large mosaic plaza holding different fish vendors with the cauldron of fire in the middle for light.

"Next stop, the immigration offices. Wake up that man, you three might be there all night," Vega said.​
 
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"Hm?" El tilted her head in childish curiosity to Vega's unfamiliar terms, "Immiwhat? Oh... checking us? Like..." Her mind gears turning in search for the closest memory that matched the man's terms. "Ah, I see, like the guards back home checking the people who comes inside Horizon, mhm~" It may not be on the spot correct but it'd have to do. The Eidolon also stared up at Usar when she noticed Vega scanning his eyes over his form, "He's really big, isn't he? Don't worry, Usar is a big baby!" Fortunately for everyone's sake, El didn't hear any of his whispers about them being diseased. Elva approaching her brought a wide happy grin on her lips, the moment Elva knelt and opened hands, she knew what to do. "Huuug~" El hugged the woman tight just as Granny wanted it, "I'm going to miss you too, don't worry, we'll save Profundo then the world, and then, and theeeen~ we can all be happy together." She still didn't agree with Cosa Mesa's customs of not appreciating children, but seeing Granny happy was enough to make her nod, "Okay, I'll be a good girl." it was no lie, but whether she'd keep herself shut in Cosa Mesa, now that was another matter entirely.

Kou watched the spectacle in the background for now, it was so heartwarming to see someone loving El and appreciating Usar outside of Horizon, giving hope that with time and hard work, the whole world will know of them as Bumi's savior, they deserved it. Right now however, as much as she wanted to believe Elva's words, Kou knew all of Profundo believing in Usar was simply not the case, perhaps just Elva and... well, no one else. The faerie understood it was an exaggeration because of emotions, but emotions must be balanced out with logic and reason. "That's why I'm here." Kou giggled to herself, thinking about it, she's older than anyone here, except Usar. "Oh, it's time for us to go, come on, El, Usar." Kou fluttered to sit on Ellie's shoulder, then nodded at Elva, "Thank you for everything, Elder Elva, we will save Saujarh, no matter what it takes."

The party's supply chests were loaded into the wagon, then they were off. Oh if only Kou could hear Elva's prayer towards Ihuicatl, the faerie wouldn't be able to resist pointing out the utter irony. They were trying to save Saujarh from Ihuicatl, praying to him for safety seemed rather... nonsensical.

--

By now, El was getting used to the slow speed, since blazing to Cosa Mesa with her powers or Usar's Arkosh form was out of the question, the child resigned to just sitting beside Usar, leaning her body on his sleeping form. She looked towards Vega who was writing in his journal, then she turned her head at Kou, also writing in her journal. "Puh..." A small amused puff left her lips, these two would get along well, they loved to write everything. El meanwhile, preferred to draw. Speaking of drawings... the Eidolon got an idea, her left hand reached inside her coat, taking out her grimoire, "Hehe~" she could pass the time admiring the various illustrations and arcane shapes drawn there by her predecessors, who knows, she may learn a new interesting spell or two.


Hearing Vega's voice, El closed her tome while Kou stopped writing, both of them looked up at the moustached man. The faerie listened attentively, but the child... well, all she could focus was Vega's funny moustache. "Pft..." The more she looked at it, the funnier it became, seeing it swishing up and down following his mouth was quite amusing. El raised her right hand to cover her lips, her eyes twitching, she was trying hard to not burst out laughing.

Kou noticed this of course, the faerie decided to salvage them an awkward situation. She fluttered to Vega, "Yes, Sir Vega, I shall answer on behalf of Ellie and Sir Usar." It was technically allowed as El was an infant, that made Kou and Usar her guardian. "Alright, her name is Ellie Moongazer. Born in Horizon Tower in Horizon Island, South of Saujarh." El was born in Jalaya actually, but it would just make things complicated, "Parents, Edward and Karen Moongazer. Reason, to travel and study the history of Saujarh, also introduces Horizon to Saujarh, opening paths for possible diplomatic and business relations." The words flowed eloquently from Kou's lips, blending truths and white lies, "Ailments and disabilities, none whatsoever." Well... there was the thing about El's sensitivity to sunlight, but her enchanted clothes took care of that. "Infant, no income. Education, educated enough as you can see. Housing, it will be great." One down, two to go, but for herself and Usar, some answers were the same such as reason for coming and birth place while some were different. After some time, the procedure was done, phew... good thing she was there.

--

The smell of sea air woke El from her nap, "Nnnh...?" her nose twitched. "Are we there yet?!" Excited and curious, she looked out the wagon, "Waaaaaaah~!" red eyes sparkling in awe at the spectacle. Stacks upon stacks of buildings marked the cliffs before her, built into a bay, ocean waters splashing against rocks, the floating huts, aquatic vessels, all of them combined to create one very unique image for El. "Ooooh~" The scene would forever be branded into her memory. A very good thing for the child, experiencing hostility and witnessing deaths all the time would not bode well for her mental development. El loved the orange glow of the cauldrons, the color was warm and fuzzy, unlike the frightening bright white. The serene atmosphere fitted the Eidolon who preferred solitude over crowds, she could live here... maybe someday, everything was over. As soon as the wagon stopped, El jumped down from the wagon, "Ahahaha~" running in circles, taking in her surroundings. The distinctive smell of fish caused her to giggle, "This place smells funny, hehe~"

Letting El be herself for the moment, Kou fluttered to Usar, sparkling his face with ice sprinkles to rouse him. Once he woke up, Kou would sit on his shoulder, "Arkosh Usar, we've arrived at Cosa Mosa, come on, disembark the wagon, we're going to the immigration office."
 
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"Little one, please come this way," Vega snapped his fingers to El and used his other hand to point to a brick box of a building. "You and your friends need to come in here. Someone will grab your chests and place them in holding."

The immigration building was a large square building with two towers attached on the sides. On top of the towers were large lanterns with hoods that pointed the light towards the open ocean to guide the ships to the harbor. Every few minutes, a low horn would sound, another method of guiding ships to Cosa Mesa.

Stretching from the other side of the building was a long wooden pier with two long lines of people standing in them. One line were for those entering and the other exiting and lining up for two gigantic sailing vessels. Both lines had people hoarding luggage and other bags with children making sure to stand close to their families. Guards wearing uniforms similar to Vega's patrolled the harbor and assisted anyone with questions.

Usar was last out the wagon, stretching his arms over his head and letting out a loud yawn. His black eyes scanned the area, and with a flick of his lip and a shrug, Usar made it clear how he felt about Cosa Mesa.

With Vega leading the way, they entered one of the side doors of the building. It opened to a massive waiting room with four stations of desks for the new immigrants to guide through. To make the building seemed welcoming, flags of all the countries flew in the center of the waiting room, with stained windows of the main Arkosh's displayed on each wall. Except for one, as that window had a slender woman in nothing but a flowery black dress and a veiled headdress with all the main Arkosh's behind her on the furthest wall.

The people were corralled by dividers, each weaving through to the many stations. Many were forced to stand as sitting on the ground was only allowed for children. Vega led El, Usar, and Kou through two of the stations and stopped them at one with a giant red cross on a white flag. He waved a worker over and whispered in her ear, pointing to the journal that held all the answers to earlier questions.

"I can't take this," Usar spoke after what seemed like days of silence. "I can't take all these people. I can't take this form anymore. I shouldn't have to be subjected to all of this."

Usar anxiously combed his fingers through the end of his braid, his eyes darting around.

"I rather be out in the plains than a place like this. It feels so...sad here," he continued until Vega appeared with the same woman worker beside him. "You there, how long will we have to be here? I'm ready to go."

"Oh hey, the guy can talk," Vega chuckled. "I'll have to apologize, but you three will have to go through some...medical evaluation before being let in. Well, you two...that butterfly thing...you will be talked to by one of our scholars and scientists."

The woman, based by her young teenage age and her white apron, seemed to be a nurse. She knelt down in front of El and smiled, her red lipstick making her teeth glow whiter. She held out a patient hand.

"You will have to come with me for a lil bit. We have a special doctor and nurses for children," she spoke gently. "You may call me Dolores."

Standing beside Usar were two male nurses, both about 30 years old and wearing the male version of their uniforms. One placed a hand firmly on Usar's shoulder, but wasn't able to evoke any reaction from Usar. He stared down at El instead, more confused on what to do.

Vega passed his journal to a worker on the table who quickly copied down three copies of the answers and passed each to the nurses. Vega retrieved his journal and closed it loudly.

"Once done, I'll meet up with you three to escort you to your public housing if you pass your exams. I'll be seeing you three," Vega smiled at them before shuffling away through the immigrants and towards another side door.

Dolores pointed to an open hallway that held a line of children from ages 0-12, all waiting to be examined. Doors to examination rooms lined the hallway with a nurse guarding each door. She smiled again at El. The male nurses struggled to face Usar in direction of his male examination room, but were unable to move him even a little bit. Usar's fingers slowly began to crack and stretch, claws extending as he clenched his jaw. A warming heat began to radiate from the beast, a sign Usar was beginning to transform back to his mystical self.
 
"Hm?" The little girl broke out of her awe-struck trance when she heard the moustached man's voice calling out to her. Well, he didn't exactly call her name, but 'little one' was usually used for a child and since she's the only child around, things were obvious. Kou was also a 'little one' by definition, but people treated her as either an adult or a mystical talking butterfly. El turned to Vega just in time as he spoke his order, his other hand was pointing to a strange building, shaped like a long box with two mini-horizons attached on its side. "That's the immimy office?" She asked rhetorically, skipping towards the building. Her red eyes roamed all over the structure, locking to bright light on top of the towers, "Oh..." it took her a couple of moments to figure out that they along with the horn were for guiding vessels into the harbor. The long lines of people made El curious, so many people came and go, do they like Cosa Mesa that much? The

Joining her group, El walked beside Usar, holding his left hand with her right as usual while Kou was fluttering between them. "Do we have to wait long in here?" Clearly the child didn't find the prospect of queueing in that long line to be exciting, the boredom in her voice was obvious.

"Unfortunately yes, El, Sir Vega said we will be there all night long." Kou chose to not sugarcoat it, better to not give her empty promises, "To be honest, I share your feelings, I'm sure Usar does as well, but... it is a mandatory procedure, please understand." She spoke the second sentence to both El and Usar, these two were like children sometimes, despite the later being... millenias old.

"Eeeeh..." The albino's shoulders drooped, but at least the inside was not so bad. It was a huge hall filled to the brim with people, colorful flags stationed at the center, "Eh? Ah..." just as El expected, Horizon wasn't among them. Well, it'd be fixed soon enough after they saved the world. "Is that...?" El took a few steps ahead as she looked all over the stained windows, she recognized one of them, "Ihuicatl?" yes, the two-headed serpent, unmistakably him which meant these were drawings of Arkoshs. Of course like Horizon, Usar wasn't among them. "Usar, Kou, look." She pointed to the windows with her right index finger.

"Hmmm... Those are Arkoshs," Kou was interested in the black-clad woman, "I see, so apparently the woman with the black dress represents the leader, is she an Arkosh as well?" So many questions to be asked, "I will request for information to the officials when the time is right."

The three continued on their way, arriving at the stations. El was fidgeting with boredom and discomfort while Kou waited with baited breaths at Vega's whispering. The faerie sighed, she understood Usar's complaints, the somber atmosphere was impossible to ignore, these people weren't here because they were travelling or leisuring, like Elder Anita said, they were refugees. "Just hang a little while longer, please. Sometimes circumstances force us to endure things even if we don't wish it, Usar."

"Eeeeehn..." El's long disappointed moan didn't sound good, the Eidolon was already stretching her patience with the wait, now they had to be evaluated too? What for? They weren't sick. "Aaaah, I don't wanna! I want to see the city!" Her stubborn complaints were the early phase of another tantrum. Fortunately for everyone, a young nurse approached the child messiah, her gentle appearance, choice of clothing, and overall demeanor eased El, brushing on El's instinctive need for a motherly figure. The nurse was quite young sure, but due to her occupation, she was used to handling children. "Hmmph..." El pouted, calming down a bit, "Don't make me wait too long, okay, Miss Dolores? Taking her hand, El waved goodbyes at Usar and Kou before following the young nurse. Soon enough, she arrived at the hallway designated for children around her age and younger, "..." she nodded at Dolores, joining the line. As the nurse went back to her duties, El took a deep breath, her fingers fidgeting nervously. As experienced put it, she was never good with her fellow kids, but... no, she changed, right? Nico and the others liked her... up until she showed him her true nature so that's what she must do, hide it and blend. Fortunately for her case, there were children from various races here so even though her very pale skin and snow white hair were still unusual, she didn't stick out like a sore thumb as there were other girls with very light hair and fair skin tone.

As for Kou, things were going swell, "Wonderful, Sir, I shall explain to the best of my abilities, in return, I also have some inquiries to ask them. My questions are mainly about the history of Saujarh, current affairs, and histories of the Arkoshs as according to Saujarh records." Scholars and scientists were just perfect. Kou would go with an official to wherever the scholars were stationed. As she flew, she took a glance at Usar who was being handled by no less than two nurses, all three looked confused on what to do, this would not bode well. "Uh... Wait just a moment." Kou said to her escort as she quickly fluttered back to Usar, "Usar, please." she floated in front of his face, gaining the centre of his attention. "...You're making a scene," the faerie whispered, "Please calm yourself and endure this, these people are desperate and need help, the officials are overwhelmed, we are here to help them, not cause more trouble. I am sorry but if you can't control yourself... all of our efforts will be for naught, El is doing her best, I am doing my best, so... for all of our sakes, I implore you, stay your emotions."
 
Knowing Kou was right, Usar responded with a low hiss at the faerie from deep within his throat. He relaxed his hands, turned to face the nurses, and followed them with a small huff to the male examination wing. Usar's patience was starting to wear very thin with the mix of being in such a chaotic place and stuck in a human form he didn't prefer. He was also hungry, thirsty, and still tired even though he took a long nap during the wagon ride. The beast wasn't use to such human demands as he mostly followed commands from his Eidolon or did what he wanted in his true form. There was also the brief separation from El that got Usar even more irritated than normal. As long as their connection stayed strong and calm, Usar may barely manage to come out of the immigration building without causing issues.

*
El was placed in the line for little girls from 5-9 for examination room D-3. The girls here were all sitting on the ground, their backs leaning against the wall as they waited for their turn. A set of twins held each other closely, looking around wide-eyed at the other loud children in the hall. It seemed like every 15 minutes, a wave of approved girls would leave the room and the next wave would enter. Those not approved were escorted by nurses down the hall and up the stairwell for further examinations and medicine.

Being the only albino, El stuck out to all the nurses and doctors, but the children were too stressed and bothered to care. Most survived a long boat ride to arrive to Cosa Mesa to only be separated from family for hours. They all were dirty, hungry, and exhausted from their voyage. On girl stood in front of El who resembled Nico, prompted that the two were from the same country. She wore a simple black dress with a white jacket over her with her hair ratted. In her hand was a small plush doll, which she thumbed across its face nervously.

What seemed like hours, El, the girl, and the rest of the girls were ushered into the examination room. It was a large tiled room, brightly light by candles in illuminating glass globes, with curtains creating mini rooms for the girls to be examined in. One girl went through each curtained room, with siblings being examined together. Dolores smiled over at El called her over.

"This one is for you," she said once El entered the room, closing the curtain behind them. There was a wooden table with cushions on them, a step stool in front of it for El to use. Beside the table was a smaller one covered with glass jars with different items in them. Some had cotton swabs, others had flat wooden sticks, there were a few jars with weird looking creams in them, and there were some with clear liquids inside. Beside that, was a scale for weight and long ruler connected to the wall for height. "Okay, slip off your boots and stand on the scale and then up against the ruler for your height.

Nurse Dolores tore a sheet of paper from a notebook and began to scribble down El's weight once the little girl got on the scale and used her hand to measure El's height once the little girl stood against the ruler.

"Very good! You're growing so well for your age!" Dolores smiled. "Now, hop up on that table and I'll ask a few simple questions before the doctor arrives...up there? Good! Okay! How did you arrive here at Cosa Mesa? Were you warm during your trip? Did you have plenty to eat and drink? Did you get plenty of exercise during your trip here? Do you have a cough? The sniffles? Are you itchy anywhere? Does your tummy feel fine? Your arms and legs? How about your sight? Can you see well? Can you smell well? How about tasting? Can you taste everything? Can you hear clearly?"

Dolores nodded as she would write down El's answers.

"Perfect! Aren't you a brave little girl! Okay! You may take off your dress, but keep on your pants if you're wearing them, and your undies. The doctor will arrive shortly. If you need me, just shout!" Dolores slipped the paper in a little holder outside the curtain and left El to wait for the doctor.
*
Kou was escorted beyond the grand hall of the immigration building and to a dark, sheltered office surrounded by leather bound books on high bookshelves. At the desks were other administration and scholars making copies of the books or filing papers for the Saujarh government. Those escorting Kou sat at the farthest table, flicking on the oil lamp, and sat on the chairs. One scholar, who looked like he just passed the test to be official named as one, sat across from Kou. He wore a red over-sized robe, with two golden thread stars sown where his breast pocket would be. He wore black framed glasses with a few strands of black hair brushing against them, auburn eyes glowing with the light of the fire in the lamp. What caught all's attention was a bone piercing that went through the septum of his nose.

"My name is Anselmo. It is a pleasure to meet such a creature. I specialize in the history of Saujarh, it's native species, and of Ihuicatl and the religion based around him. With that, while I am glad to be seeing a faerie for the first time, I know you are not a native faerie species to Saujarh. What brings you here exactly?" Anselmo placed the copied paper from Vega's journal in front of him, folding his hands over it.​
 
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Kou breathed a sigh of relief, the big impatient baby known as Bel-Sarra-Usar finally calmed down enough to follow along with the nurses' instructions. She prayed to the Faerie Goddess that it would last at least until they came out of the building. The babies, one female child and one male divine beast, had enough power to decimate entire cities, it was first priority that someone kept their emotions checked. The faerie was honored to be given such a task, but really, she wouldn't deny it was tiring. She was exhausted too after the trip, just one more step before they could relax in Cosa Mesa. Shaking her head slowly in stress, Kou fluttered back to the official to follow him.

--

Doctors and nurses turned their heads at El as they passed her, making the albino girl rather self-conscious. Fortunately, none of the children made a fuss about her. El was aware she rather stood out among the other girls, while some had very fair skin like her and light hair, El's 'paleness' was on another level. Her white hair wouldn't look strange on Elders like her adoptive mother or Elva, but she was a child, children normally didn't have white hair. Her eyes, however, may be the major factor that stuck her up, no one had red eyes, not the children, not the doctors and nurses, no one except her. Added the fact that her purple clothes were clean and fancy compared to the dirty infants beside her... well, there was nothing she could do except to endure it. Thankfully, no one meant her harm, they treated her as any other girls waiting to be examined... so far at least.

The Eidolon noticed a couple of interesting children, there were a pair of siblings who were virtually copies of each other, oh she knew, these people were called twins. Then there was this girl in front of her who was basically a female version of Nico, were they related? Her black dress contrasted nicely with her white jacket, if only she wasn't so dirty. Her doll was quite cute, speaking about material possession, El remembered about her grimoire stored in her coat's pocket. "...uhm..." Now a slight worry came over her, what if one of these adults find out about it? They wouldn't take it from her, right? She didn't know how things were done here and that worried her, the tome was precious to her, it helped her a lot in understanding about her powers and predecessors. El planned to tell people it was a journal belonging to her... father, yes, her researcher father, she was here to continue his work. That should be a good enough excuse.


Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours... or may be it had just been about half an hour, but waiting around stuck between tired and hungry children with nothing to do certainly made an uncomfortable experience, making it felt longer than it should. When finally the nurses began moving the line, El drew air through her clenched teeth as if barely holding back from shouting 'Finally!!'. It was her group's turn too, wonderful, even if this was merely the beginning, anything to get her away from queueing was welcomed. The red-eyed girl examined the wide room, appreciating that they used candles for lighting, she could tolerate warm glow of flames. She recognized a particular nurse not that far away, her hand gesturing for the Eidolon to come over. "Oh?" She peeked inside the make-shift room with curtains serving as 'walls', "Okay." then went inside. While Dolores did her thing, El took the time to roam her eyes on the various glass jars containing interesting items. El knew about the swabs and wooden sticks, she assumed the creams and liquids were all medicines of some kind.

The Nurse's voice brought her attention back. "Eh, alright." She wasn't really keen on taking off her boots in a public place, but El had experienced examination by Dr. Ryan back in Horizon, the procedures were similar so far. She knew it was necessary. Letting out a small exhale, El pulled the boots off her feet then stepped up to the scale, then she took off her hat before leaning against the vertical ruler. Dolores' praise brought a grin to the child's features, "That means I'm a normal girl, right?" the nurse may just be doing her duty of handling children, she wouldn't know how much it meant for the Eidolon to feel like a healthy normal girl even if it's just a brief illusion. El stepped off the scale then with ginger steps, almost instinctively floated up to the cushioned table, ooops... right, hide it. Her powers were already ingrained so much in her muscle memory, perfoming small supernatural feats such as floating were just like turning the back of her hand. She hopped up the 'normal' way instead. El sat on the table's side, swinging her hanging legs as her hands pressing the cushions behind her with her back slightly leaning backwards.

Torrents of questions from Dolores gave the albino an odd sense of admiration for the nurse. How could she memorize all those questions then ask them in rapid successions? She must have done these a million times already... not that far-fetched considering how many children were outside. "Ah uhm..." El blinked, completely focusing on Dolores to keep up, "I arrived with Sir Vega's wagon. Yes, I am warm. Yep, eating and drinking~ also... uhm, yes, exercised a lot!" Protecting Provundo from certain destruction by erecting a dome-shaped barrier could count as exercises, no? "No cough, no sniffies, no itch..." Really, she was fine, her powers kept her body in perfect condition and her magical clothes took care of her sensitivity to sunlight, "Tummy finy, arms legs also alright, sight is cleary, smell is smelly, tasting is tasty, hearing is eary!" it should be obvious to Dolores know that El started to not take the questions seriously, jesting instead which in itself answered her questions, the girl was in good health. "Ehehe~ of course, I am brave, I fought against Ihuicatl!" Expectedly, the nurse took El's boast as the usual adorable ramblings of children, unaware El literally fought against the Wind Arkosh.

"Uhm... pants?" El tilted her head, she didn't feel like wearing pants. Behind her fancy purple coat was her white sundress and her underwear consisted of bloomers, maybe Dolores meant 'pants' to be that, bloomers. Well, the nurse wanted her to take off her dress, that'd obviously mean she had to take off her coat too. Shrugging, El began unbuttoning her magical coat then removed it from her body, now that she thought about it, this was the first time she took off the enchanted garment ever since she departed from Horizon to Cosa Mesa. The convenience of her powers allowed her to clean her clothes on the spot by purging any dusts and dirt clinging to them. Putting her coat on her side, El examined her own dress for a moment then took it off, putting the white garment on top of her coat, now the girl was only clad in her bloomers. Without her coat, now she could feel the changes in temperature where as previously, the magical coat regulated temperature for her. With the doctor still away, El took the time to examine her bare upper body, realizing how very pale she was. "Ehn... just like Usar, huh?" Speaking about the white-skinned Arkosh, El wondered what's he doing right now, did they examine his weight and height then ask him funny questions too?

--

For a certain Ice Faerie, her form glowed in the dark office like an... calling her firefly would be contradictory, so... an icefly? Whatever the term, she looked like a small floating orb of cool light. Like the scholars, Kou also took notes as she fluttered through the office, jotting down things she deemed important. At last, she came face-to-face with a person of interest. His clothing was peculiar, but it certainly gave that 'academic' image, though the bone piercing gave an odd juxtaposition of tribal heritage. An interesting individual, a perfect source of interesting answers. "An honor to meet you, Sir Anselmo, I am Kou." She bowed slightly at him then floated downwards to stand on his desk, "You're just the person I want to see, I have questions about Saujarh and Ihuicatl for research." But first, she'd satisfy his curiosity, "Yes, I suspect the native species of Saujarh are the Wind Faeries though with the continent's current state, I'd understand if they went into hiding. Ice Faeries are... hmmm, how should I put it? A sub-species of Water Faeries of Jalaya, our ancestors were Water Faeries who migrated to Horizon... long long time ago, over the time, we slowly evolved into what we're today, Ice Faes."

Kou took out her own journal, sitting down on the table, "As I said, I am here for Research and to forge relationship between Saujarh and Horizon, it's an island nation just South of Saujarh. So without further ado... please tell me the general history of Saujarh, the times before Ihuicatl went berserk, speaking about the Arkosh, what do the records say about the change in his behavior? Is there any way to stop his antics? Perhaps the texts from the faith based on him may provide clues?"
 
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Wiping her sweaty face harshly with a silk napkin, an overweight, plump of a woman entered the makeshift room wearing a pale blue dress with a white apron over it. Her eyes looked squished close due to her chubby, red cheeks while her hog nose wiggled as she struggled to breath. Over her black hair cut in a shapely bob, was a white cap with Saujarh's symbol sewed onto it. As soon as she saw El, she let out a sort of sigh of relief as she scribbled on the paper left behind by nurse Dolores.

"From what I was told, I figured I was having a kid infected with some sort of dog mange or something...you're just an albino," the woman said in a heavy voice. "Only the third case of albinism I've seen...but nonetheless a harmless disability."

She stood in front of El and quickly read over the notes while continuing to huff. The large room was beginning to become stuffy from the crowd of people, prompting some nurses to open the windows on the far side. The woman wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand before wiping that hand on her dress.

"Okay let's get this over with," she reached over to open the jar of flatten wooden sticks and began to poke El on her cheeks. "Now, don't get no attitude with me. I'm very tired and can't stand one more bad behavioral child. Do as I say and this will go by quickly."

The doctor began her observation of El, starting with checking El's ears. She tugged at each of El's ears, stretching it so she could see the inside of El's ear canal. Next, using the flattened stick, she would prop El's chin up to see inside the little girl's nostrils, telling El to inhale and exhale slowly. After, she ordered El to open her mouth and stick out her tongue to make a noise as she observed the back of her throat and tonsils.

If El would fidget or argue, the doctor would lightly smack El on top of the child's head with the flattened stick and huff.

"Okay, now stay still and breath slowly. I'm going to listen to your heart and lungs," the doctor brought out a small, metal cone and placed the thin side into her ear and the open round on El's chest. She closed her eyes and listened intently, counting the heartbeats in her head as well as listening of El's lungs sounded clear. She nodded and pulled her head away.

Up next, the doctor would run her warm hands over El's arms, back, sides, and down her legs to her feet to feel for any bone deformities. She was extra vigilant at El's skin, checking for sunburns, rashes, and other skin conditions albinos were prone towards. When done, the doctor wiped her hands on her dress and made her way to the table.

"Almost done. So far, so good...such a relief. I've dealt with so many sick kids today...not sure if they'll make it," the big-mouthed doctor said as she scooped a small dab of white cream onto the stick and handed it to El. "Lick this and don't complain about the taste. It will keep you sick from Saujarh's common colds. Last thing, now lil girl, I need you to be a very big girl. What I will be doing will be very beneficial for both yourself and Saujarh. All I will do is give your skin a lil prick to collect some blood and then give you some medicine."

As El would lick the oral medicine, the doctor reached into the pocket of her apron to bring out a long, skinny needle similar to a sowing needle. With a freshly struck match, the doctor ran the needle a few times through the flame before blowing it out and collecting a glass vial from a pocket. Using her right hand, she gripped El's arm tightly and hovered the needle above the skin.

"Look away if you need. At the count of three...one...two...three..."

*
Anselmo focused on Kou, keeping his serious expression as the faerie spoke. His eyebrows twitched at the mention of Horizon and his fingers curled slightly on the copied journal entry.

"Historically, Saujarh was created when the 5th dynasty Empress of Baima forbid the worship and prayer of all Arkoshs on her land. Those who worshiped Ihuicatl were the first to leave Baima and migrate to the furthest island from Baima in hopes she would not send her army to either bring the people back or kill them. It was not until about 2000 years ago that the royal family and Baima granted all people the right to worship and pray to any Arkosh. Religiously, it is said that Ihuicatl was the first Arkosh to notice the imbalance between all the Arkoshs, especially with Luna. He took His people from the motherland and fled to what is now Saujarh for their safety."

He relaxed his fingers and continued.

"Saujarh was built on the aspect of the wind, carrying those in his arms from all troubles. We accept and grant all who are seeking a new place of residence or asylum from baseless and old world convictions and sentences. We believe with forgiveness to let things go. Because of this, we are constantly being watched by the royal government as we are the only nation that isn't in full control of Baima. While Baima is the ultimate leader of the world, Saujarh is the leader of modernization and have vast technologies Baima is thirsty to have. Sadly, we are losing many faithful followers of Ihuicatl as the influx of foreign citizens are outnumbering natives Saujarh. Either new citizens continue to believe in their own Arkosh or many are becoming atheists."

Anselmo sighed, a brief frown appearing on his tan face. He took a deep breath and shook his head to bring back his serious expression.

"Ihuicatl was never a peaceful Arkosh per-say...they say he is a combination of a human and beast. To control Ihuicatl, the holy books mention of a woman who fell in love with the human side of Ihuicatl and the two became a couple. They lived beyond the clouds, and with her love and kindness, Ihuicatl was happy and blessed Saujarh with His gentle winds that moved along the ecosystem. For thousands of years, Ihuicatl would watch his love die, become irate and destroy Saujarh until the point his love was reborn so they could be together. That is, until the book mentions of the day and night sky fighting with each other, with the darkness ultimately winning. A large comet went across Saujarh along with thousands of smaller ones, the harsh light of the large comet coming in contact with Ihuicatl and carrying away his love towards the very Southern point of the world. Since that day, Ihuicatl has became nothing but a depressed god, calling and crying out for his love as his winds ate up the island."

He reached behind him to grabbed one of Saujarh's holy books. These books had a wooden cover, said to be made of the former trees that use to grow throughout Saujarh before Ihuicatl went crazed. Anselmo opened to an ink drawing of the night sky infested with comets, with the largest one crashing into Ihuicatl and carrying away his love.

"We do not know what these comets, especially the large one is suppose to represent. Some scholars have traveled to the other countries to find the answer, suspecting that this phenomenon has happened to all the religions of the respected Arkosh's. I suspect that this was what Ihuicatl was running from with his people, but just couldn't run far enough away," Anselmo brought his hands back and cupped them. "Do you have any questions?"​
 
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After spending time with the pretty young nurse Dolores, El didn't expect the... 'doctor' to be like this walking sacs of fat who was apparently a woman. "Aaa-..." Red eyes blinked in disbelief, she was at a loss for words, her child-like mind was in a dilemma between feeling amused, afraid, or astonishment, perhaps a strange mix of the three. The girl had seen some big people in her life, but never this big. "Uhm... eh..." She wanted to protest, not believing the plump woman was actually a doctor, but... the cap and uniform looked genuine enough, besides, Dolores wouldn't allow an impostor to enter, right? Besides, doctors were supposed to be healthy! or else how could they treat sick people? This particular doctor wasn't even close to being fit.

The child may be a natural-born witch with immense magical potential, but that didn't mean she could understand medical terms and jargons. She knew her body - the whole Eidolon thing excluded - was different from other children and as far as she could remember, she never met another albino in her life. It was the first time she was informed that albinism was a... 'harmless disability. Safe to say, she was confused, if she understood the term right, disability was something bad, so how could something bad with harmless? "A-..." El opened her mouth to speak but decided against it, the big doctor definitely wasn't in the mood for idle chatter.

El just resorted to watching the overweight woman did her thing, "Mmmh..." she flinched in annoyance as the doctor poked her cheeks, not five minutes and she was already making the whole situation uncomfortable, was she really a doctor? El repeated the question in her head again, forgive her, but the child had a rather hard time believing this woman was a qualified medical personnel like doctor Ryan. "....I'm... tired too..." She whispered under her breath, everyone here looked tired. Still, there's a thread of hope, the doctor said it'll be over quickly if she behaved, that's what she'll do.

Hmph... mmph... o-ow!"
As expected, it didn't go well at first, the Eidolon couldn't stay still, mostly because of the doctor's attitude and appearance, earning her a light smack on her head. "Why... kuh... you... sigh..." She wanted to be angry, but boredom, exhaustion, and some empathy for the doctor's situation sapped all the anger in El, leaving only grumbling acceptance. She did everything to the best of her abilities, breathing in and out, sticking out her tongue, every procedure was quite similar to the routine examinations in Horizon... only with a fatherly doctor instead of this grumpy large woman. If El's predictions were correct, then what came next would be that cold metal thing pressed on her chest, some kind of device to check her heart... and then El couldn't quite put what came next, only it'd be the scariest one that most children dread.

The metal cone-thing was simple enough, El hitched her breath once when the cold surface made contact with her bare chest, but nothing more. She breathed in and out, and then... "...eh..." not wanting to get another smack on the head, the girl tried her best to stay still as the doctor roamed her big hands and stubby fingers all over her body. "Ehe... ahahaha... mfh..." Of course, she giggled and fidgeted as the doctor brushed over ticklish spots such as her sides and soles of her feet. Almost done? There's more? Oh come on... at least the doctor deemed her healthy and then she just had to follow up with a grim statement. People die... it's inevitable. El came to terms she couldn't save every single person along the way, Provundo was a lucky shot really.

She accepted the white cream without much fuss, licking at the sour cream, it's not that bad. However, what came next managed to widen her large red eyes, this was it, the procedure that only brave children like Orchid could endure without fear, the needle. "O-oh no... t-that's... uhm..." The Eidolon quivered as she watched the needle glistened under the candlelight. This wasn't necessary! There was nothing wrong with her, geez! An audible gulp rang out from her throat as the doctor gripped her hand, earning a flinch from the child. Such a small insignificant thing, yet it brought her more fear than facing Ihuicatl head-to-head.

"N-no... no, I..." Calm, calm... oh sod it! The air inside the room grew heavier, the atmosphere tensed, and the big doctor could hear rumbles in her eardrums like a small earthquake yet the ground wasn't shaking. El gritted her teeth, turning her head to look at the doctor straight on her eyes, there was a mystical dread visage on the otherwise innocent childish face. "Stop..." El's voice slightly deepened, gaining a supernatural echo, striking the doctor's heart with primal fear. The child dropped the stick then her free hand reached out to... take the needle away from the doctor's hand, "I'll do it myself." bracing herself, El pushed away at her fear then "O-ow!!" prickled her own arm, still held by the doctor's hand. It felt less scarier when she did it herself. Blood dribbled from the small wound, filling up the glass vial. Once the vial was almost full, El wrenched her arm away from the doctor, "...are we done yet?" The girl took a few deep breaths to calm herself and with it, the air in the room returned to normal. "Ha... bring back Nurse Dolores here please..."

--

The faerie listened attentively to Anselmo's detailed explanation on Saujarh's history. Empress of Baima, so she must be the supposed leader of Planet Bumi, likely she or her predecessor was the one who exiled Horizon, quite an easy conclusion by putting two and two together. Was it connected to Usar in some way? This... empress seemed to hate the Arkoshs, forbidding their worship, a foolish decision in Kou's opinion, Arkoshs are what keeping nature alive and balanced, without them, everything would go disarray as evident by the the world's current condition. It happened so long ago... Kou may have not even been born then, who knows? She could ask Queen Shiva about this, but it was a public secret that Shiva didn't share every knowledge she gathered during her long reign as Ice Faerie Queen.

"I see..." So millenniums ago, Saujarnese willing exiled themselves, an exodus to be more specific. Two thousand years ago, they had a change of heart, "But this did not include Bel-Sarra-Usar, why?" curious, but better to keep it in her head. If Anselmo knew, then he'd most likely be affiliated with whoever exiled Horizon, making him a possible enemy. If he didn't know, then it's quite obvious. Both possibilities wouldn't bear favorable results. Luna again, yes, the Arkosh and her Eidolon was the prime suspect of this whole fiasco as she thrived on chaos. The explanation continued, Saujarh used to be a paradise continent, free and tolerant, developed and wealthy, but with it, came arrogance. The people forgot about Ihuicatl, their guardian, or worshipped Arkoshs who weren't even there in Saujarh. In a way, just as Horizon forgot Usar in favor of atheism or false gods, Ihuicatl too, was forgotten by his faithful. "I am sorry if it's making you uncomfortable, Sir Anselmo." This was a heavy topic, anyone could see that.

A divine combination of man and beast, just like Usar, even going as far as the maiden companion aspect, they both needed her. Without his Eidolon, Usar couldn't exist, and without her lover, Ihuicatl would be... like he's now. Alas, the Wind Arkosh couldn't accept the mortal-nature of humankind, their short existence compared to him, only comforted by the arrival of his lover's next incarnation. A vicious cycle, at least Usar simply left the world until the next Eidolon was ready to summon him, not in any way destructive like Ihuicatl. "Interesting... The feud of day and night, with the latter winning, most likely about the fight between Sol and Luna. The comet and its companions... passing over Saujarh, carrying away Ihu's love towards the 'southernmost point of the world', wait... "Come again?" Kou blinked a few times, a realization struck like thunders in her mind, but she kept her cool, masking it by clearing her throat.

"Very southern point... must be Horizon, what else? His love, a female... by Shiva, can it be...? Luna's Eidolon? El?!" No, impossible, it must be someone else, El belonged to Usar and Usar belonged to El, just as her predecessors since he first took form on Bumi. Right, if the legends were true, then Ihuicatl's lover may be in Horizon, whoever it was, only one thing to be sure, ask the Wind Arkosh himself, but... how? He was throwing tantrums like a hopelessly romantic teenager. Kou made a mental note to ask El later if she had the chance to talk with Ihu back at Provundo. "I see, thank you for the information, Sir Anselmo." Kou had the thought to suggest him coming to Horizon, but decided to not pursue it unless the scholar suggested it himself. She didn't know for sure whether he was a friend or foe after all. "I have one more question actually Sir." Kou turned another page in her journal, "Who is the woman with the black dress as shown by the flags? The one with all the Arkoshs near her."
 
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"..well I...um...err..." the doctor's face fell pale as El gripped her hand with the needle. Her body tensed with the sudden change of the atmosphere, ears wiggling from the sudden pressure that filled the room. "..."

The doctor's eyes grew frightfully wide as El slowly pinned herself with the needle to let her blood drip into the vial. Her hand shook as she felt El's strange presence through the little girl's hand. It was such an unknown feeling that even the doctor couldn't fully explain. At the last second before the vial would overflow, she pulled the needle from El and quickly pushed a small cork to close the vial. The doctor's eyes bounced from the blood filled vial, to El, and back to the vial. The blood looked normal enough, thick and a deep shade of red that coated the glass when the vial was tipped.

What small child did that? Who would stick themselves like that? The doctor didn't know what to think, finding herself mouthing empty words at El's demand of seeing Nurse Dolores. The chubby woman shuffled to the makeshift door and scribbled what seemed like two pages of notes on El's file.

"D...Dolores! Um, can you escort this little girl to the children's waiting room for her guardians?" the doctor said quickly as she exited the exam room with a dramatic flip of the curtain. "I...I have to get her blood and papers...to...filing..."

As soon as the doctor left, Dolores entered with a bright smile on her face. Maybe it was her happy-go-lucky demeanor that made Dolores not realize the heavy feeling in the room. She entered with almost a skip and stood in front of El.

"See! I knew you could be a big girl! And no tears either from that scary shot? You're brave enough to be a nurse someday like me! I wonder what was up with Dr. Milagros though...she could hardly speak," Dolores held out her hand to El. "Okay, let's get you to the waiting room. I suspect that you passed the health exam with flying colors! All that's left is waiting for your guardians exam and you all can finally make a new home here in Cosa Mesa."

Once El would hold Dolores's hand, the nurse would escort El out the giant room and down the hall to where the other passed children were waiting for their guardians. This large room had long, wooden benches that stretched from one side and all the way to the other to sit hundreds of children. It was painted a light bluish color with the chandeliers displaying green orb glasses so the room would be speckled with a soft green light. Along the walls were murals painted by the children of Cosa Mesa. Some were of the city itself, others were the harbor full of boats, and some were of the plains with the huts of the nomadic villages. Each section had a crowd of children all with smiling faces holding hands and pointing high into the sky to the banner that displayed the Saujarh and Baima's symbol.

Dolores sat El at a seat near the window near a group of small children sleeping in a small pile. Outside, it remained pitch dark with only the dull lights of the city illuminating the sky.

"You came with that strong man? He might take a bit for his exam since adults need a lot more looking over," she informed El. "It's almost the end of my job for the night. Let me sit with you for a bit so you won't be alone."

She smiled and sat next to El, taking off her cap and sighing loudly. Dolores stretched out her legs and wiped her forehead with her cap. Her eyes struggled to stay awake after a long night of taking care of children.

*
"You're very welcome. If you have anymore questions of the religion, do ask. I am always happy of sharing the belief and faith of Ihuicatl," Anselmo nodded his head to Kou and closed the book.

By now, the other scholars that sat with them were gone to attend to other things. None were nearly as informed as Anselmo on anything Ihuicatl and the creation of the world. The others were either scholars of various Saujarh aspects, from plant and animal life, geology and other land based studies, environmental factors, ancient farming, cooking and brewing techniques, ancient medicine, to more current aspects like the history of Cosa Mesa and trading. Many ignored learning of Ihuicatl for the simple fact rarely anyone asked of the Wind Arkosh.

Anselmo exhaled loudly as he struggled to not roll his eyes.

"Oh, that. That's just the depiction of all the Empresses throughout the generations. Everyone is taught that the Empress is all powerful, enough to even control all the Arkoshs. You will not see it here in Saujarh, but on the other countries the citizens pray to both their respected Arkosh and Empress Yemaya, our current empress," Anselmo explained. "She is a very forceful, wicked, and selfish woman with that little prince of hers."

Unable to hold it, Anselmo's eyes rolled hard, almost completely to the back of his head. He shook his hand in disgust at the talk of Empress Yemaya.

"I am a bit shocked you did not know that. That banner is displayed in every country's capital building. Where did you say you were from? Horizon? Is that a new city built on one of the countries?" Anselmo asked at the moment a booming cry shot through the administration room. The force was powerful enough to rattle everything in the room, almost knocking Anselmo out his chair. "What in the winds was that?"

With everyone rushing out the room, Anselmo and Kou could see an armored squadron rush through the hall and towards the men's examination room. The hallway towards it was blocked off with guards, only letting the foreign men and doctors rush out and to the safety of the main hall.

Inside one of the rooms that held the makeshift examination rooms, was Usar half undressed. His eyes were open and wide, piercing black as his fanged mouth hung low. He kept the both the Saujarh guards and the more tactical squadron at bay surrounding him, hissing and swiping at any who approached him.

He breathed raspy, thick drool dripping onto the floor, as he glared at every assigned nurse and doctor to him. One of the male nurses that led him to examinations, had a large, bloody claw mark deep across his face and down his chest. He seemed to be thrown across the room and landing on a cluttered of tables and chairs, knocked out by the impact.

Vega pushed his way through the guards and to the tactical squadron that raised their shields and swords to the enraged Usar. Vega angrily smoothed out his mustache out of habit before taking out his sword.

"I knew it. I knew there was something off about you and those others. What was Elder Elva thinking of partnering up with you?" Vega said in a calm, yet assertive voice. "What did I let into Cosa Mesa?"

The link between Usar and El pulsated madly as the beast roared at Vega.​
 
Oh finally, the plump irritable doctor left her alone. The white-haired girl made a big relieved sigh once she left the makeshift room. During the brief moment between Milagros's departure and Dolores' arrival, El covered the prickled spot with her left hand, subtly flowing a small amount of her powers to heal the tiny wound. She was in the middle of wearing back her white dress as Dolores entered, "...." the girl didn't answer the nurse at first mostly because her head was still hidden under the half-worn sundress and she was also curious to see Dolores' reactions. Pulling down the dress to fit through her head through the hole, El fixed her long hair as her eyes turned to the cheerful nurse, she didn't suspect anything... good. "Hehe, thanks..." She decided to not comment on the shot or the doctor, better to keep quiet about it.

"Just a moment, Miss." El donned on her purple coat, buttoning it up then put on her hat back She climbed down from the bed, wearing back her boots, she was ready. "Okay, let's go~" Who would be her guardians, she wondered, hopefully they'd be kind people. The child obediently took Dolores' hand and followed her, it was so much easier to follow Dolores' instructions than the grumpy Milagros. She entered the giant room with wooden benches, chandeliers, colorful murals, she had to admit, this room had a lot more relaxed atmosphere than the previous one, visible by the healthy children occupying the room, so... they were the ones who passed the test, huh? "...." El had the urge to play around with one of them, but decided against it. Thinking about the tired and suffering people from the large boats, it sparked a sense of responsibility in the girl, she wasn't here to play... she was here to save Saujarh and then, the whole world.

Sitting near the window by the sleeping children who were all younger than herself, El turned to gaze at the dark landscape outside. She loved the night... she felt at home most in the darkness and under the moon's gentle grace. "Yes, he is my guardian." Not exactly wrong really, Usar was the guardian of all Horizon and that included El as she was a citizen of Horizon. "I'm sure he will be fine." El smiled at Dolores, "....Hehe... go ahead and sleep, Miss Dolores... I will take care of you." Oh if only the kind nurse understood. Being somewhat nocturnal, El hugged her knees as she continued watching the night sky and city lights.

----

The Ice Faeries mostly kept to themselves in Horizon, especially during the bleak times where Arkosh Usar seemingly abandoned his people. They started to become active when Seer Ta'rinea received visions of the Luna Eidolon's rebirth about a decade ago. Kou would take any chance she got at learning more about history of the world outside Horizon.

Interesting, so the women were Empresses, who resided in Baima most likely. Supreme ruler, all-powerful, to the extent of reigning over the Arkoshs, they depicted her as if she's an omnipotent Goddess... which was false if Kou had anything to say about her. "I see." Yemaya was the reigning empress' name, quite unpopular in Saujarh by the looks of it and Kou could see why, the ice faerie would never worship such an ill ruler, so much different from the benevolent Queen Shiva. "I see... she must be one of the major reasons for the waves of migration... the people must've gotten tired of her poor leadership."

Moving on with the topic, from Empress to capital cities of each continent. "Yes, it is a small - compared to Saujarh - island just South of here, Sir Anselmo. It's-...!?" Before Kou could finish, an eerily familiar roar shook the room. "...*Sigh*" Unlike Anselmo, Kou new who it was, so this was how it's going to be, all of their hard work of enduring the gruelling procedure... snuffed out just like that, she knew what was happening even before she left Anselmo's table. "..." Shaking her head in frustration, Kou caught up with the guards to the men's examination room. "....By Queen Shiva, Arkosh Usar... just... why?" The Ice Faerie gritted her teeth, on the brink of losing her composure upon witnessing the sight of a berserking Arkosh. The single wounded person in the room was most likely his deed.

Sir Vega was here, they were all pointing their swords at the obviously hostile mythical beast, this was the definite moment where even Kou found herself at a loss, she just floated there, eyes cast to the ground, hands limp at her sides. Just because he couldn't keep his emotions in check... must they kill again, harm these innocent people they were supposed to protect?

----

The figure of a small child with extremely pale skin, snow white hair, and ruby red eyes could be seen dashing through the hall, stairs, and corridors of the immigration office. Her boots pattering against the floor as she made her way through nurses, doctors, guards, and officials with cat-like grace. A deep frown on her childish features. Guided by the pulsating link in her soul, the girl arrived at the men's examination room. "....Rrrrrgh..." Gritting her teeth in annoyance, "Usar... Usar!!" El pushed through the congregation of guards gathering around the man-beast, her ruby red eyes starting straight at the sight of her Arkosh, panting and rasping like some kind of a rabid dog.

"Don't touch me!!" She'd ignore any guards trying to stop here and just as with Dr. Milagros, they could feel the air grew heavier with her very presence. Usar's anger was affecting her and for a certain ice Faerie, the Eidolon's arrival made things even worse, but not surprising. Stepping close until she was directly in front of the Arkosh, El looked up at his giant form, "What did they do to you?" She looked over her shoulder towards the surrounding guards, her eyes gaining a dangerous glint, "Did they hurt you?" All gloves were off as the Eidolon's signature red aura brimmed from her body, snaking out at the air around her.

"El!! Usar!!" A female booming voice erupted in the room, gaining the attention of every individual inside the room., towards the only faerie there. "...." Kou was visibly trembling, hands shaking, her breath raspy, "P-please just... stop... I... we're here... we're here to bring peace, n-not... not this!!" Usar's little rampage finally melted Kou's cool-headedness. The Ice Faerie dared herself to flutter towards the most dangerous duo in the room, "...Please, for the sake of everyone, i-it's... sigh... it's too late now..." She closed her eyes, drooping her head, "I... I don't know what to do anymore..."
 
Usar widen his eyes, his shoulders falling into normal position and straightening his back. His gaping mouth closed slowly, eyes locking on Kou, noticing and listening to the frustration in her voice. A hand quickly wiped across his wet chin.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." Usar breathed, all the anger that was inside him suddenly escaping with his breath.

It was such a weird feeling for Usar to have. That feeling of disappointment that weighed down his body. While millions can say they were disappointed in Usar, including all the Arkoshs, having Kou be disappointed in him affected him to the core. Usar barely noticed El rushing into the room, her voice low as well, asking what the nurses did to him. He looked down at El with heavy eyes, his lower lip pouting just slightly.

"They...they touched me...here..." his clawed hand rested just below his navel, but stopped from reaching lower. "...no, I'm fine El...I'm sorry..."

Feeling the piercing glares of the soldiers in the room, especially from the sword-wielding Vega, Usar crouched to the tiled ground before sitting on his knees. He lowered his head, hair hiding his onyx eyes, and stared emptily down. It was such a difficult transition from being a nearly savage beast tied to a great woman, to a being what was half his original strength following a child without experience. Times since Usar's reign had changed drastically, from a time where everyone followed and worshiped him, to now, where he was forced to hide in a human form and let others do the work. To him, it was a bit degrading.

Vega approached closer, yet cautiously, with his sword pointed to Usar. His eyes narrowed at Usar as he tried his best to listen in to the conversations the trio was having. The rest of the guards and soldiers closed in around the three, hands resting on swords and other weapons, waiting for Vega's command. They all stumbled slightly at the sudden heaviness of the air in the room.

Seeing Usar sit and seemingly closing himself from the world, Vega stood beside Kou, biting his thin lip angrily.

"I don't what it is about you three...but I will not have Cosa Mesa in danger! In the laws of Cosa Mesa, I, Vega de Cruz, have the authority to banish you three from Cosa Mes..."

"Stop!" Anselmo gripped Vega's shoulder, interrupting the officer. His face was stone cold, serious, and intrigued by the situation at hand. Casually, his free hand slipped into the front pocket of his robe. "I have use of these three."

"What?" Vega began as Anselmo stepped passed El and stood in front of El.

He knelt down, his tilting his head slightly as he studied the young girl's red eyes. They squinted, his body shaking off the heavy air in the room. He knew somehow that El was the source of this change in the air, and that somehow this little girl had a special connection with the dangerous man sitting just beside her. She was such a little wonder to Anselmo, more to what she was appearing as at this moment. A small smile was shown on Anselmo's face. He looked up at the worrying Kou and gave her a small nod.

"Anselmo, what are you talking about? What "use" is for these three? They're...they're...I don't even know!" Vega tugged Anselmo up by the back of his robe, spinning the scholar to face him. "That man! Is that a man?! Did you see him earlier?! He turned into some sort of beast and flung a man clear across the room!"

"Exactly. Is he a man? What is he? Who is that child with him? Why are they with an ice faerie? There are so many unanswered questions. And, as a scholar, it is my duty to study, learn, and find the answers to those questions," Anselmo answered, turning his back to Vega to the trio in front of him.

"He is dangerous!" Vega argued, stepping just beside Anselmo and pointing his sword downward, just a few ways from the still Usar.

"That is why they will be under my watch," Anselmo dug into the pocket with his hand.

"...Anselmo...Anselmo don't you dare!" Vega's whole face turned into a shade of tomato red as he watched Anselmo slip out three long, gold strips of paper with a wax stamp of the Saujarh's symbol.

"These three..." one by one, Anselmo stuck the sticky side of the gold paper onto the foreheads of El, Usar and Kou. "...are now property of the Saujarh Scholar's Society. All decisions regarding these three will only be conducted by myself or those scholars higher than me."

Guards dropped their swords in utter shock. Nurses and doctors gave Anselmo nothing but stares of bewilderment. Vega was shaking with furious resentment, the knuckles on the hand gripping his sword turning white. Anyone could see the blood boiling in the veins on Vega's bald head, bulging and pulsing at what just happened. He shut his mouth tightly to prevent himself from spewing unkindly words to Anselmo, knowing no matter what he said, he was now powerless to banishing El, Usar, and Kou.

"This...this isn't the end Anselmo!" was all Vega could say as he stormed out the room with the guards and medical staff trailing after them.

Once everyone was clear of the room, Anselmo let out a sigh of relief. He twirled the bone piercing with his hand, grinning at how everything went down. It felt so satisfying, a scholar powering over a government official, seeing Vega run out like a defeated tomcat.

"I will say, whatever your plans are, you do not have too much time," Anselmo said to Kou. "Vega will try his damnedest to get the council to override my orders."
 
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The shift from raging man-beast berserker to a quivering child caught red-handed was so jarring, even Kou had to give a moment to take in everything and make sure it wasn't her mind playing tricks on herself. One moment, Usar was snarling, the next, he was pouting like an infant. "I have to remind myself that in the end, Usar was no human or faerie, he's an Arkosh, mythical beasts of legend." Kou sighed, as their guardian, she must use her cool head to find the best solution for this predicament, how to continue their mission and prevent needless deaths of Vega and the soldiers, they were the one at risk here, not the albino child and her Arkosh. She prepared her magic, if any of the soldiers dared to attack, she'd erect an ice barrier around them, blocking off access. For the moment, she was in deep thought, this may be her greatest challenge yet.

"....Usar?" Due to their linked souls, El felt the waves of disappointment washing over her, the white-haired girl slowly calmed down, bubbling anger replaced by regret. Her eyes followed his hand, blinking a few times to understand what Usar meant, "...Eh?" then it hit her, one of the staffs must have been checking down there. El didn't know exactly what kind of sexual organ males had, but she could assume it was also very private just like girls. "Uhm..." She didn't know what to say, true him refusing to be touched there was a valid reason, but Usar could've just said 'no' instead of rampaging around. Now that El knew why he went berserk, she found it hard to not share Kou's exasperation, Usar's horribly exaggerated reaction may have ruined everything. "...You should have refused, sigh... not be angry... remember the last time we were angry?"

Nevertheless, El was not going to let Vega or his ilk lay a finger on the Arkosh, the girl bravely stood between kneeling Usar and the soldiers. She displayed more courage facing against actual weapons than a small needle, she stared down elite Horizon guards, against the Wind Arkosh himself, it wouldn't be any different. "Don't you dare to hurt him..." Her long alabaster locks rose up as if she was underwater, body brimming with her signature crimson aura.

"El..." Kou's whispering voice rang in her left ear, the faerie already taking a spot on her shoulder, "Should we must fight, please just knock them out, don't kill, it will just make things worse." The fae had regained her composure by now.

"...Unh." The girl nodded, Kou was right, it was the best possible solution, render them unconscious then they could make their way out.

If only Vega could finish his ultimatum, Kou and El would gladly accept, that was what they wanted anyway, to leave Cosa Mesa with no unnecessary casualties. Things took an abrupt turn as Anselmo the Scholar made his voice heard, all attention went to him. "...?" El tilted her head, the malicious red tendrils pulsating from her vanished into thin air as the odd-looking man stepped between her and Vega. While the child was still wondering about what Anselmo's plans were, Kou already pulled a solid assumption, a small thankful smile curled at the corner of her lips. "El, stay calm, his name is Sir Anselmo, he's a friend, he can help us." The faerie informed in which El answered with two short nods.

Crimson eyes stared back at auburn irises. El slightly tensed, but soon relaxed, letting the scholar examined her face. A few seconds after he smiled, El returned it, feeling comforted by his presence, he was no enemy. Kou nodded back at him. Even the child knew it was better to let Anselmo handle everything so she kept her mouth shut. To be honest, it was hard to not snarl back at Vega when the official grabbed Anselmo's robe. El gulped with Kou still on her shoulder, patting the back of El's neck, calming her down.

Kou watched the commotion between the two and yes, she could empathize with Vega, it was his duty to keep Saujarh safe and from what Usar did, he proved himself to be nowhere safe. No matter how she looked at it, Usar was at fault in this case. For now, she was curious on what exactly would Anselmo do, she would find out in a short moment.

El watched in confusion when the scholar took out shiny golden papers from beneath his robe, her red eyes blinking with curiosity as he sticked the paper on her forehead, Usar and Kou too, though the latter was small enough for the paper's width to cover the entirety of her forehead. She didn't quite understand what Anselmo meant by 'property', but her closest guess was they were now under protection of his group, the Saujarh Scholar's Society.

Obviously, the decision was a rather unpopular one, evident by the utter lack of approval from both guards and medical personnels like, the scene was quite comedic really, if only it wasn't for the tension, Kou would be giggling right now, especially seeing Vega's face turning into a steaming tomato, the popping vein was a nice touch. The faerie looked down at El, and of course, the child was covering her mouth, her eyes twitching, obviously holding back laughters.

The stereotypical exclaim from a defeated party was Vega's last words before he stomped out of the room along with the others, leaving the quartet alone in the messy room. "Sigh..." A collective sigh of relief rang from El and Kou in tandem with Anselmo's. Vega's threat wasn't a mere bluff however, it was only a matter of time before he tried to get them kicked out again, time was of the essence. "Alright, Sir Anselmo, I shall be brief." Kou fluttered to Anselmo's shoulder, "He is Bel-Sarra-Usar, Arkosh of Sol and she is Ellie, Eidolon of Luna, and we are here to-..." thus, Kou explained the concept of the Primordial Arkosh and Eidolons as short and concise as she could, then moving on regarding the world's chaotic state and how it was all linked to to the Arkoshs, then their mission here in Saujarh.

While Kou was still explaining things to Anselmo, El turned around, approaching Usar. "Hey... hey, Usar." The small girl reached out with both of her hands, caressing Usar's cheeks, then she moved to sit herself on his lap sideways, "Hehe~ come on, don't be sad, I'm here now. We'll be alright." She nuzzled herself on his chest, sharing their warmth, "Someday, after this is all over, we can go home and... we can have fun everyday, together."
 
Unlike most who would question Kou's lesson on Bel-Sarra-Usar, the Eidolon, and their mission to save the world, Anselmo believed everything that was presented. It fell perfectly in line with his own studies of the unbalance of the world, of Saujarh, and of Ihuicatl. Of course, Anselmo had to make sure everything that was said was correct. As he looked over El and Usar, Anselmo was thinking of studies, experiments, and observations to further prove his points.

"I will be honored to help you however I can. Right now, let's get you three out of here and settled into my place. I am responsible for you all," he smiled softly. He walked over to El and Usar, kneeling down. "Do you like princesses? I have a princess room that'll be perfect for you."

Usar remained quiet, but wrapped his lengthy arm around El as she nuzzled. His eyes slowly peered from the ground to Anselmo, staring straight into the man's eyes. To Usar, Anselmo was a funny looking man and could sense that Anselmo's full faith was in Ihuicatl. A part of him didn't particularly like Anselmo based on that, but after what happened with the doctors, Usar decided to put his trust into Kou of the man.

*
El, Usar, Kou, and now their newest team member, Anselmo, rode a horse drawn carriage deep within the caverns of Cosa Mesa. They passed all the shops on the busy main street built within the granite walls as the morning sun poured through giant openings from above. Somehow, the scholars and scientists were able discover ways of growing plant life in the mostly semi-lit and damp cavern. Grass as tall as buildings were planted as decorations around the city mixed with desert bushes and flowering weeds. Workers pruned these plants in perfect shapes of squares, rectangles, and the occasional spheres.

The carriage drove over a stone bridge with a rushing river being directed by various aqueducts. The horse, a non-Saujarh type, huffed as the driver swatted it lightly with her riding crop, making the brown horse trot faster.​

As they continued down, the style of homes became to slowly change. What was once beautifully carved house fronts became simpler and simpler until they arrived in a district with homes of no front. Instead, blocks of granite only had a door with a carved home number beside it. Everything looked the same, each level of the homes with only staircases to get up to them and long hallways connecting each.

This neighborhood had people who looked liked Anselmo. People with piercings, tattoos, a darker complexion, short and a bit squat. Men and women seemed to be very fit with muscles being seen through clothes as people here preferred to do most things by hand. The area here was more spread out, the light very dim since there were less sky lights to bring in natural sun, and built in more of a maze than the newer sections of Cosa Mesa.

From cobblestones to smooth granite streets, the carriage stopped. Anselmo paid the driver while Usar got their chests, and escorted them through the bustling markets. They passed through open vendors selling everything from clothes to meats, essences and religious devices, with the smiling faces of the more indigenous people. Anselmo said his hellos in an ancient language, and turned them down a thin side street. He stopped at a door, took out his key, and with the help of strong hinges, pushed the large stone door open.

The inside of Anselmo's home was nothing compared to the lackluster outside appearance. As anyone can image a scholar living in, Anselmo's place was extravagant, comparable to a prince's. It was three stories high with bookshelves that climbed and spiraled all the way to the top. He lit each glass oil lantern, showcasing his collection of various artifacts from his travels.

"Please, treat it like your own home. Oh! Pombo! Stop, stop!" Anselmo pushed off a massive, brindle coat dog from climbing on top of him. "Go say hello to our guests."

As Anselmo hurried into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, Pombo greeted Kou with a wag of a tail, El with a lick on a cheek, and a glare at Usar. The dog's cropped ears stood up as the large dog investigated Usar, sniffing at him.

"Your rooms are upstairs on the second floor. You may choose whichever, but El may take my daughter's room if she likes," Anselmo called from the kitchen as he set a fire to the oven. "

Usar dropped the chests on the ground with a large thump. His eyes bounced around from one Ihuicatl inspired art to the other, but refrained from a hiss.
 


Back at the mysterious realm where the very fabrics of reality ebbed and flowed, on top of the stone throne rooted on the floating chunk of ruins, the white-haired woman opened the next page. "And thus..." She paused for a second, red eyes skimming over the paper where runes and letters constantly shifted on a whim, "Ah... it is... blurry, the future is uncertain..."

"Uncertain?" Seer Ta'rinea slightly widened her eyes, "Luna, I mean no disrespect, but... is there truly nothing more?" The ice faerie clasped her hands together, not expecting the answer.

"There is more." The Primordial Force of Chaos, personified, leaned back on her throne, "However, this knowledge is beyond what your mind can take, Faerie. A Seer you may be, but you are but a speck of dust in the universe." Luna slightly tilted her head, "You can not comprehend the inner workings of an uncertain future."

"....Luna..." Ta'rinea leaned forward, her icy eyes pleading, "Please, I am willing to sacrifice everything, mind, body, and soul if it's to save my people and the world."

"Admirable." A small amused chuckle echoed in the throne room, "Still, I am above and beyond the matters of mortals and immortals alike. This form I take, this realm you are in, are mere dreams. " Luna leaned forward once more, "What makes you think I am truly Luna? How can you be sure I am not just some apparition? Fabricated by your mind trying to make sense what is beyond comprehension." Before Ta'rinea could retort, Luna waved her hand, "Enough, our meeting is over. Take what I've told you however you like, it makes no difference either way, I will still be amused." then everything melted like a candle in heat...

---

"Ehehe~" El was quite comfortable being held in the Arkosh's large arm, she could just fall asleep there, but the child knew this was not the time or place for it. The albino turned her gaze at the tanned scholar who put the strange shiny paper on her forehead. "Princess?" El's eyes perked, "Like in the storybooks I read?" The grin curling at her lips was a good sign indeed, "I can be a princess? Sure!" She tugged at Usar's arm, "Come on, let's go with him!"

Kou held back a small giggle as she witnessed the exchange, musing over a peculiar matter of El being a noble. By blood, she was a noble alright, a High Priestess of Bel-Sarra-Usar, the equivalent of a Queen. She was more than a mere princess. Back to the matter at hand, Usar's unjustified rampage may have made things difficult for them, but fortunately, Anselmo was there. A pang of guilt struck at her heart, how wrong she was to think Anselmo was a possible enemy. After what he did, he deserved her trust... and more.

---

Moments later, the odd trio of albino little girl, human-formed Arkosh, and ice faerie embarked on another carriage, this time belonging to Anselmo. They went deeper into the cliffside city. Kou was busy with organizing her notes and preparing for their next moves after the abrupt turn of events while El was taking the mesmerizing sight of granite stone walls. The girl was rather bummed that the sun had risen, pouring its harsh rays down from the giant hole above. As Luna's Eidolon, El was more accustomed to the moon and darkness. However, she'd have to make do, the sights made it all worth it.

"Wow... Usar, look, look! Are those... grasses?" She quipped with excitement, pointing her right index finger at the towering vegetation, "They're so tall!! If those are grasses, I wonder how tall the trees are?!" They were obviously on purpose as people here and there could be seen trimming the plants. Up next, came the bridge built above a flowing river, "Wow..." El so wanted to jump out the carriage then launched herself off the bridge into the rushing waters below. Alas, she had no time to play, maybe later... "...Eh..." curbing down her own urge, El resorted back to examine the houses.

El didn't pay much attention to the change in architectures and inhabitants, she was too captivated by the carved homes made out of stone, not apartments inside a giant tower. "Oh! There's more of Anselmo's... people here." She looked left and right at the darker-skinned populace in this particular neighborhood. She giggled, waving her hand at the carriage passed by children around her age, they waved back at her in glee, the wonderful innocence of youth.

As the sun's reign became increasingly weaker deeper into the cavern, El found this pleasing. She happily jumped off the carriage as soon as it stopped, spinning once like a ballerina, "I want to see the princess room!" She practically jumped up and down, hurrying Anselmo up. She kept running a few steps ahead of the man before she had to stop, not knowing where to go next.

Kou took in the surroundings, from how the market was designed, the populace, and the snips of unknown ancient language spoken by the people here. She wrote it all in her journal, perching at Usar's shoulder so she could concentrate and not bump into objects. It seemed wherever Anselmo lived couldn't be reached by carriage, it became clear as they turned to a narrow street off the main one.

"Princess room, princess room!" The impatient child barely restrained herself from barging into Anselmo's home as soon as he opened the door. She went inside and then... "Woah..." The scholar wasn't lying alright, his dwelling was gorgeous, straight out of a storybook. Spacious, comfy, fancy, and "....oooh..." books! Real books! It had been some time since El got to visit a library since they left Horizon. At last, she was back at her most favorite place.

"Waaaaaaaah!" She almost darted towards the bookshelves, stopped only by the canine trotting towards her. "E-... eh?" El flinched, not because she disliked dogs, she'd love to hug one, but well... her experiences with dogs hadn't been good in general. The guard dogs in Horizon seemed to hate her guts, barking and growling every time she approached. Considering this, one could understand that her first response was tensed... at least, until the dog literally licked her while wagging his tail. "H... huh?" Safe to say, she was surprised, he... liked her? That was new. "O-oh... wow..." El raised one hand to touch her licked cheek, slowly taking in what just happened.

While El was dumbfounded, Kou took charge to diffuse the situation between Pombo and Usar. "There, there..." The Ice Faerie fluttered down from Usar's shoulder to float in front of Pombo so the canine focused on her instead. "It's okay, Usar here is our friend~" She floated to the dog's ear then rubbed it, "Who's a good boy~?" She also looked up at Usar, "He doesn't mean harm, Arkosh Usar, he's just protecting the home, cautious because you are so big and strong." If there was one thing Kou noticed, Usar loved praises to a degree, being a prideful Mythical Beast.

El was already exploring a bookshelf, forgetting about the 'princess room' at the moment. She pulled out a book she found interesting, then she heard Anselmo's voice, "...Daughter's room?" She asked curiously "So... I'll be sharing a room with your daughter? Can I be her friend?" El shouted back, "We can be princesses together!"
 
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