Tidal Florette - A Painted Soul I

Favian - 60

Hayate has sat in silence watching over the city for the past hour. Not only have their eyes kept glowing, their hair has started pulsing with a warm teal light. Favian walks over to Raelyn, who has been quietly waiting for orders. "Thank you..."

"For what?"

"For saving us! We really only had a couple more seconds and—"

"You shouldn't have, I never should have left you..." His eyes glaze as he stares over at Hayate.

"Well... If I wasn't so useless... you could have trusted me with them..."

"What are you talking about?"

Favian sits down next to him. "I'm not like you, or Yumi, or Sapha, or your guards... I bet even their highness can hold their own better than me."

Raelyn looks over at Favian leaning on his hands. "There's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't make you useless."

"Doesn't it though? In this world? You know that warden punched me over an hour ago and it's still killing me?"

"So you don't fight. Tons of people don't fight."

"What other use am I?"

"Favian what is this? You've always seemed so positive and motivated since you walked into the palace. A little nervous, maybe, but who wouldn't be asking the realm's ruler for help?"

"Can you teach me to fight?"

He chuckles. "Are you serious?"

"If you didn't show up we would have died. Who knows what's going to happen after today? I know how to work people through their problems. But if their problem is wanting their fist to meet my face?"

Raelyn smirks. "Alright, alright... We'll figure out something, okay? Not tonight though."

Favian is relieved, just knowing he has a chance to learn to protect himself. "Of course... should we check on them?"

"No... when they're that deep in their insight they wouldn't hear us anyway."

Urso quietly approaches. "Sir, it seems the last of them have re-entered the city. Should we return to the palace?"

Hayate turns. "We're not going back."

Elio gasps. "Your highness?"

"Please, don't call me that... First of all, you'll be happy to know Yumi and Saphaberea are alive."

They survived against that gigantic thing?! How the hell...

"Second, as I said... I'd appreciate it if you stopped referring to me as the empress. My rule is over, we can no longer return to the capital, we're leaving in the morning."

Favian stands. "Where will we go?"

"We're going to help you find a telepath."

"We have one! She's right there in the capital right now!"

They shake their head. "Her telepathic power is consumed in a bond with Saphaberea. We can't ask her to sentence someone to death for our cause... let alone someone she loves."

Favian remembers before the evacuation Yumi started telling him she couldn't help, but he'd assumed she was just anxious from the pressure. So... we're back to finding someone with that kind of telepathy that can help.... "I think I know who we need... But I don't know why they would help."

They all wait for him to elaborate. "Back home, in the subterranean cities, our ruler... Calixta."

Raelyn is confused. "Why didn't you go to her? You risked traveling all this way."

"She is... not known for compassion. Not only would she have refused something that would help mortalfolk... She would have killed me for suggesting it. My parents keeping me there was barely tolerated."

Hayate ruminates on it for a moment. "We'll go to her. If our goal is to help the moonlit then we need to know them."

Elio whispers to Urso. "We're... going to the moonlit cities?"

Urso growls back. "Hush, we'll go where they want."

Hayate straightens up. "We'll discuss that further in the morning. There's something else I need to say." They walk up to Raelyn and take his hand, pulling him up on his feet. "My name... it's not Hayate... My mother helped me pick that and it never felt right to me."

Raelyn smiles gently and gives a proud little nod.

Touching his face, she smiles. "I am Arumei, and I am proud to be feminine Okami... My mother thrived in their genderless identity, and I might not be entirely a woman... But I'd like to stop hiding the real me."

Raelyn holds up his hand and a crown of flowers made from sand forms in his hand and he places it on Arumei's head. "An empress no more, but you still have our hearts, we're loyal to you Lady Arumei."

Favian gives a slight bow. "Whatever I can offer."

Elio and Urso raise their spears with a joyous shout.

Arumei looks back to the city once again. "We will return... And with us we'll bring a new peace."

Favian follows their gaze and sees the capital slowly coming alive again. "What about Yumi and Sapha?"

"Our new reapers will find their own way."

Raelyn laughs. "Atta'girl Yumi! Wait... You gave Sapha your blessing as well? When did that happen?"

She chuckles. "That was just a formality darling. Don't worry, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them. Koizumi might not be able to help us with the moonlit cure..." They smile. "Any girl that beats a god could only be getting started."