The Whisper of the Nightingale

Chapter 61: Meeting Again

While Raven and Hoatzin went over what they had experienced during the Day of Light, Javelin trekked through the knee-deep snow that covered every nook and cranny of the winter-white Sky City. At a steady pace he made his way towards the city's center, but contrary to his walking, Javelin's mind was far from steady.

As he walked, Javelin thought back on the conversations he had just had with Raven - his shockingly female roommate - and couldn't help but grow confused. As far as he could tell, Raven had been honest with him about her past. She had perhaps withheld some information here and there, but that gut-feeling - the one that had been helping him spot Raven's lies as of late - didn't stir more than once or twice.

'Then she can't be the same Raven. . . .' he thought, 'their childhoods don't match.' However, as he thought this, Javelin felt that very same gut-feeling warning him that something was wrong with his conclusions. 'If they are not the same person, then why do I keep seeing . . .' he couldn't make himself finish the thought.

Javelin continued his silent walk, opting to take the longer path rather than heading straight for the nearest transporter outpost. After nearly an hour of walking and then flying, Javelin finally arrived at the Sea Empire's embassy - one of the few businesses located on the Mansion Tier - but his thoughts were still a mess.

He sighed; Javelin could understand why Raven would want to keep her gender a secret. He himself had been betrothed to a promising spiritualist girl since before he could remember, and even without his heart yearning for someone already dead, Javelin would not hesitate to break off the engagement if opportunity arose.

'Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part. . . .'

Ironically, this Raven was perhaps unique enough for even his strictly traditional father to agree to backing out of the arrangement with his fiancée's family. At least if it had been any other family. . . .

It took another two days for Raven to fully stabilize her core, but even then her muscles still felt sore - stronger than ever, but very sore. Nonetheless, her cultivation had kept improving, solidifying her as a high Spirit Adept. Over these two days Raven had also tried to figure out what had changed within her soul prism - she was certain something was different but no matter how hard she looked, Raven couldn't pinpoint what had changed.

While Raven recuperated, Hoatzin had refused to leave her side, no matter how hard she insisted that they needed to look into what the Talon's were up to. "Not until you are better," he would repeat resolutely every time the subject was raised.

Meanwhile, Javelin had returned to the house several times, but he would always stop about a hundred meters away, pace back and forth a few times and then leave. Raven found this behavior a bit amusing at first but after a while she started to wish that Javelin would find the courage to simply ask whatever it was that he had on his mind.

"He's come again," noted Hoatzin out off nowhere.

"I know," sighed Raven. She wondered briefly if she should go out and confront the boy, when her thoughts suddenly froze. Raven stared at her brother. He sat nestled deep within the fibers of a fluffy carpet in front of the living room's open fireplace - there was no window nearby that could possibly allow Hoatzin a view of the street outside. "Brother, how come you know that Javelin has returned?"

Hoatzin didn't look away from the flames as he lazily answered, "who else would be walking back and forth at that same spot in the middle of the day? Everyone else is at home with their families."

Raven raised a surprised eyebrow but said nothing. As if sensing his sister's gaze, Hoatzin lifted his still white feathered head. "What?"