"Since when does saving people mean I have to be nice, eh? I saved your asses, you should be happy I bothered to even do that much," Taliya retorted with a grin as Amuné tried to berate her. Lucky for the child her temperament was more endearing than annoying otherwise she'd gag the Ydran and stuff her in the closet, out of sigh out of mind as it were. "I don't save people like you kids because I want to be some superhero, don't get the wrong idea. I'm doing it to fuck over the Church and keep them from getting more bodies to fight for them, that's all. I don't give a shit aside from that." If they joined her cause then she might care a bit more but right now they were just brats, simple strangers who she'd helped. The fact that anyone among them thought she owed them anything was hilarious and showed just how little they truly appreciated the situation.

After some explanation it appeared that the reality of their world was finally setting in. Even with her explaining matters though there was still plenty of confusion from everyone and Amuné was the first to voice such. She absolutely hated to have to repeat herself and she'd been as clear as she possibly could so why were there even questions anyways? 

"You really don't know shit do you girl? The Church is the reason people hate us, and the Church is the reason we're fighting against each other. If you haven't noticed the world is changing and the Church is selling us off as relics of the past. We're trying to keep the kingdom from growing or some bullshit like that and only the ones who swear loyalty to the Church can be trusted. Any Magi not with them is against them, and against the whole kingdom. And the King? He's a pawn, him and his whole family. Sure they're powerful but they're being held by the balls, they can't do shit. Hell I hear the King is even siding with them willingly and the rest of his family is being dragged along. No one knows what goes on in the palace, all we know is we sure as shit don't seem to have many friends there, in the palace or in the Church." Sure, probably not all of the people in either place were there enemy but Taliya had never seen any proof of that. Anyone from the Church she'd ever met had been an enemy, plain and simple. She only knew of one person from the palace, or the royal family for that matter, but they were an exception. It was easier to think of everyone as an enemy, better to be careful rather than take risks with so many lives in her hands.

So what was he supposed to do now? If Cedric really was dead then he had no reason to keep traveling, did he? Plus even trying to accomplish his goal now... Whatever it might be, it was tantamount to suicide wasn't it? What about Nymira's goal? Or Amuné, or even whatever Asta wanted to accomplish? If Magi were being attacked so harshly then maybe they should just all go home. There was no positive spin on the news he'd just been told, no degree of optimism that would make any of what they had learned be okay. His body shook with a sob as he tried desperately to bring himself down and not scare Amuné any more, or give Taliya any reason to hit him again. Closing his eyes and wiping at them fervently with his hands before dropping them in his lap when Amuné tugged on his shirt. She then tugged on his heart strings, asking questions that he had so desperately hoped she'd never ask. After learning about Cedric what was he supposed to say to her? The girl's face pleaded for some reassurance but he couldn't lie to her, not now. 

"I do-don't know Amuné, I'm sorry..." Ethan said, his voice breaking when Amuné hid herself in his chest and buried her face into his shirt. With a trembling lip he wrapped his arms around the Ydran girl and slumped down once more, fighting back tears and trying instead to focus on consoling his young companion. There was just a good a chance of her parents being dead as there was alive now, perhaps even greater. At least before not knowing how bad things were he could ignorantly say the Church wouldn't do anything but now he wasn't so sure. 

"Your story has been told before kids, probably a few hundred times at least. You think you're the first ones to ever lose someone to the Church?" Taliya asked with a roll of her eyes. Lifting herself from the crate she brushed it aside with her foot before going over to a shelf and taking from it a tattered shirt, bound with twine. "People die all the time because of them, whether they're guilty of anything or not. That's why we're fighting them. Those bastards think they're in charge and they decide who lives and who dies but we say that's a load of shit, everyone's life is their own. No one can force you to fight and we're going to remind them what happens when they try." Sooner or later, they needed more people and more strength before they could even begin to consider going on the offensive. Public opinion of the Church would have to change too somehow, they would need more than just fighters to help them win. It was a lot more tactical than what Taliya was used to but that's what she had other people here for too, to help plan out the best way to handle this fight of theirs.

"If you don't want to end up like them then you could join us and fight. Make their deaths mean something instead of just hiding like a fucking rodent," Taliya continued, clearing her throat as she tried to make Ethan and Amuné stop crying. Slamming her foot on the ground and cracking the foundation beneath them slightly she waited for silence before continuing. "Or you can just go home after this and live like nothing happened, and die in shame knowing you didn't do anything. I'm not forcing you to do anything but I think its obvious what you should do now. Think on it kids, whether you want to be useful or not. In the meantime go get some food and get cleaned up, you all smell like shit and it's giving me a headache. Kensen?" she added with a look to the Dimuran, "Help them find the mess hall, then you're relieved of duty for the day. Good work today." 

So that was what Taliya was playing at then was it? Trying to spark a fire inside of them and use their emotions to spur them into action? Well she was certainly a leader if she could make people act on emotion so easily, it wasn't dissimilar to what many Dimuran commanders did. But unlike most commanders Nymira found she couldn't be wholly certain of what it was Taliya was after. She sounded like she wanted to bring down the Church and regardless of whether it was possible or not what happened next? If you took something from power then something else had to fill that void, that was just how it worked. When the Rumia clan took another clan into itself their ruling class was removed and Rumia's took its place, sometimes even including some of the former ruling clansmen to appease the new members. If the Church were to fall though what would take its place? Or rather, who would take its place? 

All of that aside Nymira didn't see herself ever joining someone else's fight. She was already spending too much time trying to aid the others and she only did so because their goals may help with her own. But with this Cedric dead, and possibly even Amuné's parents what reason was there for her to continue? It was a lot to think on and she'd no doubt have a restless night despite the fatigue that plagued her. Hearing their dismissal she gave Ethan and Amuné another glance before sighing beneath her breath and moving for the door herself, waiting for them to collect themselves. Only once they were all together again and outside of the room did she speak, and bluntly at that.

"Loss is a fact of life, you both need to accept that," Nymira spoke as Kensen joined them, "The worst thing you can do for someone who has died is nothing. Doing nothing is an insult to their memory." Its why warriors fought on even when their brothers and sisters died on the battlefield. Its why chieftains continued to lead their people even when war ravaged their country, or why commanders forged ahead despite so many lives on their shoulders. It was why she too continued, because giving up now even with the threat of the Church would mean her people had died for nothing to help her get out this far. Not only was there no honor in turning back but she'd doom the Rumia clan, and potentially Dimurans everywhere. Her own goal wasn't in question here, but the others she couldn't be so certain.

"I know that..." A pitiful reply but all Ethan could muster right now as his throat felt raw from crying. He knew he had to do [i]something[/i] now, that going back to Kinsgrove wouldn't cut it. He just didn't know what that something was. Could he really fight the Church? He hated fighting, he hated the idea of taking lives, and yet if he were to fight the Church he'd clearly have to do both. Today though had proved what inaction would do though and it'd always serve as a reminder of how his silly ideals put other people in danger. If they'd killed the Varuna before Cecil wouldn't have had to risk himself like that, or none of them would be in the state they were in. Then again if they had killed the Varuna what might the Church have done? The very thought sent a chill down his spine and his grasp on Amuné tightened slightly as he considered it. As if they needed more reason to come after him and his friends.