Kire listened in quiet awe to Envy’s story about how he had found shelter in Ziad and grew it into a tight-knit community of orphans living in an underground city. That was astounding to her; that would have taken a lot of time, labor, and love. Having met Envy, she now understood just how deep a well of kindness he had. [i]And why Ruli seemed like a son to him. So is this Zeke.[/i] Kire frowned when Envy told her what it took for the former residents of Ziad to trust the presence of a Kartaian here; like Envy, she understood the reasoning behind it, but was nevertheless bothered. What if a refugee decided that Zeke’s word on the matter wasn’t enough, and tried to take out their anger and frustration at him? 

As he went on to tell her more about Zeke and what he had suffered during the fall of Ziad, Kire’s mind went elsewhere. [i]Ed…[/i] She imagined this Zeke in his prime as captain, and thought of how Ed had been like an older brother to her and the cousins, too, even as the burden of keeping the crown and the Capital safe fell on his shoulders just as much as hers. [i]And now I’ve lost him, and Earnest, too.[/i] What she would give to have Ed and his brother with them, alive, even if they hated her to the very depths of their soul. “At least you still have him,” she murmured. 

Envy’s question, however. [i]How much to say?[/i] Kire felt it was only fair that she let them into her confidence after they had allowed her into their refuge. But it wasn’t just a matter of trust. Would they even be able to believe her? “I’m not from anywhere near here. Or anywhere far from here, for that matter.” She hummed in thought again. “I come from a place called Amria. You can’t get to it by any means of travel you might have. Not even that other means where you walk in shadows. I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I’ve never seen an elf, any elf, before coming to Ziad, much less knew they existed. There are no elves in Amria. At the moment, the only people who are able to do so are myself and Ikegai.” 

She rubbed her nape. “I have family back home, yes. Me and my cousins. We were orphaned by a cataclysm. And then, six months ago I lost two more when our city was overrun by our enemies and we were driven out. My oldest cousin, he had been Captain, too. In another life, maybe he and Zekiel would have gotten along.” She smiled a little at the thought, though it faded quickly.