Illumin0sity

Journey to the East

“It’s not a secret,” he assured her softly. “I appreciate you saying you wouldn’t say anything though. I don’t think Aimee will say anything either, we’ll just wait until my father gets home, that way my mother can’t fret too long, alright?”

Noah’s head tilted slightly at Elann’s smirk. He wondered if or why she found humor in him calling her ‘small’. He nodded at her whisper seeking confirmation. “Yes, small,” he said again, keeping to Fratava. She questioned him, asking if he liked that she was small. His hands continued to rove, going further down her thigh until his palm was against the skin of her thigh, where it paused for him to answer.

Noah looked down over her in front of him, eyes glossing over her bosom to her abdomen beneath. It was done in long consideration, the pause between them caused by his silence on the matter. Looking back at her, he nodded again. “Yes, I do,” he voiced to cement it. She replied with another question as to why he liked her being small.

“I’m not sure…” he trailed initially, drawing quiet to look at his hand on her thigh. He made it go back up the path it made coming down, bunching up the fabric as his palm stayed in contact with her skin. “It’s cute to me, I think.” He looked at her, a question in his brow as he was uncertain for the choice of word for a moment. “Yes, it’s cute to me. I like how your hands feel in mine when I hold them. It feels nice when we hold one another when we sleep, you fit into me. It’s like when we hug, you fit.”

The Kelvic was speaking quietly, perhaps awkwardly slow as he thought on his words carefully, wanting to say them correctly, say them so they meant a great deal to him as they were said.

“I mean, it wouldn’t matter if you were big either. I like you small though,” he said looking at her again. “It’s cute, you’re cute to me.” Noah showed her a little uncertain smile, a small spreading of his lips to say he was done, but he also wasn’t sure if it was enough.

Journey to the East

Elann spoke up, making Noah open his eyes to the world and the ceiling above him. At her bringing up the wound his hand went over to the edge of the closed cuts on his side, feeling around them. He had already considered it, knowing they would be a big deal to his mother. He peered at Elann from his prone position as she invaded his space, straddling over his lap before her hands were felt on his skin. The invasion wasn’t unwelcome, Noah sitting up slightly, propping himself up with his hands placed behind him on the bed.

“I know. Don’t bring it up,” he told her. “My mother will make a fuss about it. Besides, she’ll be happier that I’m here and breathing than wanting to imagine me in danger. My father won’t care too much, he has a lot of scars and, to him, it just means I’ve grown up and gotten into a danger I had to survive. It’s… honorable to him because he spent longer in the wild than anyone before he met my mum.”

Noah left it at that, though the topic was open for Elann’s pursual. He wasn’t dismissive in her words or scolding for her bringing it up. He sat up further, resting his hands on Elann’s waist. They didn’t reside there for long, going to run up her sides and around the small of her back gently atop the fabric of her dress.

“You’re so small,” he whispered in Fratava, looking down as the hand at her side moved around her front, holding his palm over her tummy flatly. His gaze flicked back up to her, the hand on her back rounding over bottom and onto her thigh.

Journey to the East

Elann was the first to move towards the door, Noah would have sought to close it as well, wishing the same as Elann. He set down the dented marble in his hand as the latch sounded, looking over his shoulder to see where Elann was going afterwards. The chest’s latch sounded soonafter, and after it was opened Elann rummaged through. Finding what she was searching for. The two seemed to swap spots, or atleast Noah was giving up his post by the dresser in favor for Elann to use the standing mirror off to the side. Noah moved to the bed, sitting on the edge of it nearest Elann so he could watch her movements in the mirror. He’d always found her plucking and grooming curious, but something in him did enjoy it, even if it may have been a dull and mundane sight to others. It may have been a boring sight to see for him as well if it wasn’t for Elann being his bondmate.

While she was still shaping her features Noah rose up, moving back over to her. He leaned over on the dresser and looked between her real self and the reflection in the mirror. His head rested in one of his hands while the other began to reach for the loose fabric of Elann’s dress, more notably the skirt, and he just held it between his fingertips as he observed her. Noah let her put away her things without protest, deciding to move back to the bed as she went back to the chest. He figured he would have to change eventually in order to keep up a form of appearance for his family’s dinner celebrating him and Aimee’s return and Elann’s arrival, but right now wasn’t that time, so he sat on the edge of the bed and stripped off his shirt. He left it to rest at the foot of the bed before lying back, his feet still planted on the ground but his back resting on the overly comfortable bed.

One of his hands came to toy with the curls in his head while the other resided over his bare chest, the palm smoothing over the skin of his upper torso and abdomen. He was feeling leagues better than he had in the last few days of travel, his illness getting progressively better so all that remained was residual weakness that struck in weak bouts and his wounds weren’t bothering him, mostly being ignored at this point by him.

Journey to the East

In reply to Elann’s comments all Ryon did was scoff non-seriously, waving his hand at her dismissively before he walked off towards one of the other rooms. It was easily seen he was the most charismatic of all Noah’s siblings, having been the one exposed to the society of Zeltiva longer than anyone else.

Upstairs, Noah hummed and nodded at Elann asking to see his old room. He wanted to show her anyway, and even if he hadn’t said anything, he was sure one of his family members may have brought it up. He figured, if anyone, it would be Aimee seeing as she managed to encourage much of what happened so far, subtly or not. They were also back in their home, meaning Aimee would feel even more comfortable with poking and prodding.

Isabella hummed a quiet laugh to Elann’s poking, standing up and watching from the bed as Elann looked towards the window on the far side of the room. The curtains were undrawn, a pale tawny color obscuring the window and preventing the outside from flooding in. While Elann went to the window, Noah went snooping, pulling open his older brother’s dresser drawers one by one and looking over them without touching. A few he pulled were entirely empty, meaning his brother took a majority of his clothing on his most recent trip to Mura. No one knew when he would be back, or even if he was in Mura already seeing it was far north of where they were now in Zeltiva.

“I’ll let you two get settled,” Isabella said quietly. “I’m going to start preparing dinner. Viktor should be home soon enough then we’ll get a nice meal in you. Ryon’s going to be my helper tonight so you two can stay up here if you wish until dinner’s done. Maybe take a nap?” She shrugged.

“Okay, momma,” Noah said in the same quiet tone, pushing in one of the drawers before looking up, watching his mother pull the door closed to just a crack. He listened for her footsteps, delicately sounding before they ushered no more.

With his mother gone, Noah went back to messing with the collected trinkets atop Donavan’s dresser. They, like Noah’s collected baubles, served no true purpose and while there was a fair few on the dresser - since it had the most surface area - there were several more littered about the room, on the nightstands and even necklaces hanging from the candelabra. This collection was more extensive than Noah’s own, but the feeling that it all wasn’t there was present. It was likely Donavan took some with him before he left.

Journey to the East

The Benshira would find no lack of warmth in the Amuel Household. All members ran at a high temperature, and there surrounded by four hot blooded Kelvics would eventually get to Elann’s easily chilled bones. When she backed up, returning to Noah, he put his hand on the small of her back, resting it idly as his eyes went about his home’s hall, taking in things that may have changed while he was away. Most of all, he was keeping himself keen on Ryon’s movements pertaining to his wife, the sense of territorial protectiveness instilled in him in that moment because Elann was all he could call his for a while.

“She’s talked about your personality, your kind and charitableness, and she’s talked about your looks, how you worship Yahal and are from Eyktol, only just coming to Syliras last summer and now you’re here,” he answered in kind. “Though, I don’t know why you wouldn’t come to Zeltiva earlier.” He showed her a smile to communicate he was joking.

Isabella tore away from the group as the laborers’ boots sounded on the floor again, this time carrying Elann and Noah’s trunk. She waved them to follow her, taking to the stairs on the far side of the room and going up them to disappear with the trunk carriers.

“I’m glad you’re finally here,” Ryon said, turning towards one of the archways opening up into the hall. “Momma said she wasn’t making dinner until you all came, so now that you’re here we can finally eat.”

“And here I was thinking you’d say something endearing,” Aimee piped up, trailing away from Noah towards the stairs as well. “I’m going to change before they bring my trunk in. Noah, why don’t you show Elann to Donavan’s room?” She didn’t wait for an answer, the question being mostly rhetorical but asked expectantly.

Noah ended up nodding anyway, reaching for Elann’s hand in order to take her towards the stairs everyone was going up. Aimee had run up them, hiking her dress up before her bare feet sounded on the wooden floor above, eventually fading away entirely. Noah led Elann up the stairs carefully. While the second floor was darker, candles were still lit and held in holders mounted into the walls. Many of the doors were closed, but each closed door was a room belonging to one of the siblings. As they rounded the stairs, Noah nodded to the second staircase above their heads.

“My old room is up there,” he told her, continuing on down the hall until he got to his older brother’s open bedroom door.

The laborers were setting down him and Elann’s trunk off to the side. The interior was lit by a lantern sitting atop a dresser and a multi-faceted candelabra sitting in the corner of the room. Other than the dresser, there was a wardrobe, a desk and chair, two nightstands on either side of the freshly made bed. Each piece of furniture was simple yet well-made and maintained. Noah stepped inside then moved to the side of the doorway in order to make way for the laborers as they went to leave. Isabella remained inside, smoothing over the bedlinens with her palms.

Journey to the East

Noah hummed in agreement with Elann’s nearly sadly spoken words. His father was a hard worker, and it was usually about this time of year that he worked two jobs, one at night and one in the day. It was one of the reasons why his mother didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to. As it were, both of the Kelvics were used to doing some form of activity in their youths, and since their lives were only just reaching middle age, they continued to work. Noah didn’t know if his father took the day off in anticipation of his two children and now child by law, Noah couldn’t speak with confidence.

After Aimee made her way for the house’s front porch and signaled the laborers that this was where they were to unload the family trunks, Noah found his way down, watching as Elann drifted towards the back to lend aid only to be turned away kindly. He waited for her to rejoin him and when she did then he led her onto the raised lawn and down the few rocks laid down to act as a pathway to the steps leading up to the front porch. The door had yet to be answered when him and Elann got there so Aimee knocked one more time.

A muffled shout was heard from behind the door coming from a voice shades deeper than Noah’s. It was clear only Aimee could discern what was shouted from the depth of the house behind the thick door. Whatever she heard made her click her tongue in annoyance and roll her eyes. She set her sights on Elann and showed her a soft smile, partly in reassurance but also warning. The door’s lock sounded and then it was tugged inward. On the opposite side, draped in simple clothes and shaded by orange firelight emitted from the candles lit inside and the lantern lit outside, was a man an inch or so taller than Noah with a small mane of dark wavy brown hair. On his face was groomed hair, covering the sculpted features of his jawline. His eyes were just as pale and hard as Noah’s, not retaining the softness that Aimee’s and Isabella’s had.

“Oh, it’s you,” the man said in a dry way, turning to yell into the home, “Ma, the homeless are bothering us again.”

Again, Aimee rolled her eyes stepping into the doorway and gave a harsh shoulder-check to the taller man. In reply he opened the door wider allowing Noah and Elann through, but not before squinting his eyes at the eagle in a searching way. The same eyes went over Elann as well. The looks gave Noah momentary pause before he continued without much of a word to the other male.

Stepping inside, Isabella’s voice could be heard softly cooing to Aimee. Noah’s shoed feet sounded aloud on the wooden floor as he passed through the first small room of the house, a place where people took off their shoes and hung up their coats before passing into the hall where Aimee and Isabella were. Noah turned and started to kick off his shoes, setting them up neatly where several other pair resided in a nice order. He silently instructed Elann to do the same before taking her through the large archway which led to an open room with very little furniture. There was a large rug in the center and on the back wall was a grand and roaring fireplace. There were no cooking utensils inside so it could be assumed that it was used to warm the house and the rug on the floor would be easily discernable as Benshiran.

Isabella laid her cyan eyes, twinkling and golden in the firelight, on Elann and Noah as they came through the archway, their now shoeless feet treading over wooden floor or rug. She drifted towards them, she herself was dressed in a simple dress of dark colors. Though her expressions were soft it was clear she was elated, and upon seeing his mother, Noah was happy as well. He let go of Elann’s hand in order to hug his mother in return, bending slightly to accommodate for the height difference. After their hug ended Isabella’s eyes went to Elann and she gave her a brief look of examination, taking in the white dress and sheerness of it in some places.

“It’s so good to see you again, dear,” she said to the Benshira, opening her arms to take in the shorter woman. After hugging Elann she pulled back and held the Benshira by her shoulders, showing a larger smile in welcome. “You’d think thirty days of travel would dampen your looks but somehow yours haven’t.” It was then the she-eagle noticed Elann’s darkened hair, a tilt of Isabella’s head came as she took in the color. There was a raise of her brows to say she was interested in the color change but she didn’t comment, the thudding of the laborers’ feet on the hardwood floors drawing her attention away from Elann and Noah.

She parted from Elann, drifting gently past her before she started giving kind orders to the laborers moving one of the trunks. The man who opened the door initially stood in the archway behind the laborers as they went to execute Isabella’s commands. His eyes were roving, looking over the standing Noah and Elann nearby. Aimee came up behind Noah, bringing her hands softly around his waist in a sideways hug.

“Ryon,” Isabella’s voice came again. The man’s head perked, turning in the direction of his mother. She waved to beckon him over to her as she walked towards Elann and Noah once more. Her hand gestured to the Benshira, “This is Elann, Noah’s wife and bondmate.”

Ryon roamed over quietly. It was clear while Noah and him shared many similarities, like the darkness of their hair, the height, pale skin, and seemingly anger harboring eyes, there were differences as well; Ryon was a tad stockier than his thinner brother and his hair was wavy compared to the curliness of Noah’s.

Coming to Elann, Ryon extended his hand to shake Elann’s, and upon her taking it, he leaned in and put his canine’s nose to work, sniffing over the top of the Benshira’s head. Holding Elann’s hand captive, he continued his upclose examination, bringing his face closer to Elann’s as he continued to take in the woman’s scent and various smells, eventually separating what she naturally smelled like from what the days’ long travel managed to attempt to hide. After a chime he pulled back, releasing Elann’s hand and taking a step back out of her space.

“Nice to finally meet you, Elann,” his voice came. “You’ve become quite a celebrity in our house thanks to my mother.” He showed her a soft and would be charming smile, a slight cant of his head coming to cement the genuine welcoming.

Journey to the East

Elann spoke her thanks, causing Noah to drop his light hold on her dress and rest his hand over her thigh instead. She was not alone in wishing they could be alone, but he was patient in that regard, knowing it would happen later in the night. For now, he braced himself to go through the initial meeting and introduction to those members of his family present in the home. He was prepared to be up for a while that night, figuring a nice supper would be made once they arrived if it hadn’t been started already. After all, him and his mother weren’t the only avians in their family, they could’ve been scouted out already.

“My mother will be,” he answered Elann. “I don’t know about my father, I’m not sure if he works late or not, or even if he does the same work he did before I left.” The answer was truthful. He didn’t think his mother would work so late, not if his father had his way.

While only a short amount of time passed Aimee was already returning from the office, papers in her hand. She strolled up behind the couple, rounding the trunk they sat on to appear in front of them. She waved the papers slightly to indicate she was done, at least for the moment.

“Our cart should be here in a little bit,” she informed, letting her hands play with the edges of the paper she now held at her center. “That was exhausting, I’m just glad they had more staff than usual, otherwise I may have been in there a while longer.” She turned around, facing the fountain then held her arms out as if embracing the city. A longing sigh came from her before she turned to face the couple again, a tired smile on her face but light in her pale eyes.

“I’m so glad we’re here,” she chimed. “Though, I want to get home as fast as possible. It’s going to take me a little bit to get used to all the sounds and smells again.”

True to Aimee’s word, the single oxen drawn cart tumbled into view, a single driver and two laborers hanging out of the back, of who jumped down when the cart came to a stop in front of the couple and Aimee. Noah stood up, moving a little more to the side so the laborers could haul the three trunks into the back of the wagon. After Noah was helped into the long seat with the driver, Aimee came in after Elann then directed the driver to where he had to go, navigating the city and spouting off an address and landmarks with relative ease.

Deeper into the city the wagon went, eventually breaking past a bank of buildings in order to reveal a boardwalk and then the beach. Further out was the view of the bay and the deep blue waters that lapped at the pale golden beach shore with each ebb and flow. On the boardwalk were a fair few people, many either going to their homes, places of business for the night, or just going to places of entertainment. They stayed on the road parallel to the boardwalk for a time before turning left and drifting some small ways into the city before Aimee asked the driver to halt.

Two large homes flanked either side of the road, but one had a lantern lit out from while the other didn’t. Aimee hopped on down from the driver’s seat and stepped onto the raised lawn. She waved for Elann and Noah to come down then looked to the laborers and beckoned them to bring their trunks into the house. She crossed over onto the pathway leading to the house then went up a few stairs onto the porch. This house was the one with the lit lantern hanging on the side of the door, a door Aimee rapped on with her knuckles rather loudly.

Journey to the East

Elann encouraged more patience on his part. Though he felt he had been patient enough, waiting around thirty days to get here and incurring sickness and injury amongst those days, he complied and ceased his whining, letting her cooing and soft rubbing on his arms wrapped around her front console him for a while longer. They were in the city now and his family’s home wasn’t all too far away, just several chimes cart ride away. He would enjoy being there with her as she requested, snuggling up into her all the more to show as much. He saw her sights go towards the fountain in the center of the square and wondered what was on her mind when she saw it.

Though the darkness was growing, the streetlamps were beginning to be lit, giving the city a warm glow of torchlight mingling with the lasting pale rays of Syna as she began to disappear in favor for her lover Leth to light up the night with his entourage of stars. Still, as she believed, the fountain’s beauty could not be truly appreciated in the dim light. They would have to wait until the morrow and midday to see the city in all its glory. He knew his family would want to take them out tomorrow, if only for a familial breakfast or brunch. It was then that Elann would be able to see the city in its bustling life.

Her words whispered out into the air, giving Noah pause as he took in her mournful way of thinking, knowing her considerate mind was thinking of those who weren’t as fortunate as those who lived in Zeltiva or even Syliras. Noah reinforced his hug around her waist lovingly, attempting to distract her from what she was thinking. He wanted to point out that she was fortunate now too but didn’t want to point out the obvious to her for fear of it looking as if he cared little for those who weren’t in their position. Though he cared little, he still cared, not only for Elann’s sake either.

Noah found another way to distract her. He reached out in front of them and pointed towards the distance, noting the green flame atop one of the bell towers. In Syliras the seasonal watchtower was not all too visible to those, yet here in Zeltiva it was but another decorative piece incorporated into the city. The green flame of spring still burned brightly, unchallenged by rain or wind, only flickering defiantly against the gusts that came over it.

His hand came back down to rewrap around her midsection, trailing down to feel the fabric of her dress between his fingertips. He kissed at the exposed skin of her arm, telling he felt he understood the plight in her mind. Just as she consoled his whining with words he was attempting to console her thoughts with actions, loving ones. He was unsure how long it would take Aimee to finish up their business in the office, but was attempting to enjoy his little time of relaxation with Elann before they would head out again. Already he could see the nightlife of Zeltiva beginning to show, regardless of it being a night following a workday and preceding another.

“Is that what you were working on?” he said, tugging lightly on the dress’ fabric over her legs. “It’s pretty. I like the color on you.”

Journey to the East

Noah showed a kind and soft smile to Elann. The sight of Zeltiva's square and the wind rich in the salty scent wafting in from the sea they had yet to lay eyes on brought uplifting feelings to the Kelvic. He was beyond glad to be rid of the road finally and was ready to rest before the next phase of moving to Zeltiva would hit him and his bondmate. There was still a great deal to accomplish before the two of them could be settled entirely. He didn't want to think about that now though, he looked to the sky instead, noting the clouds as they drifted towards the mountains away from the sea.

They weren't in the core of the city yet, he knew. They were still on the outer rim, in one of the many squares filled with one of the many fountains and flanked by a few of the many statues Zeltiva had. The gray and drab oppressiveness of Syliras could not hold light to the beacon Zeltiva lit for its people and those new like Elann. From her whimsical revelation the Kelvic knew his assumptions were right and his words to her had been right as well: she would like the city. He felt she would grow more and more in love with the city as time went on, these first steps towards full infatuation being complete.

“Me too,” he said quietly, looking down from the sky to gloss over her with his eyes, finally coming to look at the fountain in the middle of the square. A statue detailing one of the many important minds responsible for Zeltiva's greatness stood in the center, the water running out of the foundation the woman's stone legs stood upon.

Elann's hand in his hair was very much welcome, the connection and touch being more than he had given her in the days of his sickness. Clearly now, it was waning and he would begin to move as he once had, spurred onward all the more by being in the city of his birth. Noah rose his hand to grab Elann's in his hair, aiming to pull her down and into his lap. He hugged her tightly around her midsection, resting his head against her. He was truly happy to be in what was his home.. Who was the say they wouldn't move again? Perhaps wanderlust would take one of them, as Elann said she wanted to see Lhavit, having heard stories about it.

As it were then, travel was the last thing on the Kelvic's mind. He wanted to steep in comfort, be it a bath or freshly cleaned linens of an actual bed. Most of all, he wanted to see his family, his father, eldest sister and brother. His mother's face would be a sight for sore eyes, he felt as if he didn't see enough of her before she flew to Zeltiva so untimely. He didn't hold it against her though, seeing now that one of her reasons for flying ahead may have been so she didn't have to deal with the toll travel put on their fragile bodies. Aimee looked significantly better than Noah, and it was clear she may have been the hardier of them.

"I want to go home," he said, partly whining into her side. "I want to take a bath, I want to eat good food, I want to sleep in a real bed with you, and I want to sit by a fire on the beach." He sighed longingly. "I want to see my momma, my family."

Journey to the East

Decidedly, the headache refused to go away. Noah ended up lying back down, turning onto his side, and going to sleep for the duration of that night’s travel. When they pulled over for the night the Kelvic encouraged Elann not to put up the tent, again leaving it up to her. He knew he didn’t want to attempt trekking the small distance from the wagon to the tent, therefore she would be sleeping alone in it if she did put it up. As he predicted Aimee returned once the wagons were parked, offering her assistance for her brother’s worsening condition, of which was rejected kindly by him, aside from the occasional request for water.

The morning came and that day’s travel went with him in the much the same condition, worsening as the morning went on. While the wagons were moving he jumped up as quickly as he could and moved to the edge of the wagon and vomited, signaling his sickness moved to a new height. That early evening the caravan made it to the outpost, giving many of the weary travelers a break. The next day the wagons made way for the passageway, of which traversing would take the last three days before they would reach the beginnings of Zeltiva.

The first day the mountains took the caravans in, Noah’s condition worsened in another dip, a fever becoming apparent in him. His already heated body burned but he was very much awake, though prone in the wagons as they jumbled through the well taken care of road. He hadn’t been physically sick again since his first instance of puking, the fever was the only thing keeping him down. He talked very little, speaking when spoken to and in a short way that told him not wanting to speak at all, just wanting to get through this final hump in sickness.

The fever broke in the next morning, his shivering subsiding and his skin returning to the temperature relatively normal to his heated interior. He was still bothered by the weakness of his frame and the upset stomach, a stomach that stayed relatively empty due to his lack of appetite. The next two days led to Noah getting progressively better, good enough to sit on the back of the wagon and wait for the mountains to break, revealing two great stone buildings on either side of the road. They were watchtowers, their tops flying Zeltivan colors, their posts holding guards. The roar of the bustling city was still heard, even in the waning daylight as evening began to take the place of day.

Any feelings of misery in the Kelvic were slowing being alleviated and uplifted, replaced by impassioned happiness fluttering in his gut and being. The shadows of great buildings loomed over the road as the caravan continued deeper into the city. The road widened, giving way for more traffic. Where wagons and oxen drawn transports were rare in Syliras, they were abundant here. Foot traffic blended with the wheels and hooves thumping over cobblestone. The road went straight for a time, intersections becoming more commonplace and off to the side. In the distance, was one of the grand aqueduct structures Aimee informed Elann about. If she could see far enough she’d see them trailing all the way to the mountains, a slow and steady downhill decline to provide water to the whole of Zeltiva. There were two other aqueducts and a third lying underneath the city.

It was clear Zeltiva was the city of knowledge, sheltered and reserved due to its protected state behind the mountain range. Any knowledge here was remnant of that from the pre-Valterrian era, many things preserved by great minds. The caravans came into a rounded city square, a grand area where a large fountain was found in the center, decorated by blooming flowers and colored tiles. The wagons parked off to the side, near an office that was bustling. Finally, they had arrived in the city and the travelers were quick to start getting their things in order.

From the office came assistant movers, coming to unload the wagons. Aimee, who had been sitting on the edge of the wagon alongside Noah, hopped down and helped Noah off to the side so he wouldn’t be in the way of the laborers. Aimee went back to the wagon to make sure nothing had been left behind before she hopped off a final time, returning to Elann and Noah. The laborers put their things off to the side where the couple stood, off on the perimeter of the town square. Aimee showed no signs of slowing down though.

“I have to get us checked into the city,” she told the couple before dismissing herself quickly to disappear with several others into the Traveler’s Office, leaving Elann and Noah there.

Noah sat on his mother’s trunk, his head flicking this way and that, much like it would should he be an eagle, as he observed the bustling town square. Music could be heard in the distance, the patter of the water in the fountain could be heard splashing, as could voices in various languages not isolated to Fratava or Common. Elann would hear Shiber and the gestures of the sign language Pavi being done. Noah’s eyes were wide and his excitement was buzzing, nearly palpable in the moment as the familiar sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed him.