Leila received a morsel to eat. She hadn’t realised how starved she was as she munched on despite the less-than-pleasant taste of the meat. Despite the uncertain origin, she trusted her companions. As the group settled down for the evening, Leila decided to approach Nix.
“Hello, Nix. Would you mind joining me for a prayer? I’m still a bit overwhelmed, and I’d appreciate some company. If you’re tired from your training with… Sorisana, was it? Feel free to decline if you need to.”
“Leila, Nix would be many honoured. I have many missed our evening prayers.” A relieved smile appears on Nix’s face as he sits and truly processes the fact that Leila is conscious again — he had, of course, trusted Gorranach’s medical estimation, but there was always a hint of doubt after what they witnessed in the crypts of the Bugbear’s camp. “It really is so many wonderful to see you up and on your feet again, Leila. You really worried us there.”
“Thank you, Nix.” She made some distance from the campfire as she invited Nix to follow her, gracefully positioning herself and kneeling down. “Let’s recite the Song of the Boundless Table.”
Closing her eyes, she began the prayer, a rhythm Nix had encountered a few times before.
“Come together, children of Verna, around the boundless table set by her hands. In our sharing, we find strength; in our unity, peace. From north to south, from east to west, her gifts unite us in a circle of kinship. In every shared loaf, in every poured cup, her spirit dwells.”
She paused, maintaining her eyes closed, a gentle smile gracing her face. “Can you repeat after me? I’ll wait before I continue.”
Although he had struggled when Leila originally taught it to him, Nix had been practising this very song in the hopes that, once Leila got better, she’d request for them to perform it again together. He doesn’t miss a note and is even able to add a few subtle and respectful flourishes to the original melody. Not wanting to disrupt the prayer, Nix awaits Leila’s response.
“Great!” Leila continued almost immediately.
“Let us raise our voices in joyful chorus, celebrating the ties that bind us under Verna’s gaze. In our song, we honour her; in our hearts, she resides. For we are one family, nurtured by her grace, bound by the land that feeds us, the water that sustains us. In her name, we gather, in her love, we thrive. Eldarim Veyanor.”
Nix had heard the final words enough times to know that this was the equivalent of a prayer ending. Leila patiently waited for Nix to finish the rest of the hymn.
Even though this second half of the hymn was less familiar to him, Nix was able to maintain his concentration and finish with quiet confidence. “Nix isn’t many familiar with hymns, Leila, but they really are many wonderful. Such a different set of… uh… uh… ingredient?” Nix says softly into the lingering silence, not wanting to spoil the serenity they’ve both created with their singing.
“Lovely!” Leila exclaimed, gently clapping her hands as she slowly opened her eyes. “You’re definitely picking up on this faster than before. You have a beautiful voice as well — well, it sounds a bit rough on the edges, but I think once you’re fluent with our tongue, there’s definitely a hidden gem there. Ah, of course, it’s not the voice that matters but our desire to pray or to sing the hymns of Verna. As one of the Hands of Verna, these are one of many hymns that I had to learn growing up. It was… it was fun, I guess. I felt invested, a part of something.”
Her cheerful expression gradually faded as she continued. “We were all having drinks, my sisters and I, when it all happened. The scenes still linger in my mind, Nix… Especially as Gabriella was later on slain by the… what were those things called? The strange beasts we encountered in the forest. Gabriella was one of my seniors; she knew so much…” She paused, then tried to gently steer the conversation toward a more positive direction. “We played a huge role in Keldern’s agriculture. There were plenty of skills that being a Hand of Verna taught us. Nix, do you know the process of growing plants? Is this something you know how to do?”
Hearing the conversation take a sharp turn away from the joyful hymn, Nix returns his Biwa to his hip in a silent, swift motion that could leave you wondering if he’d actually been playing an instrument or if you’d just imagined it. He cleared his throat.
“Witherspawn. That’s what Marza tells us they are called. I still see them too, Leila, and I have lived that moment many times. If Nix knew what he knows now, he could have done more. Many more. Your sisters may still be… here. I’m sorry, Leila. Many sorry.” His hand wipes a lone tear from his cheek, falls to meet Leila’s, and offers a gentle squeeze of comfort before returning to his own lap.
“Nix spent many hours tending the garden at his home. Mostly pretty flowers, small patches of rice, and Father’s Bonsai — it was just a miniature tree to most, but it showed Nix that being small didn’t mean being weak. It showed Nix that he can be loved, treasured, even. I’m sure it’s withered and dead now, without Nix taking care of it.” Nix sighs out his sudden sadness.
Not wanting to bring the mood down even more, Nix steadies himself and finds Leila’s eyes again. “So I suppose Nix knows a… little bit about plants. How come, Leila?”
“Bonsai… I have never seen such a tree. A tiny tree…? Forgive me, but are you not confusing it with a sapling? Perhaps you are saying the wrong thing.” Leila wasn’t sure if the language barrier was getting in the way. She had been impressed when she saw rice from Nix’s rations — her scriptures had drawings of staples across Midralis, but she had never seen rice grown here.
“Do you want to plant something together?” she finally spoke. “Perhaps we could ask Gorranach to help prepare something nearby. Think about it — perhaps in several years’ time, we could revisit the place! Wishful thinking… Oh! I know! The Rouge Érable! Wait… drats!” She looked around to see the barren fields before her, realising and remembering that they were far from her home, deep in the highlands, devoid of any trees. “Sorry… Wishful thinking. We can’t grow anything here anyway. Perhaps we still had our chance back in the Meadows of Lombard… Hmm… How do you think Valerios will look? Maybe we could plant something there instead? Have a new garden even!”
“Bonsai, yes. Oh, Leila, don’t tell me that you’ve never seen a Bonsai Tree?! They are incredible! Tiny fully grown trees that can live for many, many years if cared for the right way. Nix can draw for you!”
Nix pulls out a small, well-used, leather-bound notebook from his cloak, frantically tries to find a page not full of lyrics and chords written down on his travels, and begins scratching together a crude sketch of his beloved Bonsai.
“Plant… together?… Nix… would… many… love… that… Leila!” Although Nix is still very engaged with Leila, his words are slowly spoken between scratchy strokes in his notepad. “Marza… didn’t… say… too… many… about… where… we… are… heading… just… gave… us… a… bad… map.”
This realisation stops Nix’s sketching as he lifts his head and continues, “…but if people live there, they must have food, animals, trade? I’m sure we’ll plant a beautiful tree together, Leila — maybe one we haven’t even heard of before! A garden sounds many wonderful, too. What would you want to grow?”
Nix smiles as he turns his lyric book around to show Leila his crude sketch. “Here, Bonsai.”
To say that Leila was amazed would be an understatement. “Wow! I can’t believe this, this is… this is amazing. There’s so much out there that I don’t know about. Aren’t you excited, Nix, to find new kinds of trees and plants? To discover what people eat in different places?” She giggled momentarily. “Honestly, between you and me, I was sort of getting tired of having red cornmeal every other day! Who knows what all these places have to offer. If I could have a garden to myself, I would certainly like to plant every single thing out there that exists — fit everything into the garden, all of nature’s bounties in one place. I… I just hope I don’t accidentally burn anything down.” She looked away, her excitement fading.
“I have felt a bit odd lately, Nix. About a lot of things. But there’s something I can’t quite put my finger on. My mind is sharper; I feel lighter. I don’t feel as exhausted as I usually should be. Nix, I feel like I could maybe beat you in an arm wrestle. I don’t know.” Her cheeks looked flushed. “We’ve been journeying together for quite a bit, but it feels like I have learned a lot. Especially the practice I’ve had with the crossbow — it really means a lot to me. I would also like to apologise for my behaviour earlier… Fire is still something I’m uncomfortable with. I really hope my shard changes its mind, if it can. Deep down, I still wish I had Billy’s powers instead.”
“World is many big, Leila — Nix learn new thing everyday!” Nix returns his notebook to his belt before his hands fall comfortably back into his lap. “Nix understand — Nix feel stronger and sharper everyday, too.” Nix pulls out his shard and lets its bevels and edges glimmer in the faint light from the campfire. “These shards are many strong and we are learning how to use them properly. Nix is sorry that you find yourself with an element you don’t want, but it seems like it is our responsibility to do what we can to stop the Stellarum!” Nix playfully throws his shard from hand to hand before putting it back into his robes.
“Nix has seen you get many better with your crossbow, Leila — well done! I know I’m not the best teacher, but our practice is working many well. Is there something else you’d rather learn? Or are you still okay with target practice?”
Leila felt the urge to delve deeper. “Do you ever wish that the shard you’ve manifested was something else — another element? We’ve seen air, water, earth, and wood… metal and Claire’s shard, but what if there are many more?” There was a profound silence. Leila was visibly lost in thought, but she endeavoured to maintain a gentle smile.
“Do you think they are a reflection of who we are deep down? Perhaps we can’t change that? I would associate fire with anger and hatred… Do you think fire manifested because I am troubled deep down?” She shook her head vigorously. “Sorry, what am I saying? That implies that you and Sorisana are troubled as well. Nonsense… Perhaps I am jumping the gun here anyway. Sorisana told me that my shard is completely inert, that there were no traces of me being a Fire Shardbinder — even though she said she felt something from me. Maybe it’s a sign that something else is happening.”
She sighed. “I didn’t know just how prevalent Prismurgy was around us… Can you teach me how to cast spells? I saw Sophi and Wyverna practising a few days ago. No wait, maybe I could approach Sorisana about it… I think it’s important to at least learn the basics. It would help me greatly with…” Her voice trailed off. “Perhaps we can continue with target practice, but maybe you could show me how to use that rapier of yours — it looks quite interesting.”
Nix takes a moment to consider what Leila has said before replying. “Hmm — Nix think Leila is right. Nix heard Gorranach say that our shards are a reflection of us. My shard has made me have many temper, but Sana said that Nix probably always had that in him — the shard is just making it many pronounced. Maybe she’s right? All Nix knows is that he wouldn’t change his element for anything. Fire brings Nix closer to dragons. All Nix needs now is wings!”
Nix’s hand finds Leila’s again. “Leila — Nix doesn’t know much, but he does know that everybody’s troubled. We don’t need a shard to tell us that!” Nix lets out a chuckle to help lighten the dark subject. “Sure, fire can mean anger and hatred — but fire also means passion, cleansing, light, nourishment, healing. Leila, you and Sophi might not be alive if it wasn’t for your fire.” His hand squeezes Leila’s.
“Nix not sure he understands Prismurgy either — Nix happy to try, but maybe Sorisana or Xīlōxōch would be better teachers? Leila’s choice. The rapier is a new weapon for Nix too, but it has brought many success so far! Nix happy to teach what he knows!” Nix feints a lunge with a pretend rapier and laughs before cocking his head to the side in slight confusion. “Wait — Sana said that Leila’s shard is… inert? Leila’s not a Fire Shardbinder?! I’ve seen what Leila can do — that has to be the shard, right? What else could it be?”
It felt peculiar to hear these words. Despite Nix sharing perhaps truthful statements about fire, she had spent so much time surrounded by people who cast a negative light on the embodiment of fire. Her mind instinctively leaned toward challenging Nix’s statements, but she halted herself, took a deep breath — patience. Even though her beliefs were under scrutiny, she fought hard to maintain an open mind. It was a constant struggle. But these people had proven to be entirely different from the culture that had dominated most of her life, and this meant that there was incredibly more to life — perhaps even different ways to live it.
Nix’s touch didn’t make her withdraw or flinch. Instead, she found herself grappling with unfamiliar emotions. She tried to push them aside for now as they made her uncomfortable. As Nix brought up the rapier, Leila’s expression lit up with the excitement of exploring this new weapon. However, her demeanour quickly shifted to that of apprehension and alertness.
“What… did you see me do…? Nix, tell me now, please… I—” She hesitated, backing down immediately, and instead awaited his response.
“Well… Nix suppose that he hasn’t seen Leila do anything, but Nix saw what happened to the Bugbear camp. Sana called it Hellfire?” Seeing Leila’s demeanour change so quickly shocked Nix a bit, but he didn’t want to change the subject — he wanted to learn more about his friend. He definitely didn’t want to upset her in the process.
“Leila, you were in many danger — you did what you needed to.” Nix starts to move his hand toward Leila’s again before thinking better of it this time. “Nix knows many about this. It’s the reason he’s here. Nix was put in many danger and he did what he needed to do to survive. Does that make Nix a bad Kobold? Nix hope not!”
Nix allowed a rest in the conversation before continuing. “What Nix is saying is that fire can be many bad, yes. But so can everything else! Maybe Nix is stupid, but he likes to see the good in things when he can.”
Leila felt a pang in her heart, horrified by the prospect that Nix might be privy to something she had no intention of revealing, especially not to him. It dawned on her that others might have witnessed a facet she had desperately tried to keep concealed until now. No… No… This can’t be happening!
Although her recollection of the events was fragmented, she remembered tapping into that reservoir of unsettling energy when the Stellarum had momentarily attacked the fort. She instinctively pulled away when Nix approached, the words around her becoming muffled as she grappled with what to say next. Hellfire…? Is that what Sorisana said? She needed to confirm it with her.
“Nix… I… I’m sorry, but I think I need to rest. I’m still feeling exhausted for some reason. Thank you for praying with me. I… I… need some time to myself again… Thank you once again. Your words… they mean a lot.”
With that, she swiftly stood up and began pacing away, a profound sadness etched on her face, making no attempt to conceal it.