Birds. That's the first thing I heard. Then the sounds of me shuffling over sheets. I felt the plush feeling of a mattress and pillow, the warmth of a blanket. My limbs and head still ached, as they had been for weeks now. The weight of bricks on my chest. But, I felt safer than before. Any place was better than where I was, I knew that now. The feeling of oxygen, not laced with smoke, entering my body felt so rejuvenating. I could feel the strength returning to me, as little as it was. I still felt it. I turned on my side, wanting nothing more than to get some decent sleep. Something I needed. Yet, muffled voices kept interrupting it, getting higher from time to time. Whomever it was, many of them it seemed, they were all in heated discussion. One of them though was first for most irritated. A woman spoke with vigor, me still being unable to hear her words clearly. A man's voice then injected something, calmer than her but, she seemed to have none of it as she shouted out;

"He's my brother! Of course I'm going to delay my journey home until he recovers enough to join me!"

That gripped at my attention. It was Cadenza. Her elegant voice, now frazzled, was a strong indicator that it was her. Still sore and achy, I pushed myself up into a seating position, trying desperately to take it slow to hopefully dull the pain. I then opened my eyes, something blocking my vision. All that was showing was a small narrow circle surrounded by pitch black, it was still blaring white to prevent me from seeing the room. I paid it no mind, reaching up to rub whatever it was away. When I felt that nothing was blocking my vision, physically anyway, I chalked it up to sleep still weighing my eyes. I gently rubbed, feeling how...raw my skin felt. It stung around my fingertips, me wincing at the pain. I then let my hands fall slightly, opening my eyes again. Still the same image. That's when my heart skipped a beat, reaching up to desperately wipe away anything that could be preventing my vision.

My skin screamed at me, begging me to stop but, I ignored it. My breath shortened more, taking sharp and short inhales each time opened my eyes to see the same thing. Over and over again. Panic was settling in, me trying to find my bearings in chaos. All I could think of at that moment was that my sister was just in the other room. She would know what to do. She always did. Cadenza was smart and always had a solution. That's why she was the heir. I felt myself regressing back into what I can only describe as my younger self, wanting nothing more than my older sister to hold me tightly and tell me things were going to be okay.

I swung my legs one way, then met a wall. I bit back a yelp before swinging them the other way, my feet meeting the ground. With shaking legs, I pushed myself up, fumbling for something to grasp on. My heart was still racing and my breath was unstable. The oxygen that I was thankful for only moments ago now became my enemy, drowning me as I took it in small increments and never filling me. I tried to take a step, it being successful as my hand grasped what I assumed to be a nightstand in a death grip. I tried to peer around the room, using only that small amount of blurry, foggy vision that I had left to see what was in front of me. But it was no use. As I let go of the table to take my next step, I felt my foot tumble into a stool or something, losing my balance almost immediately. I fell onto the wooden floor, feeling the grains and indents with my touch, with a loud thud and instead of groaning, I fucking whimpered. I truly was five again, on the street of Meteli after landing in some mud and scraping my knee. Except this time was dire and I had no idea how to fix it. I felt tears now come to my eyes, them burning and irritating my eyes more. When they slipped out, I felt the skin around my eyes reach for their moisture, causing yet more stinging. All of this culminated in me actually letting out a sob, clutching my hands into fists to try and bring myself back to reality. But I couldn't. Because I couldn't fix this. I was alone, blind, exhausted, not to mention starving, and the one person I wanted was just a door away. But I couldn't fucking see the door so how was I to open it?

Luckily, I heard it open, a scream from once again my sister coming to my ears. It shattered me to hear her like that, her exclaiming right after; "Laurance stop! You need to get back to bed—"

"I can't see the bed Cad," is all I said, pushing myself up by the arms to try and make eye contact with her. "I-I can't see anything..."

I heard her heels click on the floor as she rushed over to me, the silk of her dress breezing over my skin as she knelt next to me. I leaped at the opportunity to hug her tightly, mumbling to her over and over again; "I can't see you...I can't see you..."

She pulled me away slightly and I felt her hands guide my head upwards, her thumbs rubbing gently on my cheeks. It was then that she processed what exactly was going on, her voice shaking as it came out; "Z-Zoey...what happened to–to him? Please tell me it's only temporary!"

This Zoey person was silent, I still heard her footsteps slowly approach my sister and I. After a few moments, she finally said; "I...I don't know. I need to look more closely. Ser Laurance, are you alright to go back to bed? Are you fine with us helping you?"

I swallowed down more cries, as best as I could. I could only imagine what I looked like right now. I nodded my head and soon, I felt Cadenza wrap her arms under mine to try and pull me up. I grabbed onto her shoulders and gave as much strength I could give back as I got back onto my feet. I then felt other hands take my arm as Cadenza's touch went to the other. Soon, I was seated back on the bed and Cadenza sat next to me, still giving my arm a loving squeeze.

I could feel the presence of others in the room. Ones I didn't hear the voices of. When I was being guided over, I heard the clanking of armor and the tapping of other shoes on the floor. I wanted to ask but, I didn't know how to ask without sounding crazy or being flat out rude. So I hoped they would eventually make themselves heard. As I waited on that, Zoey was quick to start looking over me. She carefully tilted my head and I could feel her lean closer to inspect my eyes. She asked me;

"Are you alright with me examining closer? It may be irritating."

"That's fine," I muttered, knowing that it was for the better. Though I knew in the back of my head what the result of this was going to be.

Nevertheless, she delicately used her hands to open my eyes wide by pulling my eyelid up. As predicted, the skin burned a bit but nothing I couldn't handle. When I heard her pick up a tool, I jumped slightly, her saying softly; "It's magnifying glass. Sorry for not clarifying."

She took a few moments to examine my left eye before moving to the right doing the same. While she did so, the room was completely silent. I didn't hear a thing. If it wasn't for the narrow bright light in my vision, I would have believed I had fallen asleep again. As much as it sent shivers down my spine, especially waiting for any answers about my condition, it was nice to finally have some calm. The past two months truly were a blur. A painful, dark blur. One that I'm glad I didn't remember with full clarity. All I could recall were short phrases, the cold feeling of my cell, screams in the distance, and the agonizing pain of whatever they did to me. That was something I wish to never experience again. The sharp and burning feelings on and in my body, causing me to lose consciousness at times. As Zoey moved my arms and examined other parts of my body, it reminded me how much of a bad shape I was in. I feared that I looked close to death, causing fright to my sister and the others in the room. I probably though deserved a little grace, especially after going through literal hell and back.

Finally, Zoey exhaled, saying; "It seems that no bones are broken and I don't have any concerns of internal bleeding. Though, I would like to look into the incision on your chest at a later date. But...I don't know what to say about your vision. I can try my best to make a remedy for your sight but, due to the condition of the skin around your eyes, I believe your eyes were burned, the corneas in particular. The damage does typically cause blindness. The severity of it...I have no clue. Time will tell if it will be able to heal over time."

"So...he may be like this? Forever?" I heard my sister's voice croak out. I gave her hand a comforting squeeze, wanting nothing more for her to feel pity for me.

But her cries told me that Zoey must have given her the answer she feared. Her head rested on my shoulder as I sat there, processing everything. Those blurred memories replayed in my mind, the last things I ever saw. If I had known that those moments were the last I would ever see, would I have been more grateful?

Cadenza's cries weren't the only ones I could hear. Another woman's quiet sobs lingered in the back of the room. I heard someone say something, in hopes of comforting her but, that didn't seem to help. She said quickly and quietly; "I'm sorry..."

Then the door opened and closed again, leaving with I believe only four in the room. I finally had the confidence to speak, asking; "W..Who was that?"

There was another pause before Cadenza composed herself enough to say; "It was Aphmau, Laurance. Her and Ser Rowan were the ones that found you."

"Why are they in Meteli?" I asked, that being my first dumb question.

"We're not in Meteli. We're in Phoenix Drop. In Miss Aphmau's home," My sister further explained, patiently.

With my hand that wasn't holding her's, I began to fiddle with the fabric of my pants with the goal to relieve some of my nerves before I broke into tears myself. I then said; "Can...Can someone go check on her?"

"I will," I heard Zoey's voice again speak. I heard a male's voice rise with hesitance, me assuming it was Rowan's before Zoey saying; "You should speak to him about what happened. Aphmau is in no state to do it."

Again, the door opened and closed. Another silence plagued the room, this one being shorter before my sister spoke up again, saying; "Rowan, you don't have to explain everything right now. I know you didn't get much sleep last night."

"I will if Ser Laurance wants to," Rowan spoke, his western-Ru'an accent placed prominently in his words. "So, Laurance, if you want to take some time to rest, I completely understand."

"No...no, I'm alright." I sighed, thinking that I probably had enough rest for the day.

"O-Okay...I'll let you ask questions first though. It's the least I could do," Rowan offered, which I appreciated even if I still held some disdain for the man.

"Thank you...how long have I been asleep?"

"Two days. We've all been coming in and out to check in on you. Your sister though hasn't left your side...except moments ago," He answered to what I could only conclude was honest. Who would lie to a newly blinded man?

Once he finished, I asked; "How long have I been gone?"

"Around two months," He simply put. I guess they weren't lying to me down there then.

"Where and how did you find me?" I asked after.

"A few yards into the woods behind Miss Aphmau's home. Thorgi actually was the one who found you first. There was bright flash and we followed where it came from. You were there," He answered, me hearing him take a couple of steps closer to me and my sister.

I then, said; "Rowan, you know I don't see you very highly, right?"

"Yes. And I—"

"But, do you promise to be honest with me?"

He paused. I could hear his leather gloves squeeze the hilt of his sword. "Of course."

"Then give it to me straight," I said. "How bad do I look?"

"Laurance, I can assure you—" My sister began but I stopped her by raising my hand.

"You're my sister. I know you're only going to tell me what I want to hear. He will tell me the truth. No matter how bad it is." I looked forward...at least what I thought was forward. "So, tell me Rowan. How bad do I look?"

"Ser Laurance, you look fine—"

"You're lying, Rowan. I was tortured for two months, they took care of me enough to just keep me alive. I know damn well I don't look fine. Tell me the truth." I said, a bit more sternly but letting a chuckle lace my words in hopes of not making the room too tense.

"You...You look better than how we found you. But you still look...deathly," He finally said. Though hesitantly. I heard my sister scoff, about to say something snarky to him. Probably about being kinder. But, again, I stopped her by resting my free hand on her.

"Cad, stop. I asked for it," I said, again turning my head to try and face him as best as I could. "Thank you, Rowan. Do you perhaps have a spare helmet then? No need to scare people off, hm?"

I heard him exhale, saying; "Unfortunately, I don't even have my own."

"No helmet? Darn. I would have loved to finally see what you insisted on hiding all these years," I said, still light-heartedly but wanting nothing more than to push his buttons. I think this was the perfect chance to do so. He wouldn't be able to say snarky back.

And like predicted, he let me. With no defense back. But, he did ask; "Any more questions, Ser Laurance?"

"No. What's yours?"

"Do...Do you recall how you got here?" He asked. I could tell from his tone that he didn't want to pressure me with these questions. But, I knew it was his job. I had his job not too long ago. I wonder if I still did.

I tried to recall the last events that possibly led me here, the man whom I was cell neighbors with dragging me along netherrack, me begging him for us to take break as my lungs burned. All he kept saying was that we had to go on, to ignore the screaming pain of my body. He was the man Aphmau was searching for, I knew that. For a man who was once accused of murder and arson, he was the sole person who treated me with some decency in hell. I recalled him summoning a portal with some orb, men on our tail, and then pushed me through with no warning. That was the last thing I remembered and now, I don't know if he got through as well or was caught. I told this to Rowan, him going silent again.

"I see," He mumbled. "Did you catch his name?"

"No. He refused to tell me. The others never spoke it either," I replied, honestly. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get him through that portal with me. In my defense, I was a bit below full awareness."

"It's alright."

Another long pause haunted us. No one wanted to address the obvious. My sister though was the first to speak up, asking; "So...you were in the nether?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Do you remember what they did to you?"

"Bits and pieces."

"I'll ask Zoey if she knows anything. She's pretty knowledgeable about realms and magic. Maybe she can assure you or at least give answers on what happened there," Rowan offered. "I suggest that you spend some time resting with your sister.Your sister has been gracious towards our village. You also did me a huge favor by making sure that Miss Aphmau got home safely. So please, take all the time you need."

I was shocked to hear words of gratitude fall from this man's mouth. Especially towards me. "I...appreciate it. Though you'd be an ass for not offering."

"And I couldn't agree more. Now, I'll let you two be. I need to see if Miss Aphmau is alright."

"Please tell her not to be so upset. I'd actually enjoy talking with her," I said after him, hoping to get it in before he left. Another shocking moment happened. Rowan laughed.

"Again. I couldn't agree more with that statement. I'll let her know."

And with that the door opened and closed again. I don't know what happened but, I guess knowing that the strangers in the room were gone and it was just my sister once more, I regressed back into that kid again. I felt my emotions topple over again, tears forming in my eyes and my throat going tight.

"L-Laur?" My sister softly spoke, feeling her fingers brush through my hair. I turned in the direction she was in and I felt her fingers stop. She must've seen I was on the edge of a breakdown, wrapping her arms around me once more and letting me cry onto her shoulder. My tears soaked what felt let silk, my sobs muffled by her tightly holding me. As I let myself go through my emotions, she whispered comforting words to me. Though she sounded to be emotional herself. "It's going to be okay, Laur...you've been through worse."

"No Cad...I don't think I have."

—

I stepped out of Laurance's room...well, Aphmau's guest room. Seeing Ser Laurance in that state was even a struggle for me to see. Seeing a man that low, struggling to just stand, it was hard to watch. No wonder Aphmau needed to step out. I walked into the living space, seeing the two women, Zoey and Aphmau, on one of the plush couches. Zoey had made her some tea and when I entered, the silver-haired elf turned to look at me with empathy. Her brows upturned and a weak smile pulled at her lips. I gave her a similar gaze, walking closer to the two. Aphmau must have heard me, looking back as well.

"How is he?" She asked me, her voice pained and her face looking exhausted.

"He's doing as best as he can. He told me to tell you that when you're ready, he'd enjoy speaking with you," I said, now standing behind the couch. "He's a strong man. I can tell. He'll be fine, Miss Aphmau."

"Exactly," Zoey added, lightly combing some of Aphmau's hair back, away from her face. "I'll make sure he's on the best healing regiments and I'll make sure I do everything in my power to help him."

Aphmau still looked disheartened, turning her gaze downwards towards her tea. I pressed my lips together, knowing that this was hard for her. With no memory of her past, this was the first time she has seen someone in such a terrifying state. I wanted nothing more than to relieve her stress. The cries of Levin could be heard in the distance, her pushing herself up by habit but being pushed back down by Zoey.

"Let me. He's probably just waiting for his morning milk. I'll be back shortly," The kind elf said, rubbing Aphmau's arm as she got up. She scurried off upstairs, leaving just the two of us there. We watched her disappear, Aphmau sighing as she turned her gaze to me.

I could tell by the way the sun hit her face that she truly was crying. She spoke, asking; "What do I do?"

I felt myself frown knowing that whatever I did say was not what she wanted to hear. It's not like her or I could restore Ser Laurance's eyesight. All I could do was say as gently as I could; "There's not much you can do. What's been done has been done."

I never claimed to be the best motivator. So when she didn't seem to brighten up at my words, I wasn't surprised. But, I knelt down behind the couch to get to her eye level, saying; "But what you can do is just be there. Be patient and be kind. Like you already are."

Her smile somewhat returned, although small and weak, it was there. She rested her hand on one of mine and she said; "You compliment me too much, Rowan. What did I tell you the other night?"

"I apologize, Miss Aphmau. I can not lie," I say, happy to see her slowly returning to a more relaxed state. Of course it wasn't perfect. She would still struggle, I knew that. But if I could offer any comfort, I would try my best. I took her hand that was on mine and raised it to my lips to kiss it politely, hoping it would help. "It also helps to know that he's alive, right?"

"You're right. And for that I'm grateful. Extremely," She replied, her smile widening a bit more. "I know others aren't so lucky after losing a friend."

The sun seeping into the room made her raven-black hair shimmer and her brown eyes look almost gold. Even with her small grin, I could see dimples forming on her cheeks. She was truly beautiful. I'd be a liar if I said otherwise. But knowing her just enhanced it all. As much as I wanted to go back and fix some things that have occurred since she appeared on that beach, I wouldn't change her arrival in Phoenix Drop. She made this village just a little bit brighter and for that I was eternally grateful.

Suddenly the door swung open and two women came in excitedly, exclaiming; "Everyone guess what has just happened!"

It was Donna and Molly, both of them looking like they were about to burst like firecrackers with joy. Part of me would have been concerned for Molly's condition if it wasn't for her own excitement over pouring from her. They stopped though, seeing us two in the sitting room, pausing to exchange looks before Molly asking sweetly; "Are we...interrupting something?"

That's when Aphmau and I shared glances, Aphmau shrugging soon after and redirecting her gaze to them to say; "Ser Laurance just woke up. So we're kind of coming down from that."

"Oh...so...would it be in bad taste if I were to say somethin'?" Donna asked, hesitantly but jumping on her toes. I could tell if she didn't share her news now, she would probably crumble like wet sand. Aphmau and I grinned, nodding as if to tell her to go on, me going back to my feet. Though in the chaos, I had forgotten to let go of Aphmau's hand and it stayed there as Donna squealed out; "Logan proposed! He finally did it! Look!"

She rushed up to the two of us, shoving her left hand in our faces and all I saw was a golden band around her finger, a blurry gem decorating it. All I could tell in that instance was that the gem was yellow. Topaz or amber most likely. Or, if Logan wanted to go all out, a yellow sapphire. But all I could think of was how happy I was for the young woman. Someone I considered a friend. I knew how long her and Logan had been exchanging letters, though I never truly knew if they were romantic. I guess I had my answer. Zoey had come down at this point, Levin bundled in her arms as Donna announced it with the same vigor as before.

Zoey held Donna's hand to get a better look, her smiling like a proud mother as she said; "Oh Donna, it's lovely. Logan knows just the ring to compliment you."

"I know!" Donna practically shouted to the heavens. But, she hushed herself, probably recalling that Laurance and Cadenza were just in the other room. "And that's not it!"

"He got a special married liscense! Isn't it so...darling?" Molly sighed, falling on the couch besides Aphmau who looked pleased for her friends. Hopefully this was cheering her up.

"Molly! Shush!" Donna said, acting offended but, went on to say; "But yes it is! We're gettin' married in a fortnight! By one of the best Divine Priests in the country!"

"In a fortnight? Can you really plan a wedding that quickly?" I asked, genuinely surprised. The quickest engagement I had ever heard of was a season so this was shock to me.

But, Donna waved me off, saying; "When your groom-to-be is a merchant, you'd be surprised with how many weddin' supplies he has. Plus connections. The only reason he was able to get the priest on such short notice is because he was able to pay extra for his travel expenses."

"Ah, gotcha," I replied, trying not to chuckle as I crossed my arms.

"I just wanted to ask if it would be alright if we booked the town square for the ceremony and reception. We thought it would be beautiful with all the foliage and easy to decorate," Donna then asked to which I said;

"Of course. I don't see why not."

"Oh thank you!" She said, wrapping me in a quick hug before turning her attention back to the ladies to talk about plans. Slowly, I walked over to Zoey to take Levin gently from her arms and encouraged her to join the excitement. She deserves it. Especially since she's going to have such a heavy task for the next...however long until Ser Laurance makes a recovery. Also burdening her with the task of figuring out what Ser Laurance came face to face with. She gladly joined the girls in the sitting room, leaving me to cradle Levin carefully in my arms.

Wearing armor while carrying him, it made me nervous that I was possibly poking or pinch his skin. But when we met eyes, and he smiled with his gums, I knew it was fine. But, even when I was distracted, words...no, a name, ringed in my ears.

Zane Ro'Meave. 

My head jolted up, my stomach dropping. I thought I heard wrong at first but, I had to be sure. So I called out, trying not to bring too much attention to probably my panic; "Did you just say—"

"Oh Rowan! Isn't it great? The Zane Ro'Meave is going to be doing the ceremony," Molly said, almost melodic. "A member of an ancient family is going to grace our village! What an honor?"

"Oh...I-I guess it is truly an honor. W-When should he be arriving?" I asked, still not believing what I was hearing.

"Accordin' to his travel party, a little over a week if they don't experience any difficulty on the road," Donna explained. "Do you need help preparin' for his arrival Rowan? I'm sorry this is so sudden."

"No, no, i-it's fine! I...I'll get to it right away," I say, forcing a smile and a laugh as I carefully handed Levin to Aphmau. I saw an investigative gaze in his eyes and I knew she was recalling our conversation by the wall. I tried to express to her in only a few seconds with my eyes that everything was fine...but even I didn't fully believe it. "Sorry for rushing out, ladies. Lots of planning to do!"

I then, with a bit of desperate pace to my step, got out of theri as quickly as possible. I needed time to process this information...and come up with a plan. But, as I shut the door behind me, I heard Miss Aphmau call out my name. It pained me to be leaving her so suddenly but, I was in no condition to help her with Laurance or Levin. I probably wouldn't be until days after the wedding...