Evan carried Tahlia's body through a corridor of roots. Her limp form rested uncomfortable in his arms. Each muscle in his arms burned in agony under her weight, and he shifted her every few steps, disturbing the uneasy peace that Evan had given her face.

It was different from when he'd first carried her unconscious body during his pilot's test, heavier, and each stride he took through the narrow corridor was longer than the length of the ship.

"How much further?" He hated to ask, fearing it would be seen as a complaint, but he knew his strength would give out soon. His body ached from the fight. Cutting through people's armor and fending off their swords was more taxing in reality than it had been in training. Nothing could have prepared him for that.

"Not long," Fey said. She'd spun a ball of white light from her fingertips before they'd entered the corridor after speaking three words in a language Evan had never heard.

Evan watched as the ball bobbed just above their heads. Tendrils of dirt trickled from between the roots and rained down upon them. The earth around them seemed to rumble. Evan swore he could feel himself rotating around a singular point ahead, but the movements were too subtle for him to be certain.

He winced as the voices began to flood back into his mind again. He searched for Tahlia's, faint amongst the other nine. "Can I just ask all of them to stay silent?"

'They grow bored just as you do, Evan,' Tahlia's voice responded.

"How did you block them out?"

'I didn't. Eventually, they just become noise until you focus on one. I'm sorry, but you have to live with it—that's what being blessed with the Noble Blessing means.'

Evan blew a strong breath from his nose and used his knee to brace Tahlia's back as he reseated her body in his arms. The musty smell of dirt filled his nostrils as he drew another heavy breath.

'You could've left my body there.'

"That would be disrespectful. You deserve a proper burial..." The words were heavy on his tongue. Evan pushed back against the heartache that welled inside at the thought. He still wanted to believe she would open her eyes at any moment, that what dampened his arms was anything but her blood.

She was so pale now. Her skin was colder than the air around them, and he could feel the blood dripping off his elbows waiting longer with each step. Evan's arms began to shake. He needed to distract himself before he became overwhelmed again.

"Goddess," he said.

"Please, Evan, just Fey."

"Fey... what was that language you spoke before the light appeared?" Perhaps learning something would work. It had before.

"It used to be known as Drudaic, or the Language of the Gods, but it would be better to call it Angralen because it is that—the Language of the Gods of Angril."

"Angril... I've read that name before." Evan scoured his mind for the source. "Wasn't that the name of the heavens that religion used to believe in before The Fracture? I remember reading about old world religions in one of the history books at the academy."

"Yes, it is, and it still is where all souls go to rest contrary to your current beliefs."

"So when we die, we go to this Angril? Not soar eternally amongst the sky?"

"Both are true, in a sense. Angril exists all around you, Evan. It is in the very air you breath, and yet, it is not."

Evan's mind turned with questions on what Fey's words could mean.

"It's not something your minds can understand, so don't worry about trying."

That did nothing to ease his curiosity, but just thinking about it made his head feel full. Instead, he chose to focus on something he could understand. "So, this Drudaic, or Angralen... whatever, that's the magic that used to exist isn't it?"

"Yes. It was the language of creation—and destruction that I allowed all of Tallenheim to use."

"So, if I spoke it, things would happen?"

"No."

"Why not? All you had to do was speak it."

"That is because I have what is required to call it forth. Speaking the language does not invoke its powers. One must carry magical energy to call forth. The words merely manipulate the energy to do as you say. That is what I took long ago, magical energy, and that is what now rests in your wrists; albeit, a set amount with more restrictions."

Evan's mouth fell open.

"Tell me, Evan, what did Tahlia tell you of the Blessings?"

"That each god may grant a blessing inherent to their affinity. Ifirit is The Flamed God, so fire is his affinity."

"And what of the others?"

"Parius is The Winged God, so Wind?" Evan saw Fey nod in front of him. He shifted Tahlia's body in his arms before continuing. "Fenrir is The Hunted God, so earth, which means Eifel must be water."

"Very perceptive. And to replenish the jewels of each blessing, one must consume the element it presents."

"Wait, you mean if I use Ifirit's jewel I have to eat fire?" Evan's brow furrowed. He remembered when Tahlia told Claire and him about the Blessings. Perhaps that was why the Blessing of Fire granted immunity to such, so he could consume it.

"To replenish the jewel, yes. Just as with the Blessing of Earth, you'd need to consume something of the earth. Most eat a piece of raw fruit since it's easier to swallow, but you could eat the dirt as well if needed."

Evan's stomach turned at the thought of eating a mouthful of dirt. He shook his head. "So with wind, I'd have to eat air?"

"No, wind is the only one you don't need to consume something to replenish since it is all around you, it will regenerate on its own after a while. However, it is also the weakest of the blessings because of the abundance."

"And what of the Crimson Blessing? Why would someone be given that blessing and what do they consume to replenish it?"

Fey sighed. "You must first know that this blessing is equal in power to the Noble Blessing, if not stronger."

"Wait, why would someone be given that much power if it's considered more of a curse?" Evan's mind raced with more questions than that, but that one burned the most.

"Because, although it's true now that it's given more as a punishment, it is only given to those we gods feel can be redeemed. I once knew someone who was given this as a curse by a dark goddess, and he did a great deal of good."

"Was the blessing lifted?" Evan watched Fey's shoulder's slump, and he guessed why.

"If I could've lifted it, I would've."

"And how do they replenish it?" The silence that followed that question was strained and uneasy. Evan wondered if he really wanted to know as Fey continued to remain silent. He watched her shoulders sink.

"Blood. Either it consumes theirs against their will, or they need to consume another's."

Evan stopped. His mouth hung ajar as the horror filled his heart and mind. Why would the gods bestow something so vile on someone they thought was redeemable? Was this why those with the other blessings were supposed to hunt those with the Crimson Blessing?

"It doesn't take much if they choose to let it consume their own. But it is continuous. It takes more to replenish a jewel, and more of another's blood. It's how they atone. They either do enough good to amend for their sin, or they succumb to more sin and perish by the hands of those of another. It is why he..." She fell silent again.

Evan wanted to ask more about it, but he could hear the sadness in Fey's voice. The memory it brought must've been very painful if it filled her with such an emotion. Instead, he decided to turn his curiosity in another direction. "How do I use the magic?"

Fey turned her head over her shoulder as they began to walk again. Evan could see a smile grow across half of her face. "I'll leave that bit for Tahlia tomorrow, today, you can rest and mourn."

The light in front of her seemed to grow. Evan squinted to keep it from flooding his eyes as he stepped out of the corridor. Scarlet flowers with drops of violet on the petals filled a valley much larger than Evan expected to reside at the center of the Everblue. Shimmering gold anthers filled the pistil of the flowers like little nuggets.

"Are those?" Evan questioned.

"Elf Flowers? Yes," Fey responded.

Evan knew they were. His cheeks grew warm as he wondered why he even asked such a dumb question. A breeze swept over them. High above, Evan could hear the soft serenade of tree leaves. Trickles of sunlight between them onto the flowers. The tree stretched higher than the tallest towers of Estailia. Evan guessed it was even taller than the towers in Arcadia. The trunk of the tree alone must have been the girth of a small isle. There were a few other trees that dotted the valley. Most grew closer to the trunk of the larger one.

"What kind of tree is that?" he wondered. "I've never read about anything so big before."

"And you wouldn't. It's one of two left in all of Tallenheim. The other is but a sapling that Parius presides over."

"Is that the name of this isle, Tallenheim?"

"No, dear boy, that's the name of this world, the one you call the Everblue." Fey turned away from him and continued walking down a small dirt path that snaked between the flowers and grass that grew between them. "Although, The Everblue is a much more fitting name given the current state of things. You humes were always clever with names."

Evan followed her. His arms threatened to give way and drop Tahlia. H tightened his hold on her, pressing for every ounce of strength he could summon. Six months of working out every morning at The Academy would count for nothing if he couldn't carry Tahlia's body to its resting place.

Fey led him toward the tree. Its roots seemed to direct the shape of the valley they were in. Like walls, they grew to the cliff behind and wove through it like veins. As they came closer, Evan saw a mouth open up into the tree's trunk, and a small village made of mud huts littered the surrounding area.

"There are people here?" Evan asked.

"Those who survive the fall, yes. Sadly, most die of fright once they're thrown from their ship."

Evan tensed. "But that must mean..."

"Everyone who lives here is no longer Empire or Alliance. They exist in peace. That is the rule here."

"I find it hard for any to just agree to that rule."

"We give those new to this place time to acclimate. It's true; it's hard to put to rest a feud as long as yours, but once they see that everyone follows this rule, they too agree and do so."

"And if they don't?"

Fey chuckled. "No one's dared to find out. Care to be the first?"

Evan thought about it for a moment. She was a goddess and could probably destroy him with a wave of her hand. Everyone else probably came to the same idea. "Of course not. I have more important things to do."

They pressed on through the field. Curiosity of the village began to consume Evan's mind. There were people from The Empire there. He wondered if they all had sharp ears like Tahlia and the man who killed her. They could tell him how to stop The Empire maybe. It was almost enough to distract him from his arms that were sure to give out on him at any moment.

"How much further, Fey?"

"Here will do," Fey said. She stopped in front of one of the smaller trees. Its canopy stretched wide and vines dangled from the larger branches. The trunk was thin and smooth with green and mixed earth toned bark. Small flower buds littered the vines. They were bulbous and looked as if they would split soon. "These are my favorite trees. They were known as Spring Fires and bore the most beautiful flowers." Fey caressed one of the vines. "It's amazing how life will cling to anything. These trees normally grow in very specific climates with plenty of water, yet here they are."

She turned back to Evan. "Their flowers used to make a very delicious wine."

Evan shifted Tahlia's body. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, Fey, but I've never had wine, and I don't care right now..." His words were labored. It took every bit of willpower he had left to ignore the pain in his arms.

Fey waived her arm and let the vine go. A bed of roots sprang forth from the ground and settled in front of the tree at waist high for Evan. He stepped up to it and rested Tahlia's body on it. A sharp pain mixed with relief shot through his arms. But before he let them fall to his sides, he brushed a few strands of her hair from her face and folded her hands over her chest.

Fey picked an Elf Flower and placed it between Tahlia's fingers. As she did, more grew around her body. It was beautiful magic. Something Evan could've only dreamed about.

"I think that is fitting for her, don't you agree?" Fey turned to Evan.

Evan's eyes never left Tahlia's body. She looked peaceful once more—like pain had never been known to her. The red of the flowers hid her bloodstained dress so that only her silver hair could be seen framing her ghostly face.

Evan looked away. "Nothing that's happened today was deserved by her."

Fey's warm hand stroked the back of his head. "No, I supposed it wasn't. Would you like me to start the fire?"

Evan pulled away from Fey. "No, it should be me." He reached for his belt but remembered he still didn't have it. He patted his pockets. They too were empty. He grumbled as he tried to think of how he could start a fire.

'You'll have to use Ifirit's Blessing,' Tahlia's voice floated into his mind.

His heart sank at the sound. He wondered if it was really even her voice, or just the memory of it that her soul jewel manipulated into thoughts in his head. "How do I even do that?"

'It's quite easy, actually, almost intuitive. You just need to think of the jewel you want to use, then imagine what you want it to do. Normally you wouldn't have to think of the jewel, though. Oh, most things only require one jewel, but depending on what you imagine it can take more.'

"So if I just want to conjure fire, all I have to do is—" Evan felt Ifirit's jewel sink into his wrist. Heat began to gather in his palm. Evan brought his arm to his face. He winced through the pain and marveled as a small flame ignited just off the surface of his skin.

The fire danced in his hand consuming only air and a tickle that centered in his palm. That tickle must've been what magic felt like. It was like those itches that dwelled just below the skin that can never be scratched. Evan pointed his palm towards Tahlia's body. The fire stayed within. He hesitated. That was the last thing of hers that was real.

'It's not the last, Evan. My feelings for you are. It's okay. Do it.'

The fire spiraled from his palm towards her body. It was like she'd wrapped her hands around his and pushed the flame herself. The bed sparked into a blaze the moment his flames touched it, and the breeze picked up, pushing the flames into the canopy of the Spring Fire.

The blaze was hot in Evan's skin. It felt good instead of uncomfortable. He took a step closer and places his hand in the fire. The warmth wrapped around it, but he felt no pain. Tahlia's body felt like it had been reinvigorated with life for but a moment as he brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers before the fire turned it to ash.

The pain of tears welled beneath his eyes and spilled over. "I'll miss you..." he whispered.

The bulbs on the vines of the tree burst open to reveal flowers the very same color as the orange embers that were being wisped away on the wind. Evan watched as they mixed together. The petals seemed to glow just as they did. He closed his hand on the smoldering ash and brought it to his chest. He curled his head down to it as his tears rained onto his hand.

"I'll miss you..."