"Nai, can't you believe that Valencia Qa managed to protect us all, even after a thousand years?" Heski asked Nai Idinci as she cooked with the matcho leaves. Kario was sitting beside him, reading the sheet music with great focus as he held his mini-harp.

Nai Idinci didn't turn her head. And behind her back, she bit her lip and glanced down. Many times, over and over, she had preached to Valencia in the Throne House about her so-called "authority" in Oceanuris. Her so-called "justice" had led to nothing but missing children and people who can't even afford food. It made her sick. It made her anxious. It made her worry and tremble and mad all too often. It was like she was letting it happen–encouraging it, even–assuming she knew at all.

"Well, personally, I don't think she's protecting anybody." Nai Idinci replied bluntly.

"Oh." Heski clutched and held tight to his shirt, near his chest as if he was stabbed. Kario glanced up and placed a hand on Heski's shoulder, giving him a small smile. Then he glanced at Nai Idinci–who still had her back faced.

"Why do you think that?" Kario asked her.

"There's so many problems in Oceanuris. Missing children, people left out on the streets. You'd think our Qa would help us out." Nai Idinci finally turned around, holding freshly cooked Ballo Bait in two bowls. The savory scent matched cooked fish, with a hint of pepper in the air. She walked over to the boys with the bowls in her hand. "I don't think she's helping at all. She's simply allowing all the bad things to happen. Or..."

Kario placed his mini-harp down as he grabbed a cooked Ballo Bait flower.

"She's encouraging it."

"That's impossible!" Heski cried. She couldn't be. She promised justice. It was literally why she wanted to be immortal.

"Ha, well I don't know. It's like she's a completely different person." Nai Idinci examined Heski with a sad smile. They both loved the idea of justice dearly. It was literally what made half of their mortal body (the other half was their flesh).

Nai Idinci sighed at Heski's saddened face. "I know that's painful to hear. But perhaps Valencia is a new person now."