The fire they lay around had burned down to embers. Isiah had lit it hours ago to cook up the last of their meat and hadn't bothered to keep it going when they were done. It wasn't like they needed it, the heat Ishin's stone gave off was more than enough for all four of them. Fires were almost useless after he had gotten the first stone, despite it being the main power of it.

He was supposed to be sleeping, but even after hours of lying in his little bedroll, sleep continued to elude him. They were back in the familiar forests of Brenmar, apparently making a beeline straight for the centre of Vishera. After that, he could guess that they would head into Minisia. It was the most logical course of action.

After everything in Ishmar, he never expected to actually go to Minisia. It had been a little dream of his for a long time, but he never thought it would happen. If only it was under better circumstances and he didn't have to go because he needed to save them all, but at least he was able to see it.

Under the thick blanket of his bedroll, he pulled out the two stones. The glows clashed together, contrasting colours that didn't quite fit. He sighed and closed his eyes, but the glow still danced on the backs of his eyelids. There was a small part of him that itched to just leave them behind in the snow and go on his way. Sometimes, there was too much pressure for him to handle.

After Askarune, after watching both Rina and Emrick face their worst fears, he was exhausted. His cowardice had almost gotten Emrick killed. It didn't matter what Askarune or Emrick had said, he still felt guilty for causing it. What made it worse was his desperation not to be alone that night, but Emrick hadn't seemed to mind.

He didn't want the stone and knowing that he couldn't use it yet made it worse. If he couldn't use it, then he didn't need it, and he could just leave it behind. But he wouldn't. Nerin had been right the other day, eventually, he would need it, that was why the Gods had given it to him.

Had they planned out everything or were they as oblivious as him? From Askarune's words, it was mostly the latter. Even the Gods didn't know what was going to happen. They wouldn't be able to help him face whatever it was that was coming. Only he could. Him and the three people he still had with him.

They were all sleeping. Nerin and Rina were nearby, while Emrick had tried to stay awake to keep watch. As far as Isiah was aware, his exhaustion had overcome him and he'd drifted off not too long ago. It wasn't like it mattered too much, Isiah wasn't going to sleep, despite how tired he was.

He sighed and rolled over, leaving the stones where they were in his bedroll. The orange embers of the forgotten fire captured his gaze and he watched them for a long while. The snores of one of his companions sounded around the forest and if anyone were looking for them, they would have been found easily.

Askarune had told him that saving the world with peace would be hard. He probably meant that it was almost impossible. That didn't matter, Isiah was going to try anyway, even if the powers he was given pushed him more and more towards using violence. Flames and fear and strength, all the things a peaceful man like him didn't need.

With his raging thoughts, there was no way he was going to get to sleep. He sat up in the bedroll and grabbed the flame stone. If he was able to master it, maybe then he could use the fear stone. If that was what it took to unlock each power, then it was going to take him far too long to learn everything he needed.

But the least he could do was try. He was getting used to using it, letting the flames jump across the tips of his fingers. Controlling it was easy and it was strange to think that not that long ago, he'd been worried that it would continue to control him. Even if all he could do in a fight was create a barrier between them and their attackers, it was better than nothing.

He needed to find a better way to help when they were attacked, a peaceful way, but in the dead of night, he couldn't think of a single thing. He was so tired, but he didn't want to sleep, couldn't sleep. If he did, all he would get was nightmares and he wouldn't be able to deal with them.

"Why are you awake?"

The flames sputtered and went out. Against the tree, the light of the stones glinted in Emrick's eyes. There was an amused tilt to his lips as Isiah stuttered. He had thought that everyone was asleep and he could have some peace while he struggled to sleep himself.

"I, uh, I couldn't sleep so I thought I would practice a little more," he said, straining to get a good look at the other man. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Emrick shrugged. "I was, but I had a nightmare," he said.

Isiah's stomach ached with guilt. Even without asking, he knew what the nightmare was about. "I'm sorry," he whispered, unsure if Emrick could hear him.

"Oi, stop that, I'm fine. Come and sit over here," the other man told him, a hint of amusement in his voice. Hesitantly, Isiah stood, grabbed the fear stone and wandered over to where Emrick sat. "You don't need to worry about me."

"You almost died!" Isiah exclaimed and covered his mouth with his hand. Nerin and Rina were still sleeping, he needed to be quiet. "Because of me. That shouldn't have happened."

"For you. But no, it wasn't what I was expecting when I went in there. I knew that it would be hard for Askarune to show me what I was scared of. How do you depict the afterlife?" Emrick asked and sighed.

Isiah scowled. "You're scared of the afterlife?" Never had he heard of someone being scared of such a thing. It was supposed to be peaceful after death, so how could anyone be scared of it?

Emrick watched him for a brief second, his eyes drifting across his face. "I'm scared that it's nothing, just oblivion," he whispered and leaned back against the tree. "I'm scared that I'll reincarnate and forget who I was, all the effort I've put into this life. It makes it seem so pointless sometimes. But science doesn't tell me those answers."

They hadn't talked about it the night they'd spent together. All they'd done was sleep next to each other, all the company and comfort they needed at the time. It felt good to talk about it, even if Isiah hadn't said much on the matter. He didn't want to talk about what he'd seen, despite it being a good idea to do so.

"Is that why you study?" he asked and nudged Emrick with his shoulder.

The other man hummed. "Partially, but also because I enjoy it," he said and stretched his legs out in his bedroll. "What does your religion tell you happens after death?"

"That we are welcomed by our Gods if we do well in life and are allowed to pass onto oblivion and peace. If we do bad, then we are sent back again and again until we learn to do well by others. Although, I don't know how the Gods will greet us if they're here. Or dead themselves." he answered and his mind flashed back to his lessons at his old home with the Mother. They were all dead, something that sounded so wrong in his mind, but it was the truth. They had died at Harudan's hand.

Emrick made a sad noise in the back of his throat. "I don't particularly like either of those options, but seeing as your Gods are the real ones, I suppose I better come to terms with reality," he said and Isiah hated the sadness in his voice.

"I don't think so," he replied as he stared out through the trees around them. "I was taught back at the Sanctum that we were meant to be peaceful, but Askarune said otherwise. I have the feeling that there are a great many things that I have been taught that aren't quite right. That doesn't mean I'm not still going to follow most of them, but you can still have hope for the things you want."

There was a long moment of silence and when Isiah looked away from the dark trees, he met Emrick's eyes. The man's lips had parted and there was an emotion in his heavy gaze that Isiah couldn't read. He couldn't look away, couldn't move. He should have done something, but he couldn't place his finger on what it should have been.

After what felt like forever, Emrick looked away and some akin to disappointment swirled in Isiah's gut. "Thank you," Emrick said, a smile on his face.

"For what?"

"You're kind. Not many people are."

Isiah shrugged. "I was taught to show kindness to everyone. Not everyone deserves it, but you most certainly do," he said. It was the complete truth. Ever since he had met Emrick, he'd known that the man deserved more than he got. A scientist from the border towns who went against everyone's expectations, why shouldn't he be kind to him?

"The Sanctum sounds like a good place. What was it like there?" Emrick asked as the clouds parted briefly above them. The moonlight glinted faintly off the thin blanket of snow and illuminated the skeletons of the trees around them.

"It was a good place, quiet though. Nothing ever happened and I think that was a good thing," he answered and let out a quiet chuckle. It had been better when the worst thing that could happen was being cold. "I remember when I was a child. I used to play with the other children, we'd run through the ruins together in the summer. In the winter, I wouldn't join them. My powers weren't strong enough to keep me warm."

"And now look at you," Emrick said.

"Now look at me," he replied and stared at his hands. "It changed as we got older and had to focus more on our lessons. My favourites were always the ones where the Mother taught us, mostly because we'd get distracted by her stories and never do any work. The others grew bored with her easily, but I always found everything she said so interesting.

"I think at one point she told me what the ruins had once been, but seeing as she was the only one who knew about the real Sanctum of Ishin, I suppose it had been a lie. It must have been a town or a church or something related to the Old Gods, but I'll never know."

Emrick shrugged and elbowed him gently. "Maybe that's something you could figure out when all of this is over," he suggested.

"I hope so," Isiah said but didn't tell him that he wasn't even sure if he would still be alive when it was all over. "What will you do when it's all over?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I hadn't even expected to be here, but I can't say it's been completely awful," he said and smiled at him in the dark. "I'll probably continue studying. There's so much more to find out now. I'll just need a new laboratory."

Isiah hissed in a breath. "I'm so-"

"No, don't even start," Emrick interrupted and shifted to face him. "I had some good memories at the laboratory with Turian, but he's dead. It's time to move on. I'll still miss him and grieve for him, but when all this is done, I'll make a new start somewhere else. It's what he would want me to do."

Isiah looked away and sighed. "But you were in love with him."

He frowned in confusion when Emrick laughed, butterflies swarming in his stomach. "I probably should have corrected Nerin when he said that, but I was too angry," he muttered and fiddled with the edge of his bedroll. The wind howled loudly in the silence and Emrick ran a hand through his hair. "At one point in my life, I was in love with Turian, but I was a child.

"I think I was sixteen or seventeen at the time. It wasn't long after he'd taken me in. I fell for him quickly, as someone of that age does, but I kept it secret. It was a little sad, to be honest, I was infatuated with him. But that's all it was, infatuation. He saved me and I loved him for it, but I realised as I matured that nothing would ever come of my feelings and that it wasn't anything worth pursuing. Turian and I were good friends, perhaps family, but that was all. Nerin must have noticed when I was younger and convinced himself that it was still a thing."

Isiah was completely silent during Emrick's explanation, listening intently. It reminded him of his first crush, his teacher when he'd been a lot younger. Childish infatuation had gotten the best of both of them, but they had learned from it.

"He sounds like a good person," he said.

"He was."

"I'm sorry."

Emrick tsked. "It wasn't your fault," he told him.

"I know, but I'm still sorry for your loss," Isiah replied.

"Thank you."

They fell into silence, pressed together against the trunk of the tree as the wind howled. Talking to Emrick calmed him down, made him forget about his problems. If he could do it every night, he would, but he doubted the man would let him. He didn't want to annoy him with his problems.

He let out a tired sigh relaxed against the tree. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but he was so tired that he no longer cared. He didn't even bother to ask Emrick if he was alright with him falling asleep right there, just closed his eyes and drifted off. The last thing he felt before sleep took him was his head landing against Emrick's shoulder.