FENRER

"We need to talk." Yuven pulled him out of the chair he set beside the window to watch the clouds pass by. Out of the chair regardless of his desire, he followed Yuven down the steps. "I want you to help me with a little project — Neven's stable..." He faltered, then pressed before his heart could lodge in his throat, "For the time being. We need to discuss what happened inside the mountain caverns."

"Yuv, I told you I can't remember..."

"Not about that." Yuven slid open the bunker and pushed him into the depths. His feet hit the last landing, and Yuven pointed. "About that."

Flames chewed on the pyre of his name when he set his gaze on it. The dawnblade. It shone with magmatic power, the centerpiece of a gemstone glowing brighter with his proximity. In his ears, he heard it in the distance. Far into the distance, but over his shoulder of whispered intent. 'Before sea swallows all...' Tentacles wrapped around his world, but he pushed a thumb into his temples to squeeze it apart, and the voice disappeared. "What about it?"

"So that answers one of my questions..." Yuven swiped the oven mitts off to the side and slipped them on. "I want you to hold the handle."

"What's with the—"

"Hold the handle, Fen." Fenrer drew his gaze upwards and wrapped his hand around it. Warmth touched his skin, though he waited for Yuven's direction when he slid one of the mitts off instead. His slender fingers raised over the blade itself, but confusion laced through his heart when steam sizzled before Yuven could touch it. He drew it back with a pained hiss, shaking out his hand. "Take your hand off it." He came to his side, checking his hand with a curious twist to his lips. Notebook in hand, he chittered under his breath in Navei and wrote several things down in a typical list.

"What's going on?" Fenrer forced out.

Yuven's feathers twitched his way, and he pursed his lips. "I have reason to believe the dawnblade possessed you. I believe whatever it was forced with was fully sentient. Far more sentient than a mere elementia crystal." He tapped his pen against the paper, but Fenrer found himself staring down at it again where its voice tried to drown out Yuven's explanations. Up until a finger poked his cheek, and his attention brought itself back to reality. "You do not seem surprised at this revelation."

"I've been starting to hear its voice since the massacre at Azahama," Fenrer mumbled. "I didn't tell you because—"

"We were fighting," Yuven finished and examined it further. "I think it's doing a lot more than that, Fenrer. I think it's changed the element of your very core." Before he could point out the ridiculousness of such a thing, Yuven tossed the other oven mitt aside and continued on, "I want everything you know about this blade. It's creation. It's history. No need to tell me what it's capable of, I've seen it for myself." Yuven glared at the sword as if it had mortally offended him.

"I haven't... just the aftermath." Fenrer hugged his arms around his chest. Embers fell around him, leaving destruction in his wake.

"Considering you summoned it out of thin air, I think it's also connected to your blood."

"That much is obvious," Fenrer said, then sighed. "There's not much I can tell you Yuven that I haven't said already. It was forged in the time of Pyren... for what purpose—"

"To purge Derelicts."

Fenrer paused.

"That much is very obvious considering all the times it's been activated from what you've experienced," Yuven pointed out. "It will react with any small hint of their taint — with fire and ash regardless of the consequences. It's powerful... but also far too dangerous for anyone but one of your blood to wield. I can barely bring my hand near it without feeling like I'm being set on fire." Yuven paced around the table. "Question is when did this start?"

"...I know when."

Yuven raised his head to him.

Fenrer clutched his shirt. "As I was sinking into the gulf. Kon... called out. I don't really recall what he said but... that's when I started to feel it more keenly." He came closer to it, to touch the wrapped guard for some semblance of comfort. Of his Father who declared war and burnt a dragon's throne. But it still couldn't save my family. He drew his lips inward. "As for it's history, it's said that this was forged for King Pyren—" He waited for him to interject, but his silence spoke volumes, and he continued, "And that... during the Great Crimson Dusk, he split the sky in half to bring back the dawn." Fenrer paused, then drew out a strained chuckle, "But, Yuven, you said so yourself — something like that would be near inconceivable, even for an Anima. That the story probably wasn't literal but..." When the silence continued on both ends of his ears, he winced.

Yuven continued to stare down at it. "...I don't know about the validity of that statement anymore." He looked back up at him. "Though, I think the cost of doing such is nothing short of the wielder's life."

Kon? Fenrer stared down at the dawnblade. Is this how you died?

"I remember very little, Little Wolf... but that much I can recall. Yes. I called upon the dawn's power... and in so doing, gave up my life for this world you now live. But the context... eludes me, as if my memories have been split away."

Fenrer pushed his lips together with a shake of his head. "Nothing makes sense anymore," he mumbled. "Evyriaz. Ivara. Pyvansomiir. Ojain. I just want all of this to start making sense." He brought his fingers up to his swinging eyes, and Yuven's expression of concern haunted him to the ends of the abyss. "Except nothing does make sense, and no one here can make sense of this." Frustration dug into his throat, and he took the dawnblade to holster it. In the drawn out pause, he twisted on his heel to Yuven, taking a step for his Oathbound who never balked at reality nor what needed to be done. "We can't stay here waiting," he insisted. "We have to go out there and figure out the truth before it slips away again. We were close... we just couldn't see it... Kemal did, though." Before tears tore down his cheeks, he persisted. "Let's go, Yuven. We can't let this continue. We have to find... someone that can make sense of this." Like... Ivara... who Blackwall says is here, on this continent.

With no one who could hear or understand his thoughts, Yuven balked after all. "We can't," he said after a quick shake. "Neven won't make it. He needs to go home. He doesn't need to worry about us getting into danger again. He already faults himself for what's happened."

"So you'd just let it slip away?" Fenrer demanded.

"I'd have everyone survive first," Yuven hissed, but he took a deep breath to release it. "I know it's hard, Fenrer. I do. I know what it's like to feel like you have the answers at the edge of your mind but you just can't seem to grab onto it... let me tell you... it's not always worth it." He set his shoulders straight. "So, consider that an order. We're going home. We'll handle what we've found here later. Keep the dawnblade close... but try not to use it. Not until we understand it more." Yuven headed for the staircase.

"Yuven, you..." Fenrer sighed when Yuven escaped to the upper landing. Hands pressed against his temples, he tried not to break into laughter. What did they do? Why do I feel wrong? Why are there extra layers? Colours brightened with shades of blue, a disruption of his natural sight when he raised his head again with the whispering quiet in his ears. He escaped the bunker, hoping to find Yuven not so ready to give up the chase, but he was alone in the living room. No poundcakes cooked in the oven with Neven to watch over them. Just an eerie pall over the blueish tinge everything took on. Auras danced and twirled, with the cold winter fading in and out, fighting to hold onto reality.

It gave him no comfort, but when he turned to open the door outside, another voice stopped him.

"Fenrer?"

Adara. He turned to her.

Unbroken, the silver lilies flourished and turned to ash all at once. He slid his lips between his teeth when she closed in. "Are you going on a walk? Can I come with you? I need to get out of this place... and we need to talk."

Fenrer opened the door with a nod, slipping out of the treehouse before waiting for Adara to follow. "How've you been feeling?" she started when they walked down the street, the activity quieted, the greyscale sky casting shadows over her face. "Have you seen Neven yet?"

"Yeah." He gave a start when her brow furrowed. "I've... been better, but I've also been worse." Her arm wrapped around his. Warmth ripped from the contact, but he refused to draw away from it. Ashes fluttered in the air around her, but nothing betrayed her own well-being. "What about you?"

"That's... kind of what I want to talk to you about," Adara mumbled as they crossed through the gate and deeper into the forest, towards the fateful beach. "I want to tell you that... well... I'm kind of the reason why Neven is in this critical state." Her fingers dug into his elbow, and he let her explain without interruption. "He needed my magick to open the way and... create that wyvern mirage thing that carried us out—"

"...that wasn't a mirage." Adara paused, but one thing slipped into his mind like a puzzle piece. It... proves beyond a doubt... that Evyriaz was a man. "Anima magick is capable of... inconceivable things at often a great cost to those who themselves are not Anima. He needed your magick to bring his soul outwards. He was doing nothing short of what you witnessed Evyriaz do in the vision of the world sphere." Fenrer held onto her. "...understanding that it would very well kill him at that extent. As it stands, we are not capable of wielding those magicks anymore. Whatever the Anima did back then split our ability in twain in hopes it would weaken the Derelicts in turn. So that the world may never see a Great Crimson Dusk again."

"Did it... even work?"

Fenrer shut his eyes tight into a dark, crimson world full of detached eyes. "...I don't know. I wish I did." His breath caught in his chest. "I feel like if I knew what the cult did to me I'd have the answer but..." Or... had I gotten to Kemal in time... I think he knew something. Knew more than they wanted him to, that's why they singled him out. Tears slipped down his cheeks, but he gave a start when Adara's hand cupped his face. Her smile softened, and he tried to catch his breath in the ash. Sungrove fell apart. Reyn at his feet, bloodied as he raised the dawnblade to the lightning struck sky. Tangles fell around the walls. Arrows sliced through the smoke, and it was over all at once.

"We'll figure it out," she said with newfound confidence he lost. "We always do."

Fenrer drew away from her slightly, but forced himself to nod. "Right..." he mumbled.

"We just need to rest at Euros and... figure out how it all connects." Adara brought her hands together.

...but then we'll lose what little we have. Neven can go home, we don't have to. Fenrer sighed. Why can't any of them see that?

Blackwall's voice dug into his mind and he tried not to bare his teeth at the arrogance and knowledge he dangled like a carrot in front of him. "Of course," he repeated when Adara's smile faltered, dwindled with the light of her silver aura. "I believe."

I believe that Blackwall knows something now that he has what he wanted. It enabled him to put a puzzle piece together that no one but Neven and Kemal wanted to rip out of the ground. Fist clenched, he raised it to touch Adara's face. But what does the Anima have to do with all of it? He left something unsaid... He nodded at her. "We all need rest," he told her.

"How're your eyes?"

"...they're fine." Fenrer looked at the air between them.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me about that sort of thing, I know I'm not an Aurus so—"

It burned across his forearm, but he tasted temptation, far too close to his lips, a dare and test of his broken faith. "It's okay," he assured her. "I know you're not an Aurus. It's... difficult to explain if you're not, though, I apologize."

Adara slumped in the shoulders. "Doesn't mean I can't try to understand."

Fenrer brought his nose closer to her, to lose himself in the silver blooms when she wrapped her arms around him. The things I have fought for, over and over again... Fenrer hugged her close after the share silence, raising his head to the darkness which loomed just out of sight in the treeline.

I'm sorry, Yuven... you may think it's pointless... but if you won't find the answers...

I will.