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"That is... the Wyvern's Heart?"
A young Olivert placed a paw on the glass case. Behind the glass, and behind the reflection of a teenage lynx's face staring back at him with his mouth hanging open, was the biggest gem he had ever seen in his life, hovering a few centimeters above its pedestal. Its rugged edges glimmered under the room's artificial light. Its color was a bright, vivid green, and most importantly, it had to be several times the size of his own head.
"Hey, don't put your paw there!", a voice said by his side, before a white, feathered hand grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from the glass display. "But yeah, this is it. What do you think?"
Olivert didn't take his eyes off the gem. "It's huge! I've never seen anything like it."
His companion let out a quiet chuckle. "I'm amazed you had never seen the Heart before. Not even on a school trip or anything?"
"Nope." Olivert shook his head. "They never really brought us to the capital. My village is pretty far away."
"Isn't it, like, half an hour by wagon?"
He turned his head, grinning. "Ever tried fitting fifty school kids into an air wagon, Lenoa?"
His friend smiled back at him and waved her hand. Just like the rest of her body, her face was covered in fine white feathers, with four small, stubby horns sticking out of the top of her head. "Okay, point taken."
Olivert looked back at the gem. Even the air around him felt... rich, somehow. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and felt the familiar tingling of wind magic in his chest.
"There's so much magic here..."
"Mm-hm. I've heard that, this close to the Heart, you can even cast magic without a catalyst gem." Lenoa looked over her shoulder at the two Marcal Guards by the door. "Well, adults can, at least. I've tried and couldn't do it."
"Hah, if YOU can't, I'm surprised anyone can." Olivert pointed at the brooch on his friend's chest. "It's the same color as your catalyst, too. Does that mean it's a wind gem?"
"Yup. But it can channel magic of any element, just like any other catalyst. It's just very good at holding wind magic."
"Right, makes sense." Olivert turned his head again, staring at the huge gem. "It feels... weird. I always hear people in Claywell talking about it, saying they have to bring their gems to the capital to recharge them with the Heart. But to be this close to it..."
"Yeah. The gem that powers all of Wyvern's Marque. Cool, huh?"
Olivert responded with a silent nod.
"Oh!" Lenoa's ears perked up by the sides of her head, and she reached into her satchel. "I almost forgot. I have something for you."
"For... me? Here?"
"Yeah! Check this out." She took out a gem, no larger than a marble, but glistening with the same green hue as the Heart, and handed it to Olivert. He extended his paw and picked it up, tilting his head in confusion.
"A... catalyst gem? It looks just like yours."
"It's YOUR new catalyst gem."
"Woah!" Olivert looked up at his friend, then back down at the small gem, his tail swishing happily behind him. "Really? It's for me?"
"Of course! That way you can get rid of that dusty red thing you carry around. I know it can barely hold a charge anymore."
It was true that his catalyst wasn't exactly in the best condition, but those things weren't cheap. Still, he knew Lenoa's family could easily afford as many as she wanted. He bit his tongue and simply smiled at her.
"That's awesome, Lenoa. Thank you."
She giggled in response, her small wings flapping behind her. "No problem! I thought now would be the best time to give it to you, since you can bind to it and charge it right away. Directly from the Heart, no less! I bet that will last you a while."
He nodded, holding up the gem between his pawtips and admiring its green glow.
---
The air wagon's jolt as it came to a stop and lowered to the ground brought Olivert out of his daydream. The conductor opened the doors, announcing that they had arrived at Sandhaven. Olivert took one last glance at the green gem on his bracelet, reminiscing about when Lenoa gifted it to him years ago, then stepped out of the wagon.
Oliver's sensitive nose immediately caught the pleasant scent of sea salt. The port city of Sandhaven was the second largest in Wyvern's Marque, only behind the capital, Wyvern's Talon. Around Olivert, the streets were bustling with activity, as usual for the Marque's center of trade: merchants loudly proclaiming the quality of their wares, fortune tellers offering their divination skills to passers-by, and of course, a diverse crowd of creatures of all shapes and sizes. Olivert smiled, thinking to himself that he would much rather be here than in Talon, surrounded by nobles and high society.
Olivert started wandering the streets of Sandhaven, holding onto his bag. He recognized many of the establishments: his keen feline nose quickly picked up on the smell of freshly baked bread, and following it, he found a bakery that his father used to take him to as a kid. He made a mental note to come back later when he got hungry.
As he walked past, his body also picked up on the warm, familiar tingle of fire magic. In the back of his mind, Olivert vaguely remembered something he learned in school about how magic from the same type of elemental gems fed off each other, so shops that used fire gems tended to cluster together: blacksmiths, bakeries, weaver shops, and a large gathering hall for people to keep warm during the cold season. Naturally for the season, it was more crowded than usual, but Olivert's fur and cloak kept him warm enough, so he walked past and into the next district.
A merchant's stall caught Olivert's attention, in a relatively secluded corner between buildings. As he walked closer, the blue-scaled woman behind the counter glanced at him for a moment, before turning her attention back to the small gem she was polishing. All around her were a variety of catalyst gems, glowing blue and green and red and yellow. There were also accessories, each with a circular slot for a catalyst gem just like his own bracelet, as well as some other strange items Olivert didn't recognize. He tilted his head, curiously examining a vaguely tube-shaped object on the ground, before bending down and picking it up to look at it closer.
"Never seen a hanek before?"
A little startled, Olivert lifted his head. The woman was still preoccupied with the gem in her claws, speaking to Olivert without so much as turning her head. Her accent was definitely foreign.
"Oh! Um. A hanek?"
The merchant put down the yellow gem, and finally turned to face Olivert. She looked... unamused. Her long fangs naturally stuck out of her mouth, but her face didn't betray any emotions, positive or otherwise. She extended one claw towards Olivert, palm up. Olivert hesitated for a moment, then handed the device to her.
She held the tube up, resting the top against her shoulder, then reached down with her free claw and held it right underneath the base. Her catalyst gem, attached to a band around one of her horns, let out a soft blue glow as the device started making a quiet, melodic sound. It played the first notes of an unfamiliar song, before she abruptly stopped and handed it back to him.
"Oh!" He stared down at the object in his paws. "It's an instrument! I've never seen one like this before."
"They're very popular up in Lamia's Marque."
'Ah, Lamia. That must be where her accent is from', Olivert thought to himself.
He put the instrument down, politely smiling.
"Not interested, then?" The woman crossed her arms, leaning against the side of the stall. Her expression was... impenetrable.
"Haha, probably not. I wouldn't know how to play it anyways."
"I could teach you."
"Oh! Um. Really?"
"Sure." She casually waved her claw. "It's really not that hard if you can play another wind instrument. It would be pretty cool if haneks got popular here in Wyvern's Marque too."
"Hah, I see. Well, maybe I'll come back another day. I'm just looking right now."
"Looking for catalysts?" She gestured at the display.
Olivert let out a small chuckle. "I think those are probably a little outside of my budget."
"Really now?" She glanced at his bracelet. "Yours isn't exactly cheap. I know a high quality gem when I see one."
Olivert shyly covered the gem on his bracelet with his other paw. "Yeah, that's- this one was a gift from my um, my girlfriend."
"I see. She must care about you a lot."
He rubbed the back of his head, feeling his cheeks heating up a little.
She picked up the gem she was polishing, holding it between her claw tips. "You probably won't find catalysts for much cheaper, even used ones like mine. Unbinding is a pretty difficult process."
Olivert simply nodded in response.
"Well, I also sell holders, you could get a new bracelet. Or come back some other day. I bet you I'll have something new to show off."
"Sure, that sounds good! I'll-um. I didn't quite catch your name."
She threw the yellow gem she was holding into the air and casually caught it again with her other claw. "Zofis", she stated plainly. Olivert wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he thought he saw her briefly smiling at him.
---
"And stop!"
The Marcal Guard captain's deep voice boomed throughout the training hall. Olivert stumbled back on his feet, thanking the stars that training was finally over; he didn't think he could withstand Lenoa's relentless spells for another minute.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason he was glad that training was finally over. Maybe he could finally ask Lenoa why she hadn't said a single word to him all day.
The captain approached each pair of trainees in turn. "Good work today, you two", she said as she approached Olivert and Lenoa. She looked at Olivert. "You need to work on your defensive magic. If you can't hold a decent barrier together, you'll be dead before you realize what happened. Train your focus."
Olivert lowered his head and nodded.
"Not that I expect anyone to ward off Lenoa's spells, of course." The captain turned her head. "Excellent form as always, Lenoa. Keep it up."
Lenoa also nodded with a polite smile. Olivert could not get a read on her emotions. Was she mad at him? Had he done something wrong?
"Don't let it get you down, Olivert. Keep training." The captain patted his shoulder before moving on to the next pair of recruits. Without another word, Olivert and Lenoa headed off to the locker room together to change out of their protective clothes.
"So, um..." Olivert awkwardly tried to break the silence. "Is... is everything alright?"
Lenoa smiled, but didn't look at him. "Yes, of course."
"Okay. Uh. Listen, I'm sorry if I made-"
"Where were you yesterday, Olivert?"
He froze in place.
"Huh?"
"You said you couldn't come to the capital because you were too tired. Did you stay at home?"
His thoughts raced, trying to remember the conversation he had with Lenoa.
"Did I? I mean, no, I was in Sandhaven because-"
"So why did you tell me you wanted to rest?"
Olivert could feel his heart beating in his chest. Why didn't she even seem surprised? Did she already know where he was?
"Well, I- I meant that I wanted to be by myself, so..."
"So you went to Sandhaven, the busiest city in the entire Marque?"
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the words. He said the wrong thing again, didn't he? Again. Just like always. He couldn't do anything right, not even something as simple as finding the right words. He really messed up this time. This was it, she was going to-
He flinched when he felt Lenoa's feathered hand grab his paw. He looked into her eyes.
"Calm down, Olivert. Just... listen. If you don't want to be with me, you can just tell me, okay? You don't have to lie."
He didn't lie though. Not on purpose at least. And it wasn't that he didn't want to be with- Wait, no, he was making excuses for himself again. Yes. He needed to own up to what he had done, and stop acting like a coward.
"... I'm sorry. I really didn't think you would be upset by that."
Lenoa finally smiled at him. A genuine, warm smile. He felt all the tension evaporate from his body and breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's okay, Ollie. Just do better next time, alright? Don't lie to me, please."
He nodded. "I won't. I promise."
She gave his paw a comforting squeeze.
---
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
Zofis handed the silver bracelet to Olivert, who smiled and put it into his bag. "Same to you."
"Say. It's about time for the break. Wanna grab something to drink?"
"Oh! Um." Olivert blinked. "Sure!"
Stepping out from behind the counter, Zofis waved her claw in the air, the blue gem on her horn glowing briefly, and a circle of blue light briefly surrounded the stall. With the safety ward conjured, she gestured for Olivert to follow her, and they both walked towards the fire district.
"So. Olivert, right? You never told me what you do for a living."
"Oh, well! I'm training to be a Marcal Guard!" Olivert said proudly.
"Ah."
Olivert could swear he saw her frowning briefly. Not the reaction he was expected. "Is... something wrong with that?"
"No, not at all." Zofis shook her head. "Just not what I expected from you. You seem too... nice to be a Guard, I guess."
"Hah, well, I've wanted to be a Guard ever since I was little. I thought I'd never make it into the Guard and I was fully prepared to take care of my father's weaver shop, but... well, I had some help from Lenoa."
"Your girlfriend, right?"
Olivert nodded.
"Noble, I'm guessing? Connections in the Marcal Guard, enough money to get a fancy gem like yours..."
"Haha, yeah, she's from a pretty influential family. Close to the Marquess herself, from what I hear. But Lenoa doesn't like to talk a lot about that."
"Right, right." Zofis looked like her mind was elsewhere. "I figured you wouldn't need to go shopping for catalyst holders at the Sandhaven market with a family like that."
"Well, she has offered to buy me a new one multiple times, but... I don't know." He looked at his golden bracelet. "It's nice to have something that isn't a gift from her, I guess. Something I got on my own."
Zofis chuckled. "I can relate to that." She stopped in front of a large store. The sign above it had a drawing of a red herb. "So, want a sparkbrew? My treat."
"Sure!" Olivert nodded, smiling. He sat on a stone bench outside the store and waited for Zofis to go inside and order their drinks, tilting his head back and watching the sky. It was a typical cold season day: a thick blanket of grey clouds covered the sky, and rain was falling onto the protective barrier conjured by the Wyvern's Heart. It was cold, but Olivert was used to much worse than this, and his cloak, woven by his father and imbued with fire magic, kept him warm enough. Still, a sparkbrew sounded nice right about now.
And right on cue, Zofis came out, holding two cups. She sat on the bench by his side and handed him one of the drinks.
"Thank you!" Olivert grabbed it and quickly took a sip. The comforting glow of fire magic quickly spread through his body, warming him from inside.
"If you really want to thank me, tell all your friends about my shop, alright?"
Olivert laughed. Zofis took a small sip from her own drink, and shivered.
"Mm, this is the good stuff. Can't believe we've survived for so long in Lamia's Marque without sparkbrew."
"You don't have sparkbrew?"
She shook her head. "Sparkherb doesn't grow up there. Honestly I don't know if I'd stay in Wyvern's Marque if it wasn't for sparkbrew."
"Very understandable." Olivert took another sip. "So what did you do back in Lamia? Were you also a merchant?"
"Nope. Take a guess."
He looked at Zofis up and down. She was tall and well built, and she wore a resilient dyed leather outfit, the red and brown contrasting against her deep blue scales. One of her horns had her catalyst holder around it, and the other was pierced, with a silver ring going though it.
"... a mercenary?"
"Pffffft. Right. Good guess, but no."
"Oh. Wait." Olivert thought back to all the well maintained catalyst gems in her shop, and how easily she was able to tell the value of his own gem. "You were a gemsmith."
"Alright, second try. Not bad. Yeah, I worked for noble families, actually."
"That's interesting. You don't seem to like nobles very much."
"Bleh. Don't remind me." Zofis drank what remained of her sparkbrew in one gulp.
"So why'd you come to Wyvern, then?"
"..."
Olivert turned his head to look at her. She was staring into her empty cup, quiet. Olivert's ears drooped.
"Ah. Sorry. Touchy subject? Forget I-"
"No, no, it's fine. Just- I need to get back to the shop, alright?"
Olivert nodded, and they both stood up. He quietly cursed himself and his big mouth.
"So, hey. Do you have plans for the festival?"
"... Oh! Right, the festival of ice is next week, isn't it?"
"Hah. I take it that's a no?"
Olivert shook his head.
"I'm meeting up with some friends at a tavern over by the ice district. Would you like to come?"
"Oh! That sounds fun. I'll ask Lenoa and let you know, alright?"
Zofis tilted her head. "Do you usually meet up with her for the festival?"
"Well, no. She's a noble, remember? They have their whole gatherings going on. I never really got it."
"Then...?"
"I just want to ask her to be sure."
"You're. Asking your girlfriend for permission to go to a tavern?"
Olivert rubbed the back of his head. "I- uh... I just don't want her to get upset. It's easier this way. Just- she'll probably say yes, okay? I'll let you know before the festival."
Zofis stayed quiet for a few seconds, before finally breaking the silence. "... alright. Looking forward to it."
As she walked away towards her stall, Olivert couldn't help but wonder if he had messed up again.
---
"Ollieeeee."
Olivert sat up in his bed, surprised. Where did the voice come from?
"Ollieeeee!"
Lenoa's voice? He brought up his bracelet close to his ear. If she was casting a voice spell, she had to be-
Olivert immediately got up and looked out his window. Indeed, Lenoa was smiling up at him, her white wings spread wide and illuminated by the moonlight. He happily waved back at her and went back inside, throwing his cloak on and stepping downstairs.
"Hey Olivert." His father's deep voice greeted him from the living room. He seemed to have some half finished clothing article in his paws.
"Hi dad! Lenoa's here, so I'm going out with her for a bit."
"Hah, fair enough." He turned his attention back to his weaving. "Take care of that girl, you hear? You won't find another like her."
Rolling his eyes, Olivert stepped outside and ran towards Lenoa. She wrapped her arms around him, and he eagerly returned the hug.
"Hey Len! What are you doing in Claywell?"
"Oh, nothing. I just have the day off tomorrow, so I thought we could go for a walk." She offered her hand to him, which he happily took.
Claywell was a tiny village compared to the capital or even Sandhaven. It didn't take them more than 10 minutes to reach the fields outside town, following the flat but poorly paved road that air wagons used.
"How has it been?" She squeezed his paw. "I feel like we barely see each other outside of Guard training anymore."
"Heh, that's true. Well, I went to Sandhaven again yesterday, like I told you. I got this, actually." He lifted his free arm to show his silver bracelet.
"What- oh. Ollie! I've told you like a million times that I could get another catalyst holder for you!"
"I knoooow. I just wanted to get this for myself."
She shook her head. "You're impossible sometimes, you know."
He wanted to say something else, but he bit his tongue. He didn't want what little time they spent together outside of training to devolve into another argument. Instead, he decided to change the subject.
"This area's pretty flat. Want to sit on the grass here for a bit?"
"Sure!"
They both sat down together, looking up at the sky. He felt Lenoa's hand grabbing his again, and they briefly glanced at each other, smiling.
"This is nice."
Lenoa nodded in agreement.
"So Ollie, I've been thinking about something."
"Hm?" Olivert looked at her, tilting his head.
"... Listen to what I have to say before answering, okay?"
"Alright?" He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, but did his best to ignore it.
"I think we should move in together."
Olivert blinked.
"I know it's a lot, okay? But just, listen. You spend so much time every day just going from Claywell to Talon and back. Don't you think everything would be easier if you lived in the capital?"
He sighed, lying down on the grass and looking up at the moon. "I'm not sure it's that simple. What about my dad?"
"What about him? He'll probably welcome not having to support two people with just his weaver shop, right? While we're still trainees, I mean."
"That's not what I mean. He'll probably get lonely by himself. I'm not sure I want to do that to him."
She let out a groan. "You always have to make things as hard as possible."
Once again, he caught himself before responding and stayed quiet.
"Just... think about it at least, won't you? I really think you could use some independence."
'Not much independence if I'm depending on you', he thought to himself.
"Alright. I'll talk to my dad about it."
"Thanks. That's all I'm asking for."
She leaned in close and pressed a brief kiss to his lips. "I love you, Ollie. You know I just want the best for you."
"I know. I love you too."
She folded her wings and lied down by his side on the grass.
"Oh yeah, Len. One more thing. You'll be spending the ice festival with your family, right?"
She sighed. "Yeah. Can't really get out of that one."
"Alright, cool. Zofis invited me to spend the festival with a few other friends, so I'll be at Sandhaven."
She sat up.
"Zofis?"
"Yeah, a friend I met recently. She's the one I got this from, actually." He lifted his bracelet.
"You didn't tell me about this."
He looked at her, confused. "But I did? I told you I was heading to Sandhaven for some shopping."
"Yeah, shopping. Not to hang out with some friend I didn't know about."
Olivert sat up too. "Do you... need me to tell you about every friend I meet too?"
"No! Of course not. Geez, Ollie."
"Then what's the problem?"
"There's no problem!" She groaned. "I just feel like you keep hiding things from me for no good reason."
"I wasn't hiding-!"
"Let's just... stop, okay? We don't get much time together. Can't we just enjoy this for a little bit?"
She was right. As usual. Olivert nodded, and they both lied down.
Olivert sighed. "I'm sorry."
She simply shushed him in response and held his paw in her hand, giving it a light squeeze. They both stared at the night sky, a deep blue tinted slightly green from the Wyvern's Heart barrier.
---
The ice festival marked the official end of the cold season, just like each other festival marked the end of the season corresponding to their element. Likewise, each element had an associated form of art: wind with music, earth with sculpting, fire with lightworking, and ice with painting. So naturally, during the ice festival, it was tradition for everyone to paint and show off their work. Old, young, professional or amateur, everyone was encouraged to participate; there was no sense of competition and, as part of the tradition, all paintings would be destroyed by the end of the festival. Whoever kept theirs, as the saying went, would be cursed with terrible luck until the end of the next season.
Of course, some people took the painting as an excuse to gather with friends and have a good time and laugh together at their terrible art skills, and others took it extremely seriously and poured hours into their work. Olivert was in the former group, and usually spent the festival with his father, but he was glad to have some other company this year. They travelled to Sandhaven together, then parted ways, his father going to catch up with some old work friends, and Olivert heading for the tavern to meet up with Zofis.
She greeted him enthusiastically (Olivert was slowly learning to tell her intentions past her impenetrable exterior) and introduced him to the group, including the tavern keeper, a lovely old squirrel lady who was once apparently a Marcal Guard and loved to tell stories about her days as a soldier, which Olivert listened to intently. The group picked the theme of "hometowns" by popular vote, and everyone painted their respective hometowns together, some more abstractly than others. Afterwards, Zofis and another friend of hers from Lamia's Marque taught everyone else a strange card game that Olivert had never heard of before; even after playing a few rounds and even winning some, he wasn't sure he understood all of the rules.
Once the celebrations had wound down, everyone's paintings were gathered up for easy disposal, and everyone else was talking in more private groups, Zofis sat down at the table where Olivert was sitting.
"Seems like you had fun."
"Oh, definitely! Thank you for inviting me. I'm... kind of exhausted."
"Heh, yeah, this bunch can be kind of a lot. Good people, though."
"I don't doubt that." Olivert smiled, looking around the tavern. "Man. It would be kind of a shame..."
"What would be?"
"Huh?" Olivert's ears perked up. "Oh! Sorry, I was just talking to myself."
"You don't think you'll get to hang out with us anymore?"
"It's just..." He sighed. "Relationship stuff."
Zofis rested her elbow on the table, holding her chin. "I'm listening."
"Well. Okay. So, Lenoa wants to move in together. All the way to Talon. Which would certainly be convenient for my training, but it's kinda far from Sandhaven. Even by air wagon."
"Right. And you do want to move in with her?"
"Well... it's complicated."
Zofis chuckled. "That sounds like a 'no' to me."
"No, I really do mean that it's complicated! Lenoa is amazing, and I love her so much, and I would be lost without her, but..."
He ran his paw through his hair. Zofis stayed silent, patiently waiting.
"But... that's exactly the problem, I think. It's scary to depend so much on Lenoa. I feel like if we moved in together, my entire life would be hanging by a thread."
"By a thread...? I don't think I get what you mean."
"I'm just..." Olivert slumped in his chair. "I feel kind of pathetic for even saying it, but I feel like she's going to get fed up with me and leave at any moment. And I can't afford to lose her. I mean, what are the chances of meeting someone like her again? Intelligent, beautiful, amazing with magic, and so patient with me. Way, way, way more patient than I have any right to."
Zofis remained quiet.
"So if we moved in together, and then I messed up and she kicked me out, I don't know what I'd do."
"Right." Zofis nodded. "Wow. So. This is. A lot."
Olivert tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Suddenly, Zofis got up from her chair and gestured to Olivert. "Come with me."
Without another word, she walked out of the tavern. Olivert, a little confused, got up and followed behind her. None of the other people in the bar seemed to pay any attention to them. She guided him to a secluded alleyway near the tavern, and turned to face him again.
"We should be pretty safe from anyone listening here." She took a deep breath. "Alright. You asked me about my reason for leaving Lamia's Marque the other day."
Olivert nodded.
"There was... there's someone who was a really important part of my life. Her name was Shihan. I thought she was the most amazing person in the entire world. Strong, competent, had her life together. She was everything I wasn't."
"Really? You felt like you weren't competent?"
Zofis chuckled. "Yeah, the tables sure turn, huh. That was part of it though. Shihan was... not a good person. I mean, she was good at everything she did. But when it came to me... She made me feel like my whole life revolved around her. My own self worth was secondary."
"..."
"She really did a number on me, is my point. And it's taken me years to build myself back up."
"I see..." Olivert lowered his head.
"You know why I'm telling you all this, right?"
Olivert paused. "... I know you're concerned, but I don't know if it's the same situation. I really do think Lenoa is as good as she can be to me. Really, I should be-"
"Grateful? For allowing you to stay with her, even though she keeps telling you and reminding you about all the times you mess up?"
Olivert tried to speak, but the words wouldn't leave his throat.
"Listen. You don't have to do anything right now. I just want you to know that what you're feeling is not normal. The way you're being treated is not normal." Zofis reached up to place a claw on Olivert's shoulder, but stopped herself and lowered it again. "Just... give yourself some time to think about it. And talk to people. I would not have gotten through that hell if I didn't have my friends to support me."
Olivert swallowed. The knot in his chest wouldn't go away. He simply nodded in response.
"I'm here if you ever want to talk more about this, okay?"
"... okay."
They stood in silence for a few minutes, Olivert awkwardly looking down at the floor. Finally, Zofis broke the silence.
"Do you think you're feeling okay now?"
"Okay enough to go back, I think."
Zofis nodded. "Before we do, though..."
"Hm?"
She took a deep breath, then placed her palm on her face. "I can't believe I'm going to do this. I must be losing my mind."
Olivert looked up at her, tilting his head.
"The truth is, I planned to take you here tonight either way, although not to talk about this. There's something else I need to tell you about."
"What is it?"
Zofis took another deep breath. "Can I trust you to keep a secret?"
Olivert nodded, serious.
"Alright. Here goes." She looked around, confirming nobody was around. It was dark enough that most of the people participating in the festival had retreated to their homes. "What I'm about to tell you absolutely does not leave this alley. Understood?"
He nodded again, a sense of dread building up in his chest.
"I'm here to destroy the Wyvern's Heart."
---
The next few seconds that passed felt like an eternity.
"I- I think I may have misheard you."
"No, you heard correctly. I'm here to break the Wyvern's Heart."
Olivert blinked. "What- Okay, first of all, you do realize I'm technically a member of the Marcal Guard, right?"
Zofis sighed. "I know. I'm perfectly aware of how ridiculous this sounds. But that is exactly the reason I'm telling you. I could really use your help."
"Wh- MY help?! Why would I want to- Why would YOU want to destroy it? Have you actually lost your mind?"
"Olivert." She crossed her arms. "Think about it for a second. What is the Heart? It's a gem of incredible magic power. And it's in control of the Marquess and a bunch of her noble sidekicks. Do you really think it's right to let a few people hold that much power?"
"It's not like they're holding it hostage! Everyone is free to charge their own catalysts on-"
"Yes, and in the process, everyone depends on them. They get to decide on laws, and economy, and infrastructure, and everyone else just has to shut up and watch as they fill their own pockets. Come on, Olivert, you're a commoner. You've seen how absurdly wealthy the nobles are, haven't you?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"And that's not even mentioning the military. As a Guard, I don't even need to tell you the kinds of terrifying magic a soldier can use with a gem as powerful as the Heart, do I?"
Olivert's mind flashed back to Lenoa's spells during training. "But- every Marque has their own Heart! It's not like Wyvern has an unfair advantage!"
"Ah, so you believe an arms race is a good way to keep peace between the Marques?"
Olivert clenched his fists, silent.
"Even if it was, you're wrong. Not every Marque."
"What do you mean?"
"Lamia's Heart. It's already destroyed."
"... What?"
Zofis crossed her arms. "I destroyed it. Me, and my companions. I saw it shatter before my eyes."
"That's not possible! How could we not have heard of it? News like that would spread like-"
"It is possible, and it's real. It happened many years ago. Heck, I'd be surprised if the Wyvern's Marquess herself doesn't know already."
"I'm..." Olivert's head felt like it was going to explode. "Why? Why would you even do that?"
"I told you. No one person or group should be trusted with the immense power of a Heart. Our objective is to shatter the Hearts, and disperse the shards so that each community can take care of their own needs." Zofis spoke confidently, like nothing would change her resolve. "I won't let any benevolent dictator control my life anymore. Not Shihan, and not the Marquess."
Olivert shook his head. "I- this is too much. I can't help you with this, Zofis. I can't. It goes against everything I know."
"I was afraid you'd say that." She sighed. "I trust that you won't report me, at least?"
"Of course I won't! Come on, I said I would keep the secret."
"That's good. Thanks, Olivert. And... sorry for dumping all of this on you."
"... If you ever try to destroy the Heart, we'll be on opposing sides."
"I know." Zofis chuckled. "Let's just hope one of us changes their mind before that happens."
They both laughed together.
"Oh, and." Zofis started walking away, gesturing at Olivert to follow. "The offer still stands. I'm here anytime you need to talk about Lenoa."
Olivert nodded, smiling.
---
"So, have you thought about my offer yet?"
Olivert and Lenoa walked back from the training hall, holding hands.
"I... need a little more time to think, if that's okay."
"Sure. Just, think about what I told you, alright? I really think it would be a good step for both of us."
She smiled at Olivert. Seeing her smile always made him feel at ease. Like nothing could-
Lenoa stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong?" Olivert asked, confused.
"Did you feel that?"
"Feel what?" He looked around.
"That flash of cold- oh no. Oh no no no." She started walking, slowly at first, then faster, shaking her head.
"What? Lenoa, what's going on?"
"Something's wrong with the Heart. It's- I don't know. Ice magic. Something's wrong."
Ice magic. A jolt of fear shot through Olivert's spine as he tried to keep up with Lenoa. He recognized the direction she was sprinting towards: it was the Marquess' palace.
"Lenoa, wait! Where are you-"
Without turning her head, she shouted at Olivert. "This is dangerous! Go home!"
Before he could realize it, Lenoa had sprinted out of sight. Olivert did his best to catch up, to no avail.
Finally, he reached the palace, presumably long after Lenoa had already gone inside. The entrance was conspicuously devoid of guards. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. Should he go inside? He certainly didn't think he'd be much help if there was actual danger. Lenoa could handle anything herself. Then again, if it really was-
"Olivert."
The familiar voice made him turn around. Zofis was right there, in the entrance, with him.
"Zofis?"
Olivert looked up at the palace in confusion. He could make out a faint flash of blue coming from one of the windows.
"What are you doing here in Talon? And if you're here, what's-"
"Shihan." Zofis said, somber.
"What? You mean..."
"Shihan. I followed her here." She shook her head. "I have no idea what she's up to, but it can't be anything good."
With a determined expression, she headed towards the entrance. When she was almost through the door, she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"Well? Are you coming or what?"
Olivert didn't need to be told twice.
---
The inside of the palace looked exactly like it did when Olivert visited as a kid, except some of the walls and floors were covered in ice crystals. Several people, probably Marcal Guards judging by their clothes, were lying on the floor, unconscious. Without saying anything, Olivert and Zofis made their way through the palace, following the ice trail whenever possible.
The Marquess' room was significantly less recognizable. A layer of ice covered every surface, and larger ice crystals encased some of the furniture. The Marquess herself was on the floor, unresponsive.
Zofis stepped closer and checked her pulse.
"She's fine. Just knocked out." She got back up to her feet. "Come on, we need to keep going."
"Are you sure you're..."
"I'm a terrorist, not a murderer. Let's go."
Olivert nodded, and they both kept walking. It didn't take long for them to reach the room containing the Wyvern's Heart.
As they expected, inside was Lenoa, examining the gem. She turned around, holding her feathered hand up as if to cast a spell, and then lowering it again.
"Olivert! I told you to go home! I don't know who's in here, but they're dangerous!"
"I know." Zofis stepped forward. "She's really dangerous, in fact. You won't be able to take her. You should get to safety too. I'll handle this."
"Who- are you a civilian? Olivert, what's the meaning of this? You're supposed to keep civilians safe, not bring them-"
"I said, I know who's doing this, and I know what to do about it. You two should get out of here."
Lenoa raised her hand again. Her brooch glowed with an intense green light. "Under no circumstances am I-"
Before she could finish her sentence, she quickly spun around and fired off a gust of wind, deflecting a massive shard of ice aimed directly at her. The shard stuck to the ceiling as a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows. A hood obscured most of their face.
"Aw, I was hoping I could get an easy hit on the biggest threat."
"Who are you? Identify yourself, right now." Lenoa shouted, with both of her hands raised at the stranger. The figure ignored her, walking closer to Zofis.
"Been a while, huh?"
"Shihan." Zofis responded. "This is the last place I was expecting to see you again."
"Yeah I bet. You've been busy since your little skirmish with Lamia's Heart, huh?"
"And now that Lamia has no Heart, I'm guessing you're here to take this one back to them." Zofis took a step forward.
"Wow, got it in one. I guess you were always brighter than I gave you credit for, hm?"
"Lamia's...? Wait a second..." Lenoa's hands were shaking as she looked back and forth between the stranger and Zofis. "YOU are the terrorist who broke Lamia's Heart?! Olivert, get away from her! Now!"
Lenoa's brooch shone with a bright green light as she fired two blasts of wind magic from her palms. One of them aimed at the stranger, who sidestepped it easily, and the other at Zofis, hitting her in the chest, launching her into the wall and knocking her to the ground, unconscious.
"Zofis!!"
Olivert ran to her side, kneeling down to check on her.
"Olivert, I said get away! You need to- wait. Don't tell me you're with-"
The stranger moved like a flash, taking advantage of Lenoa's momentary confusion to move behind her and conjure big spikes of ice from the floor. Lenoa narrowly avoided them with a quick jump back. In response, the stranger simply laughed.
"Hahahaha, it sure looks like your boyfriend is with the terrorist, huh?"
Lenoa kept her attention on the cloaked figure. "Olivert, is that true? Did you know? Are you also..."
Olivert clenched his fists, but didn't respond. He tried to get up, to fight the stranger and Lenoa and make everything stop, but his body would not respond.
"Olivert... tell me it isn't true, please... tell me she's-"
The figure snuck up behind Lenoa again, immobilizing her and holding a knife to her neck.
"You really shouldn't turn your back on me like that, birdie. Don't they teach you anything at Guard training?"
Both the gem in Lenoa's brooch and the Heart emitted an intense green light, forming a powerful whirlwind around her and knocking the stranger off. Lenoa then turned around, her eyes glowing the same bright green. Gusts of wind swirled around her, knocking over shelves and furniture.
"Oooh, finally decided to use the Heart? Now things can finally get interesting."
The blue gem on the stranger's neck started glowing as well, just as brightly, as a circle of ice crystals grew from the floor around her feet. She stared at Lenoa for a moment, then turned her attention to Olivert, locking eyes with him. Her gaze sent a chill down his spine. He held tight onto Zofis' unconscious body.
"But first... how about I finish what I started all those years ago?"
"OLIVERT!"
It all happened so quickly that Olivert didn't have the time to process what happened. A flurry of icicles launched directly towards him and Zofis. Lenoa jumping in front of them, and conjuring a gust of wind so powerful that it tore the door straight off its hinges, launching both him and Zofis out of the room and through the window. Without thinking, he tried to conjure a vortex of wind to break their fall.
---
"... So that's what happened."
Zofis sat on a rock in the middle of nowhere. Wyvern's Talon was far enough away that they could barely see it behind the hills.
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure my vortex spell did close to nothing, but at least we didn't break any bones. ... Well, at least I didn't."
"Me neither. It- ow! I feel like I've been ran over by an air wagon, but nothing broken, pretty sure. Ouch." She held onto her shoulder.
"So then I took you and started running. And... here we are I guess."
"Why did you run?"
Olivert looked at her. "What do you mean, why did I run?"
"You're a Marcal Guard, right?"
"Was. Lenoa thinks I'm a terrorist now. And, well, I did sort of aid one in breaking into the Marquess' palace. So I guess I am."
"I'm sorry to break it to you, but I don't... think Lenoa is going to live to tell that tale. You could have stayed."
Olivert chuckled. "You don't know Lenoa."
"And you don't know Shihan."
"... I guess it's impossible to know. For now, it's safer to run away."
"So we can probably assume that, whatever happened, Shihan managed to steal the Heart, huh?"
They both looked up at the cloudy sky. No trace of the distinctive green hue of the barrier.
"I guess so. Man. I didn't think this was, like... possible. I don't know. It's like something that happens in a novel, but not to real people, you know?"
"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Say, Zofis. Do you happen to have any of your catalyst gems with you?"
"Always. Why do you ask?"
"Well, now that we're partners in crime... could I maybe get a discount on one?"
Zofis smiled. "So you are on my side after all."
"I couldn't go back to Lenoa now, even if I wanted to. Which I really don't. And, well, looking at my catalyst..." He lifted his paw. "Well, it's like looking at her."
"Right, of course." She reached into her pocket and took out a small bag. Inside was a collection of glowing marbles of four different colors. "Let me guess. Fire?"
Olivert blinked. "How did you know?"
"I'm a gemsmith. I just know."
"And you never asked why I had a wind catalyst if my affinity was with fire?"
She shrugged. "Some people use a different element of catalyst for perfectly normal reasons."
"Heh, right." Olivert stared into the gem on his bracelet, like he was trying to find something in the middle of the green glow. "It's funny. I never realized how much of myself I was giving up by trying to please Lenoa."
"I know exactly how you feel."
"Hah. Right, I guess you would." He took his bracelet off and handed it to Zofis. "Do you feel well enough to work on gems?"
She grinned. "Does the year have four seasons?"
---
"Alright. Unbinding should be done now."
Olivert, opened his palm. A small green bead rested on top of it. Funny, he didn't really feel all that different. He put it down on the flat rock and picked up the red gem that Zofis was handing to him.
"That's the hard part done. Binding is much easier. Do you remember the enchantments to do it?"
"Um, not really. I haven't done it in... what, a decade? Wow."
"Heh, alright. Just follow my lead."
Olivert held the red marble in his fist and repeated under his breath the words that Zofis was saying to him, with his eyes closed. Soon enough, a warm glow filled his whole body, like his very being was a flame, wavering and flickering and lighting up everything around him.
Once the enchantment was done, he opened his eyes again and looked at the gem in his paw, immediately feeling a sense of connection to it. He pressed it into the empty slot of his bracelet and slipped it on.
He couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, where's the old gem?"
Olivert pointed at the rock, and Zofis picked up the unbound gem.
"Oh." She said, as soon as it touched her claws. "We didn't do the unbinding right."
"What?"
"This is still bound." She held up the faintly glowing green gem.
"Huh." That was weird. The new fire gem certainly felt like it was his catalyst. He took it out of the slot and handed it to Zofis. "Well, should we try again then?"
"Sure, let's-" As soon as the other gem touched her scales, she went quiet. She looked down at it, then at the older one.
"What's wrong?"
"... This can't be right."
Olivert tilted his head.
"They're both bound."
"What do you mean they're both- that's impossible."
"Yeah, it is."
"Each person can only have one catalyst gem bound to them."
"Yes."
"And if they already have one, the next binding process fails. Everyone knows that."
"Yes, it does. I know that. I'm a gemsmith."
"..."
"And I'm telling you they're both bound."
She handed both gems to him. He looked at the fire gem, then at the wind gem. She was right. They were both bound to him. He could feel the magic energy coming from both.
"How in the stars..."
"Great question. I have never seen anything like this."
They both looked at each other.
"Do you... want me to take the wind gem and destroy it? Breaking a gem isn't exactly easy but, well, I've done it with bigger ones."
Olivert paused. He looked at the gem. He clutched it in his paw and closed his eyes, then took a deep breath.
"No", he said finally. "I'm keeping it."
"Are you sure? I know that it reminds you of-"
"Lenoa is a part of me." Olivert said, confidently. "I may not like who I am very much, but I am who I am because of her. And I have to accept that if I want to build a new me."
Zofis simply smiled at him.
"I'll... let go of it when I'm ready. But I'm not yet. Is that okay?"
"Sure." She nodded. "For now, you'll just be the only person in the entire continent with two catalysts. No biggie."
He laughed. "So. What now?"
"Well, my plan is to search for Shihan. I'm not about to let her just have the Heart. I'm going to find it, and destroy it." She extended a claw to him. "Wanna come along for the ride?"
He chuckled and shook her claw. "It must be me who's losing my mind. Count me in."
"Great. First stop: Mountgrace."
"Up north? That's pretty close to Auroch's Marque, isn't it?"
"Yeah, near the frontier." Zofis got up, holding her shoulder and wincing. "Better start walking. It's a ways off."
"Hey um, do you think we could stop by Claywell first? I'd like to at least say something to my dad."
She smiled. "As long as you don't tell him where we're going, sure."
Olivert pressed the red gem into his bracelet again and took one last glance at the green one before dropping it into his pocket. 'Two catalysts, huh?'
This adventure was going to be weird.