Now this was new.

Smiling happily, I studied the backs of the people I loved.

Vim was far ahead. Giving us space, as he kindly did during such moments. Lilly and Merit were just in front of me, bickering about a piece of dried meat that Lilly had just eaten. It had supposedly been Merit's, and she had been saving it all this time.

We were walking on a dirt road, not the one we'd traveled on a few days ago or the one Reatti and I had traveled on the last time I was here. This road was small, not for carts or horses but people. Plus it was near the ocean. I couldn't see it, but I could smell the sea. It made me feel comfortable.

Since we were on a path I wasn't familiar with, I wasn't entirely sure how far we were from Lumen but I knew it couldn't be more than a day away from us. Actually I was a little surprised I couldn't see the huge white walls from here, we weren't in a forest and instead traveling through huge fields of grass and small hills. Plus there was an odd lack of people too. Usually this close to the city the roads were busy, to the point it was annoying. Yet we'd only passed a couple people so far today.

"What! So you did have more!" Lilly shouted, and I giggled as I watched her step over to Merit as to try and grab another piece of dried meat. Merit made a noise as she stepped away, hurriedly shoving the pieces of meat into her mouth as she did. Where'd she even get them?

I laughed as I watched Lilly actually try and pry one of the pieces of meat from Merit's mouth. Merit's mouth must have been too tiny, because Lilly was able to grab at a piece that stuck out from it. Lilly pried it away, smirking as she hurriedly put it into her own mouth and chewed away.

Merit mumbled angrily at Lilly as she chewed her own stuffed mouth, and while the two glared at one another… I found the world growing blurry.

Reaching up, I quickly cleaned my eyes of tears before anyone noticed. Luckily neither Merit or Lilly did, being so focused on one another, and I bit back a sad sigh that wanted to escape.

How lovely. I couldn't explain how wonderful the moment was, or the people before me, but I wished I was capable of doing so.

These two were a far cry from those at the Bell Church. Or Lumen. Or Telmik or… well…

Mostly everywhere else. And I wasn't sure what to do about it.

I wanted to thank them somehow. Both Merit and Lilly had not only risked their lives to help me, to come with me and Light, but they were just… genuinely good people. People, who had their own troubles and worries, yet were able to put such sorrow and troubles aside all the same when needed.

I sniffed, and was a tad surprised to see only Vim glance back at me. I smiled at him, to let him know I was okay, but then I had to look away from him as Merit hurried forward a bit, all the while trying to keep Lilly from grabbing another one of her pieces of food.

Smirking at them, I watched as Lilly chased Merit as if they were children. They ran up to Vim, and around him, as Merit tried to use him as a shield against the food thief. Yet as active as they were, and as hard as Merit was trying… I couldn't help but notice that every so often Lilly was able to snatch a piece from her.

"Gosh! Vim!" Merit shouted for him to help as she dropped a piece of meat. One that Lilly promptly picked up and laughed at as she quickly went to eating it.

"Just how much do you have in that little bag? Did you bring nothing but food with you?" Vim asked with a sigh.

I picked up my pace as to join them. Since they had ran ahead, and left me behind, there was now a bit of a distance. The kind that would have made hearing their voices difficult, with my hat on, usually. Even though I heard them well enough. Which was starting to be something that bothered me, since I'd been noticing it a lot lately.

My hearing has either improved, or something else was at play. And well… the reason was probably obvious…

Shifting a little as I slowed to my normal walking pace, a few feet behind Vim, I watched as Merit ran off down the path. Lilly followed in chase, and I couldn't help but wonder if they always did such things like this. They had bickered quite a bit during our trip to the Bell Church, but it hadn't been like this.

"Are they always like this?" I asked Vim, since he'd know best.

He didn't glance back at me as he nodded. "Usually."

How lovely… I hope that I too can keep such a pure and childish relationship with them, even hundreds of years from now.

"What bothered your heart Renn…? If it's the banishment, think nothing of it. You did not inherit your ancestor's sins. They aren't yours to bear," Vim then said.

Although I should have been a tad surprised… I wasn't. My heart, which was already about to burst, swelled even more. "Actually… it was just them. I love them, Vim," I said softly as Merit yelped out as Lilly grabbed her by the waist and lifted her, as to grab at her pouch.

I laughed as I watched Merit throw her own bag, the one with the meat in it. It went flying off the path and over a nearby hill. "Ha!" she shouted at Lilly who was staring out at the distance, flummoxed.

She had just tossed it. Away. Just so Lilly couldn't get it.

Unable to contain my smirk as I watched Lilly toss Merit aside, in the other direction, and then run off in pursuit of the pouch I couldn't help but shake my head in utter awe as Merit wordlessly shouted while in the air and once landed ran off to join her.

"They're like children!" I said happily.

"More like they want to fight but know better than to actually do so," Vim said simply.

"Fight…? They're not fighting Vim. This is obviously how they show their love," I said happily.

He finally turned a bit to glance at me. And he did so in a way that made me feel a little silly. Did he not see it? Surely not, right?

Vim slowed a bit, as to walk side-by-side with me as I watched Lilly run over the hill and out of sight. Merit was but a moment behind.

"Love?" he asked.

I nodded, happily to do so. "Merit hates being touched! Yet she didn't stop Lilly from lifting her at all! Let alone take food from her own mouth! I bet there's less than a handful of people Merit is so comfortable with! To say no least of Lilly, who is the same! She won't even touch food that others have touched, yet she'll eat something that had just been in Merit's mouth?"

My wise, but sometimes slow, husband gave me a weird look as he too turned to watch them. They were now running along the hill, with Merit the one in chase this time. Lilly had found the pouch first and was rummaging around in it.

"Why aren't you playing with them?" Vim then asked, as if he no longer wanted to talk about the previous topic.

"Hm…? Because this is their moment. Plus I'm more than happy to just watch, this is wonderful," I said.

"Wonderful," he scoffed.

It was.

For a few moments we walked in silence as we watched Lilly and Merit run off a bit more. They became distant, shouting at each other as they did.

"If they're such good friends, Vim… why don't they stay near one another?" I asked softly.

"Lilly doesn't let anyone live with her and her family, Renn. It's one thing for a short time, but not forever."

"Then… why doesn't Merit just live nearby? Close enough they can visit each other more often?"

"What of her friends in Lumen?" Vim asked.

"Hm… right…" I nodded gently at that. She did seem to really like Sofia…

"Plus, Merit likes to feel like she's doing something worthwhile. Her staying in Lumen lets her feel useful. And… as far as I can tell, she doesn't like to be alone either," Vim said.

"Then… why not live with Nasba?" I asked. Weren't those two super close? Plus then she could be a protector of their little village too, so that'd also fulfill Merit's desire to be doing something with a sense of purpose.

"She doesn't like their little village. Too many humans," he said.

I knew well of Merit's distaste for humans, but I honestly didn't think it was that bad. She helped and took care of Lamp and Roslyn's people for me after all. "Yet she lives in the capital of human commerce," I said.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Not in her perspective. To her, she lives in the Society. The company building. In her eyes that is not full of humans, the area around it is," he explained.

I nodded slowly as I understood his meaning. "Seems an odd way to look at it. As if more an excuse than not," I said.

"It kind of is. Honestly I think she just likes being where it's busy. Nasba's village is noisy, but nothing ever interesting happens there," he said.

That too was likely a part of it… but…

Glancing at Vim, I smiled as I realized the real reason she likely had chosen Lumen to call home after her kingdom's downfall. Did he even realize? Or did he and he was simply being nice and not saying it aloud, I wonder?

"Um… since we finally got a small moment alone, Vim, can I ask something?" I asked the man who Merit based a large portion of her life around. Lumen was after all like Telmik, a place he frequented the most.

"Hm?"

"Narli. Is she really okay?" He had told me so already, but after our short conversation about it we no longer had an opportunity to be alone. So I hadn't gotten to hear more than what little he'd already said. And I hadn't liked how he had said he wasn't really sure if she was going to be okay or not.

He frowned but nodded. "For now, as I said. I'm… hoping the ailment that had bothered her is now gone, so there's no more need to worry. But we'll have to wait and see," he said.

"You… you think the god you just killed had something to do with it?" I asked, understanding his meaning.

He nodded. "I do. She had been hearing whispers. As if someone calling out for help, that they were lost. He had been searching for other gods, and his abilities were acting all weird. I think she must have somehow heard his calls for help," he explained.

I hummed at that. "Monarchs are their servants, right?" I asked.

He nodded.

"And saints are kind of like monarchs… does that mean they're supposed to be servants too?" I asked.

"In a way. Saints are those born without a heart, but connected to a conduit anyway. If you're worried your daughter will have to suffer in such a way, don't. I'd not let it happen even if it was like that," he said.

I flushed a little, since I had not realized he'd so readily realize my true worry from my questions. "She'll be your daughter too Vim, stop calling her just mine," I said, trying to make him share in this strange and sudden embarrassment I felt. That had not been the first time he spoke of her in such a way. The first few times I'd not taken much notice, but now it was starting to worry me that he spoke of her in such a way.

He smirked and nodded. "We'll see."

"There's no seeing nothing!" I said with a small jab to his arm. Why would he even say such a thing!

"How are you feeling by the way?" he then asked.

"Well now my knuckles hurt," I said as I glanced down to my left hand, the one I'd just hit him with. Had I hit his elbow or something?

He sighed at me. "What'd you do…?" he asked as he slowed his walking and grabbed my hand. He lifted it and my ears fluttered under my hat at his touch. Not just because it had hurt a little, but because this was the first time we'd held hands in a long time. How long had it been…? Weeks and weeks…

"You dislocated it. Here I'll reset it, take a small breath," he said as he pushed my hand open a bit and grabbed my middle finger.

"Wait…" I tensed up a bit as I stopped walking, and then before I could say or do anything Vim simply tugged on my finger. In a blink I felt it pop back into place, and I winced again. That had hurt more than it had hitting him!

"A good sign, actually," he said as he studied my hand. I had grabbed his with my own, and dug a few fingernails into him as I did.

"How so…?" I asked angrily. My finger hurt now.

"You hit me with a lot of strength. More than you realized, I think. You had just been playing with me, yet had hit me hard enough that it would have broken a normal man's arm... maybe even worse," he said.

"I… I did?" I asked. I had? Really?

"Hm… why not squeeze. Here, with your other hand, squeeze my wrist as hard as you can," he said as he offered me his other hand.

Studying him for a moment, I didn't need to wonder what he meant or why he was doing this. He wanted to see how strong I was.

Grabbing his wrist, I shifted a bit and wondered if I really should grab with all my strength. Vim could heal, better than anyone, but that didn't mean I wanted to hurt him. "You sure?" I asked.

He smirked at me and simply nodded.

"Okay…" I mumbled, and then with a small breath I went ahead and squeezed.

Then I squeezed harder. And harder… until I was straining myself.

Thankfully I didn't feel any of his bones shatter or break, but I stopped trying a few moments after using all my strength. Just in case, so I didn't actually harm him.

"Hm…" Vim studied me as I released his wrist, and I narrowed my eyes at the white and red hand-print upon him. You could see where parts of his skin had gotten pinched from my grip, between my fingers. It looked like it was already starting to bruise, too.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yes. You're stronger, Renn. By a noticeable amount," he said simply as he lowered his hand, uncaring of the bruise that was forming upon it.

"Think so…?" I asked as I tilted my head at him.

He nodded. "Yes. It's a good sign. It means you're quickly adapting… and in fact, might even be ready for another already," he said.

"Another…? Just how many am I going to eat?" I asked.

"Something tells me they're not talking about food."

I startled, and turned to find Lilly and Merit. They stood only a few feet away, and the both were staring at Vim and I as if we were some kind of roadside attraction.

When'd they get here!? They had just been far down the road chasing each other! And now they both had a handful of dried meat, and were both munching on them. As if they'd suddenly decided to share evenly.

"I speak of hearts, of course," Vim said simply.

Merit's eyes widened as Lilly sighed. "Perks of being his wife, I guess," the owl complained.

"Perk? It's not a perk! Vim!" Merit stepped closer and yelled at him.

Vim didn't even blink as he looked down at her. "It's not… but it was, and is, a necessity. To keep her safe," he said.

"By making her a walking target to saints and monarchs alike?" Merit asked angrily as she gestured at me.

Oh my…! She was worried for me! I felt warm again as I watched Merit angrily squeeze the dried meat in her hand. She looked like she was about to pick a fight with Vim, and do everything in her power to win it. I quickly decided if she did I'd help her out, if I could.

"I told you that I'd done it, Merit," I said gently. We'd already talked a few times about it. Why was she suddenly acting as if she'd never heard of it until now?

"Just be quiet a moment, Renn. I'm trying to make him realize how cruel he is to you," Merit said without a glance to me.

I shut my mouth as I nodded softly.

"You'd rather I leave her undefended?" Vim asked her.

"I'd rather you not involve her in your foolish schemes at all! If she needs protection, I'll protect her!" Merit shouted.

"Not to argue your point, Merit, but you might be missing a tiny but important detail," Lilly said with a mouthful.

Merit didn't look away from Vim. She kept glaring at him even as she turned a bit, as if to glance at Lilly for further information.

Lilly swallowed what was in her mouth and nodded. "He encountered a god on the way back. The same one who made the monarch we killed," she told Merit.

Merit finally looked away from Vim. She spun to look at Lilly, confirmed her words as truth by the way Lilly held her gaze… and then she spun back around to look at me.

I nodded, but then shrugged. "I uh… yes. That's what Vim said. Though I uh… I'll be honest I'm still not entirely sure what that entails," I said quickly. That too had been a topic I had planned to talk in length with Vim about, once I had the opportunity. In fact I'd just been about to ask more about this Stance before I had hurt myself.

Merit's eyes held my own for a moment… and then they seemed to become shimmery. A huge frown formed on her face as she looked away and down to the path we all stood upon. I shifted at the sight of her, who suddenly looked as if her heart had just broken.

"Merit…?" I whispered as I stepped forward. Was that gleam I just saw a tear falling from her face? Surely not, right?

Then Merit stepped forward. With more speed than I'd ever seen her do… and she hit Vim. With both arms outstretched, she stepped right up to him and pushed him. The act had looked childish; thanks to her appearance… but in the blink of an eye it became serious as Vim was actually sent flying backward.

I yelped as I turned to watch Vim fly off a dozen or so feet and fall backward. He landed harshly on the dirt path, rolled a bit, and then came to an abrupt stop. If the ground hadn't been damp from the recent storm, there would have likely been a huge cloud of dust and dirt from the commotion.

Stunned at the sight, I couldn't even think straight as I watched Vim groan and slowly push himself to his feet.

"Blasted fool!" Merit screamed at him… and then she spun around and stomped off. Heading down the path with heavy and quick steps.

My heart thumped like mad as I tried to understand what had just happened… and I couldn't comprehend it even as Vim stood back up and sighed. "I deserved that," he said as he brushed some dirt off.

"You did," Lilly agreed.

Groaning at the two, and how calm they were being, I turned to see Merit. She was now a ways down the path, though it seemed her walking had slowed a bit in its pace.

"She's fine, Renn. She's probably just crying. She's been holding that one in since we all showed up in Lumen the other day," Lilly said gently, noticing my gaze.

"Mhm… I think she ruptured my kidney…" Vim groaned as he stepped over to us, rubbing his side.

"Is… is she angry that I absorbed a heart…? Is it actually something bad?" I asked.

Lilly shook her head. "No, Renn. It's not. It will keep you safe, healthier, and let you live longer. She's just upset because she's realized how dangerous your life is," Lilly said.

"Dangerous…?" I asked. Was it? I didn't feel as if it was any more dangerous than anyone else's, to be honest. In fact, thanks to Vim always being near me, I wasn't sure if I was ever in danger at all as it was.

"Vim would have never allowed you to have a heart, had he not thought it necessary. In other words, your life is one that not even he can shield you from. She's just upset that her first friend in so long is someone who needs such a thing, is all," Lilly said.

"You speak so certainly," Vim said with a huff. He sounded a tiny bit strained, as if he was struggling to breathe. Maybe Merit had actually hurt him that badly…? She was far stronger than I thought, wasn't she?

Lilly scoffed at Vim. "Because I am certain? It's the same thought process I've had all this time, myself," Lilly said as she shook her head at him and turned around… and started heading for Merit.

I didn't hesitate to step forward, to join her. Before I did, I turned to glare at the man who suddenly looked tired.

"You better apologize to her later," I said.

Vim didn't sigh, he simply nodded.

Nodding back I picked up my pace and hurried after Lilly, who in turn was hurrying to Merit.

Leaving Vim behind, who coughed, I joined my friends… my family, as we headed back to Lumen.

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