Crimson and Gold

Saria and Eris agreed to meet at midnight in the courtyard behind ‘Charybdis’. From there, it was a twenty-minute stroll to reach the slum at the outskirts of Aervelis.

The night was eerily peaceful, giving Saria a sense of storm brewing in secret beyond her reach.

“Is everything alright? You’ve been frowning ever since we left ‘Charybdis’…” Eris asked suddenly.

Saria blinked, returning to her senses. She looked around one more time, then sighed. “This silence is making me uneasy.”

“The rumors about monsters roaming the streets at night spread across the district, so people started barricading themselves at homes as soon as the night falls. That’s why it’s so quiet,” Eris explained.

“It’s better this way.” Saria nodded. “We should keep these rumors up until we deal with the situation.”

Civilians in the streets meant more potential victims and more chaos. If the rumors were able to keep them out of the way, then it was worth keeping them up. With a bit of luck, they would be able to get rid of those Husks before it turns into a citywide panic.

Eris looked at Saria for a while.

“My sister was right,” she said after a moment of silence. “You really are a kindhearted person.” As she said it, a wide smile bloomed on her face.

The one she liked was kind-hearted and caring, even towards complete strangers. Who wouldn’t be happy to know that their feelings were given to a good person?

Saria didn’t notice Eris’ glistening eyes, nor did she see the affection written all over her face. Her attention was consumed by carefully scanning the surroundings for potential danger.

Worried that her disinterest would make Eris feel uncomfortable, she decided to continue the conversation. “How is she?”

“She’s doing well. She mostly recovered, not counting the nightmares she still has sometimes,” the girl replied, immediately understanding what Saria was asking about. “Aide is strong. She just needs time.”

“I have to ask…” Saria said suddenly. “Why didn’t you rescue her yourself? As a pyromancer, you should have a significant advantage over traditional fighters.”

“I guess this is a bad moment to admit that my magic isn’t that strong,” Eris laughed awkwardly. “I was born with magic, but I never had anyone to teach me how to use it. Everything I know is self-taught through trial and error while facing actual danger.”

Using magic was no different from any other skill. Some people were born with a predisposition for learning something, and it made comprehension easier, but it still required hard work.

Without proper training and a lot of practice, even those born with magic were far behind those who acquired it through hard work.

Having a good teacher who knew how to guide their student was even more important than natural predisposition. Saria knew it better than anyone.

“What about your parents?” Saria asked, realizing she didn’t know much about the girl.

“Aide and I are orphans,” Eris answered honestly.

Hearing this, Saria felt a pang of guilt at her insensitive question. “I’m sorry,” she said awkwardly.

“It’s alright,” Eris said. Her mood seemed unaffected by the matter. “Our parents died when we were little, so we spent a good portion of our childhood in the streets until Aide’s abilities manifested and we moved to a temple.”

“Is she a mystic too?”

Eris shook her head. “She’s an Oracle.”

The answer made Saria temporarily stop in her tracks. She looked at Eris in surprise, waiting for confirmation that she had heard that right.

Seeing her reaction, Eris couldn’t hold back a laugh. She thought that Saria looked especially endearing when surprised.

“When she was five, Aide experienced her first vision,” Eris continued. “At the time, a priestess from the Temple of Senonope was visiting the town and witnessed the whole thing. She took us with her. Gave us food and shelter and taught Aide about her gift, everything she knew.”

Old memories resurfaced, enveloping her heart with a hint of melancholy that sneaked into her voice.

Many years passed since that time, yet the bitter-sweet taste remained, deeply engraved in her soul and mind.

Some wounds couldn’t be healed by time. The pain could only be dulled, but it would always be a part of her.

Noticing the shift in her mood, Saria already started suspecting where the story was heading.

She moved slightly closer to Eris, their shoulders nearly touching. “I’m guessing this story doesn’t have a happy ending?” she asked softly.

Eris remained silent, walking next to Saria, enjoying the sudden closeness. Her mind wandered to the past, she collected her thoughts and strength to stop her voice from wavering.

“It was our seventh year in the Temple, the night after Summer Solstice,” she started slowly. “The bandits came when we were asleep. Everything went down so fast that I still have a hard time understanding what exactly happened.”

Eris frowned as the chaotic memories came rushing to the surface and collided with her resolve. “The Temple was burned to the ground, and the Priestesses were killed. Aide and I almost shared the same fate if not for the woman who took us in in the first place.”

She never forgot that night. The images of it still vivid in her mind despite the years. Sometimes at night, she could still hear the screams and smell the scent of the burnt flesh.

She often wondered if she could have stopped it, if she were to face it now.

She got the answer the day Aide was taken. She was older, stronger, and her magic was more stable, yet she once again failed to protect her family.

“I’m really sorry,” Saria said, feeling guilty for bringing back painful memories. Uncertain how to comfort the girl, she reached out and patted her shoulder.

The gesture in itself could hardly ward off the dark clouds enveloping a heart. However, coming from someone already important, it caused a wave of warmth to surge and dispel the negative feelings.

Eris blushed, enjoying this brief contact to the fullest. “It’s alright,” she said, this time her voice sounded much lighter. “Despite everything, my sister and I consider ourselves quite lucky.”

Shahrezi temples and villages in the Empire being targeted by raiders and bandits was nothing new. Even the smaller Aelian temples couldn’t escape it, but at least they got the support from the Empire.

The Āsmānar temples, on the other hand, were left to fend for themselves. Because of that, Eris and Aide almost ended up back in the streets. It was only thanks to Mormo, who took them in, gave them a home and a job, that they were able to escape a much worse fate.

“Many others aren’t as lucky,” Eris concluded.

She didn’t voice her further thoughts on it, but ever since meeting Saria, she felt that maybe everything that happened to them in the past happened for a reason.

Perhaps it happened so she could meet the person who would steal her heart and make it entirely theirs.

Meeting a soulmate had to be something worthy of a lifetime of suffering.

It had to be.