Silva and the others wandered back to the strider, accompanied by the sound of crickets, crisp in the nighttime air. Trailing behind, Fela carefully matched her pace to stay parallel with Viktor, although actually speaking to him was beyond her current level of courage.

It was a stroke of good graces, then, that her inner turmoil did not go unnoticed. Viktor suddenly stopped, placing a gentle hand on Fela to do the same.

They stood together by the open gate, Victor absently running his hands across the wood. His fingers traced patterns, grooves in the grain, etching trails that slowly faded whenever he released his touch.

"How do you feel?" He asked her. A simple question, but Fela struggled for clarity in her answer.

"Embarrassed, mostly." She chuckled nervously. "Worried, too. Really worried."

Viktor gave her a wry smile. "Are you worried about the potencia? Or something else?

    She looked down. "I thought my mother was trying to push me away the entire time. For months I was angry- I let it build up." Fela shook her head. "I don't know why it suddenly clicked today, but I realized she was just trying to help me find perspective- something fresh, away from the Lodestone. It's just-" She hesitated. "Sometimes I feel like I'm caught in between... things."

Viktor's gaze shifted, and he watched Silva gesture enthusiastically, no doubt alongside a few choice expletives, as she tried to wrangle Hannah into the strider up ahead.

"I know what that's like, in a way. I was always meant to be a leader, Hannah- my family made sure of that."

"In a place like Valle, though, where humanity and spiritkind live all tangled up... well, it meant I had to understand both worlds if I wanted to be an effective leader. I had to learn what it means to be human, how to see the world through their eyes, capture their nuance, the way they think. Only then could I address their concerns, call myself a true councilman of Valle."

    He waved his hands, that bittersweet smile playing across his lips.

"I'm rambling, aren't I?" He trailed off to collect his thoughts, before continuing. "What I'm trying to say, Fela, is that I'd like to help you. I can see the conflict written all over your face, and I owe it to Silva- and to you, now, to help you move past it."

"What would I have to do?"  Fela shifted her feet, dimly aware that the others were all strapped into the strider now, waiting for her.

"Don't set out with the others." He said. "I know there's a lot going on, but I think that this would be a fine opportunity for you to really think about your birthright as a spirit. Your culture, your history. You'll always be a part of your family, but it might give you some peace, shedding some of the uncertainty."

Fela was quiet. mulling it over. But even now, with the echoes of his voice still fresh in her mind, she knew what she wanted to do.

It wasn't giving up her life, her family. She understood that now. It was a chance to learn about her world- to expand it just a little bit further.

She gave him a nod. "If it's possible, I'd like to spend some time here, with you, for a while."

"I'm glad to hear it. I'll be looking forward to your company-" here, he gave her an appraising look, "-and your help."

With that, Viktor gave Silva a quick wave and retreated to his estate. Fela watched him leave, and for the first time in a while, her shoulders felt just a little bit lighter.

When the group finally returned to the Lodestone, there were more than a few drooping eyelids, but Silva wouldn't have it.

She sprung into action almost immediately, directing the others in a mad scramble to prepare for their trip. Silva had decided that there was no reason to wait- they were going to leave Valle immediately, get to the root of this potencia mystery as quickly as possible.

No one was exempt from her orders- even Basil. His apprenticeship was almost a year long in its runtime, now- and he'd taken the jump to true independence since then, leaving his family from across the city to live at the workshop full-time.

Silva made them pack bags filled with tools and non-perishables: dried meat and fruits, rope, candles, blankets. After carefully checking the potencia well for signs of impending contamination, she drew up a large amount and they sealed it away, stockpiling fuel.

While the others worked on loading the strider with their supplies, Hannah labored below them, cleaning the joints of the vehicle. She eventually made her way to the engine, checking it for blockage and any fixes that they'd have to make before setting out.

It wasn't until the moon was at its apex did Silva allow them to finally drop into sweet, dreamless sleep.

When they stumbled into action the morning after, their goodbyes weren't dramatic, nor were they emotional. Silva only grinned when Fela told her what she wanted to do, clapping her daughter on the back good-naturedly. Hannah at least attempted to look sad about leaving her sister, but the way her eyes were lit with excitement ruined the sentiment. Fela could only share a private laugh with herself; she knew how much her sister wanted to leave the village and see the world. Basil, on the other hand, looked downright nauseous about the trip, although he made not a single complaint.

Silva still made an attempt to placate him, hoping she could kick him into gear. "This is part of your apprenticeship," she had said. "Think of it as another test of your skills, to see if I can eventually deem you worthy of being a fully-fledged pilot."

Basil could only nod mutely, but there was perhaps a more determined shift of his shoulders, a little more energy than he had only moments before.

And so, after a quick map consultation, and many hugs, they were off, the strider stomping its way down the street.