Reeca muttered to herself as she ran a stone against a prong's leg, sharpening it. The whole day had sucked from when she hadn't gotten to drink her gallberry coffee. She spent the rest of the afternoon consulting Trix on how they should deal with the flying island Canelis described. It's the only way she could distract herself from thinking the unnecessary thoughts plaguing her mind since the battle started.

The brownie mechanic hummed to herself by the forge's counter, preparing the molded prongs for Reeca to sharpen. These weapons were made from dwarven metal Canelis had brought back in plenty from their mission three days ago.

When presented with the report of their enemies' defense-slash-offense tool, at first, Reeca felt like laughing out loud and accusing the pixie of smoking oshella. Then, she remembered that one—pixies were bound by a sacred oath to never lie if it matters, and two—Canelis wasn't the type to smoke oshella.

The reason why nobody had seen footmen anywhere in the vicinity was that the Heiress had been hovering above them all this time. Canelis also concluded the reason their enemies prioritized the barrier was to assure their victory by simply swooping down and taking over the fortress. That way, they would ultimately lose a few men on their side and cost Reeca's much.

The Heiress was gearing for a total surrender by dangling the threat of saving lives in front of them. Reeca would not give their enemies an opportunity to demand that so she proposed a dangerous plan.

Bring down the flying island itself.

It sounded so simple but when they consulted Trix, the brownie told them the flying island was modeled after Falkirta, the floating city of the Air Sprites. According to Canelis, it's the ultimate defense tactic since it could shoot fairies out of the sky like a hunter shooting for game. It's also a good offense tactic since it has the aerial advantage and perhaps, the surprise factor on their side. In order to bring it down, they would have to figure out how to bring down Falkirta itself.

Reeca didn't feel good about this flying island at all. How had the Heiress managed to bring about a work of magic of this scale? It must have cost a ton of magic to raise and maintain. Then, the realization struck her brain, making her stomach sink to her feet.

That's why they needed to mine the magic from the island's heart.

How annoying and inconvenient.

After Trix had devised a sound plan on how to deal with the flying island when it descended upon them, Reeca volunteered to sharpen the prongs just to distract herself. The plan would be to launch these towards the base of the flying island, hopefully corroding the magic mechanisms underneath like how those harpoons collapsed the barrier with just their coated tips.

Hours passed and Trix continued making more as she hummed a song which sounded nowhere familiar to Reeca. Truthfully, she hasn't got much time to listen to fairy troupes with the island going extinct while she's in it.

Reeca forwent lunch and dinner, determined to finish the prongs and load them all in case the flying island attacked them tomorrow. Her legs cramped from sitting on the dark earth for too long. She was so lost into sharpening and hadn't noticed a figure approaching her until a hand touched her shoulder. She jumped, swinging the prong in her hands in a wide arc.

"Whoa there, Jumpy!" Cirasa scrambled away with his head in his arms. His voice instantly defused Reeca's internal alarm systems.

She relaxed with a sigh and frowned. "What are you doing here?" Then, she saw his face. He looked tired with his bloodshot eyes and sunken cheeks. He had this sickly sheen staining his skin and his corn yellow hair was almost white. Strands hung limp from his scalp. Scratch that. He just didn't look tired. He looked like he was holding on for dear life.

Reeca's heart sank. How many days has it been? "How are you?" she said.

Cirasa raised an eyebrow at her. She averted her eyes when he tried searching hers. The prong had never looked this interesting even though she had been staring at it for hours on end. Reeca didn't bother waiting for his answer. She ran the stone against the prong.

"To answer your question," Cirasa dropped next to her on the floor. Shiiiik, shiiiik. "I'm fine. Better, even."

"Hm," was all Reeca contributed. She didn't dare show how relieved she was but relished the relief that flooded her veins. Shiiiik shiiiik. "Have you controlled it yet?"

"Not one bit," Cirasa said. His voice sounded heavier than a graspel. "Rutoria did tell me I won't go crazy if I manage to see at least one vision."

Reeca pursed her lips. "Visions, huh?" she said absently. "Who would've thought?"

"Yeah," Cirasa chuckled with enough bitterness to remind her of her undrunk gallberry coffee. "Who would've thought?"

"When did you start having that...thing?" Reeca bit the inside of her cheek. Why was she so chatty today?

Cirasa shrugged. "Ever since I could remember. When I was a child, visions came in little, harmless flashes. But as I grew older, the more my shard synnavaim strengthens, the visions became more painful, more...dreadful. Often. Accurate."

Shiiiik. Reeca wet her lips. Why were they suddenly dry and chappy? "And?" she clicked her tongue as she examined the edge she was making on the prong. "You've had them since then and until now?"

Cirasa nodded.

"How long ago was that?"

"Forty-one years," Cirasa said. "I'll turn fifty-two a few days from now."

Reeca swallowed a lump in her throat. The first time she knew Elred and Cirasa were siblings, she almost flipped out. When she realized Elred was thirty years older than Cirasa, she was overwhelmed. Now...knowing Cirasa's age somehow mystified her.

Fairies stop aging at around twenty. Reeca never reached that age yet so she still didn't know what she would look like for the rest of her long, fairy life. Then again, she had seen herself grow and...develop in all the right places that she wondered if she would grow any more than this.

Then, she registered the last bit in Cirasa's statement and heat flooded her cheeks. What was even happening? "Oh, uh," she ran out of words. "Blessed nameday."

Cirasa broke into a small laugh. He looked so beautiful when he smiled. "Thanks," he tousled his hair. "It means a lot coming from you."

Reeca tried not to give any meaning behind Cirasa's words than what she understood of them. "Sucks that we probably wouldn't reach that day, right?" she said. Shiiik.

"I heard about the commotion in the rations area earlier today," Cirasa propped his arm atop his knees.

Reeca paused; her hand with the stone hovered above the prong. She set her hand down against her leg and faced Cirasa for the first time. "And?" she said a little bit petulantly. "What do you think? Do you think I'm incapable too? That I'm less worthy than the Virtakios? That I don't know what I'm doing?"

Cirasa had the nerve to laugh. Then, he saw Reeca's murderous glare and he wiped the amusement from his face. However, a small smile broke through his lips every now and then. "You're not incapable nor less worthy than the Virtakios."

Reeca dropped her gaze and picked up the prong. Shiiiik shiiik. "You're just saying that because you're scared of hurting my feelings," she muttered.

"Would it kill you to believe me?" Cirasa said.

Reeca opened her mouth to retort then closed it. She didn't have anything better to say. Focus on the sharpening. Shiiik. "It's just..I can see how everyone sees me these days," she said. Sparks flew as she ran the stone against the metal in another swipe. "Like I don't matter. Like I'm...no one."

Cirasa shrugged. "Well, we all are no one in this war," he leaned back. "If we live or if we die, the world will continue on. There's no use in thinking of what others say about you. You have been given a chance to make a difference. So make a difference even if others won't recognize you."

Reeca was silent. Cirasa had a point. He always did. Amazing how fifty years of experience gave people a different perspective.

"Why are you here, Reeca?" Cirasa asked out of the blue.

The stone paused half-way of a sharpening stroke. Reeca opened her mouth to say something inspiring, to pull something from within her, anything she could say to buy herself out of the question. She came up with nothing. But...

"I-I don't know," Reeca pursed her lips. "I don't know."

She kept telling herself this was all to avenge her people but it's more of a guilt trip upon herself rather than a mission. If anything, she didn't care much about the varichriais as they, along with her father, had thrown her out of their territory like a discarded rag. Why would she fight for people like that? Perhaps, she's just gone too far into this path she couldn't back off anymore. Couldn't leave. Couldn't turn around. She's stuck.

Being stuck was the worst feeling.

She couldn't face Cirasa. She doubted she could face anyone after she just admitted what she said. Cirasa reached out and took her hand in his. It hadn't occurred to her to withdraw her hand or slap his away. What...

Cirasa smiled at her. "It's okay to not know everything firsthand," he said softly. His voice both soothed her and left her face burning. Was the room turning hot? Perhaps Trix had been turning up the forge just to annoy her? "We'll all be here until you figure out what your war really is."

"Yeah," Reeca exhaled her nervousness. "Yeah, thanks."

Cirasa smacked his lips and smiled at her once more. "I should go," he stood up. "Train with Rutoria while it wasn't banging around in my skull."

Reeca forgot the stone as it clattered to the ground when she stood up along with Cirasa. "Yeah, of course," she said. It's annoying how she said nothing but that infernal word, yeah. They made it to the door to the forges in such a short time.

Cirasa gave her a little wave. "Bye."

"Bye," Reeca squeaked.

Before Reeca could stop him with a stupid sentence, Cirasa turned away and headed off. Reeca was left standing like a pining idiot by the forges' doors.

"Ooooh, someone's in loooove," Trix cooed by Reeca's ear. When did the brownie get here?

Reeca pushed past the brownie and went back to sharpening the prongs. "Shut up, Trix."

The brownie bounded off and soon, the humming got louder. Reeca rolled her eyes before glancing once at the direction Cirasa had gone off. She smiled as she tucked her nape-length hair behind her ear.

A reason to fight, huh? What could that be for someone as lost as her?