No matter where Hikari looked, he always seemed to find evidence of that which he wished he could erase from the world. 

After the travelers split up to go their separate ways for the afternoon, Hikari decided he wanted to look as much as he could around the streets of Sai to see what the town was like. He had heard of Sai many times during his years spent in Ku, but it was different to actually have the chance to explore a town compared to just listening to what others had to say about it. Hikari didn't know when he would next be back in the desert, so this felt like a chance he simply couldn't pass up on. It would be a nice learning experience if nothing else, and Hikari wanted to embrace it with everything he had. 

The history of Sai was bloody, though Hikari had learned years ago that this applied to the entirety of Hinoeuma. Many years ago, Sai's entire town had consisted of a well-defended fortress, and the people lived in and around the central building of their settlement. That all changed when a war with Ku broke out, and the fortress fell in a matter of weeks. Soon afterward, Sai was formed from the rubble of what had been left behind of that old nation. 

These days, Sai was a nation of immigrants, and people from all across the continent with no other place to go found a home in a city that had been left behind by the rest of the universe. Once the fortress fell, there was very little reason for Ku to target the region, and so, they moved on and continued their conquest elsewhere. Ku was a bloody, ruthless nation, and yet, they saw no reason to continue their cruelty against the people of Sai after having already won once. Hikari was glad for it. As far as he was concerned, the people of Sai suffered more than enough in the modern day, and they deserved better than to have had to worry about it for the rest of their lives too. 

Sai's architecture certainly told Hikari that it was a conglomerate of countless cultures that others would not think to recognize openly. Everything about it felt cozy and unrefined in a way, and he found himself enjoying it. Ku was a very rigid city by comparison, and everything in the inner rings of the kingdom was constructed with a purpose that ensured everyone knew just how powerful its soldiers were. The poorer districts had been left to fall into disarray though, and Hikari could only assume that was what left him feeling so at home in Sai. After all, if Sai was quiet and falling apart in its own ways, then that meant it had something in common with the world he had been forced to leave behind. 

Coming back to the desert had been necessary for the sake of his mission, and yet, it filled Hikari with a strange sense of tension and dread. He hadn't ever thought he would see Ku again when he was forced to flee on the night of the city's burning, but it seemed like he could find little reminders of it everywhere he looked. Yomi's song had reminded him of Tsuki back in Ku, and the structure of Sai reminded him of the slums of Ku and all of the kind people he had come to know there. Even in the midst of such horrific acts of war, Hikari could find peace knowing there was something that still remained of the people he had been forced to leave behind when his home began to burn. 

Hikari found himself feeling the same way for the people of Sai that he did for those in Ku: he wanted to be able to do more to help them. The least he had been able to offer in Ku was his kindness since he lacked the full means to pull them out of poverty, and Hikari felt the same way now too. He wanted to be able to do something to take care of those who were unable to fully save themselves. No person deserved to suffer this terribly, and if Hikari could convince even one of them of that, then he would consider it a victory. None of it would be enough until he was certain everyone was living in peace and with the necessities they craved, but Hikari could still do something to look after them until then. 

At the end of his current journey, Hikari knew he was going to have to think about the throne of Ku. If he eliminated Mugen, then he would be the only one who could step up and do something to help. He would have to do everything in his power to look over the people of Ku just as his father had once wanted him to do, and yet, Hikari found himself looking to the suffering of others in the towns he traveled through. He would not be able to save the entire world even when he was in the position of king, but... But he still hoped he would be able to do something for the people of Sai once all of this was over. Perhaps he would be able to establish a peace treaty and a few trade routes between the two desert towns. It wouldn't hurt to give them a bit more solid ground to stand on when they had been lacking in it for so long. 

"You certainly look lost in thought."

Hikari jolted out of his thoughts at the sound of Temenos' voice. Normally, Hikari knew better than to lower his guard for even a moment, and he found himself inwardly wincing at the realization that he had failed to truly take care of himself in the face of potential danger. If it had been an assassin instead of Temenos, he would have found himself in a world of trouble. Hikari's head simply hadn't been on straight ever since he returned to the desert, he feared. "Temenos," Hikari said simply, hoping he seemed at least a bit calmer than he felt. "What are you doing here?"

"I was exploring the city and enjoying the scenery," Temenos answered, though Hikari knew better than to believe it was that simple. With Temenos, it seemed like there was always something else on his mind. He had some other plan around the corner at every moment, and Hikari had learned to expect it even if his friend never explained any of it through words. "This city has a very interesting history... Surviving through such extensive hardship in order to make it to the present. The people here are used to war, and it has nothing to do with the most recent conflict with Timberain."

Hikari nodded, and he let out a slow sigh. "So many people have suffered because of wars they never asked to fight. A few men in power decide they have the right to step on anyone and everyone who gets in their way, and the rest of the world suffers for it. The people of Sai have never even met most of the people who make them struggle so significantly, and they likely never will. I fail to see how anything like that can ever be just, though... Though I suppose the people who are responsible for this already know it isn't just and simply don't care enough to change it."

"I believe you are right," Temenos hummed. "Those who are in positions of power will do anything to hold tight to that power even if it means harming others. There is very little reason for them to stop in their minds since, so long as they are benefitting from the system, they should not try to change it. They will continue for as long as they are able to if they think it will help them somehow."

Hikari nodded once again, but he couldn't help noticing just how familiar Temenos was with this entire idea. The knowledge that the strong exploited the weak was hardly foreign to Hikari, and he was certain everyone else in the world knew about it too, but something about the way Temenos was talking about it bothered the prince regardless. "You seem to have a lot of experience with this subject."

"There are many both inside of and outside of the church who believe they should have more power than they do, and it falls to those in positions of authority in other ways to stop them," Temenos answered. "Power never truly equals itself out among the people it should. There will always be those who are corrupt, and the rest of the world will always be left at their fingertips unless someone stands up to stop them."

"That is true. There will always be people who are unable to stand up for themselves for some reason or another, and it falls to those who do have the power to fight to take charge," Hikari agreed. He had certainly embodied that ideal back when he was in Montwise. He couldn't stand the sight of the gladiators suffering under the actions of someone who they had never asked to meet, much less work for, and so, he had to help them. If Borneau refused to stand down after all he had done, then it fell to others to stand up and take charge of the situation. "I can only hope that one day, this world will be free of war entirely. If conflict cannot be purged completely, then I would ask that war at least is eliminated."

"It will not be easy. As long as there is power, there will be those who want to seek it out even if it means harming others," Temenos told him. "But if you believe you can see it through, then I will stand by your side." He turned to look up at one of the buildings in the slums of Sai, staring at the hole in the ceiling from where something had started to cave it in. Hikari bit his lip at the sight, and he wondered just how much help it would take those who were suffering most to get back on their feet. Somehow, it felt like more than he could ever hope to provide on his own. "No one can change the world by themselves, after all."

Temenos was right though; he didn't need to try and fix this entirely on his own. He could seek out the help of others, and he was certain he would find it if he only knew where to look. He knew exactly where to ask for it too since the rest of the travelers had already offered to be there for him however he needed them to be. Hikari was glad to have such strong supporters standing by him. He never would have made it this far without their help, and he knew he would struggle to win against those who detested him in Ku without them too. But he didn't need to worry about that. Everything would be alright in the end. They would fight for what they knew was right, and Hikari would not stop until he was certain those who were struggling most did not need to fear the world anymore. 

"I'm glad I have such strong allies by my side," Hikari said with a small smile. "This world is full of danger and corruption, but... I know there are those whose hearts are full of light. I couldn't have ever made it this far without you, and I know I'll continue to need all of you to stand by me in the future too." He turned to face Temenos and offered him a nod. "I owe all of you much, and if you ever need something, you can ask me. I would be more than happy to give you everything I can."

"You've already given the rest of us more than enough, I can assure you," Temenos answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Or have you forgotten that you have been accompanying the rest of us on our journeys as well? This is not just a matter of what we are doing for you. I doubt the rest of us would have made it this far without your help either." 

"I suppose you're right," Hikari agreed. All of them had done so much for one another since they met. It wasn't an arrangement any of them had expected to end up tied in, but Hikari couldn't object to it in the slightest. He enjoyed having the rest of the travelers by his side. He needed strong allies in order to overcome the dangers and conquests of Ku, and they were all there for him no matter what. Hikari couldn't ask for better friends. Even though they had never met him before they heard his story of the past, they had still chosen to stand by him. They were still there with him even though his presence had done so much to inconvenience them in the past. They all wanted to be there, and Hikari was left wondering just what he had done to deserve such incredible comrades. 

"Do you want to continue looking around the town?" Temenos questioned after a few seconds passed in silence. "Something tells me you have other ideas of how you want to spend the rest of your afternoon, and I doubt it involves just standing around and talking to me."

"I was hoping to do something to support the villagers," Hikari explained. "I know how much war can wear down a populace, and I thought if there was something I could do to help them, then I had to try it. So I wanted to see what they needed and then give it to them however they requested it."

"I see..." Temenos cast Hikari a smile and a nod. "Then I shall join you. I see no reason not to. There is much work to be done, so we should get started."

Hikari nodded as well, and he began to lead Temenos deeper into the city. There was a lot they still had left to accomplish before they could consider this journey of theirs finished, and yet, Hikari was fine with that. He knew everything was going to resolve in the way it was meant to in the end. They had fought to acquire an alliance with Kazan already, and Hikari was certain they would be able to make other friends along the way to ensure they won their battle against Mugen. Everything was going to resolve itself in the end. Hikari was certain of it. 

For the time being, Hikari just needed to focus on what he could do in the present. He would reach the end of the war eventually. Until then, he would take each day one step at a time, helping those who needed him and giving them the peace he could in the time he found between battles. Once he was king, he would change the world for the better in as many large ways as he could. 

But even before then, Hikari could make small changes to Hinoeuma's bloody history, and he was determined to do whatever he could. 

~~~~~

Osvald knew what was waiting for him next. 

Now that Hikari had disguised himself properly to try and keep the forces of Ku from tracking him down, the travelers would finally be able to return to their original plan without any issues. Once they were finished in Sai, the group would head back toward Conning Creek. Osvald wasn't entirely certain of if that would be the following day or the day after, but the finer points didn't exactly matter. He knew where it was going to take him in the end. 

One way or another, he was going to have to return to the scene of the fire that had ruined his life. 

Osvald hadn't ever been given the chance to truly look around the scene. On the night his home had burned, he had been arrested almost as soon as he arrived to investigate. He could not search for his wife or daughter. He only heard from others working in the town guard that they had died when the area had been cleared of flames enough for others to search through the place he had once loved so deeply. Osvald was taken off to trial shortly afterward, so he didn't even get to say goodbye to his former home. Everything had been shattered and taken away from him in the span of a single night, and... 

And he was going to have to go back to it. He knew he was going to have to find a way to be ready for it in order to continue his search for information regarding Harvey's recent actions and his past crimes, but... Osvald didn't know what to expect when he was able to search his old home. How could he ever know what to expect? He hadn't imagined he would be put in a position like this until he already had been, and by that point, it was too late for him to fix any of it. There was no way for him to set anything right at the time, and it still felt like he couldn't control anything to do with his circumstances. His only choice was to simply find a way to defeat Harvey and then lay all of this to rest. 

For the last five years, Osvald had been asking one question each and every day: why? He could see in Harvey's eyes on the night of the fire that his supposed ally deeply hated him despite the time they had spent together, but... But Osvald couldn't quite get to the bottom of it. Even if Harvey was jealous of the advancements he was making in his field, Harvey hardly needed to kill Osvald's wife and daughter in order to hurt him. There were other ways of getting his message across that did not involve Osvald watching as the lives of those he loved were stolen away. Osvald would have been able to stomach being taken to Frigit Isle if he only knew his family members were fine in his absence, but... But Harvey had taken everything away from him. Osvald could not stand by and let that happen. One way or another, Harvey had to die because of what he had done to Rita and Elena. Osvald could not rest until he was certain Harvey had paid for what he did that day. 

Osvald wondered occasionally if this was what Rita and Elena would want from him. If they had been alive, then they would have surely told him to not try to pursue vengeance against Harvey... But the fact that they were gone was the very reason Osvald knew he had to keep going for as long as he needed to in order to take Harvey's life. Osvald had very little to live for now that his family was gone. The only thing he could think to do was ensure they were able to rest easily because they knew Harvey would never be able to hurt anyone again. Rita and Elena were not there to talk him down from the edge of vengeance, and so, Osvald would continue to follow this path no matter where it led him. 

If one of them had been alive, Osvald was almost certain his answer would have been different. If he had been able to return home to Rita or Elena, then he never would have tried to go after Harvey in this way. He would have at least secured his wife and daughter before he pursued Harvey to put a stop to his crimes. The act of vengeance would not be about killing the one who had ruined his life; it would instead be an act of defense to ensure the family he had left did not fall to ruin once more because of a monster of a man. Osvald would have done anything to protect his family, but... 

But he had failed. He had not been there. Rita and Elena were gone, and when he returned to Conning Creek, he was going to have to face the weight of that error. There was nothing left for Osvald and his hollow life other than to pursue Harvey and see him to an early grave. No one else could fill the hole left behind in Osvald's heart from the day Rita and Elena died. The only cure he could ever hope to find was Harvey's blood splattered across his boots, and he wasn't even entirely sure if that would be enough to change what he was meant to live for. At this point, Osvald almost didn't want to find out. 

"Osvald?"

The scholar's thoughts began to silence themselves when he heard Agnea's voice, and he looked down to find the dancer standing just beside him. Normally, he was better at knowing it when someone was coming to speak with him. No one ever survived long in Frigit unless they knew how to watch their own back, after all, though Osvald was failing horribly at such a thing now. "What is it?" Osvald asked. Something about Agnea looked nervous today, though Osvald couldn't quite put a finger on where it was coming from. That had always been Rita's strength, not his, and he didn't know if he would ever be able to fully carry on that torch in her absence. Nothing would ever be enough so long as she was gone. 

"I just wanted to ask if you were doing alright," Agnea explained, and Osvald felt something inside of him pause. "I know we were supposed to go to Conning Creek a while ago, but because we were interrupted with that... I'm sure it's hard to have built it all up in your head so much only for it to not end up happening, and I wanted to check in on you. Now that we're about to go back, I thought you could use the chance to talk."

That was right. Osvald had spent the last few years isolated from the rest of the world against his will, but now, he was in a better place. He was surrounded by people who cared about him, and they were willing to help him see his mission through to its end. Beyond that, they wanted to know what they could do to support him. That was the reason Agnea was by his side now. 

The idea felt foreign to Osvald, and yet, it was welcome. He had not been supported in this way since Rita and Elena were still alive, and even so, the situation had been different because of the nature of his relationships with his wife and daughter. Now, Osvald had no family to rely on at all, but there were still people who wanted to take care of him. He couldn't even begin to imagine what his life would be like now if the travelers hadn't found him in the snow that day, and it went beyond the fact that he could have died from hypothermia. If anything, Osvald was far more concerned with the fact that he would have never met people who made him feel so much better about his life than he had ever thought possible after he lost his family. 

"I..." Osvald let out a slow breath, trying to search for words he knew wouldn't ever come in the form he was hoping for. He had never been any good at talking about his emotions, and his forced silence when he was a prisoner on Frigit Isle hadn't done him any favors in that way. "I'm hoping I'll be able to find a little bit more information about what happened with Harvey that night. He was at the scene of the crime, but the town guards let him walk away like they had never seen him at all. I need to know why."

"I understand that, but..." Agnea frowned up at him worriedly. "I'm thinking more about the fact that you're going back to the place where your family was killed all those years ago. I know that can't be easy. It hurts when I think about what happened to my mother, and she died of natural causes. No one killed her. So... Do you think you're going to be able to do this? Is there anything the rest of us can do to help you?"

"I have to be ready," Osvald answered her even though he knew that was hardly the response she was searching for. Agnea thought he was a lot more fragile than he was, and Osvald... He didn't know how to respond to that. Perhaps there was a small part of him that felt like she was right, but he had never been allowed to be soft or gentle after his life began to deteriorate. He had to be as strong as possible in order to survive the harsh conditions of Frigit. "I can't let Harvey get away with what he did. If that means I need to go back there, then so be it."

Agnea frowned even deeper at that, clearly not happy with what Osvald was saying but not wanting to push him too hard if he truly was uncomfortable with the subject they were discussing. In the end, she pressed her hands together in front of her chest and then clenched them together. "You're not going to have to deal with any of this by yourself. I promise," she vowed. "No matter what, all of us are going to be here for you to help you however you need us to. So when we get to Conning Creek... Just ask if you end up needing something from us, okay?"

Osvald nodded. "Thank you." On one hand, he thought of this as a matter of practicality. It only made sense that the rest of the travelers would want to be there by his side since it would benefit all of them in the long run. On the other hand, Osvald found himself strangely sentimental about Agnea's words. He had been left unsupported and alone for so long. The only person who had ever been there for him throughout all of his time on Frigit had been Emerald, and that had hardly ended well for anyone involved. This felt different though, and he was glad for it. Osvald didn't want to face the world alone. He never had. And if his family couldn't be there by his side, then... Then Osvald hoped he would be able to stay with this group for as long as possible. 

After a few seconds passed in silence, Agnea smiled up at Osvald. "You know, I was thinking... You really haven't told us all that much about what your wife and daughter were like before they passed," she began. "Do you want to tell me about them? I'd be happy to listen if you had any stories to tell."

Osvald's chest tightened, threatening to stop his heart from beating in the blink of an eye. He hadn't been given a chance to talk about his family at all since he was taken away to Frigit, and in some ways, he thought that was for the best. He didn't know what he would do when he was given the chance to open up about everything he had lost. Remembering he was the only member of the Vanstein family left alive was hard enough on a regular day, but when he recalled every little thing about his wife and daughter that he missed... 

For a brief moment, the pyre of vengeance in his chest wasn't enough to completely drown out the far worse option: the deluge of despair. He missed his wife and daughter more than anything, and whenever he thought about how he would never be able to see either one of them again... Something inside of him seemed to break again and again. There had been no time for grief when he was desperate to survive on Frigit, and so, he had been able to avoid the weight of all that he had lost. 

Agnea and the rest of the travelers were bound to ask him what he was willing to share about them eventually though. He was fooling himself if he thought they would truly never press him on the matter since they were his motivation and his reason for fighting in the first place. It was overwhelming to think he would have to look back on all that he had lost, but... Some of it felt healing too. He would not be the only one to remember Rita and Elena so long as he shared stories about them with the other travelers. None of them had been there to know his wife and daughter personally, but if Osvald talked about them... Perhaps it would help their memories to live on. Perhaps it would give them a little bit more life even in death. At this point, that felt like all Osvald could ask for when it came to soothing the waterfall of tears pressed against his heart. 

"If you would like to hear about them, then... I can share," Osvald answered, hating just how uncertain he sounded. He loved Rita and Elena more than anything, and that was what made this so hard... 

But it was also what made a conversation like this so necessary, wasn't it? It was a way for them to survive after they had burned. Agnea certainly seemed to think so, and her smile softened as she looked up at Osvald and nodded. "I would love to."

Osvald took in a deep breath, fighting back the tears that always threatened to consume him when he allowed himself to grieve for even a moment. He would feel better after he did this, he was certain. "I first met Rita when I was in school..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mmm... Good chapter. 

I really do love writing all of these scenes between different groups of characters. I'm doing my best to make sure all of the members of the cast are able to talk with everyone at some point or another, so even if it takes a while, there will be interactions between all of the pairs sooner or later. There are definitely common pairings when it comes to fic and art in fandom, and I love exploring the ones that most people wouldn't think of right away. It's just fun for me. 

I think this chapter is a fine example of that. I think there's a lot of cute content of Ochette and Osvald's dynamic, but there's less of it when it comes to Agnea and Osvald. The two of them were the highlight of this chapter for me, and I just... I adore them to bits. They both deserved so much better, and I think they're great conversation partners because of how grief plays a role in both of their lives. I think they're sweet. 

Next time, we're going to catch up with other groups of travelers. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital