With a knock on the door from Flare and a kind smile from Thane, the pair was successfully able to finesse their way into a night at Chrysanthemum's and a night at Holly's, whose families were both extremely welcoming and kind. Luckily, they encountered no interruption or disturbance from the qiasans on their journey through the phytomancer territories. However, that didn't stop Flare from warning Thane about them.
"They sound terrible," Thane said.
"They were," Flare laughed.
Thane walked lightly, he left places as he found them. Him and Abby got along great, to the point where Flare was jealous of their bond at times. Adults loved him, too, and Sage, Fuchsia, and Cottonia absolutely adored him. Nothing slipped by Thane without a gracious thank you or thoughtful gesture.
They had decided to take the longer route to avoid Aevum's kingdom, which Thane agreed was a good idea after Flare told him of the events that transpired there.
"Can you tell me about necromancy?" Flare asked Thane one night as they were sitting in front of a fire. The biome they were passing through was an odd one - lush grass scattered with sparse, oaky trees, like a spacious forest.
"Okay," Thane sighed, poking at the fire with his stick.
"You don't have to," Flare rushed to assure him, noticing his slight reluctance.
"No, I will," Thane said.
"Do you like it?" Flare asked eagerly.
"I don't know," he screwed up his face in thought. "It's... complicated. I think it can be used for good, which is why I love it. When it can be used to help people, to reconnect people with the other side. Because there is another side. It exists, and it's a world intertwined with our own. One most people don't understand, but it's there," Thane paused. "And I hate it sometimes because of how it made my father so cruel. You have to have a good heart to be a necromancer, because you'll endure countless requests and so much hatred. That's why we started dying out and why me and my dad are the only ones left. The other mages don't like us."
"Why not?"
"They insist it's not natural," Thane scoffed. "As if we chose this life. They say the order of the universe shouldn't be tampered with. Life and death are delicate, I do agree with that, but necromancers are alive for a reason. We're not unnatural. We're meant to be here."
"Is that why your dad is so secluded?" Flare asked gently.
"Yeah. I used to live near a chronomancer town, and we saw them sometimes. Traded with them and whatnot. My dad didn't mind, because the chronomancers never really asked for his services. It wasn't until I got until my rebellious phase that we had to move," Thane rolled his eyes.
"What does a rebellious phase entail?" Flare laughed a bit.
"I started sneaking out. Mostly to the chronomancer town. I would meet up with this girl and we would..." Thane trailed off, leaving Flare to fill in the blanks. She nodded knowingly. "Anyway, when he found out, he made us move all the way out here. To get away. I've pretty much just been by that cave ever since, practicing necromancy and watching my dad refuse the few people that we did get."
"Did you get lonely?"
"Yes," Thane replied. "But you probably did too."
"A bit. I had Abby though, and I came across a lot of people. I was mostly just lonely without Ash. I miss him a lot."
"Yeah, you must," Thane said softly. "I wish I had a sibling, or knew my mom. A proper family."
"What happened to your mom?"
"I never met her, and I haven't heard much about her from my dad. I just know she was an aquamancer who met my dad a few times and then dropped me off at my dad's doorstep after I was born with a note. He never even knew she was having me until he read it. I was a complete accident, which my dad never hesitates to remind me about," Thane rolled his eyes. "But I'd like to think she was a good person. I know her name, and that's about it."
"What is it?" Flare asked.
"Brooke," he said with a small, fond smile.
"That's pretty," she mused. "Curiously, I've never met an aquamancer. They're the only mages I've never talked to."
"Before you came, I'd only met chronomancers," Thane said.
Suddenly a thought struck Flare. "Who was this chronomancer that you said you met up with?"
"Her name was Eon."
"And you last met up around two years ago?"
"Probably closer to three, why?" Thane asked quizzically, cocking his head to the side.
"I think there's someone you have to meet," Flare said. She finally realized whose blue eyes his had reminded her of. Jinx.