On the day of their departure from the Spire of Magic, it rained. Morana sat with her nose against the window, giddy to look out into the lush nature without the blinding light of the sun. Since no harsh winds reached her here, she was piqued to watch the clouds weep over the stormy sea and the islands, feeding the ground with its gift.

Some miserable mage novices had been sent outside onto the many balconies of the massive tower to gather the rain in large pots. From time to time, a ducked figure in a black cloak ran through to exchange the full pots with empty ones. Morana watched them, and part of her wanted to go downstairs to dance and play in the rain with Onyx.

But she only waited while the others got dressed and grabbed their bundles. Yunho knelt next to Aodhán near her to button up his coat. Occasionally, she sent them jealous looks, but Aodhán had done the same for her and it felt nice. She could tell he cared through the link they shared.

While Yunho made sure he packed everything, Aodhán said goodbye to Sunny. His loyal puppy wouldn't join their dangerous trip, and Morana only took Onyx since he was such an intelligent and inconspicuous companion.

Buddy, on the other hand, would come along. He was needed as a loyal knight, and he knew the Crystal Sphere like the back of his paw.

Morana had Pebble on her lap and her sister hadn't moved all morning. Almost worried she had died, Morana checked on her occasionally, but she couldn't find signs of sickness, so she assumed Pebble was just as taken with the rain as she was.

Hongjoong marched through the doors with a billowing black cape. He was closely followed by San and Yeosang and took in the state of the room.

"If you are ready, Lillwen and Wynn await us downstairs," he told them. Wooyoung came tumbling over the thick carpets that kept ensnaring his claws to trip him up. The mages winced whenever he came past and his wings whirled up dust and knocked the items from the desks in narrow corridors. But he miraculously survived his stay without getting turned into a toad for convenience. Not even when he and Morana plundered the herb stash to build a makeshift nest in the corner of the room to roll up in and messed up the sorcerer's neat bundles. Hongjoong had been mad, but when he let them off with a sigh, Morana giggled in triumph.

A movement near his talons had Morana's eyes twitch over. A small golem toddled along with him, clearly alive with arms and legs.

Discreetly, Morana left the rock she had been holding all morning on the bench. On her way out, she picked up her actual sister. They followed Hongjoong through his portal and Buddy hopped along full of trust and, with his tail wagging, used to the magic of this place and trusting it blindly.

They gathered in the narrow cave they had initially entered the territory of the mages through. Now that Hongjoong let them in, they could easily depart from the shore, but they wanted to stay hidden from any curious eyes for as long as possible, worrying about nosy rumours. Hongjoong's spells would disguise them.

This time, Morana was cosy in the dark tunnel. She wasn't alone, and Aodhán's head of blond curls glowed in the shadows by her side. They held hands again and her brother was steadfast by her side.

Lillwen had summoned the pretty water horses again. This time, an entire bunch of them crowded in the water. The queen throned on hers, looking gorgeous even after the days spent on land. Her long hair flowed down her sides and Morana was awed once more when the queen gave her a greeting nod.

Wynn held out her hand to the assembled men.

"Here, let me help you climb on," she suggested, and everyone complied. Aodhán sat with Hongjoong and Yunho with Buddy. Wooyoung squirmed around, nervous to be diving under the water surface once more, and San sat as a pinnacle of light.

"May I?" Lillwen offered, holding her hand out to Morana. Yeosang let her go when the girl shyly sat with the most beautiful of companions assembled.

Wynn confirmed their readiness, and the horses complied with her signal. Once more, their adventure began.

A cool hand helped Morana keep her eyes clenched shut. She held onto Pebble for dear life, praying she wouldn't sink, but the golem seemed most unbothered by the cold bath.

As they resurfaced outside, Wooyoung gagged on a cough. Hongjoong steered his horse over to check on him and, after his survival was confirmed, they chased over the water surface on the agile movements of the nimble water horses. Splashing with the rain, Morana relished the stormy ride since she felt at ease with the queen of the water behind her.

Though Aodhán looked a bit wilted, his interest in an adventure made his eyes glow just as brightly. As Mulberry and Onyx circled overhead, they were a sizeable group. More than Morana imagined needing, but it seemed her uncles were all similarly cautious.

What if she could actually see a dragon on this trip? If Seonghwa could be saved? Would she earn the throne for her monumental proof of strength and perseverance in freeing him?

No, his husbands were so loyal; they would probably try to restore those political bonds with him on the throne before anything else happened. But perhaps Seonghwa would admit to his mistakes and be there for Morana? She could even visit the demons and get to know other darkspawn if everyone got along once more.

And she could visit Lillwen often.

When Morana craned her head to look at her, Lillwen peered back with that refreshing gaze. It was so fathomless, like the waters they crossed. Heat crawled into Morana's cheeks.

"Are you looking forward to your voyage?" Lillwen asked her in her singing hum. Pebble craned her head to study them from below, otherwise invested with the horses.

"I am," Morana beamed, directing her gaze to the far stripe of dark land against the horizon. "I wish you could join us."

Lillwen couldn't postpone her duties in her kingdom for this holiday. She needed to return after helping them today since the orcs were ever so pushy and the eldest of the titans asked the nymphs for coordination on how to protect their borders.

Morana wanted to see them one day. The nymphs, the titans, all these fascinating people. Did the titans also have queens? Tall and gorgeous, bringing thunder from the skies and making the earth tremble when they went to battle?

After Morana figured out the upset in her chest whenever she thought of Seonghwa and her origin, she wanted to go there. She wanted to see many places and meet many people.

"It would have been so fascinating to see you claw your way to the top. But I will witness it from afar. You are always welcome in my kingdom. You may also bring your brother. He is more elven than human, so my people won't be too ravenous for him," Lillwen chirped merrily. Morana had to giggle. Nymphs were peculiar in that way.

Leaning into the soft seaweeds and graceful shells of Lillwen's dress, Morana sneakily relished her scent of the sea and the cold touch of her embrace.

"Does that mean we have to part very soon?" She had hoped they would at least spend another evening together. But Lillwen nodded against her head.

"We are taking a longer route to bring you to the borders of the Vault of Heaven's portion of the mainland, where the mountain range rises from the earth. From there on, you have to continue on foot. Your homeland doesn't border on the coast," Lillwen explained, and Morana sulked to herself. Her fingers skimmed over Pebble's rough surface to play down her upset.

All the people she wanted to be with left her.

"Don't fret, little princess. I will be with you during your journey and I would welcome any letters you may send my way. If you return safely from your trip to the war-ridden lands, we may contact each other often."

Morana didn't know if Lillwen tried to stay close to her for some political advantage or because she genuinely cared. But Morana's heart hammered at the idea of exchanging letters with the nymph, written in secrecy under her blanket so Yeosang couldn't catch her dreamy thoughts about the queen.

"I will write to you," Morana promised firmly. This was a good reason to practise her writing and her words. She hated poems, but she realised how they were needed to hail Lillwen's beauty.

The rain thrummed against Hongjoong's magical barrier, only touching those who welcomed it. Morana's hair and clothing didn't get wet, but she relished the tickle on her skin. It lulled them and rushed with the ocean, making Morana feel more sheltered than she ever did out in the far nothingness of the world.

After several hours of following the coast and coquetting with the stormy ocean that just barely seemed to hold back from burying them under its waves, Wynn called over the group.

"We are nearing our destination. Rest up on the final stretch," she advised everyone, and Morana stiffened against Lillwen's chest. When she glimpsed at the nymph, the nod she received in return was wistful.

"This shore is where we part."

Morana made up her mind. She stubbornly covered Lillwen's hand with her own, sharing the touch of skin as she made her promise. The cold, webbed fingers below hers were exhilarating to feel.

"I will come to visit you next. I don't know how long it can take to free some elf from a cave and find my other father, but I will soon travel in the other direction. I'm safe if you pick me up near the cliffs, right?"

Lillwen's chuckle was indulgent.

"You are. I will heed your call and come to find you in person."

Gradually, they neared the land. While it promised the continuation of Morana's drive and the area she wanted to see all along now that they assembled their safe group, her heart was also heavy from this goodbye from the nymphs.

Before they went on land, Lillwen muttered into her ear in private. Their conversation drowned in Wooyoung screeching at Mulberry in greeting and Buddy jumping into the water to swim the rest of the way to the shore.

"Take care on your travels, Morana. Your heart is fiery, but remember to pause and think wisely before you jump into battle. May you find what you seek. And I hope you may find the same peace we others experienced if you do stumble upon your creator," the nymph hummed with a gentle hug around Morana's frame. Making her heart stutter and her resolve crash down on her even harder.

"Forget him," she demanded.

Morana would be the future empress. If only so Lillwen would only look at her and invite her to her lands instead of Seonghwa.

"If we find him, I will get him out of the situation he brought himself into, since you like him. But only look at me. He was weak. He failed. He doesn't deserve your loyalty." Strict, Morana twisted in her lap to have Lillwen's oath.

The shine in the queen's eyes was ever so intrigued.

"You are such a peculiar creation, little darkspawn. I wonder how you will change our world."

"I will show you," Morana promised, lifting her chin despite the anxious knot in her chest. Hlin taught her never to back down, not in a fight and not in attraction. Finally, Morana understood what she meant by that.

Lillwen caressed her spindly fingers through Morana's hair.

"So you will, our beautiful princess. I cannot wait to witness your rage."

Smug satisfaction bubbled in Morana's chest and it made looking forward to the future easier. She could move on from this goodbye if it meant she had the opportunity to prove himself to the queen.

As they made for the shore to drag themselves towards the towering mountains in the north that greeted them, Morana's will was firm as Pebble in her arms.

She would become empress, as the stars demanded of her. Would show everyone how strong elves could be. That she was worth just as much as the ruler they lost, if not more. Aodhán would be by her side. And all of her uncles. And if she brought Seonghwa back, she showed more than enough strength and compassion to deserve the esteem of the nymphs.

A dragon was nothing.