Soel oversaw the reconstruction of the Fourth Ring. She felt the Arcane energy resonating within each stone. She sat on the ledge swinging her legs, with the sun overhead. The stone behind her, moulded into a domed cover. She glanced up to the side, seeing Skora standing beside her. "May I sit?" She asked with a smile. "You saved my life, and countless others. You can do whatever you like." Soel replied. "Is that a yes?" She asked hesitantly. Soel rolled her eyes, and patted the ledge next to her. "Yes, you can sit with me." Skora took a seat next to her. "Don't know why you're asking me permission. Pretty sure your stronger than all of us." "That's not strictly true. I don't think I could beat Encara, Cin, especially Aerith." She said shuddering. Soel nodded with her lips pursed to a line. "Mmm, you should have seen her, when we thought Cin was being unfaithful. That man nearly died."
"You mean she can get scarier?" Skora exclaimed. "Oh most definitely. First rule of not seeing scary Aer-y. When she's in general mode, listen and do everything she says. Second rule. Don't try to seduce her Sarang." "Anything else I should know?" Soel shook her head. The two of them sat in silence, looking over at the horizon. "You're different now. What happened?" Soel asked. "Encara purged Annorak's influence." "And you joined a cult for what reason again?" Skora chuckled. Hearing it be called a cult without Annorak's influence felt so different. "Live a few decades too many, and you start to lose yourself. He gave me a sense of direction after being lost for so long." "Sounds like he gave you some really bad directions." The two of them shared a laugh.
"Can I ask you a question?" Soel asked. "Of course." She replied happily. "Why was Encara so worried, about Yamada eating a Draken heart? I've seen people eat those things, and the only thing they get, are the runs." Skora chuckled. "Improperly harvested hearts, are just meat. A freshly harvest heart contains their Arcane energy." "That still doesn't explain why he got so riled up. I've seen Yamada do some incredible things." "Imagine if you will, Yamada wants more Arcane energy, and that Arcane energy is some cool refreshing water. He's well of Arcane is quite large, but it could be filled a little bit more. Age is like waiting for rain to fill the well. Training and study is taking the time to fill the well with pales. And eating a Draken heart is akin to stealing water from your neighbours well, to fill your own, rather than walking out to the river like the rest." Soel was silent, blinking vacantly at her. "Will he be okay?"
"I don't know. And I didn't think you cared about him that much." "I don't. I care for Gwyneth, and so by proxy, him." Skora gave her a warm smile. "You care for her a great deal. Yamada will be okay. He's too determined to kill Begron, to die." "You might want to tell Gwyneth that. No point in talking with me." Skora gently touched Soel's hand. Soel cocked an eyebrow at her, shifting her confused gaze from her hand to Skora's eyes. "I didn't save this kingdom, for Yamada or Gwyneth." Skora said staring into Soel's eyes. She started to lean in closer. Her eyes widened in response, and she pulled her hand away. "I think I hear Aerith calling me! Bye!" She squealed, leaping off the wall. Skora pursed her lips to a line. "Well..."
Gwyneth sat in Aerith's room, clad in her armour, enjoying a fruit platter with her. She winced reaching for each fruit, and scrunched her face chewing even the softest fruit. Gwyneth watched her let out a frustrated sigh with each fruit. "Feeling better?" Aerith shot her a scowl. "No. Damn withdraw symptoms, would have been gone by now. If it wasn't for Urkse betraying us, and Encara's aversion to walking. I wouldn't be having to have Cin, evaporate my piss every hour." She scrunched her face sitting up in her bed. Gwyneth gave her an uncomfortable expression. "I didn't need to know he does that for you." "What? That's just pure love. One day Yamada will probably just manipulate the piss out of you." Gwyneth scrunched her face, throwing her hands into the air. "Why would he ever do that? Why would I want him to do that? Also. Why would Yamada be with me?" She said blushing.
"Gwyneth, I've known you for a long time. I could be naked and PAYING men to sleep with me. You would still attract every man next to me, while wearing a sack of shit. It doesn't matter, what woman Yamada meets. They won't beat you. So let's win this war, and then go fetch your man. Then have him teach Cin, what he's meant to do." Gwyneth snickered with her. Aerith's door swung open with a loud thud. Soel stood in the doorway panting, leaning over her kneecaps. "What's wrong?" Gwyneth said rising to her feet. "Skora....she....tried...." Soel panted. "What did she do?" Gwyneth asked, reaching for her sword. "She...She..." "I have enough time to find, enough men to fill Vasha's cunt." Aerith said, sarcastically pointing to the sun. "She tried to kiss me!" Soel exclaimed. Aerith and Gwyneth were completely stunned, their eyes bulging. Soel marched over to the wine table, with Aerith waving her hand to close the door.
"She...She tried to kiss you?" Gwyneth asked cocking her head to the side. Soel nodded chugging from the jug directly. "Are you sure?" Aerith asked, unconvinced. Soel let out a deep breath, slamming the jug down. "YES!" She squealed, her voice breaking. Her face completely red and flushed. "We were sitting on the Fourth Ring together. Then she said, that she didn't save the kingdom for you, or for Yamada. Then she touched my hand, and leaned in." "Why didn't you kiss her back?" The two of them said in sync. Soel shook her head confused at them. "What!? Why would I kiss her back!?" She exclaimed. Gwyneth and Aerith shared a fleeting glance, before looking back at her. "No reason." The two of them still in sync. "What does that mean!?" Soel shouted. "Well..." Aerith said, rolling her head back and forth. "You've always seemed more interested in..." Gwyneth followed. The two of them trailing off. "What is it? What am I? What are you trying to say to-"
"They're calling you a cave fancier." Fervias's voice rung throughout the door. The three them slowly panned towards the door. Aerith waved her hand and the door swung open with a gentle sway. Fervias and Yssac stood at the door, with grins stretched across their faces. "If it means anything. I would have simply called you a lesbian." Yssac said. Soel opened an Earth gate covering the entire floor. "Woah! woah! woah!" Fervias and Yssac shouted, raising their arms. "Soel, calm down. They're just here to report, and leave...Without discussing anything else. Right?" Gwyneth asked through her teeth. The two of them nodded, quickly standing at attention. "Bodies were disposed of. Repairs to the ring are almost done. No transformation horn was found." Yssac reported. He quickly marched off, however Fervias stood his ground. His cheeks puffed with air, dying to blurt out an inappropriate joke. "Fervias...it's not worth it." Gwyneth warned. His pursed lips twisted into a smile. "Fervias, leave the room." Aerith added. Yssac hissed at him, waving at him to follow. "Remember, no one likes to visit a mossy cave." A stone spike, shot Fervias into the wall. "Worth...it..." He eked out, before fainting.
The Earth gate shrunk, as Yssac dragged Fervias across the ground. Gwyneth and Aerith had awkward smiles across their face. "You two think I'm a lesbian don't you!?" She cried out. Aerith and Gwyneth stole a glance from each other. "No..." The gate stretched across the entire room. Soel's cloak levitated into the air with her hair. The door swung open once more. "What's happening here?"Cin asked. Soel snapped back to him with a glare. He quietly retreated closing the door behind him, leaving with a small bow to Gwyneth and a wave to Aerith. "Soel, take a breath. We're not saying anything." Gwyneth said. "It sounds like you two think, I'm a-" "Who was the last man you were ever with?" Aerith snapped. "Alexeth." Soel barked. The two of them rolled their eyes at Soel. "You were with him two times, and that was like 16 or at least 18 years ago." Gwyneth said. "And then you left him, because he was, and I quote. 'Not your type.'" Aerith said.
"That's because he was boring, not because I was into women!" Soel said in a shrill voice. "I think it was that." Aerith said, with Gwyneth nodding along. "And I mean...Crazy powerful cult lady, is definitely not boring..." "I. Am. Not. A. Lesbian!" "There's nothing wrong with liking both." Encara said from outside. "If another person opens that door, I'm going to become Vasha." Soel growled. Encara walked in with his hands in the air. "Easy, just here to heal Aerith." His physique was back to normal, and hair silver. He approached Aerith branding her with a Blessing. "I'm not-" "Yes, yes, yes. You don't strictly like women. There's nothing wrong in liking both genders. The people in Artaraxus are famous for that." He said, scanning Aerith with the brand. "And I mean...we haven't given a proper thank you either." Aerith said. "I'm not sleeping with her, as a thank you!"
"You should. You and a lot of others would be dead, without her." Encara said. "And I mean, she has fingers and a tongue. It wouldn't be any diff-" "Don't you dare finish that sentence Gwyneth." Soel snapped at her. "I mean technically tunnels do eventually connect." Aerith said. "You two suck!" She shouted storming off. "You can also do that with her!" Aerith called out. A stone spike shot through the wall, reaching near her face. "You can use that to fill her cave!" Gwyneth called out with a smile. She snickered with Encara and Soel, before the ground beneath caved out. She fell through the ground with a yelp. Encara and Aerith winced hearing Gwyneth crash below with metal clattering.
Soel stomped her feet through the corridors. She found Fervias sitting on a window ledge, inspecting his reflection in the mirror. "Didn't think you were the kind of person who cared about their appearance." She said remarked, continuing to stomp away. "I never did. Kept the scars to remember Hendrik." He said glumly. She stopped, looking back to him. "That's why you kept those? They weren't to spite Gwyneth?" "They were...I hated her for what she did..." He crushed the mirror handle. "But it wasn't her fault...She did what none of us were strong enough to do. To end his suffering. She loved him more than any of us." He said bowing his head in shame. "It only took you over a decade to realize that? Do you know how much you assholes, made her suffer?" She said frowning, hands on her hips. "I know...But ask anyone, and they'll tell you, that people will do anything to escape from the pain of heartbreak." He said hiding his tears from her.
Soel stomped over to Fervias. "Gwyneth killed the man she loved. And then endured all your bullshit. Everyone loved Hendrik." She pulled his shoulder back, seeing the tears streaming down his face. Soel recoiled shocked at the sight. "Some loved him more." He said, with a weak smile. "I thought I hated Gwyneth for taking Hendrik away from me. I really just hated how I didn't tell him." His words entered her mind, slowly piecing together. She scrunched her face as the pieces came into focus. "Oh. Oh! OOOH!" Her eyes bulged. "So I kept every scar I got after his death. Just to escape the despair, of never being able to tell him. To escape the thought, that I loved a man, who would never love me the same way." Her jaw dropped. "Watching her defend us. The way Hendrik would. Without hesitation or disregard of who it was. It made me realize, I've done nothing but dishonour the man I love." A shiver ran down her spine. "Why are you telling me this? Why not her?" He looked up to her, wiping his tears, on his vambrace. "Because, I don't want you to live with regret either. To live in denial, because you're afraid of what people will think of you." He said solemnly bowing again.
"You're...." He chuckled and smiled at her. "A Wyrm fancier?" She chuckled. "I had no idea. I always just thought it was a whole camaraderie thing. Not a-" "A cum in him thing?" He added. Soel covered her mouth, covering an outburst. He snickered with her. "You should probably go find her. Besides, there's no harm in seeing where things go." She sat down next him, quietly humming. "What if it doesn't work out? What if I die out there? I can't do that someone. I can't just hurt someone like that. There's no Blessed alive, that can heal that." She said biting her thumbnail. "It is better to have had loved, than never loved at all." She looked at him confused and impressed. "When the fuck did you become so poetic?" He gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Gay men love poetry. Everyone knows that." He whispered.