I’d woken up alone, little Faustine already devouring breakfast with the Dragon Sprites. According to her, Zaki hadn’t left long before I’d gotten up. A relief, he really shouldn’t leave the kids alone even if I was only sleeping.

After she’s finished, I scoop her up and deliver from our little home, the likes of which was an absolutely gargantuan tree. Zaki and I had hollowed out a section among the branches where it wouldn't be so easily found unless you were really looking for it.

Across the clearing was Charmeine and Melek’s tree, also hollowed out with mine and Zaki’s help of course. Melek happens to be the reason we have Faustine, she’d wrestle the child from her cultist parents before they could steal her voice. Charemeine and Melek would have kept Faustine but the girls didn’t think themselves ready to take care of an actual child but insisted we only let them babysit her while Zaki and I prance around helping people build their new homes.

I hand off an overly enthusiastic Faustine to the eager arms of Charmeine who promptly recounts, for the third time this week, the tale of how she’d escaped from Cloud Spire with the settlers. Anything to satisfy Faustine’s demands and distract her from pulling on Charmeine’s long hair. Melek was there in the next moment, dressed head-to-toe in pitch black, something she would have been hanged for in Cloud Spire. The color suits her, she’s certainly more comfortable in it and taking full advantage of her new freedoms.

Melek peeks out the door, turning back to give me a knowing look.

“He’s probably in the usual spot.” I respond.

She shrugs, gesturing for me to be on my way so she can return to her girlfriend and sort-of-sister.

Craenia is serene, not bright like the rainbow eye-sore Ecrye is, nor the dull rock Cloud Spire is but somewhere in between; pastel. Neverending fields of green, small, hidden ponds and small, hidden ponds are just a sliver of the hidden treasures. Sleepy creeper vines swing from many of the trees and a range of flowers, which grow abundantly, highlight the otherwise unimpressive forest floor. The monstrous hiss of the nearby waterfall pouring into the fish-generous lake echoes through the air, drowning out more and more sound the closer one draws to it.

It is especially good for silencing voices, it will be harder to find that which cannot be heard and we do not want to be found. There are less than thirty of us, friendly though wary of me for my former reputation. Unfortunately, I still don’t know all their names.

There is, as expected, a figure barely conceivable through the heavy mist. To bypass it, I launch from the side and follow the wall to the top and glide to the river bank. I find Zaki at the lip of the waterfall, standing knee-deep in the rushing cascade, precariously close to the drop.

I’ve already decided I don’t like this, how reckless, doesn’t he know how easily the current could sweep him over the edge?

Kicking off my boots and hiking up my pants, I make my way towards him. The icy water bites straight to the bone, a cold shiver crawls up my spine to freeze the rest of me. I thank the goddess it’s mid-spring.

Upon reaching him, I loop my arms under his and around his ribs, resting my chin on the top of his head. Last month, he’d spontaneously sheared himself bald. I was horrified at first, his beautiful curls! But it’s not my hair and the lack of it didn’t make him ugly by any means. It’s just become long enough to properly mess with though. Most mornings he sits up and half of it is flattened from the pillow, the other half sticking straight out.

“You’re going to catch a cold.”

He makes a dismissive noise.

“I still don’t understand why you let him plague you, it’s not as if he was ever nice to you.”

“It’s a silly reason to let someone… and now Evangeline is suffering and she probably hates me.”

“If anything, it’s my fault but he deserved it after tearing up my wing like that. Either way, if she comes after you, I'll clip the tips of her wings off.

“Avarice,” He chides lightly. “We’ve talked about this, we do not ground people, no matter how mean they are to me.”

“It’s only temporary, plucked feathers grow back, she’ll be flying again by the next season.”

Zaki shakes his head, I don’t need to look to know he’s smiling too. “You don’t like this spot, do you?”

“It has a nice view...” I'm not wrong, he knows that.

Zaki laughs, twisting around in my arms, trudging through the water back to the shore. Once our shoes are back on, I fish out the bulky thing I’d tucked away in a satchel. I hold it out to Zaki and watch his eyes light up with recognition.

“I was wondering where that went.”

“You dropped it on the beach, took my ages to dig it out of the snow.”

Zaki presses a quick kiss to my cheek, holding the conch shell close to his heart. “Now, what kept you from giving it to me sooner?”

“You know why.” I chide, giving him a playful shove.

“What a great way to start the day. With my disaster of a husband  pushing me around and nagging me about my lamentation as if he isn’t guilty of the same thing.”

“Disaster you say? I hope you picked the right man because this one will never not be a calamity.”

“I’ve never been more sure in my entire life.”

“Aw, now this is familiar.” A familiar voice crooned. “You know, Zorzallaz and I were just like this.”

The Fallen practically materializes out of thin air.

“My godde-” I start but snap my mouth shut at the goddess’ raised hand.

“Really now? We’re all family here, call me Elentiya.”

“What have you been doing all this time? We haven’t seen you in months.” Zaki pipes up.

“Been building Cloud Spire a new government, something I never thought I'd do in my eternity, and stars forbid they’ll try to replace my sister with me.”

“Hm.”

“Anyways, I wouldn’t miss this day for the world and~ I have something for you.” The Fallen draws a circle of light in the air, the ring crackling to life with a gesture. She spins it on it’s side, letting it hover just above her open palms. Lifting it up, she places it over Zaki’s head. It burns silver with no distinct structure to it.

Without thinking, I reach out to touch it but my fingers faze right through it. Only the goddess herself could take it away now.

The Fallen ruffles his feathery hair affectionately. “Happy Birthday, Zacchaeus.”