"You were gone longer than I expected."

Maizah leaned against the arm she had propped up on the table, giving a wide smile. She was tired and her legs hurt, but she was just glad to be home. Even if Firelight City was nothing like Ataraxia and might have been better off being called a village if it weren't for its importance and the expanse of the land. 

"Issa's only twelve," she excused. "He has short legs and an even shorter attention span and we couldn't just leave him."

Oldenzier Kade sat silently, watching her as he brought a cup of wine to his mouth. His fifth or so cup of wine within the five minutes Maizah had been in his presence. It was clear he was waiting for her to continue, so she did.

"And we didn’t immediately set out in the morning," Maizah admitted. “We stayed a few extra hours.”

His eyes narrowed. "Enjoy it there that much?"

"I just wanted to make sure Jacinth would be alright. Plus, Issa and Kamaria were still a little tired so I figured why not."

"You shouldn't have brought them with you in the first place."

"Well, what was I supposed to do?"

"You could have left them here."

"Uncle," Maizah leaned forward a little, lowering her voice as if there was anyone around that could hear them, "Jacinth is leaving for good. She's just as much their older sister as he is my little sister. How could I not let them see her off?"

"It would have saved them some heartbreak."

"Huh?"

Oldenzier Kade stood to retrieve another cup, pouring some wine into it and sliding it over to Maizah as he once again took his seat. He filled his own cup up to the brim for what was now the sixth time. Maizah wondered if he was stressed or just being his usual self. Given the topic of conversation, she figured she'd find out in no time at all.

"Jacinth is going to forget about them," he said after some time. He ran a hand through his thick head of hair, watching her face carefully. "She's going to forget about you, too. You remember how she was as a child."

Maizah bristled. "She was a child. Highly impressionable. And the adults around her didn't help."

"She's still a child," Kade said, "and now in the place where she'd always belonged. Those people are arrogant no matter how much they try to pretend to be something else. That arrogance is going to rub off on her again, and this time I won't be there to get her in line. You won't be there. She'll be with the rest of the highly reputed Teio Omen while you, Kamaria, and Issa are here with Furoa beneath her."

Maizah didn't know what to say. She didn't buy a single thing her uncle had said; she knew how much he'd never liked Jacinth. He didn't like anyone from Teio or Caenus or Savitas or any of the higher omens. The only omen Oldenzier Kade didn't despise was the Frao Omen, and that was only because, if Furoa was only hanging on by a single finger, Frao was hanging on by two.

"Say one day you had to fight directly opposite Jacinth," Oldenzier Kade muttered, "what would you do?"

"That won't happen."

"Say it did."

"Don't you think you're crossing rivers?"

"Is this not my business? We're family, Maizah."

"Why are you saying such horrible things?"

Oldenzier Kade sighed and leaned back in his seat. 

"You're going to have to fight opposite Jacinth one day. You might as well get used to the idea now."

"Have you seen something?" Maizah asked, voice far quieter than what was usual for her. She looked at the Early Emblem at the center of her uncle's forehead, at the way the red gemstone-like material glared back at her. The flame of the tall candle in between them reflected off of it. "Has a Divintor spoken to you?"

Oldenzier Kade didn't answer. He just continued staring. 

"Uncle," Maizah tried again. "Devlin."

"There is no need."

Maizah didn't know what to make of that.

"There's so much anger— here and everywhere else," Oldenzier Kade said. He'd turned his gaze to the tall ceilings as if he could see the stars through them. "So much hatred. I imagine you'd seen a lot of that in your travels to Ataraxia?"

"Yeah." Maizah shrugged and laughed even though the sound felt choked out of her. "But there's just as much hatred here in Firelight."

"One group hates the other for gross mistreatment. The other group hates the aforementioned group for reacting to said gross mistreatment— for daring to do anything more or less than take their abuse." Oldenzier Kade's expression had twisted into something ugly and mean. Undoubtedly upset. "You would really put these two groups on the very same level?"

"Of course not—"

"Don't you think it's about time the Furoa Omen did something more than wallow in self-pity?" A spark flew across his eyes. "Don't you think it's about time we fight back?"

It felt like her heart had stopped in her chest, and it was a wonder she didn't immediately collapse then and there. 

"Do you mean war?" Maizah asked with wide eyes. "Against Teio?"

"Them and every other Omen that gets in our path." Oldenzier Kade turned a wide smile on Maizah, teeth bared and eyes a little manic. "To send a message. It doesn't have to be bloody, but if they desire blood, I am more than willing to give it. How about that, niece?"

Maizah reached out abruptly to remove the cup from his hands. Her hands shook with the desire to fling it across the room— maybe even fling it in her uncle's face. He deserved it for the words he'd so brazenly spoken aloud. For the timing of the words. For his approach.  

She ignored his glare and instead pushed the drink away where he couldn't reach. 

"You're not thinking correctly," Maizah said. "You're drunk."

"I'd think the same thing if I were sober."

"Jacinth is family—"

"Teio is not," Oldenzier Kade said, voice steadily gaining volume. "That girl is of the Teio Omen. She now lives with the Teio Omen. She is not one of us. If we're all being honest with ourselves, she never was."

"This is the mutual hatred I was talking about," Maizah said, standing to tower over her uncle. "So what if we're not respected by the higher omens? What has war ever solved? How can you expect needless violence to do anything more than leave behind dead bodies, aching wounds, and resentment?"

"I'm not talking about being the aggressor, Lyn. Have you seriously not heard the whispers upon the wind?"

"Whispers are just whispers. Actions are actions."

Oldenzier Kade sighed, shifting to stand. He stretched his arms over his head, watching the way Maizah trembled. Moving to grab the cup of wine she'd taken from him, he stared down at her with curious eyes.

"I won't make the first move," he said in the tone of reassurance. Of a promise. It settled something in Maizah's blood. "If everything remains peaceful, there is no reason to tip the land into chaos."

"Why would you say those things to me?" Maizah asked. She looked away, attempting to blink away the tears in her eyes before Oldenzier Kade could see they'd even had the chance to build. "Have you talked to Olden Hines about this?"

She didn't specify which; it wasn't important. Omari and Catava Hines remained joined at the hip most days, anyway.

Oldenzier Kade chuckled behind his hand as if he couldn't help it. "Oh, no. I'm sure your aunt would be very supportive of the idea. I've never seen more anger in a singular being than I've seen in Catava. As it currently stands, however, she's had her sights on figuring out the whereabouts of her estranged daughter."

"Jelana?" Maizah's features scrunched up a little. She hadn't even heard the murmur of Jelana's name in years. It was already easy enough to get on Catava's bad side— she'd never wanted to test her wrath by even mentioning her daughter in front of her. "Really? Why?"

"I already told you. There's so much anger running unchecked in Faetronia." He reached out to pat Maizah on the head, grinning when she swatted the hand away. "But I won't make the first move, niece. You have my word— you'll just have to learn the hard way."

"Devlin—"

"Maizah." The word was pointed, but not the scolding it should have been. Not the scolding she'd been expecting. "Go. You've had a long journey— I'm sure you're tired."

"I have your word," Maizah said again, beginning to back away but retaining eye contact with the man. It wasn't a question, but it was a request. She wanted to hear the words on his lips one more time. Wanted to see the sincerity in his eyes. 

Oldenzier Kade nodded, holding the cup in his hand up in the air as if to toast.

"You have my word."