Wing got up early despite only sleeping an hour the night before. His heart was pumped with anticipation. He'd trained all his life, yet he struggled with that girl during their impromptu spar. He needed to figure out a different method apart from brute force, which frankly, he'd never had to figure out before. When he hunted with Zhen, admittedly, he did the easy work such as dealing the final blow on a Creature of the Night or even for hunting meat.

   He knew how to skin a pig better than any other Solum Warrior and knew the best places to herd rabbits. However, none of these quite translated to what he wanted to accomplish.

   "Are we trying again today?"

   The last day approached a lot faster than Wing anticipated. These seven days were shorter than they were before as if the Lighting Tree was mocking him.

   "Trying for what?" Zhen popped his head in Wing's room where Juniel was also present.

   Zhen kissed her on the head.

   Juniel didn't respond and waited for Wing to speak instead.

   "N-nothing!" Wing shouted.

   He pulled Juniel out of the room and dashed to the Ignis City.

   "Where is she?" He asked her, his nerves calming a little.

   "Tip? She's probably at the Palace, guarding."

   Wing sighed and slumped to the floor. His nerves returned, giving him only that one moment of reprise before he realized once again how scared he was of his plan failing.

   "I'll tell you a secret. Zhen is slower on his left side than his right, an injury he sustained."

   "Really?"

   Juniel nodded. "I do not tell lies."

   "Can I win with that information?"

   "I shall not tell you a lie."

   Wing shut his eyes, willing his tears away.

   He really couldn't afford to lose Zhen. He was already an orphan without parents. Without Zhen, he would become nothing.

   Juniel could sense his despair, though she couldn't understand where it came from. She was sad to have to say goodbye to her only sister, but the future she'd been blessed to see gave her hope.

   "Shall we head to the Palace, Wing?"

   Wing sighed again and then nodded. He raised his arm up for her to take and heave him up, something he always did with Zhen.

   She looked at his hand but did nothing.

   Unlike him, Juniel spent most of her time to herself. The only way she talked with others was if she'd seen something that prompted her to make the connection or if her sister brought her to places. Otherwise, she preferred silence near the river. In other words, she had little experience in communication or bonding.

   "You're supposed to take my arm," he said.

   "Hmm, like this?"

   He laughed, "No, more like this."

   She pulled him up, his muscles pulling her slightly forward.

   She was as light as a twig, Zhen would always say. Then her sister would comment, "Well, she needs no knowledge of fighting when we have someone to look out for us as you do."

   "I shall help you get up from now on," Juniel said.

   Wing laughed, "There's no need. I will make Zhen stay."

   They headed for the Palace where most everyone was bidding the Seed hearty farewells. They had to weave through crowds before they could to the entrance. 

   "Priestess-"

   Juniel shook her head.

   "I supposed you missed the announcement. Another has accepted that role."

   The guard raised a brow.

   "But you have to me to tell me of your vision before, Your Blessedness, Juniel."

   "I am but the previous Priestess's sister. There is no need for titles. May we go through? We wish to say goodbye to our siblings."

   "Of course, Your Bless- Juniel."

   Wing thought he'd need to fight tooth and nail to get in. He hadn't thought to use his familiar connection like Juniel, but it paid to have her by his side.

   "I know the palace well. We can take the shortcuts." 

   Juniel didn't budge.

   "Do you know where you are headed?"

   Wing stopped walking, ten steps ahead of her already.

   "No?"

   "They will be holding the grand ceremony at the terrace of the throne room. Come. It is better to go the normal way, the way everyone takes."

   He frowned, but since she did get them in quickly, he followed anyway.

   Not too soon, they were stopped midway when Tip came to view. Wing immediately rushed to her.

   "You'll come with us!" He said, pulling her along.

   He'll need her prowess if he wants to even have a chance of stopping Zhen.

   Tip followed though she shouldn't have left her post.

   "Juniel!" A soft voice called out.

   Princess Nou waved at her in an unlikely royal way. Her brother stopped her.

   "Let them come to us, Nou."

   "But brother, we are all of high rank."

   "Yes, but we are always higher."

   Juniel rolled her eyes at this.

   "We don't have time for this!" Wing shouted. "We need to hurry to the terrace!"

   "This way then," Sun pointed to the closed doors behind him.

   "It is through that way," Juniel confirmed to Wing.

   "Good. Good. You'll both act as the distraction and then I'll take Zhen. Got it?"

   "Got it," the two girls said together.

   "Take him?" Nou was confused, but she didn't get an answer verbally.

   Instead, Wing bashed through the large doors of the throne room, shocking her and her brother.

   Juniel did a few magical water tricks that alerted the guards. Tip followed by example and did a few spiraling fire magic. However, neither was violent. Unlike them, Wing dashed and knocked out a few.

   "Do we have to do that?" Tip whispered.

   "No. No because he will come forward before anything else gets serious."

   Jei watched her sister from afar, figuring out that all of this were meant to happen.

   "Zhen," she whispered to her love.

   "I understand."

   Zhen stopped one of Wing's attacks midway. He punches the boy back, knocking the wind off him. Then he targeted the girls, pretending only, to crush them.

   "You will stay down as we planned?"

   "Yes. As is planned."

   Juniel and Tip fall to the floor, pretending to be unconscious.

   When Wing finally caught his breath he saw them fall.

   "No," he repeated.

   Then he lunged towards the guards, again knocking out more of them.

   "Stop it," Zhen shouted at him. "There's no need for you to go against this, Wing."

   "There is. There is," Wing cried.

   In his blind rage and desperation, a whirlwind emitted from him.

   Sun watched in awe as Anima magic burst from the child who had so little compatibility before.

   The magic slowly started to consume more of Wing's strength, more than he was accustomed to.

   "We can't have you rampaging," Zhen muttered, swiftly rushing to Wing and landing a blow to the back of the neck to knock the young boy out.

   It did the job, and Wing was asleep for two days straight.

   Goodbyes were difficult, but even more so when one isn't able to say it.