Walking Made for Good Talking

Just off the main industrial sector of the Basin, a well-trodden path cut through the autumn foliage. Elisa said she was familiar with the path, and who better than a lovesick puppy to follow unquestioningly?

The leaves were a patchwork of gold and red that crunched beneath Elisa's and Kael's boots.

Out of the corner of Kael’s eye, he swore he saw one of the tree’s branches recoil when he stepped near the damn thing.

But it turned out even silence—or simply the sound of each other’s footsteps—was enough to make Kael content.

\\

It made for an insightful conversation of the way the world is progressing, all told.

"So the children of Highcliff were essentially handicapped?"

Elisa sighed. "Yes. Because the Concordant disapproved of training or working children under ten."

Kael hummed. "Another one of their ‘civilizing’ impulses."

"They said it stunted natural growth spurts. Caused muscle atrophy." She shrugged. "The debate’s still raging to this day."

Kael scoffed. "The Blac’hils were always at the forefront of pushing the Lords to get children to start early. Idle hands make for weak minds. That gives them the kind of surety to make their way through life after that; whether they are suited for a desk job or not."

"I actually err on the side of the Concordant, believe it or not."

Kael raised a brow. "I know. You made that clear even before you lost your memory, and... I suppose I see the ethical and moral argument too. I think it just weakens their readiness. The world won’t wait for children to grow up slowly. Getting their foot in the door early—learning responsibility, discipline, practical skills—gives them a fighting chance to prove their worth. Then they can work their way up from there."

"Yeah. Though I’m a big fan of the… uh… ‘schooling’ system they implemented. Standardized, structured; everyone has to take it." 

"Schooling... is not for everyone. You have to have drive for that, and I doubt most kids are in their capacity to decide for themselves if it is the right path for them. You don't have to be literate for most jobs anyway."

"Much better than working your back in a field, wondering about ambitions and dreams never fulfilled. But that’s probably because I complained a lot about working when I was younger. Haha."

Kael’s smirk was instant. "Still do."

Elisa turned to protest—then stopped herself.

She frowned. "I suppose so." Then, quieter—"You probably know me better than I do myself."

"I, uh, meant that as a tease."

They walked a little further.

The path curved alongside the river, the clear blue-green water cutting through the landscape, untouched by the industrial sprawl creeping toward it.

Elisa’s breath hitched slightly. "Wow. The color hasn’t changed one bit, even with all the construction."

"We impose the strictest regulations. Your suggestion, of course. People still use it for drinking water. Magicka-infused water doesn’t sound terrible… until the crystals start forming in the kidneys. Had to avoid that at all costs."

Elisa’s steps slowed. "Wait. They can do that?"

"Don’t tell me there haven’t been prior cases of this."

"If there were, nobody talked about it. They would be "too much of a ‘burden.""

"Sometimes, it’s as if Demonkin and Highcliff society are kindred spirits."

Elisa laughed. "Oh, no. It’s just that in Highcliff, the humblest wins the social battle. The most unassuming gets the prize. Ironically, our pride is in pretending we have none."

"Much the opposite, I presume, in Demon terms."

Elisa nodded.

"But for all the same reasons…"

\\

Finally. They were here.

The Vitalum Institute was nestled between two mountains, carved into the land itself.

From a distance, it was barely visible, camouflaged within dense foliage that was old enough to rival even the ages of the Primordial Demons.

The pathways were connected by rope and wood bridges, swaying with every gust of wind.

Elisa stepped carefully, her boots finding purchase on the damp wood, her fingers brushing against the safety ropes as she walked.

Below them, a forest stretched through the valley. Above, the sky churned—gray clouds rolling in, heavy with rain. The scent of damp leaves and woodsmoke wafts, the wind carrying the distant chime of a hanging bell somewhere deeper in the settlement.

Highcliff patients thrive in altitude. It did better for their mental aptitude to stay here.

“I cannot believe I didn’t mention her once in five years. What kind of sick sack of…”

“Elisa. It was a mistake. One you will rectify soon.”

“A conscious, enduring one. Don’t sugarcoat it. I’ve sugar-coated for the past half-decade.”

\\

The altitude pressed against her lungs. It wasn’t unfamiliar—this was Highcliff, after all—but the reminder stung.

This place wasn’t meant for outsiders. And… well. She may as well be one herself.

She threw a quick glance at Kael.

If the altitude affected him, he was doing his best to hide it.

His posture remained as perfect as ever, his pace controlled, but even she caught the slightest tightness in his breath.

He was struggling.

And he’d rather die than admit it.

Good. Let him suffer a little.

\\

As they neared the main entrance of the Haven of the Heights, the hallways of wood and stone opened into the missing bulk of activity. Caregivers and patients all around.

A few elderly patients sat along the outer railings, wrapped in heavy furs, gazing out over the valley. Some watched them with mild curiosity.

Others didn’t look at Elisa at all.

She recognized some of them. And they recognized her.

She only saw resentment from them, though. Why shouldn’t they? Her complicity didn’t do her any favours. Advancements and improvements as they may have been, society cannot truly heal if you didn’t directly confront the past.

Probably also because of the man that walked by her was their boogeyman. It is impossible to ignore. You see white hair, it’s a Blac.

The Count’s gaze seemed to shift toward a nearby medical station—shelves lined with carefully arranged herbs and salves, but also tools unmistakably of demonkin make.

One thing people should know about the Count? He hated poor resource management.

“Why aren’t you using the Salvorest units?”

“We haven’t been trained on them.”

“But I assigned more demonkin nurses to Haven…”

The nurse leading them—a sharp-featured woman with a Highcliff build and a stare that could cut stone—turned sharply.

“If considered just for a second what makes up the patient demographic of this hospital, it’d make much more sense.”

“In an ideal world, yes. But you don’t have a choice! They must acclimate; most humans have—”

“Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? We didn’t have a choice."

Kael smirked. "And yet you take our tools."

"Out of necessity."

Elisa let out a sharp sigh. "Gods, can we not do this right now?"

Kael hummed, but let it drop.

For now.

\\

The rain began to fall.

Slow at first, a misty drizzle that coated the rope bridges in a thin sheen of slickness.

A commotion stirred further down the walkway, near one of the isolated buildings… where mom was. Hushed, urgent.

One of the patients had wandered off.

"He’s been talking nonsense all morning."

“You know of ‘the birdman’?"

“From the lake?”

“Yes! He claims he saw it in his dreams. He’s not been to the lake in years! It’s telling him to ‘take up arms’. A bit too late for that.”

Elisa exchanged a glance with Kael. His amusement from earlier was utterly gone.

The wind picked up, swaying the bridges just slightly beneath their feet.

Kael adjusted his gloves, gaze sharp. "Let’s go."

Elisa nodded, gripping the safety ropes as they crossed the final bridge toward the main ward. To Mom.