Chapter 22: A New Direction.

Dawn broke, and Isz waited for his escort before he could move out toward Marina.

Isz: "Finally, you’ve arrived."

Soldier: "Forgive us for the delay. We were waiting for orders from the king, and he has finally cleared us to come and escort you."

Isz: "No problem. But where is the escort?"

A soldier approached with two horses and explained that this would be their escort. They were to ride to Barial, the closest city to Marina, where they would find their ride across to the island.

Isz: "What happened to the city?"

Soldier: "With recent events, the army has been heavily divided, and we don't have many units to spare for your escort. We know your mission is important, but the safety of the population is too."

Isz understood the situation and waited for Rosie to finish communicating with her homeland.

Rosie: "Alright, we can go now. Is everything really okay?"

Isz: "Yes, I'm just worried about Cerberus. I don't know the severity of his injuries yet. I'm going to send a message to Harpy to check on him."

The two set off toward the designated city. Along the way, they admired the landscape, noting that the fields looked greener and that there had been no news of deaths from the disease either in Volny or the floating city.

Further into the journey, Rosie turned to Isz with a question.

Rosie: "Isz, what I'm about to ask you might sound crazy, and if it is, just ignore it... but I have to ask."

Isz: "Go ahead."

Rosie: "Were you a knight of Vein?"

Isz took a deep breath as they both continued to ride toward the city.

Isz: "There’s no use lying to you just to make you feel better. So, yes, I was a knight of Vein. I belonged to the scouts, and we fought in many wars and clashes against various enemies. I wasn't the only one; Harpy was one too."

Rosie fell silent, her voice trembling when she spoke.

Rosie: "How could you—"

Isz cut her off: "I know what happened in your past, and I am truly sorry. But I had nothing to do with it. In fact, I had never even heard of any inquisition."

Rosie: "A group like that killed my father. The leader was Gray."

Isz: "I know. And I can assure you that the knights were not executioners, and they never bowed their heads to that bastard Gray. You can rest easy, he is probably already dead."

Rosie remained silent, lost in thought.

Isz: "The knights were honorable men who would never do such a thing. We didn't fight against the people; we fought to protect them. At least, that’s what I believed. Before all the chaos, we were met with pure hostility in our own city. We were ambushed and killed. Just like your father, I was a victim too."

Rosie: "Isz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply you were a murderer or anything like that. I was just connecting the dots."

Isz: "If only I could forget those days... the pain... just for a moment. Now, all that’s left is the hope that more of my friends survived. I know they can help others."

Rosie: "Isz, I’ve trained all this time because I wanted to be a warrior. I’ve always hated nobility stuff—the idea of being superior to others. I never had real friends, not even when I was a child. People only approached me to gain social advantages or to try and force a marriage for family alliances. The only one who ever understood me was my father, and I miss him terribly. Of course, my hatred for Vein hasn't vanished, but I don't hate you. I know you were one of those honorable knights people used to tell stories about."

Isz: "I'm glad you understand."

Rosie: "Just one more question... why do you look my age?"

Rosie smiled, and Isz explained his time in the coma, told her the story behind his mark, and showed it to her. Rosie mentioned that she also bore a mark, but hers was the crest of the dragon clan's house. Unlike Isz, she didn't use alchemy; her powers were directly tied to the dragon itself.

Isz: "In a way, I don't use alchemy either. It's more like a unique release from the mark. Lightning is rare even for alchemists, and the sheer volume I possess would be impossible through normal means."

Rosie smiled and remarked that they had more in common than she thought, adding that she was happy to have him as a companion. Isz replied that it was good to have someone to talk to.

When they arrived in the city, Edward was waiting for them alongside a group of tourists.

Edward: "Hello, Isz. It's been a long time. How are you?"

Isz: "I'm doing well for now. How long have you been waiting here? And what's with this group of people?"

Edward pulled Isz into a corner and explained that the two of them were on a confidential mission, and the public merely believed it was a sightseeing trip to visit the island. Marina was an isolated island, and travel to it was heavily restricted because the sea currents were highly dangerous.

Isz: "Do you think they'll be in Marina?"

Edward: "I heard about your search. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I find it hard to believe that people with no sailing experience and without a large boat could ever make it to that island."

Isz took a deep breath, feeling weary from the endless search.

Edward: "Oh, Harpya told me that Cerberus is recovering well. It was just shock from the impact. Can you tell me what you guys went up against?"

Isz: "Zhofia."

Edward's eyes widened. Isz explained the entire situation and mentioned he had already reported it to Harpya at least the Lith presence had been entirely wiped out.

Edward looked relieved and noted that they were now one step ahead of the enemy.