Penelope and Yule had e to an accord.

  They would not pry into the other’s private matters, the two children decided to rely oher until they safely reached the own. While Penelope took care of their shelter and food (with questioning looks from Yule), Yule supplied her specifiowledge about the world of Iraloné that Tulilith had not deigo give her uhe guise of being a fner who knew nothing of the local culture.

  It's a good thing that Yule isn’t asking about what try I’m from, because I don’t know enough to make a pusible lie, she thought to herself that m as they packed up.

  “Here you go,” Yule said, handing over the folded tent.

  “Thanks, Yule!” It had been too big for her to fold up on her own, so Yule did the job for her, though the job left something to be desired. The folding was too lumpy for her taste. Reminded her of a child’s work. Oh, wait, he is a kid, wasn’t he? And Penelope had hated the baded ents made by her mother unless she did anything perfectly, so she kept her mouth shut. Penelope simply just smoothed over the folded material before stuffing it int.

  It's lucky I put a lot of effort into drawing the tent so it didn’t disappear right away. It’s harder to expin than how my ‘healing’ works.

  “So, tell me more about Birain, Yule! Is it a big try?”

  “Yeah. It’s a monarchy ruled by the Raviseul family…”

  Birain was the name of the try the goddess of Tulilith dropped her off at, and with good reason. In Birain they worshipped the merciful Goddess of Rebirth with a variety of temples located all over the try with some nobles even having a chapel of their own to the goddess in their homes. The royal family of Birain had the biggest temple located within the same city as their castle. It is said that the royal family was blessed by the goddess and that the rulers were reinations of previous ones, returning to tiheir reigns.

  “That’s iing. So you think the current king might be one of his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfathers?” Penelope wondered aloud.

  “Probably not. Our try wouldn’t be in such turmoil if that was the case.”

  “…”

  These were the kinds of things they discussed as they made their way to town, headed in the dire Yule had been travelling to before he passed out on the road. The boy had a slightly faster stride due to his ls and Penelope had a time keeping up, yet her spirits were not dampened.

  Her whole body felt joy from the top of her head to the tips of her toes as she put one foot in front of the other. The sun was shining down on her, warming her skin and lighting her way. Her steps were so light she walked beside Yule, learning more and more and more about Birain. She ractically humming as she skipped along.

  Yule looked at her like she had two heads, but didn’t mention her overtly cheerful demeanor.

  Penelope wo this lovely, invigorating feeling. Hokusai Kasumi had lived in the dark and died in the dark. The sun had not yet rose when she left her home to head out to her job, so she had fotten what it was like to bask in the sun.

  She spread her arms out and ran forward, feeling a boost of energy, ughing as she whirled around with her travelling panion watg her every move. Yule had tensed when he saw her rushed towards him, but calmed himself when he saw she was just pying around. His brows furrowed as she joyfully took in the sun.

  “You seem to be having fun,” Yule stated levelly, breaking into Penelope’s revelry.

  She grinned back at him, uurbed. “Well, yeah. This is my first time travelling during the day. My first trip really!”

  “Didn’t you say you were a fner? How did you get here, if not by travelling?”

  “Urk--!”

  Laughing that off, Penelope tinued onward, pointedly ign that line of questioning. Yule simply sighed and tihe march forward.

  “The town we are headed to is Ceralde. I was trying to head there since I have...people waiting. If we keep this pace up we reach there by nightfall.”

  “Really, that long? But…” She looked upwards. She was no expert, but by her estimation, then that would be several hours away. Did he really think she would keep up a march that long without a break? She may have (un)happily dohat in her old life out of y, but in this life she would put her foot down!

  “No, no, no,” Penelope began, “we should take a break!”

  “No, we should keep walking, it’s not that far.”

  “Not a ce, we will be exhausted whe there.”

  “Just keep walking, you.”

  “Just for that I’m taking a break right here!”

  “Huh?!”

  And, just like that, Penelope stubbornly sat herself down.

  Yule just stared at her incredulously.

  Penelope crossed her arms and stared back defiantly.

  Meanwhile, mentally.

  What the Hell am I doing?! Why am I ag like some bratty kid?! This is the kind of move my sister would do! Oh, man he’s going to be so mad. Aaaaaargh! And things were going so well. What if he starts yelling at me—

  As thoughts of doom and gloom swirled in her mind, Yule was sidering his options silently. He could just leave the girl behind. She was an ignorant fn girl who would most likely be nothing, but trouble for him. He had a feeling that this strange girl was not as she seemed (as if he was oo talk). A, he couldn’t quite abando all. As bizarre as she enelope did rescue him.

  Turning around, he reached out to her, calling her o draw her out of her spiraling thoughts.

  “Penelope.”

  “!!!”

  She drew her eyes upwards, meeting his calm gaze.

  “Are you tired?”

  “Huh?”

  “e on, then. I’ll carry you.”

  “Huh?!”

  The older boy crouched down in front of her, his back wide open to her.

  “e on, don’t make me say it again. If you’re tired I’ll carry you.”

  Penelope stared, mouth agape. Out of all the reas to her little tantrum, this was highly ued! She expected him to get angry, yell, shout, maybe scold her a little not just…man, su aade her feel very shy. Just what was he pying at. And the flustered feeling made her a little upset with him.

  “Carry me?! You were knog oh’s door not long ago.”

  Instead of responding, he simply turned around and scooped the girl up into his arms, much to her surprise. Penelope was too shocked tle at first, not believing what just happened. And he was only a few years older – all right, sure, he was a bit taller, but how could someone barely in his teen years be strong enough to carry her after suffering so much like that?

  “…Dummy.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Just settle down. We’ll take a proper break once we find some shade.”

  “…All right.”

  Just what else could she say when he was being so calm and mature?

  Shade came in the form of a small grove of trees. There were some stumps and fallen logs, so there were plenty of pces to sit. At that point, Penelope thought it would be a good idea to have lunch. Thankfully she still had more rice balls (and a bunch of raw olives, but she didn’t want to eat those if she could help it). As with breakfast, she shared some with Yule so he could keep up his strength.

  Just like the other time, he stared at the food as Penelope happily munched away.

  She couldn’t help, but to ent, “You know, it’s not going to bite you.”

  “It’s just…I’ve never had anything like this before.”

  “Whoa, really?! These are so on from my home nd, though.”

  “Wait, so yht this all the way from the try you’re from and you’re sharing it so casually with me?”

  “Huh? Why do you sound so mad about it?!”

  “I’m not mad!”

  “Yes, you are!”

  Wow, did every versation they had to have wind up in shouting?! A, Penelope didn’t feel the same heart wreng shortness of breath she had sometimes, when someone would raise their voice. It was strange. Maybe it was because Yule was a child, so she didn’t feel as threatehis didn’t feel like an argumeher, just…two people unig (albeit badly) in their own way, fag each other as holy as twers could.

  It was funny, how she finally got to be childish again.

  “So…why Ceralde? You said you had someone waiting for you there…is there any other reason, Yule?”

  “Well, as far as things go, it’s the town farthest from the fli the capital.”

  Penelope bli that. “fli the capital?” she parroted.

  Yule sighed deeply. “Wow, you really are a fn girl. Exactly where did you e frinally?” His voice seemed half scolding, half ughing. “Well, since you don’t seem to know, there’s a bit of a royal upheaval right now in Birain, so I’m sorry you had to be visiting when things are so chaotic. But you should be safe in Ceralde, though. I promise.”

  His words seem strangely sincere as he said that, staring straight at her with those periwinkle eyes until he couldn’t take it anymore, looking away to finish his rice ball. Penelope felt touched. Whatever circumstances had him running from the capital, it was kind of him to think about her safety in his homend.

  “So royal upheaval…did the ki overthrown or something?”

  “ly. I don’t know all the details, but it’s a problem of succession.”

  “Oh, so, like a queen having maations against a e and her son or something like that?”

  Yule shook his head. “If it were just that, it’d be a lot simpler…You know how in Birain we worship the Goddess of Rebirth? Well, it extends all the way to how we determihe right of rulers in our try.”

  “Sounds plicated.”

  “It is.”

  “ you tell me more?”

  Yule turned his gaze skyward, sidering things for a few moments before nodding solemnly.

  “If yoing to be in Birain for a while, you should learn as much as you about it so you stay out of trouble. e on. I’ll tell you more as we walk.”

  His hand was offered to her and Penelope took it, letting him help her to her feet. As if he had taken it into sideration, he did not let go of her hand and instead walked beside her, at her pace, so she wouldn’t o run, skip and trot to keep up with him. At that rate there was no way they would reach town, but Yule seemed less agitated by the thought.

  As they resumed their journey, he began telling her a story.

  “So, let me tell you a bit about the founding history of Birain.”

  A long, long, long time ago, the nd of Birain had e under great crisis. The people had not yet been united under one ruler and were a colle of smaller vilges scattered along the shorelines of the eastern ti with their own individual chiefs. When a camity came down from the heavens, a great darkness overcame all of Birain. From that darkness came beasts and monsters, which ravaged the try and the people.

  Hope came in the form of the goddess Tulilith, who saw the plight of humanity and came down to give them a message:

  “One day, a great hero will be among your folk, oh powers unlike what you have ever seen and he will lead you to a brighter future.”

  It was with this message, that the people searched far and wide, for ten whole years for their saviour that could save them from this pervasive darkness and the dahat came with it. Far and wide did they search for this promised hero, until they found him, a simple huending his bow in a pce that would one day bee the great capital of the kingdom of Birain.

  His name was Ioniaes Raviseul and upon his defeat of the great darkness, he became king of Birain.

  It was said that he was a strange man, with ideas and cepts many had never heard of before. cepts which brought Birain much prosperity and growth. He eaceful man and led his people fairly and justly. The people adored him, their hero king.

  But as with all good things do, they must end, and King Ioniaes Raviseul died, without ever having an heir.

  Succession of the kingdom tore it apart, as many vied for the position that Ionian had left behind. Swords cshed within the halls of the castle where Ionian once lived. As blood tio shed, the goddess Tulilith made an appearance more, in order to quell the greedy hearts of men who coveted what was not theirs.

  She decred that Ioniaes Raviseul would return as king. Not as himself, but as a new being. Reborn anew into this world; different, but no less strong than his previous ination. They must simply seek him out once more, for she would accept no other as king of Birain.

  But how could it be proven that Ionian was truly himself and not an imposter? Surely many would step up g that their children only just born could be their kiurned, in an effort to garner more porestige. For this, Tulilith had decred that to be a didate one must fulfill one of two simple requirements:

  “The one worthy of the throne of Birain will be a being reborn into this world. That be proven by the colour of their eyes, as those who have been reborn will share the same colour as my own.”

  With her first decree, ah clear blue eyes as blue as the goddess’, would be oh a reborn soul. A gem was gifted to those who would perform the tests, that matched the goddess’ eyes exactly. A gem that rested upon the scepter of the king to this very day.

  Her other requirement became a sed holy decree in which judgement assed for a didate of kinghood: Ionian’s old on, a bow, had been blessed by the three goddesses of fate. Rosileve, who weaved the future, made it so that only Ionian could string and draw the bow, or a member of his kin could, should his spirit not yet be ready to return. A failsafe, in case it was an age where Ionian did not return.

  These were the simple requirements to bee king and when the first reination of Ionian was found, the people rejoice as peace would at st return to them. This cycle sted for a few geions in which Ionian ruled in his new form, died and then would be found and ed once more.

  By the sixth iteration of Ionian, the bloodlines he left behind became jealous of each other. Being the sons and daughters of Ionian in his varied reborehey all id cim to the throating that the way of seeking out Ionian’s end pg him ba the throne was useless now.

  Ionian’s bloodlied in six different houses now. Surely, one of them had more of a right to the throhahers? So they all began to spire each of them to take the throne for themselves.

  First, the royal scepter was stolehe search by the temple for the king began. Each family bmed each other, calling the other unworthy until the scepter was found.

  , the gem upon the scepter mysteriously ged one day. From the clearest blue, to the deepest green, a shade much closer to the sed family’s bloodline. A ploy to sway favour towards their family. Of course, they were called cheats and sdrels. Yet this time, the gem was not returo its inal form. Rather, every day for ten days, the gem of the royal scepter ged colour, making it impossible to judge by the goddess’ requirements. There was hope that it would return as members of the temple put pressure upon the great houses to returolen gem.

  Yet the holy blue gem given unto them by the goddess was no longer ao be found, lost.

  And so began the civil war between the six great houses of Birain that sted to this day. Of course, there were times of peace, where a ruler rose up ahe others under trol, but there were just as many times when war among the fas broke out. Birain was a nd of unsteady treaties within itself…

  “…Right now the only families still in power are those of the first family, and the sixth family. The first family, the Raviseuls had been the ones in charge as one of their asded the throne about 40 years ago. The sixth family, backed up by the smaller, less powerful fas, ganged up on them and staged a coup and it’s been a mess ever since.”

  “Wow, I see…”

  That all seemed very plicated and a lot to take in, Penelope thought as she tinued walking alongside Yule. Tulilith certainly put her in both the worst a pce. Tulilith trusted that a try that worshipped her couldn’t possibly be a bad pce for Penelope to start her new life, but then again, she must have bene very out of touch to pick a pown for its inability to get along internally.

  “Thanks for telling me, Yule.”

  “Hn.”

  As suct as always, huh?

  “Say, Yule? You seem to know a lot. Were you a schor or something before you ran away from home?”

  “…It’s not a big deal. Almost everyone from here knows this stuff.”

  “Oh.”

  His tone of voice told her that he didn’t want her going any further with that line of questioning. Too bad, she wao hear a bit more about him, but it seemed like he would remain guarded with her. Well, it was good to know a bit more about the nd she was in.

  Well, that settled it; there was no way that Penelope would think to get anywhere near any possible bloodshed. Acc to Yule, the infighting hadn’t spread far into the costal areas, which was where they were. The road they took was headed to Ceralde, a port town. If Penelope so chose, she could take a boat to head somewhere far away to escape the possibility of getting dragged into war. After all, she’d only been alive in this world for less than a week and she did not fancy dying so soon aing Tulilith again so quickly.

  Thinking on how to avoid the flict, her fingers squeezed Yule’s in unbidden ay. Yule took notice of it, but said nothing as they kept on walking.

  More hours passed as they traveled, the daylit sky turning into dusk once more. her Penelope of Yule could see even the barest hint of civilization. Stopping for breaks and going at a pace more fortable for Penelope’s younger body meant they hadn’t reached their goal.

  Penelope apologized as they found a spot to set up camp again.

  “I’m really sorry, Yule. It’s my fault we haven’t gotten to Ceralde yet.”

  There was barely aion when he responded, “Don’t be. I’m sorry for not realizing you’re just a little girl.”

  “I’m not that little!” Penelope protested with a pout. “I’m ten! I’m all grown up.”

  “That’s not even close to being grown up.”

  “W…well it’s grown up where I am.” A fib, but somehow she couldn’t really mentally ect with the fact that she was in a child’s body just yet. She’d been almost 40 only a few days ago. Mentally she was a middle-aged woman, so for her, she sidered herself an adult.

  “Your homend must be a very sad pce if ten years old is grown up. Girls in Birai allowed to be engaged until they’re sixteen and that’s only with the permission of that girl’s parents.”

  Oh, that was surprising. Penelope had the impression she had fallen into a world simir to some kind of medieval/fantasy novel.

  “Is…is that so? So what age is adulthood?”

  Yule huffed at her, as if the answer would be obvious.

  “Majority is eighteen years old. This was established by one of the former kings, King Roosevelt Laertes Raviseul, after he was sworn in as a king, and adopted by almost the whole world as a widespread w. Seriously, you weird girl, you really know nothing, huh?”

  Penelope bit her tongue, holding baething scathing from ing out as she khe boy couldn’t help the curt way in which he spoke. Teen boys really were the worst at unig, after all. She just set up the mp for their camp and got t them rice balls again for their dihat day (with a few raw, but pitted, olives shoved into Yule’s share because she was a little mad at him).

  As they id ient together that night, him taking the b while she got the bedroll, the little girl hoped she could find a way to learn more about this world and that the day would see them finally reach true safety.

  Never had Yule met anyone so ignorant in all of his life. Or maybe, perhaps, the better description should be na?ve? Sheltered? The world of Iraloné was ly the most peaceful world and he could not imagine any try out there that could be so peaceful as to create a child like Penelope. Even most sheltered of noble children had a bite to them, a cautiousness and suspi. Everyone was out to gain.

  Yet, Penelope did not have a sihought about gaining, other than to learn information that she cked that practically everyone else should already know. Perhaps he shared a bit more information than was necessary, but whether it was the far-off try of Exund or their neighbour Ivaren, everyone khe story of Birain’s rulers.

  It often resented as a fairy tale, a flight of fancy to expin the unusual way in which Birain chose its rulers and to expin away the bloody history that was born from the capriciousness of a goddess.

  To Yule who felt the most bitter about his own situation, he envied Penelope who didn’t seem to have a care in the world. What kind of life did she lead, that she could walk so carelessly with a stranger? It had only been a few days, but the impression he had of her was a child who truly knew no hardship.

  Yet, he could not find it in himself to be too unkind or cruel.

  Her sudden tantrum surprised him, making his mio do a mental reset on how he ied with her. Sure, she was a stranger, but for the moment, she was his beor (loathe as he was to rely on a girl youhan him) and panion; the journey actually felt more bearable with her by his side. Yule knew he could go alone, but it just felt more fun.

  Yes, even with all the times they started shouting at each other, startling each other and generally being nuisao one another, Yule was having fun.

  His life as Ulysses Laertes Raviseul had never been so carefree.

  For her sake, he should cut off all ties ohey got to safety, because getting involved with him could lead to some very serious dangers for the girl iure. He was to meet his ta Ceralde and theaken into custody of his family’s retainers, as the remaining heir of the first great family of Birain. As the only son of the former king, he would be targeted until he could safely reach adulthood when he could recim his birthright, no matter what some stupid tri said. No matter the cims other may have.

  It should never justify the death of others, yet that was the bloodied history of the rulers of Birain. Coup d’etats, political intrigue, backstabbing, betrayals and massacres. The people who vied for the throne were cruel, even if they ruled over the people fairly. But more often than not, they were cruel to the people, too. erson in their right mind would dispose of others so callously in order to secure their power? It all disgusted Ulysses.

  Well, for the moment, he was Yule.

  A simple boy who had run away from difficult circumstaravelling beside Penelope, a strange girl from another nd.

  He wao dht by her, for the short time they would be together. His pride as a royal dictated he should repay her guileless kindness, so he made sure to keep pace with her, holding her hand to facilitate that more easily. He used to walk in front of others, leading the way, because that was always his position. Walking beside someo such a sedate pace was fn to him.

  It wasn’t bad, though.

  But she was very weird.

  Her magic, for example, was unlike anything he had ever seen.

  As a prince, he studied many subjects, magic being one of them. Magic was executed in one of two ways: intations ic circles. Never in his life had he ever seen someone just draw directly on skin and then mumble ‘please heal’ in order to cast any healing magic. He supposed, at its core, she did make a drawing and she did t (plead) for it to work, but for it to actually work!? He retty sure the way magic worked in Birain should be true in other tries, too, so what was even going on?

  One of the things he would o expin to Penelope was to hide how she cast her magic. If not the method itself, but also in the fact that she healed him. Healing magic was sidered a holy ability and was heavily monitored by the temples of the goddesses. Every child who showed potential was immediately seized without discrimination. Many families were torn apart whehe potential for healing appeared in an individual, at least in Birain this was highly true.

  More than once had a representative of the temples bee a king of Birain, allowing the temple trol over state affairs at times. Those were some of the most oppressive moments in Birain history, all because of what healing magic meant.

  Those blessed by Tulilith, the goddess of rebirth, had the ability to heal. Without fail, those who had been reborn by her grace had that power, which made them easy didates to bee ruler, because they would naturally have the clear eyes simir to that of the goddess.

  Penelope had such eyes, he mused. Something else she must learn to hide ohey got close to town. Yes, he would o have a word with her, before things got plicated for them. For her, he mentally corrected. Once he met his tact they would part ways and he would do this as o kindness for his beor.

  Penelope was an i girl. She did not deserve to get kidnapped and brainwashed to do the bidding of others or used for other nefarious deeds. There had been a rash of kidnappings of children to be sold into svery, too.

  Damn, but his kingdom was such a mess sihe coup that ousted him from his childhood home. Truly, it was such a shame that the little girl had e at such a time. His homend was always in a state of tension, but nowhere near as bad as it was right now. So much to fix, so little time.

  At the moment, though, he would take things oep at a time. His current mission was t himself and Penelope safely to Ceralde.

  Her hand squeezed his auro meet her clear gaze. Such a soft colour. So these were the supposed eyes of the goddess. They were showing him . He made a little noise of reassurance, before looking away.

  What lovely eyes, he thought to himself, as they tinued on their way together.