[XASTOL CITY, ARSAES NATIONAL PARK]
Hisagi made his way through the trees, ignoring the paths leading to the open areas, and instead traveled deeper into the park. His eyes scanned the surroundings, uninterested in anything but what he was searching for.
Finally, he came upon a small glossy cave whose interior was outlined with strange silver lights. Since the Council had been reformed, the Murongs had figured the park could use some redecoration for the first time in what seemed like years. Hisagi — having known the area quite well when he was younger — had given some design input. It was also why he knew that the person he was looking for would be here. He was the same person who Hisagi had helped learn the words on his black tablet.
"There you are." Hisagi smiled.
In front of him, nearly sliding off of the bench on the cave's lefthand side, sat Hidemi, his expression miserable, kicking his legs out in a childish manner. His eyes looked like he had been crying for a while.
"Hey," Hisagi said, disregarding the dirty grass outlining the cave. He lifted his hands, took a step forward, and signed: "Why are you sitting here?"
Hidemi read the words and furrowed his brow.
"Is it because your friends are leaving?" Hisagi asked.
Hidemi lowered his chin even more and looked off into the distance behind his cousin. Even from here, he could see the staggering height of Dragon's Breath Tower. But Hisagi knew that wasn't what Hidemi was staring at. No, his cousin's eyes went further past the tower and towards the giant gates of Xastol themselves. The young master suspected that his eyes probably went even further beyond the city limits — to the outside.
Hisagi huffed air out of his nose and grimaced as he walked into the cave, his illustrious hanfu seeping with soot and grime. "Owa!" Hidemi flinched. He shot up, waving his hands for Hisagi to not approach and continue dirtying his outfit, but Hisagi dismissed it with a shake of his head.
"It's nothing," he told him. "I have more."
He took a seat and stared into the distance just as Hidemi had done before. He didn't say a single word for a few long moments. In fact, it was Hidemi who broke the silence first.
Finding the strength to weave his fingers and talk, Hidemi said: "I can't leave the city. Dad needs me."
Hisagi blinked, signing back:
"Is that what you want or what you think you need to do?"
Hidemi bit his lip. "It's what I have to do," he responded. His eyes quivered again.
"No," Hisagi said with a smile. "If anyone doesn't believe that… it's you.." He stared at the tower, a realization coming to him.
"I'm scared they won't take me." Hidemi signed again. He glanced bashfully at his cousin, hoping to explain himself, and gestured again:
"I'm scared I'll be a burd—"
Hisagi grabbed his cousin's hands and slowly lowered them. Hidemi's arms shook as he did.
"You're the reason things have started to change around here, cousin."
Hisagi recalled the horrible things he'd put Hidemi through by not sticking up for him when Esi bullied him. He thought about the expectations placed on him by the elders and his father. He thought about Banderd's words telling him to be better.
"Being unafraid to make the choice… that's always been who you were," Hisagi nodded. "So if you need to make another one to be happy, then you'll make the right one. Regardless of who disagrees."
He stood up and used both his thumbs to point at his back where the Murong's silver dragon crest remained untouched. "The road will be difficult, but as long as you remember who you are…"
He lowered his arms and faced him. "...Nothing will change."
Hisagi stepped aside and pointed into the distance, to both Dragons Breath Tower and the walls. "You'll chase your dream out there, and I will chase mine up there. We'll both become dwarves deserving of not only Arsaes' legacy but our own. And when you finally get back… we'll decide once and for all which of us is the better Sanctum-Smith, got it?"
Hidemi's eyes gleamed in his cousin's brightness. He knew that Hisagi's words were more than encouragement — they were truth. And his cousin was telling him that the truth was whatever he wanted to make of it.
"You get it don't you?" Hisagi smiled. He leaned in and hugged Hidemi tightly. "You'll always be a part of this clan, cousin,"
He pulled back, a tear sliding down his face as he took in Hidemi's expression. "…whether you're here or not."
Hidemi's face had changed. No longer was it timid or unsure. He wiped his nose, amping himself with a resolute, "Ahn!", and smiled in thanks to Hisagi.
He now knew what he needed to do. And he knew how he'd do it.
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[XASTOL CITY GATES]
"So this is it then."
Ivan smiled sadly at the twins, his smile almost melancholic. He hadn't known Jacender and Aleximus long; not even enough to know their last names — but his connection to them both was even stronger than he'd realized. In the short time they had spent together, he'd developed a fatherly sort of protection with them.
Jacender and Aleximus took one last look at the open gates behind them, barely making out the top of Dragon's Breath Tower, and nodded. They stood the Counselor outside of the city, just a few feet away from the carriage where the Black brothers waited, ready to deliver them to Xastol. Leon lay asleep atop Jace's head.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk with him one last time?" Ivan asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah," Aleximus said bluntly. "If we did, we'd never leave. Jace would be too sappy."
Jacender rolled his eyes. "What you did up there wasn't cool! Hidemi is our friend, remember? We could have at least said bye! Or brought him with us!"
Aleximus shook his head. "My priority is getting us to Pendragon like we're supposed to. Or did you forget that we only recently unlocked our Sanctum Chambers? We have Sanctum Energy and our categories, but we don't have any real power or ability yet. Hidemi would just be in danger. Is that something you want?"
Though he hadn't yet noticed it, Aleximus had been sounding awfully like their uncle Matsuda.
Ivan, oblivious to who they actually were, scratched his stubble and smiled. "I don't think it's that serious now," he laughed. "You two said you were out camping with your family and got separated due to the storms a month ago, right? What danger could there possibly be when you reunite with them in Pendragon?"
Both brothers winced at the lie they'd fed him. Jace laughed nervously while Aleximus looked the other way. "You're right about that…" Aleximus sweated.
"Ah!" Jace said, aiming to divert the conversation. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Malik, would you?"
Ivan sucked his teeth and groaned. "Malik, huh?"
A murderous aura so thick protruded from his body at the mere mention of the name that even Aleximus was made wary.
"I guess you're asking because I'm a Paragon," Ivan said. "I should've known you'd be curious about that lowlife and if I know him."
"Do you know him?" Aleximus asked, his interest piqued. Ivan cracked his fingers and gritted his teeth.
"We're good friends."
I don't believe that for one second! Jace thought.
"Why do you ask?" Ivan said. All of a sudden, the boys were starting to sound suspicious. "Don't let his standing fool you. No good can come of dealing with a guy like that."
Aleximus's eye twitched at the word "reputation", but he decided against asking any inquiries in case Ivan's doubts grew any larger. They'd done well at avoiding specific questions like these for the past few weeks. To slip up now would only make matters more complicated.
"No reason. We heard his name from our uncle once and were interested."
Nahasch had been the one to tell them Ivan's relation to their father and uncle. He was a friend of their family's and yet somehow, he knew nothing about them — not even their names. Aleximus found that could only mean that their parents had them and didn't tell their closest friends, or couldn't. If that was the case, then why, he wondered. Why would their father go to such lengths as sealing them in the Axis to hide them? The questions burned in his mind, and yet, what annoyed him most was that one of the people who could possibly shed some light on it was right in front of him, but he couldn't say a word. Matsuda had warned them to keep their identities secret, even to Ivan. There had to be a reason for that.
Ivan sighed as the boys nodded to his warning and extended his hand. "I can only wish you luck on your travels. I hope you can find your parents soon."
It's so strange, he thought with a smile. I've thought about it since I first met them, but these two really do seem familiar, don't they?
While he was deep in thought, Jacender muttered something indistinct to his brother, causing Aleximus's face to redden.
"Idiot…" Aleximus whispered loudly. "…That's too embarrassing!"
"So what?!" Jace argued. "We've gotta…"
Ivan's eyes widened once again as he thought back to Aleximus's question regarding Malik. Wait, a second…
"You two!" he said, baffled. "You are aware who Malik is right—"
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY MR. IVAN!" Jace boomed and cut him off. Ivan froze, not expecting the explosive scream, and barely managed to whisper, "Eh?"
To his surprise, Aleximus pursed his lips together and forced himself to stammer: "W-WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU AND HIDEMI HAVE DONE FOR US! WE WON'T FORGET IT!"
Ivan's jaw dropped. Jacender, he could see, but for Aleximus to be so bold as to thank someone in such a striking way?
"What are you two-"
Jace shook his head. "We thought it'd be right to thank you. Please don't tell us not to. It's what our uncle would've told us to do."
"Idiot," Aleximus said while kicking him in the leg, "That's not how you thank someone." Ivan had noticed that he loved doing that.
"Ow," Jace stood, rubbing his thigh. "Funny coming from you. You didn't even wanna thank him, ya bastard!"
Aleximus blushed, spluttering immediately before swallowing his own words. He crossed his arms, spun away from them, and gave a dramatic: "Hmph!"
Ivan massaged his neck. "T-Thank you. But I really don't deserve it. Despite being a Paragon, I could not protect my son, nor stop the man who killed my brother. And the entire city paid for it."
He smiled, finally remembering who the pair reminded him of, and surveyed their faces with his caramel eyes.
"But you two… You saved me. Saved us. And for that reason, I will do my best to earn this second chance. Regardless of whatever trouble you may come across, just give me the word and you will have Xastol City as your backer. That, I swear on the name of the Murongs. Is that something you'd like?"
These two… they remind me of you Runnulf.
The boys' hearts fluttered with a sensation that they had almost forgotten. It felt like nearly an eternity since they had heard words of true trust spoken to them by an adult. Though Aleximus was not one to place stock in the words of others anymore, Ivan's promise strangely brought him some semblance of comfort. For Jace, it was more than that. Like Ashfield Manor, Xastol City had become yet another place for him to rely on as forever absolute. It'd always be there when he needed it.
They both bowed, as was the dwarven way and so did Ivan. Both human and dwarf stood before the historic walls of Xastol, an understanding reached and a promise made. It was the start of an end to over an eon of hatred and seclusion.
"Yeah." Jacender and Aleximus said with a smile. "We'd like that."
A new chapter had been opened in the history of Xastol. And it was more dwarven than anyone would have ever expected.
[MURONG]