Amallis came out of their house.Because of his affinity with the wind,he can't help but listen to what the vilgers were talking about as he walked.

  "Do you think that the outsider knows?"

  He stopped and listened carefully.

  "I don't think she knows.If she knew,would she stop helping?"

  "Very likely,but if I were her I would keep my distance on him."

  He stood still,his body stiffen."Oh no,"he thought.

  Amallis went to visit his haven in the forest, where tall stones were carpeted with soft moss and the sun pleasantly shining through foliage,not so intense and not so bright.

  He sighed.The pnts leaned towards him and the wind pyfully blew his hair.

  "Say,do you think she knows.At this point,she probably knows something already,"he mumbled.

  The pnts slightly bobbed,the wind caressed his hair.

  He sighed once again and buried his head on his knees.

  "I hope not."

  ...

  Sae went out of Polyo's residence.She stood for a while to gather her thoughts.

  "Kuru is suspicious that a fellow elder decided to investigate him,"she thought.

  "I am not saying that I am sure but I want to ease my thoughts,"Polyo said a while ago.

  "My~Elder Polyo,there's nothing wrong with being suspicious.In fact nowadays it's better to question everything,"she nodded.

  Anyways,Polyo wanted to know what Kuru had been up to this past weeks,way before the attacks.If you think about it,it's quite improper for a vilge elder to have other matters at hand when the vilge is under attack,so that may expin why he was suddenly not preoccupied.However,what could he had been busy with?

  "Where do we even start,"Sae thought.

  She was unsure about interrogating face to face with the warriors and the vilgers,she doesn't know their opinions about her or if she is even welcome in the first pce.

  She has a hunch she probably isn't because she was brought by Amallis.

  "Could it be because of what happened 9 years ago?,"she thought.

  What happened 9 years ago?

  Sae shook her head.Well,that's for another day.

  "I think I could ask Micha to go and ask for me,"she thought.She and Amallis are the only people whom she's considered close with in this vilge.

  "I could also ask Amallis,maybe he knows something,"she thought.

  ...

  A rustle can be heard,Amallis suddenly looked up.He positioned himself towards the noise ready to attack...then Sae appeared.

  "Sae!,"Amallis said surprised."What are you doing here?"

  Sae curiously looked around.The orange hued surroundings caused by the sunlight and the mossy stones,on top of that it's pleasantly breezy here.

  "Looking for you,"she answered.

  "How did you know where to look?,"he asked.

  "I notice you always head here,"she answered.Actually aside from that she also used the pendant to track Amallis' mana.

  "Looking for me,"Amallis thought.He wondered why she would look for him.His heart was beating of anticipation.

  "Can you tell me everything you noticed about Kuru in the st few weeks?"

  "About Elder Kuru,"Amallis said,"Why do you want to know?"

  Should she tell him?She looked at Amallis.He suddenly felt uneasy in her intense purple gaze.

  "An elder requested to look at his actions,"she answered.

  "An elder...,"he repeated."Is it confidential?"

  "I can tell it to you but I don't think it's necessary yet."

  "I see,"he said."I hunt for the vilge,I do it solo.I remember that Kuru was usually accompanied by a couple to about 5...I think."

  "Do you know what they are doing?"

  "No,I don't but when I see those hunters tomorrow,they are all yawning,"he answered,"My guess,they must have stayed overnight."

  "Hmmm,that's...something,"she said."Thanks,Amallis."She turned around,"I'll be taking my leave."

  "Wait Sae!,"he called.

  Sae turned around,never have she seen his blue eyes this determined.

  "Sae,would you still,"he hesitated."Would you still..."

  Sae stood waiting,"Your words won't speak for themselves,"she said.

  "I know!,"Amallis shouted.He breathes in then out.

  "Would you still come talk to me...if you find something...not good about me?,"he said while avoiding eye contact.

  "Oh,"Sae thought.She doesn't really know what happened 9 years ago but for the vilgers to regard him badly,it must have been bad.Looking closer at him,he looks close to her age.9 years ago,he was only a child.

  "He must have been lonely,"he thought.He isn't even a bad guy and yet because of that incident...She suddenly remembers the barrier.

  To keep something out or to keep something in.

  A suppressing barrier.

  And on top of that,Amallis' unnatural high mana which can attract spirits even malevolent ones.

  Could it be?...

  "Sae!"

  Sae's train of thought was suddenly broken.She looked at him,his lips pursed and his blue eyes filled with anticipation.

  "Amallis,I am not the one to judge so easily,"she answered.

  "But!,"he answered but he trailed away,"Nevermind."

  His eyes dejected as he looked away.

  "However,do you want to know what I think about you?"

  Amallis suddenly perked up as he looked at Sae with curiosity.

  "You're someone who's kind,"she thought as she recalled how he acted during their second encounter in the grotto. "Someone who tries,"she thought back to how he talked to the elders when she first came."Someone who chooses to be kind despite everything."

  "You're...dramatic,"Sae said.

  "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing,"he raised his eyebrow at her."But...,"the wind blew gently as his braids went with the flow,"Thank you,Sae."He smiled softly.

  Sae's eyes widened for a moment,only for a moment,as she saw the spectacle in front of her.

  "He looks gentle,almost ethereal for a moment...only for a moment,"she thought.

  He got down from the rock he was settling on and went to Sae's side excitedly.

  "So where are we heading?"

  "We?,"Sae asked with her eyebrow raised.

  "Yeah,"he smiled.

  "I don't think it's a good idea you will tag along.I will ask your grandmother to talk to Kuru's hunters,"she said.

  "Oh,then I will keep my distance.Don't worry I won't interfere!"

  She can see his metaphorical golden retriever tail wagging.

  ...

  Sae and Micha were heading to where the hunters usually are.Micha turned to Sae.

  "By the way Sae,why do you want to ask about the hunters?,"Micha asked.

  Sae knows that she can't be blunt or hide too much of the truth.

  "It's not that I don't trust Elder Kuru's report of his huntings but I only wanted facts that I myself gathered,"she answered.

  "I see,"Micha turned back to where they are heading,"If this is reted to shadow fiends,I am fine with it."

  They arrived to the hunters' shack,when they saw Micha they all hurried to meet her.Sae realized that some hunters have tattoos but they aren't white like Amallis'.They also don't wear pants unlike him,instead they wear pieces of clothing on both upper and lower parts of their bodies.

  "Everyone,I am only here to ask questions about the weeks before the attacks.Please,answer them truthfully.It would be of great help,"Micha announced.

  "So what was everyone have been doing?,"Micha asked.

  Sae looked around,examining each warriors and she noticed one was about to speak but someone held his shoulder.

  "Elder,we were working,"someone answered.

  "Nothing else,only your usual work?,"Micha asked.

  "Yes,elder."

  Micha dismissed the hunters and she went to Sae.

  "Is that enough,Sae?,"she asked.

  Sae was deep in her thinking,fingers on her chin.

  "Sae to earth?,"Micha waved her hand infront of Sae's face.

  Sae broke from her thoughtful trance,"Um,my apologies Elder.Yes,"she nodded,"Thank you."

  Micha nodded,"I'm gd."

  She left while Sae returned back to her thinking.

  According to what Amallis said,the hunters definitely did something that made them tired but why did they told Micha that they only did their regur work when that,may not be the case?If so then,everyone from the hunting group is in conspiracy...with who though?There's only one person—

  "Hey!"

  Sae yelped and immediately looked behind her with a horrified expression.

  "D—don't just do that all of a sudden,Amallis!"

  "Eh,you're the one who's standing spacing out,"he said.

  "I was thinking!,"she shouted.

  "Then can you find a much better pce to think and not in an open space?,"teased Amallis.

  "Whatever,"she said.

  "Heh."

  Sae looked at Amallis' clothes,loose ragged pants and a compressed top.If you look around,he looks quite foreign compared to the garments and pieces of clothing the vilgers usually wear.

  "By the way,where did you get your clothes from?,"she asked.

  "Ah,so you noticed.I visit town sometimes,not without covering my tattoos that is,"he looked down at his pants,"I like myself more...covered."

  She heard the emphasis in his st word.

  "You really like yourself covered too,huh~,"he said,turning to Sae.

  "It's none of your business,"Sae answered.

  "..."

  "Amallis."

  "What's up?"

  "I need you with something,"she said.

  ...

  8 years ago...

  Amallis' frail mother was ying down with her eyes closed.Someone opened the door and closed it after entering.She opened her eyes.

  It was Kuru.

  "How are you Alis?,"he asked,arms behind his back.

  Alis slowly sat down,her elbows can be heard cracking.

  "I'm fine,elder.Why did you come visit me?"

  "I'm here to say that the wretched demon has been sealed in the far east,"he went to a table and poured some water,"Micha and the other shamans set up a barrier.I also pnted some pure orbs,"he offered a cup of water to Alis.

  "Thank you,"Alis said taking the water then drinking it.

  "..."

  Silence befell after Alis drank the water.

  "Kuru...,"she said,"I'm afraid I may not st for long."She looked at him.

  "What if...he was possessed again and I will no longer be there?,"tears started to drop on Alis' cheek.

  "Alis..."

  "You know,elder,"she looked up,"The day he was born."Small cries filled the room as the midwife handed the baby to an exhausted Alis,she held her baby's small hand.Small fingers gripped her finger and the baby wasn't pnning to let go.

  "And when I saw white tattoos all over his body,"Alis hicked,"I just know that my child was blessed by Ameyalli."

  Alis slowly smiled with tear-stained cheeks,"He grew up telling me all sorts of stories about him hanging with the spirits in the forest.And I thought he would grow up to be helpful in our vilge."

  "But I never thought—,"she slowly shook her head.That fateful day,gray smoke rising as wooden abodes went up in fmes.A child with dull blue eyes,his tattoos no longer white but a magenta color.With a raise of his arm,a vilger was lifted to the ground,suffocating and struggling to breathe.The child flinched his fingers and the man's legs filed.

  "AMALLIS!"

  A desperate call.

  The child dropped the man hard on the ground as he shifted his attention to a white clothed woman with long bck hair,and teary but determined blue eyes.

  The child once again lifted his arm,towards Alis.A dark purplish aura hurriedly snaked towards her.

  Alis closed her eyes and put a hand over her chest.

  "E ho?omalu mai ia?u."

  A white aura came from her and cshed with the magenta one.She was struggling to keep up but with a grunt she followed through,struggling to step forward but determined to make the exorcism work.

  "E ho?omalu mai ia?u."

  An elder

  ly voice whispered.

  "E ho?omalu mai ia?u."

  And soon many more.

  The white aura overpowered the malevolent magenta and rushed towards the child and engulfed him in a white fsh of light.

  Alis fell down.Micha hurried towards her daughter.Alis had become as skinny as a stick.