A night had passed since the Hosts met at Central, and now they had all returned to their respective cities. Shala had returned to Stonebridge, accompanied by a mysterious man in a black cloak that covered his face.
"So, how did it go?" the mysterious man asked.
"The negotiation with Moriad went smoothly, it's only a matter of time now. Fae and the Water God's Host are also heading toward the western part of Riverbend. Everything is going well so far," Shala replied.
"Good… And what's the new Host like?" he asked.
"A young woman. Rumor has it, she was only assisted by one guardian during her ritual," Shala answered with a flat expression.
"Really?"
"Yes, she's from Tevira."
"… What does she look like?"
"White-haired, pale-skinned, and blue-eyed," Shala answered.
The man fell silent, seeming slightly shocked behind his dark cloak. He went quiet and couldn't say another word.
**
Meanwhile, Caela and Fae were nearing Riverbend. The air felt different from Central, and Caela had only just noticed it. They arrived at the city's main gate along with their troops.
"Hey, Caela, let's walk around for a bit, shall we?" Fae suddenly suggested.
"What? This isn't the time for sightseeing, you know that, right?" Caela frowned.
"Tsk, what a boring woman. Don't you miss your home? Come on, show me around your city first, we can start the mission tomorrow," he replied in an annoyingly teasing tone.
Caela paused at his words. 'Home,' he said. Caela had never really felt like Riverbend—or Tevira—was her home, because to this day, she still didn't know where she truly came from. But Fae's words served as a reminder that, for now, Riverbend was her home.
"Alright," Caela agreed, her tone a bit softer.
"There we go," Fae said, continuing to walk with a smile.
Caela finally took Fae around the city. Truthfully, Caela didn't know much about Riverbend herself. From trying the local food, riding the gondola, to visiting the town square—she began to feel a growing connection to the city. After exploring various corners, Caela led Fae toward the castle and then to the Temple of the Water God, Varuna. They stood before its grand gate.
"Oh, the Temple of Varuna, it's beautiful," Fae remarked.
Caela said nothing as she watched Fae, who looked genuinely excited about the visit. She grumbled inwardly—weren't all the temples of the gods the same? But she didn't deny that it was beautiful.
"You know," Fae said suddenly, "I used to wonder… Why don't we just let the Gods rest in their temples?"
"You know the reason. Too many intruders and apostate groups try to enter the temples for all kinds of reasons from trying to steal the Gods' power to destroying them," Caela answered coldly.
"Still, it's not so different from trapping the Gods inside crystals, is it?" Fae asked, his tone a bit more serious.
Caela fell silent at his words. They both looked toward the Temple of Varuna.
Fae chuckled softly. "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a heretic."
"Too late, I already thought you were," Caela replied, rolling her eyes—even though, deep down, she found herself pondering the same thing.
"Haha, it's fine. Just don't tell my mother I said that or she'll go mad," Fae laughed.
Shala, Queen of Stonebridge. Fae's mother. She must be deeply devoted to the gods. Devoted to the new teachings, Caela thought. More and more questions were rising in her mind, ones she wanted to ask Fae. Including the disturbing tattoos on his hands. But of course, she had to be careful—with many things, including trusting Fae.
"Since when has your mother been the leader of all the Hosts?" Caela asked, looking at him.
Fae looked at her and thought for a moment. "Hm? Honestly, I'm not really sure. But she was the first chosen Host, and she spread the teachings of the gods across the land."
Caela raised her eyebrows in silence, even more curious about the story but held back. So Shala was one of the spreaders of this teaching.
"I see," Caela nodded.
"My mother also helped me during my ritual," Fae added.
Caela nodded, so Shala was one of his guardians too. "Just the two of you?" Caela asked.
Fae nodded, smiling smugly, full of pride. "Yes, you're right. I think it was a blessing from the gods. I was still a kid at the time," Fae continued.
Caela went silent. As a kid? So Fae had been a Host since he was little? That confirmed how powerful they both must be. But then she became curious.
"Why did you want to become a Host?" Caela asked bluntly.
Fae raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by her directness. He went silent as if trying to recall his reason for becoming a Host. He looked up and around, thinking—but then realized he didn't remember at all.
"I dunno, I forgot," Fae said casually.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Caela gave him a look of disbelief.
Fae just chuckled at her reaction. After visiting the Temple of Varuna, Caela and Fae finally arrived at Riverbend Castle. Caela reported the results of the Central meeting and her mission to return with Fae to the King. She requested troops to accompany her westward to investigate ruins that Shala had mentioned. The King approved the request, and they would depart the next morning.
***