Isel picked himself off the ground. The scent of the rain was still strong, though fleeting. He walked back out to the streets, continuing his search for Siphos. He turned onto a road that shifted from brick to dirt. It was only a couple blocks away from where he took refuge from the rain. The exteriors of the building in this area of the settlement were more often made of wood than stone, though he did see some people working on replacing them with the more durable material.

  There weren’t many recreational facilities in Eutil. The bath that Charine and him had gone to just the day before had been one of the few exceptions. All the wooden buildings down the dirt road were acquitted with thick doors and no windows. Isel looked at the sky, which had been turning a more vibrant blue as the day continued. There was still some time before noon. Isel looked around at the scenery of the outskirts of the settlement one more time while deciding what to do with his time before sighed and started to walk away. Maybe he would run into Siphos on the way back, or perhaps he had already arrived at the inn. There was still one thing he had wanted to do.

  Isel went back into the central area of Eutil and to one of the shops they had visited after they arrived. It was relatively small, with an assortment of essential items for travel or survival outside of the settlement. Isel went to the checkout area and presented the sack that Siphos had left folded on the sheet to the worker at the counter.

  “Can I get a refund on this?”

  “When was this item purchased?”

  Isel sifted through the pouch affixed to his hip. It was the one he gave Charine when he first woke up in Comeidlan. She returned it to him after the bath. He pulled out a receipt for the purchase and handed it to the worker. She quickly glanced at the paper before crouching under the desk and then handing him five gray slips of thin and stocky paper. The design on each of them was very simple — one white circle casting a shadow on a larger gray circle.

  “Sorry that it failed to satisfy your needs, we hope you visit again.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  He left the store with the money. After Charine submitted the prints she had supposedly received hundreds of these, but her visit to the hospital for her arm cost her most of it. After that she could only purchase a week stay at the inn and three admissions to the spring baths — Siphos had taken his after he left the room. Now Isel had five sheets to his name. It wasn't a large amount, but it was enough for something simple.

  Rounding the corner of the same government building where the prints were submitted, Isel folded the sheets nicely and put them in his bag. He wasn’t exactly sure where all of the points of interest were in Eutil as it was relatively large, so he took half an hour to walk through as many unique paths of the city. Along the way, he found a building that caught his eye. After entering the store and spending all five of his sheets he left with a small paper bag that emitted a strong and relaxing aroma.

  He purchased two sandwiches, both made simply with thick loaves of bread and an assortment of different wild meats — he hadn’t remembered which animals specifically. The smell was almost intoxicating, and Isel was struggling to not take both of them out at the very moment and eat them. After chasing away his instincts, he held the bag at his side and continued to walk through the town.

  He soon found who he was looking for. Siphos was full clad in his armor once again, and was helping a thin short woman carry grey boxes into a building. Her hair was blonde and her skin a similar pale tone to Isel’s. Not noticing him, Siphos went inside with a box before Isel reached the scene. The woman he was helping however took notice of the pale man walking towards her.

  “Hey! You!”

  Isel flinched at the sudden shouting and looked with surprise towards the woman.

  “Yeah, you! Could I get some extra hands here?”

  Isel whispered a reluctant response under his breath before arriving at the building. As soon as he stepped on to the brick porch the woman started to talk at a breakneck pace. Isel had a hard time keeping up with what she was saying.

  “Sorry for the bother; thanks for the help. There’s only a few more to handle, bring them upstairs and lay them on the shelf, I'll pay you back — you’re welcome.”

  Before he knew it Isel was carrying a heavy box with conspicuous contents up wooden stairs. This wasn’t how he had wanted to meet up with Siphos, but he had been swept up by a storm — that woman was some living form of one at the very least. As he rounded the corner after ascending the stairs an open door revealed a room with a storage rack. That rack was being loaded by Siphos.

  “Siphos.”

  The man jumped at the mention of his name, causing him to lose hold of the box as he was reaching to lay it at the very top of the rack.

  “Shit-”

  Barely catching the box, he made sure it was where it belonged before looking back to Isel.

  “Oh, hey.”

  He still seemed out of it, but then again it had only been a few hours since the night had passed. Isel had many thoughts about what to say to the man. He had questions of course, but he didn’t know if he wanted to probe him or ask if he was going to continue travelling with the group. In the end he settled on a third option.

  “When’s the last time you ate?”

  “Huh? Well… almost a week ago I guess.”

  Isel figured it was some absurd amount of time like that; after all, when they had first come to Aeshval Charine and him had devoured all of the food they could see. He never saw Siphos eat anything, and judging by how quickly he returned to the two people paying the price of Comeidlan, he wouldn’t have been able to cook his own share. Siphos spoke over his thoughts.

  “You surprised me. That means she rallied you over here too then?

  Isel walked towards the rack and reached to lay his own crate on the top rack while he nodded.

  “Yeah, I didn’t have the chance to decline… let alone ignore her.”

  Siphos chucked.

  “I know what you mean; she’s far too energetic for someone living here.”

  Isel sighed before walking back outside to grab another crate. Siphos followed silently. The men carried the remainder of the crates up the stairs of the building before receiving a random assortment of sheets from the woman. Mirial must have truly distorted his perception of appearances. Siphos was given thirty while Isel was given twenty — the result of his late arrival. Now that he wasn’t caught up by her incredible haste Isel now had the opportunity to speak.

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  “Thank you, I’m Isel. If I’m ever around here again I’d be glad to do some work for you.”

  “Leaving? Fair enough. Name’s Arae — something of a banker here. Horrible stuff, never do it.”

  “Ha… got it…”

  Isel grabbed the white bag which contained the food he bought from the side of the porch as he and Siphos started to leave. Isel grabbed one of the sandwiches from the bag and gave it to Siphos. He hesitated momentarily before taking and unwrapping the sandwich. He ate silently, attempting to conceal just how hungry he was.

  Isel walked down the settlement beside him, eating his own sandwich. They continued in silence, passing the brick building and roads while avoiding the gazes of anyone who seemed like they were going to ask for some kind of help — they had both had enough labor for the day. The men soon were walking down the street that had both the bath and inn on the same road. Isel had finally had enough of waiting to think of what to say, or some kind of opportunity to say it. If he didn’t speak, when would he ever have the chance to otherwise?

  “So are you still coming with us?”

  Siphos stayed looking forward.

  “No escaping it, huh?”

  The tall man deliberated before continuing.

  “I don’t know anymore actually. The circumstances are different before.”

  “So what are they now?”

  “I don’t need to go to Manichae anymore. It would be… redundant – I suppose – if I were to keep travelling with you.”

  He spoke carefully and hesitantly. His voice trailed off and trembled while he looked for what to say to Isel. It’s as if the man he had first met had vanished. No matter how closely Isel tried to find a hint of an optimistic tone or hopeful comment, he couldn't find it. As soon as he had brought up the question, it had all left the tall man. The only thing he could sense was a lack of will; or rather, ambition.

  Isel thought back on that conclusion.

  “What did she tell you?”

  Siphos didn’t answer.

  “I won’t push it, but I will ask you this. Do you have anywhere you plan to go?”

  Siphos shook his head.

  “No, Isel. My only other destination is where you won't be going.”

  “And where is that?”

  The two men rounded a corner. The inn was now in sight down the brick road.

  “Hourlal.”

  Isel didn’t have to ask why he would want to go there. Mirial had truly left a deep impression on the man.

  “Well? Are you in a rush?”

  Siphos started to speak, but paused immediately after registering Isel’s question. He sighed and looked in a different direction before answering.

  “No… It wouldn't matter when I do it.”

  “Then come with us, to Manichae.”

  “But-”

  “Siphos.”

  Isel stopped walking. He waited for the tall man to turn back to face him. Siphos’ eyes were unexpressive, but they were still easy to see through.

  “What do you think you’ll find in that place?”

  “An explanation. That’s all I need.”

  “For what she said to you? You want to ask more questions?”

  Siphos tried to find somewhere else to look.

  “Yeah. I need it.”

  “You’re lying.”

  Siphos didn’t respond. The two stood in silence at the side of the walkway as the world flowed around them. The brick road glistened from the rain that consumed the settlement just hours before. Isel made sure that the man had nothing else to add before continuing.

  “Come with us. I don’t know what she told you, but you should know better than me the consequences of seeking out those questions. Even that woman herself knows it.”

  “I know that. But you don’t understand, Isel. I don’t have any other option, I need to go.”

  “Then come with us first! That's all you need to do. After we reach Manichae – after all of that we can go to Hourlal with you. In the mere days I’ve been here all I’ve seen is how we sway with the circumstance. What could that woman have possibly told you’re acting like this? She doesn't seem like the kind of person to insult, to threaten, to coerce or deceive. So how is it the case that you absolutely cannot go to Manichae with us?”

  “I can’t follow that cause anymore, Isel. I can’t tell myself to do something for the sake of doing it. Not anymore.”

  The silence returned, and Siphos stayed looking away from Isel. The man thought for a moment, exhaling roughly and taking looks around the settlement.

  “You don’t understand, and you probably never will.”

  “Don’t say obvious things, say things that matter. I don’t need to understand what she told you, you do. You avoid me when I ask you what’s really necessary. You don’t need to go, you want to. But how would her helping you understand help you? Is that how you’re supposed to live?”

  “Fine, it’s how I want to.”

  Isel stared into the lifeless eyes of the armored man.

  “Do it for the sake of getting over it, then.”

  “I can’t get over it.”

  “No, you can. I know you can. The man I met was unruly, rowdy, and far too complacent with all these situations. You could say that you were running from a dangerous group of people while chuckling or with so much energy it seemed like a story. Where is that now? Did you disappear with just a few words?”

  Every sentence became more tense. Isel’s tone was more pressing, more serious, and Siphos’ was stubborn, argumentative. His words conflicted with how he said them. His sentences themselves quivered as he spoke, as if they had no substance.

  “The man you met? Yeah, I guess I did do something like that.”

  “Yeah, well you should do it again.”

  Isel stepped closer to the tall man, he had to crane his neck just slightly to make sure he looked directly into his brown eyes.

  “Answer your questions for your damn self. Come with us and forget about that woman.”

  “But you offered that we would go see her after Manichae. All that does is delay it. You're right, Isel. I don’t need to go there right now, and I don’t even need to go for as long as I live, but I don’t want to sit on this forever. I’d rather not sit on it at all.”

  Isel glared at Siphos.

  “You’ll come with us because when I go to that place with you I won’t be asking any questions. I’m going there to understand what there is to know about her, and by the time we arrive you won’t have to ask for any clarification either. You’ll be the man you are, not somebody who scrambles to pick up the pieces of someone else's puzzle.”

  Siphos gazed back at Isel. His lips opened as he started to speak, but no retort left this time. This time he exhaled and looked at a puddle at the side of the brick road. He didn’t find the reflection he was looking for, just the ever glistening water. His shoulders relaxed as he slumped over with dejection. He knew what he had wanted to do, he had known for a long time.

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll go. Sorry.”

  The tension almost immediately as relief washed over Isel. He had finally convinced his travel companion. Isel walked to Siphos’ side and laid his hand on his armored shoulder before taking a breath and putting on his best faint smile.

  “Then let's go.”

  Siphos returned the smirk before turning around and heading towards the inn.

  “Alright man.”