“I’m… not angry, Vim. At anyone. Or disappointed. In fact… I’m very humbled with how much everyone tried to help. Not to mention how much they’ve all been doting on me since, to the point I’ve felt smothered! I just… don’t want to be in these halls anymore,” Jelti said. She spoke evenly across the table from me, but you could see the looming depression and sadness tugging at the corners of her mind and soul.

I nodded. “I fully understand, Jelti, as I think anyone would. And even if they didn’t, nothing would change how you feel or what you need to do,” I said with a gentle nod.

The bunny gave me a sad smile as she nodded. “Thanks, Vim… if it’s important at all, no one’s actually tried to stop me or seemed bothered over it. I think people just… expect me to get over it, or give it time, and as such don’t want me to leave until I do,” she said.

Well… of course they would. Because they did expect you to get over it.

I glanced past her shoulder, to a small table against the wall behind her. It had a small shrine, with a lit incense stick on it. I didn’t recognize the patterned cloth that the shrine was centered around, but I figured it was something important or meaningful to either Jelti or the woman who had recently passed away.

Jelti took in a deep breath and scoffed. “Caroline would have been like them, though. Would have told me to just get over it and move on already,” she said with a smirk.

Right. Caroline. I’m glad she had finally said her name, because I had genuinely forgotten it. “The truth of the matter is you eventually will… but I personally don’t think you should force such a thing. Give it time, Jelti. Otherwise it’ll not scar over properly,” I said.

The bunny’s smirk turned into a gentle smile as she nodded. “I’ll take those words to heart Vim… and I agree! That’s why I want to leave. If even just for a while. I… don’t like it here anymore. I tried switching jobs, thinking maybe that would be enough, but it just doesn’t work… I even moved rooms!” she said with a gesture around her.

I nodded. Her home, a three bedroom setup on the third floor of the Cathedral, was full of stuff but it didn’t look normal. It looked… as if things were missing. And considering Jelti had lived here in Telmik for so long that was just not something that made sense.

She had moved rooms after her wife had passed away. Not too unusual… but…

“Got any plans on where you’d like to go? Or what you’d like to do?” I asked as I glanced to my right. We were sitting in the small living area space near the entrance, and to our right was her bedroom. I could see her bed from this angle… her bedding was on the floor for some reason, and something told me it was on purpose.

Was she sleeping on the floor…? Maybe as to not sleep in the bed? If so why hadn’t she just gotten a new bed? Especially if she had moved it here?

“Honestly no idea… I can of course go and work at any church location, so I considered that… especially what with so many new places popping up. But I’ve been debating that. What if the reason I feel so uncomfortable here is because of that reason?”

“Reason? The church you mean?” I asked.

She nodded. “She wore robes all the time, being a member of their cloth. What if that’s what’s bugging me?” Jelti wondered.

That was a possibility… though something told me that Jelti was just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something would stick. “If your goal is to avoid the church then that limits your options,” I said. Especially since so many locations were being overtaken by the church-folk, such as Lumen.

Jelti sighed and nodded. “Right…? I talked to Hands the other day, he had helped make her urn for me, and he too is wondering what to do. He wants to go chase after his rat girlfriend, but she’s so involved with Light he thinks it will cause problems for him,” Jelti said.

“He’ll be fine. He’s not a very religious man, but he’s capable of coexisting with them. It helps that he’s religious in his own way,” I said.

“Fanatic, like his father,” she said, agreeing.

I’d not go that far, but sure. Hands was fanatical… in certain ways. “Do you… want to go north?” I decided to ask.

Jelti leaned forward a little, putting her elbows on the table as she did as she frowned and focused on me. “North…? You mean… the place your wife is building?” she asked.

Renn didn’t know that Jelti’s human wife had passed away. Jelti had been keeping it a secret from most, more so because she was simply avoiding people in general than any other purpose… and as such I knew I was likely overstepping my personal bounds by giving such an invitation, but I knew Renn would likely not hesitate to offer as well. She liked Jelti. Especially her little puff of a tail.

I nodded. “Yes. It is, officially on record, going to be a church location… but at the same time a whole other side of it is being built. There are plans for a whole other compound, one connected but not associated, with the church to be built. So you need not worry over it being the same as here, church-wise, but it will also be active and lively enough to help distract you if you need it to be,” I explained.

Jelti’s frown deepened, but not in a bad way. “That’s where Randle went?”

“Yes. A few others have gone there already too, such as Merit, and more plan to head that way eventually. Honestly it might end up rather busy… especially now with there being so many people needing places to safely go to,” I said. Even before we had left the Twins had brought a small group with them. Odds are that number will only increase over time.

Jelti hummed in thought, and I felt the desire to end my suggestions here. It wasn’t like me to usually give such options and opinions… not when they weren’t truly needed… but I’d felt recently that I had been neglecting the Society as a whole, and as such wanted to try and make up for it.

“It’s just a suggestion, Jelti. I’ll help you go anywhere you’d like to. Even beyond the Society, if you wish, you know how I am,” I said.

Her frown turned into a smile as she nodded. “I know, Vim. I don’t feel pressured by you or anything, that’s not what I’m considering… I was more so wondering if I really wanted to get involved in… well…” she then just gestured at me.

Me…? “I’ll likely only go there a few times a year, as I do everywhere… I’m not really involved in that location,” I said, wondering if she misunderstood.

“Ah. I guess I did gesture at you, huh…? I more-so meant you guys in general. Renn and stuff. Isn’t she… you know? Important? Or going to be…? It’s one thing to be here while important things happen, because I can just stay back and focus on my own little world… but in a smaller location that won’t be possible, right?”

Oh… “Well… that’s possible. But I’d argue, if you’d allow it, that such a thing would be the same there. Especially since most of the time Renn will be running around me with me, anyway,” I said.

“Hm… that is true, I guess…” Jelti then nodded, agreeing.

“Why not just talk to Renn about it? Not just the northern location, but… any of them? She’s been to a lot of places recently, maybe you can pick her mind and find somewhere you’d like to go,” I suggested.

Jelti grinned at me. “You’re giving me… permission…? To latch onto a woman known for her kindness and desire to help others, while I’m depressed and recovering from a broken heart? Are you sure you want to risk that?” she asked.

I could tell Jelti was mostly joking. Mostly. So I simply smiled and nodded. “If you can steal her from me, then be my guest.”

Anyone who can at this point deserved her. If she was willing to put up with me, and all the chaos and drama concerning me such as with the gods, then I doubted anything could sway her at this point.

“Hmph… you had been a bit more unsure of yourself before, that would have worked last time,” Jelti said with a sigh.

“It would have. And it still does, to a point… I’m still not sure if the whole monogamy thing is really something she believes in yet,” I said.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Jelti giggled at that. “Really now!? Well, out of kindness I promise not to do anything… though I do think I’ll take you up on your offer to talk to her about it. Are you two leaving soon?”

I nodded. “In a few days,” I said. I had put off our departure, again, after my conversation with Renka.

“Hm… then I’ll go find her and talk to her tonight, or tomorrow morning. Let her know I’ll be looking for her,” Jelti said.

I took that as my cue it would be okay to end this little conversation here and now. So I slowly stood from the table, as to both not be rude or accidentally break something, and nodded. “I’ll let her know… if you do decide to head north, know there are monthly transits and shipments going up there. So you’d not need to go alone, nor leave much behind,” I said.

“I plan to leave behind as much as I can, Vim… kind of the point,” Jelti said softly, without meeting my eyes. She kept her eyes downward, at the table instead.

“Hm…” I studied her for a moment, as to make sure she wasn’t implying something else with her statement… and once I was comfortable enough to do so, I turned away and headed for the door. “I’ll let Renn know once I see her,” I said simply.

“Thanks. See you later Vim,” Jelti said as I left her home.

I shut her front door behind me, since Jelti had remained seated at the table… and held back a sigh as I stepped away.

The woman she had loved, the human, had collapsed and hit the side of her head on a bench last month. She had not died right away from the fall, but a few nights later. The blow to her head had knocked her out and she had never woken up… even with, supposedly, great effort by those here to help her. I wasn’t sure yet if that meant a saint had tried to heal her or not, since no one had outright said so… but I had the inclination to believe that was what had happened.

I had a hard time believing there were multiple saints in the world right now, many in the Society, and not one here where they were most expected to be. There was of course the Chronicler, but she didn’t have the abilities of a real saint and…

“Hey Vim!”

Coming to a stop, I nodded down at Fizz. The young dog, who… was alone for once, had a calm smile on her face. “Fizz,” I greeted her

Her smile broadened, showing sharp canine teeth. “I heard you killed someone!” she said, a little too excitedly. It was a good thing we were in the private area of the church, else that comment may have drawn attention.

“I did, yes,” I said simply. There was no reason to lie about it… especially since they all knew already, and it was how I was hiding the truth. By telling enough of the truth that I didn’t need it all to get away with it. A tactic my father had taught me and has rarely if ever failed me.

The young dog’s smile turned into a thoughtful one as she hummed up at me. “I’ve never seen you kill anyone before,” she said.

Hm…? I’d usually say that should be obvious, but the fact was many in the Society have seen me do such things… and… “Haven’t you…?” I asked. There had been a few times I’d had to do such things in front of her parents, right…? Surely Fizz had been there for at least a few of them?

She shook her head. “The few times you’ve had to near me I never got to actually see it. Father either kept me from seeing it, or I was too young to remember,” she said.

Right… “You’re not missing out on anything, Fizz,” I said simply.

“I know. Though I would like to ask something…” Fizz then glanced around, in a way that told me she didn’t want anyone else to hear her next question. I nodded and waited for her to decide it was okay to say it, and then she looked back up at me. “How’s Angie doing?” she then asked.

Wanting to smirk, since it was such a childish jump to go from talking about death and killing to this… I instead just nodded. “Very well. She has a new friend to sigh at and get annoyed with, a young shark, to keep her company,” I said. I didn’t tell her about Liora, since I both didn’t want to outright say we had a saint there and also didn’t want to make Fizz sad knowing her friend was not lonely at all. Though, in theory, Fizz shouldn’t be either. There were a lot more people here now, members I mean, and a good almost two dozen were children… though some were either far too young or a little too old to be likely friends with Fizz.

“Renn told me of her too. I think she was trying to indirectly convince me to go back north with you guys,” Fizz said with a frown.

Oh…? “Renn wants all her friends to be with her. She doesn’t mean any ill will behind it,” I said.

She nodded. “I know… but… hm…”

The young dog hummed as she pondered for a moment, and I wondered if maybe she was actually considering going up north to either live or visit her friend…

Hopefully not. Her parents would not be happy with me if Fizz somehow got such an idea in her head… especially now that she was old enough, and stubborn enough, to follow through with such plans.

“Actually considering it, are you?” I asked with a small sigh as I noted the way her smile grew.

She nodded happily up at me. “Yeah! I was actually thinking about it already, last time you guys left… I’m old enough that it’s time to leave the pack you know? Even mother has been sniveling about it! But I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, maybe I could spend some time up north with Angie and the rest until I figure out what I want to do?” Fizz said, and did so in a way that told me she had already made the decision to do so.

Great… “Well… just remember life beyond these halls is not always better. Greener grass and all that,” I said.

She nodded again. “I know…! Plus I can’t leave yet… maybe in a year? Or maybe after the vote…? I’m supposed to be here for the vote, I guess,” she said.

Hopefully she just meant she should be here as to help out, or to cast her vote herself, and not because of some more… divine reason. “That gives you time to really think about it and talk to your parents about it too,” I said, giving a tiny suggestion.

“Yeah! Oh! I also have a request…!” Fizz, per usual, switched topics effortlessly as she stepped forward and happily reached out to grab my sleeve.

She tugged on my sleeve as I frowned and nodded. “What is it…?”

“I want a sunflower!”

Hm…? “Ah… Renn told you of them, did she?” I asked.

Fizz nodded excitedly. “She drew one! For us, since no one believed her about the flowers as tall as us! I want one!”

“I’ll… see what I can do. They might actually grow fine here, in the greeneries, though it will be slightly difficult to get them here before they wither,” I said. I would have to pick them up and head straight here without stopping, which was typically not something I could do. Not because I couldn’t do it, of course, but because I rarely if ever went that direction. Typically I went from Telmik to those mountain ranges, where the Smithy was, and then beyond. Only on the rarest of instances did I come from that direction instead.

“I’d appreciate it! I want to taste them! Renn said they were tasty!”

Oh… she didn’t want to see them, or grow them, but to eat them. Typical. And typical of Renn to focus on that part of them too, when telling people of them… “That might be a little easier to accomplish. I’ll see what I can do,” I said.

“Thanks…! Haha! Mother will be happy too!” she said as she then released my sleeve and spun around. She giggled for a moment as she danced, and then turned and stepped away. “Thanks Vim!” she shouted as she hurried away, unbothered and happy.

Watching the young dog go, I wondered who will eventually catch her eye. Those like her were a rarity nowadays amongst our people… especially since she wasn’t a true predator. She was just a few steps from being more like how Lilly used to be than anything else… before Lilly got involved in war and death, at least.

“Hopefully she never changes,” I said softly as I stepped away as well.

I tried hard to keep such people that way. To keep their lives as safe and happy as possible, for as long as possible… but…

“Everything ends,” I whispered as I thought of my conversation with Renka a few hours ago.

Heading for the stairs, I decided to find Renn… as to talk to her. That had been my plan originally, after my conversation with Renka, but I had gotten sidetracked. Not only had Jelti, and now Fizz, interrupted me so too had a few others. And honestly I was glad for the distractions. They had kept me calm and collected.

A surprise, really. For me to be so… normal right now. Maybe I really had finally gotten old enough, and mature enough, to retain my temper.

Stepping down a step of a stairwell, I flinched as my foot went through the brick. It crumbled and shattered, causing the stairwell to become noisy as hundreds of little pieces of the brick I’d just absolutely destroyed from stepping down too hard bounced and flew down the rest of the stairs.

“Great…” I groaned at the new distraction I’d just made. I had just broken the step, a few down from the edge, right in the center. Bad enough that anyone who wasn’t paying attention would easily slip and miss, since nearly half the step was now missing, and thus fall down the stairs and hurt themselves. Especially those who were older, or those weaker and frail like the Chronicler.

To make matters worse, this was one of the more busier stairwells. Right dead center in the living quarters.

Which meant I’d need to fix it. Now. Before someone got hurt.

“I blame you, Renka,” I said aloud as I sighed and went to find something to put up as a warning, so that no one would hurt themselves while I went to get the needed tools to fix it.

She of course didn’t respond, since I wasn’t even sure if she was listening or not… but I was glad she hadn’t. If she had shown herself now, even just to joke or make a snide comment, I’d likely lose what little control I was keeping over myself and attack her.

And I didn’t want to do that. Not yet. And not just because she was hiding Renn from the rest of their ilk.

Since she was the first god, since the beginning, to offer to help me do what I had vowed to accomplish. The first one to ever offer to betray the rest. The first one to even consider it, and not just consider it… but be able to act upon it too.

Renka wanted to betray the rest. And she wanted to use me to do it. She was basically threatening Renn’s life, her existence, as incentive to get me to do so… which was honestly kind of hilarious.

I didn’t need such incentives. Never had. Never will.

To get vengeance, to kill all of those who had taken my parents from me… from this world… there was very little I’d not do for it.

But it was fine. Let her think I was going to play along as to keep Renn safe. It wasn’t a complete lie anyway. I did want to keep her safe.

As my father had taught me, the real truth was best hidden by parts of it.

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