Metal clanks as big paws try to enter.

It seems sturdy enough.

"It smells like-"

"-old books," I finish Corvus's thought in a whisper. It smells great, don't get me wrong, but it's too dark to see anything else.

I pat my hands around - first above my head where I realise the top is a bit too close for comfort. Reaching out in front of me, I feel a small latch but dare not open it remembering what's on the other side. Then, my fingers trace along the ground. I bump into a number of scattered books before I find Amaya's hands. They were also searching.

There's no way to communicate with her in this darkness, so I do the first messy idea that comes to mind. Holding her hands in my own, I flatten out her palms and fingers in the dimness, pressing them against each other. Then I open them in hopes she understands it as the book motion. Following this, I simply move her parallel flat hands to form box.

Before I can sign this as a sort of question, Amaya grips my fingers strongly and shifts them up and down. Exactly.

"Uhm, (Y/n)?" Corvus sighs, "what are you two shuffling around about?"

Right. "This seems to be an old book drop box thingy," I explain quietly. There are fewer growls outside already - they're clearly starting to lose interest.

"So-" the syllable is cut off by a harsh intake of breath as Corvus tries to shift around.

Amaya doesn't react as she has essentially lost her senses.

"Corvus I'll help," I promise. "Just let me tell Amaya to rest first." As I murmur the words, I grab one of the General's hands more firmly again. Bringing it up to her face, palm directed at herself, I bring her open fingers down from her forehead to her chin. Sleep.

Her hands start to protest, fiddling my fingers into a C followed by an O.

I ignore her stress about Corvus, knowing our friend will be quite fine, and repeat the same motion with her right hand. Sleep.

Her clutch on my fingers doesn't loosen. I'm at a stand still with ideas before remembering the cut on her cheekbone. I move one of my hands and gently try to find her face. Once discovered, I trace my fingertips over the open wound, feeling it seal beneath my touch.

Her posture changes then: both realisation and relaxation kicking in.

She must be tired, and I'm glad when she finally lets go of me to find comfort for the night.

"That was quite a challenging experience," I admit to Corvus, shifting my position in the small space to best face him.

My friend chuckles at me mainly out of confusion. "Makes me grateful to have all senses in tact," he says, "and even more impressed at how well Amaya does without one."

I feel grateful, too, as I realise now just how much we rely on sight. "She hears things in her own way," I reply with an optimistic mind - I'm also thinking about how grateful I am I'm not in a creature's stomach right now. I hope Soren isn't mad at me. "So which leg is it," I conclude, my hand resting currently on his left upper thigh in the most non-sexual way possible.

"My right shin," Corvus clarifies and I hover my hands to find it. When he seethes painfully, I know I've reached the spot. "I think it's broken."

"It's shattered," I correct. The shards of bone beneath his skin are a giveaway. "But fear not," I chime in a hushed tone. "(Y/n) is here to save the day... Just give me a while," I'm sleep deprived, not thinking straight, and want Corvus to walk out of this without a new limp.

"I'm sure you've got a lot more than a while," he promises.

Thus, I get to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm not sure how long it takes, but slowly and surely it seems to get fully repaired.

And I haven't slept a fucking wink.

The fact that the whole time I've been thinking about sleep, and trying not to nod off to sleep, means that it's just taken that much longer.

I did take a rest break when I was nearly finished, and Corvus was already out cold that I didn't need to ask for permission.

However I think it lasted a bit longer than expected because there is now a bit of light filtering through the top latch.

Thankfully my injured friend is still asleep - even though I feel half asleep - and my other friend is awake instead.

Sleep well? I sign when she looks at me as I continue the last fixes for Corvus. I'm grateful for the bit of sun so we don't have to play those hand games

Very. Amaya looks at his sleeping body. He is okay?

I nod my head at her, wanting to keep my hands focused on his leg. Then she puts a hand on my crossed knee with a smile. Her smile shifts to Corvus as he stirs to life.

"Ah ha," he turns his ankle. "You work miracles, (Y/n)."

Taking my palms away from his leg, I sign half Elf and Amaya chuckles in the dim light.

The atmosphere suddenly grows very heavy. "So why'd you jump?" Amaya can follow the conversation now by reading lips, but Corvus still uses sign for her ease.

"I think-," truly I'm not sure what I think, "well I knew Zubeia would get out of there safely..." I'm not quite fluent enough to form these sentences perfectly in sign, so I make sure to over articulate my mouth when speaking. "I wanted- no," I pause, "I needed to help." Corvus nods his head in understanding while Amaya glows with that beautiful smile of hers. Changing the topic I say, "the sun is up... can we leave?"

It's like a spark ignites within Amaya. She turns almost immediately and kicks out the door.

The three of us wait a second. When we realise we aren't being mauled by creatures, we get out of the golden book drop. "Thank you again, (Y/n)," Corvus declares, walking smoothly.

I smile at him. "And thank you, fair safe haven," I announce, kissing the cold metal. Lets go I sign to Amaya.

We couldn't be more eager to get out of a place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking into the city is beautiful with the misty morning sun. I can't tell how I feel when I realise Soren, Callum, Ezran and Rayla are truly gone. Our paths separated. I can tell that I am really hungry.

New plan revolves around what Amaya told me. She mentioned that Kazi found the book with Callum, and therefore she knows where they're going. Essentially I just need to find Kazi.

As if it's fate, Commander Gren and Kazi are the first people we see. The pair run towards us, and gleeful hugs are exchanged. They question how on Xadia Corvus was also here, but it's useless conversation now.

However our happy moods are put at a standstill after seeing the state of the entrance. Arrows are scattered all across the ground. It smells like death.

Gren signs I need to talk to you, to Amaya and the two walk off solemnly, leaving Corvus, Kazi and I to the silence.

"Queen Janai was taken," is all she tells us. I can't really believe it. Then I think of Gren telling Amaya and that is even more upsetting.

Corvus and I don't really no how to reply as we walk into the camp. I hate to say it, but I don't really have time to think about what's going on for them. We walk past a fruit tent - composed of both human and Xadian options. Kazi gives both a Corvus and I an apple. It'll do for now. After taking one bite, I decide we truly have shit to do. "Kazi, I need to talk to you about what you found with Callum."

"Oh," the surprise in her voice tells me she doesn't get asked to talk to very often. From what I've seen, it's clear she gets talked down to generally. "But of course," she says as a follow up and Corvus takes it as a time to leave.

We find a bench among the crowd to sit at. It's a bustling little makeshift home - but it's definitely clear that some is awry. "I'm not sure how much chatting you and Callum would have done," I start, "but bad people are going to a specific place, and I am hoping you know where that is."

I'm also hoping that Soren is sticking with Callum, and they're going to the exact same place.

"Ooh," Kazi repeats, pushing up her glasses. "You need The Sea of the Castout."

My heartbeat quickens. "Is that where Callum said they were going!?"

She chuckles a bit, "you miss your friends, don't you?" I choose not to respond even though it clearly wasn't meant to be insulting. "That is the prison made to hide Startouch Elves. So from what I believe you're looking for, that's where you've got to go."

My grin is breathless. "That's extremely helpful, Kazi, thank you," she beams, "but how do I get there?"

Kazi ponders for a moment before deciding the best possible route. "It's easier to get there from a different place. Transportation wise," I widen my eyes as if to urge her to keep talking. "It's this place along the Eastern coast, called Bright Hope Cove," for some reason the three syllables sound familiar. "However I believe the locals refer to it as Scumport."

I know where I've heard that name before. Rayla told me about this place when she was searching for Viren. The lowest place she searched. Apparently there's no laws there.

I hug Kazi then, finally some structure to this makeshift plan. "I seriously cannot thank you enough," I mumble into her shoulder. "Now if I could ask for one more favour..." I lean back again to be at arms length. She nods her head inquisitively. "Kazi, your camp wouldn't happen to have a dragon... for transport...?"

She laughs as if the most coincidental thing could ever occur. "You're in luck!" she exclaims. "An ocean dragon landed like last night shortly after yourselves." I laugh to myself now, too. Utter disbelief at the timing of all things. "Actually, one of your human men is looking after her - apparently she found important people."

I don't bother to inquire further about the luck of this all. I simply grasp her hand in mine and plead, "point me in the direction of her."

                                          
~~~