☀️ Arselia and Akonia

For most of the journey to Margel, Alaria spent her time in her cabin. After all the hardships she had endured at sea, even the sight of the swaying waves made her feel a little queasy. At night, she dreamed of the smug, laughing face of the djinn, or of the ships of Tanaris appearing as if from nowhere, and sometimes, for some strange reason, of Talassius Semis Deim taking flight in an ugly, demonic form, having himself become a monster of the depths. Apparently, it was a matter of name and the swordswoman's personal dislike. So, she spent her free time filling out her diary and meditating, trying to find unity with the flame even now—when she was surrounded by an element hostile to it. It would have been easier with a sword in her hands, but there was nothing she could do about it. At least Granhildr was not resting on the seabed, like his older brothers. Upon returning to Margel, which once again felt unfamiliar, the Tanaris native headed straight to the villa to report on what had happened—on the failure that had befallen them as a result of carelessness in handling dangerous magical artifacts. Of course, some might argue that two hearts out of three is more of a success than a failure. But if they had been more prompt on the "Thunder," or if someone's mischievous hands hadn't decided to play with forces beyond their control, the third heart could already be in Naria's hands. And a great deal of resources had been spent on the mission: a huge amount of money, a ship with a crew, and almost the entire detachment sent to hunt down the apostles. Part of it could be attributed to a series of misfortunes that had befallen them, but the inexperience of the appointed commanders also played a role. More competent executors would have done better here—it would be foolish to deny it. For herself, Alaria could describe the three-month journey as a "new life experience," from which lessons should be learned. Unfortunately, this experience cost her not only a great deal of nerves but also almost everything that reminded her of home. Her usual fighting style? Forgotten, erased from memory by Melessar. The things she had brought from her homeland? Resting on the seabed. Only her own memories of other events and the diary entries associated with them remained. Perhaps the only consolation, besides the "life experience," was a deeper understanding of the nature of the flame. But even that would have been more complete if she had retained the Tanaris techniques in her memory.