(Cyrus POV)
The next morning, it was time for us to depart from Lady Arya's secluded compound and the Grove. As we were getting our things together, I could tell that part of my father didn't want to leave at all—especially after reconnecting with someone he once loved. In a way, I understood how he and Lady Arya felt. I had the same feeling when my mother had to leave my side in the Rift.
Before we left her compound, Lady Arya presented us with some gifts. "Here, you guys. I think you're going to need these," she said, handing us what looked like oversized garments made out of cloth.
"What are these?" I asked.
"These are replacements for the cloaks you guys had. But you'll see that there are some improvements."
"Are these lined with celestium?" my father asked.
"They are. I had them fashioned to withstand the hardships you'll face as you continue this journey. Also, I added something else to it. Cyrus, pull your hood over your head, please."
I did as she asked, but nothing happened—at least, not to me.
"Um… what was supposed to happen? I don't notice or feel anything different."
"That's because it's not necessarily for us—it's for the people looking at us," my father responded as he pulled his hood over his head as well. Then I saw what he meant. It was almost as if his face was blurred and began to take on the identity of someone else.
"Ohh, this is cool. This would have made our lives a lot easier in the past. Thank you, Lady Arya."
"Of course. It's the least I could do to help after what you guys did for me," she said as she walked over to my father and handed him something. "This is a special and secure device that you can use to contact me. It doesn't matter what the situation is—if you need help, just call me, and I'll be there as soon as possible. I know you guys haven't had that for quite a while, and I'm so sorry that's been your life as of late. But let me help restore your faith in people," Arya said, turning her head toward me as she finished her words.
"You are a great kid, Cyrus. I can't wait to see what you become in the future, and I hope when you get to that new continent, you can learn to see all the good things people can add to your life. I really just hope you get time to just be a kid. You deserve it," she said as she leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
Even though Lady Arya isn't my mother, I can see now—after the few weeks we've spent with her—why my father was in love with her in the past. I can see that she was one of the kind and gentle-hearted people in her clan, similar to my father. In a different universe, she may have been my mother. Maybe we would have had a happy and fulfilling life in the peaceful time that could have been created with the merger of the clans.
I brushed away the thoughts of "what if" and gave my response. "Thank you for the kind words, Lady Arya. I will try my best. I do hope we'll see you again one day."
She let out a smile, almost as if she were surprised by my response—which, to be honest, hadn't exactly been welcoming or open toward her.
"I'm sure we will soon enough. Someone has to help you keep your father on track. Who knows what he'll find himself in without us," she replied with a smirk before giving my father a kiss as well.
After she pulled away from my father, a stern look shaped on her face. "Now, you two—don't you dare go out there and die. Otherwise, I will find the both of you in the afterlife just to drag you out and do it myself."
My father let out a loud chuckle. "Don't worry, we won't. Besides, at this point, I don't know if Cyrus can even die."
I gave a deadpan stare to my father and dragged him along behind me.
It took a little while for my father and me to make it out of the compound and back into the heart of the Grove. The cloaks worked like a charm. No one seemed to pay attention to us at all as we made our way through one of the bustling neutral zones of the astral realm. It was shocking to see how fast the people who frequently visited or inhabited this place got back to their normal routines. Acting as if nothing happened, from what I could tell no one even realized the guards and volunteers never came back. I wondered what their reaction would be if they truly knew what went on out there in the ruins of the old civil war.
When we made it to the exit gates of the Grove, there was no hold-up thanks to the pass Lady Arya gave us that allowed us to move freely in and out of this place no matter the time.
"So, Dad, where exactly is this relic being held?" I asked as we now started our journey to leave the astral rainforest behind.
"According to the coordinates Arya gave me, it looks like this relic is trapped in a tomb. The tomb just happens to be located near the western neutral zone we need to reach. So, we're gonna knock out two birds with one stone."
"Sounds simple enough. Is there anything guarding it at all?"
"Yeah, well there is supposed to some type of guardian over it, but no has ever seen it or at least in a long time…" my dad responded.
"Is it strong?"
"In all honesty, I don't know at all. I just know the name based on the stories Grandpa Zaire told me growing up."
"What was it called?" I asked as I ducked underneath a low-hanging branch.
"Its name was Solmane."