The most recent Mithos War, the 5th on record, concluded roughly two centuries ago when Artix called for an end to hostilities following the death of the demigod of storms. Records show that Artix had personally negotiated the terms of peace between the participating demigods. This treaty, called the First Repose Accord, was signed by four major demigods and several minor ones. What surprised the public the most was that the goddess of rapacity and devilry, Yltris, was the very first to sign the treaty. This was concerning for the simple fact that Yltris had been the very one to instigate the war when she attacked Goszotl, demigod of smithing, artistry, and ingenuity. Yltris alleged that Goszotl had been preparing to attack her ally Qythos, demigod of truth, destruction, and autonomy for reasons she claimed that she was not at liberty to share. When brought up at the post-war meeting, Artix dismissed that as irrelevant to the issue of post-war reparations.

- Excerpt from “The Mithos Wars, and a Brief Overview of Recent History,” by Rafael Leonnatos

The bustling trading town of Westray, within the Battos region abutting the Milon-Ophelos borders, is known for its large, well-maintained open-air market located just west of the town center. There, one can find goods imported from the surrounding territories, such as the high-quality paper from Ophelos and the medicinal herbs that grow exclusively in the Milon territory.

Presently, a beleaguered young Mav, a humanoid avian species created by Artix, by the name of Korin stands before an assortment of tomes laid out on the counter of the market stall before her, feathered arms folded. She faces a crisis of faith. To a Mav, their duty is a sacred one that takes precedence over all else; to find lost souls and guide them to the afterlife. But Korin, who has so far been able to balance both her duty and interests, has encountered a certain book, one that will enable her to pursue a new path in life.

The book in question is a recently published collection of esoteric research, notes, and theories focusing on Dusts. Korin already owned a small collection of knowledge on the topic. But the texts she had obtained were either outdated or only briefly touched on the aforementioned topic.

“On the Nature of Dusts” was one of the only, if not the only, of its kind. It had a limited release, and it was virtually impossible to find on the market. Most had already been purchased by other researchers or nobles looking to add more tomes to their collections. Korin had spent the last few years searching for the book in her spare time, but now that she has finally found a copy, she has to make a decision between her duties and her own interests.

She had told herself that if she ever found one, she would abandon her duties as a guide of lost souls to pursue her research full-time. When she made that promise, she hadn’t actually expected to ever find it; it had been a way to motivate herself. In retrospect, it was rather unwise and foolish to make such a promise.

Korin had tried to make excuses, to convince herself that she shouldn’t go through with the purchase. Her funds were more than sufficient, she’d even have enough to buy all the supplies she’d need to continue her travels. The book itself was undamaged and, after receiving permission to flip through it, appeared genuine. Korin even sought to delay the decision, an attempt made in vain as the merchant had no intention of reserving his wares on account of his planned departure the following morning.

“Ugh…” she bemoaned, cradling her head in her hands, being careful as not to damage her feathers with her clawed fingertips.

The human merchant running the stall sighed loudly. It had been almost half an hour since the Mav had shown up and asked if he had heard of a certain book. With the look of pure joy on her face when he informed her that he in fact had a copy for sale, he was all but certain she’d purchase it posthaste. But his anticipation quickly turned to confusion, then disappointment.

The merchant wasn’t impatient, but he had no desire to see this girl continue to make a spectacle of herself in front of his stall.

“Miss, I can tell you’ve got something troubling you. You know, my mother once gave me a very valuable piece of advice. ‘If you’ve got a problem and you don’t know what to do, go find someone with whom you can share it.’ That said, what seems to be the issue if you don’t mind me asking?” It was a bit forward of him, but he had judged this approach as appropriate based on his understanding of her personality and his experience as a merchant.

“…Well, it’s a personal issue. I want to use this book to start doing research full-time, but I would have to abandon my duties to do so. But I might never come across another copy, so I can’t just leave it here…” replied Korin.

The merchant rubbed his chin, thinking. “In that case, why don’t you go ahead and purchase the book now, that way you will still have the option to do research at a later date? I can offer a discount if that would help you.”

Korin mulled over the offer. She found it reasonable, and frankly, she didn’t want to bother the man any further. She nodded, handing over the amount due and storing the book in her leather satchel.

Stepping out from under the cloth canopy, Korin moved to an open area of the market without many people nearby. She looked around, making sure she had enough space before unfurling the wings on her back. She flapped them a few times to loosen them up. In one smooth motion, she kicked off the ground and launched herself upwards with a powerful flap of her wings.

She soared, reveling in the freedom that flying offered. It wasn’t that she disliked walking around, but there was just something special about the solitude of the open skies. Here, she didn’t have to worry about having to navigate crowded streets, being accosted by thugs, or protecting her belongings from thieves.

Korin looked around for the rooftop she had called her home these past three nights. She found it quickly enough, having become somewhat familiar with the layout of the city. Thoughts of duties and research swirled around in her head as she made her languid descent. At least the cool wind feels nice on my feathers.

She alighted on the flat rooftop, folding her wings. Her taloned legs clacked against the wood as she approached her sleeping quarters for the past three nights; a thick, square blanket that served as her bed and suspended overhead, a canvas to protect her from the rain and sun. She enjoyed the cool night air, so she didn’t mind not being able to sleep in a tent. Tents designed for a species that would rather sleep exposed to the elements weren’t in particularly high demand.

Korin ducked under the canopy and set her satchel aside before ensconcing herself in her bedding. The blanket was more like a big bedroll with extra padding. It was heavier than a typical bedroll, but as a Mav she required less gear for traveling, so she ended up with even less weight to carry.

Korin reached over to her satchel and pulled out the book, staring at the cover. Her fascination with Dusts began several years ago when she spotted one wandering around Laenteglos, in the Phaon region.

The female human had at first ignored Korin’s barrage of questions, trying to politely flee from the persistent avian. Eventually, Korin’s solicitude reached the woman. Elaine, as she introduced herself, reluctantly spoke of her circumstances; that she knew nothing other than she died and woke up in this city. Korin asked to examine her, to which she acquiesced. Unfortunately, Korin’s efforts did not yield anything immediately useful, but she recorded her findings, nonetheless. Korin apologized for not being of any more help before parting ways with Elaine.

Korin’s curiosity grew. She had never encountered a soul like this before. What caused this condition, and what could be done about it? Her research has since revealed that the appearance of these defective souls is not a recent phenomenon, though it is an infrequent one.

Mavs tended to be wanderers who enjoyed taking up hobbies that they could carry with them on their travels. One of the most common hobbies among Mavs was sketching. The number of places they visit and the vistas they can reach are unmatched by any other species.

Korin wasn’t good at drawing. In fact, she wasn’t very skilled with her hands. However, since she was a child, she was always praised for having an excellent memory and insatiable curiosity. She enjoyed studying anything and everything, even if the subject matter never particularly interested her.

Korin had never gave serious thought to having any sort of life goals or ambitions. Spending her days ferrying souls, traveling, and reading. That was her way of life and she enjoyed it, why would she think that she’d want to do anything else?

This had been before her encounter with Elaine. Now, as she lays resting on a rooftop, protected from the sun by the canvas she had strung up, she can’t help but question her short-sightedness. I don’t want to make the same mistake again. What else have I been ignoring?

She mulled it over, methodically going through a mental list of people, places, events, emotions, expectations…

Hm? Why did ‘expectations’ come to mind? Korin felt something stir within her at the thought. To her, when she thought of expectations, the word duty came to mind. Ah, maybe I have a problem with duty?

She picked apart the different aspects of what she associated with duty; emotions, memories, definitions were among some of categories she created in her mind. She filed each bit of information in the appropriate category, storing it for later analysis. Once there was nothing left, she sorted through each category, examining each piece of information for what it is that had made her uncomfortable.

Artix… no, I don’t have a problem with her.

Souls… no, not that either.

Pride… N-… Actually, yeah.

Have I ever actually been proud to carry out what was expected of me?

It was a chilling thought. By design, Mavs had been created to feel satisfaction with the act of finding lost souls and ferrying them to the afterlife. Sure, Korin could tell she enjoyed it, but only to a limited degree. If she decided one day to just stop carrying out her duty, she probably wouldn’t feel that torn up over it. And that was what scared her; the thought that she herself was defective.

That thought in turn led her to a revelation: She was so interested in researching Dusts because she subconsciously knew she was the same as them.

Korin laid in silence; eyes closed. Hours passed. When she finally opened her eyes, the sun had already begun to set. She was still clutching the book.

Duty, research, Dusts, kinship. She had thought about these things over the past few hours and had arrived at her decision.

Korin pulled out from her satchel a quill, inkwell, and notepad. Staring at the cover of “On the Nature of Dusts” she set her beak, her resolve made. She would no longer travel aimlessly in search of lost souls. Instead, she would go wherever she needed in order to carry out her research in the most conducive manner.

There was no explicit punishment for ignoring her duties, but those who were found to be shirking them tended to be shunned by other Mavs and would have difficulties entering Aramoor, the land ruled by Artix.

But none of that mattered to Korin. She didn’t need the approval of her kin, nor did she have any reason to return to Aramoor.

Finally free of worries, doubts, and fears, Korin began reading.