The sky was dark, with clouds and smoke.

Nerluce had never worn armor before. He never had a reason to. Now he wore several layers of it. Skin covered by light cloth. Light cloth shielded by chain armor. Chain armor reinforcing his red cuirass. His sleeves and thighs were covered by guards in the same shade of red. His shins and hands too. His straw sandals seemed too light compared to all of that.

Though Nerluce was a Magickian with a weapon of his own, he had an iron sword and several daggers in case he was in a situation where he couldn't use his fire. Nerluce tried not to think of what such a situation might look like.

In his arms, Nerluce carried his helmet. It was a strange and beautiful thing. Being the son of a noble, it was expected to be. Small, golden antlers - like those of a deer or demon - protruded from either side. What was the idea behind that? To scare opponents off? To bring the blessings of the gods? His mind was so muddled that he couldn't remember the story anymore. He couldn't remember much since he put on the armor.

He was going to ride into battle. Nerluce knew what it was to be afraid for his life and he knew what it was to cause death with his actions but this felt different somehow. Before it had always been a heat-of-the-moment decision. Before he'd always been thrown into the situation. Never before had he worn armor and ridden out to meet the threat head-on.

His stomach twisted at the thought, even now.

Across the room, Lady Okiachi fixed Coam's helmet - one with similar golden antlers, though Nerluce noted they were slightly larger with a couple more points - on her head before pulling her slightly taller daughter down, kissing the helmet's rim. An expression of love and well wishes. Nerluce glanced around the room, but his own mother was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't even spoken to her since he returned.

He'd tried once and she had looked at him as if he was a stranger. He didn't try again. There was no point.

Instead of wallowing in his sorrow and anxieties, Nerluce made his way over to Coam. When she saw him, she smiled and Lady Okiachi scowled. She never had liked him. At least that didn't change.

"Lady Okiachi," Nerluce said in greeting. "Coam." He nodded to both of them with something akin to respect.

"Nerluce," Lady Okiachi said. Nerluce realized that he hadn't spoken to her either since he returned. "I was wondering when you'd greet me. It seems while your Magick has improved, your manners have not."

Nerluce couldn't hide his smile. "I apologize."

Lady Okiachi huffed. "Have you greeted Lady Fanjie or Lady Song?"

"I have not," Nerluce said.

"Nerluce..." Coam said, not scolding just... sad. "You ought to do it now. We will be leaving any moment..."

Nerluce shrugged. "There is no need."

"Lady Song is your mother," Coam said. "I know she's missed you terribly."

How could she miss Nerluce at all when she didn't know who he was? It was impossible for a person to miss what they did not have. "I will do it when we return." If Nerluce returned. He swallowed. It was... it was better this way. If by some miracle Nerluce got his mother to remember him, it would only be cruel if he died and was stolen away from her.

Lady Okiachi clicked her tongue in disapproval. "If Coam treated me half as coldly as you treat Lady Song, I'd be driven into madness as well."

Was she... Did she just suggest that...

"Mother!" Coam snapped.

She had. She had just told Nerluce that his coldness was the reason that his mother was insane. She had just said-

"That is..." Nerluce started, wanting to refute Lady Okiachi, wanting to tell her it was a lie, but instead, something cruel flickered in his heart, "an awfully bold claim, especially coming from the mouth of the woman who for the ladies of the court to torment my mother into insanity." Nerluce lifted his chin to meet her gaze, defiant and angry. "Oh, but please pardon this bastard son's lack of manners."

With that, he snapped his body in the opposite direction and went to the stables.

A servant brought him his horse - a war stallion of incredible size yet he might as well have been a pony compared to Eden. He was a warm chestnut with white socks stretching up each of his legs. He was already wearing his own chain armor across his neck and chest, covered by bright red tassels. The reins the servant handed him were also red.

"Thank you," Nerluce said.

The servant - a young boy about twelve - looked at him with wide eyes before bowing at the waist. "The young lord does not have to thank this lowly one for simply performing his duty!"

He scurried off after that, too afraid to wait for Nerluce's response.

Right. Servants were beneath him. It was in their very name. Nerluce didn't need to thank them. Not punishing them was enough. He closed his eyes and leaned closer to the unfamiliar stallion. What was the matter with him? Why was he acting like this? Why was it so hard for him to return to a role he'd always played?

Ethera had really made a mess of his mind. He was trampling all over etiquette and making a mockery of tradition. Thanking servants and insulting the Lady of the Hebikoti Clan like they were his equals?

"I ought to have asked that boy what your name was," Nerluce mumbled to the horse.

He snorted and pawed at the ground.

"You're pretty easy going," Nerluce admitted, patting the horse's side gently. His hands were armored and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally hurt him. "Or maybe you were the meanest horse from your farm and I'm just used to horses who will kill anyone who looks at them wrong." He sighed. "I wonder what you'd think of Eden. Of Lilith for that matter." He stroked the horse. "Good boy."

"He's a sweetheart, isn't he?" a familiar voice asked.

Nerluce jolted, whipping around to see Lady Fanjie and hugging her arm, Mother. Their fine noblewoman robes contrasted sharply to the hay and muck of the stables. Even to the armor that Nerluce and his mount wore.

"What are you doing here?" Nerluce asked.

"So the fit you threw in front of Achi wasn't to get her attention?" Lady Fanjie asked, gesturing to mother.

"No," Nerluce said. "And it wasn't a fit either."

"According to her, it was," Lady Fanjie said with a giggle. "Come here, Luce. It's been so long! You've gotten bigger. You're taller than Prathesh now."

That... well it wasn't untrue. Nerluce had realized it himself with a shock. He had grown a lot while he was away and... Lord Father had shrunken. With sickness and with age, his body seemed to be getting smaller, caving in on itself. Nerluce, on the other hand, was growing, expanding, getting taller and stronger as he came into adulthood.

"Yeah," Nerluce said as Lady Fanjie escaped Mother's grasp and wrapped her arms around Nerluce. It was a little difficult given the armor but Lady Fanjie was a persistent woman and she wasn't going to let something as minute as armor stop her from giving Nerluce a hug if she wanted one. "Sorry I haven't come to greet you sooner."

"Don't worry," Lady Fanjie said. "Duty comes first. I, of all people, know that best after all these years." She chuckled fondly.

Nerluce glanced at his mother. "Hello, Lady Mother," he said.

His mother offered him a polite smile. The smile that someone gave when they didn't know who the person in front of them was but they didn't want to be rude.

"That's Luce," Lady Fanjie said. "He looks so different, doesn't he?"

His mother blinked before she smiled and nodded.

She hadn't the faintest idea what she was agreeing to, only that she was meant to agree. Nerluce smiled at both of the women. "Thank you, Lady Fanjie, Lady Mother." He nodded at both of them. "I ought to ride out now."

"Oh wait one moment before you do!" Lady Fanjie said. "Remember what Achi showed us Song?"

Mother nodded, cheerfully.

Nerluce frowned. What could Lady Okiachi have possibly shown them? He hadn't the faintest idea until Lady Fanjie took Nerluce's helmet gently from his grasp. His eyes widened with realization. Why... why had Lady Okiachi shown them this? He knelt down slightly so that his mother - with Lady Fanjie's hands guiding her's - could place the helmet on his head. Each of the two women then placed a soft kiss on the brim.

"Luce... you're crying..."

Shit. He was. Nerluce was quick to wipe the tears away, not caring how rough he was against his own flesh.

"Sorry," Nerluce said. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Lady Fanjie said. "Be careful. Lady Okiachi says you won't be in any danger, that you'll be in the back but... be careful."

Nerluce nodded.

Careful... yeah, he could be careful. It wasn't like he was the heroic type, throwing his life away for no reason. He'd make it back. And then... well then he'd make it right.