Ashes and Kingdoms

Finn woke up that night.

I can't remember where I am for a while, and I keep my eyes peeled. Yes, for now, they let me use the temple rooms tonight.

It was dark indoors, but not dark at all. There is a thin, blue and white light leaking from the gap in the rain door. When I was surprised why I woke up, I could hear more laughter happening in the street, and I was convinced it was that one. It's the noise of the men who are drinking for me in a late night open tavern that I sometimes even heard when I was in an orphanage in Nanais.

Winnea is an extraordinarily larger town than Nanais, so these midnight noises will also be frequent and natural. Clarifying his ears, he continued to speak a little after the laughter had disappeared and found it distant.

So while I was sitting on the bed, I was completely blinded. Oh man. Finn sighs, turning his body and putting his foot down on the floor. I couldn't remember exactly since when my sleep was shallower.

Finn opened the door gently and quietly so as not to wake his sleeping family in the same room. I had that corner light that was placed in the corner of the room just in case, but I wasn't determined to put it on fire, and I didn't have to do that again. It's moonlight outside. Eventually, I put the corner light in its original place and slipped out into a limp night air.

The world is white.

The moon was slightly thinner, but still brighter enough thanks to the clear sky. There are no signs of men in the temple on boulders. Finn thought of it and walked out flat as it was.

Out on the street, I saw a few tavern lights, either because of their proximity to the barracks. Some people come and go. But that's not what Finn was after. Of course, I don't have a single piece of copper coin even if I want to come in.

The city at night, Finn even kept walking toward the hilltop. I didn't know the way or anything, but if you keep going up the hill or stairs anyway, any of them will be at the top - I know you'll get to Temple Deia.

As we went up high, the shadows were less and the lights were invisible. Naturally, the temple is not meant to worship in the middle of the night.

Even so, just because people don't come doesn't mean the temple is closed. Even with the stone gates, there are no gates to close there, so much so that the priests retrieve the offerings and valuables and lock them in the warehouse at best. No man wants to destroy himself with his hands on God's. With very few exceptions.

Anyway, that's why Finn also ended up at the Temple of Deia.

The heart I worked out at the temple visit in Nanais also suffers a little from boulders. Not as steep as that ramp, but it was far away somehow. I hope my rough breath isn't taken as disrespectful by deia god.

Finn crept through the temple gate slowly breathing. Nothing special happened, but still, I felt like the air had changed.

Maybe it's simply because it's not popular at night, but it's quiet here, it's clean. Unlike the gods that are directly linked to the interests of real life, Deia may be the most sublime, the God of the sky on boulders, or because he is a distant being in this world.

Of course, Deia and I are said to be protectors of kingdom and honor, but then from the average person's point of view, it's a story on the cloud, not a direct, engaging, realistic story. Though therefore regarded as the supreme God and solemnly worshipped, there are not so many human beings who worship everyday, and many are nearer to certain ideals and dream stories, which are not littered with dust and dust.

(Is it also because Lena is wearing Deia by name?

With that in mind, Finn finally realized what he had come so far for. Ha, exhale all the time and shake your head for goodness sake.

(There's no way in the middle of the night, in a temple on a hill, that people would come out in the exact center of a city that's so crappy. Hang on, how long have you been so pitiful)

It's about careless fools, like walking alone in the middle of the night in unscrupulous cities.

While scolding herself, Finn, for once, looked around. After all, there's no such thing as that white light anywhere.

(Let's go home)

Oh, boy, it was when I dropped my shoulder and turned my heel back.

I felt fuzzy signs behind my back, and Finn looked back reflexively from body to body.

"Lena?"

Whisper in a low voice and gaze into the falling shadows of the moonlight. I haven't heard back, but I did see signs. Finn crosses the courtyard with caution and goes behind - walking towards the main hall.

When I put my foot on the stairs of the main hall, the fluttering, warm wind touched my cheeks. When I looked up, Lena was there.

Without a voice, Finn reached out and held Lena. I couldn't get a word out of my chest. Her presence stained her heart stronger than the feeling of her body touching her. No breaking in or disturbing, only keeping Finn's heart at ease, the sunny warmth surrounds him.

Finn was sitting on the stairs when he noticed. Lena leans in, smiling and staring at Finn with her golden eyes.

A serene silence ensued, without the need to dare exchange words. Even in the meantime Finn felt that Lena's presence warmed her heart.

"That's strange."

By the time he finally opened his mouth, Finn was feeling like he was completely better.

"You said you couldn't use your powers, but just being together like this kind of made it a lot easier... Thanks."

"I made a connection. Because I missed you."

Lena's story is as hard to understand as ever. Finn tilted his neck, but at the same time, the “connection” and the blur shook in his mind, telling him what his opponent intended.

Weak and unbinding in any way, but apparently a magical connection between the two will protect and protect each other. As Finn's mood has calmed down, so too is Lena, to the extent that she appears in this way, protected from the dark emotions that gleam in the city.

"I heard you calling."

Lena whispered and gently brought it to Finn's shoulder. I can barely feel the weight.

"So I missed you. But there's so much air in here... I couldn't get out if I didn't. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing wrong with that. I missed you, too."

After saying that, Finn blushed abruptly, realizing that this was kind of like the meeting of lovers sneaking eyes. It seems that the mood has been conveyed, and Lena also blinks her eyes and looks up at Finn like she's bewildered. Weirdly embarrassed each other, they turned a blind eye.

but it didn't last long either and the fins swept up small. It's hilarious to feel such reluctance now, that someone isn't watching you, or doing something you're forbidden to do.

In response to Finn's laughter, Lena's pleasant mood rocks the "connection”. As Finn turned back to Lena, he reached out and gently stroked his opponent's hair.

"Really... the last few days have been tough. Igross is dead, and some of the kids went missing... and the legions I was asking for didn't deal with me. And Nanais..."

That's all I said, and Fufu Finn came up with it and got to the bottom of it.

"Do you have any idea what happened to Nanais? Nellis... you know, I think I get it."

Lena shook her head small, then vaguely looked north.

"I don't see it clearly. But it's definitely getting darker and darker from the north. The lights on people seem to be almost gone."

The tone was so pale that Finn followed and leaked his spicy voice.

"For you, can I do either? It is man who lives on earth, or the beasts of darkness."

I regret it after I say it. The other person is a spirit, and it's more wrong to take it like a human being. At least now you're on Finn and Nellis's side, even though that's all I'm thankful for.

On Lena's face I looked back, there was no expression. I stare at Finn with my golden eyes, as if against a strange creature I see for the first time.

"Finn. We only see human beings and the family of darkness like the rest of the creatures living in the world. There's nothing special about what kind of race is good or bad. It's just that there are people who look so pretty in our eyes, too. I'm attracted to beautiful things, and I like them, and I want to take care of them."

"... oh. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? Finn's nothing wrong."

Lena tilted her neck. I can't get the conversation engaged. Through the connection, she can't seem to understand what it is, even though I'm sure it also conveys Finn's frustration and his backwardness and self-loathing for hitting Lena with it. Finn made me laugh bitterly.

He shook his head as though it was nothing to Lena, who still looked strange, and then Finn asked curiously.

"Do you think the Dark Beast might have a“ pretty ”one?

"As far as I know, though I'm not," Lena glanced far away. "I've heard that before the war, the Dark Families had beautiful things, too.... I'm sorry, not really, because I, in fact, have never seen a lot of humans or Dark Families"

"Hmm...... Really? For us, they're horrible anyway, and it's only a matter of killing or getting killed, but it's different to your eyes again, isn't it? Maybe some of them have changed. Like the guy who didn't eat me."

……

"Outside Winnea, I ran into a guy who seemed to be only going around scouting one. I just got close, and it was like I froze up to my soul, and I couldn't do anything. I thought they'd definitely eat him, but he disappeared without doing anything."

I couldn't even tell the boulder that I felt laughed at. I felt it sounded so ridiculous. Even if the other person is a spirit.

Lena showed herself thinking a lot, but she didn't seem to know why either. In the end, for what I said.

"I'm sure the fins are pretty."

………………

It won't. Whatever it takes.

For the first time in a long time, Finn was about to laze on the stairs. Lena said, "Oh, that?" Taste. "

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's kind of like me, after all this time, can't talk well."

"Fine," Finn laughed and shook his head. "I'm used to it. Plus, there's this“ connection, "so I kind of know how you feel. That's convenient. Isn't this kind of power sealed?"

It was a casual question if you try to fin it, but Lena stifled her face as soon as possible. The warmth that was touching my heart pulls me apart instantly. In a hurry, Finn said he wasn't going to use it, but sooner, again, there were signs of mischief in his mind.

"... just this power. That's all that's left. Because you're gonna need it."

I told her to snap, and Lena got upset. And bite your lips softly. When Finn was surprised by the look she saw for the first time, she meditated,

"But I'm not gonna use it."

I assured myself with a harsh voice, as if to speak to myself or challenge the seal itself. And get up without flutter and sound.

"Good night."

It was a greeting we had exchanged so many times before, but that never sounded so convoluted. When Finn stood up to hold him back, but he didn't look like Lena anymore.

The signs of Lena disappear and Finn shudders unexpectedly feeling the cold of the night breeze.

But there was still some warmth in my heart, faintly sunny.