Four days.
For four days we followed the trail of steel feathers Seraphiniel laid before us.
We know it's a trap, but the thought of finding Chaewon was bait we were willing to bite.
"Where is she leading us?" I asked Sakura around the campfire.
"I don't know. The south is littered with ruins and temples, I can't be exactly sure." She poked the fire with a stick. Yunjin and Kazuha are asleep and it is Sakura's turn for the watch. I was just keeping her company for a while as sleep is still trying to evade me.
"Twenty-four feathers." I said and Sakura winced as if in pain. "Do you think we'll find her at the end of this trail Seraphiniel's taking us?"
"Yes and no." She sighed. "Either way we're gonna get answers."
"What do you mean by yes and no?"
"I meant we might find her, but if Valamar has captured her, she may not be the Chaewon we know anymore." She answered as the shadows in her face twist hauntingly.
I sighed. "Is it really okay?" I began, Sakura tilting her head to me curiously.
"For me to have all of you..." I finished.
Sakura smiled. "You already know the answer to that. Now ask your real question."
My hands crept to the Compass clipped in my belt, still quiet. I could use some advice right now, partner. Even if it's a snarky one, as long as it's not mine. I thought. How tired can one Compass get? I followed my previous thoughts with annoyance.
"Maybe next time, when my mind is clear." I finally said.
"Your heart is clear, love. What more are you looking for?" She asked.
To that I have no answer.
"Why me?" I asked after a few moments.
"What do you mean? Why do we love you?"
"No." I said and took a moment to compose my thoughts. Sakura has become my most trusted confidant during this journey. She is the only one who truly knew the depths of my pain after my memory walk.
Kazuha was the one who grounds me, she gives me reason to keep myself rooted in place whenever I feel like I'm losing myself. Ironic as she is the Angel of Grace and Motion.
And Yunjin, lightens my spirit. The other two are obviously my lovers, but Yunjin, is a friend more than anything. Although I can see that our relationship could transcend friendship, our bond is different. She's the one who lights my path when I feel like I'm wandering in the darkness, even though she has a tendency to wander off herself.
And yet, those do not have anything to do with what I want to ask Sakura at this moment.
"Why was I 'Chosen'?" I finally asked.
"I do not know, Seren. There must be something special with you, you're not the only one who was ever born during an eclipse, yet it was your birth that triggered everything."
"You're the angel of time and memory, why don't you know?"
She smiled gently. "That does not make me omniscient, love. Not even Yadaniel, angel of knowledge, nor Goraliel, angel of destiny, know everything there is to know. But don't tell them that."
I sighed.
"I understand your frustration, love." Sakura said, placing a hand on mine. "But you... we... are already way too deep in this. If you want answers, the only way to have them is to keep moving forward."
I smiled at Sakura. "You always know what to say." I said gently.
"I try my best." She said as she held my gaze and time seemed to slow down.
"Are you doing that on purpose?" I asked.
"What?"
"Slowing down time every time our eyes meet."
She smirked teasingly. "Perhaps."
I chuckled as I rose and leaned in to kiss her lips. "Goodnight, love." I said.
"Goodnight, love." She replied.
And I laid down on the cot outside our tent.
Three more feathers.
Just on the morning of the fifth day alone, we tracked down three more feathers. Yunjin's color has now returned, saying that her ring has now completely purified the Blightflame she absorbed from Ignariel, which Ignariel absorbed from her. "Return of investment", she called it, and I made my decision not to consult her for any financial advice.
This development however, means that she's a little bit more passionate today as she took over scouting duty. "Hey! It was not my fault they were so meticulously hidden!" She said.
"Zuha would have found them if she's the one scouting." Sakura said, making Kazuha chuckle.
"Then why don't you make her scout again, then." She sulks and pouts and it was almost cute. Almost.
"She definitely will." I said. "Have you at least seen anything up there?" I asked in frustration.
"Yeah. A circular ruin of something. We'll reach it before sundown if we keep our pace. Could be a good place to camp."
"We won't camp in landmarks like those Yunjin, they could be beacons pointing to where we are." I said.
"So, shall I fly now?" Kazuha asked behind me.
"Sure, be careful out there, Zuha." She steps out, hovers for a moment, leans in for a kiss—then she's gone.
We dismounted from our wagon a couple of yards away from the ruin. It does indeed look circular with a few pillars still standing, its floor and foundation is cracked from the middle though, like something crawled out of it.
Sakura, Yunjin, and I explored the ruin to ensure it is safe for us to camp close to it.
"Anything, love?" I asked.