Aria had never felt so rebuked by a hume… a human before.

  She sat in her tent, one given to her by Zareb Barus, alone. It seemed another jab, yet another fracture to her worldview that she rested in something gifted to her by a human. Her mother had warned her that the world was not so black and white as she’d made it out to be. Foolishly, she hadn’t listened. Now she was paying for it by having every preconception she’d had of the ashborn shattered one after another.

  And the Champion, Galen Daxton, was the biggest shock of them all.

  She thought she’d already confronted the fact that he was completely unlike what she’d been expecting the Champion to be. However, she now knew she’d been in denial over it. A part of her, she realized, had WANTED for him to be the living incarnation of humanity’s vices.

  Because that would have affirmed her worldview.

  And that would have made it so easy to hate him.

  Yet now, looking back on every one of the Champion’s actions since she’d met him, she had to admit he’d done nothing but aid her. Looking at each case individually, it had only made her more suspicious of him. However, looking at the whole picture, it was becoming increasingly clear that he was genuine in his desire to help her.

  The realization made the guilt so much worse.

  “I’m not asking you to change your views on humans overnight, lass,” Zareb had said, “but I will ask you to not lump us all in the same group. We’re not all as bad as you think. Some are, yes. Perhaps even worse. But wickedness is inherent in us all, regardless of race.”

  “…the world isn’t nearly as black and white as you’re making it out to be,” Anila, her mother, had said, “as difficult as it may be to believe, there are some humans who are actually good people. And though I love our kin, even among the elves there are those who commit acts of evil. Wickedness is inherent in us all, regardless of race.”

  Recalling her mother’s words tore Aria up on the inside. Both from guilt over her recent behavior, and from the grief being rekindled from being reminded of her.

  How would Anila feel if she’d seen her acting as she had towards Daxton and Zareb?

  She’d be disappointed in me… Aria thought with certainty, hugging herself, so disappointed…

  She sniffled, and was surprised to find her eyes welling up. She shook her head, and rubbed the tears from her eyes. She shot to her feet, and stormed out of her tent.

  ***

  “She’ll come around, boss!” Redian spoke in Galen’s mind as he lay on his side in his own tent, “I’m sure of it.”

  Galen had made a beeline for his tent after his argument with Tufani. He’d essentially been sulking since, and had only reopened his mental connection to Redian to distract himself by catching the sword up to speed on all that had occurred.

  After confirming he and Redian were on the same page with everything, the Sentient Weapon, sensing his distress from what happened with Tufani, tried to console him.

  And how do you know? he thought back to the sword.

  “Because I’ve seen her type before, boss! She’s the prideful type, you see. Based on the info I have stored, elves tend to be like that. But she’s particularly so!”

  Galen frowned, Doesn’t that mean that she WON’T come around? If she’s really that prideful, then won’t that keep her from making amends?

  “That’s the thing, boss,” Redian explained as if he were unveiling some grand secret to him, “there are TWO types of prideful people. There’s the type that refuses to ever admit they’re wrong, even when it’s PAINFULLY obvious they are. These are the stupid kind. Then there’s the type whose pride doesn’t allow them to NOT admit fault when they know for certain that the blame lies with them.”

  And you think Tufani is the second type?

  “I don’t think, I know!” Redian proclaimed confidently.

  What makes you so certain?

  “Calculations based off prior experiences.”

  He raised a brow at that, I have a hard time believing your calculations will prove accur-

  He heard a gentle tap on the tent’s fabric.

  He frowned as he sat up and turned to face the entrance. He tried to ignore Redian’s poor attempts to stifle his snickering in his mind.

  There’s no way… is there?

  “Hello?” a familiar voice called out, “are you there, Champion?”

  Galen’s breath hitched. That voice belonged to Tufani.

  No way… he thought, his gaze flashing to Redian, who rested in the corner in his sheath.

  He could practically FEEL the sword wiggling its non-existent eyebrows at him in his mind.

  He cleared his throat, and called out, “Yes, I’m here.”

  A moment passed before he heard her voice again, “May… may I come in?”

  Galen took a deep breath, shooting one final glance Redian’s way before he answered, “You may.”

  The tent flaps moved aside as Tufani walked in, still wearing the same clothes she’d worn after getting cleaned up by Lusha. She held her arm with her other hand, and looked pointedly at the ground. Once she was in front of him, she shuffled on her feet uncertainly.

  He blinked. Then, realizing she was likely waiting for an invitation to sit, gestured for her to do so. She sat on her knees in front of him, and the two sat there for an awkwardly long moment in tense silence.

  Galen swallowed nervously, Should… should I say something? WHAT do I even say?

  It was so damned awkward talking to someone after you’d had an intense argument with them!

  Thankfully, Tufani broke the silence first. Her voice started strong, but gradually weakened with each word, “I… I came to… apologize.”

  He raised his brows high, extremely surprised at this turn of events. He could feel the smugness Redian was emitting in his mind. The Sentient Weapon didn’t seem to have plans to let this go anytime soon.

  “Okay…” was all he said to her as he waited.

  Tufani scowled, though for once, it didn’t seem directed at him. Rather, it seemed she was frustrated with herself. She opened her mouth and closed it repeatedly, trying to get the words out. She was clearly struggling, but the mere fact she was even making the effort to apologize to him in spite of her negative views of humans… well, strangely he felt endeared by it.

  She took a deep breath. Then another. Finally, she managed, “I’m… sorry for how I’ve been treating you. After some self reflection, I’ve come to realize that I’ve been very unfair towards you.”

  “Let’s not forget hostile.”

  She nodded, her shoulders slumping.

  “But,” he added, “I can see why you acted as you did. Even if I disapprove. Have you considered my request?”

  Tufani was silent for a moment before responding, “I… I have. Is that truly all you wish of me? In return for all that you’ve done?”

  Galen nodded to her, smiling, “It might not seem like much to you, but it would mean a lot to me, personally.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?” he echoed with a raised brow, “I’m pretty sure anyone would like to be treated civilly.”

  Tufani shook her head, “No, why does this mean a lot to you?”

  He faltered in his response. Why was he so adamant about this? Was it because he wanted to show Tufani that not all humans were as bad as the ones she’d had to deal with during her enslavement? Was it because he personally wanted to get to know her better and grow closer with her?

  Stolen novel; please report.

  He flushed at the thought, but managed to keep his cool for the most part as he answered her, “Well… discriminating against another, particularly for something that is out of that person’s control… well, that bothers me. It… it’s been rather jarring being in Avani and seeing so much of that sort of behavior. And far worse than what I’ve ever seen in my world.”

  He rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner, “And I suppose I wanted to show you some of humanity’s better sides through my own behavior. Considering you seem to have been exposed to only the worst of it and all.”

  Galen’s blush returned as he added, “Also… I… I want to get know you better. And, if possible, become friends… I guess…”

  That last part seemed to render Tufani speechless. For some reason, her gaze flickered towards her own hands.

  “I… that’s… surprising…” she stammered, looking flustered for the first time since he’d met her.

  Cute… he mentally noted, though he was quick to swat the thought aside.

  “You really are nothing like I imagined you would be,” Tufani admitted with a sigh.

  “On that front, I can’t blame you,” Galen chuckled, “I was to be the Champion of your sworn enemies. Given your views on humans, it’s not surprising to hear you say that. I hope you’ve been pleasantly surprised?”

  She was silent for a moment before she responded, “I suppose I have. For now, at least.”

  “I’ll take it!” Galen beamed before leaning forward, “so? Water under the bridge?”

  Tufani frowned, “There is no bridge around here. And why would it matter if water is under it?”

  He clicked his tongue in annoyance, “I guess that saying doesn’t translate well in Durainese. How about we let bygones be bygones?”

  She only tilted her head in confusion.

  “Really?! That one doesn’t translate well either, huh?” Galen crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought.

  Redian? He called to his sword, mind helping me out here?

  “Oooo! I got a good one, boss! This ought to go over well with her. Try this one,” Redian then told him the saying.

  Galen frowned, but he nonetheless decided to try it, “The breeze of the past has blown away?”

  Tufani perked up, eyes widening, “Where did you hear that saying?!”

  “Uh, I um…” he stammered, nervous that he’d ticked her off again, “Redian, my sword, told me to say that to convey what I was trying to earlier.”

  She frowned, though she thankfully seemed more thoughtful than upset, “I question how that sword of yours would know that.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a saying among my people. An elvish phrase. It’s used to refer to events of the past and how they are consequently no longer to be regarded as a source of concern,” she explained.

  “Essentially, it’s meant to convey forgiveness between two or more parties, right?”

  Tufani nodded.

  “Well, that’s what I was trying to convey earlier,” Galen explained.

  “That was a strange way of going about it.”

  “Hey now!” he snickered, “though, I guess it makes sense that some sayings from my world wouldn’t translate well here. So? Shall we let the breeze of the past blow away?”

  Tufani hesitated for only a moment before she gave him a smile, “I would like nothing more. I will try, at least, to do so.”

  It was only a small smile that graced her lips, yet it made his heart skip a beat nonetheless. It made him want to see her smile more, to give her a reason to do so more often.

  He flushed, and tried to change the subject, “It’s fascinating how your people have their own phrases to convey things. Just like how my world did.”

  He leaned forward, interest peaked, “Are there any others you can tell me about?”

  “Why the sudden interest?”

  “I love learning about other cultures!” he admitted, “and being in another world altogether… well, there’s a lot to learn.”

  She met his eyes, and seemed to be weighing his sincerity. He must have passed muster, for she began to explain, “Well, a popular saying among my people is-”

  Tufani said the rest in an unfamiliar language.

  Galen’s eyes widened at hearing her speak the strange tongue.

  Was that… he wondered.

  “Though, in Durainese, it translates to ‘don’t mourn the passing of a zephyr’. It basically means to not worry about events that have already passed and cannot be changed,” Tufani finished explaining in Durainese.

  “Ah, so it means the same thing as ‘don’t cry over spilled milk’,” Galen realized.

  Tufani raised a brow, “Why would someone cry over milk? That’s strange.”

  “Hey, from my perspective, your saying is the strange one,” he teased.

  She gave him a flat look, and he snickered in response, “Now, now. Don’t get testy! It’s a beautiful saying, in all honesty.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah! I mean, it sounds better than my world’s saying!”

  He then leaned forward again in excitement. It made Tufani lean back a bit, surprised by his sudden motion.

  “Hey!” he began excitedly, “earlier you spoke a different language, right?!”

  “Y-yes, I did,” Tufani confirmed, a drop of sweat falling beside her face as she gave him a look of confusion.

  “What was that language?” he asked, stars all but brimming in his eyes, “was that-”

  “It was Elvish, the ancestral tongue of my people and official language of Vindanna,” she explained.

  Galen laughed, “No way! It’s actually called Elvish?!”

  “Yes… why are you reacting like this?” poor Tufani seemed more confused than ever.

  Rather than explain that, he asked her, “Can you speak it some more? I’d love to hear it!”

  Her eyes widened with alarm, “You can understand it?!”

  “No!” he said excitedly.

  “...hah?” Tufani tilted her head, completely unsure how to react.

  “I may not be able to understand it, but I do want to hear it some more. Please?” he asked, hands clasped together in front of him in a pleading manner.

  “I… um… I suppose,” she answered hesitantly.

  She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head as she switched to speaking in Elvish, her tone sounding exasperated.

  When she finished and reopened her eyes, Galen gestured for her to keep going.

  She furrowed her brows as she said a couple more things he couldn’t make sense of. In spite of his complete lack of understanding of the foreign language, he did his best to listen.

  The language sounded… eloquent. It also carried of sense of… nobility? Or was it the fact that it was Tufani’s beautiful, melodic voice speaking the language, giving it those feelings?

  His revelry was ruined when he heard Redian snickering in his mind.

  What’s up with you? Galen asked.

  “Oh nothing~” Redian answered in a way that warned him that it was most certainly not nothing.

  “Well?” Tufani asked, switching back to Durainese, “will that suffice?”

  “Ah,” Galen’s focus turned away from the sword and back to her, “yes! Sorry for my weird request.”

  “It was certainly strange,” she affirmed, “why ask it?”

  “I simply wanted to hear your ancestral language,” Galen admitted with a sheepish smile, “I might not have understood a word, but it sounded very eloquent and… well beautiful.”

  Tufani’s eyes widened with surprise, perhaps noting his sincerity. She actually flushed as well as she responded, “I see…”

  “Thank you for humoring me.”

  Galen yawned, suddenly feeling tired.

  It had been a rather long day filled with surprising revelations. His mind was pooped.

  “Man, there’s so much more I want to ask you about your people and culture, but I guess it can wait,” he said with a melancholic tone, though he was quick to add, “ah! Only if you don’t mind my asking about them, of course.”

  “I suppose I don’t,” Tufani said before yawning herself, confirming to Galen that yawns were contagious, even in this world.

  He could help but smile at seeing her yawn. She had a rather cute way of doing it, at least, to him. Almost like a kitten. A very dangerous one, but a kitten nonetheless.

  “I should get going,” Tufani noted, “we both need rest. And after today’s events? I can’t say I blame us.”

  She stood, and Galen followed after to see her out.

  “So, just to confirm…” he began.

  Tufani gave him a smile, as if knowing what he’d been about to ask and said, “Yes, let us allow the breeze of the past to blow away.”

  After she left his tent, Galen turned back with a satisfied grin.

  His uplifted mood was briefly soured by Redian’s snickering returning to his mind.

  Hush you! Galen admonished.

  “No, I don’t think I will,” Redian responded.

  He frowned at the sword, Did… did you just respond with a meme?

  “Ah, you caught that, boss?!”

  Galen groaned, When did you learn about memes?!

  “A while ago. What did you think I was doing while you were spending all that time talking with the Rebellion?! I have to say, your world is REALLY weird. But these ‘memes’ are a good kind of strange!”

  Great, you and memes are like gas to a fire. This is gonna-

  “Be great?” Redian offered.

  Try awful, he corrected.

  “Hey, look on the bright side, boss! You got to make up with that elf, Tufani. And I’d say you two have grown… closer…”

  Hey! Why did you emphasize the word ‘closer’ just now?! Galen demanded with a rising blush.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about, boss,” Redian said as he began whistling of all things in his mind, “on another note! Was I right about my prediction about Tufani? Or was I RIGHT?!”

  Galen shut the mental connection.

  He wasn’t about to let the sword ruin his good mood.

  For now, he’d bask in the relief that he and Tufani had managed to patch things up.

  Hopefully things would continue to get better between them.

  Hopefully…

  A huge thank you and special shoutout to my Lore Master tier Patrons, Mountain Knight, Conman2731, ThoMiCroN, and MCE 2 München 2. Your support is sincerely and greatly appreciated.

  https://www.patreon.com/GenZVall2025