Good for them.
“Should I ask how you did it?” I raise one brow.
Sora smiles, looking as happy as the two of them. “She’s an incredible thief. I bet they never saw her coming.”
Aeri grins back at her. “Thanks…but, um, we did get caught.”
Euyn and I exchange looks. If they were caught by an amarth, I don’t know how they’re standing here. Royo could take one down with an axe, but from my understanding there are a hundred in the mountains. They should’ve been torn apart.
“One swooped down and talked to us,” Royo says with a shrug.
The room is silent.
“Itspoketo you?” Euyn asks.
He nods. “It was the weirdest shit ever.”
“How did you survive that?” Sora asks.
“Because Aeri was kind to an owl,” Royo says. He looks over at Aeri, admiring her.
Gambria stares as if she isn’t translating the words properly. Sora’s mouth breaks out into a true smile.
“Dia!” she exclaims.
And now I’m not sure I’m translating this, either. What are they talking about?
“The creature liked that I helped an orphaned owl,” Aeri explains. “I think that’s why we were allowed to take the abandoned egg.”
Sora nods, seemingly thrilled that someone’s kindness was rewarded. Gambria and Euyn look confused at best. Royo, however, stares at Aeri as if she hangs the monsoon moon.
“Anyhow, the birds can talk, and I think… Well, the thing is…they can predict the future,” Aeri says.
All of us stare, absorbing the information with varying levels of skepticism.
“What makes you say that?” Euyn’s tone makes it clear he doesn’t believe her at all.
“The bird thing said all of us were on a fool’s errand,” Royo says. “It knew Quilimar can’t wield the ring, and it said that a war of the realms is coming.”
His words are a bolt through the room. All I can see is the wordwarthat I decoded. But a war of the realms is much more than Yusan marching on Khitan.
From the look in Gambria’s eyes, she knows exactly what it means. Euyn pulls at his beard and adjusts his bandage. Sora looks uncertain.
“What did the amarth say exactly?” I ask Aeri. “Word for word.”
I silently pray that Royo is just misspeaking.
“He said a war of the realms and the rot of death were coming,” Aeri says. “And that we have our roles to play as fools try to be gods. Also, that I’d have to choose between love. I’m not sure what he meant by the last part—neither of us are.”
“Gods on High.” Euyn raises a shaky hand to his brow. He’s broken out into a cold sweat, and I feel the same, even though I don’t show my reaction.
Aeri looks around. “What? Isn’t that a good thing? It means we will succeed in starting a war with Yusan, right?”
I wish it did.
I draw a breath. “A war of the realms means all four original realms at war. In this case, Yusan, Gaya, and Wei would all attack Khitan at once.”
The room is silent. No one moves.
