#av2

Without him, she was nothing, and that was that.

One fateful day at the Vale, snow fell, and Iya was gone. No one remembered her, not even the mother who bore her into the world. But Ean did. And Ean found her ribbon under a "spare" bed in the room that now belonged to Iya's sister, and Ean sought the Great Oak's help to find his best friend.

In a land of ice, in the realm of man, he found her, and if he hadn't gotten to her in time, she would've become a mere memory.

Without him, she was nothing, even with her newfound powers.

Iya was now stronger, but still not strong enough. Her memories were scattered, and though she smiled at him, he saw the questions in her eyes. Parts of her soul scattered in the realm of man, far into lands unknown, in places only the world's goddess knows. And if they found all of her soul, she could use her powers and they could go back home, with the Great Oak's help once more.

Iya didn't know what she could do yet, and frankly, Earn didn't know why he was suddenly fond of using claws to hack away at the enemy, why he resisted transfigurative hexes, or why he had to play messenger to a human prince. But he had to keep drawing blood if he wanted Iya to be safe. He had to keep alternating between the forms of strange beasts and his own if he wanted her to survive lengthy battles with the unknowns. He had to keep going along with human customs if he wanted access to where pieces of her soul might be.

He chose to suffer for her sake, for who else in the world cared about Iya more than him? And through him, she will be whole again.

Without him, she was nothing, for without him, this journey would've never been.

But Ean couldn't understand it. Iya didn't want to go back home. She had her powers now, and yet the thought of home pained her. The Snow Queen was a cruel liar, but to Iya she was the only loving mother she'd known.

Ean didn't understand the beauty of the realm of man, either. Iya spoke of kingdoms, of many cultures and many technologies that did not exist in the Vale. To him, they were nothing more than stories. If the Vale needed it, the Vale would've adopted it. But to her, it was profound. Her mind always drifted towards the various towns, cities, and kingdoms, the mortal societies man had built of their own hands. Had she perhaps began to think like man?

And when Ean asked the nymph of wisdom, all she could say was:

"Of course. Your friend's soul has mixed with the essence of this realm. Therefore, this place, too, is a part of her."

He watched her powers grow, and soon Iya would turn down his companionship. She drew away from him, kept her distance and gazed upon the mortals whose lives she would eclipse. She would grow frustrated at being helped, slap his hands away and yell at him, even though she would apologize afterwards and they'd make up.

She was no longer nothing - a fact that should be celebrated - and yet, Ean felt hollow.

Oh, how Ean felt hollow when her powers grew stronger than his own newfound skills were. How bitter it was on the tongue to congratulate her for each accomplishment. How odd!

Because the truth was, without her, he was nothing.

He was just a simple elf at the Vale, with no powers of his own, and nothing special about him. He wasn't that strong, he wasn't that attractive; he was just simply Ean, who people talked to if they wanted something from him, who talked to others only if he wanted something from them. He had the special task of entertaining Iya, the local nuisance, and now that she was no longer a nuisance, he was nothing.

Without her, he never would've come to the realm of man, never would've picked up dangerous weapons and charms. He would've never felt power course through his body or discover he was a suitable vessel for the arcane, and he would've never had the once-in-the-lifetime chance of being a prince's messenger and spy, who with his fingertips could play the world by his tunes, and yet he chose to help the world anyway, because then he would be praised for his work.

And with the Snow Queen defeated, with the goddess having confiscated his transfigurines, with their companions having their own plans and dreams to aspire towards, Ean was in danger of fading back into the background.

It didn't help that Iya wanted to stay in the human realm. She had no place back home, even if they do remember her. She would fondly thank them for chasing her away, and now she was someone nations acknowledged. These mortals whose lives only lasted for a fraction of theirs called her their princess, their savior, their heroine.

And no matter how much Ean begged her to come with, she refused.

"I will open the entrance to our realm, but no more than that. Forgive me, Ean, but this is where I belong. Thank you for being with me all this time."

And when the Great Oak forever turned deaf on him, the Vale treated him as no more than dust, and Ean awoke to the reality:

Iya found the calmness of the waves to contrast strongly with the tumultuous weather that overtook the continent. It wasn't just the dark icy clouds, but also the atmosphere among the peoples of the Mainland. So many of them cursed the princess of Shaenlir – herself – whose disappearance incited the Snow Queen’s wrath. Mentions of her title made her shiver, and she was only too glad to be far from the Sultan of Seri and his barrage of insults.

"It's nice to be out here."

The man beside her said. Iya smiled.

"I agree."

She took a deep breath, before facing the green-eyed healer whose presence filled her heart with joy.

"Nicolas."

His braided hair swished about as he met her gaze. “How’ve you been, Princess?”

“Much better, my Prince.”

They chuckled.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this situation,” Iya said, “I wish things could’ve been easier.”

“Then we should make things work, don’t we? You can’t hide forever, after all.”

Iya closed her eyes and nodded. “…and I can’t keep running away, either.”

Because of her, people were hurting and suffering. While they played family for a mere while, the Snow Queen was more of a mother than her own womb-origin. The powerful woman once welcomed Iya with loving hands, listened to her sighs with abundant compassion, and remembered all her likes and dislikes.

Recovering pieces of her shattered soul was tiresome. Mobilizing a resistance army against Shaenlir was horrifying. But, accepting the cruelty of the gentle warmth she found in the icy kingdom she once called home? That had been the most grueling task of all.

A big, warm hand covered hers, and Iya found Nicolas’ eyes filled with concern.

“…I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

Nicolas shook his head. “My brother always tells me, there are wounds only time will heal. I think that’s unfair. I don’t like seeing the people I care about suffer.”

“I see his perspective, but I agree more with yours. There must be something we can do. I’m still the Princess of Shaenlir, after all. I don’t want to hurt my people. I don’t want to, to impose justice on…” Iya bit her lips, hesitating. “…on the Snow Queen. I don’t want to leave them up to Fate, but I don’t know what to do.”

“I think you can always go back. You are the Princess of Shaenlir. That hasn’t changed.”

“You think they’d want me back?”

Nicolas nodded, and Iya squeezed his hand.

“I can’t do this alone. I know the way royalty works. I need allies – strong ones. Princess Ella is quite sympathetic to our cause, but I don’t think she and I could stand head-to-head with the Sultan of Seri, should he have, um, certain concerns.”

“What about Thais?”

That was a surprise. Thais was a fort city with a strong and healthy military force. Nicolas never knew much of it, but his lineage traced back to its throne. While it hadn’t been a kingdom for a while, but if Nicolas or his brother were to present them the sigma ring…

“You speak as if you are a prince of Thais.”

Nicolas chuckled. “I could be.”

“You could be.”

It would be nice. To start with, he had the appearance of one. His long face had a proud, straight nose. He kept his hair neat in a braid, and he stood confidently in his tall body and his long limbs. Had it not been for the faded cloth over his physique or the cracked orb that hung from his neck, people might’ve noticed his regal features and mistaken him for a monarch.

The only problem was that he had reservations about reclaiming his birthright in Thais. Nicolas came from the small and unassuming continent of Fiortise, after all. He only agreed to be their healer in exchange for financial aid for his town.

“It’d be nice if you could be a prince. You care. You listen. You’d be a great leader.”

“Not as great as Uthar, I think.”

The mention of his brother made Iya frown. “You don’t have to do it alone.”

“That’s true. In their prime, Great Grandma and Great Grandpa were co-leaders to their own merry troupe. Their strengths and flaws complemented each other quite well. But where am I supposed to find a trustworthy partner?”

Iya pondered if she had simply mistaken the meaning in Nicolas’ words. His eyes never left hers, and her heart thrummed in her chest. She could take it as a mere jest, but she could indeed interpret it as a favorable coincidence. Perhaps he, too, enjoyed her presence and thought of her as a delight to his heart.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a voice in the distance distracted her.

“IYA!”

Ean called. The atmosphere between her and Nicolas suddenly dissipated. He let her hand go and took a few steps back.

"It seems like I took up too much of your time." Nicolas turned his gaze back to the sea once more. "I'd be delighted to hear your thoughts again later."

"…later…"

Ean yelled once more.

Iya could give Nicolas her thoughts later. There are wounds only time could heal, after all. The path to recovery, however, could afford a few slivers of hope and happiness here and there – such as right now.

She grabbed his hand and held her breath, suddenly unsure of what she wanted to do, how she wanted to tell him of a plausible and obvious answer to his previous question. Their gazes once again locked, the splash of the waves accentuated the pause, and when she knew it, Nicolas had a handful of her hair in his fingers, his other arm around her waist, and his lips over hers.

Iya trembled. It must be shock. Or disbelief. Or joy. He was strong – had he been hiding that under his rags? He was, he was kissing her!

She wriggled her arms, maneuvering them through his firm embrace to hold his face. This was real. The scent of herbs and the earth that clung to him eased her into the reality of this gesture. She closed her eyes to enjoy its sweetness. She sighed and she whimpered; she could fall to her knees in the languor of this intimacy.

They parted with red faces and heavy breaths. The excitement made Iya dizzy, and she would love to make the moment last longer, to be even closer to this very man who could be her prince.

Ean’s shouting once again echoed.

Nicolas slid his hands away, his fingers brushing over her skin, and he once again found the ocean a more interesting sight. He tucked his braids over his shoulder, hiding his flushed cheeks from her.  

"You should go. We can always continue this later… my Princess."

Overjoyed to even answer, Iya simply nodded. She walked away, slapping her face and taking many deep breaths. She couldn't be happier.

When Ean found her, he noticed how flushed she was and prodded into how she managed to get herself in such a state. She assured him it was nothing, and while he remained suspicious, he thankfully decided to ignore it. He led her to Ava, intending to discuss their plans moving forward, but Iya's mind found its way back to Nicolas.

Like they spoke of, no one had to be alone. Iya could face the Snow Queen with her allies. There still existed those who would listen to her and help her. She would find them in time and she would bring peace and justice back to Shaenlir.

Ean

He's just a Regular Guy TM in the Vale. He's had a pretty average life with the simple dream of carrying on everyday with his loved ones and watching them succeed with their own things.

Sometimes, he cares too much, and that's a problem.

He's not afraid to speak his mind, call people out, and demand responsibility from others. He also regularly establishes boundaries when he can. He's willing to back off in the face of a perceived bigger threat, but tries to find loopholes to get his desired outcome.

On that note, Ean could bottle up his rage and frustrations pretty well. He can summon them again in battle and can be scary when he needs to be.

As an elf from the Vale, he probably gets Problem Sense Tingles a la Spidey Sense whenever something in the Land of Man doesn't feel right.

He's a little shy with his romantic feelings for Iya.

He is very nurturing. He tries so hard to understand his party members, but majority of his focus is on Iya.

Among the party members, Rye is his best buddy and also serves as his teacher in battle.

He lets Ava take lead sometimes, and he is very accommodating to everyone else who offers to join them in his quest.

Iya

As someone who was born with potential and raised with praises, all she wants is validation, acceptance, and assurance. She likes doing things for others, if it will make them like her.

Her memories as old Iya are still fuzzy, partly from having her soul ripped apart, partly from being treated poorly by her family.

Song magic does rely on her voice, so she developed the habit of not saying much, until her anxiety gets the better of her.

She often sticks to Ean's side and opinions since she feels the safest next to him. She acts cutesy with him to win his affections and attention. She's always had a crush on him, though prior to her kidnapping she was too focused on pleasing her family to ever act on her feelings.

Thanks to her time in Shaenlir, she has quickly mastered the diplomatic smile. She is also very mindful of rules and would not like to break them or even go around them.

She's not as fond of anyone else in the party, but she's willing to be civil since that's what Ean wants. Emma and Gavin in particular make her a bit uncomfortable.

Rye

There's a specific type of girl he hates and it's the ones who dream of rose-colored lives with rich men saving them from a life of cold, hard manual labor. (He's good with women who he considers are rough and tough, like Emma and Ava.) This is heavily influenced by local girls, especially his older sisters.

He knows he's not as smart and he's insecure about it.

He likes to talk. A lot. He needs to spend energy talking or he'll end up very annoyed and unwilling to cooperate.

As a hunter and a farmer, he is the brawn of the party. He also serves as their cook and initially carried most of their stuff.

He utterly hates Iya and her perceived vulnerability and dependence on Ean.

He thinks what he feels for Emma is something akin to romance, because he genuinely wants to support a hardworking person like her (and Ean).

He respects Ava and Gavin as established people in their respective fields, but hates and envies Nicolas for being so privileged.

Though initially wary of Jack, they vibe together so Rye is willing to overlook the whole criminal thing.

Emma

Having grown in a kingdom obsessed with romantic love, she swore to stand out and be not like other girls for real. She delights in gross and ugly things mostly to make people leave her alone.

That said, she hates being bossed around. She will use the volume of her voice and change her posture to appear bigger.

Whatever she puts her mind to, she is good at it. The only things she would avoid delving in are romantic relationships and kids.

She wasn't too fortunate as a young girl, so as an adult, she promised to always get what she wants.

She isn't romantically interested in Rye, but she thinks he's twice as better as the other available candidates for a spouse since he has similar views on romance and wouldn't be a nuisance about it.

To deal with Nicolas, she plays dumb about his requests so he'd think she's too incompetent to be bossed around.

She likes having Ean as a leader since he allows her to do whatever as long as she's done with her part of the thing. She's less enthused with Ava around since she finds Ava a bit strict for her taste.

She likes to hang with Gavin because he's cool and they have the best banter together (after Rye).

She also likes to bully Iya a bit, because she thinks Iya should grow a spine.

As an occasional thief and mischief maker, she respects Jack's hustle; even asks him for his tips and tricks.

Nicolas

His mother is his father's second wife, thus the big age gap between him and Uthar. He was essentially a rainbow baby so Guevene spoiled him a lot.

The Uthar he met is more prim and proper, a dependable guy with a knack for pranks and fun times. He looks up to his brother and considers Uthar's word as law, so Nicolas will do the dirty work if Uthar tells him so.

Hard pass if it means he has to listen to someone else, though. He will do things when he feels like doing it.

He loves to be pampered. He feels entitled to other people's service. He does not care if they like him or hate him, as long as it does not inconvenience him.

He is very untrustworthy towards people who do not look attractive or "clean" to him, like the witches. He was taught that all these kinds of people would take advantage of him.

He initially only likes Iya among the party members because she knows how to act like a proper lady. He doesn't know she doesn't exactly like him.

He initially doesn't respect Ava and doesn't believe Uthar is friends with her.

He doubts Ean's leadership, but as long as Nicolas fulfills Uthar's request of him, he will see the end of the quest.

Ava

Her real name is Evangeline Harper. She became an outlaw because she hated her origin country's government. She eventually snuck out to sea, made her own name from befriending other runaways, and established her own crew. They use seemingly derogatory codenames to appear unserious and unalarming.

Her ship is called "Freowright". She got stuck in Seri for a bit after the Snow Queen deployed soldiers in the mainland; now Ava has two ships. The other ship, built during the resistance against the Snow Queen, she's nicknamed "The Commissioner".

Ava grew on tough love and thus shows it as well to put people in place. As both a disciplinarian, the oldest, and the most experienced of the party, Ean assigned her as second-in-command.

Unlike Ean who's happy enough to have everyone help in battle or solve mysteries with him, she sees to it that everyone does their share of the work before slacking off.

Ava once wanted to settle down, but things didn't work out. Eventually she started pushing away other potential partners in fear of having to deal with heartbreak again. It doesn't help that she willingly stripped herself of her personal sense of femininity in an effort to look powerful when she was starting out.

She doesn't like to tell her personal stories to everyone, but when she does, it's a sign that the person she's telling it to has earned her trust. The only exception is Iya, who needs much guidance as an amnesiac and lost dreamer.

Gavin

As someone who grew up in a matriarchal society, he unabashedly calls women pet names the way a clique of girls do.

His upbringing doesn't prevent him from trying to actually flirt with girls. He loves women and the company of women. And it doesn't help that he's been so used to the attention of women as a warlock who grew up surrounded by them.

He is essentially a communist who's against excessive hoarding of wealth and thus abhors nobility and royalty alike. He immediately signs up to be the party's provisions manager.

Since he's a warlock, he doesn't really see "ugliness" as an insult. It's part of the charm.

Iya is among the girls he's backed away from, mostly because she and Ean hover around each other too much. Gavin's charms did at one point work on Emma, but they decided that being friends who occasionally "flirt" was way better.

He actually wasn't as romantically interested in Ava, but his witch's nature demand that he annoy her for a bit. When Gavin notices she responds quite favorably with very feminine nicknames and monikers, this interests him because it creates a contrast from the image she portrays. It's this part of her that he likes to try and bring out more.

Jack

He tries not to get too close to anyone because as a criminal, most of his bonds are very shaky and temporary.

He's quite lazy and would rather spend time having fun with friends and what money he has in his pockets.

He has a lot of comments about how to do things. Too bad a lot of them is also outdated.

He likes to get on people's nerves to see how much he could get away with. Only Rye and Emma have "passed" this test. Jack has also learned not to cross Ean too much because Ean's wrath is something else, and that Ava hates hearing her name being lengthened, but won't try to do anything against him for it.