You know, Roaj was my leading Commander, and in my story Roaj took up Aurene and Lyikera and became their mentor.
Roaj was a very gung-ho Commander, they seemed fearless in the face of adversary, and that was something both Aurene and Lyikera admired and wanted to emulate in their young lives.
It was that very admiration that led Aurene to barrel through the Mists to reach Roaj when Balthazar ambushed him and Lyikera. And what led to Aurene's capture and Roaj's untimely death.
Roaj left behind a legacy of being a strong leader, to protect those who cannot fight, to face danger without falter in order to save lives. In the beginning, both Aurene and Lyikera tried to live up to that example, overexerting themselves, trying to ignore their anxieties and trauma, esp while Kralkatorrik was hunting them down.
And for a while, Lyikera felt guilty for not being able to save her mentor, and instead, while gravely wounded, Roaj saved her by ordering his giant Moa to take her far away from the battle. She had constantly beat herself up over the fact she wasn't strong enough, despite the fact she and Aurene were literally birthed into the world not too long ago. No one blamed her for Roaj's death, but she blamed herself.
It wouldn't be until she and Aurene had a proper talk with their parental guardian, Aurenthir, and go through Glint's trial would they both learn to take a deep breath and do what needed to be done.
