Since Anlesa confronted the group of former knights. They hadn’t caused any more trouble and had begun actively working. Doing normal hunting work but making a name for themselves with their guard duty. As expected, they had more experience at human combat and guard duty than the average hunter.
Syrus hadn’t interacted with the group since that day. There were a few moments where eyes met, which quickly caused the other party to look away. For some reason, they were very afraid of Syrus.
It was quite funny for Anlesa when Maca dropped back for a short visit. The group of knights ran into him comically as they tried to leave the Hunter Guild. Where they were abruptly introduced to him by the staff, who informed them that he was the one who normally dealt with trouble markers.
Anlesa wondered if they would’ve preferred him or her to show up that day.
Either way, nearly ten weeks had passed with no trouble. It was a break away from especially chaotic events, which was very much required.
Though the idea of a break was also a difficult one to process.
[We need something to focus on.] (Luna)
[Where did this come from?] (Syrus)
[Just… I don’t feel like we are reaching any of our goals fast enough…] (Luna)
[I… understand the logic…] (Eva)
Luna’s sudden declaration was met with mixed reactions. They all agreed and disagreed.
[Currently, we are doing a lot. It's not as if we have taken a vacation.] (Syrus)
[Fingers in many pies.] Eva paused. [I do agree with Syrus… we have been busy. We have been paying attention to possible leads relating to the church and parents. Taking care of the children's financial situation. Training our abilities. Working on experimental potions. Trying to acquire all information that could be relevant to us. None of these is nothing.]
[They may not be nothing, but for many of them it also feels like we haven’t achieved enough.] Luna’s stance didn’t change. [It feels like we have been slipping.]
The group continued to discuss the topic for a number of hours. It wasn’t something that could be just handwaved away. They cared deeply about each other's opinions, and debating this wasn’t going to cause a fight.
They had done a lot, but what was truly important to them? Anlesa loved the children. Anlesa needed to be healed when injured. Anlesa didn’t want to lose what made the trio them. But were those important to their deeper goals.
The desire to see their parents again… it never faded. They were always on the lookout, but they barely spoke about it. Because it hurts to do so. However, even within their silence, it was still leagues away from their most important goal and had they really achieved any notable step towards it?
Trouble had come for them time and again.
The one possibility led completely to nowhere.
So at the moment, they were where they started.
Having completely no idea where their parents could possibly be, let alone if they were even alive or not.
Finding their parents was still their primary mission. Despite it being the most difficult one to start, continue, and complete.
Revenge on the Aurora Church was secondary. Though every day made this one harder to think about. Every day gifted them with more responsibilities that were in a lot of ways more important than seeking revenge.
The church was doing their best to make sure that hate stayed. Their original wound wasn’t enough. They had to harm people close to them and the new place they were living in. Then they had to target the children. It was almost comical if the pain it brought wasn’t so real.
It was nearly relieving that their most recent problems had nothing to do with the blasted organisation.
[Slipping…?] Eva didn’t like those words, and she ended up going back to them multiple times during their discussion. What did that really mean for them?
…
The worst-case scenario wasn’t that their parents were dead. No. It was that they were still alive, possibly even suffering, and by the time Anlesa found them, they were dead. Being too late, that was the worst outcome.
…
The dark aspects bubbled; would it be worth abandoning all these issues just to focus on their true purpose?
Of course Luna wouldn’t suggest such a thing.
None of them currently would.
But they all had inklings. They were only human.
What they wouldn’t do to truly find them again.
The talk ended up being back and forth, looping in circles, an endless discussion, a mostly nothing conversation.
Night itself was falling.
[So, what should we focus on?] Syrus asked. Putting her foot down to end this discussion for the day and possibly for many weeks more. [Parents, revenge, or maintaining our current life?]
Syrus introduced the options. Putting all cards on the table.
[They are…] (Eva)
[They are what they are. The options we have discussed and had thoughts of.] (Syrus)
[Put into three blunt categories.] (Luna)
[You wanted focus. This is what that would be.] (Syrus)
[...] (Eva)
[...] (Syrus)
[...] (Luna)
Syrus's ultimatum didn’t make any of them happy.
Eva chose to be the first to speak. [Let’s… rest in the third category for a moment. For a few weeks at least.]
[But—] (Luna)
[I’m not finished.] Eva channelled every bit of Syrus energy she could muster. [For this timeframe, we can each focus on whatever we find immediately most important. Whether that is working towards something. Planning revenge. Looking for clues. We will keep it on an individual level for the time being. As we discussed, we cannot afford to just drop everything right at this moment. If we are supposed to do that, we need to make sure everything we care about will be fine. Truly fine and not some fingers crossed and pray.]
[I don’t want to tell Mum and Dad we let the people they watch grow up, the children of their friends die, just because we wanted to find them.] Those words made Eva want to cry. She needed to. The heavy weight was already filling up behind the flesh. The idea of their parents being disappointed in them. The idea of not looking for Jen and George. Both hurt so much.
…
[I agree.] (Syrus)
[Seconded.] (Luna)
The trio completely avoided the topic for the rest of the day. Perhaps some could say nothing really came of it, as from an outside perspective nothing changed for the following days. But the conversation did haunt them.
Why did this life have to be so hard?
Why couldn’t they just see their parents again?
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