Caregivers Clan: 1

The three empyrians followed The Governess away from Shira and her fanatical clan. At first, they silently followed the haedian, but it didn’t take long before the three started to whisper to themselves.

“Can you believe we’re almost done with this mission?” Griffith whispered. 

“I know, it’s hard to believe this is the last clan,” Aule replied quietly. 

The last clan. Oeric could hardly believe they were almost finished. He was excited to see the sky again, tired of all the caves no matter how beautiful and spacious some were. To him, nothing compared to the sky. 

“Through here,” The Governess cut off any further conversation as she gestured at a door, “You’ll find the Handmaids, they will guide you towards the last task.”

The three empyrians nodded and carefully made their way through the crystal archways. 

In the next room, they were greeted by a group of Haedians adorned in crystals and thin fabrics. These Haedians made no move to introduce themselves, they only turned and began moving further down the tunnel. The three friends looked at each other before they quickly followed after them. 

Another short walk passed and the group filed into a large cavern completely covered in shimmering crystals. The walls were just as reflecting and sparkling as the pool the three empyrians spotted in the center of the room. They took a moment to marvel at the glittered walls and water before they turned to the Handmaids for some direction. 

When nothing came from the haedians, Aule prompted, “What do we do now?”

“Reflect,” One of the Handmaids replied with a gentle voice. 

“Uh, that’s pretty vague,” Oeric added. 

“Enter the water, float,” The haedian expanded, but just barely. 

“Okay,” Oeric responded with mild sarcasm. 

The three empyrians turned towards the water. They stood side by side, thinking about how easy the task was. 

“Who wants to go first?” Griffith asked quietly. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Oeric shrugged, “We all have to go in.”

Aule nodded but didn’t add a comment. He slowly stepped into the pool, letting the water seep into his thick fur until he could feel the temperature of the water. 

“How’s the water?” Oeric joked. 

“It’s refreshing,” Aule calmly replied. 

Aule was tall enough that the depth of the pool wasn’t an issue. He could step on the bottom until he was up to his shoulders in the water. At this depth, he kicked his feet off the bottom to settle on his back. His heavy fur made it difficult to float, but with his magic, he was able to stabilize himself. He let himself relax as he stared at the crystal ceiling. 

“I’ll go next,” Griffith said.

Oeric nodded. 

Griffith stepped into the shallow end and waded into the deeper water. He didn’t have trouble touching the bottom, either, but he wasn’t worried about that. Griffith found the water to be a bit too cold, but he could agree it was definitely refreshing. 

“It’s a little chilly,” Griffith called over his shoulder.

“No, it’s perfect,” Aule said wistfully. 

“Well, once I get in there it’ll only get warmer,” Oeric spoke from the shore. 

Griffith continued into the water until he was near Aule. Then, like Aule, Griffith rolled to his back and settled into a relaxing float. 

“Oh this is nice,” Griffith murmured once he was comfortable. 

Aule and Griffith stared memorized at the glittering ceiling. They hardly noticed when Oeric and his fiery aura affected the water’s temperature. 

Oeric watched his friends lounge in the water. They seemed completely unbothered and Oeric was glad they wouldn’t need to worry about his fears. For Oeric, like in the depthstriders, water made him feel uncomfortable. It didn’t help him relax, it made him feel exhausted like it was sucking his energy away. 

Oeric took a deep breath and carefully stepped into the water. He slowly made his way to where Griffith and Aule floated before he assumed the same position. 

With all three empyrians on their back and staring at the ceiling, they wondered what would happen next. They each had their own assumptions, but none of them knew what to expect. Griffith used his magic to create a gentle current that moved the three friends in a lazy circle further relaxing them. 

“What’s next?” Aule hummed, barely conscious as the water lulled him to sleep. 

The question was met with silence, but no one seemed to mind. The haedian told them to reflect, and so they would. They weren’t sure what they were supposed to reflect on, but they assumed the magic in this place that the memory would come to them as they needed it. While they waited, they floated in a comfortable silence. If their eyes were open they would stare at their reflections in the ceiling, if their eyes were closed they would focus on the calm. Regardless of what they were doing, they waited. 

[816]