The landscape is somewhat clear, balance returning after a good amount of time, the silence becoming a pleasant alternative to those present, the strong smell of the still-soaked earth mixed with the amount of burning present lingering in the air. The twisting of everything present is created thanks to the lack of feelings attached to everything.
After the euphoria that had begun a few minutes earlier, everyone present shared a calmer feeling, as did the sun, which was somewhat less punishing on the attendees' skin, allowing them to freely walk across the landscape illuminated by the great star in the sky. Dinis maintained a smile on the corners of his mouth, gaining some confidence from Eleanor after a slow but often twisted battle, and then a joke that brought joy to everyone at the cost of the great hero's impeccable image of fearlessness. After long conversations, John managed to connect more with the boy. Even though they didn't both display the same amount of energy for every task, they knew they had something that connected them as firmly as the dry ground they walked on. The group had been walking for some time, and Dinis already thought Eleanor was trying to trick her.
On the nymph's face, a somewhat unusual expression could be seen. Her smile was kept somewhat restrained and her head held high, her eyes searching the clouds quickly, and along with her walk, she let out a long sigh, her body responding in a unique way that filled the lungs. She didn't bother to change her dress, only reducing the neckline; her unique appearance remained, a beautiful dragonfly.
His humming sound came from the meeting of his hands that were tightly clasped, the feeling transmitted by his actions showed that he was preparing to confront the past.
Dinis had been observing the aura emanating from the nymph before him for a while. Her image was unique and delicate, but the movement of the long sections of her dress evoked the image of the storm within her mind. Like a good pirate, Dinis wouldn't be afraid to enter the midst of the hurricane, as the gold would be worth the effort.
In a few steps, everyone gathered in a more open corner, Eleanor made her son walk around with the boy while the older ones started a long conversation.
"Then now is the time. You can ask me anything you want, my dear new friend. I never thought that in the middle of a forest after the chaos that ensued, I would call someone my friend. As always, Arcadia is providing strange moments."
Dinis came closer, sat cross-legged on the floor with Fritz on her lap, stroking the crow's feathers.
—I don't even know where to begin, since they left me pretty vague about what I should ask. I could start by asking about weight and age, but I think that would trigger a fight. So let's start at the beginning. What are you doing here?
Eleanor put her hand to her chin and slid it quickly, gritting her teeth, but soon she felt relieved.
"I came here to take care of my son. I wanted to show him the forest from the ancient tales of the great city of Arcadia, but after a while here, I saw the movement of people and soon realized they were old acquaintances."
Dinis gave a somewhat confused smile and looked at Fritz, the crow took a few steps forward.
"So the Midas Touch people ended up here not long ago? It must have been just a few days before Typhon that they entered here. So you joined them in search of what they wanted?"
Eleanor shook her head.
— I didn't even know that so many people had come out alive after the dispute for the throne. Now let me ask you a question, who wants to know so much about me?
Dinis looked at Fritz, who nodded his head, took a small flight and landed on Eleanor's lap.
"Dionysus himself wants to know. He's a bit worried about you. As you know, the god of wine has been your mother's friend for a long time. He wanted you to be a maenad, but a century ago, you decided to fight in the war for the throne."
Eleanor patted the raven's head, then let out a long sigh, her eyes slowly opening, and her lips curling up in a short time.
"It was a blessing that I met John's father. Now I understand why Dionysus wanted to talk to me; he's also scared of the nymphs' fusions. This is something very ancient that few people know about."
Christopher sat down right next to Eleanor, placing his hand on her shoulder and hugging her tightly. The hero yawned and rested his head on the nymph's shoulder.
"Wow, this story is as old as time. I don't think you'll ever know what it's like, my dear mercenary country bumpkin. They say the Nobles stopped becoming Feathered thanks to Lycaon's experiments."
Eleanor pulled Christopher's hair, held it like a horse's reins, and began braiding it.
— One of the many research projects undertaken by the first king of Arcadia was fusion with nymphs, a method he himself discovered, but tested with many problems, so it was halted. But after some time, with the help of Apollo and Hermes, he managed to create another method, transforming the Feathered Ones into Nobles. They had the longevity of the first humans, but without the problems.
Dinis smiled.
"I know this story. When I was tortured, I saw firsthand how wrong it can be. My fellow soldiers found relief through a faulty fusion. I also know very well that these fusions were used in wars. I think that's where the doctor comes in."
"You scare me, you know? Let's talk about the Doctor now. It's a rather painful story; it reminds me of my beautiful, perfect moment. My husband was friends with the Doctor. After he was murdered when John was only a few months old, he came to care for me."
Christopher stood closer to the nymph.
"So you two had an affair? Now you went into the middle of the forest to come get him? John was missing his new daddy, wasn't he?"
"You two are such a rotten couple; you should get married. At the time, I wasn't in the right frame of mind; he was just a good friend. At the same time, he was searching for his daughter, who was kidnapped at birth. Like me, he had a great love who passed away."
Fritz took flight, facing Eleanor, looking deeply into her eyes.
—So at that time he already had the idea of desecrating a sacred land because of an ancient tale?
"Yes, raven. He told me he found some ancient manuscripts belonging to the bloodline opposing Gevaudan. They contained notes about the fusions and a very old story about Hades. He kept it a secret for years, until he secured funding to further research the fusions and test the veracity of the tale."
— Who gave him support?
— What does Dinis ask? You know very well who he is, Antonius Anjou, leader of the Midas touch and future holder of a power that will change Arcadia forever.