Luthiel walked home beneath the orange glow of the evening sky.
The evening air had cooled and the village streets were nearly empty. Lanterns lined the road in soft pools of orange light, casting long shadows from the buildings and fences that bordered the path.Villagers carried baskets, chatted among themselves, and slowly disappeared indoors. The familiar sounds washed over her, but she paid little attention to them. Her footsteps were quiet against the dirt. Her bangs hid her face. While her expression, if anyone had been close enough to read it, was blank.
But behind it, her mind was anything but still. Specifically, her mind was focused on one very strange boy.
She tried to organize what she had learned tonight. What to tell Morrigan. What mattered and what didn't. But the thoughts kept tangling, overlapping, arguing with themselves before she could pin any of them down.
Today had answered many questions. It had also created many more.
When she reached the chief's house, her house, she didn't go inside right away. Instead, she sat down on the front steps, folded her mitten-like hands in her lap, and closed her eyes.
And as she did, the world around her slowly disappeared. Not literally, however. Only inside her own head. The familiar village vanished. The wooden porch vanished. Even the evening sky vanished. And in their place appeared a space that did not truly exist.
***
The mindscape was not a real place. It had no walls, no floor, no sky. It was an entirely metaphysical space that existed only inside Luthiel's head—a formless plain where the three of them could meet face to face whenever the need arose. It shaped itself loosely around whatever felt familiar. Tonight it looked like a dim room with no windows. A couch sat in one corner. A ball rolled lazily across the floor.
Thi was already sprawled across the couch, one leg thrown over the armrest, her crimson eyes half-closed. She had conjured an imaginary snack—something crunchy, built from the memory of how a snack she'd once eaten tasted—and was chewing on it with zero urgency.
Lu sat cross-legged on the floor nearby, A glowing ball bounced happily between her hands as she tossed it into the air repeatedly. Her golden eyes were dimmer than usual and completely lost in thought.
El appeared last. She stood in the center of the space, her posture straight, her bangs covering her eyes even here. She looked at the other two and waited for them to notice.
The moment they saw El, both turned toward her. After garnering their attention El spoke up.
"Well, we got some intel tonight."
Thi snorted. "Got some and gave some. Don't forget that."
El nodded. "I think tonight we learned quite a bit about Scribe."
Lu smiled. "And he learned about us."
Thi rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Good for him."
Lu ignored her. "He was really trying to understand us." She twiddled her mittens. "He even took notes."
Thi immediately groaned. "Oh gods, not that notebook. I swear that little freak writes down everything. At least it was easy for you two to pick a gift."
Lu tilted her head. "He writes so much because he likes learning
"No."
Thi pointed aggressively.
"There's liking learning. Then there's carrying around an entire damn encyclopedia because somebody sneezed near you."
Lu giggled while El silently nodded. Thi wasn't entirely wrong. Grub's obsession with recording information bordered on concerning. Lu tossed the glowing ball into the air again.
"Still."
"I think today went well."
El nodded slightly. "Perhaps."
"But first we should discuss our findings that we will tell Master."
Lu set the ball down. Her golden eyes were serious now.
"Mister Grub said he was in danger. Something is threatening him."
El nodded. "Yes. And the experiment that burned his arms almost certainly had something to do with the Mgbaaka Maara. The books we found in his room confirm he has been researching it. Combined with the Jangushut contraption we saw on his desk, it is reasonable to conclude he attempted some kind of procedure involving the bracelet."
The three of them nodded in quiet agreement. Thi sat up on the couch and pointed at Lu with what remained of her imaginary snack.
"Yeah, and that fucker lied about it. Dodged the truth like it owed him money." She narrowed her crimson eyes. "Speaking of which—hey, Lu. Why didn't you press him about the Mgbaaka Maara, huh? You had the perfect chance. You were in control when you grabbed his arm outside Shorty Smith's shop. You saw the burns. That was the moment to push."
"And what did you do instead?"
Lu shrank slightly as Thi jabbed a finger toward her. "You chickened out."
Lu frowned. "It wasn't the right time."
"JUST SAY YOU'RE A FUCKING COWARD WHO CAN'T DO SHIT WHEN IT MATTERS."
Lu turned to Thi with a hurt expression. Her golden eyes glistened slightly. Thi held the glare for a moment. Then she looked away and went quiet. Despite all her aggression, Thi never actually enjoyed hurting Lu. Unfortunately, she was very good at it. A few seconds later Thi muttered:
"...Whatever."
Lu took a breath and continued, her voice steadier than her eyes.
"It's not like I did a terrible job. We learned he burned his arms doing something, likely involving the Mgbaaka Maara. We learned he's under some kind of threat. And we learned that he chose to tell us he was in danger, even if he didn't tell us the details." She paused. "That's something. He didn't have to tell us anything."
Thi shrugged. "I guess."
Lu pressed on. "So who do you guys think is threatening Mister Grub? Who's putting him in that position?"
El, who had been watching the exchange in silence, spoke. "It is almost certainly the Lacerts."
The other two looked at her.
"It makes sense," El continued. "The Lacerts probably captured Scribe before he arrived at the village. Then they placed the Mgbaaka Maara on him. They likely sent him here as a spy because he is a creature none of us had ever seen before. Those reptiles probably believed the novelty of his species would override the suspicion of his appearance. A strange, unknown boy draws curiosity, not immediate hostility. It was a calculated decision."
Thi leaned forward on the couch. "But weren't they right? Bug is allowed free roam of the village now. He goes wherever he wants. Attends classes. Visits the library. Eats our food." She crossed her arms. "In fact, he could be doing anything right now and we wouldn't know."
Lu frowned."But if that's true..." Her voice became quieter. "Then he's probably scared."
El nodded."Likely."
Thi leaned back. "Okay, then answer this."
"If he's scared and he's being threatened."
"If he doesn't want to do it."
"Then why is he still hiding things?"
Neither answered immediately. The question lingered in the air for a moment before finally Lu spoke.
"Because he doesn't trust us yet."
Thi stared. "Would you trust us?"
The question caught Lu off guard.
Thi continued. "He woke up in a strange world, got attacked and captured, Surrounded by people he doesn't know, and now he's apparently being threatened by soldiers."
She folded her arms. "I'd be paranoid too."
El nodded. "That is fair."
Lu brightened. "See? You're proving my point, he doesn't want to hurt us, he could just be scared."
Thi immediately pointed at her. "Don't get excited. I still think he could betray us."
The smile vanished. "...Oh."
Lu frowned deeply. "Do you guys actually think Mister Grub will betray us?"
"Yes," said Thi flatly.
"Possibly," said El.
Lu shook her head, her golden eyes wide. "No. No, he wouldn't. He likes us. He likes the village. We're his friend. Luthiel is his friend—he said it himself. You heard him."
Thi tossed the remains of her imaginary snack aside. "All of that is just a bunch of words, Lu. Bug could do whatever he wants. Words don't always match your intentions, you dipshit."
El nodded slowly. "Yes. But I also see Lu's point."
Both of them turned to her.
"When we first encountered Scribe—when I healed him—I chose to do so because he did not feel hostile. Even Master Morrigan sensed it. There has to be something more to this situation." She paused. "It is possible that he does not want to betray us but feels he has no choice. The experiment he performed may have been an attempt to free himself from whatever hold the Lacerts have on him."
Thi scowled. "And if we give him too much benefit of the doubt, we might as well just let him do whatever he wants until the village burns down."
"Look," Thi said, quieter now. "I want to trust him too. But we need to know his true intentions. Not guesses or feelings. The truth."
Lu and El stared at her for a long moment. Then, slowly, both of them nodded.
El put a hand on her chin. "Perhaps Master's training tomorrow will loosen his tongue. Physical exertion has a way of lowering a person's guard."
Thi suddenly smirked. "Especially once Master beats it out of him."
She conjured another imaginary snack from memory and bit into it. "Oh, also. I confirmed the Mgbaaka Maara."
Lu and El looked at her.
"During the tussle, it dropped out of camouflage mode for a second. Especially while I was punching him." She grinned. "The punching was a good distraction. Let me check the bracelet without him realizing I was looking."
Lu blinked. Then a slow smirk crossed her face. "So I guess there is a brain up there after all."
Thi's grin vanished. "WE HAVE THE SAME BRAIN, DUMBASS."
"Yeah, but you don't use it."
"I WILL FUCKING END Y—"
"Enough." El's flat voice cut through like a blade. Both of them went quiet. Mostly.
El folded her arms. "Let us organize what we will report to Master Morrigan."
She held up one arm as she listed.
"First, Scribe is under some kind of threat and has admitted to being in danger. This may provide a motive for his cooperation with the Lacerts—not willingness, but coercion."
She waved her mitten hand in the air
"The Jangushut contraption and the books on the Mgbaaka Maara suggest he has been actively trying to tamper with or understand the bracelet. This aligns with the theory that he is attempting to free himself."
She took a breath as she raised her other arm.
"There are others like him. He was not alone when he fell. He mentioned a settlement and a companion named Wrighty."
Then she took a triumphant nod as she concluded. "And finally, Thi has visually confirmed the Mgbaaka Maara is still active on his wrist, despite its camouflage function."
The other two nodded.
Lu tilted her head. "I wonder what the rest of them look like. The other Sky-Fallen I mean."
El considered this. "Scribe's notebook described Wrighty in the most detail. Apparently his skin is darker than Scribe's. They seem to vary in size and shape."
Thi smirked. "I wonder what language they speak."
El shrugged. "How would we know? Scribe has been learning our language as well. Do you think he has mastered it yet?"
The other two shrugged.
"It would be nice if he did," Lu said softly. "Then we could talk without the pin getting in the way."
El nodded. "He also now knows about us. About the three aspects. Or at least he has an explanation. He has probably suspected something for a while. He is quite observant."
Thi scowled. Her crimson eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, that's nice and all. And I'm glad we were honest with him about everything we're allowed to tell him." Her voice shifted into something sharper. "But why the fuck were you sitting on your high horse while explaining us, huh, El? You called me stupid."
"I said limited."
"SAME THING."
Lu raised a hand. "Yeah, and you basically called me a crybaby."
El shook her head calmly. "I never said that."
"SURE, BUT YOU MEANT IT!" screamed Thi.
"I also never meant that."
"BULLSHIT."
Lu crossed her arms. "It's true though, El. You kind of made us both sound bad."
El was silent for a moment. Then she spoke very carefully.
"I described you both as honestly as I could. If the descriptions were unflattering, perhaps that is something to reflect on internally rather than direct at me."
Dead silence followed the brazen statement.. Thi's eye twitched. Lu's mouth fell open.
"DID YOU JUST—"
"We should go inform Master Morrigan now," El said flatly, turning away. "We have been sitting on these steps long enough."
The other two erupted into a storm of grumbling and cursing that echoed through the mindscape as it began to dissolve. Thi's couch faded. Lu's ball vanished. The dim room folded in on itself like a closing eye.
***
Luthiel opened her eyes.
She was still sitting on the front steps of Morrigan's house. The night air had grown colder while she was inside her own head. The village was fully dark now, the only light coming from the lanterns along the road and the faint glow spilling from behind the chief's curtains. El remained in control. Her blue-streaked hair shifted slightly in the wind as she stood up, brushed off her dress, and pushed the door open.
Inside, Morrigan would be waiting. Drinking, probably. Sprawled on the couch, almost certainly.
Luthiel stepped through the doorway and let it close behind her. She could only wonder how Morrigan would react.