William
"Alone every since my father died... Yeah. Before that we spent every day together, him, my Uncle and I... I won't get into that part of my life. I've moved on from it, you know? L-Like you did with your... Erhh, village...?" **The teen responded with a lour, shaking her head as she led Serena over to the the tree, where her satchel was tipped over and spilled it's contents; of which included an old book, a jar of water and old, spoiled fruits.**

**The sight of that caused Mercy to sigh rather disappointedly.** "...As you can see I wasn't expecting company." **She went over to the satchel and got on her knees, picking the objects up and storing them away again, before long she produced a medium-sized bedroll from it and stood up, showing it to the Uzhi as it unraveled.**

"We're like the same size, a-aren't we? We shouldn't be *Too* Cramped on it."

**But au contrare, just at a glance one would be able to tell the roll was going to accommodate them very packed in. Mercy laid it out underneath the tree, and had a seat on it, perspiration formed in her forehead due to her rushing. What was she trying to prove?**

"V-Voila. My—*Our* Erh... Our bed."
James
"Yeah. I've left them. They're long gone by now, either suffering in the ashes or dead. Maybe even captured, knowing Pinnacelia."

*The uzhi takes a look at the spilled satchel's contents. A book, water, and old food. Why hadn't she finished the fruit before it spoiled? Was she rationing? The jar of water was a good idea, albeit poorly executed. She should have gotten a waterskin, that wasn't so bulky and hard to carry.*

"Huh, do you read?"

*Upon seeing the bedroll, only one thought goes through Serena's head.*

*"Oh, fuck."*

"Y-Yeah, I think so. I am... Below average height. Well, might as well try it."

*Serena attempts to get inside the bedroll, feeling the comfortable cloth on her skin.*

"Not bad."
William
"Do I read?" **The macen repeated, stealing another glance at her satchel, the very edge of the book sticking out just to where she can see it. It brought back one too many sorrowful memories.** "Yeah... I can read pretty good, I'd like to think." **She explained confidently, returning her gaze to Serena who was now beside her on the bedroll; it was made of a less than remarkable material and padding but still comfortable all the same, Mercy's lightweight body hadn't been able to form any recesses or dips in it yet, as far as Serena could tell it was new and odorless.**

"I'm guessing you saw the book?" **Mercy inquired expectantly, not waiting for the Uzhi's clarification before proceeding.** "My mother wrote it herself, when I was... Ooooh... I don't know, a few years old. My dad told me she was writing it that way I could practice reading. It's a story about a girl who wanted to get out and see the world, make a name for herself and..."

**The teen's mood fell. Evidently, recalling her past was a surefire way to dejection with this one...**

"She went missing before finishing it so I have no idea how it's supposed to end... It's my prized possession and I've read it so many times already. I'd show you but... I dunno..."
James
"Yeah, the book..."

*"It's a story about a girl who wanted to get out and see the world, make a name for herself..."*

*That sounded familiar, almost too familiar. It was uncanny that the book was describing the girl who possessed it. Then again, it could describe basically any adventurous girl, which she was sure there were many. Still...*

"Well, maybe you can give a summary? It *Is* Starting to get a bit late."

*Looking at the sea, the sun would visibly be setting, casting rose-gold rays across the fractured mirror that was the ocean.*
William
"Summary huh... Alright, that's pretty easy. You aren't the first to ask about it, some stranger got here a few weeks ago if I remember... Wait, I thought I told you about him. Almann Jek? That was his name, nice man... Found me out here and told me he'd pay me to tell him 'stories'." **Mercy explained, finishing with a hearty scoff.** "Well I guess he did after all, sent food back from the nearest village. I... Ate them all, except for a few fruits I got left."

"Okay okay, I'll... Start telling you what the books really about." **Mercy laid down on her back with both hands together on her stomach, staring at the tree branches above.**

"It's about a girl like I said, trying to get out and make a name for herself. Well... It's kind of a sad story because both her parents died already, her mom died when she was young... Dad died a few years later and all that was left was her alone, like... Ten? Ten years old in an unspecified country. She ends up wandering, crying all the time until she finds someone she really liked, like a new dad. It was a beastkin though... Ew, I thought."

**She sighed, nonchalant.** "By that time she's around my age, she's found this beastkin who takes her in out of pity, acts like her dad and... Makes her feel loved like never before. So... She falls in love with the guy. Weird, I know. She falls in love with the beastkin but doesn't admit it to him immediately. Not until she could get him at his best moment, you know? S-So he'll be likely to accept her or something... Well anyways she finds that moment and was about to approach him until— then... My mom died before finishing the rest. You don't know how many times I've read it over and over trying to figure out why my mom would write that. So strange... I mean... Ugh! A beastkin? Like a Macen could ever love one of those ugly things."

"My Uncle once told me a beastkin double-crossed him and almost got him killed. They're not to be trusted. Bad, bad people..."