Few clouds appeared in the morning sky above the Sirqu pier. Ships of all kinds prepared themselves to depart. People raced across the brow as they either filled or boarded their vessels.

  For one boat at the tail end of the pier, it was the chroniclers of Arty and Mier.

  The sailors were ready and had every intent to zip ahead of traffic. Their haste was put on hold as the two passengers stood pier side accompanied by the one person there to bid them farewell.

  “It’s an awfully kind gesture seeing us off Quin,” said Mier.

  “He probably wants to make sure you board the ship without falling over,” Arty remarked.

  Quin looked off to the side as his shoulders locked up and his head slightly nodded.

  “That’s not really why I’m here Mier,” the Tyroviv started. “But it’s not like that’s an impossibility.”

  Mier sighed with a smile. “Well it wouldn’t be the first time you stopped me from drowning, so I appreciate the concern.”

  “Still, it is nice to have a Cosondere of all people greet us goodbye,” Arty mentioned. “It just shows more of that potential of yours Quin. Always keep that nature of yours.”

  “Thanks Arty. Sorry again about the scrapped anniversary piece. I know you said it didn’t bother you, but I still feel bad about you making the trip up there just to turn back. And Yach being gone in the process, we could’ve done a better job escorting you guys.”

  “You see, that’s what I mean Quin. You feel for us. You can empathize with us. I can’t feel bad about the experience when I know there are Sentar’i out there who genuinely care about our welfare.

  “Besides, it’s not like the whole trip was wasteful. Even though I couldn’t compile any new notes, I do have a whole new piece I can use to supplement my work. A whole new battle of Sononcoly to compare with the old one. A commentary on the times and new priorities.

  “Best of all, I have you as a primary source. I mean, I hope you won’t mind me showing up in the future with some questions.”

  “Sure, I don’t mind. You’ll have to find me first, but I won’t mind.”

  Arty smirked. “I have a feeling that won’t be too difficult. Anyway, I wanted to give you something. I hope you’ll excuse it being in a sad sack.”

  Quin was presented with a small, worn out bag. The item inside however, was much more precious.

  Between his palms laid a new Naim Noma book, or at least one Quin never saw before.

  In a red cover, the old embroidered text read: A Matter of Mind. No second lost, he immediately perused the book.

  Quin saw the same writing and writing style, but everything else was entirely new. His eyes widened as excitement filled him to the brim, he wanted to read it right there and then. Arty brought him back to the here and now.

  “I know how much Naim Noma inspires you, and I want him to keep inspiring you. Keep those values Quin. Yach told you it wouldn’t be easy but as long as you stay true to what matters, you’ll find a way.”

  “Thanks Arty,” replied Quin as he closed the book. “I’ll be sure to keep your words in mind as well as Yach’s.”

  A few more words of wisdom were exchanged before the chroniclers boarded and their ship sailed away.

  As Quin waved goodbye, the scene briefly took him back to his sister’s exit.

  While it felt reminiscent of that day two years ago, the circumstances couldn’t be any different. From the blue sky to his black cloak, so much had changed since that fateful morning.

  Now that he was a Sentar’i, Quin could travel at speeds faster than any boat. Now that he was a Cosondere, he could potentially travel to many places.

  If his luck served him well, he could narrow the distance between his sibling and reunite, a hopeful prospect.

  Quin still had free time, so he freely walked around some more. His trip through the harbor section caught some attention with faces that looked away when he spotted them.

  He wished he still had his mask. If nothing else, it would have kept his face obscured. Thankfully, he himself was obscure.

  He could at the very least move about without any serious interference. Or so he thought.

  “Excuse me sir. Can I borrow your ears and time?”

  Quin turned back to find a familiar scraggy face. His old boss Lymon, he scampered over to the Tyroviv with his hand in his vest.

  “Thanks for waiting,” he said. “I’d figured it be in poor taste to refer to you by name while you’re on duty. Don’t want to start any fires y’know.”

  “What’s wrong?” Quin asked. “Is everything alright?”

  “Oh just peachy. Everyday above ground is a good day after all. Since I spotted you, I thought now would be as good a time as any to give you this. It’s for helping me out the other day in Odlassi.”

  Lymon retrieved out of his vest an old flask. Handed to Quin, the container bore a mixture of worn out red and green.

  When he shook the bottle he barely felt anything inside. The cap seemed like it wouldn’t come off as if it was part of the flask itself.

  Quin became unimpressed with the gift, his expression sagged. Another worthless trinket passed off as highly valuable. At least Lymon never changed. The old merchant sensed Quin’s disinterest.

  “Now I know what you’re thinking,” Lymon started. “It looks like plain ol' junk. But it’s only junk to a Yerp. Since you’re a Sentar’i now, I’m sure you’ll find a use for it. Y’know, since you guys can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.”

  “How exactly would I do that?” Quin inquired as he lifted the flask to the light. “Do you even know what’s inside?”

  “Not even a little bit. But I’d wager you’d have a better use for it than I ever could. You never know right? Sure, it’s nearly empty, but you should approach it with a glass half full mentality Quin.”

  The Tyroviv retained a skeptical eye with his “present”. Still, Quin placed it behind him with a sigh into his cloak. He didn’t want to be rude and hand it back or even toss it aside.

  “Maybe it’ll make for a good decoration,” Quin said half-heartedly.

  “There ya go. Isn’t the world a brighter place when you have a brighter attitude? Anyway, I better not hold up more of your time. Don’t want people to think you’re stopping me for something. It was good seeing you again Quin.”

  The two turned and went their separate ways.

  Quin wondered who in the world would find use of this mysterious flask when he heard a thud behind him. He turned and saw Lymon on the ground while an angry man looked over him.

  “Oh, apologies,” the flustered merchant spoke from below. “Didn’t see you coming my way.”

  The man above was an irate individual with a wide mustache. Their eyes zeroed in on Lymon.

  “Are you suggesting it’s my fault you weren’t paying attention, you Yerp? Maybe I should knock those eyes of yours straight so you can-”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Do we have a problem here?” Quin voiced as he approached.

  The Sentar’i turned over and in an instant, his hostility washed away. His face opened in shock as he looked around as if someone else was being addressed by the Cosondere.

  “What? Uh...no. No problem. Just telling some Yerp to watch where they’re going.”

  “There will be a problem if you don’t leave him alone. Now move on with your business.”

  A hint of confusion appeared on the man’s face, his eyes didn’t know where to look. He pointed a finger to himself, still unsure if Quin meant to speak to him.

  Quin’s glare was directed at no one else and soon, the Sentar’i received the message.

  He moved onward with haste and without a word; he never looked back as Quin and Lymon were left to themselves on their own island of the road.

  Everyone else rushed away with no intent to be a part of the mini dispute.

  Quin took his sights down to Lymon and simply gave him a nod.

  Lymon nodded back before he picked himself up and darted out of the scene. Quin had to make his own quick exit and he elected for the express route via the roofs.

  Quin hopped from one building to the next, his eyes kept to the sky with every jump.

  Within seconds, he reached a higher level of town and when he was far enough, he allowed his feet to make contact with the ground again.

  Even though he had been at it for weeks, it still boggled his mind how fast he could move from one part of town to another.

  He thought back to his courier days and the struggle and toil he experienced whenever it came to his sprints up and down the hilly roads.

  Now he could negotiate with the heights and not break a sweat over it. If he took up his old job again, Quin would no doubt be one of the best couriers in the world.

  In fact, it would’ve been an easy gig for any Sentar’i. Unfortunately, they thought such jobs were beneath them. If it wasn’t for his cloaked commitments, he would have seriously considered it.

  Quin wanted to continue his trip down memory lane, and his thoughts veered from one former job to another, his last before he stood out.

  Now that he no longer attracted any more attention, Quin strolled down the hills and onto the less pretty part of Sirqu.

  It wasn’t long before he found himself in a familiar patch of the city, the one he roamed for the past two years.

  Before he could reach his old home at the shop, he caught sight of his old boss Miro.

  The old man shambled across a narrow street. Even more so than usual thanks to a bunch of long planks he carried. Quin saw Miro drag the planks up the road with not a soul there to assist him.

  People simply moved out of the way as they went on with their day, all while the old man struggled with his pile.

  Miro trucked along all the same, too stubborn to ask for help. That’s when a Cosondere swooped in from the sky next to him.

  “Need some help?” Quin offered with a smile.

  At first, Miro looked confused, bothered, and frightened all at once. It took a while for him to look Quin at the face but once he did, a huge relief overtook him.

  “Ohhh, it’s just you. Is this how you meet people now?”

  “Sorry. I was on my way to the shop when I spotted you. Let me help.”

  “Get out of here! Er-I mean...please don’t mind me. I’ll get to my destination one way or another.”

  “I want to help. Let me be the ‘another’.”

  Quin went ahead and picked up the piles. Whereas Miro could only lift one side off the ground, Quin had all of them tucked under one arm without issue.

  “Kid, don’t you see what you’re doing?” Miro asked as he looked around. “Think about what people are seeing right now.”

  “I’m not going to change who I am because I’m in a cloak Miro,” Quin responded. “You saw me wandering the streets and gave me a home. I don’t know why I would see you lugging things up a road just to leave you behind.”

  “Your amazing sense of perception hasn’t changed I see. At least go ahead and take them to the shop. You know where it is. I’ll catch up.”

  Quin gave a nod and in no time, he set out. He moved up the hill with ease as he waked ahead with a pleasant smile.

  He traversed the usual paths like nothing’s changed until he reached the top of a hill. From there, he saw the shabby building he once called home.

  As he approached the shop, Quin noticed some gathering at its front door.

  Three people in total, two of them faced the one who blocked the entrance. It didn’t take long for Quin to realize something was wrong.

  “I didn’t pay good money just to have some shoddy work on our shoes,” said one of the grouches.

  “Look, my boss will be here soon,” replied the young man at the door, hands up to his chest. “You can go ahead and address it with him, but I can’t just let you in if you’re not going to do business.”

  Quin recognized him as the apprentice who replaced him after he stood out. The moment itself reminded him of his own troubles with heated customers back in the day as well as the anxieties and uncertainties that came with it. He moved closer to the scene.

  “My sweetheart over here nearly bruised her foot on one of your shoes,” the man fussed as his girlfriend nodded aggressively. “She’s a dancer. What do you think will happen to her if she can’t do her work?”

  “I know. I get it. When my boss gets here, we can hash this all out.”

  “We’re not interested in hashing it out. I just want my money back. Right now.”

  “Is everything alright over here?” Quin asked.

  Everyone shifted their attention to the Cosondere when their faces all shared a cautious look. All of them avoided eye contact as they looked everywhere else.

  Their reticence clued Quin that they were all Yerps. He realized he would have to continue the conversation.

  “I heard something about bad shoes. I hope no one was seriously hurt over it.”

  “Oh yes sir,” said the apprentice. “It’s nothing big to involve yourself with.”

  “Well-,” the man began before he paused. “I ordered new shoes for my honey and they’re just a bit small for her. I’m just here to inquire about a refund.”

  “I’m not the owner,” the apprentice stated. “So I can’t make those decisions for him.”

  Suddenly the conversation became much more formal and friendly. That said, Quin knew Miro wouldn’t take these kind of complaints about his work lightly. Nor would he accept any refund without a fuss of his own.

  Quin placed the planks down as he tried to figure out some solution. He saw his coin pouch and his thoughts went from there.

  The couple long lost their ire and as their feet started to point away from the scene.

  “If you have business here, then we won’t waste any more of your time,” the man stated. He and his partner began to turn away.

  “Wait.” Quin motioned. “I’ve worked with the owner before. I know he does his best to make good shoes, but if you really want your money back, then...” He reached into his pouch and brought out a few silver coins. “Here, take this. That should cover your expenses.”

  The couple had no words. Both of them sported puzzled expressions as Quin handed his money to the man. They each looked at one another as if the other knew about this impromptu deal. For Quin, he just wanted to settle the dispute.

  “Uh, thank you sir,” uttered the man. “I guess we have no issues then. Well uh...I guess we’re off.”

  Just what Quin wanted to hear. He waved to the completely befuddled couple as they departed. As they distanced themselves from the shop, Miro rushed his way near. He huffed as he stopped by Quin and the apprentice.

  “You didn’t have to come back in a hurry Miro,” said Quin. “What about your back?”

  “Never mind my back, I’m back,” the old man replied as he rested his hands on his hips. He noticed his apprentice at the door.

  “Oh I’m sorry Rick, is there a party inside you weren’t invited to. Cuz I could have sworn I told you to man the shop while I’m gone.”

  “O’d, Oh yes. Right. I’ll get to it Miro,” the apprentice answered as he turned to the door.

  “Rick! These planks here aren’t going to move themselves. Take them inside!”

  Rick stammered before he picked up piles of wood and hurried for the entrance. The door opened wide and smacked the bell as he disappeared into the shop. It wasn’t that long, but sounds of that door bell warmed Quin’s heart with nostalgia.

  A long sigh came out of Miro. “Well thanks for the help Quin. I haven’t forgotten about that money I took from you. I know I told you I’d have something for you, but...well I’m working on it.”

  “Don’t worry about it Miro. I told you, you don’t hav-” An idea popped into Quin’s head. “Actually, I would really appreciate it if you did me one favor.”

  “Done, whatever I can do to repay you.”

  “You’ve always been better with making shoes than me. I need a pair of boots. Women’s sized. I’m not in any hurry but the sooner they’re done, the better.”

  Miro looked down at Quin’s boots before his face met the Tyroviv’s with bemusement.

  “Women’s sized? What sort of madness are the cloaks teaching you?”

  “It’s not for me. It’s for someone else. Someone special.”

  “Special? Oh oh. That girl you’re chasing. Right, I forgot. I’ll get to work on it. You said no hurry right?”

  “Oh, and if you can make it in purple, that’d be extra nice.”

  “Child, if I could make shoes of any kind, I’d-” Miro’s words stopped when he saw the beseeching face on his former apprentice.

  He sighed as he nodded his head. “Right, I’ll get to it.”

  A wide smile appeared on Quin’s face. “Thanks Miro. I promise we’ll be even after this.”

  “Yeah yeah,” the old man uttered as he entered the shop.

  The bell rang one more time before Quin stood alone. He lightly chuckled as he stepped away from his old home.

  For that matter, Quin has yet to find a new one. As he looked at his coin pouch, he knew his new occupation would take care of that sooner or later.

  “There you are brother! We’ve been lookin’ all over town for you!”

  Quin looked up at the roofs where he saw his teammates, Onyl and Conon. The latter showed no signs of being irked by the search as he sported a smirk. The former crossed her arms and looked down with her typical scowl.

  “We’re headin’ out to camp outside. Can’t do that wit’out a full squad.”

  Quin’s nostalgia tour came to an end. As he shelved one part of his life, a new one was still in progress. One of ups and downs, dangers and comforts, but also one of many possibilities.

  There were still plenty of mysteries to untangle, particularly the question of his red aura and the enigmatic lady in his visions. He also had his share of questions with the Aerviv, not just about his aura but about the Cosondera as a whole.

  Finally, he still thought about his sister. He knew she was out there somewhere. No longer forced to accept things as they are, Quin could actively seek her out thanks to his newfound powers.

  All those things would be handled in time, for now though, Quin had a job to do and people to support who also supported him. He grasped the sack with his new book when a simple quote of Naim Noma’s entered his head.

  “While one’s strength can overcome the numbers, they should never underestimate the strength in numbers.”

  He smiled at his two teammates before he crouched down and positioned himself to launch. He took two quick steps then in an instant, he leaped above the earth and toward the skies.