They say with time came healing.
That was something that Relik wanted to believe, but he could not bring himself to allow.
Over the last four weeks, he saw time consume him. The daily stresses of his newfound responsibilities, all forming the perfect deflection for his investigation.
Not that he had made any real progress in his research.
It seemed that the people of Rému had made the decision to disregard reason in the face of questioning.
In the beginning he assumed that they were eventually going to cross paths with the girl, as she was stated as a person of interest by Jabaani herself. Yet her name was not included in the list.
Perhaps they deemed her unlikely and decided to skip her altogether.
After ignoring that thought, he assumed that Elian would be the worst of the Shahari on the list, but the bar seemed to lower itself with every new face. Relik could argue that he knew far less now than when he started.
Not necessarily a complaint, but an honest observation of himself.
Rému had helped him realise the exact gap between hopeful youth completing the trials and those who made long careers out of defending the Empire. Though the people appeared uncaring and lackadaisical, the actual Temple employed were admittedly skilled specialists.
Wyva had gone out of his way to aid Relik in suppressing his spiritual energy. Gaining just enough competence to efficiently compress it until his Iké felt less of a hectic mass and more like everyone else's. It had taken him a few days, but he could proudly walk around without worry tripping over his own boots.
No prune.
No coal.
Just the calming hum that Wyva claimed could be felt by most base level Hands.
Life in Rému had become a series of Hectic daylight followed by comfortable evenings. Where he could turn his attention inward and mold himself into a useful soldier.
He memorised the perches scattered across the city and could confidently venture out in search of food. For once he felt truly in tune with The Astran Empire. In its own way Rému had accepted him as its own.
With his steadily improving knowledge and the increasing pace of his life, for a moment he could ignore the stress in favour of making a place for himself inside this machine.
He could see himself living here; dying here amongst the wonder people of the city.
While on patrol Wyva signalled for them to head in a specific direction. Relik had learned not to question it and instead silently followed as the older Hand guided him towards their next task.
Relik had seen the wonders of the Astran mark in action, beyond just a sign of acceptance, Wyva used it to listen in, or as he put it share the feeling with others. It was the main way they confirmed distress.
So far, it worked flawlessly.
They were still quite some distance away when they caught sight of a large gathering. Only this time it was a group of people that seemed to be engaging in a socially positive gathering.
Not the occasional scuffle he had come to recognize as just a feature of these people but the rare crowding of celebration.
The music, mixed with laughter and shouting was far too loud, even before the they had descended the buildings they could see the effects of it on the vibrating window panes. Dozens of citizens were locked in a swaying dance while chanting in their dialect.
At the center of it stood a pair; human man, middle-aged and wild-eyed, clutching a bottle of fermented grain in one hand whilst being spun around by a female Hurc.
Relik paused for a moment. An attempt to fully understand the situation that they were about to disrupt. In turn Wyva had taken the opportunity to insert himself into the line joining the people as they swayed in encouragement.
The younger teen quickly realized the part that he was about to play in all of this and accepted his role.
He waded into the crowd ensuring that his mask was on tightly. Once in the center he signalled for the Hurc to stop with her antics, even catching the man mid swing to bring them to a stop.
Relik sighed as he held his arms out in protest standing still until he gathered the attention of most participants.
"Attention, this is classified as an unauthorised social event and for it we ask for you to please disperse. Thank you."
As expected, this was met with defiance, as the group hurled insults pertaining to the spiritual orientation of the Hands as a whole. One even hurled half eaten fruit. A projectile he dodged with ease.
"I implore you to not incite forceful removal!"
That seemed to do the trick as they slowly unlinked arms and went about their day, of course not without a few dirty looks and more choice insults, exceeding the usual Temple dogs' phrase they would spit.
Another half-eaten fruit thrown from behind, clipped his shoulder and hit another civilian.
Relik ignored them all, moving with the cold, practiced efficiency he'd spent the month perfecting. He pushed; he directed and held his ground until the crowd began to melt away into the side streets.
He turned back, expecting to find Wyva cuffing the instigator. Instead, he found Wyva mid-dance, mirroring the drunkard's clumsy footwork while laughing.
He let out another sigh, far too many in such a short space of time.
"Why?" was all he could find the strength to ask
"I'm 'settling the situation,' kid! Calm down," Wyva panted, stopping to slap the older man on the back, "Relik, let me introduce you to someone very important to me," he straightened his frame and stepped off to the side just enough that the drunken man could be in full view.
"This is Logun, my mentor, and the only reason I'm a Hand to begin with."
Logun was a mess of a man.
He was human, but his shoulders were hunched in a way that suggested the weight of the world had been sitting there for a long time. His eyes were bloodshot and uncaring, the eyes of someone who had seen the "Golden Era" and decided it was nothing impressive.
"So, this is the one," Logun rasped, taking a final swig from his bottle, before tossing it away. He looked at Relik's perfectly sized boots, then up at his face. "You look... clean. Too clean are they sure he's unmarked."
"Unmarked not unbathed," Relik replied.
"Oh sass, I like it."
"Of course I taught him everything I know," Wyva chirped. "Even where to find the good noodles spots."
Logun's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Glad to hear you've settled in. Truly. It's a shame I distracted that band of people from helping me find you."
Wyva chuckled at the statement. Truly the happiest Relik had seen him since he was washed down the river.
"Anyways business and pleasure don't mix well," with that he clasped his hands and seemed to focus his Iké, until his entire body glowed a faint green.
He then released a soft wave of energy and with it his entire demeanor changed.
"Young Relik of the Von Vino Estate, I am here on behalf of the city, Potaan," he announced said, his voice suddenly devoid of the drunken slur.
"Word has reached the city's Shiear that someone actually made it back from last month's Trial. He, however, is a man grounded in tradition. And considering that the priests confirm twenty-three children being blessed and ushered into those woods. He finds it odd that his own son is yet to make it out of the badlands and into Rému."
Logun leaned in, the smell of cheap ale and sharp reality hitting Relik all at once, "Jace is late, three weeks to be exact, which means that he has failed, but you-"
There was a pause and Relik instinctively threw a glance at Wyva, who looked just as tense as he did.
"So what? Is there a point to all this dialogue?" Relik asked his detest leaking into his tone.
"A sense of urgency," the man stepped back his face now overrun with joy, "I really do like this kid."
"He's not too bad," Wyva agreed.
"It's most unfortunate though that Shiears; or at least the sons and daughters of Shiears don't fail the exam," Logun switched back into a stern tone, "you don't seem stupid, so I'm not going to spell out how this looks for you."
The current silence clung to the boy, amplified now, given that the square was just the floor of unplanned pandemonium.
The music was gone.
The routine seemingly dead.
Relik's eyes dropped to his boots and realized that he couldn't fool these people and most of all he shouldn't attempt fooling himself.
He was unmarked, and in other cities status came before your skillset.
So, in the eyes of the affiliated, Relik's survival was not a miracle but a silent admission of wrongdoing.
"Sorry kid. We don't make the rules."