Water washes wounds, he notes, as per the whole child's story. One more thing to store in his childish mind, one more notion to recall and regurgitate when the time is appropriate. This meeting today was seemingly serendipitous, but now the half-child wonders if it was a design of the gods. He was meant to watch the night phoenix tumble and then rise from his ashes, meant to play their game of chase and fall upon the roots of the tree, meant to bleed here in the fog so that he might learn, might grow closer, make a friend. His first friend. He smiles.

In response to his friend’s question, he looks around. The mist is thick, he cannot see anything, so he moves off slightly until the air grows clear again. There is still no water in sight and he wonders if the night phoenix knows of some secret pool of water up here that Adelric himself has not yet noticed. A call over the plain distracts him- his mother’s voice. Perhaps he is lucky that she called when she did, however, as he would have nearly been frightened to death at the silence that remained on Erebos’ lips after Adelric mentioned him bleeding. He would worry he had offended, said the wrong thing, hurt his friend’s feelings when he had not meant to. He would have cringed from the glass he had shattered. Their friendship was, as of yet, a fragile house. If he shattered the glass walls before brick could be laid around them… It was lucky then, that he was distracted, frowning, that his mother should pick now to call to him.

He begins to shift and sway, unwilling to leave just yet, but also honor-bound to respond to his mother’s call. But he remains a moment longer as the night phoenix speaks of his homeland. There is love in his voice, honor, excitement, fervor- all feelings the half child knows well, but not necessarily for his homeland. He does not yet feel pride for the Falls the way that Erebos feels pride for the snowy mountains. He loves his home because his mothers are there, his sisters, and yet… There is no patriotism, no dire need to stay there for the entirety of his life. It almost makes him feel bad that Erebos is so enraptured by his homeland- should he, Adelric wonders, be so enchanted?

But to the question, the half-child can only shake his head. His mother has not mentioned the Aurora Basin, presumably to hide its existence. His father lives there, though he does not know it; a father, as it seems, that his mother has no intention of ever letting them join. “The Hidden Falls,” he responds, without any of the love in his voice that Erebos has possessed, but still rather pleased with himself that the night phoenix has not taken his question as too brash. But another cry comes through the air, this time followed by his name, and Adelric shifts again. “My mother calls, I have to go,” he says sadly, looking over his shoulder in Kiara’s direction. “But I’ll find you again soon!” he promises, smiling broadly and then taking off towards his mother, wincing once or twice as he remembers the pain in his knees. Sneaking a final look back, the half-child calls out a goodbye.