"Well, then maybe we can bring people somewhere here. Many of the islands have room."

"That would help. I heard getting people across the sea is what's taking so long...You really think I can go home? You said I couldn't earlier."

"I'm sure you'll be able to someday. Hopefully someday soon, we don't want your mom missing your childhood."

Gren nods. Oh look she's crying softly. Trying to hide it. "If we- Bring back things for the Witch-Knights. To help fight the demons."

"Do you want a hug? And I'm sure we can do something to fight the demons - there'll be people wanting to help, and we can bring back this realm's magic. Something the demons have never seen before."

Hugs from random people she met ten minutes ago - even if they're feeding her - are a bit of a dubious prospect. She shakes her head. "...Guess I should tell you what I know about them."

"If you want. It isn't urgent."

"People say they came from outer space. They're - big, black, flying things that blow everything up and breathe out poison gas. They live in a giant storm."

"There's bound to be a way to filter out poisonous gases with our magic. Possibly with items, that we can share with the Witch Knights."

"I don't know what the warriors actually need. Didn't get talk to them much. But I think that would help some."

"Yeah. And I'm sure someone who's had more experience with fighting than me would be able to come up with more. We'll be able to go back and forth, too, so if we don't bring everything they need on the first try, we can come back for more."

"I heard gossip about this Witch they call Unity Mother. They say she bullied all the kings to fight the Neuroi instead of each other. That's pretty wow, kings fight each other all the time."

"That is very impressive. It's hard to get people even within a kingdom to work together."

"Yeah."

She finishes her food and doesn't seem to know what to do next.

"Do you want to hear some stories about this realm?"

"Oh, yes! This place sounds like fun."

"Well, I was born in little village that wouldn't appear on any maps. in the kingdom of Bajilda, on the continent-island Shras. My family tended to an orchard along the Asseri River, and in the distance on a clear day I could see the grand city of Khamar rising out of the desert plains. Khamar has many beautiful gardens and temples, and I always dreamed of visiting it. It's called the golden city, because when the sun rises and hits it just right, all the rooftops light up like golden light. There are many spires and sparkling domes, and there is a unique kind of bird that only lives near the city, and who has feathers like jewels and makes a sound like ta-ta-ta-ti-ta every morn."

"When I was about your age, a traveling teacher came to our village, and taught me all sorts of wonderful things. For the first time I heard about distant lands and far-off peoples. I learned as much as I could, then saved money until I could afford a ticket on a caravan to the city - and from there to Elgadzhi, the oldest city in the world, and a major port. I impressed the captain of a ship called the Nightingale, and got a job cleaning. I visited many places and met spirits and elves and dwarves and the Incusai, who are very little and have beautiful wings in all sorts of colors, which usually match their skin."

"Mom and dad were turnip farmers. I was going to end up one, too, until I got magic."

"What happened when you got magic?"

"Witches are rich and powerful! The Baron gave mom her own plot of land and signed a release of serfdom for me."

"...And then the Demon War started right after that."

"I'm sorry. That must have been tough."

"...Don't wanna talk about it anymore."

"Okay. Do you want to talk about something else? I can tell you more about this realm."

"What was Khav- Khamar like?"

"Wondrous. Many of the gardens are open to anyone, and they all have fruit trees from many islands, and you can pick fruit to eat. Some of the trees are magical - one had flowers that glowed in a silvery light like the moon and fruits that taste like your favorite spice. No one in Khamar goes hungry for long, because there's always places to find food being given away, at the gardens and temples. And the paving stones are small, in either black and white, and the colors form patterns in the ground. Let's see... The university's main building has one of the grandest domes on the continent, and the walls of the interior are decorated with calligraphy. The queen also has a winter palace on a hill just outside the city, though I've never been in. It's all white, and the gates are covered in intricate carvings of flowers. What else... The people are rather like people everywhere, but there's plenty of kindness to be found, and in the summer there's a great festival nearly every ten-day. Oh, the market! The great market is in a grand building. It's never closed, and there's a stall selling musical instruments, and one selling pet birds, and another selling fine silks, and yet another selling books from every part of the realm - you can find just about anything there."