"That's fortunate for cities everywhere, I'm sure. Hear they don't like being flattened."

"And I doubt we'd get away with it, either."

"That, too. Though if you want to get technical and stuff - my mom didn't get away with it, either."

"Well, there's away and then there's away."

Zeviana giggles. "Well when you word it like that... It definitely made her go away."

"I take it this was a while ago?"

"Four-ish years ago! So, kinda. I mean, she was a sucky, sucky mom, I don't miss her."

"I'm not that close with mine myself."

"Yeah. Plus I'm kind of pissed with her still because she took out our practical father with her."

"Mmm?"

"He was in the city at the time. Step-father, though not like - officially or anything. Just unofficially, to us. Adarin hasn't mentioned him? I was sure he was still mourning."

"Not in enough detail that I'd committed it to memory."

"Ahh. Yeah, that makes sense. He gets vague when things bother him. But anyway - that's kind of why I hate my mom! That and terrible parenting."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Eh, it's fine. It's 'cause of her that I've got kick-ass magic powers, so it's not all bad."

"You seem to be handling the whole thing pretty well, yes."

"Thanks! I figure, there's no use moping about it. It was a thing that happened, it sucked, but it's over now. If I stay stuck in it, then how can I say I'm living?"

"I admire that attitude."

Zeviana grins brightly. "Thanks!"

Eventually, they reach Salt Lake City. Ranata shows Zeviana the pretty temple.

It is quite pretty! "Ooooo. Yeah, that's pretty, all right," she pronounces. "Also, really, really tall."

"It is! They build them big and pretty. We can fly over three more if I take the right route away from this city, they're all a bit different. Do you want to go to the zoo?"

"I'd love to! I bet it has animals I've never seen before. Should be pretty cool."

"I wonder how many of the same animals besides humans you have where you're from. I guess we'll see!"

"I'm hoping you have really cool things! We didn't have a lot of animals in New Kystle, but there were some."