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valor 

Who knew rain could be so annoying? Valor thought as they drew up their cape to shield their face. While the fabric wasn't immune to the poison, at least it wasn't Valor's skin that was getting seared off. Still, if they had to endure much more of this, they were going to be seriously pissed.

"Nearly there." Sylva said, noticing their scowl. She smiled reassuringly, though it looked more like a wince.

"I never liked rain." Eden scowled behind them. Valor glanced back in time to see the red-caped Skykid drive their foot into the base of a tree. They didn't bother to stifle their smile as Eden yelped, clutching her foot with a furious huff. "Or trees."

"Lighten up, sunshine." Sylva breezed, shooting Eden a flirtatious smirk. "You're cuter when you smile."

Eden blushed furiously, snapping their head away as Valiance cackled. "Why'd we wait so long to introduce these two, Val?"

Valor just shook their head, grinning despite the rain. Sylva winked at them, sauntering off ahead. "Come on, slow-clouds. We're almost there."

Valor trotted after her, ignoring their sister's cry to "Wait up!" Valiance's leg was still bandaged, and it was only Aylin who was willing to trail behind to help her along.

"Almost where?" Eden asked, coming up on Sylva's other side.

"Here." Sylva stopped suddenly, propping one arm on her hip as she gestured upwards with the other. "Everyone have enough light for a couple flaps?"

Valor glanced around at their friends, who were hesitating. Their grueling flight here paired with the sting of the rain had been enough to drain them of almost all of their light reserves. While the opening in the rock Sylva was aiming for wasn't very high up, Valor doubted any of them could make it.

Sylva sighed, shaking her head. "You valley-lights, always thinking you can walk everywhere." She held out her hands, quirking her head in exasperation. "Come on, I'll take you."

Valor took their friend's hand, Sylva's light instantly flooding into them. It wasn't strong enough to combat the rain, but they felt a whisper of energy return to their sodden limbs.

Eden grabbed Sylva's other hand before turning to Aylin, who accepted their outstretched arm once Valiance had grasped Valor's. The five of them formed a chain, each of their light swelling as golden energy flowed through their conjoined skin.

"Hold on tight." Sylva advised before launching off the ground in a shower of light. Valor's cape flapped in response, tugged along by Sylva. The silver-clothed girl let out a whoop of joy as she hauled her chain of Skykids towards the gap in the stone, switching into a dive to shoot through it. Clinging to Valor's hand, Valiance gave a yelp as she came so close to the walls that her cape grazed rock. Valor themself grinned as the forest disappeared behind them, the darkness of the cave surrounding them until suddenly light appeared and Sylva launched them into an oasis of a clearing.

"Welcome to the last pretty place in the forest." Sylva said with barely an ounce of pride, cape flaring as she set them down on gently swaying grass. Valor watched Valiance as she tipped her head up to gaze at the sky.

"There's no rain." She said, dropping her head. The corner of Valor's mouth quirked up at the annoyed look that painted over Sylva's face.

"I've noticed." She said wryly, beginning to walk toward wherever she was leading them. The chain they had made while flying fell apart as they came into step beside her.

"But why?" Valiance continued, seemingly oblivious to Sylva's souring mood. From the corner of their eye, Valor could see Eden stifling a laugh.

Sylva's voice was audibly measured as she answered. "I have as many answers for that as I do for where the beasts came from." The reminder quieted them all.

The rest of the walk took place in tense silence, and even the wind seemed to still as they made their way through grassy fields. The brightness felt insulting to Valor, an echo of what the world around this place of safety used to look like. Sylva paused before a tree, whose center was hollowed out in a large doorway. When Valor glanced around her shoulder, they could see it led to nowhere but down.

"We're here." Sylva said, taking a step closer to the edge. Wind whistled as Valor neared the tree and its eerie hollow.

"Where is 'here?'" Eden asked, noticeably not coming any closer to the rest of the group as they crowded around the tree. Only Aylin stood by her, though for very different reasons. While Eden's eyes glimmered with suspicion, Aylin's were covered in barely masked terror. Valor felt sympathy crawl up their throat.

Sylva turned slowly, her tight shoulders the only indicator of her even more tightly wound patience. "You asked me to take you here."

"We asked you to take us to someone who can help."

"And that's what I'm doing." Sylva gestured to the hollow without breaking eye contact with Eden. Her tone became sharper as she continued. "The Skykid I'm taking you to lives past there." Another sweep of her hand toward the tree. Valor winced.

When Eden didn't respond, Sylva let out a huff of air. "Suit yourself, I'm not making you follow me." With those parting words, she tipped forward, the suddenly louder rush of air filling the void where her voice was.