Two hours in, Fay was finally in his element. He rode atop Grin, with Horin gripping his waist from behind.

They were in the middle of a chase, trailing behind Selra and two other Avian-Kin.

One resembled an eagle, the other a parrot, and both were joined by the eagle's wife, Horu and Merus.

They had decided to join the hunt and were now darting through the skies in pursuit of several deer that still roamed the outer reaches of the ruined land.

While Fay had initially wanted to trap and corner the deer, he had left that role to Horin.

She had brought along a bow and seemed quite skilled with it. Horin had already impressed him once before by striking a deer clean through the heart with a single shot.

He knew just how difficult that was.

Intrigued by her form, Fay studied her technique closely, how she drew the string, the strength behind each pull, and the focus in her eyes.

He found himself fascinated by weapons and battle styles.

Part of him longed to craft a spear again.

He even thought about creating an electric one, but for that, he would need Jolt to share some of his aether.

Against fast-moving deer, though, it would be a waste.

So he left it to Horin.

The other demi-humans weren't idle either. They had split up and were scouting for any wildlife, rabbits, birds, or anything edible.

It was quickly becoming clear that food was going to be a long-term problem. There just weren't many creatures left in the area.

Fay even considered giving up on the land altogether, wondering if this place had been abandoned so fast because of this.

Still, he paused on the thought.

There had to be something here, something that made it worth making such a large kingdom.

He just hadn't discovered it yet.

For now, he allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

The wind on his face, the rhythm of Grin's gallop, and Horin at his back, it felt right.

Slowly, she was starting to feel like family to him.

"Go right, Grin! We almost got the next one!"

Fay tugged gently on his creature's fur to signal where he needed to go. By now, Grin understood his cues with ease.

Soon, the next two deer were taken down.

One was given to Grin to help him recover his aether, while the remaining two would be brought back.

It wouldn't be much for a village of two hundred, but they still had food from the market.

This fresh meat was mainly for Fay and the beast-kin, who enjoyed raw meat from time to time.

"Well, let's go back. That was a good start."

Fay tied the deer onto Grin's back.

The creature could carry them easily, though he kept eyeing the meat to see if he might be allowed to keep them.

"No, Grin. We need to share with the others today. You'll be hunting your own food tomorrow," Fay said with a firm tone.

He knew one deer was enough for his companion. Giving him more would be a waste.

As they began heading back, they spotted a group in the far distance, ten figures in total.

Among them were two leaders and several warriors. Fay waved toward them as Selra and the other Avian-kin began flying ahead to meet the group.

"Guess your father might have come. I can't see clearly, but I think that's him," Fay said, smiling.

Horin nodded. "I can see him. Don't worry. Good thing I didn't inherit my mother's hum eyes, I can see a little farther than you."

"Wish I had that," Fay muttered, raising his hands like makeshift binoculars. "So how well can you see? His face or just clearer shapes?"

"His silhouette, mostly," Horin replied. "But I can make it out. Don't worry, Mira and Selûne are probably here too. They're likely coming to see my sister… and you, of course."

Horin didn't seem to like Selûne, but she did appreciate the help the Eluwyn had provided. Because of that, she hadn't said much to them so far.

"Good. I wanted to see her," Fay said, smiling.

He figured it was probably Mira who had begged to bring Selûne along.

He just wondered how his sister had done during the long trip.

It took about an hour before the group finally arrived at the gate.

By then, Fay and Horin had already finished cooking the deer outside with help from several of the fire summoners.

The young casters were being trained to keep their flames under control, and Fay made a point to restore their aether after the session to help them grow.

He had decided to personally assist the fire, water, and land summoners first, knowing just how essential those affinities were for survival.

"Seems we arrived at a good time," said one of the Eluwyn, Erian, the one with the fast bird. Behind him, Mira and Selûne were seated, tired but unharmed.

"You sure did. Take a seat while the rest catch up. And hey, both of you, welcome to... well, whatever this place is called now. Technically, it belongs to my dragon," Fay replied.

He was busy working with a long metal rod, layers of meat skewered on it while oil dripped down, hissing over the flames.

"Hi, Fay. I want to see my sister, so I'll be going inside… but I'm sure Mira wants to eat first, right?" Selûne said, clearly eager to pass Mira into Fay's care.

It seemed the elf girl had grown tired of babysitting and wanted a break.

"Yes! Fayfay, help me!" Mira shouted, reaching out excitedly.

Fay smiled and rushed over to lift her down. He passed the skewer to Horin in the meantime.

The moment Mira touched the ground, she ran straight into Horin's arms, hugging her tightly while crying.

Horin, who had just been handling the meat, quickly passed the skewers back to Fay as her eyes welled up with tears.

That was only the beginning.

As soon as Mira saw her father in the approaching group, she began sobbing even more, overwhelmed with emotion.

In the middle of it all, Fay was handed both of the twins who had been riding in with Nahrin, Tomo and Rina.

They were a little shy at first, but the moment food was presented, they relaxed and returned to being the playful children they were supposed to be.

Just then, Harriett and Joan arrived. The boy's mother, upon seeing the three children, Mira, Tomo, and Rina, without parents, immediately softened.

She was the nurturing type, and within minutes, she was already trying to bond with all three.

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