Welcome to The Heart Pyre. This is episode 25, Take notice.
[SFX faint, rhythmic mechanical whirring in the background, small library crowd in background]
Rena stared at the man in front of her in confusion, a wide grin splitting his patchy, brown beard in two. He still had a hold of her hand but the spot where their skin met was becoming hot and sweaty, making Rena wish he would finally let go.
How did he know her name? And why was he excited to see her? He’d introduced himself as Deacon, so was this the person who was looking for Logan? Had he followed them? But how could he have known where they were going? And if he had found them so easily, wouldn’t the Crow do the same? Or had this encounter simply been a coincidence?
Her eyes darted back to Jesper, his one uncovered brow in a deep frown as he stared at her as if she was an apparition. She couldn’t truly believe that he was standing in front of her either. She’d seen his house in ruins, had seen how the fire had eaten away at it, and somehow, he had survived. Clearly, not without injury, he didn’t appear to be as lucky as Rena, but he was alive! Breathing and conscious! Someone who had survived the same tragedy as her was standing right in front of her!
Her heart swelled with hope and happiness and confusion and dread. There was so much she wanted to ask him. So much they needed to talk about. A million words almost spilled out of her, but then her eyes darted back to Deacon and his eager stare.
RENA (confused, apprehensive): Ehm, I-I don’t know who you’re referring to.
DEACON (with humour): Right, right, how could you know who my acquaintances are? I’m talking about a fella named Logan. He might have introduced himself to you by another name though, you never know with his sort. Tall fella, with wavy hair, gets along with everyone. I’m sure you know who I mean.
RENA (hesitant): Eh… I…
She didn’t know what to do, whether she could trust Deacon or not. It was unlikely that he was working for the Crow, at least she hoped, and if Logan, Kalani and Asha knew him he wasn’t a complete stranger, but there was something in his stare that didn’t sit well with her. Maybe he just wanted to discuss a misunderstanding he’s had with Logan but what if it was more serious? What if he wanted to blackmail Logan or hurt him or worse? She couldn’t lead him to Logan without knowing that, right?
DEACON: Listen, missy, there’s no point pretending you don’t know who I’m talking about. I know that you’re travelling with him. There are enough little mice in Velashta who saw you together. And all the little mice like talking to me.
JESPER: Don’t pressure her like this. She’s just overwhelmed. Give her some time to adjust.
DEACON: Alright, alright, alright.
Deacon finally let go of her, raising his hands in surrender. Rena clasped her hands in front of her, discretely wiping the hand Deacon had been holding on to on her dress. She shifted, her gaze wandering to the ground and back up, trying to play the part so he’d give her more time to think.
Deacon was probably right, there was no point in denying she knew Logan, but that didn’t mean she had to tell him where he was. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Her heart hammered faster and faster in her chest. She was fully aware that not answering him at all was the same as confirming his suspicion, but she had never been great at lying.
A lump formed in her throat as her eyes started to prickle but she swallowed it. She didn’t want to start crying, not in front of these three people with their sharp gazes fixed on her. There was no reason to cry anyway, it was just all too much at once. She had faced worse than Deacon and his smarmy smile in the last few days, there was no reason to be scared of him.
RENA (uncertain but trying to be resolute): I-I don’t currently know where Logan is, but if I see him again, I’ll make sure to tell him you’re looking for him. I’m not sure when that will be, though. We’re not currently travelling together, so I can’t make you any promises. But I’m sure he’s already aware that you’re looking for him. He’ll probably come to you once he’s less busy.
DEACON: No, no, no. I need to talk to him now. You see, it’s about an important matter, so it would be best for all of us if you thought really hard in that pretty little head of yours about where you saw him last.
ALDARA (warm, calming voice): Now, now, Deacon, that’s no way of talking to a young lady. But maybe we could find a nice, warm tavern where we could all get acquainted properly. Loitering in the entrance hall of a busy library isn’t very conducive to a thoughtful conversation, wouldn’t you agree?
Rena looked over at the last person in their circle. She was a short, middle-aged woman, the dark blue uniform of the Historical Academy tight against her arms and chest. Her skin was a dark olive shade and dark brown hair reached her shoulders in thick coils, held back on her head with a headband that matched her uniform. Her smile was warm, but Rena didn’t fully trust it. Was it something about the woman herself, or did the whole situation make Rena too uneasy, she couldn’t tell anymore.
ALDARA: Maybe we can find a solution to Deacon’s problem over a warm cup of Elderflower tea. And I’m sure you have plenty to discuss with Jesper. It must be such a relief to see him again.
RENA (hesitant): Yes.
Rena couldn’t simply let Jesper vanish from her life again, not without knowing where she could find him again, but was following Deacon and a representative from the Historical Academy to a different location truly a good idea? All she had heard about the academy over the last week had been how little they should be trusted, and even if Rena didn’t truly understand what their job was, she was inclined to believe her new companions.
If she could find out where Jesper was staying, she could inform Kalani and the others about her encounter, and then come back to Jesper later. Maybe she could get him away from Deacon and the representative. Maybe he could even join Rena on her travels. But she would need to find the time to talk to him, preferably without the other two’s involvement.
Rena looked back towards the moving boxes, staring at them for a moment. Would she need to notify Rodrick of where she was going? It would certainly be the safer decision, but if Rena was actually in trouble, she didn’t want to drag him into the situation. Not right after he’d just been freed.
No, she would need to overcome this on her own. Find out more about Jesper’s situation then escape and find Kalani or Logan or anyone else who might know what to do next.
ALDARA: Are you waiting for someone?
RENA (hesitant): No, no. We can go.
She turned back to the representative and smiled at her, then extended the smile towards Jesper.
ALDARA: Wonderful, and I think I know just the place where we could have a delightful chat. We will just have to walk for a little bit, but it’s such a lovely day outside, I’m sure it will do us all some good to enjoy this splendid weather.
The woman passed Rena to head towards the library’s entrance and gestured for the rest to follow her.
[SFX library noises fade into background, fade in of outside city crowd, faint ocean and seagull sounds in background, footsteps]
ALDARA: It truly is a wonderful coincidence that we ran into you, Rena. It’s such a shame that the Historical Academy hasn’t had an opportunity to talk to you yet. What happened to Oceansthrow is such a tragedy. My deepest condolences to you. It’s such an unimaginable loss. I won’t ever be able to truly grasp what you and Jesper must be going through. And all of it because of some mindless accident. But that’s just the fortune life hands us sometimes. It doesn’t always play out the way we imagined it would.
RENA (forced): Thank you.
The knot in Rena’s stomach tightened further, threatening to overturn her stomach. Hearing this woman talk so confidently about the fire being an accident felt like she’d been stabbed. Of course she’d think like that. Rena had been warned often enough that that was the story the Historical Academy was going with but it was something completely different to come face to face with it.
ALDARA: You know, we’re trying to get Jesper back on his feet. That’s the least the kingdom can do after such a horrible event. We could do the same for you. It would ease my mind if you’d accept our help.
[small pause]
RENA (nervous): Thank you. I-I’ll think about it. I do have an aunt in Lomen who I can stay with.
JESPER: Your mother’s sister, right? Wasn’t she much older than your mother? And sick?
RENA: Yes, but I wouldn’t be a burden! I’m old enough to find work, I’m sure my aunt wouldn’t mind me staying with her for a bit.
ALDARA (earnest): But shouldn’t such a bright, young girl like you have the opportunity to finish her education? And potentially enter an academy to learn even more? We could help you achieve those dreams, Rena. There’s no need for you to inconvenience your poor aunt. The kingdom takes care of its citizens. You don’t have to deal with this tragedy on your own.
A bitter taste formed at the back of Rena’s throat. She would have loved to finish her education. She’d liked going to school, even if she’d known from a young age that she would inherit her family’s mill and bakery. But there was so much she could learn in school that would have helped her keep the business afloat, things her parents hadn’t known. School had taught her to be rigorous and thorough and organized, qualities she had to admit with a heavy heart her parents had lacked.
But now that everything was gone, that the bakery lay in ruins and her family had been ripped from her, was there truly a reason to continue her education? If she accepted the Historical Academy’s offer, the truth would never be uncovered. There was no chance that they’d even listen to her wild claims about the Crow. And she would never get Maya back. No, as compelling as it sounded to have someone take care of her and her future, uncovering the truth was more important.
But she could at least pretend for a little while.
RENA (forced): Thank you. That is very kind of you. I have always dreamed of going to the citadel in Mak-Hemma but with my family’s meager earnings, we’ve never had the opportunity to travel so far.
ALDARA: I’m sure that can be arranged, my dear. There are a few highly regarded academies in Mak-Hemma. Maybe you’d be interested in becoming a tinkerer? They’re a highly-valued profession at the moment. Or maybe you like numbers better and would like being a bookkeeper. You can never go wrong with becoming a bookkeeper.
RENA: Yes, that sounds lovely. I was already in charge of the numbers for my family’s bakery, I’m sure bookkeeping would suit me very well.
ALDARA (dialogue fades into background): Brilliant! Deacon, as soon as we’re back in our rooms, remind me to write a letter to Aminah Burhan to inform her of this new development.
DEACON: I’m neither your servant nor your notebook.
ALDARA: And then we’ll have to contact one of the schools in Dam-Vala. I’m sure at least one of them will be more than delighted to help our new friend out.
As the representative continued listing her ideas to a more than disinterested Deacon, Rena noticed that Jesper had fallen behind. At first, she was afraid that walking might cause him pain and adapted her pace so she could hold his arm, but then he leaned in closer to whisper to her.
JESPER (murmur): How have you been Rena? Are you hurt?
RENA (hushed voice): No, I’m fine. I’m not hurt. But what about you? What happened to your face? Is it bad?
JESPER: It’s… not good. But it will heal. Eventually. At least the skin, it’s… ehm… difficult to tell if my eye will heal. But that’s why we came here. Apparently, Aldara knows a very competent healer in this city. With the correct ointment, I might be able to regain some of my sight.
RENA (slightly hysterical, still in hushed voice): I’m so sorry I didn’t come to your help! The town was already in ruins when I arrived and I tried to enter your house but it seemed so dangerous to step in a-and I didn’t know if I could help. I couldn’t even move when I first saw the fire, I know I should have! I feel so horrible that I couldn’t help anyone. I should have tried harder. Maybe your face wouldn’t be hurt so bad if I’d managed to just get up, maybe your eye-
JESPER: Rena. Rena. Calm down. You wouldn’t have been able to help me anyway. I was trapped in the basement with half a house on top of me. You wouldn’t have been able to lift the beams on your own.
RENA: I know, but I didn’t even try. I should have called for you louder. Maybe you would have heard me and I could have gotten you help sooner. I thought that I was the only one who had survived. It sounds silly now. Why did I think I was the only one? I should have searched more. What if someone else was trapped like you? What if they could have survived if someone had gotten to them fast enough? I should have insisted that more people from Halvint went to Oceansthrow right away. That they not wait until the next morning to search the ruins. Maybe they could have helped more people.
JESPER: Rena, stop. [pause] It doesn’t help us to think like that. What has happened has happened. You blaming yourself isn’t going to bring them back either. I understand that you think like this. I can’t help it either. That if things had been slightly different, that if I hadn’t gone to the basement at that moment, I might have been able to help somehow. But we can’t rectify the past, Rena. Luck had abandoned us on that day and there is nothing we could have done to change it. And even if you’d called out louder for me, I wouldn’t have heard you. The world turned dark after the house collapsed. I only woke up much later. And what could the people from Halvint have done? They can’t enter any buildings while they’re still on fire and by the time it had settled night had probably fallen.
RENA (small, defeated voice): [sigh] I know. You’re right. I just can’t help myself. I keep thinking that maybe if I had done things differently, more people would have survived, but, realistically, I know that I wouldn’t have been able to lift any of the beams. I tried and it barely moved at all. But, with each day that passes, that memory fades and instead I keep imagining scenarios where it could have worked after all. And then I blame myself for not trying them.
JESPER: You really shouldn’t, Rena. There is nothing any of us could have done differently that would have helped. But, what happened to you? You seem to be unhurt.
RENA (pained): I’m sorry. I-I wasn’t in town when the fire happened. I was out gathering herbs for my mother and when I came back, the town was already in flames, and I-I tried to help people, I swear, but my body didn’t want to move, and once I did finally manage to move the flames had already eaten away at most of the town.
JESPER: Good. That’s good to hear. I’m glad you weren’t in town when the fire started. Maybe that also means we’ll find more people who avoided the disaster. We might not be the only survivors.
RENA (excited, still in hushed voice): I think Maya’s still alive! The Crow took her. We’re trying to find her and get her back.
JESPER (confused): The… what?
RENA: The Crow! The people who started the fire!
[pause]
JESPER: What are you talking about?
RENA (agitated, hissed whisper): The fire wasn’t an accident. I know that’s what the Historical Academy claims but they’re trying to cover up the truth. There’s this organization called the Crow that has something to do with the old Gods and they set these fires for some reason, we’re not exactly sure why yet, but Oceansthrow wasn’t the first town they destroyed. There was this other town, Miller’s Knee, near the Plains, that they destroyed a few years ago. And there have been others before that too.
JESPER (unsure): Rena, I-I don’t know about that. It all sounds… a bit outlandish. And who is we?
RENA: The people I’m travelling with. They’re helping me find Maya and figure out what the Crow’s plan is. There’s something else going on. Something hidden that the Historical Academy doesn’t want us to know about. Or maybe they don’t know about it either but I don’t think they want to help us find out the truth.
Their steps had gotten slower and they were now a few metres behind Deacon and the representative. Aldara had been right, the weather truly was perfect for a stroll through town, even though Rena barely paid any attention to their surroundings.
Jesper looked at her in confusion, but the worst part was, that mingled in between, was an expression of deep worry.
RENA (agitated): I know this must all sound strange to you, but how could the fire have spread throughout the entire town without being stopped? It was the middle of the day. People would have noticed.
JESPER (confused): Sometimes fires can spread very quickly.
RENA: I know, but more people would have survived. They would have run out of their houses and tried to get to safety. Something must have stopped them from exiting the buildings.
JESPER: B-but why? This makes no sense, Rena.
RENA: I don’t know why yet. We have theories, but nothing concrete. But I found figurines near the church! These sort of hand-carved bird figurines. They’d been deliberately placed around the church in a pattern for some reason. An accidental fire can’t explain how those appeared.
JESPER: You found… figurines?
ALDARA: Ah, here we are!
Aldara had stopped in front of a tea shop at the end of a busy road. Rena looked around, breaking out of her daze, and realized that she hadn’t been to this part of Hrevim yet. In fact, she wasn’t even sure she would be able to find her way back to the library or the docks. The buildings seemed new, with many stores selling delicate and pristine goods that Rena would probably never be able to afford in her life.
[SFX outside crowd, ocean sounds and seagulls fade out, inside café crowd noises fade in]
Even the tea shop they entered looked refined, with white, light blue and purple tiles decorating the floor and walls of the room. As they entered, a subtly sweet smell enveloped them, the fragrance of honey and almond cakes mixing with the floral essence of the herbal teas. To their left, the tiles formed a mural of the ocean and the city from when it was still much smaller. A few tables were scattered around the room, most already occupied by various groups of people. The wood of the tables and chairs was carved in delicate patterns, in a similar style to the patterns on the library’s exterior.
Rena couldn’t keep herself from staring at the décor, the stark contrast to the inns and taverns she’d visited previously almost knocking the air out of her lungs.
Aldara led them to a table at the rear of the room and ordered elderflower tea and almond cakes for all of them without hesitation.Before the host had fully stepped away, Deacon already turned to Rena to stare at her with intent.
DEACON: So, about Logan. I’m sure you’ve remembered by now where he might be.
ALDARA: [tuts] We shouldn’t be starting this conversation with your personal grievances, Deacon. Tell us how you’ve been, Rena. It must have been such a difficult time for you. But why didn’t you stay in Halvint after the fire? We could have taken care of you.
RENA (hesitant): I … needed to know what actually happened. How the fire started.
ALDARA (trying to be warm and reassuring): That’s why you should have stayed in Halvint. We could have told you what we found out after the guards finished their investigation. There’s no need to try to figure this out on your own.
RENA (hesitant): The… ehm… guards weren’t very… accommodating when I tried to talk to them.
ALDARA: Nonsense, you probably4 just talked to the wrong person. There are plenty of compassionate people in our guards’ corps who would have been more than happy to help you out.
RENA (hesitant): W-what did your investigation figure out about the fire?
ALDARA: Well, it isn’t completed yet, so I can’t tell you much about it, not because I don’t want to, I just don’t want you to get the wrong ideas in your head. What we are certain about, however, is that, in all likelihood, it was a careless accident that sadly spread from house to house.
[dishes being put on the table, stirring in tea cup]
As the host came back to their table with their teas and cakes, Rena dared a quick glance towards Jesper. He was sitting next to her, with his hands clasped in his lap, his gaze vacantly fixed on the table. His brow was lightly furrowed as if he was mulling something over in deep thought. Deacon sat across from him and never took his eyes off of Rena, even when the host put his dishes in front of him. His face was neutral, with a hint of annoyance, and only changed into a quick, cocky smile when Rena looked over at him.
She smiled back, and quickly looked away, focusing her attention instead on the small clay cup filled with elderflower tea in front of her. The host had placed a short branch with small, white flowers in each cup and the top of the rectangular honey cake on Rena’s plate glistened a delicious orange.
Rena forced her breaths to stay calm and regular even though she could still feel Deacon’s intense stare on her. She slowly lifted her hand to grab her spoon, as if any rash movement could startle him into pouncing on her. As if he was a lynx just waiting for the rabbit to hop out of its den. She carved off the corner of her cake and let its sweetness melt on her tongue. For a second, she thought that she had never tasted a cake before that tasted so delicately of honey, but she couldn’t hold on to the thought for very long, as her mind was soon filled with worry again.
Jesper hadn’t reacted the way she thought he would, which shouldn’t have been a shock to her, if she was truly honest with herself. Had she not experienced the last week herself, she would never have believed such a strange tale either. A secret cult who was obsessed with a god no one had really thought about in the last decades, and who was setting fires to villages while leaving hand-carved bird figurines amidst the ruins. Rena had to admit that it sounded like a story from a child’s overeager imagination. But she wasn’t a child anymore and what she had told him was the truth, she just needed to convince him of it.
She wished she could trust Aldara and Deacon – a week ago she would have – but she doubted she could convince them of the truth. In all likelihood, at least Aldara already knew about it and simply chose to keep it a secret from Jesper. But how much was Rena supposed to tell them about what she knew and how much was she supposed to lie about? Kalani had said to be careful who they talked to, so she knew she shouldn’t just blabber on about all they had discovered, but she couldn’t exactly pretend they had simply spent the last week visiting different towns purely for fun.
RENA (nervous): How could a fire started by accident have spread through an entire village?
ALDARA (mournful): A strong wind probably spread it to some drying hay.
RENA: I don’t remember there being much wind that day.
ALDARA: It must have been quite localized. You might not have noticed it inside the forest.
RENA: I also don’t remember there being any drying hay lying around. It wouldn’t exactly be the season for it. Do you remember it, Jesper?
JESPER (nervous): I have to be honest, Rena, it is all very much a blur for me. Not just the fire itself, also the days prior. I couldn’t tell you if there was hay laying out to dry in town or not. Or how the wind felt.
ALDARA: Jesper suffered some heavy injuries to his head. It’s perfectly normal if he has trouble remembering certain things.
RENA: Sure, I know that it’s probably difficult for you to remember details, Jesper. I’m sure it’ll come back to you once you’ve had plenty of rest. But, uhm, I still think it’s a bit unlikely that anyone would have been laying out hay at this time of year. The grass is still growing, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have already harvested it.
ALDARA: Well [slight chuckle], it is just one of our theories. As I said, I don’t want to discuss the details of what we think might have happened too much, exactly because of this. People tend to focus on the wrong details. Once we have reached a conclusion I’ll personally make sure to discuss them with you.
Rena glanced at Jesper again, hoping their eyes could meet, but his gaze never strayed from the cup of tea in his hands. She just needed to make his mind wonder about the fire. Maybe if he concluded of his own accord that an accident couldn’t have caused this much damage, he would come to her to seek the truth on his own. Maybe he would realise that Aldara and the Historical Academy were lying to him and he would turn his back on them.
DEACON (annoyed): Can we talk about Logan, now?
Rena looked up at Deacon, the annoyance simmering in his eyes having turned into anger.
ALDARA: This person you keep mentioning, he’s travelling with Rena?
DEACON: He sure is.
ALDARA (concerned): Is he a trustworthy person?
DEACON (with some humour): Oh, well, I don’t know about that. How much can you really trust someone from Rancor, right? He sure has a mind of his own.
ALDARA: Do you actually think it’s a good idea to travel with someone like that, Rena?
RENA: But Deacon is also from Rancor and you’re travelling with him.
ALDARA: Certainly, but we are adults.
RENA: I don’t see how that has much to do with the situation. I’m not a child anymore.
ALDARA: No, but you are still young and just experienced a very terrible event. Don’t you think it’s a bit concerning if you are travelling through the kingdom with strangers?
If Rena didn’t want to draw any ire, she would need to play along. She still needed to find out in which inn they were staying and then get back to her companions safely. She’d need to gain Aldara’s trust for that which meant pretending to abandon her current plans.
RENA: Well, they were all kind to me and have helped me so far, but maybe you’re right. It is quite dangerous out here for someone like me. But I like what you proposed earlier, about getting to finish my schooling and maybe trying my luck at an academy.
ALDARA: That would be wonderful, Rena. I’m sure you would do fantastically at any of the academies, don’t you agree, Jesper?
JESPER (surprised): Oh, eh, yes. She’s very smart. Always helped out the other kids at school. Your, uhm, teacher …. Uhm, what was her name again?
RENA (concerned): Miss Kaari. She lived in Oceansthrow all her life. Don’t you remember?
JESPER: Yes, right, her name had just slipped my mind. She always seemed very proud of you.
A strange heat rose from the pit of Rena’s stomach, spreading through her body and into her cheeks. She couldn’t help herself from smiling, although her joy was soon tinged with the bitter aftertaste of grief.
RENA: Thank you. I always tried my best while helping the others.
ALDARA: Then I’m sure you could even become a teacher yourself! I’ll have to talk to some other members of the Historical Academy but there should be no obstacles to you achieving any of your dreams. It will take us a few days’ travel to get back to Napahrit, I might send a messenger ahead so all the procedures to get you back to school can already be initiated.
RENA: I have to go get my belongings and tell the people I’m travelling with that I’m leaving or they might get worried. We could meet up tonight at your inn, maybe?
DEACON: Or we could accompany you.
RENA: Oh no, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure you have better things to do. You didn’t come all this way just to waste your time watching me pack my stuff. And Logan wouldn’t be there anyway if that’s what you’re hoping for. Like I said, I don’t know where he currently is, but I could find out for you.
DEACON: How do we know you won’t just run away? You’re probably gonna run right back to Logan and leave the city and then I’ll have to chase you over yet another border.
RENA (with humour): Why would I do that? I barely know him. We’ve been travelling together for only a handful of days, that’s really no basis to run away with someone. I’ve known Jesper all my life. He’s one of my father’s dearest friends. Why would I rather travel through the kingdom like a pauper with someone I barely know than stay somewhere that will take care of me with someone who already held me in his arms as an infant? If you think about it, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Miss Aldara, you have to believe me.
ALDARA: I know, child. I know. Deacon is just a very stubborn man. Why do you care so much about this Logan fellow anyway?
DEACON (angry and annoyed): He owes me something.
ALDARA: Well, I’m sure it can’t be that important that you threaten a young lady over it.
RENA: It will only take me an hour or two to pack all my belongings, so we can meet up again before the sun sets. If I were to flee, I wouldn’t get very far in such a short amount of time. You’d catch up with me right away. But of course, I wouldn’t run away. That would be silly. I just need to know where we should meet up.
ALDARA: Why don’t we meet up again here?
RENA: Wouldn’t it be easier if I came to the inn you’re staying at? Just so I could store my belongings in your room.
DEACON: So you can lead your troupe of bandits to our rooms and rob us?
ALDARA: It’s the Jasmine Garden Inn, near the palace. It’s quite easy to find. Once you see the garden you can’t miss the inn. It has a mechanical statue of a yellow jasmine that opens and closes. Quite delightful, although I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t make such a ruckus.
RENA: I will wait for you in the entrance hall at sundown then. And thank you so much for the tea and cake. They’re truly delicious.
Rena didn’t leave the tea shop immediately, no matter how much she wanted to get away from Deacon and his anger that threatened to boil over at any moment. She slowly sipped her tea and finished her honey cake, keeping her attention on Aldara who walked her through the different academies that existed in the kingdom, while the two men remained silent. She could still feel Deacon’s stare on her but she didn’t dare meet his gaze. She knew she was safe for now, but once she left the tea shop she didn’t know what he was going to do. It didn’t feel like he trusted her to meet up with them in the evening, but would he go so far as to follow her? Maybe he really thought she would run right to Logan and didn’t want to miss the opportunity to finally catch him. She’d need to be careful once she left the building. If she was lucky, Aldara would keep him busy, but she couldn’t solely rely on that hope.
Rena wished Jesper would talk to her, or say anything at all, but he simply held his mug up to his mouth, taking a sip every few minutes, and stared into nothingness. He hadn’t even taken a bite of his cake yet. She didn’t know if it was because he was trying to figure out whether Aldara was telling the truth or because he was simply too exhausted. But she didn’t want to push it and make him more uncomfortable, so she took all of the pressing questions she had for him and locked them up in her mind in the hopes she could ask them later.
When she felt she had spent a polite amount of time conversing with Aldara she excused herself and left the tea shop, walking at a calm pace so as not to raise any suspicion, and tried to find her way back to her companions.
Four paths lay in front of us, on which the story could continue.
- On the first path, Rena goes back to the library to find Rodrick
- On the second path, Rena goes to the palace to find Logan and Finn
- On the third path, Rena goes to the docks to find Asha
- On the fourth path, Rena tries to find Kalani in the city
You can cast your vote by going to the show’s twitter page, the tumblr page, or on theheartpyre.com. You have until the March 7th to cast your vote.
If you like this podcast, consider leaving a review or supporting it on Ko-Fi or Patreon. One of the tiers on Patreon lets you vote for the alternative timeline, in which you can make Rena take a different path. You can also get the novelization of the first season as an ebook and paperback from most major retailers.
You can find transcripts for each episode, character art, and a map of the kingdom on theheartpyre.com.
The intro music is Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone.
The Heart Pyre is written and produced by me, Audrey Martin.
Thank you for listening.
