Once the rain had cleared the following morning, Syrena led them down the mountains, claiming that there were human ruins nearby where they could take cover in order to read and plan. Autumn leaves fell around them in scarlet and golden flurries, littering the ground and merging with the grass and mud.
Dawn's boots squelched against the wet earth and she was extremely thankful that they were waterproof and built for all kinds of terrain and weather. The air around them was biting, all remains of summer having drifted away for the remainder of the year. Dawn was not a fan of the cold and she oftentimes found herself wishing she could live in an eternal summer. Warmth was incredibly important to her; Kings Grave was a very difficult place to live during the frosty seasons, not to mention Venture Days. One too many times she had to run and fight her way across icy terrain, and so the arrival of autumn caused dread to coil in the pit of her stomach.
Sighing to herself, she looked around at the dead leaves with resentment and thought bitterly of the upcoming seasons, almost shuddering at the thought. Dawn truly hated winter.
Syrena glanced at Dawn from the corner of her eye, curious as to what had caused the sudden shift in the girl's mood. "Tired of walking already?"
"If that were the case then I wouldn't have a hope of lasting as long as I have in my profession."
"Why did you sigh?"
Pointing to the fallen offenders, Dawn glared at them. "That."
"What? Leaves?" Syrena's head tilted slightly, struggling to figure out what was amiss.
"Specifically autumn and winter." Running a hand down her face, Dawn exhaled sharply. "They are unbearable."
"They are?"
"I suppose you wouldn't know given your privileged life." The Venturer grumbled, scuffing her boot against the rain sodden leaves. "Everything is cold, nothing grows so food is scarce, and running across ice is a nightmare."
"That does sound quite difficult." The Commander admitted, not knowing how difficult the cold seasons were. "I like winter."
"Why?"
"I like the stillness of it." Syrena's voice was quiet, contemplative. "As though time itself has stopped."
"You're weird."
The Commander sniffed, face turned upwards. "I'm not."
Despite the ruins being situated close to their location, it still took both girls the better part of a day to reach the flat landscape again. While Dawn was sorry to see the visually appealing mountains fade into the distance behind her, another part of her was tempted to sprint in the opposite direction; desperate to be as far away from the horrors she encountered as possible.
The sun, though invisible behind the heavy grey clouds, had begun to sink lower in the sky. Thankfully, Syrena announced that they should be able to find shelter within the ruins well before nightfall.
Steadily, gleaming buildings grew on the horizon and Dawn began to grow nervous given the lack of her cloak. If she was caught now, despite everything she had survived thus far, would quite frankly be an affront to her person. "I thought you said we were going to human ruins?"
"We are, they're ahead of you."
"Those?"
"Yes, those."
Dawn's step faltered as she beheld the buildings in pristine condition, unable to believe that what she was seeing was from another time. City ruins, in her mind and in her experience, had always been decrepit, haunting, and hazardous due to the crumbling structures. These were nothing like she had ever seen before. Almost all of the buildings, even the tallest ones that threatened to graze the sky, were mostly whole. Given the near perfect nature of her surroundings, she could envision herself walking down the bustling street, humans passing her in a blur as she went about her own business. It was an unnerving thought.
"I have never seen ruins so intact." She whispered, looking up and around at what could only be called a city. Calling them ruins seemed to be an injustice.
"Queen Coralia prefers to protect ancient civilisations." Syrena explained, closely watching Dawn's expression. "She is quite fond of human architecture."
"She is?" The Venturer blinked in surprise. She never would have guessed a Monstra to be a fan of anything built by humans.
The Commander nodded as she too looked around. "Indeed, and I cannot blame her. It would be a shame to see this fall into disrepair."
"If only your king would do the same." Dawn mocked, wishing all monsters would act in accordance with the Western Queen's ideals.
"He married a human, I think that is testament enough."
"Zyire married Alani?"
"You were unaware of this?"
"Obviously!"
"Yes, he married her."
"Impossible." Dawn let out a breath, unable to comprehend this inane fact. "Not only that, but you monsters kept the concept of marriage. Wasn't having a life partner enough for your lot?"
"You disapprove?"
"Surprised." She corrected, shaking her head. "Do you exchange rings? I've heard that is what we used to do."
"I believe most do, though some are content with just exchanging permanent marks."
"Huh." Dawn exhaled before grinning from ear to ear. "Which would you prefer? Given that your future life partner won't be offended by our matching scars."
Syrena cast her gaze towards the heavens. "I'm not answering that."
"Why not? It's a perfectly reasonable question."
"It is not."
"You must be too scared to tell me, if that's the case."
"You cannot trick me into answering."
"I don't need to trick you, you'll tell me anyway."
"What makes you think such a foolish thought?"
"Because you cannot help yourself."
"Now I'm definitely not telling you."
"Suit yourself, I already know the answer regardless."
"You cannot possibly know the answer."
"I can, and I do." Dawn's voice was musical and light, but Syrena did not miss the complacent undertone. "You would prefer to exchange rings along with marks. Ask me how I know."
Syrena paused, before letting her curiosity get the better of her. "How do you know?"
"Because you are the sentimental type. You prefer solid and concrete things, and while you do not care much by way of shiny jewels and precious metals, you would want that something extra that reminded you of your love, and that you were also loved in turn. A ring is just another form of proof, and it is more visible." Dawn surmised, feeling incredibly smug at the Commander's astonished expression.
"You are infuriatingly astute." Syrena spoke after a minute, eyes narrowing in annoyance that she had been scrutinised so easily.
The Venturer gave the girl a falsely sweet smile. "Thank you."
"How did you manage to sum all of that up?"
"Because I too have been stuck with you for every minute of every day. Naturally, I'm going to pick up on things."
