The Heartwood do you remember, how it felt when we were young

In the wake of his silence there came a wave of uncertainty. It was a passing spasm of emotion that filled the void after his explanation during which Hydra was watching him, and he could not meet her gaze - nor could he look upon his brother, but he felt the heat of Arcturus' focused rage upon him just as strongly. Then his sister began to speak. To say that Revui wasn't prepared for this was an understatement; he presumed his explanation would have been enough to satisfy, but he was no wordsmith, his tale had been a truncated version of events and it wasn't enough - it could never be enough.

It felt as if he were being subjected to the cold shoulder of Charon again. The same words flowed from Hydra now. She spoke of her fears that he had died, the ceaseless hunt which had pulled her from the mountain - as well as Arcturus, again, the dutiful one - and Revui could not help but hear their father's voice reverberating in sync through it all. He had wronged the mountain again in trying to defend it, wronged his family for not returning to them, and lost the faith of his greatest idol.

And when she moved away from him, Revui's gaze lifted to stare after her. The shift of her posture was subtle; she was a Queen, carrying herself in such a way to demand focus and showcase her rank, but also there was a darkness to it. He glimpsed her face and saw the disappointment carved there where otherwise it would have been impassive, like the granite of the mountain he was no longer welcome upon.

Revui looked on in shock, unable to hide the hurt upon his face as his world - and his place within that world - withered and died. As the mirrored hurt slid from Hydra's face and she became other to him, Revui broke his focus upon her and looked to Arcturus, as if he might step in and speak up, not knowing just how much had changed among them all.

When Hydra moved to leave, Revui finally found his voice and called out hastily, his voice crackling: You can't banish me, only father can!