Oh! Hume had misunderstood the question and she chuckled to herself for her folly.

"Oh, unfortunately yes, there are few who would be able to tell you about Earth in the caves. It seems Jupiter is no longer with you... but Tamulus would have fond memories. It is tragic that Ged—well, Totum are a combined being, their souls ever intertwined; but their memories may... not be as pleasant as you'd like to hear. They may not remember it all clearly, anyway, with the way their souls are tumbled together."

She paused for a moment in thought.

"Nemean will embellish. I shudder to think what euphoria she may try to impose on you, but she would have fond memories. Aquarian..." she trailed off and shook her head. "Well, I don't know what he would remember. Likely nothing much at all."

Those were the only names she could consider might know something of Earth, but to what extent would they remember it or their original selves? Considering how long they have lived in their current bodies, it was possible there was nothing to reflect on—but she did know that Tamulus missed humans, and Jupiter missed animals, and together they created a pseudo-Earth on the surface of Let.

Wilder seemed pleased with Hume's description and she would not be left wanting for more for too much longer. When the Visitor reaches them and enacts its intention in the upcoming days, there was solace in knowing Wilder would see the sky again (and on better terms!).

But she asked: why us?

Hume shuffled her legs and re-adjusted her wings as she thought on the answer. Above them the sky rippled but the owl did not look at it this time.

"For the spires to have the ability to birth life, they need autonomy—me. The gembound are unique in that you are neither the hounds of Rrevalk nor the drones of Dontacael." It wasn't that she necessarily supported either one of them over the other. She couldn't help what she was naturally inclined to want. Were they not all selfish beings in the End?

"It was Utzotl who initially indulged me and gave me a canvas to paint the life I love," she said further as the sky above them curled with colors. Well, she borrowed said canvas, but in the End it was the life that mattered to her. "But now I focus that love on Earth. That is not to say I do not love all of you—I do. So it is just as special to me to know you, Wilder, and to know that you live." And it was not entirely known to Hume how many intricacies and strands wove even her own Fate together.

"Utzotl chose your cave as a hallmark for Natural Order and I obliged. So, why care about you?" Her cheeks lifted and her beak betrayed as much of a smile that a beak could. "Because you deserve to live."